Barriers

OMG!

Rowan 42
I know I say this whenever I get a magazine, but really, this one stands out. There is SOOOO much I want to knit (including absolutely non-delusional, doable projects). I just want to cast on!

But then....

Jaywalkers, Sock Club #3s, and Roza's Socks ... and I have 2 sweaters, a third that is swatched for and ....

....oh, darn! Reality:

A major test looming that I really should start studying for, the knitting urges are going to have to suffer a little.

I guess I have something to daydream about now while I am trying to study.

I do have a few projects that I've made progress on while watching my new favorite show, the Shield (note to self again - need to start studying), on Netflix ... I'll post pics soon.

Partial non-knitting post ....

...since my 2 regular readers/commenters are not knitters, and like to cook (hey! Judi - you just got a new stove, and Karen - whats with going to Sur La Table "for fun" and impulse buying a trivet if you don't like to cook!): I cooked the other night: Ricotta Gnocci from the most recent issue of Cooks Illustrated. Karen, for extra enticement: This recipe required using the food processor THREE times (but, I didn't clean it in between because its all going into the same dish anyhoots, right?)?

In knitting news, I finally finished my grasshopper socks and while I don't think that I will knit a second pair ever (the YO P2tog pattern wasn't the most fun for me), I like them. So, now I have to knit a fun pattern: Jaywalkers! This is a great pattern, and I love watching the stripes emerge (I'm using Lornas Laces from here); these are going fast, so there probably will be pics soon.

Summer

Yes! I finished something in the appropriate season!

Blue Sky Fitted Tank by Allison Williams
Blue Skies Dyed Cotton, 3 skeins
US 9 needles

I am very happy with this...now that its finished. There was some strife with the pattern and the newly finished product. I still haven't learned to read the entire pattern BEFORE knitting. For me, there is something semi-exciting about moving to the next part of the pattern (ex. increase rows to arm hole shaping), and I don't want to ruin the surprise by reading ahead. Well, I drove myself nuts with the first neck (its knit in 2 pieces, then sewed at the end) - I couldn't get it to be neat! Then, I figured out to read ahead a bit and, aha!, at the end you pick up stitches along the edge then bind off for a neat border.

Also, when I first tried it on...DESPITE ACTUALLY SWATCHING AND GETTING GAUGE ...well, it was a little big. A-N-G-E-R!
And, the gauge was a little loose, gaps in between the stiches and all. So, I did a google search and Ravelry search, and couldn't find much about shrinking Blue Sky Cotton. I went with a very conservative approach: I soaked the sweater in warm water, then dried it until it was a little more than damp, then took a deep breath and put it in the drier, on medium heat, and checked, and checked, and checked until it was the right size. And the yarn plumped up nicely as well! Y-A-Y! I am, again, quite happy with the Blue Sky Cotton. I used it on my Licorice Whip sweater as well ... I didn't get gauge on that sweater and its a bit small, I was hoping to stretch it by wear, but I think I am going to have to be a little bit more aggressive. I just haven't gotten around to it and now .... this just arrived in the mail, there are a lot of great projects (deciding to highlight those was hard!). I also need to finish sock club socks #2 and cast on for socks #3 because I think another shipment will be arriving soon. And, I am about to start dropping stitches for thE Clap-O-TEE, and I've purchased yarn for my first pair of Jaywalkers (another web classic)

I guess its time to stop blogging and get knitting!