Unhealthy Obsession

Lagging

2005-09-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

I keep meaning to post something substantial, but quite honestly, I am uninspired to do so. I have pictures, I have finished projects.. but I hate this blog.

I keep meaning to start a new non-Blogger blog but haven't gotten around to it. Don't know the logistics, don't know quite think I have the programming know-how. We'll see.

WIP Update

2005-07-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

What else is there to finish?

Socks

Tivoli Tee

Pink Cardigan

Lace Poncho

Cascade 220 Sweater

Kittyville Hat (modifications to FO)

I finished the scarf for my brother after about a week of knitting. I made some errors in judgement in the blocking process, and let's just say there's some irreversible damage and I want to cut my losses. Next time, I'll wet block.

Projects I'd like to start soon:

Hourglass Sweater

Argyle Slippers

Fingerless Mitts

The knitting never ends! The madness! As the end of August nears too, I am finally getting around to setting up my knitting group.. hopefully I can get people to show up after months of inactivity ;)

Two Circ Socks, Pakucho Cotton, Lace Poncho Update

2005-07-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

In my latest grand master plan, I had vowed to return to my socks and finish them before starting anything else. I started these socks in January, during my return to knitting after.. maybe 15 years since I last knit. Amazing how long it's been.

The socks have mock cables, they're a Mountain Colors pattern. My first socks, ever. I will take this moment to say that I absolutely hate knitting socks on dpns, and I especially hate knitting this particular sock pattern on dpns. It took me 45 mins to knit two rows. I knew something had to be done.

Soooo, yesterday I went to the Weaving Works and got myself some size 1 Inox circs in 16" and 24". Stacy helped me with the basic concept of two-circ sock knitting. I had my doubts about the 16" needle, thinking it would be too short, and I was right.. my personal preference is for the 24".

Today I returned and exchanged it for a 29" since I don't like to have duplicate needles, but it's a bit on the long side. The 24" really is the perfect length. Either way, presuming I am inspired enough to knit another pair of socks, the 24" is long enough knit both socks simultaneously (at least, according to the Toe-Up Two Circ Sock pattern on KnitPicks' website).

I think the next pair of socks will go by substantially faster, given that they will be simpler and that I will have mastered the two circ method ;)

In other news, I got my order of Pakucho organic cotton in avocado and vanilla recently. It was a beautiful sight. Wonderfully packaged. I am so antsy, I cannot wait to start knitting with it, but alas.. I must finish all WIPs before I can move on.

I also scored a heck of a deal on some Jo Sharp Aran Tweed.. it was in the bargain bin at $2 at WW, supposedly b/c the ball became unwound somehow, with no loss of yardage. Either way, it's beautiful and soft stuff. I am thinking of making a pair of fingerless mitts, but I doubt I can get a pair in with one ball. Wow, I love this yarn.

I'm near completion on the lace poncho. Waiting for the final skein of Andean Silk to arrive from KnitPicks (along with my skein of Essential.. yes, a sock yarn!). I've been blocking as I go just for the heck of it.. I can see the design and it's quite attractive :) I wish I had made the poncho smaller though, since I intended to use it as a wrap, and it really is more like a poncho.

Even though it's lace, it's rather boring to knit. I've found lately that I am incredibly bored knitting almost everything.. time for a change of pace?

More details, updates, pictures to arrive.. eventually.

Cashmere Scarf - Done!

2005-07-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

Today I wove in the remaining ends of my brother's mock cashmere scarf (well, it's 12% cashmere) and finally blocked it.

I am sad actually.. I really messed it up during blocking. It totally flattened at one end and stretched out too much. The edges still curl in some parts. Overall, it's just really uneven and disappointing :(

I hate weaving in ends, and I hate blocking. I didn't want to wet block b/c it didn't seem necessary but steam blocking just didn't do the trick. My iron has a really tempermental steam function, sadly. Next time, I will wet block. It just seems easier.

I tried to weave in ends using a duplicate stitch method (as mentioned in this Knitty article), but I am not sure how successful I was.

It took about a week from start to finish, which isn't bad. I had a little yarn left over, I could have extended the scarf, but it seemed to be at a good length, I hope.

Pictures, measurements, etc to come.

For now, I am back to the lace poncho. I may have to order another skein of yarn, drat. I thought I could get away with it. I may also try some of the new Knitpicks solid sock yarns.. too bad the colors are so dark.. maybe they will expand the line soon.

Project Updates

2005-07-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

Apologies again for another picture-less post! It's been busy in my neck of the woods, so I've been hard pressed to make time to post, let alone prepare pictures.

This list of WIPs is as much for my organizational benefit as it is for your (whomever you may be) knowledge:

1) 1st priority: birthday scarf for my brother

I scoured the internet and the Weaving Works for the perfect cashmere yarn (i.e. moderately priced, high cashmere content, masculine colors, worsted or heavier), and ended up walking away with three balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in 300617 (a plum / purple-red shade) from WW. Price was right, and softness was very good. Would have liked more cashmere (because my brother is easily impressed with cashmere ;) but this works.

I'm making the (highly erroneous) Men's Cashmere Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Another blogger said it best when she said the pattern was completely online in the book corrections section of Purl's website. It appears to be the WS of moss stitch become the RS.

2) Tivoli tee

After much frustration and mathematical modifications, I came to the conclusion that if I were to knit the pattern as written at a smaller gauge, I would probably end up with a shirt that was the right size. Kate, the girl at WW, came to the same conclusion. So, 6 sts/in it is! I'll keep everyone posted on whether this experiment works ;)

3) Socks!

Yes, I finally returned the cabled socks that I started back in January! I think I am ready to give it the final push and crank out that second sock, and finally call it quits on this project.

4) Pink Cardigan

I learned much from this disaster. I am abandoning the Everyday Cardigan pattern, instead favoring a modified One Button Cardigan pattern with button bands, and going back to 5 sts/in instead of 4. Hopefully this will produce better results.

5) Lace Poncho

This is my lace project for Summer of Lace. Still waiting for my remaining yarn to arrive, I hope the dye lots aren't too different! I didn't even take that into consideration when I only ordered one skein to start. Unfortunately, one of my roommates lost/has been hoarding the key to our mailbox for two days, and I have no way of checking whether my yarn has arrived!

6) Cascade 220 sweater

Today I swapped in my brown for some purple-blue. I'm making a complete color reversal on this striped sweater. I have also put this on the back burner because of some modifications I want to make - mostly waist shaping and reduction in number of rows for each color stripe. It'll be a blue and orange striped "off the shoulders" type of sweater - I'm hoping it'll look good fall-winter-spring.

Lastly, I've been searching vigilantly for the perfect yarn to use for the Union Square sweater from the Fall 05 IK. I don't know if I mentioned that I joined the KAL. There are a couple other Seattle knitters there, so that's pretty exciting ;)

I'm playing catch up in class, so I might be absent for a while. Ciao for now!

Tivoli tee solved!

2005-07-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

Kathy, the pattern creator, emailed me back after my crisis email with a very pleasant attitude :) Turns out, I misinterpreted the sizing for the pattern - it's actually meant for someone with a 34" bust.. no wonder it's huge!

What doesn't make sense to me though, is why a garment that is 31" at the bust is supposed to fit someone with a 34" bust. Can someone explain that to me? I am totally confused.

Well, looks like it's back to the beginning on this project, plus some math :P Hope my Andean Silk arrives soon so I can get back to my lace poncho instead of facing this mistake ;)

Tivoli Tee Problems :(

2005-07-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

I just tried on my Tivoli tee, and it is huge! I don't understand :( I am getting the exact gauge, and I have the same measurements as the pattern, if anything I am an inch or two bigger than the person the pattern is written for.

The length can be easily resolved by putting it through the dryer, but the width.. I don't know if that can be fixed, in which case, I don't know if I should keep working on this :(

The thing is, I'm afraid to start decreasing without knowing fully what is going on. I can decrease and hopefully reduce width problems from this point forth, but what if it turns out this is right later? Or what if the length shrinks so much that the decreases move too high?

Etc.. I am too tired to deal with this.

More more more!

2005-07-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

As if I didn't have enough to do.. I started another project today :P

Someone posted their Tivoli tee earlier today. I checked out the pattern and was impressed.. it looked easy, perfect for year round wear, attractive, and I had just the yarn lying around to make it!

In fact, I am already on the 9th row.. using Jo Sharp Soho Summer in 218 (cloudless - a light blue). So happy I found the perfect use for this yarn that's been sitting around in my stash for the last six months or so. It's much easier to knit with this yarn the second time around - knitting the Honeymoon Cami as my first project ever, with this yarn, was such a nightmare. Splitting everywhere, no elasticity, etc.

But, the pattern calls for 22 sts/inch and 30 rows/inch, and Soho Summer is supposed to get 22.5 sts and 30 rows.. could not ask for a more perfect fit.

I'm hoping to crank out this top in a week :) I've been a knitting machine! I am the master of stockinette, everything I've knit so far has been endless row after row of st st but frankly, that's the kind of stuff I like to wear.. so even though it can get boring, at least I get a finished product I like.

I also joined the Union Square KAL today.. not planning on making it anytime soon, since I have so many other projects on the needles, but am planning on making it eventually.

That's all for now, more later!

Short Update

2005-07-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted, but for good reason! I've been really busy knitting! I'll provide more details later, but here's a short summary of what I've been up to:

1) June 19-25 (ish): Started and finished the One Button Cardigan from Hollywood Knits using Reynolds Lopi in color 9981.

2) June 28 (ish): Finally finished the Honeymoon Cami I started back in Feb! What a relief :P Ends still need to be weaved in. Jo Sharp Soho Summer in a cream color.

3) June 30-July 2: Started and hastily finished the Flower Washcloth from Weekend Knitting in Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille, lime green. Was a birthday gift for a friend, who turns out, was also a fellow knitter (of less experience). A total pain to knit, and the pattern was rather poorly written.

4) July 1-July 4: Started the Lace Poncho from the Fall IK (instructions online) using KnitPicks Andean Silk in Barn Red. Since I only ordered one skein, I've knit exactly one skein's worth so far.. will need to order more later.

Pictures, details, all the good stuff to follow!

WIPs: One Button Cardigan, Everyday Cardigan

2005-06-19T01:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I updated. I've taken some pictures but have yet to modify or upload any of them, so I've held off on posting..

I just finished the right front panel for my One Button Cardigan (from Hollywood Knits). I have only the sleeves left. This has been the quickest project I've made to date. An entire cardigan.. so far, the back and both front panels have taken me less than a week to complete. I've already seamed the left shoulder too.

I'm learning a lot from making mistakes. I never finished my Everyday Cardigan.. it's sitting on my desk, pinned together but unwearable. Every single piece is too large - too wide. Sometimes it is due to getting the wrong gauge, other times it is due to the weird properties of cotton, other times it is just due to the pattern itself - I suspected it would be too large for my liking even if my pieces did meet dimension.

It's really frustrating, I've been working on the Everyday Cardigan for over a month nonstop and I am at the point where I have to essentially take it apart for the second time. It is going to be gorgeous and comfortable when it is done, based on what I can tell from trying on the pinned version, but until I can modify it to the point where it is wearable, there is no cardigan :(

The dropped sleeves are too wide. I am going to have to go back and totally hack off several inches in the width. I don't know what I will do about the fronts.. probably redo those to be skinnier. The back, b/c it takes the longest, I will probably leave as is, and just seam further in.

On the up side though, the One Button Cardigan has been a breeze, b/c I knew what problem areas to stay aware of after the whole Everyday Cardigan fiasco. I feel like I can almost confidently knit any plain stst cardigan correctly now. The other pro is that the yarn is bulky (Reynolds Lopi in 9981, a variegated red grey), so it knits quite quickly. This is my first bulky project - I am usually very anti-bulky yarns, I just don't like how they look and feel as garments - but this particular yarn and this particular patten spoke to me.

I had to modify the pattern b/c I couldn't get gauge (the pattern calls for an unusually bulky yarn), and it's been working pretty well. I am quite pleased with myself. The calculations are not as difficult as I originally thought they would be.

Also doing some experimental seaming, I am terrible at seaming. I've been consulting Nancy Wiseman's Knitters Guide to Finishing Techniques (or something to that extent). It isn't immediately clear what I should be doing, but I think if I read over the sections again I'll eventually get it.

That's all for now, I'll post when more progress gets made.

Procrastination and De-stashing

2005-06-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

Trying to work on my take home final for my numerical analysis class, but it's slow progress.

I've been thinking a lot about getting rid of my Cascade 220 stash. I know I just recently acquired it, but I can't really think of anything I'd like to knit out of it. In an ideal world, I would swap someone all my 220 for 220 superwash (again, trying perpetuate my goal of 100% machine washable), but I see that as unlikely.

Cost-wise, I concluded that 4 skeins of 220 would be equivalent to 3 skeins of 220 superwash..

I'm trying to figure out the best way to get a good swap out of this though. I need to find someone who has a lot of the superwash they want to unload, hopefully in the colors that I want, OR find someone who wants the lot for some lump sum that will allow me to get some reasonable number of skeins of the superwash.

If anyone out there is interested in making a swap or a sale, feel free to comment :) I have a bunch of darker colors, some oranges, etc.

Cardigan/Bolero - Sucked In

2005-06-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just gave in and bought the pattern for the Karabella Round Shaped Cardigan at the Weaving Works. Darnit.

It's a very cute pattern. Looks like it has a dropped shoulder though :P And I'm not sure if I like the ribbed sleeves.. may have to remove that.

To perpetuate my goal of knitting only machine-washable items, I anticipate this cardigan to be yet another item knit out of KnitPicks Shine. Why not? It's a really nice yarn, very soft, good stitch definition, decent colors, good price, gets gauge on almost everything I want to make, and machine washable. Biggest sellers being good price, gets gauge, and machine washable ;)

Last night I purchased a color card for Shine, since I figured with my eventual purchasing of practically every single color, I might as well just own them all so I can compare. Hope it arrives soon so I can start figuring out what colors to get for my brother.

What's terrible is that I went on a tea diet to save money, and I ended up spending all the money on yarn and knitting related items instead :P

Swatch Washing: Shine, Manos Cotton Stria

2005-06-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

I sent my swatches through the wash again today. The Manos Cotton Stria went through a second machine wash and dry cycle (after having gone through two hand washes prior to that), and the Shine went through its first wash and dry ever.

The Manos is taking it pretty hard. After just two machine washes, it is already starting to pill (or is it giving off what people call a "halo"?). Definitely showing some wear and tear. The tag says to hand wash, partially dry in the dryer, remove while damp and let completely dry flat. I am going to take their word on the hand washing based on what I have seen with the swatch. It did not shrink any further after the first wash.

The Shine swatch shrunk 1/4 of an inch (of its original 3.5 inches) lengthwise after wash and dry. Still looks very good after just one cycle. You can see the marginal beginnings of pilling/a halo. Shine is supposed to be machine washable, so I am going to hope it doesn't get any worse. It didn't shrink at all widthwise.

Patterns On My Mind

2005-06-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

I have been consumed with thoughts of potential projects for the near future. I don't know how I will finish them all.

1) Sweater for my brother
2) Debbie Bliss cable cardigan
3) Karabella bolero
4) Zillions of socks (at least one pair for my grandma)
5) Another X-Back
6) Short sleeved cardigan from Vogue Knitting
7) Greek Pullover and possibly other patterns from the upcoming fall Interweave Knits
8) Tweed pullover (to use my Donegal Tweed)
9) Semi-chunky tweed cardigan/bolero

And more..

Vogue Knitting, Spring/Summer 2005

2005-06-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

To add more great news to great news, a wonderfully nice knitter out there in cyberspace somewhere offered to send me a copy of the current issue of Vogue Knitting!

I was perusing this magazine at WW today and noticed that there was a pattern I really really wanted to knit in there. It's a short sleeved summery silk cardigan, very cute. When I get the magazine, I can provide a better description of it ;)

I didn't want to buy the $7 magazine for ONE pattern out of the 20 or so that it had, so I asked around to see if anyone knew where I could get someone's discarded or used copy for cheaper.. and lucky for me, someone offered to send me hers. Thanks!

The internet has really changed the way that people with common interests connect with one another, and for the better. It is really fascinating to observe the evolution of interest-based online communities.

KnitPicks Shine and Merino Style

2005-06-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

I recently received my order of one skein of KnitPicks Shine in Cream (an off-white) and Merino Style in Harvest (a butternut squash). I had a free shipping code, and I really wanted to try out these yarns without a large committment, so I purchased a small sampling!

As you can see, the skeins really are as small as people say they are:

But don't let that deter you from purchasing them! Both yarns are incredibly soft (in skein and knit form), a dream to knit with, knit evenly with little effort, have nice stitch definition, AND are incredibly affordable to boot. The colors in the picture are relatively accurate, I know sometimes people have been surprised when they got their colors in the mail and found them to be substantially brighter than they thought!

Shine is a 60% pima cotton, 40% modal blend. Apparently, modal is some sort of derivative of tree cellulose fibers. It is a little bit shiny, as the name implies, but is not overly noticable. I made a little 3.5" x 3.5" swatch on size 6 needles and was able to get 5 sts/in and 7 rows/in:

The color in the picture is darker than the actual color of the yarn. In actuality, it is a fairly close to a white off-white.

My first project with Shine will be a sweater for my brother. He seems intent on me knitting a sweater for him for his birthday (end of July), so we will see if I can get that done in time ;) I am having problems figuring out exactly what pattern to use and what colors to use. I think he'd like a V-neck, but I was also thinking that the Adirondack Pullover from The Garter Belt might be a decent choice. Trouble is, he is kind of small, probably smaller than the smallest size of that pattern.

My second project with Shine will be for myself ;) I want to make the cabled cardigan from Debbie Bliss's Cotton Knits for All Seasons, in Cream. Since it calls for 5 sts/in and 7 sts/row, I am all set! :)

I am going to throw my swatch into the wash and see how it fares. Shine is supposedly machine washable, so I hope there isn't too much shrinkage if at all. If you know me, you know I don't like anything that isn't machine washable ;)

I also knit a swatch out of the Merino Style, but I'll talk about that another day.

Busy Bee - Branching Out, Prize Winner!

2005-06-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, a lot has happened since I last posted. It can get really tedious to constantly update, especially since it means taking pictures, uploading them, and posting them. Anyways, I am rounding the corner to finals, so you can understand why I haven't posted ;)

For starters, I did finish my Branching Out scarf at long last. I finished blocking in mid-May, and I started the project early May. Two weeks is not bad for my first lace project!

After I blocked it, the length of the scarf increased maybe 6-8 inches! The stitch definition was much better, and the scarf more even-looking, but I definitely preferred the original size of the scarf. That is something to keep in mind if I choose to make another one for myself.

This was my first time blocking anything, so it was mostly experimental. I saturated the scarf, and pinned it down to a towel with seamstress pins. They didn't stay in place very well. It was also difficult to shape it in such a way that it was of even width from one end to the next. For my cardigan, I'm going out to get some foam core for a blocking board, and hopefully some T-pins, which should hold better.

An overview during blocking:

A close-up during blocking:

I gave the scarf to my mom several weeks after Mother's Day. Unfortunately I never got to take a picture of the finished product. Today my brother sent me some pictures he took of my mom wearing the scarf (he claims they're paparazzi photos ;) Finally, some proof that she actually wore it! ;)

You can see my post about finishing in the Branching Out KAL here.

Project Details:
Pattern: Branching Out Scarf from Knitty.com
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr, 50% silk, 50% merino wool - about 1.2 oz.
Cost: $3.75/oz at Weaving Works, about $4.50 total.
Needles: Brittany Birch DPNs, size 8 - would prefer pointier tips for lace
Start to Finish: Approx 2 weeks

In other great news, I was picked as the winner of the first Branching Out KAL monthly drawing! I was so surprised and so excited! I never expected to win at all. The prize is a skein of 100% merino lace wool, hand dyed by Danielle at NoNoKitty. You can see all the prizes here. Thanks April and Danielle! :)

Blocking BO

2005-05-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Waiting for my Branching Out to finish blocking.. this is the first time I have ever blocked anything! Not exactly the most fun process, but I think the final result will be worth the effort. Will post pictures later! I finished my BO last night, hoorah!

X-Back Shrinkage, Branching Out Progress

2005-05-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

I finally did laundry today, and got to send my swatch for X-Back through the full wash and dry cycle. I wish I had done this before I started my X-Back, b/c my calculations indicate quite a bit of expected shrinkage:

Unwashed Swatch: 3.5" x 5.5"
Washed and Dried Swatch: 3.375" x 5.3125"

% Shrinkage Lengthwise: 0.125/3.5 = 0.0357 = 3.57%
% Shrinkage Width-wise: 0.1875/5.5 = 0.0341 = 3.41%

Expected Lengthwise Shrinkage: 0.0357 * 20" = 0.714" = about 11/16 of an inch
Expected Width-wise Shrinkage: 0.1875 * 10.5" = 0.35805" = about 6/16 of an inch

Actually, the shrinkage isn't so terrible, I guess, presuming my calculations are correct.

As for my BO.. it is taking much longer than expected. There has been a lot of negative progress lately. I am at a point where I have reached a break in the yarn, and I am reluctant to continue.. Ugh. When will I finish this thing?

WIP: Branching Out, 14.5 inches!

2005-05-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ugh. I have been working on Branching Out nonstop since I started and I am only a third of the way done. I've got 14.5 inches (roughly 9 repeats) completed. There is no way I can finish this by Mother's Day.

Talk about frustration. As someone on the BO KAL said, I've been making "negative progress." I'll be knitting along swimmingly, no problems in several sittings, and then one sitting will have me completely fluxxomed for hours.

A missing stitch somewhere, or an extra stitch somewhere.. I will have to knit and reknit the same row several times, diagnosing along the way, still unable to find the problem.

The infamous "Row 7" used to give me the most problems, but lately it has migrated more to row 5.

This is going to be a fabulous scarf, I will post more pictures when I get further along (is it really that interesting to see me add 10 inches every couple of days?). It's so soft, I wish I was making this for myself.

I just got this book from the library today - it's called Beautiful Knitting Patterns, by Klopper. There are some nice lace patterns in there that I would like to incorporate into a scarf of my own design.

This sudden interest in lace can all be attributed to my foray into Branching Out, kudos to the designer! ;)

FO: Ribbon X-Back

2005-05-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

I completed my Ribbon X-Back tank top on Saturday, and wore it out on Sunday :) Despite all my frustrations with knitting it, I am very pleased with the actual garment. I hope that after washing it will still fit well, I wish I had washed a swatch before hand ;)

I did end up knitting a swatch the other day, it's 3.5" x 5.5". I'm going to throw it in the wash to see how it fares.

I am contemplating making another one, actually, with the Ola yarn used in the pattern, but I have a bunch of other projects on deck and no money for new yarn, so I am not sure if this will happen anytime soon.

Also see my post in the Ribbon X-Back KAL for more details.

WIP: Branching Out Beginnings

2005-05-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

I started Branching Out yesterday. I bought 1.2 oz of a coned laceweight yarn called Zephyr at my LYS. It's 50% merino, 50% silk, lightweight, a bit shimmery, and unbelievably soft! I got a dark pink since I am making it for my mom for Mother's Day. My mom, as best as I can tell, would prefer pink. Best of all, this yarn was only $3.75/oz, so I only spent about $4 on this - what a deal!

In fact, I am thinking of getting this yarn again because I like it so much and because it is so affordable, to make more lace items..

I lost several hours yesterday trying to start this scarf. It's my first lace project, and my first project using a yarn this skinny. I double stranded it because I liked the corresponding swatch at the store. After several hours of frustration, I put the project down. The first attempt had too many mistakes and a dropped stitch.

I picked it up again hours later, and it was surprisingly easy to knit correctly, so my frustration was not a total loss. I switched from Clover 8 circs to Brittany Birch 7 DPNs, which contributed to the better handling. The Clovers were too blunt, and the cord was just getting in the way. I love my Brittany Birches, and they too were somewhat blunt.. I thought about using the Denises which are often too pointy for me, but I figured the Densises needed a rest after many continuous projects.

I also pulled tight on all the border stitches (so basically the knit stitches on every row) and I followed along with a row counter. I knit the purl row much more loosely, and I counted stitches after every knit row to make sure that I was on target. All this led to a much better knitting experience :)

Today there were several hours of knitting. I am about 4? repeats into the scarf. Hopefully I can finish and block before Friday, but I am doubtful, especially with a midterm this week. I have about 5.5 inches completed and it is divine:

There is at least one mistake, but it is not too terrible in the grand scheme of things.

Branching Out (Figuratively and Literally)

2005-05-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Just joined the Branching Out KAL. I said I wouldn't start any new projects, so theoretically Honeymoon is still the next slated for completion, but I wanted to make my mom something for Mother's Day, and Branching Out seemed interesting. Would be my first lace project, now to choose a yarn...

Email Post

2005-05-02T02:25:00.000-07:00

Apparently you can post to Blogger via email. This is an email post! Neat, huh?

Flickr, Yarn Stash, X-Back Update: LONG POST

2005-05-02T01:41:00.000-07:00

I apologize, I haven't updated in a while. I finished my Ribbon X-Back last night after much frustration and two nights of really plunking down to get it done. I'll update more here, but for now, check out my not so great pictures in the X-Back KAL.

I am very pleased with it, despite all the mistakes that were made. I didn't think I would want to make another one, but it is just so comfortable and well-fitting and cute that I am seriously contemplating trying another with the recommended yarn, Katia Ola.

After some well-deserved frustration with Photobucket, I decided to give Flickr a test drive, upon Adam's and someone else's suggestions. I had contemplated using Hello!, but the website did not convince me that I would actually find it useful, and I am always weary of any program that requires me to download it. Flickr is substantially better than Photobucket, definitely check it out if you want to serve up photos on the web.

I spent a couple hours taking, editing, and uploading pictures of my yarn stash to Flickr, to give everyone some colorful photos to look at and to give Flickr a whirl.

Here is some Tahki Donegal Tweed in color 848 (Adam says it looks like potatoes). This is the crown jewel of my stash. Ever since I laid eyes on this and Tahki Soho, I have dreamt of living in a sweater knit out of this! 100% wool.

Some Jo Sharp Soho Summer - 100% silky smooth cotton. I used the white to make what will be the Honeymoon Cami, and I am thinking of using the blue to make a skirt or the Citrus Moon Cami.

Artful Yarns Vaudeville ribbon yarn - 100% merino wool. I used three balls to make a drop stitch scarf that I love, but I don't know if I should make another of the same as a gift?

Goodwill finds: sport weight acrylic. Don't have any clue what to do with this. I used some of the blue to make lightweight fingerless gloves.

Manos Cotton Stria - 100% cotton. It's a flat wave. Unsurpassed softness and beautiful rich colors. I fell in love with this cotton the first time I felt it. I started the Everyday Cardigan, but started questioning the pattern, and turns out it's way too big. Haven't picked it up in a while.

Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece - 80% cotton, 20% wool. I originally started the Everyday Cardigan in this, but I didn't like the weight relative to the Manos. I may or may not pick it up again.

Random yarns, mostly remainders. Yellow: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride. Green: Skye Tweed. Red and sparkly grey: acrylic. Natural tweed: random Japanese brand. Peach: Tahki Chat.

My Cascade 220 collection! All earnmarked for sweaters. Some is superwash. 100% Peruvian wool.

Finally, the bag that I store all my WIPs, needles, and notions in. Makes a decent carrying bag too.

Hopefully will post more later. Hope you enjoyed the photos :)

Honeymoon

2005-04-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

In addition to the Ribbon X-Back KAL, I've joined the Honeymoon Cami KAL. I'm excited since I've had so much trouble with this piece, it seriously has been one of the most frustrating knitted pieces I have ever worked on (which doesn't say much ;)

I'll post pictures and narrative later. I'm about 85% done but honestly, it could be weeks before I am ready to finish this thing what with the messy state it is in now.

Some WIPs: Everyday Cardigans, Bear Hat

2005-04-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

I've been working on about five different projects. The two I've been working on most avidly as of late though, have been the Everyday Cardigan from Peace Fleece, and a modified version of the Kittyville Hat from SnB.

I attempted to first knit the cardigan out of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Nymph (a sky blue color), but I quickly grew tired of working with that yarn. It looked nice, but I didn't feel that it was something that I wanted to wear, or that it was particularly suited for that pattern. I got about 10 inches up the back piece:

Went to the LYS to order more of the yarn (since I had only one skein when I started), and I ended up scrapping the yarn entirely and picking up a bag's worth of Manos Cotton Stria in 214 (a light variegated pink color). It was a lot more expensive, but I think I will be much happier with the resulting garment.

Cotton Stria is incredibly soft and light, and a dream to touch. It is somewhat of a challenge to knit though, because of its unevenness. The recommended gauge is 4.5 sts/in, but I found that to be rather hole-y. I prefer a tighter fabric, which is more difficult to produce with this yarn. As a result, I've had to knit fairly loosely, and have had problems with loops constantly sliding off my needles, not to mention my Denises mysteriously always becoming disconnected.

The fun part about this yarn is that I get to use the ball winder at my LYS, since it comes in hanks ;)

After 5 days of knitting whenever I could, I have completed a little over 10 inches of the back piece, which is a little over half of what I need before this portion is completed. I am hoping I only need to use two hanks for this part.

I have been alternating between two hanks every two rows to ensure a more even coloration, but I am not sure if it is completely necessary. I would rather not take the risk though. It has definitely slowed down my progress though, as the yarn is always getting tangled.

A couple of weeks ago I started knitting up a modified version of the Kittyville/Devil Horn hat in SnB. I used Mission Falls 1824 superwash merino, as suggested, in a medium purple color. My LYS didn't carry Poppy, as I had originally wanted.

The "finished" hat:

I wanted to make teddy bear ears, but this has proven much more difficult than it seems. I have tried charting it and knitting, just knitting through trial and error, searching for patterns, but none have really yielded the effect that I would like. I will eventually add the ears..

I had to knit this hat twice, since the hat was too tall the first time. I knew this might pose a problem since storebought hats are usually too tall for my liking. My head is not that tall. After the unknitting though, I found that I could knit the entire hat with a single skein :) The earflaps and cords and ears use just a marginal portion of a second skein. This is in contrast to the three skeins recommended by the pattern. Of course, I also shortened the cords to 9 inches from 12.

I am second guessing my alterations though, since the hat doesn't stay on my head as well as I would like, and I am thinking this is due to its shortness. Also, unless I wear it a certain way, it makes me look bald and silly :) It is not a particularly toasty hat, but it is nice to retain a little heat. I love the fabric that this yarn produces.

The hat took me about 2 days to complete initially, but all the alterations ended up spreading out over a period of maybe 3 weeks. This was nonstop knitting for two days.

I wish I had some close ups of the fabrics, but the pictures haven't turned out that well yet ;) More to come later. Hopefully future posts won't be this long ;) Takes a while to write.

Edit: I don't know why the pictures are so fuzzy, I think Blogger resizes them.

Not another blog..

2005-04-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

After joining the Ribbon X-Back KAL, I got to thinking how nice it would be to have a blog dedicated to knitting. I've really liked the other knitting blogs I've seen on Blogger - presentation-wise, the format is a lot cleaner and more appealing than LJ.

I will continue to use my LJ to document life's daily trials and tribulations, but will move most of my knitting activity to here. Hope I didn't just make things more complicated for myself ;) Here's to a first post.