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.

Help support my cousin!

He's running for some political office. And I'd really like to get invited to the inaugural ball.

Link

This Weekend

With the exception of a bbq event on Saturday, I'll have most of the weekend to myself for the first time this month. With that in mind here's a few of the things I'm looking to accomplish:

1. Weave in ends on several unfinished projects (one pomatomus, roped shell, koolhaas II)
2. Photograph finished and updated projects.
3. Photograph and update the stash.
4. Try to implement this awesome storage idea since I have a ton of magazine boxes waiting to be put to use.

Hopefully I'll have copious pictures to fill the blog with on Monday. Until then, enjoy this clip from a movie I saw screened last night:

Finally a politician says something I can get behind...

Returning to the scene of the crime

Yes, yes I know. Let's move on from the lack of blogging content shall we?

As many of you may know, the Discovery Channel's annual "event" Shark Week just ended. It (rather conveniently) coincided with Ryan Seacrest getting bitten on the toe by a sandshark. Little did I think that Ryan Seacrest and I would ever have anything in common, but we do now!

This past weekend I took a little girls' weekend time for a trip to Cape Cod with Tara and Melissa prior to Tara leaving us for Indiana and business school. What does this have to do with Shark Week you ask? Well you see, the timing of our trip to Cape Cod during Shark Week was rather fitting, seeing as when I was 5 I was bitten by a shark* while wading out to a sandbar at a beach in Chatham with my mother. Though Dad's Cousin Bobby is oft heard saying "Where was the supervision?" in regards to the lack thereof while he and my dad were growing up, it doesn't apply in this case. Mom was with me the whole time and, when I started crying, she said "Don't worry, you just stepped on a shell." Silly Mommy!

Luckily the shark wasn't too interested in me b/c otherwise I could've lost my right arm which would've been problematic. I was taken to the local emergency care since apparently Cape Cod didn't really believe in hospitals way back in the 80s but I couldn't get stitches b/c the hole was pretty big where I was bitten on the elbow. Fun Fact: Chatham is the "elbow" of Cape Cod!

And then I got Peaches and Cream Barbie. (best Barbie ever)


Dad had to change the bandages for many weeks (he still likes to remind me how disgusting it was every now and then). I remember still having them on when kindergarten started in September and being embarassed. The scars never totally went away, so now I have a big gash and teeth marks on my right elbow.


Bad ass right?


*Shark was what the doctor who examined me post-attack called it. Most likely a sandshark he said. The local paper called it a bluefish** I guess b/c when you're a seaside tourist economy you don't like the words "shark" and "attack" being bandied about (See: Jaws). Personally I don't think calling it a bluefish is that much better than calling it a shark considering bluefish are "voracious and predatory" and "cannibalistic." WTF Bluefish?? Wiki
**They're also called "Pomatomus saltatrix." What socks am I currently knitting? Pomatomus by Cookie A. of course! I told you there'd be knitting content!

Summer: full of fun, knitting, hatching of evil plans, etc...

As you can probably tell from the lack of posting, my summer's been busy. So busy in fact that my blogiversary came and went this month without my noticing. There has been much knitting, and even better, much finishing of projects! But actually photographing said finished knits has been difficult due to the business.

I finished the Leah Tunic from Purl Bee and she had her coming out party at the Bon Jovi concert in Central Park on Saturday. (No cameras were allowed in, so I didn't get a chance to photograph Leah with Jon Bon, alas!). It was a great easy pattern that I made with a fantastic cotton/silk blend yarn. Super pretty, if they had more colors available that are not pastel-y, I'd totally make another but I'm planning on doing the Apres Surf Hoodie using Lyndon Hill in green.

Also the Hexacomb cardigan has been done for ages, also unphotographed. But one thing that has not gone unphotographed is this:



It's some lovely Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn, just acquired at Yarntopia. I had to restrain myself and only bought two colors instead of one of each. Very tempting indeed. I've got some fingerless mitts on tap for this bad boy and some socks for the other. Yum.



And last but certainly not least, you need to run, not walk, to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog . No seriously, go now, I'll wait.


See??? Wasn't that pure (evil) genius? Act I went up yesterday but the overwhelming desire of untold millions to see Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion singing overwhelmed their server and it was down unless, like me, you downloaded it on iTunes (the season pass for all three acts is an evil genius steal at $4). I've been humming these songs all day. Act II goes up Thursday, and the final act (denouement!) goes up on Saturday. The entire thing will only be available online until Sunday so get your fix now! Or wait until it's available on DVD with musical commentary. Huzzah!

As if working here wasn't painful enough...

So on Friday, rather than thinking about what delicious item I was going to order for dinner from 5 Napkin Burger*, rather than planning what new item I was going to knit this weekend, rather than scheduling a multitude of site visits for the coming week, I was busy getting this:


My skin does not naturally have that jaundiced glow

Yup. I got assaulted (accidently) by my boss with a broomstick. I feel like now I could be perfectly justified in quitting.

The knitting is going well though. My Hexacomb Cardigan (Rav Link)was finished this weekend and is currently drying. The Roped Shell (Rav Link) is also finished but will soon be ripped out so I can redo the back. The back is entirely too droopy, so I'm planning on decreasing for the armholes a bit more and then raising the back neckline. Unfortunately, that means a fair bit of reworking which will probably be excessively time consuming. Alas.

*I got the 5 Napkin Burger, natch. As well as a spicy melon margarita... I think I deserved it.


ETA: Here's some yarn to make it better eh?


That's Sundara Silk Lace in Granite Falls (Seasons 2.1: Winter) and Superwash Merino Sock yarn in Arabian Nights (Seasons 2.1: Fall). Yum!