Monday, April 11, 2005
Here's what I got going on with the Apricot Jacket. I gotta say, the instructions for this are really confusing. Glad I didn't start off with this as my first sweater project. I would've given up on knitting altogether.
Bunny feet on Jacket
I'm knitting this on size 6/4.25mm needles to obtain a much smaller gauge. I like 'em tight. I've also shortened the length 4 cm and plan on doing the same for the sleeves.
So I am here unexpectedly again in Taipei. When the Pope passed away last Saturday, he took my grandfather with him, mercifully ending years and years of suffering a slow and painful death. None of us can be too sad about him finally being at peace. It was so hard for me to see him so broken and bed-ridden and tied with a mess of feeding tubes and whatever else. He spent over 10 years like that, never speaking and wholly unable to do anything on his own, but breathe, sleep, and blink. Several times he was on the brink, and each time he was pulled back in.
Duck and I set up a living will a couple of years ago to ensure we'd never have our low threshold of pain tested in such a way. If either of us so much as develops a chronic rash, that's it dude. You have my leave to pull the plug.
I love Taipei but need to stop coming here for the purpose of mourning. Fourth time in as many years, third time since Jan 2004. However it's always great seeing family again, and of course it's great to do ALL THE EATING.
So we're here about a week. Brought the Apricot Jacket but doubt I'll find any time to knit. Also I left some knitting materials on the plane - a small bag of crochet hooks, stitch markers, a beloved tape measure and grrrrrr.
Filed Under: Life | Rebecca 27 | Apricot Jacket | Travel | Taipei
Sunday, April 03, 2005
It's going to be in the mid-60's this week, just in time for the Eyelet Cardi/Bunny Wrap to make its debut.
 
Bask in all its pink glory
Pattern: No.39 Wrap Sweater with Eyelets from Rebecca 29
Yarn: Classic Elite Lush (angora/wool blend) in pink, 4.5 skeins
Gauge: 18sts on 7/4.5mm needles
So I substituted GGH Soft Kid with Lush because SK and I were just not getting along. At all. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough and traded them in for the very aptly named Luuusssshh. Though it made the sweater a real 'knit' piece rather than a fluffy, light-as-air one, Lush was nevertheless a great substitute. Until you got to the sash, then it became seriously inappropriate. I redid it a couple of times, decreasing the number of stitches from 21 to 9 to make it more ribbon-like and less rope-like. Better, but not great. Still can't double tie it. It also curls like mad despite attempts to block and steam the bloody life out of it.
Alas, to no avail.
What I should have done was to knit in garter stitch...or double crochet it...I had also thought about using my one leftover SK skein in HOT FUSCHIA to use for the sash. Could have been a nice accent against the pink. But I couldn't bear to redo it yet again so I'm going to live with it and be happy with the results. And I am. It's very very VERY soft, warm but light, and pink! I don't usually do pink, but every now and then it must be incorporated into wardrobe to remind self and others that despite the boy-like figure, I am actually a girly girl.
I also enjoy the occasional lace
Other notes:
- Substituted yarn, yadda yadda.
- Next time (if there is a next time) garter stitch the sash to prevent unruly curling. Notice I did not say "try using Soft Kid as suggested."
- Did not crochet slip-stitches around the arm cuffs or body.
- Picked up about 140 stitches around the V-neck and back neck, purled one row and bound off the next knit-wise, per instructions. I was afraid I had picked up too little and it would pull in, but it didn't and the end result looked really nice.
- It got a little hairy at times knitting the front pieces, as there were so many things going on simultaneously: eyelet pattern, increase shaping on one side, sloped bind-off on the other, armhole shaping, do this every other row but do this once every 8th row, etc. etc. etc. Groups of tick marks everywhere.
- Mattress stitch as usual for seaming. For the cap sleeves I did the usual combo of grafting/mattress stitch to attach top to body (I think Vogue Knitting calls it "invisible vertical to horizontal" seaming), and then mattress down the sides. I posted to a news group asking about preferred method of attaching sleeve, since my books reference backstitch as the "right" way to attach cap sleeves. But the vote was unanimous: mattress. Less bulky, more flexible, and easy. Awesome. I don't want to do backstitch.
Next up: The famous Apricot Jacket. Finally. Already started it using Cotton Fleece in teal. The instructions are totally confusing, but I got around it, I got around it.
Filed Under: Completed Projects | Rebecca 29 | Eyelet Cardi
Friday, April 01, 2005
Eyelet Cardi progess: finished ties
Eyelet Cardi deprogress: ripping ties
The sashes are too thick with the yarn I used. There's no way I can double knot, but even draping one over the other in a single knot has me looking like I've got a pink fuzzy tumor on my side. I was knitting this and thinking, you know, I really should decrease the width but then I didn't because I'm lazy and now gaaah.
Pictures later.
Filed Under: Rebecca 29 | Eyelet Cardi
Friday, April 01, 2005
Today during a meeting I used the word "nipples." I reminded myself of Jeff from Coupling whose biggest paranoia was accidentally blurting out "nipples" or "breasts" or "thighs" in casual conversation. Only difference was I thought about it first, then gave myself leave to say "nipples" outloud anyway, and then we all laughed until we cried. In a strange twist of sexism I don't think I would have gotten away with saying nipples if I weren't a woman and if I weren't the only woman in the room.
(The conversation was about those little buttons on men's shirts that allow them to button down their collars. The guys were comparing who buttoned their collars and who didn't, and if those buttons really served any valuable purpose. Like men's nipples. They're there, one on each side, but why? Such a natural segue, I thought.)
The Eyelet Cardi/Bunny Wrap just won't end. Everything's been seamed except for a small portion of the right side, because I'm waiting to finish the ties before I do that. Knitting the ties is taking ages and ages. Then I still have to give the edges a crochet finish. I want to wear it already. I've been trying it on periodically and it is so freakin soft. Next fall/winter's projects are going to have to include angora because damn I feel all luscious in angora.
Speaking of angora, my cat, whom we call Bunny, has been projectile vomitting again on a semi-regular basis. Projectile because he leaves a trail of mashed up catfood 2 feet long, or he backs up as vomits. It's totally disgusting. Other than that he's a happy healthy kitty: likes to play, likes to chase his brother, likes to swat at my knitting. He just can't keep his food down to save his little cat life.
Filed Under: Cats | Life | Rebecca 29 | Eyelet Cardi
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Cotton Fleece in teal, Blue Sky Organic Cotton in sand, AV Allegra in ocean and AV Dianna in...ecru tinged with lime. Enough materials for 4 pieces. Also in the bag: AV spring 2005 and fall 2003 pattern books. I only spent a total of 40 minutes at WEBS, even though with the bounty they had it could easily have been 40 days. I deliberately stayed away from the warehouse and stuck to the store and stuck to my list.
Filed Under: Yarn Stash
Saturday, March 26, 2005
We're off to the Berkshires this weekend where I can get my yarn stashing grooove on. On my list of to-get are Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece for the Apricot Jacket (I'm currently using Cotton-Ease but still finding it too stiff), more Cotton Fleece for the Cotton Tank from IK, extra Cotton Fleece for a couple more tanks or jackets to make as gifts, as well as materials for the two sleeveless tops from AV Spring 2005.
I'm almost done with the Eyelet Cardi/Bunny Wrap, but not in time to wear for Easter. It's going to be 40 degrees anyway.
Happy weekend!
Filed Under: Projects
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Blocking the back panel
I have the most ghetto blocking board ever, consisting of an old towel draped over a dismembered cardboard box. Yesterday I broke down and decided to buy a big girl's blocking board from joann.com, because my ruleless board isn't preventing me from blocking my pieces a bit waywardly. This back panel is slanting a bit to the left.
Is it the weekend yet? I am so excited about visiting Webs. Already made a list of materials I'm interested in order to avoid the Overwhelmed-with-All-the-Choices Paralysis upon entering the store. Projects for this spring/summer will include a couple from Adrienne V.'s spring 2005 book, and Webs has the AV yarn called for. If I go for them it'll be the first time I'm not yarn substituting.
 
I'm going to love knitting for summer pieces because none of them will have sleeves which means fast fast fast and finished pieces every week aww yeaaaaah. Knitting is going to make me destitute.
Filed Under: Projects | Rebecca 29 | Eyelet Cardi
Monday, March 21, 2005
Savanna is finished with her brand-new super skinny arms!
Pattern: Sweater with Cable Patterns #18 from Rebecca 28.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky, 15 skeins
Gauge: 14 sts and 19 rows to 10 cm, size 10/6mm needles
Gone are the loose and flappy wings. I'm really glad I stuck this out and reconstructed the sleeves because I wouldn't have worn this sweater otherwise. But I wasn't about to let all that yarn and time go to waste. I worked out the math and ended up reducing the number of stitches by 8 (about 2 inches), increased one stitch on each side 10 times instead of 11, bound off the same amount, and ended with 10 stitches for the cap instead of 14. This did not prove to be huge difference when attaching the sleeve to the body, a task WHICH by the way, no longer makes me cry. Even though re-doing the sleeves set me back a week, I now actually understand the whole sleeve shaping voodoo magic. Woot.
Other changes I made: didn't knit the cable pattern for the back; knit only 5 rows of ribbing for the sleeves; did SSK in place of s1, k1, psso as ssk looks more symmetrical with k2tog; knit shorter turtleneck as original pattern would have turtleneck up to eyelids.
So this is the last sweater of the season. In all I completed 3 sweaters in the last 3 months. Not bad, considering I just graduated from scarves in January. I love knitting.
Bring on the Bunny Wrap!!
(yet another name for the Eyelet Cardi)
Filed Under: Completed Projects | Rebecca 28 | Savanna
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Normally I would be totally pissed at the prospect of more snow, especially on the first day of Spring, but then that also means if I finish my Savanna sweater soonish rather than laterish I can still wear it soonish rather than laterish in the yearish. Today's goal is to re-do a single sleeve, re-attach it to the body and see how that looks before I reconstruct the other.
Meanwhile this week I have been working on the Eyelet Cardi. I really love the Lush yarn. I'm hoping to finish it by Easter when we go visit the in-laws in western mass. OOO I've coerced Duck to a sidetrip to the WEBS store in Northampton, and then to Colorful Stitches (beautiful spacious store) in Lenox. Eeeee!
Filed Under: Rebecca 29 | Eyelet Cardi
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