Sock On!

I actually remembered to bring the camera to work with me today, so let's enter this one into the books as the first FO of 2009 (even though technically it's No. 2). I think my first FO of 2008 was also a pair of socks, so I'd like to keep that trend going! Sadly there was not enough of the silk garden sock yarn to make a pair of knee socks like I wanted. But the end product will still go nicely with my mid-calf boots. I wonder if I can block the heck out of them to get them a bit longer?

Here they are:



Pattern: 64 stitch toe up socks with a 2x1 rib. I did a short row heel for the first time which was just as quick and easy as everyone says and actually fit my feet pretty well despite some caveats I had heard out there. I added a few increases up the center of the back to fit around my rather shapely calves.

You can see that the socks are essentially the reverse of each other which I think is actually kind of fun, though I can see how it would drive some people nuts.

Piece o'cake! And actually I may start up another pair of socks soon since this pair went so well.

2008 Finished Objects

2008 Finished Objects

• Darkside Mitts
• Republic Hat #2
• Republic Hat #1
• Thorpe Hat
• Noro Striped Scarf
• Ilean
• Darkside Cowl
• Pomatomus
• Zeebee Hat
• Drops Jacket
• Dad's Aran
• Short Rows Wavy Hat
• Haruha Scarf
• Brompton Sweater
• Beechwood Cowl
• Ellen Cowl
• Roped Shell
• Renaissance Palm
• Maine Morning Sweater
• Fir Cone Stole
• Koolhaas II
• Frock Camisole
• Mmmmmalabrigo Scarf
• Leah Tunic
• Hexacomb Cardigan
• Mossy Shell Socks
• Picovoli
• Clapotis
• Hedgerow Socks
• Drops Cardigan
• Kiri Shawl
• Kristin's Cowl
• One Toned Shrug
• My first dishcloth
• Mitered Mittens
• St. Patty's Day Tam
• Enid Cardigan
• Ribbed Socks
• Koolhaas Hat

2008: Year in Review

If 2007 was the year I got serious and got knitting, then 2008 is the year I turned into a knitting machine. Having already accomplished serious milestones of sweater knitting and such, there was very little I was not willing to try. But I ended the year having finished a whopping 39 items (one of these, as of press time was awaiting finishing, but with confidence that it will be completed in time for gifting on New Years Eve).

So what did I make this year? (Lots o' stuff!) And did I make an effort to make stuff for someone other than yours truly? (Yes and no.)

1. Enid, 2. Mittens!, 3. Dan's Noro Striped Scarf, 4. Haruha Scarf, 5. Ellen Cowl, 6. Feb Lady Sweater, 7. Leah Tunic cropped, 8. Mossy Shell Sock, 9. Renaissance Palm Cowl, 10. Hexacomb Cropped Cardigan, 11. Roped Shell, 12. Koolhaas, 13. Kiri, 14. Brompton Cardigan, 15. Clapotis, 16. Drops Jacket

Hats came out on top with 8 items, due to my designating this a hat Christmas gift year after 2007 year of the cowl. There were lots of cowls and cardigans (6 of each in fact). There were 6 wraps and scarves of varying types. There were 4 tops and tees. Add in the assorted other random items for a total of 38 finished objects this year. Not too shabby considering the monstrous scale of some of them.

I altered much of The Plan I laid out for myself at the beginning of the year, which I think is totally fine. I kept it challenging and just altered choices and dates as whim demanded. As I fell out of love with a particular pattern I was certain to find another that replaced it, which is why Buttony and the open collar pullover did not get made but the Drops Jacket and the Roped Shell did.

My goal of knitting 5 pairs of socks fell through just barely with 4 pairs completed. Quite an accomplishment since I'm not so wild about sock knitting (though I love wearing them!) Though stashbusting of sock yarn failed miserably.

The year did not start off great as far as The Plan was concerned. I quickly found that the Kauni color changes I selected for the Venezia Pullover were not what I wanted and so that project went into deep hibernation mode to be awoken this January with one strand of the blue Kauni and one strand of a solid oatmeal colored wool used instead of the yellow/brown/white (which I think might look lovely paired with the dark red wool I picked up in something like this). I also had serious attention and enthusiasm issues as far as Juno Regina was concerned. But hopefully all that will be rectified with some serious rethinking and reevaluating of projects in the New Year.

The tail end of the year was pretty awesome as far as I'm concerned. Jenn in DC and I went to our second (frigid) Rhinebeck. Oh yeah, and I bought a wheel. That'll play quite heavily into my goals for the coming year. I finished a bunch of the aforementioned major projects, proving that Venezia and Juno hadn't sucked out all my mojo. Most of all I had a lot of fun knitting. With work and family and city living driving me nuts on occasion, it was definitely a great respite from all that craziness. Here's hoping 2009 sees improvement on all fronts.

Now that that's over with...

With the major hurdle of Dad's Aran complete (and the sleeves sewn on in proper fashion), I've moved on to other projects including a big bout of finishing. This, of course, means I've got some stuff to show off!

First up is a project I had hoped to finish during NaKniSweMo, but it just didn't make it: the ubiquitous Drops Jacket.


It would've been done ages ago, but the collar gave me all kinds of issues. I finally got it just right last night and am happily sporting it today in my frigid office.


Pattern: 103-1 Drops Jacket by Garnstudio
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Merino in Forest
Used: 6 skeins
Needles: US 7 for body (US 6 for collar)
Modifications: There were tons of mods on this one, most were inspired by Canary Sanctuary's top down raglan version. I used Laura Chau's top down raglan instructions but added a few extra stitches to the front to account for the wider button band detail. I'll have to go back and look at my notes but it was pretty straightforward. Made 5 buttonholes on the body but will probably only end up using 3 of them. I prefer it as a swing jacket after all.

For the collar I ended up picking up every stitch around the neck and started in basketweave, keeping the first and last 2 stitches in garter stitch. Then I then increased 2 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows, followed by two rows without increases, working the increased stitches into the pattern as I went. I added a buttonhole about 4 inches up, and then continued for another 2 inches at which point I stopped increasing stitches and continued knitting for about 3 more inches. Total length of the collar is about 9 or 10 inches and it used up a full ball of Malabrigo.

My next finished project has been sitting around for ages waiting to be blocked.


Pattern: Short Rows Wavy Hat by Lee Meredith
Yarn: Briar Rose Fibers (one of the remnants I got at Rhinebeck. It's got some alpaca content and looks to be a heavy worsted/bulky weight)

Next up: Zeebee


Yarn: Karabella Soft Tweed
Used: 1.25 skeins
Needle: US 7

It's my brother's Christmas present. I picked a nice plain, tweedy looking yarn that is soft enough to be against the skin and a nice plain pattern that'll keep him warm. I think it turned out nicely. Hopefully he agrees. So that's 2 holiday knits down, just a couple more to go, since I'm taking it easy with the holiday knitting this year.

Speaking of Holidays, my roommate and I picked out our tree yesterday and it is the most delightful smelling thing ever. Made watching yesterday's abysmal performance by the Giants somewhat bearable (aided by the fact they still won the division). So my next project is to determine what holiday cookies to bake this year. Some of the Food Network 12 Days of Cookies recipes aren't terrible, but I'm not all that inspired by them either. I looked back at last year's baking and I'm going to change things up a bit this year. The Chewy Ginger Spice cookies are definitely sticking around, but I may only keep the chocolate drops and the biscotti.

Mission Accomplished!

NaKniSweMo, I owned you this year. I picked the biggest, most cabley sweater I could find and knit the heck out of it. Don't believe me? Bam! Taken at 11:30 pm on November 30:


That's right. Dad's Aran is as done as the turkey on Thursday. Or maybe the stuffing which was gone after about 15 minutes. Seriously, for some reason no matter how much my dad makes, there's never any leftovers of stuffing to go along with the leftover potatoes and turkey and pie the next day. It's some seriously delicious stuffing (my mouth is now watering and I've just eaten lunch, go figure).

Now. You may notice if you look carefully that something seems a little off with the seams on the sleeves (how's that for alliteration?) That would be because at 11:30 when I was attaching the sleeves, I somehow managed to attach them upside down so the increases run along the top of the arm to the shoulder. Ooops. Naturally, it being 11:30 at night, I did what any sensible person would do and I took this picture and said in my best Scarlett O'Hara voice "I don't want to think about that now, I'll think about it tomorrow." So I put it away to deal with this evening when I get home. I'm still quite pleased with the sweater. It's gigantic, so I'm fairly certain that despite being worsted weight yarn, it met the requisite 50,000+ stitches for NaKniSweMo. I may actually unravel the bottom and shorten it a bit since Dad's fairly short and the torso on this bad boy is way too long.

All told I probably used 8.5 skeins of the yarn so with the unravelling I could've gotten away with only 8 skeins, but definitely would not have finished before the deadline.

Pattern: Aran Sweater by Lion Brand
Yarn: Bartlett Yarn Fisherman 2-ply
Needle: US 6 and US 8
Modifications: Body and sleeves knit in the round for almost no seaming (given my issues with the sleeves this was probably a very smart move on my part!) Instead of a simple ribbed neckband, I opted to double the length of the neckband and tack it down on the reverse for a more finished look. I think it makes it look much neater and more professional. ;)

Reflections on NaKniSweMo
This was an awesome experience. Definitely gave me great motivation to get a massive project like this done in a timely manner. I doubt I would've been able to finish the sweater in time for Christmas if I hadn't participated. Though I set a lot of goals and deadlines for myself this year and met quite a few of them, it seems like all the big projects tended to trip me up (see: Juno Regina, Venezia, etc.) This definitely gave me an ego boost in the FO department.

As an added bonus, because it was knit in the round, the sheer size of this knit meant that I couldn't take it on my commute which allowed me to work on other smaller projects. I think this contributed to the ease with which I could pick up the sweater when I got home since I wasn't sick to death of it. So I also have a bunch of projects that I've either finished or made good progress on while I was working on the sweater. All in all, I'm a big fan of NaKniSweMo.

Back on Track

If the updated Starbucks menu is any indication, it's officially fall. And you know what that means! Tumultuous weather? Nasty political ads? No, silly! Knitwear!

I've finally photographed a bunch of projects that have been finished for ages but just haven't made it to the blog due to my own laziness. Part of me just felt silly blogging knitwear in 90 degree heat (though admittedly, August was pretty delightful).

Up first: Frock Camisole


Ignore the bra straps, I certainly try to. It's unblocked, but still serviceable as is, I'm not too bothered about any wonky gauge issues. It flares nicely and I added some length so it would hit at my hips (probably not too smart considering it's my widest part, but I cannot abide shirts that are too short).

Pattern: Frock Camisole by Katie Himmelberg
From: Interweave Knits Spring 2008
Yarn: Cascade Sierra Quatro (cotton/wool blend)
Size: 39 1/2 (weird, this is the size I have recorded in Ravelry, which is not at all the size listed on Knitting Daily... don't know what's up there, but I don't have access to my copy of Interweave)
Used: 3 Skeins for a whopping 573 yards

Next: Leah Tunic


This picture makes it look like the yarn's all stretched out, but I swear it's not. Click for big!

Pattern: Leah Tunic from the Purl Bee
Yarn: Bristol Yarn Gallery Lyndon Hill (fingering weight cotton and silk blend)
Size: Medium
Used: 4 skeins (approx. 870 yards)

This bad boy has been in my queue since it came out last summer and I'm so glad that I finally got around to knitting it. I have quite the penchant for large projects on tiny needles (see: Enid Cardigan, Venezia, etc.) and this one used needles just as tiny, but luckily without the need for pesky details like sleeves or seaming. I love this shirt not least because it also has plenty of length (being a tunic and all) as is my general preference (see: Frock Camisole above). It made its inaugural appearance at the Bon Jovi Central Park concert pre-All Star Game and has been well-worn and well-loved this summer.

The yarn is simply amazing; cannot say enough good things about it. In fact, I'm using it in green for my Apres Surf Hoodie and am loving it there as well.

Not to forget: Fir Cone Stole


This was a quick project I wanted to whip up to use this really beautiful yarn. I've since used the Malabrigo Silky Merino, and though I love Malabrigo Worsted and prefer it over Manos, the Manos Silky Merino is far superior to Malabrigo IMO. Though they're both DK weight, the Manos feels much more consistent and substantial. Plus I didn't have a problem with the yarn losing its twist like I did with the Malabrigo (trust me this was very inconvenient as I was attempting to bind off). It really shows off the stitch pattern beautifully:



I love the fir cone shetland pattern (as used in the Shetland Triangle) but really have no need for another triangular shawl, I think stoles are much more serviceable. This one blocked out really nicely despite my initial concerns that I might not have enough yardage for it to be functional. The pattern is mine but using the Fir Cone and Horseshoe lace patterns from Barbara Walker's Treasury.

Pattern: Mine
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Silky Merino
Used: 3 skeins
Length: about 5 feet (heavily blocked)

There have been other projects including two that I just finished yesterday and have yet to photograph. One is the February Lady Sweater and the other a cowl for my meetup group swap in the aforementioned malabrigo silky merino. Perhaps in an effort to get the subpar taste of that yarn out of my mouth, I'm casting on for another cowl tonight with the always pleasing Malabrigo Worsted in Azul Profundo, perhaps my favorite color ever. *sigh*

This was a spur of the moment project, only because I had nothing ready to go this morning when I left for work. I'll probably wind up my green malabrigo for the drops jacket when I get home from the Inwood knitting group tonight. :) Hooray for Fall knitting! I'm hoping to have it done for Rhinebeck since Knitter Jenn from DC and I will be going for both Saturday and Sunday this year. Which means we'll be able to attend the Ravelry party this year after missing it last time.

Memories of Memorial Day

Three day weekends, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

1) Finished objects galore!



Here we have Picovoli in Knit Picks Shine Worsted, Mallard Colorway. I added a 2x1 ribbed hem at the bottom to help it stay put and prevent any curling since I didn't do a picot edge.



Here we have the Child's First Shell Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks in Sundara Sock Yarn, Mossy colorway from the Seasons Yarn Club Autumn.

2) Baked goods!


Rhubarb and Orange Pie

I had never tasted rhubarb until last summer and I was intrigued by the idea of using a less traditional pairing of rhubarb and fruit (in this case, citrus) than strawberry. This happened to be in my much beloved Martha Stewart cook book. I used her Pate brisee crust recipe and it's deliciously buttery. Yum! I used valencia orange for the zest and juice and it tastes absolutely delightful!

3) Spring cleaning!

You may have noticed in those FO pictures above that I have a new background for my finished objects instead of my solid blue duvet cover. I kind of went nuts at Ikea a few weeks ago and got a new summery duvet cover, curtains, and rugs for my bedroom along with some organizational stuff and kitchen paraphernalia.

4) New projects!


What better excuse to stay in bed knitting than a long lazy weekend? (plenty of time left to get all that other stuff done, right? ha!) I started on the Roped Shell from IK Summer '08 and it's flying along. I'm really digging it so far and hope it turns out nicely.

5) Walks in the park



It wasn't all sitting on my butt knitting and eating pie. I actually forced myself to get out and enjoy the nice weather. I strolled through Ft. Tryon before heading downtown on Sunday and was handsomely rewarded for shlepping my camera around all day with some glorious shots.



These reminded me of Georgia O'Keeffe's Black Iris III which I discussed in my senior Art History thesis lo those many years ago. I got another shot that was very reminiscent of a different O'Keeffe flower painting, this one of two poppies:


I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers. -Georgia O'Keeffe

Then on Monday I took a walk down to the George Washington Bridge. The Gay Recluse likes to photograph the GWB too, but I liked being able to view it from some different angles.


This one makes me strangely excited for the new X-files movie:
I want to believe...

Don't call me converted just yet...

I know that Clapotis has developed a rabid following, and while I think it's a good pattern, I'm not exactly wild about it. Truth be told, it's a bit boring, which is fine when mindless knitting is called for, but it was a bit of a let down when dropping those stitches was not as much fun as I had envisioned due to the stickier yarn I used.

I finished my mini-Clapotis a while ago but have been wavering over whether to block it or not. It's actually a decent scarf length as is, though I am curious how big it might get after a soak. As of now, I've decided I like it just fine. I ran out of yarn during the decreases (that'll teach me to eyeball it). But unblocked the ends curl under a bit so you never really notice. I'll just call it a design feature and have done with it because the yarn is lovely and I'm looking forward to having it shed all over my winter coat come fall. :)


Clapotis sets the mood... Hey, look! Doesn't my desk look neater?

Pattern: the ubiquitous Clapotis
Yarn: Brooks Farm Riata (Wool, Mohair and Silk) in unknown pale green "orphan" colorway
Yardage: Every bit of 375 yards
Bought at Rhinebeck.

I'm now starting to make some good progress through my Rhinebeck acquisitions. The Touch of Twist Alpaca was almost completely used for Enid. This takes care of the Brooks Farm (which I shall certainly be re-purchasing this year). The Briar Rose Celebrations is quickly being eaten up by the Brompton Cardigan (which I'm LOVING despite only being able to work on it at home since it's gotten large and I'm knitting from the hank). I've also spun up singles of the Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm wool roving and think I'll try Andean plying this weekend.



This leaves me with the Baby Alpaca lace from Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm (above), and the sale Araucania Nature Wool as well as a considerable amount of fiber. I'm actually quite pleased with myself in that accomplishment but I have absolutely no clue what to do with the remaining yarn. I had considered Buttony for the nature wool, but it's quickly losing its appeal and I'd like a different sweater. As for the lace, I'm more than content to just pet it for the time being.

I also have quite a few projects waiting in the wings. As soon as I finish up Brompton and Picovoli, I'm planning on starting a summer Interweave Knits project. I've got the yarn ready for the Roped Shell, the Apres Surf Hoodie, and the Wallis Cardigan. But can't decide which I'm more excited by. As of now, I think it'll be the Roped Shell so I can get a colorwork fix, but who knows what mood will strike when the time comes to cast on.

Kiri

This is quite possibly the most beautiful yarn in the world. So is it any wonder I abandoned all other projects in favor of this one?



And now I have an absolutely amazing shawl.



Pattern: Kiri by Polly Outhwaite (Rav link)
Yarn: Sundara Yarns Fingering Silky Merino (50% silk, 50% merino wool)
Color: Autumn Rose from Seasons Yarn Club
Yardage: Approx. 500yds

I did 14 repeats of the lace chart. And ran out of yarn before I was finished binding off. This meant I had to go back and frog 2 rows of the edging so I'd have enough left. I didn't want any of this yarn to go to waste! It's seriously the most beautiful thing I've worked with. So soft and with a totally beautiful sheen from the silk.

Last week Sundara opened up the club for the next round of signups and I'll confess I signed up for two seasons this go round, Autumn and Winter. I've been so pleased with the colors she's come up with and the base yarns themselves that I really can't get enough. It didn't help that the Webs Anniversary Sale started on the same day. I just spent a hefty portion of my tax rebate resuscitating the fiber arts economy. :) At least I know it's going to a good cause. And it's something that'll keep me warm...



This is my most recent project. A Drops Design cardigan (Rav link) in Cascade 220. It's totally flying by. I'm hoping to have the sleeves started tonight. I'm hoping to have plenty of time to wear it before things warm up too much.

Oh hai!

These mittens are so frickin precious I find myself speaking lolcat whenever I look at them. I mean, c'mon:


Precious!!!

I don't know if it's the combination of pattern and color, or what, but you can't tell me they wouldn't cheer you up on a gray soggy day in March. The color in the top picture is very accurate, but here's a gratuitous mitten shot:


Pattern: Mitered Mittens by Elizabeth Zimmerman
From: Knitter's Almanac
Yarn: Classic Elite Montera (Llama and Wool)
Yardage: 1 skein (127 yds.)
Started: March 4th
Finished: March 9th (weaving in ends is a biotech ;))

And then there's the matter of this little number:


I was waiting until I had St. Pat's Day pics to post, but this'll have to do. It served me very well on Hoboken St. Patrick's Day (although there were those in the group who insisted on calling me a Green Beret no matter how often I insisted it was a tam)

Pattern: Moss Stitch Beret by Kent Turman
Yarn: Cascade 220
Yardage: about 200
Started: February 21st
Finished: February 26th

Modifications detailed here.

Stick a fork in'er!

Miss Enid is done and I couldn't be happier. Ok, I'll admit I haven't put on the buttons yet, but I don't really care, I still think of it as finished. And I now have a pretty sweet alpaca cardigan. Jealous?


Enid Cardigan by Veronik Avery
From Interweave Knits, Winter 2006

Yarn: A Touch of Twist Alpaca, sport weight in Black (from Rhinebeck) approx.1200 yards? I didn't quite use up all of the two hanks.
Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light 3 colors (wool/alpaca blend)
Blue Sky Alpaca Sport Weight (3 colors) (both yarns bought at Yarntopia)

I didn't quite go with the color scheme that I had laid out in an earlier post. But I like the way this turned out anyway. It's a modified bohus-style colorwork and I think the black sets off the colors very nicely. They really pop. The alpaca feels wonderful and while there are areas where gauge issues are apparent, for the most part the fabric looks really good. I was a bit worried about how it would hold up to steeking, but there doesn't seem to have been any problems.

This is my first steeked project, but I liked it so much that I quickly cast on for another from the same issue of Interweave. The crocheted reinforcement was probably a bit excessive on my part, but I really wanted to be sure. So the button bands tend to be a bit bulky where they cover the steek reinforcement.

2007: Year in Review

2007 will go down in history as the year I got serious and got knitting.

Not merely by starting this blog, but by truly embracing a hobby and making it something much more. It's the year of my first (real) sweater (still unfinished, naturally), my first wearable garment, my first Yarn Harlot experience, my first fiber festival, and my first inkling that I may have a wee bit of a problem in the yarn purchasing department.

But it's been a wonderful year. I've made so many wonderful things and met so many wonderful people. I've been introduced to the absolute most brilliant website ever in the history of the world. And I have the prospect of never again spending a single solitary minute bored while commuting.

So let's re-examine some of the FOs of this year, shall we?


1. Kate's Cabled Hat, 2. Lady Eleanor, 3. Smidges! ahem "Scholar Collars", 4. Voyager Lace, 5. Tilted Duster, 6. Potter Puppet Pals, 7. Fetching Mitt, 8. Giants Pillow, 9. Fake Isle Hat, 10. Unisex Gloves, 11. Widdershins Kneesocks, 12. Tilted Duster, 13. The Clutch You'll Never Give Up, 14. Kyra's Flowered Scarf, 15. Lady Eleanor, 16. Tara's Scholar Collar

It started out very simply with some birthday gifts for Kate and Kyra that were not much to write home about.


Then it progressed to something a bit more complicated: Blaze (the first real sweater that is, naturally, unfinished) I can't quite decide what I want to do about this. I love the yarn, but am not terribly pleased with the pattern. Something to think about in 2008, I guess.



Then there was Lorna and her laces. I finished these gloves from One Skein at the Yarn Harlot event at FIT in May. That was awesome on so many levels.


I also made a scarf and a beret using the rest of the Icehouse skeins I bought, but I recently frogged them and am considering making a clapotis with the, now fairly sizeable, remnants.

I made socks!


I was one of the first to finish a Tilted Duster, and I think that totally inspired me heading into the fall. I love that sweater/coat/skirt/dress/jacket/thing so much. And it was reassuring to know that Blaze had not cursed me where sweaters are concerned.



I mastered entrelac! And it was big.


Then there was lots of Christmas knitting. But I think I handled the challenge really well (sore neck and shoulders aside).

My first post of the new year will be all about setting goals for myself. Not resolutions, per se, but something akin without the added pressure or feelings of dejection and frustration and inadequacy.

Christmas Recap

Wow. That was fun. Let's get to the goods, shall we?


Pattern: Voyager Lace Stole from Elann.com
Yarn: School Products Supergeelong Coned Yarn
Needle: umm... 7?
Yardage: Goodness knows, but I've still got plenty left.

This project, a Christmas gift for my Aunt Judy, was my first real experiment with lace and my first experiment with coned yarns.

In my naivete, I thought it might be fun to just knit right off the cone. And then I read this post by the Yarn Harlot way back before Rhinebeck and all that changed. The yarn is a coned wool yarn from School Products and this is how it looked before I washed it:


Pretty much like straw

And on the left is the yarn after:


Washed vs. Unwashed

Pretty amazing, really. Plus, it was a heck of a lot more fun to knit when it was this soft. And once the stole was washed and blocked it was even softer. Very nice. I still have a bunch left over and used some of it to make a balaclava for my bro.

This towel rack was the best model ever.

One yarn, two Christmas gifts: can't beat that. (Although Dad kept asking why I knit everything in black. Ugh!)

There were these little guys:

I learned to crochet for real. How about that?

There was also a clutch for Cousin Jess that I had intended to line with fabric. I found some bonding web in the sewing kit and thought I'd use that. I grabbed the iron and discovered it wouldn't turn on. I tried several outlets, no luck. Dad tells me "Jiggle the wire." I do this and a flame shoots out of the cord and nearly singes my hand.

Singe marks are never a good sign.


It is quite possibly the oldest iron in the history of the world, a Sunbeam Jewel series, (with a fabric covered cord!) so I don't know why I was surprised. I'm pretty sure I've seen this iron in house museums where they replicate the way a room would've looked in a given time period. Pity it had to happen on Christmas Eve after all the gifts had been purchased and wrapped.

The gifting in general turned out very nice, but I still have one item that is in severe need of help. It's a felted Giants pillow I made for Dad.


I tried stranding at first, but that got way too messy and complicated so I switched to intarsia which was a vast improvement. Only problem was, I continued stranding the white and without the aid of a swatch (yes, my own damn fault) I was completely unaware of how much the fabric would shrink on the horizontal relative to the vertical (or whatever) so there's a fair bit of pulling across the center which not even I can rationalize as a "design feature." The pillow further suffered the indignity of having an insert that was too small (I opted for a 12x12 pillow insert, should've gone for 12x16, but again that whole vertical vs. horizontal shrinkage differential took me by surprise) and a lack of adequate buttons. I could not find a SINGLE button in Michaels this week and I'm extremely irritated that I had to raid my mom's old sewing basket for buttons - but for some reason I actually found a set of 4 that match! Oh yeah, and I also completely forgot to do the i-cord border before I felted the damn thing. EZ didn't call it the idiot cord for nothing.

As for me, thanks to the wonder that is my Amazon wishlist and the not-so-subtle hints I dropped to Dad and my brothers, I wound up with some things I completely love this year. Only one item had to be returned and that was because I got two of them! Thankfully they have accepted that, yes, I actually knit and, no, it's not funny. I got Inspired Fair Isle Knits by Fiona Ellis although Jenn from DC thinks I should've requested a spinning wheel ;) heh. I also got some books about art theft that I've been eyeing which led to some interesting questions and (2 copies) of the My So-Called Life DVD (Dad says he didn't think anyone watched that show. I asked him if he completely forgot my hypersensitive, moody teenage phase and thinks I've always been this well-adjusted?).

There has been knitting on Enid, yes. But I seem to have strained my neck and shoulders which makes knitting slightly painful right now. I'm very unhappy about that :(

Best. Weekend. Ever.

Or at least since Rhinebeck last weekend...

To counteract all the effects of fresh air and the "cheap showiness of nature" (thank you, Rev. Lovejoy), I decided to be a shut-in this weekend. Who knew it could be so much fun?!

Friday, instead of going out, I made a delicious dinner for myself. I was sorely tempted by the illustration on the back of the Alexia fries to make myself a bowl of fries, but I resisted temptation and made a burger and broccoli as well and grabbed a Blue Point Blueberry Ale for good measure.


Mmm a bowl of greasy salty fries!

Saturday dawned wet and dreary and what better way to spend a rainy day than by cleaning your room? So that's what I did. It kind of boggled my mind how far I had let things slide. I still hadn't rehung my curtains since the summer's extermination vacation. And the dust bunny tumbleweeds were rolling across my wood floors like it was the Arizona desert. I had piles and piles of paperwork to sort and file, a daunting task on even the best of days. But somehow I made phenomenal progress and even managed to put a lot of my summer clothes and Rhinebeck stash in space saver bags under my bed.

The rest of the day I balled up a few yarns, settled in on my very comfy couch and watched The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie which has been sitting in its Netflix envelope for over a month. I blame it on the return of Fall TV. I then cast on for what I was hoping would be a quick weekend knit: Fetching by Cheryl Niamath from Knitty Summer 2006.

Between my netflix movie and discs 1 and 2 of Veronica Mars Season 1, I finished the entire left mitt. Which brings us to....

Sunday dawned sunny and crisp, but did I care? No. I wasn't moving from the couch. Unless it was to make some delicious pumpkin muffins for breakfast. There is something so pitiful and yet so satisfying about staying in your PJs for two straight days. Although I must admit it made my shower this morning (frigid as it was) feel like a spa treatment. I cast on for mitt #2 and made my way through the morning political shows (Oh, David Gregory, you slay me!) and then the Giants pre-game before I realized I had not switched to the C4F cable pattern for the cuff of the right mitt. Oh well. By the time kickoff started at Wembley Stadium (good grief, if I was a Dolphins fan, I'd be so pissed at Roger Goedell right now for outsourcing one of my home games.), I was finishing up the thumb and weaving in ends. An amazingly fast 24 hour knit, very satisfying.



Fetching by Cheryl Niamath
Needles: US Size 7 32" circ and dpns, cable needle
Yarn: Unknown worsted 100% merino wool in colorway Midnight
Cast On: Saturday October 27, 2pm
Completed: Sunday October 28, 2pm

Note: This mystery yarn was purchased from a shop in Boston which for some reason removes the manufacturer's ballbands and puts their own tags on them so I have no idea who made the yarn, it seems like it might be Malabrigo worsted, but I can't be too sure. I'll browse Ravelry to see what I can dig up.

Edited to add: Confirmed! It most certainly is Malabrigo Worsted. The first indication was the way the hank was tied, but I found a skein with a matching color in someone's Ravelry stash (Colorway is called Purple Mystery).

And if my hand gestures are any indication, this was a great project. Fun, quick, and practical (especially given the frigid temperatures that have arrived in my office) I'm sporting them now and wow are they toasty.

In sporting news, the Red Sox win the World Series, A-Rod opts out of his contract, and the Steinbrenner cabal plots over which over-rated, over-the-hill, 3rd baseman they can force Brian Cashman to over-pay.