In my continuing efforts at self-flagellation, I've updated my stash inventory on Flickr. Each photo contains hover notes re: yarn, amount, project, and other comments (click a photo to access):
This will be my last guilty yarn post for a while, promise!
I received 6 balls (about 480 yards) of Pingouin 100% cotton ribbon yarn in a trade a while back. It's a relatively narrow but thick/sturdy ribbon yarn - a bit like knitting with thin shoelaces.
It would be lovely for a summer knit, and when I saw Asana from the Spring Knitty, I thought it would be perfect. All Seasons Cotton is aran, my yarn is aran... But then I made a swatch and the gauge was off by a whole inch. When I switched to larger needles, the stockinette seemed to work to gauge on size 9s, but then the garter-rib was quite holey on the 8s (and since this is the boobage area, I'd rather avoid holey).
Should I just use the needles called for and make the top in one of the larger sizes? Would that work given the complicated construction in back, or would the proportions be off? Should I give up hope of using this yarn for Asana? Is there something else I can try? I've never worked with a ribbon yarn like this.
The results are in!
9% Maple Leaf
7% Mountain Stream
25% Heat Wave
19% Hummingbird
26% Cranberries
14% Mimosa
Personally, I think you guys were biased toward Cranberries and Heat Wave because they resemble the Lorna's Bittersweet Colourway that was used in Kate Gilbert's Knitty version. But still you have wonderful taste :).
Anyway, I went a little crazy and, following James' advice, ordered three skeins: 2 skeins of DK silk-merino (500 yards each), one in Cranberries (per your suggestion) and one in Mimosa; 1 skein of sport silk (625 yards) in Hummingbird. I might return one of the skeins, or I may keep them all and use two for gifts.
I decided to order one skein of the sport weight to try it out because it has enough yardage to do a full-sized Clap. But I hesitated to get more because I think I want a single-ply yarn like the Lion & Lamb rather than something with the twist.
Anyway, now I'm REALLY on a yarn diet. Really. Reeeeaaaaallly.
Someone remind me that I'm a student next time, k?
I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW. I'm on a yarn diet. But like every dieter, I can go off the wagon on a special occasion, right? The evil wonderful evil wonderful people at Mystical Creation Yarns have sent me on a bender.
Here's what's going on:
(1) From 4/28 - 5/5, they are giving 20% off all animal fiber yarns. That means silk, merino, mohair, whatever.
(2) They have ELIMINATED THEIR MINIMUM ORDER.
(3) They make a beautiful 50/50 silk & merino blend that is comparable to Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb, and which you can get in any of their colorways. On sale it's only $32 for 500 yards (8 oz.). This is about 150 yards less than the full Clapotis, but what does a diminuitive girl like me need with a huge scarf like that?
SO. Here's where you come in. Which color do you think I ought to order for Clapotis? Keep in mind I'm fair-ish with brown hair and eyes, and that I would like to be able to wear this in winter and cool summer days.
Here are your choices (all can be ordered in Silk/Merino):
Maple Leaf
Mountain Stream
Heat Wave
Humming Bird
Cranberries
Mimosa
I have an odd request for you, Dear Readers. A while back, I was on a knit blog and came across this great vintage image of this total sex kitten lady knitting. She had like a knitting basket or something at her feet. I would like to use this graphic for something, if possible, but I can't remember for the life of me where I saw it!
Have you seen this image? If so, please let me know where it is!
I've written here before that I don't believe in progress-shot overload, but whenever I learn a new skill I like to post one. This time it's my first experience with lace... woo hoo!
This is my progress on Christine's fabulous Lelah strapless top pattern, using the sparkly yarn I recycled a couple of months back. If you squint at the close-up shot, you can see the metallic part of the yarn. The pattern's pretty indistinct, but this is partly due to my yarn choice and, I hope, will improve with blocking.
Whelp, lace knitting, occasionally with a glass of red wine at my side, is all the fun I'm going to have on this wild ride of a week. I hope you all can handle the excitement.
For those of you who've wondered where I'm from, or who have never understood where I'm from when I explained it, check yesterday's Editorial Observer column from the New York Times:
Of course, it's not the most holistic assessment, but it covers a huge part of The Region's economic problems: corruption, corruption, corruption. Robert Kennedy once called Lake County one of the most corrupt places in America. It's too early yet to tell, but it looks as though, thanks to a good US Attorney and dire economic pressures, things might be turning around.
Oh, btw, the US Attorney mentioned, Joe VanBokkelen, knows my Mom, and I used to carpool with his son when we were wee children.
Pattern: Chunky Tweed Cardigan from Knitting for Two by Erika Knight
Yarn: Artful Yarns Candy (Sour Apple), 3 balls
Needles: US 7 & US 8 Clover circulars
Recipient: Baby Ethan
Notes:
Baby Ethan, 6-month-old superstar, is the first great-grandchild in Chris' family, so they welcomed him to the club today with a small luncheon at a hotel in Rockland. I must say, it was the first party for a baby I've ever been to at a hotel, but Ethan was every bit the charming host. Anyhoo, as part of his gift, I made this cardigan, which took way longer than I planned for it. I guess in the past I've only made booties for babies, so I have in my mind that everything for them must take just a few hours to make. Not so with a cardi. This took me about a week to complete - not too long, just more than I intended to spare with exams coming up.
As for my pattern comments, the pattern was written in an economical way, much like Phildar patterns. I'm growing to like that, since I'm easily lost in long patterns. I pretty much followed the pattern as written, with a few size modifications to accommodate the Candy, which isn't quite as heavy as the suggested yarn, Summer Tweed. Oh, and I finally learned the proper way to pick up stitches in order to attach the placket, thanks to Knitter's Companion.
The book generally contains a lot of cute and creative patterns. My one beef with it: not enough clear photos of the entire garment = pain in the arse. This weakness is shared with too many slightly overdesigned knitting books these days. But other than that, I think it's worth a look.
And now, without further ado, Baby Ethan in action:
Related Entries:
I Want Candy
French Market Bag: Complete and Unfelted
Have you seen Teva Durham's first book, Loop-d-Loop? FABULOUS! Our local bookstore had a few copies in yesterday, and I got the chance to thumb through it a bit. The patterns are edgy and unique - truly inspiring. The book also includes a lot of insight into the designer's process... can't wait to see knits from this popping up on blogs. Has anyone already bought it and/or started a project from it?
The Summer Tweed arrived today ever-so-speedily from the UK, but the color was way brighter and more orangey than I'd envisioned, so I'm going to return it for a refund :-( (Jannette has a great return policy). The good news is that shortens my yarn diet list. The bad news is that it leaves me shrugless. C'est la vie...
Glittens or Socks - 2 skeins of Koigu (from SP4!)
Kitty Pi - 3 balls Noro Kureyon (from Smartcard Exchange)
Simply Marilyn - 9 balls Debbie Bliss Cashmerino SuperchunkyShrug - 2-3 skeins Rowan Summer Tweed
Sweater (maybe Phildar?) OR 2 tanks - ~7 skeins Rowan Summer Tweed
Sweater (maybe my own pattern?) - 1 lb. Navy School Products Cashmere
Lelah - recycled sparkly yarn
Minisweater 2 - ~3.5 balls Cash Iroha, leftover from h-glass
Great vicarious NYC-evesdropping AND tips on how to get into the Post Daily News. What more can a girl ask for: Overheard in New York. [via The Samantha Files].
THANK YOU, C., for a wonderful weekend. For those of you who couldn't make it on our romantic vacation in Cape May, NJ, here are a few photos.
Extreme close-up of C. on the Cape May Trolley
C. contemplating the meaning of life at the beach
About to make mincemeat out of that ski SKEE ball
What a shot!
I take aim at the ski SKEE ball machine... we earned 6 whole tickets! What the hell is wrong with my hair? I don't normally sport a tail.
My timer-photo ambush of Chris on the beach as we walked, late, to the Cape May Jazz festival. Note my pleased expression at having forced him to pose with me.
I caved. Again.
So I was in The Point the other day, and Sandy, a manager there, was wearing the loveliest shrug. She'd made it using a modified version of the Craft Yarn Council's shrug pattern (pattern calls for 3 strands and she used only 1, creating a lacy fabric) in a yarn that looked to me like Rowan Summer Tweed. Having owned The Summer Tweed Collection for a couple of years now without having knitted from it, Sandy's shrug got me inspired to invest in some Summer Tweed. Just enough for the shrug, mind you... but then, Jannette's Rare Yarns (the fabulous UK eBay seller) has a great deal on 10-packs of Summer Tweed in discontinued colors ($42 + $12 shipping) so I bought an entire 10-pack of the stuff in Morning Glory.
So now, Dear Readers, I announce: A Yarn Diet. Horrors! I feel a spell coming on!
Here's the pledge: no more new yarn until all the projects I've listed below, all of which use yarn currently in my stash, are complete:
Glittens or Socks - 2 skeins of Koigu (from SP4!) Kitty Pi - 3 balls Noro Kureyon (from Smartcard Exchange) Simply Marilyn - 9 balls Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky Shrug - 2-3 skeins Rowan Summer Tweed Sweater (maybe Phildar?) OR 2 tanks - ~7 skeins Rowan Summer Tweed Sweater (maybe my own pattern?) - 1 lb. Navy School Products Cashmere Lelah - recycled sparkly yarn Minisweater 2 - ~3.5 balls Cash Iroha, leftover from h-glass
After that, I'll have only some white cotton ribbon yarn, a few skeins of sock yarn and several odd balls of peruvian highland wool and patons classic in various colors. Now I realize this means putting on hold some projects I have been anxious to start (Rogue, Clapotis, Honeymoon Cami, etc.), but there comes a time when a girl must exercise a little willpower.
There is ONE EXCEPTION: Knitting for gifts. I need to do one for my mom. I have also been promising C. a sweater since time immemorial, and if I feel inspired to do it before these other things I'm just going to do it. But other than that NO NEW YARN until this slate is complete.
That said, willpower won't be enough, so I may need your encouragement and indeed, at times your tough love. Please, Dear Readers, don't let me stray too much.
Damon, a friend from law school, has earned a permanent link on the left-hand side of this blog (retail value, $400!) for his uproarious and, I might add, fairly accurate account of the hulabaloo over Justice Scalia's visit to NYU Law last week:
Now you've got to admit, that's one great way to use MS Paint.
You can read more about the situation the funny papers at Wonkette and let's not forget Page Six (damn it, another person I know gets onto Page Six! I wish I had thought about asking a Supreme Court justice about sex).
It's this close... While at Cape May I finished knitting and weaving in the ends of my French Market Bag thanks to Sandra and Lisa and their vast stores of extra Lamb's Pride. Here's a glimpse pre-felting. I'm worried that, once felted, the handles will be awfully small (although the striping at the bottom of the handles creates the illusion that they are shorter than they actually are), but I guess I can always carry the FMB by hand.
It might be a while before FMB actually gets felted, though. At the laundromats around here, you can't open the machines mid-wash so I'm concerned that the bag would be over-felted by the end of a whole cycle. Someday I'll meet someone around here who lives in a building with her own washing machine, and I plan to befriend that person.
I also got a little swatching done on the beach for Baby Ethan's cardigan:
Au revoir for a coupla days: Chris' sweet (delayed) Valentine's Day gift for me was a weekend in April at a B&B in Cape May, on the Jersey Shore. We'll be staying at the lovely Victorian Manor House. It's still too chilly for much laying around on the beach, but there will be a parade / festival on Saturday which where Carol Channing will be the grand marshal! The Cape May Times says: "Look for beach chair drill teams, Alphabet Soup Brigades, impersonators of legendary comedians, aliens from outer space, dragons, mechanical ketchup bottles and over 500 basset hounds waddling to raise money for the Basset Hound Rescue League."
Seriously, it will just be nice to relax and get out of the city. We'll be back Sunday, so be good while I'm away, kay?
I was looking at the fabulous sari-silk bag Unbiased just now and followed the link to Stephanie's website, The Wool Peddler. There are two fabulous things about her shop: she sells fabulous and seemingly affordable recycled sari silks, and a great variety of undyed yarn, including a 50/50 silk and merino blend that seems identical to Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb (except undyed of course), at $15 for 216 yards. That's about 1/2 the price of L&L... someday I *will* get around to Clapotis!
Okay, I must now end the procrastination and get back to work...
Thanks to everyone who posted suggestions for Mothers Day gifts for my prepster mom! Your suggestions were so helpful that I thought I'd post them here to share with everyone in a similar conundrum:
Knitting for the penny-loafer lover:
Clapotis
Tea Cozy
Afghans, throws or pillows
Fibonacci cardigan
Stuff from Chicknits
Sitcom Chic Cardigan
Knitted bath puff / loofah or bath mitt (pdf)
Lavender-filled eye pillow (pdf)
Hot Water Bottle Cover
Reverse-Bloom Washcloth
Felted oven mitt
Cosmetic bag (perhaps the one in Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation?)
Soleil tank
Knitted t-shirt
Pillow inserts from Weekend Knitting
iPod sleeve (for the tech-savvy prepster mom)
Boatneck pullover
Classic Slant cardigan
Cable 8 top
Boogie vest
Via Diagonale purse
Maple Leaves Scarf
Notes:
Not really sure what my vision was for this skein, but I don't think I achieved it. the end product's not so bad, but it's quite pastelly. It reminds one of a landscaping flower.
I bought the Elegance out of curiousity, to compare it to Andean Silk as a candidate for Clapotis. Call me kooky, but I think I preferred the Andean Silk for softness and sheen. As far as dyeing goes, I suspect Elegance didn't absorb so well because the Oatmeal color was already dyed, whereas I think the Cream colorway in Andean Silk is au naturale, or close to it.
Now to figure out what to do with 1 skein of Elegance...
Check out this cute pattern - the hot lava cardigan. It's along the lines of the Boobholder, but long-sleeve and slightly more sober. Love it! [via Knit Powers to Peace]
MOM, BACK AWAY AND DO NOT READ THIS POST. IT'S ABOUT MOTHERS DAY.
So, as you might have heard, Mother's Day is coming up. I'm trying to plot whether I want to knit something for my mom, and if so, what to make, and I'd love your suggestions.
So a little about my mom. While she's not tough to shop for, she is a little hard to knit for. She has great taste but her style is more preppy than crunchy - think penny loafers. More Coach and less French Market. She loved to dress me like a wee sailor in a frock as a child. She doesn't own a lot of knitted stuff. She also generally does not wear scarves. For other reasons I'd like to stay away from socks.
I do think she'd wear a nice cardigan, maybe the everyday cardigan, but I'm hesitant to make something like that from long-distance for fit reasons, and I doubt I could manage completion by Mothers Day.
So, Dear Readers, what do you think? Do you have any suggestions for projects or specific patterns that might fit the bill?
Pattern: Very Modified Broad Street Mittens from Knitty
Yarn: Knitpicks Sock Garden, 100% merino sock yarn, 1 ball ("Geranium")
Needles: Crystal Palace US 2 DPNs, set of 5
Notes:
This pair of convertible mittens should have been easy. It was my third pair, and I was using a pattern many others have used before. Easy, however, they were not. For the most part, the trillion mistakes I made were due to my own inattentiveness. Message - don't try to modify an already quirky pattern unless you plan to pay attention to what you're doing.
Anyhoo, there are two (maybe three) main areas of modification. First, the Broad Street Pattern is made for giganta-hands. Why are mitten patterns so often written for one size? The world may never know. Anyway, I started out by casting on 40 stitches instead of 48, and the numbers worked out pretty well from there.
BTW, there's a mistake in the Knitty pattern - when you increase at the end of the cuff, you're supposed to *k4, inc 1* rather than *k3, inc 1*. I did all my increases, including those for the thumb gusset, by doing *k3, kfb next stitch*.
I also worked only 10 increase stitches for the thumb gusset instead of the pattern's 14. The numbers for each finger are slightly different, too - instead of picking up 15 stitches per finger (7+8), I ended up doing 12 stitches per finger (6+6).
The other main difference is the method of decrease on the flap. I hate star decreases for mittens because they end up looking asymmetrical to me, and nordic decreases look pointy. Instead I did a gathered sort of increase like so:
K flap even until two rows or so above index finger length (you will have to eyeball this). Then:
Row 1: *k2tog* repeat * to * all the way around.
Row 2: K even
Row 3: *k1, k2tog* repeat * to * all the way around.
Row 4: K even
Row 5: *k2tog* repeat * to * all the way around.
You'll now be left with 6 or 7 stitches. With a yarn needle, run yarn end through all stitches and pull to draw together. This produces a nice rounded tip. Although they get a little bunchy with fingers inside, I still prefer this effect to an uneven or pointy one:
I named these mittens "geranium glittens" because this shade of Sock Garden really does look like the geraniums in my window, and will, I'm sure, keep me a bit happier through the grey months once I finally wear them next winter. Though the pattern was a nightmare in some respects, I have to put in a plug for the yarn - very easy to work with and the color works up beautifully and not too uniformly. And my total cost for this project was $3.99!
Related Entries:
Broad Street Mittens: A Story of Swearing
People, WEBS is having an AMAZING anniversary sale right now. Cascade 220 is $4.70/skein, and there are other great markdowns. This has been your enabling service announcement for the day.
Yesterday I high-tailed it over to Purl to check out the 40% off sale on Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky and indeed, they had several colors on sale in quantities substantial enough for sweaters, including (I think) lilac, tan, yellow, deep rose, and purple. I bought 9 skeins in purple (20). That's the same colorway Kristen from our knitting group bought, but I figured since it was the only shade that flattered my coloring at all, and since she's graduating in May, she would very adultly not mind ;-):
This squishy, comfy yarn is slated for Simply Marilyn. Once again, I have acted against self-interest and blown a huge chunk of cash on yarn. It's true, I'm bad. You know it.
First I'd like to get this out of the way: it's raining here, and I'm okay with that. It's a strong spring rain, that smells and acts like spring rain. None of this 40 degrees and drizzly crap. In my esteemed meteorological opinion, winter is over like Sarah Jessica Parker's Gap ads.
Anyhoo, the NYU Law Knitting Group convened today for the first time! It was fun, if a bit short. There were about eight of us - from a brand new knitter to lifelong ones. And one of us came bearing news of a fabulous 40% off sale on Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky at Purl's store (my student loans thank you disingenuously, Kristen!), which I may pick up tomorrow for Simply Marilyn. And speaking of Simply Marilyn, two - that's a full quarter at this point - of our participants are working on that pattern right now! Quelle coincidence!
As I'm sure you've all already heard, within ten minutes of its posting... the Spring Knitty has arrived.
Anyhoo, there's another home run from Julia Trice ("recovering lawyer" of Honeymoon Cami fame) in the Asana yoga tank. Other highlights include a cross-back ribbon tank reminiscent of an adult version of Kerrie's Exotic Tank, and a fab tutorial on charting just about anything.
How did I miss Kitty Pi, the cutest pattern in the whole entire world, for so long? Okay, maybe the pattern isn't the cutest, but this gallery of all the kitties snugging in their kitty pi beds sure comes close. [link via Purl Up With a Good Yarn]
Now that the sun has returned from Spring Break, I've updated the photos for the Aran Felted Hot Water Bottle:
Good lord, I'm finally finished with my little, modified pair of convertible mittens based on Knitty's Broad Street Mitten pattern. Let me tell you, sisters and brothers, this was not an easy process. A recap:
(1) Knit L hand mitten according to Broad Street pattern, up to middle of flap. Realize how huge mitten is. Say #%@*!!!. Set aside, restarting a new pair with second skein of yarn.(2) Begin L hand mitten again, according to modified Broad Street pattern, 8 stitches smaller, up to top of flap, again modified to decrease differently and create a flat flap. Realize tip is too pointy. Say $#%@!!!
(3) Frog top 1/2 of flat. Redo. Finish L hand mitten.
(4) Begin R hand mitten. Get all the way to the fingers before realizing I'm knitting another L hand mitten. Say $#%@ AND #$@&!!!! Frog R hand mitten to wrist.
(5) Redo to 1/2way up flap. Realize flap is being knitted on wrong side of hand. Frog flap entirely. Grumble ^%$*!!!!
(6) Redo flap. Discover another way of decreasing preferred to L hand mitten, meaning L hand flap will have to be redone. Yell %#*@*!!! Finish R hand mitten.
(7) Frog top of L hand flap. Redo. Cast off. Take both mittens, hurling them against wall. Damn, that felt good.
Pictures, I hope, later in the week, just in time for our first above-60-degree day.
UPDATE: An hour after I wrote this post, I decided to frog the R hand mitten again. It actually looks as though I may have put the thumb in the wrong place. I'd say this is all about 80% my own inattentiveness and ineptitude, but a good 20% is, I think, owing to the absence of a pattern for the right hand mitten on Knitty. Let that be a lesson to one of us (me or Knitty, that is).
C. and I started running again today. We tried doing this (following Running 101) about two years ago, then C. got a cold on like Week 7 and never picked it up again. I made it longer, but all that ended when I started law school. The fact is, I need a buddy or I get insanely bored on runs. Pathetic, I know. But so much head-clearing, I don't need.
When I got home, I noticed what I think is a rather misplaced ad in Budget Living for Asics running shoes. It features a sneaker-clad buff girl and says something like "If I didn't run, I don't know what I'd do. Probably take up knitting. But then, I'm very competitive, and competitive knitters are frowned upon." I wonder: among the readers of Budget Living, more knitters or more runners? What audience are they hoping to woo? Don't know why exactly I felt the need to share, but I was just puzzled.
Well, Secret Pal, you've done good yet again! I got this adorable Easter basket from my SP, complete with Ghirardelli chocolate squares, a cute metronomic flower, a sheepy pen, and two skeins of one of my favorite yarns, Koigu KPPPM! Here's the colorway:
That's already dedicated to a project - a FOURTH pair of convertible mittens, this time for my friend Dena. I just adore Koigu, the yarn that spawned the Sheik Yerbouti Booties. THANK YOU, SP! You're the best. Can't wait to find out who you are and how you got so awesome. :)
I was on Atlantic Avenue today, killing some time, so I went looking for Knitting Hands, a yarn shop I'd passed a few times but never visited. Turns out it's closed, but just down the street is a FANTASTIC shop, with the friendliest owner ever and an incredible, and unique, selection of yarns.
The shop is called Knit-a-Way, right on Atlantic between Hoyt and, I think, Bond. It's so unique because (a) it's huge, and (b) like no other shop in NYC except School Products, she carries the entire price range of yarns from Red Heart acrylics to Jade Sapphire cashmeres and an amazing range of brands - almost everything except Rowan. It was amazing... almost every single yarn I'd been looking at on the internet but couldn't find in New York was there: Dalegarn Svale, GGH Mystic, Artful Yarns Candy. The store also stocks a wide range of unusual fibers like hemp, flax, and flax blends. AND... so friendly. While I was there several neighborhood folks stopped by, including a knitting police officer, and a funny dude with a scooter.
Anyhoo, I bought three balls of Candy in Sour Apple:
It rocks! The photo, as usual, is bluer than in real life because it's been cloudy here forever. The color is really unique - I struggled between Sour Apple and Taffy. Anyhoo, It's for a baby gift - a cardigan I'm making from Knitting for Two by Erika Knight. The pattern calls for Summer Tweed, but I'll make do.
Anyway, so refreshing to see a yarn shop that doesn't just cater to the yuppiest of New York's yuppies. Highly recommended if you're in the 'hood!
