inkysticks

new site

2011-04-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

Hi readers! If you've wondered whether I was still around, I'm here to say, yes, I am! I lost my blogging mojo which was created in part by the loss of my knitting mojo. I have way too many WiPs going, very unlike me! But I'm here to announce that if you'd like to continue following my knitting adventures, or misadventures as the case may be!, you'll find me over at SheepandInk.com. It's the new knitting blog two of my friends and I have finally gotten off the ground. It took many months of planning and work, but we're finally live! So, continue to follow me there if you like. I won't be updating over here anymore.

Hope to see you at Sheep and Ink!

Frankensocks

2010-10-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

This month I've been participating in the Frankensocks KAL on Ravelry. The idea: use up some scrap stash yarn and knit yourself some socks! And, if you're into Mary Shelley, read-along in her Frankenstein. Now, for someone who enjoys knitting socks, I don't seem to knit very many of them despite the fact that I have a seemingly endless stash of sock yarn, so this KAL instantly appealed to me. Reading a little Shelley was just a plus. Admittedly, I've completely slacked on reading the novel. There's no excuse. It's right up my street century-wise, and is a very good and interesting read. I just never got around to downloading the Librivox audiobook and couldn't motivate myself to dig out my copy. Some of this has to do with a conference paper I wrote some years ago on an alternate point-of-view novel that was really quite bad (the novel, not my paper, lol), and the rest was being busy with other things. But I had time to knit!

I chose the Hat-heel socks from the Fall 2009 Knitty since I've been wanting to try this construction out and I figured I could use up quite a few of my leftovers in the process.

I used up nearly all of the Patons Kroy sock yarn I still had left in the heels, as well as the Four Seasons Gründl Hot Socks Othello I have in that blue-green jaquard colorway for the foot and leg. The toe and tip of the cuff I knit in Bernat Sox Multi and still have a bunch leftover.

At first I thought the heel and gusset flaps/hat flaps would look funky in the finished sock, and, admittedly, they did take a bit of getting used to. The heel, though, is very comfortable and form fitting. I wish I'd taken a picture of the little basket of heel and flaps grafted together, but I forgot--it's really cute! My only annoyance with this pattern is the amount of ends I had to weave in, what with all the breaking and rejoining yarn on the heel, leg, and gussets. Of course, I had a few more ends than normal with the different yarns used, but still, many more ends to weave in than I tend to like for socks. That doesn't mean I won't use this pattern again, and I'm going to see if I can find a way to remedy all that end weaving, but otherwise, this is a very nifty way to make socks. I even learned the figure-8 cast on for the heel, though I think I'll see how the magic cast on works out on this heel next time. Might be less fiddly.

Next on the knitting agenda is to finish sewing the sleeves in the Point Gammon (at least I finished knitting those sleeves!), and to get cracking on the baby gifts for my SIL since her baby shower has just been announced .... and I've got til just after Thanksgiving to knock out a baby blanket and hoodie cardy. To keep me sane in all that baby knitting, I'm going to take part in another KAL, this time Woolly Wormhead's Mystery KAL. I've always wanted to do one of these!

soldier on, dear knitter

2010-10-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

Knits, purls, and cable crosses continue here in inkystick land. I'm happy to report that I did figure out the lace decreases on the Leaf Top Kimono with a little help from some scrap yarn and finished the back. But, now it's hibernating again as I try to finish the Point Gammon Pullover which is beginning to feel like The Sleeves That Never End.

I started the first sleeve three times because I, as usual, knit while paying attention to something on TV. First, I knit the pattern repeat incorrectly, then I knit the increases out of pattern, but finally, I got it right and the first sleeve is DONE. Now I'm working on the second sleeve and am really making myself stick with it. The idea is to finish the sweater so it can wing its way to my cousin at the end of October, but now the sweater messenger may not be traveling so I may need to hold on to this til I can travel myself. Unfortch, postal service is out of the question because of the very strange Customs laws in Argentina (recipients have been charged import fees on gifts before, and, from what I can tell from the swaps some Argentine knitters have been involved in on Ravelry, customs officials can be pretty anal about handknits). Still, if I keep at it, I should have the sleeve done by the weekend and can start blocking this bad boy. I am ITCHING to start my scrap yarn Hat Heel socks for the Frankensocks KAL!

murphy's law

2010-09-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

I suppose it was inevitable that the day after I posted about my Fabulous Knitting Lessons Learned, that I got horribly stuck on one of my latest WIPs.

The culprit: Leaf Kimono Top from the summer 2008 IK.
The problem: lace decreases

In my defense, I think my brain is still on hiatus. You know, it hasn't had to really think in a fair few months. Sure, it figured out how to purl correctly and cable without a needle, but teasing out how these decreases work and stay in pattern from written instructions seems to be too much for it right now. Kinda like those word problems in math.

So, what happened? I decided to frog. I didn't do it immediately because I couldn't believe I'd been defeated by lace. So I just took the needles off the cable, and started searching Ravelry for help. And I did find some in an old KAL thread where the designer came in and explained how these worked (good to know I wasn't the only one completely thrown by the decreases!). But still it made no sense, so I just put everything away.

Of course, bad knitting dreams followed. But I woke up, thought about it some more and decided to tink back the decrease rows I've done (thankfully, not many), and practice the decreases on some scrap yarn. Sounds like a plan, no? Haven't done it yet, but at least I changed the project status from the hasty and angry 'FROGGED!' to 'hibernating' on Rav.

In the meantime, I'll just keep at the Point Gammon Pullover, but more on that in another post ....

lessons learned over a long vacation

2010-09-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been six months since I last updated. A LOT has happened in that time. I successfully defended my dissertation, graduated, and racked up an insane amount of frequent flier miles! First I took myself off to Massachusetts for a conference, popped down to New York for a lightning fast visit to family and a trip to Citi Field to catch a Mets game (they lost, shocking I know, lol), then I had a relaxing three weeks in Hawaii (hey, I deserved some sun and sand!), and finally ended up in Argentina for several months. And I've done a far amount of knitting too!

Maybe it's because I didn't have my head so consumed by writing and research I've been able to learn a lot of things about my knitting.

1) Lace blocking wires are good for blocking non-lace projects too!

I really like how they help straighten out the edges on scarves. I'd used them on the Blooming Cotton Scarf at the beginning of the year to help even out the stockinette, but I really like how they helped the garter stitch edging in the A's Manly Scarf too (and since it was for my dissertation supervisor, I really wanted to make it as perfect as possible). They help straighten out funky joins and any general unevenness in the knitting nicely.

2) (and this is probably the most important thing I learned) I've been purling wrong for the past 4 years! Now, I knit Continental, and I know that when I first learned with the fabulous videos at knittinghelp.com, I was purling correctly when knitting flat, but somewhere along the line, I started wrapping the yarn around the needle around the back of it and over before pulling it off the left needle. The result, one row twisted, one row not!

Ergo the "texture" in my fabric. I'd noticed something was wrong with my knitting before, especially when I had to seam garments (I'd grab the floats in the V's of one row and then couldn't on the next). Ironically, I finally figured out what I was doing when I was knitting the gargantuan hood in the Heather Hoodie Vest (which I deliberately made smaller after seeing so many comments about its hugeness on Ravelry)! I finished the hood the wrong way and then used some of my many in-flight hours to practice purling correctly.

3) Yoked sweaters are pretty fun to make! Unfortunately, I'm not so sure about the finished product around the neck area.

Now, the boat neck style in the Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke Pullover masks it some, but there seems to be a definite tendency to funnel up at the top that I'm not sure I'm digging. But check out the nice and smooth, textureless stockinette! I'm purling now, baby! What's more ....

4) I'm finally cabling without a needle! That project helped me finally figure this out in a way I'm comfortable with. It also helped that I didn't have my full arsenal of needles with me while traveling, just my Knit Picks Options set and a stitch holder. I figured out that the whole pinch the base of the stitches and flip 'em around thing? yeah, not for me thanks. Me, I drop the working yarn so I don't add tension and unravel my stitches, slide the stitches off the needle, and pick up the ones to be held in front or in back as called for with the left, pick the others up with the right and then transfer the ones on the right back to the left and then knit them up. I know, it probably sounds more complicated than it is, but it works!

5) Buying yarn by weight as opposed to yardage/meterage is not fun, but it does make you learn about yarn weights and put up! I also got to see a lot of neat yarns in Argentina, though I didn't get to hang out much in the yarn district in Buenos Aires (yes, there is a yarn district, with one LYS next to another, next to brand distribution shops and everything!).

6) Wool can shrink and felt in cold water! I don't think I showed off my Circle Socks over here:

Unfortunately, I can no longer wear these beauties. :( But after all that work, there was no way I was going to throw them out! So, what better than to turn them into fingerless mitts?!

(That's me with the fabulous sea lion, Juan Carlos.) Close-up:

I did save the toe bits so I may eventually turn these into convertible mitts.

So, I guess you could say I had a pretty eventful summer of knitting! Bring on the fall!

overdue update

2010-03-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

So much has been going on since I last posted. Apart from Ravelympics happening last month, I was working furiously to revise and get my dissertation defense draft finished (all done! defense at the end of the month!). I planned two projects for Ravelympics to help me through the writing --knitting helps my sanity (or what's left of it!)--so this seemed like a good idea. I finished one project (Star-Crossed Slouchy Beret) and got about half way through the second one (Blooming Cotton Scarf).

The hat was knit in Garnstudio DROPS Paris and the scarf is being worked in KnitPicks Comfy Sport. I like the way the hat turned out but, despite my love of hats, I don't think these slouchy ones suit me well. This one's going to a cousin for her 18th birthday--she's hip enough to pull the slouchy look off I think. I LOVE the way the scarf's turning out! Can't wait to finish it and start wearing it.

Also on the needles is the Heather Hoodie Vest but, since I'm still working on the scarf, it's hibernating at the mo. Once this scarf's done--which should be in the next few days since I'm not writing!--I'm going to start working on a thank you gift for my dissertation advisor, A's Manly Scarf which I'm planning to make in Cascade's Eco Wool. I think the Blooming Cotton Scarf is actually somewhat good practice for this since they're both knit lengthwise. Here's an early project pic for you:

I thought the colorwork on this would be harder, but since you only work one color at a time, it's not that bad! The only annoyance is having to unwrap whatever color's being worked from the other yarns being carried whenever I need it again. Being a colorwork newbie, I'm sure this is probably wrong, but since I didn't want to cut and rejoin whenever the color was needed again, I decided to carry up at the beginning of the round. I figured this would be ok since that's where the knitting will be cut to unravel and create the fringe. *shrug* So far so good though!

the long and windy yarn!

2010-01-17T23:32:00.000-08:00

In my rambly zeal yesterday, I forgot to mention an exciting piece of knitterly news! I am now the proud owner of this:

I am very excited! It's a medium sized bamboo swift and I got it on ebay so it hasn't arrived yet. I've purchased from this seller (bambooimporter) before though and have been quite happy with their products. I ended up paying less than what Knit Picks charges for theirs, BUT, of course, with shipping it came out to almost as much as Knit Picks charges. I still paid a little less though. I'll let you know what I think of it once it arrives.

The Circle Socks continue to come along. I'm on the leg of the first sock and am, once again, finding purling on small needles a pain. Having several slipped stitches continually slipped for several rounds is also making life interesting. It makes for a visually interesting leg, and I have a feeling they'll help keep the leg of the sock from slouching down when worn, but it makes things tight and fiddly as I knit. Oh well, I think it'll be worth it in the end.

Roll on 2010

2010-01-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year (16 days late)! How have you all been? I made it through to the other side of Christmas Knitting with another Rusted Root top finished just in time for gifting. This went to my SIL since top-down, no seams trumps seaming every time, imo. In any case, I've started this year on another small projects kick. I've finished the toe socks I'd started before the holidays and replaced my sleeping cap with a new one. And now I'm working on Circle Socks, only I'm working them toe-up and with a short-row heel.

Once again, this year I'm aiming to shop the stash first for yarn, which, considering the number of projects I've already got queued and planned with stash yarn, shouldn't be too hard. I'm starting to get a little over zealous about my knitting though. I've got these socks on the needles and I already want to start swatching for KD's Heather Hoodie Vest KAL. Not only that, I've signed up for two teams for Ravelympics next month and I plan on making the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret and (finally!!) the Blooming Cotton Scarf. I'm triply excited cuz these will all use stashed yarn--nearly 2400 yards of it actually! I can't wait! And I'm finishing my dissertation this semester! I'm so giddy I can't stand it! *g*

Well, I'm starting to ramble now so I think I'd best take my grasshopping ways off to my knitting. TTFN!

Progress!

2009-11-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I received the first advertising email for a craft fair being held at one of the colleges in my university's consortium. This is an annual thing and last year I was so bummed out that I couldn't take part since I was in England at the time. I filed it away under 'to be remembered' and, naturally, I forgot about it. My thinking then was that taking part would be a cool way to offset some of the costs my favorite book club's site incurs since it's an all-volunteer outfit that has server space that needs to be paid for. I know there are many worthy charities in the world, but the gift of literacy and reading, to me, is very worthy. So this year when I got the email I went into action and put a call out for crafty donations. With any luck, the webmaster won't have to pay for the server out of her own pocket for at least half a year. :)

So, what have I done to add to the donation pile? I've finally (!!!!) finished my stash busting throw blanket, that's what!

I used every bit of Lion Brand Homespun I had, working two strands at a time on US15 needles. I made the pattern up as I went alternating garter and stockinette. Easy peasy snoozy knitting. But it was good for pretty mindless TV watching knitting. I kept the first and last eight stitches in garter for a border. The blanket is so warm! I hope it goes to a good home.

In other news, I still haven't started any Christmas knitting and may not get any in. *sigh* Life will be so much easier when I finish this dissertation--I'm on the last 15pp of the final chapter! My SIL, however, will probably be getting a Rusted Root top of her own instead of the Soap Bubble Wrap since, 1) she liked my mom's, 2) I'm running out of time, and 3) top-down construction = seamless = faster = LOVE! We'll see how that goes!

cold, cold, please stay!

2009-11-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, it seems like an eternity since I last posted, amazed that October had arrived. Now it's November and I'm sitting here begging the weather gods to let the temps in SoCal stay cool. We've just come off of another freak heatwave--it got up to about 90 yesterday! It's November, for crimoney's sake! And today we're in the mid 70s. I guess the good thing is that our desert designed house retains the cold. At any rate, I'm glad November is here. October proved to be a bear of a month for me. I started sending out job applications and that affected my writing progress AND my knitting progress! Seriously, though I finally finished my mom's Rusted Root (which she's been able to wear thanks to our strange weather),

I've had one sock languishing on my needles. Unreal. By the time I'd be done working, my October days saw me too pooped to even hold up one needle let alone two. Pathetic. Things started improving once I started putting the timer on my job apps. Course, why it took me until the end of the month practically for that light bulb to turn on is mind boggling. I guess my brain was too tired to remember the obvious.

At least I was able to knit up a gauge swatch for the Soap Bubble Wrap I've got planned for my SIL. This was supposed to be her bday present but considering it's the 5th and her birthday is the 22nd, I'm thinking this is going to be her Christmas gift. I'm using Lion Brand's Cotton Bamboo in Chocolate Dahlia:

The knitted swatch reminded me somewhat of nylon stockings which, I suppose, sort of makes sense since they're using rayon from bamboo. But it looked nice and felt soft which satisfies my yarn scrumminess criteria.

So hopefully November will continue to be more settled than last month and I can seriously get back to my writing and my knitting!

it's October already?

2009-10-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but autumn is finally rolling into SoCal. Or at least it's trying to. The temperatures are starting to drop (hurray!) and I'm finally into the writing of my final content chapter. As usual, building momentum through writing angst has been a bit of a challenge, but it's starting to feel a little better. I'll spend this weekend at a dissertation bootcamp, writing among fellow dissertators so I hope to make better progress on that, and maybe finish the chapter intro by the end of Sunday.

Knitting-wise, about a week or so ago I finished my first toe socks!

Pattern: Toe Socks by Sandi Rosner (with modified toe construction)
Needle: US2.5 (3.0mm)
Yarn: Four Seasons Grundl Marathon Miro in colorway 607

I changed the toe construction by not casting on extra stitches at the between toe gaps since they ended up looking huge and sloppy. Instead I worked with the existing stitch count and worked the toes that way. They're snug, but considering the need for negative ease in socks, I'm hoping this will work. A fellow toe-sock loving friend saw these on Flickr and fell in love with them, so I'm going to make her her own pair in Knit Picks Felici as part of Socktoberfest. Since she likes bright, happy colors and works at an aquarium, I chose the Aquarium colorway naturally. This time though I'm going to follow the toe construction instructions in Sherbert Toe Socks and see how I like that. I think that picking up and knitting 2sts in the toe gaps rather than casting on four might work better. I'm hoping anyway!

In the meantime, I'm about midway through my mom's Rusted Root top, just before the waist shaping. So far so good! I'm making her the L size.

Well, it's back to Napoleon for me. Toodle-oo!

of socks and sizes

2009-09-11T21:59:00.001-07:00

I submitted my 3rd content chapter yesterday so took the day off today. :) What better way to pass the afternoon watching a little baseball but to knit? I'm working on the first of the toe socks and as I started knitting the foot, it hit me that this is the first pair of socks that I'm making where I don't have the person they're for at hand to make sure the socks fit well. So, I went off in search of a handy chart and I came across this one by Catherine Goodwin of Knitting Anyway. It looks very useful. But it occurred to me to ask if any of you have a favorite way of sizing socks for absent feet. Feel free to share!

momentum

2009-09-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

I seem to be feeding off the writing momentum I'm building. The chapter is in the final example of the final section, I'm waiting to hear back from my advisor on submitting my intent to receive my degree form this semester, and I'm knitting. lol, ok, so I'm never not knitting lately and that's a good thing I think. I've finished the baby blanket I was working on--I love knitting on big needles; it makes everything go so much faster, even with DK weight yarn, which is what I used.

Pattern: Soft and Sweet by Evelyn A. Clark in So Sweet Baby Afghans from Leisure Arts (#75015)
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby in Pale Blue and White
Needles: US13 (9.00mm) & US15 (10.00mm)

This is a really fast knit and the drape of the blanket makes it snuggly and soft. There is an error in the pattern I have. It begins with 89 sts and then omits a YO on the final repeating lace row. So, I left it off and, before the second repeat (and subsequent repeats), increased a stitch two rows before the lace row to get it ending with a k2tog instead of a YO right before the side border. Then I increased again two rows before switching back to the smaller needles to finish off with the top seed stitch border. This is the second time I knit this but I didn't leave myself any notes last time! (I'd knit it when I was still a knitting noobie, just a few months into knowing how.) Have fixed that now since I'm sure I'll be knitting one of these again.

So, since I still haven't placed my Knit Picks order (the one with the yarn for my mom's Rusted Root, and my Blooming Cotton Scarf), I've moved on to the toe socks I promised the fabulous housekeeper at Chawton House Cottage (where I stayed on my research fellowship last year). I love the yarn the designer used, but it's discontinued and I am trying to destash! So, I rooted out some Marathon Miró from Four Seasons Gründl.

It's going ok so far; am on the leg of the first sock now. Oh, and speaking of yarn, KP is E.Vil! They've got their lace yarn on sale for a week! I think I may take advantage and get the yarn for the Celeste long cardigan from French Girl Knits and the yarn for the Shipwreck Shawl I want to make in honor of finishing my dissertation and Margaret Fuller (who died in a shipwreck). The only thing is that I'd like to make it in a colorway that's greyish/blue/black like the color the designer ended up with, but I don't have the patience or inclination to dye my own yarn. So I was thinking of either (from L to R) Shadow Kettle Dyed in Soot, Gloss in Cypress, or Shadow in Midnight Heather:

From the projects and stash pics I've seen on Rav, the Soot looks like it's more black or more grey, depending on the dye lot and lighting, and the Cypress has a bit too much green in it for my taste (I know! I'm poo-pooing green!) The Midnight Heather might work because it's blue/black, and the designer said she used a mix of Sapphire and Black dye to get that color. What do you think, dear readers?

Rusted Root

2009-08-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

It's done!

Pattern: Rusted Root by Zephyr Style
Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy in Sea Foam
Needles: US7 (4.5mm) and US6 (4.0mm)

I'm pretty pleased with it. When the yarn arrived a few months ago I was annoyed to see that KP had sent me yarn from two different dye lots, but when I inspected them in good light, they looked identical so I thought all would be well. And from these pics, I don't think you can notice any difference. But when I wet blocked it (couldn't find my spritz bottle) HOLY COW! I had wide horizontal stripes! Now, if I'd meant to do that, it would've been perfect, but as I didn't I was really afraid I'd have to toss the whole thing once dry.

You can kinda see them in this pic, though since it was dry, they'd practically faded. But I was really annoyed with myself for not knitting the same dye lot balls in order. Ah well, knit and learn.

Overall, this is a really cute pattern, and I really liked working with Comfy--it's a much softer cotton/acrylic blend and is pleasant to work with, holding up nicely to ripping out, and isn't splitty at all. I'll definitely be using it again (and making sure I let KP know to PLEASE send me balls from the same lots!)

I'm now working on a baby blanket for another of my friends who's adding to her family (a growing trend among my friends, no pun intended!).

interruptions and progress

2009-08-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

That's how it's seemed this month over here -- lots of things interrupting my writing progress and me taking out my frustrations by knitting (but still only at night before bed). What's really going on is that I've been fighting off diss fatigue, and when I'm ready to go, a ton of things suddenly appear that compete for my attention (as happened again today). The result is that though I have a good base to work from, three weeks into the month, I've written about 15pp in my third content chapter. A major PITA. I think I need to go back to my strategy of saying no to everyone and everything and hole up to finish this chapter, which I still think I can finish by the end of this month--like I said, I have a solid base of notes and free writes to work with.

On the bright side, I'm making progress on my Rusted Root:

Lace detail:

The color is way off in these and I was too lazy to fix it, and they were taken with natural indoor light. Ah well. The colorway is Sea Foam so it's actually much more aqua-blue than this; the pics make it look like Rowan's Cashcotton in Clear. Anywho, I'm quite pleased with this so far and am about an inch from starting the hem, then it's sleeves and neckline and voila! Top-down construction rocks. Mom has now requested one of her own, hee!

Since I had my camera out I decided it was time to finally get some pics of the Yaquina Bay cardy:

I knit it top down, left out the waist shaping, changed the ribbing at the cuffs and hem to 1x1, and added pockets as well as my color windows and racing stripes (as I call them). I probably should've gone with slightly wider pockets but these are good for those pocket pack tissues and my cell phone, and a little dosh(!), which is probably what'll go in them, though they are actually big enough for me to get my ridiculously thin hands into them comfortably, lol. Obviously, I still need to weave in the ends but I did at least get the zipper for it finally! It's very snuggly; I can't wait to get some use out of it this fall/winter.

Well, I'm off to work on the Rusted Root again. I'll definitely be holing up this weekend to write!

an update with more happy

2009-08-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

lol, I know. I've been such a slacker updating over here. But I have a good reason and that is that I've been diligently working on my dissertation. Two content chapters drafts have been turned in and I'm working on the third. The last content chapter is also partially written thanks to a conference presentation that earned me a lot of compliments and praise, and my intro and conclusion are also starting to take shape. It's been a busy four months. My knitting has continued and I've been good at sticking to my stash as well. I'll be adding to it for three specific projects soon though (two more gifts!), but overall, I'm pleased that I've been sticking with my destashing resolution.

I'm currently working on Rusted Root by Zephyr Style in Knit Picks Comfy in Sea Foam. It's a nice aqua blue color and the yarn itself is so soft. It's quickly become one of my favorite yarns. I had to start over and cast on for the next size up, though, since it was fitting a little too snuggly.

Speaking of KP, I'm sure you've seen the new Zephyr acrylic needles they've come out with. I've been debating whether or not to try them since I've become such a fan of their Harmony needle tips (I barely use my nickle plated Options anymore). I started poking around the Ravelry forums and found out that KP is sponsoring a giveaway of an entire Zephyr Options set! Click here for the details and to enter yourself!

Off for more writing! Will update with pics soon. And I need to finish weaving in the loose ends on the Yaquina Bay that's been done forever and get that zipper in! Summer heat has not helped my finishing that off unfortch.

things that make me happy

2009-03-14T15:57:00.001-07:00

feeling good about what I write

finishing a project (in anything)

scrummy yarn

the sound of rain or the ocean

sunny days

and my newest one:

blocking mats!

Ok, so obviously this isn't a complete list or anything, but hey, this isn't the place to write a book, right?

Blocking mats. Thank you KnitPicks! I'm also the proud new owner of a KP yarn ball winder. Seriously, at that price, why wouldn't I get one?? The mats are also well priced and they interlock nicely. I've got some of them in use right now with the Not Quite Straight Scarf.

I think the blocking should help with the length of it--it was rather on the short side since I used only one skein of Medicolor (sock yarn). But, it's a spring scarf to be worn in SoCal; who'd want something bulky? I've got it blocked out to about 5 feet long and 5 1/4 inches wide. Even better? Yet more stash yarn used. Woot! I must admit I do like using it up. What's even better is that I have projects planned for a goodly portion of the stash, which should keep me busy for most of the year. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't look. Or haven't bought more. But anything I have bought has been for a specific project (like the Knit Picks Comfy I just got for the Rusted Root top) and not because I've given in to Yarn Temptation. This is good!

I may, however, be revisiting some of my old FOs and reclaiming the yarn. The shrug I made for my brother's wedding (very pretty but will probably never wear it again) and my cabled hug, which I love!, need attention. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran on the wedding shrug and it feels like such a waste to leave that nice yarn in something I won't use again. And the cabled hug. Ugh. I tried to fix the fit of it a few weeks ago and completely made it worse. So, I think I'll tear it apart and reknit it. That is something I wear, and would wear even more if I was happier with the fit. Luckily, it's a fast knit and I have a new shiny yarn winder I can use. Mweheee!

Incidentally, I'm sure you've all seen the new Knitty by now. Shipwreck? I think I may just possibly be using this as a prize for finishing my dissertation. So, I shall be saving my yarn pennies and ogling the carrot/pattern for now. Aside from the pattern itself, the name appealed to me. Total nerd connection--Margaret Fuller died in a shipwreck--makes it more appropriate for a dissertation prize then, doncha think? *g*

Next up? More socks and probably the Leaf Top Kimono. I've also got to shop the stash for some yarn for the Half-Blood Prince KAL! Yaquina Bay is also coming along nicely. I'm knitting it top down with some color pops thrown in for interest. Now if only I could be happier with my ~~non~~colorwork skillz.

getting ready for the '09 season

2009-02-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Baseball!! I'm so happy baseball's starting again. Stitch 'n' Pitch ahoy! Of course, the story right now is about A-Rod and his testing positive for steroids back in 2003. While I'm very much in favor of cleaning up the game, the reaction of the New York media continues to frustrate and annoy me. Not that I should be surprised by much of their tabloid-esque, ridiculous scrutiny. They complain when Alex plays well, they complain when he admits to using steroids, and they complain when he says it was a stupid mistake. Alex said again today that he was young and immature when he was with the Texas Rangers, and that he regrets not having gone to college grow up. You know what? I believe his 'young and stupid' excuse. Why? I've known too many athletes, even those who've gone to college, who aren't the sharpest tacks in the toolbox and who don't ask questions when someone they trust comes along and says, here, do this or do that. And what about the legal ramifications of this story? There's talk now that he'll be charged with something, so could he truly give a 100% full response today if he's going to be called to court or before Congress? It's not like when Andy Pettitte had his HGH conference last year after he'd testified before Congress.

Ah, sports media. I hope this story doesn't have legs for too much longer. I'm ready for some baseball.

waiting for Henry to stew

2009-02-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

I'm stuck in the middle of a paragraph discussing Henry Tilney's use of the phrase "voluntary spies" in Northanger Abbey so I'm updating here while my brain works it out. Funny how multi-tasking has been helping me write this week. I feel like I've spent more time writing about knitting this week (via email with TheBlackSheep) than I have on my actual chapter but I know that's because I've had about three different ideas spilling out of my head simultaneously making things go slower than normal. Today, after some driving and yarn shopping (more on that in a sec), everything fell into place. The section that had been bugging me all week finally smacked me and it's been moved down a few pages, showing up in a much more natural spot, no longer interrupting its old paragraph. Huzzah!

Sock knitting's been on hold this week after I spent three nights last week working the short row heel on the first On the Fly sock (I call mine Flitter Toes). Note, this is my first toe up sock. The pattern is fabbity; not too tricky and interesting enough to keep you going. But Ugh. That heel drove me a little batty. I like the ease of the short rows but I first tried Priscilla Wild's 'no wrap' method which isn't supposed to leave holes. Yeah. I had a holey heel. I think it may've been because of my yarn (cotton blend), so I ended up ripping it all out and using misocrafty's pass-the-wraps-over method. It got a little tricky on my tiny needles, but the result is fab!

Ta-da!

No holes!! Not bad, eh? I'm quite happy considering this is my first try at short row heels. The first sock's done (after fighting my yarn to make the loose cast off loose enough!), and I've already cast on the second and finished the toe increases, but I'm taking a break from it. In the meantime I cast on the Not Quite Straight Scarf as part of a KAL. Easy pattern. This is one of three gifts I need to finish by April. The other two are a pair of socklettes in pink (I have no pink yarn!) and a felted bag in green. Hence my yarn shopping today. I got some Paton's Classic Merino in Leaf Green for the bag but struck out on pink sock yarn. Will have to keep looking. I also got some storage drawers at Big Lots! for $11!! That beat JoAnn's 40% off clearance price! So, this weekend I plan on getting control of my sprawling stash and reclaiming space in my small room. Oh, and also swatching and casting on for the Yaquina Bay cardigan FINALLY! I used my gift certificates and got some Patons Merino in Cognac Heather and Dark Grey so I'll get to finish off the rest of the grey sitting in my stash as well. So what brought on this cardigan decision, you ask? My office happens to be in the coldest room in the house--great in the blistering SoCal heat, but not so good in winter. I tend to be cold regardless of the season and the significant difference in temperature between the great outdoors and my office (20 degrees F easily) is killing me. I've had to dig out the space heater plus bundle up in cardies, gloves, and blanket. It's pretty ridiculous. I'm hoping a wool cardigan (instead of my standard cotton ones) will help.

I think Henry's percolating so off I go!

Good grief, it's time for an update!

2009-01-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

It's 2009! I can't believe I haven't posted here since last August. Life with the dissertation has been going full throttle since then. Of course, this doesn't mean I haven't picked up the sticks, but I've been sticking mostly to small projects since I knit Hey, Teach! Seems I haven't been able to muster the concentration or willpower necessary to tackle another big project. Even my throw blanket is languishing in the UFO pile. Ah well. I am now the proud owner of 12 hanks of Rowan Summer Tweed in Smoulder! Isn't that a great name?

I picked it up at my old LYS in England when I was there in November/December for my research fellowship. Initially I thought I'd FINALLY knit the replacement for my tired but comfy blue cardy, but I've changed my mind yet again. *shock* Strangely enough, I'd planned on canceling my subscription to Interweave Knits after the holidays. Now I'm not so sure. I wasn't all that impressed with the preview galleries for the Winter '08 issue, but when I saw the Blooming Cardigan, it started calling to me. SO, I think I may just use my smoulder for it. It deserves something where it can show off. I think I'll nix the belt though.

Other than that, my knitting resolution for 2009 is to stash bust. I know, I know. I said that last year. I'm planning on sticking with it this year, despite having a gift certificate for my local craft store (hurray for Christmas!). I found two groups on Ravelry to help keep me motivated: Stash Knit Down 2009 and The Great Sock Off of 2009! So far so good! I've knocked out a couple hats, a scarf, and a pair of socks. Huzzah! Now if only I could get myself a ball winder for my myriad hanks. Shall keep you posted! Hope you're all doing well!

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-08-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Hey, Teach! by Hélène Rush
Source: Knitty.com
Yarn: Cotton Ease by Lion Brand in Almond
Needles: US 9

Sunday afternoon, I decided I wanted to finish Hey, Teach! so I could wear it tonight to my birthday dinner. So, I cast on for the left front panel, finished it Sunday night, cast on and started the right front panel that night, finished it and the sleeves the next day! Yesterday, I knit up the neckline and button bands and sewed up the whole thing. I fell into my bed finally at 3.30 this morning. *falls over* But it's finished! And just as I was about to sit down to sew on the buttons, mom took pity on me (I'm the birthday girl!) and beat me to it. All I had to do was steam blocke and model. *g* I think I may finally turn into a gauge touter because my gauge was so spot on, I didn't need to block any of the pieces to stretch them to their proper size! I'm quite proud of that. Ooh, and check out the fantab buttons I got!

All in all, I love this cardy, and I am very happy with this yarn. I think if I had it to knit again, I'd try a DK weight yarn in a larger size to dress the sweater up a bit more. As it is, I may do just that at some point as I'm always looking for elegant, classy looking sweaters. And this pattern is definitely that.

WIPs

2008-08-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend working on the back panel of Hey, Teach! after fixing my SIL's Little Lace Shrug (from Pam Allen's Little Silk Shrug pattern). This was actually helpful in that both use cotton yarns. I added a bit of length to the shrug which allowed me to incorporate the decreases in the edging that the pattern calls for, but I can't say I'm particularly pleased with it. I should've used a stretchier bind off and perhaps omitted the final decreases in the bind off row itself. The opening is tighter than I'd like, and I have a narrower back than SIL does. I think I'll talk to her and see if she can bring it by again this weekend so I can fix that row.

I've learned quite a bit about the inelasticity and drape of cotton with these two pojects which is quite useful. I seem to need to see these things in practice rather than read about it in a book or magazine. I swatched for Hey, Teach and got gauge on size 9/5.5mm. In the stockinette this looks fine, but the knit stitches open on the 1x1 rib, which is slightly annoying (you can see this in the pic if you click on it--it'll give you the larger size). I'm hoping a bit of blocking will help this, but perhaps going with a size 8/5mm needle and working a larger pattern size would've helped with this? I'm not sure. The same thing happened with the cotton blend yarn I used on the Columbine Peaks socks, again in the rib portion. Has this happened to anyone else?

cookies for me!

2008-07-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

Finally! Eris is officially finished and at it's new home!!

After blocking and getting the zipper in professionally (I know, I'm a cheater; what do you want? my sewing machine protested strenuously and would not cooperate!), I'm finally seeing the back of this project. Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled with how it turned out; I'm just glad I don't have to look at it and feel guilty about not having it done. *g*

In the meantime, I've gone back to the Charm Wrap for myself since I'll definitely be needing it come November. I finished the left front panel last weekend and I cast on the right front panel last week. It's coming along. I need to take some progress pics. As a treat to myself for finishing the indexing of my Jane Austen notes, I'm also going to cast on Knitty's Hey, Teach! tonight. I went and returned the unused skeins from Eris and got store credit, so I picked up some Cotton Ease in Almond--a very pretty pale yellow. Gauge swatching will commence momentarily! Hmm, I seem to be on a cardigan kick. I can't help it. If this knits up quickly I may just start on that Yaquina Bay cardigan I've been meaning to get to for months now.

Woohoo! I'm so excited! I get back to my writing tomorrow! .... Indulge me, I'm sure I'll be tearing my hair out in a week, lol.

an FO and a holy cow!

2008-06-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

Columbines are DONE! I took the Subway series weekend opportunity to finish that second sock.

Oh, and please to note today's temperature.

And I got the visiting fellowship to England! *does funky chicken* Guess I better finish Charm Wrap. :D

heat wave

2008-06-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's summer. All past mini heat waves tried to warn us. Now, there's no going back. Last week and over the weekend we averaged at 107 Fahrenheit. That's about 43 Celsius. Gorgeous clear, blue skies, beautiful sunshine, and baking heat. Somehow, I don't think this should be allowed. How can you enjoy summer weather when it's this baking? Today, we're at a cool 98 degrees. Excuse me while I adjust the fan.

All this means that progress on Eris has halted. I did finally rip out the cuff on the first sleeve last week (at night, thankyouverymuch!) and added another two inches to the sleeve, and reknit the cuff over the weekend (again, at night, and with the A/C running). All that's left is closing the cuff, knitting the entire second sleeve, a bit of pseudo-blocking (acrylic, you do what you can), and the zipper (which looks closer to being sent out to be put in that sewing it in myself). I'd really like to be done with this already so I may suck it up and work on it this week. Maybe.

Last week I went to Angels Stadium to catch my NY Mets vs the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim .... excuse me while I roll my eyes yet again at that unnecessarily long team name, we'll just call them what they really are, the Anaheim Angels, yes?

We had pretty good seats--I could ogle David Wright to my hearts' content--and I even took some knitting with me for a little Stitch and Pitch action. Of course, without the play-by-play from the announcers, I found concentrating on the game absolutely necessary. The poor second Columbine sock stayed in my little green knitting bag, still unfinished. It was a compelling game!! The Mets had the lead through the 5th until Oliver Perez decided to pull an Oliver Perez and gave it back and the go ahead run. It stayed 4-3 until the top of the 9th when D. Wright came through (and made me love him more!) by smacking a base hit that brought Jose Reyes home to tie it up. Damion Easley won it for us with a solo homerun in the 10th. Game over. Gripping baseball, I tell ya!

On the way out of the stadium, we saw this:

The Angels' 2002 World Series trophy. Ain't it purty? I'd never seen the WS trophy this close-up. It was pretty thrilling. I rooted my heart out for this team in the 2002 series, Rally Monkey and all. Please to ignore the fact that I'm a die-hard Mets fan; I'm a transplant, I have my California teams too.

So, knitting has mostly become focused on small, light projects that do not smother me in heat adding yarns. Like the Lace Ribbon Scarf which is coming along nicely.

Pretty, no? I'm happy with it so far. And considering I've still got about 3/4 of that sock yarn skein left, I'm going to be at it for some time still. And I'll be casting on the Luna Moth and Seascape shawls soon too.

For now, though, it's back to Emma and the dissertation. And staying cool.

a pimp and a post

2008-06-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

Pimping!!: Susan is giving away Manos del Uruguay! You read that right. Go to her blog to enter, and hurry! She's choosing winners tomorrow. :)

I think I must be the slowest knitter in creation. Eris is *still* on the needles but at least I can say I'm at the cuff of the first sleeve. I had planned on working on it today but it's been very warm here and the thought of having that very warm cardigan on my lap is not very appealing right now. Must wait a few more hours. As for my mom's socks, I finally CO the second sock on the flight home from Salt Lake City last weekend. And the Charm Wrap is pretty much hibernating, though it is turning out nicely.

Knitting's taken a bit of a back seat the past few weeks as I've worked on the dissertation and the temps have gone up and down. Last week I did an intensive course on course design for university level classes. This week, I've been working on the portfolio for that class, which is due next Friday. I decided not to redesign one of my previous courses, since those are mostly freshman/intro level classes where I've got to meet departmental and institutional requirements with students. So, I decided to create a course for upperclass English majors (primarily) that grows out of my dissertation, in essence. It's on women writers of the Romantic period, but rather than look at English and American Romanticisms separately, which is what's usually done, I've designed it so that we'll examine British and American writers together. This way, students will be to examine how women writers built on each other's ideas and arguments, and hopefully gain a better appreciation for Romanticism, learning that the ideas didn't happen in a bubble and stop at a certain place on the nineteenth-century timeline. Anywho, that's the academic ramble of the day. :D

Next on the knitting front are some KAL and swap projects--and I'm keeping myself to my stash (it minimizes later guilt :P). I was thinking Hew by CanarySanctuary for the color KAL with the SPEW group, but I'm dithering again and reconsidering Endpaper Mitts, which I've had queued for-eh-var. But I was also thinking I'd combine the color KAL project with the Master & Commander RAL/KAL project, since that's 'Mediterranean'. Bah. I'll make up my mind eventually .... by Monday, lol.

Anywho, the food's on the barbie, so I'd better take myself off. The temp's cooling, the Mets game is about to start, and the pundits are still spinning from Hillary's speech this afternoon. Say what you will about her, her run at the White House is just as amazing as Obama's. I hope people remember this year's historic presidential campaign--so many gender and color barriers and prejudices being shattered. More still need to come down, but these steps sure do make me proud of my country.

what a pain in the ....

2008-05-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

hands. Hah! Were you thinking anything else?! My hands have literally been in agony this week. I'm knitting Eris on size 5 (3.75mm) needles and have been working a boatload of stitches - 399 at the end of the yoke; 275 once I divided sleeves and body. I think if my hands had a mind of their own, they'd've strangled me by now. I've been wearing my wrist brace at night and throughout some days the past few days. Yesterday I even wore it while knitting the last few rounds of body just before the waist shaping. Several breaks were taken. Much massaging and willing the hands through the last stitches. Ideally, I'd like to have this cardigan done by Mother's Day next Sunday, but I think it's probably a safe bet that I won't. We'll see. I'm going to attempt some waist shaping today but may have to switch to Charm and it's larger needles. Or icon making. It might do some good to indulge my Photoshop fix.

season of fruitfulness

2008-04-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. Wrong season. But I've had such a productive week I'm a bit overjoyed. Monday I received word I'm a finalist for a rather competitive fellowship, and that kicked me into gear on the remaining fellowship applications I've had on my to do list. So I spent the rest of the week working on those, tracking down my professors for recommendations, and generally spending a lot of time on the computer. I even got to chat with a few of my friends whom I haven't talked to in way too long. It was really good to reconnect. I also found an Austen group on Ravelry and joined in on the Northanger Abbey discussions. I also posted a few more discussion posts to the Austen RAL I'm leading which started getting a few responses again. If you can't tell, I'm feeling re-energized and ready to pick up the dissertation work again come next week.

Knitting wise, I've got the Eris yoke increases almost done--now I just have to figure out why my stitch math is off. I've got 297 stitches right now and after the last bit of increases I should have 399. Except that my math tells me I'll be 22 stitches short. So, I'm going to have to recheck my math (again) and figure out where to drop in those extra stitches. What do you want? I'm an English major. :p

The other projects haven't seen any action since I've been working on Eris, but I did get a square for the remembrance blanket done last night at my cousin's baseball game. I'm looking forward to choosing some more of my stash yarn for the remaining squares. I tell ya, it's a very rewarding way to help bust the stash.

crawling out from behind the books

2008-04-19T22:23:00.003-07:00

OMG I cannot let the knitting blog languish like this. I've been deep in the mires of the dissertation and haven't been online much other than for email and library use. I have made progress on my various WIPs though!

As predicted last time, The Black Sheep has long outstripped me on Eris. I'm here:

now with yoke stitches finally picked up (thanks to my longer cables arriving today!). And she's way over here:

(as seen on her blog). CORRECTION!! She just told me she finished it! *falls over*

LOL! Ah well. I thought the Knitting Gods had taken their vengeance when they killed her cables (I put her replacements in the mail Thursday). Meanwhile, I forgot my cousin's birthday was coming up so had to stop to knit these:

That's Peaks 'n' Valleys from Knit Socks! which I *finally* got right! I've now got Cat Borhdhi's Columbine Peaks on the needles (at the gusset) and am at the armholes on Charm. Hey, I had to do something while I waited for those cables.

Oh, and I finally broke down and bought one of those wraps-per-inch tools. It was driving me slightly nutzoid that my stock socks knit up a bit loose:

I used US 2s since those are my fave sock needles lately, but while I was knitting I kept thinking I should've been using my 3s (which I tend to avoid because of the kinky cables). Today I checked the wpi on that lurvly Valore and it came up to sport weight, so definitely size 3 material. I really need to start trusting my instincts. No matter. I still love those socks and am itching to cast on the rest of that yarn for another pair. I've definitely decided to have at least one pair of socks on the needles at all times. They're so addictive and enjoyable.

spring has sprung

2008-03-08T21:39:00.004-08:00

I know snowstorms and bitter cold are blanketing a good portion of the country, but here, spring is making its appearance. Yesterday, I spent the day outside knitting. I finished a pair of stock socks, took pics with my phone, and now have no idea how to get the pictures off my phone and online. LOL. Oh well, I'll figure it out eventually.

Strangely enough (or maybe not), I'm realizing that I find big projects much more satisfying than small ones. So, I've decided to cast on Eris. I'm even going to check my gauge to make sure I'm right! What a notion, eh? The Black Sheep and I are going to have a mini-KAL with this. I'm knitting the cardigan and she's chosen the pullover. 10 to 1 she finishes before I do since she's the cable queen; I plan on pestering her mercilessly with cabling questions to try and slow her down. MWAHAHAHAHA! :p

On a different note, I'm trying to find a good method for making a hank into a ball sans ball winder (grad student here!). The Pink Sheep gave me a lovely hank of merino sock yarn from Crash Into Ewe for Christmas in a special green colorway and, even though I love ogling and fondling the hank, I want to knit something out of it! Maybe I'll just have to watch Miss Marple and figure her method out, unless someone wants to take pity on me and offer some advice. *puppy eyes* Would you believe this is my first hank evar?!

stash resolution

2008-02-25T13:25:00.004-08:00

My goal this year is to clear my stash of all the yarn I bought when I first started to knit. You know, the fun yarns and BIG and CHEAP skeins. Of course, this was my resolution last year which failed miserably. This year, however, I've decided to create stock gifts (like hats and scarves) and charity items which will hopefully deplete the stash come December. One charity I'm excited about is Project Linus. Not only do they accept blankets and quilts, some of their members on Ravelry are looking for yarn donations as well.

So, what charities do you like knitting for?

climbing out from under the books

2008-02-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

Hi! My poor long-neglected knitting blog has suffered horribly from my traveling back to the US, the holidays, my brother's wedding, and, of course, the dissertation. But I'm back bearing FO pics!

The first isn't really new since it's of the wedding shrug BUT it's from the day of the wedding so hey, bonus! The wedding itself went off without a hitch which amazed and pleased us all, and everyone had a fantastic time.

And! after way too long, I've finished Mr. Greenjeans! Unfortunately, mom had to unwrap an unfinished Christmas present (about half of the second sleeve was missing as well as the neck and button band), but that's ok; she loved the color and yarn anyway and was much impressed with how my knitting skills have progressed. :) Then I had to frog the entire cable portion of the body and reknit it to fit her better. Not fun. But it's done!

I actually chose the button first and then the color to work with it. It's carved from a coconut shell! Pretty fitting since mom grew up with coconut palm trees in her backyard. And you know what? I love how blocking helps knits fit better.

Now I have to find yarn for another Mr Greenjeans since my cousin saw mom's while she was here for the wedding and fell in love with it. In the meantime, I've got three small projects on the needles, because I'm that indecisive, and have yarn for either Roam or Charm Wrap for myself. I'm leaning towards the wrap though. In the meantime, I better get my kntting ADD under control!

Lo, and it was finished

2007-11-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

It's done!! *zooms around room* Pics:

Side:

Back:

Front showing off sleeves:

Alas, these are all slightly blurry. It was raining today and the flash totally washed out the reflection. But that's the best I can do on my own. It looks more impressive in person, despite the black yarn, which sadly doesn't show off the pattern well. But, that can't be helped as it matches the bridesmaid dress.

I sewed about an inch seam in each armhole as it was a bit too open and saggy for my taste. Now it's fab. One happy accident did occur, but that's why it's a happy accident and wasn't ripped out. ~~Either that or I was too lazy. :p~~ I decided to block it at home, mostly cuz I just can't be bothered to do it now. Off to indulge in more Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Greenjeans now!

ho ho ho

2007-11-16T04:03:00.000-08:00

I'm getting excited for Christmas. I know, I know. What about Thanksgiving and all the turkey yumminess? Well, it'll be virtual turkey for me this year, although I do have loads of pumpkin bread and pie supplies thanks to my pumpkin conspirator friends! Being a Yank in England is a funny experience when our national holidays come along. For Fourth of July my brother was trying to convince me to hang a big-ass American flag off my balcony. Hahaha. Yeah, not a good idea. It was a funny one though.

The wedding shrug is about 70% complete. I'm at the flat pattern bit on the other sleeve and side now so with any luck, this sucker will be done this weekend. And none too soon as I'm heartily sick of this pattern already and keep having to keep my eyes from drifting longingly to the Mr Greenjeans supplies for mom's Christmas present. 60 more rows. 60 more rows, seaming, and blocking and I'll be free!! I'm so excited.

And speaking of Christmas, I think I'm going to be up the proverbial creek this year if I don't get a move on with my Christmas shopping. Methinks online shopping for everyone this year with just a few exceptions as there is no way I'll have room in my suitcases next month. Plus, I'm really not one of those who loves last minute shopping. The crowds drive me nuts and suck out all the Christmas cheer from my bones. This year's going to be chaotic enough with my brother's wedding happening before New Year's and I'm all about minimizing holiday stress. I'll have to start poking around my favorite online shops this weekend.

And speaking of online shops, is Elann.com the best kept yarn bargain secret out there? Seriously, I got their newsletter earlier this week and was floored once again by their selection and prices. They're even beating KnitPicks! I may have to appease the stash gods once again when I get home.

Well, it's off to the dissertation for me now. I finished reading Northanger Abbey last night and my chapter on education awaits. I need to see how my readalong friends are doing with the novel.

Toodles!

ETA: I know, I'm back. But look! Cass the enabler has posted great gift ideas for knitters. Oh my weekend is going to be fab!

writing to knit

2007-11-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

That's how it's been feeling lately. I work on the dissertation, sometimes begrudgingly, sometimes quite frustratingly, sticking to my self-appointed work time just so that I can chuck it all in by 10pm and "legally" take out my knitting. Still, last week's trip to Hampshire was very productive diss-wise and it's spilling over into my writing, which is always a good thing. And! I even remembered to take the wedding shrug with me! Not that I got much knitting done since I was basically up and out by 8am to breakfast and hit the road to Chawton by 9.15a to be at the library by 10. Chawton House library is utterly fantastic and I'm really glad I spent a few days working there. But being conscious so early meant I was in bed much earlier than is normal for me so I really only worked a few rounds on the shrug all week. Saturday, however, saw much greater progress since the weekends are diss-free. I'm now knitting the flat part of the pattern for the left shoulder and back, still screwing up now and again but I'm finding that fixing mistakes in lace is not as difficult as I once thought. Maybe I'm becoming a pro. :p

Toting about my knitting made me realize, I really need a knitting bag. I used a small bag from the Shakespeare Trust to tote the shrug in and while it did the job, it just wasn't knitterly and cute, you know? I grabbed the pattern for the Knitting Needle Knitting Bag last week or so, but I've also had my eye on KP's Total Tote (in the lime green, of course). Alas, to be a poor grad student who has to budget books and yarn. We shall see. Maybe I'll win the lottery one day.

Woops! Break time's over; back to the writing grind!

I'm supposed to be writing?

2007-11-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

Oh Mari, you enabler! I clicked over to Shut Up, I'm Counting's contest and have been knitting blog surfing ever since. She's hilarity on a stick, yo. Definitely check her out!

Must. Go. Write. Chapter. Now.

Reboot and Restart

2007-10-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Reboot. I made the pattern up as I went and it changed from my original plan as I kept working. The way the contrasting color popped out almost like it was trying to take over reminded me of the falling colors/numbers in the opening sequences of Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix (See?) so, Reboot. It's not uber long but it's long enough to wrap around my neck and still cover up my chest. Tres toasty. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

And then there's the wedding shrug.

See that pile of yarn next to the ball? Yeah, that's all the yarn I'd used (one whole ball) in the decrease rounds, only to finish them, count stitches and realize I screwed up the decreases. *headdesk* I misread the instructions and didn't decrease on the rows worked even. So, I ripped the whole thing apart and recast on. Tinking back 45 rows of lace to put in the decreases would've fried my brain. The only good thing is that I've got a handle on the lace pattern now so working can go faster. So if you need me, you'll find me under the yarn pile.

yarn explosion imminent; you have been warned

2007-10-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

Knit Picks has launched their autumn clearance sale. *falls over* Someone stop me from bankrupting myself.

autumn snuggles

2007-10-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

I've always loved autumn. The crisp, cool air, the changing leaves, snuggling up with blankets and hot cups of tea. I've really missed these true autumns living in California (where it doesn't really chill itself out til November if you're lucky), so I'm really enjoying them here in England. It's also reinforcing how much I miss living in New York where seasons actually happen too.

After frogging Mr Greenjeans (which was coming along), I decided to use the yarn in a cable modified version of Hug (pattern modification can be found here).

It's nice and toasty and will come in quite handy when I go down to Chawton again for some Jane research in the Chawton House Library in a couple of weeks. I'm now trying to get this scarf idea out of my head to go with it. It was quite chilly in Hants last month so I can only imagine it'll be nippier now. I want color blocks of some sort and was trying to find a cooler stitch than just plain stockinette but I think I'm going to have to stick with the plain stuff. I tried out brioche stitch last night (love it!) but it wasn't really adaptable to what I envision for the blocks. So it looks like I'll just make up my own pattern as I've got to keep in mind that I don't have that much of the lemongrass yarn left over to match with the nearly full skein of the deep olive I used on Sesame.

I plan on going back to Greenjeans but in a different yarn and color for my mom. In the meantime, I finally cast on I Do earlier this week. I'm sooo glad I didn't put this off til next month! The lace pattern took a little bit to get into but I think I've got the hang of it now. I've probably only got the equivalent of a sleeve cuff and a little more done which I don't consider much for the time I've spent on it. Hopefully it'll start to go faster now.

That's all for now! Off for some lovely tea!

FOs

2007-10-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

Well, after all the doubts, hoorays, and aggravation, Sesame is finally DONE. As I said, it knit up as a size S so will now be a pressie for one of my cousins. Although, since I'm chatting with her right now, I may send it on home as a "cheer-up" present since it seems like she's having a bit of a rough time, rather than wait for the holidays. I ended up choosing toggle buttons after all and I really like the color contrast they make with the deep green wool.

Buttoned up it has a bit of an Asian/military feel which is down to the buttons I think. I didn't think of that when I chose the toggles--I just like toggle buttons, lol. In all honesty they make me think of A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger and Paul Bettany and the toggles Roland uses off the tent for Will's ball tunic. *is slightly shallow*

I also whipped together the legwarmers this weekend. Oh man, I am so glad I did! My legs are so uber toasty. I used Rowan Spray in Sunset and Calm. I don't care what anyone says, legwarmers are a fantastic item to have in your wardrobe. I wear them under jeans, with lounge-type pants, with shorts, you name it, if I think my legs may be a bit chilled, legwarmers baby. Especially if they're snazzy looking. *wink*

@$%#! gauge

2007-10-03T04:54:00.000-07:00

I hate knitting. That is all.

Sesame's gauge was obviously off and the M knit up as a S. Shipping off to the cousin so I don't have to see it lying around.

Mr. Greenjeans will now be for me. And the good thing is I don't have to recast on as I'd thought as I'd already cast on for a size that'd fit both me and cousin, and my migraine prone brain had forgotten. Yay. Gauge better not be off on this one. Of course, if I obsesses over it, of course it will. *sigh*

I really hate knitting.

rewind and repeat

2007-09-29T02:57:00.000-07:00

I went down to Hampshire last weekend and had a grand ol' time talking Jane Austen and seeing her old haunts. As usual I didn't take any knitting with me (I really have to stop doing that)--I figured we'd be uber busy (which we were) and that I wouldn't have time (which I somewhat didn't). Ah well, when I got back I started seaming Sesame which had finally finished drying. I've got one side done and one sleeve in but I've decided to take the sleeve out (partially) and reseam it as I'm just not liking the look of the seam into the underarm. It shouldn't take long. I did try it on to see how it was going and I'm happy to say it looks like it'll be a nice fit. Now if only I could find my sewing kit so I could sew on those buttons ....

I also cast on Mr. Greenjeans and am part way through the yoke (how excited am I that this is knit top-down and in the round??!!). It takes a little bit of concentration with the YOs, but not enough so that you can't have something on the TV and actually pay attention to both. We'll see what happens when I get to the cabling bit.

This weekend, though, looks like it'll be dedicated to finishing Sesame and knitting up some legwarmers! (I did fall off the wagon, may as well make something :p) Autumn's turning decidedly cold here and my heaters don't seem to like me. Result: I'm living in an icebox! And the computer has got to be in the coldest part of the flat. *rolls eyes* So I'm off! My fingers are freezing up!

PS. Did you see they're taking pre-orders for Ravelry T-shirts??

fallin' off the wagon

2007-09-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I have purchased yarn. Nine balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (how much does Ebay rock?!) And here I'd been doing so well on the No Yarn For A Year challenge. But my yarn hor self got the better of me 11 days before NYFAY finished. Alas! Keeping to just that small amount was SO hard. Of course, this doesn't mean I haven't stashed a bunch of others in my KnitPicks basket >.> Dude, and Ebay. I'm always gobsmacked by the amount knitting supplies you can get there for cheap! *pets bamboo needles* Even with international shipping, it was still cheaper than buying it here, yo.

Anyway, the point of the yarn hor moment is, of course, the I Do shrug. Jill left me a comment reinforcing my knitting in 9 days doubt (jetlagged no less!), so I decided to find some yarn as soon as humanly possible (read: NOW!!!). So, thanks, Jill! I love good advice that gives me an excuse to bulk up the stash! :D Hopefully this yarn indulgence will last me til I get home. Three more months, three more months ... chant with me!

In other news, Sesame's all pinned and blocked; I think it actually may be dry by tomorrow. Would you believe the LYS here does NOT sell blocking pins? I've had to commit Knitting Sin by using regular pins. *shockgasp*

ps. If you haven't checked out Stash & Burn's podcast interview with Casey and Jess of Ravelry, it's quite interesting (and fun!) You can find it here.

shoulders and patterns

2007-09-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

TheBlackSheep asked for pics of the shoulder seam so voilà! Clicking will take you to my knitting folder where you can find a small collection of pics of the seam--I experimented with lighting and flash use since 1) it's about 7pm here now and the natural light is fading, and 2) the yarn is such a dark color that getting the stitches to show up as well defined as possible is a bit of a challenge.

Of course, getting near the end of the project means I'm already thinking ahead to what I'll knit next during my thinking downtime (I don't think I've mentioned this before but, for those who don't know, I'm currently writing my dissertation on two of my favorite chicks, Jane and Maggie, aka Jane Austen and Margaret Fuller). So, it should come as no surprise that I nearly danced a jig when I saw the new Knitty was up this weekend! I banked something like 5 or 6 of the patterns to my Ravelry queue including Mr Greenjeans, Cherie Amour, and Percy. I'd really like to find a cute cardy pattern that I could use my Lion Wool in Lemongrass on--I'm thinking of my young cousin here who's as much a fan of green as I am, bless her. Now that I'm 99.9% sure Sesame will fit me, I think she'd really get a kick out of a sweater in that color. Plus, packing a sweater will definitely be much less bulky than 6 skeins of unused yarn when I return home this winter. I'm leaning towards Mr. Greenjeans as that would mean using up almost all of the yarn. Mwehehehe! Must appease the Suitcase Gods!

I'm also pretty much decided on I Do for the wedding shrug. Still need yarn though. Not sure if I should wait til I get home though for this one, even if means trying to whip this out in 9 days with my jetlagged self.

ETA: BZUH! I just got a message at Ravelry asking to use my pic of the Country Cousins Blanket I knit for baby PinkSheep last year! On the pattern page!!!!!!!! Excuse me while I squee like a noob here. :D

Oh boy, oh boy!

2007-09-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

Would you believe it? I'm on the button band! With any luck, I'll block this bad boy today. Holy cow, I can't believe I'm almost done with Sesame. And with the button/hole bands in, it's finally looking like it'll fit me just fine as they gave me another 2 or so inches on either side. Wooohoo! Of course, I managed to screw up the actual button holes slightly by working the 9th CO stitch instead of PSSO with them, so I did a quick decrease on the way back as I realized it, of course, after I'd worked all the button holes. In my defense, I'll just point to the fact that the pattern just says to slip one stitch over the other, but not off the needle. My brain should've kicked in to realize this would leave me with extra stitches though. Anyway, no big, a decrease at each hole and I was back in business. I also stopped in at the LYS earlier in the week to check out their button collection. Moon also came with as her mom finished up her cardigan so Moon was on the button prowl. She picked out some really groovy slate grey buttons that have a sort of iridescence to them. Very cool but a bit expensive at £2.25 (~$4.50) a pop. For myself, I scoped out these cool wooden buttons that have a bit of a swirl cut into them. I think they may be a bit too dark though; I need to take some of the yarn with me next time (maybe later today). If not those, they had some snazzy toggles in a natural wood color which I liked as well. We shall see.

I used the cable cast on for the first time ever when working the button holes. Not bad but a bit of a pain in the ass with that slip knot at the front--no matter how I tightened it up, it always stretched out leaving that one stitch a bit too loose for my liking. I wonder wouldn't it be possible to just cable CO with an existing stitch already on the needle? Surely that has to be better than using a slip knot stitch for the first. By the way, am I ever so glad Tara got me Charmed Knits for my bday--hooray for having techniques in a book instead of having to log on to KSOS when I don't feel like turning my comp on. (Please to note, I am rather nearly completely knitting book-less since the majority are home in the States.) Not only was I able to learn the cable CO method, I was able to learn that I seamed the shoulders together incorrectly. *headdesk* I used mattress stitch instead of backstitch right along the cast off row. Mind you, this doesn't mean I'm going to go in and correct this as 1) that would require extra work I'm just too lazy to put in, and 2) I rather like the pseudo, 'defined purl' row look it gives the shoulders. I'll stick in a wooden hanger when I block it and that should help round that out some.

Speaking of blocking, I have no blocking pins with me and forgot to check how much they are at the LYS, or even if they carry them. Granted, I can't use the excuse of having left pins at home as I just do not own any. The only blocking I've ever done on any of my FOs has been on felted projects so, you know, a shoe box here, a couple of plastic bags there. Think I can get away without using pins?

Well, that ends today's rambly ramble. Hope you've enjoyed. With any luck, I'll update with pictures next time! I think I'll also look for a pretty black yarn for the shawl/shrug cover thing I need to create for the Bro's wedding. Thanks for all the links and suggestions last time! You guys just rock.

Sesame and Wedding Accessory

2007-08-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

You guys are fab with your replies; thanks so much for answering my question about the neckline over the weekend. I've since finished the back, the right front panel and am about to start working on the neckline of the left front panel. WOOHOO! Bank holiday weekends rock for knitting progress. :D

Now, since apparently my brain thrives on being crammed full of stuff, I'm thinking about what to do about arm coverage for my brother's wedding in December. The bridesmaid dress looks like this and I know I'll get cold. I was thinking maybe a wispy shawl or similar type cover or a shrug type cardigan. I dunno. Anyone have any ideas/patterns they think would match well and look elegant?

Sesame neck

2007-08-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been cruising along on Sesame this week while taking thinking breaks from writing, or at night once I've finished worked for the day. I've got the back panel nearly complete and am at the neck shaping, only I've hit a bit of a snag.

The pattern says:

Neck shaping: Working each side at the same time - work 22 (22, 23, 24, 25) sts. Place the next 28 (28, 30, 30, 30) stitches on a holder. With a second ball of yarn, work remaining 22 (22, 23, 24, 25) sts. Dec 1 st at neck edge every row twice; 20 (20, 21, 22, 23) sts remain. Work even until armhole measures 8 (8, 8.25, 8.5, 9)" / 20 (20, 21, 21.5, 23)cm.

Shoulder shaping: Cast off 10 (10, 10, 11, 11) sts at each armhole edge, work 1 row even, then cast off rem 10 (10, 11, 11, 12) sts at armhole edge.

I've worked the 20 sts on either side of the neck and done the decreases called for:

only I've still got those 28 sts on the holder, as the picture shows. The pattern says to 'work even' blah blah so my instinct is telling me to start reworking those stitches on the holder, but as I'm not sure, I've stopped:

As you can see, I'm currently working the WS. My doubt really arises from the instructions for the shoulder shaping since it only says to cast off 20 sts total along the armhole edges. So, what about the 28 sts along the neckline??

Help? I'm sure this is all fairly basic but as it's my first sweater, I really don't want to screw this up.

ETA: I just peeked at mariknits' pics of her finished Sesame and *think* I've figured it out. Will this be solved by:

Neck finish: With right side of work facing, starting with yarn A, pick up and knit 4 sts from right front neck holder, 20, (20, 20, 22, 25) sts from right front neck edge, 3 (3, 3, 4, 4) sts from right back neck edge, 28 (28, 30, 30, 30) sts from back neck holder, 3 (3, 3, 4, 4) sts from left back neck edge, 20 (20, 20, 22, 25) sts from left front neck edge, and 4 sts from left front neck holder; 82 (82, 84, 90, 96) sts. Work 36 rows in 2x2 rib stripe pattern. Cast off loosely in ribbing.

If so, hurray! And gawd I feel like an idiot. *hd*

Fried

2007-08-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

Gawd I'm so tired. My next door neighbors decided to get drunk and argue all night last night. And I was really looking forward to getting a good night's sleep so I could straighten up the flat and run some errands before sitting down to knit.

Instead, I'm walking around like a zombie (well, sitting actually, heh). I woke up to a cold and rainy day (no errands for me then; I don't feel like lugging around groceries etc in the rain), a missing potted rose from my balcony, and the other knocked over. My foggy brain tried to figure out if the roses had been victims to the drunken neighbors or the wind. This meant going downstairs to ask another neighbor if my rose was in her garden. Luckily, I stopped to get the mail first and my potted rose was in the foyer so I guess it had fallen downstairs and she wasn't sure which of the flats above her it belonged to. So I got fully dressed for nothing (as opposed to comfy, rainy day clothes). Ah well. Mystery solved. I've now got a load of laundry in, and I plan to at least move things off the couch; the rest of the flat will have to wait til I'm more awake.

In knitting news, though, I've finished my socks, hurray! Actually, I finished them last weekend but haven't had a chance to come ramble about them. No mistakes with the second sock and I was able to work in a whole bunch of scraps of left over yarn into the leg of this one. I also tried a different method for adding in a new yarn. Rather than slip knotting the new yarn on to the end of the strand that's finishing, I held the new yarn against the old and worked the two strands in together for a few stitches before dropping the old one. This is probably not a new method for anyone else, but I was well chuffed with it. Huzzah! Thank you Betsy McCarthy! (I found that trick in Knit Socks!) The socks are now in the machine being washed after their first week as sleeping socks.

I've decided my next project will be Sesame by Melissa Wehrle. At first I had thought of doing the stripes, but I changed my mind when I realized, hello! first sweater here. I don't need to worry about weaving in umpteen ends on top of seaming the whole thing together. Seaming is my biggest fear as the only time I seamed anything was my legwarmers last year. The result wasn't too heinous but it was tedious as all get out. TheBlackSheep suggested I knit it in the round and if I could figure out how to convert the pattern I would (*failz at knitting math*). Part of me thinks I should do it in pieces though so I know how to do that if needed later. I can always figure out how to knit sweaters in the round later. (Heh, that's kinda like my 'I'll figure out how to do fair isle knitting later.' :p But that's a long story better left off for another time.)

Oh! I almost forgot. TheBlackSheep sent me kewl socks for my birthday. Columbine Peaks by Cat Bordhi. Tres nifty and so friggin soft!
Aren't they purty??

Well, I'm off to find comfy rainy day clothes and start casting on my first sweater. Wish me luck!

More on the socks .... and felting!

2007-08-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

What do you know? I got sucked into Harry Potter and all things related. I went down to London the week of the book release and attended Sectus, an HP fandom conference, and was there for the madness of a midnight release party! I've never done that before as I usually just order from Amazon. Aside from getting sucked into the book and trying to keep my bearings in the fandom aftermath, I also visited John Keats' house, Charles Dickens' house, the British Library, and St. Paul's Cathedral. It was a lot of fun but would someone please tell me why I forgot to take my knitting?!

The second sock is now in the gusset stage (finally!) so I'm starting to think ahead to my next project. I brought yarn with me for two known projects and also sock yarn for boredom/emergency purposes, as I've said before. One of these projects is a Lucy Bag which requires felting. This is all well and good except that my washing machine here is not top loading. And I've never manually felted anything in a sink or bucket or anything. Has anyone got any tips? Can felting be done in a front loading machine?

Death to Socks

2007-07-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the first of the Sleepy Socks last night. I should probably inform you that this is version 3 of socks knitted with this yarn. And, no, that doesn't mean I'm using up massive amounts of skeins of the same yarn. I mean I'm literally using the same yarn for the third time. Version 1 was an attempt at toe socks, modifying two different patterns and morphing it into my own. It worked fine, I even finished the sock. But it was way too loose so I decided I'd rip the whole thing apart and start over on smaller needles. Sock duly ripped. Attempt at reknit on smaller? Never happened. I then switched to a different pattern, a pretty lace pattern called Peaks and Valleys from Knit Socks! Enter version 2.0.

All was going well until I remembered I tend to knit socks inside out through the leg and heel flap and end up having to turn it right side out to finish it as I'm too lazy to try and figure out the backwards version of a pattern written for right side out. :p So, I got to the heel flap and realize that something is just off. Waiting to turn right side out after the heel flap just won't work, says I. So I turn it out and continue. All is well until I get to the gusset and foot and realize the pattern is now not going to match what's on the leg. *sigh* I soldier on thinking, who cares, I'll just wear them to sleep. But as I near the end of the foot section the pattern inversion is just too much for me. So I rip the sock apart again. I'll start over correctly with a different yarn or switch to a different pattern again. Not.

Enter version 3, the current version. I traveled to the UK for my six month sojourn and packed my sticks with me and a three projects worth of yarn, including the recycled sock yarn. I unpack and realize, I've left my bedtime socks back in the States. Well, here we go. This time I decide nothing fancy, just your basic Starter Sock out of Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circs book. I've got the smaller needles with me and away I go. Last night I was cruising along the foot nearing the toe decreases and kept measuring to make sure I wasn't making the sock too long. Despite repeated measurements, I was so engrossed in whatever I was watching that I knit an extra five rows in the foot portion. Bother. As I didn't feel like taking the time to tink 5 rows back (hahaha!) I decide to rip out carefully and reinsert needles. Good plan, bad execution for 8 of 60 stitches. That's right, 8. Eight bastard stitches that unraveled and in a very bizarre way. I fixed all but three of them correctly since they were just doing their own thing.

Dude. I cried. My first crying over knitting experience in the two years I've been at this. Granted I've gotten mightily frustrated before but have always been able to calm myself down and fix everything. This, however, was just ridiculous. In the salvage process I also increased 1! Well, I finally decided there was no way I was ripping out everything when I was so near the end, so I k2tog, left the funkiness in--there were no holes, I'll deal with sleeping in irregular socks. Hrmph. And so the first sock is complete. Bastard.

I'll cast on for #2 today as there is no way that bastard sock is staying alone.

Knitting blog!

2007-07-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

I finally gave in and started a place to blather on about my knitting triumphs and woes. Currently more woe-y than triumph-y probably, heh. However, since I just got my invite to ravelry, I had to do it. I mean, really.

To tell you a little about me, I'm a Literature Nerd. Seriously. These days when I'm not knitting I'm somewhere working on my dissertation. And my stash and needles are conveniently located next to (or in between, lol) my books and pens, hence the blog name. So you can call me Pen if you have the inkling (omg pun! sorry :p), I don't mind.

Ta ta for now!