KNITTINGGAL: One thousand approaching!

Please go congratulate Donna on her 1000th hit and check out her clever and appropriate retro pics
KNITTINGGAL: One thousand approaching!

L Sleeve is in

Why the puff sleeve?
DD2 is feminine and frilly enough to pull it off. It's a spring/summer sweater.

Does DD like it?
She says wants a longer sleeve. Sounds like she's describing a straight 3/4 length sleeve.

Do I like it?
At first no. The bluebells all over the sleeve are a bit much. After she tried it on, it's growing on me. I'm going to leave it alone, work some more of the body, and think about it.

Fashionably Late in "08 Clapotis KAL

Decided to join my first KAL: Joan's Clapotis KAL. Please see link at sidebar.
Back in 2004 I was barely pattern literate and had just discovered Knitty, so I wasn't part of the craze.

I have some Trendsetter Taos in my stash I've tried unsuccessfully to swap/sell that should be just right for Clapotis.

If N/N2 turns out to be Niece, I may give it to her. It's not a typical blankie, but would look wonderful on SIL as a wrap over baby. Niece could grow into it and have a real shawl someday, a little keepsake from her Aunt Sarah.

The current easy project: Blanket for N/N#2

Niece #1 got a lacy blanket that can be used as a shawl as she gets bigger. I put a lot of time and effort into it.
N/N#2 is due in early June to a different SIL. I'm making the opposite type of blanket for her/him: easy, machine washable pastels. This removes some yarn from my stash, and doesn't interfere with the time I want to spend on DD's cables.
This yarn Red Heart Baby Clouds, colors 9074 "pale pink," 9363 "Breeze," 9321 "Pale yellow," and last label is lost. Why do I have Red Heart? MIL used the green to tie a quilt. I went down to the dime store (yes, my little town still has one) and picked up three other colors, thinking what a cheap, quick project I could make. Now that N/N is coming, I can use it. For 100% acrylic, it's tolerably soft and not really squeaky. It does crackle with static on my Denises.
Using size 13, with a four-color variation of Clouds and Mountains from BWI, p.68. Gauge is about 2.4st/in, width=36"

How to remove grout from laundry

If your DH pours tile grout out on the driveway, and you walk through it in your brand-new Dockers...
Brush the dried grout with a stiff brush, soak briefly, then apply toothpaste to the grout and scrub again. It takes plaque off your teeth, why not grout?
My experiment worked, so I didn't have to go buy more slacks. (Is that good or bad?)

My current challenge: Aran for DD2

I haven't made a full-scale project with cables yet (only hats).
I bought 12 balls Schachenmayr Scaletta col.0083 from elann in 2005 on impulse w/o project in mind. It's kind of a ladder yarn. It's a nontraditional choice for an Aran-style sweater, but I think it looks good in cables. (please click picture to see detail)

I'm doing a self-designed peasant-sleeve top down sweater with saddle shoulders. I'm 20+ rows into the front. The center cable is "Aran Diamond and Bobble" BWIIp.186, modified by working garter st, not seed st, in large diamond. Next one out is "Little Plait" BWIp.245, and the outer panel is two 8st cables crossed every 16th row with bobble on 8th row, worked at half-drop. (I saw this cable in a Lion Brand pattern in a mag., don't remember which one.)

DS's sweater: Mosaic top-down raglan

Pattern: My own, boys 7, following Barbara Walker's raglan instructions in Knitting from the Top
Yarn: Gjestal Superwash sport (rust, gray) Online Linie 21 Marly (other colors) on 4mm needles, 6.5st/1"
The backstory: this was my 4th attempt at making my son a sweater with this yarn. I finished it for Christmas 2006. For Christmas 2007 I lengthened the sleeves and body since he wanted to wear his favorite sweater again. So nice to have one's work appreciated!

"XPlus"Mosaic: CC=black squares. Start and end each pattern rep with 2 rounds of CC
I developed this band mosaic pattern around the "Greek Cross" central motif that I saw in BWII.

If you're unfamiliar with mosaic knitting, the square at the extreme right shows which color is used on the round. (Start with st "1;" do not work the extreme right square when working rounds.) k all st that match the square, slip the opposite color (yarn on WS). Each rnd is repated twice.