Today, I was going to post pictures of my nearly-finished Monkey sock. It fits perfectly -- I've made some extra decreases in the foot, so they're snug and the lace is visible and I'm very happy. So why no pictures? They've gone and changed recipients on me, and are now officially a secret project. Here's hoping foot width isn't that different, though. I did 2 extra decreases. I really, really hope that the lace can compensate for this if necessary.
The other thing I could have shown you today is the back of the Dad Sweater. It's coming along, it's no longer portable, and I just got to the interesting part. Right now, it's just a huge piece of burgunday reverse stockinette. Boring.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Slow Progress and a Fortune Cookie Incident
Uh, let's not talk about my knitting today. Let me just share one piece of advice: When making modification to a pattern for something with more than one part, say, socks or sweater parts or some such, take the time to get a pencil and make a note of said modifications on your pattern. In case you get distracted by something else for a month or three, then have to go back and try to re-engineer what you did from looking at the front of your sweater, for example. 'nuff said.
So, if we don't talk about knitting, what else is there? Well, for one thing, there is crochet. I bought this book because I really like the designs, and even though I'm somewhat intimidated, I think I'll give them a try. I want to make just about every single thing in this book, and that's saying something. How will I get from barely able to complete a wash cloth to this fabulousness? Lots of practice, I guess.
What else is there, you ask? Why, cats! I never did show you the pictures of the Snakey toy my MIL crocheted for them. Here is Merlin enjoying his:
Yes, he's got it!
Oh no, it's getting away! Ha, gotcha!
(look at the silly grin on his face! This cat wears his heart on his sleeve)
Snake toy, you shall no longer defy me. I will be the master of you!
Morgana, on the other hand, is more laid back. She likes to snuggle up in a blankie and lie in the "nest" between my legs when I'm sitting in my comfy chair with the foot rest up.
She also likes to tramp and suck on the blanket. One day, she is convinced, this blanket is going to give milk. No luck yet, but she sure keeps trying!
Oh, and if things weren't going badly enough, let's add insult to injury:
So, if we don't talk about knitting, what else is there? Well, for one thing, there is crochet. I bought this book because I really like the designs, and even though I'm somewhat intimidated, I think I'll give them a try. I want to make just about every single thing in this book, and that's saying something. How will I get from barely able to complete a wash cloth to this fabulousness? Lots of practice, I guess.
What else is there, you ask? Why, cats! I never did show you the pictures of the Snakey toy my MIL crocheted for them. Here is Merlin enjoying his:
Yes, he's got it!
Oh no, it's getting away! Ha, gotcha!
(look at the silly grin on his face! This cat wears his heart on his sleeve)
Snake toy, you shall no longer defy me. I will be the master of you!
Morgana, on the other hand, is more laid back. She likes to snuggle up in a blankie and lie in the "nest" between my legs when I'm sitting in my comfy chair with the foot rest up.
She also likes to tramp and suck on the blanket. One day, she is convinced, this blanket is going to give milk. No luck yet, but she sure keeps trying!
Oh, and if things weren't going badly enough, let's add insult to injury:
 | My Fortune Cookie told me: You have been blessed with the egregious qualities of a duffle-bag in His Majesty's Royal Navy. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune |
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Package from Home!
I got a package from my parents and my sister! It's not a holiday, it's not my birthday, it's a just-because-we-love-you gift.
The first book contains a story by my friend Linda, who is a gifted writer and a poet and my German goth festival buddy. She has won several awards for her work, and my mother picked up this book when she went to a reading. The other book is a novel my sister enjoyed. The cover alone tells me I'll like it -- books, a one-eyed monster/alien, how can this not be good?
Oh, and yarn. Two skeins of gorgeous sock yarn. My guess is that my sister picked these out. She's not a knitter, but she has excellent taste in sock yarn. And she's one of those rare people who do not knit, yet appreciate the time and love that are poured into hand-knit pieces and appreciate them accordingly.
Both my parents know how I feel about chocolate. There was a package of marzipan hot chocolate in there too, but in my excitement, I forgot to take a picture of it. After I eat all this, I may have to go buy another set of business suits, but oh, it will be worth it!
Last but not least, I would like to thank all the friendly knitters who offered their advice on my Monkey sock problem. If you remember, the issue was that the sock is 8" around the ankle, but my ankle circumference is 7.5", tops.
Because these socks are sort of cursed, I didn't want to start over. The first 62 rows are knit on US 1 needles, then I finished the repeat on US 0's and added an extra repeat to make the wider part of the sock sit at a wider part of my leg. Next time, I'll knit the whole sock on 0's, but this is a great alternative to starting over.
I'm working on the heel now. These socks are a lot of fun to knit, even though they are somewhat cursed!
The first book contains a story by my friend Linda, who is a gifted writer and a poet and my German goth festival buddy. She has won several awards for her work, and my mother picked up this book when she went to a reading. The other book is a novel my sister enjoyed. The cover alone tells me I'll like it -- books, a one-eyed monster/alien, how can this not be good?
Oh, and yarn. Two skeins of gorgeous sock yarn. My guess is that my sister picked these out. She's not a knitter, but she has excellent taste in sock yarn. And she's one of those rare people who do not knit, yet appreciate the time and love that are poured into hand-knit pieces and appreciate them accordingly.
Both my parents know how I feel about chocolate. There was a package of marzipan hot chocolate in there too, but in my excitement, I forgot to take a picture of it. After I eat all this, I may have to go buy another set of business suits, but oh, it will be worth it!
Last but not least, I would like to thank all the friendly knitters who offered their advice on my Monkey sock problem. If you remember, the issue was that the sock is 8" around the ankle, but my ankle circumference is 7.5", tops.
Because these socks are sort of cursed, I didn't want to start over. The first 62 rows are knit on US 1 needles, then I finished the repeat on US 0's and added an extra repeat to make the wider part of the sock sit at a wider part of my leg. Next time, I'll knit the whole sock on 0's, but this is a great alternative to starting over.
I'm working on the heel now. These socks are a lot of fun to knit, even though they are somewhat cursed!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Trouble in Sock Paradise
Remember the cursed socks?
I finally managed to cast on. Knit them Friday, knit them Saturday, they are a fun knit and in no way to blame for my present trouble. The culprit, unfortunately, is my ankle, pictured below.
It's 7.5" around, just above the joint. Is that unusually skinny? It must be, because only socks that are knit at a much tighter than recommended gauge fit. This is my Monkey sock so far, knit on US 1 Addi Turbos. It's not stretching very much. The lace is hiding, it looks a bit baggy, but it really bags out around my ankle.
Does the only way to get socks to fit me involve knitting them on needles 2 sizes smaller than recommended? I started out as a tight knitter, I know I've loosened up some over time, but this is ridiculous. No wonder everybody is cranking out socks left and right and I keep on knitting and knitting and knitting!
I finally managed to cast on. Knit them Friday, knit them Saturday, they are a fun knit and in no way to blame for my present trouble. The culprit, unfortunately, is my ankle, pictured below.
It's 7.5" around, just above the joint. Is that unusually skinny? It must be, because only socks that are knit at a much tighter than recommended gauge fit. This is my Monkey sock so far, knit on US 1 Addi Turbos. It's not stretching very much. The lace is hiding, it looks a bit baggy, but it really bags out around my ankle.
Does the only way to get socks to fit me involve knitting them on needles 2 sizes smaller than recommended? I started out as a tight knitter, I know I've loosened up some over time, but this is ridiculous. No wonder everybody is cranking out socks left and right and I keep on knitting and knitting and knitting!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Cursed or misunderstood?
I was going to show you the progress on my Monkey socks today. Yeah. Well. That didn't work out so well. Maybe these socks are cursed, or maybe I misunderstood the yarn when I thought it said it wanted to be a pair of Monkeys. After all, human-to-yarn communication is by no means infallible, there are thousands and thousands of knitters who can attest to this.
So far, I've cast on three times. The first time, I just really didn't like how messy the caston looked. Rip. The second time, I was quite happy with my caston, my usual knit/purl longtail approach. Everything was fine, I started tugging on the loop to pull the stitches in position... and ended up pulling on the wrong needles. Stitches in my hand, not on the needle. Rip.
This morning, I almost made it. I cast on, things were great. I started knitting, things were still great. Hey, it's amazing how quickly the ribbing grows when you're using US 1, not US 0 needles! Only 3 rows, and look at how big... oh, wait. Crap. It said twisted rib, didn't it?
Rip.
So later today, during lunch or after work, I'll cast on a fourth time. And if that doesn't work out, I'll conclude that these socks are cursed and move on.
So far, I've cast on three times. The first time, I just really didn't like how messy the caston looked. Rip. The second time, I was quite happy with my caston, my usual knit/purl longtail approach. Everything was fine, I started tugging on the loop to pull the stitches in position... and ended up pulling on the wrong needles. Stitches in my hand, not on the needle. Rip.
This morning, I almost made it. I cast on, things were great. I started knitting, things were still great. Hey, it's amazing how quickly the ribbing grows when you're using US 1, not US 0 needles! Only 3 rows, and look at how big... oh, wait. Crap. It said twisted rib, didn't it?
Rip.
So later today, during lunch or after work, I'll cast on a fourth time. And if that doesn't work out, I'll conclude that these socks are cursed and move on.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
WIP and Blog Stalking and New Job Yarn!
I've been a good girl. I've been knitting the back of the Dad sweater, though I have to admit that the lack of other WIPs has nothing to do with my inherent goodness and everything with a bad caston day. I tried two different methods I usually use for socks, but when I pulled the wrong needle out of my Magic Loop, I decided it wasn't meant to be for now. So here is my Dad sweater back progress, miles and miles of reverse stockinette. It's burgundy, not bright tomato red. This color doesn't photograph well at all.
Thursday after work, I want yarn shopping with ZantiMissKnit. My New Job Yarn has arrived, and as promised, I'm sharing it with you.
Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande. One skein of burgundy squishy goodness, destined to become something worn close to my face. It's so soft, so squishy, so dreamy. I want to name it and pet it.
Then, I found myself near the sock yarn. This is Happy Feet, and I can already tell that my feet will be very happy in it. The actual colors are not really reds and browns, they are fuchsias and purples and pinks, though muted and nice-looking, not bright and flashy. Not that there's anything wrong with bright and flashy per se. This yarn just isn't.
And then... oooh, happy sock yarn in reds and burgundies, darker than in this picture. Remember, my camera likes to photograph burgundies as tomato reds. I tried it without flash, but all I got was a dark muddle. Mountain Colors, very pretty, going to be a pair of socks for me!
And because I'm part of the knitty blogstalking extravaganza, here is my post on the first topic of the year: bad habits. The first one that comes to mind is that I eat when I'm bored. I'm not overweight, but it's not a healthy habit, and it won't do me any favors in the long run. I also tend to worry too much. Having an active imagination is one thing, but worrying about all sorts of unlikely things is quite another. I've gotten better at stopping the downward spiral, but sometimes, my hormones get the better of me.
And then there's the other bad habit: taking lots of pictures of my cats. Way too many, in fact. But isn't he cute? He's clearly wondering the obvious:
Now who'd throw away a perfectly good kitten???
Thursday after work, I want yarn shopping with ZantiMissKnit. My New Job Yarn has arrived, and as promised, I'm sharing it with you.
Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande. One skein of burgundy squishy goodness, destined to become something worn close to my face. It's so soft, so squishy, so dreamy. I want to name it and pet it.
Then, I found myself near the sock yarn. This is Happy Feet, and I can already tell that my feet will be very happy in it. The actual colors are not really reds and browns, they are fuchsias and purples and pinks, though muted and nice-looking, not bright and flashy. Not that there's anything wrong with bright and flashy per se. This yarn just isn't.
And then... oooh, happy sock yarn in reds and burgundies, darker than in this picture. Remember, my camera likes to photograph burgundies as tomato reds. I tried it without flash, but all I got was a dark muddle. Mountain Colors, very pretty, going to be a pair of socks for me!
And because I'm part of the knitty blogstalking extravaganza, here is my post on the first topic of the year: bad habits. The first one that comes to mind is that I eat when I'm bored. I'm not overweight, but it's not a healthy habit, and it won't do me any favors in the long run. I also tend to worry too much. Having an active imagination is one thing, but worrying about all sorts of unlikely things is quite another. I've gotten better at stopping the downward spiral, but sometimes, my hormones get the better of me.
And then there's the other bad habit: taking lots of pictures of my cats. Way too many, in fact. But isn't he cute? He's clearly wondering the obvious:
Now who'd throw away a perfectly good kitten???
Thursday, January 10, 2008
New Job Yarn and a Forgotten Resolution
Wow. My head is spinning, I'm tired, but I think some aspects of my new responsibilities are beginning to sink in. Others are still as mysterious as they were a couple of days ago, maybe even more so. But this is fun and exciting, and I think taxonomy and I are going to be very good friends soon -- so much broader than cataloging, so much more opportunity to come up with something truly unique and appropriate.
Anyhow, this is a knitting blog, not a knowledge management blog. So first off, I would like to thank everybody for the many sock suggestions. I love all of those patterns, and I have different stash yarns in mind for every single one of them. This should really help with the stash busting!
I'm going out for New Job Yarn today, but that's my last yarn shopping expedition until Rhinebeck, to which Eileen and I have promised ourselves we're going, come hell or high water. By then, my stash should be nice and small, completely devoid of ambient yarn. What's ambient yarn, you ask? It's the stuff that's floating around my yarn closet because it doesn't fit in any of the 3 storage bins. Or the ugly lime green travel thingy I bought at Jo-Ann's and promptly filled up with yarn. Ahem.
So, pictures of my New Job Yarn are coming up. In the meantime, let me add the Forgotten New Year's Resolution to my list. You guys have reminded me that there's sixteenth one I'd completely forgotten to list:
Learn to knit socks toe up. Because I never have, and because there are so many beautiful patterns for toe-up socks. I want to be able to knit them.
Anyhow, this is a knitting blog, not a knowledge management blog. So first off, I would like to thank everybody for the many sock suggestions. I love all of those patterns, and I have different stash yarns in mind for every single one of them. This should really help with the stash busting!
I'm going out for New Job Yarn today, but that's my last yarn shopping expedition until Rhinebeck, to which Eileen and I have promised ourselves we're going, come hell or high water. By then, my stash should be nice and small, completely devoid of ambient yarn. What's ambient yarn, you ask? It's the stuff that's floating around my yarn closet because it doesn't fit in any of the 3 storage bins. Or the ugly lime green travel thingy I bought at Jo-Ann's and promptly filled up with yarn. Ahem.
So, pictures of my New Job Yarn are coming up. In the meantime, let me add the Forgotten New Year's Resolution to my list. You guys have reminded me that there's sixteenth one I'd completely forgotten to list:
Learn to knit socks toe up. Because I never have, and because there are so many beautiful patterns for toe-up socks. I want to be able to knit them.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Talking to Yarn
Many knitters talk to yarn. I know I do. From gentle exhortations to threats of violence and curses, we spend a lot of time communicating with an inanimate substance. But it's so hard to believe it's not alive when it can be so recalcitrant! Right now, I'm ripping out the seams on Tangerine Twist, which has been lingering at the bottom of my basket for quite some time now. I hope the arm holes grow and the sleeves don't stretch too much when I wash and block it before trying again - as I should have before seaming for the first time. Shortcuts don't work when it comes to finishing.
This yarn is behaving reasonably well. I have cast on for the back of the Dad Sweater. It's burgundy, not tomato red, and mostly reverse stockinette. Mindless knitting? Check.
This is yarn I bought from Merlin the Cat on Etsy. I was going through my stash looking for some other yarn I bought before New Year's (see, didn't break my yarn diet resolution!), when it told me it wanted to be Monkey socks. Now. So I took it out, balled it up, and I'm about to start knitting socks with it. This is a very persistent yarn.
This is the yarn I was actually looking for: Some Adirondack Yarn Company sock yarn in Raspberries I bought at Little Knits, one of my favorite online yarn stores. They have such a great selection of sock yarn, and I fell in love with this particular skein while browsing around for the new Noro sock yarn.
Needless to say, I found some. This is color 188. It's very pretty, but I'm not sure what to do with it. You see, I don't just want to knit stockinette socks with it.
I'm looking for a pattern that has large sections of plain knitting to show off the pretty shading, but also something else to add interest, say cables or lace -- just not too much. Quite a requirement, huh? If anyone can think of anything that fits the bill, please let me know!
In other news, it's Christmas Eve. According to the calendar used by the Serbian Orthodox Church, January 6 is Christmas Eve and January 7 is Christmas Day. I'm starting my new job on Christmas Day. How's that for auspicious beginnings?
This yarn is behaving reasonably well. I have cast on for the back of the Dad Sweater. It's burgundy, not tomato red, and mostly reverse stockinette. Mindless knitting? Check.
This is yarn I bought from Merlin the Cat on Etsy. I was going through my stash looking for some other yarn I bought before New Year's (see, didn't break my yarn diet resolution!), when it told me it wanted to be Monkey socks. Now. So I took it out, balled it up, and I'm about to start knitting socks with it. This is a very persistent yarn.
This is the yarn I was actually looking for: Some Adirondack Yarn Company sock yarn in Raspberries I bought at Little Knits, one of my favorite online yarn stores. They have such a great selection of sock yarn, and I fell in love with this particular skein while browsing around for the new Noro sock yarn.
Needless to say, I found some. This is color 188. It's very pretty, but I'm not sure what to do with it. You see, I don't just want to knit stockinette socks with it.
I'm looking for a pattern that has large sections of plain knitting to show off the pretty shading, but also something else to add interest, say cables or lace -- just not too much. Quite a requirement, huh? If anyone can think of anything that fits the bill, please let me know!
In other news, it's Christmas Eve. According to the calendar used by the Serbian Orthodox Church, January 6 is Christmas Eve and January 7 is Christmas Day. I'm starting my new job on Christmas Day. How's that for auspicious beginnings?
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Fair Isle Stocking
For the longest time, I was terrified of stranded colorwork. What if it looked insanely uneven? What if it puckered? What if it looked simply horrible, and all the knitters of my acquaintance saw this and I was never able to show my face in polite knitterly society ever again?
Uh, yeah. Silly. So this holiday season, I decided to bite the bullet and knit a Christmas stocking for my mother-in-law. She's a lovely lady who deserves a hand-knit gift (and not many people do), so I ordered the kit for the Peace stocking by Annie's Woolens.
It was slow going at first, and it took me a while to figure out gauge. In fact, my gauge changed throughout the project. You can't tell by looking at the picture, but this stocking is freaking huge. Here it is from one side,
and here it is from the other.
My mother-in-law has received it and likes it a lot. I'm very happy with it too, and I know that any Fair Isle garment that's supposed to fit has to be knit on smaller needles because... well, I could use this one as a hat. But who cares? I'm extremely proud of my first stranded colorwork FO.
Uh, yeah. Silly. So this holiday season, I decided to bite the bullet and knit a Christmas stocking for my mother-in-law. She's a lovely lady who deserves a hand-knit gift (and not many people do), so I ordered the kit for the Peace stocking by Annie's Woolens.
It was slow going at first, and it took me a while to figure out gauge. In fact, my gauge changed throughout the project. You can't tell by looking at the picture, but this stocking is freaking huge. Here it is from one side,
and here it is from the other.
My mother-in-law has received it and likes it a lot. I'm very happy with it too, and I know that any Fair Isle garment that's supposed to fit has to be knit on smaller needles because... well, I could use this one as a hat. But who cares? I'm extremely proud of my first stranded colorwork FO.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Resolutions Old and New
Today, another year draws to a close, and it's time to take stock. For this purpose, I pulled up my list of New Year's resolutions for 2007. How did I do? Let's take a look!
1. I will finish my cross-stitch UFO. It has been sitting there for 7 years, that's enough.
It's still sitting there, unfinished. I guess this one gets carried over.
2. I will try Fair Isle knitting. This one is left over from last year. What can I say, I'm a coward when it comes to colorwork.
I did it! I finished a stranded colorwork project a couple of days ago and will blog about it as soon as it reaches its recipient. It uses three colors, even, though never more than 2 per row. I'm still freaking proud of this thing.
3. Start holiday gifts in time to actually finish.
Well... kind of. I finished the last gift 1 day after it was due, so that's an almost.
4. Knit more socks.
Yes. I think I knit around 6 pairs this year, including Sock Pal socks and other gift goodies.
5. Knit a lace garment that has shaping in the lace part, not just the stockinette section.
Nope, didn't do that. Another carryover!
6. Learn to crochet properly. By that, I mean learn to crochet something other than a dishcloth.
I did crochet something other than a dishcloth, so I guess that's a yes. I discovered the magic of combining crochet and felting. Stick your almost-FO in the washer and watch your mistakes disappear!
7. Get in shape. Not moving makes my inflammatory arthritis worse. Also, I need to get in shape so I can
I'm doing a bit better, but still not really -- another carryover. But this year, I'm definitely going to
8. do the breast cancer walk.
Too many people I know have either been diagnosed with breast cancer or have had a breast cancer scare this year. I need to do something about it, even if it's not much.
9. Stop being a coward when it comes to applying for jobs. I mean, why?
I did that. Got two offers, accepted one. Yay, me!
10. Eat healthy. Junk food makes the hormones unhappy. Unhappy hormones make me unhappy. It's not a good thing.
I'm doing much better on this one. Now, I eat healthier, and I'm working on switching to a completely vegetarian diet. I feel good when I don't eat meat, and I have a soft spot for fuzzy critters.
Which brings us to this year's resolutions. That was a 50% success rate... it could be worse. In addition to the carryover, I want to
1. Become a vegetarian. I've been eating less and less meat, but the key to success for me is to not replace meat with carbs. I can't eat tofu because it messes up my hormones, the husband is allergic to onions and peppers, it's going to be a challege. But once I get used to doing the cooking and planning a certain way, I'm sure I'll do just fine.
2. Really get cracking on ye olde professional development. Continuing ed rocks.
3. Knit up a large portion of my stash. I'm not ashamed of the amount of yarn I own, but there is so much I bought when I was a beginner and didn't have a clue what I was doing. I mean, 10 skeins of mustard/purple colored chunky yarn? Yes, it was on sale, but... what was I thinking???
4. Knit even more socks.
5. Do a better job keeping in touch with my friends. Friends are a blessing and should not be taken for granted.
6. Try entrelac. It's so pretty.
7. Sell all the clothes I haven't worn for a year or more on e-bay. There are people who would love them and wear them more often. My going out days are pretty much numbered, and I now wear corporate clothes 5 days out of 7. Out with the frilly, lacy stuff, welcome, new corporate goth wardrobe!
I think that's it for this year. Together with the carryover, it brings me to 12 resolutions for 2008 - let's see how I do this time around.
And in case you're wondering what I'll be doing New Year's Eve, I won't be knitting. I'll be playing the Lord of the Rings roleplaying game with Mr. Batty and some friends. Yay for geeky activities on a night when we'd stay up late anyway. Makes me feel like a teenager all over again.
So, to all you people out there, knitters and non-knitters alike: Have a happy, healthy new year. See you again in 2008!
1. I will finish my cross-stitch UFO. It has been sitting there for 7 years, that's enough.
It's still sitting there, unfinished. I guess this one gets carried over.
2. I will try Fair Isle knitting. This one is left over from last year. What can I say, I'm a coward when it comes to colorwork.
I did it! I finished a stranded colorwork project a couple of days ago and will blog about it as soon as it reaches its recipient. It uses three colors, even, though never more than 2 per row. I'm still freaking proud of this thing.
3. Start holiday gifts in time to actually finish.
Well... kind of. I finished the last gift 1 day after it was due, so that's an almost.
4. Knit more socks.
Yes. I think I knit around 6 pairs this year, including Sock Pal socks and other gift goodies.
5. Knit a lace garment that has shaping in the lace part, not just the stockinette section.
Nope, didn't do that. Another carryover!
6. Learn to crochet properly. By that, I mean learn to crochet something other than a dishcloth.
I did crochet something other than a dishcloth, so I guess that's a yes. I discovered the magic of combining crochet and felting. Stick your almost-FO in the washer and watch your mistakes disappear!
7. Get in shape. Not moving makes my inflammatory arthritis worse. Also, I need to get in shape so I can
I'm doing a bit better, but still not really -- another carryover. But this year, I'm definitely going to
8. do the breast cancer walk.
Too many people I know have either been diagnosed with breast cancer or have had a breast cancer scare this year. I need to do something about it, even if it's not much.
9. Stop being a coward when it comes to applying for jobs. I mean, why?
I did that. Got two offers, accepted one. Yay, me!
10. Eat healthy. Junk food makes the hormones unhappy. Unhappy hormones make me unhappy. It's not a good thing.
I'm doing much better on this one. Now, I eat healthier, and I'm working on switching to a completely vegetarian diet. I feel good when I don't eat meat, and I have a soft spot for fuzzy critters.
Which brings us to this year's resolutions. That was a 50% success rate... it could be worse. In addition to the carryover, I want to
1. Become a vegetarian. I've been eating less and less meat, but the key to success for me is to not replace meat with carbs. I can't eat tofu because it messes up my hormones, the husband is allergic to onions and peppers, it's going to be a challege. But once I get used to doing the cooking and planning a certain way, I'm sure I'll do just fine.
2. Really get cracking on ye olde professional development. Continuing ed rocks.
3. Knit up a large portion of my stash. I'm not ashamed of the amount of yarn I own, but there is so much I bought when I was a beginner and didn't have a clue what I was doing. I mean, 10 skeins of mustard/purple colored chunky yarn? Yes, it was on sale, but... what was I thinking???
4. Knit even more socks.
5. Do a better job keeping in touch with my friends. Friends are a blessing and should not be taken for granted.
6. Try entrelac. It's so pretty.
7. Sell all the clothes I haven't worn for a year or more on e-bay. There are people who would love them and wear them more often. My going out days are pretty much numbered, and I now wear corporate clothes 5 days out of 7. Out with the frilly, lacy stuff, welcome, new corporate goth wardrobe!
I think that's it for this year. Together with the carryover, it brings me to 12 resolutions for 2008 - let's see how I do this time around.
And in case you're wondering what I'll be doing New Year's Eve, I won't be knitting. I'll be playing the Lord of the Rings roleplaying game with Mr. Batty and some friends. Yay for geeky activities on a night when we'd stay up late anyway. Makes me feel like a teenager all over again.
So, to all you people out there, knitters and non-knitters alike: Have a happy, healthy new year. See you again in 2008!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Take a deep breath...
...because the holiday knitting is finally done. The last piece is a little late, but it's washed and blocking and heading out to its recipient as soon as it dries. I'm quite proud of this one and can't wait to show it off!
Loads of pictures are coming up as I finish all the WIPs that have been waiting for the holiday extravaganza to be over. In the meantime, I give you this picture to tide you over:
Confused pirate or witch with black cat familiar? You decide!
Loads of pictures are coming up as I finish all the WIPs that have been waiting for the holiday extravaganza to be over. In the meantime, I give you this picture to tide you over:
Confused pirate or witch with black cat familiar? You decide!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
SP Package (lots of pictures)
It's been a while since my last post. Super Secret Christmas Knitting will do that to you, as will the fact that I'm not done yet and must knit longer and faster in order to get everything done. Fortunately, there are other things to put on one's blog, like the fabulous SP package I received from Eryn.
She mentioned sending something for the kitties. It was when Morgana jumped on my lap and wouldn't stop sniffing the package that I began to suspect what that "something" might be.
She wouldn't go away. No amount of shooing, moving, or tempting with cat toys would do the trick. This was a cat on a mission!
"Sniff, sniff. There's something in there, and it's for me. Don't try to mess with my head, woman, I know catnip when I smell it!"
Organic, weapons grade catnip, to be exact.
A pinch of this stuff on their old cat scratcher, and they were sniffing, licking and rolling. These cats sure like their catnip! It's fair to say that this particular package was a big hit with the kitties.
While I didn't start out by sniffing the package, I am just as thrilled with its contents. Look, it's a black bat washcloth, together with some of Eryn's wonderful soap. Almond Biscotti, yum! I never sniffed the package, but I sure sniffed the soap and can't wait to try it.
And those little white pearly things are stitch markers. They look a bit like tiny snowmen, very cute.
Then, there is the key lime taffy and the orange marmalade. And a little flip-flop key chain. Goodies from sunny Florida, sent to snowy New England, and a very nice reminder that this winter storm will end someday, and the sun will come out again.
Before it does, though, we can enjoy the spiced cocoa in the snowman mugs. Sit in front of the fireplace, watch the snow outside, and sip hot chocolate. And I'm taking some time off around Christmas, so I know what we'll be doing with our free time!
There was some chocolate in those mugs, but, um, something happened to it. Can't take pictures of it, sorry! : )
Maybe I should also mention that Eryn can read minds. When I first saw the Ice Queen pattern, I decided I needed to get my hands on some black laceweight mohair and knit one for myself. Now, look what came in the package! Yes, that's black laceweight mohair, together with a note mentioning that it's intended for the Ice Queen. How perfect is that?
By the way, black laceweight mohair has the same effect on Morgana as off-white DB Cashmerino Aran. She can't resist it, which is why I'm holding it in one hand and taking a blurry picture with the other. Every time I tried to set it down, she was on it within a fraction of a second.
There was also a little bell ornament, which serves a double function:
These cats love bells.
And we're all saying thanks to Eryn for sending us a wonderful package. It really is amazing.
She mentioned sending something for the kitties. It was when Morgana jumped on my lap and wouldn't stop sniffing the package that I began to suspect what that "something" might be.
She wouldn't go away. No amount of shooing, moving, or tempting with cat toys would do the trick. This was a cat on a mission!
"Sniff, sniff. There's something in there, and it's for me. Don't try to mess with my head, woman, I know catnip when I smell it!"
Organic, weapons grade catnip, to be exact.
A pinch of this stuff on their old cat scratcher, and they were sniffing, licking and rolling. These cats sure like their catnip! It's fair to say that this particular package was a big hit with the kitties.
While I didn't start out by sniffing the package, I am just as thrilled with its contents. Look, it's a black bat washcloth, together with some of Eryn's wonderful soap. Almond Biscotti, yum! I never sniffed the package, but I sure sniffed the soap and can't wait to try it.
And those little white pearly things are stitch markers. They look a bit like tiny snowmen, very cute.
Then, there is the key lime taffy and the orange marmalade. And a little flip-flop key chain. Goodies from sunny Florida, sent to snowy New England, and a very nice reminder that this winter storm will end someday, and the sun will come out again.
Before it does, though, we can enjoy the spiced cocoa in the snowman mugs. Sit in front of the fireplace, watch the snow outside, and sip hot chocolate. And I'm taking some time off around Christmas, so I know what we'll be doing with our free time!
There was some chocolate in those mugs, but, um, something happened to it. Can't take pictures of it, sorry! : )
Maybe I should also mention that Eryn can read minds. When I first saw the Ice Queen pattern, I decided I needed to get my hands on some black laceweight mohair and knit one for myself. Now, look what came in the package! Yes, that's black laceweight mohair, together with a note mentioning that it's intended for the Ice Queen. How perfect is that?
By the way, black laceweight mohair has the same effect on Morgana as off-white DB Cashmerino Aran. She can't resist it, which is why I'm holding it in one hand and taking a blurry picture with the other. Every time I tried to set it down, she was on it within a fraction of a second.
There was also a little bell ornament, which serves a double function:
These cats love bells.
And we're all saying thanks to Eryn for sending us a wonderful package. It really is amazing.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Secret Knitting... and another Incident
There has been a lot of secret knitting of late. Holiday gifts, birthday gifts, all sorts of gifts I don't want people to see ahead of time. But now that my sister's birthday package has arrived, I can share at least some of them.
A while ago, I knit an Odessa as an SP gift, and I really liked it. I liked knitting it, and I liked the finished result. Because I have to be able to take my knitting on the train, I decided that it was also the perfect gift for my sister's upcoming birthday, with a few modifications.
For one thing, I left off the beads. Don't get me wrong, I love the beaded version, but I was going for a different look, more everyday item that would go with thick mittens than delicate beaded hat. So instead of the DK weight the pattern calls for, I went with DB Cashmerino Aran, which is soft and cushy and simply wonderful. I wanted something that was really going to keep my sister's ears warm.
Unfortunately, the spiral on top of the head was difficult to photograph, but the stitch definition is lovely.
The biggest risk I took, however, was not with stitch definition. Even though I picked a thicker yarn, I decided to use the needle sizes called for in the pattern. I wanted to knit at a tighter-than-called-for gauge for this yarn to achieve a nice, dense fabric. It worked, and I was so happy the hat didn't turn come out enormous!
Details:
Pattern: Odessa (for link, see above)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in color 300001 (They probably dunk this stuff in catnip to achieve this wonderful off-white; Morgana goes positively berserk when I'm working with this yarn!)
Needles: US #4 and #6 Addi Turbos, knit pretty tightly on purpose
Modifications: No beads and aran weight instead of DK. In spite of the thicker yarn, I knit the 5.5" called for in the pattern before starting my decreases. I wanted a hat that would keep my sister's forehead warm and cover her ears. Warm ears are important.
And, speaking of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, here is a picture of the Fetchings I am knitting out of the same yarn. I went down two needle sizes, and they are still loose. My wrists are tiny (not even 5 inches), my hands are small, and this glove is wobbly instead of stretchy on me. Also, I don't think the picot castoff works for me on this particular project. The glove has more of a sturdy look, and the picots are elegant/playful in a very feminine way that, to me at least, doesn't go with the rest of the glove. I think I'll either cast off in pattern or use EZ's sewn castoff the next time around. I'll also leave out 10 stitches -- if I go down another needle size, I'll be knitting on 3s.
Now, about the Incident. If you look closely (click on the picture), you'll see that some stitches aren't quite even, and that some ends have worked themselves loose. That's not because I'm a sloppy knitter. I was lying on the bed reading when I saw the cats run in. Merlin had something in his mouth, and on closer inspection, turned out to be my Fetching. Mr. Batty, attracted by the horrified sounds coming from the bedroom, ran over and rescued it. The kittens are so lucky they're cute!
This is what keeps them from continuing their existence as a pair of fuzzy slippers. They are so adorable. As for the Fetchings, I'll try felting them a little when both are done. We'll see if the 33% microfiber will be enough to prevent this from happening.
A while ago, I knit an Odessa as an SP gift, and I really liked it. I liked knitting it, and I liked the finished result. Because I have to be able to take my knitting on the train, I decided that it was also the perfect gift for my sister's upcoming birthday, with a few modifications.
For one thing, I left off the beads. Don't get me wrong, I love the beaded version, but I was going for a different look, more everyday item that would go with thick mittens than delicate beaded hat. So instead of the DK weight the pattern calls for, I went with DB Cashmerino Aran, which is soft and cushy and simply wonderful. I wanted something that was really going to keep my sister's ears warm.
Unfortunately, the spiral on top of the head was difficult to photograph, but the stitch definition is lovely.
The biggest risk I took, however, was not with stitch definition. Even though I picked a thicker yarn, I decided to use the needle sizes called for in the pattern. I wanted to knit at a tighter-than-called-for gauge for this yarn to achieve a nice, dense fabric. It worked, and I was so happy the hat didn't turn come out enormous!
Details:
Pattern: Odessa (for link, see above)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in color 300001 (They probably dunk this stuff in catnip to achieve this wonderful off-white; Morgana goes positively berserk when I'm working with this yarn!)
Needles: US #4 and #6 Addi Turbos, knit pretty tightly on purpose
Modifications: No beads and aran weight instead of DK. In spite of the thicker yarn, I knit the 5.5" called for in the pattern before starting my decreases. I wanted a hat that would keep my sister's forehead warm and cover her ears. Warm ears are important.
And, speaking of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, here is a picture of the Fetchings I am knitting out of the same yarn. I went down two needle sizes, and they are still loose. My wrists are tiny (not even 5 inches), my hands are small, and this glove is wobbly instead of stretchy on me. Also, I don't think the picot castoff works for me on this particular project. The glove has more of a sturdy look, and the picots are elegant/playful in a very feminine way that, to me at least, doesn't go with the rest of the glove. I think I'll either cast off in pattern or use EZ's sewn castoff the next time around. I'll also leave out 10 stitches -- if I go down another needle size, I'll be knitting on 3s.
Now, about the Incident. If you look closely (click on the picture), you'll see that some stitches aren't quite even, and that some ends have worked themselves loose. That's not because I'm a sloppy knitter. I was lying on the bed reading when I saw the cats run in. Merlin had something in his mouth, and on closer inspection, turned out to be my Fetching. Mr. Batty, attracted by the horrified sounds coming from the bedroom, ran over and rescued it. The kittens are so lucky they're cute!
This is what keeps them from continuing their existence as a pair of fuzzy slippers. They are so adorable. As for the Fetchings, I'll try felting them a little when both are done. We'll see if the 33% microfiber will be enough to prevent this from happening.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Horcrux Socks and The Usurpers
And now for the prerequisite unflattering shot of my calves. My Horcrux socks are done, and I'm very happy with them, even though they are a bit difficult to photograph. This shot shows off the colors. On the whole, there are more pinks and green-ish hues involved, but these socks are eye-gougingly bright.
Without flash, the pattern is much more visible. The socks are Horcrux Socks because the zigzag lace is reminiscent of the famous Harry Potter scar. I loved knitting this pattern, even though the ribbing took forever. Really, what is it about ribbing? It just keeps going and going and going...
Details:
Pattern: Horcrux Socks - another one from the Six Socks Knitalong on Yahoo.groups. You have to be a member to access the pattern, but knitting six pairs of socks in one year is fun.
Needles: US0 Addi Turbo, using Magic Loop
Yarn: One of Ms. Mixie Riot's Yarn Oddities
Pattern Mods: OK, there were two. I added 10 rows of ribbing to the second section because I wanted the shaft of this sock to be longer. With my skinny ankles, the pattern would have been downright invisible if I had placed it any lower. To make the heel sturdier, I slipped every other stitch on the knit rows for the heel flap.
I'm currently working on Fetching fingerless gloves. Technically, they're a quick knit, and I should be done with them. Unfortunately, my chair has been usurped.
They're so cute, I can't just dislodge them!
Without flash, the pattern is much more visible. The socks are Horcrux Socks because the zigzag lace is reminiscent of the famous Harry Potter scar. I loved knitting this pattern, even though the ribbing took forever. Really, what is it about ribbing? It just keeps going and going and going...
Details:
Pattern: Horcrux Socks - another one from the Six Socks Knitalong on Yahoo.groups. You have to be a member to access the pattern, but knitting six pairs of socks in one year is fun.
Needles: US0 Addi Turbo, using Magic Loop
Yarn: One of Ms. Mixie Riot's Yarn Oddities
Pattern Mods: OK, there were two. I added 10 rows of ribbing to the second section because I wanted the shaft of this sock to be longer. With my skinny ankles, the pattern would have been downright invisible if I had placed it any lower. To make the heel sturdier, I slipped every other stitch on the knit rows for the heel flap.
I'm currently working on Fetching fingerless gloves. Technically, they're a quick knit, and I should be done with them. Unfortunately, my chair has been usurped.
They're so cute, I can't just dislodge them!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The Big Thanksgiving Post (long, picture heavy)
It's been a while since my last post. I caught a nasty stomach bug, but fortunately, it cleared up just in time for Thanksgiving. So, without further ado, I give you the Big Thanksgiving Post, which also conveniently covers knitty blog stalking assignments 8-10. Yay for multitasking!
Let's get started at the beginning, the morning of November 22nd. First, I put on my cooking frump. You can't spend an entire day cooking in regular clothes, and as you can tell, I'm ready for the cook-a-thon, sweat pants, bat shirt and all.
It's important not to get hungry while cooking. To make sure we weren't going to eat our Thanksgiving dinner piece by piece throughout the day, I decided to whip up some buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. Here they are, slightly too big, slightly misshapen, but very yummy. I usually put blueberries in mine. This time, however, defrosting them was too much work, and I skipped them.
In the Meantime, Merlin helped me pick out recipes from my cookbook and magazine collection. He likes food. A lot.
I got the necessary tools out of the Weird Implements Drawer. We don't have a junk drawer, but we do have this drawer full of Weird Implements. Just in case you're wondering, anything that's not a knife, spoon or a fork qualifies as a Weird Implement. Except the potato peeler. Don't ask me why.
We don't eat canned cranberry sauce. I thought I hated cranberries, but it turns out I just couldn't stand the canned variety. Every year, I make spiced cranberry sauce from scratch. I wish I had a good enough camera to take a picture of the subtle color variations in even one single berry. The intensity and depth of color is incredible, and I wish it were possible to make yarn look that way. And I also wonder if cranberries can be used to dye yarn. Hmmm...
While I am stirring the cranberry sauce and then passing it through a sieve (not necessary, but we prefer smooth sauce to the other variety), Mr. Batty checks our herb situation. We make a turkey with thyme butter and our stuffing has rosemary and basil in it. It's very yummy and we make it every year, even though it appears to be cursed.
A few times, I burned the pine nuts instead of toasting them. It's incredible how quickly they go from completely white to blackened. You have to watch them like a hawk and take them off the heat immediately when they're golden. This year, I almost burned the bread but didn't, and the pine nuts came out lovely. I put them in a bowl, then put the bowl on top of the refrigerator because we needed the counter space. And then I opened the refrigerator... not realizing that the bowl was balanced between the refrigerator itself and the refrigerator door. It came down with a crash, spilling pine nuts everywhere.
Yeah.
At least the bowl didn't break, and we managed to salvage enough to make our stuffing. Pine nuts are expensive. Keeping the cats out of them was a bit of a challenge, but we managed.
In the end, all the hard work paid off. Here is the entire feast: organic turkey with thyme butter, gingersnap gravy, country bread stuffing with parmesan, pine nuts and raisins, mashed potatoes, green beans, and apple pie.
Wait... something is missing. We almost forgot to serve the cranberry sauce!
There. And just in case you're wondering... Those are now Thanksgiving bat placemats. Bats are an all season item, as far as I'm concerned. Bat is my favorite color.
We stuffed ourselves silly. Even the kittens were tired after a whole day of cooking. They only got their usual kibbles, but here is Miss Morgana, taking a little nap on the couch. The post-feast fullness is contagious.
Let's get started at the beginning, the morning of November 22nd. First, I put on my cooking frump. You can't spend an entire day cooking in regular clothes, and as you can tell, I'm ready for the cook-a-thon, sweat pants, bat shirt and all.
It's important not to get hungry while cooking. To make sure we weren't going to eat our Thanksgiving dinner piece by piece throughout the day, I decided to whip up some buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. Here they are, slightly too big, slightly misshapen, but very yummy. I usually put blueberries in mine. This time, however, defrosting them was too much work, and I skipped them.
In the Meantime, Merlin helped me pick out recipes from my cookbook and magazine collection. He likes food. A lot.
I got the necessary tools out of the Weird Implements Drawer. We don't have a junk drawer, but we do have this drawer full of Weird Implements. Just in case you're wondering, anything that's not a knife, spoon or a fork qualifies as a Weird Implement. Except the potato peeler. Don't ask me why.
We don't eat canned cranberry sauce. I thought I hated cranberries, but it turns out I just couldn't stand the canned variety. Every year, I make spiced cranberry sauce from scratch. I wish I had a good enough camera to take a picture of the subtle color variations in even one single berry. The intensity and depth of color is incredible, and I wish it were possible to make yarn look that way. And I also wonder if cranberries can be used to dye yarn. Hmmm...
While I am stirring the cranberry sauce and then passing it through a sieve (not necessary, but we prefer smooth sauce to the other variety), Mr. Batty checks our herb situation. We make a turkey with thyme butter and our stuffing has rosemary and basil in it. It's very yummy and we make it every year, even though it appears to be cursed.
A few times, I burned the pine nuts instead of toasting them. It's incredible how quickly they go from completely white to blackened. You have to watch them like a hawk and take them off the heat immediately when they're golden. This year, I almost burned the bread but didn't, and the pine nuts came out lovely. I put them in a bowl, then put the bowl on top of the refrigerator because we needed the counter space. And then I opened the refrigerator... not realizing that the bowl was balanced between the refrigerator itself and the refrigerator door. It came down with a crash, spilling pine nuts everywhere.
Yeah.
At least the bowl didn't break, and we managed to salvage enough to make our stuffing. Pine nuts are expensive. Keeping the cats out of them was a bit of a challenge, but we managed.
In the end, all the hard work paid off. Here is the entire feast: organic turkey with thyme butter, gingersnap gravy, country bread stuffing with parmesan, pine nuts and raisins, mashed potatoes, green beans, and apple pie.
Wait... something is missing. We almost forgot to serve the cranberry sauce!
There. And just in case you're wondering... Those are now Thanksgiving bat placemats. Bats are an all season item, as far as I'm concerned. Bat is my favorite color.
We stuffed ourselves silly. Even the kittens were tired after a whole day of cooking. They only got their usual kibbles, but here is Miss Morgana, taking a little nap on the couch. The post-feast fullness is contagious.
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