Delinquent Croissant

Yay! It's March!

2007-03-03T15:23:00.000-05:00

I'm back! I still haven't written up any patterns yet, but I have been knitting. Starlight is now 32 rows past the joining of body and sleeves. Not much progress, but any progress is good.

Here are some pics of the Large Lattice cabled hat (too long for the mannequin, of course, but it fits me just fine):

And here is a hat made from 2+ skeins of some lovely Noro Silk Garden (color #84) that Glaistig traded me for the Pemaquid hat:

(Why yes, I do regret letting The Wibbles play with my poor, now-noseless mannequin.)

The entire hat is double-knitted, on a size 5 circular. I started with 240 stitches, decreased fairly rapidly to 180 to make the brim, and then continued straight up to the crown. I decreased 20 stitches every 3 rounds (that sounds like a lot, but remember it's double knitting, so it's really like 10 stitches) until I had 20 stitches left, then did a k2tog around, then closed it up. The brim was kind of floppy, so I stuck some millinery wire in there. It could also use a blocking, which I will do later tonight.

I really want to make another one of these! I got some mossy green semisolid Koigu Kersti for another try. This time I want to make more of a cloche shape, with less of a brim. I will also try casting on to the millinery wire instead of threading it in afterwards, because it was a b*tch and a half to get that wire in there.

I Hate February

2007-02-12T15:57:00.000-05:00

I do asset-liability management. If you don't know what that means, don't bother looking it up; it's boring number-crunchy kind of stuff. All my assessments and reports and whatnot are due March 1, so I don't get to do much in February (or January, really, but especially February) besides work.

I have knit a total of 6 rows on Starlight since the last photo I posted. So much for my wear-it-on-Valentine's-Day goal.

I still haven't written up the pattern on the short-rows hat.

I designed two new stitch patterns, both involving ribbing and cables (although not reversible). The first one is small, with an 8 stitch and 12 row repeat:

I started a hat with this stitch pattern, but it became clear early on that it was way too big, so I frogged it. I'll try again, with fewer repeats, when I have time (hah!).

The second stitch pattern is huge: 32 stitches and 40 rows for one pattern repeat.
(click to make bigger and actually be able to SEE it)

I actually managed to make a successful hat with this second pattern! I used beige merino wool (Zara) on size 4 needles. I even managed to come up with crown decreases that blend in with the stitch pattern, which I should probably write down soon before I forget.

I'm debating whether or not to write up this pattern, since I'm not sure anyone other than me can use it. I've noticed one thing that happens almost all the time when other people knit my hat patterns - they leave out one or more row repeats before starting the decreases. Although my head is only slightly larger than average, it is apparently freakishly tall. This is confirmed by my mannequin. The circumference of the hat fits her perfectly (it's very stretchy and should fit just about anyone), but lengthwise it's pretty bad. Bad as in, it covers her ENTIRE FACE. However, you can't just leave off a row repeat if it's 40 rows. Even half a repeat (the decreases would still blend) is 20 rows. So I'm not sure if it can be adjusted for normal heads. It might be worth trying a heavy worsted yarn and leaving off one stitch repeat and one row repeat. Or using a thinner yarn, with a smaller needle, and adding a stitch repeat but leaving the row count alone. I'm not sure. Hopefully I'll get a chance to take some photos of the hat this week. If there's interest, I will write up the pattern exactly as it was knit, and feel free to experiment to get your size.

A Few FOs

2007-02-03T15:25:00.000-05:00

Firstly, the short rows hat worked! I haven't written up the pattern yet - I have my scribbled notes, but I want to add one or maybe two more size options. But here's a sneak peek (sorry for the blurry):

It's easier to tell from the non-modeled photo how the crown is slanted toward the back of the head:

Next are two recipe cloches:

My new favorite closures for the recipe cloches are these rhinestone buckles I got at Les' Bon Ribbon.

The black one is for my cousin Megan. It's a 2x2 rib brim, and the main stitch pattern is "Chunky Rib Pattern" on p.170 of the Readers' Digest stitchionary. I did one and a half repeats of the pattern, ending on a 2x2 rib round. The crown decreases are 8 stitches decreased per round, in a spiral, in 2x2 rib. The yarn is Rowan Kid Classic, color Smoke. I used about one and a third skeins for both the hat and the band. The hat is 144 stitches cast on, using a size 3 needle. The band is 3 stitches cast on, then 1x1 rib, also with a size 3 needle.

The green one is for the fall collection. The ribbon looks a bit loose on the mannequin, because I sized it on myself. This one is three repeats of Barbara Walker's "Wickerwork" stitch pattern (from the Second Treasury), with a 2x2 rib brim and an 8-section spiral decrease in stockinette for the crown. The ribbon is 7/8" wide grosgrain. I cast on 96 stitches for this hat, and used a size 7 needle. The yarn is Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran (I love this yarn, BTW), color #106 "Batik," just under 2 skeins.

Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading

2007-02-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

Grief of a Girl's Heart

O Donal Oge, if you go across the sea,
Bring myself with you and do not forget it;
And you will have a sweetheart for fair days and market days,
And the daughter of the King of Greece beside you at night.
It was late last night the dog was speaking of you;
The snipe was speaking of you in her deep marsh.
It is you are the lonely bird through the woods;
And that you may be without a mate until you find me.
You promised me, and you said a lie to me,
That you would be before me where the sheep are flocked;
I gave a whistle and three hundred cries to you,
And I found nothing there but a bleating lamb.
You promised me a thing that was hard for you,
A ship of gold under a silver mast;
Twelve towns with a market in all of them
And a fine white court by the side of the sea.
You promised me a thing that is not possible
That you would give me gloves of the skin of a fish;
That you would give me shoes of the skin of a bird;
And a suit of the dearest silk in Ireland.
O Donal Oge, it is I would be better to you
Than a high, proud, spendthrift lady:
I would milk the cow; I would bring help to you;
And if you were hard pressed, I would strike a blow for you.
You have taken the east from me; you have taken the west from me,
You have taken what is before me and what is behind me;
You have taken the moon, you have taken the sun from me,
And my fear is great that you have taken God from me!

- Translation from the Irish (Anonymous) by Augusta Gregory

In Search of Lost Time: Short Rows

2007-01-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

I wanted to talk a bit more about my short rows ideas (this was not clear from my Ideas post, but I have two separate ideas involving short rows). I’m finding it very interesting how some of my designs just work perfectly on the first try, as if by magic, and others make their way into the world over a period of years, leaving many failed attempts in their wake. I wonder, do other designers experience this also? Or are the "slow" designs just a result of my ideas being way ahead of my knitting ability?

In the first short rows idea, the short rows all occur over the same stitches, making the front of the hat significantly taller than the back. This results in a cloche shape, with the top of the crown toward the back of the head rather than centered on top of the head. In the second idea, the short rows occur "randomly" throughout. I say “randomly” because, although it appears random, it's actually arranged so that after a given number of short row segments have been completed, the same number of rows have been worked for each stitch in the round.

My first try was Idea 2, in Zara. It starts with a ribbed band, as did all my hats at the time. The short row sections are in stockinette, with one strand of burgundy held together with one strand of lilac. Between the short row sections, I knit a few rounds in reverse stockinette, with two strands of burgundy held together. This hat was not actually a total failure; it was just kind of mediocre. I probably would have posted about it, but I wasn’t blogging yet. It fits well (at the time, it was actually my best-fitting hat – I was having some serious size issues back then). The biggest problem with this hat is the colors. I used one MC + one CC (instead of 2 CC) for the reverse stockinette bands on purpose, because I thought it would obscure the little jog that occurs where you switch to reverse stockinette. It does obscure the jog, but the whole thing just looks kind of, um, muddy. And, I no longer care about jogs. You can’t really get around them in circular knitting, so I’ve learned to just accept them. Another, more minor problem is that I continued with the short row sections for too long, then did a final band of reverse stockinette, followed by some very fast decreases in stockinette. Due to the decrease speed, the last band of reverse stockinette puckers a bit.

Second try: Idea 2 again, in camel and grey Margrite Bulky. After a ribbed band, everything is in stockinette stitch. The short row sections are in the grey. The ribbed band, and the rounds between each short row section, are in the camel. Problem 1: There is not enough contrast between the two colors, so the camel bands do not stand out enough against the grey background. Problem 2: The hat is ginormous. Biggest problem: My short-rowing technique is awful, and you can see little puckers and/or holes where the wraps were picked up. I wonder why that didn’t happen with my first try. I’m assuming it has something to do with using two strands held together.

Third try: Idea 1, in grey Misti Alpaca Chunky. The entire hat is in garter stitch. Minor problem: I didn’t know yet about the alpaca issue, so although the hat fit perfectly right after I made it, it quickly became too big. (I did manage to wear it twice before it grew.) Major problem: Since garter stitch was used throughout, the short row sections don’t stand out AT ALL. It may as well be a plain old garter stitch hat. The good news is that my short rows don’t look bad in garter stitch.

Fourth try: Idea 1 again, in brown Ribbon Twist. I figured I’d get around the Major Problem by knitting the short row sections in garter, as before, then doing the crown decreases in stockinette. This idea may have worked, had I been a better knitter at the time. However, I grossly miscalculated the point at which the crown decreases should begin. Newbie that I was, I figured I could fix that by decreasing more slowly. Result? The hat comes to a very pointy point on top, and looks like a Hershey’s Kiss. (It certainly doesn’t help that it’s brown.)

Fifth try: Back to Idea 2. Cashmerino Aran. (Side note – you can tell how surprised I was by all these failures, by the quality of the yarn I was using. Nowadays, when I try out low-confidence ideas, I use cheap yarn!) I decided to use garter stitch for the whole hat, so I wouldn’t have short row issues. I decided to use black and white, so I wouldn’t have contrast issues. I did the short row sections in black, with a few rounds of white in between. This idea may also have worked, had I been a better knitter. When you knit garter stitch in the round, you have to knit one round then purl one round. You get a subtle “seam” at the end-of-round, where you switch between the two. If you don’t pull the first couple of stitches of each round tight, you can get some gapping at the “seam,” which is a Bad Thing. There are also some tension issues when you are switching colors with several rounds between switches, and carrying the yarn up rather than breaking it. These two things combined completely overwhelmed me, and my “seam” was Gap City. With Puckerville in the suburbs. Also, I didn’t really like the color jogs - they were very noticeable due to the high color contrast.

Sixth and current try: I’m back to Idea 1. I’m using a skein of Noro Kureyon that I had in my stash. I’m doing the short row sections in garter stitch, with a few rounds of stockinette in between. Due to the self-striping, the short rows would have been visible (albeit in a more subtle way) even without the stockinette breaks, but I like them anyway (and besides, I could make another one in a solid yarn and it would still work). I’ve been trying the hat on as I go, and it fits. The short rows look good. The stitch jog (aka the garter “seam”) is very subtle and does not bother me. Using one yarn means no color jogs and no gapping problems. Last night I believed I was headed directly for success and then BLAMMO! I ran out of yarn. But it’s Kureyon! So I can get more, without worrying about matching the dyelot (or even the colorway, for that matter – anything that has a significant amount of either black or grey in it should work)! I’ll be off to the LYS this afternoon. Of course I can’t say “success” until the hat is actually off the needles, given my history of crown decrease nightmares, but it’s looking pretty good. I think I’ll buy 2 skeins, so I can take a similar stab at Idea 2 when this hat is finished. Time Regained!

The Blob

2007-01-27T13:54:00.000-05:00

Starlight, 5 loooooooooong rows after joining the sleeves to the body:

The blue yarn is holding the underarm stitches. I'm going to do three-needle bind off rather than grafting. Same goes for the shoulders. Since I'm going for more of a jacket-y look than a sweater-y look, I want that "seamed" look of 3NBO over the continuous look of Kitchener.

Side note: It's sunny today! No flash, so the color is true for once. All my other Starlight photos look bright red.

Kyoto

2007-01-27T12:46:00.000-05:00

As I said before, I luuurve this hat.

I made up 2 extra sizes for the pattern, since size appears to be important - it fits me well, but is obviously too big for the mannequin. However, be warned that only the large size has been tested out.

The decreases may look slightly different for the smaller sizes, but should still look pretty much like this:

I definitely recommend wet blocking this hat; it was a bit puckery in places before the blocking. I didn't pin it out or anything, though - I soaked it in tepid water and Eucalan for about 10 minutes then put it on the mannequin head to dry.

Yarn
Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed Aran (100% wool; 88m per 50g ball):
One skein color 281101 black (MC)
One skein color 281706 natural (CC)

I like this quality, but the black tweed has natural flecks and the natural tweed has black flecks. Sometimes, at first glance, this may make it look like you've made a mistake:

If that bothers you, I would consider a yarn substitution. I wonder if something like Cashsoft Aran would knit up to the same gauge.

Other Materials
Size 7, 47" Addi Turbo circular needle (as usual, I recommend Magic Loop)
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
8 stitch markers; one different from the rest

Measurements
Gauge: 17.5 stitches and 22.5 rows to 4", after washing and blocking.
Circumference: 18"[20", 22"] for sizes S[M,L], unstretched.

Abbreviations
CDD (centered double decrease): Slip 2 stitches together as if to knit, k1, pass the 2 slipped stitches over
K1CC, for example, means knit 1 stitch with CC. Similar meanings for K1MC, P1CC, P1MC, P2MC, P3MC, and CDDCC.

Kyoto Rib
Worked in the round over a multiple of 4 stitches.
Make sure that both yarns are held to the BACK when changing colors.
Rounds 1-3: *K1CC, P1MC, repeat from * around.
Round 4: *K1CC, P1MC, K1MC, P1MC, repeat from * around.
Rounds 5-7: *K1CC, P3MC, repeat from * around.
Round 8: *K1CC, P1MC, P1CC, P1MC, repeat from * around.
Rounds 9-11: Same as rounds 1-3.
Round 12: *K1MC, P1MC, K1CC, P1MC, repeat from * around.
Rounds 13-15: *P2MC, K1CC, P1MC, repeat from * around.
Round 16: *P1CC, P1MC, K1CC, P1MC, repeat from * around.
Repeat rounds 1-16 for pattern.

Hat
With MC, cast on 80[88,96] stitches (I used the alternate cable cast-on). Work a setup row: K1CC, P1MC across. Join into a round, being careful not to twist. Use the distinct stitch marker to mark the end of the round. Work in Kyoto Rib until hat measures 5.5"[5.5",6"] tall (or desired length - the 6" length just covers my ears). Be sure to end on either Round 8 or Round 16 of the pattern.

Work marker round, following Round 1 of the stitch pattern: *Work 11[11,13] stiches, place marker, work 9[11,11] stitches, place marker, repeat from * around (omit the last "place marker," since the end of round marker will already be there).

Begin crown decreases:
"Work stitch in pattern" means that if the next stitch is a CC knit stitch, then K1CC. If the next stitch is a MC purl stitch, then P1MC. Half the time on the row after a CDDCC, you will need to K3CC. (The other half, will be P1MC, K1CC, P1MC.)

Size L only: *Work 5 stitches in pattern, CDDCC, work 5 stitches in pattern, slip marker, work 11 stitches in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 88 stitches remain.

Sizes M and L only: *Work 11 stitches in pattern, slip marker, work 4 stitches in pattern, CDDCC, work 4 stitches in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 80 stitches remain.

All sizes continue here:
*Work 4 stitches in pattern, CDCC, work 4 stitches in pattern, slip marker, work 9 stitches in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 72 stitches remain.
*Work 9 stitches in pattern, slip marker, work 3 stitches in pattern, CDDCC, work 3 stitches in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 64 stitches remain.
*Work 3 stitches in pattern, CDDCC, work 3 stitches in pattern, slip marker, work 7 stitches in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 56 stitches remain.
*Work 7 stitches in pattern, slip marker, Work 2 stitches in pattern, CDDCC, work 2 stitches in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 48 stitches remain.
*Work 2 stitches in pattern, CDDCC, work 2 stitches in pattern, slip marker, work 5 stitches in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 40 stitches remain.
*Work 5 stitches in pattern, slip marker, Work 1 stitch in pattern, CDDCC, work 1 stitch in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 32 stitches remain.
*Work 1 stitch in pattern, CDDCC, work 1 stitch in pattern, slip marker, work 3 stitches in pattern, slip marker, repeat from * around - 24 stitches remain.

From here on, all stitches will be in CC only.

*K3, slip marker, CDD, slip marker, repeat from * around - 16 stitches remain.
*CDD, slip marker, K1, slip marker, repeat from * around - 8 stitches remain.

Cut CC yarn, leaving a tail. Thread the tail through remaining stitches and pull tight to close. Cut MC yarn also. Weave in ends.

I will end with a bonus innards shot:

Ideas

2007-01-24T16:05:00.000-05:00

It always feels like I have way more hat ideas than I have time to try them out. Trying out an idea is a big investment for me, because

a) they often don't work out (I have many, many hats that I've finished but never posted about, because I consider them unsuccessful), and even though I do gain information from a failed idea, it's still a lot of time and yarn spent on pretty much nothing, and

b) I have very limited knitting time, and - particularly this year - things that I need (OK, want very badly) to get finished. Like my hat collection.

However, when I get an idea it tends to plague me mercilessly until I try it out. I am currently being plagued by a host of ideas, so I thought I'd temporarily appease the Furies by posting about them, since I can't knit them anytime soon.

1. Felting/fulling. I have a two-color Fair Isle stitch pattern I made up that looks like zebra print. I would love to try a felted cloche using this stitch pattern. Unfortunately, this is the last thing I would ever try, since it would be my first felting attempt and pretty much a certain disaster.

2. Earflaps. This idea is not plaguing me too badly, so I'll probably leave it alone for a while.

3. SHORT ROWS. This baby has had its claws in my back ever since I bought Loop-d-loop and saw that short row Fair Isle pullover. I already have several unsuccessful experiments under my belt, so I have pretty low confidence with this idea. However, the plague factor is extremely high, so I will try again. This is one that I probably won't let go until I make it work. Especially since most of the problems seem to come from my crappy technique rather than my actual ideas. Eventually I'll be a good enough knitter for this idea!

4. "Freeform" hat made out of a bunch of knitted flowers made separately and then sewn together. Low confidence factor + low plague factor = not anytime soon.

5. High-confidence idea: More Recipe Cloches! There are stitch patterns I know will work (Wavelet, certain ribbing variations, etc.) - some of these are already in progress and some are on my short list. There are some other stitch patterns where I'm not quite sure how to do the decreases and/or the eyelet round (knot-type stitches, or this one stitch pattern I've got a hankering to try where you just cast on an odd number of stitches and keep doing right twists until the thing is done). Those are of course lower-confidence and will have to wait. (I've actually got a few failed twisty-all-over hats. I've tried some different things for the decreases and they all look terrible.)

6. Colorwork. This is pretty low-confidence in general, although the plague factor is pretty high so we'll see. I've never attempted intarsia or mosaic knitting, and my few attempts at Fair Isle have had very wonky tension. However, the Kyoto hat came out really well, so I just might try some of the very simplest FI patterns, where you change color pretty much every stitch like in Kyoto - the tension doesn't suffer as much when the floats are short. In particular, I have one idea for a hat that is entirely 2x2 corrugated ribbing. Two colors per round, but there are color changes throughout, so six colors for the whole hat. I've already ordered the Spindrift - when I receive it I'll probably cast on right away.

7. I-cord hat. This one requires two colors of the same yarn, and a head form (I've got my Styrofoam mannequin). With MC, knit a super-long I-cord. Pin it onto the head form, starting at the top of the crown, into a big spirally hat shape. With CC, slip stitch crochet the thing together, removing the pins as you go. Medium confidence, medium plague factor - maybe I'll get to this one after some recipe cloches and the corrugated ribbing hat.

8. The Frankenhat. High confidence, but low plague factor. I should do this one, though, because I think it will look cool. It's basically a plain stockinette hat, but in random places a random number of stitches would be bound off and then re-cast on the following round, creating what amount to large, various-sized buttonholes all over the hat. These "buttonholes" would then be stitched shut on the right side in a contrasting color, using a very noticeable stitch, kind of like Frankenstein scars.

9. My last idea is the Turban. I've got a neckwarmer I made out of Classic Elite Montera. It's 48 stitches, and three repeats of a giant ribbed cable. (Every row is 2x2 rib, and every 23rd row the center 40 stitches are cabled.) I used a provisional cast-on, and grafted the two ends together to make the neckwarmer. I never posted about it (or wear it) because my grafting was really, really bad. However, it fits very nicely on my head and (except for the fact that it has no top) it looks just like one of those early 20th century turban-style hats. Now that I've got that finishing class under my belt and can graft properly, I'm thinking I could make another one in Manos, then pick up stitches for the crown to make a proper hat.

Kyoto is finished!

2007-01-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

The black and natural Donegal Tweed hat from the previous post has been finished (including a wet block) and I luuuurve it! Photos have been taken; they and the pattern will be posted this weekend (also, somewhat longish post on ideas is coming tomorrow).

Unfortunately, I had to take the Kyoto pics on the mannequin (for whom the hat is a bit too big), since I couldn't get a decent shot of myself. I look like crap lately due to work stress and lack of sleepage. My husband recently decided to take up snoring as if it were some kind of freakin' competitive sport or something. Maybe I should try smile therapy.

Weekend Update

2007-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

1. Starlight
Body and sleeves are ready to be joined! Progress photo of the giant blob coming next weekend.

2. Heatherly's hat
After browsing through her blog, I decided to go with the colorful hat rather than the neutral one. And, it's finished! It will go in the mail on Monday. I've taken photos, but I won't post them until after she receives it.

3. WIP's
Here's an in-progress shot of the super-girly hat I posted about a while ago:

The burgundy stuff is waste yarn; I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the brim edge yet. Also, the color in this photo is completely untrue; it's really more of an emerald green.

And, after finishing Heatherly's hat, I couldn't resist casting on for the rejected idea:

The stitch pattern is my own invention, a hybrid of Corrugated Ribbing (this has been lodged in my brain ever since Anemoi Mitten Fever took over the blogworld) and a diminished (to steal a term from music theory) version of the Chunky Rib Pattern on p.170 of the Readers' Digest stitchionary.

ETA: The yarn is Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed Aran. I find it very similar to Rowan's Yorkshire Tweed Aran, although it is very slightly thinner and has a bit more in the way of tweedy flecks. I like the way the black has natural flecks and the natural has black flecks, making the pattern look slightly imperfect.

Nathalie Convertible Hat

2007-01-19T23:59:00.000-05:00

Worn as a beret:

And as a hat:

Yarn: Muench Naturwolle, 2 skeins. I can't remember the name of the colorway, and I lost the ball bands.

Needles: Size 9 and 10 47" Addi Turbos.

Pattern:
With #9, CO 60 stitches using the alternate cable cast-on. Join into a round and work in k1, p1 ribbing for 3.5". Switch to larger needle and work one more round of ribbing. Work increase round: Kfb into each P stitch - 90 sts total. Work k2, p1 rib for 3 rounds. Increase again: Kfb into each of the second knit stitches - 120 stitches. Work in k2, p2 rib for 3-3.5". Decrease: (K2, p2, k2, p2tog) around - 105 sts total. Work in patt for 3 rounds. Decrease again - (K2, p2tog, k2, p1) around - 90 sts total. Work in patt for 3 rounds. Decrease: (K2, p1, k2tog, p1) around - 75 sts. Work in patt for 3 rounds. Decrease: (K2tog, p1, k1, p1) around - 60 sts. Work in k1, p1 rib for 3 rounds. Commence final decreases: Divide sts into 6 groups of 10. SSK the first two stitches of each group together and work the rest of the stitches in patt; do this until 12 sts remain. Cut yarn, leaving a tail, and weave the tail through the remaining stitches. Pull tight to close. Weave in ends.

Comments: I have kind of a big head (22.5" around). As a hat with the turned-up brim, the fit is perfect. As a beret it's just a little bit looser than I would have liked. If I made another one for myself, I would CO 4 fewer stitches. If you have a smaller head than I do, I would definitely recommend reducing the initial stitch count by two or three multiples of 4 stitches.

Heatherly's Hat

2007-01-18T22:36:00.000-05:00

After much deliberation, I have two ideas, and I can't seem to choose between them. One is a very simple stitch pattern, with the interest coming partly from the shaping and mostly from the yarn (colorful and variegated). The other is a more complicated stitch pattern (both colorwork and texture going on), in two contrasting neutral shades.

1. Do you have a preference? I can give more details if you want; I wasn't sure how much of a surprise you want it to be.

2. Do you want to be completely surprised, or do you want to see WIP photos?

Contest Results!

2007-01-17T05:35:00.000-05:00

I guess lurkers mostly just want to stay lurkers! Well, I did get two entries. Both sets of answers were the same (mostly correct), so the winner is the author of the first comment and that's Heatherly! Let me know what kind of hat you're interested in!

The correct answers are:
0 = number of nieces/nephews I have. I do have a brother, and he is married, but they don't have kids yet.
2 = number of times I've been to Europe. I went all over Ireland on vacation once, and once to London on business.
3 = number of my father's sisters who are named Maria.
5 = number of times I've had pneumonia. Once for every winter I spent living in Canada.
12 = age difference between V. and me.
15 = number of years I've been working full time at my current job. I've actually been working there 17 years, including 2 years part time while I was still in school, but that conflicted with the next answer.
17 = number of first cousins I have.
24 = number of years I've been living pneumonia-free in New York.
31 = number of lipsticks I own.

Mini-Update

2007-01-10T10:06:00.000-05:00

Starlight has become my weekend-only project, as it isn't portable and I get pretty much no chance to knit at home during the week. But I'm still working on it! The body pieces have about 2" more to go before I join the sleeves.

In the meantime, there are hats. Just knitting during my commute and for part of my lunch hour, I can complete a hat in two to five days (depending on gauge and amount of cabling).

Recently completed: Pemaquid hat

In progress: A convertible hat (that wants to be called Nathalie), which can be worn as a hat or as a beret. In black and white variegated Muench Naturwolle, on a #10. I can't find this color any more, and I can barely even find the yarn, but it's a thick-and-thin single ply, so I'm thinking Manos will be an excellent substitute if I want to make more of these.

In the wings:
Three recipe cloches.
1. Super-girly cable-and-lace stitch pattern ("Tilting Ladders" for all you Barbara Walker fans) in green Laines du Nord Cashsilk (color 08). I don't know what's up with the recommended needle size being 8 or 9 for this yarn. It's pretty clearly a DK-weight, and I'm going to swatch on sizes #4 and #5 to figure out which is best. The brim will be 1x1 rib, and I'll probably finish this one with a fancy ribbon for extra girliness.

2. Extra-chunky, cloche version of the Wavelet. In dark grey Misti Alpaca Chunky, on a #11. Brim in 2x2 rib. Finished with a ribbed button band, just like the Moss Cloche.

3. Twisted-stitch pattern (BW's "Wickerwork") in Rowan's Scottish Tweed DK held together with a strand of Kidsilk Haze, on a #7. Brim in 2x2 rib, ribbed button band.

"Get Out the Lurkers" Contest!

2007-01-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

I recently installed a hit counter on this blog, and I was absolutely stunned to see that I get around 100 hits per day, on average. Stunned, because I've never had more than 5 comments on any post, and I've only got 11 subscribers on Bloglines (and that's including myself).

So, I've decided to have a contest in order to see who's lurking around here. The prize will be a hat, newly knitted by me, just for you. It can be any of the hat patterns I've already posted here, or a cloche-recipe cloche. For a recipe cloche, please specify:
1. Desired stitch pattern (pretty much anything will work).
2. Desired gauge range (sport/DK, light worsted, worsted/aran, or bulky)
3. Some indication of the kind of yarn you had in mind (eg, "tweedy" or "no mohair" or "self-striping" or "something with alpaca" or something like that. We can come to a final choice on a specific yarn by e-mail.)
If you don't wish to specify, of course you can just say, "Surprise me!"

I can't guarantee when the hat will be finished, but I can promise to have a WIP-update post at least once a week, doing my best to include a photo (unless you are being surprised and don't want to see any photos).

How to enter:
Match the numbers a-i on the left to the items A-I on the right. Leave a comment by 11:59 PM on Sunday, January 14th to enter; you may enter as many times as you like. First correct entry wins. If no entries are correct, the first entry with the most correct matches wins.

a. 0 ******** A. Number of my father's sisters whose first name is Maria
b. 2 ******** B. Number of nieces and nephews I have
c. 3 ******** C. Age difference (rounded, in years) between my husband and me
d. 5 ******** D. Number of first cousins I have
e. 12 ******** E. Number of years I've lived in New York
f. 15 ******** F. Number of times I've been to Europe
g. 17 ******** G. Number of years (rounded) I've been working full-time at my current job
h. 24 ******** H. Number of lipsticks I own
i. 31 ******** I. Number of times I've had pneumonia

Some hints:
A. It's not zero. They have different middle names.
C. I think the answer to this is floating around somewhere in this blog.
E. More than half my life.
G. Less than half my life, but not by much.
H. You'd be surprised.

Good luck everyone!

... And, First FO of 2007

2007-01-06T07:42:00.000-05:00

The Pemaquid hat:
(Color is truest in the closeup photo.)

(Like my new hat model?)

I used 2 skeins of Pemaquid from The Fibre Company, purchased at Webs. Man, I love this yarn. It has the sproinginess and non-itchiness of merino, but it feels even butterier. It's expensive, but for something small like a hat, it is totally worth it.

Needles: Sizes 9 and 10 47" Addi Turbo circulars. I highly recommend Magic Loop for hats in general, but especially for this one, because the decreases are very fast, and it's important to get your hat the right length.

Pattern
With #9 needle, CO 60 stitches. (This fits my 22.5" head, although it also appears to fit my mannequin, who has only a 20.75" head. The moss stitch cloche, by comparison, hangs over her nose. If you still want to adjust, add or subtract a multiple of 4 stitches, and the basic pattern will be the same). Join into a round, and work k2, p2 rib for about an inch. Switch to #10 needle.

Work increase round: (K2, p1, M1, p1) around - 75 stitches (or 5/4 of your CO amount).

Work in Furrow Rib (see below) until hat is the right length, ending on Round 2 of the pattern. What is the right length? Try it on. Placing the bottom where you want it to go (I like my hats to cover my ears, but some people prefer half coverage or even a beanie shape where the ears are not covered at all), the top should come about an inch short of meeting at the top of your head. For me, the right length was just under 8 inches.

Work Decrease rounds:
Round 1: (K2, slip 2 together as if to knit, k1, p2sso) around - 45 stitches total (or 3/4 of your CO amount)
Round 2: K all stitches. When you get to the marker, remove it, k one more stitch, and replace it.
Round 3: (Slip 2 together as if to knit, k1, p2sso) around - 15 stitches (or 1/4 of your CO amount)
Round 4: K all stitches.

Cut yarn, leaving a tail. Thread tail through remaining stitches and pull tight. Weave in ends.

Furrow Rib
Worked in the round over a multiple of 5 stitches.
Slip all stitches purlwise with yarn in back.
Round 1: (Sl 2, k3) around
Round 2: (K2, p3) around
Repear rounds 1 and 2 for pattern.

Last FO of 2006

2007-01-05T19:36:00.000-05:00

Here she is, the Moss Cloche:

(Color is truest in the one where you can see the camera.)

This was a Cloche Recipe cloche. I used two skeins of Rowan Big Wool in color Cassis (#24, I think), and 47", size 11 Addi Turbo circular needle. (Side note: I always use Magic Loop for hats, so I can try them on as I go.) I cast on 60 stitches to begin with, and followed the Recipe. For the decreases, I divided the stitches into 5 groups of 12 and SSK'ed the first two stitches of each group on every round. The band is 5 stitches in K1, P1 rib with a chain stitch selvedge (exactly the same as for Glaistig, but without the bobble).

I'm going to have to make another one of these for the store. I can't in good conscience use this one because I have literally been wearing it EVERY DAY. I'm kind of over the spiral decrease thing (it's been a while since I leafed through Knitting Nature), so for version 2 I'll be using the centered double decrease - sl 2 tog as if to k, k1, p2sso - instead. Well, probably. I want to swatch(!) for that first. I like that decrease for stockinette, but I haven't tried it yet for moss.

Large Project for 2007

2007-01-03T20:52:00.000-05:00

I think I'm going to make this coat from Cottage Craft.

Random Thoughts

2007-01-02T13:07:00.000-05:00

Firstly, Happy New Year, everyone!

Since I'm back at work this week, I'm a-cheatin' on Starlight. It's too big to lug around (back/fronts now about 2/3 of the way to the armhole shaping), so I've ripped back my Pemaquid hat to before the decreases and plan on finishing that up in the next couple of days. Hopefully before Friday, because that's the only day I really get to make proper posts with photos (The ~~Tyrant~~Wibbles does NOT like me using the computer and posts w/photos take forever).

I will also post pics Friday of my final FO of 2006 (another hat, of course). I finished the knitting on this one back in August, but I didn't have the right button. I've been wearing it anyway, using one of the buttons I originally bought for the as-yet-unstarted Asymmetrical Cardigan. I bought a button for this hat a couple of months ago, but had been too lazy to sew it on until last Saturday.

The last picture I'll post Friday is of my sassy new face. I suppose that needs some explanation. This year, rather than making a bunch of resolutions that don't last past January, I decided to make only one resolution. My resolution for 2007 is to at least pretend that I give a crap what I look like. I mean, I dress okay (although this is more because I like clothes than because I care what I look like), I shower, I tweeze my eyebrows, and shave what needs shaving and all. BUT... I only cut my hair about once every 5-6 months (the time it takes for a chin-length bob to grow to my shoulders), and I wear virtually no makeup (pretty much just concealer and lip balm). So here I am, in my new chin-length layered bob, which I will maintain properly, and two(!) shades of eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, tinted moisturizer and powder. No blush. I draw the line at blush!

Starlight Progress

2006-12-29T17:08:00.000-05:00

Sleeves, waiting to be shaped together with the body pieces:

Back and fronts:

Closeup of center back, where the cables change directions:

While I knit, I've been thinking about what Eunny said about working a set-in sleeve together with the body. In this post, she says she hopes it will basically involve making "the appropriate decreases on either side of an imaginary seam line between body and sleeve cap." I think there's a little more to it than that. That imaginary seam line bit will work up to the top of the cap, where if the sleeve were being worked separately, you would cast off the remaining 30 stitches all at once. When you reach that point, I'm pretty sure you will have to start using short rows, attaching first one front to half of those 30 sleeve stitches, then the back to the other half, then the same deal for the other sleeve. I think. I've never done this before, and haven't been able to find anything to read about it. I guess we'll see!

Mini-Update

2006-12-28T10:28:00.000-05:00

I've been completely faithful to Starlight since I started it - not only have I not started any new projects, I haven't even touched any of my other WIP's. This is like a minor miracle for me, and says what an enjoyable knit Starlight has turned out to be.

The sleeves have been worked up to the point of the cap shaping, and are waiting for the body to catch up so the set-in sleeve can be worked seamlessly a la Eunny. I am working the back and fronts simultaneously (but as three separate pieces). As of now they are just under 1/3 of the way to the armhole shaping. There will be a proper WIP post (with photos) on Friday.

An answer to Glaistig's very kind coment on my last post: I decided to wait an extra year before showing the hats to the Candy Plum owner. This will give me time to get a proper collection knitted up, plus get a real ("real" meaning not hosted for free) website working, business cards, etc. I'm (probably) not going to design any hats this year - instead I'll focus on knitting up hats I've already designed, a few of each in different colors, for the store. Also perfecting the finishing, refining some designs, things like that. I hope to have everything ready to show Candy Plum before the 2007 fall season starts.

The hat business is my main knitting goal for 2007. Other than that, I want to finish Starlight (my somewhat unambitious goal on that one is to be able to wear it by Valentine's Day), restart and finish Demi, and to make something LARGE - either a coat or a blanket. I think I'm going to need to take a Fair Isle class before starting seriously on my Mom's sweater. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do that next year too.

In the Spirit of EZ

2006-12-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

I didn't join Zimmermania, since I've got too much on my plate right now, but I have been ogling all the awesome projects. I really like EZ's knitting philosophy, especially the idea of using "recipes" instead of set patterns. So here is my generic cloche recipe.

First of all, why a cloche?
1. They're feminine (cute or elegant, depending on your choice of yarn, color and finishing), and flatter most face shapes.
2. You can't ignore gauge completely, but you don't have to obsess over it to get a good fit. A cloche is a good surprise gift for a woman, since you don't need to get her head measurement first.
3. There is no need to increase between the brim and the main body of the hat, so you can use complex stitch patterns without having to worry about the increases blending in nicely. Or about choosing a separate stitch pattern for the brim.

The recipe:
1. Choose your stitch pattern. Knit a gauge swatch. (Disclaimer: Only once have I ever actually done the swatch - for Glaistig, since that was for publication. However, I have had to rip out and start over on occasion, so maybe I should swatch more often.) Since gauge is not terribly crucial, don't worry about using any of those crazy techniques for knitting your swatch in the round. Just knit it flat. If it's a little off, it won't matter.
2. Measure your swatch. If it's ribbing or some other stretchy stitch pattern, pin the swatch out to a comfortable stretch before measuring. Figure out how many stitches to the inch you're getting.
3. Cast on enough stitches for the size of your head plus one-half to one inch. Add an extra inch or so if you're using an inelastic yarn like cotton or silk. Adjust (upward, always upward) if necessary to get the correct multiple for your stitch pattern. If it's a gift and you don't know the recipient's head size, just go for about 24". A cloche can be waaaaaay too big and still look good. But it won't look good if it's too small.
4. Join into a round and start knitting. If your stitch pattern is simple and non-curling (seed, moss, rib) just start off in pattern. For stockinette, or any other curling pattern, I recommend a stockinette hem. After 1.5 to 2 inches, work an eyelet round. Space 6 to 12 eyelets (made with a YO followed by working 2 stitches together) evenly around the circumference. If you are knitting a cabled hat, don't start cabling until after the eyelet round - the brim will flare out a bit, which is good. If the cables are on a ribbed background, do a ribbed brim. If on a stockinette background, do a stockinette hem.
5. After the eyelet round, continue knitting in your chosen stitch pattern until it's time to start the decreases (hat will measure about 8" in length at this point).
6. Figure out how many stitches to decrease each round. For garter stitch, 4 stitches. For stockinette, seed and moss, 5 stitches. For rib, 6 stitches. For cables, it depends on the density of the cabling. 8 to 12 is usually about right, but it can be much higher if the cabling is very dense (Diminishing Braids, for example). Work your decrease rounds until you have 4-16 stitches left (less for bulkier yarn, more for thinner yarn) and close up your hat.
7. Now, for the finishing. This is where you are able to get that perfect fit, which is why you don't really have to worry about it when you're knitting the hat. The simplest thing (and the best choice if it's a gift and you're unsure of her measurements) is to just thread a nice piece of ribbon through the eyelets, and tie it in a bow. You could also make an i-cord bow, as Meg did. Or, you could knit a ribbed band. 5 stitches in 1x1 rib generally fits nicely through the eyelets. Make a yarnover buttonhole at one end of the band, and either make a bobble on the other end or sew on a button. The knitted band should fit around your head with 1 or 2 inches of overlap when comfortably stretched.

Ta da!

Now for Starlight news. I've been knitting! The sleeves are now about an inch short of starting the cap shaping. I've also cast on for the back, and have about 3" of that worked. I've decided to copy the great Eunny and work the sleeve cap together with the body pieces rather than seaming them together afterward. I'm still working the body flat, though, and working the back and two fronts as three separate pieces up to the armhole shaping. So when I'm done knitting, I'll have a big flat blob to lay out and block. Then I can sew the side and sleeve seams, and after that work my edgings.

Starlight

2006-12-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

First, good news. Last Sunday I attended a Barbara Kerr finishing workshop at The Point - a birthday gift from my parents. Boy, did I learn a lot. There are some things that it's really difficult to learn from books, and finishing is one of them. Not only did I finally learn how to seam properly, I also learned how to do short-row shaping for sweater shoulders, how to graft in a sleeve, and a bunch of other stuff.

Now, the bad news - I decided to frog my Demi sleeve and start over, this time adding a stockinette stitch to each edge. It will make finishing easier and better looking, and I wasn't so far along (about 2 inches more than in the last photo I posted) that ripping was a disaster.

I haven't actually done the ripping yet, since I have raging ripaphobia. I will stall FOREVER before ripping something out, often completing a project or two between the decision to rip and the actual ripping. (Wondering what happened to my Pemaquid hat? I didn't like the way the decreases were going, so I need to rip back to before I started them - STALL.)

So instead of ripping out the Demi sleeve, I made a scarf and started on Starlight. The scarf is just a simple cartridge-belt rib scarf out of some yarn my parents got me from Argentina - 100% Patagonian wool:

I thought it was variegated, but it turned out to be self-striping:

And this is what I've got so far on Starlight:

The yarn is my birthday Ella Rae Classic. It's a much deeper red than it looks in this picture, about halfway between red and burgundy. I'm going to cut off the pink cast-on yarn at the end, put the live stitches on a needle, and do two more rows of garter stitch and a picot bind-off for edging. It should look similar enough to the edging in the pattern, which is knitted separately and then sewn on.

I'm working both sleeves at once, which is what I'm going to do on Demi when I get around to restarting it. The markers are just there to help me remember which direction I'm working in - I get distracted when I knit and watch movies at the same time.

I'm not quite getting gauge - 28 stitches and rows to 4" instead of 30 - but I figure a little extra ease and length is probably a good thing, especially since I am not adding extra stitches for hippage and I am making the size for my real chest size (which is significantly smaller than my hip size). I am increasing more frequently on the sleeves, though, since I don't want those to be too long.

I have no knitting progress to show, but I made some new wallpapers

2006-12-12T12:12:00.000-05:00

To use as your desktop background: Right-click on the picture of your choice, and choose "Set as Background" from the menu. It should tile over your entire desktop. If it doesn't, right-click on your desktop (I'm assuming Windows here) and choose "Properties" from the menu. On the "Background" tab, set the "Picture Display" item to "Tile."

Please feel free to copy these for your own personal use. No commercial use, please.

(If anyone is interested in the symmetries here, they are - top to bottom - pgg, p4g, pg and pgg.)

Knitiversary

2006-12-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

The second anniversary of my learning to knit is approaching, so I thought I’d share the top 10 list of useful tips I’ve assembled over the past two years. The ideas are all mine, but some of them are very simple – bordering on common sense – so I wouldn’t be surprised if they existed elsewhere.

1.Before you knit, WASH YOUR HANDS. Particularly if you are working with light-colored yarn. No, that chocolate stain is not coming out of your cashmere. Sorry.

2.Don’t get hat hole.

3. If you want to make a striped scarf, it may seem like the only choices are (a) weaving in lots of ends, and (b) carrying the colors up one side, which makes the two edges of the scarf different. However, you can use an ODD number of colors, and make the number of rows in each stripe ODD, and colors will be carried up both sides and the edges will look the same. You can also use an even number of colors (but more than just 2) and a combination of odd and even stripe lengths, but this requires some math to make sure that the color you want next is always available and not parked on the other side.

4. My favorite stitch pattern for scarves is still Cartridge Belt Rib (as defined by Barbara Walker, not the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary). It's worked over a multiple of 4 stitches + 1. Every row is the same: Slip the first stitch pwise, then (k2, sl 1 pwise wyif, k1) over the rest of the row. It looks similar to Mistake Rib, but better (in my opinion) since the columns of knit stitches are elongated and stand out more. It's easy to knit, easy to memorize, and unisex. The edges are especially nice due to the double slip stitch selvedge. It's also visually interesting without being (a), a yarn hog, or (b) too interesting for variegated yarns. What more can you ask for? You can also do a two-color version (using the same method as for two-color Brioche stitch - see the Shadow Dance capelet from Wrap Style) where the columns of knit stitches are all MC on one side of the scarf and all CC on the other side.

5. Any all-over cable pattern can be made reversible by doing the cables in a reversible stitch like garter, seed or rib. With 1x1 rib, you usually have to double the size (meaning, for example, a 4x4 cable instead of a 2x2 cable) to make it look good. For instance, the stitch pattern for the Glaistig hat is the same as the one for the Wavelet hat (which I got from one of the Barbara Walker books - I think she calls it Little Cable Fabric), but doubled in size and done in 1x1 rib. Another way to make cable patterns reversible is to have the number of rows in the pattern repeat be odd.

6. Alpaca is insane. I only use it for scarves, because nothing I make from it will stay the same freaking size. I have one scarf that was 65" long after I knitted it, and is now more than 7' long. I also made an alpaca hat for The Wibbles, which fit him for about two days, after which it fit me for a while, before becoming even bigger. Two other hat-unfriendly fabrics are cotton and silk - neither one is elastic enough. The best hat fiber is by far merino wool.

7. The recommended gauge on the ball band is not gospel. It's usually pretty reliable if you want to make a sweater/top, but I would go down 1 or 2 needle sizes for hats and socks, and up a needle size for scarves.

8. Don't expect to do much knitting around a child between 9 months and 2 years of age, unless said child is asleep. Although perhaps I am just lacking some mysterious skillz, since lots of knitters have cats and still seem to manage not to get their projects destroyed.

9. Don't try to be fancy all the time. Some yarns show texture well, some don't. Some yarns are so interesting (*coughNorocough*) that anything but the plainest stitch pattern detracts from them. Your project will look a lot better if you let the yarn dictate what you do with it, rather than trying to force your fancy idea on the yarn.

10. My favourite yarn for scarves is Manos. Unless there is cabling, two skeins makes a perfectly acceptable-size scarf (5" x 5.5'), and three skeins makes a very generous scarf. I have three staple scarf patterns that I use over and over with this yarn, and I'll share them here.

3-Skein Cartridge Belt Rib Scarf
Materials: 3 skeins Manos (I like to use 3 subtly different shades of the same color), size 10.5 needles. (Scarf will be 7-8" wide, depending on your gauge, and probably over 6' long.)
Scarf: Cast on 33 stitches with Color A. *Work 1 row Cartridge Belt Rib with Color B. Work 1 row Cartridge Belt Rib with Color C. Work 1 row Cartridge Belt Rib with Color A. Carry unused colors up the sides. Repeat from * until you run out of yarn (save some for fringe, if desired) or reach desired scarf length, ending with color C. Bind off with Color A. Attach fringe if desired.

Giant Cable Scarf
Materials: 4 skeins Manos in the same color. Size 10.5 needles. Spare 16" circular needle in size 10.5 to use as a cable needle (trust me, there is no other way to do a cable this huge).
Giant Cable Pattern (over 40 stitches):
Rows 1-22: (K1, p1) across.
Row 23: (K1, p1) twice, slip 16 sts onto "cable" needle, (k1, p1) 8 times from left needle, (k1, p1) 8 times from "cable" needle, (k1, p1) twice.
Repeat rows 1-23 for pattern.
Scarf:
Cast on 42 stitches (I prefer the alternate cable cast-on). Keep the first and last stitch of each row as a selvedge stitch (slip 1st st pwise, k last st), and work center 40 sts in Giant Cable pattern. Work until you run out of yarn or achieve desired length (save some yarn for fringe - this scarf looks funny without it), ending on row 19. BO all sts in pattern. Attach fringe.

Fibonacci Stripe Dr. Who Scarf
Materials: 4 skeins Manos in coordinating colors, size 10.5 needles.
Scarf: Use alternate cable cast-on (25 to 35 stitches, depending on desired width) and work in 1x1 rib throughout. Alternate colors in order A, B, C, D throughout. Alternate #rows in each stripe in order 3, 5, 8, 3, 13, 8, 21, 1, 2, 13, 1, 34, 21, 5, 2 throughout. Carry unused colors up the sides. Work until you run out of yarn (save some for fringe, if desired) or reach desired scarf length. Attach fringe if desired.

A note on fringe: I have always liked Julia's idea for fringe (just about the middle of the way down the page) the best.

In Which Martin Storey Both Disappoints Me And Makes Me Feel Better About Myself

2006-12-05T16:14:00.000-05:00

Last night I received "Classic Style" and "Classic Cafe" in the mail. I ordered these from Purl Soho. I love Purl - the contents of the package are always lovingly wrapped in tissue and include a hand-written thank-you note.

First, the feeling better part. Check out Melody. That button band pulls up at the bottom exactly the way the one on my Silk Garden sweater does! So perhaps it wasn't my fault? Do all knitted-on ribbed button bands do this? Or does Rowan just have crappy test knitters?

Now, the disappointment: Starlight. The first problem is the ribbed waist - see how it starts and ends higher up on the model's left than it does on the right? Of course, maybe that's not Martin Storey's fault - it could just be the photo, or perhaps the aforementioned crappy test knitters. The second problem I totally consider a design flaw. The cabling is C4B throughout, when I think one half should be C4F and the other C4B, to make it symmetrical. Because the neckline is slanted, and symmetrical, but the cables are not symmetrical, the way the cables blend into the neckline is different on each side and looks WEIRD.

I don't mean to rag on Martin Storey. I really like his designs, and other than Starlight the sweaters in both books rock. And I still like Starlight - in fact it's going to be my next big project after Demi. (No, I haven't forgotten about my mom's sweater. I'll be doing that at the same time. I'm still working on the hat/swatch.) (Plus, it's not like I'm finishing Demi any time soon. I've got about 2" more sleeve now, than in the photo from my last post.)

But I will make the cables symmetrical, and continue the cable pattern up through the waist instead of doing that ribbing. Also I will do the trim differently. I like how it looks, but the idea of knitting a long trim like that and then sewing it on just makes me want to fall off my chair and laugh myself to death. I'll try to crochet (directly on) something that looks similar.

Earn more sessions by sleeving.

2006-12-02T19:19:00.000-05:00

I finally cast on for Demi. I'm omitting the bobbles and just continuing the twisted rib through the whole diamond. Hopefully I'll finish it before it gets too warm to wear it!

Yummiest. Yarn. Ever.

2006-11-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

I recently got myself some Pemaquid (made by The Fibre Company), from Webs. OMG, it feels better than any yarn I have ever laid hands on! It's mostly alpaca, with some merino and soy. It's also partly dyed and partly natural, which makes for very interesting colorways. (I got the Toasted Lavender, which is a pinkish beige with some lavender flecks.)

I only got enough to make a hat, but I am sooooooooooo wishing I'd got enough for a sweater! Then again, maybe I should wait until my sweater skills have improved, as this would be a very expensive sweater. This is one of those yarns whose hanks are both a) expensive, and b) have p00p for yardage.

Unrelated note: If you haven't seen Prime, go rent it now. It's a good movie, but even if it weren't it's worth seeing it just to ogle the knitwear.

YAAC (Yet Another Cabled Cloche)*

2006-11-18T15:41:00.000-05:00

I call this one Meandering Lattice:

Yarn: Noro Cash Iroha, 2 skeins. I lost the ball bands, so I can't remember what color it is, but it's eighty-something. Beige. Needles: Size 8, 16" Addi circular (used 2 circs for the crown). Gauge is not terribly crucial - the hat fits very loosely without the ribbon. Any yarn that knits up on a 7-9 needle is probably fine.

Pattern:
Cast on 120 sts. Work 9 rounds in k2, p2 rib, starting and ending with k1. Work eyelet round: *K1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p1, YO, k1, repeat from * around. Work Meandering Lattice pattern (see below) until hat measures 7" tall, then decrease. For the decreases, I just divided the sts into 10 groups of 12. Each round, I SSK'ed the first 2 sts of each group until there were 10 sts left, then closed it up. I'm using a ribbon to fit the hat, but I have 1/3 to 1/2 skein of yarn left, so I'm working on a Glaistig-style knitted band to use as an alternative. (Unlike the Glaistig, band, though, I am using double-knitting instead of ribbing, and I plan to use an actual button instead of a bobble.)

Meandering Lattice (round):
Worked over a multiple of 12 sts.
Rounds 1-3: K1, (p2, k2) to last 3 sts, p2, k1.
Round 4: *Sl 4 sts to cn and hold to front, (k1, p2, k1) from ln, (k1, p2, k1) from cn, (k1, p2, k1), repeat from * until you reach marker. Remove marker, k1, p2, k2, p1, replace marker. Round now begins at new marker position.
Rounds 5-8: P1, (k2, p2) to last 3 sts, k2, p1.
Round 9: *Sl 4 sts to cn and hold to front, (p1, k2, p1) from ln, (p1, k2, p1) from cn, (p1, k2, p1), repeat from * until you reach marker. Remove marker, p1, k2, p2, k1, replace marker. Round now begins at new marker position.
Round 10: Same as round 1.
Repeat rounds 1-10 for pattern.

Note that Meandering Lattice is reversible, so a matching scarf can be made. Here is the pattern (much easier, actually) for flat knitting:

Meandering Lattice (flat):
Worked over a multiple of 12 sts + 2.
Rows 1-4: K1, (p2, k2) to last st, p1.
Row 5: *Sl 4 sts to cn and hold to front, (k1, p2, k1) from ln, (k1, p2, k1) from cn, (k1, p2, k1), repeat from * until 2 sts remain, k1, p1.
Rpepeat rows 1-5 for pattern.

*This title is actually hilarious, if you happen to subscribe to the Nethack usenet group.

ETA: There is a mistake in the eyelet round of the pattern (thanks to the commenter who pointed this out!):

Instead of: *K1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p1, YO, k1, repeat from * around, the pattern should read: *K1, p2, k2, p2, k1, p1, YO, k2 tog, repeat from * around.

Fair Isle - Decided

2006-11-13T16:18:00.000-05:00

I've finally decided on one of my nerdy patterns for my mom's Fair Isle sweater. (She said, "Surprise me," so it's my choice.) This one has CMM symmetry, and was inspired by the famous Cairo tessellation.

I know exactly what colors she likes in clothes, so I'm going with charcoal grey on a camel background. What I am more nervous about is the choice of yarn. Mom finds most of the wools that I like way too itchy for her. I'm hoping that merino will be a safe bet, either Zara or Torino.

She's leaving for Argentina on Thursday, and not coming back until early December. I'm hoping to have a hat done in the same yarn and stitch pattern to show her when she gets back. I'll ruin the surprise, I suppose, but there's no way I'm going to knit her a whole sweater and then find out afterwards that she doesn't like the pattern or it's too itchy.

ETA: Argentina is a vacation. My father is from Argentina, and most of his extended family (not to mention one of his four sisters, plus her kids/grandkids) is still there. My brother and his wife are also going. I would have gone too, but this is my busy season at work and I'm not allowed to take any long vacations in November. Just as well, since I'm not sure that I'm quite ready for Wibbles on a Plane.

Birthday Sweater

2006-11-13T12:28:00.000-05:00

The Wibble sweater is in the process of getting its neckband. It's taking forever, since my normally freakishly long attention span is not working for free-loop backstitch; I can only do this for a few minutes at a time without getting fried. About half of the neckband is attached at this point. Luckily it looks OK, although I'm not sure if that's because I'm doing it right, or because pretty much anything will look OK with a yarn that is variegated and nubby and thick-and-thin. I suspect the latter.

In the meantime, I've been working on the top-down ribbed raglan in my birthday Ella Rae Classic.

For most people, ribbing with a bit of negative ease takes care of all curve-hugging, without any shaping necessary. However, I am extremely curvy (38/28/42, my apologies if that's TMI), so that won't be enough for me. I've worked it out so I'm getting 1/2 to 2 inches of negative ease in the chest (actual amount will depend on the width of the edging), but I still plan on doing some subtle waist shaping, using cabling instead of decreases. Just 2 cables in the front and 2 in the back, placed where those "S" things would be if I were a violin. Then I'm going to do some increases for the hips, since I certainly don't want any negative ease there.

I'm still trying to learn new techniques, and I've got two lined up for this project. First, I'm going to try tubular (sewn) bind-off instead of just binding off all stitches in pattern. Second, I'm going to do 1 or 2 rows of single crochet, rather than a knitted edging, for the front edges and around the neck. This is where the buttonholes (if any) will go, which saves me the headache of deciding this in advance. It will be great to have the sweater completely finished, so I can make an informed decision about whether it looks better with buttons all the way up the front, or just one button at the neckline, or no closure, or whatever.

I am really liking this yarn, especially considering how inexpensive it is. I also seem to be getting a lot more out of it than I expected. The first ball lasted almost all the way through the yoke - just a few rows short. The second ball is attached to the body, and the third to the sleeve. Somehow I don't think I'm going to need 7 more balls to complete this thing. If I'm really lucky, maybe I'll get a twinset out of it!

Waiting in the wings: About a year ago, I bought a bunch of flannel-grey Classic Elite Montera, to knit a cabled sweater from last year's fall or winter (can't remember which) VK. I lost my motivation to knit that sweater, though, and the yarn has just been sitting in my stash. I've decided to use it for a modified version of the Honeycomb Henley from Knitting Nature. First of all, the yarn is significantly bulkier than the recommended yarn (knits up on a 9 rather than a 7), so I will need to adjust for gauge. Secondly, I don't want to agonize over seaming, so I'm going to knit it in the round and either "raglanize" the sleeves (is that a word?) or try to do some kind of crazy EZ seamless set in sleeve thing.

The Way-ay-ay-ting Is the Hardest Part

2006-11-08T18:29:00.000-05:00

Just one more week until the judging period ends for the Interactive Fiction Competition. I'll be very happy if I place in the top half. If I place in the top 10, my head will probably explode.

Meanwhile, knitting and my recent addiction to Nethack are doing a nice job of keeping my mind off the competition. If you are a)in a serious relationship, or b)employed, I would suggest staying as far away from Nethack as possible.

Silk Garden Sweater

2006-11-08T06:29:00.000-05:00

(Click any photo for larger. Color is pretty accurate, except where noted, despite use of flash.)

Pattern:
Generic top-down raglan. Since I used worsted-weight yarn, I CO stitches based on the 18" size of the OSW rather than doing the math.

Needles:
Size 5 and 8 47" Addi Turbo circulars (Magic Loop sleeves!)

Modifications:
1. I cast on 2 extra sleeve sts per side, since my arms are larger than average in proportion to the rest of me. I CO 3 sts per side for fronts.
2. The raglan increases were made every RS row, using M1's set in 1 st from the "seams." The front edges were not increased at all.
3. After reaching the point in the pattern where sleeves would be worked, I divided for body & sleeves. Here the pattern diverges completely from the OSW. I cast on 4 extra sts for each sleeve underarm, and 4 extra sts on each side of the body for underarms. Sleeves were worked in the round to about 3/4 length, then the 2x2 rib was done on the smaller needles. For the body, I did the ribbing on the larger needles so it wouldn't pull in so much. Finally, with smaller needles, I picked up 3/4 of the front sts, and each st of the CO edge, and worked 2x2 ribbing until there was enough to close the sweater with a brooch.

My crappy underarm seam:

See here where the edging pulls up at the bottom:

I'm not sure where I went wrong here. Should I have picked up 4/5 of the front stitches? Not switched to smaller needles?

The modeled shot:

See how the horizontal stripes make my +18lbs look more like +30? I'm wearing it anyway! I don't care!
Apologies for this crappy photo. The snapshot in the mirror thing is not easy!

A Wibble sweater in need of a neckband:

Finally some birthday loot:

My brother and sister-in-law/hat model got me a gift certificate to Knit NY, which I spent on 10 balls of this Ella Rae Classic. From what I hear, it's just like Cascade 220, but you don't have to wind it yourself.

The true color is a much deeper crimson, almost but not quite burgundy. I intend to make myself another top down raglan, this time a V-neck cardigan in 1x1 rib. Hopefully it will turn out more flattering than the last sweater!

Fair Isle for Nerds

2006-11-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

With a sweater completed and another one just about done, I decided to bite the bullet and make a Fair Isle sweater. I'm gonna do it right, too, with fingering weight yarn and teeny-tiny needles and everything.

Problem was, I needed a pattern. I could do what I imagine everyone else is doing, and knit Eunny's Venezia (from the current IK). Or, I could knit one of Jamieson's gorgeous patterns. However, traditional Fair Isle patterns have that horizontal-stripe thing going on, and as I noted in my previous post, horizontal stripes are not my friend.

So I offered to make my mom a sweater. Turns out that, while very into the handmade sweater idea, my mother also suffers from Fear of Horizontal Stripes. While I do not understand her fear, as she is 5'6" and thin, I will respect it. I briefly entertained the idea of making a sweater for one of the men in my life. But the idea of knitting a sweater at 8 st/in for myself is nearly overwhelming; the idea of doing that for someone larger just makes me want to bash my head into the wall. I also entertained the idea of knitting it for The Wibbles instead. Although this is appealing, as he is very small, my heart and soul will be going into this sweater. One day, too soon, he will outgrow it, and then I will have to kill myself. He can have my second FI sweater. The first one will have to be for an adult.

Then I thought to myself - I don't have to knit a traditional pattern! I can design my own, without any horizontal stripes! Before knitting and interactive fiction took up what little space in my brain was left free by The Wibbles, I had an obsession with wallpaper symmetry groups. Why not figure out a way to make FI patterns that possess some of my favorite symmetries? So that's what I did.

In case anyone is remotely interested in geometric FI patterns, I'll post here how to make patterns that possess the pg, pgg and cmm symmetries. All you need is a computer that runs Excel, a printer, and a pen of some sort to color in squares with.

I decided to use 7x7 grids, which means that the pattern repeat will be 14 sts by 14 rows. I figure that's a decent size repeat for fingering weight yarn. (You can use whatever size you want; just follow the general pattern.) To generate the pattern repeat, you need four of these grids in a 2x2 formation (see pics).

The first task is to letter each grid. This is done as follows:

(Notice that the CMM grid is slightly different from the other two, as most letters appear twice in each square.) Print out several copies of each square, to experiment on.

Next, start experimenting. The only rule is that once you color in a square, you must color in ALL other squares with the same letter. Color in one square to begin with, and all the same-lettered squares. See what the result looks like, and pick your next square to color in. Repeat until you have something you like.

If you want to avoid long floats, check for runs of more than 5 stitches in the same color, and color in or erase some squares to correct it.

Click the links to see some examples I came up with (I included more repeats so as to see the pattern better):

CMM
PGG
PG

News

2006-11-06T14:25:00.000-05:00

I have finally finished my very first sweater, and I'm wearing it right now! Whee! It's the same sweater I posted about ages ago, in Noro Silk Garden #34. I basically started with the OSW pattern, plus some extra stitches for fronts, and instead of stopping at the OSW length, I divided for body and sleeves and continued.

It's a no-closure cardi (it was originally turning into a wrap sweater, since I was mistakenly increasing each front edge every RS row, but I ripped it and restarted). It can be worn open and loose, or closed with a brooch for a more fitted look.

The knitting on this has been finished for months. I finally took the time last night to weave in the ends. This morning, I did a very half-assed steam blocking (I hung it up in the bathroom while I took a very hot shower. It actually worked surprisingly well). I have the next two days off work, so I will take photos and make a proper FO post tomorrow night.

Do I like it? I love the 3/4 sleeves and I like the way my raglan "seams" came out (I did M1's set in one stitch from the "seam" rather than Kfb's as in the OSW). I like the fit. I love the yarn, BUT I DON'T LOVE IT ON ME. My blog picture is pre-Wibbles and minus about 18 pounds, and horizontal stripes are just Not My Friend these days. I'm still holding out the hope that one day I will shrink into someone whom this sweater will flatter, because I really like the sweater. In the meantime, I'm wearing it open, and it isn't too bad. As for the sweater itself, there are only two things I don't like. One is the underarm seams. I suck at seaming. You'll see in the photos. The other is that the front/neck edging pulls up a bit at the bottom (again, I will show that in the photos). I picked up 3/4 of the front stitches, and every stitch from the CO edge, but apparently that wasn't enough. It doesn't bother me enough to do it over, but next time I will try 4/5 of the front stitches.

My second-ever sweater is hot on this one's heels. I'm making a top-down raglan for The Wibbles in Shaeffer Elaine. Plain ole stockinette, with 2x2 ribbed cuffs, waistband and neckband. The body and sleeves are done - I need to knit the neckband and sew that on, then weave in the ends and block it. Notice how I did not say seam the underarms! This time, instead of casting on extra stitches for the sleeve underarms, I just picked up the extra stitches from the CO edge of the body underarms. It looks awesome. I will never seam underarms on a top-down sweater again. As for the neckband, I'm going to do what a certain rabbit does, and knit it separately, then sew it on using free-loop backstitch. This way, the neck ends with a CO edge rather than BO, and will be stretchier and hopefully have no problems going over a giant toddler head.

OK, I'll bite.

2006-10-20T12:30:00.001-04:00

The 48 Things Meme

1. FIRST NAME?
Samantha, although I mostly go by Sami. "Savida" is a mashup of the first two letters of my, my husband's and my son's names.

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
Three days ago. My son accidentally head-butted me right in the nose.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes. It's generally OK, and very good if I put some effort into it.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
Roast beef, as long as it's very rare.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes! It would be nice to know someone with my bizarre combination of interests.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
Not in the diary sense. I have a knitting journal for my project notes, and another notebook where I jot down ideas for games or puzzles.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes. Not to jinx myself, but other than giving birth to my son (I had a C-section), I have never been operated on, or broken a bone, or spent the night in a hospital.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cap'n Crunch.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Mentally - yes. Emotionally - for the most part yes, although I have occasionally seen the end of my rope. Physically - I used to think so, before my husband started powerlifting.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Mint chocolate chip.

14. SHOE SIZE?
7.5

15. RED OR PINK?
Red! I don't care much for pink.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I procrastinate too much.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
I plead the fifth on that one. No one I know would like my answer.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Was this originally an e-mail? I'll take this to mean do I want people to do this meme in their own blogs, so the answer is yes.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Black pants, black shoes, taupe sweater.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE?
A banana.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Ambient office noises.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Black.

23. FAVORITE SMELL?
Lilac.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My husband.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Facial expression.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from?
Well, I don't know her, but I like her blog.

27. FAVORITE DRINK?
Chocolate milk. Made with Quik. I don't like Hershey's.

28. FAVORITE SPORT?
Any kind of martial arts.

29. EYE COLOR?
Grayish green.

30. HAT SIZE?
Ginormous.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
I could never put anything in my eye, it freaks me out. I do have glasses, but I almost never wear them. I'm slightly nearsighted, so I only need them for subtitled movies and to see the slides at work meetings.

32. FAVORITE FOOD?
I love food; I don't know if I could pick a favorite. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life (ignoring nutritional consequences), it would be challah bread with butter and honey on it. The food I eat most often is pizza. The best individual dish I ever ate was tagliatelle with wild boar ragu (at Hearth here in NYC).

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings.

35. SUMMER OR WINTER?
It's a tie. I hate the cold, but I like that I get to wear knits in the winter.

36. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT?
It depends on what was for dinner. After good Western food, I like to get the cheese plate. After mediocre food, I like apple pie a la mode. But nothing beats green tea ice cream after Japanese food.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
I just finished Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins.

41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
At work - the Dell logo. At home - a picture of The Wibbles.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
Nothing. I don't watch much TV.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
Stormy weather, heard from inside where it's nice & warm.

44. ROLLING STONEs OR BEATLES?
I go back and forth on this one. Right now, the Stones.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME?
I've been to Buenos Aires and all over Ireland. Not sure which is farther from NY. Probably BA, since that was a longer flight.

46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
I have two. First of all, I can cross one eye and roll the other one around. Second, I have a nearly "photographic" memory, except that it's not for what I see - it's for what I hear. My memory for what I see is crappy. If I meet you, I will always remember your name, but I will forget what you look like. There are only about a dozen people on the planet whom I would recognize if I ran into them somewhere that was out of context.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Florida.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Stolen from Ivete.

Here, sort of.

2006-10-18T06:24:00.000-04:00

Sorry it's been so long. I've had a host of personal (and non-blog-appropriate) issues to deal with, along with some work and "hobby" deadlines that couldn't be missed. Not only have I not been blogging, I totally flaked out at the end of Secret Pal, and I feel terrible about that.

My Pal sent me a wonderful final package with a knitting magazine, point protectors, a hand-knit dishcloth (why have I been using sponges all these years? Dishcloths are awesome) and two skeins of Kureyon in a nice, neutral colorway. One of these days I will post a photo.

I also owe my spoilee an extremely belated package. It's coming. It is.

Although I won't talk about my personal issues here, these are the things I was working on. I want to thank V. for giving me enough support and encouragement to meet these deadlines.

The Glaistig Hat, for the Samhain issue of The AntiCraft (they published early! yay!). (Their original deadline was before all my crap started, but I originally used a variegated yarn, which did not photograph as well (see comparison below), and ended up reknitting in a solid.)

I've got a game entered in this year's Interactive Fiction Competition. Authors aren't allowed to discuss the games before voting is over, so that's all I'll say about that.

There has been virtually no knitting, but hey, I still owe tons of photos of stuff that's already been finished, so if I get the time and energy to post again I'll still have some knitting content to show.

Hat Hole

2006-08-24T15:21:00.000-04:00

I knit pretty much all my hats from the bottom up. Why? Because I don't find the bound-off edge stretchy enough for the bottom of a hat. I also don't like to knit "soul-crushers" (my term for any knit where the rows/rounds acquire more stitches as you get farther along), with the exception of the OSW which does not bother me for some reason.

Many people don't like knitting hats from the bottom up, however, because of the dreaded "hat hole" (pictured above). You don't have to get hat hole! The following technique occured to me when I made my very first hat, and I'm really surprised I haven't seen it anywhere else. Once you've drawn your yarn tail through the remaining stitches and pulled tight, drop the needle down the central hole so the tail is on the inside of the hat. Now look closely at the hole. There's the hole, then a round of relatively loose stitches around it, followed by a round of "normal" stitches. Poke the needle up through one of the normal stitches, just beyond the edge of the looser stitches. Bring the needle down again, diametrically opposite of where you poked it up. You have just made a line across the hole. Pull the yarn tight. Now make another line across the hole, the same as the first one but perpendicular to it. Pull tight again. You've made a plus sign covering the hole, which is now virtually invisible. The yarn tail is on the inside of the hat. Turn the hat inside out and weave in the tail. Ta da!

Good Idea, Wrong Yarn

2006-08-24T10:26:00.000-04:00

I finished the new hat in Philly. I like the idea very much, but Noro Transitions was the wrong choice. It's not chunky enough, and the self-striping, while not bad looking, doesn't really add anything. It's still a nice hat, though. I'm not going to rip it out or anything; I'm going to wear it. It's just not quite what I had in mind, somehow, and I wouldn't want to sell it. I'm going to try again using Rowan Big Wool, then I'll post photos of both hats and you'll see what I mean.

I was getting worried there for a minute.

2006-08-22T14:04:00.000-04:00

The hat mojo - IT HAS RETURNED!!!! I am very happy about this. It had been seriously waning for a while. Partly because you can't actually wear hats now, what with it being summer and all, partly because FOs that need to be photographed *coughDARROWcough* always drain my mojo, partly because I've been obsessing with OSWs and sweaters, and partly because of a couple of failed hat ideas that I had a few months ago.

A new idea for a hat came to me yesterday. This is the first idea I've had in a while, so I'm very happy about it. I'd been starting to think I was out of ideas! Now the new idea is consuming me (Cara has an awesome description of the creative process here), and it will continue to consume me until I knit it up and determine if it's good or bad. Fortunately I am headed to Philly tonight - I have a one-day seminar tomorrow on the ultrafascinating topic of GAAP accounting - and I will cast on for the new hat on the train. Between the two 1.5-hour train trips, and my having absolutely nothing else to do tonight (work is paying for the trip, so I can't exactly rent a pile of movies in my hotel room, or spend the night on the phone with V.), I'll probably get this finished before I get home tomorrow night. I even brought some extra knitting stuff just in case I finish early - Noro Transitions and size 10.5 needles will make for a pretty quick knit.

It also really helps the mojo that I read about this place in the NYT Style section last Sunday. It's a consignment shop that showcases designers who are just starting out. I plan to get about a dozen hats together (about half of which are already made), photograph them (UGH!), and email the owner to see if she's interested. While I'm making the remaining hats, I've got to get myself some labels and possibly some business cards. Also some little tags to write the care instructions on. I'm a little worried that it's too late - she's already got fall stuff for sale, and I need at least a month before I even contact her. But hey, it doesn't hurt to try.

In other news, my sweaters are languishing. I am not very upset about this. I will gladly give up my sweater-a-month deal in exchange for the returned hat mojo. The sweaters are also languishing because I decided to put them down and make - for myself, finally - an OSW. I made it in Rowan Cashdoft Aran in Thunder (a medium grey). I did all the edgings in 2x2 rib, just like I did for the other two OSW's I made. For all the edgings, I did the last round and BO edge in the color Foxglove (kind of mauve-y). It's purty! I still need to weave in the ends. The other two (Silk Garden and Lamb's Pride Worsted) looked good without blocking, but this one could definitely use some time in the washer and some pinning out. Once that's done I'll post a photo.

Five Easy Pieces

2006-08-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, I read an article in Glamour magazine called "Five Easy Pieces." It was basically about how you read all the fashion previews every season, and these get you all greedy and stuff, and then you buy all this crap that you end up never wearing. What you should do instead, the article says, is think very carefully about all the stuff you see, and narrow it down to five things you really want to buy. Then you buy those five things, and coordinate them with your existing wardrobe (which will get more and more fabulous as you continue to practice this five-things rule, since it acts as an incentive to buy things that are more timeless and higher quality) during the next season.

It made sense to me. I mean, if you buy a really trendy outfit, you can't wear it very often or people will start to comment, because it's noticeable. If you buy an awesome but subtle cashmere cardigan, you can probably wear it three or four times a week and no one will notice.

So here are my five easy pieces for Fall 2006:

1. The Corps de Ballet blouse in platinum, from Anthropologie

(How great will this look with my Smoke Kid Classic/Kidsilk Haze OSW?)

2. The Wellesley cable cardigan in heather graphite, from J. Crew

3. "O Chevrons with Black Details" (what a name!) from Sock Dreams

4. Mary Janes in black, and boots (I'm undecided between the black and the tan) from Aerosoles

(I love Aerosoles. Comfy and cheap, but they still look good.)

Hopefully this is distracting everyone from the lack of knitting content. I've been sleeping more, working out more, and knitting less. But the sweaters, they are coming along. I will post pics of them soon.

Travesty (Warning: Non-Knitting)

2006-08-08T16:04:00.000-04:00

I just looked it up on imdb and, alas, it's true. They're looking to cast Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as Dagny Taggart and John Galt in the Atlas Shrugged movie. Ick. Those two are just all wrong. For the record, here's my ideal cast:

Dagny Taggart: Cate Blanchett
John Galt: Aaron Eckhart
Jim Taggart: Kevin Spacey
Hank Rearden: Hugh Laurie
Francisco D'Anconia: Johnny Depp (yeah, I know he's a little old... he looks young, though)
Ragnar Danneskjold: Josh Lucas
Hugh Akston: James Cromwell
Robert Stadler: Robert Duvall
Lillian Rearden: Julianne Moore
Cherryl Taggart: Ginnifer Goodwin
Paul Larkin: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Rearden: Ed Norton

(I wish they had made this movie 15 years ago - Cary Elwes would have made the perfect Ragnar, and Annette Bening the perfect Lillian...)

Help me pick colors!

2006-08-08T11:56:00.000-04:00

After rereading the new VK a few times, I have become captivated by pattern #2 (a U-neck, fitted fair isle pullover in Dale of Norway Heilo). I have decided to knit this sweater in December, instead of trying to get my own design together. However, I'm not so into the beige-and-blue colorway. I have five alternative ideas, and I can't decide between them. Please help me choose!

The colorway called for in the pattern is Tan (MC)/Sheep Heather/Taupe with Mist/Blue/Navy (actually, it calls for Aqua instead of Mist, but apparently they don't carry Aqua and Mist is close enough). My alternative ideas are:
1. Tan (MC)/Sheep Heather/Taupe with Moss/Fern/Green Heather
2. Tan (MC)/Sheep Heather/Taupe with Light Grey/Medium Grey/Charcoal
3. Tan (MC)/Sheep Heather/Taupe with Medium Grey/Charcoal/Black
4. Moss (MC)/Fern/Green Heather with Mist/Blue/Navy
5. Moss (MC)/Fern/Green Heather with Peony/Red/Garnet

Which one should I choose?

I'm Bored, So I'm Gonna Ramble

2006-08-03T13:58:00.000-04:00

Top 10 yarns (in no particular order) for OSW's (in my humble opinion):
1. Noro Silk Garden
2. Noro Kureyon
3. Lamb's Pride Worsted
4. RYC Cashsoft Aran
5. One strand of Kid Classic held together with one strand of Kidsilk Haze
6. Two strands of Koigu KPPPM held together
7. Artyarns Ultramerino
8. Manos del Uruguay kettledyed wool
9. Jade Sapphire 8-ply cashmere
10. Filatura di Crosa Zara Plus

Can you tell I'm slightly obsessed with this pattern?

Yarn!

2006-08-02T14:39:00.000-04:00

I just bought a buttload of yarn. I read on Elliphantom Knits that Rowan is discontinuing their Yorkshire Tweed line. I plan to make Demi sometime this year, so I ordered enough YT Aran (in "Thorny") from Jimmy Beans Wool for that sweater. While I was at it, I picked up a couple skeins of Kid Classic and Kidsilk Haze in "Smoke" - I'll probably make myself a OSW from these.

The Silk Garden for the Mystery Sweater has still not arrived, but V. just called me and told me I got a package from Webs, which must be the Kureyon for the Fibonacci Raglan. I'll probably cast on for that tonight.

On Hold

2006-07-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

The Mystery Sweater would have been finished today, if I hadn't run out of yarn. That's what happens when you set out to make a simple v-neck and end up making a wrappy cardigan. More Silk Garden #34 is on its way, though, and I have only 6 or so more inches of ribbing to complete, plus some trim on the neckline and a quick steam-block before it's officially done. There is also some Kureyon coming (shade #147) for the Wibble's Fibonacci raglan. Even though I'm behind on the Mystery Sweater, and will be late starting the Fibonacci raglan, I think I can get both sweaters done by the end of August. I used my Ann Budd book to estimate how many balls of Kureyon I would need for the raglan, and it turns out that 5 balls is a conservative estimate. Kids are freakin' small, man.

So I'm on a sweater hiatus right now. Which is actually good, because I have work knitting to do. That's right, work knitting. More on this later.

Also, the new VK arrived and yowza! If you don't subscribe, this issue is definitely worth buying. Especially if you like highly textured knits, bohemian-looking knits, and/or socks.

Mystery Solved!

2006-07-28T10:34:00.000-04:00

As most of you probably suspected, I ended up with outcome #5 - the full wrap sweater. I finished the sleeves last night, put the body on scrap yarn and tried it on and yes, there was a significant overlap in the fronts. My intention was to get outcome #2, but I somehow failed to realize that when you increase BOTH FRONT PIECES at the same rate as the back piece, then the front ends up with twice as many stitches as the back. Hello! I should have omitted the M1 increases at the outer edges. Oh, well. I'm lucky I didn't end up with outcome #6! Based on my preliminary fitting, I think I will still end up with a nice and well-fitting sweater that I will actually wear. It's not as fitted as I would have thought, though - I should have gone with the 17" size instead of the 18". I suppose I can make up for this by not going as far with the front increases and then wrapping the sweater more tightly.

It still looks like I'm on track for finishing this by the 31st. I was worried at first, since there has not been much knitting chez the Croissant for the last few days - we were all taken out by a very aggressive stomach bug. Trips to the emergency room for the Wibbles and everything. But we're all fine now, and we even managed not to get any of the grandparents sick.

(I am also happy for another, secret reason, which I hope to reveal soon.)

Six For Six

2006-07-24T15:46:00.000-04:00

OK, Fall/Winter 2006 is officially the Season of Sweaters!* I am hereby committing myself to finishing six sweaters, one each for the last six months of 2006. (Yes, I am counting July, which I realize is mostly over. But I have a partially completed Mystery Sweater, and I see no reason why I can't finish it by the 31st.)

So, these are the sweaters I've decided on:
· July - The Mystery Sweater.
· August - A ribbed raglan for The Wibbles. I'm just going to wing it, using Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, plus my own tweak (ribbing based on the Fibonacci sequence). Lots of ease, so it will fit (hopefully) for at least two years. I'm gonna use some flannel grey Classic Elite Montera from my stash. Unless I totally cave and buy a bunch of Kureyon.
· September - The dark grey number from the upcoming VK.
· October - The Asymmetrical Cardigan from Knitting Nature. It's about time I started this! I swatched for it, like, twelve years ago.
· November - Either Demi or Elise from Rowan's Vintage Knits. I haven't decided which one yet. I'm leaning toward Elise, but if my Mystery Sweater ends up being a cardi or wrap cardi then I will probably make Demi instead.
· December - I've got a vision of a short-sleeved, heavily cabled sweater that's been sitting in my head for a few weeks. I'm hoping that, with the five sweaters I will have already made (and heavy use of my VK Ultimate Knitting Book and Montse Stanley's Knitter’s Handbook), I will have the knowledge and the confidence to make this idea into an actual sweater. (Hey, if not, I can always make the one I decided against for November.)

* If anyone else wants to join me in this insanity, let me know. If there’s enough interest, maybe I’ll start a knitalong.

Mystery Sweater

2006-07-24T11:06:00.000-04:00

Well, I've finally done it! I've cast on for my very first sweater! And the coolest thing about it is, I have absolutely no idea what it will look like.

Although it probably won't be much of a mystery to anyone who has designed a sweater (or who has made enough of them), this sweater is certainly a mystery to me. I'm basing it very loosely on the OSW pattern (the 18" size, so as to be fitted but not skintight). My mods:
1. I cast on 2 extra stitches for each sleeve, so they can be worked in 2x2 ribbing in the round.
2. I added 6 stitches to each side for fronts, which I am increasing by 2 stitches every right-side row (just like the back and sleeves). The raglan lines between the sleeves and fronts are exactly like the lines between the sleeves and back. For the outside edges of the fronts, I am doing an M1 increase, two stitches in from the edge. I am slipping the first stitch of every row to get a chain stitch selvedge. I am very happy with this edge - it's pretty on its own, but also looks like it will be easy to pick up stitches from it.

Here's my plan: Work as specified in the OSW pattern (obviously with the additional increases for the fronts), until the back has the number of stitches required for the 18" size. On the OSW, this is the point where the sleeves would be worked, and this is where I will work my sleeves. I'm thinking 3 to 4 inches of 2x2 rib - about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to my elbow.

Then I will try the thing on, and see what is going on with the fronts. My reasoning tells me that one of six things can be happening:

1. They just touch (give or take half an inch). In this case, I will join and work the bottom of the sweater in the round, ending with about 6 inches of 2x2 rib, and get a nice v-neck. Depending on the size of the V, I will add either a short crochet trim (just a single row of SC or crab stitch), or an inch or so of 2x2 ribbing.

2. They fall a couple inches short of touching. In this case, I will cast on enough extra stitches to join and work the bottom of the sweater as in Case 1. Then I will work 2x2 ribbing around the neckline for a crossover v-neck (see the Honeycomb Henley in Knitting Nature for a good visual, although mine will probably not be that deep).

3. They fall way short of touching. I will work the bottom of the sweater back and forth in rows, with no further increases. Then I will pick up stitches up one front, around the neck, and down the other front, and knit as much 2x2 ribbing as necessary to close the sweater with a small overlap. Then I'll wear it closed with a brooch (although mine will not have that cutaway bottom). When working the bottom of the sweater, I'll start the ribbing so that the length of the bottom ribbing matches the width of the ribbed trim.

4. They overlap slightly. I'll work straight down in rows, as in Case 3. Depending on the amount of overlap, I'll add a short ribbed trim or just a row of SC/crab stitch around the neck and fronts. I'll wear it closed with a brooch, as in Case 3.

5. There is a significant overlap. In this case, I'll work the bottom in rows, and continue to increase for the fronts until they reach where the opposite side seams would be, if there were side seams. (Like the Ballet Wrap Cardigan from the Winter 2005 IK.) Once that point has been reached, I'll work straight down in 2x2 ribbing until I reach the desired overall sweater length. I'll fasten with one inside and one outside button, and applied buttonloops. (Side note - these are the buttonloops I used for Darrow.)

6. They already overlap past the side seam point, and/or the thing just doesn't fit for some reason I have not foreseen, in which case I'll have to rip it out and try again with a different number of starting "front" stitches.

Current Status: 12 rows to go before I start working the sleeve ribbing.

Other OSW-Related News

I made a second OSW. A coworker saw my cousin's when I wore it last week, and said such nice things about it that I offered to make one for her in some stash charcoal grey Lamb's Pride Worsted. I didn't know what I was going to do with that yarn otherwise - I had bought 2 skeins of it intending to use it for a hat, then discovered that a hat actually takes less than one skein. (I have since learned to actually look at the yardage before I buy yarn.) I didn't want another hat in the exact same yarn, so the second skein plus a partial skein were just sitting there taking up my (very limited) storage space. I made the exact same OSW that I made for my cousin, same size and everything, except that I added a chain stitch selvedge on either side for ease in picking up stitches. Picking up stitches was easier this time, but instead of too many stitches on each front, I got 6 stitches too few. It doesn't pucker, so again I don't care. I will say that this one, with too few, feels slightly better on than my cousin's, with too many. I used one full skein plus about two yards of the partial skein.

True to form, I forgot to take a picture of it before I gave it to her. Maybe I'll start taking my camera to work every day, and sneak a shot in if she ever wears it. It's way too hot now, though; it will probably be a couple months at least.

SP8 Package

2006-07-23T15:39:00.000-04:00

As promised, a pic of what I received from my pal:

(Aren't the yarn and stitch marker gorgeous? The tea is yummy, too.)

PS. I went with Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers for Laura's contest.

Morning O'Loot!

2006-07-21T10:08:00.000-04:00

My Secret Pal Causes Pleasure and Pain

A package from my SP arrived yesterday! V. went out with his buds last night, and neglected to tell me about it beforehand, so I didn't find out about it until this morning. The package contained a gorgeous skein of blue and purple handspun yarn (SP - Did you spin and/or dye this?), a needle sizer, a pretty stitch marker with a bead and a charm of a ball of yarn with two needles (again, SP - Did you make this?), some tea, and a copy of Knitting Rules by the Yarn Harlot. I will post pics this weekend.

And now for the pain - Apparently that beautiful stitch marker does not bear enough resemblance to the crappy plastic ones I normally use for my husband to recognize its purpose. Some milk and two Cheerios - believe me when I say ouch - came out of my nose this morning when he asked me why on earth my pal would give me a bellybutton ring.

I Won a Contest!

Laura at affiknitty had a contest this week, and I won the knitting book of my choice! What to choose, what to choose?

So big thank yous from me this morning! Thank you, SP, for all the wonderful stuff you sent! Thank you, Laura, for having a contest! Thank you, Random Number Generator, for picking me!

Sneak Peek

2006-07-19T21:37:00.000-04:00

My Grey Heaven

2006-07-18T13:16:00.000-04:00

I just saw the preview of the Fall 2006 issue of VK and WOW!!!!!!!! First of all, they have an entire set of patterns devoted to grey, which makes up about 85% of my wardrobe. All the grey patterns use really interesting and original cable patterns. I will definitely be making these two:

And I might finally cave in and make my first pair of socks:

Well, it's off to camp out in front of the mailbox. I'm expecting something from my SP8, too, so it's extra exciting!

OSW

2006-07-17T20:05:00.000-04:00

Pattern: OSW by Glampyre
Size: 16"
Modifications:
1. 16" is the size I measured to, but my cousin is about a size smaller than I am. The recommended fit is very tight, and I wanted to make it a bit looser.
2. I worked the sleeves in 2x2 rib in the round, instead of seed stitch in rows. To get the right number of stitches, I had to omit the increases on the last two rows of the main part. The two stitches I lost on each sleeve would have been lost in seaming had I worked back & forth, so it amounted to the same thing.
3. I made the edgings about 1/4 to 1/2 inch longer than the pattern stated.
4. I had a very hard time picking up stitches. I am notoriously bad at this to begin with, plus I am lazy about dividing with markers to ensure evenness. I ended up getting 12 more stithes on each of the fronts than I was supposed to. It doesn't pucker or ruffle, though (see photo), so I don't care. Next time I will add a chain selvedge stitch on each side to make picking up stitches easier.

Now to make one for myself!

Random News

2006-07-17T10:13:00.000-04:00

Cousin's OSW is complete! I resisted the urge to dawdle between finishing the main part and picking up stitches for the edges. I finished all the knitting Sunday night, wove in the ends this morning, and am "blocking" it - hahaha! - by wearing it to work today. Yes, I know it's 100 degrees out, but believe me the OSW sure came in handy on the bus this morning. I think the city could solve all its financial problems by portioning off a bit of space on the back of each bus and selling it to rich Manhattanites who want to be cryogenically frozen after they die. My office is about 5 degrees warmer than the bus. Seriously. Anyway, I did make a few mods to the pattern and will have a proper post about this FO later (complete with pictures).

Yesterday was gorgeous out, SIL was free, and we had a Glaistig photo shoot! I just need to upload all the photos from my camera, and I can mail in my submission. Whee!

Thank you to all who sent such nice comments and e-mails about Darrow. That pattern (as a set with two others - a cap in Noro Iro, and a beret pattern written for multiple gauges) will be available for swap for one skein of yarn. The patterns are all written but are (surprise, surprise) waiting for photos. Once I have the pics, I will make a more detailed post about that pattern on the new hat blog.

Finally, congratulations to V., who deadlifted 500 pounds (a 15-pound personal record for him) at the APF powerlifting meet in Riverhead, NY on Saturday. He won 2nd place in his division. Did I mention that my husband is a powerlifter?

Is it too late to jump on this bandwagon?

2006-07-14T10:46:00.000-04:00

After pretty much everyone in Blogland has already made one... I bought the OSW pattern from Glampyre last night. I'm going to use the beautiful Silk Garden from my Secret Pal. (I was originally thinking of making a bi-color brioche scarf with that plus some stash Cash Iroha, but I already have a gazillion scarves.) This will be for my cousin, who just had a baby two weeks ago. Something to keep her shoulders warm without interfering with her nursing tops. After that, I'm going to make another one for myself, with some mods. The shrug I was making for myself in Silk Garden color 34 is not really working out, so I'm going to rip it and make an OSW out of it instead. I don't really want a tight little shrug, however, so

1. Even though I measure right in the middle of the size range, I'm going to make the largest size,
2. I'm going to make the sleeve trim longer and in ribbing instead of seed stitch, and
3. I'm going to make the back/front/neck ribbing much longer than the pattern says. Maybe even long enough to close at the front with a pin, like this.

Darrow

2006-07-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

No time for a real post right now, but here are (finally!) pics of the "hat experiment." I'm naming it Darrow, after Naomi Watts's character in King Kong. (I actually found buttons I like more since taking these pics - the hat looks exactly the same, but the buttons are these cool Art Deco-ey seashells now.)

Glaistig Update

2006-07-10T11:41:00.000-04:00

Sister in law has agreed to model for me! Desperately waiting now for the intersection of sunny days and free time. I have about a month before deadline, so I'm not worried.

News

2006-07-10T11:12:00.000-04:00

I thought I would have a post by now of the new hat pattern, but I'm still working on it. It's the Wibbles's birthday tomorrow, and I've been busy party-planning. Plus it's the beginning of the new quarter, so that means lots of overtime at work. I have done most of the finishing on the hat, and taken some pictures, but there are just a few things left to do and I will probably have that post ready by Wednesday or Thursday.

I started a new blog just for hat patterns and finished hats, so they'll all be available in one place. Besides the new hat pattern, there are 2 other patterns which I'll be offering with it as a set for swap. I am also working on updates of the Diminishing Braids and Bobble Thing hats - there are a couple of details on each that I wanted to improve. Those patterns will be posted on the new blog as soon as the hats are finished (they haven't been started yet, so that will be a while). I've also been working on two new ideas. One crashed and burned, and the other is too early to tell - but if it works, it will be a free pattern on the new blog.

Decisions Made

2006-07-03T10:05:00.000-04:00

First of all, the Glaistig hat. I, and several other women I managed to get my hands on this weekend, all tried on both versions of the hat many, many times, and came to decisions about which hat is better. Both hats fit everyone, since the fabric is very stretchy.

For myself (22.5" head), I am almost completely undecided. The hats have a slightly different fabric to them, and I am leaning slightly toward the more tightly-knit one. On the 8's. Yes, another reversal.

Most of the women had smaller heads than I do, and they all strongly preferred the 8 hat. Two of the women had larger heads, and they both preferred the 9 hat. So, what I've decided to do is say 8 for the pattern, noting that if you have an especially large head you might want to go up a needle size.

Secondly, the hat experiment was a success! I finished the knitting last week, and this weekend did a quick-and-dirty temporary version of the finishing just to see how it looked and I love it! I will post photos of the hat later this week after I do the real finishing. I will also write up the pattern. I'm going to be putting a lot of effort into this pattern - the finishing is complicated (324 stitches around on a size 7 needle - it doesn't exactly sit on my head as knitted!), and I will photograph and explain the whole process. Rather than posting the pattern here, I've decided to make a really nice PDF file and make it available for swap.

I must be crazy.

2006-06-27T16:32:00.000-04:00

I was trying on all my hats last night (I do this a lot). I have 2 finished versions of the Glaistig hat, one I knit on US 9's and one on US 8's. I knit the one on 9's first, decided it was too "floppy," then knit the second one, which I loved. Now I try them on again last night, and I love the first one! It doesn't seem "floppy" at all, and the other one is too tightly knit! They both fit fine, since the hat is so stretchy, but I like the fabric of the first one better. Not to mention the row gauge - the second hat is shorter, and I like the longer hat. I'm going to give it a week, try them on again, and make my final decision.

I've got the pattern all written up, and I've decided where I'm going to submit it. The only thing left to do (other than decide which hat to use!) is to take photos. I'm trying to get my brother to talk his wife into modelling for me, since she is considerably cuter than I am.

Well, I did it.

2006-06-26T14:13:00.000-04:00

I ripped out the disaster, and re-cast on. I don't think it's twisted this time. (Why is it SO freakin' hard to tell, even with a few rounds knit?)

Some time ago I ordered a blocking board and a set of wires. They arrived Friday. I've been procrastinating on the shawl (and on everything else, rationalizing that I can't work on THAT because I really should be working on the shawl) because I had no way to block it once it was finished. Now I need to get my butt in gear and finish it, so I can block it Friday night while the Wibbles spends his weekly night at my in-laws' house.

The hat experiment is not conflicting with the Big Projects, though, since it is portable while the others are not. I work on the shawl at home, and the hat on the bus and occasionally on my lunch break.

In other crafty news, I bought the cheesiest sewing machine ever. It's from Target, and it's handheld and looks like a stapler. I have no intention of making any clothes or upholstering any furniture or anything, so presumably it will suit just fine. I'm hopeful that it will last long enough to crank out a couple throw pillows, and maybe a duvet cover and set of shams. If it's still around after that, I might even make bed canopies.

Successes!

2006-06-19T11:46:00.000-04:00

I needed a quick success this past weekend, firstly as a break from the Big Projects I'm working on, and secondly to take my mind off Friday's crushing defeat. The crushing defeat involved an experiment for a hat (of course) with a unique construction. I didn't get to see the results of the experiment; I'll have to retry as soon as I muster the resolve to rip out the disaster. The disaster being: 324 stitches. K1, p1 ribbing in the round. Over TWENTY rows in before I notice the twist.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. I decided to try out a quick and easy hat design that's been floating around in my head, a Barbara Walker stitch pattern in a bulky yarn. I loved how it came out, so I decided to share the pattern here. E-mail me if you make one; I'd love to see how it turns out!

Wavelet Hat
3 skeins Karabella Aurora Bulky in color #22. (That's right, 3 skeins. This yarn has the worst yardage EVER!) 100% merino wool, 54 yds/50 g per ball.
47" Addi Turbo circulars in US sizes 9 and 10.5 (I use the Magic Loop technique. Obviously you can use 16" circulars, and a spare circ or set of dpn's in size 10.5 if you prefer).
Gauge: 20 sts and 23 rows in Wavelet pattern, knit circularly with larger needle

Wavelet Pattern knit circularly (this is my name for the stitch pattern; I can't remember what BW called it but I think it might be "Little Cables" or "Cable Fabric" or something like that):
Multiple of 6 sts
Rounds 1-2: Knit.
Round 3: *Slip 2 sts to cable needle (cn) and hold to front, k2 from left needle, k2 from cn, k2, repeat from * around.
Rounds 4-6: Knit.
Round 7: *K2, Slip 2 sts to cn and hold to back, k2 from left needle, k2 from cn, repeat from * around.
Round 8: Knit.
Repeat rounds 1-8 for pattern.

Hat:
With US 9, CO 56 sts. Join into round, being careful not to twist. Work 5 rounds in k2, p2 ribbing. Switch to US 10.5 and work one more round in rib pattern.
Work increase round: *K4, m1, k3, m1, repeat from * around. [72 sts total.]
Work 32 rounds (4 full repeats) in Wavelet pattern.
Work decrease rounds:
1. (K10, k2 tog) around [66 sts total].
2. (K9, k2 tog) around [60 sts total].
3. (Slip 2 sts to cn and hold to front, k2 from left needle, k2 from cn, k4, k2 tog) around [54 sts total].
4. (K7, k2 tog) around [48 sts total].
5. (K6, k2 tog) around [42 sts total].
6. (K5, k2 tog) around [36 sts total].
7. (K4, k2 tog) around [30 sts total].
8. (K3, k2 tog) around [24 sts total].
9. (K2, k2 tog) around [18 sts total].
10. (K1, k2 tog) around [12 sts total].
11. (k2 tog) around [6 sts total].
Cut yarn and thread onto tapestry needle. Pull yarn tail through remaining sts and pull to close. Weave in ends.

Sizing notes:
1. The hat will stretch. Right after knitting, it was 8.75" tall and only 15" in circumference. It was uncomfortably tight when I first put it on. After wearing it for 20 minutes, the height stayed the same but the unstretched circumference had increased to 18" and the hat was comfortable to wear. I wore it on and off for an additional 3 hours, but there was no more stretching.

2. I have a biggish head (22.5") and this hat fits very snugly, which is how I like it. Kids don't usually like tight hats, so you can probably use the same stitch count for a kid size, and just make the hat shorter by working the Wavelet pattern for 24 rounds instead of 32. If you have a superbig head, or just a big head but like a looser fit, try adding 4 (or 8) stitches to the ribbing and 6 (or 12) to the main body. You will need to redo the math for the increase round so the increases occur evenly around the hat. Also, there will be 1 (or 2) more decrease rounds to work. I can't guarantee that the cool flower effect will be preserved, but it will probably be similar enough.

On seeing a picture of a turkey

2006-06-14T14:30:00.000-04:00

Me: (pointing) What's that?
The Wibbles: Tah-keee.
Me: What does a turkey say?
The Wibbles: Boggle!
Me: (collapses into hysterics)

That was my big laugh for the week. My big laugh for last week was when TBS was airing "Old School." The commercials for it were all making fun of the Da Vinci Code and were hilarious. There is a secret ode-cay....

Not much going on.

2006-06-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

I've made some progress on my MIL's shawl. I've just started the fifth out of seven balls of Bazic, so hopefully I'll be ready to block this weekend. And boy, will I have to block the life out of this thing. I'm knitting it from the point up (uh, not sure if I already mentioned this, so I'll say right now it's a triangle), and increasing one stitch per row, but the stitch pattern is allover ribbed cables so it draws in A LOT and looks WAAAAAAY too skinny for its height. I'm going to stretch it horizontally as much as I can during blocking, and hopefully it will stay stretched. This will be the first item I have blocked (I don't block scarves or hats), so we'll see what happens.

I finished the second try on the Glaistig cloche and I love it love it love it. And hey, maybe it will be cold enough in about 5 months so I can wear it!

In Secret Pal news, I finally mailed a package to my spoilee last week. Everyone I'm close enough with to give a gift lives here in NY, so this was the first package I've ever mailed. And what a nightmare it was. How much of a weenie do you have to be, exactly, before they let you work at the post office? I won't go into details, except to say:
1. I was at the post office for a total of 40 minutes, only 10 of which involved waiting on line.
2. The package was sent in a padded envelope. I would have liked a box. Next time I'll box it myself and then take the box to the post office. Lesson learned!
3. I was literally quivering with rage when I left the post office. Since I was on my lunch break, and had to go back to work, the only way I could get past it was to bring four (that's right, FOUR) slices of pizza back to my desk with me and scarf them down in about 10 minutes. Can you say "stress eater?"

My Wrap Style arrived. I don't know what was up with my math when I was looking at this in the bookstore, but I don't quite have the yardage in my SP gift yarn + stash Cash Iroha to make the Shadow Dance capelet. I do have enough to make a very generous scarf in that same stitch pattern, though, so I think I'll do that instead. The two yarns do go really well together.

WIPs Gone Wild!!!!!

2006-06-02T16:14:00.000-04:00

I've had a bad case of startitis lately, and have accumulated a rash of WIPs and UFOs. What's on the needles:

1. I got the Koigu I ordered two days ago for my second stab at the cabled cloche (aka the Glaistig hat). I've just completed the brim section. I am now loving the fabric, now that I've switched to a size 8 needle.

2. I started a shawl I promised to my mother-in-law. It's a triangular shawl in a reversible cable pattern, my own design. I'll post photo and pattern here when it's done. This one is in Classic Elite Bazic, also on a size 8 needle.

3. I was attempting a cabled hat with some Cash Iroha that I bought recently. However, I hate it. I love the yarn and how it feels, but I've learned that I don't like silk for hats, even when it's blended with wool. Not enough elasticity. I hereby promise myself that I will never knit another hat out of anything other than a) 100% wool, or b) the cashmere/merino/microfiber blend found in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and Rowan Cashsoft. I'm going to frog this, combine the Cash Iroha with the Silk Garden I got from my Secret Pal, and make the Shadow Dance capelet from Wrap Style. As soon as my book gets here, that is. I just ordered it from Amazon.

4. I also started a hat in Chevron Rib using Naturwolle. The yarn is variegated and a bit fuzzy, and you can't make out the chevrons at all. Another one destined for the frog pond. Perhaps I will get 8 more skeins of this and make that brioche-in-the-round sweater of Ann Budd's from IK. Fall 2004 or 2005, can't remember which.

5. The Koigu capelet that I have yet to do the finishing on.

6. My languishing Silk Garden shrug.

7. The pentagons. I currently have 4 pentagons knit. I'm pretty sure this dodecahedral hat/experiment will not fit me. I hope it will fit the Wibbles. If not, I can always knit one more pentagon, get some pillow stuffing, and make him a ball.

8. Swatching for the Asymmetrical Cardigan. I joined the Knitting Nature KAL, so you can see more about this there. Besides the swatch I show in the previous post, I have several ribbing-only swatches where I was trying out different COs and BOs. I was unable to get a good match, so I've decided to stop the knitting before the ribbing on the back starts, then knit the ribbing separately and graft it on.

And that's it! (Unless I'm forgetting some poor abandoned thing, which is entirely possible.)

PICTURES!!!!!!!

2006-05-28T13:59:00.000-04:00

Yarn from my secret pal:

An organised knitter:

A swatch (as yet unwashed and unblocked) for the Asymmetrical Cardigan from Knitting Nature, in Karabella Aurora Bulky, color #22:

And a couple of pentagons from the Swirled Pentagon Pullover. I am not, however, making the pullover. Just the pentagons, which I will seam together (I am too unskilled at picking up stitches - it always looks terrible when I try) into a dodecahedral hat. Yeah, I know, I'm a huge geek.

Thank you, Secret Pal!

2006-05-26T11:37:00.000-04:00

My first package from my SP8 arrived yesterday! It was exactly what I needed - a needle case for my Addis, which up until yesterday I was (no joke) keeping in a Gristede's bag. Plus a set of needle tags, so I can stop trying all my needles in my needle sizer every time I start a project. And the kicker - two skeins of Noro Silk Garden in a beautiful blues-and-neutrals colorway. I spent the Wibbles's entire nap time yesterday tagging my needles and putting them in the case.

The reason I haven't posted pictures of ANYTHING lately was originally laziness (I'm thinking of changing my name to ProcrastiKnitter), but has turned into something worse - the cable for my digital camera has disappeared on me! V. and I have torn the place apart on 3 separate occasions looking for it. We've finally decided to give up and buy a new one this weekend. So there will be pics soon!

Poo.

2006-05-22T11:36:00.000-04:00

I grafted the live end of the Koigu capelet to the CO end, but my tension was all uneven and I hate it. So this morning, I ripped it out. If I'm not too tired I'll regraft tonight after the Wibbles falls asleep.

Also, I don't like how the new cloche is coming out in the Lamb's Pride Worsted. I'm just going to go back to Koigu, with size 8 needles. I'm not going to rip out the original hat, though. I think it will be good to compare the two of them.

And now for the good news.... I ordered Knitting Nature! I was browsing the knitting books at Borders on my lunch break last week and could not resist! It's funny that Norah Gaughan is a biologist - if I had not known that, I would have guessed from the book that she was a mathematician. I also bought Rowan Vintage Knits. I think my no-sweater streak is about to be broken!

Yarnaholic

2006-05-17T16:29:00.000-04:00

I went to the LYS on my lunch break today. I got two skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted (which I've never used before!) in dark charcoal, two skeins of Noro Cash Iroha in a light beige, and a skein of Plymouth Galway. I also got some for-now-nameless yarn in my SP8 spoilee's favorite color. I will probably end up making her a hat - she lives in my climate, so I know she'll get some use out of it. I was originally thinking of a scarf, but the SP exchange has a $60 limit and I don't want to spend it all on yarn.

I have made no progress at all on the Noro shrug. I'm wavering on whether or not to rip out the edging I've done, and I can't go any further until I decide. I am almost finished with the knitting part of the Koigu capelet. I'll have to save the finishing for this weekend, when The Wibbles will most likely spend one night over at his grandparents' house. Knitwise, having a kid is worse than having a cat.

I also finished the hat I started last week. I love the pattern, but unfortunately I don't love the actual hat. I used doubled Koigu, and somehow it just doesn't feel right when it's on - it's too floppy, or something. I probably should have used a size 8 needle instead of a 9. I'm trying again with the Lamb's pride and size 8's. If I still don't like it, I'll try Karabella Margrite Bulky and size 10's. I want to get it perfect, because I'm thinking of submitting it for publication. And since it's a very '20's, flapper-style cloche, I'll be naming it after the Glaistig. If that's OK with her.

Future Projects

2006-05-11T12:55:00.000-04:00

I'm so glad that joining SP8 has gotten me into the habit of posting again. Procrastinator that I am, I have not yet taken progress photos of my WIP's. And the progress on large items is not so fun to write about. Ooh, look - it's a slightly larger rectangle than it was last week! So I've been thinking about what else I'm going to knit this year.

First of all, I will knit many hats. I would like to get my hat business off the ground this year. And by "business" I mean a website where you can see photos of the hats, and order either the pattern (probably free) or the hat itself (not free). I don't plan to advertise at all, so it probably won't amount to anything. But it will make me happy just to know that the website is there. I've got about thirty hats designed, some of which I've knit up already, a few of which I've actually knit in the yarn in which I plan to offer them, and the remainder of which are still just in my head. I figure about half of those will actually work out, so I'll end up with about 18 hats total. I need to knit these, and photograph them, in the yarn in which I plan to offer them. So far I'm done with 4, and have another in progress (yes, another WIP - I started it yesterday).

Then there's my cartridge rib tank idea. I promised my mother-in-law a shawl, so there's that. I also have an idea for a cabled sweater knit in a bunch of pieces and sewn together - I will definitely try this one out in the fall; more details if it actually works out. And a scarf for my dad.

Finally, I intend to make something for my secret pal, unless she answers in her questionnaire that she does not like receiving handmade gifts (somehow I find this extremely unlikely). I have no idea at all what I'm going to make, since I don't know who my pal is yet. I will probably post photos of that WIP here, since I won't be sending it to my pal until the end of this exchange, when we reveal our identities. There's a ton of NYC participants, so my postmark can't possibly give me away.

I made an Amazon wishlist for SP8...

2006-05-09T16:38:00.000-04:00

.... and here it is.

Big Projects

2006-05-08T13:30:00.000-04:00

I made quite a bit of progress on the Noro shrug and Koigu capelet this weekend. Not that you can tell, since the projects (especially the capelet) are so big. With the amount of knitting I got done, I probably could have made about 5 hats. Seriously.

There has also been some designing. The Koigu capelet is basically a big rectangle of cartridge belt ribbing - the coolness is definitely not in the knitting for this one, it's in the finishing - and I've been inspired to do a tank top in the same yarn and stitch. The stitch pattern has so much horizontal stretchability - significantly more than regular ribbing - and I figure I could just cast on half the number of stitches that would fit UNSTRETCHED around my waist with no ease whatsoever, and knit a plain rectangle in cartridge belt rib. Knit another one just like it, join at sides and top (leaving openings for arms and head, of course) and I would have the perfect top for hourglass-shaped chicks like me. The stretch will be enough to cover my chest and hips, and the thing will look like it has shaping even though it doesn't. Plus this stitch has the whole vertical lines thing going for it. The only thing I'm not sure about is how the shoulders will end up. If the armhole "straps" are narrower than my shoulders, that's fine. If they're so wide that they make a mini cap sleeve, that's also fine. What I'm scared of is that they'll be exactly as wide as my shoulders, giving it a muscle shirt look. That would be very, very bad.

If I ever finish my current WIP's, this will be the next thing I try, and I'll post the exact pattern here if the sleeve thing works out. Also, I will post progress photos of the WIP's this week. Promise. Really.

SP8 Questionnaire

2006-05-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I am currently having a love affair with Japanese yarn, especially Noro (Iro and Silk Garden) and Diakeito (Diamusee and Diagrovefine). I also love Koigu, Reynolds Odyssey, Classic Elite Bazic, Rowan Cashsoft and Manos del Uruguay. I dislike acrylic, "fun fur" and novelty yarns. I also don't like knitting with cotton, although I do like to wear cotton garments. Same goes for alpaca (am I the only person on earth who doesn't like knitting with alpaca?). I am unfortunately allergic to angora.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
(Hiding in embarrassment) A plastic bag. From the supermarket.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for a little over a year. I would consider myself an intermediate knitter. I can knit in the round, and do kitchener stitch, and stuff like that. I knit texture very well, but when I have to knit large areas of plain stockinette or garter stitch, my knitting can get uneven. I haven't tried my hand at lace yet.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I like white florals, especially jasmine. To get an idea of my general fragrance preferences, I really like Thymes Filigree, Lancome Tresor, and Diptyque Figuier.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Definitely a sweet tooth. For the most part, I prefer plain dark chocolate to any type of candy, but I do get occasional cravings for Twizzlers and/or M&M's.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
No other crafty hobbies here.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like classic rock and 80's prog rock. No, my stereo can't play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favorite color family is the mossy green range. I also love dark, rich reds and vermilions. Also greys of any shade. Beiges/camels/browns are OK. Blue is OK. I don't like yellow, or yellowy greens or oranges. I don't like purple by itself, but I love lilacs and plums in combination with mossy greens, browns or greys. I am also not much of a pink person.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
No pets. One 22-month old son.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes to all.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Hats. No contest.

13. What are you knitting right now?
A shrug in Noro Silk Garden, and a capelet in Koigu.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Are there people who don't? Really?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I'm a total Addi Turbo snob. They're all I use.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, but I've been thinking about getting one. Soon, before my husband kills me (he's my official detangler, and somehow I always get into trouble).

17. How did you learn to knit?
I taught myself from books and the Internet.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
I have two sleeves of a sweater I started for my son right after I learned to knit. I'm never going to finish it. He's already too big.

19. What is your favorite holiday?
Mother's Day.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
Teapots and nesting dolls.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I subscribe to Vogue Knitting. I'm not sure why I haven't subscribed to Interweave Knits, since I've bought every issue since I started knitting, plus I ordered some of their back issues. As for books, I've been ogling Wrap Style, Great Knitted Gifts (the Shackletons), Knitting Rules (McPhee) and One Skein (Radford). I have "Naturally Noro" but I would love to get my hands on any other Noro pattern books. Two yarns I've been dying to try out are Karabella Margrite Bulky and Artyarns Ultramerino 8. Also Koigu Kersti - the KPPPM is so easy to find, but I can never find Kersti.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I am in dire need of a class in finishing techniques. I have books, but somehow they're not the same. I would also like to try my hand at Fair Isle knitting. I'm obsessed with the short-row Fair Isle pullover in Loop-d-loop.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Not a sock knitter - I have no patience for fine gauge. My feet are size 7 1/2 B.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
10/30.

Well, it's been a while.....

2006-05-01T09:45:00.000-04:00

But I'm still around! I took a very long knitting break, and then just got out of the habit of posting...

But I'll definitely be posting at least once a week, at least for the next few months, because I joined SP8! This will be my first SP exchange; I bet it'll be loads of fun.

Also, my knitting break is over. I have 2 WIP's and some knitting done for an idea which I submitted to Spun Magazine. I haven't heard back from them yet. I wonder what the decent interval to wait is, before I just post about my idea here or maybe submit it elsewhere. The WIP's are a no-sew shrug (an idea I had and am just winging it, hopefully it will be wearable) in Noro Silk Garden, and a crossover capelet (another winging-it idea) in Koigu. I'll try to post progress photos later this week.

I'm a little depressed about the Koigu. The color looked so pretty in the picture (I ordered it online), but I don't like it as much in person. It's a lot darker than I thought it would be, and it's even darker knit up than it is in the hank.

Four Things Meme

2006-01-23T14:27:00.000-05:00

Four Jobs You Have Had In Your Life
(in no particular order)
1. Actuary
2. Salesperson (hosiery counter) at B. Altmans (a huge department store that is now out of business)
3. Salesperson at Forbidden Planet (a very geeky sci-fi/comic book store in New York)
4. Carpenter at a scenery-building shop in New York

Movies You Could Watch Over and Over
1. The Matrix
2. Emma
3. Amelie
4. The Fifth Element

Places You Have Lived
Also in no particular order, and not an exhaustive list
1. Highland Park, NJ
2. Ottawa, Ontario
3. Cocoa Beach, FL
4. New York, NY

TV Shows You Love to Watch
1. Sex and the City
2. CSI (only the original)
3. Celebrity Fit Club
4. Numb3rs

Places You Have Been on Vacation
1. Buenos Aires, Argentina
2. Aspen
3. All over Ireland
4. Disneyworld (I was forced!)

Websites You Visit Daily
1. All Star Puzzles
2. msn.com
3. Boing Boing
4. Defective Yeti

Favorite Foods
1. Lobster (steamed)
2. Grilled cheese sandwiches
3. Ramen (at a Japanese restaurant, not the packaged crap you make at home)
4. Tea and toast with honey and butter on it.

The Monday Top 5!

2005-12-19T23:27:00.000-05:00

I owe two, since I didn't blog last week.

Top 5 reasons I have not yet knit a sweater:
1. Fear of blocking. So far I've never knit anything that requires blocking.
2. An irrational fear that one sleeve will end up longer than the other.
3. I always have multiple WIPs - something that takes as long to knit as a sweater will probably never get done (this is why I knit hats).
4. The thought of having to rip out something I've been working on for days horrifies me (again, why I knit hats - I do occasionally have to frog, but it's at most a couple hours' work).
5. In all likelihood I won't like how it turns out (especially if it turns out anything like my first hat, which would have fit King Kong), and it will be a huge waste of time and money.

My 5 knitting resolutions for 2006:
1. Get over it and knit a sweater. I'm trying to decide between the ballet wrap cardigan and the 4-3-2 ribbed pullover, both from the current IK. Leave a comment if you have an opinion as to which would be a better choice.
2. Get a hat website up and running. Last week, I had a little hat show and managed to sell 4 hats (Yippee!) - two that I had already made, and two custom orders. My dad has been encouraging me to start a side business. I've already got 7 of my own hat patterns designed, and I'm working on 3 new patterns. Obviously, for copyright reasons, I'm only selling hats that I designed myself.
3. Learn intarsia.
4. Do something that involves buttons and/or a zipper.
5. Get a design published.

The Monday Top 5!

2005-12-05T17:11:00.000-05:00

Five things it seems like every knitter but me has knitted:

1. A sweater of some kind. No, I've never made a sweater. I did make a shrug, along with a capelet, a few scarves and about a bazillion hats. I have finishing fear. Give me a break, I've only been knitting since February.

2. A Clapotis. Maybe one day.

3. A big giant lacy shawl. Never gonna happen. I have zero interest in lace. I like cables and bobbles and chunky yarn. I do use fingering weight yarn, but doubled or tripled. I've never knit with any needle smaller than a 4 (and that was only the ribbing on hats for which I used 6's for the main body).

4. Socks. Again, zero interest. I don't even wear socks, except when I work out (heh - and when was the last time that happened?).

5. A scarf out of Scarf Style. I'm not even linking, because everyone already has this book. Myself included. I tweaked the "Here & There" cable pattern to use for my shrug (2x2 rib instead of 3x3). I used the "Interlocking Balloons" pattern for one of my hats. (That was a learning experience. I really liked the way I figured out how to handle the crown decreases, and the hat looks really beautiful when it's just lying there. But when I put it on, it stretches out and emphasizes - in a very, very bad way - all the increases and decreases. All the tiny little gaps they make stretch out into ginormous gaping holes, so I can't wear it. I should really frog it, 'cause it's great yarn.) I also stole the reversible ribbed cable idea from "Vintage Velvet." I made a scarf for my cousin (and still regret not taking pics of it; it was GORGEOUS) out of Manos with this pattern. But instead of a center ribbed cable panel, I CO'ed 40 stitches, knitted the whole thing in 1x1 rib, and every 23 rows cabled almost the entire width of the scarf (meaning, rib 4 sts, hold 16 sts to back on cn, rib 16 sts from left needle, rib 16 sts from cn, rib remaining 4 sts). I can't even describe how it looks. Maybe I can borrow it back for a photo shoot.

Knitting Status

2005-11-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Completed:

-Elongated Chevron hat (for The Wibbles). He looks like a little Hershey Kiss in it. Will post pics on the hatalong blog as soon as I get a chance to take some pics.

On the needles:

-Elf Cap from Minnies (also for The Wibbles - he needs a warmer hat that will cover his ears).
-Baby blanket for my neighbor. Sorely behind on this one - she gave birth weeks ago already! I showed my "progress" to V and his comment was, "It will look great in her college dorm."

Planned but not started:

-Blackberry, for my cousin. She should like this one because it's fitted everywhere but the tummy and she's all pregnant and stuff. I'm gonna make it in Ribbon Twist instead of Chunky Print, because I like the colors better. Hopefully I'll get gauge with my #11's.

In the design stage:

-Icosahedral hat. I bet it will be too strange to wear, but I still want to make it.

Just a glimmer in my eye:

-plan to figure out how to knit pentagons and maybe some other shapes, for the purposes of making a)some tessellated afghans, and maybe b)some knitted polyhedra. 'Cause I'm a huge geek.

Knitwear I'm Obsessed With

2005-11-29T10:08:00.000-05:00

These are knitted items that I've seen, usually in movies or on TV, that I can't seem to get out of my head:

1. The hat that Carrie Bradshaw is wearing in the last (or maybe next-to-last? She's wearing it in Paris) episode of Sex and the City. It looks like a plain 2x2 rib in a Noro of some kind. Of course I got myself some Noro Iro and tried to make one just like it. However, a) the color is slightly off, b) my hat came out ginormous, and c) even if it were the right size, somehow the shape is not quite right - need to do the decreases differently, maybe. I've been watching SATC every week on TBS watiting for that episode to air again. Every time it airs I will have a few more months of knitting experience, and maybe one day I'll be able to figure out how to make it.

2. This very intricately cabled olive green sweater that Liv Tyler was wearing in an unidentified movie. Hubby had it on while I was rushing out the door, so I only saw it for half a minute. And of course he doesn't remember which movie it was, although he's leaning toward Stealing Beauty. I guess I'll just have to rent every Liv Tyler movie until I find it, and then buy the DVD.

3. The scarf that Brittany Murphy was wearing in Just Married. Actually she wore a number of scarves in that movie - I mean the one she was wearing in Venice. I'm pretty sure it's Rowan Biggy Print in Sherbert. The funny thing is, the scarf doesn't even look knitted! It looks like a bunch of strands of yarn that just magically lie next to each other. It must be sewn, I suppose. I still really like it.

4. There's this book out there called The Art of Knitting. The author gives details for only about half of the stitch patterns she shows in the book, which completely infuriates me. There's this one photo in particular, taking up an entire page (I will edit this post if I get another look at the book and make a note of which page), that is a close-up of a knitted fabric. It's knitted in black and white yarn and obviously uses lots of increases and decreases to make a symmetrical, wavy pattern. Of course, no details are provided except that it's knitted with two yarns. I am at a point where I can look at any plain knit-and-purl pattern, and most cable patterns, and figure out how to knit them just by looking. But for the life of me I cannot decipher stitch patterns that use increases and decreases. Poo.

5. This Jean-Paul Gaultier dress:

The Monday Top 5!

2005-11-28T14:35:00.000-05:00

Top 5 reasons that hats are my favorite thing to knit:

5. They are very portable, and I do most of my knitting on the bus.
4. Knitting a hat is a great way to try out new yarn - you only need one skein if you're not using cables. They're also a great way to try out new stitch patterns. You can even use them as gauge swatches for larger garments.
3. Funky clothes don't really work on me. I don't look funky or cool; I look like a weirdo. But anyone can pull off a funky hat.
2. Instant gratification - I can usually finish a hat the same day I start it. I've even completed some of my chunkier hats in 2 hours. That's really saying something, because I am the Slowest Knitter Ever.
1. I like doing the "math" of taking my chosen stitch pattern and a) adapting it for knitting in the round, and b) figuring out how to make the decreases work nicely with the pattern.

Who Loves Cheesecake?

2005-11-23T14:53:00.000-05:00

The Wibbles does!

The Monday Top 5!

2005-11-21T17:29:00.000-05:00

The top 5 things I am itching to knit:

1. Blackberry, from the current issue of Knitty (for moi)
2. The James Coviello jacket from the Holiday 2005 Vogue Knitting (again, me)
3. Interlocking Balloons from Scarf Style (for my dad, maybe?)
4. The Short-Row Fair Isle pullover from Loop-de-Loop (definitely for me)
5. The hooded, cabled pullover from Debbie Bliss's Baby Knits. (for The Wibbles)

The Monday Top 5!

2005-11-14T13:26:00.000-05:00

Five movies I will watch any time they're on, even if I've already seen them a bazillion times:

1. The Matrix (the first one; I have a limited tolerance for the other two).
2. The Fifth Element. Chris Tucker annoys the crap outta me, but it's worth it just for the "meat popsicle" line.
3. Emma. Not sure if there's more than one, but I mean the Gwyneth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam one.
4. Amélie.
5. Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. Funniest. Movie. Ever.

Now that I'm thinking about this, this was a stupid idea for a Top Five. There are a bunch of movies I would be willing to watch a bazillion times. Those were just the first five I thought of. As penance, I will do another one.

Five Best Looking Actors and Actresses:
Actors:
1. Josh Lucas. No contest.
2. Aaron Eckhart. I forgive him for the travesty that is Core.
3. Ed Harris. He's getting old, but I still like him.
4. John Cusack. He used to be my favorite, but not so much any more. He still makes the top 5, though.
5. Oded Fehr. Except in Deuce Bigalow. I didn't like him in that one.

Actresses:
1. Jennifer Connelly. Again, no contest.
2. Angelina Jolie.
3. Kate Hudson.
4. Sarah Jessica Parker. Can't explain it. Everyone else I know thinks she's nasty looking, but I think she's cute.
5. Kate Beckinsale. (Are there any non-gorgeous people named Kate?)

Dammit.

2005-11-13T21:42:00.000-05:00

V must have checked the "remember me" box last time he signed into Blogger. When I clicked on the invite link for the hat knitalong, he automatically accepted, and I can't post! I finally got a chance to take pics of my 2 finished hats today... oh, well. I'll post them here, and I'll post them on the hatalong blog when I get re-invited.

The red one with the matching scarf is Rowan Big Wool. Stitch pattern is k1, p1 rib with every third row knitted straight across (for the scarf; the hat was knit in the round so I adapted the pattern so it would look the same as the scarf). The scarf is 15 stitches across and the hat is 48 stitches around.

The green and beige one is two strands of Filatura Di Crosa Zara. Two strands of light olive for the ribbing, and one each of light olive and beige for the main part. 80 stitches around. Stitch pattern is one round of k1, p1 ribbing followed by one round of plain knitting. Both sides look nice, so the hat is reversible.

I have two more hats in progress... one barely cast on, the other about three-quarters finished. After that, I might have to take a hat break since I've promised my father a scarf, and I want to knit a baby blanket for my neighbor who just had a daughter. I'm very excited about the baby blanket because I've decided on Cashmerino Aran - I love the yarn, but seriously I only like three of the colors. Debbie Bliss is all about the pink and purple, and I'm just not a pink and purple girl. But my neighbor's daugher is!

What kind of American English do you speak?

2005-11-10T13:27:00.000-05:00

(click on post title for link to quiz)

Apparently I speak:
- 55% General American English
- 30% Yankee (that makes sense)
- 15% Dixie (!)
- 0% Midwestern
- 0% Upper Midwestern

I'm Back!

2005-11-09T10:16:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. Exams, exams. Well, they're over! And hopefully they're over for good. But I probably shouldn't get my hopes up.

I am in full knitting mode now. Since the exam finished, I have made one hat, plus one more almost done. This morning I cast on for a Tilted Ladders hat, and have worked out the design for a hat in Flame Rib. I also finished a red Big Wool scarf - I just need to weave in the ends and put the fringe on. I found out this morning that there's a hat knit-along that started recently, so of course I joined it. And Secret Pal 7 is starting in early December, so I'll probably join that too.

Not only that, but I used some of my birthday money (thanks, Mom & Dad!) to get Rowan Magazine #38 and Barbara Walker's Fourth Treasury of Knitting Patterns, plus some more Addi Turbos. I've got almost every size now in the 16" (everything from 4 through 11 except for 7's, but I have 24" 7's, and 10's (I have no 10's!)), and quite a few 24". I have nothing smaller than 4's and nothing bigger than 11's, and I have no 10's. But I do have 10.5's.

I'm going to have to take pics of my hats for the KAL, so I'll probably be posting them here too. Looks like this is going to turn into a knitting blog!

Good Luck to Me.

2005-10-25T11:17:00.000-04:00

I just joined National Novel Writing Month. I have no idea what I want to write, not even what genre. We'll see if I actually write anything. It seems like only about 10-15% of entrants actually finish their novels.

The deal is, you have to write a (probably very crappy) novel of at least 50,000 words by midnight on November 30. And you can't start writing until November 1. No previously-written prose allowed. And with my exam on November 3, it doesn't look like I'll be writing anything before November 4. Hey, that's only 1852 words per day!

They don't judge the novels. They don't even read them. You e-mail it to them, and they use a robotic word counter to verify that you do in fact have 50,000 words, then they delete your e-mail. You own the rights to the novel, and can try to get it published if you want (some of these novels have been published, which makes me wonder if they were really written in 30 days, but whatever).

V, I dare you to join with me!!!

Alternatively, the Defective Yeti (see my Links) is having a write-a-short-story-in-a-week thing for people like himself who found the novel-in-a-month thing too overwhelming.

For some reason, at this moment I am compelled to write the word: Boogers.
I don't know why.

A Very Disappointing Conversation

2005-10-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

Me (pointing at V.): Who's that?
The Wibbles: Dada!
Me & V: Oh my goodness, you're so smart!
Me (pointing at myself, desperately hoping that he can also say Mama): Who's this?
The Wibbles: Dada!
V: No, that's Mommy! Who's that?
The Wibbles: Dada!
V: Oh well, I guess he means "parent" when he says that.
Me (pointing at the coffee table): What's that?
The Wibbles: Dada!
V: Okay, I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen.

The Monday Top 5!

2005-10-24T10:02:00.000-04:00

Best 5 stitch patterns for knitting scarves:

Let me just start this off by saying that I am the Scarf Nazi. First of all, a scarf should be reversible - it should look the same on both sides. A lot of knitting books have these scarf patterns that have a definite "wrong side." Do they think the wrong side won't show when you wrap the scarf around your neck?

Second, a scarf should be warm. Maybe if you live in L.A. those skinny scarves will be enough for you. Winters in New York are cold and they are windy. I want a scarf that is at least five inches wide - it should cover my mouth, nose and neck when I wrap it around. Also it should be long enough to wrap around a couple times. And it should not be goddamn lace! I don't know what's up with all the lace scarf patterns I've been seeing. Wind blows right through that shit.

Anyway, on to the top 5:

Hands down #1: Cartridge Belt Rib.
Multiple of 4 stitches plus 1.
Row 1: [K3, slip 1 with yarn in front] to last stitch, k1.
Repeat Row 1 for pattern.

This pattern is visually interesting without being (a) yarn-consuming, or (b) so busy that it doesn't look good when done in a variegated yarn. It looks good in any weight yarn. It's very stretchy. The slip stitches create this vertical furrowing that make it extremely warm. Every row is the same, so it's super easy to memorize - if you knit on the bus like I do, you don't want to be looking at charts while you're knitting.

#2: Alternating ribbed cable.
Multiple of 16 stitches plus 8.
Rows 1-4: [k1, p1] to end.
Row 5: [slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold to front, (k1, p1) twice from left needle, (k1, p1) twice from cable needle, (k1, p1) 4 times] to last 8 stitches, then slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold to front, (k1, p1) twice from left needle, (k1, p1) twice from cable needle.
Rows 6-9: [k1, p1] to end.
Row 10: [(k1, p1) 4 times, slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold to back, (k1, p1) twice from left needle, (k1, p1) twice from cable needle] to last 8 stitches, then (k1, p1) 4 times.
Repeat rows 1-10 for pattern.

This pattern looks great. The only flaw is that being a multiple of 16 stitches, for certain yarn weights you may get into a situation where you have a choice between a scarf that is a bit too narrow or way too wide. I noticed this when I tried to knit one in a chunky yarn - 24 stitches was just a bit too narrow, and 40 stitches was gargantuan. It works pretty well in worsted or DK yarns, though, with 40 or 56 stitches.

#3: Plain ribbing.
2x2 is my favorite, followed by 1x1. I don't generally use wider ribbing.

#4: Garter stitch.
This stitch is great for beginners, because you just knit every stitch. Personally, I find plain garter stitch boring to knit and boring to look at, unless you use a variegated yarn. To reduce the boredom factor, you can knit your scarf sideways or on the diagonal. Also, you can use color - either stripes or two-color garter stitch. I especially like stripes on a sideways-knit scarf. I also like to use short rows in garter stitch scarves to create interesting shapes. I'll provide the pattern for two-color garter stitch at the end of this post.

#5: (Begrudgingly) Seed stitch.
I hate seed stitch. I have to admit it looks pretty good, especially in chunky yarns. But it takes forever, since you have to move the yarn back or forward after each stitch. And it doesn't take stripes well, so a seed stitch scarf is just about the most boring thing you can possibly make.

Two-Color Garter Stitch
Note: This will not work on straight needles. You need to use a circular needle for this. You need 2 different color yarns, A and B. One side of the scarf will be mainly color A, with little bits of B peeking through. The other side will be mainly B, with little bits of A.

With A, cast on any number of stitches.
Row 1: With A, knit one row. Do not turn work - slide it to the other side of the needle.
Row 2: With B, purl one row. Turn work.
Row 3: With A, purl one row. Slide work to other side of needle without turning.
Row 4: With B, knit one row. Turn work.
Repeat rows 1-4 for pattern, finishing with row 1. Bind off with color A.

Cool Game Review Website

2005-10-20T12:28:00.000-04:00

This guy (click on post title for the link) reveiws mainly Flash games. So far I've played AOOA, which was a bit too easy but still pretty cool. Not as cool as growcube, but still pretty cool. I am totally addicted to growcube.

In unrelated Wibble news, he now neighs as well as moos. Although he wouldn't moo for me on the phone today. Poo.

Movies v. Motherhood

2005-10-20T12:17:00.000-04:00

I don't know if this has to do with some kind of neurological change I've undergone since giving birth, or if movies have just suddenly started sucking complete goat ass lately, but it's become extremely difficult for me to find a movie that I can sit through to completion. By contrast, there was only one movie I walked out on in the entire 33.75 years I lived before The Wibbles was born (On Deadly Ground). Here is a list of movies I've rented in the past few months (some of which I had high hopes for) and was unable to watch:

I Heart Huckabees
Skycaptain and the World of Tomorrow
Alone in the Dark*
Blade III: Trinity
Spanglish
The Ring 2

*V told me that after I went to bed, he watched the rest of the movie on fast forward, looking for titties. There were none.

Husband no blog.

2005-10-18T12:48:00.000-04:00

I hereby "tag" V to copy my Monday Top 5. This will get him to blog at least once a week. He should use the same category I use, with adjustment if necessary (I was thinking of doing five literary heroines I most identify with - he should adjust that to heroes. That's what I mean by necessary adjustment). If he blogs before I do, he can choose the category and I have to use the same one here.

(Delayed) Monday Top 5!

2005-10-18T12:35:00.000-04:00

I'll do two as a penalty for being late.

Five jobs I most wish I had (qualification and earnings potential completely aside):
1. Trendspotter
2. Buyer for Bergdorf Goodman
3. Internet security consultant
4. Cryptographer
5. Wrapping paper designer

Five things I'm obsessed with:
1. Puzzles (solving and writing)
2. Creating a computer program that could generate all the possible reversible knitting stitch patterns
3. Learning how to make my own digital clock
4. Wrapping paper design (particularly how any wrapping paper fits into one of 17 symmetry groups)
5. "Spotting" (for lack of an equivalent auditory term) celebrity voiceovers in commercials

Moo.

2005-10-18T11:59:00.000-04:00

The Wibbles has officially said his first word! And that word is.... Moo.

He's been babbling for a while now. And for a long time he's understood what we've said. He will do fairly complicated things, like walking on his tiptoes, or picking up stuff off the floor and giving it to us, on command. But we've never been able to get him to do something vocal for us on command. If you asked him to make one of the sounds that he frequently babbles, he would (he will repeat "buh" or "muh" or "duh" or, more interestingly, "goompah" if you say, for example, "Can you say 'buh?'"), but that doesn't really count in my book.

Now, if you ask him what a cow says, he will moo.

This is doubly exciting, because now I get to talk to my son on the phone when I'm at work. My husband has been putting The Wibbles on the phone with me about once a day. I would say hi, tell him I miss him, ask him if he's being a good boy, etc. And I would listen to his obscene-phone-call breathing on the other end. Today on the phone I asked him what a cow says, and he answered "Moo" on the phone. "Hi Mommy" here we come!

More Birthday Ideas

2005-10-12T12:22:00.000-04:00

- Subscription to Make magazine (see www.makezine.com)
- Tango lessons at Triangulo
- puzzle from Stave Puzzles

I miss summer.

2005-10-12T11:02:00.000-04:00

It's been alternating between raining and threatening rain for days. Today it rained so hard that I look like I swam to work, even though I had a raincoat and umbrella. So I'm posting a summer picture of me and The Wibbles, to cheer myself up.

The Wibbles had his 15 month birthday yesterday. He seems to be exploding with new abilities lately. He's still not talking, but his babbling is starting to sound a lot more like language. And V and I would swear that sometimes he mimics the word we just said (which, for some reason, is usually "yeah"). He also seems to be trying to say "Daddy" sometimes.

Boy I can't wait till he talks.

Monday Top 5 + Tidbits.

2005-10-10T13:43:00.000-04:00

The Monday Top 5!

The 5 things I most want for my birthday:
1. Dinner for 2 at Per Se
2. The Best Food Writing 2004
3. The Outkast CD, which unbelievably I still do not have
4. Spa facial & bodywrap
5. Yarn. And Rowan magazine #38.

Tidbits
Courtesy of boingboing.net. Which is a really cool site. You should see it if you haven't already.

Unicef bombs the Smurfs

Plants with eyes

Other Random News
I think The Wibbles is going to start talking soon. Also, he seems to understand me better lately. He handed me his tube of Desitin, which he'd found lying around somewhere. I gave it back to him and told him to put it in his diaper bag - which he did!

On a completely unrelated note, my husband gobbles like a turkey when he's scared.

I'm still alive.

2005-10-06T11:51:00.000-04:00

I know V. and all the robot spammers are wondering where I've been lately. Working. Studying. Very very busy. Sorry. I even missed the Monday Top 5 this week. So here's a Thursday Top 5 to make up for it:

Top 5 things I want to accomplish by the time I turn 40:
1. FINISH MY EXAMS and get my FSA.
2. Get something published. If I had written this earlier, I would have said a novel, but I don't think I have time to write a novel before I turn 40. So I'll settle for anything.
3. I'm not sure yet if I want another kid, but if I have one, I definitely want to have it before I turn 40.
4. Run a marathon.
5. I would say have a torrid affair with 50 Cent, but I think that would upset my husband too much. (Maybe this will get V to blog again, even if it's only about hot chicks to piss me off.) So I'll say instead: participate in an Olympic weightlifting competition.

The Monday Top 5!

2005-09-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

Top 5 kinds of guys, starting with those who dig me the most:
1. Ass men. These guys really dig me. I have a size 8 ass grafted onto what would otherwise be a size 4 body. Needless to say my husband is an ass man.
2. Breast men. The ones that are not anti-ass dig me. Some breast guys are anti-ass, though.
3. Leg men. These guys are all anti-ass. Plus I'm short. And I don't have particularly skinny legs.
2. Foot fetishists. These creepy wackos are the reason I don't get pedicures. Also I have wide feet, and these guys tend to like narrow feet.
1. Guys who only like chicks who look like models. Personally, I think these guys are all either (a) gay, or (b) wildly insecure. Or maybe I'm just jealous.

Disclaimer: Being happily married, I don't really give a shit who digs me. If you're not my husband, and you dig me, please keep it to yourself.

Unrelated link: The Lonely Whale