A real post

It has been awhile since I had a real post. The last 2 were quick-fluffy-"I'm still here" posts. Well, if only it was just that: I feel incredibly guilty about the most recent post in which I gloated about the Indians (who have now been eliminated). Did you even notice the socks in that post? I'm a bad, bad person. What is it about sports, they turn you into a crazy person! In the past, I've forgone watching games, knowing that I was so powerful that me watching the event (I've done this in multiple sports) would cause my team to lose! Not rational. It is fun to really cheer, scream, and analyze the games ... its just losing ... but I guess the highs of watching sports means that there must be lows as well.

So, moving on, I had a lovely dinner tonight that involved therapeutic chopping with my wonderful knife (really, its good). And, since this is moving on, there had to be some excellent beer to help dull the nerves a bit.

Zucchini Pasta from Mark Bittman's Column in the Wednesday New York Times. I used basil instead of thyme (because, I had basil, not thyme).
I actually, was more drawn to the chickpea pasta in this article, but it seemed like more of an autumn recipe. (Internal conversation: But its late October! But its still consistently in the 70s, even 80s last weekend - It feels like summer!) So, I made the Zucchini version. It was quite good, btw. I'll wait until it cools down a bit to make the Chickpea one ... maybe this weekend?

And, since this is a knitting post, this is not second sock syndrome, its a complimentary pair, right?

Jaywalker #1 from Magknits using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock from here and US 1 needles and Roza's Sock #1 from Interweave Knits using US ZERO needles and Cider Moon Icicle, Hocus Crocus.
Really - Look at the neat stripes of both toes, the vertical ribbing stripes in each pattern, and the pink/blue/yellow/white pastel matching colors! Poor Roza #1 has been done for a while now, and #2 has even been cast on, but she is knit on 0s, and the Jaywalker knits on larger needles and has a more flowing pattern, so it will likely still get done first. Does anyone know if Cider Moon is coming back? Its been some time since they posted this on their website. I really like the yarn. Luckily, I have another skein stashed (Glacier - Ravelry link - which will become a pair of Campfire socks - another Ravelry link- this winter, hopefully), but I hope thats not it for my Cider Moon yarn, I love the colors.

p.s. Like the banner? It was pretty easy on blogger (Unlike trying to get this font to be the stated size after making the small font comments under the pictures*), but there was this tutorial that helped with my confidence to even try (I am not a very high tech person!)

*see how the font gets smaller after the first picture? I have spent *forever* trying to get this right, to no avail!

Happy!

The test is over, the Indians are winning, and I have a finished sock! Good reasons, right?

I've had a hard time knitting during the playoffs so far - I've been too tense with all of the good games! It just felt better to sit curled up in a ball rocking during some of the games, even the ones that didn't look as close or were done in a mere 3 hours (Game 2 against Boston went 5+ hrs!), Boston is a good team and very capable! But I'm happy now - we are up 3 games to 1.
Go Tribe!

eek!

Its one week until the boards (that test I have been studying/should have been stuyding for). And as if I'm not distractable enough in the first place ... the Indians are in the playoffs!

So, I'm sorry knitting, you are going to have to suffer. Depending on how bad the post-test convalescence period is, it may be a bit before I get back here again.

Wish me luck!

As I said...

...it wouldn't be long until the Eyelet Cardigan is done, and it is!


Eyelet Cardigan by Allison Williams (Blue Sky Alpaca Pattern)
Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton - Tomato, about 3 1/2 skeins
US 7 Needles
Buttons - plain light wood from AC Moore
No pattern modifications!

Happy! It was fun to knit and well written overall. It was a fairly quick knit - there were 5 pieces (the back, 2 arms, front panels) and, maybe not the back, but all of the other pieces could each be knit in an evening (uninterrupted). And it fits, buttoned and unbuttoned, nicely! I like cropped tops, but I am always a bit weary - you know how they hang off of the curve of your back, making you look much more osteoporotic than you really are? Not this one, the ribbing keeps it snug (not too snug though!). The buttons are a bit plain, but I think that they work. This was my first button project, and is it really hard to find nice buttons? I ended up getting these at a big box store, not excting, they had a pretty meager selection. I looked at 2 yarn stores, and they had a lot of kiddie-swirly-colorful glass buttons - not my style and not for this project, I just wanted a plain, nice, wooden button. Any suggestions for the future?

Now, onto the Central Park Hoodie, thats coming along quickly too!

Drumroll....

... I've purchased the extra yarn and it won't be long now before the eyelet cardigan is done!

(Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton - Tomato)
And, this weather? I think its going to cooperate for this sweater: I saw this as a perfect cool summer evening sweater, well ... technically, its fall but I am at the shore now and its been in the 80s (upper 80s) all week! I went to the beach yesterday! (Don't be too angry - I had my boards books with me, no leisurely flipping through magazines)

Of course, I didn't work on my WIPs during this yarn procurement time, but it has been premier week on TV so I had to be working on
something...

...the Foilage hat from the current Knitty (in Malabrigo worsted weight, US 7 needles). I love this hat, and the yarn - it is a bit fuzzy, but its so soft and I love the blues - see the white stripes at the bottom of hat/ribbing? I love that too! There is a bit of pooling at the top, but who will see that? The pattern isn't great for mindless knitting, it requires some concentration at the beginning until you get to the body and repeat sections (I had to rip back a few times, premier week=new TV shows and too much paying attention to the TV).

This = weakness - I had seen this pattern when the new knitty came out, but I became compelled after seeing examples of it on ravelry. Thats one of my favorite things about ravelry: you can see examples of everything, and so quickly after its published. I used to google image all the patterns, but that was a bit of a pain (how many pictures of leaves would this have elicited?).

OK, now I am going to focus on CPH while working on the Clap-o-tee during periods requiring concentration, alternating with the Jaywalkers and Soltice slip socks, and of course getting Roza #2 done in the meantime! How does that sound?

I did knit from the stash though!

No one will ever see....

I love fall! Its my favorite season, pumpkin spice latte, the leaves changing colors, the cool weather (I am NOT a heat person). Its the time of year to get the sweaters back out for those cool (not cold enough for a coat yet) evenings, and look what has come out of summer hibernation (who wants to knit with tweedy wool when its 90 out?)

Central Park Hoodie (Back) from KnitScene
Cascade 220 Heathers
US 8 needles
In addition to the lovely weather change, I was inspired by this - and its a first sweater too! Just one thing, see what the needle is pointing at? I think that the hood will cover it up, right? No one will ever see....

Wahhhhhhhh!

Exactly 3 skeins of yarn (the recommended amount - yes, I got gauge first) and....

...THIS! Out of Yarn. Wah! I am decreasing for the shoulder of the second arm of the eyelet cardigan, and then just have the finishing/trim to do. If only I had knit on 6s instead of 7s, or not made the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater 4 1 /2" as recommended (3 or even 4 inches would have been fine, really).
And my car needed all sorts of repairs out of the blue when all that I took it in for was an oil change and its still not done 24 hours later, and its still 90 degrees out, and... WAAAHHHHHH!

Oh well, I guess I will have to go online and order up some more, and I might as well get yarn for the blue version of the Tartan Scarf from Rowan 42, and then I can get buttons, and .... (what else!)

OK. Back on task. Reality - I have too many projects that I am working on now. Here's whats cooking:

Stiches are being dropped on the Clapotis - very exciting!


Salina has been cast on (Chief approves) - its just too hot to knit with felted tweed now


The Jaywalker heel has been turned (Sock #1)

and the Central Park Hoodie has gone past the swatch, finally - I have about 2 inches of ribbing.

and I have a still lonely Roza's Sock #1 (its knit on 0s, so it takes a lot of motivation for me) and a start on the Soltice Slips from last month's Rockin Sock Club.

I guess I'll have to work on one of these in the meantime...I was just so close to being done!

bad blogger

Maybe I can redeem myself with a pretty picture from what was keeping me from blogging?

This is the NJ shore, it was beautiful weather last week and I had a nice time there. Oh, and I'm done with residency! I probably would have had a nice time anywhere knowing that, but it was nice to be at the shore relaxing, watching the US Open ...

...and knitting! Sun and sand (the beach) aren't conducive to knitting with wool, but I'm not much for sitting in the sun, roasting (I burn and get headaches anyway - wah!), so I had some good porch time enjoying the breezes (aren't ocean breezes the best?). I'll post again soon, there will be knitting pics (all sorts of exciting things have happened: I am almost done with the cardigan, I started dropping Clapotis stiches, and I turned heel #1 on my first Jaywalkers).

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!

hmmm....

Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time here, oohing over everyone else's FOs ... and I will never have a FO! As if I didn't spend enough time with the plain old blogs! Anyone else feel the same?

Here is the Blue Sky Tank ... I had the front done over a week ago, but then have been distracted by the internet...

...I really love Blue Sky Dyed Cotton, its so soft! I really want to get this done soon .... must - resist - Ravelry .....

Settling in ...

Just some pics I took during a bike ride, I'm really liking my new home so far ...

(Clockwise: American Gothic, Le Veque Tower, North Market, Lily pond at Goodale Park)

I also have a FO

Loop Mitts! (a free pattern from Loop).
This was my first time with Picot - what a bear to cast on with, but I liked casting off with picot, and its so pretty - wearing them makes me feel special. My mom is making a pair as well in complementary colors, she's not done yet but once she is there will be a better picture (hear that mom?)

That little ....

(expletive here - s-head would be a good suggestion)
I was only gone for a few hours and look what I came home to:


Who me? But I'm a sweeeeeeetheart!

I would never do something counterproductive to your knitting like, say, unravel half of the ball and somehow manage to get 1/3 of the stitches off of the circular needles and unravel a *few* rows. (Note the collar ... not a sweetheart collar)

Well, to look at the glass half full (after ripping back 6 rows), at least I have a picture with which to blog about my new project: the Fitted Tank. I am almost done with the front after casting on 3 days ago, I love the Blue Sky Cotton - its so soft! I feel like a real Blue Sky Alpacas groupie with this right after the Clementine, and because I just purchased this, which I can't wait to cast on for with this in shrimp (not yet purchased, I am set on THIS color, don't ask me why - there are so many beautiful colors in this yarn!). Thats enough thisses!

2 Months...

..thats not too late, is it??!!?

I'm talking about ...

Clemetine Shawlette from Spring 2007 IK
Blue Sky Alpaca Silk - less than 3 skeins (and this is long too!)
US 5 Straight Needles
...My 2007 Mother's Day present is finished!

I am pretty happy with the shawl. The yarn is very soft and was nice to work with, and I think the color can go with a lot (black, white, pastels...). I don't like grafting, and I was dumb and did it before my AM coffee today:

knit purl, purl knit...
...it seemed to go on forever (probably because my reward was a cup of coffee, again, bad move). I really don't enjoy grafting, its stressful for some reason and I always at some point zone out and slip stitches off the needles I shouldn't, or start perseverating on the knit purl .. purl knit...purl knit, making mistakes. And I'm not good at it. This time, I thought I had it, I was going to graft on the 4th repeat row, the knit row, so that everything would be even ....

...well, its quite obvious. I thought about ripping it out and redoing it ... but my mom liked it as is, and I was afraid of messing up more (lots of yarn overs, passing stitches, and it took so long to graft!). Morale: Coffee is not a reward, its like toothpaste in the AM, its part of getting ready.

Now I can cast on for something new ... Since its summer and hot, I'm leaning towards some cool cotton for the Blue Sky Alpaca fitted tank, another 3 skein project (hopefully this won't take 2+ months), but I just bought this great yarn for a Clapotis

Sheep Shop 3, 2 skeins

I also swatched a bit before for the Central Park Hoodie too .... that Cascade 220 would be really painful in this heat though....Stay tuned!

Phew!

Sorry about being a bad blogger ... I've been too busy. Some of the busy-ness has been in bad ways (work: 6 weeks of call (working 30 hour shifts) every 4th night and 5 weeks of not having a complete weekend off), and some exciting (I've moved! Well, moving wasn't fun, but setting up/decorating a new apartment was!). I'm also without my precious internet, and I don't know when it is going to be hooked up. Pooooor me!

Hello Columbus!

I now live in Columbus, where I grew up. Its good to be home, the city has changed a lot (in good ways) since the last time I lived here ... eleven years ago! I have an apartment downtown, and it has a washer and dryer in addition to a pool (2 things I didn't have before, I'm getting soft - 4 years ago I didn't even have a garbage disposal in my apartment!). I've been in Cleveland for the past 7 years, and its a great city (lots of culture, character, spirit), but its been a hard 7 years and, so, it feels good to move on. I still have 2 months of residency left, but they are light months so I will be semi-commuting/staying with family in Cleveland and hopefully still make it one Saturday to Phoenix Coffee to knit. I'll miss Cleveland, it will always be a "home" to me.

Anyway, I hope to have a kntting post soon ... I am getting some much deserved relaxation at the New Jersey Shore with family this weekend. Look where I stopped on my way from the airport:
Loop!

(Sheep Shop Yarn 3 - Color G129 - intended for a Clapotis, I haven't made one yet!)
Such a nice store!

Its summer!

And its been hot for June, so far. So, a perfect time for ....



... Calla!

Calla from MagKnits, April 2006
Debbie Bliss Cotton DK
4.0 mm circulars
Started March 2007 - Finished June 2007



This was supposed to be done in time for my trip to Mexico with my sister ... It was my pre-trip knitting to get excited about the trip (there was something about knitting a tank top while it was 20 degrees out that really made me excited, and made it more real that I was going to go somewhere warm soon). Well, it didn't get done for the trip - I really was pretty close too (the arm holes/decreasing). It sat for a while, but as summer snuck up, and I became infatuated with another tank, I finally finished it!

I'm really happy with it - I was skeptical that it wouldn't fit, being too big in some areas or too small overall. I followed the pattern pretty closely - except I made it on circulars so that I wouldn't have seams on each side (it really wasn't a hard modification to the pattern). I'm happy with the yarn as well - I love blue in general, and the color is going to be great for the 4th of July. Can you believe how close it is?

He's into it!

Chief is my cat and, unlike my sister, he is interested in my knitting.

This is a more innocent picture, sometimes his interest interferes ... Today, I was working on Calla and engrossed with Law and Order on TV when I felt a tug on the yarn I was holding. Well, the little sweetheart HAD been innocently batting at the yarn ball when something must have triggered him to run with it ... across the room ... around multiple pieces of furniture ... very fast. Normally I find it endearing when he carries his toys in his mouth; I thought that was more of a dog thing, retrieving (he's my first cat, I'm learning). He has batted a yarn ball on the floor around and lead to some unraveling, but the carpet/furniture/walls usually slow/stop the rolling ball so that I can get to it before too much damage is done. Well, this new technique...very efficient at unraveling yarn. Somehow, he even seemed to know where to hold the yarn ball so that he didn't in anyway restrict the flow of yarn, or how fast he ran. Being positive, I guess that was a relatively benign way of him showing his displeasure with me - I was post call today, thus the "Prime Time in the Daytime," and there had been quite a bit of meowing when I got home. Oh well.

Hopefully there will be FOs to talk about soon ... I'm close on a few (Calla and the Clementine Shawlette which really needs to get done as it was this year's Mother's Day present), and have one Roza and one Grasshopper done (I'm trying to decide which to cast on - probably the Grasshopper so that it gets done before the next shipment and I don't fall behind). I also am hoping to cast on for this soon, I think it will be a quick knit which is why I violated my no more yarn until I move rule (which is just until the end of this month) to buy yarn for it (its summer...I've had this pattern for almost a year...I NEED to start it soon so that I can wear it in the appropriate season, I really needed that yarn...right?!)

zzzzzzzzz....

I'm post call today - and what a great day to be in bed! I don't like working 30 hr shifts, but I do love having the excuse to get into bed in the middle of the day and watch daytime tv! Its gray and cool in the 60's so the windows are open wide and I have piled back the comforter and quilt on my bed. I've procured my favorite pastry from here, a chocolate papillon, and have a latte as well (for caffeine withdrawal symptoms). Chief was behaving, but his favorite "toy" has emerged at the most inopprotune time (a cork from a wine bottle, forget catnip, how did this cat get so high-brow?), hopefully he'll get tired soon.

Now, time to get into bed, play with this (soooo cool!!!!!), and hopefully stay awake for Martha Stewart.....Good night!

Monkeys!

With the whole "monkey" title, I was really trying to take a creative picture. I tried taking action pictures of them while jumping on my bed -too blurry and, I know, not original - having them surrounded by bananas- this just looked weird - and I even have a friend who's husband is a zookeeper and took us on a behind the scenes tour of the zoo -talk about a fantasy job! ... but the socks weren't quite done by then ... another example of how bad I am with deadlines - I can be optimisitc, maybe my Mom will get it by Fathers Day). I'm still holding out for a photo shoot on a playground with a yellow or orange painted jungle gym. Anyway, I fell hard and just took a picture on a blue pillow that I thought highlighted the yarn well (there is just a wee bit of blue in this colorway, but its my favorite component of the colorway).

Monkey Socks from Knitty
Cherry Hill Tree Supersock - Life's A Beach Colorway
US 2 circulars (Cuffs and 1st 2 pattern repeats), US 1 DPNs (remainder of pattern)
Started April - I bought this specific colorway because it went well with my "spring break" trip to Mexico.
Finished - May
(spring break is in parentheses because there was no Senor Frogs, only one night was spent in Cancun, and my propensity to get hung over now that I'm out of college kept me away from the tequila for the most part (I'm not a big fan for it straight up anyhoots).

I really enjoyed this pattern - the lace was pretty easy and you got rewarded at the end of each repeat by several rows of mindless and fast stockinette. This is my first time knitting with the yarn as well, i wasn't expecting the oranges and yellows to be so prominent and was thinking they were a little crazy, but, hell, they are spring break socks aren't they??!! There is just some very mild/somewhat good pooling on the stockinette section on the sole of the foot. Best of all, that little bit of blue....*makes* me *feel special* when wearing them! Oh, and the yarn was nice to knit with - minimal fuzzing, no splitting, 100% wool! I could see using this yarn again, and this pattern getting knit again (although not with this yarn - I don't knit a lot of socks, so I couldn't make two of the same, and I have my eye on a few patterns from "Favorite Socks" for it). I have this 10% off coupon from here, and I have been especially enamoured by the pastels and overall looks of these plus ...

...a moment of silence, the chevron scarf, rip (pped). I was using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, I liked/didn't love the colors, and the weight just was a bit too flimsy for me. I would like this scarf to be more for cool fall days, rainy spring days with my bright green raincoat, or to liven up a white t shirt and jeans in the winter. I *need* BMFA mediumweight STR, and I could use the above coupon for this as well as its good for an ENTIRE ORDER. As for the ripped yarn, I was thinking a chevron-esque pair of socks would be nice, I'm leaning more towards a feather and fan - type pattern over the Jaywalker. We'll see.