Welcome November - posted by Melissa

Got in a quick walk at Big Gulch before the next wave of rain hit this morning.

The woods smell so good this time of year.

Fall hikes are the best.

Homemade cheddar cornbread muffins just out of the oven, football on TV (GO HAWKS!) and my Girasole almost done....maybe today if I buckle down!!

Happy autumn, happy Sunday, happy knitting, happy November!

- Melissa

bliss - posted by Melissa

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

- A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

There is nothing quite so lovely as a knitted on edging.

Let's get reacquainted, old friend.

Melissa

I just might have the mojo back... - Melissa

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

- L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Husky football, a belly full of hearty soup, a warm cup of coffee and a puddle of knitting (yes, girls and boys, KNITTING!) on my lap.

It's a good evening : )

-Melissa

today's his birthday ~ Melissa





Dozer is eight today!  We are so lucky to have him ~ we always laugh that we got lucky finding him.  It was a spur of the minute decision to get a second dog and we pulled up Craig's List and he had just been posted ~ top of the page ~ and I immediately said...he's the one!!!  Jason tortured me for an hour or so by looking further to see what other mutts were being put up for adoption, but eventually decided I was right.  :)

 

We're also lucky that the owner had decided to give him away ~ Dozer was from an 'oops litter' (a neighbor's black lab mix had gotten loose and had a fling with Dozer's mama...a purebred Springer Spaniel).  He was one of thirteen puppies (!!) and the Spaniel's family had let his twelve siblings go to other families but had kept Dozer for themselves...and then decided that a third dog and a new baby didn't really mix.  Sometimes timing really is everything.  They let him go and we needed him and he's brought us much joy ever since.  So happiest of birthdays, Stinky Pinkerton!

 

I finally finished the third pair of socks that I started in December.  I love the yarn and the pattern ( ravelry notes here ) ~ my first pair of self-striping and they were so much fun to knit.  My Girasole has been set aside for the last two weeks while I let my hands rest.  It's gotten so heavy and I was spending too much time on it and eventually I had to take a break.  I'm back to work on it this weekend, though!  It's been really hard to not pick it back up since it's been thrilling to knit but the time out was productive and now I'm ready to finish her up.  Have a great Friday!



 joining Liesl at Buckalooview for her monthly sock challenge

Well, crap. - guest blogger Lesley

The good news is that I'm really, really close to finishing Girasole.  I've sucked it up and cranked out the knitted on edging as though I don't know what the word "boredom" means.

Now for the "Oh, crap" part.

I was working along yesterday afternoon, hoping to have Girasole ready for the blocking mats today, when I realized - I don't have very much yarn left at all.  In fact, I may not have enough to finish!  I got down to 22 edge stitches when the yarn ran out.  So close!!!

I'm currently waiting for Scarlet (Huckleberry Knits) and the wonderful folks at Northwest Handspun to give me a call to let me know if there's any more Merino/Yak/Silk in Browncoat in the area that I can get for love or money (preferably money).  If the answer is no, I'll need to deconstruct Girasole and re-knit her on slightly smaller needles.

I can't say that it would break my heart to have to do this.  The Girasole pattern has gone very quickly and has been fun to knit.  The yarn is lovely as well, and it certainly wouldn't qualify as torture to knit with it again.  So maybe I'm not so close to finishing, after all.

Lesson of the day:  If your pattern calls for 1200 yards, and the skein says 400 yards - you had better have more than 3 in your stash!!

To console myself while waiting for the phone to ring, I've cast on for Ludlow and worked the first 20 rows of moss stitch.  It's quite a relaxing knit so far - just back and forth, knit and purl.

Size 7 needles are giving me a fabric density that I like with the Felted Tweed, so I'll stick with that size.  The gauge is about 4.5 per inch unstretched.  It should easily give me the finished measurement without too severe a blocking.

I hope you're all enjoying this fantastic rainy Friday - perfect for knitting, hot tea, and audiobooks!

Girasole shawl - guest blogger Lesley

I am SO late to the party!  I have good reasons, but more about that later.

I'm working on the shawl version of Girasole, using Huckleberry Knits merino/yak/silk blend in the Browncoat colorway.  It's a very lively tonal brown - not "flat" at all.  It's a little redder in the picture than in real life.

I've just finished chart D, and I'm halfway through the first repeat of chart E.  The pattern is really easy to follow, and the repeats are simple to remember as you go around.  As Melissa mentioned in an earlier post, at this size, she's getting hard to photograph!  Here's one side of the shawl:

I can hardly wait to start the edging and start "freeing" the shawl from the needles!  I have a long way to go, though - I'm just past the halfway point.  Last night was the first time I had noticed how long the rounds are getting - and they'll be getting even longer.  What a fun, fun project!  :~D

But, you know, one project is never enough.  I was so impressed with Andrea's, Kelli's, and Shari's Ludlows at knitting last week that I decided to pick up some added "motivation" to finish Girasole.  Once she's done, I'll be casting on for Ludlow in Rowan Felted Tweed.  I'm thinking size 7s ought to do.  I'll start swatching there, at any rate.

Now, about those "reasons" I mentioned earlier!  TPTB at my apartment community decided that last week was the perfect time to put new carpet in my apartment.  So, I had to pack all of my things up to be moved out while the carpet was installed.  All the "fun" of moving, without moving.  The new carpet is lower maintenance and a better color, but not very comfortable underfoot.  I see rugs in my future!

After the installation on Friday, I got to spend the weekend turning this...

...into this. (Notice Girasole ready for her close-up on the sofa!)  And that's just the stitching room.

I filled up the car twice with things for Goodwill, and I've already started setting aside knitting goodies for the silent auction at this year's retreat.  Did I mention all the "fun" of moving?   :~P

That was followed by a work conference in Portland on Monday and Tuesday.  No pictures, but believe me, I'm doing you a favor in that omission!

Then the Apartment Dieties descended again yesterday with new appliances!  I have a new range/oven, refrigerator, and washer/dryer.  The washer/dryer stack has a higher capacity than my old one, and the range has two (yes, TWO) large burners, instead of one.  (If you've ever tried to cook Thanksgiving Dinner on an apartment range, you know what a big deal this is!)

I'm looking forward to taking next week off and getting in some much-needed knitting time!  Hopefully there won't be any more major events at home while I'm off.  Getting new things is very nice, but I need a break.

fog ~ Melissa

 

A much needed day off and woke with a headache and the sniffles.  Good excuse to hunker down and do nothing.  Well, nothing but knit and watch the fog over Puget Sound, listen to the ferry bleat it's warning as it travels from Mukilteo to Clinton on Whidbey Island and back again, and warm myself with some good strong coffee.  Not a bad way to start a four day weekend, even if I'm not feeling 100%.

 

 

Progress has been a little slower now that the long holiday break is over and I'm back to work but my Girasole grows a bit more every day...and gets that much harder to photograph.

 

I've got loads of knitting time this weekend so maybe I can get to the edging in the next few days?  We shall see :)

 

I'm not in any hurry.  I've already decided I may make another of these blankets for a gift this year, just to have the opportunity to knit it again.  I'm loving the Peace Fleece and the pattern and especially all the companionship during this knitalong.  It's been so much fun already and we've just barely started!

 

That's it for today.  Don't forget to get any last minute gnome names submitted ~ Kelly will be closing the voting down shortly!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Melissa

silent sunday ~ Melissa

 

at the 20% completion point...8 more skeins to go







happy Saturday ~ Melissa

 

I was going to say 'good morning' but that part of the day seems to have passed already!  So, instead I'll just say 'happy Saturday' and ask how the knitting is going.  I'm nearing the end of Chart C on my Girasole and as always, the bulk of a circular knit gets harder and harder to photograph.  I had to knit three circulars into my throw to get it to just barely lay flat enough for a picture.  You know how that is if you've ever knit a round shawl ~ pretty soon your imagination and trust in your knitting needs to take over since you won't see the full fruits of your labor until it's completely finished and off your needles.  I love that suspense!

 

Excited to hear from the rest of you who haven't yet commented on this post

so please don't forget to take a minute and do that (Jody, Emily, Karen and Erin are the only people yet to do so I think).

 

That's it for today ~ just a quicky update and wishes for a good weekend to you all.  Happy knitting!

Melissa



Ludlow it is! ~ by guest blogger willyg

What can I say? I wanted an excuse to be a part of the knitalong, even though common sense tells me I really don't have the time. Y'all are that lovely, I just had to join in.  I caved at the last minute and switched from my initial thoughts to opt in favor of a simple knit-purl scarf. After all, I have nine skeins of Loft in the Tent colorway, and I could really use simple right now. And large needles wouldn't hurt, either.

You see, life's been kinda hectic. Why does it always seem hectic? Oh, that's right. I decided to knit lace blankets for my family Christmas gifts!

Since I don't have a pretty photo of the yarn and pattern to show you, I'm gonna offer up a couple pictures of the Girasole I finished earlier this year.

I'm still plodding through the border of my second Leaves of Grass (remember that?), and am almost there! When I finish it, I will be done with Christmas 2014, haha!

So, yes, simple knitting at a large gauge is good. I tend to do more complicated projects all the time, and I'm hoping that working on "mere knits and purls" will be a good exercise in simplicity. Can you tell I need it? 

While I may not be the most talkative fellow in the group, know that I'll be feeding off your beautiful writing and pictures, and knitting myself to sanity.  

Happy New Year!

Bo needs to count her sheep ~ Melissa

link to my Girasole here

 

Good morning!  I feel a bit like Miss Peep today and want to gather the flock together for a head count, please!  This knitalong is our largest by far ~ very exciting ~ and since I do the behind the scenes managing I'd like to take a poll and see where we're all at as far as project choice and who has chosen to blog / who would just like to use the comment section.  I believe as of this morning there are nineteen knitters participating and fifteen of us are blogging.  So, here's what I would love from each of you (I promise ~ it won't take you away from your knitting for more than a minute or two!).  If all of us could please comment to this post with the following:

 

name / pattern choice / blog or just comment

 

I would really appreciate it.  I need to keep the bloggers to a manageable number for me ~ I don't know what that is but I'm thinking no more than twenty total?  Once we reach that number, blogging rights for the knitalong will close to any latecomers but new flock members are still welcome to play along using the comment section.  We will never turn anyone away from joining us, but as for the blogging...holy smokes, I'm flabbergasted as to how many folks have jumped on board this year!

 

And one final bit of housekeeping : if those of you who have a ravelry project opened for this kal could add the tag 2015floodsflock I would love it!  Makes it easy to find everyone in one spot ~ just click on your tag in your project and everyone will appear together on the screen for easy viewing ~ sound good?  Thanks again!

happy days are here again ~ Melissa

What a great way to start the New Year!  My favorite people are knitting with us and the sun is shining.  A fresh start to the new calendar and I have high hopes for a much better go of it this time 'round.

 

I've completed Chart A on my Girasole!  So deceiving...it's a whopping 10 rounds but it's enough to imagine what the rest of my blanket will look like when I'm finished.  What do you think?

 

 

I chose the Peace Fleece 'lily pad' colorway in hopes that it would compliment the Shelter 'sap' colorway in the Quill blanket I knit for my husband.  So similar!  Now we'll have coordinating throws to snuggle under! ( blogged here / ravelry notes here )

 

 

I love the two together :)

 

I've already enjoyed a few chuckles this morning reading your beginning posts and I'm looking forward to more laughter as the days go by!

 

 

Happy New Year and happy knitting!

(ps ~ everyone remember to tag your Ravelry project page with 2015floodsflock ~ thanks so much!!)

Melissa



love ♥ - Melissa

The unveiling!  My purchases from yesterday's trip to Tolt Yarn & Wool ~ of course I had to have the Sheep Mug!

 

The Peace Fleece worsted in 'lily pad' is for a blanket size Girasole.

 

The Brooklyn Tweed Loft in 'hayloft' is for Stonecrop.

 

The cute ball of self striping yarn from Intrepid Otter in 'koi pond' is for socks (are you surprised!?).

 

The Studio Donegal Soft Donegal aran weight in 'oatmeal' is for Ashby.

 

And the Ístex Létt-Lopi is for my very first lopapeysa!!  It was not on my shopping list but my husband found a pattern for 'Moon Pulls' by Diana Walla while he was browsing and thought it looked like 'me' so he twisted my arm pretty hard to go over my budget yesterday (and succeeded).

 

I am swooning over my new stash and have so much to keep me busy that I doubt I'll need to buy another skein of yarn all year.  I can't wait to get started knitting and moving things from my 'queue' to my 'projects'!

 

And finally, in case you're wondering what this member of Flood's Flock will be casting on tomorrow...

 

 

I love the thought of 2000 yards of a bright happy lemony green tweedy wooly worsted weight yarn moving from my yarn bowl to a giant puddle of squishy lace in my lap keeping me warm over the winter months, so I think I'll be starting a Lily Pad Girasole to ring in the New Year!

 

I'm so excited to get started and knit the chilly days away with our awesome flock that has gathered together over the last few days!

 

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!

Melissa