Knitty Ripper

Not Dead

2009-10-02T10:53:00.001-04:00

I’ve decided to merge my two blogs, mostly because I’m too lazy to update both, so now there is only Indiscriminate Postings. I will leave Knitty Ripper up, but any future knitting posts will be made to that blog instead, since knitty things could be considered indiscriminate, but not all indiscriminate things are knitty. Make sense?

So anyway, I'm still around... Head over there for more posts coming soon.

It's Almost Here

2009-08-13T22:22:00.003-04:00

Fall is coming. I know this because football season is here. And I loves me some football! The sucky part is that we no longer have TV service, so we can’t enjoy watching the game from the comfort of our living room. But on the plus side, nachos taste so much better when someone else makes them (and brings them right to you, and then does the dishes). For those days when we are too cheap or lazy to go out, there is always the radio- and it wouldn’t surprise me if we could watch some games live via the innerwebs.

For me, football and knitting go hand in hand. The weather is getting cooler, which makes knitting much more pleasant; and the games provide the perfect backdrop for all but the most complicated projects. During my favorite team’s games, I will knit things that do not require much attention, like a plain sock. During other games, I might work on something that requires some attention, but will allow me to look up once in a while. These are usually projects in which it is easy to figure out where I am in the row after I look up when something interesting happens, then look back down only to realize I have no idea where I left off. I might start another pair of Hedera socks just for those games- they are pretty easy to read once you learn the pattern.

Of course, you wouldn’t guess fall is on the way with the weather we’ve been having recently. On those days when the temps nearly shot into the triple digits, all I could do was look at my woolly socks with contempt (for the weather, not my socks). Speaking of socks, though, I did finish a pair:

The Skittles Socks. Modeled in my awesome, awesome shoes of joy. Now I’m working on another pair of socks for Cass with Creatively Dyed Tradewinds in Hana. I just sort of picked a pattern out of a pattern book and went with it. Hopefully they’ll turn out okay.

I haven't really made any progress on anything else. There may have been some thoughts about attempting some Christmas knitting, but I haven't decided if it's worth the stress. You know what? Sitting here, just now, I decided it isn't. And that's my Christmas present to myself. I'm gonna knit myself some stuff instead. After Cass's socks of course...

Not Much Of An Update But...

2009-07-25T18:45:00.004-04:00

My new shoes came yesterday! I got these cuties just to wear with hand-knit socks. I think they do the job quite well...

They are the Doc Martens Alison in Grizzly. I love them, and they are perfect. They've only been worn about the house so far, but seem very comfortable. And they are cute, but won't look overly dressy with jeans and a tee shirt. Most importantly, they are a great showcase for socks!

Now I just have to knit more socks. Honestly, I have barely been knitting at all the past couple weeks. Every few days I'll add and inch or so to my current sock project, but that's it.

I did pick up a couple sweaters' worth of yarn at the Eleganza Midnight Madness sale last weekend. I got a bunch of Noro Silk Garden for me, and some Ella Rae Classic for Scott. I'd like to make him another sweater for this winter- probably something simple and basic (the way he likes), and warm. He rides his motorcycle all year round, and maybe a nice wool sweater will help keep him warm. I also got some Aussi Sock and Poems Sock yarn. Gotta churn out more socks to wear with my new shoes!

OK, off I go to not be lazy and knit some more socks...

Blargh.

2009-07-13T18:07:00.004-04:00

I’ve hit another knitting slump. It seems my mojo is taking a vacation for a while, leaving me with little desire to do anything that requires brainpower… so working on the Bohus is right out. In fact, I sort of blame the Bohus for this slump- I think it temporarily zapped all my knitterly energy. While waiting for the tank to refill, I did manage to start working on a bed for Spencer.

His little doggy bed is starting to look a little ragged, and a washing did little to help. I got to thinking that a felted bed might not be a bad idea. The wool would be nice and toasty in the cooler months, and I could put 4” foam in the bottom, ensuring it would be nice and squishy for his aging butt (the store bought beds never seem all that comfy with their meager 2” or so of squish). In any case, figuring out the design would prove tricky but starting the knitting was a perfect no-mojo project. I wanted to use up a bunch of leftover Patons Classic from the stash, of which I had one skein or less each of five different colors. Honestly I just sort of cast on with a very basic idea and the hope that it would work out. I wanted the main part to have sort of a Log Cabin look to it- that facilitated using many colors with little attention needed. I would just work the garter strip until I got bored, then change colors. The center block is actually a bit big, but I think it might be fun to needle-felt a “S” in the space to fill it up.

One day at work I managed to create a little 3D model out of graph paper, so I could sort of figure out how to do this with as little seaming as possible. I still haven’t completely figured that part out, and will probably just wing it as I go. As long as my dimensions are consistent for each side, it should be fine. I am armed with the knowledge that felting shrinks the fabric about 30%, and foam is easy to cut to size. The only problem I’m worried about is how to felt it. I don’t think the finished piece will fit in the pillowcase I would normally use, and I don’t want to ruin the washer. Maybe I’ll try to do it by hand in the tub. If anything, that will be good exercise.

Also during this slump, I’ve been planning another project: an adult Tomten. I plan to do it in Noro Kureyon (thought about Poems, too, but I like Kureyon’s colors better). I’ve played around with the numbers, so now I just have to order the yarn and get started. I really hope it will come out the way I see it in my head.

And lastly, picked this up at Lowes over the weekend:

A foam alphabet mat set for blocking. Thanks to Ravelry, I not only learned of the usefulness of said foam mats, but also that 26 square feet for $17 is a pretty good deal. Now I just have to knit something to block on them...

It's Not Just Me, Right?

2009-07-09T20:00:00.006-04:00

I can't be the only one that has Kitchen Knitting, right?

Or dining room knitting?

And it only makes sense to keep two knitting projects on the coffee table- one complicated (for quiet, alone, knitting time)...

...and one simple (for all the other times).

It also makes perfect sense to have knitting books in more than one place, because you never know when inspiration will hit you.

One should always keep a well-stocked knitting bag in case you need to grab it on the way out.

But I bet there's an emergency project in your car, too, in case you get caught off guard.

So I'm not the only one, right? Other knitters do this too? I thought so. Now can someone explain that to my husband? Please? Everytime he asks me to put my knitting stuff away all I can think is, "But it's exactly where it's supposed to be!"

Madame Self Pattern

2009-06-30T17:27:00.005-04:00

I’m not a real designer; I just play one on the innerwebs. The following pattern has not been tested, so if you find a problem please let me know and I’ll fix it. You can leave a comment, contact me on Ravelry (I’m Stinkytinky).
The Madame Self Bag

Wisdom Yarns Poems, color #585, 4 skeins (436 yds)
Size 9 needles, or size needed to get gauge
Darning needle
Magnetic snap
One pretty button (mine is 1.25")
Hot glue gun

Gauge before felting: 14 st over 4” in garter stitch

I emphatically suggest knitting a swatch, measuring gauge, and then felting it to make sure you like the way it felts up. Also, Poems has sort of a reputation for having several knots which often disrupt the striping sequence. If you’re the persnickety sort, this is something to watch for. I think (while it’s still sort of a pain) that it adds character and didn’t worry about it.

Note that the measurements given on my sad, little schematic are approximate. It’s a lot easier in this case to just increase and decrease to the correct stitch count, as the size doesn’t need to be exact.

The bag is knit starting with the strap…

Cast on 10 s., knit every row for approx. 25” or 150 rows.

Begin increases*:
Row 1) Kfb, k to last st, kfb
Row 2) K

*I stuck a stitch marker through the fabric on the side facing me when it was time to increase or decrease, as a visual cue.

Repeat these two rows until there are 64 st, ending with Row 2.

Begin decreases:
Row 1) K2Tog, K to last 2 sts, K2Tog
Row 2) K

Repeat these two rows until there are 20 sts, ending with Row 2.

Increase:
Row 1) Kfb, k to last st, kfb
Row 2) K

Repeat these two rows until there are 64 st, ending with Row 2.

Add the button flap (I added a short row to give the flap a bit of a flare):

With the working yarn, CO 15 sts, and knit 8 rows even. Next row: knit 16 st, wrap stitch & turnª. K back to end of row. Knit 8 rows even. Cast off 15 sts.

ªTo wrap and turn: yarn forward as if to purl, slip next stitch purlwise, yarn back as if to knit, return slipped stitch to left needle, turn work.

Decrease:
Begin decreases:
Row 1) K2Tog, K to last 2 sts, K2Tog
Row 2) K

Repeat these two rows until there are 20 sts, ending with Row 2.

Increase:
Row 1) Kfb, k to last st, kfb
Row 2) K

Repeat these two rows until there are 64 st, ending with Row 2.

Decrease:
Begin decreases:
Row 1) K2Tog, K to last 2 sts, K2Tog
Row 2) K

Repeat these two rows until there are 10 sts, ending with Row 2. Bind off, leaving a tail long enough to seam the end of the strap (2-3 feet).

(sorry about my chicken scratch- along the right side, the measurements read 8.5", 7", 7", 3", 7", 7", 8.5")

Finishing:

Pick the side you want to be the outside. With right (outside) sides facing, whipstitch together edges A to A, B to B, and so forth, ending with attaching the strap end (E to E) with the yarn tail, being careful to make sure the strap isn’t twisted. Weave in ends on the inside. Felt the bag. I did it by hand at first, then when that proved to be rather tedious, put it in the machine. I then dried it in the drier to further shrink it. Watch it closely through the felting process to make sure it’s not felting in some renegade fashion.

Once dry, it’s time to add the snap and button! I followed the package directions on my magnetic snap to attach it the bag, using an Exacto knife to cut small holes where needed. Wind a bit of leftover yarn through the holes in the button**; this may require some creativity. My darning needle wouldn’t fit all the way through the little holes, so I used it to sort of smash the yarn through so I could pull it through the other side. It occurs to me now that a sewing needle threader might do the trick. Once the yarn is wound through the holes a few times, knot it on the back. Warm up your glue gun, and apply a glob of glue to the ugly side of the magnetic snap on the purse flap then quickly stick on the button. If necessary, add more glue to secure the button to the bag. Loudly proclaim, “I made it Madame Self!”

**The goal is not only to make it look like the button is sewn on, but also to fill up the holes a bit so that hot glue doesn’t ooze through or so people can’t see right through to the metal snap behind it. So you may need to wrap the yarn several times to accomplish this.

Use this pattern however you want, wherever you want; just don’t plagiarize!

Wheeee!

2009-06-29T17:22:00.003-04:00

They're here!

My Phildar patterns! Straight from France! You know, I think I'm going to start ordering everything from Europe... it seems to get here so fast compared to stuff that just travels across the country (this order was placed on the 23rd!). If memory serves, the Bohus kit from Sweden got here in about a week too.

88 patterns in all, for about $28. Not bad considering more than half of that was shipping!

I started the Bohus, as promised, but am only a couple rows into the colorwork so far. No pictures yet, maybe by the end of the week.

Also, I should have a pattern for the bag up tomorrow. I'd have it up now, except that I forgot to email myself the schematic I drew and scanned at work. Thus, it remains trapped in the server until tomorrow!

I'm On a Roll

2009-06-28T12:38:00.003-04:00

I've got another finished project! The felted bag is done. And it rocks my socks off. Here it is all sewn up, prior to felting (with 12" ruler for scale):

And here it is post felting:

Ok, granted it's a little impractical given that the middle is too shallow to hold very much, but it's super cute. And it will hold a phone, keys, sunglasses, and a small wallet, which is all you really need for quick trips to the store and whatnot. My big, everyday wallet won't fit (it's the type that holds everything you could possibly need in any situation), so I'm thinking of making a smaller little wallet to match with the leftover yarn- just a little pocket sized thing to hold an ID, some cash, and couple credit cards.

The button is merely decorative, and hides the back of a magnetic snap. I looped some extra yarn through the button hole, then hot glued it in place. In all honesty, I probably could have just skipped the snap, and sewed the button on so that it sewed the bag shut at that point. It's so shallow and open on both sides of the little flap, that I doubt I'll ever have to really use the snap.

Now that it's done, I suppose I should stick to my word and start the Bohus. Ok, deep breath... Here I go.

Can't Believe I Forgot This

2009-06-25T19:59:00.002-04:00

One thing I forgot to mention in the last post... it starts with a goofy story.

At the last knit night, a Borders employee, Shawn, asked the group to knit him a scarf for his semester abroad- in Paris. Instantly, a fire sparked right under my ass. I took French my freshman year of high school, and again for a semester in college. I love the language, and have always wanted to go to France, blah blah blah. Anywho, every now and then I freak the shit out and listen to the French (technically Quebecois) channels on Sirius, and listen to French podcasts, and rent French films, and just generally obsess for a week or so until something else distracts me. But anytime I hear someone speak French, or just mention something about France, the interest is renewed.

Now go back a little further, to a few weeks ago. I was on Ravelry, and browsing through the new patterns. I saw a pattern, clicked, and instantly became dismayed. The pattern was from a Phildar pattern collection. Meaning it was in French, and likely not available in the states at all.

Back to present day: I've got all these Francophone thoughts bumping around in my head, and a lot of free time on my hands. So one day at work, I look up French knitting websites, and stumble upon Phildar's website. Long story short, it turns out I have retained just enough French to navigate a website and drop 20 Euros on patterns. I'm so excited I could pee a little.

And yes, I realize I'll have to translate the patterns. But even English patterns look like a new language when you first learn to knit, and I got through that okay. I looked at a couple free French patterns, and I think I can figure it out.

Also, yes Phildar has an English version of their site. But the English site will only let you purchase English patterns (of which there are 9 pattern books), whereas on the French site, there are 58 (!) pattern books to choose from.

My biggest problem now is that I'm dying to know what their yarn is like. I bet it's awesome. I also bet it won't be too long before I decide to find out.

Finally, a FO!

2009-06-25T18:10:00.005-04:00

The Leaf Tee is done!

It came out quite well, but is a tiny bit bigger than I would prefer. But it's still great, and not so big that it looks terrible (I hope). I really like it.

I'm working on the Hedera's a little bit here and there, and I've gotten one gusset done, and am working on the other. Mainly, I've been working on my purse.

It's a little more than half done, I'm really excited to see how it will turn out.

Today I discovered that my knitting bag fits perfectly in one of my desk drawers. Open the drawer, knit knit knit... Oh! Here comes the boss man! Close the drawer. Problem solved. Mwah hahahaha. Stealth knitting FTW!

Still thinking about the Bohus, too. I think I'll start it when the purse is finished. That way, it can be my Project That Requires Thinking, and I'll have a couple of pairs of mindless socks on the side, to break up the monotony. I get the feeling that the colorwork will go quickly, and I'll stall on the body/sleeves. Hmm. I may need to come up with some sort of reward system to combat this. Or something punitive- that might work better. I respond well to threats.

Lastly, I'm still also screwing around with these socks, but I can't decide what I really want to do with them. Right now, I have a row of crossed stitches in the ribbing (a few rows from the needles), but I'm not sure they'll stay that way. It's hard to see, and I'm not sure I like that. Hell, maybe I'll just keep going. I am pretty lazy, and at worst they'll just look like plain ol' ribbed socks.

2009-06-18T09:05:00.003-04:00

I'm still chugging along on the Leaf T-shirt, and it's getting close to being finished. In a stunning move of stupidity, I have yet to throw it on some waste yarn and try it on (which really should have been done when I cast off the arm holes or shortly thereafter). I really hope it won't be too big... If my math is right, it is 34.5" across the chest, which should be okay. At least this time I'm certain I have enough yarn!

The Hedera socks are sort of in limbo- I've gotten to the gusset on one, but that's it. Lazy daisy. In it's place I've started another project- a felted bag. I saw a pattern for a bag (Rav link) by Noro, and thought it looked pretty easy to reverse-engineer. So I got out some graph paper, did a little math, knit and felted a swatch, did some more math, and cast that sucker on. I'm doing it with Wisdom Yarns Poems. This yarn is giving me a minor headache with knots interrupting color repeats, but otherwise I like it.

We ditched cable a couple of weeks ago, so I've been trying to find new things to watch or listen to while knitting. Movies are one choice, but I've seen everything we own a zillion times, and renting would probably wind up being more expensive than cable was (although I am looking into Netflix). So mostly I've been using interweb resources, and it's great. iTunes has been my favorite source- they have several classic radio stations, with old-timey crime and drama and such, which I love. And of course there are endless podcasts. I'm subscribed to a several knitting podcasts, and I also poke around the paranormal and ghosty ones too. Then there's also Hulu.com, which has free TV and movies. It seems like most TV shows are on the internet for free somewhere, which is fantastic.

I joined a Bohus group on Ravelry, and I'm hoping it will inspire me to finally get started on my sweater. I don't know why it scares me so much. Probably just a fear of failure. Horrible, humiliating, demoralizing, failure. Yeah, maybe that's it.

My Name is Amanda...

2009-06-08T18:25:00.004-04:00

...and I think I have a problem. A knitting problem. Not the dropped stitch type of problem, but the omg I can't stop kind. Yesterday I decided I need a new pair of shoes to better show off hand knit socks this fall. Last night I stayed up well past my bedtime to start another pair of socks, just to see how the yarn would knit up. And today, well, today a red flag went up. I was in my office (really half an office, divided by a cubical wall-type-partition), when the CEO came in the lab. Now, my boss doesn't mind all that much if I knit while it's slow- so long as my work gets done. But there is sort of an unspoken agreement that I do not brazenly knit out in the open (except for at lunch) as to not make waves, or make either of us look bad. But today, when the CEO came in, I kept knitting, hidden by the partition. If he had taken a step inside the office, or even looked from the right angle at the doorway, he could have caught me knitting. But I couldn't stop. Truth be told, I don't know that I would have even gotten in trouble- maybe he wouldn't have cared? But it was a risky move... One that floated the realization that I care more about knitting than employment from subconscious to conscious.

The worst part is that I've never been reprimanded in any way for knitting while at work... so it's like accidental positive reinforcement. Today I brought my ball winder, and frogged the whole Leaf Tee, then started it over. I'm only 4 or 5 rounds into it, but so far so good. I showed my boss the ball winder, but he was less impressed than I expected. I guess it's hard to be impressed with a ball winder unless you've spent countless hours winding balls of yarn by hand. But he does enjoy discovering all the funny little parallels between knitting and winding fiber optic coils. He says next time we need to hire another winder, he's going to start with knitting groups and LYSs, haha.

I'm making decent progress on the Hedera socks. The heel flap is done on one, and halfway there on the other. The pattern calls for ridiculously long heel flaps though (48 rows long!), so I just went until I had a nice square like I usually do (about 34 rows). I love these socks. The lace pattern was easy to memorize, and they're so pretty.

The other pair of socks is in Red Heart Heart and Sole, and the colorway reminds me of Tropical Skittles. I've barely started, and I'm dying to know if/how the colors will pool.

Scott and I have been stocking up on art supplies for his new job, and naturally while we're at various craft stores, I drift to the yarn section. I got the Red Heart and some Bernat Sox to see what it's like. The Bernat is an acrylic/nylon blend, for anyone interested in a non-wool sock yarn (*coughKymcough*). I also picked up a skein of the new Michaels line, Impeccable. With that, I made a little coaster for my desk, and it isn't the most awesome thing to work with, but it doesn't suck either. If the knit up samples are a good indicator, it seemed to be softer than everything but the Vanna's Choice. But I liked knitting with the Impeccable better than Vanna's- Vanna's seemed more plasticy in my hands. I'm curious to see what the Bernat will be like.

Needed: Brains

2009-06-04T19:02:00.003-04:00

Something is amiss lately... Not sure what it is, but my mind feels a bit moldy. Take my Leaf Tee for instance. Last week, I noticed I was down to my last ball of yarn, yet the top was only a couple inches past my boobs. There is no way that one ball would make more than 4" or so of the top, but I kept going. I should not have. I should have thought about it more, and decided that maybe knitting a bit too tight had become a big problem. A big yarn consumption problem.

When I started, I didn't even check my gauge because it was a top-down raglan, and I thought it wouldn't really matter. I must have been stressed out when I started the project, because my stitches were pretty tight. Of course, I didn't even notice for a week or so (when less stressed), and by then I thought it was easier to just keep going tightly, rather that rip it out. MISTAKE! I now have a shirt that barely reaches my belly-button, and I'm all out of yarn. And to make this worse (and actually quite embarrassing), I thought I could fix it. Yup. When I got to that last ball, I thought, "Maybe if I loosen up a little, the yarn will stretch further and it'll be okay." So what I actually have is a top that barely reaches my belly-button, and flares out considerably in the last few inches. Very flattering indeed!

There are no pictures of my shame. It is condemned to a cheap plastic bag, where it will remain until my memory fades. Then I will frog the whole thing, and redo it. I really liked the pattern and yarn, and dammit I'm going to finish this thing if it kills me. And hopefully next time I won't also botch the lace panel in two places- I blame that on the half-empty bottle of amaretto in my kitchen. Lucky for me, looser gauge = less stitches = will go faster this time.

But for now, I'm turning back to the Hedera socks, on the lovely signature needles. I've got the cuff of this one done, and about half the cuff on the second. I love them.

I'm going to go work on them right now...

2009-05-20T18:35:00.003-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post- the past few weeks have been pretty hectic both at work and at home. So let's see... last time I posted was Sheep and Wool. The stripey baby blanket was finished, and came out okay. I could have sworn I took pictures, but they seem to have disappeared, so you'll have to imagine it. I did get lazy, and stopped when it seemed just big enough (leaving two unused balls of yarn, and a small bit of my sanity).

I restarted the Hedera socks on my swanky new Signature needles, and they are awesome. I haven't had much time to work on them, but the needles really are great.

I've been working on a little shrug with Patons Brilliant:

It's the Vine Lace Shrug(Rav link), and it's the first actual project in which I'm doing the backwards-knitting thing. So far it's working out! I actually started this last month, but like most of my knitting, it's been largely ignored since then.

My least-ignored project is probably this:

Leaf T-Shirt with Cascade Cotton Rich DK. I really like how this is coming along, and it might even be finished in time to wear it this summer.

Over the weekend, I picked up Sock Innovation, the Cookie A. book. It's really interesting. She packed that sucker full of information- inverting stitches, converting tricky stitch patterns from flat to round, and all sorts of other helpful design tidbits. And the patterns are okay too. :P

Wow. It's been three weeks and that's all I got. Jebus, this post makes me feel like such a slacker. I gotta go knit something.

2009-05-02T19:55:00.004-04:00

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival was loads more fun this year than last. The secret was using my Blackberry. No really! I put in reminders for all the stuff I wanted to see (shearing demo, sheep show, sheep dogs, etc.) so they wouldn't be missed. And I put a list in it with all the stuff I wanted to look for. It was a total success. Well, nearly total. Close enough. There were a couple things I didn't see- perhaps I wasn't looking hard enough. I missed purse handles and Kauni, but that was it.

I got there early, at about 7:30. Walked around a bit and made note of a few vendors' locations, and saw the sheep getting cleaned up for the Sheep Show. Around 8, I wandered over to see said show, but only stuck around for 15 min. or so. Judging sheep isn't very exciting to watch, at least not when your other option is finding yarn. I walked around some more, and tried to locate some of the key booths I wanted to see. By 8:30, some of the vendors were open for business. I scoped out Jennie the Potter's booth, and bought a button (which is now doing an excellent job of keeping my shawl on my shoulders).

While perusing the Main Exhibition Hall, I made the deadly, deadly mistake of test driving some Signature Needles. They are AWESOME. I walked away with two sets of size 1 DPNs. I'm so starting a pair of socks when this blog is done.

In one the barns, a local artist, Alyson Jentz, had some great prints. I've got a thing for elephants, and decided this needed to come home with me:

I love her bats and owls, too.

Mostly there was a lot of walking a looking, and looking and walking. The rain seemed to keep some the crowds away, at least for a bit. Eventually, I bought some Malabrigo Lace and Sock at Uncommon Threads. Mmmmalabrigo... And afterwards walked straight across into the Creatively Dyed Yarn booth. The colors really caught my eye, and I wound up getting a whole bunch of solid-ish worsted for a stripey cardigan and couple sock yarns there.

At that point, I decided to unload and have a snack in the car. While doing so, the rain pretty much stopped, and people arrived in droves. Afterwards, I saw the sheep dogs do their thing- which was really interesting. Now I want a border collie.

When I went to look at yarn again, some of the barns were so packed I could barely squeeze through. Luckily, at the Autumn House Fiber Works booth, I got stuck right in front of these puppies:

Oh yeah. I've been wanting one of these since my recent episode with a sock project, and the first one I picked up was 5", just like the new 5" Signature Needles in my bag. It was fate.

Shortly afterwards, I ran into Cinnamon and Angela from the local knitting meet-up. We had a chat, and then it was off to buy more yarn. At Angela's suggestion, I visited the Cloverhill booth. There I picked up a couple skeins of sock yarn, but no Serendipitous Ewe- not for lack of trying. I looked, but didn't see it... I'm hoping she sold out (but it's also possible I'm blind). That's okay though, I'm pretty sure I know where I can find some more. :)

All in all, this is my yarn haul for the day:

Not too shabby. And I only exceeded my budget by 30%! I think I'm going to start saving for next year's Sheep and Wool right now.

MD Sheep and Wool!

2009-04-30T19:53:00.002-04:00

It’s that time of year again! And this time, I’ve vowed to have a better plan than “Show up. Buy stuff. Leave when money is gone.” So I’ve created a Plan of Attack, which lists all the things I’m interested in seeing and getting in order of time and/or importance. My vendor list is highlighted with a few notes, my fairgrounds map is marked up, and I’ve made lists of things to bring in both my bag and car. I’m taking every precaution, and planning for the worst (cold, rain, lots of mud). Scott has some sort of motorcycle party going on the same weekend, so I’m on my own this year- meaning no supervision or voice of reason to keep me in check. I’ll have to do my best to exercise some restraint (hahahaha!). It’s just hard to look at Scott’s Boner-Inducing Death Rocket (his Ducati) and not think that I should be entitled to the equivalent value in yarn. Especially since yarn requires much cheaper equipment/accessories, will not likely maim or kill me, and doesn’t need things like insurance and registration. But I digress…

Last year I missed a lot of stuff in all the excitement (plus I tend to get extra forgetful when frazzled), so this time I’m hoping it will be less overwhelming. I’m trying to focus on seeing and smooshing things I haven’t seen in person before, and only buying things I can’t get any other time. That second part probably won’t happen, though. I’m weak willed. I’ve also vowed to see the sheep dogs this year, especially since Scott would like to get a border collie one day.

Another thing I want to do this year? Take more freakin’ pictures! I’m even attempting to learn about my camera’s settings to make sure I get good ones.

Sorry there haven't been many knitty blog updates. Knitting has taken a backseat to painting the house the past couple of weeks, so there just isn't anything to update. But Sunday should be filled with glorious Maryland Sheep and Wool news!

This Is Epic (to me)

2009-04-19T21:00:00.004-04:00

Here's the thing. I've been knitting for many years now, and I feel as though I've really advanced- especially during the past couple years. But I still have this problem with stockinette stripes... I thought it would go away with experience, but so far, no luck. My purling is just super loose, no matter how much I try to tighten up the tension. Well, perhaps it's time for a change.

I started a swatch with some (rather unforgiving) cotton left over from Cass's sweater. On the first half of the swatch, I knit and purled my usual way- continental. After a couple inches, I tried something new. I knit continental, then instead of purling, I knit backwards, English style. Anyway, just look at the difference:

I'm pretty amazed. I can't believe the massive difference, and I only wish I had done this sooner. Now here's the downside: Knitting 4 rows the old way took 2 min, 57 sec. 4 rows the new way takes 5 min, 16 sec. That's a lot slower. But look how much nicer it looks! I think it's worth it.

I'm also going to use this swatch in a little experiment: I'm going to wash it every time I put in a load of laundry, and see how long it takes for the stitches to even out (if they ever do). Science!

Crap.

2009-04-12T21:43:00.002-04:00

I discovered a possible flaw with my new bag: It might be a little too deep. And therefore dark and hard to see inside. Especially at the bottom. So when I reach in for my sock and pull out what I think are the extra DPNs, I actually pull out the needles in the sock. Bummer. At least there was only an inch or so done. And I thing the solution for this is to make or purchase some DPN project holders.

Hey! I Did It!

2009-04-11T17:42:00.005-04:00

I sewed! I'm a sewer! Wait, that's not right...

But there it is. I made a knitting bag. It even has pockets on the inside- one specifically for a phone, and one for my notions tin (by the way, thanks goes to the ladies at knit night- mainly Sandy- for pointing out the awesomeness of gift card tins for this purpose)...

And on the other side are two larger pockets for whatever, they are large enough to hold an 8x10" piece of paper folded in half...

It's big enough to hold a sweater-sized project, I think. Below, it's holding my crocheted blanket and the socks (from the last post) and it's only about halfway full. We'll see.

And it has just one strap the way I like (if there are two, one always seems to slip off my shoulder).

The biggest problem I encountered was that my buttonhole wasn't big enough for my button. It was the first button hole I ever made on a sewing machine, and didn't know how big it should be in comparison to the button. I tried to make it the same size, but it didn't quite work out. Luckily, I had one that was a perfect fit, so it all worked out. I still have some concerns about the strength of my seams, but in the worst case I'll just have to make some repairs.

I'm actually quite proud of my little bag, as I haven't sewn anything more challenging than a hem since Home-Ec in junior high school. And I'm excited about not having to dig around in the bottom of my bag for my phone at the next knitting meet-up. It is a little bland though... perhaps I can find a way to dress it up at a later date. And I know, the term is seamstress.

2009-04-10T11:23:00.003-04:00

I love a good day off. No plans, no obligations... a true day of slacking off and doing whatever I please. At some point I plan on knitting, or crocheting, or maybe even working on making a new knitting bag. I have an actual knitting bag (with pockets specifically for skeins and needles and such) but it's a little cumbersome to drag to knit night. Right now, I use a canvas bag that Scott bought for me a long time ago, which is the perfect size- but lacks pockets. And frankly, carrying around a canvas tote bag makes me feel more like I'm turning into my mother than I'm comfortable with. It doesn't help that the bag says "Mom" on it. So I went to Joann's last weekend and picked up some big remnants for a new bag (plus thread and a button):

I don't know where the button will go, or what it will fasten, but I like buttons. The stripey fabric will be the outside, and the paisley will be the lining. Now I just have to figure out how to sew. :)

A couple days ago, I went through a box of keepsakes in search of this sweater:

This sweater was the first thing my dad ever bought my mom. It's super cute, but even if I could fit into it, obviously I wouldn't want to risk damaging it. So it stays wrapped in plastic, in a box in the closet. Even bringing it out for a little while sort of makes me panicky. But I really like it. My guess that it's not hand-knit is based solely on the fine gauge, and the amount of sewing for the seams (machine sewing, not seamed up with yarn). The construction intrigues me- it appears that the yoke was knit separately in the round, steeked, and sewn together with all the other pieces. Also, I didn't see increases in the yoke; instead the gauge just changes.

My early relationship with Scott sort of mirrors my parents' in that they met and fell love pretty quickly. Their engagement was only 6 months, as was ours, by sheer coincidence. Both my mom and I were 19 when we met our husbands, and we both married older men (which mildly concerned our family in both instances). Anyway, I think it would be fun to knit something using the same fair isle pattern as sort of an homage. I'd like to use the same colors, but that main color will pretty much make me look seasick, so my colors will be similar but with blue undertones. I bet there's a pattern out there for a similar cardigan, where I could just swap out the fair isle pattern and change the hem/cuffs/collar if need be. So I've charted the fair isle bits, and the sweater is now safely back in it's box.

The crocheted baby blanket is still chugging along. My early concern was (once again) running out of yarn, but after finishing up the third ball it's about 10 inches long... So if I do 9 stripes, that will be 30 inches, plus there will be the one ball of green left over for the border (which might not be much, but that's okay).

I've gotten faster at crocheting, but can't look up from it which sucks a little. Thank god for podcasts!

And lastly, I did wind up starting a pair of socks for a little variety.

That's going to be a pair of Hedera socks using Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock in Asilomar. Clearly, they're not too far along, but so far so good.

Real Quick (Before I Forget)

2009-04-04T09:44:00.002-04:00

Someone just posted this video on Ravelry, and it's really interesting.

They mention at one point that knitting can even improve your immune system, which sort of boggles my mind, but that would explain why I haven't really gotten sick in a while.

What I want to know is why my memory is so completely warped. Apparently, I can only remember things I don't care to remember. As soon as I think, "I should remember this," I can pretty much guarantee that I won't remember it at all. For instance, as I was driving home the other day, I thought about looking something up online. I even said out loud, "Don't forget..." and repeated whatever it was 5 or 6 times. Later at home, I could not for the life of me recall what it was. I knew exactly where I was on the road, and even what song was on the radio, but I had no idea what I wanted to look up. I still don't. At work I can't remember what supplies we need (unless it was just a passing thought), but I can remember what everyone ordered the last few times we went out to lunch. Weird, right? I wonder if knitting has the power to fix my crazy memory... GASP! What is knitting is the cause of these memory issues!? Oh, well. It's totally worth it.

A Very Important Lesson:

2009-03-31T09:17:00.004-04:00

Always keep a darning needle with your Car Sock for finishing toes.

I keep a sock in the car for any unanticipated knitting opportunities. Just a ball of sock yarn and some DPNs in a ziplock bag... it used to contain a darning needle and pair of folding scissors, but those items were pulled out as needed and never returned out of laziness. A few weeks ago, the first sock of the pair was finished during an oil change, but without a needle the toe was never grafted.

Fast forward to yesterday- Scott and I spent several hours in the ER (he's fine, just some random chest pain- likely Pleurisy) and I had no knitting. Obviously, when your husband calls to say, "I'm going to the hospital with chest pains," your last thought is, "Hold on, let me go home and grab my knitting." If only there a stupid darning needle in that bag, the toe could have been grafted and the second sock begun.

Of course, this is only frustrating after the fact, now that Scott is resting at home. While at the hospital my thoughts were more along the lines of, "Please make him better!" "Why isn't he getting the CAT scan yet!?" and "OMG, OMG, OMG..." But I have to say, Frederick Memorial Hospital was pretty great. Even Scott thought so, and he's a pretty tough customer to please.

His nurse, Judy, was very helpful and attentive. Dr. Thompson, the ER doctor, was very thorough, nonjudgmental, and reassuring. The triage nurses and miscellaneous techs were all great- the guy that took his blood, John (I think), was crazy fast. I think he started an IV and took like 6 vials of blood in under 90 seconds. According the the chatter we could overhear at the nurses' station, the ER was absolutely swamped, but the staff were always patient and available. Scott was out in less than 3 hours, despite needing an X-ray, CAT scan and blood work, but at the same time they didn't rush him out either. Although, being seen so quickly can most likely be attributed to complaining of "excruciating pain on the left side of the chest." Apparently that sends up red flags, and they get you a bed right away.

Anywho, back to knitting! The Boyfriend Sweater is finished! It turned out a lot more like the original pattern than anticipated (and here I thought I was making it more fitted).

The Good: It pretty much fits. The yarn is super soft. It's my first real, seamed sweater. I didn't screw up the seaming too bad. It's super comfy.

The Bad: The sleeves are a little too long, even for me (I grossly underestimated how much the drop sleeves would drop). The waist shaping is just a smidge too high. I should have done a few more rows at the top, in the drop-shoulder area (you can see at the sleeve seams, the sleeves were a bit wider than the shoulder edges).

Overall, I'm happy with it, and feel that I was able to learn from my mistakes. I attempted to thwart the mohair's propensity to shed by sticking the dampened sweater in the freezer (a trick I learned on Ravelry). It seems to have lessened the shedding, but it's hard to tell if that's from the freezer or just from being washed.

I've also started another baby blanket with the frogged yarn from the striped blanket I started a while back. This time I'm going to crochet it, and maybe it will go faster. I'm just crocheting with one ball, and switching colors when the ball runs out for wider stripes. The plan is to go white-green-white-green-white, etc., ending with white on both edges; then using the last ball of green to make a small border.

The first stripe is done, and went pretty quickly. I have until June to finish, which is (hopefully) plenty of time. Now that the sweater is done, this is the only project I really have going. I cannot express in words how strange it feels to only be working on one thing. I may have to start another pair of socks or something just to mix things up.

Alert!

2009-03-23T19:51:00.002-04:00

Anyone who cares should be aware that my screen name on Ravelry has been changed from Kninja to StinkyTinky. I think it's funnier. And Scott actually came up with Kninja, so I wanted a name that came straight from my own warped little mind. Viva StinkyTinky!

Insert Evil Laugh Here

2009-03-18T18:46:00.004-04:00

Excuse my inane banter, and poor videography skills. My camera is only capable of recording up to three minutes of video- exactly the amount of time I needed, apparently. Bwah hahahaha!

Birthday Shenanigans

2009-03-15T10:07:00.005-04:00

It's been an interesting birthday weekend, knit-wise. First on Friday, I decided to frog the Clapotis. I got to another dropped stitch, and discovered this:

It was the last straw. It looks like I somehow managed to sort of cable the stitches or something. That plus the too-long dropped stitches/wrong needle size, and my growing distaste of the yarn all added up. I just did not enjoy knitting this, and life is short. So it's going away forever! Yay! And while we're on the topic of frogging...

Yesterday I decided to also frog the striped baby blanket. It's slow moving, and it's not that it's hard or anything like that- I'm just incredibly unmotivated and don't want to do it. I'll use some of the yarn to make something quick (perhaps a hat and booties) and be done with it.

It occurred to me that I have all this stash and never use it because I rarely knit for myself. I buy the yarn with a project for me in mind, but then get sidelined knitting for other people (for which I buy new yarn). And in eight years, all I've made for myself are some dishrags, two pairs of socks and a shawl. So my birthday gift to myself is to become a selfish knitter!

And speaking of birthday gifts, Scott took me yarn shopping yesterday. From Knittin' Chicks in Mt. Airy I got:

Six skeins of Cascade Cotton Rich DK

Cascade Heritage Sock in blue and in green (yes, the blue is the exact same yarn I used for the Pomatomus socks- I liked it that much)

And Araucania Ranco, for Scott

Then we went to Eleganza Yarns where I got some more Shalimar Zoe

And a sweater's worth of Jo Sharp Aran Tweed

The Jo Sharp was on sale, so I cleaned out the 14 balls she had on the shelf, with the hopes that it will be enough to make a fancy-pants cabled sweater.

This year I would like to be less lazy with my knitting. I've got a growing desire to stretch my knitty wings and do something more interesting. I have the technical knowledge, so there's no reason not to. Although my skills might not be great (particularly my tension), practice makes perfect, right? So I've made a very general list of things I'd like to tackle:

1. The Bohus Sweater
2. A biggish lace project (shawl, scarf, etc.)
3. A cabled sweater, of the traditional aran variety

There's no real time limit for this list, but my knitterly confidence would like to see each of these projects at least started by the end of the year.

Oh, and the whole yarn-buying-hiatus-until-MDSW? Birthday yarn totally doesn't count- as technically it was a gift from Scott. :)

2009-03-02T19:27:00.008-05:00

My knitting skillz have been a little lackluster lately. I don't know what is going on, but everything I knit turns to suck the past couple weeks. It started with a kitty(scroll down)... It was going to accompany the baby blanket, and I had designs on felting it. Long story short, the kitty is now a dog toy. It was horrid, and full of shame.

Then my Clapotis, which looked okay at first, started to go awry. My tension is jacked up or something, and the dropped stitches seem super huge, or long, or whatever- they're just not right. Plus my twisted stitches look like they're pulling away from the neighboring stitches. And to make it worse, I probably should have used a smaller needle.

I'm not ripping it out though. It's too far along, and frankly I just don't want to.

Next up is another baby blanket. First I cast on too many, but figured "Whatever, it will just be more rectangular." Of course, it didn't occur until 6 inches later that I might run out of yarn this way. Then came more tension issues. It's just all over the place, and the stockinette stripes seemingly come and go at whim. I tried purling more tightly, and it got worse. So I purl loosely, and it's even worse than that. What the hell. Hopefully it will even out after a wash and blocking. Gah.

But luckily, crocheting is going much better. After the kitty failed, I used the rest of the skein to crochet a bat, which is full of win:

And this barely qualifies as a crochet project, but I made a cover for my new stand mixer by crocheting together pieces of vinyl with ribbon yarn:

Now the mixer is protected from splattering grease, but I can still see it. Yay! And on another happy note, I finally got all my stash into Ravelry, and going through it was a lot of fun.

That's all for now. Send me some good knitty vibes, I need them!

Blanket Completion!

2009-02-15T12:46:00.002-05:00

Astoundingly, I finished my OpArt rip-off in just a little over a week. I am happy with the results, and super excited that the acrylic didn't mess me up too bad. It took on an interesting shape (which was a pleasant surprise):
The little points appeared when I bound off, and I know they are obviously related to the increases, so I imagine if you don't want them you could just increase in different spots? Okay, I don't know. And I don't care. I like them.

The back is just as fun as the front, except for a couple of ends:
The whole thing wound up being about 38" across. Knitting with the acrylic wasn't too bad, but washing it gave me nightmares. Squeaky, wet, plastic... shudder. The feel of it was horrid. Horrid, I tell you!

But it is done now, and I learned you really can kill acrylic with steam. After doing so, the blanket was no longer defiantly attempting to lose it's shape. I just pinned it out and blasted it with a steamy iron from about an inch away. Worked great!

Cass's Sweater Quasi-Pattern

2009-02-15T12:04:00.004-05:00

I hesitate to call this a pattern, because I am terrible at these things. And it hasn't been tested or anything so it may be rife with errors. But this is the very general gist of what I did:

It's a very basic top-down raglan with only a tiny bit of shaping at the upper arm. The actual sweater has a 35" bust. In the photo above, it is modeled on my 34" bust. You could easily adjust this by doing fewer or more increases (although you will probably also have to adjust the ribbing to accommodate a different stitch count).

Gauge = 4.25 st/in with worsted yarn on size 8 needles

Cast on 104, join in the round and knit 4 rounds.

Round 5: K 35, pm, K 17, pm, K 35, pm, K 17, pm (use a different color, as this one will mark the beginning of the round)

Round 6: *K to one stitch before marker, YO, K 1, Yo, slip marker. Repeat from * 3 more times

Round 7: Knit

Repeat rounds 6 and 7 20 more times

Separate the arms and body: Knit to first marker and remove it. Place stitches between the first and second markers on waste yarn, remove 2nd marker, and knit to third marker. Remove the third marker and place stitches between it and 4th marker on waste yarn. Keep the 4th marker to indicate beginning of round.

Knit every round for about 3 inches, or until it is at the bottom of the wearer's bust.

Begin ribbing: K5, P1 around for about 9"

Note: if you did a different number of increases, you might not have a multiple of 6- count your stitches. Use a little math to see what your count divides into nicely, and adjust ribbing accordingly (i.e. divisible by 5 = K4, P1 ribbing).

When the ribbing is to your (or the wearer's) liking, knit every round for about 3 1/2" (or again, for whatever works for you).

Bind off.

Sleeves: Transfer stitches held for one sleeve to needle, pm and join in the round.

Round 1: SSK, knit to 2 st before marker, K2tog
Rounds 2-9: Knit
Round 10: SSK, knit to 2 st before marker, K2tog

Repeat Rounds 2-10 once more

Begin ribbing: K4, P1 around for 9 1/4"

Note: the note above applies here too!

Knit every round for 6" (or desired length)

Bind off.

Repeat for second sleeve.

Finishing:

Single crochet around the neckline (I used a size H hook)

Weave in ends, close up any holes around the armpit.

Success!

2009-02-06T23:29:00.004-05:00

I seriously love the Classic Cotton used in this sweater. It had a bath in the sink, got spun in the washer for a few seconds, and then went into the dryer until mostly dry. While slightly damp, it was shaped and laid flat to finish drying. Freaking awesome. The stitches evened out wonderfully, and it blocked well.

I'm a little worried that the arms might be too long for Cass, and I hope they don't get in the way if that's the case. But they're also not rolling very much in the photo, and they might roll a bit more when worn throughout the day. If that's the case, they'll be a good length.

I've started a baby blanket for my husband's friend, Kendra. She's very into black, bats and Halloween-type things, and Scott reminded me of her affinity for black when I first mentioned knitting something for her baby. Initially, I was going to make OpArt, but I really don't want to weave in all those ends. Or purl every other row. Or have it take longer because it's garter stitch. So I made something similar, but much lazier. Like OpArt, it's knit in the round from the center out, but it's stockinette, and the color change is every other row (so I'll only have to weave in ends whenever a skein runs out).

It's going well so far, and I like that I can just zone out and knit. It's great car and meet-up knitting, since you don't really have to look at it all the time. But as is the problem with this sort of project, each round gets longer and longer... Hopefully I won't be completely insane by the end!

As Promised

2009-01-31T16:45:00.002-05:00

Baby cardigan:

The only thing that irks me is that the hood was seamed up before I knew how to seam well. It does not irk me enough to redo it though. :)

Shalimar socks:

These I love. That is all.

Cassidy's sweater:

So far, so good. There is ribbing at the waist and mid arm, which creates the slight illusion of shaping, but easier. I'm considering edging the neck with single crochet for stability, but won't be sure until it's all knit up. Just one arm left! Yay!

The Suckage. I Has It.

2009-01-30T17:41:00.002-05:00

So yeah. I suck at blogging lately... my sincere apologies for the lack of updates. Work has been kicking my ass, in combination with carpooling with Scott. That means I leave a little before 6 am and don't get home until 6 or 6:30 pm, leaving little time for anything else. In fact, I am at work right now (off the clock) waiting for Scott to come get me! But I thought I'd sneak in a brief update sans photos, and I promise this weekend I will post pictures.

First of all, the baby cardigan was finished less than 24 hours after that last post. The public humiliation of my failings was too much to bear, and I finally got it right. Both sleeves match each other, and it's washed and everything. It does still need a final pug-hair check, and perhaps a tumble in the drier to fluff up the cotton (it was dried flat, because I fear premature pilling), but it looks pretty good and it felt awesome to finally finish that sucker.

My lovely new socks from the Shalimar Yarn are also finished, and I lurve them. The yarn was awesome to knit with, and I'm really excited to try the other weights (once some of the stash is gone, of course). I think I'd really like to try a sweater with another stonewash colorway.

Cassidy's sweater (the light blue Classic Cotton raglan) is going surprisingly well. I'm completely winging the whole thing, and it's really quite amazing that I haven't had to rip it out even once. I'm nearly done with the first sleeve, and I'm not quite sure how long to make them, but I'm not too worried. I have lots of experience ripping out sleeves. :)

Okay I guess that's it. Now where is Scott? I need to get to knit night!

I Wish We Still Had a Fireplace

2009-01-11T17:59:00.003-05:00

You've probably heard of the infamous Sweater Curse. Well what I have is a cursed sweater. Seriously. It's a little mint green baby sweater, and I swear it is destroying my soul. It started back during mid-2007, when my husband's coworker was going to have his second baby. I had just finished knitting the Knitting Pure and Simple Baby Cardigan, and thought it was easy enough to do once more. It went well until I took a little break with one sleeve yet to go. When I went back to do it, I used a different size needle, and somehow didn't notice until it was finished. The ends were woven in and everything, but one sleeve was pretty obviously much more tightly knit. Rather than frog the thing, I just knit a hat and booties for the recipient and moved on with life.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. Two of Scott's friends are having babies this year, and I instantly thought of the sweater. It only needs one sleeve done, so it should be simple, right? Wrong. I looked at the pattern, forgetting the needle size problem and saw that the sweater had been knit on #7 needles. Size 7 needles in hand, I get started. A couple inches into it, the discrepancy becomes clear. At this point I chastize myself for not being very observant, and for having a really crappy memory, and for not making notes about this sort of thing. The sleeve gets ripped, and I figure I must have accidentally used #6 needles. Again, I knit the sleeve. This time, I knit nearly to the end before I see that the sleeve STILL does not match the other, smaller, sleeve. Now I hate myself and the sweater. This stupid sleeve has been knit three times and I wish it would die in a fire.

Unfortunately, there is just something in my brain that won't let me destroy the thing no matter how mad I am at it. It's too close to being finished, and the idea of being defeated by a baby cardigan really sticks in my craw. So, it is back in the bag (with a note to use #5 needles next time), and I have until June to let the hate subside and finish it.

On a happier note, Scott's scarf is done:

And I've got the cuffs of both Shalimar socks done:
I've made lists of all my projects and goals, and so far so good. Maybe I'll make it to Sheep & Wool after all!

Resolutions. Maybe.

2009-01-06T19:32:00.005-05:00

The socks were finished before the end of the year, as was Scott's hat:

They look good and fit, and Scott likes them. Win! Scott's scarf has been started, and is now about two feet long. Here is a picture of my Robosapien helping out about 18 inches ago:

I wish I could teach him to knit, that would rock.

The scarf has been put aside for a few days (until I forget how sucky it can be to knit six feet of the same. thing. over. and. over.) and right now I'm working on a pair of socks with Shalimar Zoe. They're just plain vanilla socks for myself. Pictures coming later, when they look more like socks.

I've been thinking a lot about making some sort of knitting resolution. My calculations tell me I have over 18 miles of yarn, not including yarn for projects already cast on. That's a lot of yarn. Especially considering I just got rid of a garbage bag full of extra/leftover skeins, remnants, and acrylic I probably wouldn't have used. It's possible that perhaps I should use some of it. Also, perhaps I should also finish some of the unfinished projects I have laying around.

So here's my plan: I am going to buy yarn for one more project (two friends are having kids, I only have yarn for one baby project). After that, no more yarn until I work through 5 miles of yarn. That's 8800 yards, and like I said- it doesn't include WIPs. Which brings me to the second part of my resolution...

I am going to finish the following WIPs this year: the baby sweater missing one sleeve, Cass's top, Scott's scarf, the Shalimar Zoe socks, the Clapotis, and my Boyfriend Sweater. I think that's reasonable, and will make a lot of room in my yarn cabinet.

The only part the sucks is that if I don't polish off five miles by May, I don't get to go to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. For now, I'm considering that to be a motivator, and maybe if I work through at least half, I'll let myself go and get just a small amount (but way less than the 4400 yards I have to get through).

I'm off to get started- and I won't hold it against you if you fell off your chair laughing at the idea of me not buying yarn for at least 5 months.

Quicky

2008-12-28T19:55:00.002-05:00

I still have not finished the second hat for Scott, nor have I finished his socks. Then today, I thought it would be fun to try rollerskating, and promptly fell on my ass (twice) messing up my left elbow something fierce. I haven't actually tried knitting yet, but I think I will be able to only in short bursts. Also, the yarn for Scott's scarf has been chosen- Ella Rae Classic, in Chocolate Heather (#111). Photos soon, once I've got a few inches done. I asked Scott to pick from a few stitch patterns, and he liked Mistake Rib the best. That's it for now. More later this week!

I Need a Nap!

2008-12-25T13:00:00.003-05:00

It turns out that I was so over-confident in my ability to churn out a pair of men's socks in a short period of time, that I thought I'd have time to make a couple of hats as well. Yeah. That didn't quite work out, as Scott's socks are still not done. But he does have a hat that he loves:

And the mail lady got this hat:

Sorry that's such a crappy picture. It's ribbed with cables, in Patons Shetland Chunky. It came out okay for a last minute hat, but I wish I had done the decreases differently- they look a little too obvious in a couple places.

The biggest problem with the socks was that I ran out of yarn. I had two 50g balls of Patons Kroy Sock yarn, and the first sock still has about two inches (including the toe) to go. Of course, this all came to light yesterday afternoon- while Scott had our only car and wasn't due to be home until exactly when the stores closed. So I can't get another ball until tomorrow, but in the meantime I can knit the other sock (which is just past the gusset) until that one runs out. The socks are no longer a surprise, so I can knit them in his presence, and have him try them on to check for length.

If you're planning on knitting men's socks on size 1 needles (I cast on 72 st.) with the Kroy sock, be aware that you may need a third ball!

Now I am also working on a second tam for Scott. The first one (above) was knit up with Patons Classic Wool for the winter, and the next will be cotton for warmer weather. He also requested a scarf, and hopefully I can get the yarn for that this weekend.

Yeesh. I have been knitting nonstop since Friday night. I was so desperate to finish the socks that I pulled all-nighters Sunday and Tuesday. Yesterday I had ice packs and warm packs laying about, and my stomach lining was not thrilled with my diet of coffee and painkillers. Hopefully a few days of extreme knitting won't cause any irreparable damage. I did take a few breaks and stretched often, so I think my hands will be fine after some rest!

There Are Two Sides to Everything

2008-12-19T23:49:00.003-05:00

Tonight was knit night, and I grabbed the opportunity to get some work done on Scott's socks. I had to start them over, because the original version was much too big. I did manage to cast one back on and knit a row, but that's as far as I got (due to a combination of working overtime and major slacking). So I showed up at knit night at about 6:30 with one row of one sock. By the time I left at 9:30, I had 2.5 inches of ribbed cuff done on BOTH socks. That's right. Five freaking inches of sock, total, in three hours. That's over 1.5 inches per hour. That means I can be done with the leg in about another 3 hours, which is encouraging. But I think I've also underestimated the amount of time it takes to knit a pair (I had guessed about 15 earlier this evening).

This also means that I am a total slacker every time I knit anywhere other than knit night. Why can't I be that focused at home? Maybe it has something to do with coffee? Or maybe I'm just too easily distracted at home. Oh, who knows. It could be anyth

My New Friend

2008-12-07T14:49:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I had to venture out to the mall to get an outfit to wear to the office Christmas party. I had all but given up and was on my way back to the car when I saw a store with a bunch of balloons and signs all over the place. It was a B. Moss, which I had never heard of. Apparently the company is going out of business, so everything was 50% off. I went in, and found they have oodles of stuff that would be perfect for the occasion. I picked out plaid pants and a matching green sweater, and was still poking around a bit when I realized that one of the signs on an empty fixture was for the fixture itself. Looking around, they also had shelves, wooden boxes, small chalkboards, and this:

She was for sale for $20. How perfect would she be for my knitting room? I was stoked and dragged her over to the counter. Now she is mine. The store employees called her "Mossy" so that will be her name. It turns out that her measurements are remarkably similar to mine: her bust is actually a smidge bigger, waist is the exact same, and her hips are a smidge smaller. It also turns out that discovering your measurements are similar to a store mannequin does a lot for your self esteem. So does switching from junior's sizes to women's (the number drops by like 3 or 4). I try not to get hung up on stuff like that, but I'm only human and bombarded with the same advertising as everyone else.

I had loads of fun dressing her up in my clothes. Here she is with my shawl:

I absolutely love her, and hope she will come in handy, but even if she just sits there and adds to the ambiance it will be worth the $20.

I'm putting Cass's sweater on hold and decided it will likely be a birthday gift instead. With all the overtime I've been putting in I don't think I'd have time to finish a sweater in just a couple weeks. But I might be able to handle a pair of socks for Scott, so that's what I'm planning. I picked up some "Scott colored" Paton's Kroy Sock by accident when I went to Joann's for cookie tins. I think I can get a fair amount done (hopefully both cuffs) by the 24th. I have that day off, Scott does not. So my plan is to get up as soon as he leaves and finish them in one day. I'll have nearly 12 hours, unless they let him leave early (a very real, and frightening possibility). I think I can do it as long as they are plain, basic socks.

I started a pair of socks for myself with the Zoe sock yarn. I like it bunches, and wish I had more time to dedicate to another project. This whole "work" thing is putting a serious crimp in my knitting.

And if you're curious, I've swatched for the Bohus but that's it. It's just going to have to wait until I have some real time to work on it. Plus (and I swear this isn't just me procrastinating) I really want to finish up some of my WIPs before I start new things. Specifically, Cass's sweater, the Zoe socks, and that cotton Clapotis from way back. I've also got a sweater that only needs arms, and my peach sweater. Hopefully I can power through some of those during my time off over Christmas. Which is also probably going to be the next time I have a chance to update this blog! Until then...

It's Here.

2008-11-16T15:39:00.006-05:00

It came yesterday. I saw the mail truck pull up, and watched as the mail carrier approached... Is she coming here or going to the neighbors? Could it really be here so fast?

Yes, the Bohus kit had arrived. It only took about a week to get here from Sweden, which is pretty impressive.

The yarn is a gorgeous wool/angora blend, all hand dyed by Solveig Gustaffson. You can see in the first picture that she includes a handy color sample thingy for the chart- which is very nice as some of the colors are pretty similar. I've read through some of the instructions and the translation is awesome, so there shouldn't be any problems there. Now I just have to get used to the idea of making an entire sweater with sock weight yarn on teeny needles.

Speaking of the needles, I didn't have the right size so off to the yarn shop I went. They don't carry the size 1.5 suggested, so I picked up the size 0 needed for the ribbing and size 1. I'll see if I can get gauge with that, and if not then I'll try 2's and if that is too big I'll suck it up and order the 1.5.

While at the store, I may have accidentally got more yarn:

Classic Cotton, which I am presently attempting to make into something presentable for Cass. And this:

Shalimar Yarns Zoe (100% superwash wool, hand-dyed) in Juniper Berry. It's very smooshy and soft, and will probable become a pair of socks when the cotton top is done. Or before, if I get frustrated. And yes, I'm totally procrastinating starting the Bohus. I have to work up some courage just to swatch for it...

Practice Shmactice

2008-11-08T21:45:00.002-05:00

For the past several weeks, I've been saving up my overtime $$ for Stitches East, but I found something I want more. A Bohus kit. Don't ask me how I got this particular bug up my ass, but I saw one somewhere (maybe the Yarn Harlot's blog?) and now I have to make one. So I'm skipping Stitches this weekend, and have ordered the Wild Apple sweater kit. For a minute, there was a little voice in my head saying, "You've never knit with two colors, let alone many. What if you hate it? What if you can't do it?" and other such things. I told that voice to shut the hell up and I'll do whatever I want. But eventually, like an indignant teenager, I realized that perhaps this voice was on to something. Perhaps I should crank out a practice fair isle project just to make sure... And so I give you my very first stranded knitting:

It's not perfect by any means, but it's not bad for a first try. My tension was much too tight with the white yarn on the first few rows, so those stitches don't have a lot of definition. But it was surprising to see how quickly my right hand picked up holding the yarn. The whole hat was done this afternoon- those little charts make you feel like you're making a lot a progress and keep you motivated.

The two chemo hats are done:

Try not to make fun of my weirdly shaped head- I just don't look good in most hats. It's a curse handed down from my mother's side of the family. And is it me, or do I have googly eyes in the second one? Anyway, they are done and hopefully will fit the intended recipient. The top one is the same from my previous post, and the second one is done in supple rib (it did wind up getting easier as it went) with Moda Dea Bamboo Wool.

The socks for Cass's little sister are coming along nicely, except for the part last night when I picked up stitches for the gusset before actually turning the heel. And I did that to both socks before I realized it. Awesome. But they are fixed, heels are turned, and I'm decreasing the gusset on one. Tofutsies is super splitty, but if you're just knitting along and not doing anything too tricky (or ripping back) it's not that bad. Which is good because I have two more skeins of it sitting in my stash.

These are just plain ol' simple socks... 2x2 rib down the cuff and on the top of the foot. Nothing crazy, as the recipient is 6 and will probably grow out of them quickly. Although I'm thinking of sending them with some literature on Chinese foot-binding practices...

Woot!

2008-10-29T18:01:00.002-04:00

Cass got her socks, and she likes them and they fit. I can now breathe a sigh of relief. But only for a minute, because her little sister has requested a pair. I think I'll finish up that second hat first, though. Luckily Cass's little sister is only 6 (I think, maybe 7) so she has little feet. Her socks shouldn't take too long. :)

2008-10-26T14:57:00.003-04:00

Cass's socks have been finished and sent off to her. And of course I was in such a rush to get them to her that I didn't think to take pictures. Oh well... they look pretty much like the previous pictures, but with feet. You'll have to use your imagination.

I finished one of two hats for my mother-in-law's sister. She has breast cancer, and this is the second time it's come after her. Totally sucks. My MIL says she'll have to go through chemo for a year to 18 months, so it's pretty likely she'll lose her hair. So I'm making her a couple hats so her head won't get too chilly during the cold Chicagoland winter. This one is the Lace Edged Hat, knit with Paton's Silk Bamboo. I don't know if silk/bamboo really blocks or not, but I wanted to try to get the lace to at least lay flat.

Now I'm working on the second one. I started it in Supple Rib, but frankly Supple Rib is sort of a bitch. It took me two hours to get about an inch and half of hat done, which is a bit much. But I like the way it's coming out, so maybe I'll stick with it.

Scott and I went to the pumpkin patch this weekend, and there was an alpaca tent sent up at the farm. It took all my willpower not to enter the tent and buy all of the yarn she had (only a basket or two from what I could see at a distance). I also forced myself to stay away from the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival this weekend. I'm saving up all my yarn allowance for Stitches East in a couple weeks. I figured Shenandoah will be in the same place next year, but this is the last time (at least for a long while) that Stitches East will be held in Baltimore. So I have to go, and make it count. So that's my plan.

Over-socked

2008-10-13T16:32:00.005-04:00

After making the Pomatomus Socks too long and narrow for Cass, I started another pair for her. These were just sort of made up as I went along. I did 1x1 rib for about two inches, then switched to 4x2 ribbing. I added some twisty not-quite-cable things that sort of spiral around the cuff, but left them off the top of the foot. I was afraid cables on top of the foot might become a comfort issue. They're not quite done yet- I've just gotten started the foot area on both.

The color is most accurate in this photo:

And here is a close up of the twisty bits:

I started with two cables, spaced even apart on the cuff. Then every four rows I would shift the cables one rib further.

Sock boredom hit me again partway through these socks, so I started a shawl. Just something simple and quick for some sense of completion. It was knit with two skeins of Dancing Leaf Farm's Slubby Nubby on size 11s. It took me about a week, but someone less distractible could make it in a weekend.

I'm still a little over-socked, so maybe I'll work on that Boyfriend sweater from way back for a little while.

2008-09-20T14:38:00.003-04:00

It took a while, but I finally spun some yarn:

That's a nickle in there, for reference.
And a close up of the color:

It's 100% merino from Cloverleaf Farms, bought at Maryland Sheep and Wool. The merino was a little bit more slippery than the colonial I spun before, and while it wasn't too much trouble it did make me look nervously at my two pound bag of alpaca fiber (which is even more slippery).

And I learned a new spinning lesson! I have three bobbins, which means that I can fill up two and ply them together on the third. Unfortunately, I also have rather terrible spacial-relations skills. I tend to forget that if I fill (or nearly fill) two bobbins, it is not likely that the contents of those bobbins will fit together on the third. So next time I will be sure to only fill the first two bobbins about halfway.

Anywho, the Pomatomus socks are nearly done as well. And in an interesting turn of events, I'm keeping them. They were too small for Cass, so I was going to give them to my niece. But when I finished the first sock and tried it on, it fit. Despite the fact that I knit them to fit her much smaller feet, they fit me pretty well. And honestly they might be too long for her or Cass. Plus after further rationalizing, I decided neither of them can be trusted to care for lace socks properly. So now they're mine! All mine!!

Knitting Gloves Is Not That Bad, Actually

2008-09-06T19:55:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine asked if I could make a pair of gloves for her friend's son, who was born with two fingers fused together (so he obviously can't wear store-bought gloves). I'd never done gloves, but agreed anyway. The whole thing was a lot easier than I expected, and the fingers were much less fiddley than anticipated. It probably helped that the boy is not quite five years old, so the gloves are small and knit up quickly. Here they are:

They are still damp from the wash in the photo. They're not bad... They're knit up with Austermann Step, which is a self-patterning yarn, and it makes the fingers look a little goofy, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I might knit myself a pair someday.

Still no progress on the Pomatomus socks, but now that the gloves are finished I will probably pick them up again.

Fail Socks

2008-08-24T19:43:00.003-04:00

I have failed the Ravelympics. The deadline is about 14 minutes from now, and this is all I have:

I finished the gusset on one sock, and the other is a few rows behind. I have only myself to blame... I spent too much time screwing around online, I forgot my socks at work, and I may have spent an inordinate amount of time watching for an accident at the intersection in front of my house when a new stop sign went up. If you're wondering, there was a lot of honking and slamming on brakes, but no accidents.

The socks are pretty narrow, and will be sent to my 11 (almost 12) year-old niece upon completion. They're pretty tough to get over my heel and my stepdaughter's heel (the original recipient). My gauge swatch was a filthy liar, and told me I should knit these on size zero needles. Stupid swatch.

And now it is 8:07 and I have officially failed. Oh, well. Maybe next time.

My Ravelymics Plan is No More

2008-08-19T18:40:00.003-04:00

The plan was to knit the Pomatomus Socks like a fiend before my stepdaughter (the intended recipient) arrived, or at the very latest before she left. Well she left this morning, and this is where I am...

That's two out of three chart repeats on the leg complete. Not even half way done. And you know what else? They're too small. I had Cass try one on and she could barely get it over her heel... neither could I. So these socks will likely find themselves on the feet of my niece, who is going into 6th grade so they should fit her. Should. Then I will knit a different pair for Cass, remembering my hard-learned lesson: smaller feet do not necessarily mean narrower feet.

Other than the size, the socks are coming along nicely. The yarn/colorway is perfect for the pattern, the chart is less complicated than it appeared, and the pattern is written very clearly. There are more Cookie A. socks in my future for sure.

Super Secret or Super Sucky?

2008-07-26T16:07:00.005-04:00

In the last post I said something about a super secret project... well it was supposed to be an awesome pair of felted slippers, made to look like those of Dr. Henry Killinger (a character from my favorite show, The Venture Bros. who wears skully slippers).

Well, the slippers came out looking absolutely nothing like they were supposed to...

THEIRS:

MINE:

Note the hideous ridge running up the top of the foot on mine. I'm pretty sure that's due to the instruction to keep the first and last two stitches in garter for the entire slipper. So where's their ugly line of felted garter stitch? Gah. But honestly, I'm a little glad they came out jacked up because that Slate Gray yarn looked a lot less blue on the website. I'll try again, but not until the stench of defeat leaves the air. And next time I'll make up my own pattern.

Right now I'm working on a sweater with the Brooks Farm yarn I got from the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. It's the Boyfriend Sweater from Design Essentials by Suss Cousins. I decided to knit it at a tighter gauge though, so it will be a little smaller (closer to a 34" bust instead of 38") and added some waist shaping. So I guess it's not much of a boyfriend sweater anymore, haha. I'm only halfway up the back so far, but it's going well and I love the yarn.

Last week I was aimlessly perusing the Jimmy Beans Wool website, and noticed this among their clearance yarn:

That's Regia Stretch sock yarn in their Royal Bristol colorway- it's red, black and yellow... Maryland colors!! Okay, so the Maryland flag also has white, but it's pretty close. So I've promised Scott a pair of Maryland Socks, and there's enough for a second pair for myself.

The Ravelympics are approaching, and I am now faced with a dilemma. The plan was to do the Pomatomus socks, which would become a gift for my stepdaughter, Cass. Only now she is coming for a visit (yay!) right in the middle of the Ravelympics. So should I knit feverishly and attempt to finish them in about a week, so that they're done before Cass arrives; or should I just start them now and do a different pair of socks for the Ravelympics? Hmm. I think I can finish them in time- it's not like they're knee socks, and Cass has small feet. Maybe I'll just knit up a swatch and go from there.

Flighty, much?

2008-07-11T16:41:00.005-04:00

I'm already sick of crochet. I made a dishrag, and hated every minute of it. Cotton is absolutely no fun to crochet with- the non-stretchy factor makes it a real bitch to get that little hook through the stitches with any sort of speed. I don't hate crochet, and it's obviously a useful skill to have, but I'm sure as shit not going to be crocheting any more cotton dishrags.

I finished a square for another Obama afghan:

This afghan will look like the flag, and be made up of squares representing each state (except the star section, which is just solid blue with stars). I did West Virginia (IL and MD were already taken) and I actually made two- the first one was about an inch too big. Not sure how I didn't notice that, but whatever. They're quick. Second square came out just the right size, and is on it's way to be sewn up with the others. Just like the other afghan, this one will be raffled off by the Ravelry group Knitters for Obama. If you're on Ravelry, check out the group for more info. If you're not on Ravelry, and you want the chance to win a hand-knit Flag afghan, contact me and I'll tell you how to do it. Either way, go here and give him $$.

I managed to squeeze in a few more rows on the Clapotis, but it's still largely neglected. Now I'm pounding out a small bag for Scott's toiletries (for when he travels), per his request. It's in cheap, easy-care Red Heart so it can take a beating.

I ordered a little yarn. I'm going to make a super-secret project. It's small, so when the yarn arrives, it shouldn't be too much longer before the big reveal. Stay tuned.

It's Not Just Knitting Anymore!

2008-06-30T18:56:00.007-04:00

That's right bitches. As of last Thursday, I am officially a crocheter. I took a class at Eleganza Yarns, where I made this sad little coaster:

Which really isn't all that bad for a first attempt, but perfectionist that I am (hahahahahaha!), I went straight home and tried it again. My second attempt went way better- it actually looks like it's supposed to!

Then I went balls out and tried an Amigurumi elephant:

Just look at that little fucker! He's awesome! My next project is going to be a dishrag, so I can see if crocheting really is faster than knitting. If it is, I could see never knitting another scarf for as long as I live, but knitting still has a lot of advantages. The crocheted fabric is thick and more holey- I don't see using it for sweaters. It seems like they'd make me feel fat and drafty. I think crochet is better suited to blankets, wraps, scarves, and anything else that doesn't necessarily need to have awesome drape or the ability to cover a bra (see prime example here). I would like to try crocheting a shrug, though. I got some cheap yarn to try it out; I need something for walking the dog at night, when it gets a smidge chilly:

Speaking of knitting... I have been churning out a few dishrags. Guess what everybody's getting for Christmas this year?

And I ordered some sock yarn from Lion Brand, because I'm really curious to see what's it's like. If I ever knit socks again, I'll find out!

The colors don't suck, and it feels soft. My biggest concern is that it will pool funny. Maybe I'll use it for the Knitting Olympics! I've tentatively decided on making socks. Possibly the Pomatomus socks from Knitty. It's still sort of up in the air.

OMG I Finished Something

2008-06-21T01:02:00.003-04:00

I actually finished something! And not just one thing, but TWO. Two whole things! First I finished the Obama hat:

The logo came out a little oval, but it's not too bad. And the duplicate stitch really holds the shape, so it doesn't stretch way out of shape when I put it on. I tried to take a picture of it on my head, but I didn't like the way they came out so you only get it on the table.

The scarf I knit up from my handspun is done too. I like it bunches. There was some creative yarn measuring toward the end, in order to make sure there would be enough yarn to make the ends match. It was close, but I didn't run out!

Last Monday, Scott sold one of his bikes and gave me some gifty cash to blow on yarn. I decided to try out Keep Me In Stitches, another local yarn shop in Frederick. They did not disappoint. I'm not sure how the owner crams so much yarn into such a tiny shop, but she does. And it's a good range of yarn- I saw a bunch of budget-friendly yarn, and also noted the display of Jade Sapphire. Mmmm... Jade Sapphire...

I decided gifty yarn money should be spent frivolously, so I got a couple skeins of silk. Schaefer Andrea (colorway is Margaret Mead):

And Blue Ridge Silk Shimmer in Ocean Wave:

I also got this Wool In the Woods (color is Uptown) on sale... it's hard to see in the photo, but there's the slightest bit of sparkle in the yarn. I love the muddy, earthy colors paired with a smidge of glitz- like it can't decide between swanky or rustic.
And last but not least, I got some Cascade Heritage sock yarn. This may become socks for my stepdaughter. I've wanted to make her socks, but wasn't sure about what color she'd like. Blue seems pretty safe, right?I've been churning out a few dishcloths too. They are great for instant gratification, and for knitting on the deck. Small cotton things are much more pleasant to knit in the heat than large wooly things.

My next task is to pick out a project for the Knitting Olympics. The idea there is that you pick project that will challenge you, cast on when the Olympics start, and finish by the time the Olympics are over. The Venture Bros fan group on Ravelry, The Guild of Calamitous Intent, is starting a team for this which should make it interesting. A small bit of research tells me the games are from August 8-24, which isn't a lot of time. What the heck can I do in just over two weeks that will be challenging?

Freaking Hot

2008-06-08T16:33:00.003-04:00

According to Weather.com, it is 96 degrees outside right now and it feels like 104. With that sort of heat, the idea of doing anything with wool becomes ridiculous. But who can resist? So I started two small projects:

A scarf from my handspun

And an Obama hat

Since the yardage is low for the scarf, I'm knitting it on size 15 needles, and threw in a few rows of elongated stitches and yarn-overs. I've got about three feet done, and it looks like there will be enough yarn to make a scarf of respectable length. The hat is going to be knit all in navy, then I'll use duplicate stitch for the logo. I can't figure out how to do it any other way and still knit it in the round. That's all I can give you, the heat has begun melting my thoughts.

My New Addiction

2008-05-27T18:03:00.002-04:00

My first yarn is done, and I couldn't be more proud.

It's not too bad... it varies from chunky to sportweight (or thereabouts), and it's about 85 yards. I think. My measuring method consisted of opening my swift to one yard in circumference, and winding the yarn onto it, counting the number of rotations.

I tried photographing the yarn in about a thousand types of light, but nothing seems to do the color justice. The skein contains just about every color you can imagine... it's awesome. The fiber (colonial top) is from the Cloverhill booth at Sheep and Wool. If I can't find more online, I'll be hoarding it next year for sure. Next up is the merino top from the same place, and I'm going to try to get a more uniform weight. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm Doing It!

2008-05-19T18:07:00.003-04:00

I'm spinning! I'm a spinner!

And it is awesome. I lurve it. I briefly considered using up all my vacation time to sit there and spin for several days nonstop, but my achy fingers didn't think it was such a hot idea.

The first bobbin full was pretty tough to spin up. I had divided the wool in two, watched the How To video from Kromski, and went to town. But I every time I tried to treadle slowly (as to not over-spin the yarn), the wheel would get stuck at the very top or bottom. It was uber frustrating. But after a bit of reading I learned the drive band might be too tight. Mine was as loose as I could get it, so I switched to the other (slightly larger) band that came with the wheel. The second bobbin sent soooo smoooooth...

I heart spinning. Now I just have to think of a good name for my wheel... maybe I should go spin some more and think about it.

Here It Is!

2008-05-12T20:02:00.004-04:00

Okay. The plywood table top is not going work either, but I don't want to be a tease... so here it is (a bit incomplete). This is the view when you walk in the room:

I love that cabinet! The upper cabinet is the perfect size for my stash (although it doesn't leave much room for growth).

The lower cabinet is full of UFOs, leftover yarn, and more UFOs. Moving clockwise brings us to the wheel. Yay!

Also note the spankin' new switch plate and the not-brass doorknob. Close-up of the wheel:

For now I'm still just practicing treadling- no yarn yet. Moving on, there is the basket (full of knitting magazines), sheep picture, and my not-quite-finished sewing table.

Scott and I are going to try to find some sort of "wood guy" this weekend to make a better top for my table. The plywood is too rough, and I don't have the right tools to make it work. Someone who knows what he or she is doing will be able to make a nice routed edge... maybe even a hinged top... hmmm... Well, either way it will look better eventually.

Above the table is the sheep drawing I got at Sheep and Wool (I think I forgot to mention it in the other post). It's an ink print, and it was just $20 (sans frame).

And continuing around to the right of the sewing table is the window (next to the rocking chair), which brings us full circle. I really like these curtains; they have a great sheen:

So there it is! I have to go to bed now, but feel free to drool without me. :)

Not Quite There Yet...

2008-05-12T13:28:00.001-04:00

I’m not quite done with the knitty room yet. I tend to forget that these things always take twice as long as I think they will. But the only thing left to do is fix the sewing table. The old barn wood that it came with is smelly and needs to go. So I bought a piece of plywood, and plan on painting it. Hopefully that can be finished up over the next couple days, but really I don’t know exactly how long it will take to sand, seal, paint and varnish it. Pictures will be coming soon, I promise!

It's Long (and Long Overdue!)

2008-05-10T16:04:00.008-04:00

So much to blog... and I don't know where to start! Let's see... Maryland Sheep and Wool was pretty awesome. Scott and I got there when it opened, and the place was packed. We headed in and started looking right away for spinning wheels- if I left with just one thing, I wanted it to be a wheel. It didn't take long before we found a vendor with one I liked: Susan's Fiber Shop. Susan was super busy, but still took the time to help me try it out. It was the first time I'd spun on a wheel (if you can call what I did "spinning"), and it was a lot harder than it looks- but also super intriguing. Needless to say, I am the proud new owner of a Kromski Prelude with a walnut finish.

There aren't any pictures of it assembled yet because, well, it isn't assembled. Not that letting it sit in the box isn't killing me slowly, but I knew if I put it together nothing else would ever get done, and my knitting room needs to be finished! So no spinning for me until the knitty room is done.

With the wheel being sort of a big-ticket item, my budget didn't allow for a ton of other stuff at Sheep and Wool. But I did get a basket for the knitty room from Inger's Basketry:

Some wool from Cloverleaf Farms to spin up:

And some yarn from Brooks Farm (it's Duet, but I have no idea what colorway it is):

Scott and I stopped by the Western Maryland Ravelers' rest area a couple of times to say hello:

I heart the Western Maryland Ravelers, you guys are awesome!

We also saw sheep, alpacas, and goats. Scott found out that goats are only $150, so I suspect that I might find one in the yard someday (when we get a yard). Scott had a lamb burger, and loved it. I didn't venture anywhere near The Fold's booth- I still have some Socks That Rock from Stitches East, so I didn't feel it would be worth fighting the crowd. And lastly, the Ravelry Meetup was nutty. There was a pretty intense crowd, but I managed to get my little Ravatar sticker and button. Unfortunately, I learned a few days ago that the stickers are not waterproof (all the ink came right off in the rain) so it is no more. All said and done, it was a great time and I can't wait to go again next year.

Not being able to play with the spinning wheel proved to be great motivation to get the knitting room done. In fact, I got the paint a few hours after Sheep and Wool! Right now I am in the middle of painting, and hopefully tomorrow I can put the room back together. Painting is such a major pain in the ass... especially when everything needs to be painted- trim, doors, the ceiling... all of it. Ugh. But it's almost done, and totally worth it. And you can't see any pictures until it's done- it's more fun to reveal it all at once! But here is the "before" picture:

Maybe there will be an "after" tomorrow...

Lastly, the Clapotis. I don't have much done, as I've been a bit busy with the knitty room, but here it is.

It's tiny, I know. Sadly, it will likely stay tiny for a while due to the new wheel. But it's going well so far, and I think I really like it in the cotton. Well, I'm off to paint some more!

Just One More Day...

2008-05-01T20:39:00.003-04:00

Maryland Sheep and Wool is this Saturday. It was supposed to rain, but the chances have gone from 60% to 35% overnight- mostly I am pleased, but a small part of me is sad that I won't be wearing the kick-ass rain boots I bought for the occasion. Now the weather should be cloudy and 75! Nice!

I hope to buy a spinning wheel there (in addition to other stuff...), if I find one I love. And I also hope to maybe find Qiviut... I get the willies just thinking about it. It's so effing expensive- it's more on the "fun idea but probably not" list. I'll also be keeping an eye out for things that will make a nice addition to the Knitty Room (baskets, pictures, etc.). And yarn, duh.

Speaking of the Knitty Room, Scott and I went to an antique store last weekend, and I gots me some furniture! The first thing we spotted was one of those old school Singer sewing machine tables (with the black cast iron legs/pedal), sans sewing machine. It's definitely been well loved, and needs a new top (the current top is just a couple of slabs of old barn wood) which is easy and cheap to fix. Yeah, just forget what I said before about not needing a sewing table... it turns out I need a bookcase even less. The other thing we found was a hutch/cabinet thing. It's a good sized piece of furniture, and should hold pretty much all my stash. It was super cheap, which leads me to believe it's not really very old. But it is solid wood, and built well- that's all I need! They will get picked up on Sunday, and there will be photos when the table is fixed up.

I did start the Clapotis, and I decided that the cotton will work out. There's only a few inches done, and I can't seem to locate the camera, so pictures will have to wait!

Not a Clapotis Update

2008-04-26T19:00:00.002-04:00

I haven't started the Clapotis yet. I know, I suck. But I have fun news. Scott thinks I should use our tax rebate check to do my knitty room. Yay! So right away I started making lists, looking for furniture, and planning a budget. I already decided to nix the idea of the sewing table. I don't sew enough to justify the expense, and seeing as how I detest laminate, it would be quite an expense. Maybe if I happen to come by one, I will rethink it, but for now it's out. So that leaves a bookcase and yarn storage. The bookcase will also be part yarn storage- I'd like to put yarn in baskets or bowls on the shelves. I have no real ideas yet for other yarn storage. Maybe something like a pie safe? Preferably something with glass doors, or an open front so the yarn isn't hidden.

I'm going to look for a spinning wheel at Sheep and Wool, hopefully I can find one there. I'm so excited about going, I could pee a little. I plan on leaving around 7:30 so I can be waiting when they open. I hope the weather isn't crappy!

That's all for now. Guess I should go cast on for the Clapotis...

Woot!

2008-04-24T21:04:00.002-04:00

I am now able to attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival on Saturday (and maybe Sunday too!). Scott had a Dr. appointment that Saturday, but it had to get rescheduled! Yay! And he even wants to go with me- which shocked me a bit, but makes me very happy. I suspect he wants to go because there will be cheese there...

I have temporarily stopped any progress on Spencer's sweater. It's just not nice to wrap a hot little puggy in wool when the weather is this warm. It will either wait for a cold spell or until fall. This has nothing to do with how completely frustrated I became with my inability to accurately measure my dog, by the way.

Instead, I might knit a Clapotis. Yeah. I caught the Clap. I never really thought about making one until I saw a couple at the knitting meet-up, and they really look nice. And apparently, it looks good in just about any yarn. I happen to have two hanks of Schaefer Susan (a mercerized cotton) that I might just use. I'll start it this weekend, and if it looks okay in the cotton I'll post pictures. If not, I'll just frog it and we'll never speak of this again.

Been a While... Again...

2008-04-15T20:23:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I haven't updated in forever, I know. Honestly, I haven't been knitting much. The Mystical Creations Yarn thread over in Ravelry has me totally sucked in. If you're not on Ravelry, I suggest you go RIGHT NOW- if only to read about the insanity that is this story. Allow me to sum up:

Mean Woman sells yarn on eBay.
Yarn is bad.
People have lots of problems with their yarn, and with Mean Woman.
People on Ravelry get super pissed at Mean Woman- her yarn sucks, and she is a douche.
Mean Woman attempts to fake death to avoid angry customers.
People on Ravelry start contacting authorities.

There is so much more to that, but really there is no way to post it here. The original thread contains nearly eight thousand posts. If you plan on reading them all, you might want to take a vacation day or two. It's a very juicy read.

Admittedly, there is still a part of me that is grasping onto the ass-end of adolescence. And that part simply cannot get enough of this weird, train-wreck type of drama. As long as it's other people's drama, that is. I'm not proud.

As for knitting, I'm still working on Spencer's sweater, and have gotten to the raglan shaping on the back, but that's not saying much. I hope to have the back done and seamed to the front by Friday. That way, my mindless knitting for the meet-up can be the legs and collar.

Oh, the meet-up! I haven't mentioned that here yet! Two Fridays ago was my first time at a knitting group (the Western Maryland Ravelers Group from Ravelry), and it was a lot of fun. I met a bunch of great people (hi Linda!), and got to be social for a few hours. The group meets every other Friday night at the local Barnes and Noble, and everyone has some nice, relaxing, time to knit among friends. It's awesome.

While I was there, I swatched the Classic Elite Cotton Bamboo, and while I like it, it's totally wrong for what I had hoped to make with it (a cropped cardigan with lots of mini cables). So the search is on for something else to with it! That shouldn't be too hard, what with all the Spring/Summer patterns coming out lately. We'll see.

Cables, Cables, and More Cables

2008-03-29T22:14:00.003-04:00

Apparently, I'm into cables lately. It wasn't a conscious thing, but my two current projects have 'em. First is the shrug I started back before Christmas, which is now looking more like a wide scarf. I grossly underestimated how much cables pull in. Other than that, it looks okay. I can't seem to correct my issue with gappy stitches to the left of the cables, but I hear that it's a common problem and should even out with a few washings and wear. There's also twice as much done as you see in the picture- I'm working both ends at the same time. I do have some concern about running out of yarn. If that happens, it will suck, but I plan on just finishing it with what I have and moving on.

Then there's my new project: a sweater for little Spencer. I keep reading (on Ravelry) about how tough it is to find a sweater pattern that will fit a pug. So I decided to try to make one. It's got sort of a raglan thing going on, with a cable that will travel up his back. If it works out, I'll post my half-assed pattern here- but don't get your hopes up. My projects tend to take a horrible turn for the worst towards the end. There's still a pretty high probability it will end up in a bag in the closet.

Since the cables are smaller, I'm not having that gap issue after the cables. The pattern for the cable is from Super Stitches Knitting by Karen Hemingway. At first it seemed complicated, but after a couple rows it clicked, and things got easier. I really like cables. They have a lot of bang for their buck, meaning that they look so freakin' complicated... but really it's a simple technique. Well, wish me luck!

Decisions Are Hard

2008-03-17T16:53:00.005-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about my knitting room, and what I want to do with it. The first thing I did was poke around the forums in Ravelry, hoping for ideas. But I quickly learned that most people's idea of a craft/knitting room is just a place to store things. Almost all the photos I saw were all function, no form. I want my room to be a knitty oasis... I want it to be a room that I really love spending time in- not just a place to dump my yarn. Besides, my stash deserves nothing less than the best accommodations.

I decided to start with a few ground rules.

Rule #1: No plastic storage. None.

Rule #2: No fucking laminate furniture. I can't stand it- especially if it's white!

Rule #3: No furniture painted black (this seems to be a trend). I don't like it.

Then I thought a little more, and decided that it would probably be helpful to choose some sort of general "look" for the room. So I listed some things I like in decor: Warm tones. Deep, rich, stained wood furniture. Soft lines and edges. Muted colors.

I lean towards antique, traditional, and such. But the word country makes me gag. Hard. Shit, I can barely type it. I hate it that much. Anyway, in thinking about all those things combined with the room's purpose (knitting and spinning), I felt that a sort of Colonial look would be nice. Or at least my version of Colonial- with simple, clean lines and a New England feel. Now we're getting somewhere.

I needed to start thinking about furniture. I need a small table for my sewing machine, a bookcase, and a place to put my yarn. There also needs to be a space for the spinning wheel I plan on getting one day. And I have my rocking chair, too. I measured the room (10'2" x 7'8") and thought about where things could go. Eventually I made a little sketch, which I have reproduced for you here with MS Paint:

Awesome, no? The top is a bit cut off, but oh well. The doorway is in the upper right corner, and the other door leads to the closet (which is already pretty full). The thicker line at the bottom left represents the window, in front of which is my rocking chair. Those four tiny green dots represent outlets, and the big orange dot is where I will likely put a floor lamp, if needed. The other areas (green, blue, red and pink) represent available furniture areas. And you can see my chosen wall color at the bottom, a soft muted blue.

Here are my problems: The room is small. Really. Small. The initial plan was to put a buffet/cabinet in the green spot, a bookcase in the blue spot and a sewing table in the red spot. And hopefully I can find a good wheel that would fit behind the closet door (which I'd keep closed but don't want to block it). All this furniture might not fit in the room. So now I'm thinking that I'll have to combine the bookcase and yarn storage. The other problem is that I can't find a sewing table that doesn't suck. Everything is either way too big or a total piece of crap. Guess I'll be spending a lot of time searching local antique shops for the perfect pieces! If I find anything good, there will be pictures.

A Very Knitty Birthday

2008-03-14T16:50:00.007-04:00

Well, today is my birthday. Typically, I don't like my birthday... but friends and family are making that harder for me with every year that goes by. This year I received a couple monetary gifts, and treated myself to some yarny goodness.

First I went to Borders, and picked up Lace Style and the newest Interweave Knits. I've been wanting to start working on lace, and I found a couple of yummy patterns I liked in both (like that Cobweb Lace Stole in Interweave).

Then today I drove over to Eleganza Yarns- which is now only ten minutes away (squee!), and I gots me some yarn!

Mmm... that's some lovely Schaefer Lola in the colorway Toni Morrison. I actually have some more of this colorway in Schaefer Nancy, and always had thoughts of doing some sort of jackety-cardigan type thing with the main body knit up with the smooth Lola, and adding the cuff, collar, etc. with the slubbier Nancy. I don't know if I have enough Lola to realize that dream (840 yds), but maybe it could work. We'll see. I should also remember to see how a swatch reacts to washing- the Lola is superwash, Nancy is not. Hopefully just handwashing will be okay, but you can never be certain.

After looking through the lace book, I decided I needed something that is sportweight, smooth, a solid color, and has a nice sheen. So I picked up 5 balls of Classic Elite Cotton Bamboo. But with all that stitch definition I'll have to be extra careful with my tension... gah!

My brother- and sister-in-law sent some goodies for me too! They have a knack for finding awesome stuff... like this:

Top view:

And I couldn't get a good photo, but on the side it says, "I need a half gram of wool and quick! I'm starting to come down..." Who hasn't felt like that?

With my Stash Bank, came a magnet-

I find the combination of the bank and this magnet to be utterly hilarious, as I am (in reality) much too elitist to ask for knitting lessons. I will, however, start saving for some Qiviut right away...

There was also a witty air freshener in the package, but apparently cellophane doesn't mix well with photography, and I'm not ready to open it and let out all the smelly goodness. I'm waiting for the day when it can properly scent my knitty room.

Speaking of the knitty room, I'm still at a loss as to how to decorate it. I can't decide on one damn thing. Carpet or Pergo? Curtains or wooden blinds? Or maybe shutters? What color should I paint it? Do I want open or closed yarn storage? What sort of lighting should I get? There are just too many decisions! I suppose the first thing to do would be to set some sort of budget, but I don't even know where to start with that! Maybe that will be my weekend project, as I'm sure a budget will narrow down my options.

I Haven't Disappeared...

2008-02-27T20:51:00.003-05:00

I'm just preoccupied with the new house, but I've been knitting when I can. I've been working on Quant from Knitty. I'm using yarn from Dancing Leaf Farm- it's Rhumba in Briar Patch. So far so good! The entrelac keeps things interesting, but it's not so complicated as to drive you nutty.

The shawl I started awhile ago hasn't been touched since I blogged about it, and I'm thinking about ripping it out and doing something different with the yarn. I'm just not feeling it, and the thought of knitting another thousand or so yards of it makes me a bit nauseous.

That's it for now.

I Got Nothing

2008-02-17T21:31:00.002-05:00

Seriously. This whole buying a house thing wiped me out, and I have barely been knitting. My socks are on hold, and I did start a small something-or-other for Cass's birthday. And I can't do anything else because I've packed up all my knitty things! But it did make me feel a bit warm and fuzzy to see that I have four garbage bags full of yarn.

I promise to make up for the past several shitty posts when I start fixing up my new knitting room! Yay knitting room!

Oops

2008-02-10T01:38:00.000-05:00

I have been neglecting this blog, but for good reason- Scott and I are getting a house! Yay!

But anyways, I finished my Obama afghan strip... go here and donate $$! Illinois represent, motherfuckers! And of course I was so preoccupied with getting the strip in the mail, I forgot to take pictures. Just imagine a four inch wide garter stitch strip with seemingly random blocks of red, white, navy and light blue.

Now that it's done, I have zero knitting pressure. Ahhh... it's very nice. I picked up a sock I haven't touched in months, and plan on making the pair for myself.

In two weeks, the husband and I will be driving back to Illinois for a few days, and while knitting in the car tends to make me nauseous, I'm wondering if I can spin in the car. It will be interesting to find out, but first I should probably try to see if there's even enough room. Hmm. I'll let you know.

Sigh.

2008-01-31T21:03:00.000-05:00

Scott and I might be buying a house. This is very good news, yet I am a little sad. The house we are (hopefully) getting needs a lot of work, which means no yarn for a while. This is mildly devastating, as I had hoped to go nuts at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year. I even had dreams of buying a spinning wheel. Well, I guess it is a fair trade... but all this grown up compromise shit sucks sometimes. Why can't I just have everything? I guess I'll just have to keep in mind that our low mortgage payments will eventually mean lots of yarn, and there's always next year...

Loosey Goosey

2008-01-26T11:50:00.000-05:00

I started my strip for the Obama Afghan a few days ago, and learned that apparently I am a very loose knitter. The gauge given was 18 st over 4 inches on size 8 needles, so I cast onto my size 8s and went to town. Several inches later, it was too loose. So I switched to size 7s, but it was still a smidge too loose. I ripped it all out and started again, this time knitting tightly (I would have gone down to size 6 needles, but they're otherwise occupied right now). Bingo. However, I fear that knitting a strip over 5 feet long very tightly will wreak havoc on my hands. Good thing I just bought a big bottle of aspirin!

And that laceweight merino I wanted to use? I decided to screw around with it, and try out a Pi shawl. The idea is that the circumference of a circle doubles every time the radius doubles. So you cast on the center few stitches, and increase to double that number every 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 (and so on) rows. I found that the first few rounds were super tricky. When you only have one or two stitches on each of four needles, it's very hard to see which needle is supposed to come next- I had to number my needles so I could keep them straight. I've got about an 8 inch diameter circle now, and frankly, it looks like ass. I'm just going to keep going and see what happens... chalk it up to a learning experience. When I move up to a bigger circular needle, I'll post pictures. Right now I've got to get moving on that strip!

We Have Completion!

2008-01-18T22:42:00.000-05:00

The second sock is done.

Now I am off to knit a strip for this afghan, or at least I will be off to knit it when the yarn arrives. I had to order the Lion Brand Wool-Ease online- apparently none of the stores in my area carry any of the colors I need.

What will I knit next? I'm thinking about doing something with the navy laceweight merino I got a few weeks ago. I've been looking at shawls, but haven't really seen anything yet that blew my skirt up. We'll see.

Second Sock Syndrome...

2008-01-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

...is a bitch.

I thought I had found a cure in telling the recipient that the second sock would probably be done this weekend, but no such luck. I think the mistake was throwing in that "probably." As in, they'll "probably" be done, unless I get lazy and practically ignore them. On Thursday (when I last communicated with said recipient) I had not quite 3 inches of ribbed cuff completed. As of right now?

3 1/4 inches of ribbed cuff, and half a heel flap. I've really got to learn to be more ballsy with my cuffs. I have a constant fear of running out of yarn, so I make the cuffs short, even when I have oodles of yarn. I have two 50g balls of this yarn, and the first sock only used about 3/4 of one ball. Now I know, and next time I will take a risk and make a longer leg. But the first sock turned out okay despite my cuff issues (it's a little big on me though).

I never did show you the alpaca I ordered, so here it is in all it's glory: two pounds of creamy alpaca from Spunky Eclectic.

Here it is up close...

I never want to stop touching it.

It's incredibly soft and dense. I'm a little afraid to spin it up, mainly because I don't want to muck it all up. For now I'm happy just to stick my hand in the bag every now and then.

Last weekend I bought this book,

The Knitter's Book of Yarn, by Clara Parkes. Honestly, I got it with the intention of using it more as a reference guide. I mean, I love yarn as much as the next knitter, but an entire book about yarn? I didn't think it would hold my interest enough to read it cover to cover. That is, until I started reading it- you never knew there was so much to know about yarn. From a fiber's staple length to the amount of twist in the plies, there is a wealth of information. Learning how and when to substitute yarns will prove invaluable. If you knit, you should read this book! By the way, the pattens are pretty awesome too.

Speaking of books, am I the only one going nutty from the anticipation of a new Yarn Harlot book? Her new book is set to be released in April, and I only hope I can keep from peeing myself at that point.

Socks!

2008-01-07T19:14:00.000-05:00

One down, one to go... I'm knitting up a pair of socks for my step-mother-in-law, and the first one went so fast (it always does), but now the second one seems like it will never be done. Probably because I've stopped knitting on it. Admittedly, I'm still a little worn out from Christmas, and the mojo just isn't there.

There were a few fun things about this sock, though. On my other socks, I changed from ribbing to plain stockinette after the cuff. But on these, I continued the ribbing down the top of the foot. They have a better shape, and hopefully won't feel loose (as my husband's do). I also knit them on size 1 DPNs, as opposed to size 2, which makes a nice, tight weave, that I hope will wear well. The teensy needles were hideously warped after the first sock, and I can only hope they hold out for the second. I have started having nightmares where I am forced to either buy metal DPNs, or buy new bamboo needles for each pair of socks. Blech. I hate metal needles like poison. Maybe one day someone will figure out how to make a bamboo sock needle with a metal core, sort of like a pencil... excuse me while I go write Crystal Palace a letter.

Flipped Cars and Yarn

2007-12-31T22:22:00.000-05:00

Eleganza Yarns has an annual "step-down sale" on New Year's Eve, where if you arrive between 6 and 7 a.m. you receive 40% off; between 7 and 8 a.m., 30% off; and so on. I woke my ass up at 5 in the morning, and got in the car by 5:30. There was a bit of patchy fog, and the wet pavement and low temps told me to be cautious on bridges. Basically, "just don't drive like an asshole and you'll be fine" sort of conditions. But apparently everyone here drives like an asshole, as was evidenced by the insane amount of accidents. I must have passed 4 or 5- and we're not talking fender-benders. Cars smashed to bits, flipped upside down... it was crazy. About a mile from my exit, there was a three car accident that blocked traffic for miles. I sat for 45 minutes at a dead stop. As I sat in my car, watching the minutes tick by, I grew more and more frustrated. I was going to miss my 40% window because some douchebag can't figure out that wet roads + below freezing = icy roads. Gaaaahhh!

Once the traffic started moving, I got to Eleganza in just 10 minutes. Hooray for green lights. Miraculously, I managed to arrive before 7! Yay! And here's what I got:

Tofutsies! Because who doesn't need more sock yarn?

And more sock yarn...

Then I got enough Jo Sharp Silk Road for a sweater

Can't forget the Manos del Uruguay

And as I was waiting in line, I spied some Skacel Laceweight Merino

It's navy (not black) and one day I will tackle one of those awesome super-challenging shawls. One day...

And lastly, I have a finished object! I made a pair of Knucks for a friend, and they were handed over this weekend. They turned out well, but I can't embroider so they lack the awesome lettering. Plus I'm lazy.

I'm halfway through the first sock of a pair that I owe my step-mother-in-law, then I have another pair for my brother lined up. After that I plan on knitting something for myself!

Yay, Christmas!

2007-12-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

Firstly, all the knitted gifts were well received (and fit!) which was a HUGE relief. After reading some horror stories on Ravelry, I was preparing for the worst. But everyone seemed pretty happy! Yay!

And I gots me some goodies! From my loving husband: a ball winder and swift!

And tried them out right away with some Noro. The ball on the left is the one I wound with my nostepinne, and the one on the right was done on the ball winder.

There isn't a huge difference in size, but the time it took was drastically different: the ball winder took just a few minutes, while the nostepinne took two hours. That's a lot of knitting time that will be saved!

My in-laws were kind enough to send a monetary gift, which was split evenly between the hubby and I. Scott got a helmet camera and some gloves. Boring! I got a swanky Golding spindle (the Kingwood) and some really awesome roving from Loop on Etsy. I got the Earth Mother colorway, but Chocolate Liqueur was a close second (someday...). I spun up a little bit as soon as I had the chance. Please refrain from making fun of my inability to spin, I know I still suck.

My pictures really don't do the roving justice-it is beyond beautiful. As for the spindle, I'm not good enough at spinning to really know how great it is. But I can say it is better than the old one- there is a marked difference in the way it feels as it spins. Hopefully one day I'll know more about spinning to tell you more.

I also bought two pounds of alpaca from Spunky Eclectic, but it won't ship until Monday. :( More updates then!

Non-Knitty: Diva Cup Review

2007-12-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: The following review contains much TMI. You are warned.

A while back, my brother's girlfriend wrote a review of the Diva Cup in her blog, spurring me to try it out. I loved it so much, I wanted to do the same; hopefully introducing another woman to the magic that is the Diva Cup.

If you've never heard of it, the Diva Cup is a menstrual cup. Inserted in the vagina, it collects the menstrual flow, and gets emptied (typically) twice a day. If you're completely grossed out, bear with me. It's not as icky as you think. The big advantages it has over tampons are:

1. It doesn't suck all the moisture out of your vagina (which would throw your pH out of whack and leave you susceptible to things like Toxic Shock Syndrome).

2. You only have to take it out every 12 hours. No more hauling around pads and/or tampons and scrambling to find decent public restrooms.

First, let's dispel a quick myth. You have likely been brainwashed by countless Summer's Eve commercials into believing your vagina/period is dirty. In reality, your mouth is filled with way more bacteria, yet you don't think twice about sticking your fingers in there, do you? If you use the Diva Cup, you are going to come into contact with your period. Wash your hands. Problem solved.

Okay. On to the review! Obviously, I loved it. I found mine at an organic grocery store, and also bought the Diva Wash for it. The cup is about $30, which seems spendy at first, until you realize that if you go through a $5 box of tampons each period, it pays for itself in 6 months. When my period came about a week later, I was eager to try it out.

I inserted it the morning before I went to work. One of the great things about the Diva Cup is that you can put it in before your period even starts, unlike tampons. It hangs out kinda low in your vagina, but you can't feel it. I was really paranoid that it was going to leak, so I used a pad too. At work, I must have ran to the bathroom five or six times, convinced it was going to leak. It didn't.

That evening, I took it out at home, emptied it, washed it with the Diva Wash, and stuck it back in. No problems.

Now, on the second day I did have some issues, but they were my own fault. When I reinserted the cup in the morning, I could feel it. That should have been a big clue that I had put it in wrong. It leaked until I got to work, where I reinserted it. After that, I had a teeny bit of spotting, which I believe was due to a small amount of menstrual fluid that was below the "seal" when it was reinserted. That happened a few times after emptying it, but nothing a pantyliner couldn't handle. The third, fourth and fifth days of my period went off without a hitch.

There are a lot of questions that I felt the website didn't answer in a super specific way (probably to avoid sounding icky), so here's what I found:

-I got some blood on my fingers. Not much, but I did. Have you ever accidentally soaked through a tampon, then got a bit of blood on your fingers from the string? It was like that. Amazingly, it washed off!

-It doesn't smell. The "period" smell you're probably familiar with comes from menstrual blood oxidizing on a pad. A healthy vagina and menstrual fluid do not smell- if they do, there is something askew and you need to talk to your doctor.

-During a typical period, I went through a regular tampon every four hours or so during the heaviest part of my cycle. With the Diva Cup, I filled it halfway or less (1/4 - 1/2 ounce) every 12 hours in the same part of the cycle. So even if your cycle is pretty heavy, you should still be okay.

-I couldn't poo with it in. The website says you can, but I was seriously afraid of "pooping it out" since that's how you get the Diva Cup out- you bear down on your abdominal muscles. But I prefer to go #2 at home anyway, so for me it wasn't a big issue.

-It never once spilled while taking it out. And I am a completely uncoordinated clod. Although, it was always only half full or less, which probably helped.

-My favorite part? Having something to use at night that won't leak! Before I would have to use a tampon and an extra huge pad at night, in order to avoid changing the sheets. Ugh, I hated sleeping in a huge, bunchy pad! But no more, thanks to the Diva Cup!

The Diva Cup is pretty great. Try it, and you won't be disappointed! After using it for just one cycle, I can't imagine going back to anything else. If you are interested, you can order one from the website, or look for one around town. You'll probably have better luck locating one in a college town, or places that cater to the organic and vegetarian crowds- since another advantage of switching to the Diva Cup is reducing the amount of trash you produce. So help save the planet, save some $$, and go get a Diva Cup!

Yeah, It's Been a While...

2007-12-22T21:50:00.000-05:00

I know. I suck. It's been almost a month since the last post. But I bet this past month has been craptastically busy for everyone, and that none of my four readers even noticed. Hopefully the good people at the Knitting Blogring didn't notice either...

Anyhoo. The Year of the Knitted Gift has nearly come to an end! All the knitties have been sent off, except for two- a pair of socks for my step-mother-in-law, and a pair of socks for my brother. Foot measurements are needed for both of these folks, and they have received IOUs. Also waiting to be finished: a pair of Knucks for my husband's friend. He was warned in advance that he would have to get in line behind all the Christmas knitting, and so far I've finished seven fingers, both thumbs, and joined the fingers on one hand. Here is the list of completed knitted gifts (now that they have been received and/or the recipients won't likely read this before seeing them):

Matching hat and scarf for FIL
Shawl for my sister
Hat and wristwarmers for BIL
Sweater for other BIL
Washclothes for SIL (sent with pretty soaps)

I had pictures of the BIL sweater, but they have disappeared. I learned that I don't completely suck at seaming, but I hate it like poison. I tried to find Wool Ease Worsted in the same color (the sweater was knit with Wool Ease Chunky) for the seams, in order to keep the bulkiness to a minimum, but couldn't locate any. Although it turned out okay, I think- the only bulky parts were the armpits where there were about a thousand ends to weave in.

Remember that lovely cabled wrap? It still looks exactly the same, and it will not likely advance for some time. The mojo has just been sucked right out of me. Never again will I knit more than one gift per year. It's just too much piled onto a time of year already rife with stress.

I didn't even take new pictures because frankly, I was tired. All I wanted to do was get it all into a box and ship it hundreds of miles from here. Once that was done, it felt sooo good.

Adding to the stress was the fact that work finally picked up in a major way. We got a shipment of supplies a couple weeks ago (our customers ship us the supplies we need so we're at their mercy), and suddenly it's all about overtime and trying to make up for lost time by the end of the year. Ugh. But my company let everyone go home early on Friday, we have Monday and Tuesday off, and the rest of the week will be a bit lazy-daisy since most of the company has taken those three days off. From here on out it should be more relaxed, and there will be time once again for a break now and then.

The Knucks won't take too long, and I can bang out a pair of socks in two weekends. That means by this time next month I might have all my projects done, and can knit something for myself!

Husband Hat Quasi-Pattern

2007-11-26T20:37:00.000-05:00

I had a request for the Husband Hat pattern, so here is what I did, to the best of my recollection. My memory is crappy, and I don't take very good notes, but hopefully you can improvise from what I do remember.

Yarn: one skein each Paton's Classic Wool in black and olive, or any felt-able worsted weight yarn

Needles: size 8 16 in. circular and DPN's, and a size H crochet hook

I didn't pay any attention to gauge whatsoever. Sorry.

Using the black yarn and circ. needle, cast on 114 stitches- my husband has a big ol' Fred Flintstone head (23 7/8") so you might need to cast on less.

Place marker, join, being careful not to twist, and work in stockinette for about nine inches or so- again, this should be adjusted by the size of the wearer's head. Felting makes knitting shrink by about 30%, so make it that much longer than you would normally have it.

Decrease for the crown, switching to DPN's when necessary:
Round 1. (K17, K2tog) around
Round 2. K
Round 3.(K16, K2tog) around
Round 4. K
Round 5. (K15, K2tog) around
Round 6. K

Continue in this fashion, knitting one less stitch before the k2tog in every other round, until you get to the (k2, k2tog) round. Skip the knit round and go straight to (k1, k2tog) around. Then k2tog around, and cut yarn leaving a long tail (about a foot). Thread the tail onto a needle, and draw through all stitches twice. Pull tight, and fasten yarn to the inside of the hat.

Ear flaps:
Mark where you want the ear flaps to be. I did this by putting it on my hubby's head, and noting where his ears were. Again, I added a little to account for the felting.

With right side facing, pick up and knit the number of stitches you get from that (I think I got 13), and knit in stockinette until your flap is square.

To form the point, stay in stockinette and decrease one stitch each row until you have three stitches remaining. Bind off. Repeat for the other flap.

Edging:
Stick a slip knot on your crochet hook and single crochet around the edge of the hat.

At this point, weave in any ends and you're ready to felt!

I threw it in the washer on the hot cycle with a pair of jeans, and pulled it out before the spin cycle. I rolled it in a towel to remove most of the excess water (the spin cycle makes it too fuzzy). Then I threw it in the dryer to shrink it further. Check it's progress often, and stop when it's the right size. I let it dry completely on a bowl on the kitchen counter.

Once the hat was completely dry, I added the braids to the flaps. To attach them, I threaded yarn right through the fabric so it was sort of folded in half, and braided them together. You can do it before and felt them, or make crocheted chains or whatever you want.

Good luck!

Update 2- The Sequel

2007-11-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

I am so sad that Thanksgiving is over. We had an awesome feast with all the trimmings, which also provided meals on Friday and Saturday. There was football, and pie, and a Christmas movie (Mixed Nuts) to start the holiday season off. I'm already looking forward to next year.

On to knitty things! I already mentioned the garter scarf is finished:

And I'm also done with the hat for my (other) brother in law...

The colorway made a goofy pattern, but I'm going to go with it. I started some fingerless mitts but I may start over, as I'm not entirely thrilled with the pattern I chose.

And here is the cabled wrap I started... so far I like it.

It's knit up with the angora I was going to use for the Buttony Sweater. Silly me figured that the gauge would be the same if I used the same needles, but I didn't realise how much cables pull in. So the wrap is a smidge narrower than planned, but still okay.

I also started the Brother in Law Sweater v. 2.o last week, and already finished the back without too much effort. If I put my nose to the grindstone, I think I can bang out the front by tonight. It's going so fast, I may start using chunky weight yarn for all my future sweaters! Again, the sweater is a smidge big, but this time it's sort of on purpose- the pattern gives finished chest measurements for 41" and 45" and the BIL has a 40" chest. I didn't want to make the 41" and have it be too snug, so I went with the 45". Time will tell if this was a mistake, but I figure I may be able to do some creative seaming to cinch it in a bit to make up for the difference.

On Friday, the husband went camping with a friend, leaving me to my own devices. I had received an email informing me of a sale at my favorite yarn shops, Eleganza yarns, so that's exactly where I headed.

I picked up some Regia sock yarn...

Some Garnstudio linen yarn...

and six skeins of Noro Silk Garden...

I planned on using the linen for some washcloths, and giving them for Christmas with some nice soaps. I have no idea what to do with the Noro, but I loved the colorway and had to have it.

One last thing (because I love to brag)- we still haven't turned on our heat. I think we might be able to make it to December. Granted, it was like 70 degrees outside last Wednesday, but now it's back down to the typical highs in the forties. The poor dog is constantly squirming his way onto our laps to stay warmer. I may have to knit him a sweater.

Now, if I am going to polish off the front of that sweater, I had better get going!

Monday Night Quickie

2007-11-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update... I finished the body of the sweater for my brother-in-law a few days ago. And it's huge. What is it with me and sweaters coming out huge (whether I swatch or not)? Husband tried it on, and it was big (but not silly big) on him. He kept trying to convince me it would be fine, but I just don't believe him. There's not enough time to frog and start again, so I went to Plan B: get some Wool-Ease Chunky and make a different (faster) sweater. The old sweater will eventually be finished and given to the husband.

I finally finished the scarf for my father-in-law, pictures will be posted later. It turned out pretty well, but I won't buy that yarn again- it was from a local spinner/dyer. The blue dye rubbed off on my bamboo needles, so I had to switch to aluminum, which I friggin' hate. And the dye still turned my fingers blue every time I knit. When it was done, I let it sit in a sink of cool water with a little vinegar, so hopefully that either set the dye or rinsed off the excess. I just hope it won't turn my FIL's neck blue. Or worse, his clothing. That would suck.

I started another hat for my other brother-in-law, and am nearly done with that. I want to knit something to go with it, but what? Maybe some fingerless gloves?

I also started a wrap, which I'm super excited about. I designed it myself, and wrote up the pattern and everything. If it doesn't suck, I'll post the pattern here when I'm done. It's also my first attempt at cables, and so far it's going pretty well. I found out I hate cable needles, and have been using a DPN (soooo much easier), but otherwise cables are easy breezy.

Time for bed now. Tomorrow is Cleaning Day and Wednesday I'll be making pumpkin bread and giving the dog a bath (he is seriously stinky), then Thursday is Thanksgiving! Yay! It's my absolute favorite holiday by far. I'm so excited! So expect a decent post (with pictures) sometime this weekend.

Hats (I Finally Finished Something!)

2007-11-12T19:51:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the hat for Scott! Finishing it gave me a much needed boost in confidence, but it was a close call. I had tried to knit it big enough to felt- about 30% bigger. I crocheted the green trim, and threw it in the washer. But when it came out it had barely shrunk. Crap. I nearly gave up at that point, but Scott suggested putting it in the dryer to see if that would shrink it more. So we tossed it in, and when he pulled it out it was perfect. The knitting gods had smiled upon us.

And I don't think I ever posted a picture of the finished hat for my father-in-law for Christmas.

It looks better on a head than in the picture. The scarf is still coming along, slowly. I don't know what I was thinking with a garter stitch scarf (could anything take longer?) but I feel like I'm too far into it to rip it and start over. Oh well.

The body of the brother-in-law sweater is nearly done, I'm about an inch from starting the ribbing at the hem. So far, so good... I just hope it will fit! I'm trying to dig my heels in and get going with all this Christmas knitting. I hate how time goes so fast this time of year.

I had a crazy-awesome dreamy moment last weekend, as the husband and I were driving around West Virginia looking at cheap real estate. Scott mentioned a house he saw for sale in Sharpsburg MD (near Antietam- very old, very far, very red). He said part of the house was separate, and had been used as a business. He said something about how it would make a good knitting studio, and maybe one day a yarn shop... how awesome would that be? I could sit and knit all the time, and be surrounded by yarn. Mmmm. Maybe one day.

A Case of the Sickies

2007-11-07T15:52:00.000-05:00

I've been sick the past couple days. It started out as a cold, but yesterday I woke up with the full-blown sickies. And today I am in recovery. Somehow, lazing around on the couch for two days makes me feel even crappier. I sort of want to jump up and run outside screaming.

I went to the doctor a couple weeks ago for a physical, and had the bright idea of also getting a tetanus booster (thanks for planting that seed, MSN). Did you know that tetanus shots are notoriously painful? It felt like a gremlin was chewing through my arm for the better part of a week. I also got the HPV vaccine, at the behest of my doctor. I told her repeatedly that I didn't need it, as I'm married and neither of us bangs other people. But I think when you're young and married (and got married young), everyone assumes you'll be divorced in a manner of months. Eventually, I figured it's free (to me- insurance covers it) so why not.

So I've felt continuously shitty for about a week and a half. I hate going to the doctor. And I'm not getting another tetanus shot unless I have an unfortunate run-in with a shiv.

I started knitting a hat for the husband yesterday... just a basic hat in black Lion Brand wool. I think I'm going to add earflaps later. I'm still slowly chipping away at the sweater, and I've got about 6 inches left on the body. I expect to get a second wind at that point. That's all I got for now.

Look What I Can Do!

2007-10-31T11:32:00.000-04:00

I have lots to tell you... I tried to post earlier, but Blogger was having issues loading my images. So first I'll just start with this past Sunday (best day ever!).

Scott and I started out Sunday morning with the intention of driving out West Virginia and Virginia for the scenery. We were maybe an hour into the drive, when Scott spotted a sign that said "Fiber Festival." No kidding. So we followed the signs, and found the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival. I swear I did not plan this. There was some great yarn, and I picked up some super soft alpaca.

There was a ton of spinning-related stuff there, and I was really mesmerized by the spinning wheels. Part of me fears spinning, because I think I'll like it more than knitting. And if I start spinning I may never knit again. Another part of me says, "What's wrong with that? Do what makes you happy!" I wound up getting a little drop spindle kit. What's the worst that can happen, right?

Ellen Anderson from Aboundingful Farm was super nice and gave me a quick lesson on the spot. Later, I divided the roving in two, and wound up each half.

LOL Pretty sad, huh? I didn't really get much better with the second half, but I did get faster. It was so fun though... I have no idea how it works, and I'm pretty sure I did it wrong somehow, but it was fun.

With both halves spun, I plied them together...

And made a pretty little hank!

Since the yarn was undyed, I thought it would be a good time to experiment with that too. I decided to dye with Kool Aid, since it's easy and doesn't require any special equipment. First I soaked the yarn in water with a splash of vinegar for about half an hour. While it was soaking, I dissolved one packet each of Black Cherry and Lemonade in a bowl full of water (enough to cover the yarn). When the yarn had soaked long enough, I squeezed out the water (gently) and put it in the other bowl with the Kool Aid. I nuked it for 2 minutes. I let it sit for a few minutes, then nuked it again. I knew it was done when the color had completely absorbed into the yarn, and the water was clear.

Then I let it cool completely (and slowly so it wouldn't felt). Later, I rinsed it well, gently squeezed the water out, and let it dry. Here's my final result!

I'm already looking into getting more roving and another spindle. I hear Golding makes pretty snazzy drop spindles. And maybe one day (if it's more than a passing phase) I'll get a spinning wheel. But I'm probably way ahead of myself.

Oh, and we did eventually see some fall scenery.

My Husband Is Better Than Your Husband

2007-10-26T17:40:00.000-04:00

Here she is... my spankin' new rocking chair!

Complete with loving inscription from the husband (it's an early anniversary gift).

It will be six years this November... and they said it wouldn't last! Scott also moved my stash into the living room, where it is now much more accessible. Hopefully, seeing it all the time will also provide some motivation. That blank spot on the wall above the yarn is where he made room for some sort of crafty picture. Perhaps a knitting related painting? I'm sure I can find something.

That's little Spencer at the bottom, saying hello. And look- the baskets on top are filled with yarn too! The one on the right is all sock yarn.

I'm thinking of naming the chair, but what? I'll have to think of something clever.

Yesterday, we also got rid of the desk we were using as an entertainment system- it was big and ugly and we hated it. Then Scott spotted a bookshelf at World Market that was the perfect size, so now our TV is on something that actually resembles a piece of furniture.

Our goal is to slowly turn our home into what we actually want it to be. Up until recently, we were decorating the way we thought normal people should. Turns out neither of us is very normal, and we hated most of our stuff. Who knew? Now we are replacing things one by one, which will take some time, but that's okay... we are patient.

omg omg omg

2007-10-25T19:11:00.000-04:00

My rocking chair came yesterday! As soon as we got it home, I sat and knit in it, and it is soooo comfy. We are in the process of rearranging some things to accommodate it, so I'll post pictures when it's all set up.

I'm still being a lazy knitter. I restarted the scarf a few times. I just didn't like how the color was working out. I eventually decided to use two balls at a time (one solid blue, and one multi) and switch every two rows. And it's just garter, to keep it simple and fast.

My pizza just arrived. Will post again tomorrow (or the next day at latest).

Sock Yarn and Puppy Socks

2007-10-16T20:03:00.000-04:00

I freaking love my yarn. I love it so much. My Jimmy Beans order arrived yesterday- the Lorna's Laces sock yarn...

...in Candy Corn and Baltic Sea, both lovely. And along with them, came my copy of Suss Cousin's newest book, Design Essentials...

I knew that the book was going to be signed, but I didn't know it would be signed specifically to me. I feel so special! I pictured Suss sitting with a pile of books, scribbling her name in each one. But it's personalized:

And I can't tell you how much I love this book. Her designs really are incredible, and she even includes a yarn substitution guide in the back. What a helpful lady! I give it one million stars.

Sadly, we did have an unfortunate incident yesterday. My little puggy bear broke a nail yesterday. Apparently, this is much worse for dogs than it is for people. The vet cut off the hangy bit, then gave him a big goofy sock to wear for a few days, and some drugs to take the edge off. Poor little man!

And I learned my lesson about what happens when I let his nails get too long. Sorry, buddy... I'll do better next time.

Stitches East, and More!

2007-10-14T12:42:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I'll just start from the beginning:

At the entrance, I got a couple freebies- a sample of Eucalan (a no-rinse wash for delicates) and a bag from Southwest Trading Co. Then I got a look at the place... and promptly had a mild stroke. I'd never seen so much yarn. It was completely overwhelming, and all I could do was stare in amazement.

Once my frontal lobe began functioning again, I focused on the display about 10 feet in front of me. It was laceweight. I got closer... that sheen has "silk" written all over it... Oh, no. It's was cashmere/silk blend. I had to have it, but only bought 800 yds. Can't run out of money on the first stop, right?

And here it is, from the Yarn Barn of Kansas:

The color didn't come out very well, but it's a silvery green. Very lovely. Then, while poking around the same booth, I found this:

I wish there was some way you could virtually feel this yarn. It's 100% alpaca, and I think it's what clouds must feel like. And the color is so warm and soft- as though someone figured out how to make hot chocolate into yarn. I just want to take a nap in it. I grabbed up 1800 yards, and hope to make myself a cozy sweater.

My next purchase was at The Needle Lady's booth, where I picked up this fun, nubby little bunch of string:

Again, the photo doesn't do it justice. It's Twig from Prism in the colorway Tumbleweed. I think it will make a fun, simple scarf.

Eventually I made my way over to Blue Moon Fiber Arts for some sock yarn. I picked up some Seduction in Sugarplum...

...and some Silkie Socks That Rock in Chanticleer.

At this point I took a break from buying yarn, and got this t-shirt. I regret that I don't remember where I got it from.

My final purchase at Stitches was from Brooks Farm. The yarn is called Riata, and it's a wool/mohair/silk blend. I never want to stop touching it.

I bought 1125 yards, and I have no idea what I'll do with it, but does it matter? It's so pretty!

After that, I figured I had better get out of there before I got into trouble. So I boogied, and took the long, scenic way home. When I got home, I spent some time admiring my new stash, and decided I still wasn't done spending...

I jumped online and bought this coat in botanical green. Then went out to DSW and got these shoes:

Mmm... I loves me some comfy loafers!

Later, Scott and I had dinner with friends, and on the way home we stopped at Borders. Scott got the new Ken Burns documentary, and I got the new Vogue Knitting and Best of Interweave Knits.

And now it's time for a nice, relaxing afternoon at home. Football is on, and the hat is calling me.

Too tired...

2007-10-13T23:09:00.000-04:00

Falling asleep... can't blog about Stitches today... zzzzzzzzz

It's A Long One

2007-10-12T16:21:00.000-04:00

Well, it turns out that for the time being, I will be staying put in Maryland. This is somewhat frustrating, but in the long run it will be for the best. In the meantime, there are a few perks:

1. I will be going to Stitches East this Saturday (tomorrow), where I will be purchasing copious amounts of yarn.
2. I get to continue my quest to learn how to dress (somewhat) like an adult. Over the next few weeks, I need some winter clothes that didn't come from PacSun, some sensible yet stylish shoes, and a new winter coat. I already bought two new purses, and they are awesome.

3. Scott and I won't have to face the daunting task of packing up everything we own and moving 800 miles. That's never fun.

And I have some things to look forward to (besides Stitches)... The rocking chair should be here in the next couple of weeks- the woman at the store said 3-6 weeks, and I'm hoping it will get here by the end of the month. I am so going to get one of those old-lady yarn/project holder things. You know, it's like a canvas bag on a wooden frame? Oh yeah.

Also, my shipment from Jimmy Beans should be here soon! It feels like I've been waiting forever. I ordered the Lorna's Laces October Limited Edition sock yarn (Candy Corn), another L.L. sock yarn (Baltic Sea), and the new Suss Cousins book, Design Essentials. Jimmy Beans is having a special thing through October where if you order the book, they'll have Suss sign it for free- you just have to wait three weeks to allow them time to do it. Anyhoo, I finally got the email confirming shipment, so it won't be much longer now.

Last night, Scott offered to go with me to Stitches, and I may take him up on the offer. If left to my own devices, I might get a bit nutty. It could be a good idea to have someone there to stop me, but on the other hand, he has always been rather supportive of my yarn habit... he could be an enabler. We'll see.

Work the past couple of days has been deadsville. Literally. We haven't had any work to do for over a week, and before that we were really slow. Our customers are supposed to be sending us the materials we need to start working, but apparently they are slackers. All week my day has gone something like this:

-Come in late (usually I get in by 7:30, late = between then and 8)
-Check work email
-Check personal email, track any shipments I'm waiting for (yarn!), etc.
-Eat breakfast while playing solitaire
-Knit until about ten- the UPS truck comes around ten, so at this point we all wait anxiously to see if the shipping lady will bring us anything. She doesn't.
-Screw around on the internet, play solitaire, knit, whatever, until I get hungry
-Eat lunch
-Knit a little more, poke around Etsy (I love that site), generally goof off, and try to stay awake until it's time to go home
-Get sent home early by the boss

Occasionally, the monotony was briefly broken. We went out to lunch on Wednesday to celebrate the fact that I'm not moving, we discovered we have ants, and I learned how to play poker (I suck). But mostly we sat around being restless. This might seem awesome (getting paid to do nothing), and for the first day or so it is. But it gets old fast when the days drag on endlessly. And with all that spare time, buying things online can become a problem. Luckily, I only bought two things: a wallet on Etsy, and an electric fryer. It could have been much worse, I held back because of Stitches.

Back to the knitty realm... I have been working on the sweater at work, and the hat at home. I have made mediocre progress on both. The sweater is about where it was right before I ripped it out. I no longer hate it, and will work on it willingly once more.

The hat has doubled in size to about 6 inches along, and needs to get to 11 inches before I decrease. I'm looking forward to decreasing so I can get rid of the fifth needle- I much prefer to only use 4 DPN's.

That's about it for now, but tomorrow (hopefully) I will have oodles of yarn porn.

Listmania

2007-10-07T18:52:00.001-04:00

I have decided to make a couple lists: one is of the pros of moving to Illinois, and one is of the cons.

First, the pros...

1. Obviously, our family and friends are there
2. It's not the dirty South- there are less rednecks in IL
3. It's not as hot and way less humid
4. There is the possibility of snow at Christmastime
5. 24 hours pharmacies are impossible to find in MD
6. Affordable real estate
7. IL is the home of such culinary delights as Portillo's and Lou Malnati's
8. The grocery stores have a larger selection (and ground Italian sausage!)
9. You can ride a bike for miles when there are no hills
10. No state inspection, and emission tests are free
11. TV shows start an hour earlier
12. Shopping is way better, I heart the Woodfield area
13. There is a decent selection of colleges- many are not too expensive
14. Traffic doesn't suck as much, and drivers aren't so retarded
15. People move more quickly (in all aspects of public dealings)
16. There is a smaller quantity of skeevy people
17. People keep their dogs on leashes
18. My doctor's office doesn't have to send me somewhere else to have blood drawn
19. MD has bigger bugs
20. We can feed the squirrels again!
21. When it snows, IL has salt and plows ready
22. When you ask for sausage on your pizza, they don't give you breakfast sausage

And what I'll miss about Maryland...
1. My job
2. Trading mountains and forests for vast expanses of flatness
3. Hiking by the Potomac River
4. MD has incredible history, and much older history than IL
5. You can drive 20 minutes and feel like you're in the middle of nowhere
6. There are more knitting shops in MD, and local yarn!
7. The roads are very smooth
8. The winters are mild, and snow will get you sent home early from work :)
9. Finding shark's teeth in the Chesapeake Bay
10. Verizon FiOS TV and Internet isn't available in IL (yet)
11. The sales tax is lower
12. Eating out is cheaper
13. Moving away from everything familiar made me feel awesomely independent

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. I may add to this later.

Exciting News and Tragic Photography

2007-10-07T13:37:00.000-04:00

Exciting news first: There is a good chance that the husband and I will be moving back to Chicagoland soon! Right this very second, Scott is getting on a flight to Chicago for his second interview. We are very hopeful, as it means getting back to my stepdaughter, our family and friends, Portillo's hot dogs, and affordable real estate. Hopefully, it will work out.

Unfortunately, with the prospect of moving 800 miles with no relocation assistance, we have put a hold on any unnecessary spending. And apparently yarn is considered unnecessary. Even worse- I already bought my ticket to Stitches East. At first I thought I should bring this up, hoping to compromise and set a nice, low, spending limit. But realistically, there is no way I would walk out of there with less than $200 in yarn. Also, the Countryside Artisans tour is the following weekend, where I typically visit Dancing Leaf Farm. If you live in the DC/MD/VA area, go see this place. The yarn is beautiful, and I love that I can look out the window and see her sheep grazing in the field.

On to my current projects (and those tragic photos). First, the brother in law sweater... well, it's still there. Honestly, I had to put it aside for a while. Ripping that sucker out really did a number on my psyche, and I need a break from it. So far, it's about an inch beyond the bottom of the v-neck.

Then there's the sock I started at the Stephanie Pearl-McPhee signing. Also in limbo. I'm a few rows into the heel flap.

And lastly, I started a hat for my father in law yesterday. I figured if I'm going to slack on the sweater, I have to at least work on Christmas presents. So I started a hat and scarf- nice and easy... no stress. The rest of the hat will be solid blue, and the scarf will be striped with those two yarns, in a pattern yet to be determined.

The hat looks a little striped, which was a surprise (the blue spirals around the back). I had started mittens with the same ball, and they didn't look striped at all... so I'm just going with it. If anyone asks, it happened on purpose. :)

My photography skills leave much to be desired. Maybe I can find a book at the library to help in that department. Anyhoo, wish us luck, and hopefully by Tuesday I'll have some good news!

Rocking and Ripping

2007-10-01T19:27:00.000-04:00

Well, over the weekend I had two interesting developments. First, I got a rocking chair! Yay! Now I can rock and knit... mmm... I am very excited about this, although the chair won't get here for a few weeks- I am told it is likely that an Amish fellow is crafting it right now. The oak store picks a few up every six weeks, and finishes them to order. My stain of choice was Wood Berry. I will show you pictures when it gets here.

My second bit of news? I got paid to knit something for the first time! It's actually a goofy situation. At work we needed something to hold a tiny temperature probe-thingy against the product while we tested it. It had to be super soft, so it won't damage the probe or the product, so I thought, "Why don't I knit something?" The boss thought it was a good idea, and said that I could do it over the weekend and charge overtime for it. Awesome! So basically, I knit a little ribbed cuff, just a half-inch wide, to slip around our product. And for that I got paid time and a half. Unfortunately, today we discovered that it won't work- the little probe slips right through (it's the size of the head of a pin). We wound up using half-inch elastic, but I still get paid. Sweet.

I've given up hope on the baby cardigan I was knitting for my husband's coworker. I just hate it so much. I had knit the second sleeve twice, and both times I managed to muck it up. And upon closer inspection, the first sleeve wasn't quite right either. So fuck it. I knit up a quick hat and booties and that's it. I don't think I like knitting baby stuff.

Did you ever wonder why I named the blog Knitty Ripper? Well, here's why. I had to rip out the brother in law's sweater in it's entirety. Ugh. I botched the sizing in a major way, so I had to start over from the very beginning. So now I'm back to being just a few inches along, but I have until Christmas. That's enough time right? Right?

I Heart Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

2007-09-22T18:11:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of going to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's appearance in Virginia- and it was amazing. Just amazing. I had left work early, and made it on the road by 4:30. She was scheduled to start at 7:30, but I wanted to be sure I had enough time to get through rush hour traffic and still get there early so I could get a seat. Incredibly, I made the trip from Germantown to Bailey's Crossing in just an hour (if you're familiar with DC area traffic, you'll understand what a feat this is).

Upon arrival, I was happy to see that this particular Borders had a sizable area set up for the event, right in the cafe area. With two hours to go, there was a decent amount of knitters with coffees and knitting in hand. I worked on a sock, and chatted a little with the two women next to me, Jen and Becca. They were really interesting, and I was glad for their conversation during the long wait.

Before I knew it, people were bustling with anticipation... it was time. First a nice man (I think his name was Daniel?) came out.

He told a funny story about a hand-knit hat he once received. Then he introduced Stephanie, and we all went nutty.

Some brief shenanigans ensued as they adjusted the microphone, and she began. We all listened intently as she warned us about C.H.O.K.E. (Cultural Humiliation Of Knitters Everywhere), and how banks have thwarted knitters. Much of her talk focused on the misconception of who knitters are, and the ignorance of non-knitters. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. My only regret is that I didn't bring a tape recorder, so that I could relive it over and over.

I had to get up for work the next day, so I didn't stick around to get my book signed (plus I'm just not into autographs). But it was still well worth the trip! I'm left wondering how much longer until her next book comes out... maybe next year? 2009? I just can't get enough of this woman. Really.

Read This Now!

2007-09-17T21:16:00.000-04:00

I laughed so hard I peed a little when I read this article in The Onion. If you're wondering, the answer is an emphatic "No." I don't want babies.

Oh, The Shame!

2007-09-17T20:16:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I still haven't done much on my brother in law's sweater. I should be working on it right now, but I thought I would update first. So this is where I'm at:

That's about 13.5" from the back of the neck to the needle. Just 12.5" more to go! Plus the sleeves. And the finishing. I've been keeping a very close eye on my gauge, which has been a consistent 20 st over 4" (knitting in the round is so awesome- I am normally the queen of stockinette stripes). Sorry about my poor photography skills. My husband is playing Bioshock at my favorite photo spot (the coffee table), and I probably shouldn't interfere- lest I incur the wrath of an interrupted gamer. So I made due.

I am super excited that Husband wore his socks for the first time on Sunday!

He says they were a bit loose, but that overall they worked out. I think I'll continue ribbing all down the instep on the next pair to fix that issue.

Well, hopefully next time I'll have made a decent amount of progress on the sweater. I've been lazy lately, but the cooler weather helps get me in a knitty mood. Send me all your good vibes, so that I might not need to rip it back again!

I Can't Count

2007-09-13T19:19:00.000-04:00

My brain must have been completely frazzled on Sunday, because I counted my stitches twice and got the same (wrong) stitch count each time. But on Tuesday, when I felt brave enough to pick up the sweater again, the stitch count was perfect. Perhaps I was visited by some sort of passing Knitty Fairy who felt sorry for me?

So I plod on, hoping I don't make any more mistakes on the body, since it's such a pain to go back and fix them. I'm not going to post pictures because (a) I'm ashamed of how little progress I've made and (b) I'm lazy. But mostly it's the shame.

I hate Mondays (and Sundays)

2007-09-10T18:36:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I was looking forward to the start of football season. For one solid hour, minimum, I can sit and knit, with snacky things and an occupied husband nearby. It's so very nice... usually. I had gotten a couple of rounds done on the sweater, and thought it'd be a good time to do a quick stitch count. That's where things went haywire. The count for the back section was off by one, and I could see where I had somehow created an extra stitch about two inches down. A normal person would have just knit two together and moved on. Not me. As crazy as I am, I look at the sweater and all I can see is the goofy spot where that extra stitch was made. So, I ripped it out.

I painstakingly thread some waste yarn just under the mistake, and frogged it to that point. It was a sad moment. And you know what? My stitch count is still off! While frogging the fakey raglan seams, I did something wrong. I can't for the life of me tell where, but it's in there somewhere... another mistake. Fortunately, the seam will hide a tiny flaw better than a vast expanse of stockinette, so I think I can live with knitting two together there.

As for today, well, it was just one of those days where nothing seems to go right. I woke up late, work was a nightmare, and I have a headache. Just in case this trend continues through the evening, I'm not going to risk knitting tonight. Maybe I'll just wind some balls or plan a future project.

I am super excited though- my loving, doting husband has recently informed me that he is going to buy me a rocking chair! I fucking love rocking chairs, more than any rational person should. I suppose it brings up cozy memories of sitting in one of those child-size rockers when I was little. I'm told that I tried to stand up in that chair and fell off, knocking out a few teeth as I hit the floor. Luckily, I was too small to remember this, and they somehow managed to put my teeth back in. But I don't have any plans on trying that again. Anyhoo, I'm stoked and can't wait to get rockin!

No Light in This Attic

2007-09-06T19:53:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those days. The kind that involves a lot of frustration and being thwarted by my own jackassary- I accidentally destroyed a $600 product with a razor blade. I’m an asshat. But hey, at least I did all my paperwork right! Then I worked a couple hours of overtime (blech!)

I’ve been putting in a little overtime the past couple days, which I both love and hate: On the one hand, it takes away from my knitting time. On the other hand, I get more yarn money. I try to stay focused on the bit about yarn, but it is so hard when there is a neglected sweater at home. The sweater is coming along, but there’s a lot of time for things to go wrong. Honestly, I haven't done much, I feel so lazy!

I’ve been trying out a few podcasts in hopes that they’ll provide some sort of motivation. I love, love, love Knitters Uncensored- they’ve caused several falling-off-the-chair-from-laughing-too-hard injuries, and Stash and Burn is awesome too. Both do a great job of keeping me awake- and making me feel less homicidal- at work. But mostly they just make me want to buy more yarn and every back issue of Interweave Knits.

Fun side note: I ordered The Best of Interweave Knits when I found it on the Borders website by happenstance. I was hoping that at least some the patterns I wanted would be in it. Later I found the Table of Contents on the Interweave website... no such luck. But it looks like it will still be worth buying.

I'm considering going to Stitches East in October, but I don't know yet. I'd hate to drive all the way up there and not be able to find parking... and driving around Baltimore is a bit sketchy. Maybe I can figure out a way to take the train or something.

That's all I got for now folks. Wish me luck on the sweater (I'll probably need it later)!

Lazy Daisy

2007-09-02T10:20:00.000-04:00

I had to wait until the husband returned from his adventures with our camera to post this, so without further ado, here is what's been going on over the past week or so.

I've finished the shawl knit up with the Giotto. It turned out well, and overall I like it, but this is the only picture you're gonna get because the person I plan on giving it too may or may not read this blog. So this is the bottom point of the triangle, and that's all you can see!

Also finished is a pair of mittens for my coworker, who loves to ski. They're just plain, simple mittens- no frills.

There was a patio sale yesterday at Eleganza Yarns in Frederick, MD. I got there early, knowing the good stuff would surely go fast, and it felt like I hit the jackpot. I giggled the whole way home, after buying two skeins of Noro Silver Thaw and five skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool for under $50!

Since I had the house to myself yesterday, I wanted to get a lot of knitting done. However, my mojo just wasn't there. I wound up spending most of the day slacking off, poking around Ravelry, and watching TV. Luckily, it's a long weekend, and I can make up for wasted time. I did start the sweater for my brother in law, and it's going well. The Felted Tweed is interesting. It's super light- I don't feel any weight while working with it. It's also really sticky and tangles easily due to that, but hasn't created any major issues yet.

So that's where I'm at- a few inches of raglan shaping on the sweater. I knit the swatch on Addi Natura circs, and now I'm hooked on those needles. Initially, I bought them because I can't get bamboo circs in size 4 & 6 at the craft stores, and had to go to my LYS. Usually I buy Clover bamboo needles, but the LYS only had these Addis- and it is so worth the extra couple of bucks. These needles have the quiet warmth that I love in bamboo, but are as slick as aluminum. The cord is nice and limp right out of the package, not the relentless springy coil I'm used to (and yes, I've tried sticking the cords in hot water- it doesn't always work so great). Anyhoo, from now on I'm using the Addis.

Well, it's time to let the husband write up his blog... and get to work on that sweater!

Mad Props

2007-08-23T17:15:00.000-04:00

I’ve been in Ravelry for a couple weeks now, and feel ready to send out my opinion to the blogosphere… so here is my little review.

At first, Ravelry seemed super overwhelming, and honestly I thought it was too much to do. I thought, “You want me to photograph my entire stash? That’s a lot of work, so screw that.” Then I realized that nobody is making me do anything… I can just hang out in the forums if I want, ignoring every other feature on the site. A short while later I felt the inexplicable urge to photograph my entire stash.

It didn’t take as long as expected to take pictures of my yarn, but it was tricky to find good lighting. Anyone who happened to walk by must have been amused to see me squatting by my patio door taking pictures of yarn and scolding the dog for “blocking my light.” Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m the crazy lady in the neighborhood. Anyhoo, it’s done now. And looking at my stash on Ravelry gives me the warm fuzzies all over.

The little virtual ‘needle inventory’ section is nice, but really it just makes me want to go out and buy all the needles I don’t have. Since I have a penchant for high-end bamboo and rosewood needles, this would be quite an expensive endeavor. I filled it out, but try not to look at it anymore. If you have some self-control, then you can print out a card to carry around with you. For me that would mean financial ruin (or at least a big ding on my credit report).

I haven’t played around in the projects section of my notebook too much, and I suspect this will be my most neglected area. It just seems like I’d spend more time updating my project (its level of completion, my happiness with it thus far, and all my notes about the pattern/project) than I would knitting it. But if you’re into documenting those things, it would be great.

Remember that Colinette Giotto I bought last weekend? I looked it up in the yarn section on Ravelry and saw everything anybody knit with it. Awesome. Even if you don’t see something that you particularly want to knit up with your yarn, it still does wonders. I was able to determine what sort of stitch pattern I was looking for (lots of texture), and what sort of item I wanted to make (not a shirt).

Poking through the patterns area was fun. I looked up the pattern for the brother-in-law’s sweater, which isn’t in there yet- but the crew neck version is. It’s handy to see what yarn they used, since the pattern doesn’t state a specific yarn (just a DK weight). Then I noticed lots of other people where not nearly as thrown off by the Buttony Sweater as I was, since theirs fit. At first that made me feel completely incompetent as a knitter, but I felt much better when I placed the blame on the yarn.

Those are my favorite parts. It's worth mentioning the forums and groups, too. They're pretty extensive. I joined groups for yarn sniffers, lefties, and more. The forums are crazy helpful- you can answers to any questions you have.

Ok, so there's lots more I could gush about, but CSI is on now- I gotta go. Ravelry is great. Go sign up if you haven't already.

No Self Control

2007-08-18T19:56:00.000-04:00

Last night I was on Ravelry until 2 in the morning... it's seriously addictive. And inspiring. Today I felt the strong urge to drive on down to my LYS, to find some yarn for a pair of mittens. Easy enough right? Wrong. This is what I left with:

That's two hanks of Jitterbug sock yarn (one of which will be used for the mittens), three hanks of Colinette Giotto, one size 10 circular needle, and three sets of DPNs- sizes 1, 2, and 3. Oops.

Also, I'm extremely frustrated with myself... I checked the mail around one o'clock, and it hadn't arrived yet. The husband came home around four, and we went out to dinner shortly after. I didn't check the mail, but I should have. When we got back, I checked the mail again- and my yarn had arrived. Unfortunately, the rental office (which holds our packages) was already closed, and won't be open again until Monday. Crapmongers! I want my felted tweed now!

Maybe knitting something will take my mind off of it.

I Shouldn't Be Allowed to Knit Things

2007-08-17T20:29:00.000-04:00

Sadly, the buttony sweater is no more. I was encountering too many problems for my small brain to handle, and had to let it go. There is nothing more depressing than ripping out an entire project, but such is the fate of the rebel knitter who thinks, “Even though this pattern doesn’t state any gauge, I can probably figure out how to knit it with completely different yarn and needles.” Anyway, I should just consider this a lesson learned, and move on. If anyone has any good ideas for what to knit with 1100 yards of beige worsted angora, hit me up.

In order to lift my spirits, I went out and got some of the bamboo yarn I saw at the store earlier. It’s Bernat Bamboo Natural Blends, and I got 3 balls in Linen and 3 in Dill. Sorry about the poor picture quality- hubby has the camera, so I had to make due with my cell phone.

While I decide what to do with the angora and bamboo, I've been working a bit on a scarf using a multi-stranded yarn. It's mohair, ribbon, and a novelty yarn. It's just basic seed stitch... something to keep me nimble while I figure out what's next.

Hopefully the Felted Tweed will arrive tomorrow, but that's probably a bit ambitious. It's making me very antsy.