Friday, November 04, 2005
Knitting Patterns 300
ISBN 4-529-02071-1
I asked my mom during her recent trip to Taipei if she could bring back for me any "Japanese knitting books". I'm currently on a anything-Japanese craze. The above is what she returned with. A book of 300 mouth-watering stitch patterns, kawaii!!!! with an illustrated section in the back that explains each stitch used in the book. I can't read Japanese but I don't need to. As with all Japanese books the illustrations are simple and clear, easy on the eye, and just fun to look at.
I flipped through the book slowly, savoring each delicious page and then when it was over, I was like, "More? Are there more? Did you get me more?" And she said there was so much Japanese craft books at the mall bookstore she didn't know what I would want. DUH ALL OF THEM. I mean sure you've never seen me sew, but I want all the sewing books, so I can think I'll make a lifetime supply of cute aprons and tea cozies and hand puppets and totebags. Mostly I just want to look at the pretty pictures.
The times I've gone to Taipei I didn't think to look for Japanese craft books, but apparently one of the malls (SOGO, fyi) has an entire floor dedicated to nothing but. Sob. I want them all, I want them all now.
I have two balls of KSH in Dewberry - the free gift for joining Rowan International (yay!) - and I'm thinking of making a scarf or shawl in one of those patterns in the picture. There are just so many possibilities really, I don't know where to begin.
Hey hey! It's that time of year for...
...paperwhites! Aside from leaf-peeping, forcing paperwhite bulbs is my favorite fall activity. I have several bags of these, and just after a few days of securing a group in a shallow bowl of rocks and seaglass and water, these little babies have started to sprout roots. See? Once the roots take hold they start growing rapidly. Easy as pie. I plan on forcing another set in a few weeks so that I'll have an entire season of flowering paperwhites. They smell absolutely amazing.
Filed Under: Japanese knits | Life
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Mmm dumplings...good...
Sad news to report. There's been a decline in knitting production due...to a decline in interest. Sob. I knew this day might come. I spent an evening on the couch last night watching television, and I mean only watching television. The lap was empty, the hands were idle. I could have knit, and I didn't. That has not happened in a year.
 Other things have been going on. First, busy with job, blah blah blah it's too boring to talk about. Second, new baby in the house! This is Duck's first nephew, I'll call him B. He was born a couple of weeks ago and so tiny that it's hard to imagine he will ever grow into that jacket I made him. Til he does I might have to make more, hee hee. I will be the crazy knitting aunt.
This is the first time I've seen Duck hold a baby in his arms without wanting to cry himself. I have never seen someone so uncomfortable in the presence of children, other than myself, and even I'm softening up these days. I have a theory. Baby humans are not like baby cats or baby dogs, for example. With a kitten or a puppy, you are guaranteed a squealing, adoring audience where everyone wants a turn to play with said kitten or puppy. Kittens and puppies are universally cute to everyone, even if everyone's not a cat or dog lover. That is a fact my friends.
Sadly, the same fact cannot be applied to humans. With a baby human, a nod in its general direction might be all one can muster. One may not even feel moved to acknowledge its existence, let alone touch it. That would be me and Duck, fidgeting in the presence of children. Do we have to say hello? If we don't will it go away? All this time I thought I was some cold-hearted wretch, until I discovered that it makes a huge difference whether or not you're in the presense of children who are directly related to you. Suddenly, it's, baby: so cute! Little niece with the pudgy legs: I want to eat them!
Yes blood has bridged this maternal gap. I found it has bridged Duck's paternal gap as well. He held his little nephew with a huge smile on his face, even looked at me once or twice as if to say, "I want one too!"
So, do I? Well. Um. So. Now that I realize I - we - are capable of loving little children afterall, and treating them nicely, it is safe to assume that we will feel the same towards our own, when we have them. Also hello, let's leave the warm and fuzzies aside for a second and focus on the practicality of having children. Who else is going to take care of you when you're all incontinent and toothless? To whom will you bequeath your millions? To run your massive estate? Expand your private art collection? All something to think about. So I don't know exactly when there will be a mini-us, but chances are greater - than anyone has ever DARED to think POSSIBLE - that there will be a when.
Anyone reading this who knows me personally, such as you, Mother, are probably looking out the window for aerial pigs, or squirming uncomfortably in your seat because monkeys just flew out of it.
But read it and try to not to weep too much! This cat is wantin' some kittens! Or one. One will do.
I want to say congrats to Jen and Mike, Paul and Yuting, Michelle and Matt, Kim and Matt, Amanda and Marcus, Miranda and Matt - all of whom had their first baby within like 2 days of each other. Was there an orgy that I missed? Creeps.
Next posts will stick strictly to knitting! Once I pick it up!
Filed Under: Life
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
My first fair isle
My Electra has got some Southwest flair going on, with the colors of yellow corn tortilla chips (the gold), blue corn tortilla chips (the purple), salsa (the red) and sour cream (the offwhite). Hm. I definitely wasn't going for a nacho color scheme. It also reminds me of the 70s. Is that a good thing...we shall see.
I did most of the back on the plane to and from Atlanta. Those were probably the fastest plane rides ever. The fair isle on this is pretty non-extensive, which is good for a novice like me. But it's also been just enough to break up the monotony of working with single-colored yarn. I was starting to get bored of the usual. Kooch is languishing and so is Aimee. Bring on more fair isle!
Warning: badly written pseudo web technical details coming up...
Some of you were asking where I found the link to that Turkish blog. It works like this: Everytime someone clicks on a link to your site from another site, information, such as browser type, where the request for your page is originating, is sent to your server. All behind the scenes. So if you clicked on the link to the blog here, that server will know the hit came from catduckdotcom/clog. This is called the referral link, and my site keeps track of all this information. I'm watching you...
Filed Under: Rowan | Electra
Monday, October 24, 2005
I love the internet. But feel sheepish now for that silly previous post of mine. Thanks for leaving your opinions though! I listened to the masses and went with the sash. I also didn't listen and wore Butterfly too, ha. Tucked in. I know, the horror! The whole point of being for Butterfly is that hem. The thing with that sequined tank top though is that it's basically a gussied up wifebeater, and once I brought it home I decided no way could I go to a wedding wearing underwear. Knowing me I'd probably spill red wine all over the front during the reception, fall on my face, and look like the perfect toothless drunk. So I wore that to the previous night's rehearsal dinner instead which was definitely more of a sequined, wifebeaterly type of hoedown.
Are you still reading?
I'm scared of the internet. Check this out. Someone took the pictures of me in my bolero, blew them up bigger, posted it on their site and then typed stuff in what I think is Turkish. There is something being said in Turkish about the bolero on the internet. And maybe how horrible it is.
Waaah why? What's she saying?
Filed Under: Bolero | Life
Friday, October 21, 2005
Indulge me for about 5 minutes more on this issue of the wedding dress. I decided that the red polka dotted dress isn't the way to go. Yes too red, too summery, too tea-time at the Ritz and not evening city wedding in autumn. SO. I hit the mall again with my mother and after finding nothing at the big name department stores, I came up with something pretty decent at Anthropologie. Anthro always comes through.
The woman on fitting room duty told my mom that that skirt reminds her of s3x & the city. I'm pretty sure my mom has never heard of that show, so in her mind some stranger just told her that the dress her daughter is wearing reminds her of secks. I was laughing in the fitting room.
 
Exhibit A Exhibit B
But which outfit? Exhibit A is the flouncy brown skirt with its lovely coral silk sash, with a sequined tank top. Exhibit B is the skirt without the sash, paired with - look! - Butterfly. Mom and Duck have already put their vote in, but I can't decide. I love that sash, but can't wear it with Butterfly. Also it might be too party party. Decisions decisions.
Help. Which do you prefer?
Filed Under: Life | Butterfly
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Is it OK, or not OK, to wear a red silk dress with white polka dots, to an October wedding, in the Deep South? And with white heels. Or offwhite heels. And perhaps a white shawl. What if I told you that for all the polka dots, this dress is way chic, in the way of say, Valentino? What if, even though it is fall, the weather is forecasted to be in the summery 80's? Would I still be breaking all the fashion rules?
I really do not want to do anymore shopping for something to wear.
Filed Under: General Knitting
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Instead of going to a real sporting goods store for those biking shorts I so desperately need, I decided to knit a pair myself. Why the hecks not. The super chunky factor will make for a more padded, gentle riding experience, while the pure wool factor will keep her toasty in this chilly fall weather.
Or...This is the beginnings of Kooch from Rowan 38. Very unfortunate name I know.
Isn't funny though that there is this designer knitting magazine featuring things such as "Kooch" and "Kid Acne" at the same time? Can it sound anymore unknitterly? But let's not dwell.
These are the back vents. Later there will be a moss stitch border added to each side of the vent, which will hopefully get rid of the bike-shorts-with-roomy-crotch look.
We haven't ridden our bikes in ages. First it rained for like eight days straight. Then we had 40mph winds for several days, still ongoing. I was doing some downtown shopping recently and while walking between two tall buildings (aka Wind Tunnel of Hell), I was actually lifted airborne for the longest 0.5 second of my life. And then I ran the rest of the way. Not voluntarily though.
I have so much to talk about but so little time to make it coherent. I've been trying to shop for something to wear to a wedding I'm going to this weekend, back home down South. I can't find ANYTHING. This season's inspiration seems to be the balloon, in the deflated state. It's disgusting! For 4 whole hours my credit card was straining to break out of its wallet confines, whining to be swiped and swiped good, I had do something to shut it up.
So I went into a yarn store.
I'm on the Electra bandwagon. Fall is the color. And being the crafty cheapskate that I am, I went for "generic" brands - Grignasco Tango instead of Rowan Felted Tweed (exactly the same material composition), and Kathmandu DK instead of Rowan Yorkshire DK. Kathmandu is a merino wool, silk and cashmere blend. Ooo la, doesn't sound so generic does it? I only call them generic because they were around $6 per skein, as opposed to $10 per for Rowan.
And for the KSH component I plan on using some leftovers I have of Pearl and/or Liquer. Tink tink tink I hear money leftover in the piggy!
The only problem was, I didn't have the book with me when I picked the colors, this being an impromptu purchase and all, and the store didn't have a copy either (grrrrrrrrrrr). So though I tried mightly to recall the color pattern in my head, in the end the colors I picked were not the wisest.
The gold will be the main color, so the accent stripes will be the cream and the wine. Which are the exact same colors as KSH Pearl and Liquer. Which will be used with the cream and/or wine color for the fairisle component. Which you won't be able to see because DUH they're all the same colors. ERGH! I tried different combos and it's all the same. At some point the cream colored yarn will be adjacent to the KSH Pearl, or if I use Liquer, then at some point the wine colored yarn will be adjacent to it, etc. etc.
So instead of exchanging one of the yarns for a more opposing color (making exchanges - or anything involving the cash register for that matter - at this certain LYS is a NIGHTMARE. But more on that later), or buying a different colored KSH, I have decided to use something from the stash. It will be ORANGE! But. Red yellow orange cream...Will it look too Fall crazy? Or worse, too Ronald McDonald?
By the way guess what I did today? I subscribed to Rowan International! I'm officially a Rowan fan. Free gift! A couple more skeins of KSH never hurt nobody either. Also they're jacking up the price of admission soon, so get it while it's good.
Before I sign off, thanks for your very kind comments on the bolero. Many of you are the type of conscientious bloggers who take time to reply personally to each commentor. It is very polite and so charming. Unfortunately I am no such blogger. :(
I'm off to Atlanta tomorrow for my high school buddy's wedding. Hopefully I'll find something non-balloony to wear at one of the many strip malls near my parent's house. See ya'll later!
Filed Under: Rowan | Electra | Kooch
Friday, October 14, 2005
Pattern: Bolero from Simply Soft by Debbie Bliss
Yarn: Cashmerino Aran, 7 skeins + another couple yards
Gauge: 18 sts/4in on US8/5mm
Well, it's done, and it's...aight. I think I obsessed over this pattern for too long before buying it, like it was The Knit of the Century, and of course it's just a little bolero. I like it, I do. Just not head over heels for it, like I thought I'd be.
The Cashmerino, such a soft, beautiful yarn, seems sort of a waste on something like this. I know it's a bolero so it's not supposed to cover you completely, but when I was wearing this I kept pulling the front together to get more cozy cashmerino goodness around me, and I thought, why didn't I just make something with more cashmerino coverage? Something like a cabled cardigan or turtleneck, something snug and squishy, something like the toddler seed stitch and cable jacket, but longer?
Blah blah blah. Blah. Blah. I'm just down on Debbie Bliss patterns. As you are aware by now I'm sure. It's No More Bliss After Thiss!
I think it looks better "buttoned" at the front. See? Too bad it will never be buttoned. I do have a single eye and hook fastener I might try. Or I just might try to be happy with it as is and leave it alone.
Only thing of note on this project: I used Aran instead of Chunky weight yarn. I did no adjusting of the pattern to account for this, except to add a couple extra rows in the armhole shaping. This sizing still came out fine. And I used JUST over 7 skeins. The original pattern called for 11 of chunky. Look at me, I'm so economically sized.
The color is nice though, no? I call it aubergine. That's fancy talk for "eggplant" by the way. In fact the paint color of our dining room wall is aubergine profonde. That's fancy talk for "super PROFOUND eggplant."
Thank you Duck for all those super profound angle shots.
Filed Under: Completed Projects | Debbie Bliss | Bolero
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
 Dang. Has J.Crew's demographic suddenly been narrowed down to only Anna Wintour or something? First it was lovely but totally unnecessary handbeaded camisoles for like, $500. Now, again for no reason other than to make me sad, it's ENDANGERED SPECIES attached to your perfectly-fine-as-it-was aran sweater. Now let's just calm down here, J.Crew, shhhh. Stick to your little Oxfords and chinos, and leave the happy forest creatures be.
I wonder if people out in the West Coast are receiving the same catalog as I am here on the East. I can't imagine it would sit well. Mink? Coyote? This is madness.
 Not that I need to be adding more projects to the queue, but elann.com has 100% cashmere on its list of yarn. For cheaps! I was thinking how luxurious it would be to make a cabled sweater out of cashmere, sans coyote fur of course. This sweater from Adrienne V Fall 2003 would fit the bill, or anything from Phildar Irlandais. I have the most magazines from Phildar and still have yet to knit a single thing from any of them. Boo hiss!
Filed Under: General Knitting
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