The yarn is Regia Mini Ringel in color #666, get it, because it's so evil and nasty. I didn't have much of a choice though. I was determined to try to knit a sock, and I would only do it with Regia Mini Ringel or Regia Banner. But after scouring through three yarn stores, nothing! No one carries these Regias. It took a special trip to yarn store number 4 - Wild & Wooly - to scrounge up the yarn you see above. I mean I really had to dig deep for these trolls. The two skeins were the only left.

I was disappointed. They really didn't have a great selection of sock yarn. If you can't get it at W&W, which is stocked with two floors of yarn, then where I ask you? You all talk about Lorna's Laces and Koigu and whatever this and that and I could find nothing of the sort.

Anyway, I was going to make the best of it and chalk this up to a learning process. I too would like to experience the magic of TURNING THE HEEL.

But right off the bat the squirrels in my head start rotating the wheels too quickly. I decided I would use my own a pattern for the leg, and came up with this wavy pattern, which in theory would be nicely accentuated by the stripes. I thought I could make it more 3-D by adding a row of purls here and there.

After several pattern repeats I decided the wave pattern was unexciting and the purl rows were disgusting. Instead of ripping back, because that would require starting over, which is a horrible thing for me to consider, I switched gears midway and started Jaywalking. I didn't last long. Of course the peaks of this pattern did not match the peaks of mine, so the sock became distorted and now looks like a crushed Coke can.

About this time my hands started to burn. Isn't it funny, knitting with size 1 needles hurts about as badly as knitting with a size 15. At some point the sizes become too ridiculously big or small that it doesn't matter what size they are exactly. It just hurts.

In conclusion, I suck, I do not sock. Sad face. But I do want to learn, so I'll give it another go later.

I hope to fare better with the mittens.

SO. Speaking of the JAYWALKER socks...I was at a certain yarn store in Harvard Square on certain evening on a certain this past Thursday, looking for those certain yarn socks that I didn't find, and spied in the store a certain celebrity knit blogger roaming about.

We made very brief eye contact while walking past each other. In that millisecond, I recognized who she was, didn't know why, thought about it (college? work? neighbor? tv? internet? internet? INTERNET?), then realized who she was, then wasn't sure, then was sure, then went "Hee hee" because she had just left a comment in my last post not half an hour before, how funny is that? then went back to my own browsing.

Comments [10]
Filed Under: General Knitting

Finding my knitting muse

Thursday, February 16, 2006

I'm nearly done with the Cabled Toad, and while knitting this piece I've been thinking, thinking too hard really, about what to knit next. This slight knitting funk is still hanging around. I'm still not totally fired about knitting socks, even though I'd like to give it a go. It just depends on what sock yarn speaks to me, if any. Lacy shawls are somewhat more interesting - it would be a lot of fun I think. But for it to be a must-knit-it-now! project it has be practical/wearable too. I love the idea of shawls and stoles, but as it turns out don't much love wearing them, and it's not enough for me right now to knit one for the sake of kntting one.

And neither my mom nor mother-in-law are into them either so I can't use them as an excuse to make one.

None of my knitting books are magazines are calling to me at the moment.

So I'm just surfing through the sweater section at bluefly.com and anthropologie.com looking for inspiration, things I would enjoy knitting and wearing as well.

These are from bluefly.com The cowl sweater on the left is Dolce & Gabbana, made of acrylic and mohair. It's got Kidsilk Haze written all over it. It's lovely, but I think I'd get bored of the repetitive pattern quickly. The cardigan on the right is Catherine Malandrino (LOVE her). You can't see very well but the pattern is leafish, diamondish. Only problem is that it's knitted in very fine gauge. I wouldn't want to substitute a chunkier yarn but that same time fine gauge might try my patience. And eyesight. And hands.

Onwards to anthropologie.com.

Both of these are really cute.

But then I saw this blouse.

There she is, my knitting muse! So elegant! So pretty! It's not a knit piece, but I think it could be reinterpreted nicely into a one, using our BFF Kidsilk Haze. Yes? Yes I think so! I'm not participating in the Knitting Olympics, but if I were, you'd be watching me as I attempt to GO FOR THE GOLD in the sporting category of DESIGNING MY FIRST SWEATER! I already have ideas as to the lace pattern to use, and am going to try to be diligent and meticulous, and swatch and test and test and swatch, and take copious notes, and have patience, instead of jumping headlong hoping it will all turn out.

By the way, I have two skeins of KSH in Dewberry, brand-spankin new. I'm not crazy about this color, and am looking for something darker. Anybody up for a swap? Two skeins of Dewberry for two skeins in Villain? Nightly? Wicked? Elegance? Anybody?

Comments [13]
Filed Under: General Knitting

Love Is...

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

"I will be your parachute Bunny. I will be your parachute."

Love is an honest cigar, or a respectful glass of wine, according to Kitty and Cat

(talking about the Statue of Liberty)
Kitty: Tomcat took me on a date there when we first started dating
Me: Aaw
Kitty: Still the best date ever
Me: Duck took me to the site of the Boston Massacre
Kitty: Hahaha, and you loved it
Me: I knew then. I knew right then...
Kitty: Yeah just like I knew when Tomcat said my hands were like "living silk" ["soft"]
Me: And I was fortunate enough to have witnessed that first flush of true love
Kitty: He was hilarious in the beginning. That's worn off. Now he's like, "Oh you're not coming home til Friday? Whatever."
Me: There is still love though is there not? I'm laughing. Should I not be?
Kitty: There's so much love don't worry. It's just not first month love. It's better, more mature. Like a fine wine. Or a cigar.
Me: Right, and there is RESPECT and HONESTY.
Kitty: RIGHT. Also there is division of labor and finances, which is nice.
Me: For what is white-hot PASSION compared to MUTUAL RESPECT and ADMIRATION?
Kitty: I don't think I could take the white hot passion of a new relationship any more. I'm too old. And my right knee is bad.
Me: Yes the right knee is critical.
Kitty: Yeah the left knee can't take all the weight.
Me: I hate knees in general.
Kitty: Really?
Me: They spook me...blah blah blah

THE END.

As a kid, watching Bugs Bunny cartoons always had me craving carrots. Now as an adult, watching Masterpiece Theatre has me craving scones. Ah yes I've come a long way.

So this morning I got up early and made scones for the first time, sprinkled throughout lightly with cinnamon and on top with lemon zest. Then I made a big cup of cappuccino, extra froth. When the scones were done, 15 minutes in the oven, I sliced one in half and spread a thick layer of CONFITURE DE FRAISE on both sides. Then I took a bite and went, MmmmmMMMmmmmMMMmmmmmm, I love you scone.

Scones brought to you by:
1. Bleak House (Dana Scully is EXCELLENT in a corset)
2. The Six Wives of Henry VIII
3. The Black Adder
4. Mrs. Brown and
5. Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Nowhere in any of these shows/movies is there a character eating scones. But they are in England, so as far as my brain and stomach are concerned, the association is close enough.

I have to give a shout-out to Masterpiece Theatre, by the way. Have any of you in the States seen Bleak House? Scully is so good in this role that I actually forget she was once probed by aliens, what with all her swishing taffeta gowns and her perfect English accent. But the best part is finding out that Charles Dickens' writing is really on par with Days of Our Lives, rather than knee-crushing torture.

I had this 9th grade English teacher who I loved but had this horrible habit of assigning us heavy-handed works of literature that no 14 year-old had any business reading, much less understanding. While classmates in other classes were enjoying Pet the Rabbit and Goodnight Moon, we we were saddled with All the King's Men, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Of Human Bondage (oh GOD), and David Copperfield. By the end of the semester my entire English class was suicidal.

I haven't gotten near a Charles Dickens book since. In bookstores I sort of skirt by the "D" section in a more hurried pace. But now thanks to the passage of time, which heals all wounds, and Masterpiece Theatre, I thought I'd take a stab at this 800-paged Bleak House, and capital! I am enjoying it very much. I love his writing and, who knew, he's FUNNY.

Comments [8]
Filed Under: Life

Of Toads and Socks (or lack of)

Monday, February 13, 2006

Before starting on the other sleeve I seamed the first sleeve on and seamed one side. Seaming is so nice and easy with raglan sleeves.

Did you know that last week I made up my mind to knit my first sock? But I haven't done it. Turns out I have this bit of fear and loathing...not of a learning new techniques, but of sock yarn itself. Honestly I abhor variegated yarn in all forms and colors. All of them. (OK except for the handpainted ones because I know a lot of personal love and care goes into making those.) And the self-striping yarn in the skein form just, ugh, I don't know, I don't like the way they look, like shards of dirty crayon in unmatching colors all carelessly piled together, which then recalls for me unpleasant memories and smells of daycare.

I went to the yarn store during my lunch break and nothing appealed to the senses, not the Cherry Hills nor the Lana Grossa nor the Reynolds or whatever. I went back the next day to see if I had changed my mind and I had not. Damnit I can't seem to get past the icky pieces of stripes! I contemplated the solid-colored sock yarns but they were curiously itchy, but then I decided solid is boring and it would be fun to knit with self-striping yarn. But then I don't like how they knit up!

But but but! Oh why can't I just be happy? If it has to be striped let it be large blocks of stripes. I've seen socks made with Regia 4 Ply Nation and I like the way those knit up a lot.

Regia Banner types are also good. (These, and these, are not.)

The yarn store did not carry any Regia's. So I left there empty handed. Boo hoo.

Comments [16]
Filed Under: Cabled Toad | General Knitting

Not much going

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

There's finally have some progress to show on the Cabled Toad, but since I seem to have misplaced my camera, you'll just have to imagine it in your head. The front is finished, as is one sleeve. They're blocking on the board, with pins. Ha, that's all. Maybe I'll have this thing finished in a couple of weeks.

Just found camera. Cabled Toad is not exactly photogenic right now. See how misshapen it looks even on the blocking board:

The latest Rowan 39 came in the mail yesterday. I had nearly forgotten that I signed up for membership.

The side effect of Rowan 39 is: hemorrhaging eyeballs.

Sooooo...this issue is...funny. The costuming seems to be a little BUSY and maybe slightly OVER THE TOP, especially in the "Tribal" section, that my eyes are bugging out, darting back and forth, trying to pick out the actual knit piece they're trying to showcase. WHAT am I supposed to be looking at?! I mean the cover says it all. Attention is being drawn to all the various crap she's wearing on her HEAD AND FACE than the knitted item she's wearing on her body.

The featured game of Rowan 39 is: Find the knitted item!
Up for debate in Rowan 39 is: Feathers. You can't go wrong. Or can you...? Bwak!

And what's up with that guy in the Aladdin shoes and the rooster carcass on his head? Duck has been wanting a sweater and if there was one way to turn a guy off of receiving knitwear, this issue would do the trick.

La la la. More later, when I'm less busy and have nicer things to say.

Comments [13]
Filed Under: Cabled Toad | Rowan