December 2004 Archives

I've seen this on a few blogs now so I'm putting in my 2 cents as well.

1. Clapotis
2. A pair of gloves
3. St. Brigid
4. Mariah
5. 4 other sweaters for me. Given my pile of half-completed sweaters this isn't as lofty as it might seem.
6. A tank/sleeveless top that fits well. This is probably the hardest goal!
7. An aran sampler throw blanket for my Mom. (I think this will be for her birthday in September)
8. 6 pairs of socks.
9. Some lavender-filled lace sachets for my Mom and Aunt Mary.
10. 6 other small items (hats, scarves, mitts, etc.)
11. Something nice in lace.
12. No 2004 UFOs remaining at the end of 2005
13. At the end of 2005 I will have a smaller stash than I started with.

It seems like a big list, but really it's a matter of focus. In looking back on 2004 I feel I could have many more FOs if I just stopped with the random startitis. It's not that I'm saying I need to knit more. I just need to follow through on my knitting more often. There's nothing more satisfying than walking around wearing something that I've made myself. Or watching someone I love really enjoying what I've made for them. I'm really good with lists and hate to leave them incomplete. So, I'm going to revisit this list on the first day of each month and see what I've accomplished.

A few caveats:

• I can swap out items on the list and replace them with something similar. For example, if I get on a mitten kick I can swap out 2 pairs of socks for 2 pairs of mittens.
• It's OK to send a 2004 UFO to the frog pond. The goal is meant to say that all unfinished 2004 business must be dealt with this year!
• I reserve the right to revise any part of this list if it creates stress or anxiety. I'm not running a boot camp here -- just trying to give myself some focus.
• The ultimate goal remains to HAVE FUN!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your 2005 is full of love, peace and happiness.

Ahhhhhh! That's how I can best sum up my feeling this week. I survived the craziness that work brought on right before Christmas and I'm now enjoying a week+ off work.

Christmas was wonderful! My Mom, brother and sil came over Christmas day. I cooked and baked like crazy and things went off smoothly.

As for gifts, I couldn't be luckier! I got a new digital camera* (I've been coveting one for months), some accessories for it (including a tripod for some solo picture taking sessions), a blocking board, the knitter's purse, a new crock pot, some candles and a few other smaller items. The blocking board is backordered so I'm still waiting to see it.

Monday I spent the day at my mom's and it was just what I needed. I sat on the couch and knitted ALL DAY! I got through 1.5 repeats on St Brigid (uhm, in a new colorway):

I think this is finally it. I was forcing it to be a dark color and it just didn't fit. The cables pop beautifully -- just what this pattern needed.

Yesterday I got together with Katy in the city. We stopped by a very crowded Purl. And can you believe it? I didn't buy a single skein of yarn! I did however get a bargain on AS's Celtic Collection -- 13 bucks! I couldn't leave it behind.

After Purl we ate lunch at a Thai place and then found a coffee shop to get in some knitting. I brought along another new project -- Clapotis:

What a great little pattern! So easy to memorize, and the dropping of the stitches makes you just want to keep knitting. I can completely understand why people say they'd want to make more than one.

I also joined Alison's sockapalooza. What could be better than getting my very own pair of handknit socks! Made just for me -- not by me!

As for the rest of the week, I have more of the same planned. More knitting, more getting together with friends, and lots more knitting.

I'm going to take off the rest of the week from blogging and come back refreshed on Monday. I just don't want to spend much time in front of the computer and I don't want to write entries just to write them.

So, I'll be back -- bright-eyed and bushy-tailed -- next week.

Have a wonderful New Year!

* the blurry pics can be blamed on the learning curve for the new fancy-schmancy camera.

Work is really busy this week, but it's a good busy. The kind of busy I like. Just enough pressure to make it fun. I didn't get home until 8 (an 11 hour workday) but I was still energetic and happy. Not that tired-stressed out feeling I can get when it's bad.

I had some take out Chinese and planned to sit down and clean up my pattern that I promised to you all. I had great intentions. Really, I did. But my laptop had other ideas. It needed to be cleansed. Seems I got bit by some kind of nasty spyware. The kind that doesn't get cleaned with software. Two hours of checking task manager, editing the registry, disconnecting from the network, and moving and deleting files and I was ready for bed.

So, I have nothing for you today but this sob story. Today isn't looking to be much easier of a day at work, but I'm hoping I have a clean and happy laptop to come home to tonight.

Oh, and if you're from PhillyKnitters and reading this, I'll post that recipe for the Raspberry Ribbon Bars tonight or tomorrow. Yup, I'm behind on that too.

Tis the season, right?

The older I get the more I like crisp-cold of winter and dislike the sticky-hot of summer. For the past few weeks I've been itching for snow -- bigtime. As I was awakening this morning I thought for a second about how nice it would be to open the drapes and see the trees coated with snow. Of course that didn't happen, but with a high of 47 predicted for today it's almost cold enough.

Since the weather isn't cooperating I've been thinking about snowflakes in my knitting.

This sweater has been on my mind for at least a year now:

It's Lana Grossa's August 2003 Model of the Month. It's a free pattern. I have some Adrienne Vittadini Nadia in Chianti (a dark red) that I think would knit up beautifully as that sweater. I'd lengthen it and possibly modify the collar. Maybe some fuzzy angora for the snowflake?

I've also been thinking about a FI snowflake sweater in non-standard snowflake colors. I bought some dark orange and sapphire wool from Elann to make one. Two months ago I saw a girl wearing an orange FI with some dark blue accents and I couldn't stop staring at it. So when the Peruvian Collection came out I knew I had to get some for that sweater. I've been considering starting it over the Christmas holiday but with the discovery of Mariah the snowflakey FI may have to wait.

Christmas Update

I finished half of Kelly's Christmas gift. I scraped what I showed you all last week though. It just wasn't feeling up to gift status. It was fine, but nothing special. I came up with my own design over the weekend and I love it! It's camera-shy but hopefully I'll get a good pic of it tomorrow for you all. I'm so pleased with this one that I decided to make it a free pattern too. I've started typing that up as well and hope to have a preliminary copy done by tomorrow too. Knitting it up was fun. Writing the pattern was hard! I still have a few areas in the instructions that I think aren't up to par yet so I may scour some other patterns to see how they say it.

My Hair

I did get my hair cut on Friday. There was a bit of drama and I've decided to find a new stylist after 4 years. The hair is fine. I now have bangs and they should be the perfect length in a few weeks. The eyebrows (which I got waxed) are almost gone. Seriously. For some reason I'm not that self-conscious about them but there's almost none left. You know it's bad when you show your girlfriends and they say "Well, you could pencil them in."

I should have known when the wheezing from my asthma woke me up this morning that today was going to be one of those days.

It started out so simply. I chose to wear jeans, a white t-shirt, and a pink cardi. Simple enough.

I go to my lingerie drawer to get my bra and undies. No undies. OK, that's a lie. There are always undies. But you know, they're the ones you never wear but can't seem to bring yourself to throw out. Where did they all go? We did laundry this weekend.

A quick run to the basement and I discover the problem. WE didn't do laundry. HE did laundry. And guess what didn't seem so imperative? Yup, a big pile of my favorite undergarments. What's up with that? Must be a ploy to get me naked again. Damn him.

So, back up to rummage through the drawer...for my drawers ;)

OK, undies are taken care of, and they're fine. A couple pairs were hiding. But still, we're low on bras. Oh wait! I see white!

But it couldn't be that easy. You see, these are those bras. You know, the ones that looked great on in the store, but you forgot to test drive them first. Jump up and down. Or God forbid lean over. News flash for all the bra manufacturers out there -- as pretty as we may look artfully posed with angel wings on our backs we actually want to move while wearing one of your contraptionss.

And then, the lowest of the low. A push-up bra. I must ask -- wtf was I thinking buying a push-up bra?

So what am I left with? Good ol' comfy black bra. And a white t-shirt. I promise to keep the cardi on all day. And seriously, when given the choice between falling out of my bra, choking myself with the push-up, or bending the fashion rules a little, the choice seemed pretty clear.

So I get dressed, drop my sock-in-progress in my purse, get in the jeep, and make a pit stop at the McDonald's for my morning dose of caffeine (that's a large Diet Coke).

It's Friday so the commute is light. Easy. Effortless. You see where this is going, right?

Until I get on the road leading to the office. At 4 miles away we slow to a crawl, and then a dead stop.

OK, well, if I have to be stuck at least I have my sock to knit on. I pull it out and start knitting. But an unfortunate decision the night before stops me from making any progress. I went to bed with only half the short row heel done. I tried and tried, but in case you weren't sure...knitting short rows at 7spi while trying to navigate through traffic and manipulate a stick shift is not very smart easy.

So I put down the sock on the passenger seat where it mocks me for the next half hour.

Since there's nothing to do I sit and blast the music and drink my Diet Coke. I finsihed it.

At this point I think "Wow, traffic's really bad. I never finish the whole thing before I hit the office."

Done with the soda I have nothing left to do so I pull the sock out again. Maybe if I keep the car in gear with my foot on the clutch I'll have enough leeway to get in a row or two at a time. Just as I get ready to do the first turn traffic starts to move. Argh. Put down the sock, crawl a few feet. Stop.

After a few rounds of this I concede total defeat and throw the sock in the back seat.

Take that.

Epilogue

I finally get to work. Jump out of the jeep and fetch the sock out of the back seat. It's pretty far back so I have to lean in on one tippy-toed foot. Grab it and fall back.

*yup, I can even run in the black bra. jealous, aren't ya?

Alright, Kelly, if you're reading this -- stop!

I've been working on Kelly's Christmas gift on and off for the past week or so. It's great to knit on when I'm trying to be social or pay a lot of attention to a movie. Here's a pic of my progress.

It's a strapless evening gown for her Barbie. Kelly is a big Barbie girl. She can never have too many dress up outfits! I'm almost at the top and I'm going to do a few rows of beads along the top edge. The blonde hair will look gorgeous against the black.

No, I'm not making a strapless dress for a Barbie doll! It's really a gauntlet. See? I'm using Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. I'm doing it at a tighter gauge than specified in hopes that they'll be extra warm. I picked the yarn because it's soft and washable. And yes, that's the tubular cast on again. Extra points to you if you noticed I'm wearing Rogue today too!

I've made the gauntlets a bit smaller than the pattern called for. I had a bit of a scare after getting done with the wrist decreases. It just looked too small. Tiny in fact. But I brought them to work to have a friend try them on (she's small-boned like Kelly) and she said they "fit like a glove" har har, so I'm free to finish em!

My goal is to get one completely done by the end of the weekend. You would think I should know better than to set these kinds of goals. It seems as soon as I put it in writing here it's bound not to happen!

I wrote my post yesterday before realizing it was up.

I love this issue! I can honestly say that if the mag wasn't free that I would pay for it.

First, the patterns

Belle Epoque. Oh how I've been daydreaming about this since yesterday! The shape would not work for me, but get this. It's really just a straight tube that pulls in under the bust because of the ribbon. So it would be super-easy to add in some waist shaping instead and turn it into a style more fitting to my body style. I'm trying to come up with a good yarn choice and color. I suspect I'll be tackling this during my time off after Christmas.

Mariah. I'm sure this comes as no surprise for those of you who know me. Cables. Hood. Great gauge (5spi). Enough said. I have some Cascade 220 in my stash that would look lovely as this cardi. Mariah may give Belle Epoque a run for her money.

Wavy. What a fun scarf! I love all the cool scarf patterns that have come out recently. I'm surprised at how wavy it gets with just knits and purls. I had to read through the pattern to be convinced that there were no travelling stitches. So not only is the pattern cute, but it's very beginner-friendly. Again, in a wonderful 5spi gauge, although you could easily change the cast on number to adjust for you own yarn.

Aiblhinn. The versatile cowl/head wrap is great. It's in a simple pattern and a popular gauge. What I think is unique about this one is it's less frilly than others that I've seen. This is more of an everyday item -- great with the denim jacket as photographed.

Cross-country Chullo. The pattern is cool. I just wish I looked good in hats like that. It looks like a fun knit.

The articles

These are really good articles! Jenna's more than you every thought you needed to know about sleeves, Teresa's picking up stitches, Ariel's reading charts, and Julie's top down percentage "pattern". There's a ton of knowledge in these articles.

I've promised myself not to start any of these until after Christmas. I still have some Christmas knitting to get thru, plus my Philly Knitter Secret Pal gift which is due at the end of January.

Why does Christmas seem so close when I look at all the knitting I need to complete, yet so far away when I think I can't start a new project until then?

My Philly Knitter Secret Pal struck twice this weekend! Inside the first package was a tea mug, a box of Tazo Tea, a few packets of hot chocolate, and a mini spa kit. All perfect for this time of the year. PKSP -- I definitely drink tea so you were right on with this package!

Then I noticed the next one came from Amazon. She sent me two books. The first one from my wish list -- Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys, and Arans. I've never seen the book in person but I LOVE IT! The book is chock full of texture work -- cables, travelling stitches, knit and purl combos. It's gorgeous. I may need to use one (or a few) of them in a scarf in the near future. I'm itching to use this book now!

The second one was a book I almost bought off of elann the other day -- The Sock Calendar. What a nice book! I mean, can a girl ever have too many sock patterns?

I started a sock from it yesterday out of some Trekking yarn.

I love the yarn! I love the pattern! It's a simple slip stitch pattern. You slip a every 5th stitch for 2 rows, and then you move that stitch over 2 stitches on the 3rd row. Very simple to remember, but still a lot more interesting to knit than ribbing.

I converted the pattern to toe-up because the Trekking comes in 459 yard balls and I didn't want a third of a ball stuck in my stash. I'm also planning to do a short row heel. I like short row heels better for toe-up because I don't have to break the yarn and come back to an afterthought heel. I'm partial to the Ozyarn no-wrap short row heel which has you pick up a stitch and knit them together instead of the wraps.

Socks I Wish I Could Claim To Have Knit

I'm obsessed with Bass socks. They're adorable! Mohair polka dots. Argyle knee-highs. Today's pair is two color with snowflakes up the sides. Don't they just scream winter? Am I the only crazy who checks the construction of commercially made socks? No? Good. This pair is knitted them in the round with the yarn broken at the edges. There's about a half-inch of yarn left at each edge where the colors change. So they didn't do intarsia in the round. Phew! But all that color changing! Oy. That's why I buy Bass socks. They're socks I'd never want to make myself, but can totally appreciate wearing them.

I bought 2 new coats on super-sale at Target a couple weeks back and needed a new scarf. The coats are berry red and light pink. Just to keep it interesting, I also wanted it to coordinate with my new green purse. After search for over an hour at a LYS I finally noticed the Debbie Bliss Soho yarn. It had berry, light pink, and green in it. Perfect!

It's a simple mistake rib pattern. I used 3 full balls and it's really long. It's got to be over 6 feet long (not counting the fringe). Oh -- the fringe. Isn't it pretty? I cut the fringe before I washed the scarf. After washing it the yarn puffed up and the fringe untwisted a bit, giving the fringe ends a soft V-shaped edge. Since it's single-ply it just loosed up like that. I like!

The pattern -- mistake rib -- is so nice for scarves. Reversible, easy to keep track of, doesn't roll, but it allows it to fold which works nicely around your neck.

Don't know mistake rib? It's simple. Cast on an odd number of stitches and knit 2x2 ribbing. That's it! The odd number of stitches makes it so only every other knit stitch sits on top of another knit stitch. So you get single columns of knit stitches, with 3 knits and purls in between.