I’m absolutely horrid at both remembering to take pictures, and remembering to get what I do take off the camera.  Since I managed to do that today, here’s some of the pictures that were sitting on my camera for the last month or so. 

I redecorated my bedroom.  It was extremely depressing before.  Nothing on the walls (which were a mid-dark grey.)  Black curtains.  Black and grey bedspread.  Mismatched furniture, enough of which was black to add to the cavelike feel of the room.  I’d been wanting to re-do it for two years, but every time I walked into the room the black got me so depressed I couldn’t think.  I think this is much more cheery.  Of course, a funeral would be more cheery than what it looked like before!  Say…want a closer look at that artwork?  I’m pretty proud of it if I do say so myself.

I thought about doing a tutorial for it, but it’s really so simple.  And cheap – 6 bottles of craft paint (pulled from the colors on the pillowcases) at .50/ea, 6 cheap front-loading frames at $4/ea, and a package of two striped standard pillowcases at $8.  $35 in total.  Which, when you consider that it’s a set of six large framed pieces, is really reasonable.  I just removed the glass from the frames, cut the pillowcases a few inches larger than the glass, and taped them to the back of the frame.  My pillowcases had a border on the hemmed edge, so I took advantage of it when I was placing them on the frames. Then, I printed some images out and transferred them to the paper (if I had been less impatient, I would have dug out my iron-on transfer pencil, but I just colored the back of the image in pencil then traced them onto the fabric.)  Last, paint, trying to keep inside the lines.  Don’t look too close at mine.  At first I was grabbing bottles of paint at random, but since the colors seemed to match the image, I just went with that look.  And any of you who don’t recognize these shapes?  Go watch a movie! 

Cupcakes!!!  The girl had a graduation for her preschool class, and I made cupcakes.  Teeny mini cupcakes.  The pink are strawberry, and the yellow lemonade.  They were nummy!  The husband said they were like candy…he couldn’t stop eating them!  And also?  Why doesn’t anyone make things anymore!?  I was the only one who didn’t grab a plastic box from the bakery!

Hey!  Look!  Pictures of knitting!  On a knitting blog!  How novel! That’s the Big Girl Bonnet, for the big girl in the house.  It was a stashbuster.  The details are on my ravelry page if anyone cares to know, but I’m a bit too lazy to link right now.

Om-nom-nom-nom.  I’ve been bento-ing again.  Onigiri?  So easy to make once you use half a braincell and get the right kind of rice.  And nummy!  So far, I’ve mostly either mixed in furikake, used teriyaki _____ as filling, or done plain, but they’re so easy and nummy I’m going to be filling with other things soon.

I am trying to resurrect this thing.  Slowly, of course, but I think it’s going well.  In the middle of my super busy days (MissV is old enough to require chauffeuring/chaperoning all over the place now.  And she’s in school, and has activities.  Man, it starts young.)

Anyway, I’ve actually been thinking about the blog, even if I can’t.  So, since I have a few minutes, I thought I’d post a little something up.  There’s a new blog out there worth reading: One Size Knits All.  I’m not just saying that ‘cause my Talia was featured.  She discusses and provides examples of patterns that flatter a range of sizes.  And that’s a great thing, especially when it’s something you have to work on for a while before you can even try it on to see if it looks good on you!  So, check it out.  Put it in your reader, and all that, and I’ll be back soon with a surprising (to me) finished object.

I was informed by a friend that he missed my blogging about fiber-y stuff.  So this is for him.  (You know who you are.  I expect a comment if you want me to keep it up!)  I have been twittering, but I tend to keep my feed there locked - I know internet privacy is a fairly non-existent thing, but I still like to go for the appearance of it.  I do miss keeping up with my blog, but honestly the amount of things I have to keep up with in day-to-day life is almost too much for me.  Something had to suffer, and I’d prefer it *not* to be the feeding/clothing/cleaning/etc of my family since I do in fact have to live with them. 

Anyway.  That’s not an apology.  I promised myself I wouldn’t do that.  Just an explanation.

I’ve been knitting.  Lots.  It helps keep me sane.  I’ve had to just sit a few times, and the amount of twitchy and anxious I get is almost unbearable.  But I want to get back to that knitting in a few (accompanied, I hardly need say, with watching of the Doctor and his various adventures.  Though, I do hear Top Gear is on Netflix instant watch now…I need to see more of that show.) 

I find it fairly apropos that the project I’m working on now is an abandoned one I blogged about back in the summer of 2007.  Mostly because that’s when I started it.  I even took a new picture today.  I’ve finished a whole chart this week.  There are four more charts left to go.  Then the blocking, if I ever get around to it.  I’ve got no less than two lace projects lying around the house, finished save for blocking.  One is even an epic, for me: a Herbert Niebling that will one day be stretched onto a vintage parasol frame. 

Ok, I’m done rambling.  Well, not done, I could probably type up a novel here, but it would be disjointed and tedious.  So I’ll end with that picture I took today of MS3/Swan Lake.  I’m going to keep the specs on Ravelry, it’s just easier that way, and anyone who would really care about them will have a Rav account anyway.

Oh, and just cause it’s too cute not to mention, MissV turned 4 last week.  No uber-special cake to post this year, but my good friend K made a shirt for her.  Anyone who knows me or her, knows that she loves Star Wars.  And the kid has taste - she only wants to watch episodes 4, 5, and 6.  And she *adores* Darth Vader.  There’s a little snap on cape on the back, but the majority of the pictures were very blurry.  I dare you to take a clear picture of an excited and wiggly small child without the use of an SLR.

I blatantly stole this from Samauri Knitter.  It looked fun.  Tag if you want.

What is your current obsession?

Embroidery.  A friend at our knitting group was doing it a few months back (extremely well, I might add) and I was drawn to it.  I’ve always wanted to do embroidery, but I couldn’t think of what to put it on…I had pillowcases my great grandmother had done, but that didn’t seem practical to me.  Then, last week I came across a huge pile of dresser scarves that the same relative had done.  Still think those are impractical (partly because I don’t have a dresser for them) but they are gorgeous.  I’ve put some together as a valance for my kitchen, but I still have almost twenty left to do something with.

What are you wearing today?

Currently?  PJs.  Mostly cause I’ve only been awake for an hour and haven’t gotten dressed yet.  After that?  Probably shorts and a button-up top.

What’s for dinner?

Tonight is probably leftovers due to the lack to two spare inches to rub together in my fridge.  I’ve got lentil beef and veg stew from last night, yellow curry from the night before, and who knows what else in the fridge.  I think we’re covered.

What did you eat for your last meal?

Um, considering that I had a single bite of chocolate chip cookie dough for breakfast (I’m so *sick* of waffles, but that’s all the girlie wants and I don’t want to make anything else for just me) I’ll count dinner last night: the aforementioned lentil/beef/veg stew.

What’s the last thing you bought?

Groceries yesterday.  Wait, no, lunch from Taco Bell.  It’s only cause the traffic was deadlocked and both the girl and I were starving.

What are you listening to right now?

Girlie is watching Bolt.  It’s playing through the surround sound, so I have no choice but to hear it - throughout the house.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

Either the UK or Kyoto.  Those are the two places I’d love to visit in my life, and I’m not sure that I’ll ever get to go.  Money sucks.

Which language do you want to learn?

Well, I took French for years in middle/high school.  I live in a heavily Spanish speaking area.  I’m teaching myself Japanese.  So, Irish Gaelic.  Cause when will I ever get the chance to use either of the last two?  I adore futility.

What do you love most about where you currently live?

Not much?  Um, the lack of swarms of insects is nice.  Though we make up for the lack of large amounts of insects - the ones we do have are severely nasty:  scorpions, black widows, brown wolfs, centipedes.  Also?  I’m loving my new knit group.  We’re small, but all of us are awesome!

What is your favorite colour?

By themselves?  All of them.  It’s when they’re put together that I can find fault.  I’m not a fan of muddy dark colors being mixed.  I tend to think of them as wintery and dreary.  Think dark berry colors mixed.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?

Hard to say at present.  I’ve been working on dressing better lately, so I have lots of new clothes that I think look awesome on me.  Which tends to make them favorites.  Also, they’re not “trendy” so they won’t go out of style before I get to wear them twice (I hate that.  Why would I spend my money on something like that?)  But I would have to say my collection of A-line sleeveless dresses.  I feel pretty, and they’re easy.

What were you doing ten years ago?

Living in Denver, going to Bel-Rea, and wondering when I was going to grow up yet not trying to.

Describe your personal style?

Since there was a clothing question earlier, I’m going to assume this is a general life question.  I’d say I’m slightly kooky, handmade, eclectic with a softness to it.  Kinda a grown-up/vintage-y version of 80’s country (which I grew up with - my mother was addicted to that look.)

If you had $300 now, what would you spend it on?

A second spinning wheel for travel/MissV to use?  Jewelry from Sassafras Creations on Etsy?  Indie Perfume?  Spinning materials?  Home decor?  (I’m not happy with my living room or bedroom.  Both are dreary and sort of…dormroom-esque.)

What are you going to do after this?

Shower and get dressed for MissV’s gymnastics class. 

What are your favorite films?

Labyrinth, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ratatouille, Stardust.  The first three I grew up on, and have seen into the triple digits (with the notable exception of Labyrinth which if not already there is very close to quadriple digits.)  The latter two are my new favorites.  Stardust is just wonderfully realized, and Ratatouille is amazing - they made *taste* visible. 

What inspires you?

Just about anything. 

Whose work/designs are you inspired by?

I love Ysolda Teague’s designs, Anna Sui (though they are outlandish, they are good inspiration to take the outlandish and make it more usable by the average person.)  Norah Gaughan has interesting designs/constructions, but there is little of that I want to actually knit.  Cat Bordhi.

Your favourite books?

I love Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series, Jennifer Roberson’s Cheysuli Chronicles, and (guilty pleasure alert) Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake series.

Do you collect anything?

Teapots - mostly “tea-for-one.”  Fiber, yarn.  DVDs.  Failures.

What makes you follow a blog?

Interesting content, good pictures.  Regular updates (I guess I’m failing miserably on that one.)

What was the most enjoyable thing you did today?

Hmm…still early.  Sleep?

Happy Birthday to my MissV.  Three years old already!  You amaze me everyday!

Ok, so not really, but I’ve been busy.  Spinning.  I’ve gotten down to a light fingering 3-ply, and I’m pretty excited about that.  I keep hearing people talking about their spinning stash…how it overflows, how they’ll never be able to spin it all up.  When do I get to be there?  Every time I get fiber I can’t wait to spin, and then it’s all gone, and I have nothing to spin again.  I keep drooling over the stuff at Crown Mountain Farms, but I’m being good and not buying anything.  (Let me tell you, that’s hard.  I *WANT*.)

My girlie turns three in three weeks.  She got super excited about the prospect of a Mickey Mouse birthday party, so Mickey Mouse it is.  I had originally wanted to do the Clubhouse in cake…but I’m no Duff.  So, because I can’t keep the craftyness to myself, she’s getting a sheet cake.  But thanks to several styrofoam balls and some colored cocktail napkins (so much cheaper than tissue paper!!!) she still gets the Clubhouse.  The pieces are almost complete, and I’m still going to play with fondant for a few of the embellishments, but at least it won’t be a disaster day before her party!  (Speaking of which, I still haven’t heard back from any of the people with kids I invited…I would be *heartbroken* for her if she didn’t have anyone to play with.  hint-hint.)

I have taken the crazy pills.  I knew I was crazy when I tried to do “The” scarf on 000s with crochet cotton, but I’ve decided I want one.  (Probably because my sock mojo is on hiatus and I want something mindless I can carry around with me.)  However, I’m modifying it a bit.  A plurk-friend planted the seed - knit the scarf on the bias.  So, I’m doing that, but in an effort for it to not overwhelm me, I’m doing it in fingering on size 2s.  I’m about halfway through the first purple repeat as I type this.  And thanks muchly for the super cool graphic that automatically updates from the spreadsheet!!!

(I’m crossing my fingers that works!)

I made a lapghan for my mother.  I’m hoping she actually likes it.  It’s so hard to knit for people who don’t wear sweaters, scarves, hats, mittens, or (wool) socks.

Specs -

Pattern - Hemlock Ring Blanket , as made famous by Jared Flood

Needles - Knitpicks Options Harmony, US10/6mm & US11/8mm

Yarn - Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool, color 098 (natural cream) 1.5 skeins

Notes - Yeah.  Not so much cream, huh?  I had purchased the yarn with the intention of dyeing it a brown color.  I kettle dyed it twice.  The first time?  The dye never penetrated to the bottom of the pot, so I had giant chunks of blanket still off-white, so I did it again, this time with the undyed bits closer to the top.  The color isn’t uniform across, and I like that about it.  Sadly, I was shy about ten pins in the final blocking, but I still think it looks ok. 

Hmm…what else.  I’m Toodledo-ing myself now.  It’s helping.  My to-do lists are still as long as they used to be, but I can remember what they are now.  Which means they actually get done!  Yay for organization!

Ok, so I promised myself a while back I wasn’t going to apologize for lack of blog posts, and I’m still keeping to that, but I will apologize to everyone for other radio silence.  I haven’t had much time for, well, anything other than errands, to-do lists, etc lately.  And when I check my email, there are unanswered ones in there from *months* ago.  Sorry ’bout that!  I’m feeling really sheepish!  (Especially since I thought I had emailed one person last month about getting together, and when I checked tonight, I haven’t sent her an email since like December!  ~facepalm~)

I’ve got other stuff to post, but it’s late and I’m tired, so you’ll get the geeking out another time (and yes, there is geeking.  Lots of it.)

I have been a *machine* baby - churning out the knits like nobody’s business.

I spent a while there churning out the wearables - or at least it felt like it to me.  One of the vests is still not done, mostly due to the fact that I used the wrong needle on the whole of the thing.

Specs -

Pattern - Talia from Knitty by SweaterBabe

Yarn - Patons Classic Merino Wool in Charcoal, 3 balls

Needle - US 9/5.5mm KP Options Harmony

Notes - Quick knit.  Like, seriously quick.  I did the buttonholes a row late and wound up with them on the wrong side, but it’s a little thing.  I knew I’d be wearing this closed, so I went ahead and stitched the button band shut - with negative ease it would have just gaped open at the buttons.  Plus?  They are open spirals…not exactly easy to button onto a loosely knitted band!

Next?  Mmmmmmalabrigo.  Yum.

Specs -

Pattern - A Better Bucket by Amy Swenson 

Yarn - Malabrigo Merino Worsted, 1 skein Pearl and leftovers of Tortuga

Needle - US 7/5.5mm KP Options

Notes - I used Solaris’ mods for a bigger hat.  I’m glad I did, but I spaced on reading the directions and did the brim on the same needle size as the crown, so it doesn’t have the flare I’d like it to.  I knit a little rosebud and attached it, but if I can find a pretty vintage paste jewel or something, I’ll trade it out.  This thing is warm and soft, and I love it!  I love it so much that I cast on for another one the next night.  Sadly, the second was done in a cotton/silk that had been marinating in the stash for over a year (I was searching for the *perfect pattern*, you know how that goes.)  I should have used smaller needles,  and fewer stitches.  I can’t even frog the failure to reclaim the yarn - it breaks with the slightest tug.  It was souviner yarn, too…but it’s lost now.  ~sad face~

Spinning…this one is my favorite.

This would be bamboo/merino blend I acquired from MizViolet’s studio when I visited.  It’s a heavy fingering/sport weight.  I’m getting pretty darn proud of my spinning!  Currently, it’s all skeined up hanging on my wall looking pretty, but I’m thinking it’d going to be a pair of socks one day.  It’s a true three ply, about 360 yards.  It garnered a serious pat on the back when it was done.  Only two weeks playing with my wheel and I managed this?  (Sorry, getting all “Hooray for me” again.  I’m better now.)

Lessee…oh!  A pair of socks. 

Specs -

Pattern - Plain vanilla Stockinette toe-up

Yarn - Austermann Step in Vulcan

Needle - US0/2mm Addi Turbo magic loop

Notes - These started out life as toe up Annetrelacs from IK holiday 07, but two rows/squares/whatever into it, I really did not enjoy knitting them  I’m fine with entrelac, so I’m guessing it was the “in the round” bit that I wasn’t digging.  So, I ripped back and worked the cuff in stockinette.  I tried to knit until the yan ran out, but there was still a few yards left on each sock.  They were just getting too snug near the top and I didn’t want to do increases on the last few rows.  I can’t wait to wear these…what with the Aloe and Jojoba in the yarn.  I’m hoping it’ll be like a mini pedicure for my feet.

Ahh, a hat from handspun.  This was from the other roving I got from MizViolet when I was there.

Specs -

Pattern - Chapeau Marnier by Marnie Maclean from Knitty

Yarn - 4oz Handspun Merino/Tencel. I spun a long single and Navajo plied.  Sadly, my spinning was not as even on this one.

Needle - 16″ US 1/2.25mm KP.  Thing was *sharp* - it put a hole in my index finger from pushing the tip to advance the stitches.

Notes - I actually knit this to pattern specs (large) for the length, but sadly it’s still too snug and short for me.  I’m either going to hang on to it, or find a preteen girl who likes to wear hats to give this one to. The roving was really beautiful - blacks and greys with light green and pink.  Sadly, my spinning didn’t do it justice, and when I went to soak it, I knew that it would bleed, but I didn’t add any vinegar to the water so the whole thing got a grey cast.  I was sad. all round.

I’ve spent this weekend taking apart my wheel and staining/sealing it.  Pictures to come soon, though - it looks better in the sun and there are a few embellishments that I need to finish before I want to show it off.

Speaking of spinning, I’m really drawn to artyarns now that I have the wheel.  I still have no desire to knit with them, but I want to spin them so badly I can taste it.  I’ve got a notebook next to the computer with three pages of notes for different artyarns.  So expect to be seeing some of those sometime soon.

I’ve blatantly stolen this one from Selana, cause it looked like fun.  And since this is my first post of the new year - Happy New Year!!

The game goes like this:

1. Grab your iPod or other MP3 player and randomize your songs.
2. Type the first line/phrase of the first 20-40 songs that come up (you can skip one if the first line is, say, the actual title of the song).
3. Anyone can try and guess the title of the song by commenting on this note.
4. When the title has been guessed, bold out the lyric and add the name of the person who guessed it.
5. NO cheating by using search engines to find answers.

Start:

1.  Through the rise and fall
2.  Over sea under stone I will find myself alone
3.  I can only give you love that lasts forever
4.  I love the time and in between
5.  Day after day I’ll always love you
6.  I know the sickening thoughts that slither around your head
7.  E saw miny briddes seten on a tree - “Omnes Gentes Plaudite (The Drinking Song)” Mediaeval Baebes
8.  A cross upon her bedroom wall - Type-O-Negative ‘Christian Woman’
9.  One might see in Mina my disease but it is she who has infected me for all eternity - Cradle of Filth “Lovesick for Mina”
10. Yellow bird flying gets shot in the wing
11. Oh you get me ready in your 56 chevy - “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” by Paula Cole
12. You’re not ready for the world outside - Tony Head as Giles, from Buffy Once More With Feeling “Standing”
13. Oh, baby you’re young but that’s ok
14. Baby you’re dada loves you
15. The songwriter’s dead
16. Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies - Dire Straits “Walk of Life”
17. Its still getting worse after everything I tried
18. She said she needed a break, a little time to think - Ohio (Come Back To Texas) by Bowling for Soup
19. You’re attention please.  Now turn off the light
20. Swingin’ on the front porch
21. How lucky can one guy be? - “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head” Dean Martin
22. Lying in the bed I hear the clock tick and think of you - Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time”
23. Well there is no such thing as you
24. Waking in a sweat forsaking pleasures for regret - Cradle of Filth “Ten Leagues Beneath Contempt”
25. There’s always the diamond friendly
26. I don’t know where I’m going but I sure know where I’ve been - Whitesnake “Here I go Again”
27. So I ran faster - Precious Things by Tori Amos
28. Those fingers in my hair
29. Last day of the rest of my life .D.
30. When I come to terms, to terms with this
31. Checkmate, honey, beat you at your own damn game
32. Sometimes I feel I’ve got to run away “Tainted Love” Soft Cell
33. On the first part of the journey
34. Some folks are born made to wave the flag
35. I know we got some history we got some issues that we need to solve
36. If you ever get close to a human and human behaviour - Bjork “Human Behaviour”
37. I was sent to outer space to find another happy place
38. Johnny thinks that prozac can help him out a bit
39. Here we go vertigo video vertigo
40. It’s the sad story about a deer and a man

(Alright, I went a little overboard, but it was fun!  I was a little liberal with the use of the “skip” button, partly because I have a lot of instrumental-type songs, and partly because my iPod is where I store MissV’s car music, so these are all songs I freely listen to rather than the ones a toddler forces upon me.  Also?  I never realized how eclectic is the stuff I listen to!)

*wigglebounce*

Ok, so when I get excited my brain doesn’t function normally - I either think in LolCat, or in Binks (as in JarJar.)  In order for the entire scifi geek community to not kill me, you’re getting LolCat.

Also?  Please forgive the craptastic flash photography - I couldn’t hold back the tide of squee until morning light.  Now that the PSAs are done with, on with the show!

I got a spinning wheel!

Isn’t it gorgeous!?  (I just about typed “she”, but then I realized that it doesn’t so much seem like a “she” to me - it’s more of a “he”.  Maybe it’s the heft - 22lbs!!)

So, it’s a Mach 1 from Spinolution.  And that’s the lazy kate beside it, with four extra bobbins.  And these things are *massive*!  It can hold around ten ounces of fiber.  TEN OUNCES!!!  Most other wheels hold around four, and only some come with a jumbo flyer/bobbin accessory.  I don’t see myself having  space problems anytime soon.  It’s also got heel rests to keep the wheel from scooting away from me while I spin, foot breaks on either side, and true scotch tensioning.  It’s got an open orifice, pegs instead of hooks, and four ratios from 1:3 - 1:15.  It’s everything I wanted, and it looks awesome doing it!  I got the unfinished one, and I’m debating on how I want to finish it (I know I’m not going to just leave it.  I have a two year old…)  Originally, I had thought about a copper paint job, and hit the low points with dark stain to “age” it - Steampunk wheel ftw!  But now that I have it I’m not so sure.  I know the flyer assembly, treadles, and heel rests are getting a few coats of lacquer to help prevent staining (both from feet and from stray dye on fiber.) Other than that, maybe just a nice rub down with some Tung oil, though I do still want some sort of personalization.  Anyway!

I couldn’t wait to play with it, so I dug out the “caramel drizzled vanilla” fiber hunk I picked up at Taos S&W and spun it up.  It made about two ounces of a fluffy two-ply.  I’m going to wash and set it tomorrow, but I’m guessing it varies from DK to aran.  Isn’t it yummy????  I’m calling it “Caramel a la Mode.”

I’ve been flying under the radar a lot lately.  I guess it’s partly because of the holiday knitting.  My original goal was to get it done by Thanksgiving day (Nov 27, for those outside the US) but that fell through.  Now?  I’m shooting for getting the absolute necessities done by the end of the month (and yes, I know there’s only two more days.)  I’m going scarf sets for the in-laws, and currently I’ve got two scarves and a pair of fingerless mitts.  Just one more pair of mitts, and I can call it complete.  There was supposed to be a hat in there, but as of the last week or so my shoulder has *really* been feeling off.  When I knit it sort of…I dunno, vibrates.  I know that sounds wierd, but it’s the best explanation I have.  So I’ve been shying away from the knitting.  It’s making me crazy…I don’t have anything else that I can take with me to keep my hands busy.  But enough about my crazy.  Let me talk about what I have knitted since the last time I posted.

First up - socks.  I like these socks!

Specs -

Pattern - Test knit, pattern to be published

Yarn - Lime&Violet Sock Stories, Curiosity Shoppe

Needle - US 1.5/2.5mm addi turbo and US1/2.25mm KnitPicks, magic loop

Notes - Since they were a test knit, other than magic looping instead of DPNs, I did these exactly as written.  I’ve since changed the ribbon to a medium black organza, and I luuurv them!

I’m seriously thinking of using the Cherry Tree Hill I overdyed ages ago and making these into knee-highs.  The yarn is a deep purple, and with wide organza ribbon up the back?  Yes, please!

Next up…lessee…Oh!  I finished the sweater!

Specs -

Pattern - Dark Victory by Annie Modesitt, in Romantic Handknits

Yarn - Malabrigo Merino Worsted, in Col China (6 balls), Pearl (1 ball) and Tortuga (1 ball)

Needle - US 7/4.5mm and US 8/5.0mm KnitPicks Options

Notes - Oh, where to start?  Well, I’ve blogged previously about this sweater, so I’m just going to addend what I’ve already said.  The sleeves?  Did them two at a time, cause the directions were so vague on them I would never have gotten two that look alike otherwise.  I also did the sleeves twice.  Yes, twice.  The first time, they were unbearably tight at the cuff, and far too large and bulky at the join.  So, I frogged and restarted.  I took notes on what I did.  The size I knit was the 48″, and this is what I did to get sleeves that worked for me (and are also longer than the bracelet length sleeves the book has you knit.)

• C/O 42 stitches (one size up from my listed size.) (K2, P2) across, ending k2. Place marker 4 stitches in from each edge. Knit 4 more rows in pattern, on the 6th row, inc 1 stitch in pattern at outside of marker (if you k2 just before marker,
• inc 1 p, if you p1 before marker, inc 1 p, etc.)

However, all that (and previous posts) said - I’m still thinking of knitting this again, in a more everyday workhorse type yarn (like Cascade 220 or something) and without the fancier details.  I’m thinking of doing it in grey with black, stockinette instead of slipped stitches, and no twined border.  I love the way this sits, (except for the little mistake.) 

I forgot to mention the mistake!  Well, not so much a mistake as an issue.  Malabrigo grows when blocked.  I was fully expecting that, but I really didn’t expect *how* it would grow.  Everyone else who knitted this sweater said it grew in width for them.  But not me…oh, no.  The length was where it got me.  And it wouldn’t have been such an issue save that it puts the hip decreases and bust increases several inches lower than they should be.  But it’s not really noticeable when I’m wearing it, so I’m not changing a thing.

Clementine.  I finished the Clementine Shawlette, I grafted and blocked even.  I just have no new pictures of it. 

I made two different stashbusting garments for MissV - one is a vest, and the other…well, garterstitch is good for the soul, don’tcha know? 

Specs -

Pattern - Cowgirl Butterfly Astronaut Vest by f.pea

Yarn - Mission Falls 1824 Wool, 2 balls Cranberry, 3 balls Cranberry Tricolor

Needle - US 5/3.75 mm and US 7/4.5mm KP Options

Notes - I would have been finished sooner, but I had to go to the LYS to get another skein of the solid. This one was quick, but the knitting really hurt my hands. Even on 7s (and getting gauge, I checked after it was done ;P ) it was a tight knit. Then the button bands and sleeves in the smaller gauge? Even worse.
Also? The pattern has a few errors and omissions. I got it to work out all right, but there were a few things I would have liked clarification on.

The yarn softened immensely after washing, and blocking was done pretty severely.  I wanted the vest to almost close in the front, so it required really stretching the ribbing while it dried.  I think it worked out wonderfully. and she’s gotten several comments on it, too.

Specs -

Pattern - EZ Modular Tomten

Yarn - Random single balls of Lion Wool and Patons Classic Merino

Needle - US 8/5.0mm KP Harmony Options

Notes - I had far too many single balls of pure wool yarns, loads of different colors, too.  So, I decided to stashbust, and at the time I was in need of some simple garter stitch (for sanity, you understand.)  I reached for the Opinionated Knitter, and decided on a Tomten.  I think it came out wonderfully.  I’ve since added a cream icord to both arms at the shoulder join to clean it up - the picked up stitches could have been done better.  This was also my first time setting a zipper into a knitted item, and that came out very well, too!  I’ve done the sleeves long so they can be rolled up for now, but as she grows her wrists wont show out the cuffs.  I also didn’t do the short rows in the back - and seeing it on her, I don’t think they would have done any good either.  The ends were a pain on this one, too…see all those stripes?  Each one had two ends to weave.  (Yes, I know the knitters know this, I’m just re-iterating…)  I had 43 grams of ends once the whole thing was done (I weighed them…)

Well, that’s all the knitting I’m going to show, but I thought, in deference to the season, I’d leave you with a recipe that is a big hit at my house.  It’s a modification of another (quick and easy) recipe that my grandmother gave me.  Doesn’t have a real name, but I think it tastes like summer.

1 8oz block cream cheese, softened

1 8oz tub cool whip

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)

green food coloring

12″ graham cracker pie crust

Whip the cream cheese until smooth, add the milk, lime juice, and food coloring.  Mix until it’s all combined.  Fold in the cool whip (do not overstir!)  Pour into the pie crust, and refrigerate for two hours or until the pie is set.  Enjoy!  (and keep refrigerated!)

Well, that’s it.  Time to go.  Hope everyone is having good knitting!  (And don’t try to knit more than you’re able this season - gift knitting is more appreciated when it’s stressed over less!  ;)  )