Girl Who Knits

Clapotis is finished!!! Just in time for my trip to DC.

Here is me wearing Clapotis as a scarf:

It is really lovely and I am so glad I used my Koigu for this project. It came out much thinner then the designed one would have and since I blocked it, it doesn't have the natural curl that I liked so much from the picture but I still really like the way it turned out. Technically, I could wear it as a wrap.

Here is proof:



So there it is. Clapotis finished before Paula. Paula is next though...well, I guess it is not really next. Definitely next post-vacation project. On the airplane I made one of these little guys:



This is one of the Angora Baby Booties from Last Minute Knitted Gifts for my very soon to be born nephew. It is in the "Less-than-two-hour Gifts" section. Less then two hours my foot. I made these booties for a friend's baby earlier this year thinking it would take me a couple hours...7 hours later I had a pair of booties. I am more experienced now and a bit faster but an hour per bootie is stretching it. Still, I love these booties and I love the green angora. So cute and so soft.

I have been in DC three days and I have been to two knitting stores. Knit Happens was great. The people there are so nice and there is this wonderful little community of knitters that work and gather there. I really enjoyed the few hours I was there. I picked up a great pattern for a lace scarf and some beautiful green Koigu.



Yesterday I went to Stitch DC. They have a lovely store with a beautiful set up and lots of yarn. I also met some fun knitters there. Makes me want to move back to DC. I might try and make it back to the store on Saturday for a sweater design class. I bought some great Lorna's Laces Sock yarn for some knee-length lace socks I want to make:



Should be fun. I was looking for some deep red yarn but then I saw this color and thought it would look great too. But I promise—and this time I mean it—I am working on Paula first thing when I get home. Really.

Clapotis begins...

I know, I wasn't supposed to start on anything new as I had a due date and everything but hey, I do what I want.  I did finish the frill of my second butterfly panel a week ago.  I want to start on the body but for the life of me I can't find the small needles I bought to thread the beads on so...I can't start yet.  I refuse to buy new needles as I know I have them somewhere.  I just need to buckle down and find them.  So, wanting to knit and sick of looking for the pesky thin needles and not ready to knit Paula sleeves, I decided to swatch my Koigu PPPM for Clapotis.  Problem is, my swatching turned into real knitting and I just haven't stopped.   I think I love it.  Here is a close up:

I love this yarn so much.  I know the Clapotis won't be as thick as if I used the recommended worsted weight yarn but I still think it works.  The pattern is easy and is very fun once you start dropping those stitches.   I am using US 7 needles and think it will be done in a week or so.  I guess that depends on if I find those bead needles.  Where could they be?

I did it!  I finished the first panel of Butterfly:

 

Isn't it beautiful?  I can't wait to see it all blocked out.  As promised, I cast on for the frill of the other side and completed about 3 repeats.  Not a huge dent but at least it's a start. 

I also purchased this book from my LYS yesterday:

 

I needed a baby pattern book for my soon to be born nephew and found plenty of great patterns here.  My only problem is the patterns I am most drawn to are the girl ones.  How much do I want to make this for my 3 year old niece?

 

A lot.  I want to make it a lot.  She would be so cute.  But really I need to focus on the baby.  Problem is, the boy pattern I want to do is for a toddler and NOT a baby:

 

 

See...how cute is that??!?  I am hopeless.  I will just have to get it figured out.  Baby comes in November so I need to get thinking.  Also, my new obsession...the Clapotis.  I know.  EVERYONE and their dog has knit this and it is very unoriginal of me but I can't stop thinking about it.  What I can't decide is what yarn to use.  I have researched and I think I have looked at almost every Clapotis (pronounced Clap-o-tee--REALLY glad I learned that as it sounds dirty otherwise) in knitting blog land.  My sister put a bug in my ear and I think I might try to do it in the Koigu PPPM that I am currently using to make opera gloves.  I decided that I love the idea of Opera Gloves but I love this yarn and color palette so much that I don't think I should use it on something that is so not practical and could very well look comical and not be used as much.  So why not try it for the Clapotis.  I only have 3 skeins so I may need more but first I am going to swatch this weekend and see what I think.  I am not sure it will drape as I want it too so I need to do more thinking.  Either way, the opera gloves are frogged and off the list. 

Remember how I wasn't going to obsess over new projects until my current ones are finished? I need help.  But I haven't forgotten about Paula and Butterfly.  In fact, tonight is dedicated solely to Butterfly.  I want to finish this weekend but I think that may be too lofty of a goal...especially with so many new projects turning my head.  Tonight, my sister and I are staying up late, watching season 4 of Gilmore Girls, and knitting until we can't knit any more.  Sounds fun doesn't it?  I think there may be Baskin Robbins Peanut Butter and Chocolate ice cream involved too which sounds even more fun.  Yum.