"Nice Knits"!

Finally "Fini"

No, do not adjust your monitor. It is true. Clapotis is finally FINISHED! (cheers and horns blowing). I wore it to work today, but I think it could use a good blocking. The ends curl up just a little too much for my taste. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I know Koigu was probably not the ideal yarn for a Clapotis, but I love the color pattern and how light the yarn feels. The finished size was about 20" wide x 63" long (without blocking). Just the right length to be a scarf, or long enough to be a shawl if stretched.

And would you believe that I actually DID have enough yarn. I had almost one whole "egg" left. I guess I panicked too soon. Yesterday, the box from Patternworks came in the mail. Anyone want two skeins of Koigu? Halfway to a Clapotis...

My Lucky Day

I always overestimate. Always. Whenever I buy yarn, I alway buy what the pattern tells me, and then I thow in an extra ball for good measure. ALWAYS. So, I was pissed beyond belief when I realized on Wednesday night that I was going to run short on Koigu for my Clapotis. I figured I will be close to half a skein short. So, I proceeded to panic. Knit Happens (where I originally got my Koigu), has been out for a while now and did not expect any in for another couple of months. Poor Clapotis. I so want to finish it, so I started searching around in the hopes that SOMEONE had at least one skein of #529. Patternworks came to my rescue. They didn't have many colors left, but luckily they had mine. Since I obviously need at least one skein, I went ahead and bought two. Hopefully the colors will match up ok. Damn it, I am going to finish this thing if it kills me! Stay tuned....

(PS - I am so sorry to all of you who sent me e-mails asking how much Koigu you would need for your Clap. I lied...you need FIVE!)

Slow Clapotis

There has actually been some progress on the Clapotis. I wish I could spend more time on it, but the only time I have to work on it is in the evenings after my bean goes to bed.

I kind of wish I had done this on smaller needles, but I like how the color looks like waves...

I hope to have this done by Feb 1 so I can start my Fry Up bag. Got my yarn this weekend from Elan, so I am ready to start cooking!

Clap for Progress!

A big "thank you" to everyone for your nice comments and interest in my Clapotis. Progress has been slow but steady. This isn't the type of project I dare take on the train, so I work on it mostly before I go to bed at night. It is SLOWLY getting bigger. I am now on the fourth repeat of the straight rows. I bought some Lantern Moon Rosewood, 14", US 8 needles, and the knitting is GOOD. I am not a big fan of straight needles, but these are great!  Definitely worth the money. Not a snag in sight!

Here is a close-up of the dropped stitches. I definitely think I will need to block this when I get done. The Koigu is a little on the light side, so I think the dropped parts will straighten out nicely once blocked. Right now they are pretty wavy.

What's your Clap up to?

The Clap

Yes, I now have the Clap! After I saw all the great ones being made (Froggy's, Kristine's, Fidget's, Six and a Half Sitches) I had to start mine. The yarn is Koigu, and this yarn really is wonderful to knit with. Very soft and the colors are so awesome. Hope this picture does it justice:

I thought the pattern was going to be difficult just by the length of the instructions (repeat rows 1-12 TWELVE times!). Very easy to remember once you get going. I decided bamboo was the best way to go, but I think I need a 14" needle. The kids are getting a little crowded. I know my tension is right, but the stitches look really open to me. Guess it really doesn't matter. Looks like everyone's is slightly different. (color in the photo below sucks)

I am on repeat 4 of the increases. A LOOOOONG WAY TO GO.