Claudia Knits

The Party Has Moved!

2007-05-02T22:59:00.000-05:00

Everyone, it's time to update your favorites:

I think the world is ready.

More Sockage

2007-04-25T01:08:00.000-05:00

Here's the portion of a sock that I've been flying though while reading. I've tried to make socks from this yarn before and the colors pooled really terribly. This time around, it's pseudo-self-striping, and I could not be more pleased. And the rib is really fun too.

And here's another piece of fabric that I might sample for a ripple blanket. It's the lining of a bag from Mom and Kate. It's one of the prettiest prints ever; I really love the colors.

Rippling Monkeys!

2007-04-24T11:59:00.000-05:00

My Monkey socks are complete!

These were so much fun, and so fast! It's the siren-call of the repeated pattern, I'm telling you. The yarn was Knitpicks Essential Tweed, which I will not be using again for a while, if I can help it. It's perfectly fine yarn, but it splits like crazy. Also, it had a hard time sliding just so over my bamboo needles, which made me nuts in its own right. Still, I'm really pleased with the results. Last night after I finished I cast on some very bright ribbed socks in some of the spoils of Knitswap. I don't have a larger project to work on right now; a couple of things are stalled in the waiting-for-materials phase, but essentially I'm left with nothing to do but make socks at what I predict will be a furious rate. More pictures coming soon!

Also, I've been lurking around the No-End-In-Sight Ripple-Along. It makes me want to crochet so badly I can almost taste it. I was sitting there last night thinking about how much fun it would be to do a ripple a day,how inexpensively I could obtain the yarn, how I would palette it. I've already decided that if I do get it together enough to learn to crochet and make a blanket (hey, look, a flying pie!), I'll palette it after one of the skirts that Mom's made me.

Admit it, those colors would make a killer ripple blanket. The real questions are: since when am I interested in crochet? That's always been something I make Katie do for me. Why is the project that inspires me one that would take months to complete? What's going to happen if I take up with crochet with the same, or at least similar, vigor that stirs me to knit? I may never sleep again!

Spring, Sprung

2007-04-20T17:13:00.000-05:00

The spring! It's springing! This photo is a few days old, and there has been noticeable growth since then. I think everything's been holding back for so long that now it has no choice but to burst forth. Spring in the Hudson Valley is a true thing of beauty, and I'm very excited for the blooms and blossoms and buds.

But, on to what you really came for. I'm about 97% done with Liz's graduate Clapotis. This thing just flew off the needles. I made it about two thirds of the width that the pattern calls for, which I'm glad about because it's very bulky and puffy. The yarn clings to itself so fiercely that it actually has to be persuaded into dropping stitches.

The colors are much brighter in person. That purpley stripe above the leftmost dark grey is actually magenta. I'm just having trouble getting it in the right light. I love working with the Kureyon; although it's a little scratchy, it has a wonderful hand. I'm a little worried about it for a scarf, but am hoping that a wash and a little conditioner will smooth things out.

So anyway, there I am, knitting along as happily as can be, decreasing like crazy, and pow! Out of yarn!

I'm starting to think I have a curse. I've got about twenty more rows to go to finish up the last corner, but I think I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and order more yarn. If this were my scarf, I would probably just bind off and go with it; after all, this scarf's natural tendency is to roll itself up like a neck-enchilada. But since it's a gift, I want to do it right. So, once my paycheck comes, I'll order one more skein, and use the leftover to felt me an iPod cozy or something. *sigh*

There is a silver lining in all this: Monkey!

I've been puttering around with a few unsuccessful socks lately: a couple of Jaywalkers that didn't fit (too small, then too big), some crap-assily pooling ribbing, and a general sense of disappointment. That said, I can't tell you how exciting it is for me to have completed the first perfectly-fitting, super-comfy, -machine washable sock that I get to keep! I started this on Monday, and it went so fast that I managed to finish in class this afternoon. I think it has something to do with the stitch pattern. When you've got an 11-row repeat, it's just so easy to say, "Well, I'll just finish this pattern repeat," or, "I'll just work the pattern once more." And then, before you know it, sock!

Project Spectrum: Lemon Pudding

2007-04-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

This month's Project Spectrum colors are pink, green and yellow. Green is just beginning to emerge and pink has yet to really make its presence known, but yellow was just sitting there waiting for me in Kline.

The color is a little more acidic in person, and oddly translucent. It's sort of eggy, like something from space. I love it.

And now to eat the pudding.

(By the way, if anyone can tell me how to make a button from an image, please let me know. I feel like the html can't be that hard, but my fluency in computer languages is about equal to my fluency in Hindi. I want to button!)

Acquisition

2007-04-10T16:30:00.000-05:00

Look what I found in my mailbox today! Four skeins of Noro Kureyon in color #188, also known as, "Claudia, this colorway would be perfect for Liz, so why are you messing around with anything else?" I cast on the mini-Clapotis right away, and I'm already making progress. Lately all I've had to knit on was a sock, and while I love to make socks and all that, I have been languishing in between larger projects. This is really fun; I attempted a Clapotis a couple of years ago with some godawful chenille on aluminum needles (which I hate), and it was not enjoyable. I hadn't yet learned how to 'read' my knitting, so I was constantly losing track of where I was and what was going on. Tedious. But this time it's just flying.

Once I get to the stitch-dropping part I think it's really going to bloom. I just love how this yarn knits up. I mean, come on, how amazing is that?

One Bummer and One-and-a-Half Hoorays

2007-04-07T19:26:00.000-05:00

Bummer: I can't submit my bird sweater for publication to Knitty, as I have already shown pictures of it here on my blog, and that is against the rules. This disappointment is somewhat eased by the probability that they wouldn't have taken the sweater anyway, which leads us to the next topic.

Half-Hooray: I've been planning on moving the party over to a domain of my own in hopes of self-publishing a few patterns, increasing readership and generally working my way toward becoming one of those big-name knitbloggers and joining the ranks of those whose work I so admire. The bird sweater is the perfect launching tool for such a move. Don't rush to update your favorites yet, as I'm still in the planning stages.

Hooray: Librivox. Did someone say free downloadable audiobooks of titles in the public domain? Why yes, I think they did. I haven't tried it out yet, and am assuming that some of the readings are going to be craptacular, but still, I could not be more stoked. First on my list:

New Sock Yarn!

2007-04-06T20:07:00.000-05:00

There is a lot to post about lately. First of all, I got my new sock yarn: two discontinued Knitpicks Sock Memories colorways, three skeins of each. Hooray for Knitswap! The colorways I got are Carnival and Flower Power. One of the skeins of Carnival is almost to the heel of a Jaywalker sock, and I have enough Flower Power for a pair of matching socks and gloves. Nothing can stop me now!

The other recent acquisition is my very own copy of Fitted Knits - thank you Mom! I'm so excited about this book; I don't often buy knitting books because it's rare for me to want to make more than two or three of the patterns, but I want to make almost every single thing in Fitted Knits right now! The only problem is deciding which to make first. Perhaps a light cotton top for summer travels, or a puffed-sleeve cardigan for working in air-conditioning? Or a pullover with buttoned side vents? How do I choose, I ask you, how do I choose?

Completed Birdness!

2007-04-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

After a spring break-flavored hiatus, I am proud to show off...

...a finished bird sweater!

Vital Statistics: I ued Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, ten balls of Grass and 1 of Cream. I worked at 5 st/in on size 8 needles, and the whole thing took about 2-3 months. Like a I said, sleeves demand fortitude.

This picture is a bit more true to the color. It also shows my favorite detail; the crossed-over striped v-neck is so collegiate. Anyone else want to join the Harvard crew team?

Here's where the sided ribbing meets the hem, another nice-looking detail (if I say it myself). I'm working on writing up the pattern to submit to Knitty, and this is the hardest part to describe coherently. By the way, if anyone can think of a cute and/or clever name for this sweater, I'm all ears.

All in all, I'm really quite pleased with how this came out. There are some parts that I don't like - the sleeves are a little short and the body a little loose - but in general I'm very happy. Nothing soothes my soul like a completed project. Hooray!

Good-Looking Surprise

2007-03-29T00:38:00.000-05:00

Just when I think I know what I want to make in the near-ish future, I come across something like this.

I have got to get hold of a copy of Fitted Knits.

Think Of The Future

2007-03-26T14:53:00.000-05:00

I am swamped in a sudden avalanche of midterms (so much so that it's got me mixing metaphors), and so not much knitting is going on lately. At the moment I'm dreaming of Wednesday afternoon, when everything will be turned in and I can sleep the sleep of the accomplished. However, there is a certain finished object blocking in my dorm room as we speak (pictures and post coming soon). Until then, I leave you with a picture of what I look like in my fantasy world (as opposed to real life, in which I am disheveled, sleepless, and full of coffee from the cafeteria that is so strong I swear they must be brewing it with cocaine or something). Ah, to be graceful.

Making Eyes

2007-03-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I began to contemplate summer projects. As some of you know, summer is the time when I like to let loose and make something really complicated, with lots of cables. I like to choose a project that I wouldn't usually have time for, what with school and all. And besides, what's the fun of summer vacation if my hands aren't full of heavy wool? Still, as I've been bopping around the internet lately I haven't seen anything of that ilk that has made me say wowEEE!

And then it hit me. If I choose simpler projects, I'll have time to make two new things to wear in my last semester of college/first months of Real Life. And so I hereby announce Claudia's Prelimiary Summer Picks:

(1) The Union Square Market Pullover. Eunny Jang, my knitting hero, has one in her archives with the clever and sleekifying modification of narrowing the bell sleeve, which I really like. And that neckline is just too cool. Maybe in a deep purple or chocolatey brown...

(2) Simply Marilyn. (I am so about Interweave right now.) I"m picturing it in Lamb's Pride Bulky in Charcoal Heather, because an oversized dark-grey sweater would be eminantly wearable. And this way I would still get my cabling fix. And then of course there are socks to make, Anemois to fair-isle, projects to plan, dreams to dream.

Questions? Ideas? Comments?

Scholastic Interlude

2007-03-21T21:33:00.000-05:00

I have so beaten the system.

The great thing about a fiction project is that working on it is mostly fun. Unlike most of my peers, I don't have to wrangle any 'real facts' or 'true answers', nor do I have to keep a scrupulous bibliography. At the end of a paragraph I know that the next block of text can consist of whatever I damn well please, at least within far less confining strictures than most other senior projects.

As such, I have found in my project not only a chance to grow and develop as a writer while earning my degree, but also a great way to put off far less enticing work. Yes, I should probably be working on my paper, but technically I am working. I'm not really procrastinating, in fact I'm making progress.

Insult To Injury

2007-03-20T13:48:00.000-05:00

Although I never sympathized with Cinderella's wicked stepsisters, I always wondered why wickedness was so directly linked to having big feet. I had no idea at the time that I would grow up into a pair of size 11's. Still, I was reminded of that early confusion yesterday, when I attempted to try on my first Jaywalker.

Aaaah! Nooo! It won't go on my foot! Thank goodness I hadn't gotten beyond the heel, so I only had one week's worth of knitting to frog. I like to try the sock on after turning the heel because it's so very satisfying to feel my own heel lock into place, cradled by perfect short-rows. Plus, variegation made for the best heel.

Anyway, I ripped it out and started over, this time making the bigger size. It turns out that my gauge is tighter than that of the pattern, and that that, like, matters. I don't mind frogging when it will make for a better finished product (in fact I start most projects at least twice), but frogging because of my own stupid mistake makes me crazy. At least I have a seminar this afternoon, the perfect chance to make up for lost time.

Oh, Fortune

2007-03-19T18:51:00.000-05:00

How you mock me.

Look at the wonderful progress:

Yes, it is just a taste. Anyway, I got the yoke done over the weekend and now all that's left to do is sew up a bunch of seams (including reinforcing the raglan shaping, which is a little laddery) and work the edging for the collar. I'm going to do an echo of the 3x2 rib that I used on the hem and sleeves, with some white stripes. It'll be about 10 rows deep, crossed over at the front and... oh dear. Look how much yarn I have left:

I know it's hard to see how little there is in the photograph, but suffice it to say that there is simply not enough. It's completely irritating; that sweater could be blocking right now if it weren't for the stupid yarn. But that's okay. ever one to make a good situation out of a bad one, I used the fact that I was already paying for shipping to justify some needles and the yarn for Clessidra. At least for that project I will be prepared.

Questions, Questions

2007-03-17T13:31:00.000-05:00

So as many of you know, my good friend Liz is graduating in May, only a few days after her birthday, and I want to make something for her as a graduation/birthday gift. Although I had thought about making her some arrr-gyles, I started to think that maybe she would like something else better. Something a little more luxurious. Something kind of grown-up and fancy that she can wear when she's working in galleries an such. So I've narrowed it down to two options, upon which I need your input.

The first option is a mini-Claoptis done in Shepherd Worsted in the Irving Park colorway. I would make the scarf half as wide as the pattern calls for, but keep the length. I frankly do not have time to make a full-sized Clapotis - the rows are 107 stitches long, for heaven's sake. But half-size would go fairly quickly, and it's fun to drop stitches on purpose, it really is.

The other option is a little more uncertain, but still is the one I'm leaning toward. It involves getting a skein of Regal Silk in colorway 114 and making a triangular garter-stitch scarf. Or, with a little budget-stretching, I could get two skeins and do a parallelogram (or a bigger triangle. Or a shorter mini-Clapotis. Hmmm...). What excites me about this option is the idea of working with pure silk, and the fact that I know Liz would love both the fiber content and colorway.

I honestly don't know what to choose. What do you guys think? I'm completely torn.

They're Everywhere

2007-03-16T23:09:00.000-05:00

It seems that everywhere I look these days beautiful sock yarns and patterns are coming out of the woodwork. First, there's Cookie A, whose patterns are making me drool. German Stocking, Rhionnan, Twisted Flowers, they're all so beautiful. Then there's The Loopy Ewe, selling the most beautiful variegated sock yarns ever. Not to mention the most gorgeous sock yarn in the world at Kpixie. And then there's this great tutorial on dying your own self-striping yarn that makes me want to bust out the Kool-aid right now and make something blue and green and red and orange. Something you can see from space.

In other news, I've finally begun the yoke of my bird sweater. I know, you thought I'd forgotten about it, but not so. The short version is that sleeves require fortitude and great strength of character, especially when they're knit flat in a plain rib from the cuff upward. *yawn* I like working on sweater yokes; who doesn't love a home stretch? I'm hoping I can finish it before the snow melts so that I can take pictures of it in a wintry forest (for the future pattern). And then the much-anticipated $1.50 Cardigan. I'm really loking forward to that project - finally a sweater without vast plains of plain stockinette to be trekked over. Lace, cables, a pretty color in a nice yarn... I can't wait.

Beyond My Control

2007-03-15T11:46:00.000-05:00

Something weird happened on Tuesday morning, after I'd written the last post. I happened across Jaywalker, and I looked at my partially-cuffed sock, and then I looked at Jaywalker, and I looked at my sock, Jaywalker, sock, and before I knew what I was doing, this happened:

At least it made a pretty yarn-noodle. Anyway, I started over and by yesterday morning I had this:

It grew some more yesterday, but the light is terrible right now so I can't take a picture. I think this pattern makes the yarn look much, much better than the previous incarnation. Also the brioche stitch was a little loose, and this is a nice, dense fabric. All in all, highly satisfying.

And now I must go because my computer is running very slowly and it's making me insane!

It's The Little Differences

2007-03-12T22:32:00.000-05:00

Finally, my first pair of socks is complete!

It's true that there are certain ...shall we say... asymmetries, but still, they're done, and that makes me happy. And the intended recipient is a non-knitter who will (probably) never know. My one major complaint was that the yarn split more easily than a summer camp friendship, but it has the virtue of being machine washable, which puts me in a forgiving mood.

Tonight in class I started my first Roza Sock. Really what I'm doing with these is borrowing the stitch pattern and applying it to the sock pattern in Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. The brioche stitch pattern doesn't show up quite as well as I would have hoped, but I'm still really enjoying doing it.

The effect in the end is that of a slightly fancied-up ribbing. Highly enjoyable. And the yarn is great to knit with - nice and springy, with colors changing often enough to keep my interest going. I don't know how well it shows up on the screen, but the colorway is super-vibrant. Yum.

Other than that, I just returned from a super-excellent weekend in New York with Boyfriend. We were very busy the whole time, mostly with going to see long movies that had nothing to do with each other. We saw Zodiac, which gets points simply for being a movie set in San Francisco in 1969 without being set in San Francisco Land! (TM) Way to dodge a bullet there (so to speak). Also I love watching Robert Downey Jr. do his thing. The movie took a definite downturn once he was no longer in it. I was also able to finally see Into Great Silence, which I havebeen looking forward to for a while. It was absolutely beautiful. The film produced a lot of yawns, but was just gorgeous nonetheless. After 2.5 hours with monks who engaged in a total of maybe ten minutes of dialogue, it was a very strange feeling to re-emerge into New York at night. Also, can you think of a greater treat than seeing a group of largely solitary monks with the most ascetic lifestyle of any Catholic order cut loose and go sledding?

I didn't think so.

Precious...

2007-03-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

About a week ago I splurged a little and ordered myself some sock yarn from Knitpicks (because I officially can't get enough of sock making). Today I went to check my mail, and there it was.

First, some machine washable Essential Tweed, destined to become Monkey. I love the texture of those socks, but I am of the belief that one must choose between texture and color as the focus for a project. I can deal with subtle variation, but I would not want to knit something with tons of texture in a yarn that won't let it show (variegated).

Behind door number two, some Memories in the Morning Glory colorway, which will become a variation on Roza's Socks (scroll down). I like this pattern a lot, but it will need some adjusting for my gauge. This time it'll be subtle texture, lots of color. I think I'm actually going to do these ones first, because the merino is so nice to be around, and I just love knitting with a variegated yarn.

And, of course, there is a new issue of Knitty that must be reveled in. As usual when the new one comes out, I immediately looked at the patterns and fell upon one in a Gollum-esque frenzy. Tucked in at the very bottom... Clessidra. We wants it, we wants to knit it so very, very much. We are thinking we needs a luxurious yarn like Gloss in Cocoa that will look good with all our shoes. *sigh* We already loves them so.

ARRR!

2007-03-06T19:33:00.000-05:00

And now it turns out that Liz loves argyle. And skulls. And here I've been wondering what to give her for graduation.

Score one for Captain Luck.

Argyle On The Brain

2007-03-05T16:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm really starting to have an argyle fixation. It's just that it's all coming together so perfectly. First of all, Knitpicks makes a sock yarn in a billion colors, the colorcard for which happens to be arriving by mail sometime this week as part of a previous order. Then I discover that the inexhaustible Moth Heaven contains both an argyle sock chart and an argyle sock tutorial. What's a girl to do?

I have to make them. They're just... so... simple...

First Sock Done!

2007-03-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

I finished my first sock yesterday!

It was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to starting the other one tomorrow. I grafted the toe, which didn't come out exactly to my liking; perhaps I'll try a three-needle bind-off for the second sock.

For the cuff edging I cast on all the stitches onto two needles held together, then removed one and worked the first row like this: k1tbl, bring yarn to front and sl1 purlwise. After the first row I divided the stitches onto four needles and started the ribbing. Generally, a successful first sock.

Also, I found this great skull-gyle (or is the correct term arr-gyle) chart on Moth Heaven. I think it would be really cute across the front of a sweater, or maybe down a sleeve. I've been seeing a lot of cool-looking argyle charts lately. They're starting to give me ideas.

PS - Thanks to everyone for the comments! I love getting commented on - it makes me feel special.

PPS - Check out the lovely new Weather Flapper, keeping my faraway readers updated on exterior conditions. Any suggestions for a flapper name (besides Zelda)?

Sock It To Me

2007-02-28T19:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-28T00:16:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-27T15:48:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-02-26T13:39:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-02-20T21:01:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-02-17T16:10:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-17T02:11:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-02-15T20:29:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-02-14T15:40:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-02-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

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!)

2007-02-11T22:08:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-07T01:14:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-04T20:30:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-02T00:44:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-01T00:17:00.000-05:00

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!

I Am Un-Hatted

2007-01-31T17:29:00.000-05:00

I lost faith in my alteration to Odessa and pulled it out today to start over. Lame, I know, but it had to be done, and anyway the yarn is so soft that it's even a pleasure to frog it. So I'll be re-casting on shortly, and hopefully have a hat by the end of the weekend. I'm taking advantage of the first week of school as the time when there isn't really any work to do yet, and knitting up a storm.

In the mean time I'm looking at a couple of other unfinished pieces and feeling like I should work on them, but to be honest I'm having project fatigue. One piece is a sweater with intarsia birds on it, which I like because it's going to look very Urban Outfitters when I'm done, but right now I'm in the very tedious stockinette body phase, and it's just boring the pants off me. The other project is a fair-isle scarf, which I like because the yarn has a little mohair in it for picture-perfect colorwork (the fibers cling together and boing, fantastic fair-isle), but I'm just feeling kind of bored with the whole thing. Usually I'm a really faithful project monogamist, but right now I'm really in the mood for something else.

I'm feeling something small and fiddly; if I were a sock knitter I'd be all over Bayerische (because nothing brings me more joy than cabling), but I have yet to be enchanted by the sock pixies. I think it's because I'm always losing socks and the ones I don't lose wind up stank anyway. Besides, I'm in college and I just don't have the time or patience to hand-wash some hand-made socks, no matter how lush. So perhaps some cabled gloves are in the offing instead. I've got some lovely variegated sock yarn from Knitpicks (back when Memories came in that Flower Child colorway, cream with lime, raspberry and apricot. Mmm... apricot) that could work out nicely with a honeycomb cable on the back of the hand. Or maybe I'll make myself another hat or something. Either way, I'm ready for something different.

Variegated Odessa Hat

2007-01-30T22:06:00.000-05:00

I just got some truly luscious yarn from Stitch Therapy in Park Slope, and I'm using it to make my very own Odessa Hat. I'm doing it without the beads, and I had to do some gauge adjustments because the yarn (whose name I forget) is more of a light worsted than a DK. I'm getting about 5.5 stitches per inch (on the larger needles... the pattern wasn't specific as to whether the given gauge is for the 6's or the 4's), and so with a little math I cast on 90 instead of 110 stitches. I'm hoping it works out okay.

Anyway, on to the good stuff:

Here's the yarn itself, in all its glory. The raspberry-ruby with the olive and then the little shots of yellow is just beautiful, and it is so f-ing soft!
Here's the hat as it stands, about 3" done, about three more to go before decreasing.

And here's a little close-up of the stitch pattern. I really like how it's coming out - I wanted a pattern with some texture, but with a variegated yarn it's hard to find a texture that doesn't overwhelm the colors of the yarn itself. I think this is a good balance.

Yay! I love making hats. I know a lot of people who are wild about socks as instant-gratification knitting, but for me it's all about hats. They only take a few days and then -bam- new hat. Who doesn't love that?

Here At Last

2007-01-30T20:08:00.000-05:00

(For anyone reading this:)

Welcome all to my brand new knitting blog. I'm a college student just starting my senior thesis, and so I sense that knitting for sanity maintenance is going to become even more important in the coming months. I'm also hoping to bust out with some original patterns in the coming months, so keep your eyes open. In the mean time, there'll be works-in-progress and pictures to enjoy. So... enjoy!