The Register

Three Weeks!!!!!!!

2007-11-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

So....

I really haven't written in a month and a half?

That seems a little hard to believe, but time has been going by ludicrously fast. I mean, I have a week and a half left before finals, and more work than I could possibly complete in such a time frame. But it has to happen, I guess.

What's even scarier is that in three weeks time, I will be done for the semester. Three weeks! I remember the day I left for Aurora like it was 3 seconds ago.

Basically, my status is very much the same as it was in my last entry: I have a constant companion in my homework that is a Mountain of Doom (fondly dubbed George); I haven't knit in weeks; and I still haven't caught up in my reading (honestly, it's not going to happen--for me or anyone else, try as we might). I did get to pick my classes for next semester, and if all goes well, I'll get to take all of them. We find out tomorrow, tentatively.

I had a pleasant Thanksgiving break last week, even though I can't really remember what I did. All I know is that I didn't get nearly enough work done. My room is thoroughly clean though! You can always tell when I have a lot of work, because even picking up after myself becomes a more attractive chore. Thanksgiving Day was nice--I didn't get up until 11:30, and a few hours later my roommate picked me up. We went to her older sister's house for dinner, so I got to meet some of her family. Afterwards, we headed to a friend's house near school, where we hung out until about 2am. It was a pretty good Thanksgiving, actually.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to you all!

Oh, but you know what is totally the best part?! It SNOWED. Yes, real live snow flurry action. It didn't stick around for very long, because it eventually turned into rain, but when it initially came out of the clouds it was SNOW. All the natives here were laughing at how excited I was....

That's what I love--the cold weather. My scarves are necessary here! They get to serve their intended purpose!

So with nothing else to report, I will sign off.

I'll be home soon...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

You know what I just noticed? Tomorrow is this little blogging venture's one year anniversary! Neato.

I decided this was more important than homework.

2007-10-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

That's right! I said it! But before y'all get your parental-hackles up, I'm ahead in my assignments for the weekend. Onward.

Would you believe it? I'm alive. I even survived midterms last week. And I didn't do too shabby on 'em, either. But it was brutal. That's probably the hardest part about being here--it's real college, with real midterms. It also doesn't help that I haven't been a full-time student since I was a junior in high school, and now I'm taking 18 credits (I've written about 5 papers in two and half weeks). My time management skills have gone into hiding. They're probably lurking under my bed with the dust beasts...

With that in mind, I really must apologize for my severe inability to communicate with all you lovely people. I promise I do think of you every day, even if only for a moment. December is approaching faster than it seems. It will most likely show up tomorrow.

So I suppose I should talk a little bit about my life here, shouldn't I? Well, lets see...My classes are interesting--I'm particularly enjoying the women in Renaissance literature seminar and my other English class, mostly due to the material we're reading. Which reminds me, I believe Miss Becky requested a list of my textbooks. I'll just link to the good ones. Besides, there are about 20 of them, so it needs to be narrowed down anyway:

History of China: Monkey, Wild Swans, Mountain of Fame.

Wells 101: we've already read Turn of the Screw and Orlando; we're reading China Men; coming up: The Passion and The Woman Who Walked Into Doors.

Women in Renaissance Lit: Half Humankind, Women Poets of the Renaissance, Troilus and Cressida, The Roaring Girl, and Bell in Campo.

My other classes just have basic textbooks, most of which are blah, but I suppose they do the job. Half Humankind is probably close to my favorite book out of all that I've read so far.

Other than being smothered by the written word, I enjoy being here. The weather seems to have finally settled into actual fall temperatures (50s and 60s), even if the transition was a bit ruthless. Up until now, the weather had been gradually shifting between humid and comfortable (dude, seriously, the humidity here? You can SEE IT hanging in the air)--last Wednesday, it was chilly in the morning, upwards of 80 degrees by afternoon, cold and rainy by dinner, and then BOOM: Thursday is 52 degrees with wind and rain. And that's how the weather has stayed for the last few days. My dorm room is freezing, because they haven't turned the heaters on yet, but at least I've been able to wear my Central Park Hoodie without dying of heat frustration. It is currently the warmest piece of clothing I have.

I'm starting to build up a circle of friends, which includes my roommate. There are a number of people here who are as weird as I am. No one to knit with yet, and the knitting club will have to wait until next semester, since I have no time for anything! at the moment.

Oh wait....What was that? Did someone say knitting? Why yes! I used to knit! And maybe I will again soon. If all goes well, that miracle beyond miracles will occur this evening, or tomorrow. We shall see.

Well, I must go, but I shall leave you with a picture of the care package lovely Miss Lisa sent me:

Thank you so much Lisa!

I will try to write again soon, as in the next couple of weeks. I refuse to give a particular date, because, clearly, I am incapable of meeting my own deadlines.

Till next time....

I can't tell if this is real, yet.

2007-08-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

So..........it's been awhile, a hasn't it? The last few weeks have been so hectic, crazy, and surreal...I'll just start from the beginning, shall I?

Chicago, August 10-12, 2007

Friday morning, I took the 6:30am shuttle to the airport. It was so unbelievably difficult to get on that bus; I spent the drive just staring out the window. The driver took the coastal highway, and we saw a pod of dolphins. A good omen. That made me feel better.

The airport was insane, as usual, but there really weren't any issues--other than my having to dismantle both of my carry-on bags to pull out my laptop and camera. There was a lady (head-to-toe leopard print, gold lamé bag) in front of me in line at the gate who would call up her husband every few minutes to vehemently cuss him out. On the plane, I was able to score a window seat. When we landed at Midway, I had to find the shuttle that would take me to O'Hare (the airport I really needed to be at), where I could catch another shuttle to the hotel. The drive through parts of Chicago was rather interesting--lots of warehouses. At one point, on the freeway, we were next to a mafia henchman-type driving an old but well-taken care of Buick. He was eating a vanilla ice cream cone.

The hotel room was split four ways among Sarah Lou, Jeanie, Sarah W., and myself. The Sarahs were there when I arrived, so we met up with fellow get Stitchian Wendy and headed to Giordano's, where I had my first ever deep-dish pizza (in Chicago, no less!). Back at the hotel, I got to meet Jeanie. We all got along really well and ended up hanging out until 2am--it was basically a knitting slumber party. The next morning, Sarah W. had classes, but Sarah Lou, Jeanie, and I had a nice, laid back morning--we didn't leave the room until noon. Then--it was Stitches time. The hotel is connected to the convention center, so we just walked on over.

All I have to say about the Market is that it's like a yarn store on crack. It was all I could do to keep from falling into a drool-inducing yarn coma. Thankfully, I had financial and luggage limitations to keep my spending reigned in. Here's what I did buy:

From left to right: 10 balls of Berroco Pure Merino (a lap blanket for Mrs. T.), 3 hanks of Malabrigo lace weight wool, and 1 ball of Golden Crown Suri Alpaca from Windy Valley Muskox. I got a free pattern with the last one, so that's on the project list.

And, arguably the most exciting addition to my yarn collection: 1 hank of special edition Undertaker's Daughter sock yarn, hand-painted by Cider Moon. Sarah Lou collaborated with them to come up with the colorway. I bought her a hank of Jitterbug as an exchange for this one.

Later in the evening, Sarah Lou, Jeanie, and I ate at the hotel restaurant. Here's a picture of Sarah Lou and her dinner. Notice what's on the plate, and what's on her shirt.

Sunday, Sarah Lou and I headed to the Wizard World Convention--it was awesome. I'm only disappointed that I didn't get spend a lot of time there--I had to leave early to make it to the airport on time. Next time, Sarah Lou. Next time...

Pemberton, August 12-18, 2007

The flight to Philadelphia was short and uneventful, and my sister and niece were there waiting to pick me up. The week at my sister's was so nice and relaxing. A good chance to decompress. Of course, it helped I got to scream my head off on all the roller coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure (still can't beat Magic Mountain, though). My niece is absolutely adorable:

I called on Tuesday evening, hoping I'd catch all of you ladies knitting, but you weren't there! Tsk tsk. Maybe I'll try this week. My sister took me to Woolbearers where she bought yarn and a pattern for me to knit her a top:

Saturday afternoon, the two of us drove up to Auburn, New York, and settled in for the evening. The next morning, we headed over to Aurora, where my school is, right on Cayuga Lake.

Aurora, August 19 to present

This past week has been a whirlwind of orientation activities, new faces, and schedule planning. My roommate and I get along, and I like my dorm. So far most everyone I've met has been friendly. Classes really get going tomorrow. I've got an ungodly number of books to buy, but I'm excited.

In the next couple of days I'll post again, with pictures of the campus and more details about classes. The area is gorgeous, even if the weather can't make up its mind--yesterday it was upwards of 95 degrees with solid humidity, and today it's 70 and breezy. I guess that's living on a lake for you.

I miss all of you so much, and I can't wait to hang out and knit with everybody in December. Keep knitting!

P.S. Thank you for the wonderful voicemail yesterday!

Finished-Project-Palooza

2007-07-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here are three sweaters (well, two and a bolero). They've been lurking on my finished list for some time now, and finally, finally, they will be revealed to the world. The pictures aren't fabulous, but at some point there will be action shots. For now, you get limp, somewhat misshapen, vaguely sweater-type piles of yarn modeled by a couple of different household surfaces. Enjoy!

First up, the Cloud Bolero. I used Manos del Uruguay wool, and while I like it, it's too big. It may get ripped. I dunno, yet.

Camisa, from the Fall 2006 Knitscene. I love it, and it fits really well. Even if the cotton is extraordinarily fuzzy.

And finally, Dogwood Donna in o-wool Balance. This was a nice one. The intarsia was fun, but the French knots are nasty little buggers. And isn't that button just perfect?

Because of its cult status, my Central Park Hoodie will get its very own entry in the days to come. And I really do promise that. Really really.

Now for little projects. I made the Dream Swatch Wrap out of one hank of Claudia Handpaint fingering merino. Two shots--one for color progression (is that not the coolest towel? My great-grandmother made it) and one for action:

Over the last several weeks, I also completed my very first pair of socks, using Austermann Step in Turf. I used the Lorna's Laces Basic Sock pattern and size two DPNs. When I started the second sock, I rewound the yarn to reverse the striping. Interestingly enough, both heels turned out blue:

I'm just starting to get back into the knitting groove, as it was temporarily put on hold so as to devote as many hours to consuming the last Harry Potter book as possible. It was fantastic. But maybe I'm biased. I have been a loyal fan since well before the first book went big...

In an upcoming post, I will show off my newly enhanced knitting library, thanks to the KnitPicks sale and some friends who like to give me stuff (for some reason). I will write again before the month is out. And if I don't, I give you leave, dear reader, to launch things in the general direction of my head. But not in real life, of course.

All Apologies...

2007-07-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

In light of my apparent inability to post on a regular basis, I apologize. Over the next week, I plan to post several entries in rapid succession--there are a lot of finished projects that need showing off!

On a non-knitting-related note (but still somewhat knitting-related), I have been caught up in the whirlwind that is getting ready for college. This event has been on hold for about two years, so I'm excited that it's finally happening. To start things off with a bang, I get to stop in Chicago for the Stitches Midwest convention with Sarah Lou. And since it just so happens to be in the exact same convention center on the exact same weekend, we'll also hang out at WizardWorld comicon.

Until then, I've got a backlog of sweaters, my first pair of socks, and a couple of other little projects that need posting. In the meantime, here's a teaser:

More pictures to come, I promise!

S.E.X. Bomb

2007-06-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

The past several days have been a stash enhancement marathon. Between one yarn shop closing its doors forever and another celebrating its third anniversary with a by-the-bag sale, it's truly a wonder any knitters in this area have any money left at all...

BB's Knits is selling all stock at 50% off, maybe more by now. The owner is retiring after having been open for around twenty years (I believe)--and tomorrow is the final day. Needless to say, the local knitting community is disappointed that a yarn shop is closing, but at the same time, everyone is restless, twitchy, and salivating. Most knitters have made several trips at several hundred dollars (and sometimes much more) a pop. Even I got a little antsy at the thought of all that potentially attainable yarn. Becky, Sandy, and I trekked up to the shop last week. The drive was an adventure in and of itself, then we had to park less-than-legally and jaywalk. The things we'll do for yarn. Being that I happened to be graced with a very small bank account, I managed to get out of the shop after spending only about $102. Here's what I got:

The latest issue of Knit.1. There were only a couple of patterns I was interested in, but I figured the price was too good.
A needle vase!
Twelve balls of Classic Elite Bam Boo, to be used for the Butterfly top from the Spring 2007 KnitScene.
Five balls of RY Classic Natural Silk Aran, in Aero.

Last Saturday marked the third anniversary party and sale at Anacapa Fine Yarns. As an employee, I got to help sort all the sale yarn into The Hot-Tub O' Yarn box. Observe the water bottle for scale:

We further sorted the yarn into smaller boxes, to make it more accessible. In doing so, I had to climb into the big box and dig around. I still think it would have been interesting to see how things turned out if we'd left the yarn in the big box....Ah well. Behold! The calm before the storm:

That's what it looked like just before we opened at 10am--eight 4 foot by 2 foot boxes, piled high with bags of yarn marked down 40, 50, and 60 percent. By 11:30am, we were down to just five boxes. At the end of the day, we had 2 boxes plus a little overflow into a third. I purposely waited until the end of the day to shop because I knew I'd spend less money that way. For about $40, I got two bags:

Two hanks of Mountain Colors 3 ply wool in Rosehip, at 40% off.
Three balls of Maggi's Mist Slub, at 60% off.

All in all, I think I was pretty lucky. I didn't break my bank account (yet) and I got some awesome yarn at fabulous prices. Now I just need to sit down and reorganize my stash...

Technical Difficulties

2007-06-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Right, so when I say a post will happen on a particular day, I really do try to keep that promise. But my computer has a tendency to listen in when I announce such things. Its habitual reaction is to mysteriously forget the proper way to function and away it goes, laughing on a fast camel. Which brings us to this moment, ten days past the original stated date. Ah well.

Onward.

The first week of June was spent in Monterey, Ashland, and Reno. We head up to Ashland every year for the Shakespeare Festival, but this year we also stopped in Monterey and Reno. It must be noted: this is the first trip I've taken since I started knitting, ergo this is the first time I've been able to hunt down and check out other local yarn shops!

Monterey, California

The one shop in the area that was actually open was Monarch Knitting & Quilts, a great little shop. An amazing selection, and a whole wall of Manos del Uruguay wool (*drool*). Not to mention a beautiful Siberian Husky, named Sakura. She was the official greeter (there's a picture of her on the website). There was also a formidable guard parrot who would pretend to land on the shelves and then dive-bomb your head. All in good fun. I didn't buy anything, but I would highly recommend the shop. I will definitely make another trip there the next time I'm in the area.

Ashland, Oregon

The hotel we traditonally stay at in Ashland is just a couple of blocks from the main plaza--where there happens to be a yarn shop! The Websters is a lovely shop. It's pretty comparable to Anacapa in terms of selection--which is to say, there was a lot of nice stuff. I had every intention of going back before we left, but never did...However, before you start thinking this was a yarn-free trip--I did go to two other yarn stores. One was Middleford Yarn & Stitchery in Medford. It was a cute shop, but it seemed mostly devoted to needlepoint. The second one--and by far the yarn shop highlight of the trip--was the Llamas & Llambs Boutique in Jacksonville. This store was awesome. It was an old house, and each room was devoted to a different fiber art (spinning, weaving, etc.) and the prices! Oh, the prices...Here's what I got:

A. Three hanks of Oregon-born, -bred, and -spun baby alpaca from Adorabella Alpacas. 110 yards, DK weight, $6.10 per hank. They put the name of the alpaca on the label--mine is from Lucca (2), which may be this little guy.

B. An 8 ounce cone of laceweight Shetland wool. For $8.

C. And finally, the $23 hank of New Zealand grown, spun, and hand painted 10 ply merino wool, in Aubergine. I'd skipped over this yarn on my first initial walk-through, but when I found this colorway, I gave in. The picture doesn't do the colors justice.

Reno, Nevada

The photography exhibit we saw here showed the work of my new favorite photographer: Inge Morath. Here's a llama in Times Square. While visiting, our very good family friends took us to a used book sale. Knitting books!

1. Alice Starmore's Sweaters For Men. Gotta love a highly inexpensive Starmore book. Especially when some sell for hundreds of dollars, nowadays.

2. Elle Knits. Some interesting sweaters and a cute little intarsia cherry pullover that may very well be knit up for my niece.

3. Knit One, Style One. While this book was purchased at the same sale, it was actually mailed to me a few weeks prior to the trip. Mostly scary 80's patterns, but some potentially useful Fair Isle charts.

4. 45 Fine & Fanciful Hats to Knit. The hats, charts, and colors in this book are gorgeous. It's so bright, and most of the patterns look like they'd be fun to knit.

Now for La Pièce de Résistance:

Several pounds of handspun Chilean alpaca that had been in a closet for 16 years. A very big and gracious thank you to Mrs. T (even if you aren't reading this) for probably the best yarn-related part of the trip. She used to weave, and when she and her family lived in Chile, this was what she brought back home. Now she's given it to me. Oh yes.

Speaking of Chile, the country seems to be missing a lake. Bet you anything my computer had a hand in it. Or a chip. Or a megabyte. Something.

Hopefully this post hasn't dragged out too long for your tastes, but there you are. So as not to make it too much longer, I will refrain from blathering on about progressing projects. That's what my nifty little graphs on the sidebar are for!

I'm not dead. I feel fine!

2007-06-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

I do apologize for the rather lengthy silence. Things got a little hectic in the days leading up to my vacation, which I am currently enjoying. Unfortunately, it's almost over. We're in Reno, Nevada, our last stop before returning home. Vacations never last long enough, do they?

This past week has been an interesting one, though I haven't been able to get much knitting done. However, I have been able to visit various local yarn shops, which has been quite an experience. There will be a more detailed entry when I get back. Possibly by Monday.

So, I just wanted to say that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, and I hope everyone has enjoyed the first week of June!

Happy Knit in Public Day!!!

Cable Poll

2007-05-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

Alrighty my dear friends, it is time for A Poll. I would very much like to know which of the following cable stitch patterns you prefer.

And they are horizontal because that is how the sitch pattern will appear on the Super Secret Project.

Cable #1:
Cable #2:
Cable#3:
Cable#4:

I apologize for the low quality of the photos, but there you are. If you wouldn't mind ranking them and posting your preference in the comments section, I would be much obliged.

Quick update:

Dogwood Donna is now waiting to be assembled! It came out quite well, if I do say so myself.

Doing My Civic Duty or, A Day Without Knitting

2007-05-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

I remember it like it was yesterday--coming home, blissfully ignorant and unsuspecting, to find that particular envelope on my chair in the living room. My mother watched me from the entryway, a nefarious grin slowly expanding across her face. "Welcome to adulthood," she said.

The morning did not start out on a high note. More like a blood-curdling scream. Showering in a very small space with a giant spider who can't make up his mind about which way he wants to go, all the while threatening to fall on my head and send me into hysterics, is not what I would call a good start to any day.

By 8am, I was in the juror room where I claimed a chair and settled in, terrified of what was going to happen. The chairs are the kind one finds in airports. I would have much rather been in an airport.

We had a brief orientation, ushered in by a cacophony of 'power off' jingles when The Lady requested we turn off our cellphones for the moment. There was supposed to be a video too, but they didn't deliver on that promise. However, we were informed that it was Juror Appreciation Week! (that's what the banner below says) They gave us coffee and cookies as a very special treat.

Jurors were only called in once, but everyone always squirmed when The Lady came on the intercom. After the first morning break, we were graced with the presence of a class of sixth graders being shown the inner workings of our remarkable government system! They stood at the front of the room and stared at us, we sat in our airport chairs and stared at them. Doesn't being an adult look like fun, kiddies?

Then, we were left to our own devices. I had a hard time deciding what book to bring, since they don't allow knitting needles. Because knitters are just so violent. You could do more damage with a laptop than a wooden stick, thank you very much. But I digress. I asked Becky what she'd recommend. She said, "Read 'The Jonestown Massacre' while drinking from this mug. And then tell everyone you brought enough kool aid for everybody." I ended up with this:

The same person never sat next to me twice. Maybe because, while reading this book, I maintained a steady stream of understanding nods, incredulous head-shakes, and derisive snorts. With the occasionally pawing of my foot. Just for effect.

I also tried entertaining myself with my cellphone (hence the pictures). The most interesting game on it is a one minute (1 minute, I ask you) demo of Super Sudoku. Or something. Then I stared around the room for awhile. Everyone was playing musical chairs, though there were plenty of spots. If you weren't smart enough to place something on your seat, someone would move in and take it.

There were talkers (the kind of people who speak to anything that moves within 10 feet of themselves), sleepers (a couple of snorers), uninhibited county employees ("He SO should not be doing that!"), and a lady who kept playing her Scott Joplin ringtone over and over again. There was also a woman in an orange suit that was mentally jarring to look upon after becoming accustomed to the beige fluorescence of the juror room. On a bulletin board across the room someone had put up some sketches a previous juror had drawn during his day of civic obligation, complete with little ironic comments. And the bathrooms were right next to where I sat. The men's room door made an obscene noise everytime it closed.

The poster on the wall there says, "If you really believe in America, prejudice is foul play!". Oscar de la Hoya.

Then came lunch. There was a mad rush for the exit. After everyone cleared out, I went in search of a food source that would allow me to avoid the security line--I found vending machines. When I got to the juror room door, I blinked a couple of times at the NO FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED sign, then went inside and ate in a corner. After all, they gave us appreciated jurors coffee and cookies in that room. There was a man watching some football movie, an old guy hitting on a responsive cute young thing ("I'm a total techie." "Ooo, I love electronics."), and a couple of fellas watching a chair-throwing talkshow ("I'm sixteen and pregnant and my mama done kicked me out!") in the TV room. That room houses the scariest cornea-searing blue couches. Ever. I decided I'd rather numb my brain than melt it, so I went back to my airport chair.

Everyone returned from lunch, and just when they all began nodding off and jerking groggily, The Lady came over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, all jurors are now excused (1 beat...2 beats...3 beats...everyone in the room holds their breath) for afternoon break." That's when I began braiding small sections of my hair.

Finally, the last hour approached. Tensions ran high. The room grew quiet. Feet were twitching. Eyes got shifty. Someone, somewhere, was playing the soundtrack to Kill Bill. Then, The Lady came to the podium: the courts were closed at approximately 4:18 pm, and we were free at last.

In the words of a fellow juror, "It was such an exhilarating experience I hope I never do it again."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

(Special thanks to The Knitting Ladies for a wonderful evening of knitting in public--it more than made up for the day.)

The Best Card Ever.

2007-05-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

First, let me say Happy Mother's Day to my own mutti, and all the other wonderful mothers I know. And, for your viewing pleasure, the e-card my sister sent our mom:

You have to click the flowers on either side of the image. Click the 'what we say' flowers first, then click the corresponding 'what Mom hears' flower. You'll definitely want sound.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Now, on to business. Well, Dogwood Donna is now underway, as is my Very First Pair of Socks!

How about some gratuitous yarn porn?

First is a birthday package for my good friend Laura in Mississippi. She's recently started knitting, but has only been able to purchase yarn at Wal-Mart. That needed to be rectified. So her mother enlisted my help in finding her good yarn. I sent her two balls of Berroco Keltic, one ball of Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy, and two balls of Noro Hotaru.

And second is the yarn that Becky gave me, apparently just because. Three hanks of dyed fisherman's wool from Beaverslide Dry Goods, a family-owned business in Montana. The wheels in my strange little head are already turning...I get to keep the basket, too. Thank you so much, Becky.

This past Friday, I knit in public for the very first time. I was taking the train to see my brother's play, and wouldn't you just know it, I sat next to a knitter. Her name is Maxine and she gave me a 20 year old afghan pattern--she's knit 25 of them and was working on a baby blanket version on the train.

That's pretty much all I can think of at the moment....Maybe I'll go drink an exspresso.

Instant Gratification

2007-05-06T23:49:00.000-07:00

That's how I'd describe hats. I finished two in the last couple of days--mainly to get them off my to-knit list, which is now officially under 20 projects!!!

The first one was a strawberry hat for my unbelievably adorable niece. And I'm not saying that just because I'm her auntie. My sister picked up a Fiber Trends pattern called Patrick's Pumpkin, but asked if I could modify it to look like a strawberry. It wasn't difficult to knit, but it did get thrown across the living room at one point, a fact I'm a little sheepish (heh) to admit. I'm not one for displays of physical aggression, but it had been a long day and the stupid stitches wouldn't get back on the needle after a little ripping. But it sat in time-out for awhile and was much better behaved as a result.

I apologize for the low quality picture. A tiny hat is not an easy thing to photograph.

The second hat is for my brother-in-law. I used Filatura di Crosa's 127 Print (to match his scarf) and the Basic Cable beanie pattern from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation. A nice simple pattern. I came thisclose to running out of yarn, but luckily, I had a wee bit left over from the scarf. I like this hat, though you can't really see the cables. The variegated colors do highlight some of the twists.

This yarn is so warm...Within seconds of putting the hat on, your head starts feeling quite toasty.

Now, for My So Called Scarf. I've been wanting to make this scarf pretty much since I started knitting. There 'just so happened' to be two lovely balls of Misti Baby Alpaca Chunky in violet tucked away in my stash, previously thought to be destined for cabling. But I decided it would look nice as a So Called scarf. This yarn is, in a word, luscious. A little fuzzy, very warm, glides through your fingers like butter, and creates a slinky fabric. ♥

Now all I need is a place cold enough to warrant the wearing of baby alpaca....

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Updates!

Hopefully, there will be pictures of Camisa soon.
Three and half rows of Dogwood Donna have been knit--now that the hats are out of the way, it will become my focus.
I have an overwhelming urge to knit lace. Real lace. So I hope to work on the Print O' The Wave stole (pattern is in PDF, just to warn you), from Eunny Jang.
I WILL start working on my first sock. I will.
And, I suppose, I'll revisit the Panda Hat of Doom and try to write out a pattern...

Now, I have to be off to bed. Class starts sooner than it really should.

The Panda Hat Saga

2007-04-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

I have a friend (amazing!). Pandas are this friend's favorite animal. She has panda purses, panda charms, panda backpacks. Lots and lots of pandas. But what she didn't have was a panda hat.

When I offered to knit her either the devil or kitty hat from Stitch n' Bitch, she requested a panda hat. So I searched and searched, and never could find a pattern. At least, not an adult-sized pattern...The resulting decision to design my own led to weeks of brainstorming, and a three-day knitting marathon that produced as many versions of the hat.

The first one made you look like a comic book villain who never made it past the drawing board. All I have is a shot of it lying limply on the couch, as I started to rip it before it occurred to me to take a photo:

And the second incarnation fancied itself a sort of demented sun bonnet with aerodynamic earflaps:

Before we move on to the third manifestation of this panda hat idea, I will tell you--when knitting from scratch, oftentimes you're not near so clever as you may think you are. I thought I was being clever when, on the first hat, I did the bottom portion in a Fair Isle-intarsia combination and then switched to circulars. There would only be a small seam to sew, you see. Likewise, I thought I was being even more clever when I compensated for the lack of give in stranded knitting by adding more stitches to the second hat to knit it in the round. But I assure you, it was not clever at all.

Finally, I decided I'd knit the hat flat and do real intarsia and deal with having to sew the seam. It came out splendid! Then, it sat for several weeks while I avoided weaving in ends. When those did get woven in, the hat sat for a few more weeks while I despaired over how to attach the ears.

However, it did eventually get ears. Third time's the charm:

Action shot!

As you can tell by the above picture, the yarn was pretty beat up after being knit up and ripped out so often. I actually had to throw away a portion of the second hat because I couldn't get it undone. Ultimately, the goal was achieved. My friend has her panda hat, and she's happy.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Current update:

Camisa is now waiting to be seamed.
I will hopefully start on my first pair of socks soon.
My So Called Scarf is DONE!
And the fingerless gloves haunting my sidebar in perpetuity are now my official knitting albatross.

Tricorn Hat: Part Deux

2007-04-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

*cue fanfare*

Finally, finally, finally. Finally. I have a completed tricorn hat to show you. With pictures. Dorktastic pictures. The knitting portion of this project was actually done around the end of...February. Maybe mid-February. At any rate, there it sat, shoved in a canvas bag in my knitting corner awaiting its chance to get all hot and sudsy. This is what it looked like:

On the left, we have a quarter for scale. On the right, we have yours truly looking like a medieval headsman-type character, so as to demonstrate the pre-felt fit. Until felting, this item was affectionately known as 'The Skirt'.

Part of the reason--well no, the reason this project simmered on the back burner for so many weeks was the lack of access to a top-loading washing machine. I did attempt the 'dryer method' as suggested in the pattern, but two test swatches proved that method just wouldn't fly. What to do? Well. The perfect opportunity presented itself when we went to visit my grandmother on Easter. A brilliant idea bounced into my head--'Why, I bet Grandma has a top-loading washer! I could bring The Skirt with me just in case....'

Yes, indeed. She did have a top-loading washer. I even knit a third and final test swatch with the remains of the yarn. There was no way I was just going to throw the whole thing in there without knowing what sort of fate was lurking in that machine. So, I put the swatch in a zippered pillowcase AND--it came out wonderfully! All dense and small and sheepy-smelling! And The Skirt went into the machine a scarily out-sized executioner's hood, and reemerged as a piratical tricorn hat. Well, after a little finagling of clothes pins and tacking thread.

Once I can actually get this hat on the recipient's head for a custom fit, I'll finish it with X's on each side--to help hold the shape and provide a little design element. Captain Jack Sparrow has X's on his hat.

This was my first felting project. I have to say, I found the whole process terribly stressful, and it shall be a good long while before another attempt is made.

And to give credit where credit's due, the pattern is a free one provided by the friendly folks at Knit Like a Pirate.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Updates:

I will try to get the Panda Hat up and posted by Sunday.
Camisa is once again active--my fingertips are tingling from the cotton yarn.
The Cloud Bolero is awaiting its button.
My So Called Scarf is actually done but for weaving in, however, Photobucket is maintenancing itself and I can't get to my percent bars. Grumble.

That is all.

Rip It Good

2007-04-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, I got to attend a ripping out party! It was hosted by one of the regulars in the Thursday night knitting group at my LYS, Terry. She had all sorts of good eats, and a very lovely home. (If you're reading, thanks so much, Terry!).

And talk about an awesome group of people...I think some of the best conversations occur at a gathering like that--nice, relaxed, where everyone has a shared passion for something. In this case, knitting. There was a lot of knitting going on, of course, but some of us did rip.

I ripped a partial sweater that my mother had been working on years and years ago (she couldn't remember where she left off, and it's a fairly complicated pattern, as you can see in the photo), and a scarf I'd made for my sister but was too itchy for either of us to wear.

Here's the sweater before (gorgeous work on my mother's part) and after:

I believe, if this yarn finds itself appropriated into my stash (ahem), it has expressed an interest in possibly becoming a Central Park Hoodie....It was kind of crazy, ripping this thing out. You could see clouds of dust emanating from every ripped row, and there were little rainbow tweedy bits flying all over the place.

Here's the scarf I ripped (one ball of Manos del Uruguay) and the scarf I replaced it with back in January, since I couldn't just take my sister's scarf...It's two balls of Uruguay Chunky from Queensland Collection.

The blue scarf is morphing into a Cloud Bolero. It's already mostly done, actually. I have about 3 pattern repeats before I bind off (woot).

And here is a final picture of the party, courtesy of Becky, on the far right. Laura is in the middle, and I'm the crazy, squinty one on the left. This is why I want to be a photographer, so I can be behind the camera. Behind.

That was a good party. I'm all for doing that on a regular basis.....

On a side note, get Stitchy! held a scavenger hunt, and I decided to go ahead and do it. I turned in my answers about two hours before the deadline....And I actually won third prize! A set of four uber nifty get Stitchy! stitch markers will very soon be mine-all-mine.

Special thanks to the get Stitchy! team for providing some fun entertainment, and congratulations to the other winners and participants!

Not-So-Secret Pal

2007-04-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

Back in March--actually, on St. Patrick's Day--I had the very good fortune of meeting Sarah Lou. We're both members of get Stitchy!, and she had posted a question in the forum about good yarn stores in and around Los Angeles (she and her boyfriend were coming to L.A. for the Wizard World convention). The two of us ended up meeting at Wildfiber in Santa Monica for a few fun but short hours.

While at the shop, Sarah Lou had shown me a graphic novel she enjoyed and offered to pick up a signed copy for me from the convention. I didn't want to just give her money for the book and postage (because that's no fun), so we made an official exchange out of it....

I sent her:

25 yards of a decorative yarn, called a yarnflower
a clear plastic, zippered notions bag with my LYS' logo on it
one-of-a-kind stitchmarkers made by an awesomely cool local knitter
and a copy of the Bathtime Blossoms pattern I just completed.

My goal was to find fun little things unique to my LYS...Sarah Lou posted a picture in her latest blog entry.

Now, for my end of the bargain! I got a signed copy of the graphic novel 'My Dead Girlfriend' and a copy of the Yarn Harlot's new book--signed by the Harlot herself.

Also in the package was a set of three stickers for The Undertaker's Daughter, a killer (no pun intended) comic written by Eric, Sarah Lou's boyfriend.

The best thing I got out of the exchange? A set of four stitchmarkers made by Sarah Lou herself!

They were a surprise...And they're a lot of fun to work with--I have the pink one marking the rounds on my fingerless gloves as we speak!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Project update:

The tricorn hat is waiting for a decorative finish, and then it will be photographed and posted. An entry on the panda hat I've been fighting with since Christmas will also show up, as the damn thing is finally done. And Camisa is on hold for a little bit, as I may have to go a size smaller. It's one of those horrid wait-and-see situations...

That's all at the moment.

Soap-Sack Set

2007-04-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Say that three times fast. Seriously.

I had a lot of fun making this Bathtime Blossoms pattern from Fiber Trends. It was my first official lace project, and it was all for the April Showers -along over at get stitchy!. I'll probably try and make a few more projects for this -along, since it's only been active a week...

Here are both pieces individually:

And here is the set:

The whole thing took less than an entire ball of Dalegarn Stork cotton yarn, and it's really soft--pretty pleasant to work with. As part of finishing, I had to try and find a nice soap and a ribbon. The soap was the easy part--I purchased a lavender scented bar at the drugstore. Now, the ribbon, ha! the ribbon. It's amazing how difficult it was to find just a single length of ribbon in my house. Rummaging through the sewing room, I found what most likely amounts to miles of basting strips and elastic. And yet, no ribbon. But, I did find one. Eventually.

My grandmother was particularly pleased with the gift, albeit a little flabbergasted by the concept of a lacy washcloth. As expected, it will become a decorative feature somewhere in her house, rather than a functional object. But that's alright.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The coming days will bring the return of the long absent tricorn hat project. It has actually been felted! I won't give away anymore details...there will be pictures once it's dry.

.....It's so cool!

Davey Jones

2007-04-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Of course, in the last entry, when I said I'd be posting about the completed nautilus tomorrow, I meant Friday.

So a former coworker and current friend of mine chose this nautilus from a list of potential knitted birthday gifts. It really was the best option, as you don't need scarves, hats, or gloves in this oh-so-frigid SoCal weather. Besides, a knitted nautilus is a quirky item--she said she wants to put it in her car and frighten her passengers. I know only quirky people. And I love it.

The pattern was a lot of fun to make. At the very beginning, my buddies at get stitchy! helped me through understanding how to coil the shell. It wasn't too difficult, one of those things you have to do to understand. The shell came out great, maybe a little under-stuffed in some areas, but nicely coiled.

And instead of knitting the face as a separate piece, as is called for in the pattern, I picked up stitches around the top of the shell and knit up from there. I stopped after a few rounds to weave in the starting end, and then continued on my merry way.

I used the tail leftover from securing the stitches at the top of the face to make the first i-cord tentacle. One less end to weave in!!! The rest of the tentacles went surprisingly fast. The eyes were an exercise in frustration--I cannot cut small, even circles to save my life. But the misshapen eyes are just a part of the nautilus' personality now.

He has been dubbed Davey Jones. At least, by me. I don't know what his new owner will christen him...Here he is:

His eyes are felt, foam, and permanent marker. Because my house is that crafty. He came out so well, if I do say so myself. Hopefully the recipient will enjoy his company as much as I have.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

On Sunday, I'll post my first FO for the April Showers Knit-Along--the entirely-knitted-but-not-yet-finished Bathtime Blossoms washcloth and soap-sack set. Say that three times fast.

Flash Your Stash

2007-04-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

I realize I'm barely under the wire for this one, but that's because at first, I couldn't make up my mind about whether or not I wanted to 'flash my stash'. And then I forgot about the whole thing.

Anyway, here are some pictures from my yarn collection. Not all of it, just some of my favorites...

Socks!

Lucky finds...

Candy.

Spoken for:

And thus concludes 2007's Flash Your Stash Day. Until next time...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tomorrow, we will have the fully complete knitted nautilus. He's drying his eyes right now.

April Showers

2007-03-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

April starts tomorrow, which is rather surreal, as it feels like 2007 has barely begun...But with another month comes another -along, and get stitchy!'s April -along is a bath product theme. I've decided to make a washcloth and soap-sack set for my grandmother for Easter. Which means I have to get hoppin'. <--pun

I'll be knitting the Bathtime Blossoms, from Fiber Trends, using a ball of Dalegarn Stork in a nice spring green:

The washcloth I'm making is the yellow one in the picture. I think it's the nicest.

Unfortunately, I can't start on this until I finish the project that is currently sitting on the required needles: Nautie the nautilus, for a friend's birthday. I'm almost through with the coiled shell portion, so once that's over with, it should go a little more quickly. Famous last words.

I am still working on Camisa. I've run into a bit of an issue in the top half of the back. But as soon as I work myself into the appropriate mindframe to do so, I'll rip it back a ways and fix my mistake. I'm knitting it at a slightly different gauge than what the pattern calls for ( a big no-no, I know), and I just didn't look far enough ahead in the pattern. However, it is quite easily taken care of.

I will have pictures of the nautilus in the coming days, especially as it's now spring break and I will be knitting like a woman possessed.

...Well, more so than normal...

Oh Fffffuuuudggge...

2007-03-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Only I didn't say fudge.

....Four Months Ago....

My story begins with a request from my sister for me to design a baby blanket that uses the Airforce Explosive Ordnance Disposal (hereafter, EOD) symbol:
Oh, I thought, this will be simple! I can create a sort of relief motif using purl stitches on a stockinette background. So I used the nifty knitPro chart generator to create a graph that was 124 stitches by 90 rows. You read that right. Undaunted, I proceeded to knit what I apparently called a "gauge swatch", and designed the blanket from there.

The deadline for the finished product kept getting moved back, until there wasn't one at all. I put the blanket aside and worked on every other project I've completed since then.

....Two Weeks Ago....

I found myself determined to knit myself two sweaters I'd seen. I studied the patterns, decided on sizes, bought the yarn, and knit real gauge swatches. But, I decided to make myself earn these projects by finishing up some stragglers. Straggler Number One: the EOD Baby Blanket. Days went by, and I merrily knitted along, crossing off more and more lines on the chart. Then, it began to get tedious. I wanted it to end! No more EOD blanket! I perservered. And, at length, I finished. After single crocheting the edges, I laid it out flat to survey my work.

It was lumpy, awkward, and entirely the wrong shape. My "gauge swatch" for this blanket lied to me. Obviously, I had completely misinterpreted it.

So, here it is--still lumpy, awkward, and misshapen--not fit for a gift or donation:

I would probably rate this as one of the most difficult things I've knitted. Not because it's a complicated pattern--not in the least--but because it was so tedious, time-consuming, and in the end, wholly unsatisfying. I hope I never have to knit one again.

The upside of all this though, is, I have an FO and I know how I'd change it if, for whatever insane reason, I cast it on once more....

....Fin....

Namaste

2007-03-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

When I started my yoga class at the beginning of the semester, I was thrilled at the prospect of knitting the mat bag from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation. Unfortunately, for a reason still unkown to myself, I could not get the lace pattern to work out properly. Not at all.

So, while ruthlessly ripping out what I had managed to knit, I formulated a cunning plan. After taking several measurements and experimenting with a basic stitch pattern, I came up with this:

I did this entirely on double pointed needles. It was not fun. But it did come out quite nicely and does its intended job well.

The bag earned several positive reactions from classmates, and one offered to pay me to make one for him. This provided an opportunity for me to try out my pattern again. I knit this one on circulars:

He also requested a small pocket. Well. This posed an interesting dilemma. The pocket itself came out fine, and I finally learned mattress stitch in order to attach it. What I wasn't anticipating was having it appear anatomically correct....There simply was no good way to place that pocket on the center panel without it looking like a 'manly bulge'. I decided not to mention that aspect when I showed the bag to my mother. She recognized it on her own. And had a pretty good laugh.

So I moved the pocket to the only place it had left go--the base of the shoulder strap:

There's not much room, but he only wanted it for his keys. He'll be getting it tonight. Hopefully he likes it.

On another note, I'm practically beside myself with excitement: I've started two sweaters, just for me! And they'll actually be wearable! And the yarn is fabulous!

I'll post progress on both once I've eliminated a few other projects. Namely, mostly-completed-projects that just need a few finishing touches. Felting, shaping, ears. Things like that.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2007-03-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for this day to post the green hat I made for the get stitchy! Green Hat-Along:
I used this tam pattern and just your basic Plymouth Encore Worsted. Here's the hat:

Today was an awesome day--I got to meet Sarah Lou at Wildfiber! We had fun poking around the store, talking about knitting and graphic novels. Luckily, I managed to get out of the store without buying any yarn. However, I did get this:

It's very roomy and has a zippered pocket and cellphone holder inside. And I've got plenty of projects to fill it up....

Now I can say I love Karaoke....

2007-03-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

But only to knit with.

For my first official cabled project, I decided to make the Karaoke Cable Scarf, a free pattern provided by the Midnight Knitter at kpixie.com. Three plugs in one sentence--Ithankyou.

First of all, the yarn was interesting to work with. Two complaints: this particular yarn had a hard time keeping itself together (in some parts, the gentlest tug would separate the strand. Luckily it's a felting yarn, so splicing worked well. Still it was nerve-racking); and I didn't have the easiest time of incorporating a second ball of yarn, in terms of matching color progression.

But, all that aside, I quite like this yarn. It's soft, and relatively non-itchy, although that's apparently dependent upon the colorway. I used Mermaid Mix for mine--it was not fuzzy at all and it prickles only imperceptibly. My mother liked mine so much, she requested one for herself in the rainbow colorway (which was a welcome diversion, since I had to wait a good month for my second ball of yarn and this pattern is hopelessly addicting) . It came out extremely fuzzy and considerably more prickly.

Enough blathering. Let us have pictures.

And here's a slightly blurry close up of mine:

At the beginning of my scarf, I turned the second cable two rows later than the pattern calls for, and so I did the same at the end. Mistake = design element. It was supposed to be like that.

I'd also like to add that the rainbow scarf is partially in honor of Ruth, the knitter-administrator-blogger extraordinaire of get stitchy! and blue thing pie. She did it first!

More to come.....

Keyhole Top

2007-03-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

This top is for a former coworker of mine--an amazingly caring, supportive, and intelligent woman. When I took up knitting, I promised to make her something, but I didn't want it to be a scarf or a hat. Mostly because scarves aren't necessary, really, in our coastal town, and I don't know if she'd actually wear a hat. So I picked this keyhole top pattern from the summer 2006 issue of Knit.1 magazine. Supposedly an easy pattern.

It really wasn't too difficult of a pattern--minimal shaping, bulky yarn on big needles. But, there were issues with the pattern itself, and I didn't have enough experience at the time to comfortably alter it. So I got angry at it and shoved the whole project in a corner.

Four months later, I pulled it out again. This time, I was ready for it: I knit the main body in the round and changed the decreases in the armholes and neck shaping.

The best part? It actually came out. Quite nicely.

The front:

The back and the button:The pattern called for Lion Brand Incredible. After a failed attempt at finding a substitute, I went with the Incredible. I wouldn't say it was particularly wonderful to work with, though it came out looking better than I was expecting.

Now all I can do is wait to find out if it actually fits her....

Reversible Cables

2007-02-25T12:46:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, I took a class in reversible cables at my LYS. The instructor is an established designer, and works for Plymouth Yarns at the moment. I'm fairly new to cabling, and I was a little concerned it might be a tad overwhelming, but it turned out to be--as cables are themselves--much easier than it looked...

Here is my gigantic and lumpy swatch! I used a light, chunky yarn, so I'd really be able to see the stitches:

The only thing I didn't like about the class was having to do odd-numbered cables--I don't think they look as neat. But that's easily remedied.

For now, the pattern the instructor gave us calls for basic cables, but I'm working on creating a more complicated cable reversible as well. Just to make it a little more interesting.

I'm definitely looking forward to getting the cable volume of the Vogue Stitchionaries. I already have one and three, but I promised myself (and my bank account) I would wait until I actually knew how to do cables before buying this book.

Coming up, I have more on the tricorn hat as well as my second-ever knitted garment....

Tricorn Hat: Part One

2007-02-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine said once that he would have a tricorn pirate hat at some point in his life. To date, he hasn't been able to find one. So when I found this wonderfully free pattern, I decided I would be very wrong indeed not to provide him with one. I was originally going to knit him a sweater, but I was having trouble finding the right pattern. As soon as I saw this though, my mind was set. The sweater yarn will go towards someone else (probably me).

Here is the lovely Cascade 220 I'll be using. The picture doesn't quite capture the red undertones, but they're there. By the way, size 13US bamboo dpns are expensive. We're talking rosewood-ebony expensive. Three cheers for employee discounts...

I knit a 6" by 5" swatch to do a test felt, as I have a front-loading washer and will try to use the 'dryer method'. Here it is before felting:
And after:
It doesn't look too different, but it did felt a little and it shrank an inch in length. The reason why it didn't felt as much as it really should have is because, me being me, I didn't start the process until about 11:30 at night. So this is after maybe half an hour in the dryer. I expect it'll turn out if I put the hat in for at least an uninterrupted hour. After all, this is how the authors of the pattern did it. Hopefully it will work out.

I'll try to keep my progress posted...

Short Row Mania!

2007-02-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

I promised my mother a knitted item for Christmas, and to make up for not having it in time for the holiday, I had her tell me what she wanted me to make and with what yarn. She asked for a scarf using Filatura di Crosa 127 Print. Expect that name to show up regularly in this little blogging venture.

Now, by January, I was almost burnt out on knitting, so I wanted a pattern that would be fun and at the same time, require a little more attention. So I chose Karen Baumer's multidirectional diagonal scarf. The triangle sections are evocative of quilted pieces, and since me mum is a quilter, I felt she would like it particularly.

First off, I have to say that this was so much fun to make! It was fascinating to watch each section take shape, as well as how the colors in the yarn distributed throughout. And it's a wonderful exercise in short rows. When I got to the end, I followed the standard pattern, but wasn't pleased with the results. I found the alternate ending (included in the link above), which makes the scarf completely symmetrical and much more satisfying to complete. Et voila:

And with the leftover yarn, I whipped up another fun short row project: Calorimetry from the latest issue of Knitty. The little sucker was addictive--I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to get half way, and then did the same the next night to finish it. It came out quite splendid, but I need to weave in the ends and attach a button. As soon as that's done, I'll post pictures.

I find short rows truly enjoyable. They make your knitting interesting, and force you to focus a tad more than you might normally.

More pictures to come.........Bon soir!

Les Chapeaux

2007-02-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Finally, finally, finally. I have the hat pictures I've been promising since December. Our models today are my friend Desk Lamp and a head form at my LYS. So lets get right to it...

Both of these hats are for my step-brothers. The first is for the older one--he needed a new ski hat, et voila--earflaps to the rescue! I have to say though, this hat gave me hell. The finished product is the result of about five fatally flawed attempts. I was ecstatic when I finally finished it. The beanie is for the surf-y, skateboard-y brother. These are their Christmas presents. There has yet to be a good time to meet and exchange gifts. Hopefully, they'll get them before summer! (It's not like there's any snow right now anyway...)

This is my favorite hat--mostly because it's made of Filatura di Crosa's 127 Print and it's my first free-hand hat. I had a hard time finding a pattern I liked, so I combined certain elements, and behold: a mutant hat! I especially love the way the colors panned out in the round (look at the swirl on top!). The recipient was pleasantly surprised, and he seemed to really like it.

And here is the Very First Hat I ever made. I did it just for fun, using the pattern from Knit.1's Fall 2006 issue. Now I can pretend to have a mohawk and there's no need to shave my head! Pom poms are not particularly enjoyable to make. The yarn is simply Plymouth Encore Chunky, as is the first hat. The second hat up there is Encore Worsted.

So there they are! My first series of hats. I have a strawberry hat lined up for my niece and I'm currently working out the bugs in a prototype panda hat.

In the coming days, I hope to have all the pictures I need to show off some of the scarves I've been making.

That be all.

In spite of a lack of knitting....

2007-01-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

...it's been an enjoyable past ten days. My sister came from back east to visit, and she (of course) brought my 7 month old niece with her. I finally got to meet my niece! She is really quite adorable. Very impish, and shaping up to be pretty intelligent. When I first started knitting, I wanted to make the baby halter from knitty.com, but I didn't know how to use circulars. Every time someone tried to explain it to me, my brain would bend. Literally. So I made my own instead:

It's very much a prototype, and now that I've been knitting longer (a whole 4 months!), I understand what I can do differently. So I've altered the written pattern, and will probably try it out again, once all of my outstanding WIPs are dispatched.

On a non-knitting related note--my sister and I went to Medieval Times last week, stayed the night at the Jolly Roger, and went to Disneyland the next day. Medieval Times was. so. unbelievably. awesome. We were in the Royalty Section (front row) and cheered on the Blue Knight. And you know what's even cooler? Our knight won! The first time we ever go, we get to cheer on the winning knight wearing paper crowns and waving ribbons glued to straws. Oh it was so awesome.

And then there was Disneyland. The longest wait we had was 20 minutes. We rode the spiffy new Space Mountain featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers 4 times, three times in the front. We also got the front row on Pirates of the Caribbean, and had dinner at the Blue Bayou. The only downside was the Haunted Mansion being closed for refurbishment. But other than that, it was the single best time I have ever had at Disneyland.

So, I promise the next entry will be more to the point of this little blogging venture. More scarves, and my first series of hats!

I Didn't Even Procrastinate!

2007-01-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

As per my usual modus operandi. But NOOO. Christmas knitting is still not entirely done. Really, it's my own fault--I bit off way more than I could chew.

The resulting problem is that I now have several started projects, and every time I finish one, two more appear on the to-do list...And for the past three days, I haven't touched a single one of those aforementioned projects.

However, I am very much looking forward to February 18th. Why, you may ask? Because that is when I learn reversible cables. Oh yes. And when I have learned reversible cables, I am making MY scarf for ME. Out of the lucious Misti Chunky Baby Alpaca. Double oh yes.

And in the coming days, I will have pictures! I have actually made it to the top of Holiday Knitting Mountain and am on my way back down.

Until then....

Christmas Knitting

2006-12-31T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here are three of the gifts I gave this season. I have several others of course, but I'm waiting to finish a couple of projects as well as waiting for certain gifts to be opened. So more will come later. For now, here are the ones I am no longer unable to post!

This is a square I did for my mother for her birthday, which is the 22nd. It's supposed to be Anthony Bourdain, her favorite chef. It didn't come out quite the way I wanted it to, and now we don't know what to do with it, but she loved it all the same.
I made this bag for the little girl who lives next door to me--her favorite colors are pink and purple. Just a basic pattern: one long rectangle, sew up the sides, and fold over the flap. I think it came out fairly well, and she screeched (shrilly) when she ripped off the wrapping paper!

This is one of the presents I'm most proud of, simply because it was the largest item I've attempted since my Demented Muppet Sweater (see second entry). Also, it was my own pattern and I completed it in less than three days. I designed it specifically for my grandmother who wanted a knitted tote bag of sorts. It's not quite as big as a tote bag, but your average laptop would fit quite comfortably. It's a little lumpy in places, but Grandma loved the texture as much as the fleur de lis.

Now for my own Christmas presents!

I was surprised by how much knitting stuff I actually got this year! I wasn't expecting much overall. So here goes:

My grandmother got me the basket for my yarn, as well as the lovely Lantern Moon needle case on the left,
My mother also got me a Lantern Moon needle case, which I turned into the two hanks of Noro Kochoran, which will become a cabled bag for myself,
She also got me the pattern-a-day calendar,
And the Romantic Style pattern book--there's a bath robe in there I've been lusting after for ages,
My neighbor got me a $20 gift certificate to my LYS and I used it to get 4 balls of Rowan Romance to make myself a beret. Just for the hell of it.
And finally, the owner of said LYS (whom I also work for) got me that pair of leopard print Gingher scissors.

I would have to say it was a very good Christmas. I have two more posts lined up--scarves and hats. But a lot of those items haven't been opened yet (or finished).

For now....I wish you a happy new year!!!

Stash!

2006-12-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

Like any procrastinator worth his or her salt, I'm definitely down to the wire on gifts. Luckily, I have the glorious loophole of not seeing everyone I have gifts for until after the actual holiday.

I have a few projects I haven't even started--two scarves, one hat (which I actually did start but I messed up in a huge way, so it needs to be restarted), a bag, and probably a couple of other things I'll remember at one in the morning.

Since I don't have any new project photos up (there will be one on hats and another set of scarves, plus a few odds and ends I cannot reveal until Christmas has come and gone), here's a peek at some of my yarn:

Here is one of 4 balls and an unwound hank of Blue Sky Organic Cotton. This is for a hoodie I'm making for a friend--I knitted a test swatch to put through the washer and dryer, and it came out grand. It even reshaped itself to the proper gauge for the project!

This is the one entire ball of Manos del Uruguay Midnight I had left after a project. A whole ball! I wonder what I can do with it....

Handspun, hand-dyed wool from Woolbearers Yarn in New Jersey. My sister got it for me for my birthday a week ago.

Meet Macbeth! I love it for the color name alone...This is Kidsilk Night from Rowan. Expensive stuff, but I work in a yarn store and these were the only three we had. You can't pass up something you always visit whenever you work.

Ah, yes. Crystal Palace Soiree. This little darling exploded in a cubby hole at the yarn shop mentioned previously, and no one could get it untangled. So I was allowed to take it home and drive myself insane for free! It certainly lives up to its name--if your idea of a party is giving into a masochistic urge to untie knots. I guess the best way to get through it is think like Maniac Magee.

Well, that's all I have to offer at the moment...Happy Knitting!

What Kind of Yarn Are You?

2006-12-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a little on the harsh side. Though you look delicate you are tough as nails and prone to intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are widely respected and even revered.
Take this quiz

Scarves

2006-12-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

Like any new knitter, I've made several scarves. My very first official scarf I made before I was really a knitter. I had just happened to find some interesting yarn and decided to make something of it. It didn't come out very well--the needle size was too big and the ends didn't stay woven in. When I actually sat down to become the manic knitter I am today, the first scarf I made was in stockinette. Enough said.

Now, here are the scarves I've made that turned out just fine:

This I made for a former coworker using Crystal Palace Poof yarn. The yarn was frustrating because it wasn't always easy to find the actual thread and I'd end up knitting the fibers. It does knit up nice though, and is quite soft.

These I made for the two kids I babysit--the boy's out of the remainder of the Poof yarn, and the little girl's out of some yarn that had been hidden in my mother's stash, leftover from a sweater.

This one is Plymouth Encore Mega--two skeins on size fifteen US. It's a birthday present for my brother, and it needed to knit up quickly. Unfortunately, while super bulky yarn provides almost instant gratification, the range of stitch patterns applicable to a scarf of that gauge is limited. So I did basketweave.

My favorite scarf. Ever. Made for my brother-in-law using 127 Print from Filatura Di Crosa and simple basketweave pattern. This yarn is absolutely gorgeous and a joy to work with. The best part is when you're knitting along in a solid color (this one black, I also have it in olive green) and then suddenly the next stitch is a jewel-toned blue or fiery orange.

I have several more scarves in line for various other family members. I've got some beautiful Manos del Uruguay in Midnight and Misti Baby Alpaca just waiting...

Number Two

2006-12-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

So apparently this little blog works. Although, I can't log in through the Blogger page--I have to go through Google. Maybe it'll straighten itself out eventually.

On to knitting. I'm basically self-taught (after a push in the proper direction by me mum), and it's been a haphazard education as a result. There really isn't anything I hate about knitting, with the exception of ribbon yarn, the single cast-on, and weaving in ends--not so much the doing as I worry about whether they're actually secure or not. Blah blah blah, I will stop for the moment and give you pictures!

This is my first sweater. We had nearly 25 balls of this yarn, so I thought it would be good, inexpensive practice. The yarn actually doesn't exist as a brand anymore--Blarney something. It's pink (obviously) with orange pills on it. I've dubbed this The Demented Muppet Sweater. It's about three sizes too large and a little lopsided, and I picked up too many stitches on the neck. This sweater introduced me to the concept of gauge--I've had trouble with it ever since.

An iPod cozy of entirely my own design, with the exception of the skull graph...I don't remember where I got it from...Anyway, the front has an opening for the touchpad, and the corners at the top keep it on the iPod without covering the screen or the earbud port. It's far from perfect, but considering it was the first pattern I designed and I did so without an iPod or anything remotely similar in dimensions in front of me, I think it came out pretty well.

There are a couple of other items I would like to post, however, these items cannot be seen until after gift season has ended. Which is fairly annoying because the two knitted items I'm most proud of are these gifts, and I kind of want to brag about them a little...Oh well.

My current projects include a birthday scarf, my first hat, a pair of fingerless gloves, a baby blanket, and a sleeveless top. I have maybe three times that many projects lined up as well, and I'm looking forward to making them all.

Number One

2006-11-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

I tried setting up one of these things several weeks ago, and I could never get it to work properly. Very annoying.

Well, obviously I am joining the hoards of people already 'blogging', but this is going to be a part of the subculture of knitting blogs. Mostly because the latent exhibitionist in me wants to put my stuff out there for everyone to see. Now, whether or not anyone actually does see this is a whole other question entirely.

On to the knitting.

My mother has always been disappointed by my never taking to the various domestic crafts (she is an aspiring chef and an amazing seamstress), and tried several times throughout my single-digit years to get me knitting. Three months ago, I left my job--or rather, it pulled the employment rug out from under me--and I had nothing to do. So I started knitting. It was slow-going at first, of course, but within a couple weeks I dove in headfirst. I've made the requisite sea of scarves, and my first sweater. I've also started designing my own patterns, and have a much longer list of knitted Christmas gifts than I can probably manage, but I shall perservere.

In the past two weeks, I've taught myself how to use double-pointed needles (which I still find frightening) by working on this pair of fingerless gloves.

I shall soon provide pictures...