Saturday, January 13, 2007
Discrepancy
Some of you recognized in my last post that I finally picked up Kooch again after more than a year's hiatus. I can't explain why the motivation to finish this piece has been so lacking, especially when I so absolutely love the pattern. Every now and then I'd spot a sweater coat (or 'coat sweater?') not unlike Kooch on the racks of some high-brow boutique on Newbury St. And then I'd look at the price tag. And then I'd choke on my own tongue, and then I'd yell to myself GIRL YOU CAN MAKE THIS JUST FINISH THAT KOOCH ONCE AND FOR ALL WOULD YOU PLEASE?!
(God what a horrible name! A whole year and I still can't get used to calling it that without feeling dirty)
So I had finished the back some time in November 2005. I started the left front panel last week. It was half-way done when I superimposed it on top of the back panel to check measurements, and. Well. As you can see in the photo the hem width is off by a whole mile. The gauge differential between the hem of the back and the hem of the front is a whole 2 stitches per 4 inches. La. Fun.
I am 10000% positive that I used the same needles. As a rule I always go down a needle size than what is called for in the pattern, so in this case I knit in a size 8, and I used Susan Bates aluminums of which I own only one pair. So is it possible between last year and now, I am knitting what, 50% more tightly, without having changed my knitting mechanics? Seems funky. I can't account for it. Other than I did mistakenly switch needles. But I'm so sure I didn't. Did I? Must have. But.
Anyway, this is all really more confusing than it is horrible. I wanted to redo the back anyway to get rid of the vents - don't like the vents - and make it shorter in length. With the rows and rows of stockinette, I'm also using Kooch as an opportunity to learn how to knit differently. More on that later! It's very exciting.
So with any luck, I'll have my own $1400 sweater coat to wear by the time winter gets here. If it ever does. I'm not a huge fan of cold, but this mild New England winter is kinda freaking me out...
Filed Under: Rowan | Kooch
Monday, January 08, 2007
This is a well-fed red chest.
*burp*
Yarn is literally bursting out of the red red drawers that once you manage to wrestle a drawer open, the yarns are like RAAAAAAR IMAGONNAEATCHOO!!! I have more laying around in other cubby holes around the house, and probably still more in bags lurking in some corner of some closet that I've totally forgotten about.
Sometime between Saturday and Sunday, the yarn stash became unacceptable. I toss and turn at night thinking of my treatment of those poor yarns that are constantly being one-upped with newer, more exciting purchases. Sitting there, unloved, depreciating with every second. The madness! It must stop!
So I have deemed 2007 as The Year I Buy 100% No Yarn Ever At All I Mean It. There's that knit-from-your-stash-along going on that has some exceptions built in - sock yarn is ok, new yarns for a knitted gift is ok, etc. But because I am a SUPERHERO with amazing SUPERPOWERS, I can tell the world with full assurance that there will be NO EXCEPTIONS for me. Absolutely no more purchasing yarn in 2007. None. I won't even accept yarn for free.
The path to stash freedom is clear. I am George W Bush. I am Condi Rice. I am possibly very, very stupid. But nothing will shake this resolve. Do you see my hand? How it doesn't quiver, not even in the slightest? I don't even blink! It is because I am strong! I am determined!
(I am going to fail!)
But look, I've already made progress. I picked up a little something-something that has been in the WiP state for over a year. It's about time!
Hi. Remember me?
I can't wait until it's finished, so - yay! -I can move onto the other yummy yarns in my stash!
So this new year will be a good year, full of new socks and sweaters. But no yarn.
None.
Zero.
I mean it.
Really.
Hold me.
Filed Under: General Knitting | Yarn Stash
Monday, January 08, 2007
Pattern: Aran Braid Socks
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Purple Rain, 1 skein
Needles: US2 dpns
These puppies had places to go, things to do, people to see. They practically flew across the needles and knitted themselves.
Before I knew it I was at the heel. Then I was at the toe. Then they were on Duck's feet. And then, lo and behold, he was dancing the jig!
You can't tell from the photo, but that's two left feet you're seeing there. It takes a lot for the poor little feller to dance, it takes a lot. But thanks to a pair of purpley new handknit socks his feet are as light and fancy as Fred Astaire's! Lalalala! I'm singin in the rain! Maybe.
How I love to work with CTH Supersock. It's vibrant on the eyes, soft to the touch, light on the wallet, and generous on the yardage. I need to start knitting toe-up again so I can gauge my progress and use the yarn to its fullest - I have quite a bit leftover. I could have knitted another 2 inches on both legs and had enough to spare.
And I love the heels. I'll probably be knitting heels this way from now on.
And so, my quota for knitting for Duck is now complete. I can resume knitting for self for another 2 years. No more guilt! Yes more sweaters!
Filed Under: Socks | Aran Braid Socks
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Knitting wise, the biggest surprise of 2006 has been my unbridled love of knitting socks, which as I've mentioned a million times, began as something like unbridled hatred.
I love the yarns, love the little needles, love the portability.
And oh how I love to wear them!!!
My preciousessessss...
I cycle through these four pairs throughout the week, possibly throughout two weeks. Maybe even throughout the month. I wear each pair maybe three, four, five times before I wash them, lately in Soak Wash. My head is still trying to wrap itself around the no-rinse concept.
(Today I'm wearing my own Zephyr socks. They're currently the cleanest pair. Which means I've worn them only twice since the last wash.)
Despite the frequent wear these socks - made with CTH, Koigu, Sundara Yarn and Regia, left to right respectively - are holding up extremely extremely well. Especially the Koigu and Regia. Minimal pilling, still-vibrant colors.
I don't do any rough-housing like go running in them of course, and only once in awhile will wear them out of the house with "real" shoes. But while working at home - just about everyday - I do have them on morning to night, with slippers, and often straight to bed where I will kick them off unceremoniously in my sleep, and there they will lay crumpled under the sheets until the next morning. Or the next. Frankly I'm quite surprised and very impressed that they've held up as well as they have.
Is it gross to wear socks over and over before washing them? My feet don't' get terribly sweaty ;). Not even wool can defrost these icy brittle toes. Need more for 2007!
Damn. When am I ever going to knit a sweater again?
Filed Under: Socks
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
With my parents and aunt and uncle, we had a fabulous Christmas/New Years vacation, which witnessed above average amounts of cribbage, knitting, eating and drinking. Too much drinking. I will be more than OK if all of 2007 involved no drinking. But I'm not prepared to make that an actual resolution.
My aunt and uncle were a last-minute addition on our trip, and even though my family normally doesn't exchange gifts (these were all for the in-laws), I figured it would be fun to give them all a little something-something since it's so rare that we all spend Christmas together. So I had to scramble afterall to get some knitted items finished, and reshuffled the recipient list a bit.
I gave my mom the Mardi Gras gloves, my aunt the Yarntini Jaywalkers, and quickly finished these socks for my uncle, and knitted a simple ribbed hat for Dad.
Merry Christmas knits for everyone!
Over vacation I started the Anemoi mitts.
And abandoned the Anemoi mitts. I did myself and the pattern a real disservice with the colors I chose. Booooo!
So put that aside to be frogged, and started these Aran braid socks:
I was able to finish one sock over a couple of days, even while playing cards and drinking and knitting Anemoi at the same time. I mention that not to impress you with my mad knitting skills (a definite 2007 resolution is to learn to knit continental), but to illustrate how fast and easy knitting socks - even socks with braids! - can be. Especially when you use yarn that you just can't put down. So soft, so vibrant! So CTH!
When these are done, Duck will finally have handknit socks of his very own. Luckily he is secure in his duck manliness that he is nonplussed by the pinks, even as they all conveniently pool at the top of the foot.
Filed Under: Gloves | Socks | Aran Braid Socks
Saturday, December 23, 2006
"And I want more tuna now!!!"
Happy Holidays and see you in 2007!
Filed Under: Cats | Life
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
...there was stamping.
I purchased this whole lot in one go. I was in Seattle on business, all by myself, for months, without the leisure of being able to go home once. Oh it was a sad sad day! I wandered bored out of my hotel to the mall across the street to have a sad sad lunch alone in the food court, after which I meandered aimlessly around the mall feeling very sorry for my lonesome, homesick self.
And then I discovered something I never knew existed. It was a store covered wall-to-wall with stamps, their little wooden backs stacked and glowing like tiny blocks of gold. There was ink in all colors of the rainbow, this wonderful thing called embossing powder, shiny stationery and pretty pretty handstamped wedding invitations and baby announcements and Valentine's Day cards.
Some crazy synapse in my brain fired and came to life, it told me I had found Shangri-La, and so many many hours later I walked out with many many dollars' worth of stamps. And then I took them all back to my hotel and stamped, all weekend. Alone. In my hotel room. With rubber stamps. Hundreds of them.
Thank God for knitting.
Filed Under: Life
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Is it just me, or does everyone get all morose and pseudo-philosophical on their birthdays? I take way too much stock in numbers, that's for sure. I'll always find a reason to be unhappy about turning whatever age. For example, after I turned 8 years old I was all, "Oh my god I'm going to be 9 soon and that's just one year away from the double-digits." Turning 17 was depressing because it meant I had only one year left before I became a legal adult which meant probably having to act like one too, even though I wasn't close to even looking like one. Turning 27 was especially difficult, for no reason other than "27" being an aesthetically unpleasing number to look at. Yeah.
So my mother called a few days ago, and we were discussing birthday plans and gifts and whatnot and I just so casually mentioned how last week I decided to buy myself a nice camera and a nice lens and maybe if she wanted, if she were a nice mom, and I am a nice daughter, she could buy me another lens to add to my collection? She bettered the offer and said she would reimburse me for the camera and accessories I already bought. WOOOoooOOOOT!
Now I have the resources available to buy myself another lens sooner than later. I'm looking for a nice telephoto lens to capture wildlife, landscape, and nice, clear shots of people unbeknowst to them, such as this one:
"We love trespassing! Don't worry honey, if we fall and break our necks, we can sue their pants off! Now come on! JUMP!"
Hi, have we lost all sense of propriety? And our minds? These two middle-aged jackasses drove up our street, parked their car in front, walked right up through our driveway, brazenly scaled the stonewall on our property, hopped that very rickity fence to the property behind us, so they could take a close look at the house with the nasty chain-link fence and above-ground pool behind. OH that's ballsy! Was the open house not open enough??
I didn't have a rifle to shoot them with, so I used my camera instead. Then scribbled down their license plate number.
As if one day's worth of trespassing wasn't enough, they came back the next day. Luckily we had just pulled into the garage ourselves and oooo I stared them down, I stared them down with my narrow evil eyes, and they quickly hustled away.
Anyway. Presents in the form of unnecessary stash enhancements came in the post just now.
Two skeins of Lorna's Laces in Poppy from the first contest I've ever won, and two skeins of GEMS Pearl that I don't need but bought anyway because there was free priority shipping. I'm thinking of making mitts with the Pearls, but what to do with my first LL's? Hmmmm...
Tonight I'm going to a nice dinner at my favorite restaurant with Duck and friends, and that will be all the birthday celebrations for today. Nothing as exciting as last year, but it'll pick up again this weekend when we go on vacation with my parents. People ask if I hate having my birthday so close to the holidays and I have to say, I really love it. Since I'm usually so silly and sullen about birthdays, I welcome any and all enhancements to festiveness and cheer this time of year. Birthday, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukuh, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, New Years, snow, twinkling lights, fireworks! Let's all celebrate!
P.S. I'm turning 29. Again ;)
Filed Under: Life | Yarn Stash
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