Pink Monkey Knits

Thinking Back, Thinking Ahead

2008-05-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

The other day, Sarah at Advancing the Plot tagged me for my first ever meme! Here's some random information about me:

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was finishing up my sophomore year of high school. It had been a tough and transitional year for me, as I had just moved back to Pittsburgh from South Florida. Academically, I did very well but still had to work to find my social niche. Around this time, I was starting to meet and hang out with some people who I still consider to be my closest friends to this day, so the outcome was a happy one!

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
You don't want to know about my work to-do list because drafting minutes is fucking boring. On my personal list, I'm wanting to buy an athletic-style swimsuit and swim cap for the water aerobics classes I'm taking (yes, it's not just for old ladies!), get some soil and seedlings for two planters on my deck, decide on a restaurant for date night with my fella, trade in some clothes at Crossroads and plan some meals for the week.

3) Snacks I enjoy:
Berries, cookies, dried fruit, peanut butter, pita chips, baked goods.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Buy an old house and an electric car, travel a whole bunch, knit a lot and give a bunch to the Gates Foundation and my aunt's scholarship.

5) Places I have lived: eastern and southern suburbs of Pittsburgh; south Florida; Washington, DC; the SS Universe Explorer; Seattle, WA.

6) Jobs I have had:
babysitter, cashier at a movie theater, desk receptionist, temp, development assistant, organizing fellow.

7) Bloggers I am tagging who you will enjoy getting to know better:
I love getting to know all of my bloggy friends, so this is open to anyone who wants to answer it.

In my knitterly life, I've just finished a bunch of projects (which I'll tell you about at some point) and will be finishing another one very soon. I started thinking about what I would want to work on next, and nothing really called out to me. There's so much I could do with my stash yarns, it's almost too overwhelming to decide. Then, my lack of motivation for a new project made me realize what I have to do: I have to finish my oldest UFO.

Lizard Ridge, which I started in September, 2006 and have 11 of 24 squares completed. Yes, now is the time for the afghan.

Of course, I'll need to buy more Kureyon to actually have enough yarn to finish it. It's a shameful task, but it must be done!

Adventures in Baby Knitting

2008-04-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

No, I'm most certainly not having a baby. But it certainly seems like a plenty of other people are these days! I think that I'm entering a new stage in my life where I'm starting to have family members and friends who are starting to or are thinking about procreating. This has opened a new realm of quick, cute knitting for me, a realm where I can try out many patterns I've been anxious to knit for a long time.

Tomten Jacket from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting without Tears
A Mix of Lion Brand Wool-Ease, Cascade 220 Superwash and Artyarns Supermerino.
Size 8 needle

This jacket is for my cousin David (first cousin once removed? Is that what you call the son of your first cousin?), who was born in January. I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this clever little jacket for him, as it was fun AND it allowed me to use up some long-lingering yarns in the stash. Unfortunately, I did have to buy some more of the Cascade 220 Superwash because the garter stitch does use up more yarn than you think, but it was worthwhile for the overall product.

The stripes in this didn't end up looking as organic as I'd like, but the blue trim helps pull the colors together and make it look a bit more whimsical. I was originally aiming for a newborn size, but my calculations were way off. According to Karma, this will actually be a 9-12 month-ish size. That's fine, since the kid, who lives in suburban DC, probably won't need to wear wool until October anyways.

This technically isn't finished as I still need to hammer in the snaps (have you ever taken a hammer to your knitting? It will be a first for me). I finally get to meet David next weekend and I'll be excited to present this to him in person.

I've also been inspired to knit for another baby who will be here soon. By the beginning of next week, I will be an aunt! This will be the first grandchild in both my and my sister-in-law's family, so there is a lot of excitement surrounding this birth. Our excitement has been tempered by the fact that the baby will be born halfway around the world in Israel. I, of course, feel the need to express my long distance love through handknits.

Angora Baby Booties from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts
GGH Soft Kid, Baby Blue Colorway
Size 6 Needles

Baby Bib O'Love from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Wool in the Woods Duet, Playground colorway
size 6 needles

Baby Genius Burp Cloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Wool in the Woods Duet, Playground colorway
Size 6 needles

They didn't find out the sex, so I tried to stick to mostly gender-neutral colorways. Well, the booties are arguably not neutral, but they're just going to be on the feet, right? In any case, these projects were all very quick, fun stashbusters. I especially like working with the Wool in the Woods yarn and watching the colors emerge. Unfortunately, these company appears to have been acquired by Cherry Tree Hill. Who knew there were cute throat business mergers in the world of yarn?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was so pleasantly surprised by all of the responses to my last post, and the fact that you're all still reading! The answers to why you write and read blogs were very varied and interesting. I have to say that I agree with you all - I read in order to be inspired and keep up with real and online friends. I write to focus my mind and keep track of the events in my life.

For me, though, it all comes down to creativity. The process of matching yarn to pattern, figuring out modifications and utilizing my projects is a rare area in my life where I can let my creativity guide me. I enjoy the process of thinking through how I want to present the information on my projects to keep it interesting and fun for you.

Here's what you've all been waiting for: the contest winner. I went to Random.org, which chose 7 as the winner. Congratulations to Liz K.! Liz is someone whose creativity I definitely admire; did you see all of the different projects she made with her stashed Manos? I am definitely going to make a laceweight sweater like hers someday, too.

Thanks to all for participating!

Returning to the Fold

2008-04-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, it's been more than three months since I declared that, "I will have a new sweater for New Year's, so help me God." Well, let's just say that it sucks to be made a liar of on your own blog. I'm sorry that I haven't been around to fill you in on what's happened in a more timely fashion, but please do know that I missed blogging and the dialogue that occurs in this space very much!

When we last left things, I tried to recalculate the sleeve caps for my Swirled Pentagons Pullover using the instructions from the Vogue Knitting Bible and failed miserably. I then got the Winter issue of Interweave Knits and set out to use the directions from Pam Allen's excellent article on set-in sleeves.

I recalculated and graphed and was feeling very confident in my results. My second sleeve, left, had a lot less fullness than the old one.

Unfortunately, disappointment came again when I sewed this sleeve in, and I once again had the weird Star Trek ridge in my sleeve cap.

I figured I had two options at this point: make this project into a Swirled Pentagons vest, or try out Barbara Walker's top-down sleeve cap method. I had originally thought about doing the top-down cap, but ruled it out because I wanted to make these sleeves the "right" way. In reality, I think that the shape of the pentagons made for a strangely-shaped armscye, a rather triangular shape, that just didn't match the shape of a traditional set-in sleeve cap.

I picked up stitches around the armscye and started knitting down. I already had the sleeves knit up and planned to just graft the cap and sleeve together. Unfortunately, I had to pick up many more stitches around the armhole than I had on my sleeve already, so I had to make a dart in the middle of the cap.

This resulted in a very strangely-shaped sleeve cap - one that did not look like it would easily accommodate a human shoulder!

Thankfully, I persisted and on January 21st, while Cobra and I were enjoying an MLK Day drive through the Cascade Mountains, I finally finished.

Swirled Pentagons Pullover from Knitting Nature
Botanical Shades Silk Wool Mohair Blend (purchased at MDS&W 2006)
Size 6 and 7 Needles

The smile on my face was very genuine when these pictures were taken and not just because I was so durned relieved to have this out of my WIP pile. I was happy to have created such a beautiful, nicely-fitting garment. The waist shaping I added and the omission of the turtleneck resulted in a sweater that is stylish, unique and beautiful.

I love the detail of the additional half pentagon in the back. It adds an extra bit of warmth and completeness to the sweater.

This mohair-wool-silk yarn was gorgeously dyed with natural indigo (you may have seen the similar alpaca blend that Lolly made her gorgeous Aftur Pullover with). Apparently, this company is no longer making yarn anymore. Very sad news, as their product was wonderful to work with! I definitely got a little halo while I was knitting, and the singles were weakened a bit from all of the ripping, but otherwise, it was great and has held up well over these few months.

There's something else blue around my place these days. About a week and a half ago, I got my first ever car.

This is my 2008 Honda Fit in Tidewater Blue Metallic, which I have named Filbert 3000. It's a very strange feeling to have a car now after relying on public transportation for so many years. I'm already seeing the benefits, though; my commute has gone from being 50-80 minutes one way to 20 minutes flat. More time for blogging!

As a thank you for those of you who haven't unsubscribed from my feed over the last few months, I want to have my first ever blog contest. As a prize, I'd like to offer up this skein of Socks that Rock Lightweight in a Rare Gems colorway, a mix of red and orange, along with a few other goodies.

To enter the contest, leave me a comment describing what keeps you inspired to write or read knitting blogs. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, April 22, 2008 at 10:00PM Pacific time.

Talk to you soon!

Avoidance

2007-12-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

In between the holidays and some work-related travel, knitting has been going on Chez Pink Monkey. Indeed, I've been fairly prolific!

I finished the Twisted Tweed socks that I started during Socktoberfest.

Twisted Tweed Socks from Schrodinger Knits
Trekking #76
Size 1/2.25mm Needle

This is a great pattern that yields perfect results in this sometimes tricky yarn. I wanted to use a pattern with this that would lend a little interest but not distract from the striping nature of the yarn. I originally started with Nancy Bush's Spey Valley pattern, but they were too tight. I had loved this pattern instantly when I saw it over at Stella's, so a change seemed natural.

This pattern was really well-written, with both toe-up and top-down options included and a great explanation of a short row heel. Even though I'm usually a heel flap kind of gal, I decided to try the short rows in the spirit of Socktoberfest. While they turned out well enough, I'm not planning to change heel preferences any time soon.

The slipped stitch pattern keeps the knitting interesting and enjoyable. If you are going to make these, please be aware, however, that the pattern greatly compresses the row gauge, which means you have to knits a LOT to make any progress. I'm not a retentive person who requires symmetricalness in her socks, but I did reverse the stitch pattern on the second sock to achieve this effect, mostly just to make it interesting.

They were a bit tight on my feet during the knitting, as the slipped stitches do cause the fabric to lose elasticity. During blocking, however, they relaxed and they now fit perfectly. Love them!

I also recently completed a quick stash-buster project: these Indoor Mitts.

Fingerless Mitts from Weekend Knitting
Women's M/L, with gauge of 4spi
Rowan Summer Tweed, Denim Colorway
Size 7 Needle

I've had a lone skein of Summer Tweed hanging around in my stash for a few years. I'm a bit obsessed with this yarn's qualities and really wanted to find a good project for it. After seeing Pam's pretty mitts and hearing rumors around my office about how cold it gets it the winter, I decided I needed a pair of handwarmers for those many hours at my desk. Although silk and cotton aren't usually thought to be winter fibers, I find that they do their job nicely.

My hands are really small, so I started with the sizing for the smaller glove. I could tell they weren't going to be large enough, however, so I ended up having to use the medium size and adding two extra ridges. I had a little trouble creating a neat thumbhole, but found that some strategically placed twisted stitches on the edges fixed that right up. Otherwise, this pattern is tremendously fast, easy, fun and great for that single skein you have lying around (and I know that you have one somewhere).

You may notice, however, that there is a notable exclusion from this cavalcade of FOs. Where, you may ask, is that lovely sweater that you worked so hard on during NaKniSweMo?

The hard truth is that even though it's almost a month after that deadline, I'm still not done with the sweater!

I finished the last few pentagons easily enough, and brought the sleeves with me on a recent work trip to Maryland so that I could finish up the caps. I copied the page on calculating cap shaping out of the Vogue Knitting Bible and planned to work on it during the plane ride. I tried to follow the directions and complete the calculations correctly, but it ended up just not making sense to me. After doing one prototype that was half the size it should have been, I decided to essentially wing it. I knit both caps in the dimensions I thought were correct and sewed one of them in to see how it fit.

Instead of a close-fitting, sophisticated-looking shoulder, I got a bizarre 80's Star Trek-looking effect with a few inches of fabric extending up over the seam area. Crap. My disappointment over this and the realization that I would need to sit and do some serious thinking caused me to put it aside for a few weeks (and focus on quick, instant gratification projects).

Now, however, I have the tools at hand to do this right.

I will have a new sweater for New Year's, so help me God.

Not Gonna Happen

2007-12-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

This is me right around midnight on Friday with the completed sections of my sweater. Despite my concentrated efforts, I did not complete the Swirled Pentagons Pullover for NaKniSweMo.

As of right now, I have both sleeve caps and about 2.5 pentagons left to knit (progress was hindered by the ripping of one incorrectly-knit pentagon). In some ways, I'm actually relieved that I didn't make it. Because I'm making the sweater with a different gauge of yarn, I'm concerned that I'll have to change the proportions of the sleeve cap (I've had this problem before). To ensure a proper fit, it will be better if I block out the body, seam it up and then make my calculations. In this case, I'll be happier to have a nicely-fitting garment rather than a hastily done one. Despite not finishing, I'm proud of the amount and quality of knitting I did complete.

So, I will continue on and hopefully finish over the course of this Hanukkah week. Thankfully, I'll also give myself permission to work on some other projects, like my lingering Tweed Socks. I'm usually a pretty focused knitter, but that degree of project monogamy really got to me! Soon, my knitting imagination can run free once more.

Swirl Power

2007-11-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

My little prolonged silence is the result of mostly good things happening in my life. Here, you can see some of what is sucking up much of my energy.

Here I am at work listening to a conference call, knitting, taking notes and taking a picture of myself (to submit to Chelsea's Work Knitting Photo Pool). I've been at my job for just over two months now and I've been really enjoying it. Every day presents a different challenge, which has required a large investment of initiative from me. This, combined with an hour long commute on the bus each way has left me pretty drained by the time evening rolls around. It's the reason my last few posts, at least to me, seemed really restrained.

I must admit that meeting the day-to-day demands has made me feel very fulfilled with my work in a way that I haven't felt in a long, long time. It's exciting and really makes me happy. On the other hand, I don't like there isn't as much room in my life for the other things I care about. How do you handle the balance between work and life?

Despite not having my usual knitting bravado, I decided to participate in NaKniSweMo this month. After Lauren's spectacular two-sweater performance last year, I thought I'd be a shoe-in to get at least one garment finished in this time frame. I've been trying to work from my stash in a "first in, first out" order, so I knew I wanted to work with a yarn I picked up a while ago.

These are the yarns I got at the 2006 MD Sheep and Wool festival; in the back, you see Botanical Shades Single Ply Silk Blend naturally dyed with indigo (similar to Lolly's but with a different fiber composition). Ever since I bought this yarn, I thought I would use it to make Jolie from Rowan Vintage Knits. When I was swatching, however, I discovered that I did not particularly enjoy working the slip stitch pattern. In thinking about other patterns that appealed to me, Norah Gaughan's Knitting Nature immediately sprung to mind. After looking again at Grumperina's fabulous sweater (and useful commentary on her modifications), I settled on the Swirled Pentagons Pullover.

Tubular Cast on!

I'm doing a few modifications of my own. My yarn is a smaller gauge than that specified in the pattern, so I'm following the pattern for the 44" for an end size of about 39.5". I've also added waist shaping and made the length about the same as my favorite sweater.

The big question is: will I finish before the end of the month? I'm trying to stay optimistic but I'm not sure. I have one sleeve and 3.5 pentagons left to knit. At this point, I'd be satisfied if I completed the knitting by Friday, then worked on the finishing over the weekend. I'm doing my best and will just have to see where that leaves me.

Hopefully, I'll have a finished sweater to show you this weekend!

How Was Socktoberfest?

2007-11-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Although it may not have been totally apparent here on the blog, I once again participated in Socktoberfest this year. I found that I've come to look forward to this yearly celebration of those warm, personalized foot coverings and their various forms.

While some people were very prolific in their sock knitting this month, I was less successful. I only completed one single sock, which I started on October 10th (at my first Seattle Knitter's Guild meeting, wee!).

This is my first Twisted Tweed sock and I love it! I'm certainly much happier with this combination of yarn and pattern than the first too-small incarnation. The simple slip-stitch pattern looks so beautiful with this Trekking yarn (color 76); indeed, it really looks woven. Unfortunately, the stitch pattern has a shorter row gauge than a usual stitch pattern, hence the longer than usual amount of time it took to knit it.

The pattern is very versatile, as it has directions for both a top-down and bottom-up sock. I went with my usual top down, but decided to follow the directions for the short row heel rather than change it to my usual heel flap and gusset. Socktoberfest is a time for experimentation, if nothing else!

I hadn't attempted a short row heel since about 2005, so I was concerned that it would end up looking shabby. I do have some small holes from not pulling the yarn tight enough, but overall I'm pretty happy with the result. While it's nice to have another to have another potential tool in the repertoire, I still like my reinforced heel and shaped gusset area.

I'm pretty far down the cuff on the second sock, but I've decided to change things up a bit. Instead of working it toe-up, as the pattern suggests, I decided to reverse the direction of the patterning so the socks will look symmetrical on my feet. I'm not one of these people who's obsessed with symmetry, but the amount of time I'm spending on these made a bit of a difference necessary to keep from getting bored.

I'm anxious to finish these soon, but NaKniSweMo and my Swirled Pentagons Pullover may distract me...

Accessories for Afghans

2007-10-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

When you share your office with another dedicated knitter and blog afficiendo, strange things can happen. Like on Thursday, I was sitting at my desk, creating a spreadsheet or some nonsense. Suddenly, Elaine, who had taken the day off, comes in, followed by Rabbitch. They were bearing a skein of gorgeous STR just for me. Surreal, but you don't see me complaining.

I've been listening to Stash and Burn a lot lately and was also taken by Liz of XRK's Single Skein September idea. Both of these sources, along with the cataloging of my stash in Ravelry, have brought me back to a place of trying to be conscientious about using the copious amounts of yarn in my possession.

At the same time that I was thinking about my own abundance of materials, I received a reminder about the most recent campaign from afghans for Afghans. My mission for the next few weeks became clear: use up some of those pesky single skeins to create some warm woolies for Afghan children.

I'm proud to say that I knit three new items and sent along a total of five for this campaign.

Fisherman's Watchcap from Knitting with Balls
Cherry Tree Hill Possum Worsted in Black
Probably size 8 needles

I started this hat last December and finished it probably not too long after that initial post. It was originally intended to be for Cobra, but the yarn's fuzziness didn't fit his exacting standards. It does, however, create a soft and warm hat, so I hope its new recipient enjoys it. As I recall, knitting the Fisherman's Rib is a bit time consuming but really does create a warm, layered fabric.

Maltese Fisherman's Hat from EZ's Knitter's Almanac
Naturwolle Multicolor, Aquarell Colorway
Size 10 needles

This was a fun pattern with a cute result - I do think my improvised tassle really ups the adorableness cache. The first time I tried out this pattern, I was getting holes in the short trow section, so I changed them to a wrap and turn. Much better. The yarn is nice and thick and the colors blend beautifully. Since I was using a smaller yarn than was called for the in the pattern, mine turned out a bit small. I hope this is small enough for a child's head, not infant sized as it looked for a while.

Mitered Mittens from EZ's Knitter's Almanac
Cherry Tree Hill Possum Worsted in Natural and Woolarina Worsted, Kool Aid dyed
Size 8 Needles

These annoyed me, mostly because I had to cast on three times before I got them right. Discounting that, the pattern is certainly a small slice of cleverness. I used the i-cord cast on, which is a bit tricky to do neatly but has a nice result. I also did the afterthought thumb trick, which is a little scary but turn out alright. The thumb placement wasn't great for my hands but hopefully it will work better for a child.

The Woolarina yarn is a bit of a relic - it's from the first Craft Bastards back in 2003! I think this is from the pre-Paula era and it's also dyed with Kool-Aid! It's not the softest yarn around, but the coziness of the Possum yarn cancels that out. I striped the two yarns because I thought I didn't have enough of either for a full pair, but I probably would have been fine. Oh well. At least the colors look nice together.

Dashing from Knitty
My own Kool-Aid dyed yarn
size 8 needles

I wasn't sure how this duo-toned yarn would look knit up, but I have to say I'm quite pleased. The two tones add a nice depth and interest to the project, which I enjoy. It also helps make the color more gender-neutral (in my eyes, I don't know about color associations in Afghanistan). The yarn was also surprisingly soft (and smelled a bit of cherry flavoring).

I see this pattern becoming more popular in blogland, and I can understand why. It's simple, fun and create a very practical and appealing finished object. Also, I only had a small scrap of yarn left after finishing each one, which I love.

Also included in my package to a4A was a hat Melissa made and had me send along. While my personal contribution wasn't huge, I'm glad to say that my work along with that of my fellow knitters resulted in 81 cartons of items being sent to Afghanistan! Huzzah!

My happiness about this is slightly diminished when I look at the stubborn oddballs that I was hoping to use up, but are still haunting my stash.

I Saw the Flock, I Took the Fiber

2007-09-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

As I alluded previously, I did make some very nice purchases at OFFF. Before I show you those, however, I have to give a big thank you to Voxless over on Ravelry. Over in the Cast On, Rock Out group(which is always looking for new members!), I hosted a Rock Out with your Socks Out Yarn and CD swap. Voxless was my partner and provided me with enough beautiful, handdyed yarn to make two pairs of socks.

Two skeins Shibui Knits Sock in Sky.

One Skein of Colinette Jitterbug in Mist.

Thanks so much, Voxless, for this beautiful yarn, the rockin' CD and the delicious mini Hershey's bars (that are now gone).

Receiving these yarns capped off what had already been a big week in fiber for me. Here's what I had gotten just a few days previously at the festival.

STR Lightweight in Rare Gems.

Blue Moon Seduction in Oregon Red Clover Honey. Lots of blog folks have been into this particular colorway. I liked it, but didn't feel compelled to take it home with me until I saw it in this tencel blend yarn. The sheen just makes it truly honey-esque.

Chameleon Colorworks Evolution in Cobalt, 3 skeins. Are you familiar with Optim stretched Merino? I wasn't until I met this yarn. Essentially, the fiber goes through a process where it's stretched to the fineness of cashmere (here's a review of a similar, more expensive yarn). Seek the Optim stretching and make it your friend, for it makes an already soft merino into a delight.

Sweet Grass Wool 2ply in Medium Natural Blend, 7 skeins. This yarn is made from Targhee fleece, which is a squooshy yet hardy wool. I have plans for this yarn that I'll discuss later.

The one goodie that I didn't get a photo of is a soft and beautiful caramel-colored 4 oz of 50% camel/50% Tussah silk roving from Crown Mountain Farms. Now, you may remember that I don't spin, which raises the question of why I would buy such a thing, as beautiful as it may be.

The answer lies in a strange confluence of knit bloggerdom. Earlier that work, I'd started my new job. My new boss found out that I was a knitter, so when she was showing me around on my first day, she told me there was a like-minded person I should meet. She introduced me to Elaine, who instantly introduced herself to me as someone who knits, spins, dyes yarn and works in a yarn shop. How wonderful to have an ally like this at work!

Elaine introduced me to some of my work duties later on that day. After we finished talking business, we of course had to discuss our particular knitting affinities. We then got to talking about online knitting content and blogs. She said that she used to keep a blog but has since moved on, and I divulged that I, too, have one. Well, it turns out that in my search for other Seattlites, I had read her blog before! I was just meeting her, but I already knew her!

We share an office, so we now have morning show and tell sessions of our projects (she's much more prolific than I am). We discuss blogs and yarn and fiber and plenty of other life things, too. I told her I'd pick up something for her from the festival, if she liked, and she sent me on a mission for an exotic fiber. Thankfully, she was pleased with my choice.

Not only do I have a new friend, but I feel that this coincidence underlies my good decision-making in taking this job and coming to this beautiful corner of the world. I hope to have more great acquisitions and opportunities for friendship at next year's festival.

Flocking to the Fiber

2007-09-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Melissa and I headed down to the cute town of Canby, OR for the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. After missing MD Sheep and Wool so narrowly this year, I was glad I could get my cute-barnyard-animals-and-fresh-from-the-producer-yarn fix at some point this year.

The festival was a very manageable size and perfect for a day trip like ours; there were two large buildings filled with vendors and a few additional ones outside. Of course, the glut of yarn choices was a bit overwhelming, but we had plenty of time to shop and take in the sights in the five or so hours we were there.

One of the best parts about an event like this is the chance it gives to socialize with other wool-obsessed crafters. We ran into Valerie and Katrina, who we previously met at a Seattle Ravelry meetup, in the crowded Blue Moon booth. They later generously provided me with some refreshment in the form of kettle corn.

They also informed me that you can buy Sofia Coppola brand Champagne in small pink cans that come with straws. Surprising and important information.
I also said hi to Sarah in the Crown Mountain Farms booth; during a quick jaunt down to Portland the previous week, I'd actually briefly met her at Knit/Purl. Still, exciting to meet the Zimmermania founder!

We spent a good amount of time wandering the barns and seeing all of the precious fiber animals, including sheep, goats, rabbits, llamas, alpacas and even camels and yaks.

Unfortunately, none of my pictures of the bizarre alpaca agility competition came out. We stumbled upon this while grabbing some lunch. This was somewhat similar to dog agility in that the animals' owners led them through a series of obstacles, but it was way slower and had some strange tasks. For instance, the alpacas had to stand with just their front legs in a big bowl of fleece. Does anyone know why they would do this?

To answer the obvious question, I did buy yarn, all unique and beautiful. I'll have to share that another day, however, since some of my purchases have stories to go along with them.

The day was made additionally special because I was able to wear a fresh off the needles knit for all to see.

Delicious Sizzle
Artfibers Galicia, colorway 6
Size 7 needles

When I say fresh off the needles, I mean I knit the last armband and wove in the ends on the car ride down! Despite my last minute rush, I was actually sad to see this project end. I can't say enough good things about this yarn; seriously, it's the best yarn ever. The color is beautiful and given some depth by the differing shades of each of the three strands that compose the yarn. The hand and drape are divine. The wool and mohair give a slight bit of warmth and halo while the silk has a beautiful sheen. The yarn is truly the best of all worlds. I have a good amount left over and will be searching for a beautiful pattern with which to use it.

Wendy's pattern is clear, well-written and produces a beautiful staple garment. On Ravelry, a few people had said that theirs turned out too large. I was between sizes, so I knit the smaller one and put additional increases in for the bust. This strategy helped me achieve a really wonderful fit.

You may notice that I put a small keyhole into the neckband. This was once of those mistakes-becoming-a-design-feature moments. I didn't go deep enough into the neck "v" when I was picking up stitches, so I ended up with a lining that was quite short of an overlap. I decided just to stitch up the top and call it a day. Since I increased the length of the band to make the top a bit more modest, I think the keyhole gives a bit of sexiness to the top. This was a great knit to debut at the fest!

Hopefully, I'll get to return next year for another day of fun, with another great fitting sweater.

Taking in the Surrondings

2007-09-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last few weeks trying to make the most of the beautiful Seattle summer days, hence why I've been so quiet over here on the blog. My parents came to visit me for the first time here in my new home and I managed to show them a pretty good time beyond some of the usual tourist attractions. Since they were here over Labor Day weekend, we decided to spend a day at Bumbershoot, the city's monumental arts and music festival. My dad is into classical music and my mom listens to AM talk radio and occasionally Neil Diamond, so bringing them around to rock shows was definitely a novelty.

I'm proud to say I brought them to their first stadium rock show to see The Shins. My mom got a migraine a few minutes into it and had to leave, but dad said he actually like some of it. The Shins must possess some magic rock power to turn my dad into a fan.

The following day, we decided we wanted to get a different perspective on the city, so we took a Seaplane ride around the city. If you ever have the chance to do this, don't hesitate!

The ride was short but breathtaking. The planes take off from and land in Lake Union in the middle of the city, so instead of feeling like you're flying, it's really like you're taking a special route that no one else knows about that just happens to have great views of the whole area. You can see more of my pictures from both the ride and Bumbershoot here.

I also took my parents down to the International District, where we spent some time in Kinokuniya, the Japanese bookstore. Of course, I had to check out the excellent craft section and I found a wonderful new pattern book. Unfortunately, it's all in Japanese, so I can't even tell you what it's called! I created a set showing all of the patterns, but here are some of my favorites.

Showing my parents around and telling them about my life here really reiterated to me how lucky I feel to be living here and how much I like it. I was filled with so much pride that I had to knit up a grand object to show my love.

I'm representing WA now.
Knitted Washington Square
Lily Sugar'n Creme Yarn
Size 8 Needles

Inspired by Sandra's creation, I knit this up in one day. It's resting here right before I used it to clean up some maple syrup that spilled all over my fridge and kitchen floor. Ah, the useful knitted item.

I'm in the middle of a busy week. I started my new job on Monday (and oh boy, it's a good one) and on Saturday, Melissa and I are heading down to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. Going there will certainly be a great way to cap off a week of big transition. If you're going and you see me, be sure to say hi!

I Block Socks

2007-08-31T14:56:00.000-07:00

I know that most people don't bother to block their socks, but I always wash and block mine after I finish a pair. To me, it's an essential step after completing the actual knitting to make my garments fit well and look finished, and I see no reason why socks should be exempted from this process. If they have a stitch pattern on them, the blocking will help accentuate it and even out the stitches. Wool sock yarn can bloom and soften after a nice wash, which only makes a pair more comfortable.

There's one more important reason: colors can bleed, especially hand-dyed yarns in dark colors.

While I don't have photographic evidence of the actual event, I can show you two photographs that, while they were taken in drastically different lighting situations, give an idea of how colors can fade after a good soak.

Oak Ribbed Socks
From Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Candy
Size 3mm needles

Clearly, the colors are still fairly bright, particularly the orange. The water did turn very black when I washed these, however, and it took several rinsing before the water ran clear. The socks turned the other items I was washing with them to a darker shade. After drying, the socks seem to have a much limper, less sharp quality of color. It may not be visible in this photo, but there are also subtle lines on the sock showing where the dye ran more strongly.

I'm very grateful that I hand washed these and discovered this before throwing them in with a load of laundry! If you don't want to learn this lesson the hard way, you too should block your socks. I'm cheap and don't want to buy sock blockers, so I made mine from wire hangers; here's a tutorial that shows you how to do it. Note that when I folded the foot for mine, I held it up to my actual foot so that it would be about the same length.

Despite this incident, I'm still pleased with these socks, which are the first cotton ones I've made. The pattern works well with the striping of the yarn, although I did have to modify it slightly due to the heavier gauge yarn. The modifications included shortening the heel flap by four rows and changing the toe to a wedge shape, as the rounded toe didn't fit me well. The socks fit pretty well, mostly due to the Elite fiber content. They're comfortable and, even if they aren't as bright as before, they are still fun and totally Project Spectrum-themed.

Nothing like a well-blocked sock to brighten one's day.

Project Spectrum Rocks My Kitchen

2007-08-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to indulge in a little food blogging. Some dishes take so much time and effort that I feel just as proud of them as I am of a well-fitting sweater!

Last week was Cobra's birthday. Since this wasn't a milestone birthday for him like last year was, he specifically requested a low-key celebration. One of the very few things he requested, along with a dinner at Cafe Flora, was a birthday pie.

I'm a pretty inexperienced baker. I was raised to be very conscious of the fat content in food, so we never made pastries requiring whole sticks of butter in my home growing up. All of my experiments in this realm have to be made with my own process of trial and error. Last year, I tried to make him a blueberry pie with a store-bought crust and a "quick" recipe. Not so good. This year, I decided to step it up a notch.

One of my coworkers has a plum tree and brought in a huge bag of the fruit to share with us. I looked online to see what kind of baked goods I could make with this fruit and came across this delicious-sounding recipe. Yes, this would be my inaugural all-from-scratch pie.

As I was putting the ingredients together, I realized that they perfectly fit with the current Project Spectrum triad.

(I saw that I had some other color-appropriate foods around, too.

)

I was most concerned about making the crust because I knew that it could make or break the whole endeavor, and also I don't have a food processor or rolling pin. I enlisted Cobra's help with this step, since he's more detail-oriented in cooking than I am. We soon learned that hands work very well as mixers and wine bottles are sufficient, if not great, rolling pins.

After a few hours, a tempting looking and smelling pie emerged from the oven.

My first pie was a wonderful success! As you can see from the many expressions on Cobra's face, he also felt its deliciousness was worthy of his special day. I can also say that this recipe would be divine with peaches and transcendent with cherries.

Will there be more pie-baking in my future? Definitely! I'm going to whip out another one of these suckers for the Rivet Magazine Country Fair on Sunday (OK, except I'm not going to make the crust for this one myself - too much work). If you can, stop by and try a slice to see if my assessment is correct.

Getting Back on the Horse - the Iron Horse, That Is.

2007-08-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

When I lived in DC, I often enjoyed hoping on my bike to explore the city or get where I needed to go. Since moving to Seattle, however, my bike has mostly sat neglected on our balcony. The terrain here is very hilly and our apartment happens to be perched right at the pinnacle of a somewhat steep grade.

Surprisingly, there are many committed cyclists in the city, including Cobra, who rides once or twice a week with a group of fixed gear devotees. Inspired by his many cycling adventures and my desire to enjoy and explore this beautiful place, I decided to go on a ride this past weekend. To keep myself from being too intimidated or discouraged, I decided to ride on the mostly flat Burke Gilman Trail.

I'm so glad that I got over some of my fear of riding here and finally pushed myself to do it. It was a great way to enjoy the beautiful day and get my body moving. I rode for a while towards the northeast and when I got tired, I gave myself a break with a special reward.

Blackberry bushes grow along both sides of the trail, so I decided to stop and partake of the delicious fruit. If it's wild, it should mean it's organic, right? I was a little worried about accidentally encountering bird poo or huge sacks of spider eggs, but the juicy flavor of the ripe fruit carried all those thoughts away.

Thankfully, there are no blackberry cops around because I would have been caught purple-handed.

I backtracked a bit then decided to take a detour. Melissa has been raving about Trophy Cupcakes in Wallingford since she's started working nearby, so I figured I'd give myself a much richer treat than the blackberry bushes could provide. This involved getting off the trail and riding on some hillier terrain. I had to take my time and stop a few times, but I'm proud to say that I made it.

My hard work before digging into my Red Velvet cupcake made it taste twice as good.

Otherwise, this week has been very tiring for me. I had two job interviews at the beginning of the week, which combined with a day of work at my temp job really exhausted me (I haven't heard back from either place yet, wish me luck!). Thankfully, I have some delicious comfort knitting waiting for me at home.

This is the start of the Sizzle tank top in Artfibers Galicia. My father went to San Francisco for business earlier this year, and I suggested that he stop into the store to see if there was anything I'd like while he was there. In a tremendous act of kindness, he bought me a large cone of this Galicia yarn and two colors of Satori! Needless to say, it was one of the better birthday presents I received this year.

Unequivocally, I can say that this is probably the best yarn that I've ever knit with. The silk creates a multi-shaded sheen while the wool and mohair make it so soft to the touch. The slight difference in the colors of each ply make for a beautifully multi-hued fabric. It drapes superblyand complements the simplicity of the pattern perfectly. If you have a generous father, see if he'll get you some of this yarn to play with, as it's absolutely divine. For that reason, I'm calling this top Delicious Sizzle.

The best kinds of Sizzle result in a delicious finished product, and I hope this holds true for this top.

Out the Door Again

2007-08-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

Just as I was writing about how wonderful it felt to come home, I was getting ready to head right out the door again! My parents decided to have a joint 60th birthday party while my brother and sister-in-law were in the country, so off to Pittsburgh I flew to join in the festivities. This was my first time visiting them and the East coast since coming to Seattle, so it was good to see how much time I could cram in and how my body handled a long weekend trip (not well).

My parent's party was very nice and allowed me to catch up with some of my former neighbors. The highlight was definitely the cupcakes my mom ordered; each cake had a rendition of either my mom's or my dad's face on it make from chocolate and candy. Despite their hilarity, the partraits were actually somewhat accurate. I didn't get a picture on my camera, but I will post one as soon as I get it.

The travel time gave me some good knitting opportunities.

This is a My So-Called Scarf done is Manos Del Uruguay, Bramble colorway. I'm calling it the Wooly Cherries scarf. Lolly gifted me with this yarn for my birthday last year, so I figured it was time to move it out of the stash. The colorway is beautiful and, as I'm sure many other folks who have made this before have noted, the stitch is easy but keeps your interest. I started this scarf in Uganda when I was really feeling like I needed some simple, wooly comfort. I was feeling a little weary of the slow pace and overwhelming nature of the country by that point and just didn't have the patience to work on the other project I had going, which is complicated and on small needles (that I probably won't continue). This scarf really fit the bill for knitting comfort. I actually finished this on the plane home from Pittsburgh and will get a modeled shot soon.

On my last day in the 'Burgh, I was able to attend the Chihuly at Phipps: Gardens & Glass exhibit at Phipps Conservatory. I hadn't been to Phipps in many years, so I enjoyed seeing the remodeled areas of the building and the beautiful flora inside. Of course, seeing Chihuly's organic, alien-looking glass works was a tremendous treat.

The only drawback was that we visited an a nastily hot and humid day, which was only heightened by hanging out in a greenhouse for a few hours. If you want to go, wait until September!

Sadly, going out of town caused me to miss some major summertime events in Seattle. The first was Seafair, which apparently involves boats and getting buzzed by the Blue Angels. While I missed the main events, I was able to see the military ships circling the Seattle harbor on their way into town from the office in which I've been working.

I also missed the Dead Baby Bicycle race (which I was sadder about than Seafair, honestly). Cobra missed the drunken dangerousness that apparently comprises the race, but he did make it to the after party. You can see some folks on tallbikes jousting, pedal-powered ferris wheels and other, blurrier mayhem in his photos.

Seriously, this time I'm really staying here for a while.

Report from the Far Corners of the World

2007-07-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Every immersion in a different culture presents its own challenges and opportunities for laughter. Every return home exposes the cultural values and frameworks that we take for granted as Americans. Never was this more true than with my most recent trip to Israel and Uganda.

In Israel, we saw the depth of faith that people can possess, and how it can be both sustaining to the spirit and a rationalization for dehumanization of others. Bonds of family and friendship were strengthened. Most of all, we ate a lot of really delicious food! My last trip to Israel was just three years ago, so it felt fairly familiar to be there. I knew how to use the money, where to go and what to see. It's a well-developed country and it's always easy to find someone who speaks English. This portion of the trip felt most like a vacation. I also think it's a good experience to feel what it's like to be in the majority every once in a while.

You can see all of my Israel pictures here. Unfortunately, there aren't that many because I dropped my camera our first day there and had to leave it at the repair shop for a week!

This is pretty much the only knitting I finished the whole time: one simple sock.

Uganda is too much to try to express in a few simple sentences. Everything, and I mean everything, in Africa is different, so I could write lengthy posts just about the way it rains, the differences between American and Ugandan English, the roads, the vehicles, the animals, the plants, the look of the land - EVERYTHING. The one small similarity that I could share with many of people we met there was heritage. Indeed, we spent much of our time there with the small Jewish community. You can read about the community and the history of how they became Abayudaya (Jewish) here.

For the most part, I was very overwhelmed the majority of the time I was there and really tried just to take in my surroundings and experiences. Despite this, I was able to make some deep friendships with some of the young people in the community who, despite the varied multitude of struggles they face, are smart, gracious, ambitious and want to contribute positively to their community. They are role models.

One of the things I really had to get used to there was my status as a Muzungu (white person). When we would drive through the villages (on a 250 cc motorcycle loaded with three people with me only wearing a bike helmet for safety), many of the young children would run out to yell "muzungu, how are you?" as we passed. Sometimes, so many kids would do it, we would have a stereo effect; kids would be yelling "muzungu" in front of us, to the sides and from the back. I also think it's a good experience to feel what it's like to be in the minority every once in a while.

You can see all of my Uganda pictures here, but know that they only scratch the outermost surface of my experience there.

Now, I'm back in my new home of Seattle, trying to process my experience and establish myself in the community here. I'm glad to be back here in this wonderful place, and also here in my wonderful virtual community. I started this blog three years ago this month, and have only reaped rewards from it. Thank you for continuing to make me welcome here and to make me happy to come home.

Hey Guys! I'm Over Here! Oops, Gotta Run!

2007-06-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hey, how are ya? It's been a while since you heard from me, I know. I was hoping that my sock pattern would distract you from the fact that I didn't have a real post in a while, but then you guys got all nice and asked me how I'm doing and ruined all my evil plans :)

Well, on March 24th or so, Cobra and I drove our trusty truck, Mr. Satan, out of the streets of DC and onto the road heading west. We stopped in Chicago to stay with my aunt and have some family time for a few days before traversing the remainder of Interstate 90. Our trip was mostly uneventful, apart from encountering some snow in Wyoming and Montana. The trip was quiet, both in terms of external events and our mind frame. We spent many hours in our trusty stead, listening to music, looking out at the vastness of our country, seeing the individual character of the states and environments, and enjoying the simplicity of our togetherness, which we had missed for the previous month. I've actually had very little nostalgia for DC since moving, but frequently find myself thinking back on that driving and wishing we could have driven west for just a little longer. You can see my pictures from that trip here.

We arrived in Seattle, and at first I was REALLY freaked out. In the weeks and months (!) since, I've found myself relaxing and discovering the many treasures this city offers. I've taken a lot of walks and found that just by altering my route by a block or two, I often come upon wonderful discoveries, like shops, parks or public art. Of course, the natural beauty of this area is striking, and every day when I look out at the mountains or catch a glimpse of the water, I hope to myself that I never get used to these sights and can always let their beauty affect me. The city has incredible resources as well, particularly in the arts. There's just a lot of cool stuff, and it's all that I want from a city. The weather hasn't bothered me too much, either, but I haven't been through a winter yet.

Of course, the hard part is not having too many social contacts yet, but I'm working on that. Before I even came out, Melissa and I discovered that we were very close neighbors and decided to meet up. She's become a great friend who's very much on a similar wavelength to me, and has been great in helping me meet other crafters, too.

On a logistical level, I don't have a full time job yet and have been temping, which has actually been pretty fun. Actually, I specifically planned not to get a full-time job quite yet. It wouldn't have worked with my schedule for this summer, since I've scheduled a month long trip to Israel and Uganda. Oh yeah, and I'm leaving on Wednesday. Oh, and I finished a bunch of knitting projects!

Ms. Marigold

Calorimetry

River Rapids Socks

Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern
Click Photos for more Info

Did you catch that distraction move there? Did it work?

Yes, I am actually going away for a month with my aunt. She made me an offer I couldn't resist to take this trip with her to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Israel, then go volunteer in rural Uganda in a community where she's been working for the last few years. So, now I'm trying to pack for that and choose some appropriate knitting projects. I've been so focused on acclimating to my new environment, I've hardly had the mental space to think about and plan for this trip. Now that more of it has fallen into place, I'm getting more excited. I know that when I come back, however, I'm going to desperately need some stability!

So, I will try to put up a post or two while I'm gone but I'm not making any promises. I hope you will stick around to see what I'm up to afterwards; I bet I could write a book on how not to keep a blog audience with all of my running around over the last few years. I very much look forward to reconnecting with all of the wonderful people I've gotten to know these past few years and I hope the feeling is mutual.
Best,
Jenna

Jigsaw Socks Pattern

2007-05-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

These socks are emblematic of how disparate elements and a little bit of synchronicity can combine to create a great project. When my beloved aunt specifically requested a pair of handknit socks as a Hanukkah present last November, I knew that I had to create a unique gift that could convey some of my gratitude for all she has done for me over the years. I had a beautiful skein of handdyed yarn, Tess' Designer Yarns Super Sock and Baby, waiting in my stash in some of her favorite jewel tones.

As for an appropriate stitch pattern, I knew the fun and unique Jigsaw Lace pattern I'd spotted in Barbara Abbey's Complete Book of Knitting would compliment the beauty of the handdyed yarn. When I tried to knit from Abbey's instructions, however, I was completely flummoxed by the instructions and figured that a sock from that pattern would never be.

You can imagine my excitement when shortly after, I was reading Ysolda's blog and saw that she had posted instructions and a chart for the exact pattern I had hoped to use! I would like to thank her for her permission to use the chart and encourage you to look at her beautiful work if you haven't already.

These socks are knit from the top down on two circular needles. The lace pattern looks a little tricksy, but if you can count to 10, you can master it. The pointed toe creates an decorative effect that complements the flowing lines of the patterning. Knit a pair of these socks, and you may be surprised at how the pieces of your life come together!

Size
Women's Small

To Fit Foot Circumference of 8.5 inches (Finished Foot Circumference is 8 inches, unstretched).

Materials
1 Skein Tess' Designer Yarns Super Sock and Baby [80% Superwash Merino 20% Nylon. 100 gm & 450 yd per skein] or similar fingering weight yarn
2 24-inch circular needles size US 1.5/2.5mm or size and needles to match your gauge and sock knitting preference
Stitch Markers
Tapestry Needle

Gauge
7.5 stitches=1 inch

Notes
I have a foot circumference of about 8.75 inches and while I could slip the cuff onto my leg, the foot was way too small. I'm guessing you could make a sock to fit a slightly larger size by knitting with a slightly heavier yarn and appropriate needle. Koigu and Socks that Rock Medium or Heavyweight come to mind. If you try this and it works, let me know!

2x2 Ribbing in the round
Round 1: (k2, p2), repeat to end of round

Jigsaw Lace Pattern

Because this sock is knit in the round, all rows are right side rows. Thus, all rows of the chart will be read from right to left. Ignore the instructions for wrong side rows.

Written Instructions for Jigsaw Lace
Round 1: [ssk, k8, yo] to end of round
Round 2: [ssk, k7, yo,k1] to end of round
Round 3: [ssk, k6, yo,k2] to end of round
Round 4: [ssk, k5, yo,k3] to end of round
Round 5: [ssk, k4, yo,k4] to end of round
Round 6: [ssk, k3, yo,k5] to end of round
Round 7: [ssk, k2, yo,k6] to end of round
Round 8: [ssk, k1, yo,k7] to end of round
Round 9: [ssk, yo, k8] to end of round
Round 10: [yo, k8, k2tog] to end of round
Round 11: [k1, yo, k7, k2tog] to end of round
Round 12: [[k2, yo, k6, k2tog] to end of round
Round 13: [k3, yo, k5, k2tog] to end of round
Round 14: [k4, yo, k4, k2tog] to end of round
Round 15: [k5, yo, k3, k2tog] to end of round
Round 16: [k6, yo, k2, k2tog] to end of round
Round 17: [k7, yo, k1, k2tog] to end of round
Round 18: [k8, yo, k2tog] to end of round

If you've never knit with two circular needles and would like to give it a try, you can find a great tutorial here.

Pattern
Loosely CO 60 sts onto 1 needle. Slip 30 sts onto 2nd needle and join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist. Work 2x2 ribbing for 1 inch.

Begin jigsaw lace. Work rounds 1-18 of pattern 4 times, or until leg is desired length.

Heel Flap
The next section will be knit flat on 30 sts, all on needle 1; the remaining 30 sts will not be knit until the gusset is reached.

Row 1: [Sl1, k1] to end.
Row 2: Sl1, p to end.

Repeat these 2 rows for a total of 30 rows, or until there are 15 chain selvedge sts on the side of heel flap.

Heel Turn
Row 1: k19, ssk, k1, turn
Row 2: sl1, p9, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: sl1, k10, ssk, k1, turn
Row 4: sl1, p11, p2tog, p1, turn

Continue in this manner, working 1 additional st and decreasing across the gap until all sts have been worked. 15? sts remain.

Gusset
With needle 1, k across heel sts, pick up 15 sts along heel flap and 1 st between flap and held sts, pm. Work 20 instep sts, continuing in lace pattern as established. With needle 2, work 10 instep sts in established lace pattern, pm. Pick up 1 st between flap and instep sts, then 15 along heel flap. K7. The round now begins at center heel st; needle 1 has 44 sts, needle 2 has 33 sts.

Next Round: K8, k16tbl, sl marker, work instep sts in lace pattern as established, sl marker, k16tbl, k7.

Next Round: K to 2 sts before marker, k2tog. Work instep sts in pattern, sl marker. SSk, k to end.
Next Round: K all sts to marker, work instep sts in pattern, sl marker, k to end.

Repeat the last two rounds until 60 sts remain; 35 sts on needle 1, 25 sts on needle 2.

Foot
Work in pattern as set, knitting all sts before 1st marker, continuing instep pattern and knitting all sts after 2nd marker. Continue until foot is 2 inches less than desired sock length.

Toe
Round 1: [k7, sl 1, k1, psso, k6] to end.
Rounds 2 and 3: K.
Round 4: [k7, sl 1, k1, psso, k5] to end.
Rounds 5 and 6: K.
Round 7: [k7, sl 1, k1, psso, k4] to end.
Round 8: K.
Round 9: [k7, sl 1, k1, psso, k3] to end.
Round 10: K.
Round 11: [k7, sl 1, k1, psso, k2] to end.
Round 12: K.
Round 13: [k7, sl 1, k1, psso, k1] to end.
Round 14: K.
Round 15: [k7, sl 1, k1, psso] to end.
Round 16: [k6, sl 1, k1, psso] to end.

Continue by decreasing every round, working 1 less st between decreases until 4 sts remain. Break yarn, leaving a 10 inch tail. Thread yarn through tapestry needle, then draw yarn through remaining sts and pull tight. Weave in ends. Repeat for 2nd sock. Block those suckers, because they look like a crumply mess. Wear them with pride!

This is my first foray into real pattern writing, so please feel free to comment or email me regarding any errors or lack of clarity. If you make a pair from this pattern, let me know!

The Happy Recipient

This
work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.

Taking Advantage

2007-03-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

Over the last month, I became increasingly aware that my time here in DC was limited. There are so many wonderful cultural and political resources in this area, many of which I've never been to in my six and a half years of living here, that I knew that I had to take advantage of before I left. The first on my list was the...

AVAM in Baltimore. Lolly had never been there either, so I was able to convince her to come along with me. This museum is unlike any other art museum I've ever been to. It's entirely devoted to artwork from untrained artists. many of whom were mentally ill, had religious visions or just had an innate urge to create. Any crafter can understand this need to see your ideas turn into tangible objects. What may distinguish these artists from others is their intense devotion to seeing their artistic visions realized, despite limitations of time and materials. I wasn't able to take pictures inside but here are some shots from the sculpture garden.

While some of the artwork had a humorous side to it (taxidermied prairie dogs covered in sequins!), much of it was deeply moving in a way I'd never experienced in an art museum. I admired the dedication of the artists, like the one who created a richly detailed model of the Lusitania from 193,000 matchsticks and the anonymous mental patient who whittled a self portrait from a piece of cherry wood before committing suicide two years later. The works at this museum are unconventional and spring from true emotions - I highly recommend a visit.

This week also marked the beginning of the fifth year of the American occupation of Iraq. To commemorate this date and express my continued disdain for this country's policies in Iraq, I joined in the march to the Pentagon last weekend. While participating in this event may have taken me away from some of the packing I needed to do, it was important to me to publicly express my views to our leaders. It won't be so easy for me to to join a political march in the middle of the Nation's Capitol anymore!

Those papers on the ground were tax forms, and they covered the highway in Virginia. I didn't know if it was part of the protest or if someone was really pissed about doing their taxes.

Across the street, you can see some of the counter-protesters who joined us at the Lincoln Memorial that day. While media accounts portrayed them as having a cohesive argument in support of the president, I didn't find them too eloquent when they started yelling gay epithets at the gentleman pictured when he started waving his flag. Nor did I think showing them my tits, as they entreated, would add to the dialogue about the justness of this war.

I've participated in many events and marches over the years, so I'm sad I won't be able to attend these events with too much frequency in the future. Fortunately, it looks like they're pretty good at protesting in Seattle, too.

Of course, the knitting continues despites these diversions. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed my newest handknit in Lolly's post about our trip to the museum.

Lace Rib Cowl from The Purl Bee.
Unknown skein of white 100% Silk
Size 6 Denise Needles

First of all, if you are interested in any fiber arts, you must check out the Purl Bee immediately. I've found so many wonderful ideas and patterns on there in the short time it's been around.

Instead of using the suggested cashmere yarn, I used a skein of white 100% silk that was calling to me from the stash. Hooray for stash busting! Because the yarn was a heavier gauge than suggested, I simply guessed at the cast-on number. Unfortunately, the number I chose, 150, was still a bit too much and the cowl is a bit too big. I like it pinned like this, however, because it makes it look like a cravat.

When I first started knitting this, it was a bit like a battle. The inelasticity of the yarn and the lace pattern did not go together well. My hand would be sore after knitting a few rounds. Finally, my hands loosened and this became much more enjoyable to knit. I finished it with EZ's sewn cast off to ensure proper stretchiness.
It's the perfect spring accessory and adds a touch of class to any outfit!

While I'm fitting in time to see some more friends this week, my time to take advantage of all that's in DC is running short. I'm getting through most of the packing in the next two or three days. Cobra flies back tomorrow, yay! The plan as of right now is that we'll be heading out of town on Thursday morning, have a two day stay with my aunt in Chicago, and arrive in Seattle by early next week. Wow, it still all seems so unreal.

I have no idea what my life is going to be like for the next few weeks, but I'll try to get back here as soon as possible. I'll definitely try to at least post pictures on my Flickr page, so check there to see where I'm at.

I hope you all find renewal and hope in this time of Spring and that your needles keep on clicking!

Project Spectrum Ups and Downs

2007-03-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

First of all, I want to thank everyone who left such wonderful wishes for my move and compliments on my stockings. The positive feedback that I've gotten about the move, particularly from current Seattlites, is so encouraging and really makes me feel like we made the right decision. Not to mention that everyone who's contacted me seeems so nice and has been so willing to provide information. It certainly speaks well of a community when the residents are so giving to newcomers. I've also had an opportunity to check out many new-to-me blogs from first-time commenters, and it feels great to expand my virtual knitting circle.

The latest Seattle news is that Cobra has found us an apartment! It's smaller than our place in DC but it costs way less and, best of all, has a balcony with a view! I'm so excited to sit out there, knit and look at the mountains. You can see a picture from C's camera phone here. He's had a very postive experience at his new job so far and has even gotten to meet his motorcycling hero, Helge Pedersen.

I've had some successes of my own, though they are more of the knitting variety. Back in February, my mom mentioned that she could use some mittens to warm her very cold hands. Her and my dad started a regiment of walking around their neighborhood while he was in cancer treatment, and have stuck with this almost daily exercise, even though my dad is well and could return to his usual running schedule. Her evening walks were becoming more of a chore because she wasn't adequately outfitted for the elements. Knitter daughter to the rescue!

I dug through my stash and found a beautiful, hand dyed ball of Colinette Skye, a sturdy wool yarn that I got at last year's blogger yarn swap. I consulted the work of the high priestess, Knitting Without Tears, and whipped out a pair of 36 Stitch Mittens.

While these were certainly functional and warm, Mom said that she wanted some that were extra warm and extra soft. Plus, I wanted to wanted to give them some Project Spectrum flavor. So, I went back to the stash and found a ball of light blue GGH Kid Mohair I got at the same stash swap.

I picked up stitches from the cast-on edge and knit a lining for the mittens. And, they are perfect. These are the cupcake of the knitting world. They whip up quickly, have infinite potential for individuality and satisfy the craving for a small treat. Knitting the lining was like putting on the essential frosting layer that makes it so much sweeter.

Unfortunately, I haven't had the same good luck with another Project Spectrum knit that I embarked on. You may recall that I started a mohair version of a French Girl Pattern. Well, that project has been completed, in a way...

You may notice that the top looks pretty short in comparions to its width. Well, that's because it is. Even though the pattern indicated that 570 yards would be enough for a top in my size, it fell grossly short. I would like to reuse this yarn, possibly for the layered tube shawl/scarf from Alterknits, but I'm not too thrilled with the idea of trying to rip out double-stranded mohair.

By the way, what's the easiest way to wind a double-stranded yarn back into a single-stranded ball? I've had some trouble trying to do that before.

Despite this set-back, I am knitting on, because life does indeed go on.

First of 2007

2007-02-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

Originally, I had planned this to be a two-part post showing my last FO of 2006 and the first of 2007. That didn't quite happen...
Remember a while back when I started this hat for Cobra?

It's the Fisherman's Rib hat from Knitting with Balls and I was making it with Cherry Tree Hill Possum Worsted. I finished the hat and presented it to the boy. Well, even though he had requested the hat, he went on to not wear it that often and wouldn't let me take a picture of him with it on. Mostly, this is because the yarn shed little possum hairs and he would itch and pull out little bits of fur for hours afterwards. I think he took it with him to Seattle (where he arrived on Saturday night!) and, if he continues not to wear it, I'll give it to charity.

The new year began and I finished my first project. It took quite a few weeks to get some good shots, and I'm excited to finally share them.

My Arch-Shaped Stockings are finished!

Arch-Shaped Stockings from Vogue Knitting Fall 2006
Dale of Norway Tiur Yarn, Black and Fuschia Colorways
Size 1, 2 and 4 needles

Seeing those pictures of the stockings, I feel quite proud of my work. But man oh man, were these ever a struggle. You may recall that I had a significant gauge discrepancy between the first and second socks. I knitted the entirety of the first sock on 4's while I did the leg of the second one on 2's and the foot on 1's! Even with blocking one is still a bit bigger and has slightly larger motifs than the other. Now I can see why Grumperina made fraternal stockings - she didn't have to worry about them exactly matching! The fit of my stocking also isn't wonderful and they tend to fall down, even though I put two rows of elastic into the top.

Ultimately, however, I have to say that I'm glad that I learned to do colorwork well with this project. The elements that made me fall in love with the project in the first place, particularly the arch-shaping, turned out very well. I also had to pay close attention to doing the shaping in accordance with the striping and I'm proud of how I figured out how to do it attractively.

(The size difference isn't as bad as it looks in this picture; one had just fallen down a bit). While they're not perfect, these stockings are really some of the best knitting I've done thus far. I'm proud of the work and thought that went into and the fact that I finished them, even when it took me more than 4 months. I wore them out once and that was sufficiently fulfilling for me. Really, I'd like to find a way to hang them on the wall and show them like the works of art I truly think they are.

Fresh, Hot Yarn for Sale!

2007-02-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Despite some technical difficulties, I have posted some yarn for sale over at Destash. Check it out and help a sister contribute to her moving fund.

P.S. Cobra stayed with my aunt in Chicago last night and should be somewhere in the middle of South Dakota by now. He may go to Mt. Rushmore tomorrow. Isn't that cool?

The Other Washington

2007-02-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

It's finally time to make this official and put it out into the world. I'm pleased to inform you all that at the end of next month, Cobra and I will be moving to Seattle!

This has been in the works for a while; you may remember that Cobra and I went to check it out there last September. There are many reason why we have decided to take this major step, and really it boils down to the fact that we're looking for a better quality of life in many regards. From the way everything has worked out so far, it seems like this is a real possibility.

Cobra is leaving on Wednesday (!) to drive out there with his truck and some of our stuff in a trailer. He's secured a job out there (unlike some of us, ahem) and will be starting at the beginning of March. I'll be staying here in DC, finishing packing and my work, generally wrapping things up. Then, Cobra will fly back at the end of March and we'll rent a moving truck to drive the rest of our stuff over. Yes, I'm going to be a lonely lady for a month back here, but I'm glad that Cobra, who has only ever lived in the DC area, will get some extra time to acclimate.

It seemed like we were waiting for this time for so long and now it's finally here. It's stressful and scary but ultimately, we are both so, so excited. While this choice was not easy to make, we are hopeful that leaving one Washington behind for another will bing us closer to many of the goals we have for our lives, both together and individually.

Jumping Into Project Spectrum

2007-02-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

I have so, so much to show and tell you, so I really need to do some blog catch-up. Of course, Project Spectrum has started in earnest and I'm really enjoying applying the color lens to my daily life. PS gives me a new way to look at my surroundings and try to find new and different details, which is good when you've lived in the same place for a while.

One of my goals for PS is to try to take more pictures (hopefully good ones) of the life around me. I took a few during last week's snow.

It wasn't until I started taking these and exploring the photo pool that I realized how appropriate this month's colors of blue, white and grey are so appropriate for this time of year. In the the deepest part of winter that we're experiencing now, we are surrounded with white snow, grey tree trunks and clear blue skies on brisk days. Using these colors in my crafting helps me see the beauty in this time of year, which I typically loathe.

I got this unlabeled 100% silk yarn at a stash swap last year. I had some plans for it, but it was really calling to me lately and telling me that it wanted to be shown off on its own. With its slight halo and luminescince, I couldn't resist. I started the Lace Rib Cowl from the Purl Bee and I'm about 2.5 inches into it. It took me a while to get used to the inelasticity of the yarn, which was hurting my hands, but I've got it pretty down pat now.

These are some blue sock yarns I've had hanging out in the stash for a while: a gradiated blue from Woolarina and a mixture of white, navy, cobalt and purple from LuLu's yarns (one unfortunate thing that I've discovered this month is that my cameria isn't good at accurately capturing blue and turquoise, so the above colors are not totally accurate). I think the former would be great as some Pomatomus socks and the latter would be lovely as Cat Bordhi's Flow Motion socks from VK Fall 2006. Or perhaps it should be the other way around...I'll have to decide which of these yarns wants to be knit up first.

Of course, I can't forget to do a knitting mitzvah. I reclaimed some chunky yarn from a thrift store sweater last year that's a wool blend in shades of grey, brown and white. I think this would work wonderfully as a Tomten Jacket from Knitting Without Tears (here's an example) and could be sent to the Dulaan project or Afghans for Afghans. It will be a fun way to try out one of EZ's unique garment constructions.

I'm also feeling very compelled to do a garment for myself very soon, so we'll see where that falls within all this planning. Time to get knitting!

Knitters Come Through

2007-02-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, I ended up having a pretty draining day. Cobra randomly showed up at my work late in the afternoon to tell me that he had been run off the road while on his motorcycle that morning (you may recall that we had an unfortunate motorcycle accident together a while back). I wasn't able to concentrate on my work particularly well after seeing him limping and with welts on his forehead from where his helmet hit. We spent most of the evening in the hospital emergency room and, thankfully, all was well. We arrived home late, tired, dazed. I looked in the mailbox and saw that I had an unexpected small package.

The incredibly talented Laura has been making buttons with fabric and embroidery of late. She thought of me while making these pink monkey ones and sent me a surprise package with them inside. I don't know how she knew I would need something to cheer me up that day, but her timing was absolutely perfect. You can get some of your own beautiful handmade buttons by her in her etsy shop.

I was lucky enough to be able to thank her in person for her gift yesturday. Lolly and I made plans to meet up with her at the Super Bowl Sale at Springwater Fiber Arts. Apparantly, all the real action went down at 6:45 AM. We didn't get there until 9:30, when there was only about one bin of yarn left. The only thing I found was some buttons, which actually worked well considering my yarn buying embargo. Well, that is until I wandered over into the non-sale section and saw the new Trekking Pro Natura yarn. I made my purchasing exception with a skein in color 1605, so a charitable donation is imminent.

When we finished with our purchases, we headed out to grab some brunch and have a nice, long sit and stitch. Our time together was so fun, but made all the more poignant by Laura's upcoming relocation. Hopefully, we'll all be able to get together again sooner than later.

Earlier this week, I finished a great project. I'll give you the full low down soon, but until then here's a teaser.

Wherein I Learned First Hand that New York is the City that Never Sleeps

2007-01-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

I've had to spend this whole week recovering from my trip to NYC. Well, not really but I will say that while I did many things on this trip, sleep was not really one.

My trip started last Friday, when I traveled to New Haven, CT to meet my friend Mono. After I arrived, we did a walking tour through the main part of town and passed by the scarily medieval-looking, fenced off Yale campus. For dinner, we had the best pizza I've ever had in my life; the flavors of our veggie toppings were so full and distinct. This pizza alone was worth the trip. The cannoli afterwards wasn't half bad, either. That evening, we headed over to a local art gallery to see an exhibit called "Don't Know Much about History." Definitely a good introduction to a city that I found to be bigger and more economically mixed than I originally expected.

We got up and were out the door by 7AM the next morning. Why would we subject ourselves to such torture on a Saturday? Well, my visit was very well-timed because I was in town the exact morning that a local landmark was going to be destroyed. Here's my footage:

Even though I'd never been to New Haven before, it was great to gather with (and freeze with) the locals. Some dudes even brought some beer to drink...at 7AM. If you ever get the chance to see a building implode, I'd highly recommend it as it's an amazing sight.

What I didn't anticipate (but should have if I really thought it through) was that a haze of debris and soot would sail over to our area just a few short seconds after the building fell.

The joke for the weekend was that whenever one of us coughed, we said something along the lines of "Sorry about that, I just have a little Coliseum stuck in my throat." Yum.

After the momentous implosion, we felt ready to move on to the big city - Brooklyn, here we come to meet up with Mono's sister, S! I was excited to be visiting Brooklyn for the first time, mostly because I suspected I could get kickass bagels there. And indeed, we did fill out bellies with warm carbiness topped with tofu spread soon after we arrived in town. Again, worth the trip (DC really doesn't have any good fresh bagel places).

After refueling, we headed into Manhattan to check out the Guggenheim, the first visit to the museum for all three of us.

I follow in my parents' footsteps by being a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, so of course I have to say that being inside this building is wonderful. Unfortuntely, they were renovating the outside, so we couldn't really see the beehive shape against the other New York buildings. Being inside, however, and finding all the various nooks was fun. The spiraling ramp really gives you the ability to explore many different perspectives. I loved being able to look at a painting, then step towards the barrier (but not too close - I have a little heights thing) and look back into the core of the building and all of the layers of people around me. We saw a wonderful exhibit of Spanish paintings from El Greco to Dali.

Because of my Knit from my Stash resolution, I didn't want to give in to the temptation of going to a yarn store. But, I did think it would be fun to feed one of my other craft stashes: buttons! So we headed down to the fashion district and began our search. I should note here that I totally dorked out when we walked past the Atlas building, where the Project Runway Contestants live. Our first stop was a wonderful bead store called Toho Shoji (apparantly their only location outside of Asia). I picked up this:

This is a real leaf dipped/covered in a metallic silver material. I love how you can see all the veins on the life, and how it's multi-dimensional. I think it will make a great necklace, but the hole is really small and I haven't been able to get a chain through.

Heading up 6th Avenue, our next stop was M&J Trimming. They were closing shortly after we arrive, so we only got to look in the button section. That was enough, though and we all left with little packages filled with buttons to use in our crafts.

We were getting pretty hungry at that point, so we headed over to my favorite vegetarian restaurant in the city, Zen Palate. The food, and we ate enough of it to know, surpassed all of my memories. Sesame medallions, I love you.

For our evening entertainment, we decided to head back to Brooklyn and check out the Trash bar. They were having Rock Star Karaoke that night, which is karaoke with a live band. It sounded pretty rockin', so we decided to check it out.

I ended getting a bit more involved than I originally anticipated. After about two hours of folks singing songs individually in normal karaoke fashion, the whole thing dissolved into a huge group singalong. So we all kept singing, and dancing, and generally rocking out (and for my friends, drinking). Next thing we knew, it was last call at the bar, which is 4AM in NY. Woops. By the time we got home and started chatting like little girls at a slumber party, it was dawn before we got to sleep. Again, totally worth the trip.

Sunday was definitely much more uneventful. We got a late start and grabbed a super cheap brunch at a local luncheonette. We checked out some of the shops on Bedford Ave in Brooklyn, and I found this awesome pin at the Mini Minimarket:

We stopped back at the Bagelsmith for me to grab a hafl dozen to go, then we headed back to the city towards Port Authority so that I could catch a bus home.

My visit was short but packed with so much fun. I'm aching to get back at some point, but I have no idea when that will be. I'm sure the city holds many more suprises and delights for me.

What I've Begun

2007-01-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

I've really been trying for weeks to be able to put together a post about what I've finished, but the proper coordination of daylight, model and photographer has not yet happened. Annoying.
I can, however, show what I've started. I was very excited at the turn of the new year to start some new projects and they're indeed proving to be promising.

This is the Brigitte top from French Girl Designs; soft, feminine and lacey in a doubled strand of Karabella Lace Mohair. I'm a bit farther along now than I was when I took this picture and will be starting the waist shaping soon. This top will certainly be just a wisp of a thing, totally impractical. I hope I'll have some special occasion where I can sport it, however, and feel eminently touchable in the feathery fineness of this yarn. Let's hope I have enough of it!

Although not entirely clear in this picture, this is actually a sock (which I've now finished). When I stayed at my aunt's house for Thanksgiving, she specifically asked for a pair of hand knit socks as her Hanukkah present. I get few requests for hand knits from my family, so I was more than happy to oblige her, especially since she has been my lifelong spoiler. Her trip to Africa for two months has given me the opportunity to turn out a pair and have them waiting for her in time for her return. My progress has been slow, but I still have 3 or 4 more weeks until she comes back.

The stitch pattern I'm using necessitates a good blocking, but you can get a better look at it here. I originally saw this pattern in my copy of Barbara Abbey's Complete Book of Knitting. I fell in love with it immediately and thought it would make a great pair of socks. Unfortunately, when I tried to swatch with the pattern as written in the book, the stitch counts all seemed to be off and I couldn't make heads or tails of how to proceed. I was very disappointed until I stumbled onto this entry over at Ysolda's. With her clear chart, my sock dreams were resurrected. If I write the pattern up on the blog, would you be interested in having it?

I'm using the Tess' Super Sock and Baby that I got at MDS&W, and it is just as wonderful as I've heard it is. The colors aren't totally accurate in this picture, they are so much brighter in real life. The yarn is nice and stretchy but certainly feels like it will be resilient. The only downside is that the color is bleeding onto my hands, a problem I've had with their yarns before. Once these get a good rinse, however, I think it will be worth it.

I've been slowly working on this Lizard Ridge block as well. I just started it on Sunday because, after being inside for most of the day, I craved that beautiful burst of Noro color. This colorway (#90) is delivering with its mix of purples, greens, mauves and blues.

I may have gotten farther on these projects if not for some of the extracurriculars I did over this past long weekend. The most notable was the film screening Cobra and I went to on Sunday night; we went to see the new David Lynch movie Inland Empire at the AFI Silver Theater. I was particularly excited to see that particular showing because David Lynch was there in person to introduce the movie! Sorry, it was late and I forgot my camera. He did so by reciting a poem type thing while he and another fellow played a tune on some keyboards. Frankly, he could have gone up there and done a gymnastics routine, and it would have been an appropriate introduction for this film. I tend to like David Lynch because he puts random, dream (or nightmare)-like sequences in his movies to make them creepy, brutal, dark and burned into the memory. This film, however, had about 40 minutes of narrative, then was mostly composed of thematic yet random sequences. For another two hours and twenty minutes. It was a bit hard to take, but I tried to just let it wash over and roll with the Alice In Wonderland in Hollywood world it was presenting. Not a movie for everyone, but it was an experience to see it and Cobra and I have been talking about it all week. There's certainly fertile ground for debate of what it's actually about. The most notable aspect of this film, however, is that it captures the qualities of a dream more accurately than I've ever seen in any medium. You can hear a radio story about the movie here.

This weekend, I'll be visiting New York for the first time since March, 2001! Well, I had dinner in the city before I flew to Israel in June, 2004 but that doesn't quite count. I'm sure it will be a pretty different experience to be there now, but I'm really excited to return there. Whether I'll stop at any yarn stores is still up for debate; it may depend on where I go with my friends. I'll be sure to give you the full report next week.

Ebb and Flow

2007-01-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

In 2005, I didn't have much expendable income, so knitting-wise, I mostly made due with what I had and bought yarn for specific projects. In 2006, things were a little better, and I had the opportunity to attend multiple fiber and knitting related events, the most orgy-like being MD Sheep and Wool and Stitches East. In 2006, I wanted to buy. I wanted to stash, and my backlog has grown. This is the year I want to whittle it back down.*

In my stash, I have yarn for at least 7 sweaters, 3 tops, 8 pairs of socks, 7 various accessories with patterns in mind, plus lots of random bits and bobs that may or may not have projects assigned to them. Definitely enough to keep me occupied for a while! I'm sure most of you are familiar with the general rules of this project, but I'm going to add a few of my own modifications:

1) I will not buy yarn from January 1st until April 15th.
2) Sock yarn does count.
3)I am allowed to fall off the wagon one time, but only for a really unique yarn or great bargain.
4) A charitable donation must be made if I fall off the wagon.

There will certainly be some upcoming temptations, including the Springwater Superbowl Sale and an upcoming trip to New York, but I hope I can find the will the resist making purchases and use up what I have.

Luckily, I have some fun new skeins to start the project off with, so it shouldn't be too painful.

I was the 1,000th commenter over at Laura's blog, and she sent me this wonderful package as a prize. In the back, you can see a wonderful little handknit purse, complete with lining and zipper. I plan to fill this with lavendar and flax seeds leftover from my eyebag and store it with my sweaters as a sachet. She also included a large measuring tape, a glass model of a Hershey's Kiss, ribbon with knitting hands on it (perfect for a needle case), and, best of all, a skein of laceweight, handdyed by Toni. Laura specially chose this yarn for me as it included all the colors I said I'm liking these days. These are all great treates; thanks so much, Laura!

Clearly, December was my lucky month as I also won a contest over at Chawne's blog.

She sent a sample packet of Soak woolwash, her Moo (how fun would it be for knitbloggers to create and swap these?) and a skein of Yarn Pirate merino/tencel sock yarn in Semi-Precious. I've been secretly coveting this yarn for a while, so I'm very anxious to try it out.

I made one last purchase before the year ended to get me through the long slog (I blame it on Aija, who alerted me to the sale at Yarn4Socks).

1 skein of Noro Kureyon in color 184, meaning I now have yarn for at least 3 more Lizard Ridge Squares.

Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock in Black Purl. I have long coveted this yarn in this colorway, so I couldn't resist when it went on sale. I'm looking forward to knitting with this well-reviewed yarn for the first time.

The stashbusting has already commenced! Long may it live!

*I also have a secret fear that a fire is going to start in my apartment and all my yarn will be destroyed. If I use up my stash, there's less to burn in the fire. Phew!

Out with the Old, In with the New

2006-12-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, Cobra and I are still among the living. We discovered last week that I didn't have food poisoning as I thought I did, but actually a highly contagious stomach flu. A few of my coworkers and their kids caught it, and as I last posted, I passed it on to Cobra just as I began to feel better. It was an ugly sight.
Because we were so ill, we unfortunately missed the big Christmas festivities with his family, which was very sad indeed. Luckily, Cobra's mom is amazing and decided to make a replacement meal for us and some local family and friends last night. We gorged on salad, Tofurkey, green beans, au gratin potatoes, the works. It helped to make up for our total inability to eat the previous week. We got to give and receive out gifts in a lower pressure setting as well.

Two of my good friends from high school are staying with me this weekend, and we're having a great time wandering the city, chatting about everything and anything and just enjoying each other's company. Being with them, and my lovely boy, will really be a positive way to bring in the new year. Although we were slow in figuring out our plans for this evening, I have to say that I'm really looking forward to a New year. For real, because 2006 kinda sucked for me.

At least I did some good knitting, though. You can see most of my completed projects here, minus one item. I was hoping it was going to be minus two items, but it didn't happen. Oh well, I'm still planning to start a few new things for 2007.

Have a wonderful, safe and happy holiday! Look for some pictures of actual knitting in 2007.

I've Got a Belly Full of Something, and It Ain't Holiday Cheer

2006-12-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

Or, How my Holiday Diet Started with a Bang.

After hitting my head on Sunday, the week was starting to get better. I was still feeling a bit dazed and out of it, but things were looking up. I had my performance review at work, and received an overall "exceed expectations" rating with many compliments from my boss. After receiving cards and candy from co-workers, I was starting to get excited for the upcoming holidays, especially since Cobra and I were making good progress in securing gifts. Two of my good friends are coming to stay with us for New Years. Our office Christmas party, a catered brunch, was enjoyable.
Ok, well this was actually a bit of a hitch because of the Secret Santa exchange. I got the name of a fellow that I really know nothing about. Really, the things I know about him are 1) he's from Ethiopia 2) he has the cutest little girl I've ever seen in my life and 3) he tried to impress me with his ability to knit one time on a project that I was working on, and in his masculine braggadocio, he worked a purl stitch and messed up my pattern. So, I asked another coworker what he might like, specifically if chocolate would fit the bill. She said "oh yes, he likes chocolate very much," so I bought him chocolate. After I gave it to him in the exchange, I said "Did you like the chocolate."
"Oh no, I don't like chocolate."
I felt really, really bad. I offered to take it back and get him something else, but he said he would give it all to his wife.
Oh well, I can't do anything about it now, and I got a set of makeup bags for travel, so I'm happy.

Yup, things were getting better.

Then, I got a pretty bad case of food poisoning on Thursday night. I'll spare you the gory details. Word to the wise: avoid Taste of India brand Jodphur Lentils. I did go to the hospital that evening, just to be on the safe side and I'm slowly getting better. Today I was even able to eat a few things, as opposed to just drinking liquids, and it gave me enough strength to knit a few rows. My stomach is still feeling pretty edgy, so I'm still treating it gently.

The saddest part about this is that Christmas is basically a two day feast at Cobra's Mom's and Aunt's house, but I'll probably only be able to pick at a few things. I'll just have to bring home lots of leftovers to have when I feel better.

I'm still determined to have a nice holiday, even if I don't get the full effect. And I'm still hoping to finish my stockings by the end of the year. Must perservere.

Thanks to all of you who check in with me, even on pity party days like today. I wish I could send you all presents and hugs. Lacking that, I hope that you all stay safe, happy, and HEALTHY through the holidays and the new year!

Edited to Add: Just as I'm feeling better, now Cobra is sick! Poor guy. We may be spending Christmas home, by ourselves, sipping warm broth.

Half of Hanukkah

2006-12-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

Tonight is Hanukkah: Night Four and my holiday has been somewhat bumpy. Definitely good, but not entirely smooth.
Over the summer, my bike got stolen (which is a whole sad story about urban youth gone awry). Cobra's brother was very kind and recently found me a great new bike at a thrift store. Cobra, being a certified bike mechanic, laid down some change getting new parts and tires for this bike and got it all ready and ride-able for me. I assumed that this was going to be my Hanukkah present and mentioned this to him last week. He then told me that he was so excited to give me my gift, which is something I really needed, and he wanted to do so for Hanukkah. I, of course, want to maintain his excitement for my holiday, so I agreed to exchange gifts while feeling that deep inner sense of panic when one has only one night to get a gift for one's beloved.

It turned out fine as I was able to score a total deal on this for him along with the car kit. He spoiled me, as usual.

Here is my new watch, draped over my tiny menorah. I love its art deco-style face and, of course, the pink band. This certainly was needed, as I was using a paper clip to hold my old watch face to the band.

Yesterday, Cobra and I decided to try to replicate this excursion and ride our bikes down the Mount Vernon trail to Old Town Alexandria. I was really enjoying my first spin on my new bike, which is lighter, more comfortable and has more precise gearing than my old bike. We stopped at Gravelly Point to watch the planes landing at National Airport.

We rode a bit further when, suddenly, my foot slipped off the pedal and I was headed towards the ground. I'm used to falling off my bike and anticipated having to get up, dust myself off and catch up with Cobra. What I didn't anticipate was the CRACK to the back of my head on the sidewalk.

I have to say that I find it fascinating that even as an adult, my first reaction in that millisecond after I realize "Ouch, this really goddamn hurts" is to stay where I am and start bawling. You know, just like a kid when s/he scrapes her knee. I still don't want to move until I get that wail out and have a comforting presence nearby. Of course, then I get up and move and get really embarrassed that all these people saw me crying like a baby.

So, I hit my head really hard and it really fucking hurt. Many people stopped to offer assistance and one person called an ambulance. I got checked out, I didn't have a concussion and I didn't need to go to the hospital. I sat for a while with an ice pack and it helped. I continued to be in pain, I still have stiffness and pain in my neck, shoulders, back and back of the head, but ibuprofen is helping. Lessons learned 1) no matter how much you love your new boots and how comfortable they are for walking, they are NOT good for biking and 2) I need to get a new helmet to replace the one that was stolen. Yes, this whole thing could have been easily avoided but I decided that I didn't need a helmet to ride on a pedestrian-only trail. Right.

Of course, there can be only one consolation for a knitter after such an ordeal.

After metroing down to Old Town, we stopped in Knit Happens. I got a skein of Kureyon, color 90, for my Lizard Ridge, and Jane Ellison's Naturally Noro. I plan to use the Paintbox yarn I got a while back for one of the sweaters in this book (I'm leaning towards Mavis sans turtleneck, Cobra's voting for Lizzy).

My other great consolation is that today, I was the 1,000th commenter over at Laura's blog and I won a surprise prize! I'm so excited, not only because she sends great packages, but because I've enjoyed reading her hilarious entries and meeting her in person twice. Thanks, Laura!

In current knitting, progress continues on my stocking; I'm done with about half of the decreases on the leg. I've decided to go down another needle size for the foot, so they will at least be the same length. As my travel project, I started a hat for Cobra.

This is the Fisherman's Rib hat from Knitting with Balls. I'm making it in more of the Cherry Tree Hill Possum Yarn, which ironically I picked up from Michael at the last SnB yarn swap. Fisherman's Rib is a new technique to me, and it's so fun! I'm taking my time and enjoying this project because, with temperatures in the high 70's like we had today, he doesn't need it anytime soon. It scares, and yet I still like it.

Enjoy the second half of Hanukkah!

Knock Out Socks

2006-12-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a good sugar high to get one in the mood for some internetin'. When I went to the store today to get some okra for dinner, I thought I'd pick up a box of graham crackers so we could have something sweet but not too unhealthy around the house. Unfortunately, after dinner I remember I have half a bag of chocolate chips laying around, and Cobra magically brings out half a bag of marshmallows from his hiking bag. Next thing you know, I'm toasting the mallows over the burner as fast as I can, and we both end up in a sugary coma on the couch watching "How I Met your Mother." Good thing I went to the dentist on Saturday because my teeth hurt now.

Thanks for your supportive comments on my stockings in the last post. I am persevering with them, but very slowly. I did an initial wet-block of the first one, and will probably take it to the steam when they're both finished so I can attempt to even them out in the end. For now, I have decided to match the leg decreases based on position in the stitch motif, and will go by measurements on the foot. I'm trying to bring the joy back to this project, but I still get a little down-hearted when I see the discrepancy between the two. There's been a lot of dreaming about casting on of items around here lately, but I've resisted thus far.

With the stocking as my at home project, I have managed to finish up a few other items.

Embrace the detailed view of the leg pattern

Acid Socks for Cobra
Cascade Fixation Yarn in an Acid Green color
Size 3 needles
Stitch pattern on leg taken from this pattern(pdf), otherwise a pretty standard top down, heel flap sock

These babies have actually been done since before Thanksgiving, but a certain someone is hard to catch in daylight hours. So hard, in fact, that I actually took these pictures while he was still half-asleep in bed this morning. That's why the angle looks like the wicked witch of the east.

In any case, these were an enjoyable and fairly quick project, considering they were made for size 13 feet. The yarn definitely takes some getting used to and adjustments for consistency. Indeed, I had to restart the socks three times before I got the sizing right. The yarn initially didn't feel as nice as I expected it would- it's less processed, so it has more of that raw cotton feel but it certainly softens with washing. Of yes, and the plying and elasticity make it not ideally suited for many stitch patterns, particularly cables and twists. I had to go through a few options until I found one that fit the yarn.

Cobra is proud of these socks and even shows them off to his customers. The color is exactly what he wanted and he likes how the stretchiness allows him to pull the cuff above his boots. He says, however, that they don't wick moisture away as well as wool. I have no cotton knit socks, so that's a good piece of information to know.

I finished up some others as well.

Moccasin Socks from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac (November Project)
Woolarina Handspun Blue Faced Leicester for the tops and Cherry Tree Hill Possum Worsted (70% Merino, 30% possum) for bottoms
Size 4 needles

I just adore these! They are a perfect vehicle for a wonderfully made and shaded yarn, showing it off to a wonderful effect (thanks to Adrian for the inspiration!). Paula's yarn is soft and a pleasure to work with, addicting to watch the color and texture unfurl. When I initially bought the yarn, I thought it was two colored shades plyed together in a barberpole fashion. As I started to work with it, however, I saw that it's actually 1 green/turquoise ply with a cream-colored ply, which makes the color and texture emerge.

Of course, the genius of the design, which creates a separate bottom that can be ripped and reknitted if it gets worn out, means that I don't have to feel bad about walking on a beautiful handspun. Quite the opposite: the possum yarn is incredibly comfortably and has a wonderfully soft halo. They are warm without being cloying.

I see a color pattern in these socks - perhaps I will leaning towards a new palette in the new year.

Stranded Camera

2006-12-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

You may recall that I finished my first Arch Shaped Stocking about a month and a half ago. What I may not have mentioned before, because it so thoroughly disheartened me, is that I started the second stocking. I was much more comfortable with the stranding technique, which is good but had a bad result. My gauge loosened significantly, and caused some discrepancy between the two socks.

As you can see, I got about five repeats of the pattern in on the first stocking, and only four on the second. I was mired in indecision as to what to do about this problem for a while, so the stockings have just sat in the project basket. This was a pretty crushing blow for me as I loved the project from the moment I set my eyes on the picture of it, and I was so excited for my progress with the technique.

In the meantime, the few other projects I started that should have been easy gave me troubles. My Odessa hat had to be started twice and my Moccasin socks were cast-on and ripped three times. Yes, these relatively easy projects were kicking my ass. The only reason was because, well, the stockings took away my knitting mojo.

Wanting to get this project sorted out, I thought nothing could put the wind back in my sails like a knitalong.

I'd made the decision, with the help of the suggestions of some SnB compatriots, to restart the sock on a smaller needle to adjust for my tension. So, I ripped out the old sock and, to celebrate the kickoff on Friday, I sat down with a size 2 needle, two sizes down from the other, and recommenced.

Tonight, I made enough progress to evaluate my gauge.

Despite my effort, the stocking is again not quite to the right measurement; it's off by about one row per inch, a discrepancy that is visible.

Tonight, I decided to take the blocking route. I washed the first sock tonight and I'm going to do my best over the next few days to stretch and form it to a similar row gauge.

I'm also trying to be realistic and I'm trying to contemplate what I could do with just one beautiful stranded stocking. I don't celebrate Christmas, so it won't be hung by the chimney with care. Any ideas?

If the socks don't work out, I have another project I could potentially work on.

This sweater has a story. One of my coworkers, a therapist, learned to knit twenty or so years ago. She started on this wonderful Lopi sweater and, as you can see, finished the body and started a sleeved. I suspect that she may have stopped at this point because I don't think she had DPNs for the sleeve. In any case, she dug it out of her closet recently and decided that she wants it finished and put to good use. So, she gave it to me! I don't have a timetable for this, not do I know exactly who the recipient will be (although it may be some Mongolians or Afghans). I'm glad I'll get to do the most fun part on the sweater, the yoke, and that I'm re-teaching this coworker how to knit as a thank you.

Send along good vibes for my stockings, I'll need them!

The Comforts of Home

2006-11-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

Tonight when I got home from work, I made myself a cup of tea and turned on my well-loved vinyl copy of Highway 61 Revisited. Cobra came home and we cuddled a bit on the couch and ate some soup for dinner. Ah yes, the comforts of a simple evening at home. I finally feel grounded and mentally together enough to put together a decent blog post (I'm just talking about knitting, you wouldn't think it would be so hard, would you?). A lot has happened in the past week and a half or so, so I'll discuss it in list form with the occasional visual accompaniment.

*I finished an Odessa hat. It took a bit more drama than it should have because my knitting mojo has escaped me, but I'm happy with the finished product. If you want to knit this, be sure to use a stitch marker.

See the top here

*As I mentioned in my last post, Suzanne and I made it up to Politics and Prose to see Michael give his Knitting with Balls presentation, complete with audience friendly body language. Many wonderful DC Snb folks were there. Michael talked about how the book came to be and his design process. Then we got to touch the samples, most of which were made from delicious yarns.

Here he is signing Suzanne's book.

After the event, we all went next door for a celebratory dinner at a new pizza place. My pizza was cold and greasy when it got to me, but I would be willing to give them another shot with a smaller group.

*Cobra had his once monthly Saturday off the next day, so we went to a new thrift store in northern VA, which was one of the largest I've ever been to. Good thing I have had practice in working a thrift store, or else I would have been totally overwhelmed. I got a good score there:

The squirrel picture was only 50 cents! Score! I got another cardigan that still had the tags on, and gave it to my mom as an early Hanukkah present. It was a way better deal than anything I could have gotten at Target.
If you're interested in checking out this store, email me for details (a lady can't give away all her secrets on her blog, ya know).

*I started socks with my Woolarina handspun. Actually, I started it no less than three times but it's cruising now. I loved Adrian's interpretation of EZ's Moccasin Socks, so I'm making my own. This is my first EZ project, and I think the beauty of the yarn will work well with the cleverness of the design.

*On Sunday, Cobra and I took advantage of the warmish day to head over to Great Falls and hike around on the rocks a bit. We'd received a good amount of rain the previous week, so the river was swollen, brown, and swirling strongly over the rocks. Luckily, I know a hunk of a man who can save me if I fall on the rocks.

*On Tuesday, I flew to Chicago to join my aunt and parents for some Thanksgiving-style festivities. Luckily, my godparents, who are British and now live in Israel, were also visiting. They'd never been to Chicago before and encouraged us to do some touristy activities that we've never done before. Like go to the top of the Sears Tower:

I'm crushing your building head, ha! If you want some unobstructed views, look here.

*We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with plenty of veggie options (and desserts). During the rest of the weekend, we went to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, took many nice walks, patronized some local businesses, and ate some of the highest quality food I've ever had. The pace was slow, the conversation was lively and I had a wonderful time. My aunt, who has taken to spoiling me rotten, has requested a pair of socks for Hanukkah. Done and done.

*I returned home safe and sound on Saturday night. For our Sunday activity, Cobra and I strolled around the National Zoo and surrounding areas. Then, the big highlight of the day: we went to see Peaches (and her band Herms) at the 930 Club. This is actually my fifth (!!) time seeing her, and her live band made this her most rocking show to date. I also had fake blood spat on me, which is another indicating of a good show in my mind. You can see my crappy camera pic here.

That brings me to tonight, where I'm pretty tired from being out late at the show last night. I'm off to the couch for more cuddling and some knitting before bed. Hope you all made it through the Monday ok....

Lagging

2006-11-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

I have a pretty silly reason for not posting in a bit. I, as I think we all do, want to show my projects in the best possible light. As it is now dark when I get home from work in the evenings, I haven't been taking pictures - and no one likes posts about knitting without pictures! I've been trying to get up a bit earlier in the mornings to take photos, but me and early are like oil and water. Cobra's no use either, he's usually still sleeping when I leave for work since his work schedule is more non-traditional.

I should have some news to report this weekend. Tonight, I'll be attending an event for Michael's book Knitting with Balls with Suzanne and some of the illustrious DC SnBers. If you're in the area, you should come on by.

I have some finished objects and knitting pathos to show as well.

As a final public service announcement, I'll be getting up early tomorrow (which is a big deal, see the earlier paragraph about me and early) to participate in the Help the Homeless Walkathon. I attended last year; it was a nice event, and a way to provide much needed funds to some great service agencies in the DC area. The big news this year is that Jewel will be there. Woo. You can register online or on-site starting at 7AM tomorrow if you're inclined to join us.

I Was in Stitches at Stitches!

2006-11-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

My first trip to a Stitches Convention generally a success. Yes, I was sad that I missed the boat on registering for classes and I found the fluorescent-lit basement setting of the festival to be somewhat depressing. I questioned the wisdom of holding this convention about 10 miles from the location of one of the most well-known fiber festivals in the country and didn't feel as strong of an urge to spend, spend, spend. I had a lovely time, however, with many great knitters and bloggers, and got some special yarns to add to my collection.

I met up bright and early with my neighbor Suzanne, and we got a ride with Cobra up to Maryland to meet the lovely Lolly. She brought us over to Panera to meet up with some of the Columbia knitting group regulars. I enjoyed their company along with my bagel, tea and shared pecan roll. You can't go to a yarn fest without the proper fuel!

Suz, Lolly and I arrived at the Convention Center ready to roll!

Inside, the space was large, cavernous and filled with an overwhelming number of booths. Luckily, we'd all done some research beforehand to find out some locations we definitely wanted to hit. My first stop: Blue Moon Fiber Arts. There, I was pleased to find a selection of STR and other yarns that didn't seem entirely picked over.

From there, we wandered the hall, looking for specific vendors and also going where tempting fibers lead us. Along the way, I spotted and chatted with other bloggers including Sarah (in her gorgeous new cabled sweater), Paula, Mama E, Saun and Stacey. I also made a point to go see my fellow DC Stitch n Bitcher Michael during his book signing. I picked up his book immediately when I saw it on sale in a local bookstore here and it's really a wonderful addition to any knitter's library. I'm lucky that I got him to sign my copy.

One of the stranger aspects about Stitches is that there were some knitting "celebrities" there that I spotted and got all giddy about. I spoke with the president of Cascade yarns for a few minutes and also spotted Kaffe Fassett and Norah Gaughan. I acted like a stalker fan girl and didn't approach them.

At the end of the afternoon, with aching feet and hips and with minds in full yarn overload, Stacey, Lauren and I rounded out the evening with a delicious meal at One World Cafe in Baltimore. Having some quieter conversations was a nice antidote to the earlier overload.

Alright, enough of the description, what did I get already?

The yarn on the bottom was purchased because it was special and rare. Yes, I was able to score some Socks that Rock (finally)! The left is the mediumweight and the right is the cotton blend Sock Candy.

The upper yarns were purchased because they were unbeatable deals. On the left is a beautiful heathery, soft sport-ish weight wool that was only $7 for 475 yards!! On the right is a beautiful DK Merino/alpaca/silk blend. You can get all the yarn deets by clicking on the photo.

I was able to have some hang time with Lolly at her house, and before I left she was kind enough to gift me with a few items.

That's last year's Holiday VK (which I didn't have) a skein of Mama E's beautiful handpainted yarn. It may be a little hard to distinguish the colors, but it's a beautiful combo of black, teal and lavender. In looking at this hank further, I realized that they are my mom's colors (to the point where I told her on the phone that I had some yarn in colors that I thought were hers and she said "Are they black and teal?"), so I'll make her a scarf with this. The other yarns are still figuring out their fates.

I think after this haul, I need to put the brakes on for yarn buying this year. Don't you think it looks like I have enough?

Why I'm Out of It This Week

2006-11-01T20:46:00.000-08:00

I'm posting even though I don't have pictures or other visual goodies to share right now. Turning the clock back really puts a dent in taking clear, natural light pictures.

Socktoberfest ended with me coming short in my overall goals. Unfortunately, this means that I did not finish my second arch-shaped stocking, although I am very close to turning the heel. I did, however, finish the first sock in the acid green pair for Cobra and I'm making progress in the second sock. Its realtive simplicity has been in particular calling to me this week. Why?

On Monday, I reported to the DC Courthouse for my first ever Jury Duty. I imagined I'd come, knit a bit and read for the day, then go home and resume my normal business. Lo and behold, by the end of the day I'd been placed on a jury of a case and was listening to opening arguments. Just like any juror, I can't speak about the case until it's finished. Even when it is, I don't know if I'll fins it appropriate to speak about on this forum (unless you have a burning curiosity). I personally would rather talk about how I'm burning to cast on for a sweater!

The surprising part about this experience is that is has been really draining to all of my mental and physical energy. This, coupled with the fact that I caught a touch of the bug that Cobra's been fighting for about 3 weeks, means that I'm antsy, anxious and starving when I get home in the evenings but don't feel motivated or have the attention to do much.

I don't even want to knit. That bad.

Hopefully, this will be over by the end of the week and I'll be ready to dive back into the world of fiber at the Stitches market on Saturday. It will be a welcome respite from my swirling mind.

Let me assure you as fully as I can, real life is not like Law and Order!

Are We There Yet?

2006-10-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

I went to a work-related meeting all day Thursday (where Mayor Williams was present for a part of it. He's not only funny looking, but can also be quite funny). This gave me an ample opportunity to make some progress on this sock for Cobra by finishing the leg and turning the heel. Unfortunately, progress on this project is a relative term, as the boy's feet are so darn big. I've made a good start on the foot but still have so far to go. You see how far the tape measure is stretched out there? Well, I have to do another two inches beyond that. That's right, these socks are going to need to go to eleven. Am I there yet?

I got to do some car knitting on the sock yesterday as Cobra and I decided to go out to The Kuntry in Virginia. This was a welcome diversion since Cobra has been really sick for a week and a half, keeping both of us pretty close to home. We had just had our first really chilly night here in DC and figured that, in the higher elevations of the Shenandoah Mountains, the trees would be turning to their glorious autumn shades. Were we ever right!

As much as I love seeing this amazing spectacle of nature, I have a difficult time liking fall because I only associate it with the coming winter. Indeed, darkness is fully set in at 7PM these days and the winds are blowing colder air in each day. The thought of the coming cold makes me sigh extra hard each day.

At least, my knitting will be prepared. I washed some sweaters this past weekend and located all of my handmade socks. I also have a few sweater's worth of yarn in the stash, and these new additions to my wardrobe will certainly help me look forward to the colder seasons.

I also have a little something in mind to cuddle up with when the chilly winds blow...

Remember when I was feeling somewhat unsure about my minisweater made from Kureyon? Before we went on vacation, I decided to rip it out and make a start on a Lizard Ridge afghan. It made great plane knitting, as you only need to occasionally pay attention to the complicated rows. I have enough yarn left for probably 1.5 more blocks. I'm planning for this to be an intermittent project, one for which I'll pick up a few skeins of Kureyon here and there when the yarn bug bites. The growth on this project will largely be dictated by my budget.

Off to continue work on my stockings in the hopes they'll be finished by the end of Socktoberfest. Only a week left!

Socktoberfest Marches On...

2006-10-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

(Pun not intended)

Socktoberfest has passed the halfway mark and, I'm proud to say, so have my Arch-Shaped stockings!

One More View

I've completed the first in the pair, and honestly I must say that I have mixed feelings. On some level, I feel like they're my knitting masterpiece because they've taken so much time and concentration. I felt so proud last week at SnB where I got many compliments for them. On the other hand, I also visually pick out many flaws, some of which I was able to correct as I went along and some I wasn't. I'm hoping a firm blocking will flatten my tension, smooth my stitches and help the stocking take the right shape. Deep down, I know that I'm being critical of my work, but I guess the flaws stick out to me more than the more positive attributes.

One part that even I can say turned out well was the arch shaping. The directions for this in both the published magazine and the corrections are wrong, but luckily I consulted this knowledgeable lady and she pointed me and my stitches in the right direction. This shaping really make the stocking stand out, and I'm sure I'll show more views of it when I complete the pair.

As my portable project, I also cast on a sock for Cobra.

This is Cascade Fixation, which I certainly needed some time to acclimate to. I had to rip out and start over about four times because the sock kept ending up being too big (one of the major advantages to knitting with two circs - you can try on as you go!). Even after I'd achieved the right tension, I wasn't happy with the first pattern I tried with the yarn. The cotton in the yarn gives the stitches a funky, inherent texture which just didn't jive with the two stitch twist. I'm now using this pattern only 56 stitches (for Cobra's big foot!), and the alternating knits and purls show up much better.

I think that one of the better ways one can celebrate this special time of year is by procuring some unique yarn for socks, especially from local artisans. I did just this way back on the first of the month at the Crafty Bastards Craft Festival. This is the only pic I got there, because my camera battery died.

Don't get kicked in the face at the B-boy battle, boyeeee. I met Lolly at the festival and had a great time looking at the creative handmade and refashioned clothing, ogling the sparkly jewelry and cooing over the fun plush animals. Luckily, I found a few really special items to purchase:

On the left, we see the really gorgeous yarns I decided to indulge in. On the left is some handspun from Woolarina that I'd seen over the summer and loved. I didn't buy it then but I figured that the fact that it was still there was a sign that it needed to be mine. I'm 99% sure that I'm going to make some EZ Moccasin socks from this skein, inspired by this lovely pair by Adrian.
The skein on the right with the vibrant, rich colors Studio Sock Superwash Merino sock yarn from Neighborhood Fiber Co. All of the colorways are named after neighborhoods here in DC, so of course I knew the one named Mt. Pleasant, my area of residence, would have to be mine. I procured this at the Stitch DC booth and was told that it's a new venture by some former employees of theirs. If you're in the shop or see any of their skeins on the website, buy some!! It's gorgeous!!

I got some other non-yarn goodies, too including a SOAK starter pack, a cute apple pin from Art School Dropout, and a Soul Kiss lip balm from Biggs and Featherbelle, which makes me feel like I'm wearing vanilla frosting on my lips, yum. I've been going to Crafty Bastards since the first year, and each time it just keeps getting bigger and better. I hope this trend continues.

Cobra and I also made it down to a different kind of fair this past weekend: The Green Festival. I found this event to be both inspiring and overwhelming at the same time. Unfortunately, I did not get to see any of the talks but we did take in many of the booths in the exhibition area. There was a lot to see, including people getting tattooed (with soy ink) at the Dr. Bronner's booth, naturally dyed carpets from Nepal, fairly traded knitted garments, and every type of natural food and drink you can imagine (we particularly liked the Pixie Mate). It was nice to see the huge variety of eco-friendlier products available (although not all were great options, since there was an ethanol booth there), I felt that the festival made it seem like one can be a good environmentalist just by buying the right, expensive, biodegradable products. There wasn't much information on incorporating more ecofriendly practices into our lives or news on current eco issues. Overall, we did have a good time, enjoyed the many free samples and like that they had a free bicycle valet service that allowed us to get in with a discount.

Why can't more places have bike valets?

My Sock History

2006-10-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

What better way to start off Socktoberfest than by looking into my knitting past and answering Lolly's questions about sock history.

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

In January, 2005, I traveled to India for about two months. I spent the entire month of January volunteering in a small, rural town in the north of the country up in the Himalayan foothills and traveled around the north for about three weeks afterwards. Funnily enough, the organization that organized my volunteer stint assigned me to teach advanced knitting skills to young women at a local tailoring school. You can read my "unfinished" blog about my trip here.

Here's one of my classes, filled with the young women who became like "didis" (sisters) to me. Check out that view!

In preparing for the trip, I knew I would have to find creative ways to entertain myself during my month volunteering. First off, the area that I elected to stay in was very rural and remote. My living quarters were a few miles out of the main town, so I wasn't really within walking distance to any outside amusements. I also knew that I was the only (!) volunteer at the location during that time and would only have the staff to interact with socially, so I anticipated having much time to myself. In other words, it would be the perfect setting to tackle a complicated knitting project. I lived in the lower building on the left in this picture. Not much around!

I had seen people at my Stitch n' Bitch knitting socks and was so impressed, mostly because they seemed so involved. Because I'm the type of person who likes to start all endeavors feeling prepared and knowledgeable, I scoured the internet for appropriate patterns and asked staff at various yarn stores for yarn and needle recommendations. I was intimidated by the tiny DPNs, so I wanted combos where I could use slightly larger materials. For my first sock, I decided to use this pattern, which was sized to fit my foot and didn't require any additional math, with some Fortissima Socka Colori and size 2 dpns.

I started my first sock on the flight over and, while I found using the DPNs to be a bit awkward at first, I immediately fell into the rhythm of the creation of the tiny stitches. I was hooked from the start! The weather in that part of India in January was pretty cold, but none of the buildings had any heat, so I spent many chilly evenings working on the sock near the heater or bundled up on some floor pillows. I knitted on through some pretty lonely and emotionally difficult times, and felt much accomplishment when I finished my first pair. The bonus was that I could wear them every night and they would help to keep my from shivering too badly in my unheated room.

As a side note, my students were interested in my socks but they did not have circular or double pointed needles there, so they didn't want any instruction in the technique I was using.

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

I mentioned the pattern, yarn and needles above. The gauge on my socks was a little loose, so the first one was a little baggy; I cast on fewer stitches for the second one. They've held up pretty well! A little bit of piling, but that's to be expected. I still wear them, although with the loose gauge they aren't as comfortable in shoes.

What would you have done differently?

Although they could have been tighter, I think I was too intimidated by the project at the time to, say, try smaller needles or calculations of my own. They were a great learning experience.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

I found the Woolarina merino sportweight I used for these socks (scroll down) to be luscious. I also really enjoyed Koigu and Blue Sky Alpacas Sportweight.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I started on DPNs, but switched to two circulars with those Woolarina socks and haven't looked back since. I find the DPNs to be more fiddly and annoying than they need to be. I made a half-assed, unsuccessful attempted at Magic Loop once and wasn't too into it, maybe I should try again this month.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

I've only done short rows once and really felt like I fumbled through them. As a result, they didn't look too great, so I haven't tried them again. I really like the heel flap, mostly because they seemed so custom engineered to the human foot. I also tried an afterthought heel on my alpaca socks and, while it's a clever technique, I don't anticipate using it again.

How many pairs have you made?

1 for Cobra, 1 for my dad, 7 for me and the first of another pair on the needles.

As an additional aspect, I want to give a little shout out to manufactured socks for a second. No, they are not made with love, nor are they as warm, comfortable or well-fitting as handmade socks. The designs on them in the past bunch of year, however, have become very clever over the last few years. My mother has done her very best to supply me with a shocking number of socks with monkeys worked into them. Plus, a good friend of my just got back from a year in Japan and brought me these awesome socks from the city of Nara, where there are many free- wandering deer.

So, I say that manufactured socks are inferior, yet have their place.

For Socktoberfest, I hope to finish my Arch-Shaped stocking (which may be a challenge, since I just had to rip back a bunch on the first one since it was too big at the arch shaping wasn't right) and hopefully, finish the first of a pair for Cobra. Better get knitting....

Back into the Swing

2006-10-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

We're long back from vacation but it's taken me this long to get my pictures in order to present to you! Truly, we had the most wonderful time in the NW; I really felt so beyond fortunate to be able to see and explore such a strikingly beautiful part of my country. It again reminded what a diversity of scenery, climates and topography we have in America.

Portland and Seattle both endeared themselves to me very strongly. It was almost surreal to walk to the streets and see so many young people around and to see people being creative and having style. The lifestyles in both of these places seemed to be very laid back, comfortable and filled with surprises. It was so fun to say "that's cool, that's cool" as we turned every corner.

I don't have as many pics of Portland because the weather was somewhat rainy when we were there. Seattle was filled with warmth and clear, blue skies. You can see some here.

I'm also happy to report that my dad's surgery went well and, while his healing will not be instant, he is now home. Hooray, cancer free for real!!

I intentionally didn't go into any yarn stores while I was away, although I did get a few thrifted sweaters to play with. I did, however, get some goodies at Crafty Bastards on Sunday. I hope to show you those along with some socktoberfest goodness soon. Glad to be back!

Security Culture

2006-09-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I was able to take the day off from work. I went downtown to get a haircut and decided to take advantage of my time by hanging out at one of the Smithsonian. I had transferred my stocking to my new circular needles they day before and had the project in my bag so I could work on them on the Metro. My salon's new location is directly across the street from the freshly reopened National Portrait Gallery, and having never visited that museum before, I thought I would go there.
When I entered the building, I opened my bag and presented it to the security guards. I'm pretty used to this drill by now; the guards rifle a bit through your bag with a stick before they let you in. The guard is looking, and suddenly stops and says, "Is that a needles?"
"Yes, it's a knitting needle," I say.
"You can't bring that in here."
"You've got to be kidding me, right?" I ask, incredulously.
"No, that's like a weapon. You can't bring it in. You can come in here if you dispose of it."
I was horrified at this suggestion, and their callous attitude towards my hard work on this project. "There's no way I'm throwing away my knitting project," I said, probably with an increasingly shrill tone.
A second guard chimed in. "I'm not saying you need to throw it away, I'm just saying you need to dispose of it." He seemed to be trying to imply that there was some easy solution, like I could just stow my project somewhere.
I was so tempted to go on a tirade about how even though those particular needles were pretty cheap, generally they can cost upwards of $12, how the TSA has explicitly stated that knitting needles are allowed onto airplanes, and the friggin' irony of not being allowed to bring a CRAFT TOOL into an ART MUSEUM.
Instead, I turned around and left in disgust.
The National Gallery took me in with no complaint, and I highly enjoyed seeing the Rousseau exhibit, so take that Portrait Gallery!

Oh well, at least I finished my Alpaca Socks.

Blue Sky Alpacas Sportweight, originally a natural color
Dyed with Grape and Cherry Kool-Aid
Size 2 needles
Worked in Picque Rib stitch from Barbara Abbey's The Complete Book of Knitting (see the stitch described in this entry)

I felt pretty apathetic about these socks towards the end, but let me tell you that there was one heck of a payoff for completing them when I put them on. Wow, that alpaca on your feet is the sock equivalent of a luscious chocolate mousse. I keep slipping them and waiting until I'm totally over heated to take them off. It's worth it though. I can't wait to bring these out on the first chilly autumn day.
Now, why did I start feeling so blah towards these socks in the first place? I think it's because of the heel I chose. I decided to do my first afterthought heel on these socks and I must admit, it is a clever technique. However, I don't think I'll use it again. First off, you don't get that excitement from turning the heel, the feeling that you're moving on to the next stage. I also didn't like it because it's so, well, simple. I like how heel flaps have many different steps and produce a little pouch that just perfectly engineered to fit that complicated geography to the foot. Turning the heel is actually probably my favorite step in sock knitting. I will not go without it again.

Things will probably be pretty quiet around this blog for the next week or so as Cobra and I are going on Vacation!! We are thrilled to be spending a week in Seattle and Portland. After we fly home, we're going to drive up to Pittsburgh to hang with my dad as he has his final surgery commemorating the true end of his treatments. Huzzah!

While I'm away, I'll have some colorful knits to work on.

On the left is a Boobholder I'm working on with 3 skeins of Noro Kureyon (and which I'm really unsure if I have enough yarn to finish and I'm totally tempted to rip out, start some squares for Lizard Ridge and wait until I receive a windfall of cash to buy more Noro to finish the blanket). I also started a charity scarf for Food and Friends made from some Lana Gatto Andalusia I got at the SnB yarn swap. Hopefully, it will be ready to warm someone by the time I get home to DC.

Enjoy those last few days of summer, folks!

The Continuing Story of One Woman's Continuing Love Affair with a Color Combination

2006-09-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, a pattern will jump out at you, sucker punch you in the belly until you gasp for air, and shake you until you gather the materials to make it now, Now, NOW!!! Yes, sometimes love comes the hard, yet undeniably immediate way. Such was the case when I saw these arch-shaped socks in the Vogue Knitting Fall Preview. Head over heels, no pun intended.

While I liked the contrast in the pictured socks, hunter green and white are not colors that really appeal to me. I remembered I had some stashed Dale Tiur in fuschia in my stash, and right away I knew that I had to return to my hardcore color roots. Nothing would suit these stockings, for me, more than the pink and the black.

So last weekend, the lovely Lolly and I convened in her neck of the woods. She took the great pictures of me in my Carla, accompanied me to a delish veggie Indian buffet, and topped it off with a trip to All About Yarn (I might have had a hand in her recent yarn purchase). Back at Lauren's place, we chatted about some of our exciting plans and ideas and watched some good TV; while talking and watching I made a horribly tight, awful looking swatch. Despite it, I cast on with the best of hopes:

The key to my success with these thus far has been finding a yarn hold that works for me. I am a continental knitter through and through, even though I'm right-handed. I attempted to throw and there was just no way it was going to happen for me. In looking through my knitting reference books, I mostly found information, some very insistent, on the necessity of doing two-color knitting with two hands. That is, until I consulted the Big Book of Knitting; Katharina Buss, the author, provided me with an Annie-Modesittt-like moment of knitting validation when she showed that it was possible to do stranded knitting with the left hand and provided a handy diagram. Here's the hold, for all you other continentalists out there:

The black yarn is held normally, wrapped around my pointer finger from front to back, and grasped by the remaining fingers. The fuschia, which is my dominant yarn, is held oppositely; it is wrapped around my finger from back to front. The yarns form a little x in the back.

You'll notice that the sock is on DPNs in this photo. Returning readers may note that I dismissed my double points long ago, and the same is true with these. They started annoying the crap out of me, as if the Fair Isling wasn't challenging enough, so my beloved stocking has been put into time out until my new circulars arrive. Yes, I caved to the Knit Picks evil empire. They're cheap and I blew all my cash on Tiur.

A note to anyone else attempting this pattern: First of all, there are a few major errors in the pattern in the magazine, so replace your magazine version with this one. Secondly, be sure to measure your calves and compare the finished measurements with those of the pattern, as the finished dimensions are made to fit anorexic giants. I had to add about three inches to the circumference and shorten the portion before the shaping about an inch and a half. The pattern is easy to modify, so no excuses!

Baby, You Can Drive my Carla

2006-09-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Despite the pinched expression on my face in this picture, I'm pleased to present a finished Carla!

Carla from the Rowan It's a Tape Thing booklet
Rowan Cotton Tape, Chocolate Brown
Size 11 and 13 Needles

I didn't knit this as quickly as some people, but I was pleased to find this was a fairly quick and satisfying project. Of course, the large needle size and open work pattern helped to make this project grow at a good pace. The pattern was fairly easy, with simple raglan shaping. I did make a few mistakes in the lace pattern, one of which was major enough that I needed to rip back most of the raglan section and restart it, but nothing too traumatic. I shortened the sleeves to a 3/4 length because I didn't have the full amount of yarn required. This worked perfectly; I only have about 20 yards left!

The most challenging aspect of this pattern was the finishing. The seams show through the lace, so need to be fairly neat. I also had trouble figuring out how to do the weaving effect on the sleeves. Being more of a visual learner, the written instructions made no sense to me. After carefully studying this photo, I was able to figure out how to execute this fairly simple modified weaving technique.

I thought this sweater would be appropriate for summer wear, but the cotton does give it a certain amount of weight that would make it more appropriate for fall or spring. The yarn itself is relatively delicate and snaggable, for fortunately the structure of the lace patterning, though delicate-looking, actually gives it some strength.

Carla was my Project Spectrum August project and she will be a great neutral addition to my wardrobe (although I'll have to figure out how to incorporate this brown in with all of my black clothes). For the clean-up month of September, I only have my purple alpaca socks to finish. That is, unless temptation pulls me away....

Ode to Black

2006-08-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

It's the last day not only of this Project Spectrum Neutral month, but the last day of the entire endeavor as well. Apart from knitting my brown Carla, I haven't been particularly active this month. While the thought of neutrals isn't totally exciting to me as a brights lover, PS is supposed to expand how we see these colors in our surroundings, so I thought about the neutrals in my life. I instantly thought of my wardrobe, which is strongly dominated by the darkest color of all...

For as long as I've known her, my mother loved to wear black and white together with a splash of red - perhaps with jewelry or shoes. I've inherited a bit of this sensibility except in my version, I've taken out the white since I constantly spill food on myself and don't want to get messy. I love to pair a bright color with black, the perfect canvass to show off any shade without looking too clown-like.

I love how adding black to other colors often gives an ensemble an edge: a nice black skirt or pant can make any bright tone seem sophisticated. My favorite way of using black, particularly a few years back when I was really into pink, is to wear tough, punky black clothes with soft feminine colors, which sends a message that "I may look sweet, but don't fuck with me because I'm really hard." Maybe that's why black is always such a wardrobe staple for women; we want people to know that we can be nice, but have teeth when we need to.

A few years ago, I think it was uncommon to see black treated equally with other colors in variegated yarns. It seems that now, as more people are dyeing and trying out their own combinations, more colorways including black are available. Some of my most precious knits and yarns use this combination to great effect, including my Basic Cable socks and this skein of Tess' Designer Yarns Superwash Worsted.

Black may be associated with death, gloom and doom in our culture, but I believe that it's a shade that not only has its own levels of hue, depth and beauty, but one that is a perfect friend for any other color. Viva noir!

Full of Surprises

2006-08-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

I think, and I certainly welcome your comments on this, that one of the keys to keeping any long term relationship fun is to maintain a sense of spontaneity. Often, this is how the most fun and best adventures result.

For Cobra's 30th birthday this past week, I decided to keep him on his toes and commemorate the significance of this event by throwing him a surprise party. This was actually a stressful endeavor, as I had to invite guests and keep them quiet, plan a menu and keep my live in boyfriend from overhearing incriminating conversations. I got up early (for me) on Saturday morning and spent the whole day cleaning, shopping and preparing. Seeing his reaction, and the fun he had made it all worth it.

This is Cobra with his badass brother, and special guests (in hand). With lots of grilled veggie dogs, mojitos and motorcycle talk, I put together a pretty rockin' party, if I do say so myself.

Another one of those relationships keys: gratitude. I bet that many women are like me and do lots of small or invisible gestures for our partners as a way to show our love and caring. Simple recognition of these acts is is so satisfying and perhaps one of the most gratifying parts of being with someone. Cobra saw how much work, planning and cleaning had gone into making the party happy, and he showered me with thanks, even into the next day. It made me feel like I got the best birthday gift in the world.

Speaking of gifts, here are some special ones Cobra received. On the left is a Muertos diorama I purchased for him at a Peruvian gallery in Pittsburgh. He is really interested in the Dia de los Muertos customs of Central America and the satirical skeleton imagery of that holiday, so I'm slowly helping him build up a collection of artifacts. On the right is a birthday card from his dad, who at one point was the only Arabic calligrapher in the US (and may still be). This was just a little something he quickly sketched out. Amazing.

As for the other gifts from me, I got him the National Geographic Back Roads Explorer 3D Software and some yarn for a future knitted gift:

That acid green Cascade Fixation, purchased during my trip to Threadbear, is slated to be socks for the boy. That other luscious yarn is the gift I got from my dad during the same visit: a sweater's worth of Knit One Crochet Too Paint Box yarn in the Rose Quartz colorway. I hope my knitting can rise to the challenge of creating something fitting for this gorgeous, self-striping yarn.

The stress of preparing for the party left me with far less knitting time than I expected over the weekend, so the finishing I was hoping to happen, well, didn't.

I have since finished the knitting on all of Carla's pieces since I've taken this photo, so expect a finished sweater this week. I've also progressed on the sock that I restarted after taking out the falling leaves pattern.

I am working these in what Barbara Abbey calls a Pique Rib in her Complete Book of Knitting. The pattern is worked thusly in the round on a multiple of 10 stitches:
Rows 1-3: P3, k1, p3, k3
Row 4: P all sts.

I had hoped to finish the first one over the weekend but instead, it looks like it's going to happen tonight. I'm going to hop to it.

The Olde Farmhouse

2006-08-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

After a few (somewhat stressful) days in Pittsburgh, my family headed out to central Michigan. Although it wasn't the best circumstances, we made the best of it by making the trip into a little vacation. My parents booked us into this charming Bed and Breakfast, the Olde Farmhouse in Marshall, MI. Here, we were surrounded by barns and cornfields and were just a few miles up from the very cute, historical town. I don't know if it was from the change or pace or environment, but staying in this area really was relaxing, and best of all, I think my whole family enjoyed our whole time there.

Quick confession: no one in my family likes cats. It's one of the few commonalities that all of us in our little group share (the others being bad eyesight and a deep hatred of celery). But there were four outside cats at the Farmhouse and I admit, I was somewhat taken with this little guy (who may have been a gal). Aren't those eyes pretty? I did learn, however, that cats are really hard to get posed and photographed.

The respite there was so nice that my aunt proposed having annual family reunions there. I greatly supported that idea as it would give me the chance to continue to see some cousins I don't get together with very often and we can continue to hold yearly croquet tournaments in my grandmother's memorial (no, I didn't win).

When I learned how close we were to Lansing, I made a strong case for making a premiere yarn destination in the Midwest: Threadbear Fiber Arts. My dad had no idea what he was in for when he offered to bring me up there, ha! Frankly, neither did I.

This is the view from the back left of the store looking forwards. Yeah, this is but a small fraction of their stock. Friends, when I walked in there, I really almost plotzed. My head was spinning. My knees were weak. My mouth was dry. I couldn't make see any organizational plan to the yarn and I tried to frantically remember every project I've ever wanted to knit and wanted yarn for. The process of thinking through what I might want took my TWO HOURS. At which point we went for a lunch break, and took a stroll around old town Lansing.

And then RETURNED TO THE STORE.

Which leads me to a great truth: my dad might be the best yarn shopping companion EVER. He brought his laptop into the store and worked diligently while I raced around, fondling and trying to figure out what would make me incomplete if I left the store without it. Then, my dad BOUGHT a sweater's worth of the chosen yarn! Yup, totally the best.

I'll have to show the yarn sometime when I can take pictures in the day, because it is too pretty to attempt to take a flash photo of.

[FYI: If you want to make a Carla like mine and have had trouble finding the discontinued Cotton Tape, call up Threadbear. They had quite a few shades in stock when I was there.]

Another heartwarming family knitting moment occurred when I presented my sister-in-law with the finished Headline News Cap.

Headline News Cabled Newsboy Cap from Stitch n Bitch Nation
Blue Sky Cotton, Colorway 603
Size 8 and 10 1/2 needles

I'm very satisfied with how this turned out and, as far as I could tell, so was my SIL! As a married women, she has chosen to cover her hair in public, so I thought that I could throw some handknit love into the tradition. The cotton yarn made for a nicely textured yet light finished product. Indeed, the SIL said it was so light that she didn't even feel it on her head. I followed the patterns instructions for lengthening the hat a bit so that it could accommodate all of her hair and the sizing ended up being perfect. To stiffen the brim, I rooted around in my parents' basement and found a plastic disposable plate. I cut two layers to size and voila, ended up with a brim that protruded just the right amount.

The best part is that it only took up one of the two skeins I bought, so I have enough left over to make one for myself.

Big plans for this weekend, hopefully including some finishing of projects! Enjoy yours.

Fiber Art?

2006-08-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

I took most of the week off of work to hang with my fam - my bro and sis-in-law are in country, so we've been having copious amounts of family time in Pittsburgh. Yesturday, we went to the Carnegie Museum of Art and spent many hours not only looking through the interesting exhibit on the evolving relationships between humans and animals, but also wondering the permanent collections. It had been many years since I'd really been in that part of the museum, maybe since high school, and I enjoyed getting reacquainted with many of the masterpieces in the collection. This painting immediately caught my eye; it was titled "Coat" (sorry, I didn't note the artist) and the brushstrokes impersonated the look of a woven winter outgarment. There was even a line of buttons down the center of the canvas! Funny how to folks at the museum, a knitting piece would probably be considered "craft" but a painting of knitting would probably be seen as fine art!
Tomorrow, we're heading off to Michigan for the weekend. We're going to spend most of the weekend relaxing at a Bed and Breakfast in Marshall, MI, then on Sunday we'll unveil my grandmother's tombstone (more information on why the tombstone is unveiled after a period of time can be found here). Since we'll be very close to Battle Creek, home of Kellogg's and Post, I can even go to Cereal City USA and get my picture put onto a cereal box! Mostly, though, I'm hoping to enjoy some time with family, do some reading and knitting, and maybe take a dip in the pool.

Knitting-wise, I've had to do a few rip outs of the raglan shaping for the front of Carla, but she is now progressing steadily. I also ripped and restarted my alpaca socks in a fancy ribbing and they are looking very nice. The next step with them with be to estimate when to end the cuff and have enough yarn left to work an afterthough heel. I hope I don't guess incorrectly...
More when I'm back in DC!

Streak Free Shine

2006-07-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

I finished my blue Windex top (aka Orangina), and I think it looks stupendous. The color, sheen and stitch definition of the yarn, SWTC Bamboo, make the lace pattern stand out fabulously. I definitely had moments where I felt that I was slogging through the pattern, as making progress with my size 5 needles (2 sizes up from the recommended size!) was slow. My interest in the project definitely followed a curve pattern: I was very excited when I first started it, lost interest as I got to the middle, then got all excited again when I got to the ribbing. My persistence paid off, especially when I showed the finished product to Cobra and he declared to be one of my best knits to date. I couldn't help but agree.

Overall, I have to say that the yarn made this an enjoyable project. It makes for a comfortable, lightweight summer garment and has a unique, almost waxy hand that will smooth your wooden needles. I would definitely recommend using it, although at a smaller gauge than the suggested one.

I made one small change to my Blue Windex. When I sewed the shoulder seams, I found that the neckline had a weird, rippling effect that particularly looked strange in the back. Instead of sewing straight from the shoulder edge in, I left an inch and a half free on each side, then made the seam. This makes for a cute fluttery sleeve and a better-looking neckline.

Sometimes I'm so excited to finish a project that I gotta dance!

Note: My friend Catherine made it clear to me that she wants to be kept abreast of all of my appearance-related changes, so I would like to note that my hair has been cut somewhat recently in these photos and I got new glasses.

In other news, I've had the enormous pleasure of spending time with some great local bloggers lately, some who I've hung out with extensively and some who are new friends.

Those of you who I met at Sheep and Wool may remember that Suzanne, on the left, is my neighbor (I couldn't shut up about this fact!). Here she is with the ever lovely Lolly, both with beautiful socks in hand. The three of us got together last weekend at new hotspot Busboys and Poets for a multiple course brunch. Although the three of us had never gotten together before, we ended up hanging out and talking for over five hours! It was a great way to spend a relaxing Saturday afternoon and our conversation covered everything from religion and spirituality to travel plans.

If you're a regular reader of Isel's blog (even if you aren't, you should go check out her beautiful Jaywalkers!), you may have seen that I recently won a contest on her blog for a free issue of the Summer 04 IK. I convinced her that it would be cost effective for her to save on postage by meeting up with me for dinner and giving me the mag in person.

(See, Isel? You have nothing to worry about. You look beautiful, even in this crappy cameraphone pix). We talked a lot about some of our frustrations of living in this area, future plans, relationships, knitting patterns, all of those big things. She also tempted me with the thought of her cupcakes...mmm....cupcakes.

This past Saturday, I was also lucky to get together with Michael for a tasty lunch and chat. In addition to discussing the ins and outs of knitwear design, I learned that he's someone who's is really searching to improve himself and be more connected to the world. It was a good reminder that I need to nurture those parts of myself. These encounters all demonstrated how engaging, interesting and creative knitting folk are. I'm so lucky to live in any area where I can be friends with so many talented people who provide enriching friendships.

Speaking of enriching, I've decided to participate in this month's Whiplash challenge (sponsored by whipup).

The theme this month is Wardrobe Surgery. I'm looking to bring out my long-neglected sewing machine and see what I can pull off with some thrift store finds. Hopefully, this experience will help improve my sewing skills, and not end up completely deflating my ego because I can't execute my ideas. We'll see....

Howdy, Strangers

2006-07-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends!

As you may or may not have noticed, I took a little hiatus from blogging. Mostly, this was because I was just feeling, well, bleh mentally and a bit physically. Sometimes, it's hard to work up that motivation to talk about yourself, even if it's your knitting, when you don't feel like yourself, or anyone that great for that matter.

This is all strange because I did have a lot to talk about: the DC Stitch n Bitch yarn swap (all you need to know is that I came home with more yarn, some of it possum blend!), my two year blogiversary that's come and gone, my boiling over frustration with bloglines that resulted in me switching over to Newsgator (so far, VERY good) and some more awesome books that I got at the library (if anything could make me want to dust off my sewing machine, it's this).

Although I've felt bored and uninspired in much of the rest of my life, I've been knitting through it and the process, the knitting goddess, whatever you want to call it, has given back to me.

Here you see Bebe modeling the boobholder I made and restarted to correct, 3 skeins of Noro Kureyon in colorway 100, and 1 skein of baby blue Karabella lace mohair. Originally, with the boobholder (made in my most beloved and recommend Tess Designer Yarns Superwash Merino), I was going to add some stitch pattern to the part below the bust that complemented the garter stitch edging and gave some interest. I was totally sold on any stitch pattern, however, and I'm not thrilled with how the puffy sleeves look. So, this baby's going to the frog pond and will be reincarnated in another, more inspired form, later on.

The Noro will then become a Boobholder, because every gal's got to have one. I got that mohair at the above-mentioned yarn swap, and knew that making some lacey shawl or scarf wouldn't really be my style. Fortunately, right afterwards, I received the latest issue of Bust magazine in the mail, and it's focus this time is on fashion. A photo of the stage costume of one band have planted a design idea in my head that I hope works out!

I'm really excited for these projects and want to start them all right.now but I know they will only turn out well with focus. So, they will wait until the fall. Keeping my mind active with the possibility of creating my own designs has really improved my mood, so I'll be thrilled to share them with the community of readers out there.

In the meantime, I'm continuing to progress with Project Spectrum. Of course, throughout the month, my eyes have been looking for those little touches of purple around me. My landlady planted these beautiful bright violet flowers on the walkway leading down to our apartment.

Most of the tiny buds are now gone.

My knitting has fallen along PS shades as well.

On the left is the Newsboy cap from SnB Nation made in Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton. I've completed all of the knitting and just need to weave in ends and find a piece of plastic to stiffen the brim. This hat is for my sister-in-law, who chooses to cover all of her hair as a married woman, so I added a bit of extra length in the body to accommodate. I'll be sure to get a completed shot, as this hat is way cute! I have enough yarn left to make another, yay!

The sock is from the kool aid-dyed yarn I showed last time, in the pattern of the Falling Leaves socks from Knitty. I changed them to try out an afterthought heel per these directions. I'm actually not wild about how these look, less and less so the more I think about it, so I'm going to rip them out and restart with a ribbed pattern.

While lacking enthusiasm for the socks, I decided to start another project to get me out of the slump. I was hesitant to look ahead to August, but the guru gave me permission...

I started on Carla from the Rowan It's a Tape Thing book. Fun, fun, fun. It'll be worked on during PS Neutrals months - that's the important part, right?

Lastly, I need to give a shout out to some awesome knit bloggers who have sent me some special items.

On the left is Mama E's C*Eye*Ber Fiber Sock yarn that I won as a consolation prize in her yarn naming contest. It is everything a sock yarn should be: soft, squishy, superwash and beautifully dyed! Thank you so much, Mama! The colors remind me of my favorite colors as a little girl and My Little Ponies, so I hope to find a whimsical sock pattern to use it with.

Next to it is a pack of the cutest tissues with monkeys on them. The fabulous Heather sent to me and I'm pleased that she thought of me when she saw them. I hope I get a cold soon so that I can use them (or not).

Next time, a wonderful finished project and some adventures with local bloggers....

Marking the Occasion

2006-07-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Cobra and I had a lovely pajama and cleaning day today. Lots of watching PBS and even scrubbing the bathroom. Overall, very relaxing.

But don't think it was all chill. There are big events going on in DC tonight.

That's right, I'm talking about the celebration of day four of Project Spectrum Purple month!

There was no better way for me to inaugurate the month on Saturday than with a little purple Kool-Aid dyeing. I've actually done this kind of dyeing before at a fun party for it at my friend Eric's house (but I didn't blog about it, woops). During that party, I attempted to do some tonal dying of two skeins of alpaca sportweight I received in trade with Laura. It, uh, didn't turn out super well.

Here, you can see that the color really only came into about half of the skeins and probably would have looked strange knitted up. It was like a lightbulb went off in my brain when I realized that I could overdye the yarn and get the effect I desired!

I mixed about 1 1/2 large packets of purple and some of a pack of tropical punch to add an extra tone to the color. After I got it cooking up, I added extra water, put the yarn in, and added more to cover.

I then took the remainder of the grape packet and sprinkled it randomly over the yarn. This was in hopes of adding some speckles or darker areas of color, increasing the color interest in the yarn. I let the powder sit for a moment, then stirred up the whole rigmarole.

I was half watching some World Cup action and was sad when France beat Brasil.

The yarn simmered, doing its usual amazing feat of soaking up all of the color and leaving clear water behind. It never ceases to amaze me. Since Cobra was working at the time, I pulled out some of the water to show him this amazing trick. I was outside hanging the yarn out to dry when he came home, but he said that the pungent, fake fruit and wet wool smell in the kitchen immediately tipped him off.

After drying, Voila, my finished product! To me, this dye job is the epitome of a Project Spectrum craft because I was trying to being depth, richness and variety of color with the cheapest, simplest medium I could find. As you can see, the tone ranges from dark violet to an almost pink tone and has even maintained a bit of its grey sheen. I'm very pleased with the end result, so I'd mostly say it's a success.

I plan to pick up this yarn later in the month and start some Falling Leaves socks. I also have two other purple projects planned to mark this month: a purple Newsboy Cap from Stitch n Bitch Nation as a gift for my sister-in-law and a wee purple vest for Afghans for Afghans. Of course, I'm now rounding the final stretch on my Blue Windex (on the ribbing, yes!) so that will be finished before I move on to the next.

What's that you say, there's another celebration going on in DC today? An event bigger than Project Spectrum?

I haven't heard a thing about it.

CityShots

2006-07-02T18:07:00.002-07:00

On Wednesday night, I made my first trip to the Eighteenth Street Lounge. A few years back, this was the most talked about night spot in the whole city; not only did it launch the career of DJ duo Thievery Corporation (who own and run the space), but it also created a whole lounge scene throughout the whole city.
Back when I was a senior in high school in Pittsburgh and had just decided to come to college in DC, I read an article about this club in Spin magazine. A few details of that article stick out in my mind, mainly the image of women wearing clothes held together by dental floss shaking their booties in the crowded, darkly and antiquarian-looking space. This image was a marked changed from anything I'd seen in Pittsburgh, an aging city with little for underage kids to do. I remember thinking "wow, I'm going to live in a city that has its own youth culture and scene. I'm going to be a part of it."
Six or seven years later, I finally make it to this fabled place for a friend's 30th birthday/finishing her PhD coursework party. The club still has the elements of the old house it once was, including some steep stairs, a nice fireplace, little nooks and crannies. We headed out to the back deck, which has some vintage light fixtures hanging periodically overhead, just to give the place a touch of class. Despite all of its rumored pretentiousness, it's actually a fairly chill and comfortable place. A reggae band starts to play and everyone who's outside there starts to sway and move unintentionally. I look around and see people dressed casually and people dressed to the nines, of course with fabulous shoes and bags to match. There are folks in tank tops and some in suits. People of all races are there, and it's fun to look at them and speculate if the dark-haired, olive skinned man is the son of the Argentine ambassador, if the blond with the big hoop earrings is some congressman's daughter, if the singer with the dreads is really from Jamaica. We're all young and we're all dancing to the music, all with various levels of alcohol in us (I just had 1 drink, thanks). I got a warm tug in my chest because it felt like my decisions in coming to this city, staying despite many reservations, has been the right choice because I can be young here, I am urban and living the lifestyle I want and I'm smack dab in the middle of one of the most diverse areas in the country. It's truly the kind of life I envisioned for myself back when I was 18 and it's great that it has come true for me. I was a big cheerleader for my city that night.

Then, on Friday, I was walking to the Metro to head uptown for an appointment. I was prepared to walk down the escalator stairs as I usually do when a couple in front of me stood side by side, blocking my way down. I said excuse me to the man with the traditional military crew cut, and he tried to suck himself over to the left side. I squeezed through and tried to say as nicely as possible "people usually stand on the right here." You know, don't get mad, just try to teach the ignorant tourists, who may have never seen a subway system in their lives, how to be considerate of the others in their midst. I did mutter to myself a bit when I realized BAM it is 4th of July weekend here in our nation's capital and we are filled to the brim with folks from all types of bumblefucks and who feel entitled to take over the space as they like and let their kids do the same. My goodwill drained out faster than you can say "please step to the center of the train car." DC, I will love you again in September

I spent most of the weekend hiding out in my apartment and other non-frequented places. Expect to see knitting and other crafty progress from this soon.

Taking a Break from Building My Ark

2006-06-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

We're having some crazy flooding here in DC this week, starting last night after we received about 5 inches of rain. Thankfully, I haven't experienced much of the aftermath firsthand since my commute consists of a fifteen minute walk. Cobra just told me that a creek that's less than mile from my house flooded, causing a major parkway to close down. Traffic this morning was backed up past my place, so I believe it. My disclaimer: if I do have to use my ark, I will only be taking two of the cuddliest, cutest animals aboard. Sorry snakes, spiders, and mosquitoes. Hop on in, Tai Shan.

Why are we having such extreme weather here in DC and all over the country? Cobra and I found out part of the reason why on Saturday night when we saw An Inconvenient Truth. I enjoyed this movie not only because the scientific facts were presented in a very digestible and understandable way, but because the paints were couched in the story of Al Gore's passion for this issue. Rather than being boring or depressing, it made climate change into an engaging story. It inspired me to come right home and turn my A/C up!

I also escaped from the threat of storms on Saturday by getting off my lazy butt and taking a swim at the indoor pool at the local JCC. It was quiet, relaxing yet invigorating. I grew up in South Florida (sucks), so swimming pools were my second home for many years. I hope that once the weather clears up, I take advantage of the free DC public pools and get some more good water time in.

The biggest knitting news is that I finished my Father's Day Socks!

You can see detail of the seed stitch rib right HERE

They only arrived, ya know, a week late. I'm happy to say that my dad really appreciated my workmanship and the subtle shading of the handpainted yarn (although he did make a few cracks first - like "where's my lipstick." I ignored said comment). The next step is to make sure they fit, I'll check that for sure when I visit the family next month.

I also FINALLY finished the first side of Blue Windex and cast on for the second. Here, you can see that Busty Magee modeling it.

I told her it looked kinda slutty when she wears it without a tank underneath but she didn't listen to me. So headstrong. She's also wearing my boobholder, which I'm kinda sorta working on again. I'll talk about that sometime when I'm concentrating on it more.

Although I feel like Windex is taking so long, the positive thing about it is that I've gotten some muscle memory with knitting the pattern that I didn't expect. I always thought that I would have to at least half-consciously say the pattern to myself as I was knitting, but it's truly become second nature. This gives me hope that not only are my skills improving, but that I can move into more complex stitch pattern territory. Rockin'.

In the interest of full disclosure, I also wanted to show some recent stash acquisitions.

Ok, it looks like a lot but much of it was given to me as a gift. That huge ball of purple "yarn" (really, more like roving rope) and six skeins of America's alpacaa Classic Alpaca DK were given to me by an incredibly nice coworker. She was on an alpaca farm while on vacation in Oregon and knew she couldn't leave without getting me some yarn. This is in exchange for giving her some knitting lessons, which I'll do with pleasure! I have a perfect amount of alpaca in just the right gauge to make Ms. Marigold.

The Rowan Cotton Tape and Kidsilk Haze were obtained at a 2nd anniversary sale at Stitch DC. Lolly's gorgeous Carla sweater is so hip and inspiring that I decided to get the Cotton Tape at a closeout discount to...well, you know what they say about imitation. I'll hold off on casting on until August, for a Project Spectrum neutral-colored knit.

The book is Barbara Abbey's Complete Book of Knitting, which was a total score at a local used bookstore. It mostly has instruction but there are two sections that are particularly interesting: a whole part on knitting with ribbon and a fairly comprehensive stitch dictionary. That latter part has got the wheels moving in my head for some cool designs...

I'll hope that I have time to create all the designs I have in my head soon. Until then, I'm goin' back to knitting.

Two Yay for Me Moments!

2006-06-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

In my dad's many work collaborations with Texans, he has picked up a phrase: "It ain't braggin' if ya done it." I got two little moments of recognition that I wanted to share.

The first: My Project Spectrum blue photocollage was featured on DC Blogs daily DC Blogs Noted for being a "clever take" on the city. Cool!

The second: My suggestion for Mama E's July Project Spectrum Yarn is one of the finalists! As of this posting, my suggestion, "Violet Femmes," is in second place by only one vote! If I win, I get a free skein of the yarn! If you read this posting before 9PM and haven't voted yet, be sure to vote for VIOLET FEMMES!!

In knitting, I finished my socks for dad and I'm thisclose to finishing the first side of Blue Windex. I'll show them to you soon.

ETA: I didn't quite win the whole shebang but I'm getting a wonderful consolation prize of Mama E's handdyed sock yarn! Yay!

Looking for the Blues

2006-06-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

As I walked around DC looking through the Project Spectrum lens, I found that I live in a very blue city. This is true in more ways than one, as you can see from the overwhelming results of the 2004 election. Indeed, we know that we're going to have a Democratic mayor in the upcoming election, it's just a matter of which of the twelve or so Democratic candidates will win the primary.

From politics to aesthetics, here's some DC blues.

In other fun, I did these meme that I saw over at Mindy's and had to post the results.

1-Put your music player on shuffle.
2-Press forward for each question.
3-Use the song title as the answer to the question.

How am I feeling today?
Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley

Will I get far in life?
Moving, Supergrass

How do my friends see me?
M.O.R, Blur (In the song, this stands for middle of the road. Do my friends see me as a force of moderation?)

When will I get Married?
Eon, Supergrass (Ha! Yeah, I'm comfortable with that timeline)

What is my best friend's theme song?
The Red Telephone, Love

What is the story of my life?
Last Nite, The Strokes

What was high school like?
Du E For Fin For Mig, Dungen (yes, this was a very confusing time for me)

How am I going to get ahead in life?
No. 13 Baby, the Pixies (no, I will not be having 13 babies and no that will not help me get ahead!!!!)

What is the best thing about me?
Writing to Reach you, Travis (Not true, I am a poor correspondent)

How is today going to be?
Me and a Gun, Tori Amos (It wasn't THAT bad, I hope I can keep my anger in check)

What is in store for this weekend?
Cosmic Dancer, T.Rex (I did go dancing the day after I did this meme)

What song describes my parents?
Tombstone, Peaches (Um, thank God no)

What song describes your grandparents?
Lucky, Radiohead (? Because they're all dead?)

How is my life going?
Margin Walker, Fugazi

What song will they play at my funeral?
Panic, The Smiths

How does the world see me?
Buggin' Out, A Tribe Called Quest

Will I have a happy life?
Meet Ze Monsta, PJ Harvey (I'll take that as a no)

What do my friends really think of me?
Stretch Out and Wait, The Smiths

Do people secretly lust after me?
Jeepster, T.Rex (whaaaat?)

How can I make myself happy?
Rock the House, Gorillaz

What should I do with my life?
Monkey Gone to Heaven, the Pixies (Morbid advice)

Will I ever have children?
The Cage, Travis (That's what having kids will put you in, ha!)

What is some good advice for me?
Why Don't We Do It in the Road? The Beatles (indeed)

What is my signature dancing song?
Here Comes Your Man, the Pixies

What do I think my current theme song is?
Is This It? The Strokes (so, so true)

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
I Wish I Had an Evil Twin, the Magnetic Fields

What type of men/women do you like?
Girl, Tori Amos (should I tell Cobra about this?)

What kind of kisser are you?
What? A Tribe Called Quest

What's your style?
Belle and Sebastian, Belle and Sebastian

What kind of lover are you?
Desculpe, Babe, Os Mutantes (I think this means "forgive me"...yeah, that doesn't sound too good)

What would be playing on a first date?
I'm Tongue-Tied, The Magnetic Fields

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Strange News from Another Star, Blur (I should talk to Heather about how I can hook up with NASA on this one)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Catch-Up

2006-06-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like this blog could be subtitled "summary of my weekends with no mention of the time in between," which I don't necessarily like but, ya know, I work during the week and stuff. Unfortunately this post will perpetuate that aspect but hey, a girl's got to show what she has pictures of, right?
You may have seen over at the aforementioned Lolly's place that we had a lovely time together getting a tasty lunch at Teaism and partaking in the Celebration of Textiles at the Textile Museum a bit back.

One of our commonalities: we cannot pass a doggie by without saying hello.

We got to the museum a bit late in the day so we unfortunately didn't have time to take in the current exhibitions. However, we did spend plenty of time in the tents set up in the back garden taking in and pondering the exhibitions of the different forms of textile craft, including weaving, dyeing, spinning, knitting and Oriental rug restoration. I was most fascinated by the Oriental rugs, as I had no idea that each individual tuft must be handknotted, causing each rug to take months to make. The tiny, precise work amazed me.

This weaving may appear to be a jumble of fibers and colors, but it actually contains a code for those who know how to look for it. A special loom that puts braille text into woven fabric was invented by a woman who works at a school for the blind in Maryland, as she was there explaining how it worked and how to decode the message. I didn't hear the full explanation but learned that this fabric says "Peace." Cool, eh?

Lolly and I made a quick stop Future Green to marvel at all of the eco-friendly home supplies and pick up a few gifts (including one for myself, a lovely set of Peace Fleece needles). That weekend was rounded out by a quick visit to a little health and neighborhood fair at a local park and a Sunday visit to Stitch n Bitch.

Zooming ahead to this past weekend (and ignoring the dinners out with co-workers, Thursday SnB at Caribou Coffee, and Shabbat dinner at Eric's house on Friday night), I got to do some amazing shopping on Saturday morning. It was extra special shopping, because there were about five yard sales going on around my neighborhood. Of course, I totally scored some cheap loot.

A red leather jacket, a pin and an awesome adjustable dressmaker's (or knitter's) dummy, all for $26! I like to call the dummy my twin because it's mostly set to my measurement. I look to throw her in Cobra's face and freak him out. He says I totally have a better rack, though.

I also scored a great deal on a desk, which we spent most of Sunday setting up in our little office. It makes for a nice little workspace from where I'm now blogging. I'll put up some pics of that room and our whole little place when it's a bit more organized.

Of course, knitting has been progressing over at Casa Pink Monkey. Orangina is further along than when you last saw her, although I'm still on the front. I don't know if it's the lace or the needle size or what, but that project is a bit of a knitting black hole.

It looks different from everyone else's because it's made in the SWTC Bamboo yarn. At first I had a bit of a complex about this but now I like it.

My knitting monogamous ways have been challenged lately and my progress on this top was hampered by the fact that I - lo and behold - started another project.

I'm not feeling guilty for starting this because it's really an act of generosity - I'm knitting a pair of socks for my dad for father's day. They're the Thuja socks and they're made with a very subtly shaded color of Artyarns Supermerino. If you're looking for the best sock pattern EVER, I'd recommend this one. It goes so quickly and has some texture to it, but is very simple. It's like you knit thoughtlessly for a while and Woo, you end up with a sock.

Unfortunately, they're not going quite fast enough as I just cast on the second one today, so I think that this gift, like my mother's day one, will be tardy. It's the thought that counts, right? Especially with a handknit, right???

Um, before I quickly go back to knitting on the sock, I'll point your attention to the fact that both of these projects are blue. So, in an announcement that I'm sure will please Lolly to the bottom of her heart, I've decided to join the last 2 1/2 months of Project Spectrum. Hooray for being a joiner!

Banks Where You Can't Make Withdrawals

2006-06-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

The title refers to the pun my father made when he was talking to me about our trip. Although we couldn't make any withdrawals at the Outer Banks, Cobra and I had a really wonderful time there just like last year.

When we first drove down that Saturday night, it seemed like there might be a hitch to the trip. I was hoping we'd be able to stay with a friend who lives along the way that night but I never heard from her, so we just decided to haul all the way down. When we arrived around midnight, we took a few minutes to do Cobra's favorite OBX activity: driving on the beach. It was an amazing moment because the stars were so bright and clear, we could actually see the Milky Way. Plus, there were some bioluminescent creatures in the sand so that everytime we took a step, it glowed. There were just beautiful glowing sparkles all around us. By the time we tore ourselves away from this spectacle, it was way late and, being a huge travel weekend, there was no vacancy at any of the motels or campsites we visited. It became comical after a while, we would pull into a place, see a "no vacancy" sign and turn right around. After seeing that the Cape Hatteras campsite was full along with the 10 other places we looked, we just drove back out onto the beach and luckily, found a group of vans parked out there. We pulled into the middle of the cars, pulled out our blankets, and slept in the bed of the pick-up. Surprisingly, more comfortable than it sounds.
After securing a motel room for the next night, the real fun began. The good part about this trip was that, in addition to the fun on the beach, the weather and the discovery of some new parts of the area got us to do some more varied activities. We played lots of Aerobie Sprint to get ourselves warmed up before going in the water. I read most of this book, and we also took some time to play up on the famous dunes that made the Wright Brothers famous. the two sand pictures above are from there, and here's a shot of the students at the hang gliding school practicing their take offs.

We also spent some time at the attractions on Roanoke Island, which historically was the site of the first English colony in the New World in the late 1500's. We ate dinner, checked out some of the shops and wandered a bit around the waterfront park in Manteo. We also saw the beautiful flora at the Elizabethan Gardens and fauna at the NC Aquarium. Weren't we just the perfect tourists? We even had the perfect tourist fakey we're-having-so-much-fun smiles!

After a relaxing and delicioius stay at the Island House of Wanchese, we felt like we were gone from home for way more than three days. The area has some pretty strong contradictions - people there have money, but there's also a strong shall we say, lacking in class element. It has some really cheesy parts and there are cars all over parts of the beach, but it also has much protected natural beauty. Plus, I will never get over how strange the huge wooden beach "cottages" on stilts look, with strange balconies justting our everywhere and their unpainted wooden shingles. Despite all of this, the area turned me into a beach vacation lover, which I never was before.

Oh yeah, I did a few rows on my Orangina, but didn't make too much progress. I'll hopefully get some pics up this weekend. Have a good one.

Luxurious Lavender-filled Eyebag Pattern

2006-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Having experienced the relaxing qualities of a lavender-filled eye bag in my yoga classes, I decided to test my nascent design skills by making one myself. In addition to being simply constructed and a great introduction to cables, this pattern is also a great excuse to buy or use only one skein of a luxurious yarn; a small skein of handspun would fit this pattern perfectly!

Yarn: 1 ball Karabella Aurora 8 (100% merino wool, 50 g/98 yards) I only used 1/2 - 2/3 of the ball

Needles: size 8. DPNS, 2 circulars or 1 long circular to use for your preferred method of knitting in the round. I recommend 2 circulars because you can use the resting needle as a cable needle.

Notions: Darning needle, cable needle or dpn, non-wool waste yarn, old pair of pantyhose or trouser socks, approximately 1 cup flax seeds or small beans (mung, split peas, etc), approximately 1/4 cup lavender flowers

Gauge: Mine turned out to be 5.5 sts/in, but it isn't very important. Use a needle appropriate for the yarn.

Finished dimensions: Approximately 2.5" by 9"

Instructions:
CO 16 st and work 4 rows in St st, starting with a RS row. Next row: K 16, pick up 4 sts on left side of knitted piece, pu 16 sts on CO edge, pu 4 sts on right side. PM and begin knitting in the round, working 1 row in St st.

Start Cable pattern:

Rows 1-8: *K8, P2, K8, P2, repeat from *

Row 9: *C8B, P2, C8F, P2, repeat from *

Row 10: *K8, P2, K8, P2, repeat from *

C8F = Slip 4 sts. onto a cable needle and hold to front of work. K4, then K the 4 sts. off cable needle.

C8B = Slip 4 sts. onto a cable needle and hold to back of work. K4, then K the 4 sts. off cable needle.

Work Cable Pattern 6 times or until pouch is desired length. Slip next 24 sts onto non-wool waste yarn. Returning to straight knitting, work next 16 sts in St st for 5 rows, then slip those sts onto waste yarn. Cut yarn, leaving about a foot long tail.

Wash and block pouch to desired dimensions. Cut pantyhose or sock to about 3/4" shorter than pouch length. Mix seeds or beans and lavender flowers, and fill pantyhose or sock about three-quarters full. Knot the top securely and carefully stuff sock into knitted pouch. Using yarn tail, put in a few back stitches on right side of knitted piece, graft stitches on waste yarn and put in a few more back stitches on left side.

Lay back, put the bag over your eyes, breath in the fresh scent and push all those thoughts out of your mind. Aaaahhhh.....

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

Mini-Vacay

2006-05-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hooray, Cobra and I are off to the beeeeeeeeeeeeeach. Yes, we're returning to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, the beach area that he introduced me to last year and I absolutely fell in love with. It should be a long weekend filled with lounging, knitting, munching and, of course, driving on the beach. I can only hope that we won't get royally sun burnt as we did last year, although we shouldn't since we won't be driving around in a jeep without a top like before. We'll see. So, when I return, a report and the afore-promised free pattern. Hope your holiday weekend is grand!

When a Pink Monkey Wants to Rock Out...

2006-05-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

...she turns to her pink MP3 player.

As a pretty belated birthday present from my aunt and my parents (and with a contribution from my self, thank you very much) I got this Creative Zen Vision: M MP3 player. If you're considering investing in a player, I would highly recommend this as it has a whole bevy of features, comes in five fun colors and has really wonderful sound quality. It's made me so happy because it means I can drown out the two co-workers I share a tiny office space with and zone out in my own little world filled with wonderful songs all exactly to my taste. I don't know if I would call it Zen but it's definitely an improvement.

Writing about this reminds me that I never really talked about my birthday on here even though it was a HUGE one. Not numberwise, but definitely in terms of scale. I feel totally lame for blogging about this more than a month later, but it's got to get out there sometime, right?

My 24th birthday was on April 13, 2006. Here are the highlights, in bullet list form.

My aunt, with whom I have a wonderful relationship, came to stay with us for five days. She was our first guest in our new little place.
My co-workers totally surprised me by getting me a $30 gift certificate to Stitch DC. I guess the constant reminders about the impending big day worked, hehe. BTW, I still have yet to use the certificate.
After work, my aunt and I went to Stitch DC to hear Ann and Kay talk about their new book. I really enjoyed their talk; like their book, it was empowering to hear about a creative process in relation to knitting, like it's, you know, a real art! Here's proof that I met them!
My aunt, Cobra and I went for a lovely dinner at Vegetate, the only all vegetarian fine dining restaurant in DC. Oh, very upscale, dahlings.
I ended what was more than a year long debacle by getting myself a swift and ballwinder.
On the Saturday after the b-day, I had a party with my good friends at Marrakesh, an authentic Moroccan restaurant here in DC. We had a delicious seven course meal where, as my friend put it, I ate like a whore.

The blog contingency at my party: a corner of Eric's face, Lolly, me and her Kris. While we had loads of fun at the party and all my guests enjoyed themselves, a bit of a shadow was cast over it when the waiter made a HUGE mistake on the bill and made no concession to us as far as trying to correct it. Because of their sketchiness with the money, I can't recommend that anyone go to this restaurant. I'm sorry to say it.
I was made to dance with the belly dancer at the restaurant.
I got some presents.

From left to right, we see a handwoven (!) bookmark made for me by Eric, 2 skeins of Manos del Uruguay in a beautiful variegated shade from Lolly, a pair of earrings from a friend, and a copy of The Knitting Goddess from my friend Susanne - all on top of my signed copy of Mason-Dixon Knitting (which I'd purchased previously). Yay, presents are fun.

So, that was mostly the birthday, it was jam-packed with goodness.

I don't really have a transition right now so I'm going to show you pictures of my knitting.

I started an Orangina in some of the Southwest Trading Company Bamboo I got at the Springwater Superbowl Sale. This is the 3rd or 4th design I tried with this yarn and it finally seems to be the right fit. The lace pattern is fun and VERY addicting. Because of the color, I think a better name for it would be Windex.

I'm also working on this. You may ask yourself, Jenna, what is this weird cabled, thing knit in the round? Well, you'll have to wait until later in the week when I post my first free pattern to find out. I will tell you that it's a belated Mother's day present, which my mom insisted that I send to her even though I told her that I'd dropped out of Mother's Day. Oh, those moms.

Enjoy your knitting all, I'll be cruising on mine.

Gobsmacked

2006-05-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

This little piece of British Slang, as recounted by those lovely Mason-Dixon ladies in their book, is really a perfect description of my feeling towards knitbloggers at this moment. Their kindness and thoughtfulness can really surprise and remind you that there are still some salt of the earth people out there.

I have to give a shout-out to Zarah, who touched me so much with her generosity. You may recall that Cobra and I gave her a ride from DC most of the way up to MDS&W. You may also recall that we got stuck on the Beltway at a total standstill for an hour because of a bomb scare on a tour bus. Literally, the worst traffic situation I've ever been in during 6 years of living in DC. Could have been a hellesque situation but we made good company for each other, it was actually quite pleasant to have some space to chat. As a thank you for that ride, Zarah sent Cobra and I a gift card to the movies! She totally didn't have to but I'm so grateful to her for it. Zarah, you know that you're welcome back in the truck anytime you're back in DC!

Also, way way back, the lovely Claire (who you should go congratulate for just finishing law school) made a blog button for me totally of her own volition. You know, as if working, taking law school finals and preparing for the Bar weren't enough, she just up and decided to make me a button. It's over at the top right if you want to take it (using your own bandwidth, of course). Thank you so much, Claire!

The weather has been gloomy here lately (though not scary like it's been in New England) so Cobra and I have spent lots of time lounging around the ole apartimento. It's been nice, after having visitors and trips and excitement almost every weekend to just chill and do nothing. We're still slowly getting through Six Feet Under (just watched the first two episodes of season 4). Of course, this lounging has let me get lots of knitting time in, so I have many completions to parade in your computer screen.

Neapolitan Socks
Made from Trekking XXL, generously swapped to me by the Lovely Laura
size 1 needles
My basic improvised top down sock pattern with picot hemmed edge.

I actually finished the knitting on these about a month ago but I couldn't sew up the last toe because I lost my Chibi in the move. Stupid move. After some crazy shopping in the suburbs last weekend, I picked up another one and finished these puppies up. I find this colorway to be sort of unappealing, but I like it because of that. Is that weird?
Anyways, I wish that the picot had fallen on a different part of the patterning so you could see it better, but it's a nice top edge - it's a little stiff so it helps keep the socks from falling down.
I made a mistake with the second sock that you can see on the right one in the photo. Somehow, the gusset decrease ended up slanting up instead of down, and cut across my foot. I have no idea why that happened, any elucidation would be helpful.
Oh yeah, non-knitters were so. impressed. to see me making these because they thought it was some elaborate process to make the colors turn out that way. Suckas.

Ballet T-shirt from Loop-d-Loop
Rowan Cotton Rope, Parma colorway
Size 10 (?) needles

I'd originally hoped to have this finished for MDS&W but my knitting was not speedy enough. Not confident the the 28" finished measurement would make it over my girls, I first re-gauged the pattern for my yarn then made it larger. Since this pattern is fairly intuitive, the modifcations were essentially math free and really easy. I used exactly 7 skeins and it's just at the length that I want. Cobra says it looks cute on me but I still haven't decided if it's flattering or fattering. It was fun to make sucha stripped-down, basic garment all in one piece. The Rowan Cotton Rope is a little splitty, but overall an underrated yarn - my guess is because the name has the word "rope" in it, and who wants to knit with that?

Mason-Dixon Dishcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Lily Sugar and Cream yarn
Size 8 needles

I whipped this puppy out muy quickly, and it was a fun little project. My first washcloth! It's cute, colorful and pragmatic! I still have half a skein of yarn left, so another washcloth is certainly in my future. I used this to wipe off the counter tonight, it worked wonderfully and didn't get trashed afterwards like the paper towels I usually use. This one's for you, Earth.

My current projects should take a bit longer so that you'll actually see some progress, not just the finished result. My weekend starts early tomorrow as I get to leave work a few hours early, yes! Unfortunately, part of that time will be used to take a trip to the gyno, boo. I hope that your weekend doesn't involve your knee being pushed up to your ears - unless you want it to!

The Big Haul

2006-05-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

After I'm sure what was much anticipation, I'm proud to present my most wonderful stash acquisitions from MDSW. Voila!

Sigh, I'm so pleased with what I got. The pink is superwash Merino fingering yarn from Three Waters Farm in Aunt Maude's Mauve Colorway. You may recognize this from over at Cara's; she saw mine and made a beeline directly for the booth to get a hank of her own! I also got a bar of this farm's goat's milk soap in the orange clove sent after I saw a recommendation for it over at the Knitter's Review Forum and it smells lovely.

Directly behind that is a skein of Tess' Super Sock yarn in turquoise and purple. I'm excited to try out this yarn as I've heard Lolly give it numerous compliments. I have to say that I'm a big proponent of Tess; I first discovered their yarns when I went on a business trip to Maine. The superwash merino is beautiful and such a great buy - 570 yard of handdyed goodness for $30! Plus, it smells really good and has managed to retain that good smell for almost two years. I used that pink yarn into my boobholder (which I'm now reworking, incidentally) and bought another skein last year for my first, failed Clapotis (I've thought carefully about what to do with this yarn, it will have its day sometime). I made a point of recommending the superwash to just about everyone that I ran into at the festival but didn't get any myself. Why is that? Honestly, the colors of the yarn this year just didn't really appeal to me that much. There didn't seem to be as many variagates as there were last year, more solids in shades I shrugged at. The sock yarn did deliver some fun combinations, at least.

Lastly, behind you see nine skeins of silk/mohair/wool blend from Botanical Shades in Indigo Blue. This company is cool because all of their yarns are greenspun and all of the dyes are from natural materials. This droolworthy haul will become a pretty, feminine sweater.

After buying these, I felt pretty satisfied with my purchases but also like I wanted a little something more. One more beautiful sock yarn, something. Over at Brooks Farm, I considered getting some Kid Mohair but I waffled, walked away, came back and saw the colorway I was interested in was gone.

"The yarn gods are telling me I'm finished. This is meant to be," I said more than once.

Then, we stopped in the Kiparoo Farms booth on our way to the exit. I turned around, my heart pitter -pattered, my stomach dropped and I felt a little faint.

I was in love. So much in love that I ran back to the ATM in the main hall in 5 minutes flat, and just about threw my money at the cashier. All so I could get this:

Dontcha want to see a closeup of the yarn?

Seven skeins of their Midnight Sun in black and turquoise to make the Christiana's Path sweater. The sweater is styled kind of granny-esque in that photo but it's actually very vintagey, almost Victorian - very much like something Stefanie would design. I tried it on and even though the yarn is bulky, it accentuates my, ahem, assets. Mwah, I love it so much I want to kiss it. Also, I love how the label randomly says "skoll!" with an umlaut. This is definitely winter knitting as it's incredibly insulating.

All this buying made me realize I have a good bit of yarn now, so I'm off to knit it up at Stitch n Bitch!

This is the Dawning of the Age of the Sheep and Wool

2006-05-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

The age of the Sheep and Wool! I sang this to Cobra as we were waking up on Saturday morning out of pure excitement. And what an age it was! Last year was somewhat fraught with anxiety for me, both over not having money to make any purchases and over being nervous about meeting other bloggers. This year, I was just able to go with the flow, enjoy making some purchases and hanging out with folks and it really made the weekend turn out perfectly. I also went with a bit of a buying plan so I wasn't just overwhelmed by the pure amount of yarns there.

Unfortunately, the amount of fun I had was inversely proportional to the number of photos I took, so you'll have to take the bit that I've got here.

We started by picking up the lovely Zarah at the local metro station - she was vacationing in DC and, of course, couldn't miss out on this orgy of fiber! We got up to Columbia (after getting stuck in ridiculous Beltway traffic and sitting totally still for an hour) and met up with my girl Lolly. From there, it was a blur of fiber fondling, cash falling out of my wallet, yarn spontaneously jumping into my bag, and entering a bizarre universe where you see people whose faces and/or knitting you recognize and yet you don't really know them.

At the knit blogger meet up, there were So. Many. People. There was a big crew of us who gathered at one side of the lawn, then some folks that there was a whole other group on the other side. So, like 75-100 people all migrated over to join the huge groups of other bloggers on the other side and it was just one huge nest of bloggers. Huge!! I took a panoramic photo, perhaps it will get posted later.

I finally got to meet Susanne, who lives just a few blocks from me in the city. I was so proud to introduce her to others as "my neighbor" and did so about 12 totally dorkish times. She joined us for our yarn finding adventures. I also had the pleasure of meeting two lovely ladies from North Carolina, Karen and Gray la Gran, who would have been fondling to Clapotis with abandon if only I'd worn it (it was too hot for a wool scarf). I also met Amanda and Jane, who were adorable with their blog business cards.

I had a little token of appreciation for Heather since she kindly gave us some high quali-tie boxes for the move. To thank her for the trouble she went to of dropping them off at Cobra's work, I presented her with this pink Buddha candle, pink so it will remind her of me.

She put it into her handknit sock for safe keeping.

After a few more hours of hardcore perusing, Lolly was kind enough to haul me to two more muy fun events; the first was the Knitbloggers Ball, kindly organized by MamaE. There I finally got to eat (I'd had some food earlier in the day but after all that standing and walking and overstimulation, I was tengoing mucho hambre!) and chat with MamaE's red-headed friend who's name I've forgotten(so sorry!), an up and coming knitwear designer named Griffin (blogless?) and the fabulous Jodi. I think that if I had worn my glasses, Jodi and I could have been semi-dopplegangers. We then headed off to a bit of a par-tay held in the ten person uber knitblogger suite including the MD crew and many out of town visitors. Unfortunately, we were too late for the presentation of sex toys but we did get to drink tasty appletinis, knit and chat. Again, I am grateful to Lolly for hauling my ass to the metro station so that I could get home safe and sound. Lolly, Jodi and I were all totally wiped out from the long day but I think we were dreaming happy sheep dreams that night.

I wasn't planning to return to the festival on Sunday but when I told Cobra about the culinary delights to be had there (particularly the kettle corn and eclairs) and about all the animals, he suggested we make a day of it. Of course, I didn't say no. Sunday was more focused on seeing the animals and other non-shopping activities. We got there just in time for the last sheep dog demo.

Aggie is a pooch who is focused on her job.

You could tell that the animals were fairly agitated and freaked out by all the people around but they still charmed me. I could have watched/listened to the sheep baa-ing for hours, they way they stick their tongues out when they do it was very comical to me. It was interesting to touch the fleeces of the different breeds and feel the difference. For Cobra though, the bottom license plate frame made the whole trip worthwhile.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that I'm the younger one in the relationship.

So, if you've managed to read this far, you are probably hoping for a report on the stashing. Well, it will have to wait until tomorrow when I can get some pics in decent lighting. Be on the lookout for them, I got some great stuff...

Blue

2006-04-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

Blue, songs are like tattoos
You know IÂve been to sea betore
Crown and anchor me
Or let me sail away
Hey blue, here is a song for you
Ink on a pin
Underneath the skin
An empty space to fill in

-Joni Mitchell

No better way to attempt to return to semi-regular blogging than with a lovely finished project.
Clapotis
in Novelty Boutone Pure Wool from Handpaintedyarn.com, colorway Pocitos
Size 7 needle

Just as many others have stated, this was a fun knit and the novelty of dropping the stitches never really wore off. Mine's a bit longer than the pattern specifications as I just kept knitting until I thought I'd finish off my three skeins. Unfortunately, I ran out of yarn about 15 rows short of the end because I decided to take a chance of do one more repeat, but you can't really tell that it's not perfectly rectangular unless you look closely.

The yarn wasinitiallyy a bit rough to work with and seemed to carry a good amount of dust in it. The "buttons" in the yarn are caused by one of the three plies being wrapped around the others; this construction would occasionally cause the yarn to split. The beauty of the colors, which shifted from turquoise and ocean blue to lavender and navy, kept me knitting on this to see which would emerge next.

When I finished knitting, I used my Blue as a guinea pig for my delicates cycle in my new in-house washing machine. I was shocked at how much it softened with washing, it is now luxurious and has a beautiful halo.

We're having some sunny yet windy/chilly days here in the DC area, so I think I'll get a few wears out of this scarf before I have to put it away until the fall.

Like the song Blue, I'm definitely reflecting on the consequences of my choices and, unlike Joni, I'm feeling good about mine. We're about 2/3 settled in the new place and it's looking pretty good. My parents came to visit this past weekend and, in addition to bringing fun goodies like a powerful new vacuum and hand mixer, they helped us hang pictures and make the place look a bit more homey (hopefully not homely, ha!). My blue represents comfort and contentment.

Blue, here is a shell for you
Inside youÂll hear a sigh
A foggy lullaby
There is your song from me

(Quick story about this photo shoot: Cobra and I decided to take a bike ride to enjoy the lovely Sunday afternoon. Cobra is a very accomplished bicycle rider, having competed in trials competitions and other races back in the day. He can do bunny hops, wheelies and other tricks with the greatest of ease. We were stopped at a stoplight and he was jumping around on one wheel and doing some crazy trick. A Latin gentlemen was walking down the street and started yelling something at us. I couldn't understand what he was saying but I did see him making a grabbing and lifting gesture. I thought he was telling me to lift up my shirt! I was so horrified, I turned around and shouted, "Hey man, fuck you!" Cobra started laughing hysterically; "He was telling you to do a trick, he wanted you to wheelie, too!" Guys, I still feel so bad about this!!)

Moving Week

2006-04-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by crap
from whence did I acquire?
Knitting time is null

(I don't think haikus usually have titles, do they?)

Tai Shan and the Horrible Debacle of the Couch

2006-03-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

A few months back, Cobra's aunt got a new couch for her living room and moved the old one down to her basement, telling Cobra that she was saving it for him. As we prepared for the move in, we thought that it would be good to take it as the cushions on my couch had a propensity for drooping to the point of implosion. Yes, it would be nice to start our new adult living situation together with a new, adult-style couch (as you can see, it's got a bit of a LOUD pattern but who says that doesn't suit us?)

In an effort to take one trip off the list for moving day, we decided to go pick up the new couch in Northern Virginia and load it into Cobra's truck on Sunday. It turned out that my good friend was also having a birthday dinner that night at a nearby restaurant, so we strapped the couch into the bed of the truck and headed off for a yummy Chinese meal. I had a bit of internal hesistation about leaving it outside unguarded but I thought it was my cynical side coming through and that the sofa would be fine.

We ate dinner and stopped afterwards to get gas. As I was sitting in the passenger side, waiting for Cobra to fill up, he suddenly tried to roll down my window and open my door very impatiently. "What is it?" I said.

"Someone fucking PUKED on our couch!"

I turned around and there was indeed a white puddle of puke on part of the couch's skirt and even more so in a significant part of the truck bed! Luckily for you, I'm not a bad (good?) enough blogger to take a picture of it to show to you. We weren't near any bars or anything, it's not like someone could have just stumbled over and WOOPS, I just spewed on your expensive piece of furniture. This had to have been intentional.

We.were.so.horrified. Cobra kept saying how once again, people just prove themselves to be really shitty at heart. The crazy part is that we were parked in a strip mall in a pretty rich part of the area, so you know it was just some stupid fucking overprivileged teenager who has so much access to money he doesn't know what to do, so he goes around huffing paint fumes and PUKING ON FURNITURE THAT PEOPLE LEAVE IN THEIR CARS IN PARKING LOTS.

So, we angled the couch off the back of the truckbed and grabbed the garden hose that was luckily right near by at the gas station. We hosed the vomity area and luckily, the fabric appeared to be scotchguarded and all of the offending materials pretty much came right off. We later sprayed it with fabric cleaner and it think it's mostly back to normal. Some people, really...

The kicker is that we were trying to do a bit of a switcheroo to smooth the moving process: we took my old couch out of my apartment and brought it over to my friend Eric's house (Eric is such a fiber addict that he spins while sitting on the fountain in the middle of Dupont Circle. Ballsy, yes?). We then tried to move the new couch in to its temporary home in my apartment then will move it to the new place with the rest of the things next week. Tried being the operative word as it was too damn big to fit through the door of my new place. After trying many strategies to move it in, we just decided to let it hang out in the hall until moving day comes and it will surely fit into the new apartment. I just hope no one decides to pee on it in the meantime.

In happier news, during my lunch break on Tuesday, a few coworkers and I went to see Tai Shan, the baby panda at the National Zoo. All three of the pandas, baby, mom and dad, were passed the fuck out for pretty much the whole time we were there. They must have just been on a bamboo binge or something.

This is the only picture I got of the little guy before my camera batteries died. He pretty much didn't move from this precarious spot except when we rubbed his face a bit later on when it started snowing a few minutes (yes, I said snow, I know I was all ecstatic about the flip flop weather a few weeks ago. The spring is just a little slow this year). He moved his little paw up to cover his nose and keep it from being too cold. It was pretty cute but we were a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see them being particularly active.

I wore my Northern Lights socks to the zoo.

Northen Lights Socks
Made from this Basic Cable Sock Pattern over at Brainylady's
made from Woolarina Merino Sportweight
Size 2 needles

These socks are nothing short of a treat for my feet. The bright colors stand out against the black background of the fabric and really pop, hence the Northern Lights name. The yarn is simply luscious and is holding up pretty well from the wear on my feet. Support your local dyers and spinners by buying some!

These socks were also my first on 2 circs and they secured my love for this technique. I'm not sure if it's actually faster than DPNs but it feels that way because you have to fiddle with the needles and yarn less. It makes for a smooth transition. Plus, it was particularly handy for this pattern because the danglind needle ends were particularly useful as cable needles. Overall, this is probably my favorite pair of socks yet. Fun and entertaining to make with a beautiful result.

As I alluded earlier, moving day is Tuesday. I think we should be getting some faster internet in right away but we'll see and I may be, you know, a little busy. Anyone want to help life a box or two?

Birthday Month

2006-03-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

Monday marked the one month countdown to my birthday and I already know that it's shaping up to be a good one. I love having a spring birthday and having all of the new blooms and rejuvenation around me; it always makes me feel like the coming year will bring good things. This year I already know that I will be settling into my lovely new apartment with my love monkey, my aunt will be visiting and I'll be celebrating Passover (although not really celebrating because that would mean that I couldn't eat birthday cake. Yeah, I'm observant like that).

Many other bloggers have had contests to give away yarn and other fun prizes to countdown the weeks until their birthdays. Their generosity was certainly inspiring but I was struck by a different kind of giving. A few weeks ago, I cruised over to the afghans for Afghans website and saw the announcement that they are in desperate need of baby items for Afghani midwives. Wanting to stay true to my goal of having a giving project on the needles at all times and overwhelmed by the new stash I've gotten over the past few months, I thought I'd pitch in. I've decided to knit at least five items for this project before my birthday on April 13th. This may not seem like a lot but I'm not sure how much knitting time I'm going to have with a darn move stuck in the middle of it. I'm making decent progress already, with one hat finished.

I made this with the scraps from my Cutaway cardigan and Northern Lights socks. It's cute, but is it morbid to make a baby item with black? I mean, it's not the main color so it should be ok, right?

Speaking of finishing...

I finished my Hot Lava Cardigan a while back!
Clickez ici to see the back!

There are a few issues with this cardigan that make me feel a little self-conscious when I wear it, mainly the big poof in the back where the shrug section meets the front curved part. I still haven't blocked the sweater yet, mainly because I'm a little worried that it will make it too big but it might help with the poofiness. It's probably flattering, multiple people have told me that it is but I'm still a little unsure when I look in the mirror. On the positive side, I love the yarn, it is a soft dream to wear. It's a comfortable sweater that I can throw on with a simple outfit to make it instantly funky. It was also a very quick and fun knit - I really don't even remember doing a lot of the knitting on it because it went so smoothly (apart from a bit of a concern over a slightly large row gauge). If I were to make it again, I wouldn't make it with the knuckle length sleeves - I've made a few sweaters now with big/long sleeves and find them to be a pain when I'm eating or doing other messy things.

I also finished the first of my Trekking Socks:

It's important that I note that I totally ripped off Claudia's idea for these socks when she made hers in the identical yarn. What can I say, I thought the picot edge was totally cute. The forecasters are predicting a rainy/snowy mix early this week despite the fact that spring will have officially started. So, I hope to make progress on the sock mate for this so I can get a little wear out of them before they have to hibernate for the warm season.

Next time, I hope to have my final bit of catch up by showing my other finished projects and what all is currently on the needles. Hopefully, there will also be more charity things and more boxes filled with my thoroughly organized and cleaned up stuff. Off to nurse the wee, wee, very wee cold I've caught, yuck.

I Loves Me Some Spring!

2006-03-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

Friends, today was the kind of day in our nation's capital that makes me really love this city. It was warm (I even broke a little sweat walking to work) and windy and clear. I would stop myself when I was outside just to breathe in the fresh air and smile. The good feeling was contagious, people were outside and were talkative and interactive with their fellow residents. It was really the kind of day that makes you feel good about humankind. When I was in college, I always loved days like this because everyone would just be outside in the central quad. In between classes, people would grab some food and sit and outside with friends, and you would run into everyone you know and have a little chat. Everyone strolled in late to class because they just wanted to stay outside and see everyone in their whole social network, play frisbee or even nap- like little kids who don't want to go to bed in the summertime because they want to stay outside and play all night. Ahh, spring. The wool sock that I'm knitting from these Trekking yarn (kindly sent to me by Laura) seemed grossly inappropriate on this flip flop day but hopefully if I finish the pair quickly, I can get a wear or two out of them.

My spirits were additionally buoyed today by the fact that I only had to work a half day and was actually able to have some time to enjoy the lovely day. Additional good news: my tax refund is going to be pretty decent this year and will help me pay off a big chunk of my credit card debt. I can hardly describe how much of a relief it is to know that I won't have to constantly be worrying about money - plus, I should be right about done by the time Sheep and Wool rolls around, so I can make some sweet purchases there (although not so many that I'll be right back in debt again!). I'll also be able to get some nice things for our new apartment. Yes, Cobra and I found a great place and we're going to sign the lease on it tonight! It was so easy, only the second place that we saw! It has a separate den/office and, best of all, access to a backyard. I'm so excited that I want to be living there now (although the prospect of the actual move and culling down of our unnecessary stuff is not fun). I feel like my life is starting to make the real upswing that I've been waiting for for what seems like a really long time.

The other really, really good thing, knitwise is that, as a result of the Springwater Superbowl sale and a recent stash swap held at Ann Fidget's house, where I got to meet many wonderful, exuberant local bloggers, I got a lot of yarn. Like, so much that I may have exceeded the stash expectations I set out for myself this year. Here's the booty:

Dang. Clockwise, starting at the bottom left corner.
2 skeins Reynolds Lie-Lope, black
1 and most of a 2nd skein GGH Soft Kid, light blue
3 skeins Noro Kureyon, colorway 100
1 skein cool Japanese pea green mohair
7 skeins Rowan Cotton Rope, Parma colorway
1 skein Wool in the Woods Duet, Playground colorway
1 Skein Muench Black Forest Yarns Naturwolle, aquarell colorway
1 skein SWTC Oasis soy silk, turquoise
1 Skein Rowan Summer Tweed, Denim colorway
1 skein Colinette Skye, not sure on colorway but it's probably on the website
1 skein brilliantly shiny silk/mohair blend, white
7 skeins GGH Domino, black and white
2 and a bit skeins Lambs Pride Worsted, raspberry colorway
And finally, in the center, 5 skeins SWTC Bamboo, electric blue colorway.

And, of course, the Catalina pattern book was a personal gift from the lovely Heather, to provide with some inspiration for all of this raw material! Some of the yarn was purchased with a particular project in mind, so it wasn't all blind greed. I exhausted myself just typing out that list but I would like to make it clear that I will redeem myself for having all this yarn by using some of it to knit for charity. More on that another time. Oh, by the way, this pic didn't include some of the yarn I got at Springwater because I already used it to whip up a scarf for my dad!

Pardon the weird lighting, I have to go to some lengths to take a photo with any natural light in my current abode. With his current medical treatments, the cold is really affecting my dad adversely, so I willingly stepped up to create him a lovingly handmade item to warm him as he maintains his strength and good outlook. It was made with 2 strands of Harrisville Designs Orchid Line yarn in a 5x6 basketweave. This yarn was nice to work with, although it did have some planty bits in it and broke very easily. It blocked beautifully, however, and probably about doubled in length in the process. Sweet, wooly magic.

It's almost time to go sign that lease, but I'll complete the book meme that the lovely bugheart, illustrious founder of the DC Stitch n Bitch, tagged me.

Name 5 of your favorite books:
The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
Naked by David Sedaris
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
What was the last book(s) you bought (or brought home from the library)?
I rarely buy pleasure reading books anymore because I already have so many that I haven't read and feel I should get through a bit first. Recently, however, I did get The Matter of Desire by Edmundo Paz Soldan, a Bolivian -American writer. From the library, I last got The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Anne Budd, Real Simple: The Organized Home (which is like total house porn, I'm obsessed with it) and one I'm a bit ashamed but I got because I'm really trying to improve myself: Speed Cleaning 101 by Laura Dellutri (the Healthy Housekeeper). Am I obsessed with moving much?
What was the last 3 books you read?
Paula by Isabel Allende
Straight Man by Richard Russo
The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
List 5 books that have been particularly meaningful to you.
Stitch n Bitch by Debbie Stoller
Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodges Burnett
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
I think that the fact that these were all written by women is significant in and of itself.
Name three books you've been dying to read but just haven't gotten around to it.
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
Amazing Adventures of the Escapist by Michael Chabon (all volumes)
The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams
I find that as I've entered more and more into the "adult" world of independence, I'm less inclined to want to read non-fiction that's about, like, topical issues, not knitting or food. Because, you know, my life is already so full of complications.

I hope you're enjoying your own beautiful weather!

I'm Back, Sort Of

2006-02-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

Here I am, rock you like a hurricane!

I've been back in DC for more than a week now, so I thought I'd update you all on what's happening on the Pink Monkey homefront. First of all, thank you all so much for your words of support, this outporing really touched me. It's good to know I have friends who are caring for me in hard times, even those I've never met!

I am feeling much better and have mostly come to terms with my GM's passing. She has been ill for a while, had dementia (which is similar to Alzheimer's disease) for about 6 years and really hadn't been herself since then. I wrote a eulogy for her and that process really allowed me to return to my view of my GM as a child and reminded of the pride and love I had for her as a unique individual. I've been carrying that view with me since then and it's felt good to exorcise those bad, akward memories of this helpless woman and remember the true individual. That's really how she would have wanted to be remembered. Every once in a while when I think of her, I hear her raspy, hearty laugh in my head and imagine her as she looked in the 50's, holding a cigarette, with an arm draped over her shy husband's shoulders. That's what I imagine she's doing now.

So, what's up with me and the blog? Initially, I had decided that I would take a little break until the Spring so that I can get myself back to really feeling better but I've been doubting that decision now. Because, you know, I miss you guys and the community (although I have been doing much blog reading lately, just quietly). For now, I'll just say things might be a little sporadic for a bit as I have some big things coming up. Right now, I'm excited about some really dorky things, like cleaning! and organizing! and the fact that you can get books for free at the library! My spanish class will be finished in a few weeks and then I'll have to start packing to move. Yes y'all, I'm going to be moving to another apartment, my 6th home in DC in 5 3/4 years. Here's the crazy part: after celebrating our 2nd anniversary last week, Cobra and I have decided to go the cohabitation route, wee! I'm really excited but I'm also trying to be realistic as well in recognizing that there will be adjustments that could be stressful. I know some of you out there have experience with this, both positive and negative, so if you have any advice for a newbie, please pass it on.

Oh my goodness, and the knitting! I think I have 3 finished project and 2 UFOs to show you. In spite of everything, I've looked forward to the knitting I do everyday, I love it so much. So don't worry, I'll get it together soon.

So, to tide you over a bit, I'll leave this thrilling meme that I wasn't tagged with but liked.

4 jobs you have had in your life
1. Desk Receptionist
2. Movie Theater ticker seller
3. Political Organizer
4. Coder of documents in preparation for litigation (shudder)

4 Movies you could watch over and over
1. High Fidelity
2. Trainspotting
3. City of God
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

4 places you have lived
1. Coral Springs, FL
2. Mt. Lebanon, PA
3. Washington, DC
4. A ship traveling around the world

4 TV shows you love to watch
1. Scrubs
2. Arrested Development
3. Six Feet Under (I'm catching up on DVD, OK?)
4. Sex and the City

4 places you have been on vacation (I would say that I've traveled to more places than I've been on vacation. You could say it's semantics but I think it's a difference in mindset. Just my 2 cents).
1. Central Mexico
2. Israel
3. India
4. Czech Republic

4 websites you visit daily
1. Gmail
2. Bloglines
3. Craigslist
4. Your Blog :)

4 of your favorite foods
(just 4?)
1. Bread
2. Chickpea Chili Burrito from Mad Mex in Pittsburgh
3. Any other veggie burrito
4. Chocolate

4 places you would rather be right now
1. In my as yet unknown new apartment
2. on my couch, knitting
3. India
4. San Francisco

4 bloggers you are tagging
Go nuts, guys.

Keep watchin' out for each other and keep the peace.

Little Break

2006-02-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I am writing to you from Battle Creek, Michigan where I have travelled this week for a sad event. My grandmother passed away on Sunday night, an event which we have been anticipating for a while. We will be celebrating her life today and throughout the week, and will be laying her to rest beside her beloved husband. On some level, I am glad to see her beside him again. I will be away from the blog for a bit. I will look forward to when I can return to posting with a clearer head, as I have some great knits and yarn to show you.

As a point of clarity, my grandmother (GM as my brother and I always called her) most certainly did not teach me how to knit. She was a unique individual who defied every stereotype of age and if she were cognizant of the fact that I'm a knitter, she probably would have called me an "old bag." So, if you're so inclined, I would urge you to partake of any of the following activities in her memory and in celebration of her singularity.

Shake your hoo-ha.
Make some kick ass blintzes
Immerse yourself in something (yarn?) up to your ying yang
Take a brisk walk around the block with your finger place firmly on the button of a can of mace, in case anyone tries to mess with you.
Shoot some hoops.
Stubbornly act as you believe you should, no matter what anyone else says or thinks.

Take care, all.

Presenting the Fabulous Shawly!

2006-01-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

Shawly Aka Artfibers Wrap
Pattern: Adaptation of this one except with the increases in the center, not on the ends. This changed the shape of the shawl - more on that later.
Yarns: Rowan Calmer, color Oatmeal I believe (thanks Lolly!); Plymouth Encore, black; Artfibers Harlequin, Color #10 (pink and dark grey); Artfibers Cellini, Color #9 (black and grey); Silver slubby silk (?) gifted from my aunt, a remnant from her weaving days; Fantasy Yarns Cashmere blend Aran (the stuff that you can get at A.C. Moore), black.
Needle: Size 11 Denise
Time to complete: Forever and a day

While this garter stitch shawl was simple and fun in its varied striping, it didn't keep my attention very well and I let it languish over the past few months. I was also somewhat let down because my method of increasing (doing a matched pair of YO's in the center) actually made the shawl into more of a diamond shape than a triangle. For next time, I'll know that there must also be increases on the edges. This shape makes it a bit harder to wrap around myself than I would like but works fine with a brooch of some sort (or a binder clip like I used when I wore it to work). The extra part at the top wraps around my neck like a collar and looks cool.

Shawly made her debut on a beautiful day here in Washington, DC where the temperatures reached to 62 degrees! Cobra and I decided to take advantage of the bizarre yet welcome warmth by going for a nice, long bike ride. We parked behind the Lincoln Memorial, took our bkes out of the truck bed, and pedaled across the Memorial bridge toward the Mt. Vernon Trail.

This paved trail starts right across the Potomac from DC in Arlington and runs for almost 20 miles down to Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home/farm. It's a great route for an amateur like me since it's relatively flat and affords views of much beautiful scenary.

We biked for just a short time before we reached Gravelly Point, adjacent to National Airport (I refuse to acknowledge the Reagan part of its name). Apparantly, it's really popular to stop there and watch the planes taking off over your head. I found the crowd gathered there to be kind of strange, yet the most Wayne's World-esque moment of my whole life.

As we continued to ride, I saw a sign for Alexandria and saw that we weren't too far from Old Town. From that point on, th goal was singular: keep pedaling until I reach Knit Happens. That's a fair reward for all of that exertion, right?

I'm proud to say we perserved and made it all the way to the yarn shop, woo! We hung there for a bit and checked out some other Old Town Attractions.

Here's Cobra with his awesome cruiser in front of the Torpedo Factory, a former weapons manufactering center that's now dedicated to the arts. We didn't have time to go inside but I definitely want to go back to check out the current Chain of Purls Exhibit, which is of knitted and crocheted art items.

Eventually, we turned back and headed towards the city. The sun had started to set, so unfortunately it was colder and a nasty wind had picked up that we had to ride right into, making the return trip much more arduous.

It was worth it, though, because I had some magnificent views:

See the Capitol off in the distance there?

Although I was certainly tired and a bit sore when we got home, I was so proud of myself for riding the 12-16 miles (!). I hope I can continue that level of activity throughout the year for my health and because we had a really wonderful time (throwing those bonus yarn store trips in there as incentive don't hurt, either).

Here's hoping for more fun-filled weekend days!

Wowza

2006-01-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

Damn, y'all, it's been a while! I'm happy to report that in the first almost three weeks of the year, I've been very successful in meeting my aspirations. I've been taking weekly yoga classes, hanging out with friends at home and around town, started a ten week Spanish class, and have been trying to cook more for myself and eat out less. I even took a chunk of time to just sit on my couch and enjoy words of the current book I'm reading, Paula by Isabel Allende. And, I have been working in snatches of knitting time but definitely not as much as before.

It's made me feel a bit like my brain has been broken up into little bits of dust that have been scattered to and fro.

Although, that's a bit dramatic and I definitely don't want to say that all of these activities haven't been good, but I really have felt less focused and just so gosh darn BUSY.

Most of all, I just really started to miss having long stretches of knitting time at home, on the couch, just relaxing. I missed blogging, too and all you awesome bloggers out there. I've found that with my increase in extracurricular extras, I've been, ahem, sneaking in a bit more reading time at work.

So, I'm going to continue to work more towards that equilibrium or thrive on the craziness. With time, I'm certain I'll find the pace that's right for me.

Of course, there were highlights in there that I must divulge (many with no photos, you'll just have to take my word for it). I had the great fortune of meeting up with the lovely Chelsea for an afternoon of sipping, chatting and sock knitting. I had met her briefly at MD Sheep and Wool but at this tete a tete, I was so pleased to see that she's a really put together, thoughtful person who carries herself with grace. She's in a transitional time in her life right now but I'm confident that she's going to get through it just fine.

I had to break off our chat to run home and get ready for Cobra's work party (they don't do it until after the holidays because, as a retail store, it's just too damn busy). I was expecting an elegant evening, as I was told we would be doing a dinner cruise of Baltimore's Inner Harbor and that it would be "semi-formal." Uh, let's just say I was a little let down by the whole thing. Really, it was like a bad wedding: a bunch of dressed up people you don't know taking advantage of the free drinks and embarrassing themselves on the dance floor to pathetically out of date music. My vegetarian meal was so bad that we went for pizza afterwards! Thankfully, being on the boat and taking in the Baltimore cityscape was fun and Cobra's coworkers are a lively crew - all motorcycle geeks who've traveled, are into music, etc. They saved what was otherwise a pretty lame night.

I also spent an afternoon with my buddy Susanne in which she kindly let me wind up all of my yarn with her new ballwinder and swift. Then, we wound some balls of off two Hugenormous cones she got at the Springwater sale last year for $2 and $3 a piece, and let me take some home.

Do you think she has enough to spare?

My stash has also grown a bit, although I haven't really bought any yarn in the new year. I successfully executed a trade with the very talented Laura and was really stunned by the beautiful sock-themed package she sent me:

Lilac soap handmade by one of her friends, Trekking XXL yarn, and size 3 circular, and two skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca sportweight. 100% alpaca, so divine!! All for a book. I'm still taken aback by her generosity and want to say, "Laura, skanks right back to ya! Hope to see you at the Springwater Sale!"

While walking around a huge chunk of the city one day, Cobra and I stopped in a little thrift store. I, of course, made a beeline to the sweaters and had a total score: this Gap sweater in awesome variegated, thick and thin yarn for only $4!

I joyfully took it home and ripped it to pieces, then down to its essential yarn. I'm hoping to make something Teva-y or a vest out of it.

My mom also bought me some yarn to make into my first Giving project of 2006. More on that later.

Speaking of projects, I didn't tell you I started a new one. In early December I had no choice but to buy some gorgeous Adrienne Vittadini Nadia yarn in the Black and White colorway. Its supple softness wouldn't stop calling to me, so I cast on for the Hot Lava Cardigan with it.

Woops, I'm actually quite a bit farther than this. I've, uh, finished the shrug-type sleeves and I'm not knitting the body. My only hope is that it gets cold enough for me to able to wear this when I finish (but just for, like, a day and then it can go back to being 60 degrees).

I've also rounded the heal on the second Basic Cable sock and I'm heading into the home stretch.

Finally, I've also finished a UFO that was my albatross for quite a few months. Look for pics of it next time. Have a great weekend!

2006 Aspirations

2006-01-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

We all know resolutions are often not realistic to live up and get broken by the third week in January. When looking towards my knitting for the coming year, I really want a place to just put down some of the ideas/obsessions I've had floating around in my head for a while. This is also an opportunity for me to see where I've started with projects, what I've been able to complete and what needs to be improved. So, I looked over at Julia's 2005 Aspirations and saw some wisdom when this very talented, experienced knitter and designer looked to put some limits on her knitting yet made the commitment to develop her skills. Many of my hopes for the coming year echo her sentiments.

Techniques

I've got the basics down pretty well, I can do sweaters and socks, so this year I've like to see my projects expand on my knitting skillset and also to find the methods that work best for me. I'd like to continue to learn larger scale techniques like cabling or lace knitting but really, I feel like the smaller details, like short rows and learning different cast-ons and bind-offs will really make the difference in my finished products. Increasing my vocabulary within the specific technique is also a goal so I can find out, for instance, if I like cabling better with or without a cable needle. I've done this with two projects recently where, after using dpns for a year, I gave the two circulars a try as well as a half assed attempt at the magic loop (so far, I'm way like two circs the best). Overall, I don't want to feel like I'm ever totally done with one method, because there's probably more there.

The area where I most need to devote energy is with my finishing. I can do it but I feel like it always ends up looking kinda crappy. With my copy of the Big Book of Knitting in hand, I hope to excel!

Giving

This one is cribbed directly from Julia. 2005 was focused very much on myself as the kntting recipient (although I did just finish one big ass pair of gift socks); I don't think I did one charitable project. As I look over my stash and see that I have many odd balls hanging around, I'd see a perfect opportunity to warm others with my handiwork. Especially in the beginning part of this year, I would like to make some items for online projects like Tricoteuses Sans Frontieres and local programs like Food and Friends, Safe Shores and the Red Scarf Project.

In addition to charitable knitting, I'd also like to make more small projects for friends and family. 2005 was a particularly roller-coasters like for Famille Pink Monkey with the high of my brother's wedding and the lows of my dad's cancer treatment and the continued decline of my grandmother's mental capacity. The wedding gives me a new family member to knit for and the others, well, they give me the will to comfort others with my stitches as best as possible. I'll make it official and say that I'd like to have at least one giving project on the needles at all times.

Restoring Motivation

It's good to have a hobby but I've found that my desire to knit often trumps my desire to do other activities, both those that I like (i.e. going out in the city, seeing friends) and those that I don't (cleaning of any sort). This, combined with an increase in TV watching, has made me feel sluggish and lazy. I hope this year I will be motivated to and forced to keep the knitting in its place and catch up with some of my other hobbies, like reading, that have gone by the wayside. Hopefully, restarting my yoga practice and my upcoming Spanish class (starts Thursday!) will help in this area.

Stash

My stash isn't very large and I'd like to keep it that way. Honestly, I find the desire to just buy yarn for buying sake to be overconsumerist. Plus, I do not have the funds to just drop bills at yarn stores all the time. This year, I will aspire to keep my stash within reasonable bounds and not have more yarn that I could knit for a year in it. I will utilize two main yarn buying events: the Springwater Superbowl Sale and MD Sheep and Wool. Of course, I will allow myself to splurge every once in a while, as one of my others goals is to use new fibers, but keep it within reason.

Most of all, knit and have fun!

If these aspirations are too constraining, I'll just say fuck it, it's just knitting! It's my hobby, it doesn't need to be taken so damn seriously.

I was going to include a projects list below outlining finished knits I need to fix, how I want to knit my stash yarns and proejcts and fibers I want to utilize in the upcoming year. I started it and realized it would be really long and boring, so another aspiration will be to create my own list offline (otherwise I won't have any blog fodder for the rest of the year!) and let you know some of my interests.

Karabella yarns and patterns. I would like to experiement more with these yarns, particularly the Auroras, that so many bloggers categorize as essentially perfect. One of the bulkys may be good for a Leaf Lace Pullover. Many of the Karabella patterns are also great, including this one (which I'm not at all sure I could wear since I have, you know, an actutal body and the largest size is a laughable 38") and this one.
Sustainable and/or organic fibers such as organic cottons, Soy silk and soy silk blends, bamboo, hemp and banana fiber.
SOCKS! I'm very anxious to experiment with different sock yarns and designs - they are the perfect, minature creative outlet!
I think I mentioned previously that I have a little design in my head that would involve the ripped out yarn from my first attempt at Clapotis, some raglan sleeves and a little intarsia. A copy of the Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns will probably be useful in making this idea a reality. While I'd like to work on the design this winter, it may require the buying of addition yarn and thus may have to be shelved until I have the funds.

What are you planning for 06 knitting?

You know what they say about men with big feet - big socks

2006-01-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

The holidays have really kept me so busy that my two consecutive 3 1/2 weekends just flew by. I'm feeling a great sense of relief to get back into my routine in both my personal and work life. Of course, work will probably stay busy for a while because, during the holiday season when people pull out their credit cards to buy gifts, they often also pull out their checkbooks to make (tax-deductible) donations to non-profits. Of course, we are grateful for all of the donations we receive but it takes time away from my other tasks that I need to accomplish. Ahh, the fundraising life, it is a crazy one.

On to the knitting! Finally, I can show off one of the my last FO's from 2005: Cobra's Retro Rib socks! In their fully glory:

Pattern: Retro Rib Socks from Fall 04 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Opal Batik in Reds
Needles: Size 3 Crystral Palace Bamboo DPNs

I had so much fun with this pattern! It really kept my interest and creates an deceptively complicated textured pattern to boot. Despite their largeness, using the slightly larger needles and taking off the stitch pattern from the foot made them relatively quick, even though they actually took about a month and a half to complete.

It was a bit of a challenge trying to take a photograph that gave a sense of their actual scale and Cobra's huge feet. Here's a decent one, his foot with a common, household one foot ruler.

Really though, I thought that the relative size was the more interesting part, so here's one of the socks on my arm.

If I had just made up a body for the thing, I could have had a whole sweater! Thankfully, Cobra has been more than grateful for them, telling his friends and family that I made them just for him and that they are "awesome." In At Knit's End, the Harlot talks about how she uses handmade socks essentially as bribes - and that's a feasible thing to do, because when people pull them onto their feet, they feel the personalization and the infusion of love with which they were made. Cobra now feels that wooly love but may not know how it will make him putty in my hands.

It's getting late, so I don't think I'll be able to spell out my knitting resolutions for 2006 tonight (Aaawww darn) because I need to do a little information gathering. I do, however, want to take a look back at knitting in 2005 with this Top 5 list I found over at Zarah's.

1. New (to Me) Technique: I've learned a lot this year about knitting math and modifying patterns. It's a fun mental challenge, like an applicable word problem that I actually want to solve. I hope these skills can transfer over to a bit of simple design in the new year.

2. Favorite FO: It makes it in just under the wire since it finished it on January 1 05, but I'd have to say that my Grasshopper Sweater is my favorite garment that I've made so far. It's versatile, easy and comfortable to wear. It's got some little dirty spots on it but has also held up well this year. As an accessory whore, I do have to say that I love the quirkyness of my Psychedelic Seaweed Scarf and Raspberry Mittens and Hat.

3. Favorite KAL: Definitely Sockapaltwoza! Who doesn't love custom made socks coming in the mail?

4. Favorite Shop: Unfortunately, I haven't visited Springwater Fiber Arts all year, but it still holds a special place in my heart. I've spent a lot of time at Stitch DC this year, and have enjoyed their friendly staff and decent selection.

5. Favorite Tool: Row Counter. So simple, yet makes a significant impact on the outcome of your knits. Next year, I hope this will be a ballwinder and swift.

Those resolutions, they will be forthcoming. Happy 2006, all!

Holiday Spirit

2005-12-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

Not so great camera phone shot of the National Menorah and Christmas Tree on December 25th. This is just before they turned off the lights...at 11PM! You would think they could at least have a little spirit and keep them on until midnight!

Well, I had some very nice holiday celebrations but, man, did it exhaust me! As I said before, we spent most of our holiday time with the family of Cobra, including his mother, brother, aunt, uncle, and lots of cousins. I felt privileged to once again be welcomed to their celebrations and be able to take part in their traditions. They all gather at C's mom's house on Christmas Eve for a decadently delicious dinner, then open presents later in the evening (usually it's at midnight but, with a little kid around, we moved it a bit earlier).

In their generosity, I received some modest but happily received gifts, including some soft long underwear, a lovely red silk dress and, best of all from Mr. Cobra himself, a ten class pass for a local yoga studio. This will go to good use, as I've had a lot of stiffness and soreness since the accident. When he gave it to me, Cobra said "See, I listen!" I never doubted it.

Cobra's brother also got me a gift: a copy of Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation. He was truly tickled by the title but told me that he was initially worried that I would be offended by it! I then informed him that I'd been a member of an SnB for almost two years and that I embraced the name. This was so thoughtful, I didn't have the heart to tell him that I already had a copy of the book. I thought I'd put it out to you readers out there. Would anyone like to trade a copy of Stitch n Bitch Nation for another book, yarn, etc of comparable value? Email me at jennaudrenATgmailDOTcom if you're interested.

On Christmas Day, we went to Cobra's aunt's house for yet ANOTHER decadent meal. I also had a nice chance to talk more in depth with some of his family members that I don't know as well. Later that evening, I brought out my little menorah that I've had since I was little and got one of the kids around to help me with the lighting. He asked some good questions, so I told him a bit about the story of Hanukkah. I have to admit that it felt a bit strange to participate so fully in a Christmas celebration. This is only the fourth I've participated in in my whole life, but before I always had a certain detachment. This year, I really felt like a part of the family and some of the barriers were let down (for better and for worse) so I was really involved in the celebration. It was nice and fun, but felt foreign as well. I hope that over the years, Cobra and I can develop our own traditions.

All the sitting around we did after the eating left me with lots of time to knit, and so I did.

I'm practicing my cables with this sock pattern from Brainylady. The yarn is a lovely merino sport weight that I got at the Crafty Bastards craft fair from Woolarina. I'm calling it Northern Light because of the bright flashes against the field of black.

All of the stimulation really wore me out, so I slept in on Monday and decided to do something a little slow and cultural. I headed down to the National Mall and admired the ice skaters at the rink at the National Gallery of Art.

I then walked over to the Freer and Sackler Galleries of Asian Art to see an amazing exhibit of Kaftans from the Ottoman Empire.

These garments were the definition of luxurious, as they were hand woven or appliqued in silks, satins and even gold and silver threads. Many were lined with fur and were made on a very large scale, which added to the wearer's regal appearance. Each item was truly breathtaking and I was glad to see them take their place as true works of art.

I'm back at work for a short week but I'm mentally gearing up for another long weekend and New Year's fun. I'm also pondering my knitting aspirations, look for them soon along with a pic of Cobra's socks!