Chevron Scarf

I finished my Chevron Scarf last night and immediately put it on. I've been wearing it non stop! I wore it to work today and everyone is like:

"Why are you wearing a scarf? - It's like 80 degrees!"

"It's my summer scarf!" I said.

Everyone just kind of looked at me funny....

But I know I can count on my blogger peeps to appreciate it! Here it is - My Chevron Scarf!



Stats:

Pattern - Made up variation of the Jaywalker.
Cast on 33 stitches.

Yarn - any

Needles - size 7 for worsted weight (or any other size needed for your gauge)


dd = (double decrease is slip 2 knitwise, knit 1 - pass slipped stitches over),

Row 1 - Knit 4, yo, k1, yo, k4, dd (slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over), knit 4, yo, k1, yo, knit 4, dd, knit 4, yo, k1, yo, knit 4.
Row 2 - Purl 1st 2 together - Purl to last 2 stitches - P2tog.

Yarn - 6 different balls of Koigu - two different yarns at a time - knitting a knit and purl row with one yarn - then switching to the other.

This scarf has been an obsession for me - I knit on it everywhere I went! I am very happy with how it came out!

I will now overload you with pictures!















I even like the reverse side...

7 random facts

Cari tagged me for this and since I have yet to fill out one of these "weirdest things/random facts" surveys - I guess I should play along.

Here it goes...

Here are the rules:
Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those who are tagged need to write on their own blog those 7 facts as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. Whenever I shave my legs - I think about the most random things. The most recent random thing is - I remember this girl Heather I went to high school with. She passed away of cancer just last year. I hardly knew her - but I think about her when I shave my legs. What the heck does that mean?

2. When I was little I used to eat Peanut Butter, ketchup and pickle sandwiches.

3. Whenever I sit down on a chair - I have to sit on one of my legs. I'm just not comfortable otherwise! Sometimes I pull up both and sit "yoga" style.

4. I like to put Peanut butter in my chilli. My husband gets really insulted when I do this to his chili - so I sometimes have to go on a stealth peanut butter mission. The dogs always give me away though since Peanut butter is their favorite thing ever. (I guess it runs in the family! (see #2))

5. I sing the last song I hear in my head repeatedly... until I hear a new song. It can be very annoying if the last thing I hear is that Empire carpet commercial! I will literally mute the TV or change the radio station if that commercial comes on. Yes I'm singing it now...800-588-2300 empire.... great...

6. I've been to every continent except Australia and Antartica.

7. I have met most of my best friends online - including my husband! I met many of my knitting pals online and they have qickly become some of my best friends. I also found a cool group to hang out with while I was working in NM - hiya Albuquerque Stitch and Bitchers! And I even met up with my pal Nicol to go on a roadtrip to Taos - never having met her before! Hi Nic - I'm coming to visit you soon!!! I have been truly blessed with such great friends... thank you internet!

OK - I will now tag the following people....(this was hard - as many people I was going to tag were already tagged!!!)

Sarah
Diane
Erin
Nicol
Ruth
Jen
Erin

Camping

I survived!! Not only did I survive - but I enjoyed it too!

We headed out on Saturday and came home Sunday afternoon. Let me tell ya - I was exhausted when I got home! The dogs were too.

We went to Point Lookout State Park in Southern MD.

Here's our campsite:



We did all the fun camping stuff like roasting marshmellows and sitting around the campfire (kntting of course!) - but I think the highlight of the trip was the dog beach!

The dogs had the best time running around the beach, playing in the water and eating bugs. (yes - there were LOTS of bugs!)


Here's the "Gang" - playing in the water - The Murph, Bailey and Hurley:








Murphy was the only one to go swimming - but believe it or not - both Bailey and Hurley went in up to their necks!! I don't have a photo of this though because I had to be in the water to get them to come in! Talk about separation anxiety!!






The "Sand" was a cool mixture of shells, stones and other beach debris. It looked pretty though.



Here's one of my fav pics of the sand with a watercolor effect on it. It's amazing all the different colors that are in here!

And the Center Square is....

Me!

In honor of the forcast for this weekend (chilly!) and my upcoming camping trip - I cast on for a hat. I basically finished it in one evening...

I give you the Center Square hat!



Specs:

Pattern - Center Square from knitty.com

Yarn - Brown is Lion Brand Wool Ease and blue is Cascade 220 - I used two strands of each held together.

Alternations - None - but if I make it again - I will decrease sooner - it's just a little too big.

Needles - Size 11 DPNs

I can tell ya - it's WARM!! The double stranding and fair isle make this baby like 4 layers thick!













Have a great weekend!

Eye Candy Friday....

Flower candy that is!

Check out the hunk of pollen on this guy's leg!






I'm going camping this weekend! Here's hoping there's lots of sunshine - no rain and no bugs!!

Posted without Comment....

http://www.dalsimerphoto.com/

Knitting List

Here's a Meme I thought was cute. Consider yourself tagged if you read this and let me know in the comments so I can read yours!

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket (baby sized)
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater (almost)
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan (almost)
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Obsession...

Thy name is Chevron scarf...




I am completely and totally obsessed with knitting this scarf. I started it on Saturday after seeing Sarah's and I am loving it!!!

I don't know what is so very hypnotizing about it... is it the color? the pattern? Both?




I'm sure most of you have seen the Flickr group of all the gorgeous Chevron Scarfs out there. And I'm sure I'm the last person on earth who hasn't knit this, but let me just warn the other 1% of the knitting population who haven't knit this - it's addictive! It comes with me in the car - to restaurants and to bed!




The yarn is thicker than sock weight - it's a light worsted - so it's knitting up faster than the sock weight would have.

The pattern I'm using is a little different from the rest of the Chevron Scarfers too - I'm doing more of a Jaywalker style scarf.

I'm using 6 balls of Koigu that I got at last year's Sheep and Wool. I was a new knitter at the time and had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with this yarn... but I knew I wanted it. So I grabbed a handful and took them home. They had been waiting for their purpose for quite a while.

I am alternating them two at a time for this scarf. Two rows in one color - then two rows in the other. Here are the colors I'm working from:



I love it!



Speaking of the Jaywalker pattern - here is a Jaywalker sock I completed. It's going to be for my mom. One more to go!



She picked this lovely blue yarn from Zen yarn Garden. It was actually a gift from Jolene - thanks girl!

Remember this?

My long lost top-down raglan has made a reappearance!



I pulled it out of "timeout" last night and decided to work on it again. I had relegated this sweater to my UFO pile a while back because it became a total slogfest and I just couldn't take the miles of stockinette anymore, but last night - it seemed to have a new appeal.

I finished one Jaywalker and didn't feel like casting on for the second quite yet (I will though!! no SSS for me!) - so I picked up my raglan and started knitting away. I soon remembered why I fell in love with this yarn in the first place. The color is so rich and I love the subtle variagation of the Araucania nature Wool.





I don't know how long this love affair will last - but hopefully I'll be able to add a few more inches before I grow tired of the miles of plain knitting again. I think I can at least get to the point of separating for the sleeves soon.... I hope!!



I don't about where you live - but at my house - the garden is just bursting with color lately. My peonies are about to open, my irises are blooming and everything looks and smells amazing.

Here is my front yard and some details of the flowers that are open right now...



The inner beauty of an iris:


A Parrot tulip:


A bumblebee on my Salvia:


There are ants EVERYWHERE on my peonies - but this is normal!



Purple Iris with Rhododendrum:


My new Clematis will hopefully soon climb up my arbor:

Ravelry Rocks!!

I just got the invitation and already I'm filling up my pages!! I'm sure everyone has heard the buzz about the cool new site - Ravelry - but I can now say that the hype is true! It's so awesome! I can see me losing many hours updating this awesome site with all my pics, stash, WIPS and patterns.

Here's my page so far:


And I've only been working on it for about an hour (I should really be working - but come on!!)

I saw Frecklegirl (the creator) at Sheep and Wool and wore my button with pride and now I finally got an inside view - too cool!!

Thanks Frecklgirl!

Sheep and Wool - Part Duex

Second day of Sheep and Wool was just as great as the first - but in very different ways. First of all it was much less crowded! Almost deserted compared to Saturday. I headed out with Sarah and Jolene, and later met up with Erin and her cowboy and also hung out with Coleen. The weather was a bit chilly - so Coleen got to wear her Arwen out - Yeah!


Here she is with the cowboy...



I didn't buy too much on Sunday - some Koigu sock yarn and a spindle were my only purchases. We mostly sat and knitted and hung out and ate! It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.




We met some awesome people...


Who knit some really awesome things....


Hee hee!


Some of us had fun sitting on the grassy knoll - while other had fun rolling down it!



Oh and did I mention that I have such talented friends!! Here are two of the FIRST place winners!!

Amie's socks...


Jolene's socks....


Jolene and her shawl...


Now - on to the purchases!! There are many - so I'm making them small here - but click on them to see them full size...