Thursday, December 29, 2005

Happy New Year!

I just joined this KAL and can't wait to start - I will be buying the yarn tomorrow and hopefully start this weekend. I can't make up my mind whether to knit with Patons Merino or splurge on Rowan Cashshoft. If anyone has experience with both yarns please let me know!
I will post photos as soon as I have some inches - I have only once worked with cables and loved it!
In the meantime, Happy New Year! Claudia.

Italy Bound

What an enjoyable knit! I joined this knitalong a very long time ago and spent a very long time knitting the scarf. I started in March I think, put it down for the entire summer, and picked it up again in the fall. The finished product was knit with 2 skeins of Cascade 220 in a nice grey. Needless to say in the Christmas frenzy it shipped and I never took a picture. The destination is Turin, Italy and hopefully it's arrived by now. Once I sat down and got knitting more than a few rows at a time I was hooked! I received a lot of compliments and know this isn't the last time I'll knit this scarf.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

tall house, double cup

My tall drink of water husband, Tall House, Double Cup, loved getting this scarf for Christmas, even if it was a day late. This is my first Irish Hiking Scarf and I can't wait to start another one. THDC's was done with Lion Brand's Kool Wool - soft but very thick and not what I'll use again - an okay practice yarn!

I love seeing everyone's versions - especially the hats and wristwarmers - such a classic pattern.

pdxkatie: www.pdxpishposh.blogspot.com

Monday, December 26, 2005

First Irish Hiking Hat!


Woohoo! I completed my first Irish Hiking Hat and I just love it. The stats are:
Started: Dec. 18
Finished: Dec. 26
Yarn: Rowan Cork in Orange and Pale Blue
Needles: US 7 circs (US 6 for the rib)

Now my bf has the scarf and I have a hat. I need to make a set for both of us now!
Beth B.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Alaska Hiking Hat


Irish Walking Hat
Originally uploaded by Lomara.
This is the Irish Walking Hat in Lamb's Pride bulky in Turkish Olive. I used US8's and made a 2" brim (which I think I should have lengthened to 3"). It's a bit heavier because I'm giving it to my brother tomorrow. He lives in Palmer, Alaska, so I thought he should get something heavier than the average worsted weight hat. I almost made him a Monmouth cap, but I thought a squishy warm cable hat might suit him better. Hope it fits him!

ETA: He loved it and wouldn't take it off, even in the warmth of Los Angeles!

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

My first pair of Wrist Warmers



I haven't posted here that I know of. But here is a pair of wrist warmers that I made one of my Boyfriend's sisters. I plan on making the other a pair in another color.

www.shamrockcrafts.blogspot.com

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Fringe


Last night I added some fringe to the scarf in an attempt to disguise my weird flattened-out bind-off, which was bothering me. I think I like the way the curly fringe complements the cables.

Monday, December 19, 2005

One More Holiday FO!

Here is the Irish Walking Hat for my DH's cousin - I made the "Basic Cable" hat from SNBN last year and wore it to their Christmas Eve party, and she asked, "hey, where's mine?"...Well, Rachel, here it is! A year late, but hey - I have lots of things to knit this year! The yarn is from a frogged poncho, a cashmere/wool/alpaca blend. I used size 7 needles for the whole thing (I don't have 8 DPNs...) It'll be very warm!

2nd Irish Hiking Scarf

I have been working on a 2nd Irish Hiking Scarf and Irish Walking Hat for my cousin ... She saw the set I made for my Dad and asked me for a set for Christmas, which is great, because I didn't know what to get her ... I won't be seeing her until after the new year, so there's no real rush to get it done. I'm using Patons Classic Merino Wool in Storm Blue.

Finished!

I finished up this weekend - I love how it came out, it was a quick, easy knit, and seems very adaptable to almost any yarn! I'll be doing this one again!

Friday, December 16, 2005

My contribution to the knit along

I am about halfway through the scarf and loving it! I am using Knitpicks Decadance in Tide and size 10 1/2 circs. It is so soft and thick! Heres a pic although this pic does it no justice.
Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Irish Hiking Santa Hat - finished

Irish Hiking Santa Hat
Irish Hiking Santa Hat,
originally uploaded by Lomara.
But I'm not that happy with it. Instead of trying to decrease in sections spaced equally, I decided to decrease at the beginning and end of each row! Duh me! It's like a pixie hat that slants to one side. At least you can't see the crazy slant when it's being worn. I sure did learn how to knit a conehead on this one. I'd love to rip the last 6 inches back and rework it, but I need to wear it to a Christmas party tomorrow! Ack!

(Other than the major freak-out over the slanty pixieness of this thing, it really is a pretty hat...that's slanted! haha!)

Fanned Ends?

Hi,
Anyone have any ideas how to bind off this scarf so the ends don't fan out? I used the cable cast on and it fanned somewhat but when I block it, that will go away. I usually bind off fairly tight but with needles one size larger. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Beth

teflon scarf



I fell in love with this pattern as soon as I saw it. I definitely made a mistake with the yarn I picked to make my first one. I was sucked in with a sale and went with Lion Brand's Kool Wool - it's just too stiff and synthetic, but I am compelled to finish it. I am excited about the possibilities for the next one - maybe cranberry tweed? or another charcoal but in a soft wool like Wool of the Andes? It's just so simple and yet so satisfying to bang out the cables. Yeah for the Irish Hiking Scarf!

Stick a fork in it

Five days of compulsive knitting and it's done!


Started: Dec. 8
Finished: Dec. 12
Yarn: Bernat Satin in sapphire, 2 skeins
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Just started....


I just cast on this past week for the IHS. I'm only a few repeats in, but I really like the way it's knitting up so far. I'm using some discontinued Lang Polar in a varigated off white/cream color. It's not so varigated that it will take away from the cables though. I only have 300 yards, so it will be a little shorter scarf, but that's ok....

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Newbie Starts!


Hello All,
I heard about this scarf just a few weeks ago and thought this would make a great Xmas gift but didn't get around to it until now. So, I started this the evening of Dec. 7 and worked about 4 hours on it until yesterday when I got several more hours in. It's 23 inches so far, yeah I'm slow. I LOVE this pattern and once I finish this I think a hat will go on the needles!
Beth

Started: Dec. 7
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Fog (grey)
Needles: Size 8 circs

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Finished in Time!

Whew, one Christmas knitting project done! This is for my DH - but not a surprise...he's watched me work on it every night.

Irish Hiking Scarf
Started: 11/19
Finished: 12/9
Yarn: Classic Elite Inca Alpaca, Kentucky Teal
Needles: Size 7 aluminum circs

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Prototype Irish Hiking Santa Hat

Prototype Irish Hiking Santa Hat
Prototype Irish Hiking Santa Hat,
originally uploaded by Lomara.
I'm taking a cue from Knitchick and working up an adaptation of the Irish Hiking cable pattern for a Santa Hat. This is how far I've gotten (not very). It's a whopping 108 stitches round and 9 cables which is going to be a looser hat. (I was going for loose and floppy which would sound so sordid out of context!) There are mistakes a plenty, but it still may be decent enough to wear it out to Disneyland on Saturday if I can manage to finish the thing in time. This is just a prototype, so I am using the dreaded Red Heart TLC in White, and TLC Lustre in Claret (which isn't that bad, actually). I hope I can manage the decreases like I want, but I expect to crash and burn spectacularly since I have no idea how to decrease cables properly or make the hat pointed! Hurrah! [flails]

(The brim is meant to be thick and folded up)

Completed Irish Walking Hat (Woo Hoo)


I finished... first thing is first. Here is my Irish Walking Hat. I used Knitchicks adaption to the Stitch n' Bitch Nation pattern.
Yarn: 1 and 1/2 skeins of Karabella Aurora 8 - Grey #8
Needles: US#8 DPN along with a wooden cable needle
Notes: I did 6 repeats and I think that I will be doing only 5 the next time since it is a tad bit to long. I was able to complete more then 1/2 today. I was in a hurry. I want to get the things off my list so I can win Naked Stix 2006. 1 down 19 to go.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Finally finished wristwarmers

Finally finished
Finally finished,
originally uploaded by Lomara.
I finished each one of these about a year apart. They seem very sloppy to me, but I like them. They are a gift for a constantly-cold coworker. I hope she likes them. They are in her favourite colour.

Finito!

I've finished my scarf! For some time I was calling it the "scarf of doom" as it seemed like the energizer bunny - it just kept going and going and going.....

But I LOVE the finished product!

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Chocolate
Needles: Sz US 8 Susan Bates Circ.
Dates: Started back in late October/early November
For: one of my best friends who lives in MA, where you need a chunky warm scarf!
Mods: None!
Thoughts: I bound off in pattern and it caused the BO edge to be wavy. Next time I'll BO knitwise the whole row.

I also completed two Irish Walking Hats:


I started out making the Basic Cable Hat from SnB Nation, but modified it into the Irish Walking Hat.

The first is a wee one for my nephew and the adult sized one is for a friend who went to UNC, I hope the color is close enough to Carolina Blue!
Yarn: Patons Classic Merino Wool
Needles: Sz 7 Clover Bamboo 16" circ and DPNs
Dates: late October/early November to mid November
Mods: I did the first hat exactly like the Basic Cable hat and it didn't fit an adult, so I modified the second to cross the cables on the 8th row and did two more repeats and added one more cable section.
Thoughts: I would do more ribbing the next time I do this and possibly lose that extra cable section to make it more snug.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

It's an FO!

I finished my scarf just in time to give it to a colleague in a gift exchange. The recipient seemed pleased and everyone oohed and aahed over the "complicated pattern." There was no convincing them that it really wasn't all that difficult. ;o) Sorry for the garish color clashing with the carpet in my office. Next time I'm making one for myself in some luxurious fiber.

IMG_0191

Mission accomplished!

At over a year on the needles, my Irish Hiking Scarf takes the cake (by far) when it comes to procrastination. Though I love, love, love how it turned out, this was one tedious knit for me especially since I knit the whole thing tightly through the back loop.

I knit it out of Clasic Elite 03 Tweed (2 and a half skeins) and US7 needles and did the second half without a cable needle (so much quicker). I hope that my father-in-law, the lucky giftee, will love it as much as I do. Here's a close-up shot.

I haven't blocked it yet and was wondering whether doing so it worthwhile? I kind of like how the cables look unblocked...though it is a little narrow. Any thoughts?

Happy knitting!

Thursday, December 01, 2005

update on cell phone cozy

Hi everyone! Hope the Thanksgiving weekend was relaxing for everyone. I just realized that the cell phone cozy pattern was linked to my page - what a surprise! But I also realized that the link to the pattern didn't work. So I've updated the post to the cell phone cozy photo with the pattern - so that should help you with the pattern I modified from the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in case anyone was wondering about gauge. :)

I finally gave my sister her Irish Hiking Scarf and hat for her birthday earlier in November. She loves it!! And I just sent her an email with links to the Gap and Jcrew knockoffs of the Irish Hiking Scarf and Hat!! Hahahahaha. I told her that she's in style now. My oldest sister has also made a request....I think I'll start off with the hat since that knits up so fast. (I will post a picture of my sister modeling her new gift as soon as my oncology block ends and I have the time to download the pciture.)

Thanks for keeping this KAL alive!!! I learned how to do cables because of it. (Hey, I should make a t-shirt that reads "I learned how to do cables because of Irish Hiking Scarf knitalong.")