Monday, July 11, 2005
I never meant to like it but somehow I did. There's something about the models in the book that are unsettling enough to divert attention away from the knits, at first. They look haunted, anemic, in need of a trip to the Caribbean (me too though, me too). And some of their hair styles...woof! So my first impression was NO THANKS, GET AWAY. These people and therefore these knits are FREAKISH.
But I kept picking it up everytime I'd happen on it at the bookstore or yarn store, and now I think most of the pieces in there are very very cool. Some are still wacked out, as are the models, but overall there are plenty of pieces I would make.
I still hate this guy though.
Filed Under: General Knitting
Sunday, July 10, 2005
CORRECTION to my previous post about silk. I learned this while reading through the chapter in Vogue Knitting about all the different kinds of yarn materials. I seemed to have skipped that part when first receiving it because I have a habit with all my books of reading the end first, then parts of the middle and then the beginning. Yes, ass backwards!
So speaking of ass, the silk does not exit through the silkworm's bottom as one might assume, but through its head. Wow, isn't that interesting? Does it make it any more appealing whatsoever that silk comes out of a bug's FACE rather than his rear? No.
You know what else is not so appealing is knitting for babies. I know! I must be hollow inside! Both my BIL and my cousin, who are due around the same time, are having boys (Nephew W and Little Cousin O respectively) and I'm having trouble figuring out what to make for them...I'm afraid they won't like it, I'm afraid it's not practical, I'm afraid the baby will choke on the ill-sewn buttons...all very bad things in of themselves but so much worse when you've put hours and hours into making something they might pack away in the attic forever. I'm willing to pay someone to knit a baby item for me. Got anything laying around you want to sell?
But is it practical?
I have however started this super-cute kimono for Nephew W, using some KFI Cashmereno (soooooo soft) I've got laying around. But, does this sound right to you?
- The gauge is 25 sts = 4 inches. Check.
- For the 12 month-old size, cast on 90 sts for the back. Check.
- The width the back should thus be 15 inches. Check....
- The chest is about 30 inches. OK what.
Hey do one year-olds have 30 inch busts? I know it's not supposed to be FORM FITTING but, damn. I could wear this! Babies are gigantic!
After leafing through a whole mess of baby knit books, I suddenly had a great idea last night for a sweater for Cousin O. It will involve INTARSIA! I looked around online for some animal charts or something cute for kids, and I found this:
Is it: a) roadkill b) a moldy chicken
c) not a frog d) all of the above
It's supposed to be a frog. WTF. I didn't find anything cute at all, only that and ugly Pokeman charts and one of a howling wolf, so I'm charting my own. It'll have something to do with the Red Sox, because my cousin is a huge Sox fan, and no doubt his son will be too.
Like all average Americans in average American households,
Veebs enjoys watching his favorite shows while naked in bed.
Filed Under: Cats | General Knitting
Friday, July 08, 2005
...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.
Filed Under: Adrienne V | Celia | Life
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
We had a torrential downpour today. When it rains, the city and everything in it malfunctions. Here's a chronological list of things that broke down today:
My hair
The Orange line train going inbound
The straps on my right sandal
My umbrella
My mood
The Orange line train going outbound
The bell on the bus
The bus
Another thing that's broken is this site syndication. Bloglines isn't picking up anything new from this month, I don't think. Whatever. If there are any subscribers out there could you tell me what you see as the latest entry? Not that I can fix it but, I'm curious.
Filed Under: Life
Monday, July 04, 2005
I. Love. This. Piece.
Pattern: Orangina by Stefanie J.
Yarn: Filatura di Crosa "Mirto" in white, cotton/linen/rayon blend; just over 3 balls (like 3 balls plus 1 yard of the 4th, grrr)
Gauge: approx 26 sts = 4in on US3/3.25 mm needles
After the sides were all seamed in, the loose ends woven in and I tried Orangina on for the first time, I thought to myself in a very giddy voice, I am so so so so so so so so so (ad nauseum) glad I learned how to knit. Dude this is my favorite pattern of all time. It is beautiful in its simplicity. Zero waist shaping, zero arm shaping, zero neck shaping. If you want to make it smaller just remove 9 stitches from the pattern. Vice-versa to make it larger. The border for the pattern scallops naturally, so is used as the neckline...man it's so brilliant I wish I came up with it. It's no wonder that the entire planet has knitted or wants to knit this piece. So easy, but looks anything but.
Happy 4th!
FdiC Mirto was a very nice choice of yarn. It's oh so clean and crisp and nice for summer picnics, but if I had spilled ketchup on the front I would have murdered the person sitting closest to me. You've never seen someone eat so carefully as if she were having high tea and finger sandwiches at the Ritz instead of beer and Italian sausages at a 4th of July barbeque.
The lace pattern was really easy to remember, even though I found myself routinely meandering out of pattern. Do not watch Alias dvds while knitting Orangina. Or, count while you do it. I found that counting while knitting really helped: 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9, 1..2...3...OK I think you all know how to count to 9. You get the drift.
Orangina did turn out pretty snug. Like I've mentioned, I went 27 sts less than the smallest size indicated the pattern. This means the width for each piece is about 12 inches. This means the total bust size is 24 inches. :/ This means I am sans chest. But to my credit, it is 24 inches UNBLOCKED and UNSTRETCHED. I just re-measured now after having worn it for a day and it's now 30 inches around. That's right. I'm still bigger than either of the Olsen twins combined times 4, alright? I could have gone down 18 sts and been ok. However, a lot of people who posted in this craftster forum have mentioned that it knits up loose with a lot of ease. I didn't want another version of flappy gappy Dianne, so to play it safe I sized it way way down. The side seams at the underarms I noticed were stretched to the max, like all eeeee! and quivering to keep it together.
And instead of seaming 2 inches for the shoulders, I seamed one scallop'd width, which was just over 1 inch.
I just love love love this piece.
P.S. While we were out in western Mass this weekend we stopped at Colourful Stitches, my favorite yarn store ever. They have everything, stocked in a beautiful, lofty space. Anyway I bought nothing, but I spotted a woman there who I know works at Wild & Wooly in Lexington. I had seen her before shopping in other yarn stores around Boston, I thought maybe to do competitive research for W&W, except that each time at these different stores she was known by name. Traitor! And it was so odd that I would keep running into her at all these yarn shops. Then to see her all the way out in western Mass, again shopping for yarn and knowing the owner by name...what's the deal?
Filed Under: Completed Projects | Orangina
Friday, July 01, 2005
Almost there...
I've approached ribbing for Orangina the White. Will I forget how
tediously boring ribbing can be and believe I can finish this all
by today? Yes. Yes yes yes. My judgment in estimates will be clouded by
my extreme desire to finish and wear this right the f now. I sewed one
shoulder seam (one scallop) and tried it on to see how it would fit,
and man is this a nice sweater. Must finish today MUST FINISH TODAY!!!!
A couple of people have asked if I have an rss feed. I've been
hesitant to publicize it because if I know people are subscribing to my
site, then I will start to sweat and blink nervously, and nothing
I type will be good enough to warrant a subscription to, and you'll all
hate me. Why all the drama? I have a web site which I both do and do
not want people to see. Stupid. Anyway, subscribe here.
For all you fellow Americans I hope you have a lovely Independence
Day this weekend. I will be showing my patriotism by finally
finishing my application for an Irish citizenship! This
applying-Irish-citizenship-through-marriage 'loophole' closes this
November, but there were a lot of other requirements that needed to be
fulfilled before then, like having at least a 3-year long marriage. We
just had our 3-year anniversary in April, so we are making the deadline
just in time. I took this opportunity to finally change my name, and
just now received my updated passport. This weekend when we go to
Duck's family we will pick up all the other necessary paperwork - his
grandmother's birth certificate (she's a natural-born Irishwoman,
making all this possible), marriage certificate, his mother's marriage
certificate, etc. etc. Lots of documentation to gather before we can
make an appointment at the Irish Consulate...We're almost there though,
and once my citizenship is approved and I can apply for an EU passport,
I will apply for a Taiwanese one. One day soon I'll be strutting down
the street wearing my Orangina and carrying three valid passports and
how hot would that be?!
Filed Under: Life | Orangina
Friday, June 24, 2005
You've probably already seen everyone else's closeup, but here's mine anyways.
Orangina the White is so much fun to knit. I've only had time to sneak quick bits here and there but so far, and even with the teeny tiny 3mm needles, I've got 6 inches going on. I'm hoping to finish this up in time for 4th July weekend so I can wear it during various bbq's and have people lining up to congratulate me on such a stunning piece, and to place an order for one, ha....Sigh. Chances are no one will notice. No one cares about my knitting. Except for my mom. And Duck. And you. Actually Duck's put a few requests in for a sweater, but I'm selfish and won't make one for him yet. Guys are too BIG. In the time and money it takes to make a large guy sweater, I could make a hundred sweaters for me. So I always pick me. Ha.
As I posted previously, I cast on 27 stitches less than the smallest size, or in other words, have only 8 repeats of the lace pattern. The width is a little less than 12 inches across. I was afraid this was going to be too small even for me. When I hold it up I think, am I really going to attempt to wear this doily? The material is extremely lightweight as well so it seems that much more unsubstantial. But it's stretchy too, so hopefully no problems there. I do want it to be fitted.
I'm so glad it's the weekend, and I'm so glad it's going to be a scorcher. Finally! We're going to be pushing 100F/37C degrees. I would have liked to have gone to the Cape this weekend, but it was just our luck that the one time we were invited, it turns out to fall on a crappy weekend sandwiched between two great ones. Anyway last weekend at the beach wasn't bad at all despite the chill; we just didn't get any proper tanning done. And I drank a lot more than I would have otherwise.
Happy weekend everyone!
Filed Under: Orangina
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Alpine vest be mine
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that vest is HOT. In that vest the model is churning out the sexiest and creamiest vat of buttermilk this world has ever known. I came across this Gedifra pattern book while killing time at Spark Studio and Had to Have It. No idea why I'm so enamoured with it when it really is kind of kitschy. Maybe it's the dirty peek of the belly button. I think an eggshell-colored version accented with that green snowflake and trimmed in the white would look totally smashing, paired with a white thin sweater underneath, and red red lipstick. Ha! I'm in love.
Filed Under: Projects
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
I visited a certain yarn store on Newbury with the intention of buying Rowan 4-ply for Orangina, but instead came out with Filatura di Crosa "Mirto". The gauge is 26 stitches/10cm and the material is a cotton/linen/rayon blend. Filatura di Crosa has left a bad taste in my mouth ever since I visited its boutique in Taipei where each skein of yarn cost inexplicably between $20 and $40 USD. I still haven't figured that one out. Mirto was about $6.50 per skein.
So the only reason why I didn't get Rowan 4-ply was because the owner didn't stock any. That's different than saying she had none in stock. She literally had no Rowan yarns. What a crazy business decision. I'm not necessarily a big Rowan fan, but I do know 99% of other knitters out there are. Yarn Lady (that's what I'll call her) is the nicest lady but the biggest scatterbrain on the planet. It also doesn't help that rather than grouping yarn by brand, she groups them by color. Visually this is very pretty, but usually we knitters walk in with a particular yarn in mind, then we decide on a color among what's available, right?
I walk in, look around, have the usual thought of Ah pretty, so many colors...but ah crap, so where do I start...?. I think organizing yarn this way is great for new knitters who come in without a pattern in mind, ie those who are more lured by all the pretty colors than by specific material or gauge, etc.
Like if was just starting out and I visited this store, I would have tried to stuff every orange-tinted yarn in my mouth, and declared this the most spectacular yarn store ever to have opened before my head exploded.
But for those who have something specific in mind...Finally I ask, "Where are your cottons?" and she points in every which way.
"Oh," she sighs as if aware she's a victim of her own shaky organizational skills. "They're everywhere, as usual. There...there...there..."
When she tells me she has no Rowan save for the 1 ball of Glace (which I can barely make it because it is literally 10 feet above on the top-most shelf), I am reaffirmed why it is that I don't patronize this particular YS. I go in with happy anticipation of what I'm going to find, and walk out disappointed. Then she suddenly turns to me and says, "You were here awhile ago looking for cottons weren't you?" The last time I was there was back in March, trying to find some cotton blend suitable for the Apricot Jacket. She had told me back then that it was "too early" in the season for cottons (?) and that she would be ordering some soon. I had nodded and told her I'd come back, and then went to Windsor Buttons for my yarn. Or maybe it was Woolcott. Point is I don't seem to have problems finding what I need everywhere else.
"Well," continues Yarn Lady, "I meant to order some more cottons but I would have nowhere to put them, as the existing inventory hasn't much moved." You know how you have those moments where a small piece of information can instantly reset your attitute? She just made the offhand comment that she had no space for new stuff and I suddenly felt terrible. OK so maybe she doesn't have Rowan, but she has lots of everything else, if you don't mind sifting through each and every ball. I almost want to tell her not to organize her stock by color but it really isn't my business. Instead I made the conscious decision that I would try to patronize her store when I could. She's just trying to make an honest living, you know? That's when I found the FdC Mirto and decided it would work for Orangina. We later had a great conversation at the cash register about her homeland and my homeland, and I walked out of there feeling great about my purchase instead of feeling unfulfilled.
So my Orangina is going to be stark white. I was debating between yet another ecru color, but Yarn Lady declared me to be a "winter cool." Alrighty then, white it is. I've casted on 27 stitches less than the smallest size. This is going to be Baby Whiteygina. Or something.
Filed Under: General Knitting | Orangina
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