Jan 18 2006
Transitioning
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Noro Chunky Cowl |
Simple, quick, and instantly wearable on blustery days such as this… I needed a quickie project to get the creativity flowing, and in less than 2 hours, this cowl was finished. It is one large loop - I cast on 80 some stitches, and knit in the round until the yarn was finished. It easily loops around neck twice; but it can also serve as an earwarmer, or a long circular scarf - like a moebius, but without the twist in the middle (*sorry for the earlier confusion - there is no twist here*)
The Noro yarn was from Cheryl, who was my Secret Pal 4 last spring/summer. Transitions was wonderful to work with - the yarn is filled with amazing fibers like cashmere, silk, and angora, and transitions so beautifully into the next color. I will wear this one all of the time. (Thank you Cheryl!)
My long weekend included a good amount of knitting, but also helping Heather make her own major transition. She and her sweet daughter, Pixie girl, moved into a fancy new apartment this weekend! Heather posted pictures of her new place on today’s blog entry - be sure to check it out - beautiful! After some unpacking and organizing, Heather and I had our first knit-together in her new place - she worked dutifully on her beautiful Silky Wool Cowl sweater, and I worked on this little thing… and then I finished it a few hours later… one more to go.
Of course, the way to beat the second sock syndrome is to cast on for sock 2 right away… so I did just that this morning.
These socks are so vibrant, and so much fun to knit! They are short-cuff socks, coming about one inch above my ankle. I was worried about the Koigu KPPPM yardage, so I played it safe; however, I have quite a bit leftover, probably enough for another one or two inches on the cuff. Just a note for the future… for now, I am loving the shorty socks.
Craftpiration is still running high here at Lollygirl.com. I ordered and received three books this weekend that are helping that along…
Abode a la Mode by Jeanee Ledoux
Get Crafy: Hip Home Ec by Jean Railla
Super Crafty by Susan Beal and the PDXSuperCrafters
I have not had the time to delve into the books yet, but when I do, a good review will follow. At first glance, I am lovin’ the Get Crafty book - some great ideas, and with chapter headings like this, I knew it was right up my alley:
Another trip to the local bargain book store yielded some great vintage postcards: all 1950s style adverts from magazines and newspapers. Very fun!
PS- Karen pointed out that the Spring 06 Interweave Knits preview is up - many pretties over there!
Wow - love the picture! You look like you’re wearing Burmese neck rings! Now you say moebius - did you twist the stitches before joining the round, or knit it in traditional moebius style? I have a skein of Transitions looking for a home, and my Aibhlinn is a bit too floppy to properly keep my neck warm.
hi lolly!
I just wanted to say hi and that i love your blog.
I always read it.
And I love the ribbed cardi you made for your boyfriend. it came out really great.
I’ve been visiting the Interweave preview page and I like that cabled cardigan.
Love the neck cowl. Transitions is beyond gorgeous and it looks so warm and cozy. Beautiful.
Your new books rock! I was just at B&N looking at the Super Crafty one. I want.
Just saw the IK preview and oh la la…
The cowl lookz so cozy! I’ll wait for your reviews on those books. They look awesome.
Such a pretty, pretty scarf and I love that dramatic photo, too. I’m sure that it’s very soft and warm. I’m also interested to know how it was mobieus and how you twisted the stitches, it’s not readily apparent. Those books look like some super scores, I’ve been wanting the get crafty one for a while, I need the advice fromt the chapters on organizing and such.
rock on, chica!
Lolly, I have no idea how you keep on keepin’ on with the socks. I just finished the second Chrsitmas pair & I am all socked out! You definitely have some awesome knitting stamina!
I bask in your craftiness!!! You are such an inspiration to me. I love to read your blog because it inspires me to make absolutely certain that I make time for my cratfiness every day!
Cute cowl & socks, by the way!
Fabulous! I love the cowl…great idea for using up yarn and giving as a gift.
ooooooooooohhh That is the colour Kpppm that I have.. but I only have one ball!! Dibs on the leftovers..heheheh
Oh my, Lolly what an utterly gorgeous cowl you’ve created! I’ve been wanting to make a cowl…thanks for the inspiration. Also for the peek at your latest books. That “Abode a la Mode” might be added like asap to my Amazon wishlist (maybe I should check the library? hmmm)!
Yummy socks! ;~)
Ohh I love the cowl! Hmmm… I think I’m going to do one too - my ears suffer terribly with the wind, and the way it’s going today here in NYC, I will definitely need a chunky cowl!
I love that cowl. Maybe I’ll keep that in mind for some Rowan Biggy Print I’m going to recycle. Love those postcards, too. My friend Jonvieve used to send me the same ones at work so I could decorate my cubicle with them!
Awesome cowl. I’ve been wondering what to do with my one skein of Noro and that sounds like just the thing! Definitely perfect when the wind is gusting as badly as it has been these past couple of days!
Love it! What a great way to use up an extra ball of Noro. I have an extra ball of Kureyon that I might play with..
Love that Koigu color - I bet those are a blast to knit, just for enjoying the color.
And your Noro Cowl turned out great!
Instant gratification-nothing better than that! Except when it turns out so pretty and with so many uses. I can’t wait to hear more about the new books-they look great. As I was laying in bed the other night, I began thinking of all the things I would like to change in the house, but I need some serious inspiration. IK looks like it has some great designs-especially for us girls who want to get some more texture in their knits!
Lovely socks-take care!
-T
love that cowl - totally love it. oh.dear.I.have.no.transitions.in.my.stash.
will I improvise or remedy the situation? Cause i do want one now.
the cowl came out great and I LOVE the socks. Ankle length are my favorites and the color is beautiful. Your postcard find is wonderful - I just love things like that
The neck cowl is sweet - it looks nice and toasty. Ohh can’t wait for your book reviews I’m always in need of another worthwhile crafty book!
That is why I call you the Supreme Duchess of the Bargain.
I love 1950’s ads ! What a good find. And thanks for the link to the preview of the new Interweave. Some lovely patterns there !
wow, i love it!! the cowl and the picture both are so cute.
Guess what….you got me into sock-fever! Check out my blog for it!
You are going to be quite the crafty maven after you read your new books.
Amy
The neck thingy (technical term - lol) is soooooo pretty and the blue socks are divine
i love the postcards. your scarf looks so warm and pretty.
love the socks and the postcards. the koigu is such a great color blue!
I love the cowl! With the return of the blustery winter cold here in Chicago I may need to make one for me - especially since I’ll be standing outside waiting for the train each morning.
LOVE the cowl … and thanks for the heads up on the IK preview. Lots to drool over and dream about over there!
I Love the cowl!! beautiful yarn & looks FABULOUS on you! and you are quick with those socks! the books look good, as do the vintage post cards! gotta go check out Heather’s new place!
I’m digging the cowl Lolly - looks very toasty! I’ve been thinking about getting the Super Crafty book too! Let us know how you like it.
Beautiful blue socks! Koigu was my favorite until I started Jaywalking with Lorna’s Laces.
Thanks for heads up on the IK preview.
I love your Chunky Cowl! So cute! and the socks….the color is just gorgeous. I really want to learn to knit socks this year!
Cool cowl! Cool socks! Cool 50’s ads!
Some day I’m going to have a 50’s inspired laundry room. I have my grandmother’s pink Maytag wringer-washer (pink!), 14 of her homemade aprons (all 50’s prints) and a start of an antique iron collection. I’m thinking of a black and white checkerboard floor, and I have an old formica/chrome kitchen table from an auction (a convent, nuns used to eat lunch at this table -grin-) for folding my laundry on. Too fun!
I’m in trouble now - there are numerous things I wanna make out of the IWKspring2006. Wow!
hi lauren! thanks for your sweet note. wedding stuff has calmed down so i am back to blogging. love your cowl! i will have to try one of those - and i love that transitions (made a scarf with it last christmas). glad you are just taking one class this semester. bring on the craftiness! cheers-
Love the cowl! I always say I’m going to make one but never do. Then again this winter has been pretty mild too. Yours looks great. And the Koigu shorty sock looks great too! Be sure to finish the second one.
Lolly, your cowl looks so cozy!
Lolly, that cowl is cool, and I like the photo of it - you really wear scarves well. Glad to see more socks on the way. Never too many socks! Looking forward to the book reviews, those sound interesting.
Your cowl is beautiful, Lolly! And you look so gorgeous in it. You wear everything so well- being beautiful must be tough, huh?
That Transitions looks like such a wonderful yarn, too. You’re churning out those Koigu socks so fast! They look fantastic- that colorway is just the prettiest. I love all your new crafty books! Looking forward to all the great stuff you’ve got planned for this year. 
And those vintage postcards are so cute- they really seem to suit your style. I’m really excited about the eye candy in the new IK, too- definitely picking this one up! Take care, Lolly! 
love the cowl, and the vintage postcards are beautiful. i’ve been planning on getting “get crafty” for awhile — please do post book reviews.
Enjoy Get Crafty! I met Jean at a Naked Lady Party that she and her publisher threw last spring. Big fun! I’ve been talking to the girls about having one ourselves (comment readers…NLPs are where you all bring clothes and swap…what’s old is new again.)
She was very funny and super nice! Enjoy!
Great neckwarmer Lolly! Love your socks too!
beautiful cowl - i love that photo! also i have to ask - are those socks being knit from just one skein of koigu?
Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. I must knit one for myself. And the color of those socks is outrageously vivid. Love it. Love it love it love it.
Oooh, looking forward to the crafty book reviews!
Lovely Koigu socks, and cowl. That Noro yarn is gorgeous.
omg, how beautiful is your cowl! i love it! the koigu socks are fantastic as well. yeah!
I really love your cowl! Simple and quick, but so pretty and still PRACTICAL! Great job!
I love that pretty cowl! But more importantly, when are we going to meet up?? Are you ever downtown-ish on the weekends?
Great scarf though it would make me claustrophobic - I don’t like stuff around my neck! Hope the new semester is going well for you!
Love that noro-scarf-thing!
And as an answer to your question, yep, I’ve worked as an archivist too! Catrin and I got to know each other when we worked in the same place! But I was “only” assistant archivist then. After that I worked as an archivist for 5 whole months (!) at one of Sweden’s (and Finland’s) largest power and heat companies. That wasn’t fun. I’ve given up my career as an archivist now and I’m currently working at a research foundation.
Love those socks!
I love that Noro neck warmer! Thanks for the pattern! Now I know what to do with the Noro I just got. Great socks too. I have been thinking about getting those books too. Have you seen the Ready Made book yet? Another keeper!
Such gorgeous soft colors to have around your face. I love it when a plan comes together! Your blue socks are fab by the way and your mom is too cute - love the phone call transcript.
great idea for the transitions! i have some lampes lumps that i am making a cowl with! love the koigu socks, the color is very vibrant! i need that book, thrift shopping is so much fun!
Fantastic cowl, absolutely great, I love it! Copy-cat: must knit myself one
Now doesn’t that look cozy and warm! Great sock too… that colorway of Koigu is so vibrant! I think I have to go see if I can find that color somewhere.
I just love the color of those socks.
very sexy photo by the way….
Your Noro cowl looks so warm and soft. The colors are really pretty! Transitions feels so nice, and now I know of something I could do with it that I would really use.
Love the cowl! Brilliant color on the socks.
Lollers, look at you go! I -love- that cowl!
LollY — Love the cowl. It looks so cozy! I also LOVE the photo of your blue socks on the red background. It’s really such a great photo.
Let me know how you find the super crafty book — I’ve been eyeing that one!
Lolly, what a lovely cowl! And that’s a great picture of you too! I’m also knitting a cozy cowl, which I’m hoping I’ll need soon - it’s almost 60 degrees here!
And I definitely want to make those socks - did you use one skein of Koigu or two?
Can’t wait to hear more about your crafty books - I’ve had my eye on those for a while.
Oh, Transitions! Beautiful yarn, BEAUTIFUL cowl! I used transitions two times to knit the same hat, which by now I have also lost two times. More luck for you on that one! Have fun with your great selection of books! And last but not least, the Koigu sock’s colour looks brilliant and so rich. Easy to see why this is a fun knit!
Very cute cowl! : )
Glad that you stopped by via Librarians Who Knit! I love that ring … it cracks me up how many of us there are out there. And I am extra glad that you have awesome music taste!
Lauren, that cowl is just gorgeous! You did wonderful justice to the yarn, it has been such a pleasure watching its journey from store to neck
Hi there! I’m the author of “Abode a la Mode,” and I just wanted to say thanks for buying my book, and I hope you’ll recommend it to others. I wrote it for crafty peeps who are having trouble finding “hip” books that feature inexpensive, easy projects. Love your knits. I know how to garter stitch only, but I’ll master more one day! Stay crafty.
as usual, i’m behind the ballgame on comments but i adore the cowl. it’s always nice to see a one-skein pattern that suits a particularly unique yarn so well.