Log Cabin progress

I got some serious feline help on the Noro log cabin cardigan a few nights ago. All those loose ends were so enticing.
"I'll just get a little closer. Really, there's nothing to worry about." Right.In spite of all that help, I'm almost finished with the body pieces of this sweater. Yarn is running low, though, so there may be a quick trip to the yarn shop in Wake Forest some time this week.
Closer views of the pieces to follow:

socks and freeform

It's some new Opal! This is their new Neon pattern, you can find it at Cozy in Durham. I'm using a broken rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks for a little texture.
This strange little item was just a freeform sample to start, but then I turned it into a rosin holder for my violin case. The little tiny violin box holds the rosin, and since it's such a nifty little box, I decided that it needed the soft protection of a knitted holder.
All of today's pictures were taken at Pasewicz String Instrument, the violin shop where I teach on Thursdays. This row of cellos, with one bass in the back, decorates one wall of the teaching studio. When I first started teaching there I was really worried about one of the kids scratching one of these display instruments, or even knocking one over, but in 2 years it's never happened. Amazing.

freeform knit and crochet sites

Since the baby gifts are done, I've been getting back into freeform work. There are so many ideas in my head, all I want to do is knit and crochet! For now, I'm trying to finish up a stalled project. It's a freeform garter stitch jacket, knitted log cabin style. I've made a paper pattern based on a sweater I already have, and I'm just knitting along to make the pieces fit the pattern. Time will tell how this projects goes. Could be great, could be awful.
I've added some links to the list on the bottom of the right side bar for freeform inspiration. Check out some of these sites--there's some really cool stuff!

and a hat to match

Details: Simply Knit Baby Sweater pattern from Cindy Walker
Yarn: Cascade Sierra Quatro as main color, Sierra solid for embellishments
Size 5 needles

baby knit cuteness

The baby knits are almost all finished--this first one is for a shower I'm going to this weekend. The buttons are really one color, a very light blue, but the picture makes them look different. I'm looking forward to giving this to the mom-to-be!








This is Cindy Walker's Simply Knit Baby Sweater pattern without the stripes. Instead, I put embroidered swirls on it. Last night at Raleigh Knit Night I thought I was finished completely with this one until Agent Gray made me put one more swirl on the back........























............which was a great idea. I think it's my favorite part of the sweater! The unfinished part of this gift is a hat to match, which I'll probably finish tonight, and may get to deliver the gift this weekend.











The last baby gift is the star blanket, which will be mailed off today.

Baby knits

The second modular sweater is coming right along. Here are a couple of views of it folded up and spread out flat.

And here is the star blanket for my cousin's new baby. The baby boy is already here, so I'm trying to work very quickly to get it done and in the mail. I found this pattern on line a few years ago, and I love it. Google Beth's Little Star if you'd like to get a copy.

Mountain knitting

New Koigu! I found these gems in Bedford, VA over the weekend when Randy and I took a mini-vacation at our favorite mountain spot. We like Peaks of Otter along the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are no phones or TVs in the rooms, and there's no signal for cell phones up there (not ours, anyway). There are trails to walk and mountains to climb, and we always have a really nice time. This time, it was extremely cold and windy, so we went into Bedford, the closest town, for a little downtown shopping and found Yarn Theory, a great little yarn shop! The knitters in Bedford have not discovered Koigu, I think, because this shop had lots of it. I got these 4 to add to my jacket project.








During the trip, I got really close to finishing the Trekking socks. Last night I did the last Kitchener stitch, and today I'm wearing them. Great feeling socks.

















Here's a hazy picture of the Peaks of Otter lodge and restaurant from the top of Sharp Top Mountain. That's our favorite trail to climb in the area. The road you see is the Blue Ridge Parkway.

More pictures soon of the modular baby sweater in blues and greens and the star baby blanket.

more squares

The squares continue with one more baby sweater. I'm going to a shower later this month, and this sweater seems like just the thing to make. This one has the green as the main color most of the time, and the contrast color is an assortment of blue yarns from my stash. I like the one I made for Cozy, but I love this one more because it uses so many colors, plus I know who will end up wearing it.
There's another baby in the family, too. A cousin baby was born last month, and I'm working on a star blanket. Pictures later, when there's more to see.