Yarn Hugger

It's almost Christmas! Which means it's scarf time.

2009-12-14T01:05:00.004-05:00

Cold weather and Secret Santa exchanges often demand it. Some knitters bore of it, as it is really just knitting in a very long rectangle the same thing over and over again. But you know, when you've written a 12 page paper on constitutional law or finished a homework assignment about delta hedging stocks, it's really all you can handle.

Scrunchable Sunshine (ravelink)
pattern: Scrunchable Scarf
yarn: Malabrigo Worsted (one and a half skeins)
needles: US 10 / 6.00 mm

Perfect. And just in time for these grey, grey wintry days. Sometimes, when I need a pick me up, these brightly colored scarves do just the trick. This and my Noro Striped Scarf do a lot just to make me feel a little more cheery.

Then there's the Secret Santa exchange... I don't usually knit with anything heavier than worsted, but in this case, I think it was called for.

Chunky Brioche Scarf (ravelink)
yarn: Cascade 128 Superwash, 2 skeins
needles: US 11 / 8.00 mm

I kind of just winged the pattern, casting on 18 stitches and just going at it with a brioche stitch. I fretted for a while about whether it'd be long enough. It turned out plenty long.

I really love it. The yarn is really soft and the brioche makes the scarf super squishy. I think I'll have to knit one for my self, though probably in a different color. I'll probably go down a needle size, too. I think it's a little too open.

The exchange was yesterday, and it was well received. :) Though, the recipient was a little perplexed as to who made it for her!

Anywho, I reckon I should return to my plethora of papers. Or maybe I'll knit some more. Who knows!

Repetion

2009-10-08T23:53:00.005-05:00

I don't know if it's because I'm just getting back into knitting. Or maybe it's because I'm a little stressed this year, and the easy repetition of doing the same thing over and over again takes a load off my mind.

Whatever the reason, I've just been absolutely in love with knitting scarves.

Olivia's Brioche Scarf [ravelink]
pattern: Berlin Scarf
yarn: Dream in Color Classy in "Blue Lagoon"
needles: US 7

The yarn is beyond perfect. It's squishy, beautifully colored, sproingy, soft, defined and omg I want moar.

I meant this for Olivia's Christmas gift, but the brioche was so addictive that I finished it before I even realized I cast on. Oh well.

And in other scarf news,

Yes that is Malabrigo, and yes it is the best yarn in the whole wide world.

In the groove

2009-10-02T14:45:00.004-05:00

I have too much yarn.

No, that's not true. But lately I've been on this buying-yarn spree that can't be too good for my wallet, but truth be told, I don't really care. The yarn - it calls to me. I go into yarn stores and go slightly nutty being in the presence of all this yarn I can't have.

And today I went and bought more. But it was so glorious!!!

What I really wanted to talk about though was this:

For whatever reason, I had this inexplicable desire for a big white scarf. Why? you ask. I don't know either. I wanted a big white, poofy, wonderful scarf to wrap around my neck during the cold winter months. I wanted cables. I wanted it to be squishy.

I searched for a pattern for a really long time, and in the end just decided to create my own. I think I went a little overboard on the width, but I do enjoy it. It's knitting up nicely, and I'm pleased with it.

More on the new yarnz next time...

Hello again

2009-09-29T18:03:00.004-05:00

Knitting has been sparse lately, but after a visit from Amy, the knitting!love was renewed. (Thanks a lot, Amy. And I say that only half sarcastically.)

So, there has been a lot of knitting. But as always, no time to really blog about it. So I leave you with the first FO in a very, very long time...

Scarlet Gretel (ravelink)
pattern: Gretel by Ysolda
yarn: madelinetosh, tosh worsted in Vermillion

I've wanted one of these for a freakishly long time, and I finally have one! I'm so ready for fall, people. So ready.

Just a small note on this: I knit as directed except I had to fudge with the decreases a little. It kept puckering, and in the end it just bothered me way too much. So a little frogging, and little fudging... voila!

Now, it just needs to be cold enough...

Two Ways to Keep Your Sanity

2009-03-06T13:45:00.002-05:00

Exhibit A:
Lace.

Exhibit B:
Mindless garter stitch

Yes, I'm struggling through that part of the semester where everything just seems like it's dragging. So two projects - just for me! The first is the Spring Tulips Stole from Night Owl Knits and the second project is the super quick garter stitch cowl.

Two midterms, one paper down...

one paper, two midterms to go...

How much you want to bet I finish the cowl before my paper on Hobbes?

First New Project of the Year

2009-02-07T15:26:00.003-05:00

I am sick.

The weather here has taken a turn for the worse lately, and I guess I've been a little stressed with recruiting. So. I got sick. And now my back aches. I don't know how my illness caused my back aches, but somehow, it did. And now I am suffering.

Anyway, yesterday, I went to my boss's baby shower. I found out maybe three weeks ago, and I deliberated for a while what to make for the baby. I considered a sweater, but then I couldn't really decide on a pattern. Then, I remembered the plethora of yarn I had left over from Noah's blankie and thought this would be a prime time to use up some more of it.

I thought about making another Log Cabin, but I wasn't really feeling it. I knew I wanted garter stitch - it had to be something I could do mindlessly while I watched Law & Order. So I came upon the idea of knitting three strips and use each color for one really big block. I sketched a schematic and that resulted in...

Crayola Blankie
pattern: My own
yarn: Bernat Super Value Acrylic
needles: US 9 (5.5 mm)

I was really happy with the finished outcome. It was basically all I had imagined it would be. There was a little bit of weirdness though with gauge. The yellow, for some reason, came out more loosely than the other yarns. I couldn't really figure out why. It required a little bit of adjusting, but in the end, I ended up with the right number of rows.

Here's another picture of the whole thing laid out. Pardon the poor coloring; it hasn't exactly been sunny here in New York City.

It was received very well, and I was praised for my use of bright primary colors. I do hope she finds a good use for it.

2009 Already

2009-01-16T13:06:00.004-05:00

So I didn't blog much this year.

Partly, this was due to my ventures in London. Busy, busy, busy. Little knitting, even less time to blog about it. Obviously, I knit a lot more than I showed for it. I would backtrack and blog about it all, but that would prevent me from blogging about my new projects.

So, in an effort to look ahead...

This is the Myrtle Leaf with Willow Border (such unromantic names) in pink. I've always wanted to knit something from Victorian Lace Today, and I finally settled on this.

I had a lot of false starts before I finally decided on this project. I knew I wanted to make my mom a shawl for her birthday but I couldn't settle on a pattern. I must have cast on at least four times before I finally went with my gut instinct.

Is it just me or is lace in progress really not that attractive?

Doesn't stop me from trying to take nice pictures though... hahah.

Here's to 2009.

UFO Landing

2008-06-11T14:36:00.005-05:00

Well, I never thought I'd see the day.

Grandma's Mitered Squares
pattern: Mitered Square... thingy.
yarn: Assorted worsted weights.
needles: 5.00 mm (US 8) straights and 36" circ for the borders

This was an extremely consuming project. It took me over a year! And for a while I'd nearly given up on it, but thank goodness, I stuck it out. I wanted to make my Grandma a blanket, and the mitered square phase was all the rage, so I thought, why not? I used mostly stash yarns, though I ended up having to buy more of the burgundy... which was Lion Brand Wool-Ease, and thus the cheapest.

To aid in the knitting, I made up a few rules. I stuck to four colors (burgundy, grey, brown, and white). Each square would have two colors and whatever striping.

Putting the pieces together was a bit of a puzzle. I didn't want any two squares with the same color border next to each other. I think I did a decent job with the final arrangement. If I could "redo" I'd switch two squares, but other than that I'm pretty pleased.

The border isn't quite as thick as I'd like it, but I knit until I ran out of yarn. Such is life.

This is one of my favorites. It was such a pain, but it's so pretty. I love it. And warm! This is definitely going to be the year of blankets (if all goes as planned), so I think this is a great way to kick things off.

Hello old friend

2008-06-09T11:47:00.004-05:00

I have missed thee.

The blog, I mean. And you, dear reader. After my long absence, returning to this familiar ground is quite a treat. For me. Sigh. Well, in the last few months I couldn't blog about knitting since well... I wasn't! But now I'm back in boring old America and with all its yarn and I'm back to my old crafty ways.

Speaking of which, I finished a long, old project. Any guesses which? Ah, but that is for another post! I'm so damn proud and happy it's DONE. Finally!

My long break from knitting and its ilk has made me uh... slightly ravenous for it? Observe my work station:

I have hijacked my mother's office. So my mother, while happy that I am home, is slightly disgruntled that I have taken her space. Though to be very technical, this used to be my room. She's only renting. In the picture, you can observe the sorted embroidery floss, the Fall 06 IK, some grey yarn, my laptop, a ruler, and a pair of scissors.

The cross stitch I'm working on is a bitch. I know I'm the yarn hugger, but here's a peek at the cross stitch project that's been owning me for the last two years.

I do love working on it, but I think this is one project I'll be REALLY glad to be done with.

And yes, there is knitting. The grey yarn in the picture above. Any guesses as to what it might be? No prizes for a correct guess. Here's a closer look:

Minimalist Cardigan! Recognize the yarn? It's the Rowan Cashsoft DK from my mom's "cardigan." I decided I wasn't quite ready for my debut as a sweater designer, so I frogged the hell out of the sleeves and cast on for this. My mom saw the pattern, okayed it, so I'm good to go. Think I can finish it in 20 days?

Yeah, me neither.

It's here

2008-02-29T10:52:00.005-05:00

After much deliberating and whatnot, they're here. What's here? The Sneaker Booties pattern, of course.

download pdf

Find them on Ravelry here.

Much thanks to Donna for test knitting this for me.

I originally made these in October or so for my cousin's baby shower. I knit them in the cliche blue because my cousin was expecting a boy, but I suspect these can be knit in any color and still look very darling. The forewarned: the sizing is just a guesstimate. I actually have no idea what size baby they will fit.

Please send me pictures of your finished booties, if you make any. I'd love to see them! And hit up my email if you have any questions!

I'm Blogging! I'm Blogging!

2008-01-30T11:13:00.000-05:00

So. 2008 has started, yada yada... I'm a terrible blogger. If I had resoluted in the beginning of the year to blog more often, I have already failed that.

For those of you who are fascinated by details of my life, I am currently in London and will be here for the next few months. I'm studying abroad! Learning the culture, and what not. It's been marvelous so far, but I have yet to visit a yarn store. Soon, I suspect.

Well, here's a Christmas wrap up:

As you can imagine, I didn't finish half the things on my list. I DID however, finish a couple of scarves: one for my dad and one for my uncle. Because I was in a rush to send them off, there are no good photos, so I'll spare you the ones with terrible lighting.

I did, however, manage to finish the one thing that had a hard deadline: a shawl for a former teacher's wedding.

Something Blue
pattern: Kiri from All Tangled Up [ravelry]
yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Heavenly
needles: US 6 (4.00 mm) 32" Addi Turbos

It turned out quite lovely.

It was, however, more time consuming than I had imagined. I started this shawl sometime in November, but it was quickly pushed to the corner of my desk when other more pressing projects presented themselves. I told myself I'd finish it after Christmas.

Things were going along swimmingly but it seems I forgot one crucial detail: Kiri is a TRIANGULAR shawl... which means EACH ROW GETS LONGER.

I completely underestimated the amount of time it would take me to finish. I literally stayed up all night.

But finish I did:

Time was ticking. I hurriedly bound off (as hurriedly as I could anyway... took at least 15 minutes... all those stitches!) and drew up a quick soak for it. I grabbed it out of the sink, wrapped it in a towel, jumped on the towel a few times, and pinned it out.

It looks quite pretty.

Kidsilk, for all its drawbacks (fuzzy, sticky, impossible to frog), is one of my favourites. I love how finished products in Kidsilk look. Even garter stitch in Kidsilk is quite glorious.

The pattern is, as everyone else has said, very simple. If you have yet to knit lace, I recommend this pattern. It is very well-written with many clear notes, and the finished product is lovely.

That said, it was, I must admit, one of the most boring knits I've ever done. It just was not enjoyable for me. The shawl turned out lovely (if I do say so myself), and I'm always a fan of products knit in Kidsilk, but the pattern was just unbearable for me. I literally had to grit my teeth and force myself to knit row after row.

Seeing my teacher's reaction though made it all worth it.

Quick Update: Christmas

2007-12-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

I am a bad blogger. This fact, we have already established. But as finals are literally breathing down my neck (though just one to go!), I don't have time to update. But!!! A quickie on my Christmas goings:

Tangled Yoke Cardigan for Aunt Renee (Um... still buttonless)
Unnamed Grey Cardigan for Mom (one sleeve done... still)
Endpaper Mitts for Olivia (FINISHED!!!)
Scarf for Dad (yarn purchased... but pattern? Suggestions anyone?)
Socks for sister (progress: none)
Scarf for Uncle Rob (About 2/3's done. I need to finish it by Friday.)
Pink Mohair Thing for Auntie Laurie (I think I've decided on a pattern.)
TURTLES FOR EVERYONE ELSE.

Back to studying!

Cro-what?

2007-11-27T12:13:00.000-05:00

Wha?!

Right. Knitters can crochet too. I learned crochet and knitting side by side when I was 8. Just happened I strongly favored knitting over crochet.

But! Crochet has its place!

Silver Square Earrings
pattern: Granny Square Earrings by Leigh Manson-Brown
yarn: 28 gauge silver wire
hook: 1.75 mm (Size 4)

Took me a few tries to really get it going. The rejected squares:

Still, the project only took me an hour or so to complete. The square actually only took me five minutes to crochet. I still remember how to do it!

I am so whimsy!

(And in case you were worried about knitting, yes, it is still going. Here! Proof!!)

Giving Thanks

2007-11-27T01:23:00.001-05:00

This year, my Thanksgiving was spent with my uncle's family. It was an interesting experience. Being of Asian descent, Thanksgiving always had a different sort of stigma. Sure, we did the turkey and the cranberry sauce... but no one actually really liked the turkey or the cranberry sauce. My delicious orange and cumin cranberry sauce was always left uneaten and wasted.

But this year! This year was spent with my uncle's family. My uncle is Irish. There was much eating of turkey and watching of football.

And that's what my votive sleeves were for.

Gold Votive Sleeves
pattern: Votive Sleeves from Handknit Holidays
yarn: 24 gauge gold wire

There was something tricksy going on with the knitting that I didn't notice until I had finally finished. I was using one US 8 and one US 6. I felt like slapping myself on the face.

Anyway, they were very much appreciated. My uncle in particular was bemused. He wondered if we could start a business of candle holders.

Thanksgiving break was lovely, if not altogether too short. Now that it's over, it's time to really crunch down on Christmas knitting. Alas. Here's a list of things I (hope) to accomplish.

Tangled Yoke Cardigan for Aunt Renee (Done with the knitting. Needs buttons.)
Unnamed Grey Cardigan for Mom (one sleeve done)
Endpaper Mitts for Olivia (half done!)
Scarf for Dad (I NEED TO BUY YARNZ FOR THIS)
Socks for sister (one sock done, other sock half done)
Scarf for Uncle Rob (Debating if I should or not. If I have time, I will, but it's debatable.)
Pink Mohair Thing for Auntie Laurie (I have the yarn. I just need to figure wtf to do with it)
??? for Christina (Yeah.)

Yeah, I have one thing left to say.

Crap.

In a few words...

2007-11-21T05:47:00.001-05:00

In short,

(If you can figure those numbers out, I'll give you a cookie!)

There's more, but I only remembered to photograph what was on my desk. I have a midterm, work, then I'm off to Maryland! Likelihood of me blogging is small. Happy Thanksgiving!

I Screwed Up

2007-10-29T17:16:00.000-05:00

I was knitting merrily away at my Tangled Yoke Cardigan... I had conquered the sleeves and figured out how to make the yoke and was so thrilled at the prospect of finally being able to knit something that wasn't stockinette or garter rib. At last! My reward for all my hard work!

Well, first I had to knit another 3 inches of stockinette. Another 3 inches with 270+ stitches in each row. Fine. Then I had to decrease for the rows. Fine. AT LONG LAST THE CHART!!!

And I screwed up the first row.

Now, this wouldn't have been a problem if I had noticed it then. But did I? Did I?!

Of course not. I knit another 7 rows before I realized my error.

So now there is ripping to be done.

Argh.

Technical Issues

2007-10-24T19:18:00.000-05:00

No, not with any of my projects. Literally. A technical issue. That is to say... I left my camera in Connecticut. Great. Nothing with which to document the greatness that is all my knitting. Har.

So I stole my roommate's camera (muahuahua!). And now, I bring you an extremely late update featuring three very lovely, overdue FOs.

Juniper Print o' the Wave
pattern: Print o' the Wave Stole by Eunny Jang
yarn: Zephyr Wool/Silk in Juniper, 2 balls
needles: 43.50 mm (US 4) 36" Addi Turbos

This project, as some of you may know, has been an utterly epic one for me. It began in May when I bought the yarn as a gift to myself for finishing my finals and my papers. It was always meant to be a Print o' the Wave stole, but apparently, 630 yards is not enough. I did calculations and was actually feeling rather smart. I thought I figured out how to maximize my yardage and still have enough to make a good sized stole.

Little did I know that when it was all said and done, I'd have ripped out the edging three times. Yes you read that right. I ripped out thousands of stitches three times. As a testament to the yarn, it survived every frogging very admirably. It's also a testament to my patience... or stupidity.

But it was worth it. The finished product is gorgeous, and I adore it. The yarn is beautiful, but I'm convinced it ripped off the finishing of my needles. Severe ugh.

In terms of mods, as you can tell I didn't do the grafting. I knit 27 repeats of the center and picked up 64 stitches on the short side and 200 on the long side.

Noro Striped Scarf
pattern: 1x1 ribbing, switch yarns every two rows
yarn: Noro Silk Garden, 4 balls in two colorways
needles: 5.00 mm (US 8) Clover straights

This is basically brooklyntweed's thing with a few minor adjustments. I wanted more drape, so I went up a needle size. So it wasn't ridiculously wide, I cast on only 35 stitches.

It's long. It's nearly 7 feet... maybe it is! I don't know... couldn't measure. But it could have been longer. I finally decided enough was enough and bound off.

I adore the colors. This will be a great way to add some pop during the grey winter days, don't you think?

Rustic Shedir
pattern: Shedir by Jenna Wilson
yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed - 1 ball
needles: 3.25 mm (US 3) aluminum dpns

I didn't even blog about starting this. It quite literally took me 3 days. And just in time for the winter!

That's all for now. There's lots of progress on the Tangled Yoke front (one sleeve done!), and even some on the experimental front. Christmas is quickly nearing.

Focus

2007-10-03T17:08:00.001-05:00

I've been fairly monogamous lately...

I've gotten a lot of progress on my aunt's Tangled Yoke Cardigan. As odd as it sounds, stockinette is fairly addicting to me. *crickets chirp* Yes. I know. Strange, odd... but I just really like it for whatever God-forsaken reason. I'm nearly done with the body (about 13 rows to go!) and then I'll cast on for the sleeves.

There has been some other knitting going on these last few days...

I actually finished this a while ago. I'm very pleased with it, though I'm a bit surprised by all the Koigu I'm going to have left over.

Amy came for a visit a little over a week ago, and we sat and knit together. It was a good old time. We also hit up a ton of yarn stores and Amy bought a ton of yarn. Me? Not so much, but that's a good thing, considering how much yarn I've already got.

Oh! And my Juniper Zephyr Silk/Wool came in! I'm going to go pick it up tomorrow, and hopefully, I can finally finish the epic project that has been my Print o' the Wave.

Knitting ADD

2007-09-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

I knew I couldn't resist for long.

It's not like I wanted to cast on for this. I really had no choice. I tried working on my Endpaper Mitts, but I constantly screwed up the increases. Ugh. Lots of frogging was done... I definitely was not a happy camper.

So I started this Noro scarf. My God. This is the first time I've ever knit with Noro, and I'm starting to wonder what took me so long. I'm completely addicted to the changing colors. It's so fun to watch what the color will change into next. And it's really brainless. I don't need to think at all. I know last post I jabbered on about how I liked intricate patterns... and I do! It's just, sometimes it's nice to not have to bother with that.

Oh, and I'm using US 8's, which is like knitting with crayons for me.

And this is for Chris, who didn't know what a tubular cast on looks like. (I said it was coolness in yarn form, but I don't think that's particularly descriptive.)

Distracted.

2007-09-18T16:20:00.001-05:00

Swallowtail shawl.

Endpaper mitts.

Noro striped scarf.

I have huge plans for Christmas knitting this year. Huge. I have two sweaters, a shawl, two scarves, socks, and another pair of Endpaper mitts lined up. It's still early, and really, I have a ton of time... but I keep wanting to knit things for myself. This is a really, really strange phenomenon for me! I've never had a huge urge to knit for myself. But now, all I can think of is projects for me. I feel so selfish.

But I'm totally in love with my Endpaper Mitts. I wanted something a little... different. Riskier in color, I guess. I love the look. It reminds me of those luxurious fabrics in Elizabethan times. The gold is a hard color to capture (and looks positively green under fluorescent lighting), but in true light, it's gorgeous.

And my Swallowtail shawl... It's official. I'm definitely a lace knitter. It goes by so fast, and the patterns intrigue me. I love trying to figure out the logic behind the pattern and then applying it row after row. (Also another reason I love fair isle.)

Specs...

Applewood Swallowtail
pattern: Swallowtail Shawl in Fall IK '06
yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Applewood
needles: 3.25 mm (US 4) Addi Turbos 32"

The Noro I bought as a gift to myself for getting an internship. Yay! Okay, so it doesn't pay, but I deserve it don't I? It's going to be that striped scarf that's so popular right now. I chose those colors, thinking of dreary grey winter days. This scarf should brighten everything up!

Sneakers...

2007-09-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

... Booties, that is.

I just finished the second one. It's currently blocking... I'll get a picture of the pair tomorrow. But aren't they just so BLOODY CUTE?

I think I'll write up the pattern for this eventually.

I'm actually really really happy with how they turned out. It just randomly popped into my head and I wondered if I could actually make it work. They turned out super cute! And thankfully, I finished them in time for the shower.

Yeah baby. 8)

Deadline: Saturday Night

2007-09-10T10:47:00.000-05:00

Made it with days to go. Thank God.

Baby Blue Cables
pattern: Cable Sweater from Simply Baby by Debbie Bliss
yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in Pale Blue (3 balls) and Ecru (1)
needles: US 2 and 3 Addi Turbos (32")

I only needed 3 balls of the blue to finish the sweater, so I might used the remaining ball to make a hat and some booties. We'll see. I liked working with this yarn but it kinda dried out my hands. Egh.

The V of the v-neck didn't quite please me. It's not pointy enough... so I'm blocking it. Har dee har.

At any rate, I finished the thing well before the shower. Yay! Now about wrapping it...

Freaking Frustrating

2007-09-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

I'm on a bit of a tight deadline for this baby sweater. The baby shower is next Sunday, and I've started classes again. I thought I was making good time...

But I decided the tubular cast on I did for the sleeves was too tight. I planned to frog them and reknit them. I was thinking that I'd have plenty of time over the weekend.

I had nearly finished the back. I was casting off the last shoulder stitches when an odd problem came...

I had too many stitches left over.

I stared. I frogged. I recounted. Nope. I didn't bind off the wrong number of stitches.

I frowned. I counted again. I referenced the pattern.

Then I realized. I had screwed up on the increases a long long time ago. Back at the start.

I can't afford to start all over from the very beginning. Looks like a little pattern modification will need to be done.

This is so not fun.

The Old, the Progress, and the New

2007-09-03T18:37:00.001-05:00

I constantly forget to update, and am really not a good blogger at all. I always do more than I actually show on this blog, waiting until I'm practically finished to demonstrate that Yes, I really am knitting.

Or in the case of the last few months, I lose things... like my camera cable.

Anyway, in an effort to blog more... I am posting today.

So here's the OLD -

Monkeys! I actually finished them in June, soon after I got back to California. I just never blogged about them. They're super comfy and look lovely on my feet, but it appears the kitchenering on one of the toes isn't very good. For all those concerned, it's still holding fast.

Beach Monkeys
pattern: Monkeys by Cookie A.
yarn: Koigu KPPPM
needles: 2.25 mm (US 1)

And then there's the progress...

Both sleeves are blocked and ready to go. I just need to finish the body now! I was shocked at the smallness of the clothes... but as my aunt reminded me: "They are small people."

And of course, what's a post without the NEW...

Swallowtail shawl. In my Malabrigo Lace. Pretty as hell. However, I screwed up two rows ago and now have to frog. I need to learn to pay better attention to my lace.

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! (or what's left of it.)

Ahoy!

2007-08-31T18:52:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a REALLY long time since I last posted, but I finally can because... I HAVE A CAMERA CABLE!!! Gasp! But it's not mine, so yeah. Hahah. Anyway, here's the knitty things that have been going on since I last blogged.

Firstly, I finished Trellis...

Well, as finished as it gets without adding buttons. But it's blocked and seamed and obviously cute. :) Here are the specs.

Lilac Trellis
pattern: Trellis from knitty.com
yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Lilac
needles: 4.50 mm (US 7)

The yarn is a dream to work with. So soft and smooth! It's also subtlely colored which looks so nice in the cables. I left it for my mother to give to her friend's daughter's daughter so unfortunately, I myself cannot present it. But no matter.

I put my Grandma's mitered squares on hold... yeah. I nearly finished knitting all the squares, but there's a ton of seaming left... Mreh. I feel kinda sick just thinking about the squares, so let's move on.

Socks! I decided to knit a pair of socks for my sister. She picked the yarn.

Okay, so it looks red, but it's supposed to be orange. Giants rally socks! However, I think the Giants need more than socks to revive their season... -_-

My aunt informed me that on the 16th of this month, my cousin will be having a surprise baby shower. This, too, was a surprise to me. So I ran to Downtown Yarns and picked up some Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (only the best for my cousin's baby!) for a cabled sweater.

(In case you weren't sure, my cousin is expecting a boy.)

And finally, I've started on the Christmas knitting. I decided to knit for my aunt - who's been like a second mother to me - the Tangled Yoke Cardigan from IK Fall '07. I'm using Felted Tweed in wheat. The yarn is lovely and the pattern is beautiful. I just hope the 34" will fit her...

And I picked up a small treat for myself too.

Malabrigo Lace. Don't try to tell me I don't deserve it.

It'll be a Swallowtail Shawl. Can't wait.

The Print o' the Wave is temporarily on hiatus until I get more yarn. That's right. I ran out again. Sigh. So I'm going to rip out the entire border and make the shawl a little longer. I was feeling it was too short anyway.

Quick Update

2007-08-14T18:43:00.000-05:00

Because here in southern California, it's too hot for anything else!

Like I mentioned before, there are FOs I am physically unable to show you yet (camera cable, why hast thou deserted me?) but I can show you this WIP I haven't really mentioned before at all.

Winding cable knee highs!!! I finally finished one. I actually started these near the end of June. I wish I had made it a little longer, but I was scared of running out of yarn. That doesn't seem like it's too likely now, but I'd rather not, I guess.

Print o' the wave update: Ran out of yarn. Debating whether to rip out border and reknit or order more yarn, rip out border, and make it longer. What would you do?

Also! I don't think I mentioned this before, but I finally got my Ravelry invite. My username is yarnhugger. Add me! :)

I want, I want

2007-08-06T20:03:00.000-05:00

More lace yarn
More sock yarn
The Fall IK to come out, already (TILTED DUSTER LUFF)
My camera cable. Where did you go?
More books
More yarn
Yarn!!

As my friend has noted, I haven't blogged in about forever. There also hasn't been much knitting going on. I've been making more squares and seaming diligently. I've started a new project (I suppose that's blog worthy). I finished the Trellis I was knitting. But the main problem is I can't find my camera cable.

Posts without pictures are dull.

I ripped out the edging on my Print o' the Wave... yeah that wasn't fun. I'm worried now, too, that I'll have to do it again. I don't know if I have enough yarn. ;_; Does anyone have any extra Zephyr wool/silk in Juniper they could send me?

Alas. I knew I should have bought two balls.

Socks and Sweaters

2007-06-12T13:25:00.001-05:00

I nearly forgot how addicting socks are.

Lace Footies
pattern: Padded Footies from Favorite Socks
needles: 2.25 mm (US 1)
yarn: Koigu KPPPM - little more than one skein
mods: I didn't double strand for the sole, and I added 8 sts to make it bigger. (It's for my grandma.)

I love the lace on the heel flap. :)

Anyway, as soon as I finished those, I immediately cast on for another pair of socks, this time for me. Never again will I be sockless! I cast on for Monkeys with the Koigu I had bought for myself. It's a lot bluer than I thought it would be, but it's so pretty! I love it.

They go by so quick!! I love this pattern. I kind of have this unwritten rule that I never knit a pattern more than once, but I may have to break that rule for this pattern. Cookie is a bloody genius.

As I have mentioned before, I do not practice project monogamy... so I also cast on for a Trellis. I'm nearly done with the first sleeve.

Plans

2007-06-07T14:30:00.001-05:00

I've forayed into designing my own socks before, but this time, I'm much more educated in terms of socks and how to write patterns and such. I've been thinking about knitting some anklets with this yarn (the gorgeous Claudia Handpainted Yarns in Carribean Blue), and I figured I should make my own design. It'll be something lacey, more or less.

But before I started another pair, I figured I should finish the one I had started...

... since this one still needs its mate.

Infidelity

2007-06-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

So let's talk about project monogamy...

I have none.

Today was a beautiful day, so my roommate and I decided to head out to enjoy lunch and sunshine in Washington Square Park. She brought a book. I brought my knitting.

So after a bit, my roommate decided to get a pedicure, and I decided, what the heck! I'm going to go get some yarn!... since I'm halfway to the yarn store anyway... yeah bad reasoning but I decided to go. I originally only planned to buy yarn for socks for my grandma, but I made the mistake of calling my mom.

My mother informed me that an old acquaintance of mine and the daughter of a close friend of hers had a little girl. So why don't I knit her a sweater!!!

Lorna's Laces in Lilac. Good God. I always looked at this beautiful yarn and wanted a reason to buy it. This will probably be a Trellis. Leftovers may become that amazingly adorable Upside Down Daisy hat if I have to crack into the third skein.

Of course, I made my intended purchase as well.

Koigu KPPPM in a beautiful slate blue. Sometimes it looks blue. Sometimes it looks grey. Stormy blue. Periwinkle grey. It depends on how the light hits it. I love yarns like that. So much depth in the color. My mom told me to knit anklets, so I doubt I'll need the second skein... and I have a project in mind for that.

And of course, something for me.

This was a bit of an impulse buy and the only thing for me. I really loved the beachy blue and sandy colors. I think they're destined to be the currently extremely popular Monkeys, which I have been dying to knit for a while.

I also bought the Favorite Socks that I've been coveting for a while. And remember how I said I feel naked without socks on the needles? Well I'm naked no more. I cast on for the Padded Footlets and am plowing away on the first one.

1824 in 2007

2007-06-04T22:27:00.000-05:00

Sweater 2 of this year (and of my life) complete.

1824 Blouson
pattern: 1824 Blouson by Mari Lynn Patrick from Summer 07 IK
needles: 4.50 mm (US 7) Addi Turbos 24" circs
yarn: Cascade Luna in Ginseng (715)
mods: No notable ones I can remember.

It seems to me that across the web this pattern has a bad rap. I, on the other hand, fell in love with it the moment I saw it.

A lot of people don't like reverse stockinette stitch, but that was what drew me to this pattern. This yarn looks beautiful in stockinette as well, but it worked really well with the reverse st st. I loved the cute faux raglan increases too.

The turned sleeve cuffs and pleats are part of the sweet details that really made this sweater for me.

I bought 14 skeins of the yarn and used a little more than 12. I have one full skein and parts of two left. This yarn is wonderfully soft and comes in a ton of colors. I'll definitely use this yarn again.

So the first picture is the only good one I have of me wearing the sweater. (It's quite interesting to get the right amount of sunlight and the right position in this tiny sunless dorm.) I would take another one, but I was really unhappy with one of the seams so I tore it off and am in the middle of fixing it. But I swear, this sweater is super comfy and I can't wait until I can wear it!

Lace in Progress...

2007-06-01T12:38:00.000-05:00

... isn't very photogenic.

I wasn't sure how many repeats to knit before I started the edging. The centre bit went by a lot quicker than I had anticipated. I knit 27 repeats before I finally decided enough was enough... I'd rather have too much yarn leftover than not enough and have to rip it all back... AND PICK UP 500+ STITCHES AGAIN. *dies* Yeah, that was not fun.

A Warm Summer's Day

2007-05-26T08:05:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to make a conscious effort to update more. My updating is hardly proportional to the amount of knitting I actually do. My Blouson is practically finished... I'm working on the last sleeve... but that is hardly a very interesting knit. Perhaps I'll update on Tuesday.

I'm currently in Wilton, CT, visiting some family. I love living in NYC - yarn and book stores within walking distance! Restaurants just across the street! But sometimes the chaos of the city that I enjoy so much just gets to me and I need, at very least, a short getaway. Which is why I adore this small town. It's gorgeous practically any time of the year. As an added bonus, my aunt feeds me. A lot. It's really relaxing to just come here and do nothing.

Isn't it lovely?

I did bring some knitting with me. I was really tired of the squares and the Blouson (besides the fact they're not very portable projects) so I picked up my Print o' the Wave, which I hadn't touched in a couple weeks. It's actually strange to me that I don't have any socks on the needles. Weird! Usually, socks are my bare minimum. Here's my progress on my first lacy stole:

I decided to modify the pattern a bit. I'm doing the center bit in one go rather than grafting it together. I think the asymmetry would get to me WAY too much. This teal has been the most elusive for me to capture. In some pictures it is too green. In others it is too blue. It is a gorgeous, gorgeous color. And I LOVE the Zephyr Wool/Silk. So cheap. So much yardage. A COLLEGE STUDENT'S DREAM.

I knit on the train ride here, and that's only notable because I was standing the entire ride. Yes, folks, it IS possible to stand for an hour and tackle lace at the same time! (Granted, I had the pattern memorized and it truly isn't a very difficult repeat.) I drew some interesting looks though. The fellow standing across from me watched me with engaged interest as I stood there, knitting away.

I was originally going to knit ~20 repeats but I think I may be able to ekk out a few more repeats. Like 25 or so. Then I'll do some maths to figure out the edging. I really, really love lace.

Progress

2007-05-21T15:15:00.000-05:00

I got another square done.

I actually had another one done, but I effed that one up so, knowing it'd bug the hell out of me, I decided to frog it. It'll be done soon though, probably. I'm pretty happy with how the blanket's progressing. But you know, knitting these squares can get pretty dull, so I started another project...

The 1824 Blouson. I've been reading reactions to this pattern, and I'm surprised to find it overwhelmingly negative. I really like this pattern. I love the simple yet comfy lines and I actually like the inside out look. Why do I always go for these patterns with miles of stockinette? Anyway, I cast on for the back and a Mets-Yankees game and 7 episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air later...

The back was finished.

Here's a shot of the raglan shaping.

It's not really an exciting looking knit, but I like how it's shaping up. I'll probably finish it real soon, so it'll be ready for me when I need it in the fall. :) It's exactly what I like to wear and I'm sure I'll get many wears out of it when the weather calls for it.

I found a (possible) problem in the pattern though. I can't believe I didn't figure it out when I was looking at the pattern. The pattern says to "Repeat the last 2 rows 18 more times." and then it says it should measure about 3.5" from the CO. I took this to mean knit 36 rows... which makes sense, right? But duh. Worsted weight, 36 rows, size 7 needles ... is not going to give you 3.5". I think what it means is to do the last 2 rows 9 more times for a total of 18 more rows. I did that and I got 3.5".

Now my mind is wandering for other projects.

Not a Square

2007-05-16T15:12:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's what I've been doing in the last 13 days. Actually, I also did more - like my Print o' the Wave, which I did 10 repeats of. But this is where most of my knitting attention went to. I went so crazy with the squares my hands cramped up and I had to take a break from knitting altogether.

My grandma recently had a stroke, and I decided to go ahead and try and knit a blanket for her... so this is my effort. I'm not quite sure how big I want to make it yet... either 4x5 or 3x5. The squares are pretty big. And I want the blanket to be kind of a throw, not really a massive quilt. I guess I'll reconsider when I get to 15 squares.

Most of the yarn used is just stash yarn. I pulled out all the worsted yarns I owned and picked out colors I thought went together. There's Wool-Ease, some archaic grey wool and acryllic blend (from my mum, when she used to knit), and brown and natural Cascade 220.

As I was knitting though, it occurred to me I did not have enough for the blanket. So I went to go get more brown and natural. I came back with a whole lot more than just Cascade.

14 balls of Cascade Luna to knit the 1824 Blouson in the new IK. I REALLY love that pattern and I REALLY love the color. I can't wait to knit it.

Oh, I also go this cute little guy, partially because I was in need of a measuring tape, but mostly because he was just so cute.

Summer! Yarn! Lace! FOs!!!

2007-05-03T15:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's been a while since my last blog and even LONGER since I've had pictures and such pretty things. Since I last blogged: I finished Elfine, wrote three papers, and took all my finals. I'm done!!! So, I'm here to make you happy with pictures!!! Yay.

Here, at long last, pictures of my first sweater, Arwen. *gasp!*

Arwen
pattern: Cardigan for Arwen by Kate Gilbert in Winter '06 IK
needles: 4.00 mm (US 6) Addi circ and 4.50 mm (US 7) straights. I had to go down a needle size to get gauge.
yarn: Elann Peruvian Wool in Victorian Violet.

A shot of the back. Huh. You can see my imperfect grafting and and the seam down the middle of the hood. Clearly, I opted not to knit it in one piece. No regrets though! I really enjoyed seaming the sweater together. It actually left me hungry to knit another sweater just so I could seam some more. Is that weird or what?

(If I look exhausted it's because I AM! I took my last two finals this morning and goodness, I'm so worn out.)

Everything (almost) is perfect about this sweater. Well, the pattern itself is great. It fits perfectly. My only complaint is the yarn. The cheapness is brutally apparent. It still looks quite nice, but it's getting pilly after a couple of wears. But for a first sweater, I wasn't exactly jumping to dump over $100 on yarn.

I've worn Arwen a couple times now. I told my friend Michelle that I was knitting a sweater, so she told me to show it to her when I finished. When I told her it was this one, she gave me a critical look and finally said, "You're going a really good mom one day."

I'm not sure how to take that.

When I started Elfine the weater was cold as hell. I knit these to encourage spring along. By the time I finished the first one and cast on for the second, the cold weather had completely vanished.

Elfine
pattern: Elfine by Anna Bell
needles: 2.25 mm (US 1) Clover dpns
yarn: Koigu... oh geez I never remember the color names.

I love them. They fit perfectly and look lovely. I was apprehensive at first. The color isn't one I usually choose, and I wasn't sure about the pattern, but as I kept knitting, the subtle variegation really helped bring out the beautiful lace.

Funny story. Or not so funny. Anyway, I was so fixated on the yarn, things were starting to look green to me. My needles, especially, appeared to have a greenish tint. At first I thought it was just due to the yarn making everything look green, but after a while, I realized... no! My needles really WERE turning green! I guess the dye from the yarn was rubbing off? But anyway. I don't have a picture, but it's quite funny.

With the completion of Elfine, I was without a project. I don't have much of a stash to speak of, so I couldn't even resort to that. Besides, what I really wanted to knit was some lace. So. After I struggled through my papers and finals, I decided to treat myself to some yarn.

JaggerSpun Zephyr Silk/Wool in Juniper. I had initally wanted something deep red, but this teal caught my eye and I knew it was just crying to be knit into Eunny's Print o' the Wave. My first real lace project! *is excited*

Rowan kid silk in pink. Super soft, super pretty. Which is why I bought it. Hahaha! I just really liked the pink color. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. I reckon I wanted to knit a Branching Out, but we'll see if I actually do.

Will spring come more quickly

2007-04-13T02:57:00.000-05:00

... if I knit green socks?

No pictures, still, but I'm knitting Elfine in a dark(ish) green Koigu in the valiant hope that such a green venture will encourage the coming of spring. Why is it still so blasted cold?

She's done

2007-04-10T01:54:00.001-05:00

I just weaved in the last ends for Arwen.

Oh my GOD.

Pictures to come!

No Pictures, but...

2007-03-12T16:47:00.000-05:00

I ripped out the Baudelaire and knit Hedera instead. They're done, but no pictures yet because I'm in California right now. Anyway, the socks are for my mum so we'll see how she likes them.

Quick Update

2007-02-24T18:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, I finished the left front of Arwen... and I'm going to block it soon. Augh. Kate calls for a LOT of seaming before blocking and I guess I'd prefer to block the pieces separately. Here's the left front in all its glory:

It went by rather quickly, actually. It's strange to think I just got the yarn 20 days ago. And now I'm nearly done! I should really get on to blocking the left front and the back...

Anyway I started working on the right front. I think reversing the cable kinda threw me off.

(Can you spot the mistake?)

Luckily, I caught it early on so now it's been frogged and reknit. I think I'm hitting a bit of a dry spot with this though... I'm not quite as into it as I used to be. I guess that's to be expected though.

In other news, I finished a pair of socks... but no pictures yet. Maybe tomorrow. And my mum's birthday is coming up (mid-March) so I started some socks for her... Baudelaire from knitty.com.

I don't know how I feel about this. The pattern calls for 2.50 mm or "US 2" but it's not a US 2. I swatched (sorta... don't really swatch for socks) and was short a stitch with the 2.25 and the 2.75. Right now, it looks so big, and my mom has absolutely tiny feet. (One of the huge plusses of knitting socks for my mom... and the other being she likes short socks.) She wears a size 5 and her feet are narrow. I'm thinking I just frog the whole damn thing and knit it again on size 1's and see how it goes from there.

A List

2007-02-14T01:26:00.000-05:00

I often use my journals as a way of "keeping track" - books I've read and would like to read, musicals I'd like to see, etc.

Currently I'm a very poor college student. Actually, I'm not that poor, and perhaps it's more psychological than not (the thought of my tuition and potential debt frightens me) but it's managed to prevent me from splurging on a lot of things. So, that said...

THINGS I WILL BUY ONCE I GET A JOB OR SOME OTHER SOURCE OF INCOME

Swift - perhaps this will wait until I have my own place
Ballwinder
Really expensive yarn to make a sweater... not sure what kind of yarn or what sweater yet... and by expensive yarn I mean anything that's more than say $5 for 100 yards. God I'm cheap.
Spindle - I REALLY want to learn how to spin
Roving, of course
Circulars and DPNs of all shapes and sizes (Addi and Clover, respectively, being my preference)
Lots of knitting books - I have tons on my wishlist that no one bought for me for Christmas or my birthday. Sigh.
Pretty yarn for lace knitting. Mmm.

I need a job. My two greatest interests are literature and knitting and GOD they're expensive to finance!

Oh, by the by, Arwen is still coming along. I'm still working on the left frong, but I'm at the hood now. I knew its exponential growth would have to level off some time. I think I'll finish it before spring - which is my goal anyway. Can't wear Arwen in this ridiculously cold weather.

What?! Another update?

2007-02-06T18:02:00.000-05:00

Holy schmidt, another update so soon? Well, I thought I would share the progress of Arwen while I still could. The cable... it's seriously so addicting. I've been knitting away pretty methodically at it and I'd say I have a fair portion of it done. So much for savoring my first sweater.

I was going to wait for sunshine to take nicer pictures but I've come to the realization that artificial lighting is the best lighting I have in my dorm.

Pieces, lying on the empty mattress (which shall later serve as a blocking board. Muahuahua.)
Note the ruler... it wasn't until I was done lengthwise I decided to make sure I had the right width. Duh. Oh! And my swatch! I swatched! Full out swatched! I actually did it twice. I had to go down a needle size.

A look at the cable...

A CLOSER look at the cable.

LOOK AT THE PRETTY STOCKINETTE!!!!

Finally, my aunt had surgery today. Over half a year ago, she had a mastectomy, and this is just sort of a followup. It's strange; my aunt is probably the healthiest of all my mom's sisters. She eats well, exercises, doesn't smoke or drink excessively. But she's a fighter. According to my cousin, everything went well and my aunt should be home tomorrow.

Yarn type

2007-02-05T18:13:00.000-05:00

What kind of yarn are you?

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!

Amusing.

I'm deadly sick. Ugh. And I have a paper to write. Augh! But I took advantage of my sickness over the weekend to just work away at Arwen. I actually got a lot done (finished the back and am more than half done with the left front!) but alas, no pictures. Maybe next time!

By the way, the color of my STR is Cobalt Bloom and it's a mixture of greyish purple, tan, fuschia, pink, and rust. No clue what to knit with it yet, but right now I'm rather content just petting the beautiful skein!

Excitement!!

2007-02-02T18:24:00.000-05:00

Blog and ye shall receive!

I was feeling REALLY sick today and pretty much slept until 5 (waking up only at 1 to take some cold medicine). I went down to the dining hall, ate, and then went to check my mail. I got two packages today:

Socks that Rock from Cara! And a really pretty card with yarn on it. The yarn is absolutely gorgeous. It looks SO amazingly beautiful. I love it. I want to hug it.

I won this in some contest Cara had a few weeks ago, her STR virgin contest. I wrote a stirring poem and Cara gifted me with this beautiful beautiful skein. I'm so in love.

I also got another package, this one from elann.com, and inside it was this:

13 skeins of Peruvian Highland Wool in Victorian Violet for my Cardigan for Arwen! AUGH. I'm going to go swatch.

I love socks

2007-02-01T00:54:00.000-05:00

Yuum. Seriously. If in a pickle about what to get me, sock books or sock yarn. Fo sho.

Yeah. Anyway, pretty soon things will get exciting (?!)... at least to me. But here are some really old FOs that I never blogged about yet.

Snowflake Fair Isle Hat
pattern: my own
needles: 3.75 mm (US 5) Bryspun dpns
yarn: leftover Cascade 220 from the Scarf from Hell and some... I don't knwo what it is. My suitemate bought it for me.

It's a bit itchy... the Cascade, you know. I'm thinking about blocking it.

Twin Ribby Socks
pattern: my own... but they're just socks yo. With the twin rib motif.
needles: 2.25 mm (US 1) Clover dpns
yarn: Trekking XXL

I casted on 72 stitches. Uh? I don't know what I was thinking. It became pretty clear it was way way way too big... but instead of ripping out the whole thing I just decreased and gave it some "ankle shaping". Riiiight.

Fetching
pattern: Fetching from knitty.com
needles: 3.75 mm (US 5) Bryspun dpns
yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran Colour 330014

I only bought one ball which made it interesting as I ran out of yarn as I was finishing the last one. Um? Of course, being lazy, instead of returning to my LYS to buy another ball (and stingy) I ripped off one row from the top of the other one and did some spit splicing. Ugh. But the pattern is right - it finishes quickly. I cast on at 5 am in the morning (couldn't fall asleep) and finished by midnight the same day.

Something that occurred to me yesterday...

2007-01-26T12:42:00.000-05:00

It was absolutely freezing cold, and lately, I've taken to wearing my Clapotis that I knit over a year ago. Before, I had been reluctant because I found it bulky and thought it needed blocking. However, as time has worn by, I realized I prefered it curly and that the bulkiness gave me added warmth, especially now that I'm in the freezing cold temperatures of the Northeast. (I am currently wrapped up in a blankie.)

(Said Clapotis. Yes, it's a terrible picture. I took it last year.)

Yesterday, I was sitting in class, freezing cold. I had taken my jacket off because... well... who wears a huge poofy down jacket indoors? I wrapped myself up in my Clapotis and found that I was extremely warm. Furthermore, the yarn (absolutely luxurious and beautiful... Mountain Colors 4/8's in Raspberry... too nice of a fiber for a novice knitter like me at the time) was gorgeous and the variegation of it was lovely... except for the strange blue pooling in one part but we'll ignore that. It occured to me how much I loved the Clapotis.

Okay, so long story short, I decided I needed another Clapotis, but a lighter, springy one. I also thought that my darling aunt (for whom I knit the vintage beaded gloves) would happily receive a Clapotis as well. Perhaps for her birthday in early August. Clapotis knitting in the summer? I've decided to knit it in fingering weight, so why not? It'll be perfect for fall.

I've decided to start earlier with my Christmas knitting this year. The only problem is after I've finished something I REALLY want to give it to said person.

Pictures will have to wait. I'm in Connecticut right now. But since it's Eye Candy Friday, here's a picture of a beach in CT I took during Thanksgiving...

It's a bit lonely

2007-01-24T03:02:00.000-05:00

I need to meet knitters in New York. Seriously. There must be tons and I don't know any of them.

I must confess, it gets a bit lonely.

Also, who knew it was so freaking difficult to take pictures? Since I've made my return to the city, I have been amazingly productive and finished off three (albeit small) projects. Anyway. I shall wait for better photos.

Eye Candy Friday? and FOs

2007-01-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Leafless branches against the blue, wintry Fremont sky... and in the corner, a palm tree? A sight I won't be privy to for another year. Sigh. I leave for New York tomorrow night!

One night my sister asked me for wristwarmers... or "ninja gloves" as she called them. What she actually meant was fingerless gloves. Oops. But I whipped up these guys and had 'em ready for her in a day.

Cabled Wristwarmers
pattern: my own... took the cable from a stitch dictionary
needles: 3.5 mm (US 4)
yarn: Wool-Ease Chestnut Heather

The unfortunate thing about having two "homes" is the fact I can't carry all my needles with me everywhere. I had left my DPNs back in New York so I knit these guys up on straights. Straights! Seaming! Le gasp! But they're nice and are warm. My sister still wants her ninja gloves though.

Misty Garden Scarf - for Jaimee
pattern: Misty Garden Scarf from Scarf Style... really just a feather and fan
needles: 5.0 mm (US 8)
yarn: Paton's SWS in Natural Plum

A VERY late Christmas gift, for my friend Jaimee. I'm not really a fan of the yarn, honestly. It's a bit too scratchy for my liking and it doesn't frog well at all. I do love the colors and the way the striping looks, especially paired with this pattern.

See? Ripply and pretty!

Twilight Lace Wrap - for Mom
pattern: from Interweave Knits' Holiday Gifts
needles: 5.5 mm (US 9)
yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Night shade 608

I love this yarn. So soft, so light, so wispy, and so warm. I didn't check gauge before I started. I figured, hey! Scarf! Gauge doesn't matter?

Hah. I ran into problems when I realized I couldn't make it to the 16 repeats the the pattern recommended for each half. So I fudged around, doing 15 for one side and 9 for the other. Luckily for me, you can hardly notice where one half ends and the other starts. It's still rather long (72" just like the pattern says) and I have quite a bit of yarn leftover... me being cautious and all.

I'd say this was a rather productive winter break.

Tying up loose ends

2007-01-08T21:15:00.000-05:00

Historical fiction and knitting... two of my loves.

I can't say I highly recommend The Boleyn Inheritance... it wasn't nearly as good as The Other Boleyn Girl but it was still an intriguing read and anyone who loves Philippa Gregory or reading about Henry and his many wives (I would fall into the latter category) should give it a look. It was cheap at Costco! So I picked it up. It proved a nice companion as I stayed up way late knitting away at my Twilight Lace Wrap, determined to finish. The knitting's done, but I still need to block it.

After years of watching me, my sister finally decided she'd like to (re)learn how to knit.

Yes, English. That's how I learned. I've been trying to train myself in the continental, but old habits die hard. Here she is showing off her nice little swatch:

She's a dilligent little knitter, and she soon finished off a scarf for her bear, so creatively named (at the age of 2) Brownie.

I picked up some yarn at Michael's (sigh) as that's the closest thing I have to a yarn store here back at home... that's not an hour drive away, anyway. I picked up some of Paton's SWS in Natural Plum, drawn to the beautiful colors, for a scarf for my friend as a late, late birthday present. It's a bit itchy. I wouldn't knit another scarf for anyone else in this yarn again, I don't think, but the colors are devastatingly beautiful. Lovely, deep, jewel tones that melt right into each other. However, as I was knitting, I came across this...

I wanted to scream.

I finally finished the Infernal Hat and presented it to my friend on New Year's Eve.

Infernal Hat
pattern: I made it up and geez... the decreases were ugly.
needles: 2.75 mm (US 2)
yarn: Dale Ull Norway something something.

I'm almost done with all my gift knitting and am looking forward to knitting for me... though truth be told I adore knitting for others. But I'm wanting to venture off to sweater knitting. If I start now, I probably would finish in time for next winter.

Just keep knitting, just keep knitting...

2006-12-29T23:11:00.000-05:00

Lots of grey knitting lately... and I did it while watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy online! Yeay!

Anyway, here is the previously mentioned "INFERNAL" hat:

I forgot my friend's birthday. Really. Just plumb slipped my mind. Even Facebook failed me! So, he requested beanies for Christmas. He showed me one he particularily liked, not knowing how painful it would be to recreate in knitting. I guess the only thing that makes it so annoying is how tedious it is. 200 stitches of 2x2 ribbing. Egh. I need to finish it for my friend because he goes back to college on the 3rd and I go to college about 3000 miles away, making it difficult to give it to him later.

Coming home meant rummaging through yarn I'd left behind. I found a lovely skein of Claudia's Handpainted yarns in Carribbean Blue. I had used the other skein to knit some socks for my mom... I think I'm going to try to recreate them for a pair for me.

I also found two skeins of woolly grey yarn...

The yarn has a long history and story, but that's for another time. I'm trying to decide what to knit with it... either the Irish Hiking Scarf or Backyard Leaves. I'm leaning toward the latter... I really wanted to knit the Backyard Leaves in a silvery grey for some reason, and this is the perfect shade... However, the yarn is so squishy I feel like it's more suited for cables. Oh well, we'll see.

What do you mean it's after Christmas?

2006-12-29T03:14:00.000-05:00

So. Christmas has come and gone and I'm still not done with a lot of my knitting... and the ones I managed to finish I sent off without taking pictures. Wow. I am the epitome of lameness and clearly not an experienced knitblogger. Argh. Oh well, perhaps for 2007 I shall resolute to be better.

I did manage to snap a nice clear shot of the Scarf From Hell which has found a nice home with my friend Olivia.

Scarf from Hell
pattern: the Harry Potter PoA scarf from atypically.net... only managed 10 stripes though
needles: 4.25 mm
yarn: Cascade 220... not sure about the colors but 3 skeins of the blue and 1 skein of the white (only used half)

Some of you may be curious as to why this was the "scarf from hell." Well, first, it was over 28,000 stitches of stockinette. YES. And secondly, it was of the infernal colors of the Dodger Blue and White. Blegh. But Olivia liked it so I guess it is all right.

Remember these?

Vintage Beaded Gloves
pattern: from Handknit Holidays
alterations: Didn't use beads
needles: 2.00 mm
yarn: Blue Skies Alpaca and Silk

And currently I'm still working on my mother's gift, the Twilight Lace.

I've actually made even more progress. I have to say though, I could not get 16 repeats out of 227 yards of Rowan Kid Silk Night. I couldn't even get 15! I only managed halfway through the point before I had to break into the second skein. Sigh. I think I'll only try 11 repeats on the second skein before decreasing.

I'm also working on this INFERNAL hat for my friend. I stupidly decided to try to knit a hat in fingering weight. What was I thinking?!

More pictures and such to come when there's daylight... It's break now and I'm surrounded by yarn! But no needles. Stupid girl.

And there was much rejoicing...!

2006-12-01T16:19:00.000-05:00

Fittingly, I have finished my first Christmas present on the first day of Christmas.

Dalia's Scarf
pattern: just a seed stitch
needles: 8.0 mm
yarn: Brown Sheep (no idea what color... it's a beautiful teal though), 1 skein; Koigu KPPPM p122, 1 skein

The colors are much bolder than they appear in the photo (4:30 pm sunsets? wot?!) and are absolutely stunning. The simple seed stitch shows off the lovely yarn wonderfully.

On Thursday, I stopped by Downtown Yarns and came back with this:

3 skeins of Koigu, 2 skeins of Brown sheep, and 2 skeins of Baby Ull Dalegarn which will eventually be a hat for my friend.

I had an interesting experience at Downtown Yarns... I had been there before, but this was the first time I needed them to wind up the yarn for me. The girl working there wound up three and then asked me to wind up the other two, which has never happened to me before, anywhere. I was mildly confused, and while I do enjoy winding up yarn for some reason, I was perplexed. Is this common?

This will be another scarf, much like Dalia's, except not.

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my other WIPs.

Here's the Scarf from Hell... it's blurry because there is a remote chance that the person it's for may read this:

Vintage Beaded Gloves (minus beads)

So little time so much knitting to do... Gah. I have to write a paper... and I'd so much rather just knit. Sigh.

Hem hem

2006-11-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

I have not forsaken this blog! Nor have I forsaken knitting. But I have this strange feeling I need pictures if I really want to post, and natural lighting in New York this time of the year is absolutely terrible. It's even worse in my room. Therefore, the lack of pictures.

Still, the knitting has continued on. I'm loaded down with projects again. It happens every. single. year. I always seem to take on more than I probably can handle. Finals are coming! and yet I have miles and miles of stockinette to knit. Blegh. I'm just wondering why so many of my projects are stockinette...

I need more exciting, easy projects to knit for people as gifts.

Pictures next time, maybe.

My Unwise Decision

2006-11-16T13:38:00.000-05:00

Hello new blog.

Yes, knitting has once again become an integral part of my life... I hope I stick with it more than I have in the past. It's not that I love it any less, it's just somehow it falls on my list of priorities. But anyway, my knitting obsession seems to come in waves, and it often comes around this time. Weird isn't it?

But anyway, until I get more photos and more time to really get a post up... here's a lovely picture for you to ponder: