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

What's next

So here I am with the blanket finished and trying to decide what to do next. I've been working on Richards ankle socks as my go to knitting that takes no thinking. My easier project. I can do it watching tv, while at my knitting group, take it with me on Wed. waiting at the Dr office & etc. Now I have to decide should I start the next blanket or my next sweater for me. I really was hoping to conquer that computer program for the graphing. But I'm nowhere ready. What to do, what to do! Maybe I should work a little more on the program. That would be a help. It's raining outside, so it's a indoor day anyways.
For the sweater for me I have a few picked out that could work with the yarn that I have. The soft cotton yarn the Ruth got for me in Germany in the pretty colors turq, lt yellow & purple. So maybe I'll do some swatching and see how that goes.
I also could work on a rough layout for the next blanket. I have 2 more to go for the triplets and now that my baby Hope is have a baby I will have to make a blanket for her. But I will wait on her's until we find out what sex the baby is.
Well time to get off the computer and go to work! But I have to check up on what's going on over at Ravelry first. Do I say procrastinating?!. What else is new.?!
Signing off for now.
Me

Blue's Clue Finally Done!

I can't believe it. I finally finished the blanket. It took me long enough. I like the way it came out and I love the border with the pique edge. That took me over a month. Now I have 2 more to go in the series. I think I'll take a little break. I was hoping to do the drawing & graph on the computer with my new program, but that's not happening. The "Stitch & Paint" program is taking me a very long time to learn. So I'm no where ready to do that via computer. Oh, well. Maybe by the time I get to the 3rd blanket. Also, there will be a 4th blanket but don't know if it will be for a boy or girl. If it's for a girl it will be Hummingbirds in flowers or a boy a zoo scene. I have time for that and I won't know for a while.

I do have other projects I would like to work on. Richards ankles socks & a sweater for me in the lovely yarn Ruth got for me from Germany. That sweater I have to design. Unfortunately the summer is upon us and I tend to do less knitting and more gardening. And then there is the time I spend at the computer trying to learn the S&P program & on Ravelry. Time! Time! Time! There never is enough of it.

All for now, Terry

Working on the border

Close up of the border. I love the way there are different textures on the blanket & on the border. I feel it compliment eachother.

Close up of the corner. I also like the way this came out. Unfortunately you can't see the eyelets in the corners that I am planning on putting ribbon in it when I'm done.

This is a picture of the blanket with only half of the border done. I did the border on a very long circular needle. You can see where it's bunched up that it's still on the needle. As I finish the pique border it comes off the needle.

I can't believe that I've been working on the border for a month. It looks great and I'm very happy how it's coming out. I will take a picture later and add it to this post. I can't help myself when I do a border. I was going to do a simple quick one, but I couldn't. The edging is what is taking the longest. I'm doing a pique bind off. Which means cast-on 2, bind off 4. So this final row has 1896 stitches to be bound off. To get the ruffle after I did the seed stitch, I started to add a stitch at both ends of the knit stitch and the seed stitch went into the rev st st. So it went like this- k1, m1, p3, m1, k1, m1, p3, m1, k1, m1, p3- and so on
next row- k1, m1, p5, m1, k1, m1, p5, m1, k1, m1, p5- and so on

next row- k1, m1, p7, m1, k1, m1, p7, m1, k1, m1, p7- and so on

I continued these increases until I had 11 stitches in between the knit stitches. At that point I started my pique bind off.

After I finish this blanket it will be on to the next. I am hoping to be able to do it on the computer. I now have the program "Stitch Painter". I am trying to learn it and have been studing the manual. There is a lot to digest. I also got the computer "Drawing Pen". Again more to learn. These 2 programs are supposed to shorten my designing/graphing time. Hopefully I will get to that point. My projects are piling up-

1- Blue's Clue- Magenta in living room w/ Mr Salt & Mrs Pepper- rough sketch

2- Blue's Clue- Periwinkle in living room w/ table & lamp & Tickety Tock & Slippery Soap- rough sketch

3- Baby Blanket for Hope- just in idea stage- thinking about humming birds in a field of flowers. But will wait until she's out of her first trimester and everything is ok. Plus I will want to know the sex of the baby.

4- Find something to make with the cotton yarn that was giving to me from Germany. And start that project.

5- Love to do the Lace Crochet Coat from Vogue ( Spr Sum 09) for Ruth.

6- Need to finish Richards half socks.

I guess I have my work cut out for me. So much to do, so little time. Now I'm going to down load my pictures and try to attach them to this post. As you can see it worked!

All for now. Talk to soon Terry