September 2006 Archives

Wow this is a hard meme! I've had it brewing in my mind all week.

1. I taught myself how to knit (this part you probably knew already) and until I started writing my blog I was convinced I didn't knit properly. No one ever told me this, I just made the assumption all on my own. Now I know if this finished product looks good, then you knit properly.
2. I knit in this quasi-Continental way. I hold my yarn in my left hand, but I wrap it around the needle (holding the yarn between my thumb and index fingers). Many many times I've tried to wrap the yarn around my fingers and flick my finger and pick at the yarn but it's not happening. My hands cramp and my tension is awful.
3. If I'm knitting at home on the weekend (which happens very often) I almost always have a glass of red wine by my side. This started being habitual about 6 months ago and now I can't imagine knitting without it. I barely drink it because both of my hands are already occupied, but if I'm out of wine and I sit down to knit I don't knit nearly as much.
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4. I keep all the labels from the yarn I've used. I have no idea what I'll do with them, but I can't seem to bring myself to throw them out. Christy, there's even one in there that you left behind 2 years ago!
   
5. I have lots of UFOs and I may know why. A former manager noticed that I lost interest in projects once the hard parts were done. I wanted to go on to the next thing, because the challenge and excitement was over. I think that's true of my knitting as well. I've been making an effort to choose projects less on a whim, so that the finished item is as exciting to complete as the challenging parts. I haven't finished a lot this year though, so I need to work on this more. It will definitely be in next year's goals list.
6. For a long time, my goal was to turn knitting into my career as well (yarn store, online store, yarn line), but lately I've changed my mind. My mom turned her hobby into a store many years back. She worked like a dog, made an OK income, and lost interest in the hobby. So lately I've been thinking about doing something different (maybe a restaurant) and keeping the knitting for off-hours.
7. I barely knit at all during the week because I don't have much free time after work. But I knit a lot on the weekends. I'll sometimes take progress pics during the weekend to make up a few blog entries. This is really helpful during the winter months when taking pics at night is really hard. At first I felt like I was cheating, but I only do it when it makes sense for the project, and it helps me better document what I've done. So I only feel a teeny bit guilty for do it.
8. If a stitch pattern is only given in words I will always chart it first. I need to see the picture of what I'm knitting. Occasionally it's not very helpful (e.g., when the number of stitches per row changes so often that you lose the look of what you're making), but I still do it. If there was one thing I could make people more comfortable with it would be knitting from a chart. I'm convinced that's why people have so many problems when they start knitting lace.
9. I put almost all of my cotton blend and wool blend yarns in the dryer. At first I started by experimenting with a swatch, but now I just drop the whole FO in once I'm done. In particular I love the way Silky Wool feelts after it comes out of the dryer (low/medium setting for about 30 minutes). It fluffs up and it's only slightly damp at that point. I'm convinced that yarn manufacturers label things hand wash only just to be overly safe. Give the dryer a try -- it's great.
10. I love knitting and it's by far the most fulfilling hobby I've tried. But I also think it has made me less social, and it's something I struggle with from time to time. After my divorce I didn't know how to cope with being alone, and it took a lot of effort on my part to be OK with an empty house and no plans on a Saturday night. Now, I think the opposite has happened! I'd just as quickly choose to stay in all weekend and watch DVDs and knit than go out. I have to make a conscious effort to plan to do something other than knit. I always have a good excuse (if I have a few more hours I'll...finish this sleeve, bind off this sock, finish the next ball, get past the hard part, etc.) but really, I know I'm just making excuses to stay home. I've yet to resolve this because I get so much pleasure and peace when I knit that I don't feel like I'm missing out, and yet I think I probably am. Have any of you felt this way?

So the big black blob of the back is done. I did a quick mattress stitch of the sides and tried it on -- success! I can't be the only one who's terribly nervous at this point on every sweater, am I?

The motif is stretched a bit more across my body due to the negative ease, but the picture makes it look more skewed than it is. You can't see how it's going out and back in around my bust.

The sleeves

I've always been curious about top-down set-in sleeves, but then Lauren went and posted about it several times this year and put me over the edge.

I'm thrilled I did. I had very little fretting to do with this sleeve -- the thing just worked. It's the closest I've come to knitting magic in a long time.

I feel the way I did the first time I knit a cable or a short row.

In addition to the sleeve cap fitting beautifully, I can now try it on as I go. I have a couple of ideas on sleeve cuff treatments and this will make it so much easier to try them out without the fear of wasting so much time knitting. And, there's just something simpler about knitting a tube in the round. I know I could have knit the sleeve in the round anyway, but this just makes it that much easier.

I love it.

three boots and a speed-cat

The boots from a few weeks ago, plus a few new pairs.

I buy mostly Mudd boots for casual wear because they have that side zipper -- even on the lace-up ones. Driving -- particluarly a stick shift -- is so much easier if I can quickly unzip my boots. You can get Mudd in a lot of places, but I have the best luck (sizing, variety, and great prices) at Kohl's (link takes you to the Juniors boots section).

The pair on the left is the one I wrote about a few weeks ago. I wear these boots all the time. I also bought 2 new pairs. On the right, the Etain boot, and the tall one in the middle is Nebula. The new boots are nice -- a little less bulky in the toe, an eyelet on the tongue to thread the laces through, a slightly snugger fit (probably because they're not 2 years old), and even a bit more lightweight.

If you have a Kohl's by you give them a try before ordering online. The Mudd sizing is pretty consistent though, so if you find your size in one style but not another, you'll be OK ordering the same size online. The only shoes I've ever ordered online is Mudd because they're sizing is so predictible.

Wondering where the knitting content is? I'll be back by Monday with some actual knitting progress (I hope). Until then, have a good weekend everyone.

Neckline

I finished the intarsia last weekend but then I stalled -- not sure what I wanted to do with the neckline. I decided I wanted something shapely but not fussy -- and I wanted the edge to be knit on versus picking up stitches afterwards.

The edge is pretty simple. I slipped the first stitch of the edge to keep them tidy. Then each side has a purl stitch as the third stitch -- allowing the edge to roll under just a bit, but stop at the purl stitch. I think it will lay nicely once it's on, but I have to finish knitting up the back to find out for sure.

Waist Shaping

I did basic waist shaping, decreasing about an inch on either side via

The decreases were knit about an inch apart (the section from the bottom going up toward the waist), but I sped up the increases to accommodate a full bust by spacing the increases only three-quarters of an inch apart. You can see the difference in the photo. I did this instead of short rowing -- as an experiment more than anything else. I had planned on short rows and the motif was small enough that short rows would have fit. But, I wanted to see what this did for the fit instead. I won't know until the back is done and sewn together.

Blocking Cash Iroha

I am *so glad* I washed and blocked my swatch before starting this sweater. This yarn blooms A LOT. Take a look.

I placed the back-in-progress on top of the washed and blocked front. They both have the same number of stitches, yet the front is a good 2 inches wider (at least). See that pencil? That's how many rows I've knit on the back. The row gauge grows considerably too.

I've also read that Cash Iroha has a tendency to stretch out as you wear it. I think the sweater will be a tad snug when I first put it on, but assuming it will stretch a bit it should fit like a good pair of jeans after an hour or so.

At least, that's the plan.

I've been making a big effort to eat better lately, and that inevitably means cooking more often. I've made this salsa a dozen times since the spring, and I always get requests for the recipe.

I don't think it's particularly unusual, but the mix of flavors goes well together works with lots of meals. Spoon it on top of grilled chicken breast, serve it on the side of pork kebabs or fish, or put a big bowl of it out with some chips for an appetizer at a barbecue.

Black Bean Salsa

1 can (19 oz.) black beans, drained and washed
1 bottle (12 oz.) roasted red peppers*
1 can (11 oz.) white corn*
1 jalapeno, minced (or to taste)
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tb chopped scalliions
2 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl and place it in the fridge for at least a half hour. Letting it sit and marinate a bit in the fridge really helps the flavors meld together.

I always make a big bowl of it because it keeps well and works for quick lunches too (take some sliced chicken and a couple dollups of the salsa and roll it in a wrap, or cook up some brown rice, mix in the salsa and have a quick, healthy lunch).

* if Ii have the time and i'm feeling motivated, I'll roast the peppers and the corn on the grill first. this takes a lot longer though because they have to cool down before you can mix everything together.

I've been calculating and measuring sweaters all week trying to decide how deep to make the armholes. My problem has been the fact that I don't own many sweaters that are as large of a gauge as this one. In fact, I thought I only had one, and it's a raglan sleeve so the measurements won't help.

Then I remembered Rogue. I knit Rogue as my first big project after getting back into knitting. The pattern came out a couple of weeks after I started to knit again and so it seemed like the perfect project.

And in many ways it still is.

While I don't wear Rogue much at all (I didn't wear it even once last winter*), it taught me TONS about good fit and what works for my body.

   

For example -- the armholes on Rogue are way too deep. They're almost 10.5 inches! That's huge for me. I've been thinking I'd make this top 8.5 inches and after trying on Rogue again I'm convinced that's the way to go.

The next area that I was unsure about was the shoulder width. Again, since the yarn is thicker I'll be going for a slightly more relaxed fit. But how much more? I was thinking 16/16.5 inches and when I measured Rogue it was 18! Again, that's perfect -- Rogue's shoulders drop on me about an inch on each side.

It's nice to know my intuition (really, my obsessive measuring of every sweater I own) has translated into something tangible before I knit these parts. And now that I'm confident these measurements are right, I'm going to do just that.

* this is not a commentary on the design or the pattern's instructions. both are great. if there's any advice to take from my words, it's that you have to know how to knit for your body. patterns are just a starting point, and unless you're knitting a boxy, shapeless sweater, you'll most likely need to make some adjustments to the pattern along the way.

Sure signs of fall...my favorite pair of boots (lace-up but with a side zipper for easy driving) and handknit socks. I can almost hear the leaves rustling in the wind...

Color was my theme this weekend. I finally stopped procrastinating fit in dyeing my hair.

It's the first time I've dyed it myself. After spending $250 a pop for a dye job and a cut I decided to give it a go myself.

It's not perfect but I'm pretty happy with it for my first try. In case you're curious, the highlights are L'Oreal Excellence Hicolor Permanent Hair Color in Magenta and the darker shade underneath is Feria in Chocolate Cherry.

ps - those of you who know me know how much I hate taking my pic, so you can rest assured that this means no new sweater progress to show you today.

pps - those of you who live in Philly...beware of the bar at Maggiano's on 12th and Filbert. I had a lot to drink this weekend and the apple martinis are smooth and deadly..by far the best worst best I've had. All I can say is thank god my brother drove us to work this morning.

Alright...I'm halfway through the motif and I *still* love it. The colors are blending the way I had hoped, and you can actually make out the motif. I was worried it would look like a blob of color.

Considering I cast on last Sunday and travelled for work a few days this week, I'm making nice progress. I'm almost to the armholes.

There are a couple of tight spots before I'll be completely convinced this is going to work out. I need to come up with good armhole shaping (I'm doing set-in sleeves) and I don't want to have to rip it because I can only imagine that ripping intarsia is bad.

I also have to get the neckline to work with the motif. I was going to do a V neck but the motif is so high that I couldn't make it work right (I suppose that might have something to do with my 5'2" height as well). So instead I'm going with a rounded neck with a slit (somewhat V neck, and still very casual). Probably rolled like the hem.

I worked on the sweater every spare moment I had all week. And yet, it just looked like a black blob. And even though a bunch of you emailed asking me about progress, I know you really weren't asking to see a pic of a black stockinette stitch sweater.

Finally, last night, I got to the moment I'd we'd been waiting for -- the color! I was nervous and unsure the first few rows but I knit on. And now? I love it!

I know you're curious what I decided on for the yarn and the colors. I went with Noro Cash Iroha in black with 3 shades of yarn going from harvest gold to a dirty fuchsia for the motif.

I hadn't considered multiple colors for the motif until I received Amy Lu's comment about doing the intarsia Kaffe-style by cutting yard-long pieces of yarn. What an awesome suggestion! All along I thought I hated intarsia, but really, it's the fussy bobbins that I hate. I have at least 10 strands of yarn hanging from the back of the sweater right now, and I'm barely phased by it. The fact that it's just strands of yarn (and no bobbins to get all tangled up) has made a world of difference!

Thanks, Amy Lu!