knit worth

and another thing

2008-12-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

I’m copying this post from my regular journal because it’s really a knitting post disguised as a journal entry. Or something. I wasn’t going to bother but my OCD categorization issues got to me and I found it was actually more trouble NOT to do it than to do it. So.

So, yesterday I was finishing up this sweater:

(full sweater details here on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/webhill/fresh-picked-color-3-4-sleeve-cardigan )

and this old man comes and sits down across from me (I was in one of the scattered chair areas in a Barnes and Noble, knitting and listening to episodes of the Private Practice official podcast on my iPhone) and he is just staring at me, I can feel it, so I look up at him, and he has this kind of sad look on his face and he’s watching me knit. Then he says “just don’t make the sleeves too long,” and he kind of half-chokes, half-laughs, half-sobs (I realize that is three halves. Line up to the left to file your lawsuit) and then says “that’s what I always said to my wife.” I smiled and said something non-commital, probably “oh,” and kept knitting along, and he was quiet for a minute and then said “she used to knit all the time, and I always said to her ‘don’t make the sleeves too long,’” and it became clear he needed to chat so I paused the podcast, looked at him, and said “I guess one time she did that, huh?” and he went into this whole thing about how she never actually did, but that was only because he reminded her when it was time to stop. Then he asked me if I did tatting, too, which I am honestly not even sure what tatting is, but I think it has to do with lace? So I said I didn’t think so. And then he told me again not to make the sleeves too long. I felt really bad for this guy, it was clear he’d lost his wife and he missed her and there I was sitting knitting and reminding him, he probably wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know, he was pretty old, too - the whole experience just started getting me all emotionally worked up. But I did finish the sweater, and I showed it to him on my way out, and he calmly commented “I hope the sleeves aren’t too long” as I walked away. I just smiled at him.

hats for men

2008-11-24T14:55:00.001-05:00

I have knit two hats in three days. See, I found out on Wednesday that it was Micah’s birthday on Thursday. I didn’t have time to process that and I figured I wouldn’t see him til Tuesday anyway so whatever. I decided to try to make him a hat over the weekend. But when I spoke to Michael, he said “well, just give him the hat you made me - I never wear it. It’s too itchy.” He gave me his hat back. I thought about it and decided that now, that hat (viewable to Ravelry members at http://www.ravelry.com/projects/webhill/easy-adult-cable-hat -- sorry everyone else) is relegated to the hat reject pile. I mean, I can’t re-gift a rejected hat, even if it is totally my husband’s BS that makes the hat rejected (I can wear the hat just fine. It’s not too itchy for a normal person ☺).

But, now I had a husband who admitted wanting a hat. Husband trumps colleague, so I made Michael a hat first.
He actually modelled it for me!

The reverse is so pretty, isn’t it? I used traveling color changes to avoid a major seam. Anyway, it’s Jared Flood’s “Turn a Square” and I used the leftover green llama-silk from my minimalist funnel neck that I made myself, and my leftover grey alpaca from the mittens I made myself. (those projects also available in my Ravelry notebook! I am user webhill). It’s soft and wearable for Michael and he wore it twice so far with no problems.

So then yesterday I was able to cast on a hat for Micah. I used stash yarn again, go me! I also used the same pattern. FAST knit.
He also willingly modeled it.

From Knitworth new

This hat is made from Blue Sky Alpaca’s worsted hand-dyed yarn that I had leftover from Jacob’s navy blue sweater, and some baby blue Cashmerino Aran I had lying around from who knows what project I used it on. Oh, MIL’s scarf that was my first lace project, Branching Out! Ha. Bad yarn choice for THAT project, but great in this hat. Anyway. I magic looped both of these hats. This one I cast on fewer stitches because the yarn is bigger.

Moving on. Now I have to decide what to knit next. Such agony. I truly can’t decide. I’m such a loser. I have a bunch of laceweight waiting for me to do a new wrap of some kind. I have a billion things in queue. I should just DECIDE and get started. I’m just restless about it. Maybe socks. I have bad sock mojo and maybe now is time to fix that. Oh, right, I said I was MOVING ON.

I am so happy that these guys both really seem to love their hats. It really makes me feel good when someone appreciates my work!!

Daisy

2008-11-17T15:45:00.001-05:00

Knitty's daisy in lana grossa cool wool. For my sil.

My new bumper magnet

2008-10-06T13:22:00.001-04:00

resurfacing

2008-10-01T06:39:00.000-04:00

I know, I don’t call, I don’t send flowers, I am just never here any more.

I finished a scarf for my mom:

And, I started a new sweater - the minimalist funnel neck tank. I’m excited - it’s Royal Llama Silk. This stuff ROCKS.

New project

2008-09-16T17:25:00.001-04:00

A peacock colored lace scarf for my mom, 2 days and 3 repeats in. Claudia's handpainted silk on size 4 us needles.

Speaking of penguins

2008-09-14T14:03:00.001-04:00

The last entry seems impossible to fix, so I'm trying a new photo upload method with my iPhone. Here's the penguin:

Penguin for Mae

2008-09-12T13:47:00.001-04:00

I’m trying to post this stupid thing and I am getting very frustrated. Grrrr.
Ahem.
So.

I made Pasha from Knitty yesterday. And today. Hee hee.
Stats:

Blue Sky Organic dyed cotton (yellow, green)
Cotton-Licious (pink)
random scrap of brown yarn of some sort (eyes)

US 6 Knitpicks options
Poly-fill

Seriously my yarn shop opened at ten, I got organized enough to start knitting some time around 12:30 on Thursday, I knit most of the afternoon and finished all but 3 of the foot-pieces Thursday before dinner; I finished the thing today at around noon. Not bad!

she's done!

2008-04-12T10:07:00.000-04:00

Wicked, that is:

Wicked was knit on size 8 knitpicks options needles (though I used size 7 for the neckline), in artyarns supermerino. I am not sure how much yarn I used! I think I bought exactly the number called for in the pattern, and I had one entire ball and two partial balls left over - probably I had two entire balls and a little more than the third left over, really. That’s ok though, I can use it up on something ;)

This is an unblocked, fresh--off-the-needles photo. I love it! I will totally wear this sweater. Next year when it’s cold ☺

wicked progress

2008-04-01T17:10:00.000-04:00

on my way out so just a quick pic or two...
.

Jan's hat yay, this worked!

2008-02-27T16:55:00.002-05:00

I made a hat for a friend’s mom who is undergoing chemotherapy for lung cancer. I hope that she enjoys the luxurious softness of the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk as much as I did.
I didn’t get an action shot - though who knows, maybe she’ll send me one. I’m told her favorite colors are blue and purple - I hope she likes this deep amethyst I picked out:

insta-hat!

2008-01-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

I finished the hat!

I love it. Seriously.

I magic-looped it on size 5 for the ribbing, size 6 for the rest of the hat, using my trusty Knitpicks Options. I actually wore it STILL WET because I couldn’t wait. Wool IS warm when it’s wet!

Anyway. Now I’m just working on a garterlac hand-towel (4 triangles wide at the bottom instead of 3, not sure how long I will make it) while I figure out what to really do next.

out with the old, in with the new

2008-01-23T13:35:00.000-05:00

First, an FO - the Woodland Stole! (that link goes to the pattern)

I have a project page on Ravelry about it.

I used Handmaiden Fine Sea Silk in colorway “mineral,” and i used about 2 2/3 skeins. I used size 5 knitpicks options. I’m so pleased with this!!!

The new: I’m making myself a hat! I’m using some leftover Brooks Farm Riata - the same yarn I used for my Deaklet Scarf (Knitworth link) - for the brim and possibly a stripe or pom-pom. The body of the hat will mostly be in Mission Falls 1824 superwash wool, color 534. I used size 5 needles for the ribbing and am using 6 for the body. This is the same pattern as I used for the Husband Hat and the Bossman Hat (ravelry links).

I was going to work on this today but let’s just say the knitting force is not with me. Looong story. Anyway I can’t wait to get it done!!

dishcloths

2007-12-19T16:26:00.000-05:00

And I wanted to blog about my dishcloths, too. I had made a bunch in August for my friend Rachel as a part of her wedding gift. I also made one for my powder room, and one for my mom’s powder room - although as it turns out, my mom refuses to use hers as a towel, granting it a special place of honor in her kitchen instead, where it graces a countertop as a resting spot for a vase of flowers.

These are all made from Peaches and Cream cotton using whatever needles were handy!

Baby fern lace, for me:

Mini-cables:

Garterlac:

Group shot:

Seems I don’t have an FO for this one:

I’ll have to take a pic at mom’s house next week :)

Katina's jacket

2007-12-19T16:06:00.000-05:00

I see I never blogged about Katina’s jacket after finishing it and getting it up on Ravelry. Oops. My bad.

Pattern: Mossy Jacket by F. Pea, available online at http://fpea.blogspot.com/2007/01/free-pattern-friday-mossy-jacket.html
Needle: US 10 / 6.0 mm knitpicks options
Yarn: Lana Grossa Bingo Mouline - purple for the trim and green tweedy color for body
How much? about 3 skeins = 264.0 yards (241.4m)

My project notes on Ravelry state that “This yarn makes a nice fabric on size 10s with 4 spi as opposed to the pattern's suggested gauge of 3.5 spi, so I am making the 18 mo size with the hope that the final measurements are close to the 12 mo size (I did the math, it should be very close).” In fact, the measurements DID come out just about the 12 mo size, so it was all good.

FO Pix:

Resting after a vigorous casting-off...

Taking a bath...

Freshly buttoned!

Good to go!

I actually loved this sweater so much, I knit it again, in a crappy acrylic, for another newborn in the family (baby Mae):

Deaklet scarf

2007-12-17T21:48:00.000-05:00

I’m feeling slightly posty (waiting for something to finish here in the kitchen and my finger is bleeding so I can’t touch my sea silk project...) so here’s another project I never blogged, but merely Raveled.

I made a one-row handspun scarf from the Yarn Harlot’s pattern. I used a skein of Brooks Farm Riata which my lovely friend Leslie sent me as a gift, IIRC in response to my offering her some information regarding her kitten’s viral status following routine testing, in other words she went way overboard, but in a nice way ☺ I have tons left over so I can make a hat, or most of a hat, to go with this scarf:

Note: that’s an old Malabrigo My So-called Scarf blocking in the foreground. It had gotten way ratty and I was just freshening it up.

I am totally loving this scarf and wearing it ALL THE TIME!!!

a woodland shawl

2007-12-17T21:29:00.000-05:00

I’m working on a new project. Well, let me back up. I’m very sorry that I’ve neglected this blog. I keep saying that. It’s true. But Ravelry has me hooked. Mea maxima culpa. OK, moving on.

I’m working on a Woodland Shawl in Handmaiden Sea Silk, color “mineral,” on my size 5 knitpicks options needles. I’m into the fifth lace repeat and I am so happy with it:

I know those first two are awfully similar, but you know, the light is different in each.

So, I don’t know how long it will take me to do this but it’s clicking along nicely right now. The sea silk is luscious to knit with!

Essential stripes

2007-11-03T14:44:00.000-04:00

I finished a sweater for me! This sweater taught me:

(a) how long it takes me to make a top-down raglan sweater in my own size
(b) that doing that is really not that scary
(c) how to do stripes in the round without really having it look awful
(d) to read more carefully (because I did the “wrong” kind of ribbing on the sweater by accident!)

Now, here’s hoping these pics embed correctly

I did the color changes under an arm, instead of running down the center of the front as specified in the pattern!

I also made my girls matching hats:

The sweater pattern is from knit and tonic, and the hat pattern is from cosymakes in case anyone is interested. The yarn for both was Cascade 220 in various colors.

top o'the hat to you

2007-09-25T13:18:00.001-04:00

Dr B's hat - top view #2
Originally uploaded by yahillary

and here you go as promised, the top of the hat. This is Momogus' basic cabled hat pattern, btw. Nice!

I finished a hat

2007-09-25T13:17:00.001-04:00

Dr B's hat - side view
Originally uploaded by yahillary

OK, I'm a crappy blogger, but I am kicking some Ravelry butt, so, sorry. Anyway, I postponed my other WIPs to crank out a hat for my boss, who is ill and - well, suffice it to say, his head appeared drafty. So. This is out of Cashsoft Aran and it is really soft. A second photo of the top is forthcoming. i wish I could figure out a way to put both pix in the same post, but right now I can't, so - forgive me?

another quickie

2007-08-12T19:31:00.000-04:00

I finished the mossy jacket!! - I think I bought the yarn on the 6th, cast on on the 7th, and am DONE now, on the 12th! Yikes! A new record! details being put into ravelry right now. Not sure if this Flickr link works:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/webhill/1097172827/
but if it does, that’s the jacket ;)

quick notes

2007-08-07T15:51:00.000-04:00

I’m user webhill on Ravelry. I’m trying to get projects up there, so this blog is probably being kinda neglected.
I bought some yarn for something new, a mossy jacket for baby Katina (a friend’s baby). It’s going to be tweedy green with a purple neck/button band. I’m psyched.

dishcloths

2007-08-06T20:35:00.000-04:00

I’ve knitted a buttload of dishcloths. Let’s see.... a Love one, a “grandmother’s favorite” with an embossed heart, a mini-cabled one, and a garterlac one (those last two I put a crochet edging on as well). Those are getting bundled up, with a check, as a wedding gift to my friend R next weekend. I’ve also done a “baby fern” lace one, double length, to use as a hand towel in our powder room, and I’m midway through a “sharon’s wavy dishcloth” doubled as a hand towel as well, for mom’s powder room. I promise to post photos soon.

I am also planning to knit up a “mossy jacket” as a baptismal gift for a friend’s baby, but I have to get yarn, and I’m not 100% sure I can knit it fast enough. we’ll see.

FO Bonanza

2007-08-01T14:40:00.000-04:00

Swamp Goddess Stole: that’s what I’m calling it. This is my feather-and-fan project. I CO enough stitches for 3 pattern repeats plus a border of six stitches on each side. I knit 6 rows, then started with a pattern row. The pattern is:

Row 1: knit
Row 2: purl
Row 3: [edging, so for me, K6], *{K2Tog x 3, [YO, K1] x 6, K2Tog x 3}*, repeat from * to * until time to edge, [edging, so again for me, K6]
Row 4: knit

Repeat rows 1-4 until done, then knit 5 more rows, BO. Woo hoo! I really love how this turned out and I brought it shopping today to throw over my shoulders in Starbucks (brrr) and the supermarket (brrrr brrr!). Oh, I forgot - I used size 10.5 needles, and one strand Helen's Lace held with one strand Kidsilk Haze.

Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting - this if for my new (unborn) niece, due in September. I lined the body edging with ribbon to prevent rolling. I think it came out pretty cute! I also used buttons instead of using ribbon ties to close it. I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream in a BRIGHT blue/green/yellow multicolor kitchen cotton yarn.

A “love” dishcloth/washcloth to go with a cash gift for my friend R’s upcoming wedding (done in a natural cotton to go with her natural kitchen):

And a gratuitous stash photo (this isn’t all of it, but it’s MOST of it):

finished my stole!

2007-08-01T08:26:00.001-04:00

stole over banister
Originally uploaded by yahillary

This is my feather and fan stole. It's one strand of Helen's lace held together with one strand of Kidsilk Haze. It's really nice, I think!

Flickr

2007-08-01T08:24:00.001-04:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

cruising

2007-07-30T19:50:00.000-04:00

Well, I have completed my baby kimono, but I don’t feel like fetching the camera out of the car OR dealing with the massive clusterf*ck that is my current Aperture/iPhoto installation conflict, so I’m not going to take a picture. I’ll comment that I’m very pleased with the LOOK of the sweater, but not so thrilled with the utility of the thing, because I suspect my finishing isn’t so sturdy. See, I lined the edging with a 1.5 cm wide striped grosgrain ribbon, which looks AWESOME (IMnshO) and definitely stabilizes the stockinette edge from rolling, but you know, I’m not the happiest person when it comes to sewing, and I’m just not 100% thrilled with it. Also, I did put on those daisy buttons, but I’m not so happy with the strength of the buttonholes. Oh well. What can a newborn do to it? Actually I’m not so worried about that, as much as what the PARENTS or SIBLINGS can do to it. Well, whatever, it’s done and it’s cute.

I have also ALMOST finished my feather-and-fan wrap, and now that it’s big enough to put on and model, I’m loving it, so that’s good.

Next up: some sort of kitchen towel or washcloth or something as part of a wedding gift (I’m thinking of the LOVE washcloth I made myself last year...). The real gift is a check. I just want to put a little more personal effort into it, you know? I hate giving money.

baby kimono - Mason Dixon Knitting

2007-07-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

I made a little sweater for my as-yet-unborn niece. I used Lily dishcloth cotton that I had lying around. I am not sure yet if I’m going to use those buttons you see in the picture, or if I’m going to make cord-ties, or use ribbon as per the pattern. I am pretty sure I’m going to line the hem with some grosgrain ribbon, though.

First, a shot of the fabric - this is true to color for the most part:

And the sweater, heavily wet-blocking - I just want to make sure there is enough stretch in the cuffs and arms, so I have it pinned out pretty far.

What to knit?

2007-07-23T15:46:00.000-04:00

So, I’m still doing my feather-and-fan stole. I finished the first ball of Kidsilk Haze today and joined another ball by the oh-so-classy method of tying the ends together, leaving 2“ tails on either side, and knitting the tails in - by which I mean I laid the tails alongside the working yarn, each tail pointing in an opposite direction, leaving me with about 4 inches of yarn in which the KSH portion of the yarn (because I’m working one strand KSH and one strand Helen’s Lace, remember) was doubled. And I just made sure that those tail pieces were lying snugly against the rest of the yarn as I knit that section. It really looks perfectly fine. I can not even find the knot when I look for it now (I’m about two inches past that point - and I know for sure what section of stole it is in because I placed a safety pin about two rows before I reached the end of the ball of yarn - and I still can’t find the knot!!).

BUT. I am kind of bored with this and it doesn’t ”have to be“ done til November. So..... I’m thinking about other projects!

1. I need to knit hats for Naomi and Lilah. For N, I’m pretty sure I can use the leftover yarn from jacob’s sweater. Although, J might want a matching hat for his sweater. I could maybe eke out two hats. I’m not sure.
2. I want to make a baby kimono for the upcoming baby my SIL is having in early September
3. I want to make a baby blanket, maybe, for the same baby. I’m not 100% sure
4. I SHOULD make SOMETHING for the baby of a good friend. The baby was born March 27th, but I just got the announcement Friday. It’s a pretty good friend, we just don’t talk as often as we should! No ideas on this yet but a mutual friend of mine informs me that the baby has a baptism coming up in two or three weeks (the baby’s parents wouldn’t have invited a heathen like me into their church so I wouldn’t have otherwise known. and no, he doesn’t really think I’m a heathen, he just knows I don’t generally like going into churches and he wouldn’t have wanted to make me feel obligated to go into one!)

I *did* order Mason-Dixon knitting so I will have their baby kimono pattern when Amazon.com gets around to sending that to me (actually it is already sent, but it’s not here and they say I shouldn’t expect it for a while).

What to do?

Anyone have any thoughts?
I kind of have this idea about doing a plain baby blanket in organic cotton for my SIL’s baby... something that would knit up FAST, so maybe I’d hold two strands of worsted together, or find a chunky weight yarn... maybe something with a cable and a seed stitch border?

SIGH. I’m so indecisive.

WIP: feather and fan stole

2007-07-15T21:05:00.000-04:00

My newest project:

I’m using Helen’s Lace (50% wool, 50% silk, laceweight), I think the color is Cedar; I’m holding one strand of that together with one strand of Rowan Kidsilk Haze in shade 577, a kind of greenish gold color. I’m using size 10 needles and doing a basic feather-and-fan stole type of thing. This is to go with a dress i have, a green with gold brocade, that is, ahem, very bare in a place I am not used to exposing so much skin ☺

FO: Ten minute tank

2007-07-10T13:39:00.001-04:00

Naomi was begging and begging for me to knit her something so I caved. I didn’t want to make the child anything complicated since she has a nasty habit of not wearing what I knit, but I wanted it to be something she’d like, too. So. I found the pattern for the 10 minute tank and decided it would look great knit up in Naomi’s favorite colorway of Plymouth Fantasy Naturale (100% mercerized cotton) (and the color is 9703 if anyone cares). This pattern is knit sideways in garter, and uses short-row shaping to give it a little flare at the bottom edge. Stitches are picked up at the top shoulders to make straps and i-cord ties to keep it on!

I finished sewing in the ends at visiting day today - yes, 100 F and humid, and I was standing in the sun watching my little camper cavort and frolic through the sprinklers. Mommy has a migraine now but whatever.

Free at last!

2007-07-04T08:45:00.000-04:00

OK, it’s independence day, and the yoke of oppression has been lifted! Jacob’s sweater is blocking. Of course now I have to decide what to do next. Pick up the in-progress Jaywalkers? Start something short and sweet like a kippah for Jacob? Naomi wants a tank top really badly - I should probably do that. But then... I have no stash-yarn that’s appropriate... but, I have so much stash... SIGH.

So, the sweater. There is an obvious (to me anyway) stripe in the midsection where one hank ends and another starts. I guess one hank was darker. I used 5 hanks plus a few rows’ worth from the sixth hank, btw, of the Blue Sky Alpaca hand-dyed worsted navy blue yarn I used for this. It’s not worsted. It’s heavy/chunky if you ask me. But anyway.

Here it is:

Bonus stash photo:

And bonus NZ-related photos:

Where I craft:

I gotta do something about that power cord running across the front of that shelving unit. I’m gonna lose that iPod dock one day.

Poor neglected knitting

2007-06-29T14:18:00.000-04:00

I’ve been so stressed lately. The sweater has been brushed aside because I felt it was ADDING to my stress by making me worry about running out of yarn! The good news is that I am one inch (approx 4 rows) from doing the pre-cuff decrease round on the second sleeve. After that it’s just a few rounds of seed stitch and binding off. The bad news is that then, I have to pick out the body bind-off and add a couple of inches, because I’ve decided the body isn’t long enough, and I do have the spare yarn to do it. I’ve never successfully un-bound-off a project. It’s not hard, is it? Please say it’s not hard. The other good news is this yarn is dead easy to splice and hardly shows at all.

cabin fever reply

2007-06-10T13:54:00.000-04:00

I emailed them about my sweater math problem and they said:

Hi Hillary,
You are quite correct. That would not add up. It should read
"measures 13 (15)" from the Divide Round" then it would end up to be
22" long when the last stripe rolled up at the bottom.
Thanks for pointing that out. I'm glad when knitters find our errors
so they can be corrected.
Thanks again,Deb Gemmell

So, at least I know now :)

sweater math

2007-06-08T08:02:00.000-04:00

This does not make sense.
I’m using a Cabin Fever sweater pattern (#610, but I’m not striping it, ooooh, living dangerously here...)
So you cast on and start knitting at the top of the neck, you knit until the collar measures 2 1/2“ from the cast on edge, then you start raglan increases, and you “continue...until the yoke measures 7” from the bottom of the neckband.“ So, that’s 9.5 inches so far, right? OK. You divide for sleeves, yada yada.... knit until the sweater measures 15” from the bottom of the rolled collar, then you do a decrease round and knit six rounds and then cast off. OK. But, the sweater’s final dimension for the size I am doing is supposed to be 22 inches. Six rounds is about an inch and a half - let’s call it two including the decrease round and binding off. so, 15 inches from bottom of collar plus 2 inches is 17 inches. Even if I add back in the 2.5 inches of collar, that’s 19.5, not 22 inches. WTF? Am I insane?

Knitting book score!

2007-06-06T15:19:00.000-04:00

So, Amazon was having this incredible sale...

Knitting Nature and Last Minute Knitted Gifts as a twopack for $10.98 (list prices $29.50 and $24.95 respectively)
Knit 2 Together for $5.50 (list price $27.50)
Greetings from Knit Cafe for $4.99 (list price $24.95)

So i bought those, as well as a regularly priced copy of Yarnplay, so I would qualify for free shipping. Well, the copy of Knitting Nature that I got is bound upside-down and backwards. Not a major problem, but the sale did not state the book would be defective so I felt I should notify amazon. I emailed them a note that while I was happy to keep the book because I was able to use it just fine, I wanted them to know it was not as advertised, and i wanted their assurance that they’d be more careful in the future to either advertise a deeply discounted item as defective or to ensure that it is NOT defective before shipping.

They emailed me back that they are crediting me for $10.98!

So, let’s add it up:

Knitting Nature
LMKG
Knit 2 Together $5.50
Greetings from Knit Cafe $4.99
Yarnplay $15.63

Total 26.12

26.12 /5=5.22

Five and a quarter per book. Not too shabby, really. I feel a lot better about sneaking that full priced copy of Yarnplay onto the list ;)

and here we go

2007-06-01T13:02:00.000-04:00

I just came from the Tangled Web and I brought home with me a cabin fever pattern for a striped top-down raglan sweater using a chunky yarn, and six hanks of Blue Sky Alpacas Blue Sky Worsted hand-dyes, color 2013 - a navy blue with hints of black, but not enough to make it unwearable per the school dress code, I think. This is going to be one expensive sweater for a six year old, but he’s so worth it ☺ It’s knitting up for me at 3.5 st/inch on size 10.5 needles, and it is the perfect fabric at that gauge. More tightly knit would not be wearable for my son, who is a space heater on leg! This yarn is 50% merino, 50% alpaca, very snuggly, and hopefully will meet his alpaca standard (the kid prefers alpaca to wool, generally speaking. I mean, so do I, but, I find his preference amusing).

all aboard!

2007-05-31T15:29:00.000-04:00

You guys are getting the first ever Shetland Triangle LiveBlogging update feed, or something ☺

a bonus shot of my craft room - TOTALLY not decorated yet, but functional. I told a friend I had a print of a Kiwi there but it isn’t, it’s an NZ sheep, the Kiwi print is actually in my bedroom at the moment.

and most of the stash:

off the needles!

2007-05-31T14:51:00.001-04:00

Currently soaking in a tub of cool water with some Soak wool wash in it.

A couple of pre-blocking shots:

one row to go

2007-05-31T08:46:00.000-04:00

That’s right. ONE ROW.

K2, SM, YO, K9, YO, [K1, YO, K9, YO] x 10; SM, K1, SM, [YO, K9, YO, K1] x 10; YO, K9, YO, SM, K2

Bind off “very loosely.” Um, ok, yeah, that’s a trick I haven’t mastered but I’ll do my best. Actually I have a method of doing that but it will take a while. Actually the whole row is likely to take a while, I think I’m up to 267 stitches or thereabouts.

The last row I did took me 24 minutes to do, and this is a bit longer -- but, the purl rows seem to take me slightly longer than the pattern rows (the last pattern row I did took me only 21 minutes, and there were not 3 minutes more stitches on the subsequent row!). In any case this row will probably take me in the vicinity of a half hour and then I will bind off which will probably take me another half an hour and then I will be done and have to block this thing.

I HOPE I can get it blocked tonight but probably won’t be able to. But I really am getting finishitis.

this is scary

2007-05-30T06:48:00.001-04:00

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/05/29/tb.flight/index.html

screw bird flu. this is scarier to me! way more immediate. I totally see this happening again.

another boring post

2007-05-29T15:36:00.000-04:00

I have four rows left on my shetland triangle. FOUR ROWS! I thought I made a mistake on the third row of edging, but either I didn’t, or I made another mistake in one of the two subsequent rows which evened it out ;). So, the thing is almost done. I’m kind of nervous once again. I have project-finishing anxiety, it seems like! I am really not sure why, just, I guess, a lack of faith that it will block out and look like it is supposed to. Right now it is so lumpy and disheveled looking. I showed it to someone I ran into at B&N today (I was KIP there, which I find amusing because until a year ago I would have been NIP there. Never been K&NIP, though) and she was like “um, ok, gee, gosh, that’s lovely...” with this “that is so hideous” look on her face. Ptui on her. This is the triangle I’m making out of that wonderful alpaca tweed I raved about a while back, btw. So hang on, I expect that it shouldn’t take me more than a week to do these four rows (bear in mind that with >220 st/row a row is no small matter) and then who knows how long to BO and then block the sucker... but then there will be pictures!

stealth knitting

2007-05-18T14:17:00.000-04:00

I know I haven’t mentioned it, but I have been sneaking a row here and there on my shetland triangle that I’m making out of my tweedy alpaca yarn. Guess what? I’m 7/8 of the way done with the body! I just have 10 rows of the body to do, and then the edging. This is my first lace shawl, and it’s been fun. I really can’t wait to photograph and block and photograph and look at before and after shots. The sad thing is that I know I made one weird mistake that is going to be practically dead in the center, but I’m hoping it won’t make me hate it. It looks as if I will be able to disguise it.

zipper insertion

2007-05-16T07:45:00.000-04:00

Geeksbewithyou has asked me “how did the zipper go?”

Well, it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be, and I feel reasonably comfortable with doing it again one day. First, I measured the sweater about eleventy-billion times, and decided I needed a 22-inch zipper. As it happens, I probably really needed a 21 3/4“ zipper, but it is what it is and I can deal with this. I just think it would have been better not reaching EXACTLY to the edges the way it is.

Then, I chose a zipper from zipperstop.com and ordered it and waited for it to get here. It was VERY hard for me to choose a color, but I realized that a color card costs as much as two or three zippers, so I figured pick a zipper and if it’s wrong, pick another zipper! I chose a dark green separating zipper and it arrived pretty quickly really and I decided it would be fine.

So, then I read some tutorials on zippers. I read Grumperina’s, and Claudia’s, and Bonne Marie’s! I actually printed out Claudia’s, but I never even took it off the printer, ha ha ha.

So then I took the sweater and my supplies (supplies: the zipper, a small pair of scissors, the matching thread I’d bought at Joann’s, some cream-colored thread for basting, some bright yellow yarn, a tapestry needle, a tape measure, and a xanax) and sat down in front of the television. I turned on ”Friends with Money“ (thank you On Demand but I still hate Comcast with a passion that is unwavering and true) and laid the sweater out on the floor. I laid the zipper on the sweater - right side of zipper facing wrong side of sweater - and then I started pinning it on there. Basically I just pinned using straight pins (quilting pins with little yellow daisy tops) placed parallel to the zipper itself. Then I tried it on with the pins in place and thought it looked pretty good. Then I basted it in place with the cream colored thread and tried it on again. I realized that the basting stitches were a little too far away from the zipper itself, because i was getting some unsightly gapping. So I went ahead and sewed the sucker in using smaller stitches, closer to the zipper. Amazingly, it worked. I just had to fold the backing tape weirdly at the top, but it’s fine. I don’t know what I was so terribly afraid of. I could always rip it off and do it again. But I might have to kill someone first.

the verdict is in

2007-05-15T15:30:00.000-04:00

The sweater is comfortable and warm. The girls in my Hebrew class said it’s really cute. I’m too shy to face the camera today but I put a few snapshots of the finished product online:

ribby cardi

!!!!!!

2007-05-15T13:20:00.000-04:00

I finished the ribby cardi!!!
Sorry, no pictures right now. Too busy. But it is DONE.

relief

2007-05-04T08:08:00.001-04:00

My ribby cardi is totally off the needles and is now resting on my blocking board in a relaxed way. I wove in all the ends, soaked it in some Soak, and laid it out flat and we’ll see how it looks after that. I still need to buy a zipper. I still fear the zipper. I am afraid I will order the wrong length. I’m such a dweeb.

and so it goes

2007-04-18T12:30:00.000-04:00

I’ve been working on the ribby but so busy with moving, it’s going really slowly. Some pictures:

sob

2007-04-13T18:49:00.000-04:00

Jacob’s sweater got partly felted today. It’s irreparable. It’s unwearable. I may be able to complete the felting and end up with something Lilah can wear, I’m not sure. I am so so so bummed. I am hoping that since it’s warmer he won’t notice. I don’t know how I will face him. He LOVES that sweater!

seaming

2007-04-10T12:52:00.000-04:00

I’m seaming. Seaming reverse stockinette. Did you know there are NO good web tutorials on that? It sucks. Googling for it yields one discussion on it in the knitting LJ community, but the only comments there are telling the poster to google it, and giving a link that I already had for a crappy illustration and a sales pitch. Ptooey.

I am now going to test picasaweb! I don’t know if this will work out so well, but I’m going to try to embed some pics.:

So yeah. Seaming hell. I'm only still on the first side seam. Argh.

cardi parts are done!

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

I have knit all the parts of the cardi. On to blocking!

woe is me

2007-03-30T07:17:00.000-04:00

I’m just... LANGUISHING HERE with my ribby cardi ☹
I am essentially at a standstill and it’s really frustrating. Every time I pick the thing up, my life starts to unravel temporarily and I have to put it down and deal. Even my son is telling me “mommy, I like it when you knit - why don’t I see you knitting this week?” Well, hello, maybe YOU being on spring break has something to do with it?? SIGH. It’s nice to have time with him, though.

New project??

2007-03-25T11:39:00.000-04:00

OK. I am STILL working on my sweater, but it’s hanging by the wayside because I am so busy right now (all together now - PET FOOD RECALL - Argh! Plus, we move 4/20.) That said, I can’t help but consider casting on for one of these: http://www.flickr.com/photos/keribeth/425771542/

hee hee.

musings on a sweater

2007-03-19T17:37:00.000-04:00

I’m nearing completion of the parts of my ribby cardi. I’m about 1/3 of the way through the right front, and since I did the sleeves first (due to not having the green yarn yet!) this is my final piece. I knit on it today while waiting to get a tire fixed. Apparently there was a screw in my tire. Weird, since Michael had a nail in his tire last week. But while I was knitting, a 3 yr old sweetie pie chattered away:

Whatchu doin’? Why knittin’? What is that? Why is it a piece of a sweater? you’re already wearing a sweater. Why you makin’ another sweater? Why is it green? Do you like green? Do you like your daddy? What’s your daddy’s name? Where is your daddy?

At that point the mom tried very hard to distract her, but fortunately for me (as I was quite enjoying this) she was unable. It went on and on (and on). Hee hee.

Anyway.

The thing is, I’m starting to fear finishing this piece. Once it’s done - what then? OK, so, I will block all the pieces. I will do the front bands (zipper bands?). I will sew my side seams and sleeve seams, and attach the seams. Then I will pick up and knit something for the neck (i’m thinking rollneck, but am not sure! I wonder if I could just do a teeny tiny ribbed something? I don’t even understand what the “collar” option on the pattern does!) and then.... and then.... um, yeah.

I need to put in a zipper.

This wouldn’t be such an insurmountable problem if I could only figure out WHAT ZIPPER TO BUY! I want a zipper that opens from top and bottom, and that separates. I think that is called a (everyone!) two-way separating zipper. I do not know how to get one that is the right length, or how to figure out what the right length is. I read Grumperina’s treatise on this and am just whimpering in the corner. She talks about the problem of the zipper buckling and how to avoid that by using a shorter zipper, I think, if I try to distill her article to a few words... but, I don’t know. I’m just scared of screwing it up. Plus, I’m not sure if I should get a zipper in the main body color or the sleeve color!

Stitch 'n Pitch night!

2007-03-18T19:26:00.000-04:00

Wow.

A while back I read somewhere that they were having a “Stitch ‘n Pitch” night at the ‘stick (or whatever monstrous name they are calling Candlestick Park these days), and I wrote to the Phillies team administrators and suggested we have one here. Yeah, yeah, we’ll think about it, they said. However, I just heard from them:

Hi Hillary:
Thank you for your interest in a Phillies Stitch 'n Pitch night at the ballpark. We have received many requests like yours and have decided to go ahead and hold our first ever Stitch 'n Pitch event. The game date is Tuesday, June 26 at 7:05 pm. I have attached a link that will give you more information about this special night. Thanks and we hope to see you at Citizens Bank Park!

http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/ticketing/stitch.jsp

Sarah Magliochetti
Philadelphia Phillies
Group Sales Representative

woo-hoo!

holy moly

2007-03-11T19:43:00.000-04:00

OK, first of all, I’m done the back and sleeves of the ribby cardi, and I’m well into the left front. That said, I’m still confused about how the decreases on this piece work. But I digress. I’m very excited about this sweater but unfortunately am having a really hard time finding time to KNIT it!

Moving on.

Yesterday I was walking around the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia and I went into one of those overpriced boutiques that sells outrageously expensive women’s clothing as well as items for the home. On a shelf in back I saw an assortment of felted handbags. The biggest one was about 2/3 the size of my oversized booga, and shaped like a booga with an extra-large base (so, a booga, with decreases worked so that it tapers toward the top of the bag). It didn’t have any fancy colorwork - simple stripes like mine. It was $158. In fact, all of them were $158! They were unlined, too. WTF? Who knew?

help. need help.

2007-03-07T19:24:00.000-05:00

I am knitting a sweater as some of you know. I am having a problem with the pattern.

The problem section:

NEXT ROW: bind off 10 sts, then finish working sts as they appear; 40 sts remain.
NEXT RS ROW - DEC ROW: K2, SSK, work sts as they appear to end of row. Follow decrease instructions as for Back and when 20 decreases have been made, proceed to NECK SHAPING SECTION.
NECK SHAPING: while continuing to work armhole shaping decreases until total # of DECs = total number of BACK DECs, start neck shaping by binding off 6 sts at neck edge. Then DEC 1 st at neck edge every RS row 6 more times. Break yarn and pull through final stitch.

SO, ok. The back shaping instructions had me do one RS DEC row, then DEC every RS row 24 times, then every other RS row 2 times. That gives me a total of 27 decreases that I need to do for the armhole of the left front as well, right? So I do 20 of them, and then on the next row I BO 6 sts at the neck edge. Am I correct in assuming that I do the 20 DEC RS rows and then on the next row (WS) I BO 6 at the neck edge and then I do a regular RS DEC on the next row and also DEC 1 st at the neck edge on that same row?? Because when I write it all out... it seems to me that if I do:

decrease as per back instructions until 20 decreases have been made
proceed to neck shaping
follow instructions as written until DEC 1 at neck edge has been done 6 times

I still have done only 26 decreases, and the back instructions called for 27. So, am I supposed to do another decrease row?

The other confusing thing is that the back instructions say to do 25 decrease rows and then go to every other RS row for 2 more decrease rows. I'm not sure how that plays into the instructions for the left front.

When I wrote the above message to the pattern author, she replied:

Start with 50 sts for size 38/39

50 - 10 sts = 40 sts after underarm BO

40 - 1 = 39 sts after initial DEC

39 - 19 = 20 sts left after initial 20 DEC worked

20 - 6 = 14 sts after initial Neck BO

14 - 6 = 8 sts after all Neck DEC worked

8 - 5 = 3 sts after all RS row DEC worked

3 - 2 = 1 sts remains after the last 2 DEC worked

You should end up with one stitch.

There are 27 total DEC.

-- to which I say a resounding “huh?”

Alpaca farm

2007-03-06T13:30:00.000-05:00

This past August (2006) while vacationing in Stone Harbor NJ, we went to an alpaca farm in Cape May County one day. My son in particular had a very strong interest in going, and I figured hey - maybe I could score some yarn out of it! Plus of course I do like alpaca, too. So we went, and had a good time. I ended up buying some yarn to make a scarf out of, which I wear all the time and which is one of my favorite FOs. I finally uploaded some of the pics from that trip so here you go - Picasa claims that if I put this code here you’ll see a neat photo-link to my album of the alpaca farm. Let’s see what happens.

Alpaca farm visit, August 2006

bring on the fork, baby!

2007-02-28T10:38:00.000-05:00

I unexpectedly had a little bit of free time (I thought I had a meeting to go to today, but actually I don’t have to be there til tomorrow, woo hoo!) and I did all the finishing of the sweater. It’s blocked, 98% dry anyway, and I sewed on the buttons and label and had a little photo session in what passes for my home office.

So, here it is in all its glory. I stuck the yarn label and the pattern next to it for future reference - in my full-size photo on my computer, I can read the text just fine. Note the fuel in the upper right corner of the photo...

A word about yarn choice: I knit my daughter a poncho last year out of yarn she chose based on color. It ended up being three colors of cascade 220, and one color of Plymouth Encore worsted. After that, I swore to myself I would never knit with the Encore again. It felt as I imagine knitting with plastic bags might feel. Icky. But, as it happened, when I was preparing to make this sweater, I really couldn’t find a nice superwash wool at the shop, and I ended up with this, figuring I’d suck it up. But this colorway really didn’t bother me at all. It knit up basically very similarly to the Cascade 220 I’ve been using for the Ribby Cardi. So that makes me happy, and I’m glad I chose this yarn because with everything going on with my friend she doesn’t need a “hand wash only” baby sweater thrown into the mix, and it’s done on schedule, and my hands are not offended.

Here’s a wider angle shot of the sweater on the blocking board, with one of my bovine friends watching (the rest have turned their backs on me, those fair-weather friends that they are).

And a closeup of the neck with the label sewn in. It actually worked out that it fit very nicely up against the spot where I picked up the stitches.

it doesn't compare

2007-02-27T11:28:00.000-05:00

to yesterday’s photo quality, but I do have one more picture to share that I just took with my phone after casting off the neckband of the Garter Cardi for baby J:

It’s unblocked, unseamed, and unfiddledwithtofixsomesmallissues, but I think it’s just very cute.

I did find out that what I’d thought was an error in the pattern (the shoulder seam’s 3-needle-bind-off instructions stated to hold the wrong sides together) was not, it was a “design feature” as per Jil (who did after all write the pattern). She says reversing the bind-off add structure for babies “with hardly any shoulders” and also a nice “design line.” OK, well, to me it just looks inside-out that way so I did it the regular way. I figure the underlying structure is there regardless!

baby J's sweater...

2007-02-26T15:32:00.000-05:00

I have major progress on the sweater for baby J, aka JVS, a soon to be new member of our community and circle of friends, as soon as his parents get back from Guatemala with him (expected arrival no later than 3/5/07 but mom-to-be gave me a one week fudge factor so I’m on standby playdate duty for their older child through 3/10).

I’ve completed the back and both fronts; I’ve completed the left sleeve, which is knit flat by picking up stitches along the edge of the front and back. Do you have ANY idea how stressful that is, to try to make sure it is lined up right? I really wanted to do the side seaming FIRST, but - for whatever reason I felt obligated to follow the pattern. So, here are three snaps - a full picture, a cuff detail, and a shot of the buttons I plan to use. Well, one of them. Hopefully it’s boyish enough. Purple can be boyish I think, if surrounded by blues and greens, right? The button has an olive green circumferential stripe there that maybe doesn’t show in the pic. I think this colorway is going to be great for what I expected to be a darker-than-average-around-here baby. Of course I fully realize he could be the palest Guatemalan baby ever and he could be blond for all I know so I guess I will shut up about that. Who cares? He’s going to be S’s brother and P and D’s son. Woo hoo! And, he will have this sweater to keep him warm.

In other knitting news, Lilah’s hat is missing ☹
I’m 99% sure it is in the house but it’s been missing for a week and we’re all really bummed out.

exciting new project

2007-02-23T18:58:00.000-05:00

Well, everything has been going great with the ribby cardi and all, but I got some exciting news today and have had to set RC aside in favor of a new project.

Shortly before the birth of my youngest child, my friend P lost her infant son who was then 3 mos old, to what was posthumously diagnosed as most likely to have been long QT syndrome, although the death certificate states SIDS (subsequent to the baby’s death, P and her husband got screened for LQT and P turns out to have it). I actually went into labor at the funeral. It was obviously horrible. Anyway.

I talked to P today and found out she’s been keeping a secret -- she’s days away from heading to Guatemala to finalize the adoption of her new 5 month old son J!!

I immediately picked out some lovely variegated blue/green/purple yarn to make the Minnowknits Garter Cardi (#168 QK)
I have 2.5 inches of the back done so far :)

Ribby cardi progress

2007-02-20T07:47:00.000-05:00

I have sleevage!

So, those are the two sleeves, which are done in 2x2 ribbing. I used a cable cast-on. I’m using Cascade 220 in a brown and green, duh. ☺
That’s the beginning of the back sitting on top of the sleeves. I’m excited about my progress, which should pick up quickly now that Sofia is home (although with all the house stuff going on, maybe not, we’ll see.) I’m terrified about having to put this together, though. My previous seaming of sweaters is minimal and I really want this to be perfect. I am BEYOND terrified about having to put in a zipper but we’ll see. I guess I will try and end up with a seamstress if all else fails. Of course, I’m terrified of giving it to a seamstress who might F it up worse than I would have, too. So. SIGH. Baby steps.

A closeup of the pieces:

And a surprise “extra” birthday present from my husband yesterday (he actually got me an amethyst necklace and some chocolate covered espresso beans, but then showed up with this after work ☺)

quick comment

2007-02-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

I’m still only about a sleeve and a half into the ribby cardi, due to illness, plague, babysitter on vacation...
Hopefully in another week or ten days, i’ll have something to show.

yay!

2007-02-03T15:50:00.000-05:00

Yay because I’m almost done this stupid sleeve that I had to frog half of because I counted wrong, and yay because the new antiCraft is up and it includes the infamous SNATCHEL PATTERN! http://www.theanticraft.com/archive/imbolc07/snatchel.htm I may have to make one for an OB friend of mine :)

Pointy Sticks podcastaversary!

2007-01-31T17:47:00.000-05:00

Hey - Christine from the Pointy Sticks podcast is celebrating her podcastiversary (yes, I am spelling that word two different ways. Sue me.) Check out her blog to see how to enter her contest. She has great prizes including something from Brooks Farm, which I am totally all for. I love Christine’s show so I recommend you check it out. Her opening music alone makes it worth the time.

swatchy revisited

2007-01-26T07:01:00.000-05:00

so, post wetblocking and drying flat but not pinned or anything...

6: 20.5 st/in
7: 19.5 st/in
8 16.5 st/in

!!

So, size 7s it is. Phew. Now to decide what SIZE sweater to knit... always a nailbiter.

swatchy - cascade 220, knitpicks needles

2007-01-25T16:29:00.000-05:00

Isn’t it beautiful?

This is the actual color, although probably not the color I will actually use. Yeah, I know. That’s poor sick Oskar in the background.
Anyway, pre-blocking, I got >21 st/inch with size 6 needles, 21 w/size 7, and 19 w/size 8. The pattern calls for 19.5 st/in. So, I soaked it and put it down to dry and we’ll see what it does. I’m hoping to get gauge w/size 7s... I like that fabric the best.

quick note

2007-01-25T15:23:00.000-05:00

Since finishing haiku, I haven’t been motivated to work on my shetland triangle. I mean, I want to, but I’m SO stressed out about Oskar and now my mom’s dog Regis is ill as well, plus the moving and everything, just, ugh. So, I am doing a gauge swatch of Cascade 220 on my knitpicks options. I’m using size 6, 7, and 8 to try to get 19.5 st/24 rows/4 inches, to make myself a Ribby Cardi (from chicknits). We’ll see how it goes. So far I know the six is too small. The 7 and 8 are, well, too close to call. I’ll have to finish up and block it and see.

weirdness

2007-01-22T20:00:00.001-05:00

I’m having strange software issues. I need to re-upload a lot of stuff to fix it. You may see weirdness. You have been warned.

haiku take II version 1.2 b

2007-01-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

Trying this again... I finished the seaming last night and I did the buttons and ends in the waiting room while poor Oskar was getting the once over (I think he has an erythroleukemia but I’m having him gone over by experts before I condemn him to that fate).

Armhole seam from the inside:

WIP pix

2007-01-19T06:58:00.000-05:00

And the good news is, it is dry. So I just have to get the buttons some time today, and do the seaming, and I’m all set. Phew!

haiku

2007-01-17T20:44:00.000-05:00

I enjoy knitting
a most relaxing hobby
except when it’s not

But, no, seriously folks, what I meant was I finished the body of Haiku from Knitty today. i realized late Monday night that one of my nieces is having a party on Saturday (that I can’t even go to, because I’ll be at work), and i have no present. She’s turning one. So, I cast on.

I finished the body today and HOPEFULLY the sleeves will be done in time to block them tomorrow night. Then I can seam it up Friday and find buttons and gift it Saturday.

Or possibly not, but, you know. I can hope. FO pix to follow I hope.

small steps

2007-01-16T08:14:00.000-05:00

My nephew’s hat, on his head. I rubbed out his face to avoid “plastering him all over the internet.” I hope that works ☺
The clutter in the background is the stuff my SIL/BIL already packed up to move out of our new house (which btw we settle on in two days!)

I finished my garterlac washcloth, but it was quickly appropriated as a blanket for Pinky the elephant.

I cast on last night for Haiku from Knitty - can I finish it by Saturday? Doubt it, but I’m gonna try. My niece’s birthday party was somehow not on my calendar...

so tired

2007-01-11T21:39:00.000-05:00

Well, the for sale sign is up - which means the maniacal cleaning, decluttering, and reorganizing I have been doing in between school pick-ups and drop-offs and working is DONE. Now, I just have to maintain - which is frankly almost as bad but whatever. My middle daughter is ill, too. Bleah. Because I am majorly stressed, I have started a garterlac dishcloth in a lavender-green colorway that soothes me and reminds me of my beloved rosemary and lavender in my soon-to-be-someone-else’s garden. I will bring the dishcloth to our new house, and plant new herbs there. Hopefully the deer will not destroy them.

dylan's bag pictures, shetland triangle progress

2007-01-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

I finished Dylly’s bag yesterday:

That shows the color pretty well. The purple satiny stuff is something I was thinking of lining the bag with, but I didn’t.

The bag’s inside; the bag hanging out with my own bag ☺

This is the progress I made today on my shetland triangle:

I have done the neck chart and one 10-row body chart repeat. Now I don’t know what to do. When I continue (because you’re supposed to do the body chart 8 times), do I add in additional pattern repeats each time? I’m confused about how this thing is supposed to increase. Because, you know, the first line of the body chart has a N number of stitches and then you get to row 10 and you have N+Q stitches (I have no idea the actual numbers here, don’t have it in front of me) - you can’t then go back to row 1 because you have too many stitches, unless you do additional pattern repeats. But I don’t know for sure that’s what to do and I never did this sort of thing before so - ack! help!

dylan's bag

2007-01-08T13:08:00.000-05:00

I’m working on a bag for my niece at my brother’s behest. “She likes purple, I guess,” he told me.

So:

Gratuitous kitten pix (btw Kaspar is a 5 mo old intact male norwegian forest cats for those veterinary lurkers. He’s allllllmost ready for neutering!)

knitting in the wild

2007-01-02T15:48:00.000-05:00

I was knitting at Barnes and Noble today - just a few rows on a dishcloth while waiting for it to be time to leave. I had some knitting-related encounters, which never happens to me. First, a woman approached me and asked if I were knitting “American style?” I said I wasn’t sure ;) but whatever style it was it was not continental. I knit with the yarn held in my right hand, going across my index finger, and I either barely move the finger to loop the yarn over the tip of the needle, or I barely move the tip of the needle to pick up the yarn, depending on I don’t know what, really ☺. She watched, intrigued, and actually tried to break it down along the lines of “OK, so, you want the ball of yarn on the table and then the yarn should go up along your hand, in between your fourth and fifth fingers, and then over the back of the finger and then sometimes you have it wrapped around twice but sometimes not, how do you know when to unwrap it?” Um, I don’t! But, she was very appreciative of “the help” (help?) and said she hoped she hadn’t messed up my counting. She also commented that I made it look “so easy,” which was funny, because I was knitting a dishcloth after all, hardly rocket science here.

So anyway, then, another lady approached me - an older woman (in the course of our discussion she mentioned having a 35 yr old son). She gave me a business card type card with her email address on it, and the name of a knitting group, along with the times it meets! She’s from the “Knit-Knights,” which meets in a local library. The card is decorated with a picture of a medieval-style castle ☺. Of course they meet during prime family time - 6:30-8:30 pm - so I asked if she knew of any groups which meet during the day. She asked me “did you make this bag?” and pointed at my big, lined Booga bag. I said yes, and she then said “OK, I think you’re advanced enough,” and told me when the day group meets - which is 10-12 on Mondays, which I might actually be able to make! But, it’s at a library about 15 minutes further away which is a little disappointing. Oh well. Maybe I can go and see how it is!

a day at the office

2006-12-30T21:02:00.000-05:00

I’m a veterinarian.

In my office today I saw a lovely 81 year old woman who unfortunately had to have me euthanize her canine companions. She was wearing a beautiful handknit (by her) jacket (chanel-type cut and buttons, except a very bright pink and orange and beige variegated yarn had been used) and during the course of my trying to comfort her I mentioned that I found knitting to be a comfort. Wouldn’t you know it, she got more agitated and explained that her beloved LYS had recently closed and she didn’t have one close by her home any more. I told her where I went and she remarked that they are nice there, but it is too far a schlep for her at 81 yrs old, and also there is no one there who groks sweaters like the recently retired proprieter of her prior LYS - which is true. I felt so bad for her. To cheer her up a little bit, I showed her the hat for my nephew, which I had just finished that morning (I even used suture scissors to trim the ends of the tassel). it worked - she smiled! I still felt horrible, though. and she was crying again when she left, holding two empty leashes and collars.

hat hat hat

2006-12-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

(I keep hearing the song “hot hot hot” in my head except the guy is singing “hat hat hat.”)

So, that hat? It came out way too big.

I semi-felted (by hand, in the bathroom sink, with scalding hot water ouch, as my husband languished in bed waiting for me) it and am giving it to my friend Linda who is moving to Switzerland in 2 weeks. I think it will be nice and warm for her, and she was admiring it as I knitted it and she will be shocked to get it, so, it’s all good:

Please to be ignoring my frighteningly pointy nose in that picture, thankyouverymuch.

This is the inside of the hat for those who are into the insides of hats. I did, btw, consider felting it more and calling it a bowl, but, well - nah.

I made another hat for my BIL:

The hat is not crooked. I just put it on crooked. So sue me.

Because I am now on a roll and freaked out that maybe this hat sucks, I am working on a matching one for his little boy:

Now, please note: I realize the colors pooled in BIL’s hat. I’m not a moron. However, I gotta say, I LOVE the unintended “camo pattern” effect. So there.

Notice how I’m totally NOT mentioning the Shetland Triangle??

OK, not much of a break :)

2006-12-26T14:51:00.000-05:00

L is just TOO CUTE in her matched sweater and booga bag set, IMO:

Last night when the kids had been put to bed, I asked my husband “did you get your brother a birthday present? His party is Saturday...” and he said “didn’t you say you were going to make something?” Um, no... I had previously asked if I SHOULD make something, and gotten one of those gung-ho enthusiastic “uh, I dunno” responses, so I hadn’t really planned on making anything. It’s HIS brother, he should have been in charge, right? Anyway. He said I should go ahead and make a hat. I found some Paton’s Merino in a colorway called “Forest” in my stash. I’m doing a K2P2 brim, then a stockinette hat with purl ridges about every 10 rows. I tried it onto my mom’s head while having lunch today and it looks SO CUTE on a head. Not so much off a head, but, whatever.

Also, I realized the other day that my parents were back from their cruise and I had no Chanukah present for my mom yet. I cranked out a scarf really fast using the Airy Scarf pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I used one ball of Rowan Kidsilk Night in a silvery sparkly color, held together with a strand of a fingering weight lavender colored alpaca yarn called Glimmer which contains an opalescent strand of something within it. The effect did NOT photograph well but take my word for it - it’s a frothy bubbly soft concoction and my mom actually LIKED it which is saying something.

I also knit myself a paw-print dishloth just to get rid of some yarn. I really don’t feel like MOVING this entire stash 0.4 miles to the new house. Easier to knit it all up and move the knitted items that are left after gifting reduces the haul.

So that’s about it. Now I gotta finish this hat. I have NO idea what i’m doing decrease-wise...

lilah's new bag

2006-12-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

I finished felting it up while Bro and family were here for breakfast today!

That extra bluish purple stripe along the bottom? The girls insisted I use a piece of that yarn so I stuck it there where it wouldn’t really show ☺ It’s Lilah’s, so, whatever. Her first coordinating handknit bag and sweater combination!

quote of the week

2006-12-23T07:48:00.000-05:00

“Secondly, I want to rant and rave about Knit Picks Needles! Sharp, fast, smooth and slick. Just like the perfect man.”

That’s from one of Kenny’s recent posts over at The Boy Who Knits blog. What a crackup ☺ Timely comment for me as my KnitPicks Options that I ordered with some of my Chanukah gift cash just arrived yesterday (and that might be the fastest knitpicks order EVER - I ordered at around noon on the 20th and they were here via FedEx at exactly 6 pm on the 22nd - and I did NOT pay for expedited shipping, in fact I got free shipping. WTF?

back in the saddle

2006-12-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

that didn’t take long. while organizing with the professional organizer, I found two skeins of leftovers that had been missing in action - so I’m chugging along on lilah’s handbag, which I realize i cast on way too many stitches for, so it’s going to be a big bag for a wee little one but whatever, she’ll grow ☺.

I have decided I Must Have some of this yarn: I want this:
http://yarn.com/webs/0/0/0/0-1001-1294-1323/0/0/3359/ in forest green.
Of course, the yarn fairies aren’t paying attention. humph.

i was going to say something else but the percocet has stolen the idea from my brain. how very lame.

knitting standstill

2006-12-21T21:27:00.000-05:00

I’m at a standstill for two reasons:

1. the handbag I’m making for Lilah out of my leftover Lamb’s Pride is on hold until I buy more wool because I ran out of leftovers!
2. i can not focus AT ALL on the lace due to a medical matter some readers know about and other readers probably would be happier NOT knowing about. Hopefully the medication I’ve started today will fix that up and I can return to knitting.

not much to report

2006-12-20T07:26:00.000-05:00

But I don’t think I showed my calorimetry-inspired simple ribbed headband off. See, I made Calorimetry, which I do love, and then you know it was really quite unREASONABLY unseasonably warm for a few days - so I made the leftover yarn into a headband which I love and refuse to take off:

Please to be ignoring the crow’s feet, thankyouverymuch!

In other news... I think the folks at http://community.livejournal.com/knitting convinced me that I do NOT want to make my Peruvian Tweed DK weight alpaca yarn into a 2x2 ribbed sweater - so, I started the tiniest corner of a Shetland Triangle out of it. I’m of two minds. Me? Trying to knit a shawl? Because I have time to concentrate on this (to me) very complex pattern when? Because I have ZERO experience reading a chart. Because I have never been one for shawl-wearing... But, I do love the look of it and what the hell?

Now I need a new sweater plan though, because I have never knit myself a sweater and I want to do it!

deep breath in

2006-12-15T08:04:00.000-05:00

I am going to swatch.
*deep cleansing breath*
I am planning a project and I AM GOING TO SWATCH.

I want to do SOMETHING with my dk weight alpaca tweed. I think that the knitting community at large has largely dissuaded me from trying to make my fantasy close-fitting ribbed v-neck pullover out of it. So now I’m thinking more along the lines of a somewhat slouchy stockinette pullover... perhaps with some ribbing at the sides a-la the ribby cardi from chicknits, I don’t know. But I do know first I have to figure out how many stitches an inch I’m getting to produce a fabric I like. So, I’m going to start a swatch today. Or possibly tomorrow if I absolutely must cast on for a hat for Naomi first but really, soon, I am going to swatch.

I think.

Unless, you know, I decide to put this yarn back in the bag and focus on the things that have to get done around here like packing and cleaning. But, no, I think I will swatch. For sure.

Unless, I don’t know, I might have to go pick up the orange I will need for when I do start Naomi’s hat since I am NOT making a 100% wool hat with a few small stripes of annoying acrilyc weird feeling yarn in there and the orange from her poncho is exactly that. If I do that I won’t have time to swatch I don’t think.

SIGH.

Swatch. I must swatch. I really want a sweater from this yarn!

the Shipley hat!

2006-12-15T07:44:00.000-05:00

My son requested a hat in school colors.
This is in the Plymouth DK alpaca I used for his sweater - some of the leftover green from that, and a navy I got on clearance at my LYS. IIRC I knit it on size 5s but I’m not 100% sure. I cast on 96 stitches and did a little tiny bit of stockinette so it would have a rolly edge to match the sweater and then did 2x2 ribbing until it seemed big enough to decrease. Then I placed a marker every 16 stitches, and then every other row K2tog before the marker. After a bit I felt I wasn’t decreasing fast enough so I k2tog each row before marker. Then I was down to something like 3 stiches on each needle, and my needles fell out somehow, clattering to the floor quite loudly and yet not waking up Michael, whom I had found sleeping soundly upon my return from book club at 9:30 PM. Phew. So then it took me AN HOUR to get the thing back on the needles and when I did, it was a good inch or so back from the top AND my markers were gone AND some of the stitches were either twisted or not quite correctly picked up (my first post-picking back up round, I found one stitch I had to bring up from the blue stripe region!! aaaaaaah!). So then I said screw it and I just did K2tog all the way around until it was done! I deliberately left the little pointy nipple. He looks like a little elf in it.

O.M.G.

2006-12-12T17:04:00.000-05:00

OK, this is IN SANE (like Crazy Eddie!) I just found out that this blog HAS AN AVID READER!!!!!
/me waves to avid reader
Hi! It’s SO GREAT to, um, write for you??

Anyway.

I cast on for a hat to match Jacob’s sweater. I cast on 96 stitches because, well - I don’t know why. It’s DK weight. I’m using size 5s. I saw a pattern that recommended 80 stitches for a kid and 90 for a grownup and they were using worsted weight and size 7 or 8 needles. So, I totally and randomly guessed. I knitted about an inch of stockinette to make it roll and match the sweater, and now I’m doing 2x2 rib. We’ll see. It should fit SOMEONE since I have bigger and smaller heads available.

calorimetry went fast and BIG

2006-12-12T13:06:00.000-05:00

So I have a few pics of my calorimetry “in situ” with my so called scarf as an accent piece:

Top view:

Side view with cute little button snagged from extra button bag that came with ancient April Cornell cardigan:

And a couple of more “normal” shots. Yes, this is a big-ass head scarf. I, however, like it and am glad I used the full 120 stitches.

my so called scarf, calorimetry, and more

2006-12-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

So, for some reason, when I started working on my so-called scarf I grabbed a bag I bought in Manhattan a couple of years ago for a few bucks from some sidewalk purse guy (I bought the bag to match an outfit at the last minute for a party; not sure what made me grab it now because it was lurking in the back of my closet all forlorn). I am loving the way it looks with this yarn, though:

So, yeah - that’s going to be calorimetry.

This is my weird skein of “worsted weight” Paton’s classic wool - see how the inside of the skein is worsted, but the outside is totally not?

And there is my so called scarf, blocking; and the cats ☺

weird Patons yarn

2006-12-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

So, I ordered a bunch of stuff from Joann’s, because I was using the 50% off coupon to get a swift and I figured why not add in some sale yarn? It was just a few colors of Patons classic wool 100% merino worsted weight yarn. So, anyway, I got I think six skeins, and five were fine, and one (True Red) was weird. Looking at it, it appeared to be a skein of laceweight yarn. However, when I looked down in the center of the skein I could see that at some point it was correctly plied as worsted weight yarn. I called Joann’s, and they are sending me a new skein of this yarn, and I get to keep this one. Of course I have no real idea what to do with it (because I’ve no idea how much is laceweight and how much is worsted weight!) but I’m sure it will come in handy eventually. I’m happy Joann’s isn’t making me send it back. I wonder if anyone else has seen this sort of manufacturing defect? I will probably post pictures later :)

my so called done scarf

2006-12-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

pre-blocking shots (also pre-weaving in ends, but whatever) from my cellphone:

Right side:

Wrong side:

I actually love it. I’m thinking I’m going to make calorimetry from knitty out of the remaining yarn!

Lucie?

2006-12-08T08:04:00.000-05:00

OK. Here is what I think I might want to do. I want to take my Peruvian Tweed, and make a Lucie - except without that flappy neck, just a plain v-neck. I’m afraid to try to modify the pattern because I am a loser. Also I am not sure what size to make. If I’m being perfectly honest, I have a bust measuring 38 inches, and a waist measuring 30.5 inches, and hips measuring 38 inches. I don’t want a baggy-in-the-waist sweater but I don’t want to look slutty. I tried to write to the pattern author but she blew me off or was too busy or didn’t get my message, I don’t know, but she didn’t answer, so, darn it, here I sit.

I really want to use that yarn on a sweater for me.

I wish there were a sweater pattern lady here who would help me custom-design my own sweater. SIGH.

a few more pics

2006-12-07T08:44:00.000-05:00

of the column of leaves:

more gratuitous cuteness

2006-12-07T06:52:00.000-05:00

OK so you saw the baby picture and the new hat picture but you didn’t see big girl L wearing the hat before I fixed it!

Hee hee. See, it really needed the fixing, didn’t it??

On the needles today: beautiful dark purply-burgundy variegated Malabrigo rapidly turning into a “My So-Called Scarf.”

everything old is new again

2006-12-06T14:59:00.000-05:00

When I was pregnant with Lilah, I knit a hat - the umbilical cord hat from SnB, actually. Lilah did wear it a little bit as a baby, but of course it was huge on her (she was a teeny weeny little thing) and by the time it wasn’t, it was no longer hat weather. This is the hat as it was then:

It was my first hat, and I was sad she couldn’t really get much use out of it.

Well, today, it’s cold out, and Lilah was rummaging through the closet, and she found the hat. She put it on and it was too small! So, I added an inch and a bit of ribbing, and an inch of stockinette to give another nice rolled edge. Here she is in her refurbished hat:

She loves it! I’m so happy :)

column of leaves - all done!

2006-12-05T21:22:00.000-05:00

woo hoo! an FO post! ☺
Because it’s all about finishing, really.

3 balls plus a little more of Rowan Cashsoft Aran. I forget the color, but it’s a light dusty blue - I think it looks a bit darker in these pics because it’s wet. I will eventually post a dry, in-use sort of picture ☺ Ultimate destination still unknown. Originally planned for MIL, but I don’t know. I might keep it, or give it to mom or GMIL. I just am not sure. There’s another gift opportunity I have coming up too, maybe I will use this for that. We’ll see. Time will tell...

And also - my Mother Bear Project bear!
Leaning up against a roll of paper towels:

On my kitchen table - note tag with my name on it as per instructions. I just threaded it onto some yarn and ran it through the paw with a slip knot so they can take it off easily... Also hanging out with my food processor and rice cooker, and taking a ride in a booga bag!

...before reaching the penultimate destination of the knit-in organizer’s office sofa:

mother bear project

2006-12-01T07:45:00.000-05:00

I finished my bear for the mother bear project; I just have to do his scarf and then some pics.

I went to a stitch’n bitch last night! It was ok. Sadly, I’ve been suffering from a migraine and I was pretty out of sorts - although I felt good enough to go, I wasn’t myself. Most of the women I originally met up with were a lot younger than I am; then some older ones came and joined. There was only one woman I really seemed to click with and she’s moving to Phoenix. The rest of them seemed nice though and one of them showed me how to do cables. We’ll see. They invited me back so I’ll try again but I won’t break my neck to get there. It’s a rough time for me, they usually meet at bedtime. Seems like I was the only one with young kids at home (the others are all pre-kids or post-kids!)

Up late last night, I tried making a washcloth in the dark to relax myself. I knitted about 9 inches by 4 inches and then frogged it because it was pissing me off. Boy I was not feeling the love last night. I need some serious medication.

column of leaves WIP pix

2006-11-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

A close-up of the most obvious error, as seen from the wrong side:

For some reason I think it is maybe more obvious in this one:

A nice pic of it laid out on the carpet, right side up:

That glaring error on the wrong side? Not so obvious on the right side!