knitting along

I have been knitting along doing the tiger and I have about 2" done. I am enjoying this pattern. But as usual I didn't pick out the background color for the sky. And I think I'm going to do the rev st st. But subject to change. I'll have to go thru my stash of yarns to see what blues I have. I did a much better provisional cast-on- it's a crochet cast-on that I found on "You-tube". Also using the shorter size us3 needles. Hopefully this will all work out in the end. Back to knitting!

I'm Back

As you can see I finally finished knitting the orangutan & the panda bear. I was very pleased the way they both came out. I would have done more but I got sidetracked in other projects. I made 2 chemo hats for my daughter Gail who has breast cancer and is now on her way to recovery having her last chemo treatment last Monday. But she is bald and it will take time for her hair to grow back. I also made myself a silk shawl. I ripped out a shawl that I started 2 years ago that I didn't like working on and found a pattern that I enjoyed much better and it came out great. Maybe I will take a picture and post it. I love wearing it. I am not saving it for special occasions and using it in the evenings when I'm cold. The silk yarn was very pricy so why should it be put away and saved.

I also just finished the graphed for the tiger. That took me 3 days worth of corrections & finishing touches until I was happy with the results. It was a long winter full of family health problems, house problems & weather problems all getting in the way of knitting. I'm glad that it's behind me now. I'm trying to get back on tract. But it seem my health/head gets in the way.
On to knitting. Beside knitting the tiger I am also working on a summer light weight jacket for me with yarn that my friend Ruth got for me from Germany. I like having 2 projects going on at the same time. An easy one that I can take with me anywhere, and of cause the zoo blanket. Signing out for now. Terry

orangutan

Here is the graph of the Orangutan. It will also be 8x11" (56 stitches x 104 rows), same as the parrot. I may make some more adjustments to the graph. I have been staring at the finished graph for the last day or 2. Not constantly but from time to time. I put the graph across from where I sit knitting and keep looking at it. This is the 3rd time I made finished adjustments. That's how I like to work. I don't start knitting until I'm totally happy with it. And even then I might make changes as I go along. I'm still not sure about the background yet. Stst or revStst.

I have all the yarn for this block. Which is a good thing. I'm still thinking of how I want to do the fur on the orangutan body. I want it to look furry so I might do a furry edgy. I will to a test swatch first as always.

Here is the finished knitted Parrot. I'm happy the way it came out. I'm still not sure if I will be adding some overlays to this block, such as, leaves & feathers. There is alot of texture in the background with the chervon stitch. The pink on the bottom is from the provisional cast-on that will be removed when the whole blanket will be put together. This part will be grafted together with the border.

I am still working on the next block which is a gorilla. I am just about finished with the graph, which is also being done in my Stitch Painter program. Once I'm finished and I like it I will post the graph. I thought I was done but after looked at it for a while there were spot I want to fix.

Parrot graph

This is the graph of the parrot. I'm doing a chevron stitch for the background that gets wider apart as it gets toward the bottom. I'm also going to do some kind of stitches for the feathers for the wings. When I get there I will decide. I have a test swatch that I will work on to see if I like it first. I think it will be some kind of slip stitche to make it look like feathers. The tail's feathers will be an overlay. The leaves will also be overlays, giving that 3D look. The branch I may do an I-cord. But you know me. It's design as I go. I will be keeping good notes and the graph is in the computer, so this time I may able to sell the pattern if I want. It will be for sale 2 ways. One way with no overlays, just intarsia and ST ST. And the 2nd way for the more experienced creative knitter with all the overlays and fancy stitches. The gauge will be 7st=1" & 9 rows=1". I mostly use DK weight yarn on size US3 needles. This has been working for me on all my blankets. I like the hand I get with this. You can also use Lt Worsted, Sport, or Baby. The gauge is the most important. Otherwise the animals will be distorted. Just a side note- I'm a very tight knitter and I tend to knit a little looser doing intarsia. And as they say "SWATCH" before knitting.
And now it's time for me to start knitting and get off the computer!
Terry

Here we go again

It's been a long time but now I'm ready to start a new blanket. I know I have 2 more to do for the Blue's Clue theme, but I want to do Hope's baby blanket first. After all she is my daughter and this one is going to be for my new grandson that is due in early Dec. I know I won't have it done in time but at least I will have it started. The theme is zoo animals. I'm doing it differently. It will be done in block pieces and then knitted together. It took a long time to get started because I was determined to design it and graph it on my new computer program "Stitch Painter". I can't begin to tell you how many times I had to start it over to get it right. The first block I am working on is a Parrot. There will be 9 blocks. I will try to attach a picture but I am have trouble. I will try again later.

It's been awhile

Boy I can't believe it's over 1 month since I posted. As they say "time flies when you are having fun". I want to know where's the fun?
As for knitting I feel I'm scatted all over the place. I have many projects going or going in my head. Here's whats happening-

1- 2nd blanket in the Blue's Clues series- drawing is done and I'm still no where to get it on the computer to graph it out. I started to graph by hand just the outlines and see if I can do part by hand and part by computer. The program is much harder then I thought. I should at least finish the outlining by hand and get it into the computer graph to fill in the parts.

2- Richards half socks- 1 sock is done and I'm up to doing the toe, which I'll do at knitting today and I'll show how the grafting is done. The girls all like to learn this.

3- I just casted on for a sweater for me with the yarn Ruth brought me back from Germany. It's "GGH- Scarlett" made in Bugaria. It's beautiful 100% cotton. In 3 colors - purple, turq & lt yellow. I'm making a sweater from The Knitter magazine issue 5 Moonstone, but of course my version. Basically using the stitch "Old Shale Stitch". Making the sweater boxy and alternating the Old Shale St with st st and alternating the color striping. And I will decide how wide the striping as I go along.

4- From Zoe Mellor "nursery knits"- an outdoor snuggle for Hope's baby. Need to get the yarn. Did a test swatch and found out from the start there were errs. I went on-line to get all the errs in this pattern and there were many. Good thing I always check for errs before I start.

5- Hope also wants my standard infant sweater that I make in 2 colors. It's with a slip stitch and it goes fast. Also need to get the yarn and buttons.

6- The Blanket! This one is for Hope's baby. I am waiting to find out if it's a boy or a girl. Then I will design it.

7- I still want to make that crochet top for Ruth that was in Vogue Sum 09 issue. I do need to get yarn for that. I would love to finish that so she could take that away with us. But I have a lot on my plate.

Well I guess I better get started. And the next time I post I better be knitting.

Terry aka Fire Island Lady