Things that really needle you

Beware, friends, the hazards of knitting on a very, VERY crowded commuter rail train!

I cast on for the Vernal Equinox Shawl swatch on the train on my way to see my family for Thanksgiving. I bound off a stop or two before getting off the train, and put my knitting bag down. Then my phone rang. I rummaged for my backpack to get it, knocking over my knitting bag in the process, I guess. When I got to my parents' house, I found out that the needles I'd been using were gone (the size 6 tips from my Harmony Options and a 16" cable), as were my Clover Chibi yarn needles and my BRAND NEW stitch markers--the whole bag of them. GAH!!!

I was so pissed. I blocked the swatch, and it turns out that the size 6 needles were really the perfect size. But, I wanted to get started on the actual shawl while I was on vacation. I ended up whipping out the size 5 tips and knitting really loosely, which was more comfortable than knitting tightly on 7s. I hope it goes well. So far, it looks fine. I've done the first and second charts all the way through, and am about 15 rows into the third chart. I do need to get more stitch markers, I think. I also need to order another pair of size 6 Harmony Options tips. After Christmas, I guess, since my mom's doing money rather than presents this year.

I'm not a huge fan of this yarn. It's really loosely spun, which makes it pretty splitty. But the coloring is turning out to be quite pretty, and I think it'll look nice when it's done.

And now, for my next trick!

Hooray! I finished the hot water bottle cozy yesterday! I sort of feel like it wasn't really worth it. It wasn't by any means difficult to knit. In fact, it was easy enough to be boring. It wasn't all that pleasant, either. The yarn is gorgeous stuff, really. I love it. But I love it on size 8 needles, not on size 6s. Also, I bloody hate weaving in ends, and choosing to do wide stripes of color meant that I had quite a bit of end-weaving to do. Note to self: now you've seen how the Russian Join works. ALWAYS DO THAT FROM NOW ON, OK?

Now, I can get back to doing something truly fun and exciting. Lace! Yes, I'm on a lace kick. I belong to two lace-specific groups on Ravelry, and a third one for shawls that is mostly about lace. Lace is fun. Lace turns a little yarn into a lot of impressive fabric. Lace is pretty. Lace makes me happy.

I'm going to start on Vernal Equinox, using the Green Mystery Yarn. I've never done a semicircular shawl (or a semicircular anything, so this will be new to me. It looks very pretty. A lot of people have done it, and there was a knit-along, so there should be plenty of resources for me if I need to troubleshoot. I'm going to try that new (to me) trick on the lifelines, where you thread them through the keyhole in the Options needles instead of pushing them through every stitch with a yarn needle. I think I have enough stitch markers that I won't run out. (This is an issue because when you do the lifelines this way, any stitch markers that are on the needle when the lifeline goes through get stuck on the lifeline. When you pull the lifeline, they come out--they aren't stuck on stitches--but you can't keep moving them up while you work.) I should at least have enough to get me through Thanksgiving break.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I need to find an outfit. All I know is that I want to wear my Aeolian shawl to show it off to my family. :) Maybe with the new burgundy velvet pants and my white blouse? We'll see! I just hope they all ooh and aah over it. They probably won't. They're family, after all. Well, my immediate family will be impressed. Hmm...do any of my cousins knit? I don't think so. I wonder if a pretty shawl like that one will maybe gain some new converts to the Way of the Yarn-Whore? :)

BORED NOW.

I haven't posted in a little while. I know, that's hardly unusual for this blog, but I'd been so good about it! The reason why I haven't posted is that my current knitting project feels more like WORK than fun. I'm making a hot water bottle cozy. It's a very simple project--so simple it's not a challenge. Also, it's on heavy worsted cotton yarn knit on size 6 DPNS (since I didn't have a long enough needle cable for Magic Loop). So:

1) Boring pattern
2) Non-stretchy yarn knit at a very tight gauge for that yarn
3) DPNs (hate)

I have not been enthusiastic. So, it's been taking me a little while. I have left my knitting bag at home on rainy days, of which we've had a few, and I also left it today. I intend to finish it over the weekend, though, because I want to move on to something fun...like LACE! I will probably start the Vernal Equinox shawl in the Green Mystery Yarn from Newton's Yarn Country. That will keep me pleasantly occupied for a while, and give me something to do over Thanksgiving when I am not stuffing my face with...um...stuffing.

Craft night!

Tonight, one of my friends is hosting a craft night at her place. Many of us will be knitting or crocheting. One guy will probably be making chain mail. Someone might be doing embroidery or beadwork. I think I'm going to get started on a hot water bottle cozy. I'm dithering about which of two different patterns I want to use. I need to weigh my cotton yarn when I get home. If I have enough of the blue alone, I might do the cabled one just in blue. If I don't, I'm going to have to do the plainer one, because cables don't look as good when striped, IMO. But...I already did buy buttons for the plainer one. Oh, ok. I'll make a simple striped one. :)

I have remembered that I have a $25 gift certificate from my manager for Windsor Button, sitting at home! I was in there the other day to get my buttons, and took some time to ogle the yarn. They now have some Dream in Color! They also have Malabrigo lace. And of course, Kidsilk Haze, which is starting to lure me with its evil softness. I'm starting to like the idea of mohair lace. Sure, it'd be a BITCH to have to frog any of it, but it's so frothy and light and ethereal. I might just have to get some of that.

I'm considering waiting until the holidays, because chances are, my manager will get me ANOTHER gift cert for WB this year. Then I can go on a spree! I'm telling you...lacy stuff is making me more of a yarn whore. Now I can just get a skein of lace yarn or even sock yarn without a pattern in mind, confident that I'll find a gorgeous little one-skein wonder on Ravelry. Stuff like Multnomah, or Bitterroot, or Ice Queen. A couple skeins, and I can make even more. It's not like sweaters, where I'd have to worry about getting 6 skeins of worsted, or something, which makes it hard to be spontaneous. This is dangerous, because now I CAN be spontaneous. OTOH, it also makes it easier to get a lot out of my gift certificates!

The end is nigh!

The end of Multnomah, anyway. I can smell it! I started binding off on the bus to work this morning. Squee! :D With luck, I'll be blocking it tonight! Making use of my new blocking kit! At least, making use of the flexible rods and pins--there are no straight lines on this shawl! It's all curves, baby, just like me! Yeah.

...that feather and fan edge is going to be a pain in the ass to pin...

A friend of mine has asked me if I would knit something for her on commission. I told her I'd consider it--we need to discuss what she wants, and then if it's something that looks reasonable to me, we can agree on a price. I'm not going to charge a hell of a lot, since she's a friend and not asking for something on a deadline or to give someone else as a gift. So I don't mind making part of the labor be my gift to her. She wants either a small shawlette (I'd do something fairly simple--not another Aeolian!--in sock yarn, most likely) or some fingerless gloves.

Green is good for spring, right?

Just found this pattern on Ravelry: Vernal Equinox Shawl. That might be just perfect for my green mystery lace yarn! A verdant Vernal! :)

Still going on Multnomah. I must have done something silly when I wasn't paying attention, because I had to tink back several rows to fix it. I think I did an odd row on an even row? Something like that. So stupid--it's the easiest pattern ever at this point. Maybe that's why I wasn't paying attention! Anyway, I've finished row 69 (hur hur hur) and am eager to start the feather and fan pattern in a few more rows!

This weekend, I need to find time to bring my fingerless Vancouver Fog gloves to the Nave Gallery for their knitwear sale. I hope they bring in a good few bucks for the SHC!