A Woolly Discipline

List, List, Oh List!

2012-02-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

Wherein we discuss (in detail, and with pictures) the projects that require accomplishment, in order of age, though not necessarily of import.

Item the First:

Absolutely Fabulous Afghan Kit from Colinette

The oldest of projects, this afghan (henceforth to be known as the "Blanket of Perpetuousity") has been my bosom companion for near a decade. It is detestable in its unwillingness to finish itself, and if familiarity breeds contempt, then this rag is held in deepest scorn. Also it is very pretty.

Started in the Year of Our Lord 2001, I will turn all my attention to finishing this beast post haste.

Item the Second:

Watergarden

The Watergarden Cardigan. This fair isle sweater is designed as a pullover. I, in my hubris, saw no reason that I should not convert my first full fair isle attempt into a cardigan as I knit it. This beauty will no doubt bring me many hours of joy as I re-learn to simultaneously pick and throw. The steeking does not bear consideration, lest my too delicate sensibilities be overcome with dread.

Begun March 13, 2008, this lovely sweater may be doomed to further languish as focus is placed on other, easier projects.

Item the Third:

The Doctor's Scarf

An infamous project, instantly recognizable. This charming piece has everything to recommend it, and nothing to detract save its interminable length. Veritable miles of garter stitch monotony, broken only the whimsy of sporadic, unpredictable color change.

Begun during the early fall of 2008.

Item the Fourth:

Amelia

Amelia. This dear cardigan is perfect in every way, save its proclivity for the dread "purl through back loop," a finicky and awkward maneuver at best.

This lovely green sweater was first begun during the year of 2010, although faulty record keeping shrouds the exact date in the mists of time.

Item the Fifth:

Nemesis

Aptly named, the Nemesis has eluded completion. First cast on at a slight 64 stitches, the truth about my ankles was quickly made known, and the first attempt was doomed to disgrace and destruction. Cast on anew, the first sock has now reached the heel, and may yet prevail.

The first, failed attempt was begun on May 1, 2011. A day for lovers, but not, it seems, for that doomed sock. The difficult decision made, a new sock was begun that June.

Item the Sixth:

The Lotus Eaters

Later that same month, another project was conceived and then, alas, abandoned. The Lotus Eaters, a sweet summer top, was intended to be created in an act of camaraderie with the author's dear friend. Each would knit their respective shifts in solidarity. All the best of intent went into the planning of this activity, but neither knitter saw her way clear to continue. Perhaps they were distracted on some lonely isle, with naught to eat but Lotus leaves, their commitments forgotten and abandoned behind them.

Item the Seventh:

Ravenclaw Socks

Humble in both yarn and pattern, these socks appeal through their patterning. The bronze and blue put one in mind of a certain, noble House, known for their ready minds and wit beyond measure.

Begun in 2011, one sock has already been complete. It's mate cast on and resting in the author's reticule awaiting it's completion.

Item the Eighth:

A pattern of the knitter's own devising, this scarf will one day grace the slender neck of a young lady of good breeding in my acquaintance. The colors are to her liking, displaying as it does all of the hues of a freshly shorn unicorn.

Begun during September of 2011, this was meant to to serve as a gift to display my Auntish affections. Another project made itself known, however, and this scarf abandoned. Perhaps her birthday?

The above contains a true and factual accounting of all knitting projects currently desirous of finishing. February should many of these fine projects put, at last, to rest.

February Eve

2012-01-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

It's almost February, and anyone who is paying attention knows that means that there's about to be a whole mess of finishing around here.

The month of February is devoted to the act and promise of Finishing. It falls on the calendar during what ought to be the coldest (wtf January? 60 degrees? Really?) time of year. Days are short and nights long, but we are on the rising side of the Yule Solstice, and heading into spring. It's time to clean out the old, and start making plans for Spring.

So that means getting some of those old projects off the needles. (Hard to cast on three new shawls and some socks when all the needles are stuck into Auntie Mabel's old cardigan, eh?)

"Finishing" for the purposes of the February that I'll be having usually means actually, you know, knitting the project. But it also means "frogging" (I like yarn, as the lady says, more than I like bad hats), and flinging (this dishcloth is made out of acrylic from 1978? Gosh!).

Okay, I think I may have flung all of the projects that would have qualified under that rule last year. And have not, thankfully, cast on any new ones.

I may have actually cheated some, and started a week early.

What? I'm allowed to finish things.

Two weeks ago I finished a wee shawl and a hat.

Twig Lace Cap

Ginkgo Shawl (as of yet unblocked)

But that was before I made my list. Those of you who were around last year (and the years before that) will remember that I have ... a problem. A starting things problem. Without a matching "and then also finishing things" problem.

Last year I had 25 UFOs/WIPs on January 31st.

This year? This year I got 8. (Okay, yes, half of them were on my list last year too. Hush.

12 UFOs on January 24

When this picture was taken I had 12. I finished this:

Vegamot Cap

And I frogged these:

Doomed Forest Walkers

Unlikely Mitts

Terrible Headband

Which leaves me with 8. Tune in tomorrow for a full listing. And also a strategy! (Of sorts!)

Clown Barf Hat (Needs A Better Name)

2011-10-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

I've finished another project (or two? I'm having trouble keeping track since I can't actually talk about all of them here) since last we spoke. A wise friends suggested that if I needed to knit a hat from stash, and all my stash is fingering or lace weight, that there are not actually any ordinances prohibiting holding the yarn double.

Duh.

So, the Clown Barf hat was conceived and born. Made of a pattern of my own reckoning: simple-simple...rolled brim on size 6 needles, stockinette on 8s. CO. 80 stitches, increase to 88 when changing needles. Knit until you are bored or about 6 inches. Spread the decreases out evenly across the 88 stitches--first round was knit 9, k2tog around--I decreased in a manner that made sense and ended up without being too flat or too pointy, et voila:

I swear I just took this picture...it is not, in fact, Spring in TN.

Made from two ancient balls (heh heh) of Knitpicks Memories Sock Yarn. It will make some ~~clown~~ 11 year old happy.

In other news, Halloween is nearly upon us. I have had neither time, nor energy, nor spoons to devote to kids' Halloween. Morgan is planning to be a Hogwarts student (a costume that anyone in this house could put together with their eyes closed, and one hand tied behind their back...although that would make putting the robe on awkward). Rowan wants to be a cone-head zombie from Plants vs. Zombies. It'll be adorable, assuming I can come up with a reasonable facsimile of an orange traffic cone to place upon his pate.

Wish me luck.

Weekend of Knitting, Net Gain 2" of Hat

2011-10-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

I decided yesterday to find a pattern for the blue wool that Jess brought me from London-town.

Pretty Wool From London-town

It's a pretty blue-dark blue aran weight twist. So I used Ravelry's brilliant search system and found Vegamot. It's designed for DK weight yarn and relies heavily on texture (Down-side: it involves purls. Up-side: it is super-cute.)

I cast on, and made it about 2" in when I realized I wasn't loving it. Something wasn't quite right. (Two somethings...my cast-on looked terrible). I decided to take it off the needles and try it on to see if that changed anything. It did and it didn't...once it stretched out the cast-on was fine, and the yarn was taking the pattern pretty well, but my forehead started itching like you wouldn't believe.

Poor thing ended up in the frog pond - I decided that it didn't matter how cute the hat was if no one would wear it. I am going to set the yarn aside for now. I think it might be a bag when it grows up.

So, today I decided to try again. I found a new pattern, and chose a different yarn. Except for the part where I missed two yarn overs two rows down (which, through my extreme lack of attention led to the loss of six total stitches...long story, it was dumb. Okay, that's actually a pretty short story), yeah so, except for that this next hat is turning out MUCH better. I tinked back three rows, fixed my boo-boos and am back on track.

Seems like October and I are not getting along as well as September and I did.

Slowing Down and Gearing Up

2011-10-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

The knitting is starting taper off here at chez woolly. After hurting my wrists last weekend, I decided to take a bit of a break. I did (finally) finish Saucy McGoogles' mitts, though -- so that's done and good.

That brings my Yulemas knitting total to 7 completed gifts. I need to hurry up though, because November is National Novel Writing Month, and not only will I be writing a 50,000 word novel during the month, I'm also the co-ML (municipal liaison) for Murfreesboro. So I will be a busy, busy girl in November, with no time to knit.

Yule Gifts in potentia

See that up there? Sure it looks like a pile of yarn, but really it's a bunch of hats. They just don't know it yet.

Wish me luck, y'all.

My cat is constitutionally incapable of not getting in the middle of every picture taken in his presence.

Wherein I Discuss Gifts in Couched Terms and Have no Pictures

2011-10-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that with a blog title like that, you can't wait to read this.

I've slowed down quite a bit on my knitting because I hurt my wrists this week (a combination of too much knitting and moving a couch. Waily.) I'm going to try to get some more done this afternoon though while I watch football, so all is not lost.

I starting trying to make up a mitt pattern to go with the Tam I made for Miss Awkward Potatoes (hey! I can show a picture.) Here's the tam in question:

A Fine Hat

I had a bit of a gauge accident though, and the result was something not fit for man nor beast nor wee little girl. So, back to the proverbial drawing board on that one. Also, worsted weight color-work with magic loop technique and only 40 something stitches is whatchacall AWKWARD.

My gift for Saucy McGoogles is more than half done. I can post no more here, lest they be reading, but suffice it to say, my plan continues apace.

On a final note, I would like to report that I have been more prolific in producing knits in the past few weeks than perhaps at any other time in my knitting career. That sentence had a preponderance of "p" words. Anyway. My plan (there's another one) to knit from stash was dashed when I realized that my yarn is nearly all lace and fingering weight. The lack of worsted weight yarn in my stash, and my previously demonstrated inability to finish projects in a timely manner may be directly related to one another. I'm just sayin'.

"Meow" Means "Knit me a hat," in Kitty Speak.

2011-09-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Yulemas knitting is continuing apace, here at chez woolly. I've now completed 6 (count them, SIX) knitted gifts since Labor Day, and am right at halfway done with Saucy McGoogles' mitts.

"Meow" means "I like that hat, Miss Boppy. Knit me one," in Kitty.

Comrade Twinkletoes' gift is now complete (although I do still have something else about half done for her -- we'll see what becomes of that.)

I am really not sure where all of this industry is coming from, and frankly I'm a little afraid to examine the phenomenon too closely, lest I jinx it. It may be safely said, however, that my concurrent desire to re-watch all of the Appendices to the Extended Edition Lord of the Rings DVDs has been both aiding and abetting the knitting.

For that matter, Sunday football has helped too.

Proliferation

2011-09-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

My Yulemas knitting continues apace.

So far I've managed gifts for:

Miss Snarfblatt
Marmalade Lady-Pants
Miss Awkward Potatoes
Signor Mountebank

And I'm half-way through a thing for Comrade Twinkle-toes. I'm considering another gift for that one as well.

Signor Mountebank's Goodly Robot Hat

Despite near universal claims that he'd much rather have socks, I've made this Robot Hat for Signor Mountebank. (Okay, there is no way he's reading this...but the nick-name thing is too much fun.)

The thing is, he's got two feet, but only one head, so there's that. Also, the aforementioned feet have a tendency to grow about half an inch every night, so there's no way they'd fit him come December.

Of course, that said, I'm considering designing some wee little robot mitts to match.

Miss Awkward Potatoes' Tam

Miss Awkward Potatoes will be receiving this lovely and poly-chromatic tam. (The other side is also pretty, but I didn't manage to take a good picture of it).

It's made with Knitpicks' Chroma Worsted and Swish DK. I've never done colorwork with a yarn that changes colors like the Chroma before (although I've often admired pictures). It was fun, and makes me look clever — so I call that a win.

The pattern is Mom's Tam. I'm planning mitts and a scarf to go with. We'll see how much gets done between now and then. I figure I'll spread out the love some, as I'm hoping to manage knit gifts for many of my kith and kin this year.

Operation Knit All the Things

2011-09-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

So far "Operation Knit All the Things" seems to be very successful. I cast on another gift today, and am already nearly half way done. I feel like a BOSS. I am going to try really hard to finish it tomorrow.

Okay, three more months of no pictures and saying "it" and "the thing" is going to get real damn old. Maybe I'll come up with clever code names for everything -- that will help!

So far I have one thing finished for Miss Snarfblatt.
I am right at half way done with the gift for Marmalade Lady-pants.
I am going to make fingerless mitts for Saucy McGoogles.
Little Miss Awkward Potatoes is getting a hat/scarf/mitten set.

No, no ... that's still pretty ridiculous.

How do other people blog about their Christmas knitting?

It's the Most Wondrous Time of the Year

2011-09-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

And I'm not (just) talkin' bout sending the kids back to school.

I'm challenging myself to come up with Yulemas gifts for people out of my stash. I don't usually manage to get much done in the way of handknits for people (I have chronic good intentions disease. As anyone who has read more than three posts on this blog has no doubt sussed out). But I'm feeling pretty good about it this year. I already have a gift finished, the pattern and yarn lined up for another, and a strong plan for a third.

I could DO this. I think this calls for some lists.

Upside:

My love is demonstrated through wool. This is never wrong.
I use some stash, thereby creating room for more stash. Win!
I like to knit.

Downside:

I can't actually show any pictures of anything.
Maybe I could post some pictures of a duck.
My hands get crampy.

All in all... pictureless blog posts aside, I'd say this plan shows clear promise.

Retro Daffodil Ribs

2011-06-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn Clark from Interweave's Favorite Socks.

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll in Dandelion

Needles: Knitpicks Options Nickel, size 2 (3.0 mm)

Started: March Something, 2011

Finished: June 30, 2011

These are for Rhiannon, who demanded happy, yellow socks. Women's size 9-10.

Always Do Your Best

2011-06-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our Fourth Mostly-Annual Apollonian MidSummer Games. The event entailed Nine Games of Strength, Wisdom, Cleverness, Endurance, and Bad-Ass Pie Baking Skills. We competed in a Marathon (three miles of race-walking. Real athletes would scoff, but even so), the long jump (our longest jumper went 103" -- approximately 30" longer than his own height), coloring pages of the gods, and also pie.

A Plate of Pre-Prepared Pie Contest Entries

It was awesome.

All throughout the day, the same message was repeated, "Always do your best." We weren't competing to win (I lie. We were totally competing to win.) But we were also competing to give the very best of ourselves as a gift to the divine and to our community.

We ate the very best foods for lunch and also for dinner.

Don't You Wish Your Caprese Was Hot Like Me?

And we played a hard-core game of Twister.

Game On.

Always do your best.

It's a good rule to live by, even when you aren't trying to throw a frisbee across the yard like an Olympic Athlete.

It applies to baking.

Rhiannon is baking buns for tonight's cheeseburgers.

Mmmm. Cheeseburgers.

And also to knitting (you knew there was going to be a tie-in, didn't you?)

Nemesis...Aptly Named Socks Take 2

I started over. It's important to always do your best.

Conspiracy Theory

2011-06-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to think I might be cursed. (Okay, not really) But you remember my May-June Sock Club Socks? "Ooh, look at the pretty depth and shading" I said.

Well, the thrice-blessed things don't fit.

The same problem I had with my doomed Jerkwalters. I've been successfully knitting socks for many years. Sometimes socks with patterns. And fancy work. Heck, I made a Nancy Bush sock once, and it fit me. What the eff is the matter with me now? I am so ready to frog this frakker and knit something in stockinette.

Okay, not really. I'm about to go cast on the next size up and try again.

At Least I Didn't Have to Make Any of This Up

2011-06-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

I told myself that I had to blog today, even if I hadn't done anything interesting. "If you haven't done anything interesting, make something up," I says to myself.

As it happens, I have done some things — although whether or not they are interesting is at worst debatable, and at best, in the eye of the beholder. You'll have to let me know.

Rhiannon's Retro Daffodil Socks aren't any farther along than they were when last we spoke, but I did take another pretty picture of them.

Three-quarters of a pair of pretty socks.

I have worked on my Sock of the Month Nemesis socks. I'm not super sure they'll fit, but gosh they're pretty. I was worried that the pattern wouldn't show well in the Happy Feet, but it doesn't look like that's an issue.

Isn't the depth and shading pretty?

That's all done with increases and decreases.

And lastly but not leastly, I've dug out my Ab-Fab Afghan kit from 200...and something, 2004, I think, and have started working on it again. It's been a zillion years. We all know that I have a bit of a problem with project monogamy...this comes as a shock to no one, but at least this is an old project revisited. I get some credit for that...right?

One square of many.

And there you have it, all the news that's fit to print. Oh! And I am still working on Robert's quilt too. Every Tuesday night, the Sock Monkey quilt and I settle down in front of NCIS for some quality together time.

At this rate, I might be able to blog about finishing something, and we all know how rare that is.

The First Rule of Sock Club

2011-06-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

The first rule of Sock Club is that you DO NOT BLOG ABOUT Sock Club.

That's my official excuse for not telling you about my May-June Self Imposed Sock Club socks until June 1.

The rules about Sock Club should be considered as the Pirate Code.... more like guidelines really. Somewhere around Rule 11.b.ii is: You should eventually knit the socks.

So anyway, after entirely too much ado, I introduce you to June's Nemesis.

Pattern: Nemesis

Yarn: Plymouth Happy Feet, Color "4"

Needles: Two

I'm not far in, but I'm dedicating every Wednesday in June to their creation, so I have great hope (especially after the failure of my Mar-Apr Jerkwalters.)

I like them already.

(I now only have two pairs of socks on the needles, these and my Retro Daffodil Ribs. It feels weird. I may cast on a "plain" sock... just to keep my options open.)

A Most Rare and Wondrous Thing*

2011-05-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've been doing quite a bit of crafting here in the koff-monthandahalf-koff that I have been quiet.

I bailed completely on my Mar-Apr Sock Club Socks (they were Not Meant To Be), but I cast on some spiffy new May-June Socks, about which later will I blog. I've also been working on some pretty yellow socks for Rhiannon, and --get this-- I actually finished my Checkerboard Twist socks. I know! I was shocked too!

(Confession time. Knitpicks recently had a sale on sock yarn. Someone may have gone a little overboard. Someone best be knittin' some socks, if she'd ever like to use any of it.)

Anyway -- I'm now down from three pairs of socks on the needles, to two. And one of those is well in to the second sock.

And lest ye think I only knit socks, let me reassure you... I only MOSTLY knit socks. I've also been working on a Super Sekrit Projeck, and dreaming about scarves and fingerless mitts.

Oh -- and I've been quilting too.

See? I told you I've been busy.

* Dudes. I finished something.

A More Prepared Blogger

2011-03-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

I decided to grab some pictures of my blooming iris before the thunderstorms and nickel-sized hail hit and mangled them all to hell and back.

(I should note that said thunderstorm and nickel sized hail never materialized. But would it have stormed and would ice the size of a small coin fallen out of the sky had I NOT taken these pictures? You bet your sweet Doppler it would have.)

You Win Some, You Lose Some

2011-03-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

Spring is springing all over the place here in Middle Tennessee, and I'm pretty much thrilled. I have daffodils on my table, greening grass outside, a red bud in bloom, and iris.

My iris are starting to bud out, and that makes me happy.

(A prepared blogger would have a pretty picture here of her front flower bed. Pretend I am a prepared blogger and imagine a flower bed full of beautiful green iris leaves. And since this is an imaginary picture and not a real one, go ahead and finish weeding that spot in front of the garage with your mind's eye, won't you?)

Things on the knitting front are moving apace. March is supposed to be for Making Mates, but so far it seems to be mostly for watching NCIS re-runs and test knitting mitts for a friend. (In my defense, I did make two mitts, so mate making happened.)

Meet Pretty Perdita X Mitts (Ravelry link). The cable would have been less, shall we say, "subtle" in a different yarn at a different gauge, but that is no fault of the designer. In any case, they are going in a box labeled "Do not open until Xmess" in a no doubt mis-guided attempt to avoid an onset of what Stephanie Pearl-McPhee refers to as "It."

Unfortunately, I also have less successful knitting tale to tell. My Sock Club socks for Mar-Apr are doomed to the frog pond, I fear. I'm knitting Jaywalkers (another Ravelry link) out of a really pretty striped indie-dyer yarn. They look gorgeous, but they aren't going to work. The fabric has no give (and Jaywalkers are tricky to fit anyway) and they aren't going to fit. So, rather than finish them and have pretty socks that I hate, I'm going to frog them and make a new plan.

My original concept with the whole sock club thing was to challenge myself (and to actually finish some damn socks, but that's beside the point). But... you have to know when to bail, I think. I may try Charlene Schurch's Chevron Socks (still yet more 'nother Ravelry link), and see if I can get them to act right.

Ah well, you win some, you lose some.

Being A Compleat Accounting of February, Including Attendant Finishings

2011-03-02T16:28:00.000-08:00

February is for Finishing turned out to be a ridiculously successful venture here in chez woolly. I started with 25 projects -- some that had been languishing on needles for YEARS.

YEARS, she says again for dramatic emphasis.

So here are the current standings:

~~Halloween/Samhain Mystery Shawl~~
~~Red Heart Afghan, started in the early 00's~~
Ab-Fab Afghan
~~Winter Marigold (current sock club sock)~~
Dr. Who Scarf
~~Arabella~~
~~Blue Triangle Headscarf~~
~~Flamin' Fingerless gloves~~
~~Wee Toe of a Sock~~
~~Socks that Wanted to Be Mittens Instead~~
~~Water Shawl~~
~~"Blue" Kerry Shawl/Blanket~~
~~Mandala Shawl~~
~~Mystery Swan Lake Stole~~
~~Soleil~~
~~Cheeto Socks (Gentleman's Fancy by Nancy Bush)~~
~~Clapotis~~
Amelia Cardigan
~~BSJ (Baby Surprise Jacket, not Bloody Stupid Johnson)~~
~~Pink and Grey Stripedy Socks~~
Sooper Sekrit Surprise Projeck
Checkerboard Twist Socks
~~Eala~~
Watergarden Cardigan
~~Awkward Red Thing~~

Six projects left, kids -- out of 25. I pretty much rock, I think.

(I did cast on my Mar-Apr Sock Club Sock yesterday, so I'm back up to seven active projects...but I feel like that's legit. I mean, it's all part of the plan, man.)

Getting There

2011-02-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

This is more for my own accounting purposes than anything else (also, it makes me feel better when I see the list getting shorter). Here is what is left:

Ab-Fab Afghan
Dr. Who Scarf
Arabella — ~75% Finished
Flamin' Fingerless gloves
Socks that Wanted to Be Mittens Instead
Amelia Cardigan
Sooper Sekrit Surprise Projeck
Checkerboard Twist Socks — 50% Finished
Watergarden Cardigan

I will also be frogging:

BSJ (Baby Surprise Jacket, not Bloody Stupid Johnson)

So, I'm down to nine projects on needles, one of which is nearly finished (Arabella) and another is a pair of socks (and March is for Making Mates).

This, from 25 on January 31. Go me!

A note on socks: I'm thinking that I am going to embrace "March is for Making Mates" and get my Checkerboard Twist Socks and the "Socks That Would be Mittens" finished up. That will leave me whatever part of March is left (if any) plus all of April to finish up my Self Imposed Sock Club socs for Mar-Apr. As of right now I'm thinking not to cast them on until I'm done with Making Mates...but I'm fickle, so we'll see. The heady rush of "it is no longer February and I am free to cast on!!!" might overcome me. It's hard to say.

Well. I feel better.

2011-02-13T17:53:00.001-08:00

February is Finishing Me

2011-02-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have made a fair bit of progress on the finishing front, but it doesn't feel like I have.

I have completed the Checkerboard Twist sock that I had on needles (the mate is to wait for March), and I have very nearly decided to frog the Raspberry Sorbet socks (I kind of thing that they should die in a fire. This is why I think I might frog them.)

Arabella is coming along very nicely. I'm in the last repeat of the main lace section, and then it is just the edging to do.

See? That's progress.

I'm just... SIGH. Over it. Over all of it. I want to cast on new socks, and a scarf that I'm designing in my head, and two or three hats and...

I am going to be vicious in my project culling before all is said and done. I think it is finally time to face the fact that I just don't actually WANT to knit all this stuff. I have ennui. ENNNNNUUUUUUUUUUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.

I should come back with pictures of great piles of yarn from all of the stuff I've frogged.

Here's an updated list:

Ab-Fab Afghan
~~Winter Marigold (current sock club sock)~~ —Finished
Dr. Who Scarf
Arabella — ~75% Finished
~~Blue Triangle Headscarf~~ —Finished
Flamin' Fingerless gloves
Wee Toe of a Sock — Doomed to Frogdom
Socks that Wanted to Be Mittens Instead
"Blue" Kerry Shawl/Blanket — Doomed to Frogdom
Cheeto Socks (Gentleman's Fancy by Nancy Bush)
~~Clapotis~~ —Flung
Amelia Cardigan
BSJ (Baby Surprise Jacket, not Bloody Stupid Johnson) — Doomed to Frogdom
Pink and Grey Stripedy Socks — Doomed to Frogdom
Sooper Sekrit Surprise Projeck
Checkerboard Twist Socks — 50% Finished
~~Eala~~ —Finished
Watergarden Cardigan

An Update on the UFO Situation

2011-02-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Ab-Fab Afghan
~~Winter Marigold (current sock club sock)~~ —Finished
Dr. Who Scarf
Arabella
~~Blue Triangle Headscarf~~ —Finished
Flamin' Fingerless gloves
Wee Toe of a Sock
Socks that Wanted to Be Mittens Instead
"Blue" Kerry Shawl/Blanket
Cheeto Socks (Gentleman's Fancy by Nancy Bush)
~~Clapotis~~ —Flung
Amelia Cardigan
BSJ (Baby Surprise Jacket, not Bloody Stupid Johnson)
Pink and Grey Stripedy Socks
Sooper Sekrit Surprise Projeck
Checkerboard Twist Socks
~~Eala~~ —Finished
Watergarden Cardigan

One Down...(And It's Not Even February Yet)

2011-01-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I pulled out the "closest to done" of all of my projects, and blocked my Eala shawl (Ravelry link).

Tonight I unpinned the little darling,and made sure the ends were all tidy.

Pattern: Eala by Goddess Knits
Needles: Knitpicks Options, Size 5
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette, Fawn

We are pleased.

Sweet Merciful Bob in Knitpicks

2011-01-30T11:51:00.001-08:00

So, I've counted my UFOs, in preparation for February is For Finishing.

People, I need some sort of intervention.

Please excuse the crappy picture, there's no light in my room.

I am starting this process with 25 UFOs to my name. TWENTY. FIVE. Many of these have appeared in previous years' lists, and some of them were on the FIRST list, back in 2005. Which is ridiculous. Something needs to be done.

(I swear I do finish things. Honest.)

So, on to the actual list.

Halloween/Samhain Mystery Shawl
Red Heart Afghan, started in the early 00's
Ab-Fab Afghan
Winter Marigold (current sock club sock)
Dr. Who Scarf
Arabella
Blue Triangle Headscarf
Flamin' Fingerless gloves
Wee Toe of a Sock
Socks that Wanted to Be Mittens Instead
Water Shawl
"Blue" Kerry Shawl/Blanket
Mandala Shawl
Mystery Swan Lake Stole
Soleil
Cheeto Socks (Gentleman's Fancy by Nancy Bush)
Clapotis
Amelia Cardigan
BSJ (Baby Surprise Jacket, not Bloody Stupid Johnson)
Pink and Grey Stripedy Socks
Sooper Sekrit Surprise Projeck
Checkerboard Twist Socks
Eala
Watergarden Cardigan
Awkward Red Thing

Many of these projects are not long for this world. At least two are very nearly done (Eala just needs blocking, and the Blue Headscarf just needs a tie and binding off). I'm past the heel on my second Sock Club sock (go me!)... so it won't be quite as bad as TWENTY. FIVE. by the time February actually starts. I actually frogged two shawls this morning, because I knew that I didn't want to finish them.

So, once things are Frogged and Flung, the list is a little more manageable.

Ab-Fab Afghan
Winter Marigold (current sock club sock)
Dr. Who Scarf
Arabella
Blue Triangle Headscarf
Flamin' Fingerless gloves
Wee Toe of a Sock
Socks that Wanted to Be Mittens Instead
"Blue" Kerry Shawl/Blanket
Cheeto Socks (Gentleman's Fancy by Nancy Bush)
Clapotis
Amelia Cardigan
BSJ (Baby Surprise Jacket, not Bloody Stupid Johnson)
Pink and Grey Stripedy Socks
Sooper Sekrit Surprise Projeck
Checkerboard Twist Socks
Eala
Watergarden Cardigan

The ~~Bloody Stupid Johnson~~ Baby Surprise Jacket may yet get ripped, and so might the "Blue" Kerry Shawl.

Good gravy, that is still a lot of stuff. Now I just need a strategy.

A naye yor, a naye leben*

2011-01-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

Sunday is International Clean Your Bedroom Day (if by "International" you mean "my house"...and I do), and yesterday the project du jour, once the laundry was taken out and the toilet swishied, was to clean out from under the bed.

No wait. You don't understand.

We have a custom built bed (if by "custom" you mean "your husband built that himself, didn't he?"...and I do)**, and there is right about 18" of clearance under our bed. My husband and I are both quite tall, and therefore so is our bed. This is made of logic. In any case, 18" deep by Queen Size wide and long = a hell of a lot of space to keep a hell of a lot of junk, and a hell of a lot of dust.

Man, was that an adventure.

So anyway, we threw out or made the decision to donate (as appropriate) a bunch of stuff we'd long since forgotten that we own, and we vacuumed out 3 metric effing-tons of dust (approx. by weight). My Harry Potter legos, I am pleased to report, are now put away upstairs, where I could conceivably play with them; AND I went through my "second string" (hahahah) yarn stash.

As mentioned earlier, I really started knitting ca. 2004-5. And, as many have done before me, I went through an acrylic stage (much like a larval stage, only with more petroleum by-products.) As my taste in yarn, let's say "matured," all the acrylic got shoved under the bed, in three banker's boxes and a big plastic tub, as the "good stuff" (read: natural fibers) took pride of place on my yarn shelf.

People, I was ruthless.

I mean, I found one unfortunate yarn that clearly wanted to be Lion Brand Homespun when it grew up... only it wasn't nearly so classy, if you are picking up what I am putting down. And sweet baby Buddha on a cashmere rug, it looked like a moldy peanut butter and jelly sandwich had been extruded (not spun) into yarn.

It was too terrible to even take a picture of. I care about my readers, and do not want to put them off their collective lunches.

Once the dust settled, and I do mean that quite literally, I am left with just the plastic tub, and that only about two-thirds full. The rest is going to a local thrift store, and may the gods bless whoever ends up with it. Everything I kept I could conceivably imagine myself knitting someday, and really that's all I ask of my stash.

Having gotten rid of so much yarn yesterday (and I don't mind telling you, even though it was all acrylic, and mostly awful, it was a bit wrenching), I received a sort of karmic reward in the mail today.

Aw, yeah.

Okay, I grant you that I actually am the one that ordered that box from Knitpicks, but even so the timing was pretty darned sweet.

What did I buy? I hear you asking. Well, I will tell you. I got a box of joy.

(Or more specifically, the new Chroma, in both weights, and some pretty charcoal grey Andean Treasure to make myself a scarf to match my new red coat. Not all of the Chroma is mine, alas. But I may have squeezed it a bit, you know, just to check and see if it is ripe.)

* A Yiddish phrase meaning "New year, new life."
** I actually adore the bed my husband made for me, both despite and because of it's... unique qualities.

One is the Loneliest Number

2011-01-20T15:52:00.001-08:00

I finished up the first of my Winter Marigolds (I keep changing what I'm calling them) two nights ago, and then very cleverly cast on the next one last night.

The toe on the second sock went together better and easier than the first one did, so I'll call that progress. Let it be known, however, that it still looks of ass, and I'm hardly convinced. Further forays into the world of the toe-up sock will utilize different toe conception techniques, cuz this shit's for the birds.

I took the sock outside to get some pictures...

Oh, you didn't just want to see the cat? Here's the sock then...

February is For Finishing, 6th Annual Finish-a-pa-looza

2011-01-17T15:37:00.001-08:00

I started really knitting back in 2004-2005. That's also when, the observant amongst you will note, that I began blogging. So anyway, by 2006 I had racked up a gracious plenty of UFOs. I decided that drastic piles of yarn required drastic action and cooked up "February is for Finishing." I've been trying to con others into doing it with me ever since.

As a side note, I did learn after some Googling that others have hoisted the February is for Finishing Flag. I suspect, human nature and alliteration being what they are, that the idea for FISF arose, full-formed like Athena, into the minds, blogs and knitting needles of folks all across the country. Which is to say, I thought it was an original idea when I thought of it, and I bet they did to. S'alright, the point is that more UFOs are getting FO-ed this way.

All of which is merely prologue to this:

6th Annual February is For Finishing-Palooza

The Rules:

List, list, oh list. By February 1st, have an accurate and complete list of ALL of your UFOs. Yes, even that one that you stuffed behind the couch in shame and despair last August.
Take Inventory. Now that you have your list, decide which of these projects actually bless you. Did you not finish this UFO because you were led astray by that fancy new sock yarn? Or have you not finished it because its uglier than a really ugly thing, and will not fit man nor beast?
Make Decisions. Finish, Frog or Fling. In my little world, UFOs can be sorted into 3 categories. Finish — I totally still want to make this. Frog — in the immortal words of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, "I like yarn better than I like bad hats." And, Fling — Wow. This is so bad that not even the yarn is worth saving. I'll say a passing prayer for the Acryls who gave their lives to make this fugly yarn, and move on with my life.
Prioritize. At this point, you have to decide what your end goal is. Are you in this to finish as many items as possible? Or is there one specific UFO that you'd like to push through and finish? Some folks like to have a plan "I'll knit the last sleeve of Auntie Mabel's sweater, and then I'll finish up that scarf I've been knitting since the Carter administration." Others prefer a more holistic approach and simply knit what suits their mood and fancy at the time. Do as best pleases you.
Be Strong. Do not, and this is very important, DO NOT cast on anything new during February. We're finishing here, people, not starting. The object of the game is to clear the slate so we can cast on a whole slew of new UFOs in March and April.
Take a Button.

As an avid, yet inconstant sock knitter, I also have an optional rule.

March is For Making Mates. If you have the first of a pair of socks on the needles, finish 'em up in February, and then set them aside. February is for what's already on the needles. Then in March, make the second sock for all of those first socks (or gloves, or mittens, or whatever) that you finished up in February. Clever, eh?

Knit Like You Mean It

2011-01-08T15:59:00.001-08:00

I made some wicked progress on my Marigold for January socks. And then I hit the heel. (Cue ominous music here.) My first go at the short row heel ended with me ripping back after I'd done the first half of the wraps. I was sent to do the second half (wherein you pick the wraps back up) and I buggered it. So I pulled back and started again. Finished the heel, and then started doing the calf.

Funky afghan added for contrast.

Here is the part that makes me cry. I knew that it was likely to be a bit small for me (I usually need a 72 stitch sock, and these are 64), but I was planning to make them for Number Two Daughter. I got her to "model them" for me (read "try them on") this afternoon, under the premise of helping me get blog pictures. The (@&&!^% things are too shallow through the instep for her. So back I've ripped again, and this time I'm saying Eff the pattern sideways and through the wall, I'm trying a different heel. Yes, I'm here to learn new techniques, and one of those techniques is how to flee like a rat from a sinking ship when a pattern decides to turn on me.

I'm trying Wendy Johnson's reverse-engineered gusset heel next, as it is meant to add more ease through the instep. Wish me luck. The picture above is pre-ripping. There is considerably less sock now... I didn't have the heart to take another picture.

Oh! I did finish a thing though! Socks that I'd finished all save the last wee bit of kitchener stitch, are now officially done, off the needles, and ends woven in. We will not speak of how long they sat in that sad and abandoned state.

A Word To My Commenters:

First, let me say Hello and Welcome! I was thrilled to see comments from someone that I don't know in what passes for my "real" life, so let me say thank you for reading, and I hope you keep commenting!

One thing that LiveJournal does that beats Blogger hands down is how it manages comments. In LJ it is really easy to respond to a comment and to keep a conversation threaded. Here... not so much. But here's my plan — and I imagine that this is what most bloggers do anyway. If you comment in one of my posts, I'll do my best to respond back in the same post. The only way you'll know, of course, is if you go back and check (or clicky the little box when you comment that will prompt Blogger to email you.) So anyway, if you ask me a question in the comments, that's where to look for an answer.

Come on in, pull up a chair, and have some coffee. It's nice to meet you.

Begin as You Mean to Go On

2011-01-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

I got my daughter to help me select my sock kit for January-February yesterday afternoon. This was accomplished by me holding out the box and saying "Just grab one!" while she eyed both it and me suspiciously.

Once I'd dashed her hopes and informed her that no, the socks would most likely not be for her, the deed was done, and my course laid.

I'll be making Marigold (Ravelry link) out of a lovely couple of skeins of Jojoland Melody wool, in the descriptive (and intuitively lovely sounding) colorway of "MS08."

Part of what I'm after with this experiment (other than to justify the purchase of more sock yarn, of course) is to broaden my proverbial horizons and to utilize techniques that I'm usually just too darned lazy to bother with. I have a basic, cuff-down, vanilla sock recipe that lives in my head and that I can knit in my sleep. That way lies boredom and sock-driven ennui. Hence the kits and the patterns.

My very first sock out I'm doing a short-row toe-up sock pattern, and I'm suddenly reminded of why I always knit my socks the other direction. I suck at toe-up short-row socks. They look of un-mitigated ass. And they are a pain in my tuchus. And I'm not good at them (this bothers me to no end. The cure, one hopes, is practice.)

I soldiered on and am now a repeat-and-a-half into the lace pattern. All is well.

Self-Imposed Sock Knitting Club

2010-12-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has the most clever ideas. Last year she invented a sock club for herself, and at the end of 2010 she had 12 new pairs of socks that were (and this is the best part) all made from yarns and patterns that she herself chose, so she was sure to like them. (Or if she didn't, there was no one to blame but herself, and there is some satisfaction to be garnered even from that.)

So, in the spirit of band-wagon jumping—if you have a bandwagon, odds are good I will jump on it...I'm just that way—I've decided to follow suit in 2011. Not being nearly as prolific as Stephanie, (and my current sock production looking something like "exactly zero socks every month") I've decided, in the words of Eddie Izzard, to scale it back a bit.

I now have six neat little packets that include sock yarns that have languished in my stash since forever, paired with patterns that are all a wee bit more complicated than my standard sock recipe. Good times.

I draw the first kit on Saturday, and will be back with pictures and reports of progress.

P.S. Don't forget that February is for Finishing. I haven't.

P.P.S. March is for Making Mates. So there is still some hope for all of the pairs of socks that I started in 2009 and 2010 that didn't get finished.

February is For What-Now?

2010-01-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

February ought to be for finishing. And normally it is (and by "normally" I mean "any year that is not this year, or for that matter last year."

I digress.

Because you see, this year - this very February - there may very well not be any finishing. Because this year it's the Knitting Olympics-slash-Ravelympics-slash-whateverlympics.

Serious contenders this year include making a Weasley sweater for my eldest. She's nearly 16, but believes that since her name begins with the letter "R" that she has some entitlement. I am also seriously considering working to finish my Mystery Stole number... 10? I think? No -- 9. It's this one, anyway (Ravelry link). Or perhaps a shrug? A hat and mittens set? That afghan I started in 2002?

What do you think?

Remember When I Used to Knit?

2009-10-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

I miss knitting.

It's starting to get cold here in Tennessee (I know those of you in more Northern climes would mock my concept of what qualifies as "cold" -- but hey, gimme a break, this is the South.) Anyway, the point is, my hands are freezing, and I lost one of my Fetching at a biker joint last year (true story), and I MISS knitting.

Right now I should be sewing Halloween costumes, but I'm surfing Ravelry looking for a good fingerless mitt pattern instead. In this particular instance "good" also means "dead simple" and "would look good variegated."

So far, major contenders are Jacoby and Mitt Envy. (Ravelry links). I saw some other cute patterns that would make for great Yulemas gifts.

And speaking of Halloween, I should be sure to get pictures of the kids this year. Rowan is going to be Luke Skywalker (Return of the Jedi era) and Morgan is going to be Fraulein Maria. It's Morgan costume that I'm supposed to be working on right now.

And in other, other news, Jess, Koren and I hit the Cannonsburg Fiber Festival this morning. We saw some wee sheepies, drank some warm cider, and I came home with some more fiber that I don't really know how to spin.

Good times.

Not Really Knitting

2009-06-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been amazingly cranky lately, and I couldn't figure out why. But then it occurred to me -- I haven't been knitting.

Like, at all.

I have a pair of socks that is less than hour from being finished -- and they've been that way for nearly a month. I have three sweaters (two adult, one baby) on tap, and two shawls. And we mustn't forget the ubiquitous clap. There's another pair of socks that I'm a solid 25% into, and a Dr. Who scarf. Surely I don't need to point out that I'm likely forgetting three or four projects.

Anyway, saving the socks and the Dr. Who scarf, none of these projects are at a place where I can just pick them up and start knitting. I need to sit down with pretty much every single one, figure out where I was, and what the frack to do next. And frankly, I just haven't had two brain cells to rub together lately to accomplish this.

I realized that the problem was serious last night when the Knitting Purchase Pushers Association (KPPA)* was placing an order with Knitpicks and I'm all, "Meh. Yarn. I don't need more yarn. I have yarn."

People. This is clearly even more critical than I thought.

I clearly require some sort of intervention, or some cashmere or really fancy hand-dyed sock yarn.

* KPPA, or the Knitting Purchase Pushers Association is also known as "my friends, Gretta, Jess and Koren."

Not Dead Yet

2009-04-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

Just a quick check in to let folks know that I'm still here. I am knitting socks at work, and I finally finished a scarf that I started two years ago. It was originally meant for a co-worker (from a job where she and I were both laid off). We've completely lost touch, so I donated it to Bardic Olympics instead.

Jess' wee little Iris chose it as her prize, so I feel that it has found it's best true home.

Starting to Finish

2009-02-02T17:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't got the oomph to update properly just now, but I did go through my UFOs on Saturday. I had entirely more than I wish I did (some of which I had intended to frog last February...now that's just embarrassing.)

Anyway, for now I'm finishing up one or two small projects, like some Fingerless Mitts and a scarf or two. My main push is going to be to get my Hippy Chic Cardigan as close to finished as possible.

I'll post a proper list later.

No really.

Hush up, you.

Watch This Space

2009-01-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

So, February is for Finishing is right around the corner. This will be my fourth year doing this (I think? Four? Yeah, four.)

Anyway, here's last year's rundown. I'll post my personal updated rules later this week.

I'll be hunting up and taking an accounting of WIPs this week, and post a full accounting sometime before the first.

Anyone want to play with me?

Counting One's Blessings

2008-12-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

As Jess pointed out in the comments, I have recently gone back to work. This was not something that I actively wanted to do, so much as an obligation that I had to fulfill (as part of being a good mommy is seeing to it that the lights stay on.) So anyway, back to work with me.

Earlier this week, Carl and I very quickly realized that I had been doing a lot more of the housework than I at least (he claims he knew) realized. I discovered this when I came home two days running to a house that was not only not neat, but was in fact, trashed. Crankiness ensued. Negotiations were entered into.

The good news: Carl started doing laundry again.

The bad news: my hand knits were in that laundry.

The good news: Socks made of Knitpicks Dancing don't shrink when you wash and dry them!

The bad news: Socks made of Knitpicks Essential do.

The good news: Both pairs of Dancing socks went through the laundry together, so all environmental factors remained consistant.

Tha bad news: The Riverbed socks (made of the Essential) did not go through together. So only one of the socks shrunk to hell and back.

The good news: Morgan is getting a new pair of socks.

I just hope that when I wash and dry the second sock, it stays the same size!

(And to give the tragedy the sense of scope that it deserves (as well as some much needed scale) here is a picture of the two socks in their current state:

Not a Real Post

2008-12-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

This isn't really a post, I thought I'd just wave and mention that I'm still alive and I totally WON NANOWRIMO, hell yeah!

ahem

I have no dignity.

Anyway, I've started teaching myself crochet, and am going through what I like to call my "dishrag period." I've also started The Clap, because I can't figure out what else to do with all the variegated lace weight I bought when Knitpicks ditched their Gossamer line.

So, that's about all the news that's fit to print. I have not been working on any of my shawls, and I suddenly want to make a Noro Scarf (but I blame the Yarn Harlot for that.)

Questions Answered

2008-10-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Kelshei,

Unfortunately, I did not get the scarf finished. I've got right under 5 feet of very handsome (if I do say so myself) scarf.

However! I have a cunning plan! I am going to have a couple of balls of yarn (along with a yo-yo and a sonic screwdriver) in my pockets, and I'm going to walk around wearing one end and knitting the other. I choose to believe that this is adorable, and not just lame.

The pattern I'm using can be found here. I'm using the Season 12 pattern, and knitting it with Knitpicks Wool o' the Andes.

Purple: Lullaby
Tan: Snickerdoodle
Brown: Chestnut
Yellow: Wheat (now discontinued)
Red: Hollyberry (which is much redder than it looks on the site)
Grey: Mist
Green: Fern

I'll see if I can get some pictures tonight and post them.

Love,

Kadollan

Fair Warning

2008-10-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not knitting nearly enough (and I fear that I will not get my Who scarf done in time for Halloween. Which is stinky).

Also, it is nearly that fateful time of year again ... November. A month filled with family, love, turkey and wild-eyed, manic, coffee-swilling novelists.

Yes kids, I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to also attempt NaBloPoMo or not, but if I do, I'll probably do it over on my LJ -- as I discovered last year, it is really hard to blog about knitting when you are writing a 50K novel, and not, you know, actually knitting.

Go figure.

Doctor Whooooo (Doctor Who)

2008-10-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to knit myself a Doctor Who scarf. (I exaggerate. I've always wanted to own a Doctor Who scarf. It wasn't until I learned to knit that it occurred to me that I might actually make my own...but I digress.)

Earlier this year I went through a Doctor Who jag, and watched a bunch of both Old and New Who. In a fit of wtf-ery, I decided to be Tom Baker's Doctor for Halloween this year, thus providing myself with the perfect opportunity to knit That Scarf (tm).

Jay-Walking Ankle-Biters

2008-09-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

I finished Rhiannon's socks last week. This may be the fastest I've ever knit a complete pair of socks. I began them late in the evening on Aug 24 (right after I finished the last of my Ravelympic socks) and cast them off on Sept 10. That's right about 2 and 1/2 weeks.

Although, before I get too excited I should probably point out how short the things are. She really did want ankle socks, and ankle socks is what she got.

As I noted on my Ravelry Project page, I made the following mods:

Cuff: Since she wanted anklets, the cuff is very short (two full repeats of the stripe sequence).

Heel: I decided that I wanted a “bull’s-eye” heel effect, so I experimented with Charlene Schurch’s forethought heel. I knit the first sock that way, and am knitting the second with an afterthought heel (as it seems less fiddly). Either way, the striping is preserved, and it looks pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

Toe: In order to decrease the instep stitches to the same number as the stitches on the bottom of the foot, I continued the DD from the jaywalker pattern. The first two rounds went like this:

Round 1:

Top of Foot: K1, SSK, K5, DD, K16, DD, K5, K2tog, K1
Bottom of Foot: K all.

Round 2: Knit All

This puts the same number of stitches on both the top and the bottom after one row.

Shifty Eyes

2008-09-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

I may have ahem cast on another sock.

But only a little.

I'm trying Cookie A's Baudelaire from Knitty's Summer '06 issue.

Needles: Harmony 3.0 mm (US 2)
Yarn: Knitpicks Essential Kettle-dyed Auburn

But, fear me not! I am still working on Rhi's Jaywalking Ankle-biters. I'm a solid inch into the second sock already.

P.S. Stay Tuned for Nancy Bush's Gentleman's Fancy Sock in Plymouth Happy Feet. But I haven't cast them on.... Yet.

She's a Nightmare Hippy Girl

2008-09-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me well should be familiar with the blasé and carefree way that I add new projects to my ever-expanding pile of Works-in-Progress. Many of you are also aware of the tragic and seemingly inevitable slide of these new projects into obscurity and UFO status. If Stephanie is a Yarn Harlot, people then I am a Yarn ... well, my mother wouldn't have wanted me to use that word.

It was this lamentable characteristic of mine that led me to last month's frenzy of finishitude. Sane people do not try to finish five pairs of socks in two weeks. Moreover, project-monogamous people don't have five pairs of socks on the needles at once. (I am well, well aware that my little "problem" is not whatchacall unique. This does offer me some comfort.)

All of this is prologue to a confession. Once I completed my self-imposed sock adventure, did I congratulate myself on a pile of UFOs well conquered and carry the fight back to my knitting basket? My spirit renewed, did I pick up either of the two shawls or the fair-isle cardigan that I began earlier this summer? Or, brave warrior I, did I delve deep into the strata of the geologically improbable mountain composed only of discarded and lonely projects?

Not as such. No.

I immediately cast on a new sock.

You know.

Like you do.

Allow me to introduce you to a modified Jaywalker. These are for my daughter Rhiannon. She specifically requested anklets, so they are a mite shorter than I normally make my socks. The only major mod I made (say that three times fast) was to do a forethought heel, alá Charlene Schurch to preserve the integrity of the stripe. (Yes, I did just say "preserve the integrity of the stripe." Deal.) I finished the first sock in record time, considering that I wasn't power-knitting like I had been for the Ravelympics. The second is cast-on in an attempt to thwart second sock syndrome.

And, since a mere and lowly sock is hardly enough to fill the void left by all of those UFOs suddenly gone silent, I also cast on another cardigan. Here's the Hippy-Chic from the 2002 Knit It! magazine. As far as I can tell, this magazine no longer exists and all records have been wiped from the face of the Internet. Basically, it's a shaped cardigan with seed stitch detail -- cute and simple. I'm using Knitpick's Shamrock in Dougherty.

So far, we are pleased.

She Stuck the Landing

2008-08-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Behold! Four pairs of socks, where a mere two weeks ago there were none.

I'm feelin' pretty pleased with myself just now.

Admittedly, I did originally enter five pairs in the competition, but as I'm sure you remember, one pair was DQ'd for being ugly. I decided I didn't actually want those socks, so I'm going to bury the first one under an oak tree in the park and never speak of it again.*

So, to recap.

Child's French Sock
Pre-Olympic: 20%
Post-Olympic: 100%

Anniversary Socks
Pre-Olympic: 25%
Post-Olympic: 100%

Mnemosyne Socks
Pre-Olympic : 25%
Post-Olympic: 100%

(still no picture, as I am wanting to submit this pattern for publicaton)

Swirlus Interuptus
Pre-Olympic: 75%
Post-Olympic: 100%

*With all due respect to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Many Socks

2008-08-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

I've been kicking sock-butts and takin' sock names.

Or something.

Mixed metaphors aside, I have made not inconsiderable progress on the sock knitting front. I've completed Nancy Bush's Child's French Socks, from Knitting Vintage Socks. Nancy Bush is my sock knitting hero -- so I'm pretty tickled that I've (finally) finished knitting one of her patterns. The pattern was written (or rather re-written) for size 1 needles, to fit a women's size 8 or 9. Since I am a size 9, but have rather large ankles than I'd like, I decided to size it up a bit by using a thicker sock yarn and size 2s. Long story slightly shorter: I knit them with Knitpicks Gloss in Woodland Sage, using 2s. It worked a treat, and the only other adjustment I needed to make was to knit fewer repeats of the pattern since my row gauge was also different.

Current Standings:

Swirlus Interuptus Socks: 100%
Child's French Socks: 100%
Eyelet Socks: 50%
Mnemosyne Socks: 55%
Anniversary Socks: 35%

I have just about completely decided that I am not going to finish the Eyelet socks. I just really don't like them enough. So -- this is not a "who do we kick off the island" kind of decision, made out of concern for what not to finish should I run out of time. Rather this is a "what was I thinking when I knit the first one? This looks like woolly arse!" kind of decision.

Therefore, with the Eyelet socks removed from consideration, that means that I have to knit approx. 2.5 socks in the next 6.5 days.

I guess I'd better get to it, eh?

All Socks All the Time

2008-08-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Remember how I just couldn't wait to start knitting my socks?

Yeah.

Bored now.

I long for a shawl or a cardigan.

I have completed the first of the Child's French Socks (go me!) and am yay-so-far into the cuff of the second one.

I have begun the gusset decreases in the first of the Mnemosyne socks, and am very, very close to the toe shaping of the second of the Riverbed/Swirlus-Interuptus socks.

Current Olympic Standings:

Swirlus Interuptus Socks: 85%
Child's French Socks: 55%
Eyelet Socks: 50%
Mnemosyne Socks: 30%
Anniversary Socks: 25%

Will she get the gold!?!?!?!

It's hard to say, Bob. She did finish the first of the C.F. socks, but that only brings her total to 3 out of 10 complete socks. This is anyone's race and we'll just have to keep watching.

Gratify Me Now, Please

2008-08-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Now that I've gotten pictures up of all of those socks, I want to start finishing them. I mean, I don't mind the idea of delayed gratification, I just want it NOW. Is that so wrong?

Meanwhile, I could be working on either of my Mystery Shawls, or I could be swatching for upcoming projects, or hey! I could work on the Watergarden sweater.

Or, you know... not...

Ravelympics Roll Call

2008-08-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get something like unto a real grasp of what I've set myself up for in the coming weeks.

In descending order of nearly-finishatude:

1. Child's French Sock ~20% complete. I have not yet turned the heel of the first sock.

to knit: 1.8

2. Anniversary Sock ~25% complete. I am in the process of starting the gusset of the first sock.

to knit: 1.5

3. Mnemosyne* ~25% complete. I am turning the heel of the first sock.

to knit 1.5

4. Eyelet Sock 50% complete. I have one entire sock.

to knit 1

5. Swirlus Interuptus 75% complete. I am decreasing the gusset of the second sock.

to knit 0.5

Total Olympian effort required: 6.3 socks. More or less.

Which, unless math fails me entirely (as it is wont to do), comes to a whopping 0.37 socks a day.

I can do that.

*This is a pattern that I am designing with an eye towards publishing, so I won't be posting pictures. But I've knit half a sock, I promise.

Long Summer

2008-08-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Very shortly after my last post, my position was terminated and I very suddenly lost my job. Since then, I have gone into business with three of my closest friends, joined two Mystery Knit-a-longs, and cleaned the heck out of my bedroom.

Sudden unemployment does odd things to the psyche.

So. In knitting news, I have been a busy bee. I've started designing a pair of socks. I am pretty excited by this, and hope to offer my pattern on Ravelry once it's finished and completely written and beta'ed.

I've also joined the Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl. It is a mandala-style pattern that I'm really enjoying knitting. It's my first pi-shawl, which is groovy. My only regret is the yarn choice. I am not really loving the variegated yarn. I think it obscures the lace entirely too much. I think once it's blocked I'll decide if I can live with it (as I know blocking will greatly change the look). If the answer is "no" then I'm gonna over-dye that sucker.

The second Mystery Shawl I'm working on is MS9 (also by Goddess Knits). I'm using Knitpicks Palette in Fawn. It is going to be a wonderfully warm , cuddly and big shawl -- perfect I think for gatherings.

I have tried, with no great success, two other projects with this yarn. This time, I'm happy.

I have also joined the groups for the Mystery Stole 4, and Secret of the Stole III. Neither have started yet, and I haven't decided whether or not to cast on with the group, or just save the patterns. I do know the perils of too many projects on the needles at once, honest I do.

Speaking of which (there is a segue here, I swear), I'm co-captaining Team Marmoset for the 2008 Ravelympics. My Olympian feat will be to finish all of the pairs of socks that I currently have on needles. This means 5 (yes FIVE) pairs of socks in various stages of incompletion. o.O This is me making the big eyes.

This Time With Pictures

2008-05-07T07:31:00.001-07:00

The collar is on and quite handsome if I do say so myself.

I am really excited about this — as I've mentioned previously, this is my first for me sweater. I've made at least 5 little person sized sweaters, so I had some preparation. I was at least familiar with the concept of sweater construction, but dudes, making an adult sized sweater (and I am not a small person) is a whole different ball of yarn.

Anyway, the collar picked up and went in with little or no fuss. I merrily ribbed whilst watching A&E's production of Pride & Prejudice. Good Times.

Next Stop: Zipper Town.

Man-Sweater is Coming Along*

2008-05-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

So.

I have no pictures to show you (yet), but I am pleased to report that my Man-Sweater is so very almost done.

It's seamed up, sleeves in and most of the ends woven in. All that's left is to pick up and knit the collar, and then to find and sew in the zipper.

I'm a mite apprehensive as regards to that last, as the left and right fronts don't seem to be entirely the same length. (I should have knit them together the way I did the sleeves. That worked surprisingly well). I am hoping that ease and creative seamstressing will save the day.

I'll post again with a proper update (and pictures!) later.

*heheheheheh. She said "coming"

This Way to Harlot Town

2008-04-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

A grand time was had by all*

She is as funny, smart and adorable in person as she is on her blog.

My best Jess (who is now enjoying some fame and notoriety in the blogosphere) brought our beloved Harlot a lovely drawing of the reproductive parts of a butterfly, Whosiheimerus somethingorotheri. She (the Harlot) was delighted, and immediately began to practice her game face. She was making plans to show it to Joe and when he asked, nonchalantly answer, "Why Joe, it's the reproductive parts of a butterfly. Obviously." I think that she was, if I am using the word correctly, chuffed.

Anyways, I got my books signed (whee!) had my picture taken while we held each other's socks, and then went out for Sushi after.

By the by, I cast on that sock that she's holding earlier that same morning. I have mad skillz. Just sayin'. And yes, I did crop myself out of that picture. It was a bad picture of me. Really.

Alot.

It is worth noting at this point that I hate Sushi. So, the fact that I ate four or five or six pieces off of everyone else's plates exclaiming "Damn, that was good!" should clearly be overlooked as aberrant behavior brought on by close proximity to her Harloty Self.

*In the spirit of full disclosure I feel that I should report that the grand time had by Koren's husband was spent in the Manga section ignoring the doings of knitters. But even so.

Harlot Tonight!

2008-04-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

No time to blog about how I haven't had time to blog.

The Harlot will be in Nashville tonight, and I (and many friends) will be there to see her!

(And, of course, I can't find my copy of Knitting Rules...which is my favorite of her books.)

How's the finishing going my chickadees?

2008-02-19T07:28:00.000-08:00

It's going swimmingly over here at chez woolly. I am making great strides towards finishing my Man Sweater — the back and left front both completely done and the right front is thiiiiiis close. After that it's sleeves and making up, and voilá! a sweater!

In celebration of all of this nearly done-atude, I've been feverishly searching for the Next Great Sweater Project. Also, my best Jess is right about at the same place (or a little ahead) of me on her Man Sweater, so we've started talking about our next 'along. We're thinking of knitting something for each other this time. So, a future post will be published regarding my plans for the future. Stay Tuned!

P.S. March is for Making Mates might be a bust this year, as I'm focusing pretty much all of my energy into my sweater, and haven't actually finished any socks. I don't have any "Plain Jane" socks on needles right now, just two Nancy Bush patterns. These are less well suited for travel knitting. Oh well.

Whoops! Lucky Number 13

2008-01-31T19:53:00.000-08:00

Dudes! I totally forgot to count Soleil.

Back up to 11!

Screw Your Courage to the Sticking Point

2008-01-31T18:32:00.000-08:00

Right, so tomorrow is February 1. Time to gird your loins, screw your courage to the sticking point and start counting.

Here's what I currently have on needles (in no particular order):

The Cambridge Jacket (the Man Sweater) by Ann Budd
Anniversary Socks (1 of 2) from Interweave's Favorite Socks
French Child's Sock (1 of 2) from Knitting Vintage Socks
Green Thing (its a gift, and must therefore be referred to "vaguely")
Mystic Waters Stole
Mystery Stole 3
Ab-Fab Afghan
Blue Kerry Shawl from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls
Peach Scarf
Flamin' Fingerless Gloves
Eyelet Socks (1 of 2 complete)
Gryffindor Scarf

Twelve...well, that ain't a great number, but remember the first year I did this? Glossing over the fact that not one, but two of the above items graced that list as well, let's concentrate on the fact that 2 years ago I opened with 19 objects on needles.

Okay, I hear what you are saying. You are saying, Kade, if you have two things that were UFOs in 2006, and you still haven't finished them, isn't it about time to frog? And I answer... no. One's the Ab-Fab kit (Colinette yarn, all the way, baayyy-bee) and the other is a "shawl" that I'm knitting out of worsted weight acrylic—in other words, its also an afghan. I'm not ready to work on them, but dudes, I'm not giving them up either.

So. 12.

I'm totally frogging the Mystery Stole. Frankly, I like the yarn much better than I like the pattern. So, out it goes. That makes 11.

Gryffindor scarf. Its ugly, clunky, itchy, and... well, its Gryffindor. (No offense to the Gryffindorian amongst you. I mean no disrepect, but these are the people who's idea of a clever plan is "Everybody on Three!"*) So, there's 10.

I'm playing with the Alternate rules of "March is For Making Mates." That said, I have three pairs of socks and one pair of fingerless gloves on needles. The Eyelet socks are of my own design, and I have one completely finished (the other not yet cast on). This one is set aside until March. I'm working on the first of the pair of two different Nancy Bush patterns. I'll be finishing up both of these and then setting them aside. I've got the thumb to do on the first of two fingerless gloves, and then again, setting aside for March.

The Green Thing will probably only take an afternoon to finish.

I can't find the other skein of yarn I need for the peach scarf, so I haven't a clue what I'm doing about that. Maybe looking for the yarn. That would be radical.

Anyway, I won't be entering March with a clean knitterly slate, but I'll be enough closer to feel totally vindicated in casting on scads of new stuff.

*With all due respect to Cassie Claire's Fanon Draco

Crazy? I was crazy once...

2008-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

I finished up my "Anti-OCD" pink socks yesterday. I was calling them that as something of a joke—I have the slightest of OCD tendencies, you see, so I deliberately made these socks not match each other. The stripe is offset by about three inches.

I decided to do this because I didn't really think it would bother me. It was meant to be funny, yes?

Except...it started to get on my nerves just about the exact second I hit the "repeat" in the yarn, and I could see where they would have matched up, if only I had...

*ahem*

So, yes. Here they are. My almost-but-not-quite-matching-Anti-OCD-I'm-not-actually-crazy socks.

P.S. They are very comfortable.

I can't help but think...

2008-01-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

...that I would get more knitting done, if I spent less time playing with my blog.

Last night I used my google-fu and found this tutorial, where-by I learned how to modify my blog to three columns instead of two. I am inordinately proud of myself, and plan to fiddle with the settings for some time to come.

I am planning to have my Anti-OCD pink stripey socks finished before February, so that they will not be numbered amongst my UFOs. Some pre-February Finishing, as it were. I'm nearly to the toe of the second of the two. These socks have taken me surprisingly forever to knit. I barely picked up my needles during November (remember NaNo?) and then in December things exploded at my work. It was ugly — and I was too stressed out to knit.

So anyway, I'm happy to report that I'm back to knitting, and plan to hit February with a bang (although I do not promise that I will not also whimper.)

And to keep this from being a completely pictureless post, here's a recent acquisition (sock yarn isn't stash, I'm just sayin'.) I bought this to make a pair of socks for my eldest darling. She fell in love with it at, and how could I say no? I'm helpless against children who beg for hand knits.

It's That Time of Year Again

2008-01-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

Here at Chez Woolly, we have a little tradition called "February is For Finishing." The concept is simple — for the entire month you concentrate on finishing whatever you have on the needles. Here are the rules (please feel free to post, alter, or ignore, as best suits your current needs).

3rd Annual February is For Finishing-Palooza

The Rules:

List, list, oh list. By February 1st, have an accurate and complete list of ALL of your UFOs. Yes, even that one that you stuffed behind the couch in shame and despair last August.
Take Inventory. Now that you have your list, decide which of these projects actually bless you. Did you not finish this UFO because you were led astray by that fancy new sock yarn? Or have you not finished it because its uglier than a really ugly thing, and will not fit man nor beast?
Make Decisions. Finish, Frog or Fling. In my little world, UFOs can be sorted into 3 categories. Finish — I totally still want to make this. Frog — in the immortal words of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, "I like yarn better than I like bad hats." And, Fling — Wow. This is so bad that not even the yarn is worth saving. I'll say a passing prayer for the Acryls who gave their lives to make this fugly yarn, and move on with my life.
Prioritize. At this point, you have to decide what your end goal is. Are you in this to finish as many items as possible? Or is there one specific UFO that you'd like to push through and finish? Some folks like to have a plan "I'll knit the last sleeve of Auntie Mabel's sweater, and then I'll finish up that scarf I've been knitting since the Carter administration." Others prefer a more holistic approach and simply knit what suits their mood and fancy at the time. Do as best pleases you.
Be Strong. Do not, and this is very important, DO NOT cast on anything new during February. We're finishing here, people, not starting. The object of the game is to clear the slate so we can cast on a whole slew of new UFOs in March and April.
Take a Button.

As an avid, yet inconstant sock knitter, I also have an optional rule.

March is For Making Mates. If you have the first of a pair of socks on the needles, finish 'em up in February, and then set them aside. February is for what's already on the needles. Then in March, make the second sock for all of those first socks (or gloves, or mittens, or whatever) that you finished up in February. Clever, eh?

2008 Knitting Goals

2008-01-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

In January, I like to spend more time than is strictly wise fantasizing about the great feats of knitting prowess that I plan to execute in the coming year.

Come on, admit it. You do it too.

This will be the year that you knit THAT shawl (you know the one. The one that gives you palpitations when you look at the pattern). Or maybe you'll tackle complicated colorwork, or Gods help you, an Alice Starmore pattern (any of them).

So, anyway, January is when I do a lot of my virtual fantasy knitting. Once the heady rush of imaginary accomplishment leaves me, I then take stock of my time, my budget, and my skills — and then I start setting some goals.

This year I am going to knit:

A sweater for Morgan
The rest of that sweater for me
Lots and Lots of Socks
I'm going to finish a bunch of things I've got on needles. Or frog them. Or whatever.
I want to knit Knitty's Juno Regina out of this great Anne Schaefer I got that looks like peacock feathers... unless it ends up looking weird because it isn't a solid colorway. Lace can look weird in painted yarn. I'll need to swatch.
Socks for my husband. He has big feet. I'm just sayin'.
I'm going to finish the Mystic Waters Shawl, because I like it, and frog the MS3 Stole, because I don't
Other things I haven't thought of yet

So there you have it... a random and ill thought out list of knitterly goals.

This year my REAL goal is to continue to improve my skills, and to start designing my own patterns.

The rest is just gravy.

Checking In

2008-01-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

Just a quickie note to let you know that I'm still alive. December is a notoriously busy time of year for everyone — particularly those employed in the retail industry. So, after a month of posting daily, I give you a month of posting not at all.

I hope for a more balanced approach to 2008. Twice a week is good, ja?

So, tune in soon for Kade's list of Knitting Goals for 2008.

2007 Finished Objects

2007-12-31T12:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a list of what I finished in 2007.

Arrr! Pirate Sweater
Ripple Baby Blanket
Sprog's Bib
Sekrit Bag
Spring Green Tank
Dancing Toe-up Socks
A Very Strong Pink Lace Hat
Monkey Shirt
Dinosaur Shorts
Kitty Hat
Glad Raggs
Iris Socks
Moon Tunic
Morgan's Witch Robe
Rowan's Ash Ketchum Hat and Shirt

I bring you two, and also three

2007-11-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I'd met one of my three big goals for November. Earlier today, I met my second major goal. I've hit 50,466 words (and I'm nowhere near finished!). I can't even begin to tell you how proud of myself I am. When I decided to this, many of my close friends and family members gave me that wide-eyed, uncertain, do we need to call in the professionals who bring jackets that are all arms look.

In anycase, I plan to go celebrate by drinking a little more whiskey than is good for me, and by having a good snog. Or three.

And speaking of three, as I write this post, I'm meeting my third major goal -- to post daily during the month of November. I fell off the subject of knitting a ways back, but fear me not, it'll be back.

I still haven't decided what yarn to buy!

Here We Are Now, Entertain Us!.... Yeah!*

2007-11-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

So, I made the first of my three goals for the month.

At the end of every Wednesday in November, I was either at or above the projected word count. I decided in early November that if I made this goal I would:

Be more likely to actually finish, and
Get a neat treat-reward-thing

Only, I never quite got around to deciding what that reward would BE. So, suggestions? What's some really yummy, decadent, luxury yarn that isn't so expensive my husband will have an apoplectic fit if I suggest buying it during the Month of Christmas? What would YOU want your prize to be?

My reward for finishing NaNoWriMo will be to get the T-shirt, and of course the satisfaction of having really DONE it. And of course the reward for successfully completing NaBloPoMo will be... thirty more posts than I had when I started. And did I mention satisfaction for stick-to-itiveness?

ETA: Okay, I've just made a decision. My other reward for finishing NaNoWriMo will be to donate $10 to the cause. Whaddya think, Koren? You with me?

*With apologies to Nirvana.

The Home Stretch

2007-11-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm closing in. I've got a bit over 44,000 words written, and won't go to bed tonight before my word count is at least 46, 676, which is the "official" word count goal for today. That leaves me with just over 3000 words to write on Thursday and Friday, and then genties and ladlemen, I will be done.

I am so doing this.

Speaking of home stretches, there's three days left of NaBloPoMo too. I'm gonna make that too.

And then maybe in December I can start knitting again.

Then I would have something to post about!

A bit of a quick update

2007-11-27T21:01:00.000-08:00

It's crunch time in NaNoWriMo land, genties and ladlemen. My fellow Wrimo-ers and myself should have written 50,000 words by this coming Friday.

I have at least one friend on my LJ Flist that's already reached 50K, and let me take a moment to express my awe. My Koren has, (and let me be proud here) managed to hit her word count goal EVERY DAY for the entire month. How much does that rock?

I set my personal goals up so that I'll be caught up at the end of every week. My "week" is a bit off-kilter, as I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, so my Sunday night is really on Wedesday. Anyway, I'm meant to have 46K and change written by tomorrow night. I've made my word goal (and my NaBloPoMo goals too, come to that) every week this month, and fully plan to hit it this week as well.

I was at 35K this morning, and am now sitting pretty on 41,005 words. Neville and Ginny have had a fight, and she's just told him about Tom Riddle. Trust me, it all makes sense in context.

But then, doesn't everything?

Christmas Knitting

2007-11-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

It seems like I attempted to post on this topic earlier this month, and then ran into the problem that many of my recipients may (or may not — don't get your hopes up, y'all) be reading this blog.

But here's what I'd like to accomplish in December, once NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo are behind me.

Scarf for Barbara — I've actually started this one
Hats for Morgan, Rowan and Rhiannon
Scarf for Liz (another co-worker) she also knits, and crochets, and last year she gave ME a scarf, so I'd really like to reciprocate

Okay, there's more I'd like to do, but at the rate I'm going, I don't know that it's going to happen.

Having just read Stephanie's Christmas knitting list, either I have a firmer grip on reality than she does, or I'm a wimp. Or, you know, both. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Victorian Lace Today (I got a new book!)

2007-11-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a day late and a dollar short on this one, but I'm only just now getting around to buying this book.

I have to say, in the interest of being fair, that I am a bit prejudiced against XrX — I have never forgiven them for the sudden and horrific fugnation of Knitters magazine....so I was a little worried about this book. On the other hand, I have Gathering of Lace, and Best of Knitters: Shawls and Scarves (which is pretty alright, saving the very 1980s-ness of it).

Anyway, I needn't have worried. The book is gorgeously laid out, and I've already picked out a few projects that will be moving into my "must knit" list.

My very favorite part of the book, other than the photographs of course, is the historical information that Jane Sowerby provides. I love reading about the history of textiles and fiber arts, so the sections on the early pattern books is a nice treat.

I haven't checked KnittingUniverse.com for errata yet, so I'm not sure how it fairs on the technical accuracy front.

The Aftermath

2007-11-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

There was more Thanksgiving (and giving thanks) at Chez Woolly today, as my chosen family came and broke bread with us. A grand, delicious and pie-ful time was had by all.

And now?

We play dice!

And a Good Time Was Had By All

2007-11-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

So, late last week my older sister Abby called and asked how I felt about her and her family coming over to my house for Thanksgiving. We had already invited Jess and her family over, and had talked to my friends Cindy and Heather about eating with us as well.

So, by the time all was said and done, rather than feeding the four of us (my eldest was away at her paternal grandmother's), I ended up feeding 16 people.

It was really pretty awesome. We had a great time, and the food was excellent. Cindy and Heather brought a Hubbard Squash dish (I think you have to capitalize "Hubbard Squash" its like a rule) and a righteous potato dish that involved feta cheese and tomatoes and YUM. Jess brought a loaf of the best bread she has ever baked, and some baked non-hubbard squash. Carl, my lovely and competent husband, baked pumpkin pies. Abby provided yet more pies and drinks, and very cleverly brought her Bunn coffee pot from home (I lust for her Bunn. That would sound wrong even if she weren't my sister. But there you are.)

I made cranberries, and sweet potatoes, and stuffing, and green beans almondine, and, and, and....

Turkey.

Thanksgiving V

2007-11-22T21:44:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving celebration was delicious, exhausting and absolutely wonderful. I had dear friends and family over and we had awesome and beautiful food.

I'll give you pictures tomorrow (I was actually bright enough to take some), but for now I'm off to my bed.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends, and to everyone else, Happy Knitting!

Thanksgiving IV

2007-11-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for:

Friends who will bring over their ginger when I run out at 10 p.m. on the day before Thanksgiving
Pandora Radio
Having my husband help me make my NaNoWriMo word count by use of bribery
Random passers-by who tag me for meme's that will totally give me blog-fodder on Friday
Sweet baby boys, snuggled up on the couch

Thanksgiving III

2007-11-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for:

universal remote controls (Please note that I would be even MORE thankful if we could find ours)
healthy children who are able to go to school
co-op farms with organically grown vegetables (even the icky ones, like Kale, bleargh!)
pink M & Ms
the easing of nasty cold symptoms

Thanksgiving II

2007-11-19T21:53:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for:

Blue Cheese on Hamburgers
Home-made Mead
A new tire on my car
Mucinex (don't ask)
A husband that does laundry

Thanksgiving

2007-11-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for:

a loving and supportive husband
a sweet, charming and funny 13 year old
an imaginative, kind and bossy 7 year old
a brilliant, generous and sensitive 6 year old
a good job that challenges me, and is offering the opportunity for advancement
friends and family, and people I consider to be both

Knit Party

2007-11-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight is Knit Party Night.

My friend the No-Longer-Blogless Cindy has begun hosting monthly Knitting Parties. (Please note that I have totally decided that two months running makes a tradition. So there.)

Anyway, so theoretically, one would assume that Knitting Parties are meant for knitting, and hey... that's valid. Look, we even brought knitting baskets.

See? Total knitting opportunities here. My basket is the one on the bottom right -- the observant among you will recognize the pink stripey sock and the Harlot Scarf.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should probably mention that I have knit two entire rows of the scarf.... and that's pretty much it.

There's wine, and cookies, and Broadway musicals, and NaNoWriMo and NaNoBloMo (I mean NaBloPoMo) and...

What kind of party was this again?

SOCK YARN!

2007-11-16T16:33:00.001-08:00

Sorry, I didn't mean to shout.

We had a nasty storm two nights ago that knocked out our internet. AND THEN IT NEVER CAME BACK! It was traumatic. Happily Koren (who is indeed a very cool friend) rescued the blog and posted for me.

So, I had a total of 5 qualifying entries (I'm sorry, Chelsea!) for the sock yarn giveaway. So, using a nifty-skifty random number generator (too lazy to dig out the dice) I arrived at an answer.

Koren, darling, you are our winner.

(Koren asked me last night, "Should I go ahead and post the sock yarn winner?" and I said... "Um, no....")

Now, truly funny thing about this is that I was totally planning on picking out one of the many nice sock yarns in my stash (or if parting with one was too dear, I'd run to the LYS and pick out one to give away, and then one for me, to ease the sting.)

But, I happen to have some Lion Brand Magic Stripes in my stash, and I know for a fact that Koren covets it...

Call me, and we'll negotiate.

(P.S. I have two colorways -- but only a picture of one of them)

Drive-by remote blogging...

2007-11-15T18:40:00.001-08:00

(I iz in ur blogger, posting in ur blog!)

Hullo, gentle reader! It is I, CyberMathWitch!

What? What's that you say? You were expecting Kade?

Well of course you were. Unfortunately I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, and you'll have to make do with me. All her interwebs are down, you see. And her outerwebs. All her webs, really. And since we're not quite *that* tech savvy yet, well, remote blogging means calling someone on the cel-phone and saying "hey you! For the love of NaBloPoMo, blog for me!"

(and let me just state, here and now, that despite the fact that I am generally the pusher and enabler extraordinaire, in this particular instance? Totally not my fault. Kade found NaBloPoMo all on her onesies.)

And for some reason, I have a bastardized filk version of "Don't Blog for Me, Argentina" running through my head. This means either a. I should take Evita with me to the Knitting party on Saturday, or b. Argentina really shouldn't blog for people. Possibly both.

Now I have to go, because I still need to work on my husband and feed my NaNo. Wait. Maybe that's the other way 'round?

Nah.

Technical Difficulties

2007-11-14T20:40:00.000-08:00

The intarwebs are broken.

Sock winner tomorrow!

Omphaloskepsis

2007-11-13T20:42:00.000-08:00

I think that it's interesting that of all of my throw away comments on this blog, the one that has generated the most commentary was my piteous query, "But what do I write about?" Several people offered suggestions (many of which I fully intend to take advantage of) for future blog posts.

Tekopp in addition to reassuring me regarding the price of post to Norway (not too dear) asked an interesting question:

How do you feel about daily blogging and why are you (not) going to
continue with it?

I guess I'm ambivalent about the daily blogging. On the one hand, I am enjoying the challenge, and the discipline, of making a post every day. On the other hand, well, I intend for this blog to be primarily a virtual scrapbook and history of my crafting, both knitting and sewing. I rarely touch too deeply on other aspects of my life here, and I'm pretty okay with that.

So, I think that I might decide to blog daily on a private journal, something like LJ, where my posts can be locked if I decide they need to be. I don't think I'm going to try to maintain daily posting here though, because people, I'm going to start to bore myself. Yesterday I posted a picture of a peacock and went to bed. I mean really.

BUT (you had to know there was going to be a "but" didn't you?) I definitely want to post to this blog more often. I enjoy the process and exercise of writing, and I enjoy the exhibitionist aspect of putting up pictures of things I've made. "Look at how neat I am! Look what I did!" I am the very Leo-est of Leos when it comes to this sort of thing.

So, in answer to your question, tekopp, I don't think I'll continue to blog daily at this blog, but I am definitely going to be blogging at least weekly. And I'm (so far at least) really glad that I decided to do NaBloPoMo.

omphaloskepsis: from the greek, to contemplate one's navel.

Nothing to Write About

2007-11-12T21:36:00.000-08:00

In lieu of an actual blog post, I give you more Bird Pr0n:

In my defense, I at least took this picture, instead of finding it on Flickr's Creative Commons page. Last summer we vacationed in Pigeon Forge and this fellow wandered past our cabin.

Tune in tomorrow for a real blog post.

Knitting in Public

2007-11-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

Two of my dear friends were married yesterday, in a lovely little ceremony at Cannonsburgh Village, here in Murfreesboro.

Wedding receptions being what they are (interminably boring) I instructed my son to bring a book, my daughter to bring a notebook and a pencil, and I brought my current sock-in-progress. We were all playing to our strengths.

Anyway, there I was with Jess standing around and knitting on our respective socks (like you do). Mingle, mingle, knit, knit and a friend says, "Is this some sort of sock-knitting cult?" I turn around and there is Koren, working away on her Nagini sock.

I swear we didn't plan it.

(And you would think that someone at the wedding would have had the sense to take a picture of three women standing around, in all our Shakespearian glory, knitting. But if they did, I haven't heard about it.)

Promised Pictures and Re-thinking My Plans

2007-11-10T19:43:00.000-08:00

As promised, I have some pictures of yesterday's yarn acquisition adventure.

However, I think that I need to re-consider my plan about using the yarn for the Chevron Scarf. At the gauge that this yarn knits up, it really would be a Chevrolet Scarf (looks like I was right the first time). There is another scarf pattern in the book that I think will work out just fine though, so it is really not a big deal. Someday, when I am rich, I'll buy the Koigu that the pattern calls for.

In other news, I've made some progress on the Harlot Scarf I'm making for a friend at work. (This is not intended as a slight on her character. The scarf pattern was designed by The Yarn Harlot.) It is looking less like a ball of yarn and more like a scarf with every passing day.

Joann's Trip

2007-11-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

We'll pretend that I didn't have a blog post earlier this week that implied (outright stated) that I already have enough (too much) yarn.

Yes.

Anyway, my darling Koren and I went out for dinner and shopping this evening, and of course I came home with yarn. I picked up two skeins of some new Debbie Mumm (!?!?) Traditions yarn and two skeins of one of Joann's Sensations yarns. My plan is to try out the Chevrolet (uh.. no, that's not right. Chevron. Sheesh.) Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I'll post pictures tomorrow, when I'm awake.

A Cardinal Number

2007-11-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

Well, how about that, folks? I've made 100 posts here at Woolly Discipline. Now, I know I've been a sporadic poster, and if there is one thing that this past week of daily posting has taught me it's that.... it's probably just as well really.

Wow, how do daily bloggers come up with new stuff to write about?

Moreover, when have they got time to knit?

But anyway, 100 blog posts calls for a celebration, or (dare I say it?) a blog contest!

I shall choose randomly from amongst the comments, one lucky winner who will take home some lovely sock yarn. The rules are as follows:

While contestants may comment more than once, this will not afford them multiple entries in the drawing.
The comment that is either the most witty, or makes me laugh the hardest (I'm sure you see how these two need not be synonymous) will receive Honorable Mention.
I'll be monitoring the comments on this post through midnight on Tuesday, November 13. I'll announce the winner in Wednesday's post. If you were clever enough to leave me an email address, I'll email you too.
If you don't happen to live in my hometown, I'm happy to mail the sock yarn to you. We'll work out the details as we go along.)

Now, since I have three regular readers, one regular commenter, and two or three occasional guests (I'm looking at you, tekopp, "hi!" and goodness, how much is post to Norway?) I'll be interested to see how many commenters crawl out of the woodwork at the promise of free yarn.

Yay for 100 posts!

This Little Alien Went to Market*

2007-11-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

I figure everyone must have a system for determining what does and doesn't count as an actual UFO. I mean, these things are all relative, right? Does it become a UFO moment you cast on? Or is that a WIP?

How long does it take to make the transition? Let's say, hypothetically, that you get bored and wander off. When does it loose its shiny WIP status, and join the lowly, the unloved, the uncounted, the UFOs?

For myself, I have a graduated system (and clearly, if I put as much effort into actually knitting as I do to thinking about it, much of this post would be moot.)

(Image © Annais)

Pipe-Line Projects: these are the knits I'm dreaming about, reading the patterns and shopping for yarn. These are "what's next."

Current Projects: projects that are on the needles, and that I'm either currently, actively knitting, or have done in the very recent past

Once and Future Projects: projects that I used to be really excited about, but for whatever reason have fallen by the knitting wayside. These are projects that I will totally (someday) finish. No really. Stop looking at me like that.

I'm sorry, Do I Know You? Projects: Projects that I don't remember why I was knitting. I would frog them, but to do so would require admitting that I'd ever cast them on.

Yarn: Gone daddy, gone. I came, I saw, I frogged. As Stephanie Pearl McPhee would say, "I remember that I like yarn more than I like bad hats" (Knitting Rules, pg. 125).

So, How do you count your UFOs?

*When my youngest two children were babies, my husband liked to play "piggies" on their toes. Never one to leave well enough alone, we changed the rhyme every time we said it. Sometimes the piggies went to market to buy tofu (my husband is a hippie, what can I say?) Sometimes though, they weren't piggies at all. Sometimes they were aliens "This little alien cried NargleBleepZoop all the way home!" It seemed a logical progression from counting UFOs to counting aliens.

Christmas Knits

2007-11-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you in the blogosphere smart enough not to decide to write a novel during November, it's time to start (ha!) your Christmas knitting. The clever, prepared knitter, of course, began this process last March and is now smugly seaming up complex fingering weight fair isle sweaters for their postman.

I think we all know that I am not that knitter.

I am not actually intending to knit (or sew, for that matter) too many of my gifts...but what seems to be a perfectly reasonable number at the beginning of November is a one one way ticket to crazy-town come late December.

Now, pretend that this paragraph is a list, detailing exactly what I intend to make for whom, and how near it is to completion. Pretending is what you'll have to do, because the people I'm making gifts for? They read the blog.

Right. Well.

That was helpful.

I Like Soccer Balls Better

2007-11-05T20:53:00.000-08:00

The good news is, I found my camera. When my boy-o was using the computer night before last, he knocked my camera bay over and my camera fell between my tower and the "random box of old video games" (admit it, you know you have one). I have been having a series of ongoing adventures with my son and the computer. Two weeks ago he got on-line while I was at work and very thoughtfully bought me $20 worth of "gems" on pogo.com. Yes, my little dude spent twenty bucks on electrons. This is as much my fault as anyone's because my password was set to auto-fill. I really ought to know better (and yes, I fixed that little faux pas on my part.)

So, long story short, we are keeping a closer watch on what he does when he's playing his games on my PC, and we've set him up his own account with restricted access (no installing). Yesterday I notice that the little icon for his account has changed. It was a little car, then it was a soccer ball.

Me: Honey, did you change the picture for your profile?
Little Dude: Yes. It was a car.
Me: Did Daddy help you?
L.D.: No.
Me: How did you know how to do that?
L.D.: *shrugs* I like soccer balls better.

Dude is 6.

This morning, it was a frog.

I am in so much trouble.

Nothing To See Here, Move Along

2007-11-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

I can't find my camera.

This bodes ill on day 4 of NaBloPoMo. How am I going to excite and titillate the masses without my camera? We'll ignore, for the nonce, the fact that I haven't actually knit anything worth blogging about in the last several days, and just focus on my total lack of cameratude. It was on my table yesterday before the party. (Yesterday 20+ lovely people invaded my home, ate candy, wore funny clothes and imbibed fermented beverages. Good times. Gut Glory only knows what became of my digital picture maker).

Oh, that reminds me, did I remember to tell you that I decided to do NaNoWriMo afterall? On October 31 I was very smugly helping a friend work out a plot point in her story when all of the sudden a plot-bunny the size of a moose bit me square on the tuckus.

Immediately, I ran to the computer and composed an email to three friends, begging them to talk me out of this insanity. I seriously miscalculated—all three of them had already committed to NaNo and were no help at all. (By 'no help' I mean, one of them said "Ooh, that would be awesome you totally have to do it!" and the other said, in a brilliant bout of reverse psychologizing, "You're probably right, it would be too hard for you." I hate you both so hard.)

So, let me leave you with a random picture of a scarf. No, I didn't find my camera, I took this one the other day when I was playing with my camera settings. I know it looks like a ball of yarn. You're going to have to use your imagination. I'm too busy writing to knit.

Swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon

2007-11-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

I like socks. Self-patterning pink and brown and purple and gray socks in particular. Today, these are my favorite (almost) socks. Not that they are almost my favorite, but rather that they are almost socks. I'm preparing to turn the heel on the second sock...just as soon as I get around to it.

See, I like socks. I like these socks. I really like wearing socks that I've knit.

So how come I haven't picked these socks up in two weeks?

I have no idea.

Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy

2007-11-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Knitpicks, as the entire blogosphere is already well aware, is having a clearance sale. I am really ambivalent about this, because Hey! Sale! 440 yards of gorgeous merino lace weight for a buck ninety-nine. But then on the other hand, discontinued colors. DISCONTINUED, people. This means no more ever.

EVER.

This means that I have to buy it all right now, because what if I want some later? Well, I won't be able to get it, will I? No, I will not. Because, discontinued.

So, long story... well, slightly less long, three buddies and I all went in together and bought a Giant Box O' Fiber Goodness.

My personal haul?

1 Shine Sport Aquamarine
1 Shine Sport Coral
1 Shine Sport Crocus
4 Shadow Redwood Forest Heather
2 Shadow Grape Jelly Heather
2 Gossamer Caribbean
4 Gossamer Blue Jeans
2 Gossamer Sweet Peas
2 Gossamer Leprechaun
2 Gossamer Sunrise

When, in my whole life long, am I going to knit all this up?

WHEN?!?!?

All Saints Day (and a Hallowe'en Hangover)

2007-11-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hallowe'en is a pretty big deal here at Chez Woolly. I have made it a point to try to make costumes for the kids while they're still small enough to care—and most years I manage pretty well. This year, Rhiannon (13) originally told me that she didn't want or need a costume, so I factored her out of my time budget. Unfortunately, she changed her mind too late (sorry Rhi!) so she is costume-less this year. I plan to make it up to her this spring when she goes to our local Anime Con, so I tell myself it'll all come out in the wash.

Miss Morgan decided she wanted to be a witch. She was very specific in her design requirements. "I want a black robe just like Rhiannon's, but with blue instead of purple, and not so long I trip and fall on my face."

The wig was her Unka Monka's (Uncle Monkey's) edition to her costume. Not my fault....

At first I tried to talk Rowan into being a Ninja for Halloween (hey, black fabric is cheap this time of year) but he said that would be "too silly." He opted for Ash Ketchum of Pokemon fame (and after a bit of confusion on my part...turns out Ash Ketchum is no relation to Hal Ketchum) I found some pictures on the Intarwebs and commenced to figuring it out. Best news? I already had the fabric — his costume cost me less than $5 to make. I win at life.

NaBloPoMo (or How We Knew She'd Finally Lost Her Mind)

2007-10-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard of NaNoWriMo (if you haven't, either you don't know any geeks or you live under a rock.) Well, for those of us who don't actually know 50,000 words, apparently there is "NaBloPoMo" or National Blog Posting Month. The theory is, you make one post a day, everyday, during the month of November. (Can you say Meme? I knew you could!)

Now, those of you who know me in what passes for my real life, know that I work as a Team Lead in a customer service call center for a national bookstore. We are entering the fourth quarter, where retail does more than half of their year's business. This is when call center season really heats up. This seems to be a logical and reasonable time for me to decide to post daily. Yes.

As a side note, what's wrong with June? I grant you "NaJuWriMo" sounds funny, but people do not pretend to me that "NaNoWriMo" doesn't sound silly. I certainly grant you that there could be some confusion as to whether the Ju is referencing June or July, but surely we can work that out. Why does it have to be November, which is a notoriously busy time of year even for people who don't work in a retail environment? (Yes, I know the "No" really refers to Novel, not November. Hush.) I could conceivably string together 50,000 words in June. In November, I only know two words. "Sleep" and "Coffee". That would make for a decidedly boring novel.

But I digress. Frequently, and with panache. Tune in daily! There will be thrills! Chills! Photos! An attempt at being vaguely interesting!

Since I'm going to be posting daily, I did some research on what makes a good blog post. Many agree that good photos are KEY for generating and keeping a reading audience. Never one to shirk from duty, I present you with.....

P.S. When I initially considered doing this, I was talking to my husband about it. I referred to is as NaNoBloMo (National November Blogging Month?) Anyway, let's just say that my husband was disappointed about what that doesn't mean. If you catch my drift, and I know you do.

She's Building A Mystery

2007-10-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about Mystery Knitalongs that grabs me. I knit the Ragnarok shawl (also known as the Mystery Shawl 2) and hated every second of it. Now, don't get me wrong, the shawl turned out beautifully — it's easily the most complicated and beautiful thing I ever knit. Then there was the Mystery Stole 3. I think that the final design is really interesting, and I don't mean that in a bad way, necessarily. But it might be more interesting than I'm really comfortable with these days. In any case, the fabric I was getting wasn't quite right, and I stalled out at the end of Clue 2. I haven't frogged it. Yet. Right now it's in time-out under my bed.

So. Mystic Waters KAL. Maybe I'm a joiner. Maybe I'm addicted to possibility. This shawl could be nearly anything. It could be the masterpiece of my knitting career. It could be an incredible learning experience. I just don't know. Cuz it's a MYSTERY, see?

Drive By

2007-10-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

No actual pictures to share — but I did want to do a quickie update. (I know, I know, quickies are less satisfying, but sometimes that's all you have time for).

Anyway, I've been working on adding projects to my Ravelry notebook (I'm Kadollan over there too, if you want to look me up). It now looks like I'm actually a knitter. I had a lot of fun going through old photos, reading old blog posts and generally trying to recreate history. I'm not done, but I'm not in any big hurry either. One thing I've noticed — I take better pictures now.

On the man-sweater front (or, rather, the back) I'm nearly ready to start the shoulder shaping. So far I'm loving the fabric I'm getting with the Wool of the Andes. In sock news, I'm mid-way into my second pink stripedy sock. I made a deliberate decision to make the two socks fraternal and it is absolutely driving me nuts. See, I'm the littlest bit OCD, and I look for ways to challenge myself .... I'm challenged.

I am seriously considering casting on a shawl. The Mystery Stole 3 is hibernating right now, to borrow a phrase from Ravelry. I may very well frog it, as it fails utterly to turn my crank and babies, my crank needs turned. I'm considering the Swallowtail Shawl for a dear friend of mine, or the Mystic Waters Knitalong for I don't know who.

The Man-Sweater Knitalong

2007-09-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

So, my best Jess and I decided it was time to knit ourselves a sweater. A while back, Knit Picks had some of their Wool of the Andes on sale for $1.59 a ball. An auspicious time to undertake a project that (in my case....cuz I'm bigger) will take upwards of 15 balls of yarn. But what to knit?

I probably own, no lie, over fifty knitting books—and do I really need to count all of the magazines I have? Over the years I've seen scores of sweaters that I'd love to knit, would look great on me, or include a technique that just looks like it would be cool to learn. So, choosing a sweater to knit should be a piece of cake, non?

Non. Too many choices! Also, in the spirit of true -alongatude, we needed a pattern that Jess and I could both sport. For those of you who don't know us, Jess and I don't so very much have the same body type. I weigh an entire 2nd grader more than she does. We are the Amazon and the Pict. (We should have t-shirts or something.)

So, after a fair amount of ruminating...by which I mean "Whaddya want ta knit?" "Uh... I dunno?" We settled on Ann Budd's Cambridge Jacket from Interweave Summer 2006. We ceremoniously and with great fanfare dubbed it a Man Sweater Knitalong and commenced to ordering our yarn.

Jess went with Iron Ore (a pretty rusty red color) and I bought Blueberry (tealish). We both decided that in addition to making ourselves a sweater, we would try to move outside of our color comfort level a bit. As an interesting side note, the cardigan that Jess knit for the Olympics, which is her only adult sweater to-date, was a green with some blue to it. Meanwhile, I was knitting in nothing but cinnamon, brown, and red for MONTHS. Apparently she and I chose to move out of our own comfort levels.... and into each others. Go figure.

This sweater also has the advantage of a technique that neither of us has tried before: the sewn-in zipper. I am totally not counting "finishing a knitted sweater for myself" as a technique I've never tried before. I have knit my little people scads of sweaters....same technique, less staying power....or something.

Currently, my ManSweaterKnitalong-o-Meter is at approximately 25%. I'm less than an inch away from shaping for the armholes on the back. I've used nearly three balls of the 15 I ordered. I think I will have enough yarn, but that it will be close enough to make me sweat.

P.S. I really want to make the Icarus Shawl, from this same issue. I will, however, be re-christening it the "Daedalus Shawl" cuz dude.... do I really want my wings to melt from crashing into the sun, and then to plummet down into the sea and drown? Meanwhile Dad is circling around at a reasonable altitude saying "JEEZ! Why don't teenagers listen?" No thank you. Daedalus Shawl for me, please.

Well, aren't I a lamer then?

2007-09-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I haven't been blogging more consistently. Too much other stuff going on, I guess. I am getting some knitting done, I'm happy to report.

I'm trying to decide how to make this blog coincide with my Ravelry—I definitely plan to continue this blog, but some of the information on it is going to become redundant. Do I need a running tally of projects in both places? I think I may quit using the percentages in the sidebar completely on this blog, because Ravelry does it so seamlessly. I will probably continue to update my Recent Work list though. Hey, I need all the encouragement I can get. Look Virginia! She really does finish things! Not just cast them on!

Okay, enough omphaloskepsis and on to the pictures!

Last month I blogged about the Nasty Acryl socks that I'm knitting for Iris. I have a serious hate on for that yarn. But! I persevered, and the socks are finished.

The socks are finished, the yarn is no longer lurking in my stash and that's one more Christmas/Yule present finished. Good times.

In a moment of weakness (Hey, I went to Angel Hair Yarn, Co. with Koren and no-longer blogless Cindy) I bought yet more sock yarn, and cast on a sock for me that is delightedly NOT acrylic.

Self-striping yarn makes me happy. I am a simple woman. I am seriously considering flouting my OCD ways and deliberately making these socks wackily-fraternal. We'll see if I can make myself do it when the time comes.

In other news, have you checked out Knitpicks new funknatious wooden needles? How cool are they? I just acquired some double-pointed sock needles, so a report on how they knit will be forthcoming. (P.S. the DPN sock needles come 6 in a set. How awesome is that?)

I See No Reason to Mention or Comment Upon a Month and a Half of Silence

2007-08-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

So. Summer.

Yeah.

But also socks!

These Rags are, whatchacall, Glad.

Or to be more precise, they are what Laurie Andersson calls Glad. I started these puppies back in April of '06, but then I got bored and wandered off. You know, like you do.

But then, I got bored with something else, and wandered right back again (if by "right" you mean a year and a half later. And I do.)

I've modified the pattern slightly—ignored the beadwork and continued the lace pattern into the feet. I'm pretty happy with them, but discovered the inevitable consequence of losing 30+ pounds between casting on socks and kitchenering them. They's a twee baggy.

In other socks, I'm using up some of the old sock yarn stash (wait, am I allowed to call sock yarn stash?). I'm making a pair of wee socklets for Jess' Chi-town Princess. Showing barbaric cruelty, many, many acryls were harmed in the creation of this sock yarn. I cannot discuss it here. No, it is too barbaric. I am merely honoring the spirits of the many acryls slain in the processing of this yarn by knitting it up. Surely it would be crueler to let the yarn go to waste?