Forest Rib

When making a simple ribbed hat for my Grandpa for Christmas, I decided to mess around with the ribbing at the top to try to add some interest. Ultimately Grandpa's hat didn't end up that exciting, but it did lead to the development of Forest Rib.
























After drawing up a few ideas for the ribbing, I ultimately settled on a four quadrant design. The ribbing in each quadrant is ended at various lengths. The final look reminds me of those pictures looking up at trees and they look all curvy . . .
























I hope you like it!

Cable Me Pink

I'm happy to offer my very first pattern, a simple cabled hat called Cable Me Pink. I knit this hat in a sportweight yarn with a little bit of mohair, but I think it would look lovely in a different type/weight yarn. My goal was to create a cabled pattern where the cables led smoothly into the decreases. I hope that you feel I've succeeded!



Pattern: Cable Me Pink
Yarn: Sportweight Mohair Blend
I'm offering this pattern as a free PDF, so please take it and enjoy. Although it has been test knit by me and proofed by other knitters, it may still contain mistakes. Please let me know if you discover any errors

Ravelry Link:

The one where Linden realizes she has a problem

I have a yarn problem. It's not that I can't decide which yarn to use. It's not that it's too itchy for me to knit with. It's not even that I have too little to finish my project.

It's that I have too much right now and I can't stop buying it. This is no thanks to L&B (my LYS) changing up their reward system. For a while now, every $5 I spent was marked on a card and once I got to $200 spent, I could cash in my card for 25% of my next purchase. A steal, right? Well, now I have been told that I have to use any cards I have by the end of December. I won't say how many I happen to have, as I have been avoiding this fact because knowing would indicate how much I have spent there in the last year. I'm totally in denial about the amount.

But back to why I have so much yarn. I've decided that I think it would be awesome to design my own patterns and offer them here and on Ravelry. This means that something I want to make pops into my head and I have to go buy the yarn. Oh, and then there's Christmas. Yes, I have to make Christmas gifts because clearly I am super-knitter and can knit things for all 22 members of my family. No problem. Ok, so I'm not planning on making 22 gifts. But I am (for some reason) planning to make 11 gifts (and 5 of those gifts are double gifts - meaning I have to make two of them - knitters, you see the problem). The progress has been good so far, though. Four of the six single gifts complete. Four of the ten double gifts complete. I might make it. That's not my problem.

Back to my problem. The yarn. So I have too much of it. Reasons: "Designing", Christmas, forced yarn buying due to discount card expiration, and pretty green yarn addiction. I fear I might have to go on a yarn fast . . . help . . . me

I put designing in quotes above due to the abundance of ideas in my head, the abundance of yarn in my possession, but the lack of concrete evidence of designing (i.e. written patterns). I have made some progress, however. I've got one hat pattern ready to go, and I'm almost finished writing out my dream sweater pattern. I'll be a designer on Ravelry yet!

Now for an update on my knitting projects:

The Jackson Wrap: finished a few days after I returned from Mississippi. I actually love how this turned out, now I just have to find a place to wear it.
Yarn: Miss Babs Yowza- Whatta Skein
Pattern: Dream Swatch Head Wrap by Wendy Bernard (I just made it much bigger)

I also made a Koolhaas hat and mitts for my friend Ryan. Now I just have to get them to him in Denver . . .
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted in Charrua
Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood

And socks . . .
Pattern- Universal Toe-Up Sock Formula by Amy Swenson
Yarn - Miss Babs Yummy Hand Painted

Pattern- Francie by Rebekka Kerner

Yarn - Collinette Jitterbug

Ok, back to fondling my stash. Mmmmalabrigo scarf . . . mmmmm

I'm sorry MS, Jackson

I have been having a great time here at my Cardiovascular-Renal meeting at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS!

First of all, I really like the feeling here in Jackson. It reminds me of New Orleans, of which I have fond childhood memories. I was driven by the Old Capitol and the Governor's Mansion, two of only three buildings here in Jackson that survived the Civil War. The trolley driver told me that only three buildings survived the three burnings of Jackson, and that was because they were of use to the Union Army as headquarters, hospital and something else I can't remember. The Civil War Memorial is also a beautiful building. I wish I had had the time to see all of them!

I did get to go to the Mississippi Museum of Art, which had a very lovely collection. One of my favorite pieces was a painting of canned vegetables in Ball mason jars. Luckily, the painting is featured on the exhibition page for the Museum, so you can take a look at it too. My other favorite was a piece named "Kudzu" (Melody will know what I'm talking about :-))

Last night was the meeting banquet. It started out a little slow for me (I'm rather shy and I didn't know anyone), but I quickly made some friends from West Virginia, Arkansas and Jackson. The food was delicious and there was a great band playing great music. I was even asked by an older gentleman to dance, and he taught me how to country swing!

In knitting news, I have been working on a wrap based on the Dream Swatch Head Wrap by Wendy Bernard. I'm doing it on a larger scale (for optimal keeping me warm purposes), in a beautiful yarn by Miss Babs. It's going well so far, take a look . . .

Knit, Knit, Knit

I couldn't be more excited or in love with knitting.

I've just swatched for Emily's wedding shrug. The wedding is going to be in Oregon, and it may be raining. Emily needs something to keep her warm in her gorgeous gown! Since she always wanted some lace, and especially some scalloped lace, I'm going to try and give it to her. I'm making the Sugarplum Shrug, in Debbie Bliss Pure Silk. My gauge is right on, so we'll just have to see how it looks with the dress after it is blocked. Then I'll be good to cast on (and I'm very excited to finally be making the smallest size of something).



Other knitting love - creating my dream sweater. I've decided to try my hand at designing, so we'll just have to wait and see how that goes. I've finished a lot of it, but it's all been the easy part so far. This is what my swatch looked like . . .

I (heart) Louisa Harding

And I can thank my mom for introducing me to her. A while back, I was visiting home and I made my mother (she's always very nice about it) go to a yarn store - specifically Loops in Tulsa. While I was wandering around touching everything, my mom was busy falling in love with a sweater they had knitted up. It was Colomba from Louisa Harding's Venezia Felice Mai Dopo, knitted in Louisa Harding's Grace Silk and Wool. We decided that she had to have it, so we quickly bought the yarn and the book! I was a long time in starting it, but now I am well on my way. I've finished the front and started the back, and I love how it is looking. I apologize for the detail picture being so dark, it was hard to get a good shot.


In addition to working on Colomba, I've attempted my first set of toe-up socks! I think I found a really pretty pattern, and (after a few tries at the toe) I finally finished my first sock. I quickly cast on the second so I wouldn't end up with only one.Pattern: Leyburn Socks
Yarn: Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn

Also, for anyone who is trying to keep up with Hugo, this time I say it he should actually be on his way to feeling better. He kept getting sick, so we decided to take him to see a specialist at the OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. They ran some tests and took some x-rays - and discovered that he had eaten something that was lodged in his stomach and intestine. That afternoon they performed surgery to take whatever he ate out. After a few days in the puppy ICU, Hugo is home now. He is not happy about being in an E-collar, but it will only last for a few more days. Then hopefully he will be back to his usual rambunctious self!

Long Time - No Blog

It's time for a knitting update. It's been a while since I posted anything, so I'm not going to write about all of my projects. Here are the ones I already have pictures of :-)

Bramble Bag

This bag is a free pattern from Berroco.com. It is made with two colors - and looks more difficult than it really is. You alternate knitting two rows of each color. The pattern calls for the bag to be lined (Mom helped with that). I have yet to buy the handles for the bag, but I will get to that . . . . eventually. As Sasha's mom pointed out, I think the variegated yarn gives the bag a stained glass look.

Yarn: Berroco Peruvia and Galway Paint
Pattern: Berroco Bramble Bag

Isabella

I found Jordana Paige's Isabella in Knitty Spring 2007. I knit it in a cotton that was slightly heavier than that called for in the pattern, so I had fewer repeats of the leaf motif. The picot edges are done by knitting a few rows, knitting a row of yarn-overs, and then turning the first few rows under.Yarn: Classic Elite Premium Cotton
Pattern: Jordana Paige's Isabella

Additional updates on my life:

Knitting-wise -- I have just recently discovered Ravelry and I am obsessed. My user name is - wait for it - LindenHeflin. So if you want to be my friend, find me. You can look at my projects, my stash, and what I want to knit.

School-wise -- It is my second summer of graduate school and I find it as, er, rewarding as ever. The thing that is really stressing me out is that I have to teach next semester.

Other-wise -- Hugo is still sick, but I think he is on his way to feeling better.