Linda needs help (more than usual)

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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?

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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.