Oh hai, bitch, u no studeez

Obviously there is no room to open textbooks. Look at that gigantic foot!

So, I turned the heel on my sock. (Note strategic placement of sock pattern.)

January knitting goals (better late than never, right?)

I like the idea of accountability, but frankly, knitting is near the bottom of my list of daily priorities. I'm going to frame these monthly goals more as personal challenges than anything else. I'm not racing against real deadlines, after all. So here are the January goals:

1. Complete my toe-up Crazy Monkey socks. I cast on for these on January 4, and I've just started the heel flap increases on the second sock.

2. Start and complete a Foliage hat.

3. For the Secret Project, cast on and get to the mindless knitting part so I can take it on the commute.

Another year, another set of resolutions

I've been posting my projects on Ravelry and woefully neglecting my little blog here. To sum up December, I did manage to clear everything off the needles before the end of the year, adding to my finished items list a little hat for my nephew:



And a pair of socks for me:



And a couple of garter stitch dishcloths for the kitchen:



It is very clear to me that I have no actual need to purchase yarn in the foreseeable future, so my knitting resolutions this year all center around stash management and reduction. I'm going to try to stick to a few rules:

1. Put a moratorium on yarn purchases for the first three months of the year. I can best accomplish by avoiding yarn browsing both online and in-store.

2. Publish monthly knitting goals, and document my progress on achieving them. Ravelry is an awesome tool for managing your stash and project ideas, and the blog is a great way to track actual movement.

3. Set aside some daylight time on the weekends to get some decent FO photos in natural light.

FO: Nomad Man

This is my brother's Christmas scarf. He shaves his head, and he lives in one of those Christmas-y towns where they have actual snowdrifts, so I'm thinking he'll get some good use out of it.

I have to say, I wasn't caught by the pattern when I first saw it, but it was fun and super easy to finish.



Project: Nomad Hat and Scarf, Interweave Knits, Fall 2007
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky, forest green, 7 balls
Needle: size 9, 10.5 and 11 circulars

Notes: Didn't bother with the Emily Ocker cast on, and accidentally knit the first 50 rows of the second scarf end with a size 9 needle instead of moving up to the 10.5. Surprisingly, it makes almost no difference, and will certainly make no difference when it's blocked. Hurrah for crazy loose gauge!

Procrastination, stress relief, whatever

Looky, I have cast on and am up to round 4 of the lace pattern for the Monkey socks!



As evidenced by the textbook crowding into the shot, I should be studying. Alas, I have nearly given up on this course and anticipate having to repeat the exam in March. The irony is that the work I'm doing at the job is actually at a much more advanced level than my course. Ugh. I hate irony.

FO: wrist warmers!

These are lovely, and completed just as the weather has gone from refreshing to uncomfortably crisp:



Project: Wrist Warmers from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, 1.5 balls
Needle: US 6 circulars
Notes: Cast on 28 stitches for a snug fit, and three patterns repeats instead of two.

Untempted

The sweater, she has been wound back into balls.


I knit two inches on the yoke and definitely needed at least one more skein. Even though I found one on Ravelry in someone else's stash, in the end I just didn't love this sweater enough to keep moving on it.

I've learned enough over the past two years to see what didn't work about this particular pattern for me. Straight 2x2 ribbing is not particularly flattering to my square torso; I need something a little more patterned that adds the illusion of shape. I also look much better in a V-neck than any other style of neckline, and, in retrospect, an off-the-shoulder sweater was probably not the most practical of wardrobe items.

This is okay! This project has been sitting on the needles for nearly two years, and I'm glad it's over. I will happily use the yarn to make a pair of wrist warmers from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, a Quickie Cowl, and maybe a Foliage hat.

Oh, wagon, why have you left me behind?

I was doing so well, I actually thought that stash busting might become a semi-permanent habit. HA HA, THANKS FOR PLAYING, say the yarn gods. It started last night, when I was looking for a long circular needle to magic loop my next pair of socks:



I ordered a 32 inch KnitPicks circular, US size 2, and a couple of skeins of Gloss in burgundy, because hey, I've never ordered from them before. And I finished off a scarf this week, removing three skeins of Noro Kureyon from the stash, so I was still at a net loss. But then, this morning, I had to check out Knitopia, which moved recently from White Rock to Langley, and somehow I fell into a pile of sock yarn.

This is the same sock yarn used to make the popular Monkey socks on Knitty. So soft.




And then I picked up some of this new Jojoland Melody, a 100% superwash wool from China.





I see the stash busting wagon, wayyyyyy off in the distance...

WIP: Tempting

I had to rip it back twice, but I finally managed to knit the sleeves on properly. I was rejoicing that I had a full ball and a half of yarn left over, and, um, then I remembered that there is a six-inch yoke to knit. Heh. Colour me brainless.

First Christmas gift of the season - done!

Yep, I got going again on the scarf this week. Train knitting rocks! People are fascinated by the concept of variegated yarn, and will not hesitate to talk to you about it. I gave my yarn label to a girl wearing a lovely basketweave scarf. Spread the Noro love!

Tonight I had a rare couple of free hours, so I sat down and finished off the scarf for my brother's fiancee. And here's my first attempt at modelling:



Project: My So-Called Scarf
Yarn: Noro Kureyon, colourway 164, 3 balls
Needle: US 11 circular

I suppose I should airbrush that chin zit-in-waiting...

KAL: Clean slate for 2008!

Barely any knitting, and no blogging in 2007! Wow, am I lame. So, I joined a knitalong on Ravelry to get some closure on a few projects.

Look! I have progress!



That's a whole three-inch sleeve and a one inch of the second sleeve, all since last night. I would have had them both done, except that I had to rip the first attempt, as the called-for number of stitches was way excessive for even my beefy bicep. This project might actually be done by the end of the week...(ack! jinx!)

2006 was...

Happy New Year!

I haven't posted since mid-November because I haven't finished any knit projects. In lieu of pictures, then, let's do a quick year-in-review!

So, 2006 was:

The year we bought a house.

Home ownership, man. Heavy. I love my new house. This was a major step in my life and in my partnership with CM, and we're still adjusting to the changes it's brought. Fun, though!

The year I got a new job.

I was bored and restless with my old job. Now I'm stressed and happy(ish) with my new job. I'm moving away from the career that's gotten me to this point, and moving into a new one that I find more interesting and challenging, although a vast majority of the world would not. That's what we calling filling a niche!

The year I forgot I was a writer.

It was a difficult twelve months on the writing front. I got an insignificant number of words on paper, and an even more insignificant amount of plot movement forward. 2006 was definitely not the year of the book, as I had been hoping.

I did do a lot of thinking this year about writing to audiences, and ultimately found the concept unattractive. What makes me tick is not the possibility that other people will read and enjoy my work; it's the hope that by writing this novel, I produce something beautiful that I can appreciate as a creation wholly my own.

Then I started thinking about babies. And slowly backed away...

Alive, and with a photo!

The project was completed over a month ago, a picture was taken over three weeks ago, but I'm a dork and things have been busy. Not the best shot of my completed capelet, but it does show the colour most accurately:

It's warm, and the Cashmerino Chunky feels very luxurious. Alas, I'm allergic to it. I'll keep it handy to wear over a long-sleeved shirt when it gets cold and we're skimping on heat in the house, but it's not something I can wear with a tight-fitting t-shirt or tank top.

Memeing to convince myself I'm still here

I meme, therefore I am...Bert...

Which Sesame Street character am I?

Bert You scored 70% Organization, 45% abstract, and 47% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables. First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean. Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type. Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself. You are very organized, both concrete and abstract, and both introverted and extroverted. Here is why you are Bert. You are both very organized. You almost always know where your belongings are and you prefer things neat. You may even enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic. Bert is a big neat freak and gets quite annoyed when Ernie makes a big mess. You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Bert is probably a bit more concrete in his bottlecap collecting addiction and his love of the weather. He does show his abstract side when he sings and performs his "Doin' The Pidgeon" song. You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course. You are both somewhat introverted. Bert is probably more introverted, because he spends most of his time either with Ernie or alone. Still he has no problem being around other people in his role as chairman of "The National Association of 'W' Lovers." Like Bert, you probably like to have some time to yourself, but you do appreciate spending time with your friends, and you aren't scared of social situations. The other possible characters are Oscar the Grouch Big Bird Snuffleupagus Ernie Elmo Kermit the Frog Grover Cookie Monster Guy Smiley The Count If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback! Also if you want to tell me your favorite Sesame Street character, I can total them up and post them here. Perhaps your choice will win!

Can I be allergic to silk?

If so, it's just one more thing on my Big List of Things That Make Me Break Out In Hives. Seriously, it's a wonder I don't spontaneously combust some days, for the number of things out there that make me itch or swell or sneeze or generally want to crawl out of my skin. The capelet I finished last week (and yes, of which I have not yet put up a picture) gave me a rash after wearing it against bare skin. The last time I had this reaction was when I wore the wristwarmers made from Noro Cash Iroha, which also has some silk content. I seem to be fine when wearing just plain wool stuff, so I don't think it's the wool fibers.

Gah. I think I'm going to be making a major investment in long-sleeved thin cotton shirts fairly soon. Anyone up for a trip to American Eagle?

I went to Mexico, and all I got was this lousy picture of cows

Heh. Well, there's also a picture of me at the beach in Mazatlan, holding a margarita and wishing to no avail that the plane would forget to land. Alas for business trips with 5-hour layovers in resort towns!

It was going to happen eventually

I thought I was being *ahem* economical when I only bought 7 balls of the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk in deep ocean (sort of a dark teal). After all, I'd already bought, um, 10 balls (each) in caramel and raspberry. Then I thought, hey, let's make this lovely capelet from Peony Knits, because according to the pattern I'll have enough and some to spare, and besides, teal is not a colour I usually wear.

Right, so, three days and six and a half balls later, I'm only on the third of five rows of ribbing on the body, with five rows each of ribbing on the sleeves to finish up as well. I...have a feeling I might be a little short...

Options are:

A) I've looked for another ball in the same dye lot and been unsuccessful. However, there are plenty of balls on eBay and elsewhere in at least the same colour. Should I finish off the body ribbing (I'm pretty sure there's enough for another row and a bind off), wait until I have another ball in hand, and do the sleeve ribbing in a slightly different dye lot? Since I did the project with two strands of yarn held together, a final ball in a different dye lot should be only barely noticeable.

B) I could undo the body ribbing so far, and go with a contrasting colour of Alpaca Silk. I've got the caramel, of course, but I also have a few balls in black. However, there aren't many really nice contrasts to teal, and I don't know that I'm all that keen on the idea anyway.

C) I could finish the body ribbing, bind off, and seam up the sleeves as they are. This is not a horrible option, really. This capelet is meant for inside wear when it gets colder and we start getting stingy with the heat (gas bill!).

Edited to add: Option D, where I could finish the body ribbing, and do the sleeve ribbing in the contrasting colour. I think this might be the ticket. I certainly don't want to rip the whole thing back and knit it in another colour, and I'd really like to get it done tonight.

YouTube: The Last Knit

Click here.

Desperate measures

I'm banning myself from looking at yarn online because, sheesh, have a look at the consequences otherwise!

Here we have some lovely yarn snatched from eBay at an excellent price:

And as if I could resist Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk at 50% off:

Since I was spending money at elann anyway, I picked up yarn for my brother's Christmas scarf and cap set:

And who could resist bright red linen?

So, I think we all agree the ban is a necessary step to preserve my sanity and my bank account.

I'm supposed to be studying

The champion procrastinator in me has returned with a vengeance. All I want to do is knit!

I've managed to turn the heel on the anklet sock without any major issues beyond having to rip it back twice due to attention issues. I abandoned the wrap and turn business and opted for something called a Dutch heel. It's looking okay so far, but I think I'll try longer needles the for my next sock project. These 5" Brittanys are too short!

And this is progress on the Kitty Pi bed to date:

That's two strands of Lett Lopi in spring green and two strands of Elann Peruvian Highland Wool in eggplant, I think. I've gone through two balls of the Lopi and am just finishing up two balls of the PHW. It'll probably require another two balls of each colour before it's big enough.