Loop-D-Loop KCAL

Coffee Anyone??

It has been quiet around here, so I thought I would chime in with my F.O.

I thoroughly enjoyed knitting my Coco Ballet T!!

~ Project Details Here ~

Progress on the Pheasant Top!

I don't have much time to go into the major details of this sweater right now as I have to pick kids up from school in a few minutes.  But this is the only time I will have to post! 

I started the Pheasant Top from the Loop-d-Loop pamphlet book (see the last post below).  It has been a very, very quick knit and I really am loving the pattern and the ease of it.  The back is knit up also so all that is left is the sleeves!  I have no doubt they will knit up just as quick, if not quicker, than the front and back.

For more details, you can visit my blog, Yarn It.  But, when I am done with this sweater I will make a post of all the fun details!

Yarn and a Project

Hi Everyone!  I haven't introduced myself yet....even though I joined this KCAL a bit ago!  I love Teva Durham and her innovative designs so I am so glad to be in this KCAL.  I recently too a trip to Arizona, visited a yarn store and came out with some Loop-d-loop yarn and pattern book:

The yarn I have is called "Moss" and I am going to knit the sweater that you see there.  This yarn is so amazingly soft!  The sweater is knit at a looser gauge on US11 needles so I am hoping it flys off my needles.  I have a stole that I need to finish and then I plan to cast on for this.  I will post a  pic as soon as I make some progress. 

I can't wait to see everyone's projects!

Bizarre...

OK, after a hiatus of about two weeks on the Girl's Bolero pattern, I decided to pull everything out and figure out where I was on this. You may recall that I was all excited about how quickly this was working up. However, WHAT I was working up is another thing entirely. I also (for the first time so far on this!!) decided to measure everything to see how it compared to the finished measurements per the pattern. Um, not spot-on.

So first we have the sleeves - a little narrower than they were supposed to be, but the same size, at least. This could be easily fixed by just adding some more length as the sleeves are crocheted width-wise. Fine...

However, now is where, my friends, we cross over into some kind of bizarre Crochet Twilight Zone. Do not adjust your monitor or settings..

Here's the back:

If you look at the schematic for this in the book, there some weird edge that is supposed to stick out on the upper back. For Quasimoto, perhaps? I'm really not sure. The width of this is way off as well. K....

Now look at one of the fronts (the other one has been frogged as it was clearly too small (about half the size of the other front). I think this is the right front, as the curved section goes toward the center:

I don't think I can inflict this monstrosity on any child. I think she would be scarred for life, and I can't have that on my conscience. I still have about 30 days to return the rest of the wool, which was $12 a ball, for store credit. The good news is, I haven't opened up 3 of the 5 skeins.

Between this and my sock-knitting adventure today, it's been an interesting weekend. Stay tuned for the One-Shoulder Tunic, which is only a little less fugly than the Waterlily top that was originally made from the same yarn. Have I done something to p*ss someone off or something? LOL.

I hope this blocks out!

I'm making the Picot Mesh Skirt (using Filatura di Crossa Zara yarn).  I'm done with one ball of yarn & this is what I have:

Stretched out it looks right:

I just hope it stays that way!  I don't want to have to wear little weights around the bottom of my skirt when I wear it! 

Jenny

Filet Crochet

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that the most recent issue of Crochet Today has a great how-to article on Filet Crochet and some cute patterns. I may attempt that one filet crochet design (the white sweater) now after seeing that article. It doesn't really seem as hard as I thought it might be. I did buy some of the smaller steel hooks in preparation for it too. Yay!

Robin

My Project

Hi everyone,

I'm so excited about this KAL. I haven't knitted anything from the Loop-d-Loop book yet. But this seems the perfect time.

I have decided to knit the "fade out"ribbed stole using Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran. Considering how many fantastic patterns there are in this book it was a hard decision.

For more details and photos you can vist me here.   

Kylie          

Picture-less Update

Hi everyone,

I started my Girl's Bolero yesterday during the day, and after only working on it about 3 hours total, I have the back, one front, and both sleeves done!! Wow, is this a quick project.  However, as you may know, I am a newbie crocheter so I had a few comments/questions:

1. I noticed that although I was always ending up with the right number of stitches at the end of each round/row, sometimes the stitch I was working on didn't sync up with the instructions. For example, it might say, HDC (half double crochet) in each of the next 8 HDCs, then HDC twice in each of the next 4 slip stitches - and I would do 8 HDCs in the next 8 and then HDC twice in each of the next 4, but the first 8 might not all be HDCs that I was working into, for example - some might be slip stitches.

I looked for errata on the Loop D Loop site and via a Google search and didn't find any for the crochet book, just the first knitting book from 2004. Maybe this is a pattern error, as I ended up with the right number of stitches at the end? I had emailed Teva through her site when I set up this KAL to let her know that I was setting it up and to invite her to join and my email was bounced as the mailbox was full, so I don't know how to reach her to ask about it.

2. I found that the place the pattern was having you mark (as the center back neck, for example) wasn't dead center of the work. Again, maybe pattern errata?

3. I am using the recommended yarn for this, Crystal Palace Iceland, but in a variegated version. So when it would say, fasten off Color A and join Color B, I wouldn't fasten off, but would just follow the next instruction. Is this right?

It feels so weird to not know what I'm doing and ask newbie-type questions, although this is a big reason why I started this KCAL - to get more comfortable with crochet. I know I don't mind when people ask me questions like this about knitting, but it feels weird. Does this mean I'm a control freak?

Ballet Tee....DONE!

STATS:

Pattern: Ballet Tee from Loop de loop

Started: July 23, 2007

Finished: July 23, 2007

Actual Knitting Time: About 5 hours.

Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun double strand. I used two full balls, and then a LITTLE on the other two balls. I mean it's still practically two full balls.

Needles: Size 15 Denise.

I LOVE this pattern and I plan on making another one with a little bit longer sleeve. This top is SO soft.

The first one I made, the sleeves were TOO tight. I ripped back and did it again. I will try and get a pic of me wearing this. I will have to wear it with a tank because of the openess of the top. I love it though. VERY easy knit...but umm, when you bind off....take the stitch marker off....

Toodles!
Adrienne

So, what's everybody making?

Have you guys picked a project yet?  I think I'm going to make the Picot Mesh Skirt from the crochet book.  It is screaming "Make me!!" the loudest right now.  I love so many of the patterns from the knit book, but I've been in a crochet mood lately.  How about ya'll?  Whatcha making?

Jenny