Pins and Needles (Heather)

Back to the grind!

I am still intending to blog about my 2008 intentions, but I've been too busy doing things to plan! Last weekend, as you know, we hit Lettuce Knit's Inventory Sale, and I scored this:



Berroco Ultra Alpaca... enough (I hope) for a sweater. I got 20 sts/4 inches quite easily, but now I am tempted to see if I can winkle 18 sts out of it to try Snow White. If I don't like the fabric at that gauge, I will either consider trying to make the math fit with a larger size, or I will go back to my plan of a plan v-neck sweater. The fabric I got at 20" is just so damn yummy that I may just stick with that plan anyway. And so affordable! Especially at 30% off.

This weekend, Mike and I stayed in and played with our respective toys. Mike is working on his belt (for a Roman soldier, Dacian Wars, approx. 105 AD) and it is starting to come along:



We sure do know how to weird out the neighbours, eh?

I made a pincushion:



Tutorial here. I forgot to take a picture of the bottom, which is in a different fabric. I am really very fond of it. I almost don't want to stick it with pins! What you don't see is the other pincushions that I made and hated. I am impressed that I managed to stick with this to the end result of having an actual pincushion.

In other news, I prewashed my whole uncut fabric stash, and so I am getting close to actually starting my quilt. Still some planning required, of course. I have also knit half a dahlia sock as my commuter knitting, but I keep forgetting it at home and getting caught up in a book instead. I will try to be better this week!

And finally, proof that I finished my Christmas presents on time this year!

Socktoberfest? (Heather)

I didn't officially participate in Socktoberfest, nor did I even think about it until November hit, but it does seem a good a time as any to take stock of my sock situation. An hour and a half a day spent on less than pristine buses and subway cars makes having a sock on the needles at all times an excellent idea. I even stopped bringing coffee to work in order to free up more knitting time. Unfortunately my typically rushed mornings mean that if I have a sock at some tricky stage (it is pushing the limits of my willingness to knit in public to try on a near-the-toe sock), I just grab another ball of yarn and some needles and start a new one.



I must say, purple is starting to grow on me.



I added diamonds to this sock to jazz it up a little.

I finished the first curry sock:



And I finished the first galaxy sock:



So hard to photograph this red properly.



Mike never says anything when I start a new sock, but apparently he does notice. When I laid out these three singleton socks to photograph them, he went off in search of others...



Hmm... I would think this were a problem, but for the fact that I know that I could knit 4 socks and have 4 whole pairs! Just think of the gratification! (Pomotamus is fine and well and awaiting more patience than I have for lace right now.)

Just to show how that photo shoot looked in the space of time that it took me to turn away and look back:



I love that talent that cats have that allows them to appear as if they have been sound asleep for hours when the loose hair has barely settled.

I made a box bag too, but this post is already scattered and be-pictured enough. In other news, Bridges is making me a little crazy.

Finished Socks and Kitty Jarheads (Heather)

While not the most productive weekend knitting-wise, I did manage to finish Mike's second sock. I've even sewed in the ends since I took this picture!



Yarn: Regia Canadian Colour
Pattern: My standard sock pattern.
Needles: Addi Turbo 2mm 32"circ
Sleeping Cat: Molly

While Gen and I were shlepping around downtown TO on Friday, we came across Romni's brand spankin' new Fleece Artist shipment. Gen managed to snag a 750m ball of fingering weight Merino for a really great price. The same price, actually, as the 325m skeins.



And it don't look too shabby, either! I am in love with this yarn! Gen cannot resist the lure of potential itty-bitty baby garments. They are like potato chips! Finish your blanket first!

Do you know how long it takes to wind 750m of yarn?



A loooooooong time.

The basil continues to shoot up. I took this picture after I snipped off the entire top leaf growth in an attempt to stop the plant from getting tall without getting wide. Anyone got a good recipe for pesto that wouldn't require garlic?



Now that the sock is done, I am free to start a fun sock. I have so many top-of-the-list socks that I am having a hard time choosing. In the meantime, I am going to finish Amaya.

In completely random and probably unneeded news, the catnip has gotten sufficiently low in the container that Molly has to stick her entire head in to get at the yummy catcrack. This makes me laugh more than it ought to, I suspect.



Phlox won't even try...

Drop Dead Exciting (Heather)

Not a great deal of creative juices flowing 'round these parts lately. I have had a fair amount of car/waiting time, which has produced most of a Mike-sock. It is really interesting how much longer it takes to knit a mens size 13 than a women's 6 (and I like them tight). But really, socks for me are just really quick these days... socks for Mike still take less time than my first few pairs took me. And I know he appreciates his handknit socks.



The good news is that I will definitely have enough yarn to finish these. I was slightly concerned when I started the second sock that I would run out. Definitely a downside to the 100g balls of sock yarn. I wish I had access to a scale to help me divide the yarn more evenly.

Speaking of which, the latest issue of Interweave Knits has a handy-dandy recipe for knitting socks toe-up, which I have only barely attempted. Perhaps it is time to give it a shot?

To distract you from the sad amount of knitting going on here, I took a picture of my tropical window garden:



From the front: Mutant Basil, Oregano, Double curl Parsley, Spearmint. The Basil grows a few leaves every single day... I started pinching it on top so that it grows outwards as well as upwards, but I think it just put out more leaves up there. The mint and oregano are just holding steadily, probably putting down more roots now that they have more root space. The Parsley? Well, it turns out that my dear sweet feline friend has developed a real taste for it.



There were originally three wee plants in that pot. I caught her with one of them in her mouth, root still intact, so I replanted it. The next day, only one stem remained. At least she will have fresh breath! I have moved the parsley between the oregano and the mint, hoping that their strong smells and flavours will discourage her. I am not holding my breath...

Visual Aids (Heather)

It was a weekend of good photo ops.

We took a trip up North to help a friend move. The upside was that we stayed at the friend's cottage! It was perfect weather: snowy, but clear for both drives.



I have to confess, I had no part in the creation of this snow-wedge-person... I watched from the comfort of a comfy couch beside a crackling fire.

Speaking of which, I finished the third square of the log cabin blanket.



I am planning on formulating some fantastic blocking plan which will miraculously shape each square to the perfect size...

My feet couldn't wait any longer for some trekking socks of their very own, so I cast on a new subway sock.



The knitpicks needles failed me again on the second row. I guess I will have to break down and email them. I hate having to complain, but I really do think they should know. And it isn't really fair to complain about the needles and give a negative opinion of them when they haven't had a chance to explain or make it right.

Before we left for the weekend, I was bummed about my amarylles blooming while I was gone, so my mom suggested I leave them in a cool dark place while I was gone. I did, and they bloomed in the bathtub instead. It doesn't really help that my apartment is never 'cool' by any stretch of imagination, certainly not by my mom's standards (hi mom!). But I didn't miss much, the blooms were in peak condition today!



In other news, I have been yarn-purchase free since December 31st (except for that one skein to finish Birch). It really isn't easy, there are so many gorgeous yarns out there! And sales! And new must-haves!! It has maybe brought some focus to my yarn lust, though. If I was to buy one skein of yarn right now, it would be Fleece Artist Sea Wool. I went to Lettuce Knit on a mission for Adriana and was therefore able to drool in its presence. They ordered 300 skeins in anticipation, and judging from the rich colours and the silky hand of the yarn I can't see that being a mistake. The one niggling point of the Sea Wool is the enclosed pattern: Bordello. From the picture on the outside it looks astonishingly like Jaywalker! I can't comment on how close the written patterns are since I was a queen of self-control and managed not to purchase any today. Any input from informed readers??

But if I am on a yarn diet, what the heck was I doing in Lettuce Knits today??

Being the kind and generous soul that she is, Adriana allowed me to live/buy yarn vicariously through her and snap up some Sweet Georgia laceweight on her behalf before it fades into extinction. The colour is Black Orchid, and if possible, it looks even better in person:




The purple is a vivid lavender/periwinkle, and the monochrome gray/white underneath just sets it off perfectly. I took about twenty pictures trying to get the colours just right, and this was the closest I got. I have got to learn to take pictures before dusk starts to fall.

Closeup!



Yum. If I was on a real diet, this yarn would be a triple chocolate cheesecake with raspberry sauce. Or a medium rare steak cooked by a certain friend's dad (he won over a vegetarian!).

Greetings from the Deep Freeze (Heather)

One subway sock down...



One to go...


(chapstick included for scale)

I am chronically worried about running out of yarn, and when you are dealing with socks of epic proportions, one perhaps has a valid reason to worry. If the proprietors of my local post office weren't so grumpy, I would ask them to weigh the remaining yarn for me, but as it is, I think I will just play it by ear.

You guys brought up some important things to consider with the log cabin blanket... I will have to ponder further. I didn't really expect such support for option #2! Portability is not crucial to this project, but it would make it more convenient.

Gen asked about the tidiness of my seams: I am twisting each picked-up stitch by knitting through the back of the loop, and I am really happy with how tight a seam this produces. I don't know if this is recommended, but since I am a loose knitter, I think it really improves the look of my squares. Also, I am using wool, not cotton, which has a very forgiving amount of elasticity.

Any suggestions for her on picking up stitches more neatly?

Now, to cast on for the second sock before I get distracted...

One thing this ain't... (Heather)

And that's a green sweater.

There is another swatch, on larger needles. Still not loose enough. I am waiting to borrow larger needles. I have no need for bigger addis than the ones I have, at least not on a regular basis. We hates the gauge, yes we do!

In the meantime, I have been at loose ends. I finished Mike's Donegal Tweed hat, it needs a good blocking, but I can't seem to snatch it away, which is a good sign. I finished that Trekking sock which was kicking around, waiting for an in-person foot fitting...



There are many pictures, they are all this fuzzy. The trekking defies photography. But they fit! I love love love this yarn. I think the next pair of socks on the needles will be a pair for me.

Speaking of socks, for a while the subway sock was the only thing on the needles so they got some attention this weekend:



If these were for me, I would be done now! This is usually the point in the sock where I lose interest. I mean, the gusset decreases are done, right? Time for the toe... wait! I have to knit many inches of straight stockinette before I can start thinking about toes. Bah.

So I did what any self respecting knitter would do. I started a few other things, just to take the edge off from knitting with wee metal toothpicks.



I cast on for a sweater. It occurs to me that I asked for advice on what sweater to do after Kermit, gave two options, and this is neither one. This is in fact yarn that I had completely forgotten about, acquired at clearance prices sometime last year (?). It is Gedifra English Tweed, in a delightfully creamy pumpkin coloured mix of merino, angora, and nylon. It has that same two dimensional fabric effect as Felted Tweed, but it has a recommended gauge of 16 sts, which makes it a little easier to swallow in my current apathy. And did I mention the fact that it is orange? It looks so yummy that it begged a kitchen photo shoot. What shall I name her?

I am planning a fitted sweater with a deep v-neck, as this yarn is more than delicious enough to wear against skin. I am doing the sleeves first since I have to make some measurements from my closet regarding neck depth. I also have not made any decisions regarding edgings, hence the provisional cast on. I tried a twisted rib, but it looked very wonky.

I finished something else, and started something else too, but that will have to wait for a later post.

(Oh! The Spring Interweave preview is out, and I for one am excited!)

Miscellanea (Heather)

Nope, no green sweater successes to show today. Just a dirty lyin' swatch.



I swatched for the first one. I really truly honestly did. There were witnesses. The swatch for this one is just inexplicably an entire stitch smaller per inch. I wasn't even particularly tense when knitting.. it is just inexplicable. I used up the first gauge in my race against yarn last time, so I can't go back and prove it, but I know what I know. Gauge lies.

So, while I continue on the quest for gauge, I have been philandering. In an effort to mitigate my sweater-guilt, all items currently on needles are also for Mike:



Subway sock! (Regia Canadian Colors 4748 Orion) I finally got my hands on a pair of Knitpicks classic circulars... nice flexible cord and a pleasant heft to the needles, nice price, but I got what I paid for. Within the first two inches of ribbing, I pulled the needle through to start a new row, and the cord separated from the needle, leaving 36 orphaned rib stitches dangling. Much cursing ensued. I stuck the cord back in, and I am now pushing the needle through rather than pulling, but I don't really feel that I should have to. To be clear, I am not a vicious knitter! I have only ever broken one needle, and it was a 2.25 birch dpn. Back to Addis I go!



Winter came this week, and with it came the realization that my husband is hatless. As the partner of a knitter/yarn hoarder, this is pretty rephrensible. Cue the skein of Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed. I am using Knitting Fiend's spiral top-down pattern because I wanted to get as much hat as I could out of the one skein. I needn't have worried, there is tons left, and it already covers Mike's ears. I could have saved myself a lot of time if I had checked my gauge; I probably would have been done the first day. This seems to be a recurring theme. (I did a swatch for the socks!).

Adriana is here visiting today. I have a feeling it's going to be a knitty day!