Linda's Knitting

Busy Busy Busy

2010-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

So having two kids and a full-time job makes you busy. I still knit (and weave occassionally), and now my life has calmed down a bit that I can probably start posting again. January is my "month of finishing", and I've completed a summer sweater I started (ahem) last summer, a dumpling bag (also from the summer), and a hat and cardigan for my sister-in-law's baby. Look for more info soon!

Recognition

2009-04-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

Since I've been knitting for several years now, I have quite a few knit accessories and garments that either I or my family wears out in public. Occassionally people will notice that the item is hand-knit and we will have a short conversation about it. These conversations generally fall into three categories:
1) Did you knit that? The person recognizes that the item is hand knit, and assumes I made it - and then usually follows up with (what they think is) a complement. For example, last summer I wore my Sahara sweater at our family reunion. My aunt asks if I had knit it, and then exclaimed "That sweater would have been so expensive had you bought it at a store!" assuming, of course, that I had saved oodles of money knitting myself a designer sweater. When I told her how much the wool/silk blend yarn actually cost, she gave me a confused look - why would you knit if not to save money? ;)
2) Did your (mother/grandmother/aunt) knit that for you? The asker in this situation assumes that there's some older woman that has provided the garment for you. This happens most often with Guy's crocheted baby blanket (in the previous post). These people also look confused when I say that I actually knit and crochet.

and the best type of question is...
3) Is that _____ pattern? This is the eluvise "knitter" meeting. This has only happened to me once, and was the most wonderful experience! Scott and I were visiting one of his college buddies, and I had dressed Guy in his baby surprise jacket. His wife (who is a wonderful knitter, I just always forget!) looked at him and said - "is that the baby surprise jacket?" Elated, I answered her that it was, and we then proceeded to have a conversation about what yarn I used and how difficult the pattern was. It was delightful.

Here's Guy in his BSJ. I will be knitting him another one in a larger size, hoping that it will elicit even more type 3 conversations.

Still Knitting (and crocheting, and weaving...)

2009-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am indeed still alive - and knitting! I've actually been pretty busy with the ole' hook and needles (though not so much with the loom...), so I have a few "catch up" posts to show off my recent work. Unfortunately I have no photos to show of the items I made for gifts - a hat for my friend's baby girl, and a hat and blankie set for my coworker. You'll just have to take my word that they were adorable!

Little Guy was kind enough to model this crocheted hat from Stitch 'n' Bitch's The Happy Hooker (how's that for a title?) It's called the Seija Hat and I crocheted it out of Dark Horse Yarn's Fantasy - a 100% acrylic yarn. It's very soft and very durable!

I love the way this hat looks on Guy - I think the braid makes him look like a little Viking. I finished it about two weeks before he was born, so he's had plenty of chance to wear it.

I also made the matching blanket, which went very fast since it's double crochet (although weaving in the ends was no fun - if I did this again I would just carry the yarn up the side). This has gone though the washer and dryer many times and the only wear it shows is from an unpleasant run-in with some velcro.

Next up - I'll show you some of the outfits I made for Guy!

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

I don't normally make new year's resolutions, but I thought since 2009 is shaping up to be quite the busy year, it would be nice to write some knitting/weaving resolutions so I can make sure to make some time for myself this year. So without further ado...

My resolutions:

1. Make Christmas stockings for the family. Scott's been asking for these for years, and since our family is now complete (I think!), it's probably time to get started. If I work on this the entire year it shouldn't be overwhelming.

2. Don't forget to weave! My baby blankets have been sitting on the loom for quite a while now, and I have lots of techniques I'd like to learn...so I need to make sure I weave a little bit, even if it's just once a week.

3. Use up some of my stash. I admit my stash has grown somewhat large, so I'd like to knit and weave up a bit of what I have rather than continue buying new.

Okay, with the exception of #1 they're not very specific - but that's all I can commit to right now with the new baby and the not-so-new toddler.

Happy 2009!!

Kitting Out the Baby...

2008-12-04T06:49:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with Lincoln I had just re-started my knitting, and so I only managed to complete a cotton sweater and a (huge!) sweater-vest for him before he arrived. Since my new little one will be arriving just in time for a cold January, I've been trying to be more prepared with a flurry of knitting projects.

So far everything on my "to do" list is *almost* done, just needing a little finishing work. I have a jacket and matching pants, a hat with matching carseat blanket, and just last night at knit night I cast off a Baby Surprise Jacket. I'm very excited about the BSJ because I'm hoping that will be the jacket my little man comes home in. With a little extra effort I'll even make some matching booties!

No fears for Lincoln - I have a pirate sweater on the needles for him, which will be deliberately big so he can hopefully get two winter's worth of wear out of it.

Whew! Off to knit some more!!

Where I've Been

2008-11-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

Have you been wondering about me? I apologize for the prolonged silence - I've been spending the past few weeks doing battle with my loom, but after several difficult weeks I have emerged victorious. It all began with the shawl I mentioned in my previous post. It is a tencel stole I purchased as a kit from the Yarn Barn in Kansas. The yarn is beautiful and the draft is relatively simple - I have to admit that the problems I encountered are all my own fault. It started right after I sleyed the reed and realized that I had chained the warp incorrectly and inadvertently created a knot...and the only way to correct it was to pull out all 453 ends, correct the chain and re-sley all 453 ends.

Problem number two ocurred when I has halfway through threading the heddles. I had (wrongly) assumed that the ends would be balanced across all four harnesses, so I moved several heddles out of the way before I started. After about 200 ends, I actually looked at the draft and realized that there were many more ends on shafts 2 and 3...and I wouldn't have enough heddles on those two shafts. Once again, I pulled out the ends and re-threaded the heddles.

I eventually did begin weaving, but not before I learned a lot of lessons. I decided to wait on posting about this until it was safely off the loom. The stole is now awaiting wet finishing, so here is a photo of it as I was actually weaving it.

No worries, I still love weaving. I've also kept up on some knitting. I've started a hat for the baby and a hat for Lincoln.

...And here is evidence that I can actually complete a project...the very first scarf I finished on the loom!

Too Fast

2008-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said that weaving is fast? Well, I've decided that it may be too fast. Since my last post I finished warping the loom, corrected a few errant yarns, started weaving, and finished weaving. I honestly almost started crying when I finished my first few picks and saw that my design matched the design in the book! The weaving itself took about a week, and I cut the scarf off this weekend.

Now I'm lost. I'm used to knitting where not only do projects take a while to complete, but where I always have multiple projects so that when I finish one there's another one waiting on the needles. Right now I have an empty loom with no project, and there are barriers to each project I want to start. Here's the rundown:

*Project A (Tencel Stole): I have the yarn, but not enough heddles. So I need to order more heddles before I can start.
*Project B (Baby Blanket): I have the plan and enough heddles, but I need to order the yarn.
*Project X (Anything I want to make with knitting yarn): I have lots of yarn, but worsted- and Dk- weight yarns need a 8-dent reed, and I have a 12-dent reed. So I need to order the reed.

None of these items are especially cheap, but they're not prohibitively expensive, either. So I guess I just need to place an order...and give my poor loom a rest.

Warped

2008-08-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hello! I just got back from vacation so my weaving has taken a brief hiatus. Never fear, however - I have picked it back up and am almost done warping some orange and brown sock yarn to make a "test" scarf. Here you can see the front of the loom, with the yarn passing through the reed. The reed is what creates your "gauge" in knitting.

Here is the side view. The yarn has passed through the reed and I have threaded all of the heddles. The heddles are inside of the shafts, which together lift the different threads up and down as you weave. Just a few more steps and I'll be set to weave!
Since I was away from my loom I did manage to get a bit of knitting done. This is the free pattern from the Knitting Pure and Simple website - I am currently knitting the matching overalls.

Meet my new baby

2008-08-20T18:43:00.001-07:00

I alluded to this in my previous post, but after my wonderful weaving class I made a few phone calls (and checked the limit on my credit card) and came home on Tuesday evening to find this "little" gem sitting on my front stoop.

It's my new loom - the Baby Wolf! The loom was pretty much ready to go out of the box, but there were a few things for me to put together. Tying on the apron bars was relatively simple, but getting all of the heddles into the harnesses drove me crazy. Here I am trying to keep all of the little buggers from sliding off onto the floor.
Thankfully I was able to get it all done with no loss of sanity, and finished the setup by tying up the treadles. You can't see in the photo how happy I am that it's all done! You also can't see that I was sitting on one of kiddo's chairs during this "test". I need to find a decent chair for my weaving.
The Yarn Barn sent all of my extra little goodies in the same box, so I'm all set to start EXCEPT for a warping board (they were out of stock). For those of you "in the know", you know that the warping board is the first step in weaving. So while I wait for said warping board to arrive, I can admire my beautiful loom.

A Recap...

2008-08-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well, my class is over and done with and I LOVED IT! The instructor, Susan, was very nice and she packed a lot of knowledge into a two-day class. I found out later that Susan is also the owner of the Yarn Barn, so it's wonderful that she gets to own such a cool store and still teach. For anyone thinking about weaving, I highly recommend taking a class since weaving is such a "hands on" type of activity and there's lots of different skills involved. So here's a recap of the weekend:
The classroom: The class was held in the office building adjacent to the Yarn Barn. We were in a small room set up with mostly Baby Wolf looms, plus one Harrisville workshop loom and another small counterbalance loom (I don't remember the brand). There were 7 other ladies in the class with me.
Day 1: The first morning Susan told us how to read a weaving draft, and went through the steps of warping the loom. It took about two hours, and at the end I was overwhelmed at the number of steps involved. She also showed us an example of the sampler we'd be making so that we could plan our colors. Then we walked over to the store and we each picked out 3-4 cones of 5/2 perle cotton for our own sampler. I picked two shades of blue and and an ecru color. After that, half of us went back down to the classroom to measure our warp while the other half went to lunch, then we switched places.

In the afternoon we actually warped our looms. Warping was much more fun than I expected, and actually went really fast considering that none of us had done it before! Susan even manged to not freak out when I threaded my heddles backwards at first (did I mention I learned lots of new phrases, too? Like "heddle" and "sley the reed" )

Day 2: Day two was all weaving! Once the warp was ready, all that was left was learning to follow a treadling pattern and throwing the shuttle. We had quite a bit of leeway here - Susan said that she didn't want to "tell us what to do". She gave us a few patterns to practice on, but encouraged us to experiment. At the end of the day we each had a lovely sampler table runner.

As a result of the class I *may have* bought a loom that is now sitting in our family room...

Class will soon be in session!

2008-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't decided to go back to school to get another degree. I have taken the advice of my friend Jennifer and enrolled in a beginner weaving class at the Yarn Barn in Lawrence. It's two full days over a weekend, but I figure it's a small price to pay to decide if I actually like this weaving thing. Plus I'll actually get so see different looms live and in-person. Scott is very supportive and says if I take the class he'll feel less guilty about going to Lawrence the following weekend for an Ultimate tourniment.

While I dream of weaving I am also getting some knitting done...plus I have BIG NEWS. Remember the cloffice - the combination closet/office that was my knitting refuge? Well I'm finally getting an upgrade! We are moving our office/knitting room upstairs to a previously-unoccupied room, and there will be plenty of room (in the actual room itself, no less!) for my yarn, my swift, and all of my knitting supplies. Yay! More details to follow...

Now to Make a Decision

2008-07-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

I had *almost* talked myself out of buying a weaving loom (too expensive! I won't use it much! I'm terrible with color and could never coordinate warp and weft!) . Then fate intervened, in three parts:

1) I received a gift certificate from the Woolery from my most-favorite sister-in-law (and brother-in-law), Joni and Tracy.

2) Hubby bought a ridiculously expensive road bike (yay for him since he never buys anything for himself), which makes me feel less guilty about spending a far lesser amount on a loom.

3) I went to the Studio sale and purchased more yarn. The trip made me realize that I have a lot of yarn that is just sitting around, waiting to be used - and weaving would be a nice way to put it to good use.

I've also been informed by my knitting group that I need to do my part to support the fiber economy (something I always tell them to do, too). So it's pretty much a done deal, but I'm going to enjoy the shopping process a bit more before a take the plunge.

Another Crush...

2008-06-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

I’ve got another crush. I’ve been doing a bit of crochet using patterns from 200 Crochet Blocks (awesome book!) in the hopes of doing a lap blanket with some finished squares. Crochet is a nice diversion from knitting and I’m really enjoying it. But…that’s not my crush.

For years I’ve avoided the fiber-y crafts that seem to dovetail from knitting and crochet: things like spinning, dying, or even felting have never appealed to me. That all changed recently, however, when there was an episode of Ready, Set, Knit (the Webs podcast) that briefly discussed some rigid heddle weaving classes they were doing. I have always been intrigued by weaving, but the investment of time and money necessary for a floor loom was way beyond me. Rigid Heddle looms bypass these obstacles by being small (so you can do weaving in front of the TV!), less expensive (much less than the thousands of $$ you’d spend on a floor loom), and quick to use. The show referenced a girl in their shop that had created a scarf using 100 grams of sock yarn in under three (!) hours.

So I’ve got a weaving crush. I’ve been eyeing looms at the Woolery and imagining the things I could create with a loom – scarves, table runners, placemats…even blankets if I pieced together multiple pieces.

Sigh. I’ve been giving myself a couple of weeks to mull over this and make the “big decision”…what should I do?

Some little things

2008-06-03T10:59:00.001-07:00

Whoa! It's been over a month since I last posted. To be honest, I lost a bit of my knitting mojo after the whirlwind of my dissertation defense and graduation. After a brief hiatus, though, I am slowly dipping my toe in the water and doing some small projects. Here's what I've accomplished since I last checked in:

1. Finished Currer. I hated the look of the crab-stitch button band that the pattern calls for. So after ripping out the button band several times I finally settled on a garter-stitch band and blue buttons.
2. Finished a Mason-Dixon "ballband" dishcloth.
3. Made some headway in the log cabin blanket I'm knitting for Lincoln.
4. Queued up a bunch of little projects (this involved a trip to the knitting store, of course!). These will be revealed as I begin working on them...

As for my crochet "crush", I may have to wait awhile as I get my mojo back.

Just call me Doctor

2008-05-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

The sweetest phrases I have ever heard in my life:

1. I now pronounce you husband and wife.

2. It's a boy!

3. Congratulations, Dr. Hauner.

Today I successfully defended my dissertation, and I am officially a Doctor.

Still Hanging On

2008-04-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Behold! I have not forgotten my old pal Currer. I blocked the pieces on Friday night and spent several hours yesterday seaming it all together. It was my first time doing set-in sleeves, and it was quite a challenge. Even though the seams aren't perfect, I'm happy with how it turned out overall. Turns out the peplum I liked so much also involved a looooooong seam...

After I took this photo yesterday I finished weaving in the ends, leaving just the collar and the button band. And the fit? For once I have made something that isn't too big - it has just the right amount of negative ease. Yay!

My Obsession

2008-04-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

I am not a knitting monogamist. Even though I may have been in love with a pattern when I started it, after a while my eye starts to wander and I begin to flirt with other patterns. Usually it’s just innocent flings off to the side while I maintain a steady relationship with my current pattern. Sometimes, though, I find that “special someone” that makes me seriously think about leaving my pattern for greener pastures.

Here’s my obsession: Dahlia.

I have created not one, not two, but *three* swatches in three different yarns to determine the Ultimate Yarn for this design. I am convinced that this pattern, combined with the “just right” yarn, will not only end world hunger but allow people to instantly transport from one place to the next and completely eliminate our dependence on oil.

Don’t worry about Currer. I’m at the peplum and I’ll stick with it “for the kids”, but I think it already knows that the romance is gone.

Swatch Power!!

2008-03-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend I swatched and actually cast-on for Currer! Yay me!!

I am really glad I swatched. The pattern calls for size 8 needles. I first knitted a generous swatch using size 7's (I always need to go down at least one needle size), and was delighted that my gauge was spot-on - both stitch and row. The pattern says row gauge matters, too. I then did the unthinkable...I WASHED my swatch!

Can you guess what happened? My gauge changed! I think it is becuase of the high cotton content of the Sierra. Anyway, I'm glad I waited to cast-on until my swatch was washed.

On to swatch 2...I knited a less-than-generous swatch using size 6's. After washing the still-wet swatch was still off-gauge. I did a little tugging here and there, and ended up with the correct gauge (is this okay to tug your swatch to get the right gauge?)

I have now cast-on for currer using the 6's. I have gone through and converted every reference to "inches" (as in "knit even for 3 inches") to # of rows so that the length will be correct after blocking.

I'm feeling pretty smart right now. Did I do the right thing?

A Fresh Start (or two)

2008-03-01T06:25:00.000-08:00

Below you can see the results of my new swift - which the kiddo now calls "his airplane". After some serious contemplation I decided to go ahead an knit Currer. This decision was helped by the fact that after a visit to the "cloffice" (my combination closet/knitting room that was the result of my request to the hubby to let my knitting share his office), I discovered that I actually *had* purchased the right amount of yarn to knit it.

The top yarn is the Euroflax linen from my Valentine swap partner, waiting to become a tank top. The green yarn is the second ball of Briggs and Little Regal for my Pi Blanket. The blue yarn is Cascade Sierra waiting to be swatched for Currer.

These projects are waiting while I do a quick "in between" project using my stash Malabrigo.

Linda needs help (more than usual)

2008-02-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

I've crossed a not-so-secret-super-secret knitting project off of my list, meaning I can cast on something new. The problem? I've got analysis paralysis and can't decide what to knit!!

The Cardigan Options:
1) "Currer" from Norah Gaughn.
OR
1) Sylph Cardi from the most recent Interweave Knits.

For those that know me "in real life", which one is more "me"?

I bought some yarn for Currer during the Studio sale, but I just realized/remembered that I can't do math in my head...I bought three balls of Cascade Sierra (a cotton/wool blend), which is about 2 balls short (apparently 192*3 is not equal to 900)***. Ugh! So I would have to stash dive and/or go to the yarn store for either option.

Other stuff on my to-do list:
1) Hat for Scott (some day, some day).
2) Linen tank using the Euroflax worsted.
3) *Something* for the kiddo before he's old enough to refuse my knitty gifts.

****Before you laugh, realize that I just spent ten minutes *with a calculator* figuring out if I would have enough yarn. My early math years were not pleasant. The day I started algebra was one of the happiest of my life (besides getting married and giving birth, of course...)

Knitting Slowly and a Book Review

2008-02-12T09:31:00.000-08:00

We've had a crazy couple of weeks at our house, so not much knitting has been getting done. Lincoln was sick all last week (actually, we were all sick last week), and that sapped my knitting mojo. I've been slowly working on an Elizabeth Zimmermann Pi Shawl in the Regal yarn that you saw on my swift. It should make a nice blanket when it's done and I'm hoping the wool softens when it's washed. The pattern is a fun/easy knit but it's just taking a while.

So since there's no knitting I thought I would discuss one of my knitting book "treasures". Rowan's Vintage Knits is a book I had overlooked for quite a while, yet I was pleasantly surprised when I finally took a deeper look. The patterns are gorgeous and while based on "vintage" style, they are timeless. There are feminine cardigans, gorgeous sweaters, and some nice-looking men's sweaters. It includes the typical mix of Rowan designers - Kim Hargreaves, Martin Storey, Sarah Dallas, and many others. I am a *huge* Kim Hargreaves fan, and this collection didn't disappoint as she has "Demi" - a lovely aran tweed sweater that is on my "must knit" list. This collection also includes the "Salina" sweater with button placket and small collar that has been so popular on Ravelry. My other favorites include "Jolie", a low-fastening fitted cardigan with faux-smocking; and "Magnolia", a turtleneck with buttons on the collar. All are very pretty, very girly, and just ask to be knitted in gorgeous yarn. Check out this book next time you're in your local bookstore, or look and see what other folks have done on Ravelry.

Some Weird Stuff

2008-01-28T17:30:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by srapalmateer. It's similar to an earlier tag by Anne of Purls and Tails that I've been remiss in posting. So, two games in one!

Here are the rules:
-Link to the person who tagged you.
-Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.
-Post the rules on your blog.
-Share the seven (7) most famous or infamous people you have met. Or go with the original 7 weird things about yourself.
-Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.
-Include links to their blogs.
-Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I'm not really into "tagging" (since there's not many blogs I read and the two referenced above are a large majority of them), so feel free to post this on your own blog if you happen to feel tagged.

I've only met one famous person - Harrison Ford - so that list is too short. Here are my 7 weird things:
1) I sniff things - yarn, sweaters, books...if I'm thinking about buying something I usually take a whiff. Don't know why.
2) I never changed my name when I got married. Saw no reason to.
3) I love "Stargate Atlantis". Didn't realize that was weird until I told one of DH's friends and he freaked out. Then I told another of his friends and *he* freaked out.
4) I am allergic to preservatives in contact lens cleaner. Didn't realize it for a year - I thought your eyes were supposed to burn when you put your contacts in. CIBA Vision's Aosept changed my life (and possibly saved me from blindness).
5) The color maroon makes me sick. Literally. I can't ride in a car with a burgundy/maroon interior or I throw up.
6) When I was little I had recurring nightmares that Busses and VW Bugs were chasing me. When I had to take the city bus to school in junior high I got a little afraid every time the bus came towards my stop. It never attacked me, though.
7) My favorite meal is Rice-a-Roni. I eat it for lunch on the weekends as a special treat.

That's it. Tag yourself if you feel like it, let me know in the comments if you have.

Two Fabulous Packages!

2008-01-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

I received two great packages recently - one of my own doing, and one that was a wonderful surprise! First, I received a wonderful package from Lisa for the Knitter's Review exchange. She sent me a copy of Fair Isle Knitting by Sarah Don (a great book, and Scott likes it because he thinks the boy on the cover looks like him when he was a boy), some cute knitting thank-you cards, (some chocolate - covered coffee beans that couldn't be photographed due to them being, um, in my stomach), and most awesome...some locally grown (sheared?) and spun wool that she dyed herself!! It's a pretty pinkish-coralish color and will look very nice on me once I get it knitting up into a nice hat (or mittens, or wristwarmers, or...I can't decide!) Thanks Lisa!!

Next up is the long-awaited Swift. It's a big-un, but doesn't take up quite as much room as Scott had feared. I took advantage of it right away to wind some wool I bought at the Studio sale.
The result? A ball of wool that required no tears, four-letter words, or declarations of hatred towards knitting in general. The wool, incidentally, is Briggs and Little Regal 100% wool. It's a nicely priced, minimally-processed, light-worsted wool spun in Canada. I'm really looking forward to knitting with it (and I *do* have a plan for this yarn).

THE PURCHASE

2008-01-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

First a note: I received a lovely box in the mail last week from my Knitter's Review New Year's Exchange partner, but I haven't had decent light to photograph the goodies yet. That post will come soon (sorry for the delay Lisa!)

Second, as Terri so astutely guessed in my last post...I have *finally* ordered a SWIFT!!! Yes, after feeling sorry for myself for not receiving one as a Christmas gift, and suffering through yet another tangled yarn mess in my attempt to wind some Cascade 220 on my own, the knitting fairies took pity on me and sent me a 50% off coupon for Joann.com. After conferring with the husband (who was deeply concerned about where we would put it - he's still recovering from the atrocity of having to share his office with my knitting stuff) I placed my order and it should arrive next week.

Also - The Studio is having a sale this weekend - 30% off on *everything* on Sunday and Monday. Don't miss it!! I told Scott that I would need "a couple of hours on Sunday" (not mentioning what it was for), and he replied with a sigh, "you're going yarn shopping, aren't you?" Yes, yes I am.

Book Review!

2008-01-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

There has been a bit of knitting recently (and an overdue purchase that I will share with you...later!), but I'm down with a cold that has taken both my voice and my knitting mojo. I am somewhat of a book lover, so I thought I would fill my time with some reviews of books on my bookshelf. I'll start with one of my newer purchases: Sensual Knits edited by Yahaira Ferreira.

I had to buy this book for myself since I felt a little weird putting it on my Amazon wishlist where it is possible (but not probable) that it could be seen by my mother-in-law. I simply do not have the energy to explain to her that "sensual knits" is not a naughty book. And it's *not* a naughty book - it's "sensual" in the feel-good-about-yourself and surround-yourself-with-luxury sort of way. Supposedly all of the patterns are knit with luxury natural fibers, but as I almost always sub yarns, that's not what drew me to this book.

There are several sections in this book - ranging from the expected barely-there camisoles to full-on dresses (*not* gonna happen on my needles). There are sections for cardigans, pullovers, and accessories. The patterns are beautifully photographed and aren't especially trendy - a big "plus" for my non-trendy self.

There are two reasons this book was a "must buy" for me. First, it is a collection of designs from several different designers. Therefore the patterns, while sticking to the theme of "sensual", are different enough from each other to make each one interesting in its own right. Yahaira definitely has a wonderful eye for timeless designs. Second, there is a design by my all-time blog-crush Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. I have always hoped he would come out with a woman's sweater design, and he has created a beautiful one for this book. "Ramona" is a simple v-neck sweater with an interesting "seam" down the front that adds a bit of style. There are other wonderful sweaters in this book, and a pair of socks for you *crazy* sock-knitters, and many would look good on a variety of sizes. Go buy yourself a copy now!!

New and Improved Vest

2008-01-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

When it comes to knitting, I'm a pragmatist. If I don't like something I've made, I'm willing to try something new in my efforts to transform it into something I *will* like. Sometimes those efforts don't work out so well - as in the felted hat I gave my brother-in-law last year...it was supposed to be a knit cap that came out way too big - so I decided to shrink it by felting. It was not my greatest moment.

Sometimes these efforts work out okay, though. In the case of my vest, the re-blocking (in *hot* water, just to get my point across) was just what it needed to go from "never-ever" to "acceptable" (although not the greatest, as you'll see in my notes). Here's the finished result:

It's still not perfect, but it's as perfect as it's gonna get...and most importantly, it's wearable. Here's the stats:

Pattern: V-neck vest from Paton's Next Steps II (love this pattern book - schematics for every pattern!)

Size: Small

Yarn: Paton's Classic Merino, slightly more than two balls in purple.

Mods: None

Notes: If I made this again, I would go with the extra small - as it is, the shoulders are a bit wide and the waist is a bit large. I debated rather I would prefer the smaller size or if I should just add waist shaping, but decided the smaller size would be the way to go because: 1) It's made to go over a button-down shirt, so you need a bit of give, and 2) any extra ease needed around the bust can be accommodated by the v-neck.

There were a couple of errors in the pattern, but nothing major. Overall, I very much liked the design and would knit from this pattern book again.

I learn the importance of Blocking...correctly

2008-01-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

File this under "lessons learned".

I *finally* finished my v-neck vest (check out all of those picked-up stitches around the collar and arms!) and completed the seaming one night at my knitting group. When I tried it on, I realized that it was a bit short for my taste. One of my knit pals reminded me that I could solve that problem in the blocking (thanks Terri!) Of course, I knew the power of blocking and how it can make lemonade out of knitting lemons. The next night I proceeded to wet-block it with the goal of making it longer. Here is my completed vest. Notice anything "odd" about it? Look a little blocky to you?
Here's me wearing the vest. Notice anything odd? Does it seem a bit wide to you? See how it hangs off my shoulders and how wide the "v" is? And that's *after* some major styling on my part (I even pulled in the waist a bit in the back so it wouldn't be so gruesome in the photo). Well, it seemed a bit wide to me, too. I decided to sit down with the lovely schematic provided by my pattern to see how my vest measured up. It was a whole two inches wider than the schematic. If you are an observant knitter, you may be asking yourself why I waited until *after* I blocked the sweater to check the schematic.

Yeah, that's the problem.

I blocked this baby the day after I blocked Jennifer's lace scarf. With lace, the goal is to pull and stretch the item 'till it won't stretch no more. And...um...that's what I did with my vest. No schematic, no measurements, just pure stretching and pinning.

Last night I re-blocked my sweater and actually used the schematic. The results will be revealed...next time!

A New Year's Post - What's Your Knitting Ninja Power?

2007-12-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

As I glance through the many knitting blogs I have bookmarked, I realized that different knitters have different talents that they bring to their needles. Some, like Techknitter, are methodical and mathematical. Others, like Brooklyntweed, have gorgeous photography skills. Others come from an artist background and/or have magnificent color skills. Still others are designers. Of course you need a variety of skills to knit, but I began to wonder what my own “knitting ninja power” is. I’m not an artist (it is the one subject in school that I was afraid of), and I have no color sense at all (thank goodness black goes with mostly everything!). As you’ve seen on my blog, I’m also no great photographer. So…what *is* my knitting ninja? That thing that keeps me knitting? The thing I’m good at?

I have determined I have two useful skills in knitting. First and foremost, I guess I am good with my hands. I used to play both the piano and the violin, and they both require quite a bit of finger/hand dexterity and coordination. I like to knit because it requires me to coordinate my needles to create the “music” of knitting. This may not sound as poetic as saying “I’m an artist”, but I’m good with my hands, and I like to create things with my hands.

Second, I am very logical. Knitting, like music, has strong internal logic. Stitches behave a certain way under certain circumstances, and certain shapes develop when you knit a certain way. My two favorite forms of knitting – lace and fair isle – amplify this internal logic. When I start a knitting project, I like to know exactly where I’m going – it’s the same brain chemistry that drives me to skip ahead to the last chapter of whatever book I’m reading so that I know what’s coming up (and before you complain that I am ruining the fun, there is nothing more fun than trying to figure out the twists and turns that the author will make to arrive at said ending)

So what is your knitting ninja? What special skills do *you* bring to knitting?

See you next year!

A Photo!! Branching Out

2007-12-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

I know you thought it would never happen - but I actually have photos! This year my friend Jennifer and I agreed to exchange "surprise" knitting gifts. She made me a fabulous felted bag (okay, I don't have a photo *yet* to do it justice), and I made her Branching Out from Knitty. Here's the completed scarf:

Here's the stats:

Pattern: Branching Out from Knitty

Yarn: 4-ply Mongolian Cashmere (dk weight) from Sarah's Yarns in Olive - 1 skein. I love Sarah's Yarns - they have great prices and great customer service! These cashmere skeins are huge, too!

Mods: None - i did this exactly as in the pattern.

Notes: This is a great lace project. Much more interesting than "beginner" feather and fan, but still pretty simple and easy to memorize.

In Which I Realize I am not the Smartest Person in the World

2007-11-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

It's hard to admit, but I may not be the smartest person in the world (you may disagree, of course). Remember the devil yarn that I couldn't wind right the first time? There's more...

Last week DH had some spare time so I decided to have him help me wind the second hank. I unwrapped the hank and much to my displeasure ran into the same issue I had last time: the label was looped in the *middle* of the yarn. Last time I removed the tag by cutting the yarn, resulting in the aforementioned two balls of yarn.

This time, I wrestled with the tag for several minutes, trying to figure out how to get the tag off of the yarn without cutting the yarn. DH stared at me while I was doing it, and while I was taking a short "stress break" (in which I swore I would never buy this yarn again!) he calmly reached over, ripped the corner of the tag off, and freed it from the yarn.

Yes, paper tags do tear. I have learned a lesson. Oh yeah - I ran out of yarn and now need to buy another hank. This time I will let The Studio wind it for me.

Christmas Knitting...

2007-11-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure what I would be able to post in the next few weeks since so much of what I'm knitting is going to be gifts for people who may read this blog. (People who *don't* read my blog are usually deemed unworthy of knitted gifts - sorry!) However, one gift I'm making can be mentioned on this blog - the hat I'm going to make for the husband.

I may have posted eariler that I have already made a crocheted cap for DH. He wears it sometimes, but the openness of the double crochet makes it unusable on really cold days and I haven't gotten around to lining it yet. So...hubby has started asking for another hat...here's his request: "a hat like the other one, only with smaller holes and a skier on the side"

"a skier on the side" means he wants a colorwork image of a skier, similar to the Atari-era Indiana Jones I put on Linc's knitted hat last year.

This presents me with 2 problems: 1) I don't know how, nor do I want to know how, to do intarsia in crochet, and 2) I used an online image of Indiana Jones to make Linc's hat (no big deal since he's just 10 pixels)...there is No Way In Heck I could design a skier motif.

What do I do? Do I ... Make a knitted cap and try to find a simple skier design to incorporate? Make a crocheted cap with just a stripe? Or do I chuck the whole thing and buy him a pair of gloves instead? What would you do?

The Beast

2007-11-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

It has two ears, two arms, and two legs. It doesn't have a face, but I'm hoping my mother-in-law can help me with the embroidery.

Yes - The beast is complete. Lincoln loves it (and kept trying to hug him as I was weaving in ends), and Scott says "it's the first bear you've knit that actually looks like a bear)...

Pictures may follow, but you know how bad I am about pictures.

In other knitting - my v-neck vest just needs the armbands picked up, Lincoln's Tomten is 1/2 done, and both have been put on hold as I've cast on for my Secret Christmas Knitting.

Why I need a Swift

2007-11-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Studio to buy some yarn for a gift. I had exactly 1/2 hour before I was due back home to relieve hubby from baby duty (or baby doody - same thing). After 29 1/2 minutes, I chose some fabulous yarn and proceeded to the checkout counter. This is when I made The Mistake. The yarn came in a hank (2 hanks, to be exact). Sarah, the most fabulous shop employee ever, asked,

"Would you like this wound?"
"No" I replied.
"Are you sure? It won't take long"
"No - I don't need it right away. I'll do it myself".

Fast forward two weeks. I head to our new knitting/office room, and dig out the hanks. Hubby takes kiddo to the basement. I unwrap the first hank, wrap it around my knees, and proceed to wind it using my handy ballwinder.

Problem 1: I run into an end. Apparently, what I thought was a yarn end was actually where I had accidentally snipped the yarn when undoing the hank. I start over.

Problem 2: As usually, the yarn comes loose off my knees, and proceeds to become a yarn vomit mess. After over an hour, I have un-vomited the yarn and wound the ball.

Problem 3: I still have one hank left. Haven't gotten to it yet.

After I was done, I walked downstairs and hubby notes: "You really need one of those ball-winder-helping things like they have at the knitting store."

Uh, duh. Good thinkg Christmas is around the corner.

PS - There's a big thread on Ravelry about this - apparently there are lots of LYSs that won't wind hanks for you, and a lot of LYS employees that are bitter about people even asking for it. Next time you're at the Studio, make sure you tell them how much you appreciate their great customer service!

I think I'm turning Japanese

2007-10-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

The other day I was thinking to myself that knitting from english instructions is just too easy - how can I make it harder? Enter Let's Knit 12 and Fair Isle, etc. - my very first Japanese Knitting Books. When I bought these, I thought it should be no problem for someone who took two years of Japanese in college and spent a semester in Japan, right? Then I remembered that Japanese consists of over 40,000 (that's forty thousand) characters - of which "only" 2000 are required for everyday use. Hmmmm...

Fear not, though! The real reason I bought these books - other than to impress everyone with my knowledge of Japanese - was to see the Japanese method of charted knitting. The beauty of Japanese knitting patterns is that you don't actually need to know Japanese (other than a few key characters) because the patterns are completely charted. Amazing!! I feel I really could knit something from this book. Plus, the patterns are simply gorgeous - just check out the cover of the Fair Isle book.

Now I can combine my love of all things complicated with my love of knitting, and maybe even knit something!! Also - if you are interested in buying your own Japanese knitting books, the website I link to above has great (fast!) service and reasonable shipping.

Lolcats and some knitting

2007-10-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

Project roll call: Vest - knitted and waiting to be seamed. Crochet Hat for Scott - completed and waiting on a liner. Bobbi Beast - still caged up.

What's next? Fair Isle gloves for myself, and some super-secret gifts.

So lolcats are the Hamsterdance of the post 9/11 era. Plus, it's really cute. So of course I took the quiz:

Your Score: Longcat

68% Affectionate, 40% Excitable, 42% Hungry

Protector of truth.

Slayer of darkness.

Loooooong.

Longcat may seem like just a regular lengthy cat, but he is, in fact, looong. For proof, observe the longpic.

It is prophesized that Longcat and his archnemesis Tacgnol will battle for supremacy on Caturday. The outcome will change the face of the world, and indeed the very fabric of lolcatdom, forever.

Be grateful that the test has chosen you, and only you, to have this title.

To see all possible results, checka dis.

Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Oh yeah - I've also been tagged. More on that coming up (I'm a busy gal after all!)

Searching, once again

2007-09-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

It seems these days that I spend more time looking for the *perfect* pattern than actually knitting. I guess that makes me an "idea" woman - perfectly suited for management, I suppose. Not so suited for finishing projects.

My vest is 3/4 done, and I'm on a new quest to find a perfect men's hat pattern. Hubby has requested a hat and I can't refuse. He's already visited the LYS with me (what a nice guy!) and picked out some Nashua Creative Focus Superwash** that is a nce worsted weight. He'd like a beanie-type hat that he can wear around town. Now I'm on a search for a decent man-looking hat pattern or stitch pattern...he already has a basic hat that I've made, and now he wants something more "trendy". Help me, please!

**Note: Hubby actually chose some delicious Berroco Pure Merino, but I did not realize that it's superwash and steered him towards the Nashua instead. I'm tempted to go back to the Studio and surprise him with a hat made with the Berroco...

Completed Sahara

2007-09-16T07:05:00.001-07:00

I've been promising photos forever - and finally I have one! Last week I finished Sahara and am pretty happy with the results. Picking up the stitches was just as unfun as I thought it would be, but I slogged through.

Stats:
Pattern: Sahara - sleeveless version
Yarn: Valley Yarns Goshen (cotton/modal/silk blend)
Size: Small
Modifications: 1 extra set of waist decreases
What would I change in the future? I was between sizes, so I did the larger size with more waist decreases. If I did this pattern again, I would do the smaller size with less waist decreases - as it is, it is a bit large in the shoulders.

When it rains, it pours

2007-09-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

I had some extra knitting time over the long weekend and am proud to say that Sahara is almost done - I just have to finish one sleeve and weave in the ends! YAY!!! As usual, I've finished the garment just at the end of its usable season - Sahara is sleeveless. Hopefully we'll have a few more warm days so I can wear it a bit before it gets packed away in the closet.

This accomplishment means that I can get started on my vest soon. I purchased the aforementioned Knitters magazine on Saturday, and found this little gem at Michaels. It is a modular patternbook that can be used to make different types of sweaters and vests. Very versatile! When I found it, I almost did a little dance because it's so awesome. It's like Ann Bud's sweater book only smaller and a little less intimidating. AND it has a v-neck vest! Depending on how much knitting I get done, I may just do two vests this season. And maybe get them done before next summer.

Bobbi Beast is still languishing in his own personal UFO bag. Poor, armless Bobbi - I will get to you soon.

My least favorite part of knitting...

2007-08-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

I spent over an hour last night doing what I now know is my least favorite part of knitting. It's not kitchener (I actually like that), it's not weaving in ends (somewhat relaxing), or even correcting dropped stitches.

It's picking up stitches. Like when you're doing a sweater and you have to pick up stitches around the neckline. Like what I'm doing right now with Sahara (and no, I'm not done with Sahara yet!) I spent an hour picking up stitches up one side of the neckline and *I'm* *only* *halfway* *done*. It's so fiddly - getting your needle in the right place, getting the tension just right so you can pull the yarn through without splitting it (usually requiring several tries), making sure I pick up two stitches for every three rows....UGH!!

Honestly, this is the reason Bobbi Bear is not done yet. I have to pick up stitches for his arms and I hate picking up stitches so much that The Bobbi Beast sits lanquishing in a bag in my bedroom.

Sigh.

The Quest has Ended

2007-08-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for your great feedback about sweater vests. After searching high and low (and checking out your great suggestiongs), I have finally found exactly what I was looking for. It's a Norah Gaughan design from the new issue of Knitter's: Urban Vest.

I found this online this morning after having spent an hour at The Studio yesterday looking at all of their patterns and not finding anything perfect. I ended up buying a copy of "Folk Vests" because it had a pattern I *thought* would work with a bit of fiddling, but I wasn't completely happy.

Now I just have to find the time to get to Joann's or BN to buy the magazine.

Yes I'm still Knitting

2007-08-10T06:20:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm still alive and yes, I'm still knitting. I've just started a new job and it's been keeping me very busy. I've been able to do a bit of knitting - I'm making a bit of progress on Sahara and have a goal of completing it next week. I've also started a sock for Scott (wish me luck!) and started thinking about my next project...I'd really like to knit a vest to wear to work, but I'm not finding a lot of good vests for women. I want a v-neck sweater vest (not a cardigan) that's semi-fitted and a solid color. Any ideas?

My next post will have photos!

Secret Pal Revealed!

2007-07-03T19:19:00.001-07:00

The final package from my secret pal arrived yesterday! My secret pal is Kate - but I don't have her blog address (please send it to me!)

This package had lots of goodies. Two skeins of Knitpicks Shine Sport - which I've been wanting to try for a while. A lovely pair of knitting needles, and a cute sweater-keychain. Plus a patternbook for knitted snowflakes (although I'm not ready for winter quite yet!!) There was also a very cute sheep measuring tape. Some delicious tea, glycerin soap, and a journal. Thanks for much Kate!

Sahara is started

2007-06-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

We've had a crazy week. Last weekend we travelled to DH's home town for his grandmother's funeral, and I got to drive back alone with kiddo while DH went on to Denver for work. Needless to say, I'm glad we're all home safe and sound and can get back to normal, everyday life.

On the knitting front, I cast on for Sahara this weekend. Since we were doing a lot of travelling I didn't want to take along a big project, so Ribs and Lace stayed home. I'm using Valley Yarns Goshen is a pretty blue color, and so far I'm really liking it. It's easy to knit with and has a pretty sheen. I'm a bit concerned that it might pill a bit, but we'll see as we go along.

For those of you keeping track, that adds up to four "real" WIP and one "surprise" WIP. Looks like I need to finish some stuff!!

Ribs and Lace Tank, er, Mini-Dress

2007-06-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't posted in a while. I had planned on having this post be a "FO" about the Ribs and Lace Tank. Unfortunately, I have decided that this pattern Will Never End. Ever. Instead of being a hip-length tank, it's turning into a mid-thigh length "mini dress". That's okay with me since I still like the style, but I had expected this pattern to be a quick-knit to tide me over while I waited for a yarn order...but it's turning into a major big deal. So while I wait for the endless pattern to end, I've been thinking about what I want to knit next. The felted hedgehog is ineligible - since I only want to have one toy OTN at a time, I have to finish Bobbi Bear first! I have yarn for two summer sweaters - Sahara and Rusted Root (and no, I didn't buy Tilli Tomas yarn for Sahara - I have a silk blend from Webs) I've also been thinking about knitting a cool felted bag my friend Jenniferdesigned, or maybe a quick and easy belt? Mmmm...so many choices!

Disburbing news about Baby Bobbi Bear

2007-06-03T13:09:00.001-07:00

I came across some disturbing information about BBB today while I was relaxing at the Local Barnes and Noble. It seems that Baby Bobbi Bear is so-named because he is a *smaller* version of the full-size Bobbi Bear. Yes - there is a bear out there that is even larger than Baby Bobbi Bear!! BBB is quoted at 15 inches, while full-size Bobbi is a whopping 2 feet tall. To put it in perspective, that is just a couple inches shy of Lincoln's height.

I am truly frightened at the prospect of such a large bear...

Kamikaze Frog

2007-06-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

I had to put Bobbi on hold for a bit until I get more stuffing (who would have thought that a "baby" bear would take so much stuffing?). So last night night I pulled out my poor neglected Ribs and Lace Tank. I had finished both of the lace patterns, and had moved on to the ribbing that goes around the bust.

As I knit, I kept thinking to myself that the tank was going to turn totally lame because the ribbing was very holy and didn't look like it would be fitted at all. In a fit of desperation this morning, I decided to check my gauge. The first gauge was for the lace - no problem there (the final measurements are almost perfect). Then I took a closer look at the second gauge - for the ribbing: 20 stitches per inch *using smaller needles*. Smaller needles? Who said anything about smaller needles? Sure enough, buried in the instructions to increase a couple of stitches and place a new side marker was the dreaded "switch to smaller needle". How much smaller? From a size 10 to a size 4. Yes, a *lot* smaller. I'd been using a size 9, but since I don't have a size 3 circular (Knitpicks interchangeables only go down to a 4), I decided a 4 would be fine.

I had already done about 1 1/2 inches of ribbing, so I had to decide how to frog back to the start of the rib pattern. Option 1 - Knit Backwards - was not considered because it would drive me insane. Option 2 - put in a lifeline - was also not a great option because I find it difficult enough to thread a lifeline in stockinette, much less ribbing. So that left Option 3 - take the needles out, rip out until I get to the proper row, and carefully put the needles back through the live stitches. ... so I did it and it worked without one dropped stitch!! I had a coupld of twisted stitches, but those are no problem.

Lesson learned: play closer attention to instructions.

Bobbi Bear in Perspective

2007-05-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

Here's the picture to show just how big Bobbi Bear is. The pattern does give the final dimensions of the bear as over a foot tall, so to be fair I knew what I was getting into. Knowing in theory and seeing the reality are two different things, though. Here you can see Bobbi with Lincoln. Notice that Lincoln's arm is blurry - every time we tried to get him to sit next to Bobbi he knocked it over.

Next I'll be picking up stitches for Bobbi's arms, knitting some ears, and giving Bobbi a face.

Linda gets tagged, and Bobbi Bear attacks

2007-05-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, this meme has been going around for a while, but I've finally been tagged. I unofficially tagged myself after reading Terri's blog, but I've also been officially tagged by Jennifer. Here's the deal - I'm supposed to tag seven people, but I've always done poorly at games like that so I'm following Terri's rules:

Here are the tag rules (as modified by Terri)
Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves.

Those tagged need to write on their blog the 7 facts as well as the rules of the game.

People who feel that they are tagged after reading this post can feel free to tag themselves and leave a note in my comments section.

Seven Random Facts:

1. I am left-handed, but I golf, knit, crochet, use scissors, cut my food, and do most everything else right-handed.

2. My favorite book of all time is "Emma" by Jane Austin. I've read it several times.

3. When I was little (okay, not so little - even now) I dreamed of becoming a writer

4. I love popcorn and eat it almost every day

5. I had all of my fingers crushed in a shopping-cart accident when I was 3. No permanent damage except my hands get very cold very easily.

6. I don't eat fish, or any creature that spends a majority of it's life submerged in water (eg crab, lobster)

7. I do eat meat. Yum!

Okay, now that that's out of the way I can move on to explaining the somewhat menancing title of this post. I have completed the Bobbi Bear legs, torso, and head, and have commenced stuffing him before I knit up the arms. From the photo on BB's pattern, I assumed he would be a petite bear, even though I had nothing at all on which to base that assumption. Well, BB is *huge*. He is full-teddy-bear sized, and stands at over a foot tall. I knew he was tall, but the full impact of his size did not strike me until he was stuffed. As soon as I have the opportunity, I'll take a photo so that you can see the giant that is Bobbi.

Crouching Fiber, Hidden Hedgehog

2007-05-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

I received a fabulous new package from my secret pal this week! It was all beautifully wrapped, of course.

First of all, I received the pattern and supplues for this really cute Hedgehog. I did not take a photo of the pattern, so you must click on the link to see how adorable these guys are.

I did take photos of everything else, though! There's two balls of Lambs Pride Worsted (which I've been wanting to try) and a ball of Funny, which will become the hedgehog's back. You can also see in the basket (which is my attempt at doing artful photography) a postcard for the Oriole's stadium. My secret pal is an Orioles fan, which is fine with me since our poor Royals can never seem to win a game.

There was also a dishcloth with an airplane motif (my secret pal promises to tell me where she's getting these patterns when she does her "reveal"). Finally, there was a set of four gorgeous stitch markers. I apologize for the blurry photo, but I seem to be having camera issues today.

Thanks secret pal!

Baby Knits

2007-05-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

I finished the knitting on this baby jumper a couple of weeks ago, and took my sweet time doing the finishing work. It's for my sister's baby that is due in June. I actually had the side seams completely done using mattress stitch, but I ripped out the entire seam this weekend. The arms were a bit small, so I added a couple of rows to make them wider (that's the blue squares in the armpits), and I just wasn't happy with the way the mattress stitch looked - it made it too "rounded". I decided instead to do a backstitch. It gives it a more "rustic" look, but I think it looks better with the yarn and pattern. The whole outfit is basically knit in one piece from front legs to back legs, so it's really simple.

Here's the details:
Pattern: Baby knit from the Spring Knit Simple
Yarn: Bernat Denimstyle (cotton/acrylic blend)
Modifications: None, except for the yarn sub. I must have made a mistake around the neck, since the arms ended up so narrow.
Time: About two weeks to knit, and a day to do the finishing work.

Repetition Repeated

2007-05-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

The Mr. was out of town most of this week, so I decided to treat myself by indulging in some in Jaggerspun Zephyr wool-silk from Sarah's Yarns. Sarah's Yarns is fabulous in that they send you color cards with your first order. Having already ordered some wool-silk from them (and falling in love with it), I had a huge color card at home and spent several agonizing minutes deciding what color to order. I'm terrible with colors, so this was a big deal to me. Finally, I decided on a color called "royal" that was (wait for it!) royal blue. It promptly arrived, I tore it open, and came to a crushing realization...

The color I ordered (in laceweight) was *exactly* the same color of Knitpicks merino lace-weight that I'm using for my Icarus shawl. Ouch!

I have no one to blame but myself, since I used a color card and knew exactly what color I was ordering. I guess I like the color blue. So I think a shawl is out of the question...so what should I make with my blue laceweight wool-silk?

I'd also like to note that for a limited time Sarah's Yarns is offering extra-large samples for swatching of many (if not most) of their lines for just the cost of shipping. I have a sample of the Sarah's Yarns Cashmere DK-Weight and it is heavenly!!

Ribs and Lace

2007-05-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Finally some progress photos! Here's where I'm at with the Ribs and Lace Tank from the Spring '07 Interweave Knits.

'

I am done with the first lace pattern (basically just a feather and fan pattern) and there's one more lace pattern before the "ribs". I want to get this complete because: 1) I want to wear it! and 2) I have my next pattern picked out, and I'm itchin' to start! (More on that later!)

On the needles

2007-05-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

I've realized I haven't been posted very often to this blog, and I do apologize. I don't have a lot of photos and/or finished objects to show for two reasons: 1) I'm not a fast knitter (this is the primary reason), and 2) I usually start 2-3 projects at once, and end up feeling so guilty about having so many projects taking up space in the house that I knit a bit on all of them until they're finally all done about the same time. So I'll have nothing finished for a long time, and then all of a sudden have three FOs. Reason #2, I've realized, is also why I don't knit socks (even though I want to) - since I have three "big" projects going on it seems like I'm "cheating" to start another small project while my other projects languish...

Enough of the psychoanalyzing, here's what I have on the needles:

1) A tank (Ribs and Lace) from the Spring Interweave Knits in Cotton-Ease. Yes, I once again frogged my Cotton-Ease to start a new project. Turns out the cotton/acrylic blend wasn't "sticky" enough and the dropped-stitch design on the Fitted Knits tank looked sloppy. I *will* find a good project for this yarn!

2) The "Icarus" shawl from last year's Interweave knit in Knitpicks Shadow. It's my first shawl project worked in laceweight, and I've allowed myself all summer to finish the thing.

3) "Bobbi Bear" from Blue Sky Alpacas, knit in Organic Cotton. Scott bought me this pattern while he was in Seattle (what a Sweetie!) and of course I had to cast on right away. It's a fun knit, and I would be done by now if I didn't stop every so often to work on my other projects.

My Stash

2007-04-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

My SP10 hostess is having a contet, and all I have to do is "flash my stash"! So, here is my yarn collection in all its glory:

I keep my yarn in 4 rubbermaid bins - two large and two small. One of the smaller ones is designated as a "sock" bin, although I really don't have a lot of sock yarn.

Here's a couple of example of what the bins look like on the inside - not very exciting, I know. I have a lot of one/two skeins that I bought "just to try the yarn", then of course I didn't have a decent pattern for them. So they languish.

The only part of my stash that I didn't photograph is the "leftover basket", that has all of my leftover skeins from projects. I'm trying to decide what to do with that yarn...since I have a lot of Cascade 220 I'm thinking I'm going to try some sort of patchwork felting project...I just have to get over my dislike of felting first!

Cotton-Ease redux

2007-04-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

I've temporarily given up on my Barbara Walker tank in favor of using an actual pattern. What can I say - I can't resist all of the gorgeous patters out there! I've cast on and started knitting the drop-stitch tank from Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel (aka Glampyre). So far, I'm not entirely happy with the way the drop-stitch sections are shaping up. I'm hoping it improves with blocking... The pattern itself is very simple - just two rectanges stitched together - and so far it's going pretty fast.

I bought the book this weekend when Scott offered to watch Lincoln for a couple of hours while I did some shopping. I spent two glorious hours shopping at the Plaza on my own - which means I didn't feel at all guilty that I spent the whole two hours in *two* stores - Bath and Body Works and Barnes and Noble. I spent a long time in the knitting section of B&N, luckily finding an open chair nearby so I could sit and read. Not only did I find "fitted knits", but I also found a nice reference on how to do mattress stitch in garter stitch (yes I know it's amazingly simple, but I'd never done it before).

Thanks to the mattress stitch help, I also managed to do the finishing work on the "super secret" project I've been working on - and I will post photos this weekend after it is delivered to the lucky recipient!!

Knitting while sick

2007-04-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

I really haven't been able to get much knitting done lately - on Sunday night I woke up with a 102 degree fever. I just didn't have the energy to knit. I did do a little knitting on Saturday, but I can't talk about it now because it's a gift.

Barbara Walker, here I come!

2007-04-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

I've had Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top for quite a while, but I've never actually tried knitting my own design based on it. I managed to snag some Lion Brand Cotton-Ease from Michaels a couple of weeks ago, and decided it was time for me to finally "Walker-fy" meself and try out the Cotton-Ease. Here's what I've done so far:

It doesn't look like much yet, but I've acutally done quite a bit of work measuring, gauging, and swatching. I'm doing a sleeveless sweater, which calls for an invisible cast-on. Barbara provides one cast-on in her book, but I decided to use the fabulous cast-on I learned in my toe-up sock class. You can see in the photo that there is one set of Knitpicks circulars that I am currently using to knit the back, and the other circular needle cable is holding the stitches that will eventually be the front.

I believe that any knitting design should focus on the unique properties of knitted fabric - ie the ability to do lace, cabling, etc. With that in mind, I've been scouring my "Knitting onf the Edge" book to find a nice little pattern insert to do on the front of the vest. I had one all picked out, but when I swatched it I realized that I wouldn't be able to convert the pattern to "in the round" when I finally connect the front and back. So the search continues...

Surprises!

2007-04-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

My secret pal spoiled me this week! Take a look at how nicely she packaged everything (also note the really cute bunny dishcloth she knitted for me!):

I was like a kid at Christmas and made quick work of opening everything:

Inside were lots of knitting goodies - a Knitpicks Chartkeeper (which I have been drooling over forever), some Soak woolwash in yummy scents, and two hanks of Knitpicks Gloss - it's part silk (yummmmmmmmmmmmmm):

Plus there were lots of other treats: There were some kitty treats for Dr. Zaius and Cheetara - you'd think it was kitty crack the way that Zaius gobbles them up.

There were also cute little sheep cards and some Margarita-flavored Jell-o.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

Monkey Torso

2007-04-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Sock Monkey adventure has begun!

This is the torso and legs of the monkey - aka "the easy part". I've cut out and stuffed the arms and ears, and now need to stitch them on by hand (aka "the hard part"). Unfortunately, I realized after I turned the tail right-side-out that I actually sewed it backwards...so I have to redo that. At the rate I'm going, I just hope I finish Mr. Monkey is done by the time Mr. Lincoln reaches adulthood.

Finally an FO!

2007-03-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here it is - my Wicked Sweater in all of its completed glory!! I finished sewing on the pocket and weaving in the ends on Friday. Here it is before I blocked it:

I decided it was a bit short, so I stretched it lengthwise during blocking, which also made it a bit more form-fitting. Once again, I am amazed at the power of "the block"! Here it is after a wet-block and a couple days of drying:

So here are the stats:
Pattern: Wicked from Zephyr Style - size small
Yarn: Stash Cascade 220
Modifications: I added two short rows across the back to make the back a bit longer than the front
What I'd do differently: If I knitted this again I would do more decreases for the waist shaping. As it is, it's a bit too boxy for my taste, although blocking helped quite a bit.
Final thoughts: A nice quick and easy knit, and it was nice being able to try it on as I went. I liked that the pocket provided some relief from the endless knitting in the round.

Sock Monkey

2007-03-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

For a while now I've been eying the sock-monkey-inspired hat and blankie in The Happy Hooker. I never had a sock monkey myself, but I think they're incredibly cute. I vaguely remembering discussing the sock monkey issue with my mother-in-law last time she was in town, and she said that she had made sock monkeys for both my husband and his brother.

Well, last weekend my sister-in-law came home from a visit to MIL, and delivered (courtesy of the in-laws variety store) "official" sock monkey socks. No need to knit sock-monkey wannabees anymore - I have access to the real thing. Given my limited success with knitting toys (witness Frankenhorace), and my limited sewing skills, I am a bit nervuos about attempting to sew a stuffed animal. Luckily MIL was thinking ahead and provided extra socks "just in case". The experiment begins this weekend...

An SP10 Contest!

2007-03-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

My SP10 hostess is having a contest! All I have to do is talk about my favorite current project. Can you guess what it is? Yes - It's Wicked!! I even have an updated photo:

I really meant to model it but I started the second sleeve before I thought to take the picture, and I feel too lazy to put the stitches on waste yarn. Don't worry, though - as soon as this sucker is done I will model it in all of its wicked glory! The pattern is Wicked from Zephyr Girls (of course), and I am using some stash Cascade 220 on it. I like it because it's fast and relatively easy, and because it's for *ME*!

In other news, sock class ended last night and we learned the sewn bind-off and we got to see (although only one of us attempted it) a tubular bind-off. They are both pretty nifty. I also got some hands-on practice on doing two socks at once, and it's definitely something I'll try in the future.

So, pros and cons of taking a class (since this is only my second knitting class ever):
Pros:
*I learned some techniques I never would have tried otherwise. I don't think I'd go to the effort of learning the magic cast-on, or toe-up socks if it hadn't been for the class.
*I met other knitters and got to share the joy of learning something new
*I got to spend quality time at the yarn shop, and bask in the wonderful-ness of the yarn and patterns

Cons:
*(Obviously) it's more expensive than learning on my own via library books or internet
*I don't do well with someone else's schedule - sometimes I got done with the "homework" a couple days after class and just had to sit longingly at the sock, while other weeks I didn't have time to finish the homework.
*Sitting in a yarn shop for two hours is awfully tempting when you're on a budget!

Overall, though, I am very happy I took this class. I will definitely be making toe-up magic loop socks in the future!

Pocket Progress

2007-03-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

Here's the most recent photo of my pocket. I took this picture on Thursday, and since then I've finished the pocket, attached it to the body, and finished one sleeve. Whew - Wicked is almost done!!

As you might have guessed, I've been ignoring my poor sock and therefore decided that I won't have time to rip the heel and re-do it before tomorrow's class.

My First Meme

2007-03-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

Here it is, my first meme, courtesy of Lorinda.

In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole*, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of.

*except I did mine in red because I don't know how to do a strikeout! As you can see, there really aren't any books I don't *want* to read.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. +Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. +To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. +The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. +The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. +The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. +Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
9. *Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. +Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. +Angels and Demons(Dan Brown)
13.+ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. *A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. +Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. +Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. +Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. +Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. +The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. *The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
23. +Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. +The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)

26. +The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. +Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. +The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. +1984 (Orwell)
35. +The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. *The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. *I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. *The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. *The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. +Bible
46. +Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. +The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
WHAT HAPPENED TO 49????

50. *She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. +Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. +Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. +The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. +War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. *Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. *One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) (The abridged version only)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. *Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. *Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. +The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)

76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. *The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. *The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. *Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. +Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. +Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. +Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. +Lord of the Flies (William Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Knitting Updates and a conundrum

2007-03-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

I've gotten to the pocket on Wicked, and it's taking a bit of time since I actually have to look at the pattern line-by-line. Once I'm done with that, though, I should be able to zoom through the seed-stitch band on the bottom. So I am nearing the finish line!

I'm having a bit of a conundrum regarding my sock. After finishing the heel a second time, I've tried it on and it's actually a bit too long. Considering that a "perfect fit" is supposedly on the best features of a toe-up sock, I'm a little torn about what to do. I really have two options: 1) Do a bit of the cuff and wait until after my last sock class on Tuesday to rip it back, or 2) Rip it back right now before class. Option 3) - Do nothing and live with a sock that's too big - is not on the table. I'm worried that if I rip it back now, I won't have enough time to finish up the entire cuff before Tuesday - and yes I'm aware that the longer I stall, the less likely I am to have finished by Tuesday!

Anyway, on Tuesday we're going to go over a sewn bind-off, which is an Elizabeth Zimmerman unvention. I'm very excited! After Tuesday, I'll post my thoughts on having taken a class vs. learning techniques via books or internet, which is how I usually learn to knit...

Some sock progress

2007-03-07T07:04:00.000-08:00

Last night was my second sock knitting class. We started on the heel, and it's a bit more fiddly than doing a top-down heel (in my opinion). I actually had the heel almost finished last night, but I was unhappy with the way my stitches gapped around the wraps in the short row, so I ripped it out.

Wicked Knitting

2007-02-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

We had a 9-hour car ride to Colorado, so in between taking care of the kiddo I had lots of time to knit on Wicked. I'm really happy with how quickly it is going:

I also attended the first of three sessions on Magic Loop knitting at the Studio. So far it's been a great class - I learned an invisible cast-on that's worth the price of the entire class. Other "firsts" for me in the class are: doing socks toe-up (already it's more fun than top-down), and (of course!) Magic Loop. I ended up using some stash Regia for the class that is pink and red variegated. I'm still not a big fan of variegation, but the pinks seem much more girly, and I'm saving the blue sock yarn for a pair of socks for Scott. Another plus: the Regia is much less "splitty" than the Fortisima Socka I started with.

FO: Seamless Yoke Sweater

2007-02-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

Here it is! My Elizabeth Zimmermann seamless yoke sweater. We just got back from our annual family ski trip, so these photos are a bit delayed. It turned out really well, especially for a first sweater. I have to post photos of the underarm to prove that it is truly seamless - these sassy 'pits are courtesy of a *lot* of kitchener stitch!

The details:
Pattern: Seamless Yoke Sweater from Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash

Modifications: None! EZ's sweater "patterns" are always personalized! I did, however, forgo the stranded (fair isle) pattern in favor of the stripes. I was using stash yarn and didn't have enough of any one color to have a solid background with just a bit of fair isle as EZ shows in the book.

Changes for the future: The yoke is a bit deeper than I would have liked, causing a bit of sagging around the armpits. If I do this sweater again I wouldn't do as much of the 4.5" of plain knitting before the first decrease on the yoke.

EZ Done!!

2007-02-17T12:28:00.001-08:00

I cast off of EZ on Wednesday (Valentine's Day!) and have been doing the finishing work. There were a lot of ends to weave in, due to the number of stripes, and I just snipped my last yarn last night. Yesterday I picked up a bottle of Eucalen at The Studio (the woman checking me out says it flies off the shelf, so lucky me I was there at the right time!), and I soaked my sweater this morning. I won't post a photo until it's completely dry and ready to be modelled, though. I read in the Yarn Harlot that superwash (which EZ is made out of) tends to grow when it gets wet, and I think my sweater did a bit of growing as well. I hope it still fits OK when it's dry...

Also while I was at the Studio I signed up for a class on Magic Loop socks and bought some sock yarn. I'm taking the class because I want to try magic loop, but also because I want to learn to do toe-up socks. I think there will be a lot of good techniques in the class - maybe I'll also learn a new bind-off. I am *not* a fan of variegated sock yarns (always looks good on the hank, never looks good knitted), so I wanted some solid-color yarn for the class. They seemed to have a lot of "manly" colors - grey, black, taupe, etc., but no exciting girly colors. The colors I found and loved- pink, red, and purple, they only had one skein each (ie one sock), so no luck. I briefly toyed with the idea of just having two different colored socks, but then just sucked it up and bought a nice-ish blue color. Gosh, I would have *killed* for two balls of the pink, though! Oh well...

My Elizabeth Zimmermann sweater...

2007-02-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

It is *almost* done! I started this a long time ago (around Thanksgiving) and got the body and sleeves done, and then took a break for Christmas knitting. I just got back into it about two weeks ago, and I'm hoping to showcase it as a FO soon! It really is a quick knit, I just wasn't devoting much time to it.

We're going skiing next week so I hope to have it done and ready to go for the trip...

Wicked Swatching Done!

2007-02-12T05:51:00.000-08:00

I've finished my swatch for Wicked - I've actually washed and blocked it (a first for me!) My gauge is spot-on, which is surprising since usually I need to go down a needle size to get gauge. Good for me - it means I only have to do one swatch!! Now, as soon as my Elizabeth Zimmermann sweater is done I'll cast on.

SP 10 Questionnaire

2007-02-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

I've decided to participate in Secret Pal 10. Here's my questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I don't like 100% cotton, although I'd like to try some cotton blends. I usually prefer soft wools or wool blends, or some (soft) acrylics. I'd like to try knitting with bamboo or soysilk.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have the folder for the KP Options, while my straight needles are in a rubbermaid bin.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting almost three years - I learned from books when I left my corporate job to be a full-time student. I consider myself to be high-intermediate - I'm willing to try anything!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I'm working on it and will post a link.

5. What's your favorite scent? I like florals or food scents. Anything except vanilla!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I'm not really a sweets person.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I crochet but I don't spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes I can play MP3s. I like classical or 80's music (weird mix, I know!)

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I prefer neutrals or purples or oranges, but nothing too bright or neon. I'm not good with colors - I never know what colors look good together.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am married with a 7-month old son. I also have two cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves, hats, mittens, and shawls, but not ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Small projects like baby sweaters, scarves, mittens, toys, or purses. I like to knit sweaters but they take a long time!

13. What are you knitting right now? I just finished a pair of camo socks for my baby, I (still!) have an Elizabeth Zimmermann sweater on the needles and a pair of fair-isle socks. UPDATE: EZ is done! I've cast on for Wicked. I'm also knitting a pair of fair-isle socks.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? YES!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer cirulars for most things. I use KP's metal circulars but I prefer plastic (Bryspun are my favorites).

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I have a yarn winder but not a swift.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? 2 years. It will soon be frogged (I hope!)

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas and Halloween.

19. Is there anything that you collect? No.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I subscribe to Interweave and Vogue Knitting. I wouldn't mind a book on lace knitting - I've been wanting to make a lace shawl but haven't gotten the courage to try it yet. I've also been wanting either volume 1 or volume 3 of the Vogue Stitchionary. Actually, any stitch dictionary would be nice. I've also been craving Knitpicks Chartkeeper - or any chartkeeper!

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Entrelac or socks on two circs.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes! My size is 7

23. When is your birthday? July 15

Second Sock Done!

2007-02-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

I finished Lincoln's second camo sock, and am just finishing up Super Secret Project (super secret because it is a very special gift for a very special arrival!). After I'm done weaving in all the ends, I will take a break from acrylics and start on Wicket in earnest. I'm currently finishing my gauge swatch and hope to wash and block it today.

In the econ world, before we can talk about whether or not a deficit is a bad thing, we need to discuss the two things a government can do that ordinary people can't. After all, if you or I run up a debt we eventually have to pay it, right? Things aren't so simple for a government. The two things a government can do are: 1) Tax and 2)Print Money. *All* of our money originates from the Central Bank, and when the government taxes us they require that we pay them in the same currency that they've provided to us to begin with...

Shucks, I've given away too much already. Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of our deficit story...

I'm in!!

2007-02-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

I've just joined my first Knitalong - it's Knitters of Avalon, and we'll be reading "Mists of Avalon" and knitting something inspired by the book. I haven't read the book yet, but I am definitely intrigued. I wonder what it will inspire me to knit?

Yes, yes, I know you're all worried that this will take precious time away from my dissertation. Don't worry! I *must* read non-economics related books or I will go absolutely insane! Besides, at some point in the (hopefully not-so-distant) future my dissertation will be done, and I hope to have some vestiges of a life left when that happens. So I must maintain what few hobbies I have left. If anyone is interested in my dissertation topic, it is "The World Bank and Poverty - Practices, Policies, and Outcomes". It's really a fascinating read, at least in my opinion.

Since this blog is all my own, I will probably include some interesting Economics-related material from time to time. After all, who doesn't want a bit of Econ mixed with their knitting? Since Bush just submitted his budget proposal to Congress, I'll start off with the difference between "deficit" and "debt". "Deficit" is how much expenditures exceed income (or taxes) for a given year - it's a flow. "Debt" is the acculmulation of all of the deficits and is a stock.

For example: If I make $10 a week (hey, I'm a grad student!), and in week 1 I spend $15 in yarn, my deficit for week one is $5.
If I spend $20 on yarn in week 2, my deficit for week 2 is $10, and my debt is $15 ($10 + $5).

Next time I'll talk about where money comes from, and whether a national deficit is a bad thing.

The Importance of Blocking...

2007-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today I discovered the importance of blocking. Observe exhibit A:

These are my Fetching mitts pre- and post- blocking. Note how badly they curl at the top before they're blocked. I had read on some forums that people were casting off using itty bitty needles to avoid the curl, and was worried that I would have to rip out my cast-off and re-try. Witness the miracle of blocking! No more curling, and the Cascade 220 softened up quite a bit. The color of the yarn is more purplish like the picture at left.

Even the cat likes them now!!

The scoop:
Pattern: Fetching from Knitty
Yarn: Cascade 220 (don't know the color as I bought it ages ago)
Mods: Changed the yarn, used size 5 needles. If I made them again, I'd use DK-weight and even smaller needles since I have very small hands.
Completed: January 2006

Status Update

2007-02-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on the second sock for LT's camo socks. I'm trying to decide what to do with the rest of the ball. It may become a matching hat, or maybe a pair of camo socks for a lucky cousin? My next project is going to be Wicked, and I'm really excited about it. It will be my first top-down sweater, and only the third sweater I've attempted. Wish me luck! I'll have more project photos shortly.

2007-02-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

I don't often make things for myself, so this was a welcome change. I've worn this scarf a couple of times, and it's actually a bit scratchier than I expected given how soft the yarn felt on the skein and while knitting. Due to yarn limitations I narrowed the scarf a bit, and I wish I would have kept it wider. The baby alpaca is *very* warm, even with the lace pattern!

The details:
Pattern: Dimple Shale Scarffrom Knitpicks.
Yarn: 2 balls Andean Treasure in Sunset Heather.
Mods: I only had 2 balls of AT, so I eliminated one repeat of the lace pattern (2 repeats instead of three).

Where's the Sock?

2007-02-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here is my most recent FO: A camo sock for LT (the second sock is currently on the needles!) It's a bit big for LT now, but don't worry - he'll grow into it! t kniting up really fast in a worsted weight yarn. I didn't much like knitting with the acrylic, but the only camouflage yarn I could find was either 100% wool or acrylic, and washability won out over natural fiber in this case.

Here's the details:
Pattern: Generic Sock Pattern from Knit Simple Winter 2006/2007
Yarn: Bernat Camouflage (100% acrylic, worsted weight)
Modifications: None - I just used the directions for the worsted weight baby sock
**A very fast and easy knit!!**

New Knitting Blog!!

2007-02-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

I've decided to start using this blog more regularly as my knitting repository. That way I can post all of my knitting stuff without worrying that I'm taking blog space away from Lincoln. Enjoy!!

More things I'd like to try...

2006-10-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have an addendum to my knitting questionnaire (since I'm indecisive) - there are some other knitting-type things that I'd like to try...entrelac and dying. But maybe not together...

My Knitting Questionnaire

2006-10-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested in my knitting habits and happenings, here are my responses to the Secret Pal 9 questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I like wool and alpaca (never knitted with silk or bamboo), and I don’t like acrylic or 100% cotton.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a folio for my crochet hooks and Knitpicks Options, otherwise they’re just everywhere!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I’ve been knitting for 2 ½ years – I taught myself when I quit my corporate job and started grad school full-time. I consider myself to be intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) Anything except vanilla or floral scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? No sweet tooth ☹

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? No other crafts except a bit of sewing and crochet – and I don’t spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes I can play MP3s. I usually listen to pop or 80’s music. I listen to classical with my baby.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I like earthy purples, greens, and oranges - (not pastel or neon, and maybe not together). Basics like black, white, and browns are also a good choice.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am married with one 3-month-old son and two fat cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves, hats, and mittens (and shawls); but not ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Sweaters (baby sweaters especially), hats and scarves (to practice new stitch or color patterns), toys.

13. What are you knitting right now? An Elizabeth Zimmerman seamless yoke sweater, a lace scarf (my first), a cabled scarf.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer aluminum circular or resin (like Bryspun) straights.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I finally bought a yarn winder but don’t have a swift.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? I have a 1½ year-old sweater that I haven’t gotten around to frogging.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween or Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect? No

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I subscribe to Vogue Knitting. I really want to knit Glampyre’s Simple Knitted Bodice.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Steeking (yikes!) and Entrelac

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I like to knit socks – I’m a size 7 women’s

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) July 15