The Wanton Seed Stitch

Exciting new purchases!

2012-01-21T16:59:00.002-05:00

Every year, as a holiday present, my wonderful manager gives me a gift certificate to Windsor Button. Since my boyfriend is working this weekend, and I had no reason to rush home after work last night, I decided to spend it! I pored over the various fingering and laceweight yarns there, and settled on a skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk. Now, the $25 gift certificate didn't cover the price of the yarn, but it DID bring it down to $14, which is a damned cheap price to pay for a skein of such luscious, gorgeous stuff. The colorway is a mix of oranges and reddish purples that might sound incongruous, but it works beautifully, and the colors are VERY me. I'm thrilled to have it. I'm pretty sure I'll end up doing a Swallowtail shawl, since a lot of people have done one of those with a single skein of the Sea Silk, and they all look lovely.

Right now, though, I'm still slogging through the mesh portion of my Shipwreck. I'm about halfway through with that section, and I estimate it'll probably take me a couple of months to finish because it is SO DAMN SLOW. Those beads, oy. But man, they are beautiful. This shawl will be a work of art once it's done and blocked.

Speaking of blocking, about a week ago or so, I saw interlocking foam floor mats at Christmas Tree Shops at four 24-inch tiles to the pack for $10. I snatched up a couple packs today. Now I'll have a surface big enough to block my Shipwreck! Or, you know, a Doctor Who scarf. Or an afghan. Sheesh. Anyway, they don't take up much room when they're stacked up. This is the kind of thing that's really only interesting to knitters, isn't it?

Well, I've had enough of running errands and slogging through snow for one day. I think it's getting on time to treat myself to a manhattan and plop in front of the TV with some knitting. Later, people.

A comic interlude

2011-12-20T11:40:00.002-05:00

I've not been getting as much knitting done as I'd like. The beaded faggoting on Shipwreck is slooooooowwww, and I've only really been doing it on the bus ride home, since the boy has been giving me rides to work, and I've been busy in the evenings. Oh well, that will improve with vacation! Anyway, that's why I haven't updated in a while: nothing interesting has been going on. But today, I came up with this. Ahem. *makes with the sexy Eartha Kitt pose*

Santa Baby, slip some Addis under the tree, for me.
I've been knitting too slow, Santa baby,
So hurry from the yarn store tonight.

Santa baby, a little bit of qiviut too,
In blue.
Give that musk-ox a shear,
Santa baby, and hurry from the yarn store tonight.

Think of all the yarns I've missed,
Think of the Alpaca Silk from Debbie Bliss.
Next year I could knit even more
If you'll check off my Christmas list.

Santa baby, I wanna swift,
And really I'm kind of miffed.
Been hand-winding all year,
Santa baby, so hurry from the yarn store tonight.

Santa honey, there's one thing I really do need:
Seed beads
Miyukis would be just fine,
Santa honey, so hurry from the yarn store tonight.

Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with some seacell
'Cause, well,
It's real swell in laceweight,
Santa cutie, so hurry from the yarn store tonight.

Come and trim my Christmas tree,
With some Malabrigo (just a skein or three)
I really do believe in you,
Feel free to stay and stitch 'n' bitch with me!

Santa baby, forgot to mention madelinetosh,
Oh gosh!
And some Noro Kureyon,
Santa baby, so hurry from the yarn store tonight.
Hurry from the yarn store tonight.
Hurry, tonight.

Little drops of golden honey

2011-12-02T09:51:00.002-05:00

Last night, I did the doubling row, putting in a lifeline, and then broke the yarn to start stringing beads! So exciting! The beads are just perfect, with as much shine as I'd hoped they'd have. I had some issues with changing needles. Usually, when I need to change needle sizes and I'm working on interchangeables, I will just swap out the tips. It's easy as pie--when you're moving up or down a size or two. This time, I was moving up FOUR sizes, from a 4 to an 8. The stitches simply wouldn't go over the needles. I ended up leaving the size 4 tip on the left hand needle and putting a button thingy on the right side. Then I put a button on one end of my other 40" cable, and a size 8 tip on the other. I can get the tip of the 8 into the stitches enough to knit them, and I'm (slowly) working the knitting onto the new cable as I go. When I reach the end, I'll swap out the button on the new cable for the other size 8 tip, and things should be a little easier.

Pushing the beads along the yarn slows my knitting down considerably, but adding a bead every few stitches (I'm trying to be fairly random, and may end up increasing how many I put on) is fun. I'm excited about how it's going to look! I've pre-wound my next ball of yarn. It seems that this yarn is difficult to do a Russian join on with my chunky-ass Chibi needle, so I should get out my slightly more reasonably-sized yarn needle for that purpose. Still, once the join is in place, the stuff grips like iron and it's as solid as you could like. Awesome.

With any luck, this will not take me forever. I'm surprised by how much it's flown along so far!

New and improved

2011-11-29T11:40:00.002-05:00

I was admiring a FO Shipwreck someone had posted on the Sanguine Gryphon forum on Ravelry (also done with Skinny Bugga, but in a different shade). She told me that from row 29 of the Madeira pattern on, she'd used an improved pattern developed by another Ravelry user that produces a more symmetrical-looking lace. I was on row 34 and had been following the pattern as written, but taking a look at my work, I decided that yeah, it WAS kind of off-looking, in spite of being technically correct. I had a lifeline in at row 31. This morning, while my boyfriend was driving me to work, I ripped back to that lifeline and started picking up stitches. When I finish that, I'll tink back to the beginning of row 29 and use the improved pattern.

Amusingly enough, when I went to look at the pattern improvement as described by its creator, I read this in her project notes: "Got to round 34 of the Madiera chart, didn’t like the way it was looking (fix from yesterday wasn’t a fix). Tinked back to end of round 29 and knit as follows[...]" Heh. Looks like we came to that decision in the same place!

Oh, the beads!!! The beads came in yesterday. They look lovely! I got two boxes each of the medium gold and light gold, and one box of the root beer. I figure I'll dump them all in a bag together and mix them up well for maximum randomness. They're going to look like little droplets of honey in a knitted honeycomb! (That's what this yarn looks like. It doesn't actually look so much like a bee, but it does seem to contain all the many amber-gold shades of honey. Beautiful.) I can't wait to start using the beads. I think I might even try just stringing some onto my next ball of yarn (ooh, I actually have to wind that skein into a ball, don't I?) this evening if I get a chance, just to see what they look like on the yarn. :)

So much progress while on vacation!

2011-11-28T09:20:00.002-05:00

(This bit actually written on Saturday, 11/26)

I've come a really long way so far on the Shipwreck shawl! I've just put a lifeline through, halfway through the Madeira pattern. Vacations are good for my knitting. I'm finding this shawl a really enjoyable knit so far. The lace patterns have short repeats, which means I don't have to have the focus of a hunting eagle to zip through them. I can look at the pattern, memorize the repeat in a second, and just go. It's so much easier than the Aeolian shawl. It keeps my attention, but doesn't punish me if I let my thoughts wander for a moment. I haven't been doing it while watching TV, but I have been chatting a little with people as I go, and it's good that I can do that. The edging is going to be a lot more mindless, so it'll be a good settle-in-with-a-movie project.

I should plan out how I'm going to string my beads. I might see about asking my friend M if I can borrow her bead stringer. I think she'll know where it is. She usually tends to keep her jewelry supplies a bit more organized than the rest of her house. If that fails, it's possible my friend J has one too. If that fails as well, I guess I'll just have to buy my own. Fire Mountain Gems has them for cheaper than Amazon.com does.

(and this bit written today)

So yeah, still banging away at the Madeira. I'm only a few rows from the end. *searches frantically for wood to knock* I'd better start hunting down a bead spinner. I won't be seeing M for at least a week and a half, and I'm going to want to get started before then. Hmm. Well, it's not as though I even HAVE the beads yet. They'll be coming early this week, though. I wonder how difficult it would be to break the yarn and rejoin it, and have beads go over the join. Would they fit over a Russian join? I might need to try that when I get them.

The leap of faith

2011-11-23T10:33:00.002-05:00

The second charted lace pattern in Shipwreck is "Bleeding Heart." It's a ten-row pattern, repeated twice. On that tenth row, there's a note in the pattern saying, "Move marker one stitch to the left before beginning this row." This was the source, for me, of much confusion.

First, I attempted it while I was working on DPNs. When using DPNs, I can't put a marker between the last and first stitches of the round, because that's generally at the end of a needle. So, I put it after the first stitch. Was it already in the right place? Who knew? But before I could actually get to that round, I bollixed up something badly enough that I had to start over. OK. I figured that in the absence of specific directions about where to place a marker initially, it made sense to put it between the last and first stitches, and that would be easier if I switched to circulars before beginning the Bleeding Heart chart. On Take 2, that's what I did.

Then, I understood about moving the marker one stitch over. I didn't understand, though, whether I was supposed to start row 10 AFTER the marker, or before. Before didn't really make sense, and looking at some forum posts on Ravelry confirmed this: I was actually changing the starting place of the row by one stitch. Good enough. But...what was I to do with the stitch that had been the first stitch and was now, thanks to the movement of the marker, the last stitch? It wasn't part of the previous row's pattern repeat, it was just extra. Did I knit it? Slip it? I elected to take off the marker, slip that first stitch onto the right needle, then put the marker on again. I took a deep breath, and took the leap of faith. Round 10 worked up in perfect alignment. Yay!

Next, I was faced with the question of whether or not I was supposed to put the marker back where it had been before beginning the next round. It was not stated to do so in the directions. To be certain, I counted stitches, and sure enough--I needed to just leave it where it was! No need to replace it. Fine by me. I'm in the middle of that second set of Bleeding Heart now. I just wanted to make sure to note down all this stuff so that maybe someone else who's as confused as I was might see it someday on Ravelry!

Bees! Bees! Bees!

2011-11-19T23:18:00.002-05:00

Two posts in one day, wow!

Upon finishing Memere's Multnomah, I decided to cast on for Shipwreck. I took out my swift and ball winder, and turned one of the skeins of Skinny Bugga! into a perfect little yarn cake. These guys wind their skeins nicely: this one didn't give me any trouble at all with tangles or knots or breaks or anything.

I started out trying to cast on as instructed in the link provided in the pattern, but many attempts confused the FUCK out of me, so I decided to try a regular knitted cast-on. Well, that left a big and un-fixable hole right in the middle. So, I started digging around. Hey, I'm a researcher. It's what I do. Anyway, in one forum on Ravelry, I found a few links to similar cast-ons. Eventually, I got the hang of one of them, and started knitting. Then, I realized I'd not been paying attention, and had blithely skipped a number of rows. Oops. I frogged (it was only about 10 rows), and cast on again. This time, I've gotten up to row 29, where I'm about to start the second lace pattern. It being after 11 p.m., I've decided to save that for later. I know my limits.

I admit I'm mostly a product knitter. I see stuff and think, "Ooh, that's pretty. I want that." But it's also nice to have some variety in a pattern, and to learn new skills while knitting a new pattern. This one has already taught me that very nice cast-on for circular shawls. I'm really pleased with how it turns out. The process of doing it is a bit of a pain in the arse, requiring some serious twisting around of the hands, but it works.

The yarn is just beautiful to work with, and I can't wait until I have it on my nice Harmony Options needles. So far, at 144 stitches, I'm still on DPNs. It's looking nice, though. I'd LIKE to knit more tonight, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea. I'll pick it up again tomorrow--maybe even while I'm at the Knitting Kumquat's birthday party (a.k.a. Comfy Cozy Kumquat Day). I'll at least have to show her the yarn and the pattern, because I KNOW she's a Sanguine Gryphon fan, same as I am. It's sad that they had to split into two companies just as I was getting to know them, but I'll get to know the two new companies, too. :)

Finished Memere's shawl

2011-11-19T12:22:00.002-05:00

I finished the large-size Multnomah I made for my Memere today. After binding off last night, I steam-blocked/killed it today. Turned out nicely. I didn't melt it, and it did keep its shape. Yay! I hope she likes it. The three balls of Wool-Ease were plenty for ten repeats of the F&F pattern, though I was pretty sure it wouldn't be enough for eleven AND a bind-off. I quit while I was ahead, and trusted that blocking would help. It did. Man, I'm so glad I blocked it. The difference is night and day! I'm going to throw it in the washer and dryer to soften it up and fluff it a bit, as well as to give it a nice scent from the fabric softener (because it smells of wet sheep now). I'm going to wait until Christmas to get pictures, on Memere. Oh, except...I won't BE at Christmas this year, with my family. I should ask Papa to take a few. His will be better than mine would be anyway. Maybe I can convince my sister to buy a shawl pin to go with it. Romi's cat-shaped one might be a good choice--the non-sterling ones are only about $30 each.

Bees and beads!

2011-11-16T11:31:00.002-05:00

I just bought some beads for a Shipwreck Shawl! I ended up getting them from Fire Mountain Gems, which sells 8/0 round seed beads in 40-gram bags. I bought five of them. That should be enough, even given that the brand I bought seems to have fewer beads per gram than other Japanese 8/0s. I got transparent glass beads with silver lining, in light gold, medium gold, and root beer (a medium brown). I think they'll be great with the Honeybee yarn!

Chances are I'm going to start Shipwreck over Thanksgiving. I think it's likely I'll finish Mémère's Multnomah before then. I'm on repeat #9 of the F&F pattern, I believe. I hope it'll be big enough! I wonder, if I DID block it, how much would it stretch?

Moving on...

2011-11-13T21:21:00.003-05:00

I finished my hat on Thursday night, just in time for some cool and windy weather. It's good and warm, and looks pretty cute! Tonight, I picked up the large-size Multnomah I'm making for my Memere again. I had been a bit irked by the fact that I had somehow messed up a few rows back, but I tinked back and re-knit those rows with no problems or confusion. Awesome. It's good to make progress. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but I think I'll bring my knitting to work with me anyway. I would like to get this done. The hat was a nice break, I admit, but I'm looking forward to something a bit more delicate. Question is, do I start talking to my mom about doing a shawl for her? Maybe get it done for her birthday? Or do I start something for me? Maybe both. Maybe having two projects on the needles at once isn't such a bad thing. You know, like having two boyfriends at once. :)

I think my mother wants a rectangular stole. She'll probably want a biggish one so that there's plenty of wrap room. My Seascape would be too small for her. I'll poke around and see what I can see.

Oh, and by the way, here's the hat!

Hat trick!

2011-11-07T11:34:00.002-05:00

OK, so there's no trick. But I've started a hat. I chose the South End Knitter's Hat pattern. It's a nice cabled-and-ribbed one, and it's knit long and with the cables on the inside. That way, you can fold up the bottom so that there's an extra layer of warmth. Nice! I'm using stashed Lamb's Pride, left over from the still-unzippered Samus cardi I made lo, these many years ago. I was going to use the Nuna (that's the merino/silk/bamboo blend) I had, but when I realized that 1) it was sport weight, not worsted, and 2) it didn't actually include alpaca as I thought it did, I decided it wouldn't be quite warm enough if a wind happened to blow. Also, the red is a color I'm more likely to want to wear frequently. I'll find something to do with that pretty Nuna, though. Maybe a lace scarf?

I started the hat on Friday night. I'm making good progress on it. With luck, it'll be finished before the end of the week. I'll post pics when I have 'em!

Frustrations, daring, and warm ears

2011-11-03T09:26:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I realized I might have messed up in adding a repeat of the F&F pattern on my Mémère's shawl a few rows back. It's frustrating! I need to figure out what I did, but I may well have to tink back 5 rows. And these rows are getting big. *grumble*

So, I really need a new knitted hat. The Fur Hat Of Doom will have its day again, oh yes, but it's not quite cold enough yet for that. I l do love my Corona (MALABRIIIIIIGO!), but it's really too big, and it's starting to get slightly ratty. I keep saying, "Maybe I'll try felting it just to see what happens," but I haven't yet dared. Maybe when I actually have a new hat to wear, I might work up the courage! I'm pretty sure I'm going to use this pattern. The large section that gets doubled over means a double layer of warmth, and I like the cables. I may end up using that skein of navy blue yarn I've been keeping forever--the one that's merino, and...alpaca and silk? Alpaca and bamboo? Something like that. Cozy and soft, anyway. I'm fairly sure that one skein will be enough. If it's not quite, I might add another color near the crown. I might want to take a brief break from the shawl to get started on this hat, or I won't have it while the weather is right to wear it. I have until Christmas to finish the shawl, anyway.

My cousin's wife sent me a thank-you card today for the sweater I knit her baby-to-be. She was really happy to get something handmade. I think the design of that little cardi is good for babies--it's just one button, so it's easy to get on and off.

Man, I'd rather be knitting right now than working...

Laceweight? Fingering? Did I say that?

2011-10-13T21:38:00.002-04:00

It looks like I've got yet another worsted project on the needles! On the plus side, it doesn't involve DPNs, and it's not in a cotton yarn. I do love the slip of that organic cotton, and the soft hand it has (oooh, SO soft), but it doesn't have much stretch. Right now, I'm working in...Wool-Ease. Yes. And it's not for a baby.

I decided I should knit a shawl for my Memere for Christmas. I didn't want her to have to worry about special washing or drying or re-blocking instructions. This is MEMERE, after all. She's the sweetest person alive, but...yeah. Bless her heart. Also, she doesn't really have room in her tiny apartment for laying a shawl flat to dry. I figured a washable, dryable yarn would be best. I need it to go fast, because, well, I have less than 2.5 months to do this. I do want it to be a full-size shawl, though. I decided to do something in worsted weight. After a great amount of dithering and posting on Ravelry, I saw that there were a number of people who'd done Multnomah in worsted, following the pattern as written, and ended up with a full-size shawl. This, after someone cleverly reminded me that Feather & Fan looks very nice in a thicker yarn and doesn't really need blocking to look good. Oho, I said. I got the yarn after work today at Windsor Button. I picked out a sort of dusty rose color that looks to be right up Memere's alley. I cast on while watching X-Files on DVD, and am now on my way. I know it will go fast because I've done it before, and it took me no time at all. Really, like two weeks. Less. Since I'm using the same number of stitches, rows, and repeats, it shouldn't take me too long. It will help that it's something I can do pretty easily while watching TV or chatting with people. Also, tomorrow I'm going to stay overnight with friends. I'll have plenty of time to hang out and knit the next day before our class starts in the afternoon. YAY. I'm going to recommend to my sister that she get Memere a shawl pin for Christmas. Dunno what I'm going to do for Pepere. He doesn't wear scarves, and I'm not sure there's anything else I could knit him in time for Christmas that he'd actually wear or use. Guess I'll have to ask Papa for some ideas that don't involve yarn.

Man, I wish I were going to Rhinebeck or Stitches East this year...

Oh, the sacrifices we make for family

2011-10-05T14:02:00.004-04:00

When last we saw our heroine, she was purchasing yarn to make a sweater for the first member of the next generation of the family. Yeah, my cousin and his wife are having a baby. I've been working on the sweater on and off--I got especially distracted by my man coming home from Afghanistan--but right now I'm ready to bind off and weave in the ends. Then I'll sew on a button, crochet a loop to fasten it, and give it a gentle wash in the sink. The shower's on the 22nd. Should be good by then! Oddly, I ran out of the main color of my yarn before I could do the button band and collar. That didn't happen last time. I am substituting one of the contrasting colors (periwinkle blue). Looks fine. I will actually be able to return one of the skeins of yarn I bought for the project: the cream-colored yarn I had from my old skein was sufficient for the project, so I didn't need to wind the new one!

When this is done...hmm...start my Shipwreck? Talk to Mom about doing her a shawl for Christmas? (Might be late...) Finish those goddamn socks that have been sitting in the drawer for literal YEARS? (Probably not.) Whatever, working with thick worsted weight yarn seems downright WEIRD to me right now, and I'm eager for some sock-weight-or-lighter lace again. :)

OH! The sacrifice. Yeah. The shower, as I said, is on the 22nd. That is the weekend of Stitches East. I'd assumed my friend the Knitting Kumquat wouldn't want to go, having just given birth a month ago to Baby MC^2. I figured, "Oh well, I'll miss it, but it's not like I'd have been able to go without her anyway, since she's my ride there." Last night, she e-mailed me to say, "Do you want to go?" ARGH. Oh well. Maybe we can make a road trip to WEBS sometime.

Where the sea meets the shore

2011-08-18T10:33:00.003-04:00

Last night, I blocked my Seascape Stole! I'm so happy. I think it's going to end up being just lovely. I hope to have some photos soon. I'd REALLY love to get some outdoor shots, particularly in a beachside setting, but I doubt that's going to happen since it would require coordinating with someone else, and probably on short notice.

I did the seventh repeat of Chart B, which I'm pretty sure was a good idea. Six would have made for a quite short stole. I wet blocked the thing, and used wires along each edge. Wow, rectangles are SIMPLE. :) I actually finished the knitting late last week (Friday night, I think), but haven't had the time or the wherewithal to block it until now.

The funny thing is, I figured this was going to be my go-to wrap for wearing on nice occasions with nice dresses. Now, before I even unpin it, it has competition. My boyfriend got me a beautiful pashmina for our eighth anniversary! It's deep red, olive, and warm beige--a gorgeous combination of colors that look fantastic on me. It's made of pure cashmere (in Kashmir!) and is soft and cozy. Hey, now I have options! :)

Now, I'm going to Windsor Button this evening after work to get some organic cotton yarn for a sweater for my cousin's baby. I've decided to do the same Super Natural Stripes sweater that I did for my coworker's baby a few years back. I still have some pretty periwinkle blue organic cotton yarn left over from the stole I made my boyfriend's mother, so I think I'll use that for one of the contrasting colors. (Actually, I have leftovers of the cream and beige I used in the first sweater too, but I don't know if I have enough). Working with that yarn and the size 7 needles is going to be WEIRD after the KSH and size 4s. But it'll be a good project to have on hand for my vacation--less delicate, easier to work on while chatting with people, etc. than my usual lacy stuff.

I need a new knitting bag. I'm sorely tempted by the gorgeous ones from Jordana Paige, though they are PRICEY. *sigh* But I will have to do SOMETHING about that soon, because the old Boogie Bag one I got at Woolcott...seven years ago? is falling apart. I'll worry about that later, though--the one I have now will be fine for my vacation.

Getting there!

2011-08-05T09:27:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, I am a bad blogger. I'm hardly saying anything these days. But really, how many times do you have to hear, "I'm about halfway through repeat #X of chart B of my Seascape Stole?" Anyway, I figure it's OK to say that I am now on the final row of the final repeat of chart B of my Seascape Stole! Huzzah! When Chart C is done, Numfar will do the dance of joy. :) Then it's blocking time. Hmm. By the time I finish, my boyfriend might be home from Afghanistan. Which means that the bed in Spare Oom might need some cleaning off so I can use it for blocking again. Maybe I can finish before he gets here, though, provided I don't dawdle or set it aside.

Hmm. I hope this FITS on the bed in Spare Oom. :(

Man, I really need to start planning a baby sweater for cousin-child. I think the kid is due sometime in...January? But it'll be nice to get it out of the way and be able to pick up some more LACE. My mom is now thinking she'd like a lace shawl. Heh. I will have to go over some ideas with her. I think that I'll make it a fingering weight so it goes faster.

And then, of course, there's always...Shipwreck. *swoon*

Keep on truckin'

2011-07-12T21:38:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in a while because nothing new has been happening. I'm plugging away at my Seascape, sometimes more quickly than others. I got a little sidetracked by A Game of Thrones (the book, not the TV series), which I'm reading for the first time. It cut into my knitting time a bit. I'd do three rows on the bus and then say, "Oh, I'll read the rest of the way!" But I've started leaving the book at home and only reading it before bed, so I'm getting a bit more knitting done. Not a TON more, because I've been busy, but I did do about a dozen rows today, so...yay!

I can't believe I was thinking about frogging this and starting something new. It's really not so bad. I think I'm getting better at memorizing pattern rows and at reading my knitting. I love the way it's turning out, too. I can't wait to see it done and blocked! Hmm...guess that proves I'm a product knitter more than a process knitter. :)

I think that when I reach the end of the pattern repeats on this, I'll order beads for my Seascape. I also need to get started on a baby sweater for the boy-cousin and his wife's little one, who's on the way. Better start looking at what's in my stash, and figuring out a convenient pattern!

Well, that's not so bad.

2011-06-19T20:54:00.003-04:00

Having finished my Vernal Equinox, I decided it was time to pick up my Seascape stole again. I couldn't remember what the hell I'd messed up, or figure out how to fix it, so I ended up ripping back to the last lifeline (~12 rows back). That was the hardest part. Not emotionally--I wasn't even sure I wanted to keep working on this pattern, so I had little attachment to it. Physically, though, it was a bitch. Frogging Kidsilk Haze? Not. Fun. The yarn ripped in a couple of spots, it was so sticky. Anyway, I managed to get back to the lifeline and picked up all the stitches without much trouble. The one good thing about that stickiness was that the stitches didn't slip down to pull up tight against the lifeline, so they were easy to grab. Since Saturday evening, I've done 15 rows. It goes pretty quickly, actually. I do have to keep more of an eye on the pattern than I did on the Vernal Equinox, because it's not a multi-repeat thing. Still, the pattern is symmetrical and not too hard. The most obnoxious thing is the M1R and M1L, especially with this yarn. But I feel like after all that work on the Vernal Equinox, I have my eye in for lace. It's become second nature to read my knitting as I go, checking to make sure things are lining up properly. That means I don't keep going for long if I make a mistake. If I skip a decrease, I realize, "oh, I was supposed to have only two stitches before than next YO, not three. What did I miss?"

I've decided that the most difficult thing about this stole is definitely the yarn. It's not the kind of thing I could work on in a stitch-n-bitch--I couldn't socialize while doing it--but the pattern itself is easy enough when I'm not trying to divide my attention. The yarn is a bit of a bitch to work with, though. Still, it makes a lovely, airy, gossamer-like fabric, so I can't hate it too much!

Hooray! It's FO time!

2011-06-17T09:19:00.005-04:00

I finished binding off my Vernal Equinox shawl yesterday, on the bus ride home from work. W00t! I put it in the sink to soak with a little knit wash before dinner, and after dinner, I took it out, rolled it in some towels to get most of the water out, and pinned it out to block. I do my blocking in Spare Oom, a.k.a. the guest room, where kitty is not allowed to go. In that room, we have a futon that's opened out to bed-shape. One set of sheets we have for it is plaid, which means...uniformly-sized squares! I use T-pins to pin the shawl to the futon. I also have some blocking wires. This time I used three of the wires to hold the straight edge of the shawl. Dang, that thing has GROWN with the blocking. It's supposed to block out to about 76" wide, but I just didn't have that much room on the bed! It's about 72" instead. One day, I'll reblock it to its full size. Anyway, it took me an hour and a half to pin it out. I didn't even use as many pins as I'd have liked. I want the curves edge to be little scallops instead of little points, but didn't have enough pins for it. Also, I didn't have enough room on the futon to stretch the shawl out big enough to spread those scallops out to their full extent. Still, it's opened up nicely, and should be plenty big enough to wear. And hey, have some glamour shots!

So close, I can smell it.

2011-06-12T22:02:00.002-04:00

I finished the charted portion of the Vernal Equinox shawl this evening. Now, since I've decided to do the knitted bind-off, I have 4-5 rows of plain knitting ahead of me. Then, of course, comes the blocking. That will not be easy. It will take a lot of pins. On the plus side, since it's a semicircular shawl, the diameter of it is a straight line, so I can use my wires for that bit. That will save time as well as pins. Man, this is the biggest shawl I've done yet, and it's only a semicircle. I don't know what I'm going to do when I make my Shipwreck. Well, I do, really: I'll get some of those foam floor tile thingies, like my friends have for their toddler son.

I spent some time the other day thinking about whether I want to say "fuck it" to the Seascape Stole and start over with a simpler-to-me (i.e., short repeats) pattern. I might just do that. There are some nice ones out there. I don't think I adore the Seascape pattern enough to sweat over it. Iris is also gorgeous, and looks very simple. Like, almost mindless. Mindless might not suck. It means I can start something else too. Like...Shipwreck! Plus, it's on bigger needles, so that means it'll knit up faster.

Now, I am going to have to remember that it will soon be time to knit another baby sweater again, too! My cousin's wife is pregnant, and sort-of-Aunt Laura is going to have to make something cute!

I missed knitting more than I realized when I was taking a break from the shawl. I've really been enjoying it lately. It's just so satisfying watching the shawl appear on the needles, and so much fun forming the stitches. It'll be more fun still when I'm working with nicer yarn.

Yan pirate booty

2011-06-11T09:46:00.002-04:00

I'm currently dating (again! Yay!) a guy who does antique dealing and estate sales and auctions and stuff. Yesterday, he announced that he'd been hired to take care of the estate of a local woman who recently passed away, and who'd been a knitter. Her stash was quite huge! He's thinking that with the yarn, he's going to simply offer it and ask for donations to charity (I guess the heir(s) don't care about making money from the yarn). He asked me for my opinion on what he should say if people ask for a suggested donation per skein. I was a bit flummoxed, because yarn prices can range so wildly. From the big-picture shots he showed me, it looked like there might have been some nice stuff in there. I told him that he ought to start by looking at fiber content, and gave him a gradation ranging from all-manmade stuff (acrylics, etc.) up to all luxury fiber (silk, cashmere, etc.). I also suggested that he look for words like "handpainted" as keys of higher value, too. I couldn't begin to think of what kind of actual amounts he should suggest, mostly because I don't know what kind of percentage of value he's hoping to get. I just advised him that generally, knitters know their yarn, and know the value of what they're getting. Most of the knitters around here, especially when a charity is involved, are not going to be dicks and cheapskates, trying to grab up everything and throw fifty cents in the jar.

Of course, I am DYING to get my hands on some of this yarn, myself! When he announces the sale/donation event, I'm going to be right there, you may depend on it. :) YARN. OMG. YUM.

Light at the end of the tunnel

2011-06-09T08:56:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I put in my lifeline at the end of Clue 6a of Vernal Equinox! I'm now on row 213, the third row of the VERY...LAST...CHART. Yes, folks, the end is in sight. I might not have finished it by Beltane, as I'd hoped, but I will finish it by Litha. In other words, my Vernal Equinox will be complete by the Summer Solstice. :)

But with the approaching end comes a question: knitted or crocheted edging?

I really love the look of the crocheted edging, but...I don't crochet. I have no doubt I could learn to do the very simple stitches required to complete the shawl, but I'm not so sure I could do them with the evenness of tension and neatness required for the edging to look really good. I guess I'm answering my own question right now: I'll go for the knitted bind-off, and just be creative when it comes to blocking the edge.

This shawl is going to be AWESOME for stuff like over-air-conditioned movie theaters and the like, this summer! I'm especially looking forward to wearing it with my brown-and-green dress, with which it will go perfectly.

When I'm done with it, I ought to go back to that Seascape Stole. Or...do I frog it (ARGH, KIDSILK HAZE FROGGING) and start something else, maybe something with a shorter pattern repeat that's easier to keep track of? Maybe I'll give it a shot and see how it goes for a while.

And then...Shipwreck? Possibly! I also have that Supersock Lace burning a hole in my stash...

I know, I know, it's about damned time!

2011-05-31T22:33:00.003-04:00

When last we left our heroine (yeah, delusions of grandeur, I know), she was angsting over her Vernal Equinox shawl. A mistake had necessitated frogging the shawl back to the most recent lifeline. Not SUCH an arduous task, perhaps, but...(dun dun DUNNNNN!) the lifeline had slipped out of the last twenty or so stitches on the needle! Noooooo! With this yarn and this pattern, fixing this would be iffy at best. Would our heroine have to unravel to the PREVIOUS lifeline? Would the entirety of Chart 5 be lost?

Well, that's what I was afraid of, anyway. I put aside my knitting for a while. Like, um, a month. OK, more than a month. Five or six weeks. Stupid, really. I finally got my act together this evening and took a stab at replacing the lifeline. I seem to have gotten it! My work is now back on the needles! I even switched to a longer cable, to make my life easier as the shawl gets bigger. Now, I can attack this thing again and hopefully be able to wear it during the summer, as planned! It'll be my first full-size lace shawl, and I think it'll be perfect as an "in the air conditioning" layer. I'm so relieved. Now, I'm anxious to get going again. :)

It's funny...when I put my knitting aside like this, I get to the point where I'm reluctant to look at Ravelry. It's like, I feel like since I'm not knitting, reading and talking about knitting makes me a poseur. Silly, I know. it's not like I'm no longer a knitter. It's not like I've considered giving up on knitting for good. Still, though. I occasionally looked at the Bust Line group (because that's about bras and shirts and stuff, not just knitting), but only once or twice did I even glance at anything else. Hey, now I have another time waster again. :)

YARN!

2011-04-14T15:00:00.002-04:00

Yarn yarn yarn yarn yarn!!!

I actually bounced in my chair. :)

Yes, the Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga! in Honeybee has arrived! It's just what I was hoping for--a rich golden medley of ambers. I think it will make a beautiful Shipwreck shawl. I need to buy beads now, of course. And blocking boards, though I doubt I'll need those for at least another year...

Last night on my way home, I realized there was a big fuckup in my Vernal Equinox. I don't know how the hell I'm going to fix it without ripping back to the lifeline. >:( Then again, that's what lifelines are FOR, right? There go my first four or five rows of Clue 6A. Meh.

But...YARN. OMG. I would like to be able to take a good picture of it to show off. In the meantime, here's a crappy webcam shot at work:

Travel = knitting progress

2011-04-10T21:09:00.002-04:00

Yay, TSA didn't give me a hard time about my knitting! I transported my shawl on the cable, but took the needle tips off and put them in a small compartment of my backpack to keep them safe. I had button ends on the cable. When I settled down somewhere, I'd take the buttons off and put the needle tips on and get to work. I ended up finishing Clue 5 and starting Clue 6a. The rows are starting to get loooong! I keep looking at the shawl and going, "Holy CRAP this thing is getting big." It might take me a while to get through the rest of this, but I will definitely be wearing it this summer.

My Skinny Bugga! should be coming in SOON! I got an e-mail saying it was shipping! *does happy dance*

Knitting at 20,000 feet

2011-04-08T09:57:00.002-04:00

Don't modern planes fly higher than that, usually? Anyway, today will be the first time in ages that I'll be bringing my knitting on a plane, provided TSA doesn't mess with me. I've got my Vernal Equinox on the cable, with button-ends to keep it on. The needle tips are in a separate compartment of my bag, to keep them from getting damaged. I've got my cable key, my stitch markers, my dental floss for a lifeline, and my yarn needle, too. There's actually a Ravelry forum dedicated to flying with your knitting, and from what people there have said, it sounds like my departure and destination airports (Boston Logan and Washington National--I refuse to call it Reagan) are not usually problematic for knitters, nor is the airline I'll be using. Yay! Also, wooden or bamboo needles and circular needles seem to be less "threatening" to TSA agents than metal needles or straight needles. That's convenient, seeing as I'm using Knitpicks Harmony Options!

I'm terrified that my Skinny Bugga! yarn is going to arrive at my house while I'm away and get stolen. :( I hope that doesn't happen! Of course, I don't even know if it's shipped yet. The status says "processing" or something. We'll see.

I realize I haven't said much about how I feel about the Vernal Equinox pattern itself, yet. I'm enjoying it very much. The fact that there are seven charts to work through means there's a variety of different stitch patterns involved. Each of the patterns has so far been reasonably simple, but entertaining. The pattern is well-written, very clear. The half-pi shaping method seems very simple. I do have some experience with the pi method, since I made my cat a Kitty Pi bed, which is basically a very small and unlacy pi shawl knit in bulky yarn and felted. You know, maybe that Shipwreck won't be so difficult--after all, the biggest section is just faggoting stitch, which is quick and easy and mindless. So all the more complex work will be done in the smaller sections of the shawl.

Some thoughts

2011-04-05T10:56:00.004-04:00

1. Holy CRAP, people who want Sanguine Gryphon yarn have fast fingers. True story: I was on their site this morning at 9:30, hitting "refresh" every couple minutes to catch when the Little Traveller in Hotel Tassel went on sale. The first time it refreshed to being on sale, there were only THREE SKEINS left. I thought, "Whew! JUST made it! I need three!" Then I put them in my cart, and by the time I hit the "check out" button, I got an error message saying they didn't have enough stock left. Yep. They were down to ONE. But Gryphon said they will re-dye these colors over the next six months, so I will wait and get it later, rather than buying the (much pricier) Skinny Bugga!

2. But oooooh, it's just SO pretty. I'm now really dying to make the Shipwreck shawl in that colorway, with gold, bronze, and amber beads. I know it will take forever and a day, but...damn. Gorgeousness and gorgeousity, as my little droog Alex would say.

3. Why is their other 100% superwash merino fingering weight yarn (Eidos) $25/skein for less yardage? I am confused. I'd have to buy FOUR skeins of that to make Shipwreck.

4. I'm really pleased with the progress I'm making on Vernal Equinox. I think it's going to turn out lovely. I'm almost done with my fifth row of Clue 5 now. The crochet bind-off is going to be challenging. I might have to ask a crochet-skilled friend for help. I can't wait to wear it later this spring/this summer!

5. I should still be able to block Vernal Equinox on the futon in Spare Oom, but when I do finally make Shipwreck, I'm going to need to get some foam tiles. That thing is BIG.

6. Annnnd now. I must edit this. Reason being, I broke down and bought the Skinny Bugga! I can still use just three skeins to make Shipwreck. If I'm careful. (There's a 30-yard bumper, but...) I think what finally did it for me was looking at reviews, trying to find out which base was better, and if it was that big a difference. I still don't know, but I do know that people said over and over again that Skinny Bugga! DOES NOT SPLIT, EVER. Considering that I am currently knitting Vernal Equinox with THE SPLITTIEST YARN IN THE WORLD, EVER, I think I am entitled to this nonsplitting wonder yarn. Yes. Thinking about my weak will with regards to this yarn, I came to a conclusion: they could have kept me from breaking down and getting it if they'd named it after some icky spider instead of the glorious honeybee. Really. The Honeybee name gave me just enough of a pull to the yarn. A spider's name would have given me just enough of a push away from it.

Buzzzzzzzzzzz....

Temptation

2011-04-04T16:36:00.002-04:00

First, the progress report: I finished Clue 4 of the Vernal Equinox shawl! Yay! It's really coming along. I started Clue 5 today on my break. I took a couple pictures of the WIP the other day, but haven't yet had a chance to connect the camera to the computer and see how they came out. If they're any god, I'll share 'em!

Now...temptation! I think I need some Sanguine Gryphon yarn. I'm leaning towards getting enough of the Little Traveler in Hotel Tassel to make myself a Shipwreck Shawl. Gods help me. I love the sound of the Skinny Bugga! but the Little Traveler is SO much cheaper, and I'd have way more room for "oh no I screwed up!" because of the longer skeins. Nothing wrong with pure merino, right? Though I will still and always think of the color as "Honeybee," which is what it's called in Skinny Bugga! because I love honeybees. Think how gorgeous that would be with some amber, brown, gold, and bronze beads! *swoon*

OTOH, I do have a lot of yarn already.

I think...I think I need to have a stash swap or something. Or just say, "TAKE MY YARN, PLEASE" to my friends. I think my wool-averse friends will like my brightly colored acrylics bought for baby clothes. And there's just so much random stuff in my bins. I definitely want to keep my Sparkle, my Cherry Tree Hill Lace, my merino-silk-bamboo(?) blend of navy worsted that feels so nice...not sure what else, though. Some cheap stuff just for practice (I do, after all, need to practice knitting continental and then try fair isle, and also learn intarsia.) Time to purge! And make room for more!

Damn it all, lace has gotten me UTTERLY HOOKED on buying yarn. But I can't be mad. I love it too much. :)

Seasonally appropriate knitting

2011-03-21T09:48:00.002-04:00

I finished Rhomylly's Marram hat on St. Patrick's Day. Being able to knit without fucking up is one big advantage to not getting drunk out of your mind on St. Patrick's Day. :) The following day, I frogged my Vernal Equinox shawl back to the last lifeline and put it back on the needles, so I could start the CORRECT chart (Clue 4). I worked on it over this Vernal Equinox weekend, particularly on Saturday morning while at my friends' house when they were chatting with an architect and I had nothing else to do. It's a pleasure to be knitting lace again. This chart has a very simple pattern with a short repeat, so it's not too taxing to the brain, and I feel like I'm making progress quickly. I am becoming very fond of the yarn color as time goes on, and this really is a lovely pattern. I still don't like the fact that the yarn is SO loosely spun, and so splitty as a result. I think that in future, I'll be more aware of that sort of thing. I didn't really know quite as much about yarn when I bought that stuff a year and a half ago.

Speaking of yarn, I'm really looking forward to Sanguine Gryphon's new releases! I hope they go on sale soon, AND that I don't forget about this and miss all the colors I like best. That happened with the last release. Their stuff is pretty pricey--$28/skein for most stuff, as far as I can tell. I think I'll stick with a single skein of sock yarn (they have the most yardage) to make a shawlette. Haruni, maybe? Oooh. Or Traveling Woman. Or something.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

2011-03-07T10:13:00.002-05:00

My friend Rhomylly is undergoing chemo right now. She's a knitter herself, and has asked her fellow knitter friends to make hats for her, so that when she loses her hair (it's already getting brittle after her second dose), she can cover up with cute stuff. I volunteered to make one. I recently frogged a baby sweater I was working on: the baby is now too big for the size for which I bought the yarn, and I can't see myself getting back to the rather obnoxious pattern. The yarn is perfect for a chemo cap: a soft microfiber (Berocco Comfort DK). I selected grapey purple and screaming lime green to make a hat with a slip stitch color pattern, Marram. It's a lovely subtle pattern when you use subtle colors that are only slightly different from one another, but it's kind of funky and psychadelic when you use such bright and contrast-y yarns. Hopefully, it'll be nice and comfy and will cheer her up when she's feeling crappy.

The hat is simple to knit (so far), and it's a nice break from my shawls. I have to confess, I've been neglecting them. I don't want to rip out back to the last lifeline and then pick up all the stitches again on the Vernal Equinox (I did indeed skip a chart, damn it), and I apparently screwed something up on my Seascape that needs fixing, and gods, do I ever HATE undoing and fixing stuff in Kidsilk Haze! GAH! I love, love, love the way it knits up, but I think that in future, I will only do very, very simple lace in that kind of yarn. You know, the kind of stuff that has maybe a 12-stitch repeat that becomes rhythmic over time. I should make a point of fixing that up this week, though. One of the shawls, anyway.

Thank the gods for lifelines!

2011-02-23T11:20:00.002-05:00

GAH!!!!! Moron! *smacks self in the head*

So, the past couple of days, I've been happily working away at my Vernal Equinox shawl. I started Clue 5 after I picked up the stitches on the lifeline. I had the right number of stitches on my needles to do it, and everything. Only, I didn't look carefully enough at the work I've done so far. I'm pretty damned sure I forgot to do Clue 4, which requires the same starting number of stitches. What an idiot. I want to check this very carefully one more time to make sure I'm correct, but I'm pretty damn sure I have to rip out the last six rows I've done (and these are 245 stitch rows, folks) and then start on Clue 4.

Note to self: you need to own more than one row counter if you have more than one project on the needles at a time, woman. Time to hit up the LYS.

Going green

2011-02-21T12:16:00.002-05:00

I've been making decent progress on the Seascape stole. I finished the first repeat of Chart B, and have done six rows of the next repeat. Today, though, I decided to get my Vernal Equinox shawl back on the needles. Fortunately, it appears that I started picking up stitches with the Denise needles at the more difficult side of the row, so the hard part was out of the way already. I slipped all those stitches onto the Harmonies, and then finished picking up the rest of the row. Miraculously, I found I had exactly the right number of stitches on my needles when I was done. I'm now working on Chart 5 for that pattern. I'm finding that while I do love the Seascape and the Kidsilk Haze (oh, it makes such a pretty, frothy fabric!), it's none the worse for a change. I don't think there's any chance of my actually finishing this shawl by Ostara/the Vernal Equinox, but I should be able to finish it this spring.

Truncated

2011-02-16T14:02:00.003-05:00

1) I still haven't fixed my damn Aeolian! Now that I know I can knit again (see #3), I need to remember to do that when I get a chance.

2) I DID, however, fix the tiny hole I found in my Seascape. It was a dropped stitch, though I seem to have picked up something above it to keep the same number of stitches. Somehow. I dunno. Anyway, I feel kind of bad because it was a fudge-fix: I took a small length of yarn from another ball, passed it through that dropped stitch, and wove it through surrounding stitches to secure and hide it. It's a cheat, yeah, but it means SOOOO MUCH less work, especially with that persnickity Kidsilk Haze.

3) So, Saturday night, I maimed myself. I sliced the tip of my right ring finger off with a mandoline slicer while making dinner. Ow. I couldn't knit at all for the first two days because the bandage the ER put on me was HUGE, and made my finger look like a chicken drumstick. But now I just have a normal Band-Aid, and the position in which I hold my hands to knit doesn't bother it. Yay! I'd had a bad cold for a while before I hurt my finger, and didn't have the energy to deal with fixing stuff before doing actual knitting, so that prevented me from getting any work done for about a week in total. I got a couple rows done on the bus this morning. I'd have done more, but there's this guy who's on my bus who introduced himself to me yesterday (he lives in my neighborhood), and likes being chatty. At least I've let him know I have a boyfriend.

4) I need to knit my friend R. a chemo cap of some kind. She is someone I know only online, but I've known her online for a while. She has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and is going to start chemo soon. She's a knitter, too, and has requested hats from her fellow knitter friends. I'm thinking maybe a Hallowig. :) Man, I hope she's going to be OK. She has a young daughter who I'd hate to see grow up without her mom around.

5) I also need to get my Vernal Equinox back on the needles. I managed to put one of my Denises about halfway through along the last lifeline, but the cable on that is so thick, and the tips are so blunt, that it's a real bitch. Now I have my new Harmony Options tips, and can throw it on those. Weekend projects!

Hey, how'd that happen?

2011-02-04T14:23:00.002-05:00

I was eating breakfast at my desk this morning while wearing my Aeolian, and spilled a little yogurt on it. Not the end of the world. I went to dab it with a wet paper towel in the ladies' room...and was shocked to find three stitches at that spot that were unraveling! Wow! Looks like I flubbed a decrease somewhere and dropped them. Grr. I took off the shawl, and managed to catch them on a paper clip (no stitch holders in my bag right now), so it's at least stable. There's no way I can actually fix this properly (i.e., by undoing the bind off and bringing those stitches up to where they're supposed to be). I'll have to wing it, somehow. I can figure out a good fudge, I think. It pisses me off, though! OTOH, I can't believe it lasted this long without getting completely messed up and unravelled. Nifty.

No pictures, but an update

2011-02-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

I realized it's been a while since I posted here! Since my last writing, I have received the new Harmony Options tips and cables I'd ordered. I also got the lace book I'd ordered. I haven't yet looked through it, but just a quick flip looked very interesting!

While I was waiting for this stuff to arrive, I hit up my good old LYS, Windsor Button, and picked up not one, not two, but THREE balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Mmmmm....Kiiiidsiiiilk Haaaaaaaze. *drool* I used the gift certificates my manager gave me last year and this year for the holidays. I wanted to get the yarn in a smoky grey, but when I was at the store, they didn't have it in that color, or any color I really wanted. I sort of liked the idea of using the white they had, but was terrified of getting it stained. I asked the staff if they had any in grey in the back, and much to my surprise, they had a whole bag of it! I got my three balls and left, delighted.

I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I was thinking of trying Ice Queen and maybe something else, but ended up choosing the Seascape stole. It's a beautiful, delicate, elegant pattern that goes well with anything. So far, it's enjoyable to knit with the KSH, but any time I need to UN-knit, it's a huge pain in the ass. On the plus side, though, if I drop a stitch, that same stick-to-itself quality means that it doesn't go far.

I've finished Chart A, and have started Chart B of the Seascape stole. I figure, I'll finish one repeat of Chart B (there are 7 in all), and then maybe do some work on the Vernal Equinox shawl. Or knit my friend R a chemo cap of some kind. Probably a Hallowig. Poor woman, she's been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's got a little girl, too. I don't know her in person, but we've been friends online for a while, and I want to give her something.

Anyway, the knitting does proceed apace. I haven't had one of those, "AAAARRRRGHHHH! I can't stand it! I'm putting this away and not touching it!" moments in quite a long time. My only break in knitting was by necessity, and it was short.

Interim

2011-01-04T09:59:00.002-05:00

So I still haven't placed my Knitpicks order for new needles. I suppose I should do that tonight, after I've had a chance to recheck my Options and see if I am in fact missing one of a pair of needle tips (on top of the pair I know I'm missing, the cable that was attached to them, and the pair that's broken). I don't remember now if I discovered that the lone needle was in fact the broken one, or if it was another size altogether.

I have, however, knitted a pretty spiffy necklace.

I did order another knitting-related thing today: a copy of Creating Original Hand-Knitted Lace, by Margaret Stove. Apparently, it's very good for learning about how lace is constructed. I'd love to design my own shawl, stole, or scarf someday!

In withdrawal

2010-12-27T15:59:00.002-05:00

Here I am at my parents' house for the holidays. I should have knit a ton by now. I should have finished the chart I'm on. Alas, I have not knit a single stitch. Why? One of my damned Harmony Options tips I was using BROKE. Broke right off at the bottom. I flipped out. The only other circs I had in that size were my Denise Interchangeables. Unfortunately, they're incredibly blunt, with a really thick cable. This made it nigh impossible to pick up the stitches from my lifeline. I started getting a headache when I tried, and then I put it back in my knitting bag.

I already needed to place a Knitpicks order to replace the size 6s I lost, and to get some longer cables (for Magic Loop), but now I need a new set of size 5 tips as well. *sigh*

I think I might have to start a quick small project in the meantime when I get back to my place. Maybe that "string of pearls" style necklace I wanted to make. It's been a bit depressing having NO knitting to do. At least I've had The Lord of the Rings to keep me company, while my mom and sister and sister's roommate play Wii all day and my dad works. Tonight, though, I'll be coming home, and I can knit and watch whatever movies I want for as long as I want. Yay, vacation!

Big bright green knitting machine

2010-12-16T12:45:00.002-05:00

I started Clue 4 yesterday! This one seems to go faster from repeat to repeat since the repeats are much shorter than they were on the third chart, but now the rows themselves are twice as long! I can only do about one row on my morning bus ride! Still, I'm taking a nice LONG vacation--about a week and a half--around Christmas time, so I'll have plenty of other time to work on it. I still don't much like the yarn. SOOO SPLITTY. And with yarn this thin, if it splits and I don't catch and fix it, it's almost certainly going to rip in the blocking. This makes me nervous. I'm not going to get stuff from Newton's Yarn Country again, I think. I'll stick with DNBY for my cheap-ass yarn, thankyouverymuch.

I was thinking, "Hey, if I really love this shawl but hate the yarn, maybe I should give it a second go with a nicer yarn afterwards." But...no. I can't do that. There are too many other beautiful things to knit. I want to try Damask, and Echo Flower, and Shipwreck, and Haruni, and one of the EZ 100th Anniversary ones. At least. And that's just SHAWLS. I also want to finish that damned pair of socks hibernating in my drawer (NO MORE SOCKS AFTER THAT unless they're kilt hose for my man), and I do eventually want to knit a sweater. And other odds and ends.

Shiny of the day: Sanguine Gryphon has their latest yarns up for display, though they aren't yet up for sale. You can see them on their blog. Oh my. *swoon* They are GORGEOUS. Must have.

I think that at some point, I'm going to take a break from knitting on this VE shawl and use that sparkly brown yarn I got to do something new. I found a pattern for a cute necklace. Basically, it's three strands of i-cord, all attached at each end to a tab that has buttons and a buttonhole to fasten them together into a circle. You wear it by giving the whole thing a twist to twist the cords together, and fastening it behind your neck. I think it'll be adorable in the sparkly stuff!

Join us or die!

2010-12-12T20:18:00.003-05:00

I'd put aside my knitting (still working away at the Vernal Equinox shawl) for a few days because 1) I was super-busy, and 2) I needed to look up the Russian join technique while I was at home and had time to do it. I did so this evening. I was a little worried because of the loosely plied 2-ply yarn I'm using--I wasn't sure it would work. It seems to be holding fast, though, which is great! It looks so much better than weaving in ends in such an open pattern, IMO. So, yay! New thing learned! I only did a few rows this evening, because I want to be able to enjoy my scotch and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but now I'll be able to work on it on the bus again. I just hope it doesn't rain again tomorrow, so I can bring my knitting bag to work without worrying about it getting wet.

You know, I wish my family would appreciate knitted gifts. I'd love to have Christmas knitting to do...

ETA: This is the tutorial I used to learn the Russian join.

Things that really needle you

2010-11-29T09:51:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-11-23T09:51:00.003-05:00

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.

2010-11-19T09:42:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-11-12T12:03:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-11-08T13:30:00.002-05:00

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?

2010-11-02T12:38:00.002-04:00

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!

Yarnia!!!

2010-10-31T11:34:00.002-04:00

Once again, the Knitting Kumquat and I had a fantastic time at Stitches East, aka "Yarnia"--that magical land full of yarn. Again, even though we got there before 11am, we found ourselves rushed as we got to the end of the day.

Now, I haven't finished using all the yarn I bought at the last SE. I got the stuff that I used to make Aeolian, and that's done. Hey, have a full shot!

I also got the stuff I'm using to make Multnomah, and that's in progress. Here's a WIP shot (blurry, but shows the color)!

I also got the Mystery Green Yarn That Seems To Be Laceweight, and haven't used that yet at all. See, it's marked "sport," but it's a 2-ply that has 2200 yards to the pound, so that's, well, LACE! I need to pick a shawl for it. I have about 1200 yards. Here's a picture. Sorry about the crappy yarn cakes: my swift needs some glue.

Now, this year, I knew I wanted to get some nice laceweight. I ended up getting it at DBNY, where I had gotten the Dream in Color stuff last year. This year, they had a whole bunch of lovely Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Lace. Here's the color I got: Roses Are Red. My cat is furry and blurry. Don't mind her.

I also got a couple small (50-meter) skeins of a yarn that DBNY called "Sparkle", which is actually a variant on SWTC's "Yang." The Kumquat and I had been ogling sequined yarn (hey, I'm also a belly dancer!) all day, but most of it was extremely pricey. This was $7 for a skein. It's probably going to be a simple small scarf.

Other purchases included stitch markers (I ALWAYS seem to lose them) and a blocking set that includes flex wires, rigid wires, pins, and a yardstick.

Next time, we need to be more judicious about how we spend our time, because it costs us opportunities! Last year we didn't even finish looking at all the vendors. This year, we barely did. We scarcely had any time at one we missed last year: the Sanguine Gryphon. I'd only just heard of them, and this was the first time I got to really look at their stuff. Wow, is it gorgeous! These girls are like the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab of yarn: quirky and geeky and a whole lot of fun! Next year, I WILL buy something there. Yes, I will. Also, it was rather sweet when they liked my skirt enough that they threatened to molest me. In fact, that skirt got me a LOT of attention. More than my Aeolian! Sure, I got compliments on Aeolian. It's a fairly complex shawl, and the beads add real sparkle and interest. But a lot of people had on lace shawls. Not many people were wearing knitted skirts. The corset-style lacing in the back really adds something to it, as well. I had a slew of people ask me what the pattern was.

Oh man, what a day! It was really delightful. We were among our own, you know? It's the same kind of feeling I get when I go to Arisia, the sci-fi convention held here in Boston: I can geek out like mad, and be surrounded by people geeking out over the same stuff. The Kumquat, a fellow sci-fi-geek, knows this feeling as well.

It's probably a good thing for my wallet that I didn't go for the whole weekend, but man, I could have browsed in there for days, never mind taking classes!

Busy beaver

2010-10-27T09:35:00.002-04:00

Hey, get your mind out of the gutter. I do work at MIT. Beavers are ubiquitous here--I even have one hanging on the wall of my cube!

I finished up the second of the Vancouver Fog gloves last night. I wove in all the ends and gave them a little bath in knit wash before laying them flat to dry. They came out pretty decently! Quickly, too: after a false start, I cast on on Friday. :)

Today, I have already started something new: I cast on for Multnomah. I figure I'll likely have enough yarn. I'm using size 4 needles instead of 3 (really, it's because I didn't have any size 3 circs or straights--just DPNs!), but it looks like people have used 4s and even 5s, and haven't needed a full skein of the yarn I have in order to finish. Since I don't quite have a full skein, this is good!

I know some people don't like the fact that Multnomah, as written, is heavy on the garter stitch. Frankly, though, I don't mind it in smaller yarns. I like the simplicity of the pattern because it will really show off the gorgeous colors of this yarn. The colorway is called "Dark Woods." I still don't know what I'm going to call my project. I'm thinking "Lovely, Dark, and Deep" (as in "These woods are lovely, dark, and deep/But I have promises to keep/And miles to go before I sleep"). :) This means I'll have something to work on at Stitches East. It's EASY, too. All that garter stitch is pretty mindless. I just need to keep an eye out for where to put the center YOs so I don't skip one and have to tink back to do it. Or I could just put in a stitch marker. I might just do that.

I am in such a frenzied knitting mood! I'm more productive than ever with it (hence the subject of this post), and I just want to keep doing more and more. I'm already looking ahead to other projects! This is unlike me! I took out my green-multi sock yarn last night (you know, the enormous hank?) and ogled it a bit. I keep thinking it's lighter and more yellow-y than it is, but it's sort of grassy looking, with little bits of olive and other green-variants here and there. I still think that just winding some yarn-cakes and swatching a little might serve me well. I want to see how it knits up. THEN I can make a decision. But whereas for a long time I wasn't all that excited about that yarn, now I'm kind of itching to see what I can do with it!

If I drove, I'd need a bumper sticker that said, "I'd rather be knitting," because that always seems to be true these days. :)

Plans and plots

2010-10-26T11:17:00.003-04:00

What I'm doing right now: I'm working on what I think of as an "instant gratification" project: a quick, easy knit using stash yarn that I do between more planned-out, complicated projects. This time, it's a pair of cabled fingerless gloves (Vancouver Fog is the name of the pattern). I'm making them to give to a local art gallery, which is having a sale of handknit goods in November, to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition. I've got the left one done, and am nearing the end of the right one. I started them on Friday night, and I'll likely finish tomorrow.

What's next, then?

Well, on Friday, my friend the Knitting Kumquat and I are heading to Connecticut to go to Stitches East! We're going for the shopping again, though we might attend a vendor class too. I am going to strictly limit my purchases. Nothing that isn't acquired at a significant discount, and no frivolous junk like pins or tee-shirts! I need to watch my spending! Things I will be on the lookout for:

* gorgeous sock yarn that can be used in a lacy shawl
* gorgeous lace yarn that can be used in a lacy shawl

Yeah, Aeolian got me hooked on lace! :)

I'm making plans for my second skein of Dream In Color Stardust. I used some of it in finishing my Aeolian, but I should have enough left for a smallish shawlette. I'm thinking of something simpler than Aeolian, because the color variegation on this skein is more pronounced than on the other skein, so elaborate designs might get a bit overwhelmed. I'm thinking something simple that will show off the colors nicely. Maybe Multnomah, or Old Man of Storr, or Deirdre. Or maybe I'll try Traveling Woman. We'll see!

I have to remember that I still have that enormous hank of greenish lightweight merino sock yarn. Seriously, it's like 1600 yards. I got it for the price of about 450 yards of most sock yarns, so it was a hell of a deal. But every time I pull it out, I'm like, "Eh...not sure I like the color all that much." I think what I need to do is just knit with some of it. Do a simple lacey swatch or something. See how it looks. Then I can make a decision about what pattern would suit it.

I'm really in one of those "want to be knitting all the time" moods!

DONE!

2010-10-18T09:17:00.004-04:00

It's done! It's done! It's done!!!

And I have been like this :D and like this \o/ all morning. Even more so than last night when I was actually finishing it.

Yes, folks, my Aeolian shawl, named Boreas, is done. I'm wearing it today, and couldn't be happier.

I bound off yesterday afternoon while at a friend's party. I hadn't had quite enough yarn, so I finished it with a little bit from my other DIC Stardust skein, which has a similar enough colorway that it doesn't look out of place. I blocked it on the futon in Spare Oom (the guest room, a cat-free zone) last night, and celebrated with a tiny glass of Ardbeg Supernova, the most heavenly scotch we own. I've uploaded photos to Ravelry, but they're half-assed photos taken with the PhotoBooth application on my work computer. I need better ones, including a full, spread-out shot.

For anyone NOT on Ravelry, here are the pics:

Six to go

2010-10-12T14:13:00.003-04:00

(Any Pogues fans in the audience?)

I have six more rows to go on the Aeolian shawl, plus bind off and blocking, naturally. I'm starting to panic about not having enough yarn to finish. Ack! I really hope I do. I'm doing all the nupps. I've looked on Ravelry, and it looks like one skein of this yarn is enough for some people, and not enough for others. I hope it's enough for me...

Still, it's exciting to know that it's going so well! :) I can't wait until it's all blocked, and I can try it on with my new pin from Romi!

Making up for the frog

2010-10-04T09:37:00.002-04:00

I was doing so very well on Aeolian. I was on the first row of the final chart! I was so excited! I finished the main edge chart and got to the middle, and went to check the chart for that bit to see if it had changed from what I'd been doing in the middle before. Then, I realized that yes, it had. TEN ROWS BACK.

Buggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbugger.

There was no easy way of fixing this, since I was supposed to have started increasing two stitches every other row back then, as well as adding in a YO-bead-YO in the middle. Had those YOs been balanced out by corresponding decreases, I would have just started it at that point and made the column of beads much shorter, but since that section was supposed to be getting wider all along, I had to go back.

I ripped back to my most recent lifeline (I'd put them in every seven rows of the previous 28-row chart), and then proceeded to tink back another three rows. This was unsuccessful. It's very hard not to drop stitches when you're undoing beads and double decreases and the like. Bleah. I ended up just taking out everything back to the previous lifeline, which meant I'd undone a total of 14.5 rows.

But here's the good bit: the good bit is, I was spending the weekend relaxing at my parents' house! I had no obligations as to how to spend my time, so I could spend a WHOLE LOT of it knitting. I managed to get back to where I'd been when I had to rip back (this time doing it right), and then did a couple more rows on top of that. Including a row with nupps and the purl row where I purled all the loops of the nupps together. Now I want to throw a lifeline in before starting another row so I don't have to worry about re-doing nupps. I almost didn't do the first nupp, because the way I've been folding the pattern put a tiny pin-sized hole in the paper where the symbol for the nupp was. But then I saw the one that mirrored the first one, at the end of the pattern repeat, and thought, "Hey, shouldn't there be one on this end, too?" I checked the pattern online, and sure enough, there it was.

So. I am on the final edge chart. Row 32 was the last one I did. I have 14 rows to go. Here's hoping that I don't have to take any more steps backward! I WILL finish this, block it, and be able to wear it to Stitches East! (And my shawl pin from Designs By Romi came in! It's cute!)

Oh boy, it's been a while.

2010-09-07T11:19:00.002-04:00

So I have this really bad habit. I knit. I screw something up that means a lot of ripping back and re-doing. I get intensely frustrated for one reason or another. I put away my knitting in disgust and don't touch it for months.

Now, though, my boyfriend has been deployed. This means that a lot of my evenings are spent by myself at home. So, what do I do to keep myself from moping? Knit! I picked up one of my hibernating projects: the Aeolian shawlette. I'm making considerable progress on it now, finally. I'm on the edge set-up chart, more than 3/4 of the way through that. I think I have...23 more rows to go on the whole shawl? Something like that.

I'm actually starting to think about FINISHING this. Finishing, of course, includes blocking. Hmm. How to block this? I see no reason why it wouldn't fit on the futon in the guest room, so that's a good thing. But should I get wires? Should I use pins? Should I use dental floss or waste yarn?

Oh, wait!

I went back to the pattern site to see the shape of the shawl, trying to figure out if it's a straight line before it curves so that a combination of wires and pins might work. Then I saw...yep, you guessed it...directions for blocking. Ah. OK, that solves some problems!

Anyway, I'm also ogling shawl pins online. I'm considering getting one of the really pretty silver ones from Designs By Romi. I intend to have this shawl finished by the time Stitches East rolls around (if it kills me) so I can wear it there. I might even be able to swing an outfit that includes the shawl AND my Intolerable Cruelty skirt, if I can find a top that goes with the skirt but contrasts with the shawl.

Another break when something broke

2010-03-18T15:29:00.002-04:00

This time, it was about six weeks. Yeah. I know. I haven't gone that long without knitting in...I can't remember when. I was facing the prospect (or so I thought) of having to rip back two lifelines on my Aeolian shawl, because there was a big muck-up and then the most recent previous lifeline somehow missed going through a whole bunch of stitches in the middle of the shawl. GAH! Finally, I started just really missing knitting, so on this past Saturday, I ripped back to that first lifeline. I managed to salvage all those stitches that were missing, and got everything neatly back on the needle! I've only had time for four rows since then (hey, it's beaded lace, and I've been busy), but it feels good to actually be making progress again.

I'd stopped reading Ravelry too, but now I'm back. Look out, y'all!

Color naming contest!

2009-12-02T11:51:00.002-05:00

http://lostcityknits.blogspot.com is having a contest to name two gorgeous shades of hand-dyed yarn. Go on and get creative, and you might win one of them! :)

(Ooooh, shiny!)

Done thrumming!

2009-11-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

I just finished my thrummed mittens! My verdict:

1. Thrums are a pain in the ass.

2. OMG, these are going to be SO WARM.

I also just picked up the Addi lace needle I bought to knit the Aeolian shawl, which means I can start that tomorrow. HOORAY! I'm so excited about this. :)

GRRRR!

2009-11-09T13:10:00.002-05:00

I wasn't able to get an Addi Lace needle at Mind's Eye directly. I had to place an order for it. *sigh*

Looks like I'll be waiting a while to start that damn shawl.

I did finish the body of one of those stupid thrummed mittens. Yes, stupid. Stupid because one more repeat would have been too long, whereas the number I did is barely long enough. I need to do the thumb now, and the instructions are weird. Meh. I have to remember: they will be SO. WARM. And I will be glad.

I also wish I could look into the future and find out if I'm really getting sick, and if so, when is it going to feel like I'm getting sick? I have a very slight--VERY slight--cough, but I think that's it. But my boyfriend has the flu, which started with a cough. Am I getting the flu? If so, why have I not gotten any worse in 24 hours? If not, why won't the cough go away? GAH.

My god...it's full of yarn!

2009-10-27T12:13:00.002-04:00

So I posted to my personal journal about this, but not here. I went to Stitches East on Saturday! This was my first time at a knitting con. (Is "con" the right word? I speak geek.) My dear friend the Knitting Kumquat and I went as a day trip, with the sole purpose of Shopping in mind. We didn't even sign up for any classes or workshops or anything. We got there around 11:30, and shopped until the place closed at 6, stopping only to eat, pee, and care for Kumquat's baby.

I have never seen that much yarn in one place before. I'm not sure I realized that much yarn EXISTED. WOW. Seriously, after we left, I kept seeing yarn and knitted stuff in my mind every time I closed my eyes. It was a surfeit of knitterly delights. The colors...the patterns...the textures...it was blissfully overwhelming to the senses. I can't believe I managed to keep my spending as low as I did. My saving grace was my extreme reluctance to purchase yarn for which I didn't have a project in mind already. My haul was modest, but made me very happy.

* 1 big ol' bunch of a very lightweight (light fingering/sock? maybe even lace? It's only 2-ply) superwash merino in a blend of various greens with a little brown mixed in. No name. 1600 yards for $25. HELLS to the yes. I want it to be a big leafy lacy shawl, but I might have a good bit leftover afterwards!

* 2 skeins of Dream In Color Stardust. It's a sock-weight superwash merino with a few subtle sparkly bits. The two colorways I got are both dark. One is called "dark woods" and the other is "twilight falls." One will be a lacy shawl. It may even be this: (the shoulderette version, like the purple one). Yeah, you know what? The con made me feel ambitious! I'm a little scared of the shawl, but...ooooooooh. The other skein may end up as some fingerless mitts.

* This tee-shirt. ADORABLE!

* A button with a skull and crossed needles like a Jolly Roger.

Now, as to my WIP: I'm close to done with the first thrummed mitten. It's a difficult project to travel with because of the thrums, because it's a bit of a pain to thrum on the subway. Also, I had to unravel back to the top of the cuff because I forgot to increase 8 stitches after the cuff. Oops. As a result, it's taking me a while. But the mitten is coming out quite nicely, and I'm pleased with it. It's going to be soooo warm!

I have stopped being so gung-ho about my sweater that I want to design. I think I am getting a little discouraged about yarn. I want a really prettily variegated superwash merino in a worsted weight that's not too expensive. This seems to be difficult to find. Meh. Also, I'm afraid of being afraid. I'm afraid of letting my fears about complicating the design prevent me from making it interesting, is what I mean. We'll see. Maybe I'll make that shawl and be so full of myself that I'll feel I can fly through anything. :)

WIP it!

2009-10-15T09:36:00.002-04:00

I haven't really knit anything REAL since I finished my Intolerable Cruelty skirt. I've done a bit of playing around with stitch patterns, but not even much of that. I've been reading design books and stuff instead. Now, though, I've decided that with the cold weather starting to set in (jeez, it's not even 40 yet here in Cambridge!), it's time for me to knit those thrummed mittens that I've been talking about. I'm using the Yarn Forward pattern. I have some pretty merino-silk top in purple, aqua, green, and orange that a friend gave me. Unfortunately, it's only one ounce. I need two. So, I'm also going to use an ounce of the red merino top she gave me. I wanted to use that whole thing for spinning, but frankly, I can't imagine that I'll be good enough at spinning any time soon to really do justice to it. So. These things will be for the thrums. For the mittens themselves, I got some lovely black Ultra Alpaca from Berocco. The blend of alpaca and wool should be beautifully warm. It was also quite reasonably priced at $10 per skein. That was less than I thought it would be, and the same price as the Cascade 220 tweed I'd been looking at before I picked it up. I only got one skein. They say 100 grams is enough (seriously, what kind of pattern doesn't give yardage?), so...we'll see. If it's not, I'll get another skein.

I'm so excited about these mittens! I have bad circulation in my hands, and I tend to walk a lot and stand at bus stops and stuff. On cold days in the winter, my hands get cold enough to hurt terribly. Last winter was so incredibly cold that this was a frequent occurrence. I'm hoping that the thrummed mittens will really keep my hands warm. They're going to be super cute, too, with alternating rows of red and rainbow thrums showing through the black! It'll be like a Lite-Brite. Remember those? I loved them. I cast on last night, and I've done the cuff and three repeats of the thrum pattern so far (two rows of red and one of rainbow). Here's a shot of the progress.

By design

2009-09-14T08:48:00.003-04:00

It's going to happen slowly, yes, but it's going to happen.

I am going to design a sweater.

I have never done this before. I've only knit one sweater—a cardigan with minimal body shaping—and I've never designed anything more complicated than a small pouch. I am nervous about it, but excited, too.

The sweater will hopefully have these characteristics:

1. Top-down knit
2. Raglan style
3. Fitted with decreases at the waist and horizontal and vertical darts at the bust
4. V-neck, but not super-low
5. Probably a bit of non-colorwork design at hem and cuffs (lace? Cables? Knit-and-purl patterns?)
6. Worked with minimal seaming, possibly none at all
7. Knit in worsted-weight yarn (not so chunky as to be unflattering, not so thin as to be a slow knit)
8. Cuffs that bell out slightly, maybe, or at least don't get tighter than the sleeve, and a hem that doesn't pull in.
9. IT WILL BLOODY WELL FIT ME, AND IT WILL FIT ME BLOODY WELL.

I just bought a copy of Barbara Walker's Knitting From the Top. I'm also planning on buying a copy of EZ's Knitting Without Tears. I have seen the "Incredible Custom-Fit Raglan" not-quite-pattern online. I am going to buy a couple issues of Yarn Forward in electronic format so I can acquire the bust dart tutorial written by Honeybee33 on Ravelry. I think that these tools, and possibly the help of a friend in taking my measurements, will help me to get a great fit.

I am willing to spend on some pricey yarn for it. I'm considering Dream In Color Classy. It's a gorgeous handpaint, and it's washable merino: soft and easy to care for. Soooooo pretty!

Sick Day

2009-08-24T11:56:00.002-04:00

I'm home sick from work today, sneezing and coughing all over the place, but not feeling quite as half-dead as I have for most of the weekend. I want to start a small from-stash knitting project soon, since I've finished Intolerable Cruelty, so I decided to take my extra-free-time opportunity to go through my stash, take inventory, and organize everything. I have now neatly packaged all my needles and updated the list on Ravelry. I've also chucked things I no longer want (a few little yarn remnants, old printed-off-the-internet patterns I've finished, etc.). It turns out that I have approximately a metric buttload of worsted-weight acrylic yarn in a variety of colors, thanks mostly to the Three Little Cardis project. I also have a rather decent amount of organic cotton (certainly enough for a baby sweater), and a bunch of other stuff. What I do NOT have, apparently, is a working brain that can make decisions or come up with ideas. I blame my cold. My favorites and queue on Ravelry are no help: most of the things I have there, I need to buy yarn for them. I might just do the "EXFOLIATE!" Dalek washcloth. Yeah, that might be best. I'm a little leery of it because a strong mercerized cotton would probably be best for a washcloth, but the idea of making bobbles with cotton makes me cringe. No stretch, you know? Meh. Maybe I'll just use some of that acrylic and use it as a decoration instead of a functional washcloth.

DONE!!!!

2009-08-22T21:10:00.000-04:00

I just finished Intolerable Cruelty! I've been sick this weekend, so working on it is pretty much all I've done today. It's GORGEOUS! I will wear this happily, not just because I made it, but because it's adorable, and it fits and flatters me beautifully! When my boyfriend gets home on Monday night, I'll see if I can get him to snap some pictures of it so I can put them up on Ravelry.

YAY!!!

2009-08-17T15:40:00.002-04:00

Well, I haven't quite finished Intolerable Cruelty, but I have only an inch of knitting to go! Then it's time to add the crocheted loops for the ribbon and sew in the elastic I got. Does anyone sell 5'8" waistband elastic? I saw NONE at Windsor Button. Got 3/4" instead. Hopefully, it won't be too wide.

I did get the sexy black pumps, too! Hooray for gift cards at DSW!

I'm really excited about wearing this skirt! I will have to wait for it to cool down a bit, first. OK, bamboo's not as warm as wool, for example, but still...on a day like today, when it's over 90 out...no. I hope I can manage to sew in the waistband neatly. I'm a bit concerned about that. But we'll see how it goes. Hmm. I should check to see if I have thread in an appropriate color. If not, I'll need to make another trip to WB.

She's baaaack!

2009-08-06T11:01:00.002-04:00

Hi folks!

I don't have a whole lot to say, except that I'm done with the Top Sekrit Projects. These three baby sweaters, identical in pattern but different in color, were given to three dear friends as shower gifts for their new babies. All three babies are now in the world, happy and healthy with their awesome parents. YAY!

After I finished the last of those, I went on a knitting hiatus for a while. I have at this point started up again, working on my Intolerable Cruelty skirt. Progress is progressing! I am about halfway through the decrease section, and it's looking gorgeous. It's heavy, carrying around the WIP and the attached CONE OF YARN (it is huge and needs all caps), but it's super-easy work for when I'm on the bus. Miles of stockinette in the round, with the occasional decrease round coming up after 18 rounds of stockinette. Yep, easy. I think this will come out looking very nice and expertly done, if I can manage not to f*** up on sewing in the elastic for the waistband or making the crochet loops for the ribbon!

When it is done, I shall celebrate by buying myself a pair of sexy little black pumps, because it will look DYNAMITE with them. Yeah!

2009-04-08T11:08:00.003-04:00

Oy, I've been such a bad knitter.

I haven't been working on ANYTHING lately. I finally, finally started up again on Secret Project #2. It's coming along nicely now.

I also just started another Knithulhu. Yes, it's my third. I just met--ok, RE-met, since we were friends in high school--someone who loves Cthulhu, and whose eyes lit up when I told him I knit one. OK, he needs a cuddly little Knithulhu of his own. :) Besides, that little elder god knits up quickly from yarn I already have in my stash, so...no sweat. I finished the head and the rectangle for the body. Still to come: stuffing and seaming the head and body, knitting and attaching the wings, crocheting and attaching the tentacles, and sewing on the eyes. I need buttons for that and another project. I also need stuffing! Wish I still worked in a place where it's easy to get to Windsor Button on lunch break, but it takes me 10-20 minutes just to get to the red line now from this location. Meh. Maybe Friday evening? Or maybe one of the craft stores in Central will have what I need. Worth a look! I can do that this afternoon! Now I have a Plan.

Grr!

2009-01-07T15:22:00.003-05:00

Damn, that's frustrating. I got a gift card to Woolcott & Co. from my manager, as a holiday gift. Unfortunately, I missed their inventory sale where all the yarn was 20% off! I was planning on going there tonight to get some yarn for three, count 'em, THREE baby sweaters. No, I am NOT having triplets. Gods, no. I have four pregnant friends, three of whom are particularly good friends, and I am going to make sweaters in the same style but different colors for their babies. I figure for the not-quite-as-close friend, I'll make her a hat or some booties or something with some yarn I have in my stash. I also have two online friends who are pregnant. Sheesh. Why is everyone having babies NOW?

I think I'll hit Windsor Button where they have more inexpensive yarns available, and which is also right on the orange line so getting home will be easier. I'll save the Woolcott card for another day.

The first transport is away!

2008-12-20T10:36:00.002-05:00

So, on Wednesday, I sent off the "She's Partial to the Periwinkle Blue" stole to M's mom (and of course a gift for his dad, too). I included a note with instructions to handwash in cool water with mild detergent and lay flat and shape to dry.

The blocking of this stole worked out PERFECTLY. I gently washed it in the sink, then I rolled it in a towel to press out excess water. I put a couple more towels on the futon in the guest room, then laid out the stole and pinned it down using T-pins. I left it for a few days, and when I unpinned it, it stayed right in place. Sweet!

I haven't touched Intolerable Cruelty in a few days. I've been busy. But on Tuesday, I did move it from the needles to a piece of scrap yarn so I could try it on. Wow! It seems to be a perfect fit! Excellent. I'm so happy. :)

Continuing cruelty

2008-12-08T09:38:00.002-05:00

Progress is occurring! Yay! I've got a few inches done on the Intolerable Cruelty skirt now. I had finished the first batch of increase rounds, but then decided that I didn't like the increases I'd been using at all. They made me cringe. I decided to frog down to the end of the waistband again. I did that on Friday night, at a small stitch 'n' bitch I hosted at my place. Since then, I've gotten back to where I had been and then did about another 25 rounds or so. I'm pleased with myself for the all this work. Plus, the increases look SO much better! They're pretty much invisible now, and neatly paired on each side of the side seam markers. Whew.

So cruel!

2008-12-01T10:41:00.002-05:00

Hooray! I cast on for Intolerable Cruelty on Thanksgiving night! Let me tell you right now: I think I'm falling in love with this yarn. It is smooth and comfortable to knit with, and not at all splitty. The fabric it's making is sleek and softly shiny. Gorgeous! I've gotten the waistband done, and the setup round, and am working on the increase round. I'm quite pleased with the bamboo needles. The yarn is so smooth that even with bamboo needles, it slips along very quickly.

In other news, I ended up giving my mom one of the two mini Christmas stocking ornaments I made: she picked the red, white, and green acrylic one. I've kept the red and white cotton one for my own tree.

2008-11-25T13:09:00.003-05:00

I'm just about bouncing up and down in anticipation of the arrival of my Big Ass Cone of Bamboo Yarn from Halcyon. 1050 yards of DK bamboo for about $36 with the shipping! Unbelievable! I can't wait to get started on the skirt. I think I'm going to go with the bamboo needles for this, partly because I think they'll help me from knitting too loosely and getting a saggy skirt.

I'm also obsessed with finding another sweater to knit. A pullover this time. I'm considering Bombshell from Big Girl Knits (probably with 3/4 sleeves) and also Stephanie Japel's Simple Knitted Bodice. I know I want a low-ish neckline, some waist shaping, and a reasonably easy place to put short rows (i.e., no wacky stitch patterns or colorwork at the bust that I'd have to worry about). Those two fit the bill nicely. Looking at Ravelry, it's amazing how some people turn them out looking perfect, and others make them look awful. The garments themselves often look equally good, but it's the FIT that makes the difference. I will not be lazy with fitting. I will NOT. I will be very careful and do my math. I will try on as I go. I'll be a good knitting doobie. :)

Project!

2008-11-24T10:10:00.001-05:00

So. On Saturday, I placed an order for a one-pound cone of this gorgeous stuff, in color #12, "Lipstick". That will be used to make this!

See, shortly after making that last poll, I had a brilliant idea. I will start Intolerable Cruelty. If all that stockinette gets intolerably boring, I will take a break and start working on a Dalek. Then I'll go back to the skirt. I think this says about me that I am neither entirely a project knitter nor entirely a process knitter. Generally, I do pick things to knit that I simply want to have as an FO. This is "project knitter" style. But I also like a bit of a challenge in the work, and if I'm working on something very simple for a long time, I get bored and want to do something different. This is "process knitter" style.

I took my measurements today. 39-28-37. Huh. Not too bad considering I've been feeling bigger than usual lately. I'd like that middle number to drop a little, but I think that might have to wait until after the holidays. Anyway, this means that the small size IC will probably be just right for me. That's not a typical thing for me, with knitting patterns (either the "small" part OR the "just right" part). It also means I really do need to get a book that will teach me sweater alteration and design tricks. Or, you know, maybe more than one. Why limit myself to one? I'm thinking Big Girl Knits and some other book. Or maybe BGK and a whole bunch of web-based articles. We'll see.

Ooh. I also need a 24" size 4 circular, since that's one size that is NOT in my Denise Interchangeables. What works best with a smooth bamboo yarn? Are metal needles too slippery, and would bamboo be better? Or are they good and fast? I'm thinking of actually buying a pair of Addi Turbos. Zut alors! :)

Presents

2008-11-18T10:19:00.003-05:00

I want to make a hat for my friend. Said friend has a large, bald head. I imagine it gets rather cold in the winter. I would LIKE to knit from my stash on this, but I don't know if I have any yarn that is both warm enough to keep his head from getting cold in the winter, and soft enough not to be scratchy on his shaved head. Meh.

There's also the issue that I don't know how big his head is. If I ask him, he'll know I'm knitting him a hat. I could ask his girlfriend, but the relationship issues are a bit...complicated at the moment. Not bad--she and I like each other just fine--but complicated.

I'm contemplating Knitty's Halfdome, but knit at a bulkier gauge for more warmth. We'll see.

In the meantime, I might knit up a hat or two for charity. I need to bust some stash, and damn it, I want to knit SOMETHING.

Rant

2008-11-13T10:46:00.002-05:00

You know what I wish?

I wish that every knitting pattern would say, "This is how much ease is at the bust, waist, and hip (or whatever's appropriate) for the model in the picture." Then you know, "Oh, if I want it to fit like that, I should probably have about that much ease, so I should make this size." That would make life so very much easier. Or at least put, "This item is designed to have X, Y, and Z ease at these points." This is why I e-mailed about half a dozen people on Ravelry to ask them about how much ease they had at the hip in their Intolerable Cruelty skirts. I went through EVERY PICTURE, and picked out the ones whose fit I liked the best, usually on people whose bodies were at least somewhat similar to mine in general shape (not too skinny but not too big in the hips). But I don't want to have to do that with everything I make. I might, though, since it doesn't look like putting ease in the pattern is going to be the standard any time soon.

I want to make another, cuter sweater. A pullover, this time, not a cardi. And I want it to be fitted but flattering, and CUTE. I like the look of the Bombshell sweater in the Big Girl Knits book, which I don't actually own. I am thinking about getting it because I hear their design instructions are really great. I'd probably have to scale the pattern down a bit, but hopefully the design instructions would help me figure out how to do that while still keeping the shape I want. If you've seen the pattern for Bombshell, I'm thinking a little negative ease at the ribbing under the bustline, short rows above the ribbing to help shape the bust, and maybe a bit smaller at the hip proportionally than it's designed. Or I might make something else entirely.

In other news: I have finished the Brea Bag, at last! I finally said "f*** it" to the lining and just finished it. It's actually quite cute! I'm reasonably happy with it. I am now working on another little in-between project: a bag for my zills (belly dance finger cymbals). It's in a pale pink cotton/viscose/silk blend I got in a Yankee swap. Svale, it's called. I don't much like the yarn for knitting. It loses its twist very quickly when I knit, and as a result, it splits very easily. Still, it's looking rather nice in a simple seed stitch on size 5 needles. I'm just doing a rectangle with a row of eyelets at the top and bottom. Then I'll fold it in half so the two eyelet bands match up, seam the sides, and make a little i-cord (possibly with some beads) to close the bag.

The FO, modeled

2008-10-21T10:29:00.002-04:00

Remember back when I knit that sweater for a coworker's baby? Well, now she's big enough to wear it, and it's cute as anything. :)

Here is the lovely Baby J, modeling the Super-Natural Stripes cardi!

Successes of the day

2008-10-15T16:02:00.003-04:00

1. First, and biggest, we had the first meeting of MIT Stitch 'n' Bitch West, which I formed to augment the MIT Stitch 'n' Bitch in a place where those of us out in the west end of campus could easily attend. Two other women showed up. Another had intended to, but forgot her knitting due to forgetting what day it was (darn holiday weeks). Another woman saw us working and decided to come sometime, even though she hadn't responded to my feeler e-mail. Others were too busy. Still, success!

2. I ordered a handle for my Brea Bag, at last. I had frogged and redone the gusset, but it ended up too long. I am now finishing it again. I should be able to start sewing it together soon. First, though, I'll have to trace the pieces onto the liner fabric, sew the liner pieces together, and then I can sew them to the inside of the bag.

3. Realized that--duh! There are groups specifically for busty knitters on Ravelry. WHY I never thought to look for some is beyond me. I will have to join at least one of them.

Yay for productive knittitude!

Do I hear croaking?

2008-09-16T10:10:00.003-04:00

Yeah, I do. I am THIS CLOSE (holds hands about an inch apart) to finishing the She's Partial to the Periwinkle Blue Stole, aka the Voyager Lace Stole. In fact, I only have a few more stitches to cast off on the bottom edge picot bind-off. See, you do a provisional cast-on, leaving a ball of about 10 yards of yarn to knit the edging, you knit the stole, you do the picot bind-off, and then you go back to the bottom, unravel the PCO, and use that ball to do the picot bind-off on that edge. Unfortunately, I seem to have needed more yarn than I balled up. Oh balls. I'm going to undo the bind-off I've done so far, clip that ball of yarn off, and attach a new strand, since I have PLENTY of yarn left. Then I'll re-do it, and THEN I will have to figure out how to block that big mother. I really need my friend to give me the blocking board materials she got for me. GAH. I've never blocked lace before. This should be...interesting. It really needs it, too, in order to be as wide as it's supposed to be. But...it's COTTON. How the hell do you successfully block cotton? ARGH. I maybe should have made this out of wool, but I wanted it to be more summery. And the original pattern called for cotton! Now they have one with alpaca, but before, in Vogue Knitting, it was cotton.

And then I can start something new. A Dalek? Kilt hose for the boy? Intolerable Cruelty? More than one of those? We'll see.

And I have to investigate these Addi Click needles!

I'm a busy little knitter!

2008-06-07T18:09:00.002-04:00

I've been working on the "She's Partial to the Periwinkle Blue" stole, aka the "Sucking Up to the Future Mother-in-Law" stole, aka Elann's Voyager Stole. I'm on the second ball of yarn, and it's looking lovely! See?

I added that image to Ravelry. I also added a couple pictures of the cardigan I knit for my coworker N's baby. Here they are, for any non-Ravelry users.

I've also put in all my needles on the chart on Ravelry to keep track of them. No more buying extra needles by mistake! It was a pain adding in all the sizes that can be made from my Denise set. Oy vey. Still, I'm glad I did it. I still haven't gotten around to uploading my stash, and I'm honestly not sure I will. I'm not a huge stasher, and I doubt I'll really ever need this.

Now, to go check on the homemade yogurt that I have culturing in a tightly covered bowl, wrapped in a towel in my nice sunny garden. Yay for lactobacillus!

2008-05-19T09:02:00.002-04:00

Ok, FINALLY I have figured out the proper way to do the YOs on the Voyager Lace Stole (aka the "She's Partial to the Periwinkle Blue" Stole). Now I'm making progress. Yay! I got to indulge in one of my favourite nice-weather pastimes this weekend: knitting outside in the sunshine! There's just something about the warm sun, the light breeze, and a lapful of knitting that makes me bliss out. :)

The Who Knits group on Ravelry is doing a charity afghan, and while I'd like to contribute a square, they're doing sock yarn squares, and I don't really have time with everything else I'm doing right now. If it were worsted, I'd go for it, but I'm sick of itty-bitty sock yarn. Pity--one idea they have is to do two identical afghans: one for auction for a charity (Doctors Without Borders, natch!) and one to send to David Tennant. I like that idea, even if I'm not as fangirly about him as I am about the last Doctor.

OK, work time now. Meh. So tired today...

Back in the saddle again

2008-05-14T13:19:00.003-04:00

Hey, suddenly I'm really ENJOYING knitting again! It's amazing what going from socks on size 1 metal DPNs to worsted cotton on bamboo size 9s can do for me!

Yesterday, in a bar in Cambridge, I cast on for the Voyager Lace Stole from Elann.com. I'm using Blue Sky Alpaca dyed cotton in Periwinkle. I hope to complete it in time to send it to my boyfriend's mom for Christmas, and that shouldn't be a problem. On Ravelry, I'm calling it the "She's Partial to the Periwinkle Blue" Stole. After all, it's for his ma. Anyone who's seen Snatch should get it. :) If you haven't, see it! Very funny.

An amusing note: I was watching Doctor Who reruns (Series 3) the other day, and in the episode "Gridlock", where flying cars are locked in perpetual traffic jams, there are these two ladies on the motorway--the Cassini "sisters" (they're actually married)--and one of them is driving while the other sits in the back and knits. I thought, "If I were stuck in a traffic jam for 23 years, that's EXACTLY what I'd be doing. It's the only thing that might keep me sane." :)

Webs

2008-05-13T08:42:00.001-04:00

Are any of you folks out there planning on going to the Webs tent sale this weekend? Is it worthwhile to go?

A quick, pic-less update

2008-05-12T14:45:00.002-04:00

So, I don't know how many of my readers have heard me whining about this, but I'm getting damned sick of socks. This pair is taking me forever because I keep stopping! Fortunately, I have turned the heel of Lacy Trellis Sock #2, and am working the decreases for the instep. Hooray! Progress! Maybe now I can feel justified in doing something else for a bit. I've bought a skein of the right color of Cascade 220 to finish my Brea Bag. I think I'm going to frog the gusset, even though it's mostly knit already, because it looks horribly shapeless. I'll start over. I have a gorgeous fabric for the lining for the bag: a black cotton with a print of autumn leaves all over it.

Before I get to that, though, I should finalize plans for the shawl for M's mother. I already have a lovely yarn for the Future Mother-In-Law Shawl (or FMILS): the blue and purple variegated boucle that I got at the MITSnB Yankee Swap. I'm thinking, however, that maybe a little more subdued shade might be better for her. I want something in the light blue color family, for sure, since it'll bring out J's eyes nicely. I really need to decide on a pattern, though. Print o' the Wave is lovely, but I'm not sure I have the patience for it right now. Maybe the Voyager Lace Stole from Elann? We'll see.

I also really, really, really, really need to combine my love of knitting with my extreme fascination with Doctor Who and make a Dalek. Or two. EXTERMINATE!

It's been a while

2008-03-11T12:08:00.004-04:00

And I really don't have much to update. I finished the cardi for N's baby, but with this odd little knitted button loop instead of the crocheted one called for, since I didn't have my hook on me. Well, I didn't like it. I took it out, but have yet to replace it with a crocheted loop, even though that will take about three minutes. Soon. I just need to get up the gumption to hunt down my crochet hooks. I have, however, been getting work done on the second of the Lacy Trellis Socks again. I'm about 1/3 done.

Hmm. What else is new? BostonWorkerBee is leaving the office! Sad. First HelloMittens and now her. Now, my office no longer owns the MIT SnB by virtue of having the largest number of people from a single office there. Ah well. I hope they're going to be very happy in their new jobs!

I haven't been to SnB in ages, speaking of that. Events have conspired against me in that regard. Actually, it's mostly my body that's conspired against me by being sick. Meh. This week, I should be able to go. Yay!

And now, it's time to get that leftover pizza for lunch, and get back to work.

Oh, and hey: when the heck is the new Knitty coming out? I'm DYIN' over here!

If at first you don't succeed

2008-02-13T11:16:00.002-05:00

I'm nearly done with the Super-Natural Stripes cardigan. I finished the main body and sleeves, and was actually working the button band, when...uh-oh, I don't have enough of the main colour yarn! Oops! I thought, "Well, I COULD do it in a contrasting colour, but then it would look weird with the bottom of the cardigan in the main colour." I didn't want to do a half-assed job on this. I decided to frog what I'd done of the button band, and then frog the hem of the cardigan. This was the first time I've frogged something after binding off. I'm reworking the hem in a contrasting colour and will do the same colour for the button band. Then I need to decide if I want to do the same thing for the cuffs, or leave them in the main colour. I'll see how it looks when I'm done.

No bitching, but some stitching today.

2008-01-24T14:39:00.001-05:00

I skipped Stitch 'n' Bitch today just so I could have a quiet light lunch. I also knit, though! I did a ton of work on the sweater at Arisia this past weekend. I knit at parties, even. Sheesh. I'm a geek. But I guess that's ok at a sci-fi convention. Now, I've bound off on the body of the Super-Natural Stripes baby cardi, and have begun to weave in ends. I need to get some size 7 DPNs to do the main part of the sleeves. When I was shopping for materials for this sweater, I thought I had a set, but apparently I don't. Oops. I have sixes and eights, but not sevens. Magic loop is out because I don't have flexible enough cables on my circular needles. Oh well, I'll get some tomorrow. I really need to do a needle inventory and put it up on Ravelry. I might be able to take some pictures of the cardi in progress tonight. Also, maybe my hat. I need a shot of Coronet for Ravelry.

Edit: OMG OMG OMG!!! Knitty has a Bloody Stupid Johnson hat on their site now! Squee! I LOVE Discworld knitting! :D

Yarrrrrrn!

2008-01-15T15:26:00.000-05:00

I've got a cold today--it hit yesterday--and I'm feeling kinda crappy. This means that tonight, I'm skipping dance class and doing laundry instead. This is a good thing for two reasons. One, I would not otherwise be able to do it until next week (and I'm running out of socks and underwear), and two, it gives me time to knit!

I went out on my lunch break today to get some gorgeous Blue Sky Organic Cotton to make the baby sweater for my coworker. I'm going to swatch it tonight, I think, and hopefully also cast on.

Wee'uns!

2008-01-09T11:39:00.001-05:00

A woman I know just announced that she's pregnant and due in early May. I'd like to make her a simple baby sweater that would be good for a boy or girl. I was thinking of making a very simple striped cardi or raglan pullover in Blue Sky Alpaca's Organic Cotton yarn, because the neutral shades are great for any kid, cotton is hypoallergenic, and it's amazingly soft and squishy. Unfortunately, a quick look at the website told me that it's hand wash or dry clean only, and I'm not doing that to a new mom. Now, I've verified that my LYS carries Mission Falls 1824 Cotton. That looks to be about the same gauge, it has some nice soft neutrals, and it's machine washable AND dryable. Does anyone know if it's as soft and squishy as the Blue Sky organic? Would it be nice and snuggly for a baby? I'm thinking that if the kid's born in May, it'll start being able to wear a six months size sweater right about when it starts getting cool. :)

Crowning myself queen

2008-01-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

I've been working on those damn lacy trellis socks for so long that I needed a break. I wanted to work with a thicker yarn and bigger needles, and I was getting a hankering for some cables. Couple that with the fact that I've been borrowing my boyfriend's hat since I lost mine, and the fact that I had a skein of Malabrigo left over from making the Knotted Openwork Scarf, and you get...Coronet! Yep, I'm making the Coronet hat from Knitty. I started it the day before New Year's Eve after winding the yarn into a ball the night before. I've been plugging away at it and am already about half done. I somehow managed to pick the stitches up from the band wrong first time around so that I had it backwards. It's not that I didn't know the band needed to be inside out--I did that--I just picked the stitches up backwards somehow. Anyway, that got fixed quickly enough. The variegated yarn looks surprisingly nice in the cable. It stands out more than I imagined it would. When this is done, I'll have a hat to match my scarf, and it will be utterly cute. I'm excited! I have a very small head, but to my surprise, the medium on this seems to be the best fit for me. It's not big enough to slip down (I don't think), but it's also not so small that it needs to stretch--and therefore get thinner and less warm--to fit over my head. It should be very cozy, what with the double layer of the band and the cable.

Joy!

2007-12-18T15:38:00.000-05:00

Dear Old Boss At Tiny Company I Left To Come To MIT:

You, sir, sucked. Big time. You were a jerk who made me feel three inches tall and incompetent. My current boss? Similar name to yours, oddly. Different spelling. But she out-cools you by about five million times.

She got me a gift card for Woolcott & Co. as a holiday present.

SWEEEEEEEET.

Weaving in some ends

2007-12-14T15:11:00.000-05:00

Finally, an FO! I need a picture, but I just finished it on my lunch break. Yes, the damned Knotted Openwork Scarf is finished! Yay! I finally made the decision to leave it at two balls of yarn, and bound off today. I almost wish it were a bit colder since I'd like to see how well it does at keeping me warm. It needs a bit of washing and blocking, but it looks nice! Maybe next time I have to go out twice to shovel my sidewalk (as I did last night), I'll be warmer when I do it.

I revel in Ravelry!

2007-10-29T12:36:00.000-04:00

I got my invite!!!

I am opening up to a whole big community of knitters. This is exciting. Friends, coworkers, unknown locals...there are so many people out there. Of course, this also means I'm opening up some new issues.

Now, for a long time, I've had a personal blog wherein I keep all the stuff that I really only care to share with friends. And, though there are coworkers I like very much, I haven't alerted them as to where to find that blog, because, well, it's personal. And there are things in the blog, my profile, etc. that might raise the eyebrows of people I work with. I wouldn't want them to feel squicked. I have no problem keeping that blog separate for the most part. I do have this knitting blog with which to share my yarn-related life with my fellow knitters, whoever they are: friends, coworkers, strangers, etc. Ravelry, however...

I was poring over the groups and found several I'd like to join. Then I thought, "I'm friending coworkers on here. What would they think if they saw I was a member of X group?" In short, I'm wondering how to balance indulging my personal interests there and not freaking out my coworkers by giving them TMI about my personal life. This may take a while...

Now that the secret's out...

2007-10-25T13:45:00.000-04:00

I can say that the ladies of the MIT Stitch 'n' Bitch and a whole lot of other people have made up a gorgeous afghan for one of our own, FemiKnitMafia, who's going through some tough life-stuff right now. I'm glad I had time to contribute a square, even if the funky mock-houndstooth slip stitch pattern I chose was utterly, utterly wrong for the yarn I chose. I was afraid of that. At least it's still a pretty colour, with the teal mohair and mohair/metallic type blend sort of mooshing together instead of making crisply separated bits of colour. Apparently, Danielle gave the afghan to her (not completed, but mostly seamed together) on the way to Rhinebeck, and it went over well. Yay. I'm hoping that when it's done, we can get some pics of it.

Tomorrow is the Day of the Gum Surgery, which means that when I get home after my 9am appointment and my quick stop to pick up soup and ice cream at the store, I will be spending the day sitting on the couch, knitting, and watching Viggo Mortensen movies. Mmmmm. Viggo. And yarn. *sigh*

YES, another pic-less post. Sue me.

2007-10-24T11:01:00.000-04:00

The state of the knitting:

SAMUS: I need to finish the i-cord edging on one cuff, do a little cable-mistake-camouflage, and add a zipper. Jury is out on whether or not I like it. I'll decide once I see it with the zipper on. I may re-block it as a unit, too. I do indeed hate the sleeves, because they are far too big. But that's life. :( My next sweater will be better.

OPENWORK SCARF: In my knitting bag now, getting the bulk of my not-at-home knitting time. I want it finished for the cold weather. I have about 3 feet done.

LACY TRELLIS SOCKS: I have one almost done. I put it aside in favour of the scarf, because the scarf will actually be NECESSARY before too long.

BREA BAG: Still awaiting a trip to The Fabric Place for more yarn. Bah. Sometimes, I DO wish I drove.

SPINNING (ok, not knitting, really): I have a bunch of n00b yarn (i.e., fairly uneven yarn with no real gauge) in white merino that needs to have its twist set, and needs to be dyed. I have 8 oz. of lovely red merino waiting to be spun, and a wee packet (1 oz. maybe?) of rainbow merino silk that is also waiting. Shiny.

Picking up where I left off!

2007-10-09T09:06:00.000-04:00

I am so good. I am a GOOD little knitter. This past weekend, I finally got off my butt and...WORKED ON SAMUS. Yes. You heard me. I did NOT end up re-blocking her, but I realized I didn't need to. I sewed the shoulder seams, sewed the sleeves to the body, and started the i-cord edging, which is now about half done. YES!!! When that edging is finished, all I'll need will be a zipper! I'm so excited.

Some issues:

1) My seaming sucks. I mean, it really sucks. This thing is kinda going to look like Frankensweater. But I did my best, and I'll still bloody wear it.

2) The sleeves are a little bigger than I want, considering I made the body of the cardigan a little more fitted, but that's the pattern.

Other than that, I'm really quite pleased.

Now, the state of my other projects: I am nearly done with the first of the Lacy Trellis Socks. I'm almost done with the decrease rounds after doing the heel. My Brea Bag is still languishing for lack of yarn to finish the gusset. My scarf is big, but not big enough. I will have to get cracking on that soon so I have it when the really cold weather hits.

But Samus is almost DONE!!!

Back on the wagon!

2007-08-28T11:21:00.000-04:00

Ok, my fellow knitters. It's hard for me to admit this, but...until this past weekend, I had gone for over a month without knitting. See, I'd been working on some pretty socks. My sock yarn was wound into a center pull ball. I was pulling from the center. Then it tangled. I tried to tease out the tangled bit from the center of the ball to fix it, but once I got it out of the ball and went to work, it only got worse! It sat on my desk for weeks, a symbol of despair. Finally, I decided that I'd bite the bullet: I'd just cut out the tangled part (unfortunately, quite a lot of yardage) and get a second skein to make sure I had enough to complete a pair of socks. To celebrate this decision, I wound some Malabrigo into a ball (by hand, since the skein was too big for my crappy swift), and started up work on my scarf again. But I wanted to get back to the socks, so I hit Windsor Button to get some more sock yarn and take up work on that cute little sock again that was coming along so nicely.

Unfortunately, that backfired when Windsor Button proved to be out of that colorway.

Now, I'd have simply ordered it online or something, but I am going on vacation (starting this afternoon!) and need a small knitting project that I can bring with me for the long car ride and for any lazy time sitting and sipping coffee with friends at the campground. I didn't want to bring something big and heavy, and I REALLY WANTED some socks. So I got a skein of the same sock yarn in a different (and actually, somewhat nicer) colorway, and cast on again. I have saved my half-sock and the rest of the old yarn, and will eventually finish them. But now, I'm starting fresh. I'll have something to work on for my vacation, and most important, I am back on the knitting wagon!

Incidentally, I also pinned up the shoulders of my cardigan body so I could try it on, sort of, and it seems to fit when I wear it over a shirt. This pleases me: I was afraid it would be too big. Then again, I DID purposefully make it sort of tight when I did my calculations, figuring in the possibility of weight loss. Rock on. Now I feel more confident that I will actually finish it someday. :)

To the ladies of the MIT Stitch 'n' Bitch: I will see you all NEXT Thursday at noon! I will be starting my new position that day, so I may be a little late if training carries over a bit, but I do have that hour free in my schedule. Yay!

I am really getting bad with this unfinished projects business.

2007-06-18T15:09:00.001-04:00

Shame on me.

I now have:

1. Samus, who needs re-blocking, seaming, zipper-sewing-in, and applied i-cord edging
2. Brea Bag, for which I need more yarn before I can finish, and they don't sell that shade of Cascade 220 at Windsor Button
3. Openwork Scarf, which got too boring to motivate me to finish it, seeing as I won't be wearing it for several months yet

And then I went and started something else.

I really INTENDED to work on the scarf when I went to visit my parents this weekend. I popped the needles off the Brea Bag and put on stitch holder ends, and put the needles onto the cable holding the scarf. I pulled out a skein of the gorgeous Malabrigo I'm using for it. I packed the scarf in my bag...and left the skein sitting on my desk. Crap.

I also ended up missing my train due to construction on the red line route. The shuttle bus left me at Park Street right at the time my train was pulling out of South Station. It being a Saturday, I knew I had a good bit of time to kill before the next train. So I called my mom and told her I'd be getting on the next train...after stopping at Windsor Button.

Bad me.

I ended up deciding it was high time I made a very NICE pair of socks. I am always jealous of my fellow SnB'ers lovely hand-knit socks. I had no patterns with me, but I bought myself a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in the Dusk colorway and (another) set of the Susan Bates sock DPNs (sizes 000, 00, 0, and 1) and a set of size 2 DPNs. I hoped that would see me through a pair of socks. When I got to my parents' place, I was able to find a pattern online that was designed for that yarn, and which required size 0 and size 1 needles. Spiffy! I think it's rather pretty. I finished the cuff yesterday and was planning on starting the lace pattern body today, but silly me, I forgot to bring the size 1 needles that I need to change to. D'oh! Now I just have a pretty cuff sitting on needles in my bag. :)

Here's an image of the socks I'm making, in a different colorway:
At least this has really gotten me excited about knitting again. Recently, only spinning has been exciting, and knitting has been work. So there's a bonus!

Squee!

2007-05-09T12:37:00.000-04:00

Oooh, my dear readers, the Wanton One has encountered a LOVELY book that seems like it was made for HER and HER ALONE! I have just bought Naughty Needles!

It's full of all kinds of adorable and fascinating patterns, for everything from lingerie, to a mermaid tail, to...well, let's just say there are some rather racy items in there. :) Sure, it's a novelty book, but these are novelties I like. One of the reviewers on Amazon seems to have been appalled by the very idea of some of these patterns. I found her reaction amusing.

Anyway, I have been a very distracted knitter lately. I still haven't been able to bring myself to unroll my old carpet onto the floor and use it to reblock my cardigan. I put my scarf aside because it was getting boring, and started working on a bag. I'm nearly done with it--got the front and back and part of the gusset done--but had to put THAT on hold to start working on a bouquet of knitted roses for my mom for Mothers' Day. They have knitting needle stems, and I'm giving them to mom with a copy of Stitch 'n' Bitch, since she's been talking about getting back into knitting. That would be cool. :)

A pic-less update, I'm afraid

2007-04-13T09:09:00.000-04:00

So, last time we chatter, Dear Readers, I was working on blocking my cardigan and on knitting a scarf.

--I blocked both sleeves and the body of the cardigan. Sweet!
--I seamed both sleeves.
--I found that one of the sleeve caps was too big for the armscye. BUGGER.

So now, I have to re-block my cardi body. I don't have a blocking board, so I have devised a new method which I hope will allow me to stretch it out a little more than my previous attempt, which involved pinning it to a towel tacked to a table. This time, I will unroll a large and ugly carpet onto my kitchen/dining room floor and pin it to that. I'm still going to steam-block, I think, but with a REALLY wet cover cloth. Or I might even spritz the sweater itself. I just don't want to wet-block something that's going to be on the floor of an open room where I can't keep the cats away for long.

That's the Samus story. I'm also still working on the scarf. I finished the first ball of Malabrigo, and it's looking gorgeous. It was also starting to bore me, however. So I've decided to start a new project: the Brea Bag from Berocco. I bought the yarn last fall, but hadn't yet started. I have now cast on for this damned thing FOUR TIMES. I haven't finished the first pattern stitch row. Now, the pattern stitch is quite easy. I've just been having trouble because I forgot twice that I was supposed to keep the first and last stitch in stockinette (oops), and then I think I cast on the wrong number of stitches twice, in spite of counting. Having a dark-coloured yarn and using two strands held together can make that difficult, especially when I'm watching TV or talking to people at the same time. I will try again tonight.

I've also decided that I think I'd like to knit my boyfriend's mother a lace stole at some point. Eunny Jang's Print O' The Wave stole has stolen (hah) my heart. It's GORGEOUS. And now it's time for a meeting...

At last!

2007-03-15T09:06:00.000-04:00

You all hate me. I know you do. Don't try to deny it. *dramatic sigh*

I'm so sorry I've been such a loser about this blog. It's not that I haven't been knitting (oh, I have, I have!) but that I've felt my latest efforts unworthy of sharing with the wider world. Really, how many times do you want to see a picture of Samus with another inch of stockinette...and another...and another? Not many, am I right?

Anyway... I have certainly been making progress. The knitting of the body and sleeves is completely done. Today, I blocked one of the sleeves and sewed the seam on it! Finally! Have a look, why don't you?

Ooh, shiny!

On March 3, I went to a Knitters' Breakfast at the Fabric Place in Framingham. The people doing the trunk show were from Classic Elite. It was a little disappointing. They were all older, which isn't always a big deal, but all the designs they showed also looked sort of old-fuddy-duddy-ish. Meh. The yarns weren't bad, though, and I managed to snag a bunch of mini-skeins of Summer Set yarn (cotton, alpaca, & synthetic) in a creamy white. I think it's probably enough for a 4" swatch per skein, so I may have enough for a nice pair of gauntlets! There were so many people crammed into the room for the breakfast that only about half got some kind of door prize (unlike last time, when EVERYONE got one.) I missed out. Whine. However, when the shopping started, I resolved to spoil myself.

I wanted hand-painted (or at least very pretty, interesting, and luxurious) sock yarn. Well, their sock yarn selection was a few skeins of rather ugly self-striping Sockotta and some boring solid-color wool from some Scandianvian country. Grr. However, the prospect of MALABRIGO at $10/skein plus 20% discount thrilled me. I paid $8 a skein for $12/skein yarn. Sweeeet. I picked out the colorway "Stonechat"--gorgeous dark reds, greens, and browns--to make a nice scarf. I've been needing a scarf I can wrap several times around my face in the coldest weather. I'm using a "knotted openwork" pattern (here) which they show as very lacey, but which I've seen done on worsted-weight yarn. That way, it knits up kinda nubbly and textured, and I love the effect with this color. Here, have a peek:

And a close-up for texture:

And now, you remember me talking about making a hat for someone for Christmas? Well, here are some pictures of him wearing it! Isn't he just adorable? Isn't the hat? :) I think they're a great combination. I think I need to knit this guy some more stuff. He just wears it so well.

Oh, and it strikes me that I have not yet taken a picture of my boyfriend M in his Christmas present: a Jayne hat, from Firefly! It's rather cunning, y'know. I will have to do that soon.

And there you have it, kiddies. That's what I've been up to lately. I hope to post more soon, so stay tuned!

Please stand by!

2007-03-14T09:18:00.000-04:00

We are experiencing technical difficulties!

I tried to be a good little knitter last night and use my sick time to update my blog. However, it seems Blogger is having some ISSUES with uploading images to blogs! And I KNOW that what you really want is the pretty, shiny pictures, am I right? Well, the Wanton One will give you what you want. Promise. Just as soon as Blogger gets its head out of its behind and solves the problem.

The pleasures of gift-giving

2006-12-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

This holiday season, I knit a hat as a gift for a special person in my life for whom I had never knit a gift before. It was a rather funky hat: two-toned with a royal blue base and a light blue top, with the top sewn into three little points sticking out. I was a little nervous giving it to him, since I wasn't sure whether or not he'd appreciate it. Well, as soon as he took it out of the box he was delighted. He immediately put it on and was grinning like a fool. He hadn't had a hat at all, and said that he'd been getting sick of cold ears. He loved the funky design too. When you get to see a six-foot-three guy in a black trenchcoat and a silly blue hat that you made him, grinning from ear to ear, it make the work more than worthwhile. I feel like I brightened his day a bit with the gift, since his holidays are usually a little blah and he has the added issue of being very broke this year, so making him smile warmed me from the inside out. He will definitely remain on the list of People To Knit For, that list that will only include those who appreciate the knit gifts I give them.

I have already become woefully bad with the updates.

2006-12-12T14:50:00.000-05:00

Well. Since our last installment, I ripped Samus down to the band again and started her up again. It pissed me off no end, but I was determined to get it right. She's looking good now: I've done all the waist shaping AND I have the right number of stitches on my needles (can you say HALLELUJAH?) It's a little shorter than I'd expected it to be at this point, which is odd since my row gauge is absolutely perfectly spot-on at 25 rows per 4 inches, and the band width is exactly right as well. Eh. Anyway, no big deal: I think it'll fit me just fine as it is. I hope so!

My work holiday party is tomorrow afternoon. There's going to be someone there collecting donated gifts for local underprivileged kids. I hadn't bought anything, and was going to contribute to the canned food drive instead, but then I had the idea to knit some hats! I've done some hat knitting recently, and decided that with a bulky yarn, kids hats would knit up fast enough for me to have them done in time. I made two cute little beanies: one in a fuzzy pink variegated yarn with mohair in it, for a girl, and one in light blue Lamb's Pride Bulky for a boy. They should fit kids around ages 2-4. I put tags on them to say they're hand-knit and should be hand-washed, and wrapped them up. I'm really glad I did this. It feels good to know that my stash is going to a good cause! And I'm getting addicted to hats. I've knit myself a couple in the past, but they weren't very good. I think it may soon be time to make another.

In two days is the MIT Stitch 'n Bitch Holiday Party. We're doing a stash swap as a gift exchange, which should be fun. I'll have to see what I have that's swappable. I know there are at least a few things in there. I got a friend who works at MIT to agree to come, too. It's always nice to recruit folks, and I already know I like knitting with her.

I think that next up to receive some hand-knits from me as gifts are my boyfriend's parents. A wrap or shawl for his mom, perhaps, or comfy slippers. Maybe a nice thick cabled scarf and hat for his dad. Or something. But I don't have time for that before Christmas, and NO IDEA what to do for them this year. Oy. I'll figure something out. I am a creative little seed after all.