Final FOs of 2007

I got my knitting mojo back at the last minute this holiday season and cranked out a few last minute gifts.

Up first is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's one row scarf, knit in the familiar Noro Kureyon, colourway 157. I think I finally accepted that it was going to be a long time before I bought the 14 additional skeins necessary for a Lizard Ridge. Maybe I'll get back to that...sometime in 2009.



Yarn: Noro
Skeins: 2 + a bit of a third
Needle Size: 4.5mm
Firsts: Not a one. This is not exactly a challenging knit, though it is a nice variation on the typical ribbed scarf.

Up next: Wisp. Yes, at long last, I finished the damn thing. It only took an hour or so from when I tackled the mess I created back in August. I had to be very zen when dealing with all the torn threads. Wine probably helped.



I got bored of pinning it and took a photo halfway through blocking. Seriously, there are fruit flies with longer attention spans than me. As you can see, it's about the length of a full-size ironing board. As you probably can't see, what with my gift for shaking the camera, is how pretty the simple fishnet lace pattern is with the Kidsilk Haze. Now that I know one must cast off very loosely, I'll probably make another one. Especially since I was planning on making this for me and ended up needing it for a last-minute gift.

Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze, Colour Liqueur
Skeins: Only 1. It's almost a budget scarf!
Needles: 4.5mm
Firsts: You know, I started this so long ago that I don't even remember. I think it was my first time using anything below a DK.

And last, I sewed in the ends of the Clapotis that's been done for months and blocked it. Here it is, blocking with the scarf:



I locked my mom out of her own bedroom and blocked it the day before Christmas. Procrastinator? Me? Strangely, my mom also has crap lighting in her house. It seems to run in the family.

And here it is on me, in my attempt at a flash-in-the-mirror type shot. The only reason I'm including it is to show off my kicky new shorter hair.



Yarn used: Araucania Atacama. No idea what colourway.
Skeins: About 5. There is no dye lot with these, so I would frequently discover that one skein was much darker and switch to a different one. Gorgeous wool, but I think I'll be sticking to one skein projects with my remaining skeins.
First: Deliberately dropped stitches. I only panicked for the first ones.

And that should round out 2007. I currently have two cardigans and one jumper on the needles, so I'm hoping to be a bit more productive in 2008. I'm also probably going to be switching blogs. It occurs to me that I still need a place to babble on about knitting, and I plan to have a much less crazy life sometime after May. Sure, it's five months off still, but I'll take what I can get. Um, point. Yes, I'll be switching, because I've been working with Wordpress so much for Pop Vultures that it feels far more comfortable than Blogger to me. I've been knitting a year now; why not graduate to a new blog? I'll post about it when it's ready.

Secret Pal Wrap Up

Why, yes, this IS a post. A terribly delayed post, but I am determined to get all caught up before the first of January. Since that's only 2 days away, and I plan to spend at least part of tomorrow heavily intoxicated, I figured I should start now.

First, there is Secret Pal business to take care of. This exchange was great for me, with fabulous upstream and downstream pals. I really lucked out this time around. Even so, I plan to take a break from such exchanges for a while. I just don't have the time (hence the very late thank you post -- sorry, Agua!).

My upstream pal was awesome from start to finish. After that first generous stash of yarn, she sent me this:



That's a handmade Branching Out, and it's gorgeous. It inspired me to make one of my own.

And, in case that wasn't enough, she also included lots of chocolate which I gobbled up within minutes of opening the package. The final package looked something like this:



Yep, that's loads MORE yarn. There were two skeins of the gorgeous variegated pink one, but the second skein was already on the needles when I took this photo. I tried making a My So-Called Scarf from it, but the colours pooled a bit at the width I'd chosen, so I will try again and photograph that later.

Thank you again, Agua. You really were a wonderful secret pal.

As for me, I finally got everything sent off to my own pal, including one actual, honest-to-god FO. I wanted to present everything in a nice knitting bag, but they were all either crazy expensive or just plain ugly, so I decided to knit my own damn bag. Enter the Booga Bag. This was a great quick and easy project.

Post-felting (well, mostly felted):



Yarn: Noro Kureyon, Colourway 157
Amount used: 2.5 skeins
Needles used: 4.5mm
First time: felting (and it was a PAIN in the front loader, too), i-cord

It was a fun, easy, no-stress knit. Nothing challenging about it at all, but great television knitting.

I actually have three, count 'em, THREE FOs lined up for the next post. It was a Christmas knitting miracle!

I am a terrible, horrible very bad blogger. I am sorry for the lack of updates, particularly when my Secret Pal sent me a lovely package featuring a gorgeous handknit Branching Out that really must be photographed and displayed. Unfortunately, I've been swamped with work, both the kind I get paid for, and the kind I do for fun. I'm still posting a lot on Pop Vultures, as that is my Blog Baby Sadly, it means that this blog has been even more neglected than it usually is.

It doesn't help that, by the time I get home each night, it's pitch dark outside and there is no acceptable lighting in my dark house to photograph my knitting.

I was punished for my slacking and excuse-making in a most fitting way, however. Last weekend, I received a notice from the post office that they had a package for me. Now, I'm always excited to receive mystery packages, so off I ran to the post office. Indeed, they had a brilliant package for me: seventeen skeins of red Rowan wool! Woot!

The interesting part was that I didn't order it. I had a mysterious benefactor! A yarn fairy! Could it be that my Secret Pal had taken complete leave of her senses and decided I needed £80 worth of wool? Unlikely. Had one of my friends taken pity on my permanent state of poverty and sent me a care package? Doubtful. There was no note, no card, nothing...it was a mystery.

I briefly considered just leaving it as is, since it seemed my donor meant to be anonymous, but it was far too generous a gift to be unacknowledged. I phoned up Get Knitted, who'd sent the package, and asked if they could at least give me a hint where it had come from. They, unfortunately, had no idea.

I was passed to the next person in the customer service hierarchy. They were fairly convinced I'd bought it myself. Although the idea of a yarn shopping blackout appeals, as it would certainly absolve the shopper of any guilt, I was certain that was not the case here. So I was passed along again, and again, until at last the truth was revealed.

It wasn't my yarn.

They'd made a mistake. I had no yarn fairy, after all. In fact, they would be sending a return envelope and would I please post it back to them? With a last, longing look at the gorgeous red wool that would never be mine, I reluctantly agreed. Easy come, easy go.

I could have used it for some Christmas knitting, too, but that should be another post. One I will hopefully write sometime before the end of the year.

News!

You know how my last post said I was up to something slightly secret? Well, the secret is out.

I've been hard at work on a new pop cultures blog. Pop Vultures has landed. It's full of all kinds of television and film news and analysis, and so far people seem to like it a lot. I didn't even pay all of them to say that.

I'm not sure what that will mean for the future of this blog. I already haven't been using it as much as I intended to, and right now my free time is tied up in making PV a success. I'll definitely be seeing this one through the end of SP11 and then will make a decision about what to do with it.

Until then, it's back to the holiday knitting.

I am stuck deep in the middle of a Slightly Super Secret Internet project and have barely emerged for air in the last couple of weeks, but I must pause for one moment to say:

Secret Pal, you are WONDERFUL.

My first package arrived on Friday, and it was certainly worth the wait. Just take a look:



All that yarn! The theme was 'silk and wool', and was it ever. The green Regia (which I managed to shoot upside down) is a wool/silk blend from Germany, it looks like. The two purple skeins in the front are 100% wool, and apparently a popular Finnish brand. I can't wait to try it. The single skein of Sivilla is another Finnish yarn, a gorgeous dark purple silk/wool blend. And, finally, the piece de resistance, the white one is a hefty skein of 100% silk. I don't have a scale, but I'm guessing it's about 100g. Whatever can I make with such a luxurious yarn?

In addition, there were some lovely stitch markers (my Secret Pal must have known that I was down to using girls' hair bands in place of actual stitch markers) and very pretty Halloween candles. And, just for good measure, there was some chocolate included:


Sadly, this is only an empty wrapper. The actual chocolate didn't make it five minutes after the box was opened. It was delicious, too -- I am now a fan of Finnish chocolates.

And, if all that wasn't enough, my Secret Pal unintentionally included one more present -- a cat toy. They cannot resist the combined lure of a box and bubble wrap!



Thank you again, SP! This is an amazing, thoughtful gift. I can't wait to get started knitting...as soon as I can pull myself out of the computer.

Fortunately, that shouldn't be too much longer. The secret will be out in a few more days, and then I will happily post about it here -- and have a bit more time to do some knitting!

Knitting News

Sadly, the camera is down for my weekly post, but I dare not wait to post, lest I fail to meet the SP11 four posts a month requirement. I'm actually a bit worried that I have to try so hard to make four a month.

It's been a very slow week, as my wrist started hurting a bit last weekend. And kept hurting. I tried doing a row or two a night on Trapeze, but couldn't manage any more than that. I couldn't even mark my students' papers! Okay, that last bit wasn't so bad, but I was definitely getting worried when I went into the doctor on Friday. I could not have repetitive stress! As someone for whom knitting and computing are two primary hobbies, this was not an option.

The doctor immediately felt both wrists and figured out that one was much hotter than the other and clearly had an inflammation of some kind. Apparently, there is some complicated tendon thing whose name I already forget, and he was pretty sure I was in the early stages of that. A simple course of anti-inflammatory drugs over the next ten days should clear it up.

Fortunately, it was already feeling so much better last night that I sat down with Trapeze and promptly put it aside. I'm a bit sick of the never-ending rib at the moment, and because the pattern is written as a slow transition from 2x1 to 3x1 rib, I can't even go into auto-pilot, because I have to constantly check that I'm following the pattern. Instead, I wound an old skein of Rowanspun chunky and started swatching. A couple of hours later, I had an Urchin. It's a very clever pattern, and extremely quick. The end result was fairly rustic, but I like it. I'm not sure that it's actually flattering on me, but it was so nice to just churn out a piece of knitting in a night, rather than toil for weeks and then wait another month or two before I finally get around to weaving in the ends. It was a lovely bit of instant gratification. Photos will follow shortly.

Never enough yarn

The person who releases the technology that allows us to transmit photos directly from cameras to blogs will be a millionaire in minutes. I swear, often the only reason I delay posting is that it just seems like too much effort to dig out the camera cord, upload to iPhoto, upload to Flickr, title and move to photo sets, edit sizes, etc. No, it didn't actually take me more than ten minutes. Yes, I am whining.

This has been a decent few weeks on the knitting front. I made it into London last weekend (Avenue Q! Raunchy singing puppets! Genius!) and stopped by John Lewis. I don't know if I have mentioned before the dire state of yarn shops in my neck of the woods. West Sussex is, I fear, entirely bereft, unless you count C&H Fabrics (and I don't). Sometimes I think I named this blog Knit City in an attempt to convince myself that I don't actually live smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Well, that, and all the good puns were already taken.

Anyways, John Lewis. I was overwhelmed in minutes, even though I'm sure it still has nothing on US yarn shops. The only brands they carry are Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Louisa Harding, Noro and Sirdar, but for someone who's been limited to Internet shopping for months, it was an embarrassment of riches. I had planned on buying some Aran wool to make Snow White, but I couldn't quite bring myself to pay full price for 12-14 skeins of anything. I am ebay's bitch, I fear. I did, however, pony up the cash for a few skeins of fun yarn, as it was my birthday weekend, after all.


Once again, I must apologise for the darkness of this shot, but it was the only one that captured some of the richness of that deep red ribbon yarn. Two skeins of that will become a mini Clapotis, a perfect accent for the holiday season. The shiny copper has not yet announced what it would like to be, but I could not resist the glitter. However, I could only afford two skeins. The plan was to make a very open-weaved wrap, but I haven't found a pattern that will work for that yet. It also may end up as a decorative scarf.

Those projects must wait, however, as Trapeze is still on the needles.


Here it is, with the requisite cat tail that seems to sneak into every shot. I had some trouble with this one. I was making it in the large, but it seemed too small, so I frogged a weeks' worth of work (sob!) and started again. Unfortunately, the XL was clearly huge, so THAT got frogged and now it's back to the large, which might be a bit snug, but at least it's a rib stitch, right? It will stretch. And I'm slowly losing weight, so it might fit by the time I finish it.... Well, it was either that or swim in an XL, so I'll live in Delusionville and hope for the best.

Getting on the trapeze

This has been a quiet weekend, spent strenuously avoiding all the marking that was waiting for me. It's now 9:00pm on a Sunday and I haven't picked up the red pen yet, so I'm either doing something right or very, very wrong. When I am groaning mid-week about all the marking I have to do, I must remember this.

The quiet weekend got off to an excellent start with the arrival of two packages containing some prime weekend reading:

Please ignore the hideous carpet and concentrate instead of the wealth of patterns. I found Rowan 38 for cheap on ebay, and despite that fact that I am unlikely to knit a thing from it before spring, I love the patterns from the 'romance' section and will definitely be knitting up a few of those.

I eagerly dove into the two magazines, searching feverishly for my next pattern. I skipped all the articles -- I'll go back for those later. This was all about finding a use for 20 skeins of DK wool/silk so I could finally get my next project started. (Here, I must go backwards and say that, having swatched the night before, I had actually spent part of the morning working on Ivy. My gauge was perfect, my cables were cruising along, and I was ready to burn the needles in frustration. Just say no to bulk ebay bamboo. The needles themselves are fine, but the fabric does not budge an inch on the cord without assistance. I've encountered this problem before and hated it then, but now that I've been spoiled by working with Addi Turbos and Lantern Moons, I can't go back to the bunching fabric and having to constantly stop knitting to push it around. I can't! So Ivy made it 2 inches before she was frogged in frustration. New plan: buy one set of GOOD needles every month, since I currently only have sets in 3.75 and 4mm.)

Although I like the new IK a lot, nothing grabbed me and insisted I make it. VK had several striking pieces, and I immediately started swatching for the lace hoodie, but I did not like the way it looked with the only possible yarn I have on hand. Add that one to the queue. The number of oversized, cabled sweaters is a bit worrying -- I lived through the 80s once, people, and I don't need to do it again.

Having realized that my current needle/yarn situation was not going to work with any of the patterns I wanted (note to self: this is an excellent excuse to build up your stash), I turned to the Internet and, on the same day I received three knitting magazines, bought a pattern. It was an emergency, I said to my wallet. I had nothing on hand I wanted to knit!

So, behold the first few inches of Trapeze.. It's an interesting knit, and definitely helping to improve my rib stitch, as the entire thing is worked in a slipped rib pattern. The pattern starts off immediately with short rows -- no messing around here. I made a few mistakes, but by the time I spotted them, I had three more inches of perfect rib under my belt and there was no way I was frogging it.

Can you see it? Here's a hint -- 2/3 of the way in, on the bottom right side. I've decided that I can fix it in the blocking or just count on the rest of the sweater to hide it. I am so happy to finally be cruising along on a project that I don't want any interruptions. I'll just say that I kept the error in to remind myself of my fallibility. Yeah, that's it.

An FO! No, really!

Okay, I finished knitting this back in June, which means I've waited so long that I can scarcely remember the details. I'll do my best.

The summertime tunic is really done.

Yarn: Elann Sonata in gold colourway
Skeins: Just over six
Size: M
Needle size: 4mm
First time: Using whip stitch, adding non-yarn part (in this case, satin ribbon)

It was such an easy pattern that there is little to say about the process. I deliberately made it a size smaller than I would normally wear, figuring that the blouson tunic effect would not be especially flattering, as it would cover the few curves I have up top and completely disguise my waist. It's hard to say if this was the right call. It's definitely more of a tank than a tunic.

I'm not crazy about the placement of the straps. I don't have a single bra with straps that wide, so I have the choice of deliberately exposing the straps (is there a point where one gets too old to do that?) or going without, a dangerous proposition with any knitwear, and even more so here, where the front gapes whenever I bend over, unless I tie the straps so tight they start to pinch. Plus, there is a definitely a point where one is too old to go into the village with the ever-classy 'nips ahoy' look.

It is extremely comfortable, and I'll be sure to wear it around the house, but I seriously doubt this top will ever see it past my front door.

Secret Pal 11: Contest #1

Sometimes, I think the best part of the Secret Pal exchange is the way we are given writing prompts for those days (er, weeks, months...) when I can't be bothered to photograph FOs. For the first contest, we were asked the following questions:

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
There are a lot of knitting accessories I tend to do without. I use scrap yarn instead of stitch holders, and rubber bands or yarn for stitch markers. I got into these habits in the early days of knitting, when I couldn't afford all the paraphernalia suggested for new knitters, and just haven't changed my ways yet. From a practical point of view, I'd be inclined to say my scissors or tape measure, but that rather lacks imagination. I suppose it is a tie between my Lantern Moon needle case, which makes it so much easier to bring knitting with me on holiday, and a jewelry box I've converted into a knitting organiser. Knowing where everything is makes it much easier to work on projects.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If
so, how much and what type of project?
It depends on the sort of holiday. If it's a mini-break, then no. I want to cram as much exploring as possible into that weekend! For longer holidays, I usually bring whatever I'm working on at the moment, assuming it's not too big. I've worked on Sahara and Wisp on recent holidays.

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
This is impossible to answer. Istanbul would be very high on the list, but I also loved Prague and Venice. However, I also occasionally need to get far away from cities, and for that nothing beats the mountains, Lake Tahoe in particular.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
For basic instructions, I still go back to Stitch 'n' Bitch over and over again, though I still haven't made any of the patterns. I also love looking through the stitch dictionary in the big Vogue Knitting book. I own both those books. I'm currently in love with the patterns in Knitting Lingerie Style, Romantic Hand Knits and Knitting Classic Style. Sadly, I don't own those three at the moment, but they are definitely on the list.

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
I don't listen to any knitting podcasts. For me, knitting is something that should be seen and, ideally, felt. Hearing about it just isn't the same! I do listen to Coverville (an all-covers podcast) and, of course, Tim Gunn's Project Runway podcast, but that's about it at the moment. I'm afraid that's a very dull answer.

Perhaps this week I will gussy myself up enough to take a photo of the tunic. I'm not thrilled with the fit, but I suppose I should at least post photos as a warning to others with a similar body type.

Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire

Even though I'm still waiting to have some issues from secret pal 10 sorted out, I decided to give it another try and signed up for secret pal 11. I love the idea of the exchange and felt it deserved another chance. Of course, this means filling out another questionnaire. If it seems like I just did this, that's likely because I did. But the answers might be different this time. I might surprise you! Really - don't go!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I just love yarn, you know? I don't discriminate too much between the different fibres -- I'll use anything (with the exception of acrylic, which I rather consign to its own category). I am particularly partial to the softness of alpaca or cashmere and to the sheen of silk, but I'm still exploring and learning about all the different fibres and am eager to try them all at some point.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a Lantern Moon needle case that holds my most commonly used circulars, the ones sized 3.5-4.5 mm. The rest are broken up into four small drawers, based on size (S, M, L and XL). It seems to work quite well. My straights, which I rarely use, are on a shelf, resting in a carafe I appropriated from the kitchen. Someday, I'll find a vase I like for them and I will return the carafe to its proper role of holding sangria.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I started knitting eight months ago and haven't really stopped since. I would say that I'm creeping into the intermediate category, as I've tackled a few fitted garments and lace pieces, but I'm still a ways off advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have one on amazon.com, started when I was living in the US (I'm an expat) and kept for my family there. I'm moving things over to amazon.co.uk, but it's a slow process.

5. What's your favorite scent?
I love amber and ginger. I like spicy florals and spicy foodie scents, too, but I need some spice or musk to cut the sweetness. A straight up floral or food scent would cause me to wrinkle my nose in a most unbecoming way.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I like sweets, but I am currently trying to abstain a bit in a bid to lose the weight I gained upon moving to the UK. It's not so much a diet as a less gluttonous approach to food. I like chocolate and baked goods too much to ever really diet. I don't really eat the sort of sweet you can buy at the corner shop, though -- if I'm going to splurge, it's going to be something really good, not Cadbury's.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Are you kidding? Between a full-time teaching job and a serious addiction to both books and the Internet, I barely have time to knit. I''m not adding any more distractions! When I am an independent woman of leisure, I will review this attitude, but at the moment I'm full up.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like lots of different music, though I don't listen to a lot of mainstream stuff. If it's often played on Radio 1, it's probably not in my collection. I am currently in love with Okkervil River, the Arcade Fire and Iron & Wine, though my obsessions change on a weekly basis. Last week it was Iggy Pop and Loretta Lynn.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
This is an answer that never seems to change. I love shades of red, purple, green and gold. Jewel tones are good. Pastels very rarely appeal to me, I tend to find blue a bit dull, and I've yet to find an orange I would want in my house.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have two Bengal cats that make frequent appearances in this blog, and right now that's enough for me.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, only when it's very cold, never.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love making tops of any kind -- tees, tanks, jumpers. I haven't tried a cardigan yet, but that's definitely on the list for this winter.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm just finishing up Clapotis and about to start some cushion covers I've been planning for a while. I've been wanting to create something without a pattern and that seems like the perfect place to start.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Sure, why not?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circulars, all the way. I wanted to be a traditionalist and use straights, but I haven't touched them in months. When I first started knitting, I bought complete sets of bamboo circs off ebay, and they get the job done, but I really love wood needles (I've only used rosewood so far, but would love to try other kinds). I like the Lantern Moon circs a lot, though the joins aren't seamless. I recently bought a couple of Addi turbos, too, which are great for speed, though a bit hard on my hands if I'm pulling a knitting marathon. I'm not a fan of plastic at all.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
*sigh* No. I'd like one, but it's really not that much of a pain to wind my own balls, and I can spend the money I save on more yarn.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
January? It's a jumper that I finished knitting but never seamed, and at this point I'm a much better knitter than I was at the time, so I'm in no hurry to finish up that big shapeless brown mess.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Any day I don't work is a good day, but for food and family and presents and decoration, nothing beats Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Cat hair? Other than that, nothing. Like I said above, I really don't need any new hobbies.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I would love to get Fitted Knits or AlterKnits, and I keep meaning to get a subscription to Vogue Knitting or Interweave Knits. I just signed up for a trial run of Knitting, though I'm not convinced yet. Knit.1 also looks interesting.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I still want to give fair isle or intarsia a go, but I plan to do that with the cushion covers.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I feel like I'm missing out on some kind of knitting obsession, but I don't knit socks. This is partly because I don't have any DPNs, but mainly I'm just not that into socks. When it's cold, I wear black or white ones around the house, and when it's warm I go barefoot. Maybe once I try it, I'll be sucked into the sock obsession, but at the moment I am still free. Plus, I have crazy long feet, so they would take longer than normal-footed people -- another reason to put it off for a bit longer.

23. When is your birthday?
16 September.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am! I signed up in a hurry as shinyobject, for no reason I could explain other than that it was late at night and I wanted to get on quickly. I will be changing that ID at the first opportunity.

ETA: And now it's been changed. To marcia, which may lack creativity but is at least straight-forward.

Progress report

Although I am, deep down, terribly lazy, I do occasionally have fits of productivity in which I finish projects I have been procrastinating on for weeks. Such was the case last night, when I finally grabbed the summertime tunic and wove in all the ends. There were a TON of ends, because the yarn was very knotty and needed to be cut far too often. It took me well over an hour, but this morning she was washed and is now christening my blocking board:


I also bought ribbon and beads for the straps, so this one should get a proper FO post soon -- only two months after I finished knitting it. I was hoping it would be done by this evening, but today turned out to be a cold, rainy day, and nothing is drying quickly in this weather.

Clapotis has been teaching me very a important lesson about hand-dyed yarn. And that lesson is: never use it again for projects that require more than one skein. The first two I used were perfectly matched. Then I started happily knitting with the third, only to discover (after knitting about three inches, of course) that it was noticeably darker than the rest. Frog frog frog. Next skein was better, but seemed to be missing most of the red tones. Snip that yarn, start a new ball. The one after was fine. The next one had a perfect blend of colours, but the overall tone was a bit darker. So now, as I enter the home stretch, I'm alternating the two balls that were only a bit off in order to produce a more even effect overall. And, once again, creating too many damn ends that I'll have to weave in.


The next time I feel productive, that is. Not now, for goodness sake.

Always a WIP, never a FO

I am beginning to wonder whether I will ever finish another project. Forget the sweater curse; I have the curse of the never-ending WIP. This is another way of saying that the ends on the summertime tunic still have not been woven in and Wisp, well, Wisp is having issues. I was finished. FINISHED, I tell you. However, despite going up a needle size and binding off loosely, the cast-off edge was still too tight. And the yarn knotted when I undid it. Until, eventually, in a fit of rage, I cut off the cast-off edge and tried to recreate my stitches. I managed to pick them all up -- no dropped ones, it seems, but I didn't manage to pick them all up from the same row and still need to find a loose end of yarn to start the actual knitting. It is in time out for the moment.

So, instead of dealing with these two projects, I became one of the last knitters in the world to knit Clapotis.


Here it is, halfway done. I'm using Araucania alpaca which, despite being unseasonal, is so soft that I am really enjoying knitting with it. I'm not sure yet if this will be for me; I suspect it will go in the pile of knitted Christmas gifts, and I'll figure out who gets what in December.

Feeling crafty

What do you get when you combine the top of a now-broken IKEA Lack table, some batting, a bit of fabric, and a liberally applied staple gun?


A brand new blocking board! Cat feet are provided for scale.

The fabric is a 1" x 1" checked pattern, making it very easy to block to size. I'm rather in love with this project right now. It might even be enough to convince me to finally weave in all the ends on the summertime tunic so that I can give it a trial run.

Lots of knitting going on right now, but it's all very ADD. I keep starting things, getting new ideas, ripping them out, starting new things, etc. I hope to have some FOs sometime in August.

The eternal wisp

I am, it must be said, very bored of wisp. The pattern is dreadfully easy, with no stitch more complicated than k2tog, but the fact that it is lace ensures that it still requires too much of my attention. Straight tv knitting is out, it seems.

Since I was in Glasgow for most of the last two weeks, I didn't get a lot of knitting done -- this is despite being stuck in Stansted airport for 12 hours. Curse the restrictions on knitting needles. However, I buckled down this weekend and am now about two-thirds of the way through:


A close-up:


I am trying to force myself through the last few rows, but it's not calling to me right now. This has been made worse by the yarn that followed me home from Glasgow, which is calling to me and demanding to be swatched. My friend lives mere steps from K1 Yarns, and every time we headed into town, or to the pub or cafe, I had to pass by it. I resisted as long as I could, but I am only so strong. Eventually, I gave in and let myself be seduced by 10 skeins bright red Artesano Alpaca (a much bolder red than the photo suggests).


Of course, now I'm not sure what to do with it. I was planning to knit Rhiannon with it, but I'm not convinced alpaca is the best fiber for what is essentially a tank. Of course, I didn't get enough for a proper jumper, and too much for gloves or a hat, and I am sick to death of scarves. Perhaps I will just pet it for a bit and instead try to find a use for the acid green cotton that is currently haunting my stash.

Wisp hits a snag

I write about my cats here more than I might actually like. I don't WANT to be crazy cat knitting lady, you know. It feels as if that title automatically ages me thirty years and I should hit the local furniture shop for a rocking chair. But sometimes, they make it very difficult to NOT talk about them. Behold exhibit A:

Kidsilk Haze, as it looked when I first opened the package. The colourway is Liqueur, and it is gorgeous.

I was in London for a few days for a conference, and brought the yarn along with me, hoping to knit on the train (a highly unsuccessful effort, by the way -- lurching trains + laceweight yarn = brand new levels of knitting frustration). When I returned home at the end of the last day, exhausted from a long week of seminars and trains (and, let's be honest, a fair bit of wine, as well), I dropped the bag by the front door. This was my first mistake. The second mistake was not noticing that I'd left the side pocket, the one holding the yarn, unzipped.

Now, you have to understand one thing about my house. It is quite large. Much larger than a single person actually needs, and far too big to ever keep clean. This does not mean I am minted, sadly; the house is terribly run down, with electrics constantly exploding and enough peeling paint to ensure that I will contract lead poisoning one of these days. It was actually the cheapest house I could find when I was looking, which was its primary appeal. However, it IS a big house, and that is the important part to this story.

About an hour after returning home, I noticed that a skein of Kidsilk Haze was by the foot of my bed. On the third floor. For one moment, I dared to hope that it was the second skein, the one I did not bring to London, but I knew that one was tucked safely away in a drawer. This was the skein in my bag. And, sadly, it was not the entire skein, as the yarn clearly was heading out the door. I picked it up, and began following the trail: out the bedroom, down the stairs, to the landing, down more stairs, on to the second floor, around the corner, across the next landing, down a second flight of stairs, across the dining room, through the doorway, and back across the front room of the house, all the way to where I first dropped my bag. Ava had managed to carry the skein through the entire house, missing only the kitchen in her travels, and leaving a mohair trail in her wake.

The result:

The pattern for Wisp says you can get by with one skein. I'm hoping that one and a half will do the trick.

Of course, even as I try to knit, Ava keeps grabbing the yarn in her mouth and attempting to run off with it. It is, apparently, hers. I have defended the knitting enough to produce the first inch of the wrap:

So far, I like the project a lot. Sadly, today I must clean in preparation for going out of town tomorrow, so its progress will wait another week.

But I am locking it in an impenetrable safe to protect it from the feline menace.

Done!

Today, there were two things working overtime to keep me inside and knitting all day. Firstly, it was wet and raining pretty much from sunup to sundown. Secondly, at 11:00 am, my cats came to sit with me in bed (I was already up and about! Just...being lazy.) and promptly fell into an adorable cuddle pile. Loki half opened one eye, to make sure I wasn't thinking about moving, then promptly fell sound asleep. I could not resist. I declared it a do-nothing day for all three of us. However, while they are naturally cute -- see exhibit A:



-- I have been a slovenly, PJ-wearing lump today. Fortunately, I channeled all that excess energy into knitting, and completed the summertime tunic at last. There would be photos, but my camera died at the exact moment the knitting stopped. It's like it knew.

The ends still have to be woven in and it needs to be washed and blocked and then have a yet-to-be-purchased ribbon threaded through it, but the knitting part is done! I'm not yet convinced about the fit, but I will withhold judgment till I've blocked it.

In the meantime, I have no projects on the needles. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself, really. Off to Ravelry for inspiration!

SP Contest #8: Three yarns I would love to try

The very last SP contest asks ask three yarns I'm dying to get my hands on. Because I am greedy, I want all the yarn, but I made an effort to narrow it down.

1. Everyday(ish) yarn I would most like to try: Blue Sky Alpaca. I have heard lots of good things about this one, and many of my favourite designers use it in their patterns. I'd happily try any in their range, although the Royal alpaca and the alpaca silk are especially tempting. The organic cotton looks like it would be brilliant for summer, also. However, at £6-7/skein, it's still pricy enough that I should wait till my birthday before I splurge. Runner up in this category: RYC Cashsoft (which also has to benefit of being a bit cheaper).

2. Material I would most like to try: bamboo. There are several summer projects that I'm sure would be wonderful in bamboo, and I'm very interested in experimenting with this fiber. I'm looking at the lovely RYC Bamboo Soft bamboo or the more budget Sirdar Just Bamboo. Runner-up fiber: linen.

3. Yarn I will never, ever buy myself unless I win the lottery: Tilli Tomas. It looks luscious. The colours are deep, the yarn is luxurious, and the various sequins/beads/crystals add a wonderful touch of glitter. However, at over £20 a skein, it would cost at least £200 to make one top. I suspect this one will stay on the "I can dream" list for quite some time. Runner up luxury yarn: Cherry Tree Hill.

Now, it's back to the Summertime Tunic. I finished up the back yesterday and only have the front to complete. Hopefully, I can finish it today so I have a legitimate reason to post again later -- and thereby avoid falling afoul of the SP10 4 posts per month rule.

State of the knitting

I am, after a slight knitting depression, once again hard at work on my stitches. The summertime tunic is approaching the finish line, and if I am especially good this weekend, I might finish it. I'm not sure I actually like it at this point, but I will reserve judgment till it is completed. Of course, being my usual foolish self, I have not bothered to take it off the needles yet to check for fit, so the finished product is still something of a mystery.

Lauren has had her timeout status revoked and is awaiting frogging. I enjoyed the knit well enough, but one error kept costing hours of repair work, and it no longer seemed worth it. Besides, I'm not entirely sure I would ever wear it, and I found another project I want the yarn for. The Turkish silk will evolve into my very first design and first attempt at intarsia. I'm not aiming for anything fancy, but I though I might play around with some cushion covers. Like so much of my knitting, however, this is contingent upon acquiring additional items. In this case, I still need the cushions, so this project is off until I can arrange a trip to IKEA.

Right now, all projects seem to be complicated in some way and/or are taking far too much time, but at least I'm feeling inspired again. PLUS, I finally got my invite to Ravelry, which is way cooler than I'd even hoped it would be and is entirely deserving of a post all its own. I'm still getting set up over there, but I am shinyobject and you should all come find me.

Pictures soon, I promise.

Where did I go?

Reasons I have not been updating:

1. My computer died a sad, painful death. I am sorting out a temporary replacement, but for the last couple of weeks my Internet access has been painfully limited.

2. Knitting disasters! The easy summertime tunic was cruising along, until my circular needles broke. I bought a complete set of bamboo circs off ebay, and that was a brilliant decision at the time. New to knitting, I hated having to choose my projects based on whether or not I had the right size needle. Unfortunately, the joins on these particular needles are not exactly high quality, and the needle broke apart from the cord, taking several dear stitches with it. It took me a while to replace that size needle, as I try to limit how much I spend on knitting each month, and last month I was happy to splurge on my secret pal. However, I finally couldn't take it anymore, and splashed out on some Addi Turbos in the required 3.75mm size (and, bless ebay, was able to get a 4mm set as part of the package). I am in love. They really ARE super fast. The material slides along the cord, so I no longer have to waste time pushing the yarn toward the left hand needle. I am now determined to have a set of Addis and a set of wood needles in every size. THEN, I will be a super-duper prepared knitter.

3. I am working on a Super Secret Birthday project, and can't post a thing about that. Shhhhhh.

4. You know, life. Sometimes it keeps one busy.

Secret Pal Contest: All your WIPS

Secret Pal is keeping me honest and making sure that I update (somewhat) regularly. I didn't mean to disappear. Work got hectic and life got tough and all sorts of other things like that. However, the brilliant thing about a knitting blog is that it is the one place where I do not moan about my life. No troubles shall darken the door (page) of this blog! Only the knitting matters!

Now, if only I had more knitting to show. The latest secret pal contest asks us to show all our WIPs. At the moment, I have three:
You know, I really don't like earth tones quite as much as this picture would suggest. It must be time to invest in some intense red or purple yarn.

This is My Very First Sweater. It was never quite completed.
I began this one way back in December, in the first month I learned to knit. I managed to a) twist all my purl stitches due to misreading instructions and b) ran out of yarn for the hood. I'm sure it could still be saved -- it's basically just a big, shapeless hoodie -- but I'm almost scared to seam it up and discover that my first jumper is a mess. Right now, it's Shroedinger's Jumper. It could be a masterpiece, or a disaster. I like to live with the delusion that my first jumper was, in fact, a masterpiece. Or, at least, it would be if it was ever completed.

Up next is Lauren. Oh, Lauren. You have turned out to be something of a bitch.
Once again, I managed to drop some key stitches and was left with something of a mess. This wrap is proving to be my emotional litmus test. If I am in a positive mood, the knitting flies by. If I have anything else on my mind, disaster strikes. I am currently living in denial with this one. I don't want to go back and try to fix it until I am willing to accept that the whole damn thing may need to be frogged again. Right now, Lauren is in a serious time out.

Finally, there is some actual progress. I'm shocked, too. After thinking about working on Soleil for ages, I finally realised that, despite having the yarn on hand, I really wasn't that enthused about the pattern. Fortunately, Interweave Knits swept in and saved the day with the Summertime Tunic. It's a very straightforward knit, perfect mindless knitting in the round.
I'm not thrilled with the ribbing, which seems to be one of my knitting weaknesses. It never looks even, no matter how careful I think I am with the tension. However, I'm back to straight stockinette now, and I'm hoping that a bit of blocking will sort it out.

I'm already starting to look around with increasing desperation for my next pattern. I need a break from all this simple knitting with tough cotton! I think I'm about to start a shrug made with some handpainted alpaca, so hopefully there will soon be an addition to my WIP list.

Secret Pal Contest #5: My fave knitting spot

Secret Pal 10 asks the question: What is my favourite knitting spot?

Well, I don't really have a fave spot, in the sense that I have created a specific environment that nurtures my knitting and best allows me to relax and enjoy the craft. I don't seem to have a house set up for such an ideal spot, Instead, I do my knitting where I do most of my activities: in bed. I wish my life were as dirty as that sentence makes it sound.

There are several factors that contribute to this. Firstly, I am deeply, inherently lazy, and I do enjoy a proper lie-in. Also, I live in a large and very drafty house, and the downstairs rooms tend to be freezing all winter long. In an effort to keep my heating bill down and my feet warm, I am likely to be found wrapped in my duvet from October through April. Plus, I am no good at simply sitting in chairs. I have to fidget, change positions, stretch out. The bed just allows more room for my natural restlessness. Yes, I am both lazy and restless, often at the same time. It's an odd state to be in, I assure you.

I have created an entire office around my bed. I mark my papers there. I watch television. I work on my computer. Occasionally, I even sleep. And, yes, I knit. Sometimes I sit up in bed, often with a cat on my lap. Sometimes I hunch over, in a variation of yoga's child's pose, often with a cat on my shoulders. When I am being properly lazy, I even lie on my stomach, propped up on two elbows, often with a cat on my back. It's not always comfortable, but it gets the job done. This also explains why everything I make contains copious amounts of cat hair.

Someday, I will create my fantasy knitting environment. It contains a separate study, with bookshelves lined with baskets of yarn on every shelf (and a few books, of course). I will have a chaise longue, the perfect cross between a chair and a bed, where I can stretch out and still have back support. It's a red chair, by the way. I'm pretty sure of that. There, I will knit in peace and comfort. Except for the cats climbing on me at all times, of course. Some things will never change.

FO: Sahara

At long last, she is done!

Here she is in repose:


And in action:


Yarn used: Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran in 008 (Forest), 11 balls
Needles: 4mm for the body and 3.25mm for the ribbing.
Time to complete: Well, I started it at the end of March, but I took many weeks off for various reasons. This was probably 1.5 weeks of serious knitting.
Size: L, though my gauge was a bit off and it's likely somewhere between an L and XL. I know you're supposed to get exact gauge, but I'm a rebel that way.
Pattern adjustments: I added a few increases at the hip, which proved unnecessary in the end, as it is now a bit loose in the hips, though not badly so. I also lengthened it a bit between the neckline and the hip increases. I probably should have taken it in more at the waist. Right now, it has a loose, comfortable fit, and it's meant to be more body conscious.
First time: knitting in the round, doing k3tog tbl (and that's one to avoid if at all possible), knitting backwards (learned in order to avoid k3tog tbl), using a provisional cast-on

Overall, I'm very pleased with it. The neckline ended up a bit off -- it's supposed to be straight, and mine is doing an inverted V, despite my best blocking efforts. I don't think it's an obvious error, though, unless you know the pattern (of course, considering how many people are knitting Sahara these days, most knitters could spot that in a second). I suspect I needed to compensate for my longer form a bit more by making the top longer from the shoulders through the neckline. I would definitely consider knitting this again, either as a summer top in a lighter yarn or with sparkly contrasting yarn for the hem, sleeves and neckline. Not for a little while, though. I need a new challenge.

Still, my first wearable garment is completed! Hurrah!

Mail call

My first secret pal package arrived today! I have been informed that this was the non-knitting package, and it was filled with wonderful surprises: what looks like a very fun book from an author I have not read before; a coffee scented extravaganza of candles and incense; a Dorothy Perkins gift card (apparently, they have lots of great tall clothes); and a cute cat magnet. Yay, unexpected gifts!

Thank you very much, Secret Pal! I appreciate all the time that was spent putting this package together, and I'm sure I will enjoy all the items.

At last, blocking!

Is there a better feeling as a knitter than the absolute satisfaction of waiting for a piece to finish blocking? Sahara is downstairs right this minute, resting atop a towel and a piece of cardboard, carefully pinned into shape and awaiting her unveiling to the world. I feel strangely virtuous, having conquered my knitting ADD and seen a project through to its completion. Photos will follow, I'm sure, though I'm not quite sure how I'll manage to photograph myself wearing it. I live in a house nearly bereft of mirrors, and I'm not quite ready to trust Loki with the camera.

Of course, that virtuous feeling is only enhanced by the knowledge that I can move on to other projects, completely guilt-free! I started on Lauren two weeks ago, made it about a quarter of the way through, and then tried to knit while my boyfriend was in the room. I don't know what it is, but the man seems to be krytonite to my knitting. Maybe it's because we don't see each other very often (he lives an hour and a half away), and I feel secretly guilty wasting any of our limited time together knitting. Maybe it's because he's a rather chatty fellow, and I get distracted easily. Maybe he just sends out powerful dropped stitch mojo. Whatever the case, I did end up dropping a stitch, had trouble finding it in the lace pattern, ended up dropping a few more, and decided to take a break. And by take a break I mean pitch a tantrum and rip the whole thing apart.

After calming down a bit, a started again this morning and am back to about a quarter of the way through. It's a fairly quick knit on 10mm, which is still quite a step down from the 15mm called for in the pattern. The end result will, naturally, be a much closer weave than the original pattern, but I think it will still work.

Here is a close-up of the lace pattern. Someday I will figure out how to take these closeups without the shadow, but today is not that day. This was taken after carefully stretching out the yarn and holding it in place through the power of mind bullets. I'm a bit worried about how well it will block to shape. The man I bought it from said it was silk, but seeing how it didn't come with a label, I'm taking a lot on trust here. It definitely has the sheen of silk, so I'll have faith for a bit longer. Of course, if I were a practical person, I would have carefully blocked out my swatch, but that seemed far too logical for me.

When it's not stretched out, it rather resembles a shapeless green lump. Loki is not impressed, and completely fails to understand why I am paying attention to a bit of string when he is far more interesting.

You know, I did not intend to be the sort of person who always posted cat photos in their knitting blog. However, I did not anticipate what gigantic camera whores my cats would turn out to be.

Secret Pal Contest: Oldest Yarn in Your Stash

To be fair, I've only been knitting for five months, so my stash doesn't have much of a history. Even so, as sad yarn goes, this one is a doozy. Isn't she a beauty, in all her salmon pink glory?

This is only the second skein I ever bought. The first was a chunky blue wool. I bought it with a pair of 10mm needles with the plan of making a scarf. Instead, I got ambitious, started learning stocking and rib stitch and practicing increases and decreases, and the end result was that I made something resembling a blue whale far more than a scarf.

Thrilled with my success, I ran out to my tiny local crafts shop. This shop only carries acrylics, but I didn't even know what that meant at the time. It was yarn! That was good enough, right? This one was on sale, and I was quite certain I could make something fabulous from it. Yes, only five months ago I believed I could make something beautiful from one skein of salmon pink acrylic. Ah, I was so young and naive, back in those distant days of 2006.

None of that, of course, explains the current state in which the yarn finds itself. These days, my yarn is carefully stored in one of my dressers. Three drawers of my dresser, to be exact. At that time, I stored it carefully in...plastic bags. Ahem. Now, one day, I returned home to find half of it laying on the floor, one long strand trailing behind it. I followed that strand up the stairs, to the landing, around the corner and up the rest of the stairs to a rather exhausted looking pile of pink fuzz.

Through careful investigation, I have narrowed down the potential suspects and believe I have found the culprit. Would you trust this cat?



Some day, perhaps, I will get rid of this yarn, but at the moment I have quite a soft spot for this pink mess.

Blocked, not blocking

The depressing thing about keeping a knitting blog is how dependent it is on pictures to keep it interesting. When all your projects hit a dead end, and there are no new pictures to post, it becomes painfully obvious that you are making no progress in your various endeavors. At least, such has been the case for me this week.

Sahara ground to a halt when I decided that it needed short- or elbow-length sleeves after all. The yarn (Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran) was far too heavy to really work as a sleeveless tank. However, I don't have the DPNs necessary to finish the longer sleeves. The lovely Kate sent me several at Christmas, but apparently the package is taking a detour through Kathmandu on its way to me, as it still has not arrived. The poor, lost needles. So, Sahara is in knit limbo, which would bother me far more if I had any hope of wearing it before October.

Then, there is Soleil. The required yarn, Elann Sonata, was part of the massive yarn haul my mom brought last month. I started happily swatching on Tuesday, only to discover that the mercerized cotton is so tough on my hands that I end up knitting far more loosely than I normally would. I'm down to 3.5mm needles and still too loose. I'm facing the dilemma of raw fingers from too tight yarn or cramped hands from too small needles. I'm rooting for option C, in which I throw the damn swatch in the washing machine on high heat and hope for the best.

No need to despair just yet! I have drawers full of yarn and patterns aplenty. I have...Highland chunky wool. Highland silk/wool blend. A bunch of Wool-ease. Noro Kureyon. In wool. Handpainted...alpaca. I am, it would seem, more than ready for winter.

I do have my Turkish silk, though the aran weight doesn't match many summer patterns. I also have about 9 skeins of Lana Grossa cotofilo, a cotton blend. I bought that one off Pavi Yarns, a truly wonderful online shop with rather horrible colour representation. The lovely soft green I intended to buy ended up being more in the neon family. I might be getting desperate, though.

In the planning state is the Lauren shawl by Rowan. I don't have 15mm needles and will be using smaller yarn, but that won't stop me! I've had enough knitting roadblocks this week! I will likely use 10mm needles, more stitches, and see what happens. It's a shawl, after all. I don't exactly have to worry about proper fit.

So, one week, no progress. But here is a slightly overexposed picture of my insanely cute cats. You can't have a knitting blog without pictures, after all.

Secret Pal

I'm joining in Secret Pal 10! Any excuse to buy more yarn, right? But first, the questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I am something of a yarn snob and love soft, touchable fibers. Silk, cashmere, alpaca...mmm. Since I am not independently wealthy, however, I do tend to buy blends, though I avoid acrylic whenever possible. Really, I'll knit with anything that feels good and looks pretty.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a Lantern Moon needle case that I love. Since I bought complete sets of bamboo circulars in three sizes, I'm rather swimming in needles and had to devote three dresser drawers just to my circulars. The extra straights go in a vase near my bed (I do most of my knitting in bed).

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Only since December 2006. I'm a newbie, but I really just took to it. I started my first jumper two weeks after I learned how to knit. I figure that, so long as I know my knits and my purls, I can figure out any pattern. I'd describe myself as an advanced beginner/slow intermediate. I can do most of the intermediate work; it just takes me a few more tries than someone who has been doing it for years.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do! It's actually on amazon.com, since I'm an expat American living in Sussex. It's something of a mess, as I remember I have it once every six months, add everything I'm obsessed with at the time, and then promptly forget about it. I still want everything on it, though. It can be found through my email address, majea7 at gmail dot com.

5. What's your favorite scent?
I'm not really a perfume person, though I will wear oils or other, non-chemical sorts of things. I especially love amber and ginger, and tend to fall in the 'floriental' category. At least, that's what the nice woman at Nordstrom's told me.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Sometimes. I don't turn down chocolate, that's for sure, but I rarely think to buy it for myself. I'm more of an ice cream and baked goods sort of person. Mmm, ice cream sundae.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Are you kidding? Other crafts would only take away precious knitting time. Spinning seems like it might be interesting if I had more time, but at the moment it doesn't really appeal.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Anything. Really, anything. I'm something of an idiot when it comes to classical music or opera, but that's not the fault of the music. I particularly like the 'alt country' genre, although I hate that name. And yes, MP3s are fine.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love rich jewel tones and earthy naturals. Red, purple and green are my favourites, and I have a particular soft spot for all shiny things. Shiny is a colour, right? I'm not a big fan of blue or orange, and pink is only okay in small doses.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
'Family situation' sounds like some kind of horrible pregnancy euphemism. I don't live with any other people, if that's the question, as my family lives in the US and my partner lives in Kent. I do have a small, furry family: two Bengal cats that are completely, utterly mad.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, yes. Hats, when it's cold. Mittens, when it's freezing. Ponchos, never. Why would I choose to wear a tent that adds ten pounds to my frame without feeding me ice cream first?

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love knitting tops and seem to always have at least one on the go. Jumpers, tanks, t-shirts, etc. Scarves are great as presents, though they can get boring. I think I'm going to start knitting shawls next, as they seem rather appealing.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm just about to finish Sahara, and am debating whether to start Soleil or Green Gable next. Of course, I'm already hitting the pattern books to line up my next six projects.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, I think so. It doesn't happen very often, but I like it when it does.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
For the most part, I do longer projects on circulars, shorter ones on 10" straights. I have a lot of bamboo and occasionally find use for metal needles, though my particular preference is the Lantern Moon rosewood ones. When I claim my calling as a lady of leisure, I will invest in a complete set of those. Maybe the ebony or blond wood ones, as well. I am fascinated by the Namaste glass ones, but fear them. I've given up on birch, as I seem to break every set I touch.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, but someday I will. Oh yes, I will.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
December. When I first learned to knit, I started a bunch of scarves in various textures, patterns, etc. About halfway through, my skills had improved so much that I was appalled by the initial work and abandoned them. Someday, I will frog them and give the yarn new life.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love Christmas. Food, wine, family, presents, days off work...it's perfect. At least, until you have to go back to work in the dark, rainy days of January.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Really, no. Perhaps I should develop some interesting and eccentric collection as a conversation starter.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Lots of them! I'm a fan of some of the Rowan magazines, particularly the last one based on Morocco. I'll have to hunt that link down. The others I want are on my Amazon wish list. As for yarn, I'm pretty much dying to try all of it, although Koigu is especially tempting.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I haven't done any Intarsia or Fair Isle work yet. That's next on the list.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I haven't knit any socks yet, and I managed to break the set of DPNs I bought to knit my first pair (see above re: birch). As soon as I get another set, I'll try again. I'm an Amazon with very big feet, also. I'm actually embarrassed to say how big, so let's just call them 'really long and skinny', okay?

23. When is your birthday?
16 September.

What I did on my Easter holiday

1. Redesigned this page. I realise that most people read blogs through Google Reader these days, but I still wanted to do my part to prevent another eyesore from occupying valuable Internet space. Plus, I like playing with all the pretty colours. I might have used too many pretty colours, in fact, but I can't be bothered about that right now.

2. Went to Istanbul! It was fabulous, and I'd post pictures if I wasn't 99.9% certain that everyone currently reading this blog also reads my personal LJ. If I am wrong, let me know and I will happily post my Spice Market photos again. Really, I just love those photos and will take any excuse to look at them, although they do cause me to crave Turkish delight something fierce.

How about some Istanbul flowers, instead? I was there during the tulip festival, and since the tulip is the official flower of Istanbul, they were showing off their mad growing skillz. I decided that I was quite possibly a fabulous nature photographer who only remained unappreciated due to the fact that I never actually took nature photographs. I corrected that by shooting every flower I saw. Since this is a solid example of my floral photography skills, perhaps I did not miss my calling after all.

Now, I did an awful lot of shopping in Istanbul, but had no plans for stash enrichment. Then, just outside the Spice Market, I happened to notice a tiny little shop. I've had walk-in closets bigger than this shop. I wasn't about to quibble over the size, however, when the shop sold yarn. Lovely Turkish yarn, even. Now, I know my stash is already out of control, but it was a souvenir, right? And when I found out that I could buy an entire bag of 100% silk yarn for £5, I didn't even attempt self control. Shown here are two skeins, though the colour is very washed out. Imagine I shot these during the day or took the time to play with hue/saturation in Photoshop for a better sense of the colour. I bought three bags, total -- there is a gold one kicking around my room somewhere, but it seems to have wandered off. I suspect the cats.

These skeins arrived with no labels, so I have no idea how long they are or what the recommended gauge is. It seems to be approximately an Aran weight, so I'll soon be swatching as I try to figure out what I'm actually going to do with this yarn. Something pretty for summer, I'm thinking.

3. Almost finished Sahara! I had almost no time to knit while on holiday, so the work was delayed, I still need to knit the sleeves, sew the neckline and weave in the ends, but I am definitely approaching the finish line. I had a tremendous number of setbacks working the diamond rib pattern around the neckline and the hem, but that is entirely due to operator error and is not the fault of the pattern. It did slow things down a bit, though. I hope to have it completed and blocked by the end of the week.

And now, alas, my holiday is over. Only 11 weeks till summer break! Ahem. Not that I'm counting, of course.

Sahara

I love this pattern. Love it. Okay, the provisional cast on was a beast, and it never properly unzipped when I needed to release the stitches, but that's a small enough thing, and nothing a sharp pair of scissors couldn't fix. The rest of it has been a pure joy. There is an awful lot of stockinette, but with enough increases, decreases, and joins to make it interesting. I already want to knit it again.

About a week and a half in, and it's just past the waist decreases and has been joined in the round.


I did another two and a half inches last night after taking the photo. This is my first time knitting in the round, and I'm loving how quickly it knits up once it's joined. If I was a normal sized woman, I'd already be on to the hip increases, but I'm an Amazon, so I'm going to add another inch and a half before starting those.

The most satisfying part was taking it off the needles last night for its first try-on. It fits! It fits! No frogging necessary! The neckline seems a bit worryingly low at the moment, but the lace detailing should sort that out. Sadly, there will be no knitting today. I had to leave it off the needles for easier packing -- Sahara is about to go to Turkey with me. It's been such a good knit, it earned that adventure.

The yarn is Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran in Forest, and it really is a luscious forest green, richer than in the picture. It's certainly not hurting my enjoyment of this knit. I'm really rather giddy about how well this came together. Knitty giddy, a very special state.

The stash grows, exponentially

My mother is a wonderful woman. Not only did she bake cookies and read to me as a child and do all sorts of wonderful mom-type things, she has also become my yarn pimp. After all, here I am in the UK, earning those wonderful pounds that are worth so many US dollars, but I've not been able to splurge on yarn due to the exorbitant shipping costs. However, since she was visiting soon, I gave her my elann order and asked her to squeeze a few skeins into her suitcase.

A few skeins. Ha! She not only put in my requested order, she tripled it and called it a late Christmas present. When she arrived on Friday, fresh off the San Francisco-Gatwick flight, she had with her two suitcases, one of which was at least 80% yarn.

Am I not the luckiest girl in Knittyland?


Such riches! I am now the proud owner of:
1. Elann Sonata (100% cotton, and soon to be transformed into my next project, Knitty's Soleil.
2. Peruvian Highland Silk. Look at that colour. I have no idea what it is going to become, but it will be luscious.
3. Araucania Atacama, a gorgeous, GORGEOUS handpainted Peruvian alpaca. I'm not sure I want to knit with it. I may just keep it on my shelf and stroke it from time to time.
4. Peruvian chunky Highland wool. I think I'm ready for all my winter knitting already.
5. Finally, Lion Brand Wool-Ease, and lots of it. She apologised for the acrylic blend, but it's perfect to create a jumper for the boyfriend, if I ever decide to brave the sweater curse. As it is, he's going to have to wait a bit longer. I have lots of other knitting to get to, first. LOTS of knitting.

Introduction

Oooh, the first post. Somehow I feel as if this should be brilliant in some way, to set a fabulous tone for the wit and wisdom that are sure to follow in the coming months. That might also be seen as false advertising, however, so I'll just jump right into the middle.

This is a knitting blog. There is, in this world, no shortage of knitting blogs, and and I am not going to revolutionise the format in any way. The odds of anyone reading this other than a few friends are slim to none.

But the thing is, I love to knit. Love it. It soothes me, interests me, rewards me. I love the yarn, the needles, the patterns, the various bits and bobs. I love it all. I need a place to share this love, to loudly proclaim my obsession to the tiny part of the world that does stop by this blog.

I only began knitting December 2006, when I needed something to keep me busy while I was recovering from an operation. I haven't stopped since. I'm still rather rubbish at it, to tell you the truth, but improving steadily. I look forward to being able to track my progress, so that I can look back in a year's time and think, "Damn! I really had no idea what I was doing, did I?" and then happily return to my detailed Fair Isle sweater. Hey, it's my blog. I can fantasise if I want to.

That's enough of that. Let the knitting begin.