Furious Knits

Catch-Up

2007-11-20T21:14:00.000-06:00

We are entering the busy, busy, busy season at work ... now until Xmas. Yikes!

I admit, I have been cheating on knitting this month. Shamelessly. Learning to sew has been far less frustrating than learning to knit, but I'm still not great at it. Mr. Fury ordered this as my Xmas present. Honestly, the reason I want to sew is so I will have adorable garments to coordinate with my knitting. Those fetching little tops and eyelet dresses and whatnot in all the books ... I do not own those things and I don't know where to buy them. Hence, the sewing.

The result of this sewing is some serious, hardcore UFO action. Endpaper Mitt #2 and the cardigan are languishing. (The cardigan? I am not knitting a bulky-weight sweater again.) I started the Yo! Drop It! scarf with my souvenir yarn from DC, so I'd have something to knit on the way to Dallas last weekend. I did realize I need a more diverse array of "indoor" scarves -- ones that I can wear indoors. That means lace!

Tonight I went to a Ravelry meetup at the Knitting Nest. It was awesome! I met some really cool people and won a super cool skein of sari silk in the White Elephant. (I was sneaky. I quietly kept it in my lap wrapped in its tissue paper so nobody else would take it.) I've never used sari silk before -- it is stunning. The depth of colors, the texture ... wow. While I was there, I bought a skein of Lorna's Laces sportweight and Malabrigio laceweight for imaginary indoor scarves I will make someday. Everyone was funny and clever and it was a great time.

We are about to get a serious cold front tomorrow night. Finally, weather for my Clapotis!!

In other random news: Mr. Fury and I celebrated four years of marriage yesterday. He puts up with a lot of "yarn-related nonsense" and I love him for it (and many other reasons!). :-)

Sew What?

2007-11-04T15:26:00.000-06:00

So it turns out that the sewing machine works best if you have the presser foot DOWN and the feed dogs UP. Who'd've thunk it? I've been successfully sewing semi-straight lines on scrap fabric today. The zigzag stitch makes me happy.

This foray into sewing has led to a revelation: learning to knit changed the way I learn everything. It wasn't until my third attempt that I was able to figure it out. What made the difference was stick-to-it-tiveness. I really, really, really wanted to knit. Once I decided to do it, it wasn't even about the process or the finished product or anything besides not getting beaten by this stupid needlework that four-year-old Scandinavian children can do in their SLEEP.

And man, did I make mistakes. It probably took about 200 attempts before I was able to knit a full row -- and that's with dropped stitches, accidental YOs, and whatnot. But I once it clicked, it really clicked. It was the same with crochet. And I'm hoping it's the same with sewing.

So I'm keeping all this in mind as I slowly figure out the sewing machine on my kitchen table. It still sort of blows my mind that I will be stitching together pattern pieces, instead of creating the fabric, loop by loop. What a crazy shortcut to a finished garment!

Progress

2007-11-02T15:27:00.000-06:00

Last night I finished the body of my short-sleeved cardigan. It is longer than I expected it to be, but I'm not surprised. I'm going to do the button bands before the sleeves; hopefully I will have enough yarn to lengthen them. If not, it isn't the end of the world, but it would be nice.

Today I went out to my mom's house to get her sewing machine ... I've always sort of wanted to learn how to sew, but was never motivated enough to learn. Obviously my mom won't be using the machine for awhile, so she said I could borrow it. So far I haven't done much except a few test lines on scraps to make sure the machine works. I am really, really bad at sewing thus far. :-) Then again, I was really, really bad at knitting four years ago, and it didn't take long for me to get better.

Boo!

2007-11-01T10:48:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a Halloween! Our costume this year was post-nuclear-apocalpyse goat-demons. Horns, ears, hooves -- the works! I'll link to more photos when I have them. And that's the fishnet scarf I made few days ago to match the outfit.

(Secretly, I knew in my heart that I was a cashmere post-nuclear-apocalypse goat-demon. Would a cashmere post-nuclear-apocalypse goat-demon wear a nylon boucle scarf?)

It was a chaotic, exciting, bittersweet, amazing show. I love Halloween.

Happy Halloween!!

2007-10-31T18:44:00.000-06:00

My favorite holiday is here!

I'm almost done getting ready -- just taking a few minutes to chill out before my ride gets here. We worked very hard on our costumes this year, and I can't wait to see what people think.

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Three Days ...

2007-10-28T20:26:00.000-06:00

It's crazy ... I slept 10 hours both Friday and Saturday nights, and I'm still exhausted! October is just a crazy month. We are almost done with our Halloween costumes for the big show. It's very exciting!

Yesterday I whipped up a simple scarf to go with my costume. I used one skein of Moda Dea Cheerio and just fishnet-stitched until I ran out of yarn. The idea was for it to look sort of uneven and distressed -- the yarn worked well. I'll post an "action shot" of it with my whole outfit after Halloween.

I think I need to make more "indoor" scarves. It's finally gotten a bit chilly here in Texas, and I find myself wearing openwork scarves in the office all day. Good, good stuff. I think I will use that lone skein of souvenier yarn from DC to that end.

The first Endpaper Mitt blocked beautifully. I will focus on the second one after Halloween.

Stranded

2007-10-20T09:07:00.000-06:00

Last night while watching Freaks, I finished the main part of my first Endpaper mitt. This morning I wove in the ends and did the thumb ribbing. Right now it's soaking in a Eucalan bath; this is my first time using Eucalan, which is appropriate since this is a project of many firsts. Usually when I make a pair of something, I block them together, but I'm very anxious to see the finished product.

My tubular bind-off does not look so hot. But it's the first time I've ever done it, so I am cutting myself some slack. The tubular cast-on, on the other hand, is absolutely beautiful. The three should-be-gray-but-are-pink stitches are barely visible; I haven't decided if I will fix them or not.

I didn't have a ton of time to work on them this week, which is probably why it took so long to complete this first one. The color pattern makes sense to me now, though -- so the second one should go faster.

If I make a second pair, which is highly likely, I may shorten the palm a bit. These are a little longer than most of the armwarmers I've made, so I don't know if the extra fabric around the fingers will bother me or not. Usually at the office I wear my Fetching mitts. We'll see. I do like how narrow and flat they are, and the double-stranding makes them so very warm.

Tonight we are performing at the Goodwill Halloween ball. Should be fun and interesting.

We Interrupt This Cardigan ...

2007-10-14T09:19:00.000-06:00

I ended up getting two skeins of Baby Ull for the Endpaper Mitts -- baby pink and a deep charcoal gray. I couldn't find anything that looked just right with the alpaca. I also got a wee single-use packet of lavender wool wash (I've wanted to try it) and some Brittany 3 mm needles.

I wasn't really planning to work on the Endpaper Mitts, not with the cardian hanging out on my desk, waiting. But I just wanted to try a little bit, to see how it went. So yeah ... now I'm done with the ribbing and two of the three straight section repeats on Mitt #1. I didn't bother with the Italian tubular cast-on; I just used the regular tubular cast-on instead. Wow! What a lovely result. My tension is a bit uneven in places, but a good blocking will help -- besides, it's my first stranded colorwork, I'm going to cut myself some slack. So far I've made two mistakes (pink stitches that should be gray). I figure that's where the miracle of duplicate stitch comes in, huh? :-)

There is lots of random junk to do today. I spent a good part of yesterday running around, so I am not crazy about doing it all again. Bah. But yesterday there was the yarn store and a veggie chili dog and an evening at the Cheerleader Mansion to work on Halloween stuff ... so it was a good day.

Good News!

2007-10-13T07:53:00.000-06:00

I do not have lupus! My lab work came back normal except for a low white blood cell count, which sort of left me scratching my head. Anyway, if I get the butterfly rash again, I will get re-tested by a different doctor; other than that, I'm done with the lupus saga.

I made it to the bottom ribbing on my cardigan. I think I have about 30 rows left of ribbing, then the bottom detail. It's not nearly as fitted as the other items I've made from Fitted Knits, but I knew that going in -- I knit the 34" size as written without sizing it down. This was probably the best choice, as something very clingy in bulky yarn wouldn't have been so flattering. :-) I am going to see how it works to lengthen the sleeves, but may end up abandoning that plan.

Today is the grand opening of the Knitting Nest. It's actually been open for a few weeks, but the party is today. I am going to drop by and get a skein of fingering weight. I've had a skein of beautiful pink alpaca from Shannon in my stash, waiting for a special project. And after months of seeing them and going "meh," I've suddenly realized that I need to make Eunny Jang's Endpaper Mitts. I've done colorwork in swatches but never a full pattern. I also don't knit in such a tiny gauge very often, so it will be a good exercise.

Manic Monday

2007-10-08T13:12:00.000-06:00

For whatever reason, I am just not paying attention to my knitting these days -- hence all the ripping back I've been doing. I realized today that I was doing decreases on every RS row for the cardigan waist, when it really should've just been on rows 2, 6, and 10. Whoops. At least it's not much to frog, just a few rows. It would've been more, except I ran out of yarn waiting at the doctor. (I used the time to weave in the ends.)

Today has been a wash so far. I got up, went to the doctor, saw him, and waited around for a looooooong time to get blood drawn. We should know more later this week; there's still a chance I have lupus, but if I do, it's mild. After that I ran to Costco to have them patch my tire (I ran over a nail or something). The estimate for the wait was almost two hours ... but, it needed to be done. So I spent a looooooooong time at Costco. Then it turned out they couldn't patch it, so I needed a whole new tire -- by then I was very crabby and exhausted and extremely sick of Costco. But they got the new tire done in 10 minutes, at least. And their service is always very friendly.

I got some pretty sweet buttons for the cardigan this afternoon -- which also gave me an excuse to play with the macro setting on my camera. The little banner part says "honor."

Alas, not much time for knitting tonight ... we have some guys from Ireland filming us for a documentary. Which means I need to go get pretty. Bah!

Zzzzz....

2007-10-05T17:47:00.000-06:00

Thursday I went to the doctor because I am starting to get the same rash on my face that I had in DC. Apparently it is something called a butterfly rash, and it's one indication of lupus. I meet a few of the other diagnostic criteria, so I am going to a different doctor on Monday morning to get things checked out. It's probably nothing, but it seems like the sort of thing I should know for sure.

I keep making stupid knitting mistakes. Right now I am working on the short-sleeved cardigan with ribbing from Fitted Knits. What bothers me is that I can't figure out how to fix some weird bungle I made with an increase a few rows ago. I tried to rip back to before it, but the mistake seems to have magically remained. Gah. I may just frog it all the way back to the stupid collar and start over. At this rate, it's going to take me all month to make one simple big-gauge cardigan! I'll just blame that on the lupus that I probably don't have. ;-)

Edited to add: Screw it, I'm ripping it back and starting from the top with the increase rows. I will enjoy re-knitting it more than I will enjoy tinkering around with the bungled stitches.

Ballet T-Shirt

2007-09-30T18:03:00.000-06:00

Pattern: Ballet T-Shirt
Source: Loop-d-Loop by Teva Durham
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece
Size: Women's Small/Medium

I wanted to a closer fit through the body and a longer length than the pattern gave. So after the decrease row, I knit even to round 58; that was my first increase round. I knit three even, did another increase round, and knit three more rounds even before binding off.

Clapotis

2007-09-30T17:57:00.000-06:00

As promised ...

Pattern: Clapotis

Source: Knitty.com

Yarn: Knit Picks Andean Silk, 8 balls

Size: As written

Love, love, love love!! This is so soft and warm and drapey ... it's fabulous. I'm so happy I made this. :-)

Wait, It's Done?

2007-09-30T11:49:00.000-06:00

How is September over already? I swear time is going by faster as I get older.

The ballet t-shirt was a fast knit ... I cast on Friday at 10 p.m., and was weaving in ends by 10 p.m. Saturday. Sweet! I really was not expecting it to be so fast. Since I have Mr. Fury at my disposal, I'll have him take some pics for me. I also finished weaving in the ends on my Andean Silk Clapotis this morning, so there will finally be a FO post for that one.

The baby shower was fun despite my lack of knitted gifts. (I brought a homemade dessert so I think that helped to temper it a bit in my mind.)

My pompom love continues unabated. I don't really want them on anything I'm wearing, but I do have a weird desire to festoon inanimate objects with them. Maybe I can get away with some pink pompoms on the scooter after Mr. Fury leaves town ...

September was a good month for knitting. Five finished projects, including the full-size Clappy. Not too shabby.

Decisions...

2007-09-27T17:03:00.000-06:00

I have been feeling meh about knitting this week. Foliage is on hold because I lost another stitch while knitting the hat body, and I just don't feel like frogging it back. There was some hospital-related stuff I had to deal with over the last several days (everything is fine now), so I won't be able to finish the baby hat before the shower this weekend. I'm really bummed about it, but I don't want to rush through and have it not be perfect. So I will just give it to my friend a bit later.

However, I did come to a conclusion ... the half-finished Turtleneck Tube Vest that's been hibernating since June? I frogged it. If I decide I want it later, I'll make it. But in the meantime, I think I'll use the yarn for the Ballet T-Shirt from Loop-d-Loop.

Mr. Fury is home for the weekend before heading to Vegas for a month, so I need to get some cleaning done tonight!

I Don't Learn

2007-09-23T11:34:00.000-06:00

Hubris gets me once again. I finished the crown increases on the Foliage hat for my mom, moved on to the circular needle, and started the first pattern row of the hat body. As I began the last two 8-stitch repeats, I realized I'm off by one stitch. Dammit.

As a lesson to myself (it would've been so sensible to add a lifeline when I knitted onto the circular), I will unknit the entire row, stitch by stitch, until I find the mistake and fix it. And then I will run a lifeline on the row.

I need to clean today but I'm feeling extremely unmotivated. There are also some wee errands to run, and I'm meeting a friend for a tea break later.

My toes are at that really stiff point in the healing process, right before they start peeling. Every time I look down and see them, they make me smile. Hee.

Mmmmm, Cupcake!

2007-09-22T17:08:00.000-06:00

I whipped this up over three evenings this week ... it was a smash hit at the baby shower today! The father's nickname is Cupcake, so it was definitely apropos. And there were vanilla cupcakes with pink frosting at the shower, too. :-)

This was my first time ever making a pompom (i.e. I bought the pompom-maker about two hours before the shower started). I can't say I loved the pompom process, but it sure is cute on there. Viva la pom!

Pattern: Cupcake Hat
Source: Chile con Yarne
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted (1 skein pink, 1 skein vanilla, with LOTS left over)
Size: Baby

It's a great pattern, but the decreases seemed a little wonky. I'd probably adjust them if I made this again. Everything else about it is genius!

Before the shower, I went to one of two new LYSes in town, the Knitting Nest. Just to take a little peeksie. It definitely has great potential! I talked to the owner and she is super nice. I didn't get any yarn, but I did get some of those little "knitted by" gift tags. The grand opening party is October 13, so I'll definitely stop by for that.

This Little Piggy

2007-09-21T20:30:00.001-06:00

If you think getting good photos of your FOs is hard, try taking a picture of your own toes that doesn't make you look like you have the gout.

The usual fresh-tattoo picture disclaimers apply (re: redness, swelling, shininess from ointment, etc.)

Done, of course, by Hez at Gully Cat.

Yarn and Ink

2007-09-19T18:01:00.000-06:00

I put aside Clapotis' many yarn ends in favor of a baby cupcake hat for Saturday. That nubble row was no fun to work, but boy, is it cute!

Tomorrow I am planning on going to Arts & Drafts, which is a craft circle at a local coffeeshop/bar. It's been a long time since I knit socially. :-)

On Friday night I am stopping by the tattoo shop for a quick appointment. I'm getting my toes done with one letter on each: k 2 p 2 k 2 p 2 k 2

I revel in my dorkiness. :-)

One Hand Clapping

2007-09-16T18:42:00.000-06:00

I finished knitting Clapotis today ... now all that's left is to weave in the many ends! The thing is huge, but also very soft and warm. Rock! I am not sure when I'll weave in the ends but I've been wearing it around the house anyway. :-)

Went to the LYS today and got some Berroco Chinchilla to make baby hat #1. Oh, dear. It is very hard to work with this stuff. I've set it aside and will revisit it tomorrow; there might have to be a plan B. (Which would be the baby cupcake hat.)

I had an idea for either an anniversary or Xmas present for Mr. Fury, depending on how fast I can get it done ... he will be gone for October, so I'll have some time to work on it freely. I am thinking of doing a shadow knitting project, but the idea of creating my own chart is a little daunting!

Pajamas at Noon

2007-09-15T16:26:00.000-06:00

My photoshoot today was very low-key ... just me and one other model, in the fantastic pajamas my friend designed. My friend also makes rubber clothes and crochets; she's a very talented woman.

Tomorrow I am going to figure out a pattern and get yarn for the baby hat I need for next Saturday. That probably means Clapotis will have to go on the back burner -- which sucks, because it's so close to finished. Hopefully I'll have time to do both this week.

My other big project is to go through my truly terrifying closet and whip it into shape. It's a wreck, so I can never find anything in the abyss. Today I got some hanging closet organizers -- actually a set of three for $20, which is pretty sweet. (They are sort of like this, but all three are shelf-y ones). I'm going to go through everything and hopefully accumulate a pile to sell at Buffalo Exchange.

TGIF

2007-09-14T18:01:00.000-06:00

It's been a long week, even though I only worked three days!

Tomorrow I'm doing a photoshoot for a friend's pajama design line ... should be very fun! Other than that I have no real plans for the weekend except a) finishing season three of The Office and b) finishing Clapotis! I just did the drop-stitch row on the 12th of 13 straight-row repeats. Woot!

The Andean Silk is soooooo soft knitted up. I wish the skeins didn't have so many knots, though.

D.C. Ruled!

2007-09-11T09:07:00.000-06:00

Whew! We had a great trip to D.C. despite some ... setbacks.

There was a snafu with our hotel reservation (let's just say the place was really, really not acceptable) that resulted in a lot of lost time in trying to find a place last-minute for Wednesday night and then for the rest of the trip. Fortunately, on Thursday we checked in at Hotel Helix, which was awesome. I never get to stay at boutique hotels, so that was really a treat.

Mr. Fury had a show on Thursday night ... when we woke up on Friday, I realized that I am extremely allergic to something in D.C. My entire face was covered in hives!! It wasn't that I just looked frightening -- it itched and burned like hell. That restricted a lot of what we were doing for the rest of the trip, but we did make it to the zoo on Friday. We didn't get to see the black-footed ferrets, but the meerkats totally made up for it.

Saturday we went to Stitch D.C. and I got a souvenir skein of Scarlet Fleece Painted Merino in Poodle Skirt. We met up with my friend Cherry for dinner; she just moved back to Virginia after living in Austin (she was a Cheerleader with me). We went to Mr. Fury's show after dinner and had a great time.

Sunday we went to the Smithsonian -- art, air and space, and natural history. It was a lot of fun but we were pretty tired by that point. :-) Yesterday we flew back home. The flight from Houston to Austin was delayed by an hour but we were sitting next to a really cool girl who happens to know several people I do. That was neat.

Luckily my skin is starting to clear up now that I'm back in Austin. I took today off work; Mr. Fury left this morning for two and a half weeks in Canada, so I'm on my own. I have a few errands to run but I think I will mostly work on Clapotis before practice tonight ... I've made it through 9 of the 13 straight section repeats.

Northward Bound

2007-09-05T07:21:00.001-06:00

We are D.C.-bound today ... woohoo! If nothing else, I'm excited to start on my traveling project, the full-size Clapotis. ;-) To distract myself over the long weekend after I finished the second PICC arm band, I whipped up a little Dream Swatch using the leftovers from my mini-Clap.

Pattern: Dream Swatch
Source: Knit and Tonic
Yarn: SWTC Bamboo, color Bougainvillea, less than 1 skein

I only cast on 18 stitches instead of 24, because I prefer my headbands on the thinner side. But I didn't account for the stockinette rolling, so it's a touch too thin now. Next time, 24 stitches. I also don't remember offhand how long it is -- I knit until I was sick of it. :-)

Okay, gotta finish packing ... I tend to pack my diversions (yarn, needles, books) before I get around to packing socks and cosmetics. Hey, I have priorities.

PICC Arm Band II

2007-09-03T12:49:00.000-06:00

Whew ... I am so glad our special show is over! The audience consisted largely of drunk teenagers, and our show consisted largely of skimpy costumes and smashing stuff. (Those cheapie ukeleles you get at the party store? They explode if you hit them against something. Ask me how I know.)

Last night I finished the second PICC arm band for my mom. I'm going to see her this afternoon, so I'll take it to her then. (Okay, I need to weave in a few ends first. Whatever, it's still finished. Even if I have to finish the finishing!)

I'm more pleased than I expected with the Knit Picks Shine. It really is comparable to Classic Elite Premier and Cascade Pima Tencel. Good stuff.

Today I went to DSW and bought three pairs of shoes -- two of which are absolutely screaming to be worn with cute handknitted socks. I should get on that, after I do some baby knittin' for the two showers I have this month.

New Camera!

2007-09-01T13:55:00.000-06:00

This is my first attempt at getting a knitting shot with my new camera. Not too shabby -- and definitely a lot better than what I could do with my old camera! I still need to figure out the best settings for good knitting photos, but I'm learning.
The new camera has a timer too, so I'll be able to take my own FO pictures when necessary. ;-)

It's a Canon SD1000 PowerShot. And it rules. Mr. Fury thinks it's silly for me to be so enchanted by the color accent feature. Heh.

Anyway, this is a second PICC arm band for my mom, with the MC and CC reversed. I swore to myself I wouldn't start Clapotis until we were either a) at the airport or b) I'd finished the second PICC arm band.

Tonight is our special show (as opposed to the regular ones we do with the band) ... it's going to fun and chaotic, and man will I be glad when it's over!

Ravelry

2007-08-30T19:02:00.000-06:00

I'm in! My name is Fury -- add me!

Blah ...

2007-08-29T20:15:00.000-06:00

I have been feeling a lot of general annoyance/frustration/time-crunching lately ... my mom is still in the hospital, my group has two shows on Saturday (one of which we are not very prepared for), one of my very good friends is moving away, and there's some stressy stuff happening with the day job. To make things better, I've had a nasty ache in the back of my neck for three days. Blah.

But there's a big ol' light at the end of the tunnel. Sunday I'm getting a super-deluxe pedicure with a gift certificate. Monday we have off work, and several yoga studios are offering free classes all day. I'm going to work on Tuesday to tidy up loose ends ... before I take five PTO days! Mr. Fury and I are doing a week in Washington D.C. He has a couple of shows, but we'll be doing some touristy stuff, too. And we'll be seeing my friend who is moving away, since she is moving to Virginia. So I'm trying to keep all that in mind. Other good stuff:

I'm hoping I will get a Ravelry invite by the end of the week. There are only 124 ahead of me now.

Mr. Fury is going to take me to get a new digital camera this weekend! He has a good one, but it accompanies him on the road; when he's gone, I have to use his old one, which I hate and takes terrible photos. So now I will have a new camera of my very own, yay!

PICC Line Sleeve

2007-08-28T16:58:00.000-06:00

Pattern: PICC Line Sleeve
Source: Knitpicks.com
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine
Color: Wisteria and Blush
Size: one

It's a horrible, horrible photo ... but I didn't have time to get a better one before I took it to my mom last night. I'll be making another one in the opposite colors, so I'll try to get a picture then.

This was a fast fast fast knit and very simple -- I started and finished it Sunday. I added the eyelet row and crochet cord in case it's too loose on her arm.

Solution-Oriented

2007-08-26T09:42:00.000-06:00

Happily, I finished my purple-y Fetching gloves on Friday. The yarn came from the huge sale several months ago and has been hanging out in my stash ever since. I didn't finish any projects in July, so it's nice to have actually completed a project. I followed the pattern but added an extra round on the thumbs. Like last time, I obsessed about running out of yarn. Like last time, I had just barely enough. I did the wrists on size 5 needles and it made a huge difference. This pattern just plain rules. Maybe I will make a pair for my grandma for Xmas.

My Knit Picks order arrived yesterday; as much as I want to start my Clapotis in Andean Silk, I'll be good and work on the PICC line sleeve for my mom instead. The yarn is very similar to Classic Elite Premier, which got me thinking about potential saggage. Not good. I was trying to think of how I could add some elastic and where I could go to get some elastic today and how the elastic procurement will prevent me from casting on until I get it ... then it hit me. The Coquette Lace Tube Top is knit with the same sort of yarn, and I've seen many people thread a ribbon through the eyelet row. Brilliant! I can do a simple row of eyelets and add a ribbon or i-cord that matches the CC stripes on the sleeve.

The Shine yarn was just sort of in the package (no plastic bag around it) and it had some serious funk when I opened it up. Anyone else experience this before? It seems to have aired out okay, but I'm concerned that the funk will return when the fiber gets wet. Hmmmm ...

Mini-Clapotis!

2007-08-20T17:10:00.000-06:00

Pattern: Clapotis
Source: MidnightKnitter.com
Yarn: SWTC Bamboo, 2 skeins Bougainvillea
Size: 65" by 8"

So I altered the altered pattern ... I did 16 straight sections instead of the 8 called for in the pattern. As written, it's just too darn short. I probably could've gotten another repeat out of the yarn I had left, but it was long enough for my purposes.

The yarn is really drapey, heavy, and lovely. It's not silky soft, but it's nice. There was some color pooling along the edge; I think the double-stranding helped to mitigate that. The stitch definition is really nice.

I've already ordered some Knitpicks Andean Silk to make the full-size version. ;-) I see why people were so addicted to making these!

Good Intentions ...

2007-08-19T07:15:00.001-06:00

So my plan, devised on Friday, was to pick up yarn for a mini-Clap so I'd have some nice, compact, non-garment knitting for the drive to Dallas (and the waiting time while Mr. Fury gets tattooed) today.

Whoops.

I actually finished it last night. Like mouse, I found the mini-Clapotis pattern resulted in a very short scarf, so I added more repeats of the straight section. (I forget exactly how many offhand -- it calls for eight and I did at least twelve.) The result is about 65" of lovely drapey Clapotis. Hopefully there will be pictures tomorrow.

Unfortunately, this leaves me without nice, compact, non-garment knitting for the drive. I am going to do some stash-diving a little later ... I know there is Cashmerino in there, and I always intended to make a second pair of Fetching mitts. Hmmmmm.

Lightning Speed

2007-08-18T08:35:00.000-06:00

Wow! I am sailing along on the mini-Clapotis ... I cast on last night and made it halfway through the MidnightKnitter version's instructions. It's looking a little short, so I might add some straight rows. It seems like I have plenty of yarn. (Hope those aren't famous last words!)

Speaking of the yarn, on my way home from work last night, I stopped at the LYS for SWTC Bamboo. I had to ask about it, since it wasn't on the shelves. Turns out they only had three skeins, all the same dyelot of Bougainvillea, in clearance. Score! I bought two of them ... they seem to have a LOT of knots, maybe that's just par for the course with this yarn.

I think it took a little break for me to get my knitting groove back. Thank you, tiny Clapotis! I might need to pack a little something else to work on tomorrow en route to Dallas ... this is going awfully fast.

Slogging

2007-08-16T17:21:00.000-06:00

I made some progress on my pink v-neck top from Knitting Lingerie Style last night. Sunday should result in some good solid knitting time; we're driving to Dallas for Mr. Fury's tattoo appointment. I'm not really crazy about knitting with the Italian Ice yarn, but it's pretty.

Honestly, I think I'm a little burned out on garments right now. I might pick up yarn soon to make a mini-Clapotis before I try to finish my modified TTV from Fitted Knits.

I'd also seen this pattern some time ago, and hadn't given it much thought ... now that it's actually relevant to my life, I might order the yarn and make a couple for my mom.

Back!

2007-08-08T17:06:00.000-06:00

Oh, my ... it's been forever and a day since I've updated! My mom has been back in the hospital for the last few weeks. She's stable again and improving, fortunately.

I've barely touched my yarn or roving lately ... it's been a million degrees and humid. I really need to finish the two tank tops on my needles so I can start on baby stuff for my friends!!

Hopefully I'll have some knitting progress to share soon. :-)

No Knitting, No Scooting

2007-07-22T08:32:00.000-06:00

It's another overcast day here in Austin ... we've had so much rain this month! They're predicting more rain through this week, which is a major bummer; yesterday, Mr. Fury and I bought a brand-new scooter (2007 Vino Classic), and I can't ride it to work if it's raining!

There hasn't been much knitting this week. I finally finished the increase rounds for the v-neck tank. Now I just need to knit even for about five inches before splitting for front and back. I'm so glad I decided to do this in the round!

I need to get on some baby knitting soon; baby girl Cupsu and baby boy Jesus Junior are expected in October and November respectively, with showers in September. Cupsu will receive a fuzzy ferret hat (which is a surprise), and Jesus Junior will recieve a bunny hat (per my friend's request). Cupsu may also receive a cupcake hat if I have time -- her daddy's nickname is Cupcake. It's been awhile since I knitted a baby hat but I seem to remember that they go very, very fast.

p.s. to Lana: I saw your iced coffee entry the other day but didn't get to comment on it. Girlfriend, try cold-brew for your iced coffee!

Chemo, tank tops, and hula ...

2007-07-14T14:13:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all the well-wishes. My mom moved out of ICU a few days ago; her infection has cleared up and her counts are at normal levels. I was there Friday when she had her first chemo treatment, which is much less dramatic than it sounds; it was a three-minute injection. This drug is supposed to be fairly gentle as chemo goes, which is encouraging. They're still working on getting thalidomide for her -- there is a lot of red tape for that one, of course. My understanding of multiple myeloma is that it can be treated and controlled effectively, and it becomes more like a managable condition (like diabetes).

I got bored with the TTV. I'm at a point where I will have to do some math to get the right number of stitches for the bottom ribbing ... *yawn*. So I cast on for the simple v-neck tank from Knitting Lingerie Style. Yay! I got the recommended yarn, Knit One Crochet Too Italian Ice, during the LYS's big sale last week. I decided to knit it in the round, which is making me much happier than knitting flat and seaming would have!

My dance group has a go-go/burlesque performance Labor Day weekend, and I've finally started thinking about it. I haven't done a solo number at any of them in the past, so I figure it's about time ... the theme is "Satan Swim" (the event is a weekly "Austin Swim" thing loosely centered around adult swim). I think I am going to do a hula-inspired burly-q routine to "Aloha from Hell" by the Cramps.

Off for errands now ... gotta recon some hula gear at the party store. ;-)

2007-07-05T19:48:00.000-06:00

When it rains, it pours -- and I'm not talking about the Texas floods. On Monday, my mother was admitted to the hospital with double pneumonia. While she was there, they ran some other tests and diagnosed her with multiple myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells). My sisters and I are keeping calm and staying positive, as much as is possible under the circumstances. We know from experience that fighting cancer takes a lot of stamina, so we don't need to waste energy on freaking out. She is in the ICU and getting the best care possible, so all we can do at the moment is wait.

Fortunately, knitting makes the waiting much easier. My mom is also a knitter, although she doesn't finish things like I do. :-)

I Fought the LI, and the LI Won

2007-07-01T11:19:00.000-06:00

Last night I decided to try a few different increase methods ... wouldn't you know it, the stupid RLI/LLI looked the best. Dammit. So that's what I ended up using after all. I just have a couple of rows left before I join it and go back to working in the round. This is the point in TTV Vol. 1 when I realized it looked terrible and frogged it. Hopefully Vol. 2 will look better.

Note to mouse and other coffee fiends: the cold-brew worked out great! I ground up some good-but-not-gourmet Arabica beans and "brewed" overnight. I did a 2:1:1 ratio of coffee concentrate, cold water, and (soy) milk, then added a 1:1 ratio of frothed concentrate plus (soy) creamer. It's very smooth with no bitterness at all. Crazy.

Increases ... Bleh

2007-06-30T16:33:00.001-06:00

Thank you, everyone, for your kind words on Monday. Today is really the first time all week I've been able to sit down for a break ... we had a lot going on at the Day Job, and last night I went to Houston for a show.

I haven't done a lot of work on the Turtleneck Tube Vest; the shorter neck ribbing seems like it will make it flattering on me, after all. My problem is the increases. I was using M1 instead of the RLI/LLI in the pattern, and it looks all wonky on the right-hand side. Bah. I think I am going to rip back to the neck and start over with the bar increase -- which I never used until the Two-Tone Ribbed Shrug, but I am sort of digging now.

The other night I bought Knitting Lingerie Style ... wowza. So many things I want to make!! I'm thinking that after the TTV, I will take a break from Fitted Knits and start something from this book.

On a completely unrelated note, does anyone out there cold-brew coffee? I read an article about it in the NY Times and am intrigued. I think I will get some going overnight and see how it is tomorrow.

2007-06-25T19:33:00.000-06:00

Today was not the best day ever. Our eldest ferret, Eris, passed away last night.

It wasn't unexpected -- she was at least eight (I got her after she was grown up, so we don't know her age for sure). Over the last couple of days she wasn't eating or drinking much, so we sort of knew what was coming. But even earlier last week she was still happy and active; she didn't have a long illness or suffer, and I'm glad for that.

I'm thankful for the seven wonderful years we had with her. We will miss her very much.

Of Half-Finished Shrugs and Turtlenecks ...

2007-06-24T15:38:00.000-06:00

I am going to seam up the sleeves on the Retro Redux shrug tonight. I've decided not to bother with the ribbed collar for now ... it looks fine as it is, and I want to wear it for our office open house on Tuesday. (It covers my arm scarification nicely. My office normally doesn't care about such things, but I don't want to spend the entire day explaining it to our clients!) Maybe I'll go back and do the ribbing -- I still have an entire skein of the celery green 220 for it.

I have a LOT of stray 220, actually, since I use it for so many projects. Maybe I'll make that Leftovers vest from Knitty someday.

Yesterday I officially joined the Fitted Knits KAL, so I decided I'd work on another project from the book next ... specifically, the Turtleneck Tube Vest. Yes, the one that made me look so awful that I frogged it right after the front/back join. I think the reason it didn't work. I've seen several that were done with just a smidge of ribbing instead of the turtleneck, and I think that will be more flattering. If it really, really doesn't work ... I can use the yarn for the Loop-d-Loop ballet t-shirt.

I got two skeins of bright-sky-blue Cotton Fleece. I've never used it before, but it seems nice. When I bought the yarn, I found out that one of the girls at my LYS wrote the pattern for the Russian Winter Hat in SnBN. I love that hat.

Shrug It Off

2007-06-22T18:04:00.000-06:00

I'm very happy it's the weekend. The Day Job is exceptionally crazy right now: one coworker left, I'm training two newbies, trying to get all my ducks in a row for my new position, and getting ready for a client open house next week. Insanity.

I'm still working on my Retro Redux shrug. The pattern is very easy but it's also very dull! I think I finally finished the main back section and can start the last 8 inches for the sleeve. Then I need to pick up stitches and work short rows for the ribbed edging. I think I will see how it looks without the ribbing and maybe just call it finished after I seam the sleeves. :-)

Back-to-School U-Neck Vest

2007-06-18T17:19:00.000-06:00

Pattern: Back-To-School U-Neck Vest

Source: Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel
Yarn: Cascade 220 (about two and a half skeins)
Size: 34" bust, altered to fit 32-33
Color: Heathers 2449

This was a weird choice of project for me. I don't know the last time I wore a sweater vest, and we're on the cusp of another brutal Texas summer. It's much preppier than I usually wear (now that I work for a laid-back dot-com, and don't have to wear business casual).

Apart from it being super-cute, I don't know why I knit this. But am I ever glad I did! It isn't the most flattering thing ever for my small bust, but I do like it a lot and will wear it plenty in the winter. Yay!

I think there are some mistakes in the pattern that aren't in the errata, so I had to deal with those on the fly (the math on the back didn't work out right). I also made a mistake of my own in downsizing the bust ... I skipped an increase on one bust "dart" but did the increase on the other side. Whoops. Someone would have to stare pretty hard at both sides of my chest to find it, though.

I did M1 increases instead of RLI/LLI -- because I loathe them.

Overall, I'm very pleased.

PRGE and Other Musings ... ;-)

2007-06-17T10:32:00.000-06:00

My last PRGE package came this weekend ... here is the big ol' post on PRGE (complete with a photo taken just as Houdini landed in the roving). The fiber really, really wowed me. It's incredibly soft -- a chevoit-shetland-corridale blend. The spindle is much nicer than the one I made myself. :-) I couldn't be happier with the PRGE. It has been a great experience and I got to know a wonderful new person!!!

I finished the Back-to-School U-Neck vest yesterday afternoon. When Mr. Fury awakens, I'll have him take a FO picture. I am very happy with it, even though I made a mistake in down-sizing it and the bust darts aren't symmetrical (someone would have to stare very hard at my bust to see the mistake, though). There seemed to be some mistakes in the pattern that weren't in the errata, though ...

I'd been thinking about doing the ballet t-shirt from Loop-d-Loop next. But I happened to get a Borders coupon in the mail, so I swung by there and picked up Lace Style on a whim. I love to knit lace but I haven't done it since ... I guess when I did Branching Out earlier this year?

Anyway, I cast on immediately for the Retro Redux shrug, using the heather-y pale green Cascade 220 I bought to make the Turtleneck Tube Vest. I love it when things work out!

Long Time, No Post!

2007-06-11T17:38:00.000-06:00

I have been busy, busy, busy since we got home from Vegas last week. We did make it to Wooly Wonders while we were there, which was a bit disappointing compared to my LYS; they did, however, have roving! I bought undyed merino top, royal purple merino top, and 1 oz. of undyed merino silk noil. (I'm not totally sure what silk noil is. But it's so soft!)

Day Job has been keeping me hopping; I got a promotion, and there are two new hires, so there's quite a bit for me to do!

On Friday, I got to attend the sentencing of the girl who robbed me in January. She got five years prison, and then will be on probation for ten years after that. I'm highly satisfied with the resolution.

Last night I finally got to the part in the turtleneck tube vest where I could try it on ... and it's so unflattering, I don't think I can keep going. Not sure what happened there; it's looked good on everyone else I've seen. So I'm going back to the u-neck vest I'd started; I didn't work on it in Vegas because I made an error decreasing and need to rip it back. (That required too much thought for vacation knitting.)

Greetings from Fabulous Las Vegas!

2007-06-03T19:51:00.000-06:00

I forgot Mr. Fury would have his laptop with him, so I'm popping in to say ... I saw alpaca today! We went to the Secret Garden animal habitat at the Mirage, and they had suri and huacaya alpaca hanging out in one of the habitats!!

I've convinced Mr. Fury to take me to Wooly Wonders tomorrow -- it is only a couple of miles from the hotel. He wants to visit a magic shop, so I think it's a fair trade.

Haven't found a sheep-themed slot machine yet.

Adios!

2007-06-02T07:40:00.000-06:00

I am Vegas-bound today ... and probably the only person flying into a 102-degree city with three balls of Peruvian wool in her carry-on bag. Mr. Fury wants to check out some magic shops while we're there; maybe I should check out some Vegas yarn shops!

Shannon: your package should arrive any day now. I can't wait to see mine when I get back!!

See y'all on Wednesday!

Coquette Lace Tube Top

2007-05-25T14:57:00.000-06:00

I actually finished this last week, but haven't had the opportunity to get photos. So it took a week of knitting, minus a day or so. I was right to worry about my yardage -- I wouldn't have had enough to complete the pattern as written. By removing one lace repeat in the pattern, I was able to finish it with the yarn I had (but just barely).

In additon to that change, I also added waist shaping and crocheted wee straps. I'd recommend both those alterations to anyone who is particularly small through the torso. I think it would have been sadly baggy around my waist if I hadn't. There are many FO photos out there of people wearing the finished top over a t-shirt, so I wanted to add one with just the top, so people can see that it's not scandalous that way. ;-)

This yarn is totally soft and silky, but it also pills. I'm wondering how well it will wear in the long run.

Pattern: Coquette Lace Tube Top
Source: Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel
Yarn: Classic Elite Premier, three skeins
Size: smallest

Averted!

2007-05-20T15:07:00.000-06:00

I solved my yarn problem in the simplest way possible. The pattern calls for five lace repeats before the bottom ribbing startes. I did four instead, since I was planning on making the whole thing shorter anyway. What a foxy little knit this is. I should finish it this evening with no problems.

Today I got some Cascade 220 for the Back-to-School Vest, also from Fitted Knits. Man, I think I need an intervention. This is my third project from the book.

Yarn Woes

2007-05-18T17:14:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of a yarn diet. :-)

I am kicking myself ... I bought just enough yarn to make the Coquette top from Fitted Knits. Of course, while winding the ball it developed mysteriously into a huge crazy tangle. Gah. I stopped at the LYS on my way home from work and they are totally out of not just the dye lot, but the whole damn color. Lots of ones that are similar, none that are the same.

I am going to soldier on with what I've got, and see how far I get. (I was going to shorten it anyway.) If it isn't enough, I will rip back to the bottom ribbing start and redo it in a complementary color, then frog the top ribbing and redo it in the complementary color as well.

Lesson learned: if you don't use the yarn, you can exchange it ... but if you run short, you'll have to come up with a plan B.

On the bright side, my decision to add shaping was definitely the right choice.

Meme

2007-05-16T21:18:00.000-06:00

Tonight I had my third chest tattoo session. In addition to the lotus, I have a goldfish on one side (from two weeks ago) and a koi on the other (from tonight), with cherry blossoms to balance it. There will be pictures in the next day or so ... for the record, the absolute worst part was a couple of teeny little smoke wisps right around the kanji that look less than two minutes. Ouch. The whole thing is effectively finished, although I may go back and have blue shading added to the water.

And now, a meme!

Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog. Here are my facts:

1) I was a philosophy major in college. My concentration was axiology (ethical/value philosophy) and existentialism.

2) Cocaine Blues is my favorite Johnny Cash song. Heroin is my favorite Velvet Underground song.

3) I can’t stand eggs. They gross me out to the point that I can barely be at the same table as someone who is eating them. I use a vegan egg substitute when I bake.

4) I modeled rubberwear for my friend’s design line. At one fashion show, the Rubbergirls were superheroes who saved the audience from zombies. In another, we were living dolls fighting over a godlike rock star. I got to wear a rubber bunny hood for that one.

5) A full-page shot of my behind (in fishnets and hot pants, not bare) was featured in a Canadian pothead magazine. I am not sure what that says about Canadian potheads.

6) I've been on TV in America, Japan, and the UK. Our Vegas elopement was on MTV True Life.

7) I feel bad to tag people in memes, in case they don't want to play! This probably means I am too sensitive.

Shannon H., Kitty, bumbershootska, Gypsy Junk, Pam, Jessica/geeyouknit, and msfortunknit!

Whew!

2007-05-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

It has been a busy, busy week ... my boss was in and out of the office and then a coworker was out, so things have been hectic. Not only is Mr. Fury home now, he also dug up a Wii for us; I can't tell you what a time-suck that thing is. Apparently I am a good pretend bowler, and pretend fisher.

After reading through no less than four different tutorials, I have finally managed to produce a short length of lumpy, twisty, unbalanced, overspun, underspun, substance-that-can-loosely-be-defined-as-yarn-if-you-squint. :-) I was having a problem with the entire fiber length completely untwirling when I removed it from the spindle, so this time I just left it on there for 24 hours before taking it off. I was feeling sort of discouraged until I looked at Crafster and saw many other "first yarn" posts that sort of resembled mine. The next attempt will be better, I'm sure. I am going to save this length as a single for posterity.

I go in for my final chest tattoo session on Wednesday ... I know that I vowed not to buy any yarn until it's done, but hey, what difference would a few days make? I have Fitted Knits on the brain -- many things, but particularly that turtleneck vest. Hmm ...

Grand Plans

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

Mr. Fury returns tomorrow night, so I need to get some hausfrau-ing done this weekend. I like him to come home to a clean house. :-)

This morning I ran out to Blobby Lobby and bought a dowel and some wooden car wheels ... to make this! I couldn't turn up any cup hooks there or at Target, so I'll have to try somewhere else this afternoon. Now that I have some super-cool roving in hand (thanks again, Shannon!!), I'm hoping to start experimenting this week. I know myself, and I know that I have to screw up an awful lot before I get the hang of crafting (see also: me learning to knit, me learning to crochet, me learning to knit Continental ... )

Honestly, I read through a million different sites of instructions, but I still didn't understand the mechanics of spinning until I watched drop spindle basics on YouTube. Now it makes sense in theory -- we'll see if I can get it to work in practice!!

Okay, it's yoga time ... gotta go get my namaste on. ;-)

April Month In Review

2007-05-03T18:24:00.000-06:00

What did I do in April? The two-tone ribbed shrug (with successful seaming), the Honeymoon Cami, and one lonely dishcloth. I also went on my first real yarn diet so that I could get tattooed ... although I happened to see Knitting Beyond the Edge on sale for $10 on Amazon, so I had to order it. :-) I managed to destash quite a bit of yarn by donating it, and now my stash is lean and mean and ready for action when needed.

I feel like a good chunk of the month was wasted when I got sick midway through. No fun at all.

Here's to May! How is it that we're a third of the way through the year?!

PRGE Package #2!

2007-05-03T16:47:00.000-06:00

Last night I received my second package from my punk pal ... the glorious, lovely, beautiful, generous, and talented Shannon H!! What's really funny is that I was her gift-er, too!

In addition to an adorable box decorated with sheep photos, I received a slew of wonderful goodness: burgundy and indigo fiber, two skeins of Cotton Classic, a pink post-it pad, three skeins of her very own handspun, a bag of specialty pasta (which will be used for a special romantic dinner with Mr. Fury), and a beautiful bracelet that she made herself, presented in a handknit bag made from her own handspun.

Lazy Sunday

2007-04-29T14:18:00.000-06:00

I finished the Honeymoon Cami last night ... it is drying at the moment. So far it looks like the blocking will even out the stitches somewhat, but I'm still not sure if it's a keeper. The v-neck is too plunging for me, which is certainly saying something; if you can see my entire chest tattoo and then some space underneath, the v is too deep! I'll stitch it up by a few rows if I keep it. I didn't weave in the ends yet, since that would make it hard to frog; there are a million ends, because every skein seemed to have half a dozen knots in it.

Today I've been working on my fourth Mason-Dixon warshrag. Of the three I've made, one went to my PRGE pal and one is at my office (so I can dry my tea infuser and coffee thermos). That means I only have one at home, which is definitely not sufficient for my knitted-dishrag needs. This one is a weird white-pink-purple variegated yarn, and I'm using the hexagonal pattern. I need to knock off the cotton for a while, my index fingers are starting to peel. Ew.

Next up will be some more stash-busting ... maybe my long-delayed Broadripple socks, maybe the cell phone cozy I promised my friend (but that's a teeny project). I'm taking two trips in late May/early June, so I will need a good project for airplane knitting. Various items from Fitted Knits are calling to me.

I'm also scouting out some good baby projects for my various knocked-up friends. Both of them are due late fall, so cool-weather items will be good. I will be asking all you mamas out there for suggestions. ;-)

Finally Some Progress

2007-04-28T12:42:00.001-06:00

I finally got some work done on the Honeymoon Cami last night ... it really shouldn't be taking this long, but I guess I haven't been working very diligently on it. I'm almost through the first of the "quarters." Honestly, I'm not totally crazy about this project. I don't like the increase and decrease methods given, and the twisted eyelet rib is sort of dull. I'm tempted to make another one using my preferred inc/dec and a different lace. We'll see how it turns out. Hell, there's always a chance I'll frog the entire thing! :-)

Last night I made the second and third appointments for my chestpiece. Very exciting ... the next one is this Wednesday, then the third one is two weeks later. Now that the worst part (sternum) is over, I'm ready to finish it.

Now I'm going to have some iced coffee and watch a bad horror movie while knitting, before I tackle the other stuff I need to do today ...

Totally Not Knitting-Related

2007-04-26T16:48:00.000-06:00

My always-fabulous coworker Honey Sweet brought her camera just so she could take tattoo pictures for me. Hooray, Honey Sweet!

It's still raw, so of course it will look better in a few days (gotta love those little red blood spots on it!). My original plan was to do a session each month, but now I'm hoping to get the remaining two sections done in May. If my artist has the time, then there's no problem.

Also, because I don't think I ever explained why I'm getting this tattoo: it's an adaptation of this urban legend.

Today I found out that another friend of mine is pregnant ... that means more tiny tiny knitting!! It's actually my friend who wrote the kanji for my tattoo. :-)

Inked

2007-04-25T19:23:00.000-06:00

I haven't made much progress on the Honeymoon Cami at all. It just doesn't hold my interest very well ... which is unusual, because I can normally dig a straight section of stockinette.

I had my chest tattoo session today. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, although I'm glad I don't ever have to get my sternum done again. :-) Most of the remaining two panels will be on my pectorals, so they will be much easier than the needle-on-bone I did today. It's really gross and oozing right now. Hopefully tomorrow it will be decent enough for me to have a picture taken.

Catching Up

2007-04-21T12:41:00.000-06:00

I had a very nice visit with Mr. Fury on Wednesday. I hadn't seen the newest incarnation of his MC act with the Jager tour, so it was especially fun.

Last night was the only night that the Knitty girls were doing a free event at my LYS, and I missed it. :-( But I was doing a big favor for a close friend, so I know I made the right choice.

In random news ... apparently there is a book called Keep Austin Weird that features a big ol' picture of me (for the Satan's Cheerleaders blurb). Not quite as exciting as my modeling for Naughty Needles, but entertaining nonetheless.

Today I celebrated my newfound recovery by pulling a double at the gym -- weights class and then yoga. This afternoon there will be errands and then hopefully I can finish the bust shaping on the Honeymoon Cami. I'm finally going to see Grindhouse tonight. Quentin Tarantino put a special thanks to us in the closing credits (did I tell that story? I think I did).

Recovery

2007-04-17T18:38:00.000-06:00

I am much improved today! I ended up taking yesterday off, too ... I am very, very, very lucky to work for a company that encourages us to stay home and recuperate when we're sick (or even when we need a mental health day!). I didn't do much knitting, but did make it partway through the waist decreases for the Honeymoon Cami. I like the way it's coming together so far, but I'm not crazy about the decreases she used. If I ever make another, I'll use my own decreases. The twisted-rib eyelet border is also not super special-looking ... maybe if I do it again I'll sub a lace border. The Elann Sonata is looking very nice.

Tomorrow I am heading to San Antonio to see Mr. Fury. I usually take knitting with me when I see him on tour, because he gets called off to work throughout the day.

In other news ... one week from today, I will be starting my chest tattoo! We are doing the center first, then doing each of the side pieces in separate sessions. I'm sort of nervous, because I have a bony chest and everyone is telling me how much it's going to hurt. But my artist is fast and as light-handed as can be, and the work will totally be worth it. Besides, people told me that my shin would suck royally, and it wasn't so bad.

Sick Puppy

2007-04-15T13:00:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all the nice comments on my FO post below! I meant to reply sooner, but I have been sick. It started creeping up on me Wednesday, and by Thursday I was practically falling asleep at my desk and my throat hurt like crazy. Friday morning, every muscle in my body ached and I had a fever. I called in sick and then slept for the entire day, most of the evening, and the entire night. Saturday I was able to wake up for most of the afternoon and evening -- small victory.

I still feel pretty lousy, so today my focus is getting lots and lots of fluids. I neglected that yesterday, because I was more concerned about getting some calories in (I lose weight fast when I'm sick, and it makes things worse).

Today I think I'm clear-headed enough to do a bit of work on the Honeymoon Cami. I cast on last night, but trying to do those twisted stitches was more than I could handle. :-)

Two-Tone Ribbed Shrug!

2007-04-10T17:03:00.000-06:00

Not bad for a week's work ... especially considering how little knitting time there was in that week!

Pattern: Two-Tone Ribbed Shrug
Source: Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel
Yarn: Cascade 220, one hank navy, one hank sky blue
Size: smallest

I love this shrug! So cute, so easy, so quick.

Alpaca

2007-04-10T10:59:00.000-06:00

Totally random ... I asked a coworker a work-related question and happened to mention that the clients in question have a llama farm. He replied that his mom owns an alpaca farm! How cool is that? When I learn to spin, I'm totally going to order some roving from her.

Yarn and Ink

2007-04-08T09:49:00.000-06:00

I finished the knitting on the two-tone ribbed shrug and just have to finish weaving in the ends. Tomorrow is still going to be very chilly, but it should be warm enough on Tuesday for me to debut it. (I don't want to wear it over a long-sleeved shirt.)

While doing something completely random I found the missing fifth skein of Elann Endless Summer Sonata that I ordered a million years ago for Soleil. Now I'm sure I have enough to make the honeymoon cami, so I'm officially declaring that my next project. Stash-busting is a good thing, especially because ...

At our show last night I talked to my tattoo artist about a chestpiece I want done. I've been toying with an idea for my lower back for years, but last week it occurred to me that the piece would work well on my chest. This means that knitting money is being converted to tattoo money for a little while ... it's going to be hard to miss the classes that the Knitty ladies will be doing at my LYS, but I can still go to any free events they have. This is just too good of a time to get the work done -- the band is going on tour, so I have a few weeks off with no shows.

Photo shoot today ... where did my weekend go? It's not until four, so I have a few hours to get decent before then.

Cold!

2007-04-07T12:49:00.000-06:00

Austin is in the midst of a freaky cold snap. I don't remember it ever being this cold in April, and I've lived here my entire life! Today I woke up to rainy 38 degree weather ... whoa. Nice to know I'll get a bit more mileage out of my winter knits this weekened. (It will be 80 degrees again in a week. :-)

There are errands I need to get done today but I'm having a lot of trouble with motivation. I didn't get back into town until seven this morning, so even after sleeping until 1 this afternoon, I'm still a little out of it. (Coffee is brewing as I type.) I am promising myself a giant burrito and some knitting time after I've gotten through everything I have to do.

I have 9 rows left on the body ribbing for the two-tone shrug, so I should finish it this weekend. It would've been a much faster knit, had I not had such a busy week. It's turning out very well and I can't wait to wear it.

No Longer a Sucker!

2007-04-04T17:42:00.000-06:00

I heard from several friends that the dwarf was very rude and snotty to many people last week. Which I can believe -- I thought he was just a particularly obnoxious drunk, but it turns out he's a jerk. So no knitted hat for him! Jerks get no hats.

Last night I did agree to knit a replacement cell phone cozy for a friend, in exchange for some buttons she makes. I made her a cozy years ago and she's used it ever since. :-) This was the first one:

I still have the rest of that skein in my stash to make another one!

A friend gave me Knitting Over the Edge as a late birthday present. And I have a $50 Borders gift certificate from Mr. Fury's folks. I am a little baffled as to what to get next, since I've gotten so many knitting books recently ... maybe, just maybe, it's time to get a non-knitting-related book. Do they still write books about things other than knitting?

Seams 'n' Things

2007-04-02T20:19:00.000-06:00

Both sleeves on the two-tone shrug are knitted and seamed. The seams are pretty freaking perfect in the stockinette section, and passable in the ribbing section. I picked up the stitches for the ribbed collar and have done about five rounds. So far it is looking nice -- I'm loving the deep sky blue I used for the body. The ribbing is a dark, dark navy; it almost looks black, which is fine with with me.

I haven't gotten much done tonight and probably won't make much progress until this time next week ... I have practice on Tuesday, a movie date on Wednesday, more practice on Thursday, an out-of-town show on Friday, an in-town show on Saturday, and a photo shoot on Sunday. Whew.

While visiting my mom yesterday, she gave me some belated birthday presents, including Knitter's Almanac. Scarf Style and Knitter's Workshop are still en route.

March Month in Review

2007-04-01T15:55:00.000-06:00

I got so busy with flashing my stash, I forgot that I originally intended to do my March month in review post. Whoops.

I was not very productive in March, if you go by total projects completed. But it was a very successful month because I started and completed my very first sweater, the Snit Raglan. I also made three warshrags, which are enormously gratifying for something so small. In March I also started my first swap, the PRGE. What fun! I love my spoilee and my punk pank rocks.

Last night I cast on for the two-tone shrug from Fitted Knits, and made it through the body and one sleeve. It's been a long time since I have had to seam anything ... I will have a reference book open in front of me the whole time.

Stash-Flashin'

2007-04-01T15:17:00.000-06:00

I don't participate on the Knitty boards, but I thought I'd get into the spirit and flash my stash along with everyone else. Of course, I am cheating, because I got rid of a big bag of yarn today. Mine would probably fit reasonably into one of those big plastic tubs at this point, and I'm glad. I feel better to have gotten rid of the stuff I'll never use. I prefer knitting with my yarn and using knitted items to keeping yarn in a closet. :-)

I have made a more or less accurate list of what I have kicking around. The photos don't show everything, and there may be something visible in the photo that I missed on the list. But it's a good start.

Complete skeins (some not visible in the photos):

• Knitpicks Sierra: black, 2 hanks (220 yards)
• Knitpicks Sierra: pink, 2 hanks (220 yards)
• Knitpicks Wool of the Andes: cranberry, 3+ skeins (330+ yards)
• Debbie Bliss Cashmerino: wine, 1 skein (100 yards)
• Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk: light blue, 2 skeins (144 yards)
• Lion Cotton: dark blue, 2 skeins
• Rowan Kid Classic: pale gray-blue, 1 skein
• Berroco Glace: red, 1+ skeins (75 yards)
• Elann Cotton Sonata: light blue, about 4 skeins?

• Cascade Fixation: red, 3+ balls
• Illusion Ranch Alpaca: pink, 350 yards
• Moda Dea (something glittery): black, 2 balls
• Lion Brand Fun Fur: pink, 2 skeins

Partial skeins:

• Sugar 'n' Crème: pink and white
• Sugar 'n' Crème: blue and white
• Peaches 'n' Crème: light blue
• Peaches 'n' Crème: light green
• Peaches 'n' Crème: green and white
• Rowan Felted Tweed: green
• Patons Classic Merino: pink
• Patons Classic Merino: blue and white
• Brown Sheep Bulky: deep green
• Brown Sheep Bulky: brown
• Brown Sheep Naturespun: green
• Brown Sheep Naturespun: black
• Berroco: hot pink
• Berroco: bubblegum pink
• Rowan Kidsilk Haze: teal
• Cascade 220: purple
• Cascade 220: bright green
• Cascade 220: black
• Cascade 220: red
• Something shiny and red from Berroco
• Patons SWS: Natural Denim

• Some sort of sport-weight red acrylic

Sucker!

2007-03-31T14:29:00.000-06:00

Last night I broke one my cardinal knitting rules. Upon learning that I knit, near-strangers will ask me to knit them something (presumably for free). I've gotten to the point where I always respond that I'm not currently taking commission work (not that they ever suggest paying). But when the sad drunk dwarf told me last night he just wished he had a beanie that fit, my heart melted. It will be a good exercise in pattern alterations, though, so I will learn from it.

I went stash-diving today. My mom works in a school, so I asked if the kids could use partial skeins of yarn for art projects. I'm unloading a bunch of nearly-used-up stuff that I'd never use in a million years. Like the leftover bright turquoise, purple, and green Bernat Boa that I bought to make a scarf on commission. ;-)

My goal is to get my stash cataloged entirely in One Note; Mr. Fury installed it right before he left, and I've found it extremely useful to keep track of my projects and some planned designs. Once I know what I have, my next goal is to figure out the yardage/weight on the partial skeins I have kicking around. At some point I want to make a note of all the books I have, too. Ah, ambition.

I give you this joke that Mr. Fury found in an old book (apologies for the non-PC-ness of it!):

Three pregnant ladies were drinking tea and knitting together. The first pregnant lady says, "I hope my baby is a boy, because the hat I'm knitting is blue." The second pregnant lady says, "I hope my baby is a girl, because the blanket I'm knitting is pink."

The third pregnant lady says, "I hope my baby has a hunchback, because I really messed up this sweater."

Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle

2007-03-30T17:10:00.000-06:00

Last night was a blast. I strongly recommend the Independents to all music-lovers (Lana, I'm looking at you!) -- it's joyous, hard 'n' fast punk-metal-ska. They were managed/produced by Joey Ramone back in the day. It was an amazing show with really fantastic energy.

As evidence that I lead an occasionally interesting life: I got to swing dance with a dwarf.

My Knit Happens order arrived today. Two balls of Alpaca Silk and one ball of Cashmerino -- man, did I ever restrain myself. :-) I have them sitting next to my PRGE pink alpaca and fondle it all every now and then. So much yummy yarn goodness.

Perhaps knitting tonight. Perhaps hanging out with the band before they move on. Who knows?

PRGE!

2007-03-29T18:37:00.000-06:00

My PRGE package arrived today, and it's simply glorious. 350 yards of pink fingering-weight alpaca, black and pink M'n'Ms, size 2 bamboo DPNs, and the cutest bandana ever. I'm feeling all joyous and spoiled.

Here is a close-up of the bandana print so you can see that the cherries on the cupcakes are tiny evil skulls:

Whew!

One of my routes home from work takes me past the tastiest pizza joint in town as well as my LYS, which are a block apart. Kismet, I say! I got two hanks of Cascade 220 (deep navy blue and sort of a deep sky blue), and then got two slices of pizza for dinner (cheese and margherita). Joy. Then I got home and found my PRGE package. Double joy. And I'm about to get ready to head downtown for the Independents show. Triple joy? Is such a thing possible?

I will definitely not be feeling the joy when I wake up for work tomorrow, though. ;-)

Fitted Knits

2007-03-28T16:47:00.000-06:00

My copy of Fitted Knits arrived today! Thanks, older sister! I haven't pored over it in crazy detail yet, but it looks like there are several things I'd like to knit. I think I may stop at the LYS on my way home tomorrow to pick up some Cascade 220 for the two-tone ribbed shrug ... although I don't think I will be knitting tomorrow night, because the Independents are coming to town! (Last time they were here, they let me work their lights and bubble machine, woohoo!)

Whoa!

2007-03-26T18:58:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all the birthday wishes, y'all! I haven't been knit-blogging for long, but this community continues to amaze me.

I am so royally spoiled, it's insane. :-) I'm expecting a slew of knitting books from my wishlist this week. My mom and step-Dan ordered me EZ's Knitters' Almanac, EZ's Knitter's Workshop, and Scarf Style. My older sister ordered me Fitted Knits. And my friend Cherry gave me the Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques on Saturday. Woohoo! I will be awash in knitterly goodness.

It is pouring rain here. My plans to go to the grocery store were consequently scrapped, so I "had" to eat leftover birthday cake for dinner. Gee, darn. ;-)

Birthday Squee!

2007-03-25T14:40:00.000-06:00

Today is my 28th birthday. I've still got a couple more years until the ol' Lifeclock turns black, so I might as well enjoy myself in the meantime. ;-)

In years past, my friend Lucky and I have thrown ourselves rather elaborate parties (including one that involved all our crazy tattooed friends in formal attire at Chuck E. Cheese). This year due to a variety of circumstances, we elected to just celebrate our birthdays at our show last night. One of my all-time favorite bands, the Von Ehrics, opened for us, and there was no shortage of well-wishes from friends and loved ones.

My aforementioned beloved coworker Honey Sweet sent me the soundtrack to Dead & Breakfast, which combines my love of zombies, my love of rockabilly, and my profession of marketing B&Bs (which I do love). :-)

Off to have dinner and cake with the fam!

Warshrag City

2007-03-24T13:41:00.000-06:00

I stayed up late last night finishing the ball band dishcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting, then promptly cast on for another hexagonal one. (I went a little nuts buying the whatever-and-Creme yarns, so I have plenty.) My plan was to sleep in this morning so I could be peppy and vigorous for my birthday show this evening ... alas, my otherwise-very-nice neighbors have a tendency to set their alarm for early hours and then just let it go off, and go off, and go off. So I was up around 8:00. Bleh. When I finally decided to schlep downstairs to search out earplugs, they'd turned it off by the time I finally got back upstairs to bed.

I re-read that and realized just how grouchy it sounds, so I need to come back and temper it. :-) But I had a very nice time in yoga class, especially since I have a new double-thick mat courtesy of my little sister. It's going to be a good day and a good night. But I should probably make some coffee before venturing out. :-)

Today's pictures are the pink-and-white hexagonal washcloth that I made last Sunday, and the blue-and-green ball band dishcloth that I finished last night. I forget which ones are done with which 'n' Cream yarn. I'm almost done with a blue-and-white one that's very similar to the pink one. It's smaller, though, because I'm using the recommended size 8s instead of the size 9s I used for the pink one. I like that the bobbles on the first alernate between pink and white, although the pink ones look rather anatomical.

Not sure what's coming after this washcloth explosion. There may or may not be knitting books in my familial birthday bonanza tomorrow, so I figure I will kick around for the rest of the month, and then see where I am in April. I have a lot of vague ideas of where I want to go but I'm not sure exactly what's up next. It's already very, very warm here, so I suspect we're in for a hell of a summer this year. Hmmm ... I wonder if I have enough Elann Cotton Sonata for the Honeymoon Cami. Time to start stash-diving, methinks.

Snit Cardigan, For Real!

2007-03-23T17:03:00.000-06:00

Behold Snit Cardigan in all its buttonless glory! My beloved coworker Honey Sweet just happened to bring her camera to work today, so she was able to do a photo shoot for me this afternoon.

Even though it has mistakes, I love it. I learned so, so, so much from it.

I won't hesitate to use WotA for garments in the future. It's not super-duper soft, but it's suitable for next-to-skin wear and it seems pretty durable. It drapes very nicely post-blocking.

I know everyone already knows all about it, but here are the specs:

Pattern: Incredible Custom-Fit Raglan
Source: Woolworks.com
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes worsted, 7 balls Cranberry
Stats: size close-fitting Wee

Sale yarn! Eeeeeeeee!

2007-03-22T20:48:00.000-06:00

Most of you probably saw this on Craftster ... but in case you didn't, there is a HUGE sale at Knit Happens. Prices are crazy-low. I restrained myself and only got 2 balls of Alpaca Silk and 1 ball of Cashmerino. I added many many many other things to my basket and narrowed it down to just those. I was seriously in a fugue state inspired by the prices -- I don't even know what I'll do with the Alpaca Silk, but I fondled it that day at the yarn store and have wanted it ever since.

I decided that a lack of buttons and weather forecast in the 80s wasn't enough to stop me from wearing Snit Cardigan to work yesterday. Photos soon, I promise! Since my personal photographer (a.k.a. Mr. Fury) is on the road again, and my (lametastic and geriatric) digital doesn't allow me to take reasonable photos of myself. Boo! Perhaps I will bring my lametastic, geriatric digital camera to work one day and beg my beloved coworker Honey Sweet to take my picture.

Procrastination via Warshrag

2007-03-20T19:05:00.000-06:00

I confess: I haven't added the buttons and button band to Snit Cardigan yet. It was still too damp all day Sunday for me to work on it. In the interim, I made a hexagonal washcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting. What fun! It was my first experience with bobbles and I enjoyed it immensely. I cast on for the slip-stitch dishcloth last night but haven't made a lot of progress on it -- which is just as well, because it's a palate-cleanser project anyway.

There has not been much time for knitting or blogging in the last few days; Mr. Fury leaves for a six-week tour tomorrow, so I've been tagging along with him on errands. I will be doing a lot of knitting in his absence ...

So Close to Completion!

2007-03-18T09:16:00.000-06:00

I blocked Snit Cardigan last night. There was a moment of terror when I laid it out and the only think I could think was, Jeebus, that's huge! So I took off the hoodie I was wearing and laid it out for comparison, which was reassuring. I'm extremely glad I redid the first sleeve.

I still need to go obtain buttons and do the button band; I could have done it yesterday, but I wanted to block it before I placed the buttons and holes. Once that's done, I'll take some photos. I was tempted to try it on this morning, but it's still damp.

It's not perfect. But it is pretty nice, and it's definitely wearable ... and man, did I learn a lot while making it. (Especially since I read Knitting Without Tears while working on it.) It's like a key turned in my brain somewhere and all of a sudden, I have ideas.

I'm not sure what I'm doing next, although I'm thinking of a lace cowl with the Kid Classic salvaged from the evil-one-skein-shrug-pattern-that-wasn't. Mr. Fury is leaving for tour on Wednesday, so I will need many things to fill my time for the weeks he's gone.

Try, Try Again

2007-03-14T15:51:00.000-06:00

Last night I made it halfway through the second sleeve for Snit Raglan and hopefully will finish it tonight … alas, it’s one step forward and two steps back. The decreases on the first sleeve look so bad in comparison to the ones on the second sleeve, it will drive me insane if I don’t frog the first one and reknit it. I’d rather take two extra evenings to do it right than to have a garment that bugs me forever. At least I was able to see where I went wrong on the first one and correct it the second time around. On the first one, I tried to do the decreases every inch, but I kept losing track and they weren’t evenly spaced down the arm. So now I’m just decreasing at the beginning and end of every sixth round and it’s working out much better.

I haven’t decided if I am going to attempt a zipper or do buttons. I’d prefer a zipper, but I’d have to hand-sew it. Meh. I will contemplate that this weekend, as I doubt I will finish the sleeve-and-a-half and the neck ribbing before then.

My birfday is coming up (March 25). Mr. Fury offered me a choice: either get the usual presents, or take a long weekend in Las Vegas when he gets home from his next tour. I chose the latter, natch. The first time I went to Vegas, I got married and got to meet Penn & Teller. The second time I went to Vegas, I taught myself to crochet and got lost in Ceasar’s Palace. Let’s hope my third trip will be just as eventful as the previous two.

Wind(er) Beneath My Wings

2007-03-13T17:19:00.000-06:00

Thank you, everyone, for having faith that I am indeed knitting a sweater. ;-) I finished the first sleeve Sunday evening. Last night I didn't knit at all; I wove in ends and added a single-crochet edging to the v-neck to unroll it a bit. Then there was the kerfuffle over the ball winder.

Yesterday my ball winder was delivered ... to another condo in our complex. I am not sure how the address was wrong, but when I called UPS they told me that it was delivered about 10 doors down from me. Nobody was home at the other condo and the package wasn't there. I wanted to sit on their patio and wait, but chose the saner solution of leaving them a note instead. When Mr. Fury and I arrived home from running errands, the package was sitting happily on our back patio. Hooray, neighbor-I-don't-know! You rule! (Actually, I might have met this neighbor over the summer when two of the ferrets escaped. I met many neighbors while conducting an extensive grounds search.) (Both ferrets were recovered, incidentally.)

Anyway, the ball winder and the swift-o-love are both fantastic and fill me with joy. Which is good, because I'm experiencing SSS -- second sleeve syndrome. I'm having trouble getting motivated to start the second sleeve, but it's gotta be done ... although I did wear it around for awhile on Sunday with just the one sleeve.

More Snit Cardigan

2007-03-11T16:24:00.000-06:00

Not much knitting got done yesterday ... I went downtown to see an outdoor showing of two 1970s horror movies (Torso and Zombi) hosted by Robert Rodriguez, complete with grindhouse trailers in between. Mr. Fury's friends from Slightly Stoopid are in town recording, so we dropped by the studio then dragged them to Opal Divine's for some drinks after I got home from the movies.

I should finish the first sleeve of Snit Raglan tonight. Today I made good progress on it while watching the first season of The Office. The decreases under the arm are funky and weird, but I knew going into this that it was a learning experience sweater. I love it despite its many imperfections. At least it's going to be wearable. :-)

Lesson learned: um, get better at making sleeves. Yeah.

This picture is from yesterday -- the sleeve covers my elbow now. I post this so everyone knows I really am knitting a sweater, it's not some huge delusion on my part. :-) It does really reach around my torso, too; the edge is just curling under now because it's unfinished.

Snittiness Continues

2007-03-09T21:16:00.000-06:00

I've finished the body of Snit Raglan and started the first sleeve. I will see if I can get Mr. Fury to take a WIP photo tomorrow of it in all its lumpy glory. It's a good thing I have faith in the power of blocking because it's looking fairly awful right now. :-)

Today there was an old thread bumped on Craftster about the Honeymoon Cami from Knitty, which got me thinking ... I had that on my mental to-knit list but never got around to it. I'm pretty sure I have four skeins of Elann Cotton Sonata kicking around somewhere -- I bought it ages ago for Soleil, which I abandoned after about two inches. Hm ...

Well, Damn

2007-03-08T17:14:00.000-06:00

Alas, my glorious knit-at-lunch plan didn't happen. One of the other two gals in my department lost a crown and had to leave, so I didn't want to leave the other gal on her own. I did get to duck out early, hooray. So this evening is all about the Snit Raglan ... I want to finish the body, dammit! I did get to show it off to all my coworkers, who were suitably impressed.

I found out today that a very good friend of mine is in the knocked-up way, so I'm already plotting things to knit for her. She is the only person on earth that I trust to watch our ferrets while we're out of town, so you know she's special.

My ball winder should arrive Monday and Mr. Fury is working on the swift tomorrow. Whee!

KIPing

2007-03-08T07:22:00.000-06:00

We have our monthly all-hands meeting at work today ... we have these meetings at lunchtime (because we have lunch brought in), which means I miss my gym classes. Usually I don't bother taking a lunch hour, since I've already eaten, and I can't go to the gym. But not today! I'm taking Snit Cardigan with me and walking over to a local coffee shop to sit and knit. This is one of many advantages to working downtown -- wonderful places within a few minutes' walk. So I can look forward to an hour of midday knitting with an espresso-chocolate milkshake. Rawk!

Last night Mr. Fury and I obtained items to make my swift. It isn't going to be elegant, but for about $6.50 in materials, I don't care. :-)

Joy!

2007-03-06T12:04:00.000-06:00

I ordered a ball winder today – in my brain I’m justifying it as an anniversary-of-my-first-day-at-beloved-Day-Job present to myself. :-) Mr. Fury agreed to build me a swift. So when I start spinning and dyeing my own yarn, I will be able to wind it up into tidy little balls. Don’t you love how I plan ahead? (Really though, I needed one anyway.) I mentioned to my LYS owner last night that I want to learn how to spin in the near future; she told me that in the spring, the girls from Knitty will be visiting and might even do a spinning lesson! The prospect of spinning makes my toes curl in glee.

I’m still making progress on Snit Cardigan; only another twelve rows or so and I will have made it to my waist. Tonight I won’t be able to work on it, because I have Cheerleader practice. It’s probably overly optimistic but I’d like to have it done by this time next week – or at least the body and sleeves, if not the finishing/ribbing/closure. I’m already thinking ahead to the next cardigan … probably pink, probably Knitpicks Shine, probably with some sort of lace or other openwork. It might seem a little weird that I’m working on sweaters when we’re moving towards the crazy hot Texas spring and summer. But everything here is overly air conditioned from April through October, so I’m usually cold when I’m inside. It’s always cardigan weather when you sit near an AC vent.

February Month in Review

2007-03-05T17:28:00.000-06:00

It only took two months before I forgot to do a Month-in-Review post. Whoops. Better late than never, eh?

In February, I completed Branching Out, the Loop-d-Loop cowl, my very own Knucks, and a Noro Silk Garden hat. I would have also finished a shrug, except the pattern was idiotic and stupid and dumb and lame. I signed up for a swap for the first time ever!! And I'm so glad I did. My giver is obviously the coolest person in the universe ;-), and I'm excited to see what my recipient thinks of her gifts!

I made good progress on my Snit Cardigan over the weekend. I'm about an inch past the part where the sleeves are slipped to holders. It fits very well so far; I'm decreasing two stitches every inch to bring it in at the waist. I love that I can try it on over and over and over as I work. Very gratifying.

Today I left work a bit early to hit the LYS. I actually didn't get anything for myself -- just things for PRGE. (Although the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk called to me, I resisted.) The woman at the shop assured me that my recipient will like the items I chose, since my recipient's tastes are different than my own.

Snit Raglan

2007-03-03T07:41:00.000-06:00

After a few false starts on my Snit Cardigan, I made some progress yesterday night. Unfortunately, I slashed my left thumb open on a can while making dinner, so the band-aid is slowing me down a bit. I'm using the top-down raglan formula; as I started working on it, I decided to make the it a v-neck, and I'm very happy with the decision. I'm still liking the WotA -- the stitches are very smooth and even.

Today Mr. Fury is taking me to see Reno 911 Miami at my favorite movie theater, Alamo Drafthouse (I'm looking forward to hard cider, not to mention chips and queso!). Tonight I have a show, wherein I get to show off my supercute new haircut.

Since I woke up too early today and have four hours until yoga, I think I'm going to pop in a Netflix and work on the Snit Cardigan ...

PRGE is Underway!

2007-03-01T21:04:00.001-06:00

The PRGE is my very first swap ever ... and I love it! I got my first email from my secret punk pal, and it made my day. I was grinning from ear to ear when I read it. And of course, I'm looking forward to bestowing presents on my punk-recipient. I hope she likes them!

In knitting news, my Knitpicks order arrived yesterday. The red isn't as deep as it appeared on my monitor but I like it anyway. The WotA seems comparable to Cascade 220, so it works for me.

My friend loved the Noro cap. It looks totally adorable on her. Huzzah for gift knitting!

PRGE Questions

2007-02-28T17:54:00.000-06:00

1. How long have you been knitting/crocheting/spinning? I’ve been knitting for a little more than two years. I taught myself to crochet last summer, but it doesn’t hold my fascination the way knitting does. I haven’t learned to spin (yet).

2. Do you consider yourself a beginner, novice or experienced yarn artist? I’m pretty experienced, but not an expert. I love working lace, cables, twist- or slip-stitch patterns. These days, I’m trying to learn more about pattern construction.

3. What fibers (materials) have you knit/crochet with? Most of the biggies ... wool, wool blends, alpaca, cotton, bamboo, mohair, acrylic, silk blends.

4. What are your favorite yarns? Patons SWS. Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride (bulky and worsted). Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. I'm just now starting to explore Knitpicks, too.

5. What fibers are you dying to try? Hmm ... I’m honestly not sure. I’d like to be exposed to something different or new or weird.

6. Do you prefer solid, self striping, or handpainted yarns? I like them all! I think they all have their place. But with self-striping, I like yarns where the stripes fade in and out (like Noro or SWS), rather than start and stop abpruptly.

7. What fibers do you dislike? I’m not crazy about most acrylics, although some novelty yarns and boucles are okay. Lion Brand does not work for me, especially Homespun.

8. What are your favorite colors? Black, pink, black, pink, red, purple, blue. Also: black and pink.

9. What are your least favorite colors? Yellow and orange. Also, non-pink pastels.

10. How did you learn to knit/crochet/spin? My mom knits and crochets; she tried to teach me both when I was a teenager but I couldn’t get beyond the first row of either. She gave me a knitting kit from Target a few years ago -- I tried valiantly and failed miserably. Then for Christmas in 2004, I got Stich N’ Bitch, and picked it up pretty quickly. I learned crochet from Happy Hooker last summer.

11. What projects are you currently working on? I’m about to start my first sweater. Now that it's in the high 70s and low 80s in Austin.

12. How old is your oldest UFO? What is it? Will it ever be finished? I started the tankini from SnBN in spring of 2005, and it bored the hell out of me. It’s never going to be finished – I plan to use the yarn for something else.

13. What is the most heartbreaking project that you ever frogged? I had to frog my Sexie top partway through, after laboring over it ... fortunately, I was unemployed at the time, so I had time to start over.

14. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars. I never knit with straights anymore unless it’s a size I don’t have in my standard Denise kit. (I long for the extra needle tips they have now.) I use DPNs pretty frequently.

15. Do you own a swift and/or a winder? Nope, to my dismay. I am thinking of getting the winder soon and forcing Mr. Fury to build a swift.

16. Where do you keep your needles? I have a Denise kit, which is self-contained. The neglected straights and my DPNs hang out in a big glass mug on my desk.

17. Do you enjoy helpful hints about your knitting or does it just piss you off? I’m fine with it, as long as there’s no Nelson Muntz “ha ha” involved.

18. What techniques are you still a virgin in (lace, cables, ect.) and are you interested in trying them? I’m a sock virgin, but hope for deflowering in the next few months. I’m also tempted by entrelac.

19. What knitting magazines do you subscribe to? None.

20. Are there any books, needles, yarn, patterns that you are dying to get your hands on? I always like patterns sized for wee torsos (I have a 32” bust and 25” waist ... and a very, very big ass), or anything that takes just one or two skeins to complete.

21. Do you enjoy knitting socks? How big are your feet? I hope to begin enjoying knitting socks in the near future! My feet are 9” long, and I have rather thick ankles and heavy calves. (It’s muscle, I swear.)

22. Do you have a wish list? Sure do.

23. What are your non-knitting, crochet, spinning hobbies? Reading, dancing, exercising, general domesticity, watching movies.

24. How do you feel about sports? I love UFC but that’s the only professional sport I can stand. Austin roller derby is awesome but I haven’t attended for the last season or two.

25. What is your favorite season? Least favorite season? Why? I love a nice warm Texas spring. Winter is my least favorite because I cannot abide being cold. Hence all the wool.

26. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween. It celebrates three of my favorite things: costumes, candy, and horror movies!

27. Do you like handmade gifts? Of course!

28. Do you wear jewelry that isn't real? None of my jewelry is real. Even my wedding ring is CZ.

29. What are your favorite foods? Scents that you love? I love chocolate, candy, junk food, and coffee. In terms of real food, I love Italian and Tex-Mex. Not that anyone would send meat for a gift exchange, but for the record, I’m a long-time vegetarian (eight years running). As for scents, vanilla is the all-time champ.

30. What is your family situation? Do you live alone? I own a condo with my fantastic husband. We have been together for about seven years and married for a little more than three of those. We eloped in Las Vegas; our wedding was featured on MTV. (Which never fails to get me recognized when I duck into Hot Topic.)

31. Do you have any pets? We have five ferrets: Eris, Fozzie, Ginsu, Houdini, and Illiogor. Yes, that’s a lot of ferrets. We decided to go with ferrets instead of kids, as ferrets can be caged when we aren’t home.

32. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3's? Rockabilly, punk, old-school country. I’ll listen to just about anything except radio pop and commercial rap. (mc chris, on the other hand – rock on!) My computer can play MP3s.

33. What are your favorite movies? TV shows? Actors? I am a horror movie junkie, especially zombie movies. As for TV, I’m crazy about Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, and I watch both the Daily Show and Colbert Report. Court TV and Law and Order tend to be on in our house too. I still lament that Mystery Science Theater is gone. My all-time favorite actor is Seth Green – I never watched Buffy, but I’ve been in love with him since I was 12.

34. What do you collect? Anything kitschy or evil. I’m very fond of fridge magnets, postcards, and buttons (not the kind that are used to fasten garments, the other kind).

35. What do you do in real life -- besides knit and blog? My day job is at a small niche travel dot-com; I love it immensely. I’m also a member of the Satan’s Cheerleaders dance group. Besides knitting, most of my time is spent reading, or being domestic with Mr. Fury and the ferret herd. I’m also a hardcore gym addict ... I do weights, yoga, or spin class pretty much every day.

36. When is your birthday? Is it a national holiday or just another day? March 25. It’s the Annunciation, which I don’t celebrate because I’m not Catholic.

37. Do you have any allergies, medical conditions or disorders that your pal should be aware of (ie. diabetes, food/pet allergies, ect.)? I can’t stand cigarette smoke. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Please don’t send Pall Malls.

38. Are there any scents, phobias, or sensory thing (ie, the way certain objects feel) that your pal should be aware of? Nope. Well, I don’t like the feeling of wet cotton balls, but I suspect the chances of receiving wet cotton balls are pretty slim.

39. What is the most difficult thing that you have ever knit/crochet? You know, I’m not sure. Probably the very first row I ever knit was the most difficult.

40. What is your personal style? Is there a time period/fashion movement that you take your cues from? I’m very jeans-and-t-shirt during the day (see the aforementioned dot-com day job). But for going out ... my crowd enjoys dressing up. Costumes, fetishwear, corsets, vinyl -- it’s all fair game. I get a lot of inspiration from the 1920s, 1940s, and 1950s. I do love me some bullet bras.

41. Anything else that you would like to say? I’m sure whatever you send will bring me much, much joy. My pleasures are simple. This is my very first online gift exchange and I’m stupid excited about it.

Buzz Bomb

2007-02-24T22:03:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to expand my posting a bit, to give everyone a better idea of who I am.

In that spirit, I present one of my favorite things ever: the music video for "Buzz Bomb." In case you can't tell, I'm the blonde in the red dress with the electric knife (and I'm also dancing behind our bass player in most of his close-ups).

Silk Garden Redemption

2007-02-24T10:37:00.000-06:00

I finished my blue-hued Noro hat last night. I'm happy enough with it, although the decreases are a bit wonky as written. Probably won't be using the pattern again; should I need to do another one-skein Noro hat, I'm sure I can puzzle it out for myself. (Famous last words.) I think I am going to give this particular hat to a friend as a birthday present next week. That wasn't my intention when I started it -- I'm a selfish, selfish knitter -- but she'll like it.

I'm extending probationary forgiveness to Silk Garden. There were no problems with this skein, although I could live without the wee bits of grass and whatnot that somehow end up in there. Perhaps it's time to give other Noro family members a whirl.

Unless my Knitpicks order arrives today, which I sincerely doubt, I'm in project limbo for a bit. This is just as well, I suppose, since I need to get some hausfrauing done in Mr. Fury's absence. I'm thinking of using my black Sierra towards a scarf for someone, and I still have enough Cascade Fixation to try Broadripple.

I do have one problem with moving into knitted socks: Illiogor. He enjoys eating, sleeping, wrestling with the other ferrets, and sock rides. That's where he sinks his teeth into the toe of your sock as you walk by, and then hangs on. I shudder to think of the damage he could do to a beloved handknitted sock ...

Knitting, No Tears

2007-02-22T21:02:00.000-06:00

I'm still working on my second Noro Silk Garden cap -- this time following the pattern as written, after trying a few other things and frogging. I have about an inch more to do before the decreases. This skein is working out much better than the first one.

My V-Day present from Mr. Fury arrived today: my very own copy of Knitting Without Tears. Joy! Speaking of Mr. Fury, he will be traveling to Minnesota this weekend -- good thing I made him gloves, eh?

I might have a photo shoot on Sunday, but other than that, I plan to lounge and knit for most of the weekend. I also need to plot out my impending Snit Raglan. I ordered from Knitpicks on Tuesday ... I've only ordered from them once before, and it took approximately fifteen years for my order to arrive (okay, it was really about two and a half weeks). Hopefully it will be quicker this time.

It's getting warm again, which dissuades us Texans from knitting scarves and hats and other warm accoutrements. Is it weird that I'm thinking of knitting up some cotton sweat towels to use at the gym? At least I'm not knitting gym socks ...

My Very Own Knucks!

2007-02-19T21:03:00.000-06:00

Pattern: Knucks

Source: Knitty.com Summer 2006

Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, 1 ball Sigh (?)

Stats: size Lady

This is the knitting bright spot of my day -- finished Knucks. It sort of makes up for my little breakdown earlier. Huzzah! I'm not 100% sure what the color's name is -- it's sort of a dusty purple.

Next: another Noro Silk Garden hat. I love the first one I made, and have been wanting another in other colors.

#*%!@$!

2007-02-19T18:40:00.000-06:00

I'm full of rage. Don't you love spending an entire day working on something only to have it be a complete waste?

I have this book, One Skein Wonders. It has patterns contributed by various different yarn shops; the two patterns I've used happened to be from the same person, but both of them worked out quite well. There is a simple top-down raglan shrug I've wanted to make since I got the book, so I got a skein of Rowan Kid Classic for it Saturday and cast on this morning. I had to go up two needle sizes but I managed to get gauge exactly.

As I completed the raglan shaping, I thought, Gee, this pattern is going to use every bit of the yarn. As I worked through the sleeves I thought, I think I might have to shorten it by a few rows so I don't run out of yarn. As I bound off the sleeves, I decided to measure what yarn I had left for the eleven remaining body and hem rows, plus binding off. Two yards. Two freaking yards!! That wasn't even enough to bind off the first of the eleven rows that were left.

I swore. I swore a lot. I used a particularly mean term to refer to the pattern designer. Normally I'd have headed out to the LYS to get another ball of yarn, but I happen to know I got the last one they had in this color, let alone dye lot.

The funny thing is that I only started the shrug as a fun little break from my Knucks -- I finished the thumb gusset of the second one during defensive driving (I only knit during the breaks), and started the oblique rib cuff when I got home yesterday afternoon. I realized the oblique rib was Not Working Out and frogged the cuff. I did it over in K2P2 with smaller needles, and though it's still loose on my freakishly small wrists, I'm happier with it. But that left me with the formerly completed Knuck with the oblique rib cuff.

So yeah. I need to redo the cuff on Knuck #1 and then I'm done with them (hopefully tonight). I also got a ball of Noro Silk Garden (yes, I know, I never learn) to make another cap -- this one in blue/green/gray/purple. I'm going to save the Rowan Kid Classic for use in some openwork project or another. I'm not sure if I will re-attempt the shrug with two skeins in another color or not. Right now I'm tempted to order some Wool of the Andes and make myself an actual-factual raglan cardigan.

For what it's worth: I decided it would be disrespectful to the strippers to knit Saturday night. Apparently the new trend in stripwear is legwarmers -- none that I saw were handknit, though.

Lesson learned: sometimes knitting will suck.

Hands, Fingers, Knees, and Toes

2007-02-17T11:16:00.000-06:00

Body Worlds was one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life. I'm still in awe.

I finished the first of my Knucks yesterday, including the finishing. I managed to do the joining row on a particularly bumpy stretch of I-35, and got most of the way through the thumb gusset before darkness forced me to abandon it. I did the cuff when I got home -- I used the oblique rib from Knitting on the Edge (in honor of all the naked oblique muscles I saw yesterday, not that the pattern has any relevance beyond the name). It's loose on my tiny wrists, but I knew it would be and decided to go ahead with it anyway.

We're going to a friend's birthday party at a local topless joint tonight. What's the etiquette regarding knitting in strip clubs?

Motherknucker

2007-02-15T19:15:00.000-06:00

I have made minimal progress on my Knucks. (I've done one thumb.) There hasn't been much knitting time this week. I decided that I will do all ten fingers first, so I will be pleasantly surprised when I finish the first one and don't have to face doing all the fingers for the second one.

I'm losing six hours of prime knitting time on Sunday -- gotta take defensive driving to get a speeding ticket dismissed. Bleh. I am also thinking of pulling a double at the gym on Saturday; usually I just do Saturday yoga, but I'm thinking of hitting spin class beforehand since I'm missing both my Friday and Sunday spin classes.

It's crazy cold here. Today I discovered that my Noro Silk Garden hat coordinates surprisingly well with my Branching Out scarf. Rawk! I love the matchy-matchy.