Camp Loopy - Final Mod!

So, I got through the thirteenth wedge, the second of the grey, and rewound the yarn from crumbling cake to ball so I could determine how much I have left.

I realized that is was not enough to do one more wedge (about 1090 stitches - if you are interested) and decided now was the time to start the just garter stitch rows sections. For the grey, that consisted of 8 rows, each right side with the increases at the markers, and then two rows of purple, same right side treatment.

I finished one section like that and decided that to ensure my sanity it was time to bind off, not wanting to run out midway (bind off was over 450+ stitches). I knit the last right side with purple and bound off with the Galina bind off, a purl version that lays down a very nice edge to show on the right side, using a size larger needle.

Once the ends were woven in, it got a warm, sudsy bath and laid out on the bed to dry. It will be going for phots tomorrow.

Camp Loopy - Time to Mod

The 11th repeat of the contrast color (purple) is complete and when I assessed my yarn usage, I realized it was time to modify the pattern or I would not make the required yarn usage for this challenge and have the shawl look like it is intentionally patterned.

I still have a full skein, unwound, of the grey, and am almost out of the purple. That will make the shawl only 600+ yards. So I decided to switch the grey to the wedge sections and use the last of the purple for the two row separation stripes until I run out. Then I will finish with the grey as the bottom calls for.

This is a really fun knit and easy to do once you see the patterning. I will be knitting hard this holiday weekend in hopes to finish this long before the deadline. By the end of the weekend I have to decide if this project goes everywhere with me or not. It is larger than I like to knit in the car, however I really want to get it done.

Camp Loopy - Stripes Galore

I am into the ninth of 12 repeats of the contrast color, in this case, the purple. I finished the first skein in this repeat, had to wind up the next one and keep going to finish the row.

I really like this knit, it is the Striped Study Shawl and I am knitting it in the Loopy Ewe Solid Series.

As you can see, Little Loopy thinks this is a super cushy yarn and makes a comfy seat for photos.

I hope everyone is ending their summer with something fun~!

Camp Loopy 3: Ready, Set, Go!

This is how far I have gotten with the last Camp Loopy project.

It is a very fun knit, at this point I do not know how I use up all 800 yards of yarn because I am already at the sixth repeat of the purple.

If I get to the twelfth one and see that I need to knit up more yarn I will be happy to have a bigger version.

The colors are not photoing well in house light so I will try to get an outside picture of it when I can. The purple is gorgeous and the gray a lovely contrast.

I hope everyone is wrapping up their summer with some fun~!

Camp Loopy 3: Last Challenge

Here are my supplies for the last challenge. I have two skeins each of the colors, purple and grey, for the Striped Study Shawl. It will be over 800 yards of knitting over the next month. I can cast on tomorrow, August 15th and have to be done by September 15th.

The pattern reads very clearly and should be a fast knit once the pattern is established. It will be my house project for the next two weeks, and may have to be taken everywhere after that depending on where I am with it by September 1st.

I hope everyone has a fun challenge to end the summer~!

Camp Loopy - Mittens: The Final Photo Shoot

I had the opportunity to take some final pictures of the finished mittens for Camp Loopy Project 2. The mittens were joined by some friends that wanted to be a part of the photo shoot. These mittens have gotten a lot of pics and now they are on the side table ready for lots of wearing when the weather turns colder.

Both pictures were taken at the Parker Country Market in Parker. It is a very fun place with lots of yard ornaments and indoors is filled with a variety of little shop booths with anything and everything you can imagine. Definitely worth a stop when you are in the area.

Camp Loopy Project 3 is Announced

The news is out: the third and final challenge for Camp Loopy is going to be whatever we want to knit as long as we knit it with at least 800 yards of yarn. Wow! That is a lot of yarn to string together in one month.

I  chose the Stripe Study Shawl (picture from the pattern I bought) and ordered yarn in, I bet you cannot guess what colors, okay, I'll tell you, purple and grey. I can hardly wait to start it on August 15th. I  have two other projects to finish before then so I will have enough time to finish this one on time.

This has made the summer more fun~!

Camp Loopy - Mitten Blockers Reviewed

With pair of mittens I realized that I needed to order a pair of mitten blockers for future use. I own and love my sock blockers and anticipated that it would be the same for mittens.

The blockers arrived yesterday, so I soaked the mittens and put them on the blockers. Today they are dry and ready for colder weather to arrive. The blockers worked great. They are available from Seven Yaks on Etsy, they were just featured in the Interweave Knits Summer edition. They have very smooth edges so no snagging, come with a thumb insert that doubles as a wraps per inch (wpi) tool and are very reasonably priced.

I ordered mediums and will eventually have to order the large version as well. They are a great addition to my tool collection.

Camp Loopy 2 - Pool Water Glitters

If I had used this yarn in a blue colorway it would have looked like pool water; maybe it does at sunset or twilight anyway.

I have one mitten done and the other is on the needles. Since they are knitting so fast, I am doing some covert crocheting in my evening TV time.

I really like this pattern (Wood Hollow Mittens) and next time I do it I will choose a solid or heathered colorway so the cables show up better. These fit beautifully and will be very warm for car wear this winter.

I also ordered my Camp Loopy shirt, it should be here by next week. I will pose it with projects in the future. How fun to have a camp shirt. Thanks, Sheri, for your creativity and commitment to details~!

Camp Loopy 2 - Mitten Went To HP 7.2

The Mittens got some attention this morning at the 3D theater while I waited for the opening credits of Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 2 aka The End. I got there early to procure a seat and had about 30 minutes of previews with enough light to knit by. So I got a few more rows on the cuff.

After I go home from the movie, which by the way was FABULOUS! I go the cuff done and the thumb gusset completed before I put it down and went back to the Tunisisan Crochet. I did stop at the shop on the way home and checked in with the instructor to make sure that I am doing it correctly. I certainly do not want to knit the whole 49 inches of the first panel and find out at the next class it is wrong and I get to start again. That would be too frustrating.

I hope everyone had a fun-filled weekend~!

Camp Loopy 2: And We're Off

This morning I cast on my second Camp Loopy project. For this one I chose Wood Hollow Mittens by Through the Loops, Kirsten Kapur. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Purple Club.

After a couple cast on attempts, I realized that this pattern with its twisted ribbing would go really well with the Channel Island Cast On, so I went over to the video that features Eunny Jang and watched along with her demonstration. After several restarts I got it on the needles and am 11 rows into the 21 row cuff.

On another video, the cast on was described as "strong, stretchy and decorative in a picot-like way". Not much else you can ask of a cast on. I think I will try this on my next top down socks that I do.

Another difference, I am not accustomed to knitting over 4 dpns, my usual set up is with 3, however in reading the pattern I see the reasoning and will follow along until I get past the thumb gusset and then probably put all the palm stitches onto one needle, we'll see it that works.

I hope everyone has fun knits happening for their weekend~!

Camp Loopy: Project 2 - Mittens with Cables

The second project for Camp Loopy is ready to begin and we were offered the choice of either adult size socks, mittens or gloves with a cable pattern. My project choice is cabled mittens because I have two sock projects going right now and I figured a third might be too much.

Sheri at Loopy Ewe made lots of pattern suggestions, so between her ideas and all the ones I saw on the Ravelry threads, I chose Wood Hollow Mittens by Kirsten Kapur. They will be knit out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Purple Club, which I received in the mail today. I think they will be a great addition to my general winter wear. I am looking forward to casting them on this Friday.

I hope everyone is finding fun summer projects~!

Camp Loopy - Setting High Goals

My high goals for this summer camp is: I have to finish the camp project and blog its completion before I choose and order what I want/need for the next one. It is the only way I will accomplish this challenge of three camp projects for the summer. So far, so good. I finished and uploaded the first finished project yesterday.

For the next project, Sheri at the Loopy Ewe blog announced on July 1st what the parameters/rules are for the second camp project.

Choices, choices, choices, it looks like I have to do a cable project in either socks, mittens or gloves. The decision is not as hard as it sounds for me this summer. I already have two sock projects on the needles right now. I think that three will be overkill.

So I chose the next best thing that I will get the most use out of once colder weather returns: mittens. I looked at all the choices she suggested in her blog post and decided on the Wood Hollow Mittens by Kristin Kapur of Through the Loops. She does beautiful patterns.

And I have ordered Lorna's Laces Worsted in Purple Club. That will be right up my alley. I hope everyone is finding fun summer projects to keep them happy~!

A Camping We Will Go

Even if it is just in the yard. I am lucky to have a great place to park the pop up because it looks like a campground.

And, in any good camp, there must be bunting. This idea is from the Loopy Ewe blog and inspired by Camp Loopy and the pattern written and provided for free from Sheri on her Loopy blog. Her colors are the red, cream and turquoise.

So I rounded up my favorite color combo, in this case: grape, lime and tangerine, and started this project. I plan to hang them in the trailer when I use it and, if I can't camp, I will be hanging it in my house with twinkly lights. How fun.

Camp Loopy - Bluebirds and Sheep

The bluebirds of happiness visited me this morning early at "camp." I cast off the edging section and stood back to admire my work that I had thrown around my shoulders.

Now, all I have left to do is weave in the ends, block and photo this one for successful admission to the Loopy Gallery as finished first camp project. Yay! Even my sheepy assistant thinks it looks great.

Camp Project Update: Sunshine

Dear Camp Journal;

This is a great knit. The pattern, Skewed Shawl, is easy to follow, once you get past the lifted bar make one purl that seems so foreign. And, in this knit, you get lots of practice on it.

The colors I chose are very dark, so photoing outdoors is really the only way to show this off. It makes me think of something I would see in True Blood, another of my favorite TV shows.

I am  now halfway finished with the bottom ruffle section, of course I think this was the shorter side and it looks like I am going to make the July 15th deadline for this first Camp Loopy project.

Off to look for s'more ingredients~!

Camp Project Update: Fresh Air

Dear Camp Journal,

By the end of this week, I am happy to report that I have 12 repeats out of 15 done on the Skewed Shawl. It is looking very nice and is a lot of fun to knit.

As pictured, Little Loopy and his camping buddy think it is fun to go to the woods and anticipate camping in the newly repaired popup. I think there will be knitting in the camper coming up soon. And, thanks to Sheri at the Loopy Ewe blog, we have a new s'more recipe to try out soon.

I hope everyone is having a great time planning their summer projects~!

L'il Loopy and friend visit Belinda in a future camping spot. They are sitting on the Skewed Shawl main color section in MadToshDK in Thunderstorm.

Camp Project Update: Let the Games Begin

Dear Camp Journal;

This morning I got very early in Cabin 2 (that is where the Greet the Day group is staying - sounds like a cult, doesn't it?) and cast on my Skewed Shawl pattern. I was able to get 2 repeats done before I had to start the rest of my day. Loopy and a friend joined me to show off the beginning, the piece sort of looks like a tent.

I am knitting this out of Madeline Tosh DK in Thunderstorm and Black Currant. It took about six tries to get a gauge that is close enough to the one suggested. As the pattern mentions, gauge is not usually important for shawls however for this one it does matter if you want the size of the finished project.

In preparation for this first project, like packing to go to camp, I printed my pattern and read it through, wound the main color skein as soon as it arrived, found my needles and did a test swatch over three needle sizes until I reached the conclusion that it was going to be on 9US needles. I also familiarized myself with the garter tab technique of starting this particular shawl. That required hunting around for a video on the technique and watching a couple different versions, then reading the description again in the pattern.

Then I put it in my new Loopy Ewe project bag and set it near my knitting chair since I could not cast it on until this AM, June 15th.

So, this morning as I am getting through the garter tab cast on and set up row, I realized that I needed at least two stitch markers (more like four). So I had to hunt around in my sock knitting bag for the markers, found them and off we go. Then I decided that I would be happier if I typed the Shawl Body instructions into a document so I can use my highlighter tape and not try to read it in paragraph format. This pattern gives me the initial impression that I will not easily memorize it, so this will make it easier to follow.

Once I got all those things done I got back to the knitting. Note for future camp projects: gather all the supplies before cast on day and don't forget to put your name in your underwear. Happy Camping to All~!

Camp Loopy - No Bugs

For more information, click HERE

I have convinced myself that I should go to camp this year. It involves in no travel (darn), no bug spray and no tents or camping fees, according to the Head Counselor Sheri at the Loopy Ewe.

What a fun way to knit some things this summer where there is a group on Ravelry to share camp stories and possibly create some new s'mores recipes. Yummy!

There were some rules and deadlines to meet, which I managed to do this evening as soon as I got home. I ordered my yarn for the two color shawl that I will be knitting. I chose the Skewed Shawl  and ordered Madeline Tosh DK for my first camp project. I hope the colors I chose are as yummy as they looked online.

The project cannot be started until June 15th and must be finished by July 15th and a picture posted to the Loopy Gallery on or before July 17th to be in accordance with the rules. Obviously this goes against my first version of my finishing plan and my only two projects at a time rule. Oh well, it's summertime and the living is fine, or something like that.

I guess I will be reviewing my UFO roundup-finishing schedule. I will report back when I have a new plan to share.
My goal will be to post a weekly progress update on the camp project and post any camp worthy, fun ideas or suggestions for camping as I think of them. I also hope to work on the project while camping in Belinda at least once this month. I think that adds to the fun and photo opps for Little Loopy.

Thanks, Sheri, for coming up with a fun way to spend my summer. You da Bomb!