One of my favorite things....

Removable stitch markers! These little babies are the best most useful ones I've found.  They are from cocoknits and come in a fun little container.  

Pros:

• Light - these are thin but strong metal and slide easily across needles. They don't add weight to my already getting heavy shawl. When I use them to mark rows they don't pull on the stitches.  These don't feel cumbersome and work on my little sock stitches and larger shawls without getting in the way of either.
• Colorful - Always a plus to have pretty decorations. It's also good for marking different stitch patterns or end of round verse repeats.
• Magnetic - I love metal accessories! cocoknits has a great bracelet that utilizes their tool's stickiness.  Also, I have some how-to's in the works for keeping track of all the little do-dads that I find in my couch cushions.  Having metal stitch markers increases how well I can keep track of them.
• Removable - The sharp end on these opens like a safety pin.  This makes it super easy to use these as row counters.  On the shawl below I put one at the beginning of every 12-row repeat.  I used six at a time because I had to repeat the pattern 24-times (Cutting it down into four chunks made it easier to handle mentally).  I was able to detach them easily and keep the extras hanging from the first one waiting to be used.  No hunting around required! Unlike the plastic spiral makers, these don't constantly prick your hands. I'm not sure how anyone uses them, they're painful!  These are sharp enough to pierce yarn or even a project bag to keep a few in waiting, but because they are like safety pins the sharp end is hidden away. 

Not really cons:

• On my set, the paint is chipping off on a few. It looks like the new ones have a double coat of paint, so they may have fixed this problem already.  And this is something that if I really cared I could fix with a coat of colored or clear nail polish.  But I feel like it's worth a mention.
• Cost, these are more expensive then most basic stitch markers.  To me me, this was worth it for the quality, the amount they truly are ingenious little things and supporting a great business. But again it's worth a mention.  I have found because I can keep track of these by either attaching them or sticking them places with a magnet I don't lose them. 

As you can see I'm still working on my sunwalker.  I started this in the fall for the Julie Asselin KAL.  While the end date was last month, I'm making slow and steady progress on it. I'm almost done with the first section and finally made it to ball #2/3.

Scout Tee and Fitting Take 1

I've tried to make a few more small sewing projects, but I get frustrated by the fiddly bits, so I figured why not just jump into garment sewing.

I'm starting out with a simple tee, the Scout Tee by Grainline Studios.  Using some of the techniques from the Crafty class "Sewing the Perfect Fit" I made a basic muslin.

Not too bad a fit with no alterations.  I'm adding two inches to the length, but I'm not going to fiddle with the neckline/shoulders just yet. Might see after wearing my first version for a bit how I like it before making a second.  

It is so nice having a separate room for sewing that I can close off from the cats.  Being able to layout/cut/pin one night and then sew another without having to put away all the not-for-cat things in between is really nice. 

Pics of the craft room to come at some point when I get all the pictures hung and such. :) 

WIP Wednesday - A week later

One week later and I feel like I haven't made progress on anything.  I did finish off the striped baby hat and started working on the chevron one.

This week I can blame my lack of progress on my weekend adventure. The first weekend of November is the New England Fiber Festival in Springfield, MA.  I'm lucky that I also have family in the area (always a good excuse to drive to a fiber fest).  I headed out Saturday morning in the cloudy gross weather.  I'm a fan of audio books in the car (you can see a list of what I'm ready at Goodreads).  My current book was Agatha Christie's And then there were none.  It was perfect for the weather and a good mystery to keep my entertained while driving.

NE Fiber Fest is much smaller then Rhinebeck but it's all inside one of the expo centers at the Big E.  There are plenty of awesome vendors to check out. I did my "snap a pic" plan so I could remember all the awesome goodies I saw and stick them in my budget to save for.

  

Here are some cuties to go with the goodies!

One of the things I did buy was a Kumihimo Kit.  It's a Japanese braiding method that uses a disk, it reminds me of making i-cord with those little plastic hoops for kids.  I have lots of seed beads and I thought it would be a fun way to make some bracelets or maybe even figure out some cut stitch marker ideas. The kit came with some practice silk rope.

Still to come: Swatch-a-palooza and what I got at Webs!

WIP Wed - Baby Hats

Baby hats for everyone! Or at least a bunch of my coworkers/friends that are pregnant.  I know four pregnant ladies at the moment who are all due this fall/winter. So, I have been working on some little baby hats.  I wanted to do something simple, that would be good for all of them (two girls and two ?'s, plus various mommy style's), and still not be a complete bore to knit. I have priorities!

In the Loop had some of the wonderful Swans Island Organic Superwash Sport (Snowy Owl, Edgecomb Grey and Truffle) and people were talking about making the Little Fair Isle Baby Hat by Purl Soho.  This yarn is absolutely scrumptious.  It is super super soft and squishy. You would think it was a match made in heaven, except I am not a big color work knitter.  It's something I would love to be good at but I hate practicing.

I didn't want to do stripes or solids for all four.  And, I think I can get four hats out of the three skeins.  I decided to try some simple color work in between the stripes on the first one.

I found the site tricksyknitter.com and was able to make my own charts to use. The chart maker is incredibly easy to use.  It includes a bunch of different colors that you can customize, plus you can change the number of rows and stitches.

I made two charts so far:

I finished this ombre-like stripe hat and it just needs to block.  The parts with the color work do pull in a little. I'm hoping it comes out with blocking.  If it doesn't next time I'll going up a needle size.

Now I am working on a simple stripe pattern because I was able to knit during a business lunch but needed something simple. It's five rows dark taupe, four rows light taupe, 5 rows cream, 4 rows light taupe, repeat.

The third one I'm going to do is a chevron inspired pattern for one of the soon to be mothers that has chevron curtains in the baby's room. I'm hoping I can figure out 3 colors in a row or I might have to change it to be white/truffle chevrons then white/light taupe, then truffle/light taupe, we shall see.....

I will get it done... I will get it done...

Only two more sleeps until Rhinebeck and I'm still working on my sleeves.  I got to the shoulder shaping last night at SnB and I'm thankful I'm doing them two-at-a-time so I don't have to consistently go back and forth to make sure they match.  Maybe during lunch today I can finish the sleeves, block tonight, finish the collar and sew it up tomorrow night!

Last night I hit a little bit of a burn out point after doing the bind off rows for the armpit. I decided to have a little fun. Nothing like some little sheepy nails to get you in the mood for Wool-a-palooza.

List 2 and 3 The Frog Pound and The Never Ending Story

Only a few more days until Rhinebeck and I still haven't finished my sweater. I expect to finish the sleeves and the collar ribbing tonight at SnB. Hopefully I can block the sleeves afterwards and have them ready Thursday to seam on. *Keep your fingers crossed*

I feel like my list keeps growing bigger hopefully I can get everything I want to done without making myself crazy.  So instead of focusing on the lists for this weekend, I'll continue with my WIP lists. Yes there are multiple lists.

I posted my 10 current WIP's the other day. Now for the sweaters I started but might not finish until after I frog their current state.

1. Empire
2. Nadi Coat

The projects that are getting worked on ... slowly.... The will get finished at some point.

1. Peking
2. Featherweight Cardigan
3. Hue Shift Afghan 
4. Vesper

What have I stuck my needles in? List 1

I feel like I'm hitting the half way point in my knitting this year. I feel like more of my knitting is done in the fall then the rest of the year, even though I am a year long knitter.  And the countdown for Rhinebeck has begun! How cool is this year's Rhinebeck logo? Kudos to the designer! I pre-ordered project bags this year because I'm sure they will sell out fast.

Since I am reaching a halfway point I wanted to do a round up of my knitting this year. I want to see where I am with FO and WIP.  After finishing my Rhinebeck sweaters I can start going through all the WIP that need finishing.

List 1 - More Current WIP:

1. Not so fair isle baby hats 1 out of 3 done
2. Connectivity Gloves I want these done for this winter 
3. F ootie Socks 
4. Sophia 
5. Color block wrap
6. Cowgirl Cowl I just need to block and finish this thing!
7. Togue Pond Being a summer top this is def on the back burner
8. Clapotis 
9. Penny Candy Tee
10. Customfit Sweatshirt

Chevron, lace and cables, O My!

**Pictures coming soon**

I have been working on some fun patterns recently.  I finished my Silverberg sweater in all it's stockinette glory and have been balancing that out with some patterns that have fun details to their stitching.

The first is a sock pair that I've been working on for a while and posted about before. My Jaywalkers are coming along slowly but surely.  I think it's the perfect travel project. The pattern is easy enough to do without paying too much attention but when I'm in a waiting room bored it's interesting enough to keep me from fidgeting the whole time.  Plus the yarn I'm using gets tons of ooohs and aaaahs from people. 1st step to an awesome project is use awesome yarn.

I'm taking the interest level up one more notch with the Vesper Cowl.  It's a beautiful flowy cowl with a wavy stockinette center and lace edging.  It looks amazing but is based on 10 row blocks that still make it travel friendly.  Last for my stitchy patterns is my Peking, which I have also already mentioned.  I'm almost done with the front panel but this one really requires me to sit with my knit-companion open following each row.  The flame pattern isn't as predictable as a leaf pattern and requires my attention.  These projects are inching their way towards completion while I finish my Rhinebeck Sweaters.

I'm loving my Silverberg, it needs to be soaked to get rid of the smell still but everything is woven in and finished off.  I love how fitted the top is and the elbow length sleeves.  It balances the bulky yarn and cowl neck well.  Now that it is completely done, I brought my Collins out of hibernation.  I finished the last sleeve (cross your fingers they are even), blocked everything out and started seaming the body.  I seamed the front pieces to the back so that I could pick up stitches for the collar and front tie section.  I could have seamed on the shoulders as well but I figured it would be easier to maneuver without them on. I tried on the body and it looks a little short (which is how it's supposed to wear) and maybe a little tight, hard to tell without the ties and thick collar band.  This might be a sweater that will fit better after surgery but I think will still be wearable now with a longer shirt under.

I need to learn to trust the designer.  I have ripped out and start over this neckline twice now.  The first time I thought I knew better and did half as many short rows as written.  I ended up with a collar that stood right up.  That was my own fault.  So was the second time where I stopped the short rows on the wrong side so one side was two rows wider then the other........ At least both times I was able to rip back to where the mistake started and not have to pick up all those stitches again.

Less then a month till Rhinebeck and I still can make it, onwards and knit-wards.

Back to Knitting

Now after all that ending, it's time to start new and fresh.  I have some projects I started recently to talk about.

I think I mentioned Nora Gaughan's new booklet from Berrocco.  I fell in love with Vol. 13 as soon as I saw it. During Web's Summer Sale I ordered some yarn to go along with two of the patterns.  The first one I've cast on is Silverberg out of Valley Yarn's Endfield.  It's a snuggley cowl neck sweater and it's knitting up fast in the chunky yarn. All of the full sweaters I have finished so far have been bottom up and I'm really excited about top-down no seaming.  I've been able to try this on easily as I go and change the placement of the waist shaping without having to do any math.  I'll have this done in time for Rhinebeck, so hopefully it will be cool enough to wear it.  My only complaint is that this yarn has a very odd smell, it's both woolly and smokey. I don't know if this was something in shipping or storage or what but it's odd.  I will definitely be washing it in my Euclean lavender when I'm done.

You can see my kitty right behind me, she decided my tail would be fun to play with. There is only decreasing written in the pattern but I think I'm going to do some increases for my hips and tummy.  I like that it's form fitting at my bust and comes in right under but then I want it to flare out a little bit more.

I still plan on getting my Collins done in time too but now that I've tasted the ease of top-down seamless, all the pieces are looking more daunting.  I'm on the second sleeve and ready to start the shoulder shaping...... I think. Every time I count the rows or lay them next to each other the length changes. My plan is to pin down both sleeves as if I"m going to block them and try to get a good measurement there. I really need to start knitting sleeves two-at-a-time, they always seem to give me trouble getting them to match.

Maybe this will be something I try out next week when I'm on vacation.  (That's right VACATION!)  Jer and I are heading up to Vermont for a wedding and then taking the rest of the week off.  We plan on bumming around relaxing then going to Cape Cod on for two nights.  I got a Living Social deal for a nice looking inn with an in-room Jacuzzi. This is our first real vacation just the two of us and I'm excited to relax.  Other then PAX these will be my first days off all year and I'm sooo ready for it.

Knitting Update

What's better then a knitting update? It's so nice to have tangible things to share. I started a bunch of things lately and even finished something.  The past few projects have been a combination of jumping on the bandwagon and trying to do some stash busting.

The first project is something I started and finished! At my LYS summer cotton tees have been popular and I really wanted to make one.  There was a shop sample of the Lucia Tee, which a friend also made, that started my inspiration but I just wasn't feeling the sleeves.  I wanted something that covered my shoulder more and came down a little farther.  And as much as I hate putting in set in sleeves, I do like the look and wanted to practice a bit more.  Set in sleeves are a bit magical to me, I feel like it's taking a square and trying to put it in a round hole.  The math shouldn't workout right. I applaud designers that figure it out and make it work. I decided on the Mie Pullover from Knitscene 2011 Summer edition.  I made a few mods to this.  The original is knit in reverse stockinette but I'm not really a fan of purling that much and I like the look of regular better.  I also got a slightly bigger gauge but I really liked the drape so after decreasing for the waist, I didn't increase at the bust at all.  The last thing I did was make the sleeves a bit longer.

My second "bandwagon" project, is the Jaywalker Socks.  Chevron is really big right now. A bunch of the new Knitscene patterns feature this bold print. My LYS even blogged about chevron patterns.  I was planning on using the self-striping yarn I got at the RI Sheep and Wool Festival for a 3rd pair of vanilla socks, but those are getting boring and it's the perfect yarn for the Jaywalkers.  I'm over half way through my first one, using a size 1 needle and the 9" size for my 9.5 foot. It's working out great.

I finished up my Owlie Socks so I could use the needles they were on for this pair.  The small differences in fingering weight yarn are really crazy sometimes.  My Owlie socks are much thinner and looser then these.  Partly it's because the cheveron pattern but it's also because the yarn for the Owlie's was just a little bit thinner then this stuff.  You can't really tell before it's knit, but afterwards I probably would have done my Owlies on a size 0 with more stitches around. 

I'm still chugging away at my Featherweight Cardigan, Peking Tee and have some Berrocco Origami that I want to use up. Also, I'm thinking of pulling my Collins back out and finishing up that for Rhinebeck! (The count down has begun.........)

Summer is Here, It's Getting Real

Summer is really here and time is getting away from me.  I had Thursday and Friday off of work last week for the 4th of July and it was wonderful.  I have barely taken any time off and it was great to sit around for a few days, decompress, get some cleaning done and do some yarn shopping :)

I realized now I should have taken my camera along to our mini yarn crawl on Friday.  I found it while cleaning out an old purse and I think I'm going to add it to my travel knitting bag for future events.  I'd love to have more pictures from the fun stuff I do. It's always nice to have those tangible reminders of good times.  It's the same way I love having yarn from trips.  Every time I pull out yarn from my stash  that I've bought while on an adventure I can go back there and remember the fun times.  Then I get to relive it again and again while knitting the yarn and later wearing the yarn.  It's the gift that really keeps on giving.

My living memory from this weekend is Kiwi, a yummy lace-weight yarn by a New Zealand yarn company.  It has some Australian possum that gives it a really soft texture without losing too much stitch definition.  I bought enough for a cowl or shawl, I'm leaning towards a cowl with some beaded detailing.  I think the charcoal color will go nicely with some gray-purple pearls I have.

I'm trying to limit my yarn intake a bit but at least I feel like I'm really getting some knitting done.  My Featherweight cardigan and Peking top are slow going so I put them on the back burner for a bit.  I'm almost to the heel turn on my current traveling sock and I started a new project!

I really loved a friend's Lucina tee.  The way the cotton draped made it a really nice fitting top.  The neckline and shoulders weren't me as much so I decided to cast on the Mie tee.  I'm using Ultra Pima by Cascade.  And it's making a super silky drapey fabric that is exciting.  It's also knitting up much faster then my other projects.  My gauge is big so after decreasing from the hip panels I didn't increase for the bust.  I started with the 40 in. size and ended up with a stitch count closer to the 38 in size by eliminating the bust shaping, so I'm gong to follow those directions for the armhole shaping.  After reading project notes from other people when it comes to the neckline ribbing I'm going to go down a needle size and maybe two because there isn't any decreasing worked into it.  This should help it lay flat.  Hopefully it will turn out to be a bit of an oversize comfy tee to wear with jeans.

My new fitting dilemma comes into play here.  Hopefully soon I will have a surgery scheduled to get a breast reduction.  Since middle school I've had large boobs, it's a fact.  I have big boobs and I cannot lie.  They just have kept growing and now I spend most of my afternoons and nights with Excedrin to keep the back pain in check after sitting at work all day.  Finding bras that fit is an expensive and close to impossible en devour.  Clothes, especially formal wear, is also a hassle. And as much as my breasts have become part of my identity I'm done with being known for them, and having guys at work stare at them.  I'm ready for the weight to be lifted.

Right now I'm in the consult stage looking for a surgeon I like.  Once this is done, I'll probably dedicate a post to it with my experience and maybe some tips if anyone is interested.

Springtime Bandit and Sock Distraction

I get distracted by many things but especially pretty yarn.  I even missed posting last week because I was so distracted (or a bit lazy, whatever).  When it comes to festivals and yarn crawls I am lucky that I am a sock knitter.  Most booths have sock weight yarn and since you only need 1 or 2 skeins depending on the skein size for a pair of socks it's an easy, no planning involved purchase.  After my trip to RI Sheep and Wool, I couldn't wait to cast on with my super pretty sock yarn.  I started by casting on at Perfectly Twisted and finished up one sock in Plymouth Stiletto in a week.  I used the basic Figure 8 cast on and a short row heel.  I've found that 68 stitches around on size 0's is a good fit for my ankle.

Instead of starting the next sock right away, I moved on to my Play at Life Maki yarn.  Why make two of the same sparkly sock when you can make gradient socks? I can't wait to see how this knits up and how long of a leg I can get.  I started with the same Figure 8 cast on but for this one I went through my Socks a la Carte, Toe Up! book for something different.  I decided on a gusset with a semi short row heel.  The heel is nice and smooth on this one and I like doing a heel flap so much better toe up then toe down.  The only problem with this (and just about every normal heel method) is the gradient gets messed up when you start knitting the leg.  I tried to take a clear picture of the top of the instep where you start in the round again after the heel.  It's not a big jump but you can definitely tell it isn't a smooth color change anymore.  I  think if I were to do another pair of maki socks I would try to use the heel shaping method from the Concentric Socks to make a smooth heel.  I'm not sure if I could reconfigure it with a non-diagonal leg or not, and I'm a little too lazy/excited to finish these socks to go back and try with this pair.

I didn't have any plans Memorial Day weekend, so I went stash diving Friday night to find something new to cast on.  I decided on some brightly colored aran weight merino to play with, then went searching on Rav for something to make with it.  Springtime Bandit from Kelborne Woolens caught my eye and it's free, so I downloaded that and I went on my way.  Since I had the whole weekend to relax, marathon the new season of Arrested Development and sort of clean.... I got it done Monday night! But someone stood in my way so that I couldn't get it blocked.

I probably could have moved her, but you could see it in her face that she was saying "MINE."  And I was tired.  But after blocking, drying and weaving in ends, I have a great shawl/scarf for when it gets colder.  I think the triangle shape will be great to tuck into my pea coat and keep my chest warm.  

Knit Math Summer

Another week went by already and we are moving closer and closer to summer.  I left work yesterday and it was 80 degrees, Yippeee! Lets hope the weather keeps up this weekend for the Rhode Island Sheep and Wool festival.  Last year I had an incredible time, I feel like I can still feel the sun and taste the frozen lemonade.  The festival is very small compared to events like Rhinebeck. It's just one day and maybe 20 vendors set up at Coggshell Farm.  But it's one of the first of the season for outdoor festivities (I think NH was last weekend).  It's just a great time to be getting back outside and enjoying the weather and at the perfect place.  Coggshell Farm is a little historical farm museum located in the Colt State Park. Colt State Park is right on the water and filled with picnic areas and beautifully groomed gardens, which we didn't expect last year.  Now that we know the low down, this year we planned ahead.  The knitters and I are bringing picnic gear and lunch so we can enjoy the park between shopping at the festival and heading to Bella Yarns in Bristol for some more retail therapy.

Now, I love knitting (duh) and I love math but sometimes when they come together it can make my head spin.  That's because you need math to make a really good fitting garment and I have problems with the fitting part.  I feel like I have a big disconnect between the size I am actually knitting and what I think I'm knitting.  Add in the fact that I'm not really sure how I want it to fit, a bit of inexperience, a (big) dash of laziness, and a possibly shrinking bust line in future, I'm not sure where I am going with my Empire cardigan.  I finished decreasing for the waist and I think I'm ready to start increasing for the bust and throwing in some short rows.  But, I'm hesitant to start. So I moving it to the back burner for now. I think when I get the apartment cleaned up, it's a bit ridiculous right now, I'm going to make a duct tape mannequin to pin my sweater to.  I'll keep working the raglan top for my Featherweight cardigan and some socks in the mean time.

Some patterns I recently added to my library and queue:
Rosewater
Lush
Dressed up in Love  - I got this for free by going to http://www.girlyknits.com/, going to the pattern page and signing up for her email newsletter.

Hark it's some Lark and other Quince Yarns

The planets and stars are aligning, or at least that's what it feels like in Plainville.  My LYS (In the Loop) recently became the first and only MA flagship store for Quince yarns. Quince yarn is great American wool.  They have a handful of wool bases, a few blends and they all come in a ton of beautiful colors.  Chickadee is a sport weight wool, and Lark is the worsted weight wool.  The colors are completely saturated.  The yarn has no hint of scratch and is super soft for being all wool.  The stitch definition is wonderful. The beautiful yarns, patterns and weather have me hooked and in the mood to get knitting.

Back in November, In the Loop held a Mabel's Closet trunk show. Baby clothes aren't really my thing but I did buy a great goodie bag.  It was a Quince tote bag (don't wash and dry these things they shrink, guess how I know) filled with Knitbot Essentials by Hannah Fettig, two skeins of yarn (Chickadee in Peacock and Lark in Honey), plus a button and sticker.  I have drooled over the patterns and the yarn since November but I haven't done anything with them until recently.

A few weeks ago I cast on the Featherwight Cardigan from Knitbot Essentials in Madelinetosh Lace.  Also, I tried out the 70 yard mitts with the Lark for my mom for Mother's Day / her birthday.  I'm just at the start of the raglan neckline for the cardigan but the mitts were a bust.  I made one and it was way too tight, so I ripped it out and tried again on a bigger needle.  But that was still too tight.  If you do try them, go up a needle size and throw a few more stitches in.  I decided to go with a free Braided Mitts pattern from Rav instead.  There are 134 yds in a skein of Lark, which is more then enough for these mitts.  They came out looking pretty good if I do say so myself. Hopefully my mom won't lose one of these like she did with one of the Jacoby mitts I made her.  

During a special sales event I picked up Knit with Me, by Gudrun Johnston, which is another book using Quince yarns.  This book is full of sweaters and a few accessories to be knit and worn by both mothers and daughters.  They are simple, classic designs that are flattering for an array of bodies.  I love the patterns but haven't quite found the time or yarn to cast one on.  Well I finally found my chance and inspirations.

The last week in April, In the Loop had their grand re-opening event for the arrival of all the Quince yarns.  Well there was just so much Quince love in the air I couldn't walk away.  I ended up searching through my favorites for a while and then realized I have two books using Quince yarns to pull from.  I thought Empire would be the perfect sweater to cast on right now.  Even though the weather is getting warmer, my office building is just going to get colder with the AC being turned on.  I think my knitting ability is at the point where I really will be able to make it fit well.  I'll have to "bust out" Little Red in the City when I get closer to the bust shaping.  But for now I'm working on the body and waist shaping.  I cast on as soon as I got the yarn (April 27th).  It's going pretty fast for being a sweater on size 4 needles.

Sunday, Jeremey and I went to go see Iron Man 3.  I brought along my sweater and was able to work on it during the movie.  I did decrease two rows early once but I don't think it will make that much of a difference.  When I took my measurements I have a 47" hip that decreases down to 39" at the waist with a 5" vertical difference.  The pattern only has a 3" difference for a 6" vertical.  So I might add a decrease repeat anyways but leave the length just to ensure I have it.  

Spring Sweaters

I feel a little off track blogging but I haven't been off track knitting. My "Forlorn" post may have been a little premature. I knit most of the body to my Strobilus Pullover, tried it on a realized that it wouldn't block out the way I wanted it to, and the pattern really should be done with a fluffy bulky yarn, not a plied worsted weight yarn.

So I started ripping.  After all that lace knitting I needed to finish something with this yarn.  I just cleaned the second bedroom a little bit because my brother was supposed to come to stay with me while he was recovering from getting his wisdom teeth pulled.  While cleaning, I did a lot of throwing yarn into the over flowing bags and cubbies stuck in the corner.  The yarn is starting to make me feel a little guilty because it deserves to be knit up, not left forgotten in plastic bags.  (I think this is one of those moments that you know you are a "knitter" not just a person who knits, the yarn has feelings) I didn't want to put this lovely Misti Alpaca back into the pile.  I went searching on Rav for something quick and simple.

I found and cast on a simple shoulder shrug. It was exactly what I was looking for, raglan shaping with a wide ribbed color worked in the round after the body is completed.  It's one of those great staple pieces, you can throw it on over a tee during the summer when the evenings get cooler.  This took me a week of almost non-stop knitting to complete.  Jer was in Austin for work this past week so I didn't really cook and since I was supposed to be cleaning for my brother's visit I felt like I should be doing something when I was just sitting on the couch. Right now it's laying flat after I gave it a bath Saturday night, I'm "patiently" waiting for it to dry so I can seam it up. 

I just started following Laura Chau's (Cosmicpluto Knits) blog a few weeks ago.  A lot of her patterns have that simple, tailored, classic, "it's going to look great on me" look, and I seem to be noticing them a lot more.  I just found one of her patterns in the new Twist Collective.  The spring issue came out (last week?) and they used a lot of completely solid pastel-y colors for the samples, which is a great theme for spring.  But, at least to me they look a bit bland.  I'm just not drawn to pastels, I'm drawn to more saturated colors and semi-solids.  When looking through the magazine I glazed over Winona because it just look "eh" and didn't recognize it from Laura's blog post.I love the one she made herself.  It's a basic v-neck cardigan but it has a few little details that really make it look great, and look like it's going to fit great (bonus!).  It has a flared bottom, finished button band, and little seam lines in the front and back.  Laura's version fits her much better then the model's, it really shows off the flared bottom that enhances her figure.  Also, I love the yarn's semi-solid variegation it makes the seams show up more.  Even though it's a cardigan in fingering weight I may have to keep my eye out for some slightly semi-solid yarn like the kind she used. 

Floriston is another pattern from Twist Collective that is done in solid pastels that I didn't give a second thought to until I saw the test knitted one on Rav in a charcoal color.  Like Winona, Floriston is a piece that at first looks basic but has great details.  The open front cardigan is embellished with lace around the collar/front edge and then has a hidden lace panel in the back that is really flattering.  I think the extra detail on the back, combined with the empire waist seam (which also shows up better in the test knit) will skim over my back muffin top well.  

I really love how these designers took some essential wardrobe pieces and make them look really professional and flattering.  

I want Spring!

To start a little poem my grandmother and aunt are always reciting:

SPRING HAZ SPRUNG
DA GRASS HAZ RIZ
I WONDER WHERE DA FLOWERZ IZ
DA BURD IS ON DA WING
MY WURD HOW UBSURD
I ALWAYS THOUGHT DA WING WAZ ON DA BIRD

I have no idea what this is from or where they got it but I hear it every spring.

I am ready for spring. I want to go out without my coat and wear pretty shoes and feel good in the sun, maybe even do some yoga out on the balcony. And I might be getting a little impatient, if I stomp my feet will it come faster?

Instead of stomping I decided to try knitting something happier.  I just finished the Peekaboo socks I was knitting for a friend's mom.  Black socks are definitely a challenge to knit but at least they were only ankle socks and a simple pattern.  I'm thinking of making myself a pair.  It would be fun to have a pair of socks to put on for a pedicure.  It's a little annoying to scrub and put on lotion to then walk on the carpet and get fuzzies stuck to my fresh feet. That might be a future happy knitting project but I just wasn't feeling casting them on right away after I just finished a pair.

Between the plain black getting a little depressing and not really feeling the double heelix socks I had started, I was starting to think I was all socked out.  How could that be possible?

I went searching in my Sock Club 13 list for something bright and happy to get me going again.  And I found it! I cast on to start my Owlie Socks in some bright blue.  I need to find some beads in my jewelry stash but right now I'm still on the cuff.  So much happier then black socks.

Madness I say!

Sock madness here I come! I finished my first sock last night and am so excited to continue. Maybe I'll even make it to round 2 this year. It's incredible to think that there are around 1300 people competing world wide, all working on the same project. Now, Ravelry has over 3 million members, the internet is a wonderful thing.

I worked on these most of the weekend and bits here and there.  I even whipped them out while out to lunch with customers at work. It at least took the conversation off politics for a bit.  I tried convincing Jeremey to come to knitting tonight so I could get an extra hour of knitting time in the car on the way there and back but he didn't seem that interested.

The Sock Madness patterns are only available to competitors right now but if you are interested in being notified when this one is public check out the Rav page here: Sockdolager.

She Held My Monkey

If you ever get an opportunity  to see the Yarn Harlot give a talk, jump at the chance. I was lucky enough to catch a Facebook posting for her "This Your Brain on Knitting" talk in Watertown, last Friday and I am so glad I did. Spending so much time on Facebook finally paid off.

Not only was the talk given in the same quick witted humor that she writes her blog with, the Yarn Harlot did a lot of interesting research on scientific studies, specifically studies that involve knitting (duh). I couldn't possibly go through everything that she said but the bottom line is that knitting = good brain vibes.

Afterwards I was able to get a picture with her. Of course she recognized my sock was a Monkey and so I had to ask her to hold my monkey.

I'm on a roll with socks right now, just in time for sock madness to start (less then 24 hrs till the first pattern is released) . My monkeys are over 75% done. Which is good because then I get the monkey off my back, ie Jeremey. (Is that a saying? I feel like it is.) After getting sidetracked with the LoveSocks I'm back on for Club13 with my Concentric Socks. I am loving this pattern.  You start making a circle for the ball of the foot and then the toe magically appears. It's amazing. I'm really excited to get to the heel to see what happens then. If you can't tell by Pi's face she is also very excited to see how these socks turn out.  If she continues to sit this well with knitted objects I see some adorable Christmas cards in our future. I just need to start training Gem.

Not Forlorn

I'll admit I'm not known for my grasp of the English language. I scored about 200 points lower on the verbal verse the math SATs. At some point, I just assumed I would never be good at writing and stopped trying because I was a "math/science" person.  I accept I made this choice and now try to be more conscious of expanding my knowledge of grammar. But stereotypes do cause a mental block in people.  I'm not the only one that gets it in their head that because they are "x" type of person they won't be good at "y" and set up walls to keep themselves from getting hurt by being bad.  It stops them from really trying to be their best.  I think it's a big reason that there aren't more women in STEM fields. In middle/high school girls are told they won't be good at math or science because they are girls so they just stop trying. But I sidetrack myself, back to the point.

I was about to start this post with the word "forlorn" to describe a hibernating project that I picked back up over the weekend,  I thought I should probably look it up first

From Google Define:

Adjective Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely: "forlorn figures at bus stops". (of an aim or endeavor) Unlikely to succeed or be fulfilled; hopeless: "a forlorn attempt to escape".

Well that is a pretty depressing word. "Unlikely to succeed" is especially sad and probably not a word I should use for a project that I've had trouble with but would like to finish at some point. Thank you blog writing for giving me the chance to solidify my understanding of words a bit more.

I started the Strobilus Pullover last spring but never really got into it. I only knit a few inches before ripping it out and putting it away. Something just didn't click and I kept screwing up the lace or I'd try to swatch and it wouldn't work.  It's a great design,. A tee made from a spiraling lace pattern, using a heavier weight yarn to make a lighter weight garment.  When a big sale at In the Loop rolled around, I thought perfect! I found some Misti Alpaca for 30% off in beautiful colors, it was fate, right? I decided over the weekend to give it another shot and see if I could check it off my WIP/hibernating list.

Well.... I'm a little worried, for the same reasons I put it away last year. The pattern called for a bulky 10% cashmere, 90% merino. It's supposed to grow when blocked. I chose a worsted 50% merino, 50% alpaca blend which is known to grow a lot..... My bust is around 43" depending on the bra I'm wearing, plus 2" of positive ease puts me closer to the 45" size but because of growing issues I'm going to knit the 42" size on smaller needles and we'll see what happens. I'm taking a leap of knitting faith and thinking that if it grows, it grows and it will be a baggier sweater, o well.  Mind you I haven't really swatched because it's knit in a spiral lace in the round and my gauge swatches never looked right compared to when I knit a full few rounds. Wish me luck on this.  And, I need  to find a better word for this project, it's not forlorn, because I will finish it! But it's...... a challenge?

Also, aren't those new addi lace tips pretty?

Socks Go Nuclear

I survived my first site visit for work. Even with delaying our flights to Monday because of the snow we were still able to get everything done we needed to, and leave on Thursday. All went well on site even though it was a little awkward to learn that I needed to be escorted to the bathroom, which was also in a different building. Once you go through security and are in the main area of the plant you must be within line of site of your escort. Luckily the women's bathroom only had one door so I could go in there alone. It was a great experience to be inside the control room we are upgrading and watch the operator, I feel like I have a better understanding of what they do and how best to layout the graphics on our system.

On to the good stuff. Because of our flight change, we flew down to Atlanta then to Cleveland. This added a few hours of flying time on and gave me a chance to knit the entire leg on my second Love sock. I didn't get much knitting done Tuesday or Wednesday because I was so wiped once we got back to the hotel after a full days work and dinner. But I did start the heel enough that I got through the top bumps that I was using stranded colorwork for. On my first flight back, from Cleveland to Detroit, it wasn't a long enough flight for them to allow us to turn on our electronic devices. So, I had to finish up the heel and heel turn by copying the other sock. I started to get bored of my Love sock so between the layover and the second flight I cast on my second Monkey sock and worked on my Fiddlehead mitts a bit. It's a good thing I checked my bag and didn't have to worry about it getting lost, I had a lot more room for yarn in my carry on.

I did finish up my Love Socks on Saturday at In the Loop and they are as comfy and soft as you could hope socks to be. 

Sunday I picked up a long lost project. On Christmas 2010, I start making these flower petal triangles for the Tosh Purse. Once you make 20 triangles you seam those together to make 5 squares and then seam those together to make an open topped cube. I feel like I'm doing a word problem now. Well it took me a few months to get a bunch of triangles together. Then I blocked them.

Now it's 2013 and I have all the triangles knit, and they are all seamed (twice). This past weekend I finished the little bit of work at the top of the bag and I'm on to the seed stitch strap! It's a really fun knit, there isn't a reason it has taken me over two years to get this far. Because of the open top I'm planning to make a drawstring bag with a square bottom to fit in the bag as a lining and closure. The yarn is an awesome bright blue-y turquoise from Creatively Dyed that could go with a solid or a print, I'll have to keep my eye out for something interesting.