Grandma Nola

enough said.

Copy Cat

Mark, you are amazing. My desk is so much happier now that it has some flair. Is it wrong to sit in my darkened room listening to music and staring at the purple glitter? I hope not...

In other, and more yarn related, news, I present:

The Arwen Sweater from Interweave Winter, 2006. Made with 13 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in Chocolate. Yummy.



Something that didn't occur to me until I was actually wearing the sweater in the real world (that's right, didn't occur to me the 500 times I tried it on in my apartment) is that the sleeves are funky. How? They aren't knitted from cuff to shoulder, they are knitted straight from underarm to underarm. Make sense? No? Let me try again...In order to easily incorporate the lovely cable detail on the cuffs, the rows are knit the length of the sleeve, so each row goes horizontally from cuff to shoulder (instead of working in the round from cuff to shoulder). This makes the columns of stitches, which in my opinion should be going up and down the arm, go AROUND the arm. Basically, if freaks me out to look at the sleeves. I'm actually considering ripping them out and re-making them. If you were able to follow my description on that, let me know your opinion. If you have access to Winter 06, take a look and maybe you'll get what I'm saying.
One last thing, I made Lexi some birthday socks.

These have a story: When we were roommates in college, I noticed Lexi putting on NEON pink socks one day. I think my reaction was something like: ARE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO WEAR THOSE IN PUBLIC?!?!?!?! A few days later, as I turned down my sheets to get into bed, BAM! Neon pink socks in my bed! OK, it sounds kind of lame on here, but trust me, it was hilarious. Plus, my retaliation was glass shards (they were really plastic) in Lexi's bed. And yes, we are still good friends. College. Miss it.

does this really count against me?

Four projects out of seven and it's only been six weeks. That's not bad for my new year's resolution! Of course the four were the piddly little things - a sock here, a sleeve there. The three that are left are sweaters, none of which could be considered halfway there yet. Still another pair of socks is another pair of socks. These are off to my best friend in NC tomorrow!


I also have other finished goodies!


You can see it right?! I mean it's not just me that can see that yarn actually waving a sign that says "knit me". Right? RIGHT?!
Oh well. I just don't think this should count against me. Not only is it a project for my Grandma Nola, who by all accounts has had a difficult year, but with the completion of the mosaic sock I have NO small/travel project. You realize the magnitude of that statement surely. The other three "on needle new year's" projects are all big honkin' sweaters!!

So, really, just like with Macy's sheep, this cannot count against me.
(hmm, with justification powers like that it's truly surprising that I don't own 3 or 4 spinning wheels and have a separate house just for my yarn stash, ah, the pleasures of using my powers for good...)

Valentine' (Snow) Day!!

ONE SOCK

TWO SOCK

RED SOCK...uh, RED SOCK

Yes, the pheonix socks are done and on Valentine's no less...and why, you may ask, or you might not but humor me, am I finishing socks and posting to the blog in the middle of the work week!?! (insert drum roll here) IT'S A SNOW DAY! (cymbal crash!) Seriously, could Valentine's Day be any better than when spent in your jammies, loungin' about the house with your true love...and, no, I don't mean knitting! Although, what makes him my true love is that he's ok with me knitting on Valentine's. He's also my true love for the following. I know it doesn't have anything to do with fiber but, come on, a mini purple, sparkle lava lamp that runs on your USB drive? See, it's plugged into my computer. That's SO cool!! The array of yummy lotions in the back and the candle are also from him. As soon as they invent smell-o-vision I'll let you experience how yummy! I'd tell you that the inside of the little card says "To the LAVA my life" but I'm sure you don't want to know how silly we are.

Two! Two knitting projects done..ha ha ha ha!

(Of course the title only works if you insert huge lightning flashes complete with thunder and Kermit or some other muppet looking around wildly while the Count continues to laugh!)

Here's the second of seven off the needles! I'm happy with the result. I don't really like variegated yarns too much. Of course I say that but keep buying them and knitting them anyway! Here's the new shawl out in our modest excuse for a snowstorm (they still closed the schools, the wimps! not the University of course, but the schools)




Here it is coming in to get warm! It really does have a lovely open drapey feel to it. I like it.


OK, so here's the really interesting bit. This is the same shawl that Brandy made her mother that Christmas, you know the project that must not be named because of you know what in the you know which in the middle of the night. So I lay out my soppy wet shawl to block it Sunday and what do I see...wait for it...a dropped stitch about twelve inches back!! I'm not kidding you. I really should have taken a picture to prove it. Mark witnessed it. I guess I didn't take a picture because I was laughing too hard to keep a camera steady!! The project is cursed, that's all there is to it!


TWO AND a half...here's the first sock for my friend Robin finished too. It's not a wonky as it looks when you get it on!

Thanks Abby!

Dear Abby,
We were so excited to get your package in the mail the other day. I of course love the needle holder and am now that much more inspired to learn to knit socks. I think the LYS offers classes sometimes. And, as you can see, Ellery LOVES little Sheldon. He is such a cute turtle and you did a terrific job. I am truly posting the pictures so that everyone can admire your work, not just to show off Ellery.

Boob Toaster I and II

Sam found a really neat pattern for a "sontag" in a Geody's Ladies Book from late 19th century (I think, I could be really wrong on that date). So I made her one. As soon as she put it on, Alison yelled, "What's that? A boob toaster?" As you can see, the design lends itself to a toasty breast area, but that really isn't it's primary purpose. Alison's birthday was a few days ago, so I made her one, too. It is slightly more embellished than the original - mostly because I found the original to be hideously boring to knit.

Here it is laid out:



Oh yes, Jen. That's a crocheted border on the original. It had to have flair somewhere!
Per Alison's request, I'm attaching some braid ties so she she can close her's like Sam. These are becoming all the rage at the library (as you might imagine...). Very popular with us ultra-cool history nerds.

What next?

So now that Christmas is over, I only have one project going: the cable 8 tank top. I am looking forward to getting back to it, though I have to wait till I have some time to sit and figure it out because I (I can hear Jen sigh all the way here) put it down without noting where I was in the pattern AGAIN. I promise I didn't mean to. I think the phone rang or something like that and I didn't get to pick it back up. After I finish it I would like to attempt the Portland Pullover from the Fall 06 Knits.

So anyway, I like to have an easier project to work on too. A scarf would be the obvious choice but I'm just not feeling inspired. One thing I saw was the coffee cozy on page 41 of knitpicks. I know it sounds totally dorky but I think it is just the thing my parents would like. They seriously take extra paper cozies from Starbucks and keep them in their car for when they get caught without one. The problem is that the free pattern knitpicks offers is fair isle, which I have no interest in attempting. But can't I just adapt the pattern? What I don't understand is that by looking at the chart you increase beginning on row 1. Why? Maybe one of you could take a look at the pattern for me? (enter 50517 at their website www.knitpicks.com)

The other thing is that Caleb's office down in our basement is very cold and he could use some wristwarmers. Jen, did you ever make some for Caleb Jones? If so, I would love the pattern.

So I've got lots of options, and a little money to spend at the LYS (ahem...). Now I just need a little free time. Things will slow down for Caleb next week so I am looking forward to some knitting soon.

get yer fiber

This should take care of my daily dose for a while at least!
This past Sunday I took a dyeing class from my friend Erin of MamaE's C*eye*ber Fiber. She is wonderful and the class was a blast. I've bought several of her rovings including the one I spun up for that shrug back in Oct. I came home with all this wonderful fiber as well as two skeins of sock yarn. She let us try Kool-Aid, Wilton food coloring, and then the serious acid professional dyes. The knowledge I gained was great but most importantly the memories of such a fun day are priceless. Erin's studio is fantastic, so cozy and inviting, and that wasn't only because it snowed all day. Yes, I got to play with fiber and watch it snow. all. day.

This was done with the Wilton dye. I had hoped for something darker. I used brown, copper, and orange but I like it.


My first solo attempts with the acid dyes.



I must say, however, that these are my favorites only because I had so little hope for them. I took some horrible pink roving which Mark always referred to as "the intestines" with me thinking it would be a good lesson for "overdyeing" or re-dyeing something already dyed. I had no expectations that I could make it look pretty. I'm not really good with color and this being my first real dye experience I figured I'd mess it up royally. Yet, behold! With some advice and encouragement from my wonderful teacher Erin, I lOVE what I got!!



The really interesting thing will be to see if it spins up anything like what I think it might! The saga will continue...

by the skin of my...skein...

Just barely made it!! I mean look at that little ball of yarn! Whew! The sleeves are actually a bit short I'm afraid but that's less because I ran out of yarn and couldn't make them long enough and more because, apparently, the design is for tiny shouldered women with toothpick arms. This is a drop sleeve sweater with a really big collar that's just supposed to drape around so I think I just feel funny in it and in reality it looks fine on me. Max likes it though!