Gloving it

I still have the gloves for Dneph on the needles, but he really wanted some right away, so I made him a plain pair out of the leftovers of the Limari.  He likes them well enough to wear them to school and around the house, taking them off only to eat and bathe :)  When I finish the other ones, I can use them as a gift of some sort.  I do want to get them done, but they take concentration and the chart is a bit bigger than I'm comfortable with using on the bus.  Ah well.

I'm going to be babysitting my nieces next weekend, so I need to come up with some projects.  I'm thinking of doing the woven felt pillow with my oldest niece.  The nice thing is that you end up with a finished object at the end!  DP offered to take me to the fabric store, so we might do that tomorrow.  We could also do some food projects - maybe make some of those cake pops.  Rather than using candy disks to coat (tons of poisons) we could just use chocolate, maybe mixed with some coconut oil for stability.  Both projects should use up chunks of time between snacks and naps :)

I'm in the middle of DP's scarf right now, and worried about running out of yarn.  I went back to the yarn store, but they were out of that color, though they did have a ton of Madelinetosh DK.  I prefer Vintage weight, but I had a gift certificate, so I just went with it :)  My sister also asked me to add on to the twins' winter hats, because they are a bit too short.  I don't think I have any of that Madelinetosh left, but I might have something in near the same weight.

I also have an idea for a cowl floating around in my head.  It's based on the Brising necklace, and I'm thinking of either a gold yarn or a silvergilt (maybe that silk/cashmere?).  Maybe using chain ribbing and one large motif in the middle.  I just have to decide who to give such a thing to!  I'm planning my attack for Christmas, so now is the time to get the pattern ideas worked out.  Food items and/or sewing might also play a part, and I already have a book for the oldest of my younger brothers.

Tsk, tsk

Another long dry spell - I blame the holiday season :)

I actually released another of my shawl patterns, the Lady of Rohan. It took me a long time to write up the pattern, and I think there may still be mistakes, but I wanted to get it out there. I also want to release my this and that mitts, but I need to reknit a sample, since I don't have the originals anymore.

I finished the little cardigan for my niece, and she even wore it! Of course, it was way too big, but hopefully it will fit when it's cooler outside.

I'm currently working on a featherweight cardigan for my sister. It's basically just a top down raglan in laceweight on large needles, but I'm very excited about it. Maybe I'll even finish it!

I'm not allowing myself to buy the other cardigan pattern until I finish this one. Since I'm extremely excited about the other cardi, I hope this will give me the push I need.

I'm still trying to felt the thumbs for the mittens I started making last year. For some reason, they just won't felt, even though they're made of the same yarn as the mittens. I'll keep trying.

For the water-along in the Folklore & Fairytales group, I think I'm going to try to spin up the "ultramarine" that I bought from Cupcake Fiber. The person I asked about the batts was right. This stuff is amazing. Best batts I've ever spun, excepting my own (those last ones I made).

I'm pretty excited for fall, even with the extra workload, because I feel like I'll get deeper into knitting and spinning.

I've also decided that I really, really need some relaxing skirts. Since I can't seem to make one worth beans, I'm going to have to get someone to make one for me. I ordered one from a person on Etsy...we'll see what happens. I'm just more comfortable in a skirt than pants - I'm even wearing a skirt right now, and it's Saturday afternoon :) I tried to buy a skirt from Zappos, but I didn't read the explanation correctly or something, and it was sheer with a little mid thigh slip. Eep! Not the kind of thing I can feel relaxed in.

I finally finished working my way through the Val Lewton collection, and I was severely un-impressed. The best one was Cat People, which is saying something. Bedlam was supremely irritating, as was Ghost Ship. The thing I didn't like was the "happy ending"...if you could call it that. Conflicts were built up, but either were not resolved at all (just forgotten about) or were resolved in a really lame deus ex machina way (see the end of Bedlam). Sigh. I did see an extremely great movie with Edward G. and Boris Karloff, 5 Star Final, about a newspaper digging up dirt on a woman acquitted of murder twenty years before. I'd never heard of it until DP mentioned it, but I loved it. Pre-code, so a lot of snappy dialog, strong women, and just plain craziness. Edward G. was at his best, I thought.

Watching movies like that with DP reminds me of when we were dating, and we'd go down to the local video store to pick out an obscure movie or two every weekend. It's hard to believe that we'll be married for 11 years in October.

I just recently had a birthday, and for a present DP brought me to the liquor store and said I could pick out a case of wines that I wanted, so I wouldn't feel bad if I drank a bottle without him. He loves Valpolicella, and so do I, but I thought I'd branch out a bit. I even bought a Burgundy, which I haven't had since before I was married. My friend Alan, my sister, and I had some amazing wine and crackers one night when he was off duty and in town. I haven't seen him in years now...I think he has three or four kids at this point.

I'm off to try to get another couple of inches in on the featherweight!

It's been a while

Two weeks? What the heck happened?

Things are completely insane at work with the holiday coming up and the large freezer defunct. I'm getting various freezer donations, but it's like tetris over here.

I was happy to see "Shrove Tuesday Recipes" when I opened up allrecipes.com today - the historian in me always gets a kick out of that kind of thing.

I still haven't finished even the first Nibblers sock. I haven't been doing much knitting lately, due to some issues, and I can really tell that my mood is bluer because of it.

I ended up making a baby blanket for my cousin's shower - just a flannel one, with little pictures of birds in blue, brown and pink. I love those colors together! DP was actually jealous of the blanket, and if he'd been a baby, he would have stolen it for himself :)

My sister finds out in two weeks the sexes of her twins. I'm pretty excited, because once I know the sexes, I can start on the projects. DP will probably be annoyed at the craftosity, but c'est la vie. I can't wait! My hope is for one girl and one boy (that's what I hoped for when my mom was pregnant with twins, but she ended up with my brothers - sigh!).

I'd really like to work up my forest of Brethil socks for Ravelry. They're pretty easy, and I think people might enjoy making them. At the very least, I'd like another pair for myself :) Why don't I seem to be able to just sit down and pattern write?

Back to it!

Possible knitter?

I was at my sister's house yesterday, knitting on that One Scarf from KnitCircus, when my niece came over to me and asked if she could hold my knitting (she's 2 1/2). I gave it to her, and she started trying to knit! I was using big needles (US 15) and roving, so it was sized for her to manipulate. My sister joked that her daughter would end up knowing how to knit before she did :) It's been the story of our lives that I try to teach my sister a craft and she never takes to it. The only craft she really got into was card making, but chasing my niece around all day leaves little time for hand crafting anything.

I'm almost done with that scarf; I actually finished the 8 repeats of the cable pattern, but I think I might want to do a few more. I've gotta think about it. I also need to work on the lace fingerless gloves and the fingerless gloves for my niece. A few weeks ago, my sister and I were talking about the fact that her daughter runs warm and doesn't like wearing winter clothes (example: she's still in capri pants and shorts). I asked if she'd wear mittens, and my sister said no way, so I said, what about fingerless gloves? We thought it just might work, so I started fiddling around with different patterns. No final thing yet, but some options - the main thing is: tight or loose? I don't know what will be more hateful, and I haven't been able to put anything on her yet :)

Couldn't resist

A few weeks ago, I broke down and bought a subscription to KnitCircus, since I seem to be singularly unable to win one, though I've entered a ton of contests :) I did not buy the gifts issue, because I figured I didn't need it and should save my money, blah, blah, blah. Well, I just bought it - I couldn't resist any longer.

I'm off to peruse it!

What next?

Now that Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I'm going a bit crazy. There are only a few weeks left until Christmas, and I haven't really made or bought anything for anyone. I want to finish my fingerless gloves (turns out they weren't needed for the swap, so they're not done) and DP's socks, and start another pair of socks for DP that I just got the yarn for. But I still need to come up with something for my brothers, my sister, my parents, my niece and all of DP's family. Money's always good, right?

I really enjoyed writing up the two patterns I put on Ravelry, and I want to write up more of the things I make. It's actually fun :) But I need to focus, which has been difficult lately.

On the spinning front, I'm way behind in where I wanted to be. I'm getting better on the charkha, but I haven't had as much time to practice as I'd like, and I haven't been able to knit up any of my handspun that I made with projects in mind. I haven't even finished the weaving I started at the beginning of the summer.

As you can tell, my brain is all over the place...I feel like I can't get anything done, but all that does is make me too discouraged to even try. Help!

I give up

Since I can't seem to take a good picture of myself, and my DH is not up to the challenge, I give you this lame-ola pic of my Surplice Bodice Camisole:



What: Surplice Bodice Camisole, from Knitting Lingerie Style
Time: 11 days
Materials: A little over 6 skeins of Louisa Harding Grace (silk/wool blend)
Needles: US 7
Modifications: I knitted this as one piece, rather than seaming it together.

I love this top, but I have to decide which tank top to wear underneath. In washing, it grew just a hair too much for me to only wear a bra under it. However, I'm very excited to wear it out to dinner at some point! It was very easy to knit, and it went quickly, even with my modifications. The only issue I had was that at some point in the lace knitting, I entered the black hole and seemed to make no progress no matter how much I knit on it. That passed, and left me with a loverly top.

I decided to give my brain a break, so I started the Beginner's Triangle Shawl from A Gathering of Lace. It is pretty easy, and I'm going to work on it when I need some down time.

I also took some of the Crown Mountain roving to work with me today, to spin on my way home. It's soooo easy to spin. I'm having very little drafting issues, and there are no bits that are felted together from the dye process. When I finish this batch, I think I'll have to buy more in another colorway. Thank you so much, Amanda, for steering me towards it!

Yarny

My arm numbness finally wore off, so I've been spinning the Crown Mountain roving, and I think I love it :) It went from this:


To this:


It's a Navaho-ply, around fingering weight, about 100 yards. I was too impatient to see what it would look like plied to spin more of the singles.

I'm also eagerly awaiting my June STR shipment...

In other news, I found out that my best friend from high school is getting married in a month. We became friends about 20 years ago, when I taught her how to crochet on the playground. In honor of that, I was planning on crocheting her a shawl. I'm not going to say which one, because I have a bit of a problem with the pattern. It was published in a book, and also available from the pattern writer's website. I figured that since I didn't like the book, I'd buy the pattern from the writer. I bought it, downloaded it, and found it riddled with errors. I could figure my way around them since I know how to crochet :), but it sort of took the excitement out of making the shawl. I went to the bookstore a couple of days later to buy a book for my dad, and I picked up the book with the pattern in it, to see if it made more sense in book form. Lo and behold--the errors in the pattern that I bought were not in the pattern as it appeared in the book. Frankly, I find that SUPREMELY irritating.

Still no picture of the surplice bodice camisole: the ones I took were awful, so I need to clean them up.

Too many projects

Sigh. I am just too tempted by projects. I'm currently working on my STR sockies, and I'm about a third done. I love anklets :) I really want to cast on for another project from KLS, but I should wait for the KAL to begin. During lunch, I was looking at knitty, and I think I'm going to have to make the Unmentionables. I just can't resist them. Plus, I have 4 skeins of yarn that are screaming at me to become 2 pairs of socks. Really--every time I walk past my stash tote, they shout at me. Can't anyone else hear it?

I also just got a gift certificate to my LYS from the mom of a bar mitzvah--$50! I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it.

(Looking back on what I just wrote, it reminds me of the moment in the TTC journey when you realize that you know [and use] way too many acronyms.)

I'm religiously following the trail of my Crown Mountain Farms roving on its way to my apartment. Spinning some of the batts from Abby has made me a lot more relaxed about my spinning, but also a lot more confident. I'm really impatient for that fiber to get here.

My italian sausages are almost done, so I better grab them before they burn!

Ain't No (Crown) Mountain High Enough...

My roving from Crown Mountain has shipped--I'm so excited!

To answer Amanda, my grasshoppers are not too droopy, though that might be because I ended them before I got to my calf. I think that would be the spot that could cause problems. I made the large size (I'm a size 10 wide), followed the directions for where to start the heel and had no problems with it. Though, "fiddlyness, thy name is reverse gusset heel." I love the end result, but the heel was a bit obnoxious. Nothing specific, just irritating.

I'm happy to see that the new Knitty is up. Wisp, in particular, is very tempting. Unfortunately, my mohair allergy has progressed to epic, palm scratching/breaking out in hives proportions, so I won't be able to knit with my KSH anytime soon.

On the surplice bodice front, my sister told me that I could use some of the purple ribbon she had left over from her wedding, so as soon as I see her, I'll be able to wear the bodice :) I now have to decide what to make next out of KLS. I'm thinking of the silk slip...

Spinsterism

So, yesterday I was bummed out because the Sock Hop yarn from Crown Mountain Farms that would be perfect for my sister-in-law's socks was out of stock. But as I was looking at all the other beautiful Sock Hop yarns, I realized that the names were familiar: I had read about someone spinning roving with those same names. Silly me, I hadn't even thought of that! I bopped over to the fiber page and ordered the color of fiber that I would have bought in the yarn. So, I'll just spin up the yarn and then I'll have what I need. (This also means I can dye the KP yarn I bought in some colors that I want:) )

My surplice bodice is done, but I found that the ribbon I had is not long enough--not even a yard. I'm going to have to trick someone into driving me to the fabric store at some point. I'm trying to decide whether to wear it with a tank top underneath (since it's really low cut) or to buy a fancy bra and let it show. I'm not sure how daring I want to be. No pic yet as it's still drying.

I cast on for the STR anklets; I may use the lace pattern from the surplice bodice for these sockies. Since it's Knit In Public day today, I'm thinking of going down to the Sundance Cafe and working on the sockies while listening to my LOTR audiobook. This version is the best I've heard. If you're a longtime reader of the books, you'll notice that sometimes Robert Inglis says the wrong words, but his reading is wonderful. It's much better than the BBC dramatization, which is too dramatic in my opinion.

Yarn drought

Argh. It may seem odd that someone with enough yarn for 10 pairs of socks, several thousand yards of laceweight and 15 pounds of unspun fiber could suffer a yarn drought. Alas, it's true. The one yarn I need more of is not here. It's on its way here, traveling from NYC, but it's not here yet and I'm totally bummed. I was hoping to finish my surplice bodice camisole from KLS this weekend, but if that yarn doesn't get here in tomorrow's mail, no dice. Double argh.

I read an interesting review of Kitting Lingerie Style here. I enjoyed seeing someone else's perspective on the patterns. The comments on the review are neat too. I think I'll be joining the KAL; I should have at least 2 pieces done by the time it starts, so I should have a grasp on how to knit the patterns.

In the "not all people are jerks" category, I had an awesome email back-and-forth with a rabbi in Israel yesterday. I've been looking for an English translation of one of his books, and I can't find it anywhere--I've asked booksellers all over the country, and no one has it. I found the author's email while surfing around, and I decided to take a chance. He emailed me back that he'll send me a copy! He was very nice about it.

I still need to finish the ribbing on the grasshoppers, so I guess that's what I'll be up to this weekend. I just got bored with the pattern and so couldn't make them kneesocks. Maybe I'll get more gumption at some point and be able to make a pair of knee highs.

Socks and camis

I've been a busy little creature lately. Over my break, I made this:


What: Cotton Cami, less expensive cousin of the "silk and pearls cami" from Knitting Lingerie Style
Time:Begun Thursday morning, finished Saturday evening (because of the cursed seaming)
Materials: 2.5 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton in sage
Needles: US 9

This was a great little knit, and I'll definitely make it again, perhaps out of silk or a silk blend. It was easy, but my seaming definitely needs work. My first attempt looked like absolute garbage, and I ripped it out. My next attempt, using mattress stitch, was much better. I'd probably make this in the round next time, instead of making the front and the back and seaming, mostly because I don't like seaming. If I did it in the round, I might add an EZ-esque "phony seam" for looks.

My next project (already begun) is the Surplice Bodice Camisole, using Louisa Harding's Grace (50/50 silk/wool) in deep purple with a dark chocolate stripe. I love the feel of Grace and the fabric it knits into, and I'm so excited for this piece. I'm almost done with the top of the bodice already. I may end up using another lace pattern, or I may use the pattern in the book; I haven't decided yet.

I have decided that I'm going to end my grasshoppers soon, and make another pair of silkie ankle socks for a friend of my sister. I'll definitely have enough yarn, and she has the same size feet I do, so I'll be able to make them up no problem.

I'm on the lookout for a black and yellow sock yarn for one of my sisters-in-law. I've seen Lorna's Laces bee stripe yarn, but I'm not sure if I'll use it. I may end up dyeing my own, especially since I bought Knit Picks bare sock yarn for that purpose!

Well, my supper is almost done, so I'd better go eat it. The sooner I do, the sooner I can work on the camisole.

Why is it...

That nothing I say at work can just be accepted? I have a policy in place about bringing donations to the library: call or email first. The president of the NP came in today with books that she didn't call or email about. I told her my policy, and then said that I'd just hold them for the librarian until she came in later, but that in the future she needed to call first. The prez got offended by that. Why? She's giving us junk and making us have to deal with disposing of it--shouldn't I be the one who's offended? Of course not. ARGH.

In other news, I finished both heels of my grasshoppers and an inch of the legs. I'm not sure when/if I'm going to do the increases, or if I'll do them as written. The lace is darn stretchy, so I don't know if they'll fall down if I add more stitches.

I also got my copy of Knitting Lingerie Style (finally!). There are a lot of interesting patters, and a lot of patterns I'd never knit in a million years. It's not that they're too scandalous, but that they're just ugly. There's a "camisole" in Douceur et Soie with ruching on the sides that looks like it's just an ill-filling cardigan sewn together in the front. But there's an amazing looking wasp-waist-style sweater that I think I'll have to make. It looks lovely, and I think I would work for those of us that have a bit of a tummy. A couple of the camisoles also look like good summer tank top patterns, so I might have to whip one up for my walks home from work. All in all, the book was worth the money.

I generally get bummed when people dis a book because they don't want to work all the patterns in it--you have to expect that not everything can be a must-make. I consider a 50/50 ratio of good to bad patterns make a book worth buying. You also need to realize who a book is written for. There was a pattern book that came out a few months ago, Twinkle's Big City Knits, that was written by a designer originally from Taipei. Her stuff is very interesting, but it looks best on those with petite and slender figures. So, if you don't have that kind of figure, don't buy the book! Don't buy it and then complain that she doesn't know how to design for "real women".

I should really get off my soapbox and back to my socks...