1.31.2006

This is How I Train

On Saturday, Tom and I went to an indoor driving range. I didn't think to bring my batting glove, so I got 2 blisters and a bruise on my left hand.

Today I was stupidly using a knife to get the pit out of an avocado, and I stabbed the hell out of my index finger on my left hand. It's on the inside, right next to the palm. It's about an inch long, for maximum ick factor. I'm just glad it wasn't my fingertip; that'd really make knitting a bitch.

Neosporin time.

1.30.2006

Demi-Manche

Don't come looking to me for creativity in titling.

This weekend I worked a bit on Demi, and I bought buttons for the neckline.




I don't know which buttons I like best, although I'm leaning towards the blue-black wood ones. You can't see it cause I'm a crappy photographer, but the middle set has a bunch of filigree-type work going on.

I have a repeat and a half done, so I figure I'm about halfway through with this sleeve. Not bad for starting only a week ago, I guess.

1.25.2006

Demi-Repeat

Don't think that I'm above making French puns with pattern names. Just wait 'til I knit Aimée.



So you can't even really tell there's a pattern going on in that photo. It's a little better in real life. Basically I have half a pattern repeat (AKA a demi-repeat) done on one sleeve. Yeah, it looks like a pile of wool guacamole in that picture.

I'm kind of sort of thinking of joining the Demi KAL, since I've been following those blogs since the KAL started (I'm a hardcore Demi fan). I just don't like being chained down to a KAL. I also don't like the fact that when I inevitably place the project on the back burner, I have something of a written contract (albeit documented in electrons) laughing at me, for all to see.

I really need to find a solution for photographing my knits. There's no place in my apartment that allows for me to get far enough away from the item so the flash doesn't wash everything out. I want to be able to focus on the details. Grar.

I'm going to be in the car for a good 5 hours over the next few days, so hopefully I'll get a little more done. I'm still grasping to my previously-stated dream of having a sleeve done before the Knitting Olympics start.

1.21.2006

Productivity at the Cost of Productivity

First off, I must comment on my titling skills: I don't have any. I've been on Blogger since December 03, and this is the first blog I've had where I title my entries. My lack of practice is showing. The title of this entry is decent, but "I Been Workin' on the Cathode"? Hideous. Blargh.

I should have spent today reading. I'm taking 2 grad-level lit courses, so you can guess how much reading goes along with those. I've done maybe 1/16th of the stuff I need to finish by Tuesday. Instead, I spent all of my time knitting, and quite honestly I don't feel like reading even now that I've knit for 8 hours in a row.

I began my Olympic training by swatching for Aimee:



My gauge is significantly smaller than the recommended gauge. I can't decide if I'd rather go up some needle sizes, playing that estimate game, or just rework the numbers. I'm leaning toward the latter. Math doesn't scare me, and swatching/blocking/measuring bores me.

While staring lovingly at my Aimee swatch, I noticed something:



The lace pattern forms little Ks. I tried to emphasize it in orange. Apologies for my crappy photo-editing skills.

More work on Cathode.



It adds 15 pounds. This photo doesn't even do justice to the fattening qualities of my sweater. It makes me look heavy. I'm thinking about putting that sleeve back on a stitch holder and putting this sweater away until I
1) lose 15 lbs.
or
2) decide to rip it out and start anew.

Here's something:



Knitty's Pasha. Or, as the 2-year-old Kerry would have called it, Pagaya. I think I like the name Pagaya better. I started this with my dad's cousin's baby in mind, although I don't know how suitable it'll be for a newborn. I don't know why this pattern is categorized as piquant; maybe the short rows? My rule of thumb is if I can do it, it can't be too hard. I use that rule for pretty much everything in life. Lace? Piquant. Short rows? Mellow. Fair Isle? Extraspicy. Recalculating gauge? Mellow. Actually finishing something? Piquant.

1.20.2006

I Been Workin' on the Cathode

All the live-long day...

I got fed up with doing the body, so the black part isn't as long as I would like, but I'm hoping blocking will fix that. The only thing I hate more than endless stockinette is endless ribbing. I'm only 1.25" into the ribbing, and I hate it so much already. I'm hoping to get it done this weekend so I can finish the sleeves and the neckline.

I want to start Demi at the beginning of February. I'd be happy to have a sleeve or something done by the time the Knitting Olympics start. I've pretty much decided on Aimee for that.

1.17.2006

Kate, the Cat with no Britches...and a Frowl

(Causation, or mere correlation?)

Yes, with the season premiere of American Idol. I'm lame. Shut up.
Pattern: Kate from Knitty, designed by Jess Hutchison.
Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun
Modifications: Knit on size US5 needles with a sport weight yarn. Pantsless. Frowl.
Thoughts: I did the body, ears, and arms in 2 days. Then I waited 3 weeks and did the legs. Now I can finally give it to Talia. I originally promised her a scarf for Christmas 04, but I hate scarves. The low angle is not a good one for Kate, or at least when I do a crummy job stuffing her.

1.16.2006

Bad Idea

The Knitting Olympics. AKA how we fiber dorks have fun. I'm thinking of doing it, because apparently I don't have enough stress in my life. I would do either Aimee from Rowan Vintage Style or the cropped jacket from Vogueknitting Holiday 2005. There's no way I can do Demi in just 2 weeks, otherwise I'd go for it. Hell, maybe I'll go for it anyway. Cause I suck.

1.12.2006

The Stash


Araucania Nature Cotton. This is going to become the sweater worn by the Rachel McAdams character in Wedding Crashers (the only palatable thing about that movie, might I add).


Cascade 220. I bought this on a whim because it was on sale. The pink and some of the blue-grey have become a One Skein Wonder, and the rest of the blue-grey and some of the oatmeal have become a soon-to-be-finished felted bag. No plans yet for the rest of it.


Rowan Cashsoft DK. Bought with the intention of making a 3/4 sleeve OSW with some sort of fancy stitch pattern. This yarn is so incredibly soft. The picture is pretty true to the actual color; it's a gorgeous graphite, and very shiny. I'm scared to touch this yarn because it's so incredible. I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!


Handpaintedyarn.com Laceweight in Cinnabun. I bought this for a Butterfly. The picture on the website had much more pink in it, and I'm still coming to terms with the orange. I have one frill done. This is such a gorgeous pattern; I need to finish it soon. My guilty pleasure is smelling this yarn. It smells weird, but good.


Mystery cotton from Michael's. These were in a clearance bin for $3 each. They had no labels. I liked the colors. I'm thinking about making this into a OSW, alternating the yarn every stitch. I have a love-hate relationship with variegated yarn; it looks so pretty in the skein, but I hate the way it looks knit up. I'm hoping alternating the yarns will break up some of the weird variegated aspects.


Kathmandu Aran. Enough for a Demi. I think the yarn kind of looks like guacamole, one of my favorite foods.


Katia Ingenua. I bought this to make this scarf from the fall 05 Vogue Knitting, but the stupid magazine listed the wrong yardage and so I didn't buy nearly enough. I don't really like mohair, which is why this yarn has been sitting around. I might attempt a shorter, narrower version of this scarf. (I don't want to call it a shawl, because I don't wear shawls. Little old ladies wear shawls. I wear scarfs.)


Takhi Kerry, a 50% wool/50% alpaca blend. For being half alpaca, this yarn is not that soft. This is the conversation that ensued in the LYS:
Me: Mom! A yarn! With my name! My name!
Mom: Ooooh, my favorite color.
Me: My name!
Mom: I think this means you have to get it.
Me: Damn you.
So now I have 2 skeins that I'm not really sure what to do with. I kind of want to resize this hat from the fall 05 Interweave Knits so it's big enough for me. Here is what was written on one website about this yarn: Kerry has a wonderful hand and is a pleasure to work with. Damn right I'm a pleasure to work with.


Manos del Uruguay in Bramble (variegated) and Coffee (solid). This was going to be a felted bag, but I decided I didn't like it and it was frogged. I have no plans for this.


Misti Alpaca Laceweight. This is for Aimee.


More Misti Alpaca Laceweight. This was bought as an alternative for the scarf/shawl posted above, but again, not enough yardage. No project in mind yet.


Handpaintedyarn.com - Paris Night. Not sure of the weight on this one. This was bought to make a cabled cardigan. Now I'm thinking of this one from Vogue Knitting Holiday 05, but with smaller bobbles.

And now for my current WIP: Knitty's/Stefanie Japel's Cathode

Please ignore my face. I'm using Kathmandu Aran (same as that green yarn pictured above). It's very soft on the reverse stockinette side, and somewhat scratchy on the stockinette side. I modified this pattern for gauge, and I plan on adding long sleeves. This picture is actually a few days old, and I'm almost ready to start the lower body ribbing.

1.07.2006

Ballet Tee


Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, colorway #228, 4 skeins
Pattern: Ballet Tee from Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop
Modifications: 1 strand of Aran weight on size 10.5 needles--definitely edited for gauge. Added 3/4 sleeves using Grumperina's short row method.
Thoughts: My first finished sweater. It's itchy. This is a sweater that needs something under it, but the wide boatneck doesn't really allow anything more than a camisole. I don't like the stripes as much as I thought it would. I had a love affair with Noro until I actually worked with it. Now I'll just ogle it from afar. It fits really well on the body, but I wish I had bought another skein so the sleeves could be longer.