Sock It To Me

There. I said it. I had to get that out of my system.

Here's the first of Boyfriend's socks as it stands. I've turned the heel and am woking on the gusset. Like I said, a super-fast project. At this rate I could turn out a sock a week (ideally).

And here's a close-up of one of my favorite features of this pattern, the slipped-stitch heel.

Slipping every other stitch on the right side makes this nice thick, spongey fabric at the back of the heel, which will wear so much better than plain stockinette against the back of a shoe. Hooray. I've got 2.5 hours of class tomorrow and 4 on Friday, so this sock should be all done by the weekend.

In other news I'm steeling myself to frog the start I made on my Anemoi mitten. I think I want to switch the colors. Also the cuff is a little tight. And this and that and the other... I think this project needs a new start. It may wait a little while though. For one, I'm not looking forward to re-doing that cuff (size 0 bamboo needles - they feel princess-delicate in my hands), and also I'm not enjoying having three projects going at once. It's like three-handed dominoes: one keeps getting left in the dust. Besides, with two tiny projects my hands are not as happy as they once were. They miss the days of worsted-weight.

Sorry, Anemoi, you'll just have to wait. And sorry, hands, but what with the sock-making and the project-typing, this is going to get worse before it gets better. Be strong.

Bears For Kids

I just read about this in Interweave Knits and I've already been to the site and placed my order for a copy of the pattern. The bears look quick and easy to make and they get sent to kids who are all by themselves, and who don't really get to be kids. Come on, let's all make bears.

Sock Love

So I'm about 2/3 of the way through the cuff on my first Boyfriend sock, and I have to tell you it is so much fun! I am so late to the party on this one. I'm using the Super-Agebraic Sock Pattern, which is great because although it looks mathy it's actually a very simple template for custom socks. I did a narrow cuff of 1x1 rib before breaking into 3x1 for the body (which transitions perfectly). I can't decide what I like most: the slick but indestructible needles, the soft yet machine washable yarn, the random striping (actually that isn't looking great yet, but I'll get there), the portability (I got so much done in class last night it's scary)... the list goes on. I've already got ideas for more socks I want to make in the future.

Best class project ever!

New Yarn!

I'm back at school following a fabulous trip to New York, where I got to see my Mom and sister (yay!). One of the things I came back with is this beautiful yarn from Purl. This sweet, lovely, luscious Koiguis already partway into the cuff of my first Anemoi mitten.

And then when I went to the post office this morning I found that my Knitpicks order had arrived. I got some Essential sock yarn and a couple of sets of needles to make some socks for Boyfriend. I need a new in-class project, and I thought some random-striped socks would be the perfect thing.

The weird thing is that the Knitpicks brand size 1 needles are 2.5 mm, while the Clovers (also size 1) are 2.25 mm. Huh. I got the Knitpicks needles to try them out, an because I thought metal needles would be better suited to going back and forth to class.

I'm also about a third of the way through the sleeves of my bird sweater, so I've got three projects now. And the knitting club had its first meeting last week, so on Thursday I'll get to go meet a bunch of Bard knitters. I love new projects!

Forming In My Brain...

I've made one Corazon mitten (pictures coming soon), but to be honest I don't love it, and I'm not sure I'll do the other one. The two colors are too close to each other in intensity, and it's difficult to pick out the fair-isle pattern. Although they are bunny-soft, I am not as pleased as I thought I would be.

In the mean time, I've been having lots of ideas. Oddly, thoughts of the future are the galvanizing force, helping me make much-welcome progress on my bird sweater. The body is this close to being done, and then it's on to sleeves. But, the ideas:

First, a re-vamp. When I saw The Science of Sleep, I loved it for lots of reasons, not least of which was the beautiful-casual, I'm-offbeat-and-French variegated raglan pullover that Charlotte Gainsbourg wears for pretty much the whole movie.

Who wouldn't want to make that sweater? Anyway, I did, and in the most beautiful Manos Del Uruguay, dyed navy and copper and cream... yum! It has big bell sleeves, which are really fun, and it's very confortable. However, when I made it, I did not know everything that I now know about waist shaping, and the body just doesn't quite fit. I recently read about knitting darts, and it's making me want to unravel the sweater and knit it again. I just love this yarn so much, and I hate to see it wasting away in a less-than-perfect garment. So at the moment possible modifications include: better waist shaping (with darts!), set-in sleeves to iradicate a slight shoulder-definition problem, and maybe, just maybe, making a cardigan instead of a pullover. Maybe. Still thinking though.

The other idea I'm having is for a close-fitting cardigan in bulky weight wool with some big-ass cables on the sleeves, next to the button band, and down the back. What I have in mind is not unlike this; I like the fit and I love the garter stitch background. The yarn I have in mind is Knitpicks' Wool of the Andes Bulky in Mauve (I know... pink! I think I'm growing).

Anyway, I've been sketching and thinking and adding projects to my mental 'to knit' list. And all of these things are totally preempted by the bird sweater and the $1.50 Cardi, which I can't wait to get started on. Maybe if I start a spring sweater then some of this mud will dry up...

Birdies!

After a few weeks' hiatus on this particular project, I've been working on my bird sweater in class. I haven't made as much progress as I would like; I was hoping to be done with the body this week, but there's still about 1.5 inches left to go. Then sleeves, and then the fun really begins. I'll be shaping a v-neck while doing raglan decreases while working a third intarsia bird.

I've been trying to keep track of how this sweater has been coming together, in hopes that when it's done I can write up the pattern and try to get it in print somewhere (fingers crossed). I'm sorry it's not done now because the snow outside would make a great background for photos of the finished product. Anyway, when it is done I'll probably be looking for people to take a peek at the pattern and tell me if it all makes sense.



In the mean time, here's some pictures. I took 20 minutes the other day to weave in a bunch of ends on the intarsia part, and I can't believe how much better that made it all look. There's still some correcting to be done on the birds themselves, but nothing a little duplicate stitch can't fix.

Here's an interior shot so you can see how it looks with most of the weaving-in done. Such a vast improvement, I can hardly believe it.

Yay! Progress!

From Good To Better, Soon

My mom and sister are coming to town next week (yay!), and in a sudden, impulsive, I-want-it-now moment I decided that for the occasion I wanted to have new mittens. I already bought the yarn for Corazon (Knitpicks' Merino Style in Storm (MC) and Cinnamon (CC)) well before Christmas, and since I had it hanging around I thought to myself, "Hell, I'll just cast on and whip out some mitts without breaking a sweat." Three cast-ons later I am irritated at my own mistakes and dripping like a triathlete.

At least it's not just stupid mistakes. I'm using this project as a chance to really upgrade my fair isle skills, which are good, but not great. I just this evening found this post on color dominance in stranded knitting (interesting stuff, by the way), and it's the reason that I'm pulling out tonight's quarter-mitten. Also I'm having trouble stranding across the space between two dpns without making a nasty little pull that will never quite block out and that I will look at every time I put on the mitten. However, all frogging will have to wait until morning, because right now I am very, very sleepy.

PS - pictures of my bird sweater are coming soon, if flickr ever finishes uploading.

Fred And George, Anyone?

In the midst of research for a presentation tomorrow, I happened upon this illuminated letter. Is it bad that the instant I saw it my first thoughts were of ways to turn illuminated letters into big, meaty cable patterns?

It gave me kind of a Harry Potter Christmas sweater moment: "You haven't got a letter on yours. I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name, but we're not stupid. We know we're called Gred and Feorge."

I Am Polar Girl!

I am ensconced in the library with no intention of leaving until absolutely necessary. It is officially snowing like crazy. It started last night and has continued all through today. Apparently it's supposed to keep going all night, too. I like snow a lot, but this particular batch is not very appetizing; it's that un-snowballable powdery kind, and it's accompanied by winds that blow little stinging particles into your face. On the plus side, one doesn't get very wet from it. Right now what I'm really deriving the most fun from is listening to everyone else complain while I'm enjoying it. Yes, it's cold, but that's why we have coats and sweaters and big ugly L.L. Bean boots (thank you, Mom). My ability to bundle up and brave the elements with a smile makes me feel like a tough-as-nails wilderness woman. Laugh all you want at that image, but you'd feel the same way if everywhere you went you heard girls and boys compaining that their skin-tight jeans and hoodies aren't warm enough. Compared to that I feel like that bear up there.

As far as knitting, I've been making swatches for my $1.50 Cardigan. I'm thinking of doing it in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, of which I happen tohave some lying around, and the swatches are coming out beautifully. Oddly, though, I've already had to go up two needle sizes and I'm still not to gauge. Ah, well. More swatching when I get home tonight.

Shedir Is Finished!

As a recap, here is my completed Shedir hat, done on size 3 bamboo needles in Lana Grossa Superlana, which (in a shoutout to the hometown) I got at Uncommon Threads. The hat went really fast once I read this Knitty article about cabling with out a cable needle. I used the second method given ("Slip and Switch), and after a few clumsy attempts I got the hang of it and the rest of the hat just flew by. I could barely put it down it was so much fun to do.

Here are the pictures. After a wild ride in the world of profesional modeling, Little Sweet Bunny has retired to his estate in Montana where he lives in seclusion with his dog Mercutio. And so the pictures here are the best results of my awkward attempts to take pictures of my own head.

Here's me in the hat (sort of. Like I said, awkward).

Here's a close-up of the crown of the hat. This is actually the reason I wanted to make it in the first place. I can't get over how well-designed it is, the way the cable opens up to formthe decreases along the spokes you can see there. And the star shape at the top is just gravy.

$1.50 Cardigan (With Bonus Features!)

Went back to Stitch Therapy today to solve a mystery for my gentle readers and in the meantime picked up the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits. It's a good issue - kudos to Eunny Jang for getting me interested in entrelac for the first time ever. I also saw my next sweater project, to be cast on the red-hot minute my birdie sweater is done. Behold the cuteness of the Dollar and a Half Cardigan:

I just love all those different textures. I can't find the yarn in question, and when I can find it I probably can't afford it, so I'm thinking of doing it in Knitpicks' Main Line, probably in Blueberry. I'd love to do it in Ivory but I'm a dreadful spiller and I refuse to risk it. However, the time for ordering is still way, way far away as I'm only just now returning to the bird sweater as my in-class knitting project (I have a four-hour stretch of solid class on Fridays in which I get tons done, not to mention all my other seminars which are the perfect place for stockinette).

Bonus Features:

Deleted Scene: I am finally in a position to solve the mystery of which yarn found its destiny in my Odessa hat. The yarn in question is Malabrigo worsted weight, pure merino yarn. I think the colorway is #26.21, but I am not lying one little bit when I say that all of them are beautiful.

Theatrical Trailer: Shedir is done and looks great, although it came out a little short. However, I am wearing it proudly and reminding myself that there's nothing a little blocking can't fix. Pictures coming soon!

Director's Commentary: My senior project is officially begun, and I feel good about it. Also, Boyfriend and I celebrated our 3-yearr anniversary this weekend and it was brilliant.

Shedir Progress Report

Shedir is coming along nicely. I got some of it done yesterday morning at work, and so I took a couple of pictures. I really like the Saxon Braid pattern.

I stretched the hat-so-far over my knee to show the pattern.

And here's another close-up of the cable. I really like how it's engineered to grow out of the ribbing like that. I can't wait to start the decreases, since they're designed in such a way that the cables join into these spokes that make a star at the top of the hat. It's going to be so cool!

Unrelated Dachshund Note

According to Wikipedia, "H. L. Mencken said that, 'A dachshund is a half-dog high and a dog-and-a-half long.'"

The entry also reads, "According to the American Kennel Club’s breed standards, 'The dachshund is clever, lively and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above and below ground work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of shyness is a serious fault.' Their temperament and body language give the impression that they do not know or care about their relatively small and comical stature."

*sigh* I miss my funny-looking Lydia.

LSB In Odessa

Finished Odessa yesterday - yay! I tried to take a picture of myself in the hat, but all of the shots came out badly. It's amazing how hard it is to take a picture of yourself in a hat. So instead, we have Little Sweet Bunny modeling.


Here he is in the hat.

And he wanted a funny one for his MySpace page.

Here's the top of the hat; I really like how the swirl came out. I really liked this pattern - I ended up doing it just as the directions specified and it came out great. It's a deep hat though, because I had trouble measuring the length (the stitch pattern makes it sort of ribbed when laid flat), so I've been experimenting with cute ways to have my hair poke out.

I took a trip to Sheep's Clothing today (that's right kids. Morehouse is my LYS) to get a circular needle for Shedir, which I cast on while still in the store. I like going there a lot because they've got a whole area in the back where you can sit and knit and look at books and stuff. It's like the Beadissimo of yarn stores. The hat is coming along nicely; I burned through the ribbing and now I'm learning to cable without a cable needle, which is really handy with so many little crossings. Picking up a cable needle for each one would really slow things down. It's messing with my tension a little bit though. I need more practice and I'm definitely going to need to block this hat, so I'll have to strategize how best to do that.

And now, back to my writing exercises. I keep telling myself it's like I'm swatching.

Knitting My Senior Project

PS - 45 minutes after last night's post Portrait lay defeated on my bedside table. Take that, Jim!

First meeting with my senior project advisor tomorrow. I'm nervous because I haven't started yet. However, it's only the first week of the semester. And I will definitely be starting this weekend (I have my own desk in the library and everything. It's all very Hogwarts).

I'm nervous particularly because I'm doing a creative writing project, and I'm really not sure what form it will take (novel(la) vs. short story collection) or what it will be about. My ideas are still very general, and the thought of the commitment involved in an actual beinning is a little scary. Starting is the second hardest part (the hardest being finishing), but I'm staying positive.
Maybe if I think of it as casting on...

No, seriously, that's kind of comforting. I mean, if I cast on a sweater and it sucks ass, I can always rip it out and start again. In fact the ability to do so is an essential part of what makes me a good knitter. And going back and changing the beginning of a story is actually easier (or at least less time-consuming) than going back to the beginning of a knitted garment. That is, until I master the provisional cast-on. Still, I like this metaphor. I'm sticking with it. Go knitting!

Shedir Swatch

I went ahead and swatched Shedir tonight while taking a break from work. I really like how it's coming out. The yarn is Lana Grossa Superlana, color #16.

The first picture is closer to the actual color; the second one is pretty washed-out. It's a lovely sort of light teal, like a sagey sky color or a greeny aquamarine (I ought to be more descriptive, really. I'm a lit major for goodness' sake). And soft!

Anyway, I'm really excited to get started on this. I have to finish Odessa first, though, because I'm utterly hatless and it is not warm here. Plus it'll be a good chance to get better at cabling without a cable needle, something I've wanted to master at for a while now. Can't wait to start!

Yarn vs. Joyce

The odds are pretty even in tonight's match of Odessa vs. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I only have about 20 more pages to go, so maybe both can appear in tonight's festivities. I still have to re-start the hat, so that's pressing as well (that may sound frivolous but it is ass cold here).

I'm still fine-tuning my ability to knit and read at the same time. I made the body of a sweater while reading Kafka last semester, but that was in the round on a circular needle and it was plain stockinette, so I'm still uncertain. Also, I really have to keep track of where I am on the Odessa pattern; even though I'm doing it sans beads I find myself making mistakes.

As far as future projects are concerned, I'm thinking that the next thing will be Shedir. I've been looking at it covetously ever since I saw it. I love GirlFromAuntie's patterns; they're always impeccably written, with all the guesswork completely missing. And I've got some really nice yarn for it that I've had for a while: a couple months ago I picked up two balls of Lana Grossa Superlana (color #16), that have remained projectless. This project should therefore satisfy both my budget and my desire for a fiddly cabling project. Success!