Pattern: Natasha Cabled Pullover from Adrienne Vittadini Fall 2003, size xs
Yarn: Filatura di Crosa 501, 7 balls
Needles: US5 in rib, US6 rest of body, approx 26 st/4in in cable, stretched

I finished the Toad last week. The photo of this sweater in the book misleads. The collar doesn't flap wide open, nearly off the shoulders like mine does. Dirty, rotten photo. I see why they have the sleeves pushed up. It shifts the weight upward so that minimizes any pull downward on the neck. I am constantly adjusting the sleeves, tugging the bottom down, pulling at the collar to get this thing to stay on right.

The wide-collared shirt makes yet another appearance underneath this sweater to keep skin exposure at a minimum. The distibution of weight on this sweater is all wrong. The problem I think has to do with the construction of the raglan sleeves. The stitches that make up the neck is distributed rather lopsidedly. Or, too little raglan decreases on the body, and too much raglan decreases on the sleeves. There were only 4 stitches on each sleeve that contributed to the final collar. As a result, the neck is more boatneck, but with that v-neck opening, the ends of the v-neck is pulled open by its own weight and folds over like a lapel. Does that make any sense?

The accidental lapels don't look TOO bad actually. At first I was like UGH! WTF! but then I thought, OK I can live with this. It looks a little interesting when the collar folds over slightly. I just hate having to readjust. If I don't tug at the sleeves the "lapels" will just keep opening up, until the thing is nearly off the shoulders.

Naughty, naughty toad.

The color isn't usually my style but I like it. And the cables are yummy. I went down 2 needle sizes, from 8 to 6, on the body and sleeves. It worked nicely for the body, but the sleeves were really tight. Maybe that's not such a horrible thing as it really shows off the cables.

I guess I'm happy with this. Not absolutely positively can't-sleep-at-nights THRILLED, but happy enough to wear it.

A wiggly cabled toad and a wiggly orange cat

Help me.

Here is the front of Allegra after having just done the tie-twist. Knitting the front took a lot of effort up to this point, and now that I'm at this point, I'm totally not into this piece anymore. After all that work, it just looks unsatisfyingly...weird. I've had so much stop and go with Allegra that now I'm thinking we just weren't meant to be, so though I loathe to do it, I'm dumping it. Sorry dude.

What do we think of this bolero jacket, from the new Debbie Bliss Simply Soft. I saw this last week at WEBS, didn't buy it, but have been thinking about it everyday. It uses the new Cashmerino Chunky, and I definitely want to have something in Cashmerino. This would be perfect for the chilly to really cold weather transition.

What I do not definitely want is to pay $16 for a so-so book with hard-to-read instructions for that one pattern I want. So um if anyone who has a copy of Simply Soft um wants to do a one-for-one pattern swap, like a copy of the bolero jacket for a copy of one pattern from whatever books I have, so that I don't have to buy the entire book, DO NOT (as in please DO) give me a shout.

Woo! I have a name!
And it's not Mona Lisa

Hey! I have ID'd the ubiquitous knit model. Aren't you excited, because now I can finally shut up about it. I found another blog that was wondering the same thing, and the answers were the same, different but funny to me, identical in the difference: she's Pam Allen's daughter, she's some relative, no she's a good friend, no her name is Christina Allen, no her name is Caitlin Fitzgerald. I had to find out once and for all.

So. I got caught in a sudden rainstorm while in Harvard Square on Friday, ducked into the bookstore and decided to do some sleuthing. In America Knits(aka Knitting in America, circa 1996), there is a contribution by Pam Allen, and her "daughter Caitlin" is modeling the piece. The girl looks about 10, 11 years old in the photo, sporting an open-mouthed smile. Ah, so it starts young. The grown-up Caitlin does only Mona Lisa smiles, and even though the hair looked exactly the same, you still couldn't be sure if it was the same girl.

I grabbed another book next to it, Weekend Knitting, and boo yah wouldn't you know it, there she was again. I think the editor was the same as for America Knits, and again Pam Allen had a few contributions. I flipped to the acknowledgment section in the front or back hoping to find names of the models used, and noticed one "Caitlin FitzGerald." It had to be her. Crikey does she have to model in everything her mother does? I'm starting to get a little annoyed/jealous at this point.

I took Scarf Style off the shelf, found the acknowledgments, and there was CF again.

Thus my super powerful skills of deduction leads me to positively say that the girl we see here and there and everywhere is Caitlin FitzGerald, daughter of Pam Allen. I'm guessing she's probably 20, 21, and does not color her hair. And that's the scoop. THE END.

Another reason to love summer besides ice cream is summer cocktails. We're big boozers here, and during the summer, the mint out back is flourishing (mint is scary aggressive like a weed, but a weed we're happy to have around). So in addition to the requisite glass of wine or pale ale at dinner, our livers are working overtime to break down the vast amounts of mojitos and mint juleps we're knocking back. Yeah!

The mighty mint julep

Growing up in the South I had always thought mint juleps, along with Coca-Cola, as one of them Refreshing Southern Drinks for Civilized Ladies, Particularly Those from the Civil War Era Who Wore Petticoats and Owned Slaves. I thought it was some special kind of lemonade. Excluding the slave part, everything about a mint julep screamed Southern gentility and charm.

That was until I actually had one. We were 19 and my friend and I drove to Louisiana JUST after they increased the drinking age from 18 to 21, but that didn't stop us from trying to get ourselves into any bar in the French Quarter. Eventually the popular Pat O' A Brien?slet us in without checking our ID's (suckers!). I ordered a mint julep and ah yes when it came, in a tall hurricane glass, stuffed with mint and icy condensation beading along the side, it looked delicious and refreshing and exactly how I had pictured a mint julep to be. I took a big long swig, and gagged. Coughed, choked, eyes watering, nearly died. Southern ladies drank THIS?! That liquid swirling like an oil slick in between the sprigs of mint was 110% straight up bourbon. In a decidedly non-genteel and suddenly vulgar HURRICANE glass. I kept at it anyway, hoping the more I drank the more I'd like it, when really the more I drank, the more my vision blurred, the more I felt like I had been conned. Mint julep, you were supposed to be dainty.

The back of Allegra. Underneath is my first attempt at the back, in the petite size that's still too large.

Back to knitting. I've finished the back of Allegra and am in the middle of the front. Pictures of the front to come. It's a very interesting construction. I had to read the instructions a million times to understand it. I like having a preview of the outcome in my head before I actually do it, but it turns out if I had just followed the instructions as written it would have all fallen into place.

The back piece has a little hole smack dab in the middle, of course. It was an errant yarn-over. I noticed it maybe only 5 rows after the hole was made, but did I rip back to do it over? No. Am I stupid? Yes. This hole is going to be SO noticeable when the piece is on and stretched. I will figure out a way to sew the hole shut later.

This weekend we were in western Mass for a birthday party. We stopped at WEBS, the most glorious discount yarn store on the East Coast, and ladies and gentlemen, I came out of there EMPTY HANDED.  I had loaded up my basket with some DB Cashmerino and Classic Elite Lush (it's not even on their website yet), but had nothing specific in mind for any of them. So, after wandering around asking myself Do I want or do I need? I put them all back.

Now matter how reluctant I was to walk out of there with nothing, at the end of the day I dislike stashing. It's a pretty recent discovery. I find myself getting stressed out about yarn that's just sitting there, continuing to be a yarn ball and not a sweater. And I know myself. Unless I will cast on within 5 minutes of bringing the yarn home, chances are, I won't use it. Chances are, I won't love it anymore. Then it becomes backup, or something you feel you need to get rid of, and I want to treat my yarn much more nicely than that.

It's weird the things that drive me nuts (yarn stash) and the things that don't (extra YO hole in sweater). I think most people are the exact opposite.

The pros about being a contractor are many: flexible hours, better pay, no office politics, no pressure of having to be on some "career track." The cons about being a contractor are too few to mention. I'm even ok with paying health care out-of-pocket.

But there is one con that has me a little sore. I didn't get to partake in the company summer outing which went something like this: catered seafood lunch; yachting in Newport, RI; clambake dinner; dj and dancing; hotel rooms for that one too many drink. I am shocked at the extravagance during a non-dotcom era that resembles more like a millionaire daughter's wedding than a corporate outing. Goddamn. I've always wanted to do a clambake!!! And I love sailing! I love Newport! And I love love love to drink free booze!

Also since I missed the outing I missed the announcement that went out telling everyone to stay at home the next day (today), so when I came into the office this morning I was all, "Bueller....Bueller...Bueller...?" Sigh. There is no love for the contractor.

With my sudden free time today I finished Harry Potter.

Blossom's OSW came in the mail yesterday. It was too small for her, she offered to give it away, and I kindly accepted the offer. I too however found that it was too small for me.

But it wasn't too small for a certain fiery-haired beauty...

And I'm breaking my No Knitting For Me, Only Knitting for You vow. I'm disappointed in myself but hardly surprised. I did start on a few baby pieces and they seem to be going pretty quickly, and since it's still blazing hot outside I thought, I could totally squeeze in one more summer piece before the season's over.

So Allegra, I'm comin' back for you and this time I mean to finish you up and finish you up good.

Comparing the width of Allegra to the width of my favorite perfect-fit tank. Look at that!

I started this back in May and have been starting/stalling on it ever since, because I had more than an inkling that it was going to be monster big on me, despite knitting it in the smallest size. But I was loathe to make any sizing adjustments. The pattern motif is too involved and I was too lazy to re-plot. So what does one do when one cannot make one's mind up? Keep on knitting, just keep on knitting! Yes it's too big but if you just Keep On Knitting the piece will magically shrink or you will magically grow to magically fit you perfectly!

Anyway I made my adjustments to the back and cut the width back by more than 3 inches. The adjustments to the front is going to be so so gross, but I'll think about it when I get there. The goal is to finish this within the month. And THEN I will concentrate on baby stuff only, yes. I will.

"I hate you."

Ce-ce-Celia!

Pattern: Diagonal Stitch Top from Adrienne Vittadini Spring 2005
Yarn: Rowan Linen Drape, 4 balls
Gauge: approx 20 sts = 4in on US5 needles

I wore this to work today paired with white capri pants and ballet flats, feeling a little like Audrey Hepburn if Audrey Hepburn would be the type of gal to ever be caught with unbelievable shine (or grease, however you choose to put it), or a hairdo that's impersonating a dog playing dead. It was that hot today. You walk out and it feels like you someone slapped your face with a warm wet towel, and then tried to muzzle you with it. Am I back home in Atlanta? Did someone set fire to it again?

But really I'm not complaining. Ever since winter squashed spring into a no-show, I've been loving the heat. BRING IT ON.

I'd like to thank Carolyn again for the generous gift of Linen Drape. I think it made a fabulous yarn substitition for Celia which orginally calls for silk. I made other modifications too, sizing being one. Also because I cast on less stitches than the smallest size, I sort of just willy nilly decided how many decreases/increases I wanted for waist shaping. I did only one set for the waist. For the neck shaping, I followed the pattern but left out just a few decreases so that the overall circumference of the neckhole would be consistent with the smallest size. I'm small everywhere EXCEPT my head, which is the size of a dirigible, so no sizing modifications can be made there.

I must lament on one thing though: I SUCK AT NECKSHAPING. I don't know what happened but the front neck is just, yuck. A little more Jaggedy Cliffs and a lot less Gentle Green Slope. I've always suspected from past pieces that my neck shaping was yuck. Now I know beyond a reasonable doubt it is yuck. Binding off in a middle of a row = yuck. I haven't been able to learn from past yucks. Even with a row of single crochet finishing didn't hide the fact that it is so yuck. Yuck.

I usually like my PORTRAITS taken in natural light, because flash is so yuck, but the flash really made the eyelets pop, so I went with it.

What else, what else. That's it. I really like this piece and would definitely do it again. But not anytime soon because I am putting a stopper on projects for me. From now one, it's baby all the time, all the way.

Change of topic: You know what really made me smile today? The commute into work. Why? Were the trains actually on time, air conditioned, and not at all crowded? No. Was every other commuter carrying and reading the latest Harry Potter book? Yes. Dude, it was SO CUTE to see men, full-grown adult men, balding men, men in suits, men with a Blackberry clipped to their belts, sitting on the train with their briefcases on their laps and their noses buried in that book. It totally made my day.

...Carolyn who sent over 6 skeins of Rowan linen drape for free. Free! Thank you Carolyn! This is what one skein has produced so far:

Another from Adrienne V. Spring 05, this one I call 'Celia,' the name of the original yarn to use. It is 100% silk. I dislike silk. It gives off that tell-tale stink, is expensive, doesn't drape well on sticks like me, and comes out of a bug's anus. I had been thinking of using Cotton Fleece again for this and then Linen Drape came along, et voila.

...Allegra, for abandoning you yet again.

...Jeannine, an old buddy from college whom I haven't seen since graduation day. Actually I think the last place we saw each other was at the ice cream shop on Hope St (?) the day before graduation and you said very sternly to me, "Shh! Say no goodbyes!" and well, we didn't. Now Jeannine is in Amsterdam and I am in Boston. We email occassionally and tried to meet up when I was in the area last November (unsuccessful). Long gap of silence until yesterday when I get an email saying she found this site while surfing other knitting blogs, hee hee. So hello Jeannine, I miss you, send brownies.

...London. Love you, London. Hate you, Bush. At the end of the day I blame everything on him.

Many thanks for all the positive comments left about Dianne! Maybe I should give it to one of you so she can be appreciated more. It's true we're our own worst critics, especially if we have it stuck in our minds that it's going to turn out a certain way. I do prefer my tops to be more fitted, the smaller the better, not because there's anything I'd like to show off, but because I don't have anything to show off. If it's loose, if there are one too many air pockets, then I'm walking around looking like a small leafless tree covered in burlap. I can't be wearing anything that looks more like it's wearing me than I'm wearing it, know what I mean?

Anyway I'm hoping my mom will appreciate it more, because that's where Dianne's going.

So here's what I got going on in the project queue:

"Allegra" aka Twist Top, from AV Spring 05
I started this several weeks ago and have only done several inches. The yarn I'm using is AV Allegra, which consists of cotton with a thread of shimmery nylon running through it. The elasticity the nylon gives is great.

I'm pretty sure the front of this pattern is going to make me wish I never chose to do it, even though it's the very reason why I am doing it.

"Coral Tank" aka Top with Lace Pattern, from Rebecca 29
I was in the mood for something lacy and started this on a whim. I'm using Cotton Fleece in terracotta, and hoping I will need only the 2 skeins I bought and no more. I'm making this one shorter.

This style I normally wouldn't bat two lashes at, but I've been seeing A LOT of open knits in all kinds of styles - shrugs, ballet wraps, cardigans, belts - and I guess the trend is growing on me. Plus lace is more interesting to knit. Plus it'll look cute with a visible and obvious camisole underneath. Unlike that model, I have nipples. But I'm squinting at the photo now and perhaps she's wearing a nude tube top...which is just as bad as showing your nipples because now you're inviting others to wonder if you are truly nippleless or if you're wearing a nude tube top and already way too much speculating has been done.

Woo woo woo, cheesy pose

Pattern: #6 Shaped Top from Adrienne Vittadini Spring 2005
Yarn: Adrienne Vittadini Dianne, cotton/microfiber blend
Gauge: 17 sts=4" on US6/4.25 mm needles

OK I don't know how I feel about this piece. The part that gave me the most trouble was of course the lace pattern around the bust, and thus had the potential to look the wonkiest. But I ignored the chart in the book, drew my own (BIG help), and despite a row boo-boo which I now can't even see, the lace turned out pretty decent. No complaints. The picot finishing around the neck and armhole edges look really nice too.

It's everything else that looks off, from the bottom front to the waist shaping to the entire back piece, knitted in plain ole stockinette stitch. It's too big. I used the yarn specified (for the first time ever, ironically), went down a needle size to get a smaller gauge, and still it came out all billowy. Not at all a fan of the drape. I could shave a whole 3 inches off from the width next time. If there is a next time. Most likely there won't be.

Taking a break next to a cemetery in the Boston Commons.

Despite this, Dianne's grand day out included getting passport photos taken, dinner at Parish Cafe downtown, and a movie afterwards (Star Wars Ep. III. Horrible).  I figured if I wore the top around for an entire day in public, Dianne would grow on me. That isn't even a choice really. I am determined that she WILL grow on me, I WILL like her. Because you can't just not wear what you've slaved hours and hours and hours on.

I did very much enjoy seaming Dianne. Left side, right side, done!

Putting Dianne under 30 lbs of books was a bad idea. So was soaking her thoroughly in a waterbath. That was three days ago. A spin in the dryer seems to make Dianne even wetter. I was actually feeling good about the finished piece before the flattening trauma. Now not so much. All that manhandling has stretched her some more. She's too big, too flappy in the breeze and too limp and boohoo I am too sad. Maybe I will give her away.

I have a hangover.

By the way, I have been getting a lot of mileage out of AJ. In fact I wore AJ twice this week to the office, paired with even the same shirt underneath and the same pants. I was able to get away with such a fashion faux pas because since Tuesday I have seen and spoken to exactly no one (okay maybe I spoke to one person. Two at the most). How is this possible you ask? First, many people were away on conferences. I think. Second, I have this weird corner office in the way back of the floor that gets little traffic and even if there was traffic, the wall directly in front prevents anyone from seeing the office's occupant. If there is one. If a consultant sits in an office and no one knows she's there working, then has she gotten anything done?

And so I wore AJ over and over. AJ's been in the wash too, and although the color faded somewhat, she's holding up extremely well.

The good news is I finished Dianne the other night. The bad news is that in an attempt to uncurl the unruly bottom edges, I subjected Dianne to the force of Webster's Dictionary and two more text books, and any little bit of air has been entirely stamped out. Dianne and all her perky picot bobbles are flat, lifeless and crushed. I tried her on after retrieving her from underneath the pile of books, and hey I was wearing a box. Poor Dianne. Stupid me. I'm going to attempt to plump the stitches back up by soaking the piece and maybe give it a quick run-through in the dryer.

I might be slipping into a knitting funk. Nothing I've been working so far is distracting me enough to spend hours and hours on. In fact, I've been doing the laundry, mopping the floors, cleaning the house, pulling out weeds, and other various chores that I normally would happily neglect - and have been - in favor of knitting. Clearly something is amiss. Something like my Knitting Groove.

Three start 'n stop projects to talk about:
Dianne

Hey now, a real blocking board!
Can you see the boo-boo in the lace pattern? No? Great.

The front of Dianne has been done for some time now. Nothing but stockinette from here on out and it's so boring, I find it difficult to get myself motivated to finish. Only a few inches completed so far, and it's killing my hands for some reason.

Chevron Rib Tank
To change things up I started the Chevron Rib Tank, free from interweaveknits.com.

Just a few rows into it and I discovered I didn't like this pattern. The chevron is extremely steep, it practically goes down to the crotch, and plus, it's only on the front, while the back is straight across. Goofy McGoofers. I'm going to rework this pattern to reduce the length of the chevron, or come up with something new entirely. But for now let's just put it aside.

The M1's that make the diamond pattern
in the center are also making small decorative holes.

Front half of AJ seemed

Instead of casting on immediately for the next sleeve after finishing one, I decided I'd start seaming one side so any adjustments that might have to be made can be done before everything's been knitted and sewn up. I learned my lesson after unwittingly knitting up The Sweater with Gorilla Arms that, after much cursing and way too much math, later became Savanna.

For AJ I went down two needle sizes to a size 6/4.25mm, and for awhile there it looked as if I'd have the complete opposite of the gorilla arms problem, but (angels singing) all is well. In fact I think this is the best fitting sleeve/shoulder I've knitted and seamed so far. No lumpy frumpy bumpiness, and the sleeves are hitting right below my wrist, instead of down to my knuckles as usual with Rebecca patterns.

Two minutes after the post on the Adrienne V. shaped top, I derailed on the lace pattern for the right side and could not reconcile it enough to get back on track. Ripped out a few rows and will return to it once I black out their chart with a big black marker and rechart it myself, following the textual instructions found in the first pattern, in the same book. So same lace pattern, but instructions for one piece uses text only, and instructions for other uses chart only. How odd is that? I did a cursory row-by-row match of the text and the chart to confirm that they actually don't match. So yeah, the chart is crap.

Spring in the Boston Public Garden

To celebrate my favorite month that is May, the month my favorite flowers that are lilacs will be in bloom, I present this lovely picture of spring that is currently awash all over Boston. Unfortunately this picture was taken last year, because this weekend it did nothing but rain. I am so looking forward to warmer weather (not this 55, 60 degree crap) and pleasant sunshine. Boston is so very nice when the weather is too.

Front of Dianne, several rows into lace pattern and v-neck split.
Looks all innocent in the afternoon sunglow, but she's a total bitch.

Dianne started off normally enough. 15 inches of pure stockinette stitches with a few waist decreases and increases thrown in to keep the eyes open. Nevertheless stockinette sure gets boring quick, so I was pleased to have finally reached the lace pattern so that the real fun could begin.

The pattern says this is for experienced knitters. That part at least is correct. But let me clarify a bit. Experienced here does not mean experienced in knitting techniques - there are nothing but simple yarn-overs, ssk and k2tog here.

Experienced means "Keeping a smile on your face while you navigate the very turbulent landscape of our pot-hole filled, erroneous, lazy and all-around shitty pattern, and still come out the other side with something that isn't completely F&*D and without having kicked your cat for no reason (to him)."  I am not an experienced knitter. Sorry Bunny, hope your hips aren't too misaligned.

Lace Pattern. Or, A Very Bumpy Road Ahead

The chart is wrong in some places (unequal number of increases and decreases, even though in the instructions it says to "make sure number of inc and dec are the same for a given row."). It tells you how many stitches to cast on but that's about it as far as helpful stitch numbers go. You're left on your own as to how many should be left on the shoulders when all is said and done, if you've managed to get that far intact.

Also, there are no edge stitches. They've even got yarn-overs and decreases at the edges. Knitting hooligans! How am I going to seam this thing?

In conclusion. The instructions could not be any worse than if you removed the chart and replaced it with a picture of a giant dirty rat. The only way to pilot this thing is by the seat of your pants, and to fill the holes as you go along. Counting stitches to keep in pattern is useless, which is why for me I've got a delta of 5 stitches between the left and right front. But it doesn't matter. I'll get that under control eventually. I'm doing whatever I gotta do to keep the lace in pattern, even if that means conducting suspect accounting practices by putting an extra credit here or another debit over there.

I will finish this though. I will.

Did I at some point say that the Apricot Jacket pattern was hard to follow? Did I say it more than once? Interesting.

PS. I didn't really kick the cat.

It's unbelievable what changes while 10 days away from New England in the middle of April. Suddenly now there is what appears to be FOLIAGE. I'm seeing things that are green, yellow, and PINK. All my daffodils are in bloom. The hyacinths are at peak. The tulips are ready to party. And the peonies! Just before I left for Taipei I was searching in vain for their little pokey heads in the dirt, and now they've seemingly bypassed the Pokey Heads stage and headed straight into Twelve Whole Inches of Fluffy Leaves with Even a Few Buds Included stage!

All the perennials planted Spring '04 - ah yes that magical season of unsurpassed gardening frenzy because I wasn't working - are coming back as well. I know it's their job, but I'm still surprised.

Back to knitting talk. I finished the left side of AJ. I will say again: the instructions for this piece are f'ed up. I continue only because I really love this cardigan, and because every knitter and their dog on this planet has managed to complete this piece well enough to wear it in public. And so will I damnit. 

So first the good news: the mystery that is the front bands has been revealed - they're knitted at each shoulder of the front pieces. You bind off about half of the stitches for the shoulder, and then continue knitting the other half for some inches which will then constitute "front bands."  Ahhhh.

Now the bad news: With the front pieces joined together by the front bands, the piece will resemble a halter top. So the front bands then are really back bands, wrapping behind your neck. In the back. Not the front. The back. Back bands. BACK bands you fools. That yes, are knitting from the front. If You Pattern Writers had just mentioned this very quickly somewhere in the footnote of the pattern I wouldn't be so upset.

More bad news: What REALLY bugs me is that for the front/back bands, the pattern says to cast on an extra stitch "anew" at the edge. Anew is too quaint a word for a task so clugey. Unless I misinterpret, anew requires dropping/snipping the old yarn and attaching a new ball for the sake of ONE cast-on. Why not just do a simple increase? Or, why not bind off a stitch less? Or, why not account for the extra stitch in pattern? Or better yet, why don't we just not do it?

I need to find me an AJ support group.

I'm hoping that like the front band mystery itself, when finished this extra stitch tumor will reveal itself to be useful if not totally mandatory. For now I'm a little put off by the whole thing and have taken a break from AJ, and started AV.

Adrienne V that is, Shaped Top #6 from Spring 2005. I'm going to give it a less clinical name and call it...Dianna. After the name of the yarn. This name will work if I knit in this yarn this one time in my life only.