Pics and FOs

I completed the Charade socks last week but waited forever to photograph because they were way too big. Luckily I learned on Ravelry that Koigu tends to shrink a bit when machine washed as socks. Just in case, I put them in a delicates bag and they turned out really nice. Still a bit big, but what can you do. This has just confirmed for me that I prefer knitting socks toe-up rather than cuff down. I was also a bit irritated that I had so much of my two skeins left over. If this was toe up, I could've just had taller socks and that would've been fine.



Charade by Sandra Park
Knit using Koigu KPM in Colorway 2329
Less than 2 skeins (grrr)



They're cute though. I enjoyed the pattern. It was just mindless enough without being boring to be good subway knitting. Experimenting on the 2 circs was also interesting, although I think I'm going to invest in some long KnitPicks circs to do the magic loop method instead.

This weekend was full of knitting and knitwear. I had a sit'n'knit meetup in Central Park on Sunday and I wore my Tilted Duster and made some major progress on Lady Eleanor. Marina was nice enough to take pictures of me in Big Red.




Is that what I really look like from behind?

And besides my little photoshoot, there were random people (tourists?) filming our group knitting. I can just imagine the things they'll tell their friends when they get home...

You'd never believe the crazy things I saw on my vacation in New York City. There was this naked cowboy in Times Square playing a guitar. Well he wasn't really naked, just in his underwear. But then! There were these women who got together in a big circle in the middle of the park and were playing with sticks and string. It was bizarre! Don't believe me? Look I have it on video!

So yes that was interesting. But my pics look great. I can't wait to wear Big Red to Rhinebeck on Saturday.

Projects and Pics and Updates, Oh My!

I managed to upload a set of pics to flickr last night (finally). Mostly they're a stash update with the yarns I picked up in Boston with the addition of some UFOs (Hey there cabled blankets! Where have you been hiding?). I think the fact that I feel guilty walking out of a yarn shop empty handed is not a good sign. But out of all the vices I could have, I feel like yarn gluttony is least likely to get me into any kind of serious
trouble. I just need to work on these projects.

You already saw this Malabrigo lace in my Secret Pal post, but good lord it's so purty I felt the second skein deserved its own moment in the spotlight.


I'm trying to decide which lace pattern to use on this unbelievable stuff. Both are lace shawl patterns by Miriam Felton: Icarus and Seraphim. I'm leaning towards Seraphim, but gosh it's hard to decide.

Then there's this little beauty:


That's Colinette Mohair. I'm planning on doing the Branching Out Scarf with this.

The lace pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater has whetted my appetite for some lace. So I think I'll have to bump one of these projects up in the Ravelry queue.

Ok, enough with the lace already! This bad boy I can't even remember which yarn it is. I'll have to check later when I get home. I do remember it's in a colorway called Midnight and I think it's beautiful.


Then there's the Debbie Bliss SoHo. This yarn just leaped off the shelf into my arms and before I even knew what was happening, my credit card was swiped and the balls were tucked neatly into a shopping bag.


It's like I blacked out and had one of those "Ohmigod what did I do last night?" moments. But Jebus this is pretty. Perhaps for another My-So-Called Scarf? Perhaps a felted hat? The possibilities are (nearly) endless. I only bought 2 balls after all.

In other knitting news, I'm happy to say that I've got what is shaping up to be a regular Stitch'n'Bitch. Tuesday nights uptown (err, for me downtown?) at Yarntopia. I love this store. I love it more and more every time I go. Not least of all because Dona the owner was nice enough to take a pic of me in my Tilted Duster with some decent lighting. Check out those fabulous yarn displays! Is it any wonder I have no willpower?

Lady Eleanor is progressing nicely. I'm almost done with the 7th ball of SWS so I'm more than halfway there. But more exciting, I practiced knitting backwards on the subway this morning. And wow, did that make a difference. I'm still getting the hang of it, but not having to flip the whole project every 8 stitches (especially now that it's getting pretty big) will hopefully improve my knitting speed. I'm doing it in the Combination Method described for English Knitters, which I didn't discover until just now when I went looking for a link. So maybe my made-up methods of knitting aren't totally made-up!

I'm also trying to find some little goodies to use as filler in my Secret Pal package. Hopefully I'll get it sent out early next week.

There have also been some really cool links out there on the internets that have gotten my interest piqued:

• Like HomeEc from Flirt via Brownstoner via Subway Knitter. Rentals of sewing machines? Classes for beginners? Wine and chocolate? Sign me up!
• Or Park(ing) Day via NeoKnits.
• ETA: And then I just found this sweater from Urban Outfitters that is like a cross between Buttony and the Tilted Duster with some lace thrown in. I am probably getting way over my head but I totally want to make one.

It's Official: Big Red Is the Coolest Sweater Coat EVER!

So I was holding off on posting until I felt that I had good pictures to post and some good updates that people might actually be interested in. And um, yeah... today is going to be a whole lotta pictures and updates.

So now for the big (red) reveal:

Good grief my hair looks horrendous, but oh my that sweater with a skirt is delightful!

Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan
From Interweave Knits Fall 2007

Yarn: Cascade 220
Colorway: 2401 (Dark Red)

Size: 36"
Yardage: All of 5 Skeins with about a yard left over! So 1099 yards!
Notions: 2 Very cute buttons, 2 plain boring buttons

This is what the lovely Big Red looks like now that she's been washed, blocked, seamed, and had her ends woven in. I may want to adjust the button placement slightly (I think this is what makes some of the dusters on Ravelry hang open too much across the bust) so that's why you still see some loose ends at the collar.



What did this project teach me? Many things, my friends. Like the fact that blocking is the best thing EVER. Or than it is common for dark red yarns to bleed (although the proper way to stop this from happening still eludes me). Or that making up techniques is not the answer (Consult your pattern or handy copy Stitch n' Bitch, damnit!). Or the fact that Norah Gaughan is a goddess (Thank you Norah for designing fun stuff!). This sweater looks great and will be so much fun to wear. Especially to Rhinebeck! YAY!

Big Red Update

So.

Last night I seriously pondered what I was going to do about Big Red. She's become finicky and I've become finicky as a result. But ultimately Big Red won.

I undid the seam on the sleeve that I worked on the other evening and was all set to try and steam block (I even got most of the body pinned) before I remembered "Oh, right, the excess dye that has turned my hands pink!"


Note the two horizontal lines on my index and pinky fingers where I carry the yarn.
"Pinky" is very apropos, no?
Please pay no attention to my creepy double-jointed fingers. :)

So having gotten ahead of myself, I undid my lovely pinning and I got out my plastic wash basin. Now here's my big question: Yes, I know that to remove extra dye you need to use vinegar, water, and heat. But is there a specific ratio? Does it matter? Because I pretty much just filled the basin with enough hot water to cover each piece and added a healthy amount of vinegar. But there was no scientific mixing involved and since I do things according to pre-determined ratios all the time (because otherwise, buildings collapse and people get sued), this made me nervous. Would something happen if I used too much vinegar? If I didn't use enough would I have to keep repeating this over and over again?

But a funny thing happened when I rinsed Big Red. I realized how BRILLIANT the concept of blocking is. This is funny only because I am apparently the last one to the party. The sleeves that I thought would be too tight are suddenly a delightful size perfect for wearing layered over a long sleeve shirt. The stitches look orderly and professional. And in general I'm loving this sweater even more than before and this is only after a rinse and not actually blocking the thing!

There's just one problem (and I'm not talking about the fact the sweater and my apartment both reek of vinegar): there's still dye coming out of the sweater.

Now, to clarify, I only did one wash in the vinegar and hot water mixture. I laid the sleeves and the body out to dry on towels on top of my yoga mat (might as well put it to some use). And used some paper towels to pat dry and get some of the excess moisture out. I then left a paper towel on the sweater for a bit just to see if there was any residue left. And there was.


Please note the towels in the picture are actually pink and not Big Red's imitation of a red sock tossed in with a load of whites.

So I think finishing Big Red will take another wash or two in a vinegar bath until I don't get any more excess dye (Didn't have time last night in between making a huge batch of zucchini bread... yum!). But I wish there were more detailed instructions on how to do this rather than just willy-nilly mixing up a stinky bath.

I'll have to pick up some nice smelling wool wash this weekend.

Progress and Willpower Breakdown

I have a problem. A very serious problem. I just can't stop myself. I can't. I walked into Knitty City yesterday. I wanted to see if they had Sea Silk. You know, just to look and maybe give it a squeeze. And yes... I bought some.


I believe this is the Rose Garden colorway I had been eyeing on the Handmaiden site, but it's not labeled so I can't be so sure. And I know, I'm typically not crazy about pink and there were so many gorgeous colors to choose from, but this is the one that really leapt out at me on the website and totally stuck in my head for that reason. Sooo pretty. Sooo soft. It will be destined for the Montego Bay Scarf. Ideally, I would've liked to make a shawl or something with it, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy 2 skeins. Atleast I showed SOME restraint. Oh and I also bought Tofutsi's. I told you it was bad.

But in other news, Big Red is nearly complete.

Between watching house flipping shows all weekend and movies and the Giants pre-season game last night, I got quite a bit done. I got to the button holes on the collar, so all that remains is to finish the last 2 or so inches on the collar, attach the sleeves and the buttons, and block it. Although more and more I'm thinking I want to add a bit more length to the skirt. I'll see how much yarn I have left over and then I'll make a decision. But I have a feeling it won't be done just yet. And today was the first day in a while that I wasn't able to knit on the subway. It was kinda sad. But Big Red's just too effin big.

I'm just so excited at the prospect of having this done. It was actually kind of chilly this morning, makes me so excited for fall!

And on that note: Creed Thoughts

In which the Tilted Duster teaches me to be a better knitter

Like many knitters I have dreaded the task of finishing. Not the "having a FO" aspect of finishing but the physical "weaving in ends and sewing pieces together" aspect of finishing. So after I finished the second sleeve this weekend (OK, actually the third. I have to frog the first sleeve I knit because the gauge is WAY off), I got to the portion of the Tilted Duster pattern that calls for you to sew the front and back pieces together before picking up stitches for the skirt. I had to take a deep breath when I read that, because this is what I was dealing with:

Lots of pieces!

So I got out my trusty copy of Stitch n' Bitch (which right now I consider the best money I ever spent on a knitting book). I just have to say, "Thank you, Deb Stoller." Despite comments like the one in this article (in which you do knitters no service with the baseball-loving community), you are quickly showing me that I am an idiot when I do not do things the right way and think that my made-up techniques are sufficient.

This project has turned into a learning process for me, in the best sense. So far I have learned:

• a new (and far superior) cast-on method. I've been using the same method I learned seven years ago when I first learned how to knit! It's amazing to me what a difference doing the thing properly can make, although I guess I really should not be all that surprised
• how to properly sew pieces together using mattress stitch
• how to pick up stitches

Yes, you read that correctly. I've never actually picked up stitches. I guess I've done some sort of rudimentary picking up of live stitches when I've ripped back a few rows on a project, but I've never really done it while following instructions on the right way to do it without messing things up. Granted, it's not a monumental difference between them, but just knowing that I'm doing it properly I think will help me tremendously. And while shortcuts are all well and good, it's nice to know that I've done everything I can to make sure that a project turns out looking the way I intended.


Mattress stitch join at sides

Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera in to work today, so pics of the constructed piece will have to wait until tomorrow (Update: Pics now added!). I still love this project. Picking up the stitches for the skirt was awesome, but it also means that this project will soon lose the portability factor that made it such great subway knitting. Whatever, it kicks ass.


Sewn and ready to go!
Oh yeah, and I've taken to calling the Duster "Big Red" because that's what it is.

More Subway Knitting

I've never regretted the decline of Overheard in NY (which started getting all crass with stupid titles and stupider overheards) more than on the way to work this morning. So on the A train, as I'm knitting on my sleeve, the two gentlemen next to me were quietly commenting on my knitting:

"Is it a scarf?"

"I don't know, looks like a scarf"

"I want to get the dog a scarf"

"So-and-so got his dog a scarf but he got it at K-Mart"

"I think it's a scarf"

So rather than point out that I am, in fact, not knitting a scarf, I pulled out my (now battered) copy of the Fall Interweave Knits and to check my sleeve cap decreasing numbers and made sure the image of the Tilted Duster was clearly visible.

"Ohhhh it's a sweater with a skirt!"

Close enough.

Great day for knitting

So yesterday's rain-induced commute fiasco had one major benefit: I got a whole lot done on the Tilted Duster. I spent 2.5 hours going from Dyckman Street (the equivalent of 200th Street) to 96th Street. Someone fainted on my train while we were stopped between stations because people were crammed in so tightly. Luckily, I had a seat. More luckily, the train was air conditioned.

In that span of 2.5 hours, I knit a sleeve and started on the second for the duster. Then I made the mistake of getting off at 96th when were told the 1 train was running normally. An hour later I showed up at work hot, sweaty, and unbelievably cranky.

Thankfully this morning's commute was lovely in comparison and there was still much knitting on the train.

Ravelry
I've been spending so much time here recently. After gmail, it's the first website I open when I get in to work and I flip over there so often and just browse around that I must seriously be completely useless as an employee.

I find that I spend a lot of time reading the forums for the various groups I've joined, which is nice, but I'm really starting to explore a lot of the different yarns and trying to get a feel for some of the ways that the yarns I like are being put to use. It also helps that when I have stuff in my stash without any clear purpose, I can search for that yarn and see what other knitters have made with it. It's such a great source of inspiration.

My favorite feature thus far has to be the project queue. I need to organize mine a bit better and fill in more details, but just the fact that I have an actual list with pictures and details all in one place is the most amazing and wonderful thing. I love that I'm quickly linked to other people who have done the project and can get their thoughts on what went right and (often, more importantly) what went wrong.

Duster Update

I finished the back panel of the duster this weekend as well as the right and left front panels. I had big plans of casting on the first sleeve this morning on the train. Unfortunately it was not to be. I neglected to pack my needles! I can't believe I remembered my notions bag and didn't remember my needles. Ugh. I will be making a stop at lunch today to buy some new ones because I have far too much subway knitting time ahead of me today and brought nothing to read since I thought I would be knitting instead. Still totally loving this pattern, too bad the Cascade is causing me problems. Now I've noticed thatI have a pinkish tinge on my fingertips and nails so I'm really hoping the yarn is going to be colorfast when I block the finished product. I will be really upset if I get this project finished only to have it look like crap because the yarn started misbehaving.

Update: Apparently it's just excess dye? Apparently I can rinse the yarn w/ vinegar or something and it'll stop? (Pink) fingers crossed.

Also, bought some size 9 circs en route to the subway from Design Partners. Bless them. Have about 8 inches of sleeve completed. Looking forward to the subway ride home.

I'm the reason A-Rod hasn't hit #500

So just as I was lamenting my lack of an interesting new project and pondering what I could cast on next, I came home and saw this sitting on the kitchen table. So I poured myself a glass of white wine and started browsing. Finally I decided, it was time to just pick one. So I did.

And so I swatched last night and cast on for the Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan. I had a lot of train travel for work today and this is where I currently stand with the upper back panel.

I can't believe how fast it's going. I'm using the Cascade 220 I had intended to use for the Nantucket Jacket. I figure it's not really cheating since I'm using it for another cover image of a Norah Gaughan pattern. I love this color and figure it'll be really nice since I wear so much black. Can't wait to wear it this fall. Maybe for Rhinebeck?

Also, I don't know if this is just me, but the Cascade 220 (which I have only used in superwash format before) feels an awful lot like acrylic on my hands. Ugh. My poor thumb is raw, but I really don't care b/c I'm loving this pattern. It's coming together very quickly.

Went to the Yankee game on Wednesday with Knitter Jenn from NY. We went in thinking it was a sure thing that A-Rod would hit a home run at the game. All that needed to happen was him getting up while I was standing in line for food. Unfortunately, I happened to be in line for food when Cano and Shelley Duncan were up. So that's why they hit home runs and A-Rod's still at 499. I have missed a total of 5 homeruns in 3 games this season while I have been in line for food.

But I took this picture just in case he hit the homerun the night I was there (and happened to be waiting in line at the time) so I could say that I saw #500 ;) Oh well. Looks impressive for a pop up.



A smattering of pics from the game:

Moon over the Bronx (County Courthouse)


Everybody's favorite Yankee Fan, Freddy. He "sits" in the section in front of Knitter Jenn from NY.