Purl One, Drop Two

2007/2008

2008-01-01T08:42:00.001-08:00

I did quite a bit of knitting in December that I didn't post, so I'll try to squeeze it all in one big post now.

I know this first one isn't knitting, but I made these lavender sachets for several people this Christmas and some for myself as well. I simply sewed some square pillows of cotton fabric I got at WalMart and filled them with lavender I bought at LocalHarvest.com.

Pattern: Irish Hiking Scarf
Yarn: Lion Cashmere Blend
Needles: size 8 bamboo

I made this for my mom in just two weeks. This is my second IHS and again it was a quick knit. I love this yarn for this project.

Pattern: Honeycomb Fingerless Mitts
Yarn: Louet Sport
Needles: size 2 dpns

I made these for my sister. I love the pattern and yarn, but if I made them again I think I would shift the pattern a few more stitches from the thumb; it tends to shift that way when you wear them.

Pattern: Winecozy
Yarn: Sugar n Cream cotton
Needles: size 5 dpns

I made this for my aunt for her birthday which is just a few days before Christmas. Again I knit this in the round, and it was a very quick, fun knit.

Pattern: from EZ's instructions in Knitting Without Tears
Yarn: Paton's Classic Merino
Needles: size 5 dpns and circular

I made this hat for my dad. It looked much better after washing and blocking than it does in this picture. I absolutely had to wash it because this yarn smelled like a barn mixed with a craft store. I will never use Paton's classic merino again, I just didn't care for it and it reeked.

I think the hat turned out well though and didn't stink after being washed. I copied the fair isle pattern from a picture in Knitting Without Tears. Next time I'll go with Lion Brand if I absolutely need craft store wool.

Pattern: Punk Crochet Wrist Wamers

Yarn: Lion Brand Lion Wool

Hook: size H

I made these for my sister as well but I heavily modified the pattern. I made the bobbles as follows:

bobble: work 4 double crochet in one sc leaving the top loops on the hook. yo and draw through all loops on hook (5 loops). ch 1 to close bobble.

I skipped the ch1's on the next row to keep the same number of stitches in each row and didn't increase at all as the pattern does. I believe there were 25 or 26 stitches in each row of the hand on mine. And I do actually like working with Lion Wool. For a basic, affordable wool yarn I think it is very enjoyable to knit with, isn't scratchy and looks nice as well. And it doesn't smell like the zoo and potpourri.

That's it for 2007. In 2008 I have plans for several baby projects, in the next six months my goddaughter and two second cousins will be born. I also want to work on more Norwegian color work mittens, some more lace and I don't know if I'll have time but I have a strong need to make Jeanie from the Winter 2007 Knitty.

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

Winecozy

2007-12-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

I've been incredibly busy the last week or so wrapping up the semester and of course trying to get ready for Christmas. I promised myself I wouldn't knit/craft gifts because I always regret the pressure, unfortunately that promise was broke about a week into December. Now I'm trying to stick to a strict production schedule, and as long as no surprises crop up in the next week and a half, I think I may be alright.

In the meantime, I made this little winecozy from Knitty:

Pattern: Winecozy

Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream Cotton

Needles: size 5 dpns

This was an extremely quick knit and I only did a few things differently from the pattern. First and foremost I knit this, quite naturally, in the round. The author of this pattern claims to hate circular knitting??? One of the only things I hate in knitting is seaming, so I didn't waste my time with that on this project. Also, the pattern says to work 8" in stockinette stitch, which was about right for the bottle I was trying it on, but then I continued to knit 6 more rows for the ridge, otherwise it would have been too short. I also knit two, and possibly should have done three, extra rounds after the ridge was formed, otherwise the bottle was sitting on the ridge, making it more tippy that it would have been without it. Finally, although I love to crochet, I didn't bother with any crochet trim.

Aran Island Mittens

2007-11-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Aran Island Mittens from Folk Mittens
Yarn: Rowan Pure Wool DK
Needles: US 2 for cuff US 3 for mitten body

I finished these about a week ago and finally got around to sewing in the ends this morning. I love this pattern (once I copied and blew up the painfully tiny chart), but was disappointed with the yarn. It splits extremely easily and the stitch definition was odd, as if the yarn doesn't have any elasticity. For example, no matter what I did the reverse stockinette stitches where two needles met were always stretched causing a noticeable vertical line of exaggerated stitches. I even tried, although not very hard, to even them out by pulling their neighboring stitches a little more taught, but it didn't help at all. It's unfortunate because otherwise it's a warm, soft, comfortable yarn. Except for the full ball I have leftover, I will never use this yarn again.

The mittens themselves are comfortable though, and I was pleasantly surprised that they were the perfect length for me as charted. I didn't make any alterations to this pattern except to use the smaller needles for the cuff, which I wish I would have done for my angora mittens.

Beginning Peacock Shawl

2007-11-26T10:20:00.001-08:00

I've completed the first chart of my Peacock Feathers shawl. The pattern so far is easy, and the charts are fantastic. I love the yarn, but I'm not completely sure of the color with this pattern yet. I don't think I'll be able to tell if I'm happy with it until I get into the larger feathers in the pattern.

More Squares

2007-11-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

I'm about half way done with my afghan squares, having done four of the color combinations and have four sets of three squares left to complete. I may end up making more than the pattern calls for since I'm under gauge, but I'll just have to lay it all out and decide when I have the number of squares in the pattern done. These are two of the last color combos I recently finished:

I've also been plugging away at the aran cable mittens and only have the thumbs left. I should have finished photos in the very near future.

How will I ever get anything done again?

2007-11-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

I finally got my invite to Ravelry. I should have joined earlier, but tried to avoid it altogether since I barely have time to knit let alone blog. I had things to do this weekend, but all I want to do is hang out looking at projects and work on my own just so I have something to update!

Squares

2007-11-11T14:57:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to stick to planned projects only, and (tried to) put a freeze on all yarn purchasing, until I inadvertantly found a free pattern for a cute afghan and couldn't resist. It's just a fun, extremely easy crochet project with lots of color.

This is just one color combination of 8. The squares go quickly, and with the large gauge it'll be done in no time if I stick to it and don't give into anymore distractions or tempations.

Frostrosen in Red

2007-11-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Frostrosen
Yarn: Rauma Finullgarn
Needles: US 0 dpn's

This is my second pair of Frostrosen mittens, and while I loved how the first pair turned out, I'm afraid knitting this pair may have started a Norwegian mitten obsession.

I've also fallen completely in love with Rauma Finullgarn. It is so enjoyable to knit with, it has this basic, authentic quality that makes you feel like you are really knitting. I don't know how else to explain it. The fabric is dense and comfortable and the colors remain incredibly crisp and clear.

This pair turned out a bit snug, which I personally like, but I did have to alter the pattern for the thumb a bit. I had to lengthen the thumb by about 4 or 5 rows which made for a much more comfortable fit. I think if I'd used size 1 needles the pattern would have fit comfortably as charted. Regardless, I love them.

Cables

2007-10-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

Fall is flying by and after the initial spurt of cool weather, my knitting has slacked off a bit. The dark evenings seem to suck away any motivation I have to do anything, even my favorite hobbies. It seems too soon for the daylight to end so early.

I have been working on the Aran Mittens from Folk Mittens, and am almost done with the tip of the first mitten. I'm enjoying the cables and have used several of them for the first time in this pattern. Frostrosen are almost complete as well, I just need to sew in the ends before I post photos.

Angora Mittens

2007-10-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Mittens from Greenland and America from Folk Mittens
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Angora
Needles: Size 2 dpns

It has been so nice to knit these simple mittens in between projects that require more thought and technical skill. They remind me of the many pairs of mittens in a myriad of colors we always had around the house that my Great Grandma knit.

I like this pattern for a basic mitten; however, I disagree with the author's idea of a comfortable distance between thumb gore and decreases at the tips of the fingers. One thing I can't stand in mittens is when they don't fit perfectly down to my thumb, and the tips of my fingers are pulling it up. This pattern says to start decreases when the mitten reaches the tip of the little finger. I found that I got a perfect fit by knitting until the piece measured past my ring finger, as you don't get much more length once you've started the decrease rows.

I have one huge complaint about this book in general: yarn requirements are given in ounces and grams only, no yards! I ran out of yarn at the decreases of the second thumb, had to call the yarn store I bought it from months ago in a panic, and they saved one of their last skeins for me. The pattern called for 56.5 grams of angora or mohair for a pair of mittens, which seems completely off anyway, but I thought I would be safe with the 100 grams of angora blend which I used. Not so. I will have to reinstate my old rule of buying an extra skein for each pattern I attempt in this book.

A New Lace Project

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

This weekend I picked up this:

To make this.

I even splurged and bought new Addi Turbo Lace needles. I can't wait to cast on.

Apple Fest

2007-10-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend my mom, my sister and I went to Bayfield for the Apple Festival. None of us had gone before, and it was probably a good weekend for our first time as it was cool and cloudy keeping the large crowd from becoming massive. Our trip got off to a good start as the first orchard/winery we stopped at had a wine tasting of all the apple and berry wines they locally produce. We each found a favorite and bought a bottle, mine was Schneewitchen, an apple wine made in an apparently traditional German fashion. Naturally I visited every yarn shop I passed, and bought three balls of Rowan Pure Wool on sale that I'll use for yet another pair of mittens - this time the cabled Aran mittens from Folk Mittens.

We all enjoyed Apple Fest, but also agreed that we could do without the throng of people and vendors cramming every inch of the streets. I think next year I'll go a week or two before the actual festival and visit the orchards at my leisure. For now I'm excited for some free time to get to baking with my Cortland apples and get some knitting done.

The Fall of Mittens

2007-09-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

I have been making steady progress with my mittens in the last couple of weeks. Frostrosen were nearly complete last weekend, and would have been, if not for an unfortunate setback. I have actually knit this pattern before, but somehow picking up the top stitches for the thumb didn't make sense to me this time. I didn't feel that I'd picked them up correctly, so let them drop, picked them up again and ended up completely confused. I took them to my Grandma who is a much more seasoned, expert knitter than I, and she said she thought they looked OK, that I should continue and watch for problems as I go. I'm still leary of them, so will hold off for maybe a week or so until my anxiety wanes before finishing the thumbs.

Besides my Frostrosen fiasco, I've been working steadily almost every night on the very basic pair of mittens I mentioned I was using the angora from Playing with Yarn for. They're going quickly, in spite of a few rips, and I'm finding it extremely comforting to knit such a plain, standard pattern on rainy evenings after work and homework instead having to think over color work. I have several notes on the pattern I am using, but will wait for the final post to discuss them for the sake of brevity in this post, and complete information in the final one.

My only note on my photo of this mitten is that the thumb looks extremely long and pointy, which I'm quite sure will come down at least somewhat when I actually sew that end in rather than hiding it, as it is in the photo.

Irish Hiking Scarf

2007-09-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Irish Hiking Scarf

Yarn: Lion Cashmere Blend

Needles: size 8 bamboo dpns and cable needle

I finished my first IHS over a month ago and have finally gotten around to taking pictures and posting it. It ended up about an inch or two shorter than the pattern because I ran out of yarn, but I'm happy enough with the length. The only thing I did differently from the pattern was that I ended on a row earlier than 7, maybe 4 or 5, so that the edge I finished on looked more similar to the beginning edge.

I really enjoyed this project. It went quickly and the pattern turned out nicely with the cashmere blend yarn. It's extremely soft and warm, and I can't wait to wear it this winter.

I'm also over half way done with my second Frostrosen mitten which I have been working on for far too long. I'm hoping to finish it within the next week or two, time permitting. I've been extremely busy as I'm going to school part time now and working full time, so I'm splitting the little free time I have at night between knitting and reading. Progress has been slow, but steady lately. The fall is definitely putting me in the mood to knit more though, so hopefully I'll be getting more projects done more quickly.

Yarn Splurge

2007-07-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Andy and I went on a drive up the North Shore of Lake Superior and stopped at Playing With Yarn in Knife River. It's a small, two story yarn shop with a great selection of yarns and is situated right on the lake. I have all the yarn I need, and projects that have been queued for years, so I certainly didn't need any yarn. In a moment of weakness, however, I purchased some sock yarn, two skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Angora, a skein of Rauma Finullgarn and a set of size 0 Skacel 2mm needles.

At least I have plans for it: the angora will be made into a very basic pair of mittens, the sock yarns I plan to make my first toe up socks with, and the Finullgarn, which I actually had gone up there to buy, will be for fair isle mittens with a snowflake pattern. I was also happy to get a new pair of size 0 needles as the minute bamboo ones I am currently using are all bent and cracking. I think now that I have these I will rip the red and white Frostrosen mittens I am working on and redo them with the new needles. They haven't seen any progress in months anyway. Even though I have other, larger projects to start, I think a few quick projects like these are just what I need to get back into knitting on a regular basis.

Irish Hiking Scarf progress

2007-06-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my first IHS for about two weeks now. I'm really enjoying working with cables again, and working with a heavy worsted weight it is easy to do one or two pattern reps in a very short amount of time. After doing so much lace knitting lately, a quick satisfying project like this is just what I needed. It measures 20" so far, and I love the way it is turning out with this yarn (Lion Brand Lion Cashmere Blend).

Birch

2007-06-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Birch from Rowan No 34
Yarn: Kid Silk Haze - Cream - 4 balls
Needles: Denise size 8's

The reason why I haven't posted in so long is that for months I was chipping away at Birch, which was a birthday/wedding present for my mom. I gave it to her on her birthday, and just blocked it this past week. As I type it is on its way to Alaska where she will be wearing it when she gets married.

I thoroughly enjoyed knitting Birch. The pattern is quite easy to remember and, although repetitive, I love it's simplicity. I now understand "kid silk crack." This yarn is so soft and ethereal, makes a gorgeous transparent fabric and is incredibly enjoyable to knit with. It is a bit of a pain to rip back, I made few mistakes, but found them easy to fix by laying the shawl flat and ripping out rows when necessary. The stitches grasp onto each other and when ripped the stitches on the previous row stay in place well making it easy to reinsert the needle.

2007-06-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted, but I've finally been getting some knitting in and will be posting the photos to prove it in the next few days. I've had a couple of projects on the needles lately, including a cream colored Birch which I made for my mom as a birthday/wedding present as she's getting married July third. It's being blocked as I type and I plan to take pictures in a few days. I've also been working on an Irish Hiking Scarf which is going so fast and is a nice change from all of the lace I've been doing lately. I'll have pictures of everything soon!

Snow Day

2007-03-02T16:37:00.000-08:00

After a disappointing winter with barely any snow, we finally got a good old fashioned blizzard and even a snow day off of work. Andy had his work cut out for him shovelling a path through this drift.

The snow day gave me just the opportunity I needed to get things done around the house today and I'm going to try and focus on researching for a paper and working on Frostrosen over the weekend. I ripped the cuff of the first mitten I started last week and re-knit it because I was unhappy with the tension and it's looking much better. I don't have any new photos to post of it, but progress is going quickly so I should soon.

Frostrosen Take Two

2007-02-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my mom and I took a drive up the North Shore of Lake Superior. On the way up, we could see people walking on the frozen lake and decided to stop at Brighton Beach and have a look around. The shore was lined with huge chunks of blue ice and the ice over the lake was so perfectly clear you could see straight down to all of the boulders and rocks on the bottom of the lake. If the weather permits and the ice hasn't drifted I'm hoping to go skating on it next weekend!

After checking out the ice we went to Nokomis for lunch. Neither of us had been there and it was a fabulous experience. The windows provide a beautiful view of the lake from every table and the food was amazing. After lunch we went to Playing With Yarn in Knife River. My mom got a pattern and some yarn to make some cute thrummed mittens (I've never done anything like that before, it looks interesting) and I got some Rauma Finullgarn to start a new pair of mittens. I've had mittens on my mind for months but I didn't know how much or what to buy for any other patterns I have so I picked up some red and white to make another pair of Frostrosen mittens, this time for myself.

I started them yesterday and I'm having a tiny bit of trouble with the tension (probably should have made a gauge swatch) since I really haven't done much color knitting. It's not too bad though, and I love the red and white together.

Ene's Scarf

2007-02-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Ene's Scarf from Scarf Style
Yarn: Blackberry Ridge Lace Weight Silk Blend (2 skeins)
Needles: Denise Size 7

I completed Ene's scarf about two weeks ago and finally blocked it this week. I have always hated blocking, but with this project I finally realized what blocking can really do. I was a little disappointed in how small the scarf turned out, but in blocking it transformed into something really lovely and it easily stretched to the proper size. The yarn is luxurious, very soft and warm and inexpensive. Below is a detail of the bottom edge leading to the center point.

I want to wear her out of the house, especially with how bitterly cold it has been here, but I have a strange and irrational fear that the minute I do she will come unblocked or be ruined somehow. Maybe it's because I've never knit a lace project of this magnitude. I'm finding that I love to do lace work, I think it's becoming my favorite. It's relatively stress free and the results are almost always beautiful and elegant. I love cables and other textures as well, and I think color knitting is the most impressive, but lace just seems to fit for me.

Progress

2007-01-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

I've been finding more time lately to knit and am making good progress on Ene's scarf. I finally have a progress photo to show for it:

Although I normally can't stand blocking because I'm too lazy, I can't wait to block this and see the final outcome.

Classes don't start for another week and a half, and with the holidays being over I should have some extra time to knit, read and hopefully get back in the habit of posting regularly.

Dragonfly

2006-12-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long its been since I last posted. I have been knitting a little, but only on the same Ene's scarf I've been working on for the last several months. I'm over half way done and its going quickly now so I hope to complete it soon. I got a new flash card for my camera as well so I'm planning on posting progress pictures later this week.

While I haven't been doing much knitting, I have been doing some other crafting. For Christmas I made a stained glass window (with the help of my mom who is very talented) for a friend who loves dragonflies. Andy and I made the design around an existing dragonfly pattern and my mom helped me pick out the glass and did most of the cutting and foiling on the wings because she's much faster and more precise than I am.

The pictures are a little blurry, and it seems impossible to capture the textures of the glass in photos, but I think the window turned out very nice. I didn't want to give it away! Fortunately we have plenty of glass left to make more.

I hope everyone's having a nice Christmas and holiday season. I'm on vacation this week and am hoping to have some knitting to show for it soon.

Mini Vacation

2006-09-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I took a few days off to spend with my dad since he's up from Florida and will be going back at the end of this month. Originally we were going to go to Wisconsin Dells as neither of us have been there before, but we only had a few days and when we realized how far away it is we decided to modify that plan.

Instead we went to Madeline Island and stopped at Amnicon Falls on the way. I'd been to Amnicon before and it was pretty as usual. The water was quite low which was actually kind of neat because you could see all the rocks that are normally under water.

It was my first time visiting Bayfield and Madeline Island and I really enjoyed it. My favorite thing about Madeline Island was the forests. I've never seen forests so full of maple and oak. It was really interesting. Also, the island has a lovely beach and I will definitely be going back during the summer when its warm.

We also went to Jay Cooke which I always love. We walked further into the park than I ever have before. Again, the water was low which was cool because you could really see the Thompson Formation that's under the St Louis river. It always reminds me of something out of the Lord of the Rings.

I have actually been getting some knitting done on Ene's Scarf as well and am half way done with the small second chart. It's going by pretty quickly and I'm enjoying it so I will hopefully be posting some progress pictures soon.

Delinquent Knitter / Blogger

2006-08-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I've been a delinquent knitter and blogger these last few weeks. I have started a new project, Ene's scarf from ScarfStyle. I was enjoying the project very much as I hadn't done any lace knitting in quite a while, but haven't worked on it for a couple of weeks because I seem to have injured my hand.

One thing I never wanted to do on this blog was complain about my life outside of knitting, but my job is absolutely ruining my hands and its really getting me down. I type all day at a computer (which is depressing on more levels than just the destruction of my tendons) and for the past week I've had pain and some numbness in my hands. I'm afraid to knit because I don't want to do any further damage.

I'll try to take some pictures of my current project soon, but I'm afraid there won't be much progress in the near future. If anyone has any suggestions for what I can do about protecting my wrists from repetitive stress injury from work or knitting I would love to hear them.

Luxurious Wrap

2006-08-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Luxurious Wrap from Afghans on the Double
Yarn: Peaches and Cream 100% Cotton
Hook: Size N 9.00 mm

I made this afghan for my good friend Dana and her husband Brian for their wedding last Friday. I completed this project in about five weeks and sewed in the last ends and took photos of the finished afghan on Friday morning before I had to leave to get ready for the wedding!

Above is a close up of the stitch pattern and picot edge detail. I think the edge is what makes this afghan so pretty. Unfortunately the pictures just don't do it justice.

Because I made it with cotton it is a bit heavy. Personally I prefer heavy afghans, especially during our cold winters, and the texture of the cotton crocheted fabric has a really neat feel to it.

Aside from the afghan the wedding was lovely. Above is a photo of my bridesmaid bouquet and the goblet each of the wedding party received. Dana was my first close friend to get married which felt a bit odd, but I am so happy for her. Brian is such a good person, and so good to her. It's rather exciting to see such wonderful people starting a life together.

Trying to stay cool

2006-07-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

The weather has been brutal this week and in spite of temperatures that defy even Lake Superior's cooling effect, I have been working steadily on, of all things, an afghan. One of my good friends is getting married in August so I decided to see if Afghans on the Double would live up to its name.

Cutting the time to make an afghan in half for me should mean that it would take approximately 6-8 months to complete. Yet I have completed more than half of the Luxurious Wrap in less than three weeks. Miraculous indeed.

Here is a photo of my progress so far. If I can discipline myself and continue doing about five rows a day (I'm so sorry wrists) I think I can definitely finish it in time to give to my friend. And then a new knitting project all for myself and with no deadlines.

Raglan Sweater

2006-07-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Sure-To-Fit-Pullover (free pattern from spincraft)
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease
Needles: size 7 denise's and dpns, US5 dpns

I've been knitting for two years and have finally finished my first ever sweater. I'm not sure what I was hesitating for, it was so incredibly simple. Top down raglan definitely seems the way to go for someone like me who abhors seams.

The only modifications I made to the pattern were the length of ribbing at waist and wrists and seven rounds between each decrease round on the sleeves rather than five. The first arm I made was just too tapered and tight around my forearm to be comfortable.

My favorite things about this sweater are it's simplicity and how cozy it is. I can't wait to wear it this fall.

Back

2006-06-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a while but it feels good to be back posting. Sadly I haven't been getting much knitting done lately as I've been very busy. Besides working I've been going to cabins as much as possible, enjoying the precious few days of warm weather we have. Unfortunately the warm weather isn't everyone's idea of a good time:

Poor Itsy has been spending most of her time this week laying sprawled out in the dining room under the fan. Last night, however was quite cool which perked her right up. I fell asleep on the couch watching a movie and was woken by her racing back and forth on me and digging my blankets off. Bunnies.

Although I haven't had much time to start anything, I've been dreaming of beginning all kinds of projects. I've been almost as bad about visiting other blogs as I've been about maintaining my own blog, but I should really start because they tend to be the best source of inspiration for me. I also got a couple of books with lots of projects I want to start.

The cross stitch book is absolutely beautiful. I don't actually cross stitch (I made one very simple, and rather vulgar yet funny one from subversivecrossstitch.com) but I'm definitely going to have to start. I also finally got Afghans on the Double which I've been meaning to get for quite a while. There are so many beautiful afghans in this book, I can't wait to start making them as gifts. Hopefully I'll be able to finish them in less than a year.

Keeping Busy...Its About Time

2006-05-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have been extremely busy lately, but unfortunately not knitting. I finally landed a job at what seems to be a really good company doing data entry type work. Its decent pay and has tons of excellent benefits so I'm very happy about that. I was getting a little nervous about the whole unemployment situation for a while.

I've also been training at the Lake Superior Zoo to be a docent which I think is going to be an incredible experience. Just in training I've done things I never thought I would i.e. holding and petting Madagascar hissing cockroaches. They're neat, and good, really. Also, I've had the opportunity twice so far to hold Laverne. Laverne is the sweetest, softest little three legged Chinchilla. I'm not sure how her leg was lost, but I have fallen completely in love with her. I just want to hold her and bring her home every time I see her!

Finally in knitting news, which there isn't much of, I had completed one sleeve of my sweater last week and was hoping to finish it this week; however, when I tried it on I realized that I hadn't done my decreases in a straight line (doh!) so had to rip it because it would have driven me insane. The sleeves are going quickly now, it's just that I haven't had the motivation to pick it up lately. I should really visit blogs more often, they tend to be a great source of inspiration that get me into a knitting frenzy. I hope to have some progress to report and pictures soon.

Nothing New

2006-04-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

I am still slowly, steadily working on my sweater which is turning out lovely, but there hasn't been substantial progress (such as a sleeve) to warrant posting photos. I should really start another project as working on just one for too long becomes a little tedious for me. I had a look at the new knitty and found a few cute patterns, but I think I fell in love with Tendrils. I made Sivia Harding's Variation on a Frill, which was my first knitting project with beads, and I love it in spite of the uncertainty I expressed in my post about it. Tendrils appeals to me even more, so I might have to splurge on the yarn for it. I think I deserve it considering all the Lion Brand I've been using lately, not that there's anything wrong with Lion Brand.

Other than knitting I have been consumed with a job hunt for the last two months. I knew it would be hard to find a job here, but had no idea it would be quite this difficult. Anyway, I haven't lost heart quite yet, and things are possibly starting to look up. I'm doing some temporary work and have a couple of interviews lined up so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Can't wait to have yarn money again!

Progress On My First Sweater

2006-03-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

I've begun work on my very first sweater, and am so excited with how smoothly it's progressing. The design is (quite obviously) top down raglan, and best of all will have no seams. I was a little skeptical about the fact that this sweater could come out with the perfect measurements from measuring my head and making a few calculations, but now that I've divided the sleeves and body and tried it on twice I'm a true believer. I haven't had to go back, rip, adjust, anything; the true hallmark of an excellent pattern in my opinion.

The picture isn't the best, but it's not that easy taking photos of your work when there's a curious and very active bunny hopping all over it. Have I mentioned she likes to stand on things?

Fellow bunny owners might think I should be very afraid of her hopping on and around my knitting, but of all the things she enjoys chewing, which is essentially everything, she has mercifully spared my knitting and thus far doesn't seem to be interested in it. I am wary however; I didn't think she'd find my favorite pants on top of the couch appetizing until I took them out of the wash and found them full of holes. Thanks bunny. But seriously, how could you stay mad at a little face like that?

Andy's Hat

2006-03-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Blue Sky Cotton
Needles: US 8 Denise circulars and Fiddlesticks dpns

I bought this yarn, which is luxuriously soft, months ago when I was still living in Fargo and promised Andy I'd make him a couple of hats out of it. Now that it's March, and there's not much need for hats, I've finally finished one. I used the Elevator stitch pattern from Mary Thomas's Book of Knitting Patterns. Unfortunately you can't see the pattern particularly well in the photo, but it has an interesting effect when worn, and I love how unique this pattern is. I'm going to make another, green with brown stripes, in a waffle stitch pattern.

Turtleneck Shrug

2006-03-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Turtleneck Shrug from Scarf Style
Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic
Needles: size 7 dpns

I finally finished my turtleneck shrug and am so happy with the result. Ripping out the neck and shoulders and redoing them was definitely the right choice. So the only modification I made to this already wonderfully simple pattern was making the shoulders shorter by two inches (5" rather than 7"). Apparently I'm short shouldered, who knew.

Worn as a scarf, this is just about the most comfy, cozy, warm thing you'll ever wrap around your neck. This was my first time knitting with a Rowan yarn, and I'm terribly afraid that I've become addicted to the luxury of it. Unfortunately my bank account can't support such a habit. Luckily I've grown my stash to a point that it can hold me over until I can afford it again. Well, on to the next project.

Negative Progress and a Mysterious Intruder

2006-02-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

So, I've been a delinquent knitter/blogger. To be honest, my interest has been waning lately, and the ripping I was forced to do on Sunday night didn't help. I'm still working on the Turtleneck Shrug which is currently two arms with the shoulder parts done. I had finished the turtleneck late Sunday night, only to try it on and find that the 7" shoulder thingies specified in the pattern are way too long on me making the fit awful. So, instead of resigning myself to wear it only as a scarf, I decided that the responsible thing to do would be to fix it because I am still clinging to the hope that it could be very cute if I can get it to fit properly.

And now for something completely different: Last night I was trying to go to sleep around midnight when I distinctly heard footsteps on my deck. I first assumed it must be my sister smoking, but she never came in. The footsteps continued and my mom and I were both up, calling my sister to see if it was indeed her, but it wasn't. By this time our imaginations were running wild with thoughts of someone trying to break in. We very cautiously crept over to the kitchen window, and peaked out only to see...a deer up on the deck, leaning over the side and tugging on our pine tree/shrub. How cute! I love northern Minnesota.

Happy Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

Not my favorite holiday, but a good excuse to bake something cute nonetheless.

Turtleneck Shrug and Cuteness Incarnate

2006-02-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Since finishing my socks I have slowly but surely been working on the Turtleneck Shrug from ScarfStyle. I LOVE the yarn. I am using the yarn and color called for in the pattern. It's my first time using a Rowan yarn, and after the first ball with 4 knots in it I wasn't impressed, but now that I've wound the second ball with 0 knots I'm feeling considerably better about it. It is so soft, warm and cozy, and I adore the color.

Aside from that this project is yet more proof that I am incapable of knitting ribbing evenly - I can do cables, lace, whatever, but I just can't seem to get ribbing right. The yarn and pattern are so good, however, that I think I'll be able to look past the imperfections in my knitting.

And I don't think I even need to say anything about this picture, the cuteness speaks for itself. She was finally sitting still for a minute today so I snapped a few photos of her.

Beachy Socks

2006-01-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Magic Stripe Basic Socks
Yarn: Lion Brand Magic Stripes
Needles: US 1 dpns

It was so nice to be able to knit a quick, easy pair of socks for myself after all the knitting for other people around Christmas. It was soothing to just knit in stockinette and not have to worry about counting, cables, lace or fair isle. I thought I did a pretty good job matching the stripes; however, the toes don't match up exactly. Fortunately I'm not that much of a perfectionist. Otherwise, I think they turned out really well.

Cable Hat and Mitten Set

2006-01-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

Pattern (hat): Coronet
Yarn: worsted wool/alpaca
Needles: US 8 dpns and circular

I made this set for my sister for Christmas and just finished sewing in the ends this weekend. Pathetic, I know, but I do like how they turned out. Unfortunately, I have no idea what brand of yarn I used; I must have thrown the labels away.

Pattern: Cabled Mittens from Woman's Day
Yarn: bulky wool/alpaca
Needles: US 10.5 dpns

I altered this pattern a bit, but I really like how these mittens turned out. The pattern was written to be knit back and forth and then sewn on the side - that was the first obvious change. Instead I used dpns, which worked out perfectly. I just made sure all the cable pattern stitches were on one needle. Because my sister has long, slender fingers, I did one extra repeat of the cable pattern. Finally, I grafted the top twelve stitches together rather than running the yarn through the last stitches so the cable pattern wouldn't be all bunched up at the top. I think they look really cute on her. Now, if I could just sew in the ends of my mom's present, I'd be completely done with my Christmas knitting...

Socks and Bunnies

2006-01-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

In spite of having much free time on my hands, I have been doing embarrassingly little knitting. Yesterday, however, I did finish this sock.

I love the colors of this yarn; the greens, blues and tans somehow remind me of the beach. It's a fond, but distant memory in the middle of winter in Minnesota.

I also thought I would share a picture of my best friend and companion who I have been spending quite a bit of time with since I've moved home. It's quite hard to get a picture of a bunny, since the moment I am at her level she is moving around constantly, often on me, trying to figure out what the heck is going on. She loves treats and bananas, and digging and hopping on top of things. Also, she loves naps. What a life...

Frostrosen

2005-12-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Frostrosen from Nordic Fiber Arts
Yarn: Finullgarn
Needles: Size 0 dpns

I finally finished my Frostrosen mittens and I love them! I ended up making a size smaller than the smallest size in the pattern, and they fit perfectly. This was my first fair isle project ever, and it was so satisfying to see as I was working that I could do this and that it was turning out better than I had ever imagined!

Above is my mom modeling the mittens. I gave them to my Grandma for Christmas and she said they fit her just right too. I might have to make a pair for myself!

Moving Time!

2005-12-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

Today is my last day with the internet for a few days so I won't be posting any updates for a little while. I thought I would have my second mitten finished this week, which was sort of ridiculous considering I have finals and am moving. Naturally it's been snowing all week in anticipation of me moving across northern Minnesota, so wish me luck getting home!

One Down (Mostly), One To Go

2005-12-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

I finished my first mitten today except the thumb, since it's my habit to do both thumbs at the same time. You can see in the picture on the left the toothpicks I knit this with. My gauge ended up a stitch per inch more than the smallest size in the pattern, but they fit me perfectly and I think will be a better fit for my Grandma as well.

This was definitely a learning process, and it took a while to get comfortable knitting with such tiny needles and I'm still not completely used to it. Overall I'm happy with how it turned out. It's slow going, but my favorite part of this fair isle business is holding your work back and taking a look after several rows and realizing how lovely the pattern is turning out. I've got the last mitten to knit and I'll be done with my Christmas knitting! I feel bad saying this, but I really don't like knitting for other people, it's so uncertain. Will it fit? Will they like it? And I can't wait to start knitting for myself again. Unless there are requests I don't think I'll be doing much knitting next Christmas!

Check It Out

2005-12-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

If anyone out there is interested in photography or abstract drawing, you should definitely check out Andy's deviantART space. At the moment he mostly has photos he's taken up, but will be uploading more of his artwork soon.

Here is a photo he took of an Easter Cactus I propagated:

His drawings are at least as impressive as his photography, and will be up soon. So, if you have a minute, go check it out!

One Step Closer

2005-11-30T20:06:00.000-08:00

Well, today was my last day at my job. It was a little sad; I'll miss the guys I worked with. But I'm also really happy because driving to work on an icy, snowy county road in North Dakota every day totally sucks.

In knitting news, I have been working steadily on Christmas things and bought some new yarn to make Andy a hat. I was completely shocked by him the other day when I woke up: after having been up all night he was asking me about how feasible different combinations of knit and purl stitches in different rows would be and how it would look. I showed him examples of what he had designed in Mary Thomas's Book of Knitting Patterns and he was a little disappointed that his ideas weren't totally original. I, on the other hand, was thoroughly impressed as I don't think I would have thought with such originality. I'm a bit jealous to be honest, he's never knit a stitch in his life but he's more of a designer than I am. I've completely corrupted him.

And I will be restarting Frostrosen, this time with terrifyingly small size 0 needles. Since I am now unemployed, some good progress with pictures should be reported here in the near future.

Why? WHY?!?

2005-11-22T23:39:00.000-08:00

Things were going great, or so I thought. Then that point came. The point where you want to keep going, pretending nothing's wrong, but you finally realize you can't ignore that what you're knitting is the wrong size. Damn! I ripped this thing out twice already because weaving just wasn't working; no matter what I did the white yarn would show between some of the black stitches and I just couldn't have that. So, I started stranding. That fixed the color problem, but after knitting the cuff and several rows of the hand, I realized that this mitten is gigantic and my gauge is for the large size. I had planned on knitting the medium size, and was using the needles called for, US size 2. I think now that I will have to go down to size 0 needles and make the smallest size.

Anyway, I wanted to post SOMETHING, because I have been spending fruitless hours on this thing, so here's a picture of the cuff. I was pretty happy with it. There are a few places where my dpns meet where I think the floats were just a tiny bit tight. I was really hoping to finish the first mitten this weekend, but I think I'm going to hold off for a few days before I restart it and work on something else. I guess I'll just have to chalk this third false start up to experience.

Finally, A Real Project

2005-11-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

Yay! I'm so happy cause my mitten kit came today! It was just what I needed after a truly unbelievable, crap day. I can't wait to start them. I have actually been working on some really nice cabley (cabley?) things lately, but just don't feel it would be prudent to post; I don't really know who reads my blog. So, actual knitting on actual projects that I can post about will commence shortly.

I Get It!

2005-11-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

Shortly after my last post I realized what I was doing wrong and that I was making things much more difficult than necessary for myself. Here's an example of how I was doing things wrong: I had an XXXO pattern where X is the yarn held in my right hand, and O is held in my left hand. I would knit the first X normally, the second I would knit weaving the left hand yarn, the third would be knit normally, then I would knit a stitch with the left hand yarn and weave in the right hand yarn, just because the last stitch was not woven. Get it? So after watching this video again, I realized that I should only be weaving in yarn if I'm making more than two stitches in a row in that color. Phew! Here is a photo of more practice diamonds.

The bottom section was practice in German knitting, the next inch or two was practice stranding, the next inch and a half or so was weaving the wrong way, and the rest was proper weaving. I think it's starting to look a lot better, I just need to practice getting the tension right. Also the edges of this swatch are pretty messed up because I cast on the wrong number of stitches for weaving in flat knitting, but of course I won't make that mistake with an actual pattern.

This is so much easier now that I'm doing it correctly, and it works at least as well as stranding did for me. I'm going to stick with it since I definitely prefer the back of woven fabric.

In non-knitting news I went to see North Country on Sunday. I thought they did a good job. I really admire the women who worked in the mines and went through so much so women today don't have to deal with such extreme sexual harassment. And besides calling pop "soda" (which my mom can't get over), they didn't botch the northern Minnesota accent; it wasn't always good, but it wasn't exaggerated like in Fargo either. I would definitely recommend seeing it.

First Foray Into Fair Isle or Practice Makes...Better?

2005-11-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

Okay. So I am attempting to practice Fair Isle before my mitten kit comes, and it's more difficult than expected. Below are some photos of my first attempt at a diamond pattern. I should note that I am doing several things for the first time here: 1. fair isle knitting 2. knitting with two hands 3. knitting with my left hand 4. weaving. Making the process more difficult is knitting in the round with three dpns for my first attempt at this method. It's like trying to juggle raw eggs drunk. Not that I've ever done that, but it seems like it would be similarly difficult.

So far I find that I just cannot get a uniform tension. It's too tight, as can be seen at the bottom of my swatch below, too loose, or just all over the place. The back of my work looks pretty messy too. What I'm really not sure about is how to do "overs" and "unders" when changing colors. Do I religiously stick to alternating "over" and "under" regardless of the color changes that are happening and use the appropriate method of weaving the yarn depending on whether it is in my right or left hand? Does that make any sense?

My other obvious option is to forget about weaving for now and try stranding (is it easier? it seems like it has to be) for the mitten, but the whole idea of weaving appeals to me more. Does anyone with more experience with this, i.e. any, have any suggestions? Besides having awful tension, am I doing anything blatently wrong in how I'm weaving the yarn in the back?

More Koalas

2005-11-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

I finished this guy this morning and I think he turned out pretty cute. Behind him is the knit afghan I've been occasionally working on. It was nice to have a crochet project in between all the knitting I've been doing lately. I've been crocheting for quite a while longer than I've been knitting, and while knitting is my obsession, there's something soothing about working on a crochet project now and then.

Yesterday I ordered the Frostrosen kit. I've been wanting to order it for weeks, but couldn't justify it when I have several Christmas presents to knit. Then I had a revelation: why not knit Frostrosen for my Grandma Rose instead of yet another Branching Out? I don't think she even uses scarves and after two Branching Outs I'm sick of the pattern. I think she'll enjoy the mittens more and it gives me the perfect excuse to make them.

Sunny Day, Sweepin the Clouds Away

2005-11-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

At any one time I have about two channels on the TV that work. One is invariably PBS, so during lunch breaks I get my fair share of Sesame Street when there's nothing but infomercials on Fox. And I still love it.

Anyway, since it's such a yucky, cold, rainy day I thought I'd post a nice sunny flower to at least brighten up the blog.

I've been negative lately in more areas of my life than just knitting as I've been stressed about the last semester and moving...stressed because it can't all come to an end soon enough. I mean I can't wait to get the FUCK out of here. No offense to ND natives, or people currently living here, but this place is horrible. The best thing about living here is the appreciation it's given me for Duluth and I can't wait to go home. This week I've finally realized that after this week I will have a mere three weeks left at my job, and five left at school until I graduate and MOVE. It's finally making me happy.

Eating right and exercising might help my mood too. Yesterday I had a late night "meal" of croutons, an old fortune cookie (it said I'll be more successful than average in business...hmm..), and an apple with carmel. The day before I had macaroni and cheese without milk and candy bars for dinner. In case you didn't already know, water is not an appropriate substitute for milk in mac and cheese. What the hell is wrong with me?? I'll cook something good this weekend, honest.

On the knitting front I've been working on the koala and afghan while trying to figure out what to do about the dreaded pink yarn. I can't wait for Christmas to be over so I can start working on some things I really want for myself. I'm dying to make a pair or two of socks (everyone else is doing it), but don't have time or yarn. By the way, I notice a lot of people are going the toe-up route. Is there a distinct advantage in this method or is it just another way of doing things? I also can't wait to work on some of the beautiful mittens from Nordic Fiber Arts. Specifically Frostrosen and Nordasno. I'd like to start knitting sweaters as well, I'm planning on something like the Big Sack Sweater from Stitch n Bitch except knit in the round, and with a different neck, and ribbing at cuffs and hem...so basically I just want to do my own thing via EZ and use the cable from the Big Sack pattern. Also I'm really thinking about Klaralund, all the ones I've seen online have turned out lovely and I think it's something I would really wear. It would be cool to knit that in the round, but I don't know what it would do to the stripes. I think it's worth it to try anyway, especially if it'll save me from seams.

Finally, it seems that I completely forgot to post the pattern link with my finished shrug (which I like now by the way) so I will post it now. I got the actual pattern from here, there's a link on the right side for the Craftster Circular Shrug. And here's the link to the thread with pages and pages of information about this pattern and how it came about.

Update - Happier

2005-11-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I've tried the circular shrug on again and think I am getting used to it. I must have some form of postknitum depression. Reading back on some of my recent posts I find that I have something negative to say about almost everything I knit, even things I am proud of or have turned out the way I wanted, and only really appreciate them after they've been sitting around finished for a while. And I do feel better after Jess's words of encouragement and like the idea of a "nice comfy vesty thing" - thank you. From now on, I will try to take a step back and evaluate my work more objectively and a little less critically. There's no need to be perfect, and honestly perfect rarely appeals to me.

Disappointment

2005-11-06T01:42:00.000-08:00

I finished my circular shrug today (except sewing in the ends) and I'm not sure if I'm happy with it. It turned out a bit too large and sort of hangs and doesn't have much shape. I do like the buttons which I sewed on to some kind of pin back that I found in the jewelry making section of the craft store. I just don't know.

The one good thing about this project was that I successfully used mattress stitch for the first time. It was easy enough but I detest any form of sewing, hence why the ends still aren't sewn in. I rarely knit anything with seams and have used a crochet seam in the past which works but admittedly mattress stitch is much better. I'll still try to avoid it at all costs and when I start making sweaters they will be seamless. I remember reading EZ's Knitting Without Tears for the first time nodding my head and smiling at someone who has such a similar knitting philosophy to my own.

The yarn I ordered so long ago finally came and I picked it up yesterday. I ordered two skeins of Brown Sheep Co. Lambs Pride Superwash, one bulky, one worsted. When I picked up the yarn I thought the wrong thing had been ordered for me as I could barely tell the bulky from the worsted. I have used the bulky yarn for projects before and I loved how thick and soft it was. But the skein I received had really thin plies that were easily separating by themselves. You can see how much difference there is between left overs of Superwash bulky that I had (grey yarns) and the new skein of pink. I think it's aran weight at best. I don't know what to do. I need it for the project I was going to use it for, but it just won't work if it's not bulky. I've emailed Brown Sheep Co. so we'll see what happens. Otherwise I guess I'll have to try and return it and figure out something else. Talk about disappointing...

I really need a quick satisfying project. The one I had planned for this yarn would have been just that, but it's turned into something stressful as I really don't have time to deal with this and find another suitable yarn in the right color. I'll stop complaining and try to salvage the rest of the day by eating and watching tv. That usually works.

Fall (Spring?) Mittens

2005-10-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't finished anything new this week (rather I have but can't post it yet) I decided to finally sew in the ends of these mittens I made last spring. I have no idea what pattern I used, I think I made up a mish mash of patterns I had been using for other mittens. What I love about them though is that they're made with Classic Elite Inca Alpaca. I love that yarn, it's so soft and has such a nice fine texture. The mittens are thin, but I think that's OK especially for crisp fall days because the alpaca will compensate for warmth.

I'm also working on a circular sweater/vest/shrug thing that some ladies at Craftster designed. It's a fun side project while I wait for some yarn that I ordered about a month ago to get here so I can make my sister's Christmas gift.

Don't really have much more to say. I'm having one of those blah-don't-care-about-anything-homesick-want-to-lay-on-the-couch-while-my-mom-cooks-something-for-me days. Only a month and a half to go...

Seeing green

2005-10-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Textured Throw from Simple Crochet
Yarn: Mainstays (shut up)
Hook: G

I love how this afghan turned out. It's soft and I really like the color. Naturally it took forever. I started it around Thanksgiving and just finished it this week. My goal was to finish before Thanksgiving this year so at least I've accomplished that. It didn't actually take that long to make, I just got bored with it at times and had to put it down.

Here are a couple close-ups of the texture. I love how it feels, it's so comfy. I like the way it looks in the book with the linen yarn as it has better stitch definition, but who can afford that? You just can't beat paying less than $15 for a decent acrylic, which I really think this yarn is, that you can machine wash. There's no way I would ever hand wash an afghan, it's just impractical.

Other than that I've been managing to get out of the house more and do things that aren't school or work related which has been very nice. Last night we went to see the Corpse Bride which I found a little disappointing. The animation was lovely, but the story was weak. I'm just not a big fan of Tim Burton. I think he's an artist, but his stories tend to be so sappy and cliche; a sort of macabre version of Capra-corn.

I also saw Wallace and Gromit last week which I loved! Makes sense as I'm obsessed with bunnies. The end was the best. I won't spoil anything but I will say that Lady Tottington is definitely a woman after my own heart.

Well, I'm off to spend the weekend knitting. Some of the yarn I ordered came in yesterday, it's fabulous...I wish I could say more about it and the project it's intended for but I'm afraid it's a secret for now.

Frill Stole

2005-10-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Variation on a Frill
Yarn: Sandnes Mandarin Petit
Needles: US5 circulars

I don't know what to say about this thing. It took 4 months of tedious stitching to complete. It's soft, I like the color, I like the beads but I'm left wondering how (with what, where) does one wear such a thing? I suppose it's warm around the shoulders, or I could wear it as sort of a scarf. I'm at a loss. Like I said, I like it, but I have a feeling this project is doomed to spend it's green, Egyptian cotton life in the finished pile.

Here are a couple of close-ups. Above is the body pattern. It's a little misshapen in the photo, but it looks sort of like a honeycomb pattern. The frill is below with the blue/green beads I used. I think if I just washed it the unraveled stitches would straighten out? I'm way too lazy to wash this thing and lay it out to dry. I'm sort of anti block. Can you even block cotton?

I'm happy it's done, and like I've said there are things I like about it but I feel after 4 months this FO is a bit anti-climactic. I'm not sure what I'll be working on next, I have a koala with head and torso that's begging for appendages. I have some new yarn added to my stash (which is building up by the way; how naive it was to think that I was immune) and have some plans for it but really need to get cracking on some Christmas gifts which I've ordered yet more yarn for.

Second Branching Out Done!

2005-09-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Well I'm finally finished with my second Branching Out and what can I say? I'm sorry Jo Sharp? Sorry I flew off the handle and bad-mouthed your fabulous yarn? Sorry that I freaked out and wrote lots of bad words on my blog? Needless to say, I am much more satisfied with the finished product than I was at the beginning of this knit. In fact, I love it. The colors are fabulous, it's soft and cozy and light as a feather. I haven't blocked it yet, so I think I can get a bit more length out of it, but as it is I like it better than my first brown Branching Out. Can't wait to start a new project though, my hands were starting to kill after knitting this pattern for so long.

nothing special

2005-09-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I haven't had much time to knit, crochet, read or do any of the things I normally like to do. Have been completely bogged down with school (well, of course I manage to sneak just a little knitting in) and work. Most days I'm at one or the other for twelve hours a day, with a one hour lunch break.

I'm making slow but steady progress on all of my projects, but am focusing on finishing the scarf so I can start some other little Christmas projects. I know it seems early, but I know I must pace myself considering my school schedule. I'm dying to buy yarn, but haven't even been paid this month (my check is over a week late!) - not that surprising, that's the inefficiency of government bureaucracy for you.

Anyway, I hope to gradually finish my side projects so that I have something to show here, as I won't be able to post Christmas things for obvious reasons, so there probably won't be much knitting content for a little while. Only three months though: three months to freedom from academia, freedom from FARGO and this horrible prairie region in general. Can't wait to move home to pretty little Duluth. Of course a few very short years ago I would never have thought I'd be saying that. But, values change and that's probably a good thing, although any transition is somewhat difficult in the beginning. Under the surface it all means "getting older" and sometimes that's a hard pill to swallow.

trying to remain calm

2005-09-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've gotten over my fit and have decided simply that since I'm not completely happy with the yarn and how it's turning out, I'm just going to order more Premiere in a different color and make the gift scarves out of that. I'll be saving the bastard bitch Jo Sharp for something...who knows what. Who the hell wants an itchy ass mohair scarf anyway??

ugh..

2005-09-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Since I didn't like how the Branching out scarf was turning out with this yarn, I decided to try to make up a pattern like Misty Garden from Scarf Style since I don't actually have the book, but the pattern calls for this type of yarn. I think it looks every bit as disgusting as the branching out scarf, possibly worse. Apparently the dye lot I got my yarn from has random blotches of purple rather than nice stripes as I've seen pictures of on different sites. This renders any pattern indiscernible. Thanks Jo Sharp. Bitch.

Possibly the needles I'm using are too big but I don't see how using smaller needles and more stitches would make this scarf look that much better. You can see a photo below of both scarves next to each other looking like crap. Of course the only reason you can see the leaf pattern in the first scarf is because the background is relatively dark. The other one just looks like crap either way, I think.

I'm about ready to ship this f-ing yarn to this creature so she can do what she pleases with it...

Branching Out

2005-09-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Branching Out Scarf from Knitty.com
Yarn: Classic Elite Premiere
Needles: US9

I'm really happy with the way this turned out. I'm sure the pictures here have been pretty boring gray and brown lately, but I have been trying to use up left-overs, and am glad I used the extra Premiere I had for this. I used two left over skeins plus a little extra that I found laying around. The yarn was perfect for this scarf as it has such great stitch definition and it's so soft and cozy!

I also started a second scarf with the Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Kid and I'm really not sure if I like it or not. On a black background the colors look interesting and you can easily see the pattern.

On any lighter background, however, especially white, you can't hardly see the pattern at all. The colors still look nice, but it seems that it's not worth the total pain in the ass this yarn is to knit with for the leaf pattern when you can't even see it. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm really torn. This is supposed to be a gift and in a way I like it, but is someone who doesn't know the hell I went through to knit this thing going to appreciate it if they can't really see the pattern??

koalas

2005-08-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I figured out what to do with the left over WoolEase. I made this guy over the weekend with an H crochet hook and a pattern from a learn to crochet book I have. I think he turned out pretty cute. The only thing really questionable is the dark area on the top of the white stomach where I experimented with simply crocheting over the grey yarn to get it to the other side of the stomach. Obviously didn't work out so good, but that's OK. That part wasn't written in the pattern so I just had to kind of make it up as I went along. You can see him with his previously made friend below who was made according to the pattern.

I think I'm going to give him to my mom's boyfriend's granddaughter Ellie. She's absolutely adorable (and this from someone who doesn't particularly like children). In which case I'll have to be crocheting up some bears or more koalas or something for her little sister Ava and her cousin Will, both of whom are still babies and also quite cute.

First day of school...yuck

2005-08-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I started my first day of school which means from here on out I will have to (or at least attempt to) put knitting on the back burner. I only had one class today, but had a lecture and two hour lab for it which I found rather exhausting. The information is interesting, but it's overwhelming. I have to learn names for all these woody plants like Fraxinus pennsylvanica and Tilia cordata. I don't know if those are spelled correctly...but you get the picture. It's hard enough having to remember the five or six we learned today, let alone how many we will have learned by the end of the class. And we have to identify those trees. I'm not really complaining...it probably won't be the easiest course as there will be a lot of memorization, which I'm generally not motivated to do, but like I said it's interesting.

On the knitting front, I started the Branching Out scarf from Knitty.com the other day. I usually don't like patterns that I really have to pay attention to (like this one) but the pattern works up so fast I don't mind in this case; unlike the insanely tedious stole I've been sort of working on. Don't have much else to say about it at the moment. This is sort of a test run that I'm making for myself and am planning on making two out of a mohair yarn for gifts. The only thing I'd like to note about the photos is that the scarf will obviously need to be blocked when done, but otherwise I think it looks pretty good. Also the second photo is the actual color of the yarn. I don't know why the weird yellowish splotches are in the first picture.

By the way, since when can you post pictures in Blogger? I've been trying to figure out how to put more than one picture in a post which I don't think you can do using Hello.

And finally, spider plants do indeed have flowers, as you can see here. (Lots of people don't believe me: as Andy says... never doubt me.)

2005-08-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

2005-08-21T01:56:00.000-07:00

I just finished my solomon's knot crochet shrug thing and am dissapointed. The front and back are alright, but there was no sleeve shaping so if worn for more than a few seconds they just sort of hang and bulge in the back. I think I can remedy this by making some kind of weird improvised seam, but really don't want to think about it right now. I'm not a sewer, seamstress, whatever. Also used that bam boo yarn which was really expensive and seems now to have been a waste..UGH. oh well...you can't win all the time i guess.

This is not evidence that I'm ready for winter...

2005-08-20T00:03:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Coronet from Knitty.com
Yarn: Lion Brand WoolEase
Needles: US8's

I started this quite a while ago because I had some left over woolease just because I had never made a cable before and wanted to try it out. Then I ran out of yarn (typical) and finally went out the other day and got some more, so I have a huge ball of woolease that I don't know what to do with now.

I used the needles called for in the pattern, except didn't use straight needles. I'm finding after knitting with dpns and circulars for all of my most recent projects that I have come to hate straight needles. They're so much more awkward and hard to hold. Also, I used Fiddlesticks bamboo dpns for the project and have decided I hate them too. They don't even feel like bamboo, they feel like plastic that's supposed to look like bamboo. Plus they have insanely sharp points that stab my fingertips. I guess some people like that though.

Anyway, don't mind the picture; just woke up (I'm actually consciously smiling in the photo, hard to tell isn't it?) and finished this thing and now need to walk down to Ben Franklin to get some more yarn for another shrug/wrap crochet thing I've been working on. Also am going to see March of the Penguins tonight and am really excited. It's finally playing at the Fargo Theater which I've been meaning to go to...I think it's a really cool old theater sort of like the NorShor in Duluth, which I hope reopens by the time I get home.

2005-08-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

One (and a half) Skein Wonder

2005-08-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Pattern: One Skein Wonder from Glampyre
Yarn: Classic Elite Wings (alpaca, silk and wool)
Needles: US8 and US5 16" circulars

This was a fun, quick and gratifying knit. The needles were a bit short but I managed to squeeze all the stitches on there. I wasn't about to go out and buy new needles just because the ones I already have were a bit short.

I love the yarn, which I got from Sisu Design in Ely, MN. They're my favorite yarn store - it's a tiny building on a street off the main drag in Ely, but I always find some treasure that's perfect for a project I've been thinking of. They're the most friendly people I've ever encountered in a yarn shop (I think we've all had a bad experience with pretentious snobs working at a yarn store). I also got some Jo Sharp mohair in a lilac and cream color there that I'm going to use for some lace knitting.

Other than knitting I finally got a day off work after ten straight days and am enjoying the beginning of my long weekend. I also have a sick fish and a sick car that have really been stressing me out so it's a relief to have a couple days off before school starts (already?!) next week.

Crossed Front Tank

2005-08-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

crossed-front tank front

I finally sewed in the last few ends to complete VK's crossed-front tank. It was a pretty quick, easy knit. I used the yarn called for in the pattern, Lion Brank Incredible. I made the small size and used almost exactly 5 skeins. I used size 11 and size 9 needles. I tried to check my gauge a few times but found it impossible with this yarn so just started hoping it would work out and it seems to have. Sorry for the fuzzy pic of the back. I'm too tired to retake it. Plus camera battery is almost dead. Well, better get ready for work.

2005-08-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

crossed front tank back

Floral Mini Poncho

2005-08-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

stitch diva poncho

Finally, here is the photo of the finished Floral Mini Poncho from Stitch Diva Studios. The yarn I used was Classic Elite Premiere using two strands with a size J hook. If you've read my previous posts about this project I was really unsure about it, but when I finally sewed in all the ends and added the fringe I really liked it. It's so soft and cozy with the Premiere yarn (which is Pima cotton and tencel I believe), and it will be perfect for layering on a cool fall day.

2005-08-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

poncho

New Projects - yay

2005-08-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

yarn

I ordered this a couple of weeks ago to start a new project but am a little scared to dive right in...the water's looking a bit cold. What I plan on using this for is the Short Sleeve Top from VK Spring/Summer 2005. The cotton angora is so incredibly soft, and I love the color. I'm going to start this project eventually, but have to completely finish some others and maybe make a few quick, instant gratification projects before I can comfortably sit down and start this one.

All I have left on the crossed front tank are about three ends to sew in which I've been avoiding and I'm also now working on a crochet solomon's knot shrug from crafster.org that I love but had to rip yesterday when I realized when I was almost done that it was turning out too big. Anyway, have started attempt two and am using Classic Elite Bam Boo which I've been meaning to try out and I love it! Will post photos of those projects soon.

photos coming soon

2005-08-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Am finally back in Fargo which is dissapointing because I hate Fargo, but nice since my little apartment has really come to feel like home (make no mistake, Fargo hasn't). Also car is still messed up so am bringing it in this morning; hopefully nothing too serious or expensive is wrong.

I was hoping to be able to post some pictures by now of what I've been doing as I understand it's a little boring to simply read about knitting. However, it seems that I did actually have my camera cable in Duluth and have left it there. So, my Mom is sending it to me and I should have it in a couple days. When it arrives, I'll post pictures of the finished poncho and the progress on the crossed front tank.

marooned

2005-08-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Well, my vacation is supposed to be over, but whether I like it or not it has been extended. I started off for Fargo yesterday morning and had to turn back because of car trouble that strangely, but fortunately showed up less than 20 miles out of town. My wonderful mechanic was kind enough to look at it and ended up working on it for about 5 hours, said it was ok to drive for my trip but that I needed to fix the Barometric Pressure Sensor once I got there or the check engine light would be on forever. Tried to start my journey again but car was barely drivable and wasn't accelerating right so had to turn around again and am getting it fixed now. Work seems pretty cool about it, but we'll see how long it takes.

In the meantime I've been having a fabulous time knitting, reading and watching movies. All the things a perfect vacation should consist of. The rest of my week home was really hectic, and although I enjoyed doing so much and seeing everyone, I didn't feel like I'd had much of a break at all.

So, in knitting news, I have finished the Crossed Front Tank except for the ties and sewing in loose ends. I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but once the border was on around the neck I loved it. I was sort of shocked that it turned out so well being my first real garment project. Not sure if I'm going to keep the ties on, but I think I'll like it either way. I took a picture of it but I seem to have left the cable for my camera at home so can't actually post it. I've also been chipping away, so to speak, at the stole and afghan. I hate working on the stole now though because I have to concentrate and I just don't want to have to think so much when I'm knitting right now. It is turning out beautifully though. Well, back to my vacation.

not much new

2005-07-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that not much knitting has gotten done even though I knit pretty much every day. I did finish the back of the crossed-front tank, and have finally finished the bottom ribbing of the front side, which had to be ripped and restarted about three times. It seems to be on it's way again now, and should go pretty fast from here.

I think the reason for the lack of progress is that I was at rm's cabin last weekend and was enjoying myself so much I didn't pick up yarn and needles all weekend! The weather was absolutely beautiful and his family are quite cool so it was a great few days to get away from the misery of Fargo. I'm very depressed again at work as I find that I am working with the most unapologetic rednecks. I won't go into the things they say, as I don't want to taint my blog with such negativity. Suffice it to say the work situation is not very happy at the moment.

On a lighter note I'm going to Duluth tomorrow for a week and couldn't be more excited. Duluth seems like such an incredibly cool, beautiful place compared to the hell that is North Dakota. My cousin is getting married and all of my family is in town. I can't wait to see everyone and spend some time at my own cabin.

Wish I had some good pictures to show, but will hold off until the tank is done and I have another CF card for my camera.

exhausted

2005-07-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

I've been working pretty consistently on the crossed front tank from VK, and would have finished the back but I can't really figure out how to bind off the tops of the shoulders. I did it and took it apart several times, but couldn't figure out how to get both sides the same and started to get confused. So, even though I've been enjoying knitting it, and it's been going fairly quickly, I'm going to put this project down and wait for help from my Grandma. I've never knitted a real garment before so I'd rather just learn how to do it correctly the first time.

Other than that the gauge seems to have worked out miraculously; the measurements seem pretty much right on. I say miraculously because I have no patience for making gauge swatches but forced myself to do it this time. The ribbon yarn was so stretchy that I couldn't really tell if I'd gotten gauge with the needles I was using or not; so worked on hoping. It seems to have worked. The pattern calls for size 10 1/2 and a circular #15, but I used a 9 and 11 instead, knitting loosely. (I've been reading Knitting Without Tears lately and EZ suggests trying out knitting loosely as it's less stressful and I think I'm beginning to agree. I sometimes find that when I'm knitting quite tightly I screw up my face and clench my teeth without even realizing it.)

Anyway, am going to a cabin for the weekend which will hopefully be relaxing, and will bring some knitting along. Not sure which project yet, something as mindless as possible and definitely not the tank. I frogged to where I need to start binding off for the neck shaping and am going to leave it at that until I can get some help. Hope is not lost however, I have a shred of confidence in this project yet, and have not yelled or (amazing!) even thought an obscenity about this project. Maybe I'm just too tired.

busy

2005-07-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

incredible

I've been really busy lately. Had to work for ten miserable hours on Saturday, but won't go into that. On Sunday got virtually no knitting or cleaning done as I was completely consumed with reformatting my hard drive and reinstalling windows on my computer as routine maintenance. It's pretty much back to normal, just need to install a few more devices and some software.

I did finish my poncho, however, while waiting for files that I wanted to save to transfer to my roommate's computer. It took a lot less work than expected and I think I rather like it, especially with the fringe. It's incredibly soft, and a bit chunky so I think it will be perfect for cool fall days. I'm glad to be done with it. I also ended up with two extra skeins of classic elite premiere which I love. The only downside to the yarn is that it seems to pill and shed quite easily so I guess it's best for accessory type things that won't be worn all the time. I'm planning on using the rest for the Branching Out scarf from knitty.

I went to Walmart today and splurged on a cute corduroy skirt and some yarn even though all I needed was shampoo type stuff. The yarn I got is Lion Brand Incredible pictured above which I'm going to use for the Crossed-Front Tank (#2 vogue knitting international spring/summer 2005). My roommate picked out the color which I wasn't sure about at first, but started knitting a little with it and I think I'm starting to really like it. I've never knit with ribbon before which I'm finding somewhat difficult at first, but I suppose I'll get used to it. The yarn for the whole project cost less than $25 so can't really complain anyway.

In other news, not making a whole lot of progress on the stole, but the more I get done the more I love it. It's just been too hot to knit; it's rather disgusting, the yarn sort of sticks to my hand and is impossible to feed through my fingers smoothly. Am possibly getting air conditioning next weekend, so will be able to knit regardless of the weather.

2005-07-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

cable band

pictures finally

2005-07-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

stole

here's the knitty stole i'm working on. for as much time and effort i've put into it it seems that there hasn't been a whole lot of progress. the frill at the bottom hasn't been completely unravelled, and this isn't the best picture of it but i think it's really turning out well, and the lace pattern looks lovely against a tan. plus the egyptian cotton is sooo soft. there are beads at the bottom too but you can't really see them.

after my freak out yesterday that i fixed, i decided i needed to put the stole down for a while and take a break on it. so i finished the crochet cloth i was making, and started this Coronet hat from knitty. i'm only making it because i found this lion brand wool ease yesterday which i had been meaning to use for this hat last winter but was afraid of the cable. and for no reason! it's so easy. cabling is much easier than i anticipated, and very gratifying as this project is so quick and looks nice. admittedly it would probably look better in a better yarn, but i still like it and i think it'll be cute.

well, better attend to breakfast. am in such a much better mood today as the knitting projects are coming along nicely and it looks like it might rain. happy 4th of july!

two steps forward...

2005-07-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

so i was working on the stole again today and while i was working on one of the last pattern reps before i was going to take a break, guess what i realized i'd done? i don't think you need me to type the expletives...you know what happened. but this time, after a couple tears of frustration, i was determined to fix the problem. i laid the stole down flat, ripped out 7 rows, put some yarn through the loops to hold them in place and carefully put my needle back through them. somehow it worked. i don't really know how, but the pattern is back on track and after completing a pattern rep it seems to be just fine. you can't even tell. so at the moment i'm feeling a sort of calm, skeptical relief. it might not sound like it, but this pattern is fun to work on, it's just so hard to go back if you make a mistake, especially if inexperienced at lace knitting. but i did it, so am putting that project down for the moment and will continue working on the mittens. (there may also end up being a small crisis there too, but will not discuss so as not to jinx it).

productivity...finally

2005-07-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

i really got a lot done today. i ran some errands in the morning and went to barnes and noble to look at knitting books. i was going to pick up loop d loop from the library but someone put it on hold like last night...bitch. anyway, i went to barnes and noble to look at knitting books and check out magazines and looked at it there. i honestly don't know why everyone thinks it's so great. it's $30 for like two patterns that anyone would really wear. you might all want to make them, but seriously, would you wear them??? i doubt it. i really do want to make the lace leaf pullover though, and there's a lacy 3/4 sleeve thingy that i think is also lovely. that's it though, so i'll just wait until it comes back to the library. while at barnes and noble i picked up vogue knitting international which has about a million patterns i want to make but can't afford to. i think my favorite things are the short sleeve top which crosses in the middle and the silk bolero. i have a feeling those projects are a bit above my skill (or should i say patience?) level. i've been making slow, but steady progress on the frill stole and am loving it more and more. i'm learning that i can probably make anything if i'm just careful and keep track of what i'm doing. i also cast on and finished half of the second mitten that i'm making for my mom. it's taken me a while to get to it, but i'm almost glad i waited because i was so sick of knitting mittens when i made the first one that i probably would have rushed through the second.

i'm getting paid this friday (i only get paid once a month) and am going to make a sincere effort not to blow it all on yarn immediately. there are so many projects i want to start for myself, but i think it might be a good idea to crank out one or two scarves for christmas and get an early start. that may sound crazy but i have a feeling i won't have much free time for knitting next semester.

am totally dreading going back to work on tuesday. it's nice to have the long weekend but it's going too fast already. i like the people i work with, and don't mind the work i do, but i hate my job because i'm so paranoid that i will break something or mess something up or just embarrass myself and they'll finally get fed up and fire me. but like my mom said, i'm just learning this stuff and these things happen. i just hope their patience isn't wearing thin...

what else can possibly go wrong?

2005-07-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

well, i mentioned about a month ago how sick i was of my job. i don't love it now, but am having a lot more fun as am getting along really well with coworkers. just when things were looking good...i totally fucked up again. i was mowing in front of the main building with a toro when i backed into a light that was on the ground knocking it out of its cement holder thingy and breaking all the wires. how can i possibly suck so much? i thought that it would be the last straw as it seems that i'm messing up some little thing every week, but boss didn't seem to care much. hope he feels that way next week when he's fixing it....

and on a lighter note, it seems that since my post yesterday where i dropped the f-bomb even more liberally than usual i've been getting more hits. not that many more mind you...you merely need to look at the pathetic counter for the evidence. i don't think any of my friends or family even read this. probably a good thing...

well back to the f-ing stole, am hoping to make some progress today but am determined to be patient and do it right.

back on track?

2005-07-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

ok. i put the stole down for the night and have decided to stop being a crazy bitch about it. i got two pattern repetitions done this morning and they look more lovely than the first time. i think my whole problem is that i start to go on autopilot after a while, and with a pattern like this with different pattern rows that can be disasterous as i start to mix and match the rows randomly and don't realize it until it's far too late. so anyway, i've decided to go slow and pay attention on this project because i do really love how it's turning out. i'll post pictures when i've got a little more done.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

2005-06-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

i went to some really nice knitting blogs the other day that belong to english people with lots more money, time and probably talent (or perhaps practice?) than i have and thought maybe it would be nice if I had a nice blog like that and stopped swearing and stuff. then i started knitting today and decided FUCK that after i completely FUCKED up my FUCKING stole.

i was working on this when i somehow started randomly increasing and ended up with about 10 more stitches than i should have thus fucking up the pattern. i have no idea how this happened...like i said random. the pattern itself isn't difficult, as long as you don't fuck it up repeatedly...i simply couldn't figure out how to go backwards with all the dropped stitches. i think i've already mentioned this, but this is why i love crochet...it's perfect for people like myself who absent mindedly fuck up now and again...or constantly...whatever.

i don't think i'm bad at knitting, i was very proud of this project as it's at or above my skill level. it was turning out lovely. i loved it. then i fucked up and had to rip out about 60 or so rows AHHH!!! at least the frill is intact. SON OF A BITCH...well, there goes fourth of july weekend. i'll be spending it working on, and most likely fucking up my stole again.

2005-06-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

it is so insanely hot here i can't even bring myself to knit. i was going to write a self righteous post earlier about how i don't have a huge stash and probably never will because i generally finish and, perhaps more importantly, start all the projects that i buy yarn for and usually only buy yarn for specific projects. well...that was until today. i bought 12 skeins of lion brand kool wool to make a sweater when it's 95 fucking degrees out. i don't have much shame in working on an afghan while sweating profusely; however, i don't think i can handle even the though of a sweater much less working on one right now. anyway, it was on sale and discontinued and nice and soft...

in other knitting news i have completely finished and even sewed in the ends of my red stripey socks (finally!) and am almost done with the cloth thing. i just have to sew in all those damn ends too. that's what's so horrible about stripes for me anyway; i can't stand any form of sewing. i'm going to start the frill stole from knitty tomorrow because brain is too hot to function at the moment so will continue typing nonsense about knitting instead of actually doing it. and i think i'm going to make spring fling from knitty. the facking yarn costs $60 though which i think is insane. went to ben franklin today and found classic elite four seasons which seems a perfect substitute but only brings price down to $45. SOOOOO... guess what i found instead??? LION BRAND BITCH! yep. i think i'm going to try to make it out of microspun from lion brand. it's cheap, soft and the same gauge...although not made out of the same stuff, but at $12 for the whole project it's worth a shot.

2005-06-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

2005-06-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

I'm really bad at posting on a regular basis apparently. not that anyone reads this blog. but anyway, have been getting a lot of knitting done lately. i have mere rows to finish the second stripey sock, have started and am almost finished green/cream colored crochet cloth and have been working on a new knit afghan. i was originally going to give it to someone else as a gift, but considering certain circumstances which i won't go into in a public forum, i've decided to keep it for myself. i'm glad anyway, i never wanted to give it away. it's the most lovely vintagy (sp??...forget spelling, is that even a word?) green. The yarn i'm using is lion brand jiffy in grass green. what i love about it is that it's sort of fuzzy because it's supposed to be like mohair, but it just reminds me of the afghans my great grandma made with acrylic yarn that have gotten a little fuzzy from being used and washed so many times. please don't think, however, that lion brand is my yarn of choice. i'll never say anything bad about them because they get the job done and are most importantly relatively cheap (1.86/ball for jiffy!). of course i'd like to knit/crochet with expensive yarns made out of better stuff, but please remember i'm quite poor.

i also bought some sandnes mandarin petit (real yarn! egyptian cotton!) for the frilly stole on knitty.com in a nice green color. i also got some green beads that i'm going to use for the ends. i'm excited to start something summery for once, although i doubt it'll be done in time to be enjoyed this season. oh well.

i'm posting a picture of all that stuff here. i know the photo sucks but it's way too damn hot to make the effort to take another one.

2005-06-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

This is the red/white/grey sock I mentioned earlier. All I have left is the toe but can't seem to find the time. Now that school is out I'm working full time and doing a lot of work outside so am exhausted when I get home and can't find the energy to knit. Also I have a horrible schedule, 12:30-9 which makes it impossible to do anything during the day than work, lay around and eat. I'm really getting sick of my job anyway, I'm the only female there and don't always feel like a part of the group or whatever. Not that I care particularly, it's just not a fun place to work anymore. On Tuesday I was using the tractor mower for the first time and thought I broke it cause it got so clogged with grass that it stalled. After that it wouldn't start so had to walk back and get supervisor who also couldn't figure it out, then had to get another guy to come out and start it...later I realized that you have to have your foot on the break to start it. Then yesterday I lost my keys weed whacking and everyone had to walk around to try an find them. Not having a good week at work, it would probably start making me feel disfunctional if I cared more.

Anyway, I'm hoping to finish the socks as soon as possible so I can move on to something more summery. I also finished one of the mittens I was making for my mom when I was home a couple weeks ago. I wanted to finish it there to make sure it would fit her so I can make the other one here. Not that I like making mittens. I'm really sick of them. I think I hate everything I knit though...why do I continue???? I think it's more the process than the product I'm addicted to.

2005-06-02T08:24:00.001-07:00

mitten2

2005-06-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

mitten

2005-05-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a long time as I haven't been knitting much lately. Had finals last week and am in duluth this week. I've started working on another pair of stripy socks of the same yarn as previous socks (which i finished by the way). i don't know if i like them...one is SLIGHTLY bigger than the other and it drives me crazy. i don't know if it's even possible to get them much closer in size but it's all i think about when i put them on my feet. haven't tried blocking them yet but i will eventually (one thing hate about knitting is blocking, have never had to block a crochet project, do you even do that?). also i fucking HATE the poncho thing. i can't stand working on it and i don't think i'll ever wear it but i'm not going to take it apart at this point because it would mean putting more time into it than finishing it would. maybe i can give it to someone.

Anyway, the new socks are red and white/grey stripes. I really like the way that pattern is turning out more than I thought I would. I have no idea about the size, am knitting slightly tighter than the last pair i think...can't seem to knit completely consistently. oh well. i'll be glad to be done with the damn socks so i can move on to something more summery. i'm afraid to work on garments though because i don't think i'll be able to wear them comfortably while being so neurotic about everything i make not being perfect. maybe should stick with scarves/stole things etc. what the hell is a stole anyway? i think knitting makes me more angry than relaxed...

will post a picture of the socks when i get home as forgot camera battery charger and usb cord.

2005-05-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

2005-05-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here's the sock that I made. I made it with Magic Stripes from Lion Brand...apparently it's magical. I'm also posting a close up of the poncho pattern. i got it from stitch diva. mine doesn't have the circles in the middle of the flower which i kind of don't like, but when the flower rows were finished the middles were really loose so i tightened them up...i'm not sure if they still look like flowers or what. can't figure out how to post more than one picture in one post...is it possible? too lazy to figure it out right now.

i'm too lazy to even write. have a ton of homework to do today and am supposed to clean. my male roommate who claims to not mind living in a filthy environment is even complaining. so i'm going to go watch some tv.

2005-04-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

This is my first time posting so I guess this is sort of a test post to figure out how things work on here. I try to knit as much as possible but don't always have the time (who does..). Anyway, have only been knitting less than a year. am currently working on crochet afghan, crochet poncho, knit socks and mittens for mom just in time for summer. i think the title says it all (i should note that my mom's friend Doug came up with it)...i don't think i can get through a project without majorly screwing it up at least once...i.e. knit 35 rows of the foot on my sock without any gusset shaping wondering who the hell could possibly have such big feet yet relatively small ankles. but i finished the sock today (my first one ever) and was quite impressed with myself, i think i like it. i'll post a picture of it later. i suppose i'll do some more interesting formatting of blog later as well, but need to start sock #2.