I have loved every single month of Project Spectrum; when the clock chimes 12:00am on the first day of the month, I become the #1 fan and proponent of “said” color.  I see the color everywhere - I try to work it into my wardrobe (that was a little difficult in April, but I managed it a few times)… and I do my best to work the color into my crafting.  However, this month - this month of BLUE - is just singing to my soul!  I am living blue this month!  I am wearing the colors, I can’t stop staring at the gorgeous blue skies, and I am working (and planning) all sorts of beautiful blue projects! 

My Carla pullover - before my knitting spree last night.  Now, the back is nearly complete!

Proud to say that I am actually working a lace pattern without major screw-ups!  Of course, it is not huge and charted and k7tog, but, it is lace!  I love working with the Cotton Tape.  I chatted with Angela a little last week about this pattern, and she noted that it has amazing stretch qualities (like most cotton garments), so I decided to take it down to a size smaller, planning to work in that negative ease. I also added a little length to compensate for my long torso.  I hope to make some good progress on this over the weekend, and have a finished knit to share within the color month.

I have also been enjoying my old blue knits - specifically my Koigu Indigo anklets.  I finished these back in February, and they have just gotten better with time. Many other knitters have lauded the qualities of Koigu, and I can see why this is a favored yarn.  It wears well, and keeps the color after washing. The colors are so saturated and strong, and they just may be my favorite pair of socks to date…

I also went on a Project Spectrum-induced hunt in my house for blue items… I found so many in my kitchen that I didn’t make it to any other room! Perhaps another day…

1. Blue glasses, 2. Cobalt Blue Silverware, 3. Blue Trivets, 4. Blue Teacups, 5. Blue Candlestick Holders, 6. Cobalt Blue Glasses

 One of my absolute favorite shades is the deep cobalt blue you see in the drinking glasses and silverware above.  I have some other cobalt blues around the house too. 

And I got some lovely blues in the mail as well!  What wonderful surprises from Anjo and Georgia.  Thank you!!

Anjo sent another wonderful package - with the BLUE Project Spectrum soundtrack (my set is nearly complete!), and some beautiful crafty supplies - ribbons, beads, and the best personal touch: handmade gift tags!  They are just delightful!  Many thanks Anjo, you are so incredibly kind!

And from Georgia I received this great package, with a skein of her hand-dyed yarn!  Here is a closeup of this beauty.  The colorway is “Cannon Beach”, and it is 560 yards of goodness!  She also sent some very cool stickers and some beads  (and some candies… not pictured…) Thank you so much!

A big thanks also for the comments on my two recent handknits! It is so great to hear from you

Koigu Indigo Short-Cuff Socks
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM colorway P820
Needles: Susan Bates size 2 aluminum
Pattern: Heel and toe based on FiberTrends Hellen’s Favorite Socks
Notes: Now I see why some knitters swear by Koigu… Finished these in 10 days- they were hard to put down!

I have used this pattern for 3 of my 4 finished pairs of socks. It is a simple pattern that leaves plenty of room for "knitter’s license". I started with a one-inch rib, and then extended into stockinette stitch for the remainder of the cuff. I chose to make shorter cuff socks because I was unsure about the yardage, this being my first time using Koigu. I have size 10 feet, so I did not want to run out of yarn right before the toe! Looking back, I could have extended my cuff at least another inch, as I have a good amount of yarn leftover.

They fit perfectly, and I am already thinking about purchasing some more Koigu… but I need to work through some of the stash yarns before I think about that!

I have one sock lingering on the needles, and I plan to finish that one soon. I also plan to cast on for the Red Hot Sizzling Socks in the next few days. Then I came across this lovely yarn (a gift from Heather), and it got me thinking about a pair of bright pink socks for March’s Project Spectrum. The wheels in my head don’t stop turning!

The Phildar Plaisance (colorway Berlingot) is a cotton/acrylic blend and will be perfect for some lightweight spring/summer socks. I am planning to check out Amy’s free sock pattern repository to find a pattern that matches the yarn.

I finally got back to my Hourglass sleeve - I was feeling like quite the slacker after reading Yahaira’s post about working on her lovely version, and it was just the impetus I needed to knit up a few more inches last night. I am closer than I was before, but the road is long.

Its not a race, I have to keep telling myself… However, I would like to wear this sweater before the weather gets too warm for alpaca and silk… (KnitPicks Andean Silk in colorway Lettuce)

Project Spectrum continues to grow, and many new participants are joining every day! There are an array of beautiful buttons to choose from too - check it out!

I hope to have a list of Project Spectrum participants set up by tomorrow or Monday. Stay tuned!

Have a great weekend.

It’s a double pointed needle project parade… It just so happened that all of the knits I am currently working with are on these little needles - the second Koigu Indigo sock, my first Hourglass sleeve, and the second Dublin Bay sock.

These projects have gone with me everywhere this week, and I was able to fit in a few rows here and there: on the way to class, on the ride coming home from work (Kris was driving!), at knit nite with the girls…

On the train - so MetroSOCKual

While the double pointed projects are so small and portable, my wrists and hands were in need of a little break - that is when I decided to pull out this lovely Morehouse Merino laceweight (triple skein) and begin the balling process. I tried to put this yarn on my swift and ball winder, but the yarn is fine and unplied, and it broke almost immediately. It was back to the ol’ hand winding process for me. There is a lot of yardage in this hank - nearly 700 yards. This yarn is slated to be the simple and elegant Bellini shawl; my kit was purchased from Morehouse Farm at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival last year.

This year’s festival is only four months away, and I am already thinking about what I am going to buy… I am hoping to find the LaScala and Violetta shawl kits at their booth this year - they are so beautiful! (okay, truth is, I really love all of their lace kits…)

I am planning to cast on for this project, as I am quickly realizing the need for a black scarf (even with variegations). It should be a quick knit, as the shawl calls for US 9s or 10s.

The weather in our region this week has been unseasonably warm - this morning, it was about 60 degrees. We decided to take Jen and Bella on a walk / hike on the river near our house. We had a lovely time; it seems like a lot of other people had the same idea about getting out of the house. As you can see, the girls were quite happy to be outside

Jen (left), Bella’s tongue (center), and Bella (right)

PS - Memes are all over the blogs again, and while I do enjoy reading these memes on others’ blogs, I rarely enjoy answering them myself. So, for those of you that tagged me, thanks for thinking of me and caring enough about what I have to say - no offense, but I just think I will pass.

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!

Is it just me, or does it feel like Socktoberfest all over again? Socks are all over the blogs right now - mostly in the form of the Jaywalker pattern (brilliant pattern, Grumperina! I will get to it someday!) Perhaps the fervor did not die down, or did everyone get a second wind? Sock knitalongs are cropping up left and right!

Whatever it is, I am loving every minute of it. I am just hoping that by the time October rolls around again (Socktoberfest 2006?) you people won’t be sick of the knitting of the socks. So, pace yourselves - big plans are in order! Mark your calendars now

Of course, I bring all of this up now, because I too have socks on the brain…

Being a relatively new sock knitter (little over six months), I have not amassed the huge sock yarn stash that notes a seasoned sock knitter. I have some Lorna’s Laces, another ball of Tess Designer, two pairs worth of KnitPicks, two balls of Fixation, some Koigu, a Trekking ball, and some lovely hand-dyed by Felicia. My little stash boasts some beauties though, and I hope to knit them all up in 2006… especially when there are incentives like the Count Your Socks knitalong, and the Sock-A-Month knitalong to keep me going!

I still have a "linger knit" sock to work on - my second Dublin Bay sock - but I went ahead and cast on for another pair. No guilt here… (okay, maybe a little bit…)

Koigu KPPPM in colorway P820

I have heard the rave reviews, and I have seen the undying devotion to this yarn… and so far, I can say that I like it too. It is really the colorway that is mesmerizing me. I got this yarn from my girl, Heather in our September Stash Swap. This skein of yarn seems to incorporate nearly every color at the end of the rainbow spectrum: blue, indigo, violet, and all the shades in between. With yarn like this, no fancy schmancy pattern is needed - so I chose a simple ribbed cuff, and a stockinette pattern.

I have heard that Koigu yardage is rather paltry, and since I have a rather long foot, I am going to stay safe with a short cuff - so before long, I will turn the heel on this beauty.

The Lolly Family Knitting Chronicles continue… I got a phone call from my mother on Friday night - sounded a bit like this:

Mom: Lauren, what have you done to me? Every where I go I look at knits - people on the street, in stores…

Lolly: Hahaha

Mom: It is all I think about…

Lolly: Hahahaha

Mom: When are you going to come over and show me how to increase? I have to learn!

Lolly: Hahahahaha

Yep, all I could do was laugh! It is no wonder where I get my obsessive personality, eh?

I put on my dutiful daughter hat, and trekked over to the ‘rents for some Mommy/Lolly knitting time. It was a blast! Mom has made some lovely scarves since starting her knitting adventures at Thanksgiving - and now she is ready to move into non-rectangular knits, namely this lovely triangle shawl.

This is the Aspa shawl, from Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton’s new book, Araucanian Moments. This triangular shawl uses two hanks of Araucania Atacama Alpaca. It is knit side-to-side, incorporating a M1 increases, and the k2tog decreases. She is using size 15 needles for the knit.

I brought along my swift and ball winder and mom gave it a whirl.

Atacama Alpaca Color 500

All balled up and ready to go! She took the increasing very quickly - I knew she would - and now she is set for all of the plane / airport knitting!

My mom and dad are heading to Hawaii this week to visit my sister, Mimi. I am so excited for them, and I sure wish I could tag along! Bon voyage, parents!

And just for a little variety on the plane (it’s the spice of life) she also started on the cowl from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. She is using a lovely merino blend - a perfect sub for Debbie Bliss - that is sold at AC Moore craft store. This is her first foray into knitting with circular needles!

… and now I can say it … Lolly AND Mommy Knitting Around!

Lolly with Hourglass sleeve, Mom with the LMKG cowl!

To celebrate my mom’s new passion for the craft, I am gonna hold a little CONTEST:

My mother shares her first name with a famous knitting brand name, one that many of you LOVE! The first one to guess my mother’s name in the comments, gets a special socky surprise!!!

WINNER IS OLGA of Yo La Tejo! She correctly guessed Addi - and she was first to comment! (Folkcat, Samantha and Lauren also got the answer right)

My mom actually spells her name Addie, but it pronounced the same way!