knitdevil

The Shape of Things to Come

2009-05-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

20 skeins of Koigu KPM. Destined to become a punk rock Babette during my knitting group's upcoming Summer of Crochet Love CAL. Is there anything more beautiful?

Welcome Spring

2009-04-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

Note: This post includes a spoiler of the latest Mythos Club sock yarn.

Spring in southern California is pretty darn tasty.

The foothills where we live are verdant, the air is redolent with citrus and jasmine, and the bees are working overtime on the sage and thyme blossoms.

Even my physical therapist has gotten into the spirit and given me a hot pink splint.

Spring has also brought my 45th birthday and some requisite knitting loot...

Clockwise from top: Sock Innovation, Luxury One-Skein Wonders,
Koigu KPM (thanks, Ellen!), Sundara Silk Lace (thanks, Annette!), and Simply Needlefelt

...and the latest installment of the Mythos Yarn Club, Persephone, in Chakra, a scrumptious new merino/cashmere/nylon base from Melanie's Lotus Yarns.

Enough time has passed for a noticeable improvement finger-wise; though it's gonna take a long time for it to heal completely, I'm once again knitting. My tension is wonky, so I've mostly been knitting on some holiday felting projects. Spring fever must be going around, though, because I cannot wait to get going on Ishbel - using last month's Mythos yarn, Astarte - and Miriam Felton's Cleopatra Wrap - using the luscious Sundara Silk Lace in Ruby Port shown above. And yes, with the damage I did to the digit, it truly feels like a blessing from the goddesses that I'm once again knittin' and purlin'.

Hope you have something heavenly on your needles, too. Happy spring!

On the turntable: Indie pop freakout! The Veils ~ Sun Gangs / Imperial Teen ~ The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band / Eugenius ~ Oomalama

Hat Trick

2009-03-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

In a quirky life moment, this past winter Tom was approached by a guy in Iowa about a job. It was this close to happening; at the eleventh hour Tom's bosses here countered with an offer we couldn't refuse, though, and we ended up staying put. Tom did fly out to Waverly, Iowa, and interview however, and before he went I decided he needed a hat to keep him warm. So I knit him seven. You know, just in case.

The winner of the bunch turned out to be Alex Zorn's Hot Head from the first Stitch 'n' Bitch.

It fits Tom to a tee, and, knit out of humble Lamb's Pride Bulky, is a cheap, quick project. He liked the first - knit in the hot rod flame colors as the pattern suggests - so much that I made him a true blue second. (Rav project page here.)

Third up is Brenda Zuk's Seaman's Cap.

For it I used some Elsebeth Lavold Classic AL nabbed on sale from Webs. As alpaca does, it made a super soft, super warm hat which has seen lots of use on chilly mornings. (Rav project page here.)

Fourth up is Jen Showalter's Samaras Hat.

Knit with some of my fave yarn, Lotus Yarns Nirvana Worsted in Fascination Street (black with deep purple flecks). This basic hat sports a deep ribbed brim. (Rav project page here.)

Fifth up is Angelina Fagan's Pro Bono.

The yarn, Classic Elite Ariosa, is super delish, but grew too much after its bath, resulting in a hat a tad too big for even Tom's 24" noggin. (Who swatches for hats?) This one's a do-over on a smaller needle. (Rav project page here.)

Sixth up is Staceyjoy Elkin's Marsan Watchcap.

This one was tricky. First, the pattern runs way small. Way. After a couple of false starts I checked my gauge, was spot on, and went ahead with a 97-stitch cast on...ending up with a hat that barely fit my 20.5" head. Huh. Second, and I feel like a big baby saying so, the twisted ribbing hurt my hands. The pattern itself is simple, and has a cool spiral decrease crown, so I want to try it again - when I'm not feeling wimpy - on a larger needle with more stitches. (Rav project page here.)

Seventh and last is Whitney Van Nes's Whitney's 70's Ski Hat.

*Sigh.* I adjusted the numbers up for Tom's big head. Shouldn't have. Negative ease kicked my ass, resulting in a humongous failure.

See the cashmere lining?

This one's also a do-over someday...like when we get our ski chalet in the Alps. (Rav project page here.)

* * *

The finger is still fucked, still painful. I popped into the doc this morning for confirmation of this fact, and the tech who x-rayed me was some crazy drummer who riffed on how he kept breaking his digits on his snare drum. I kept my witty retorts to myself, and hope I never do something this stupid again. Next week physical therapy (probably) starts. Man, do you have any idea how much I wish I'd broken my middle finger instead?

On the turntable: Chris Isaak ~ Mr. Lucky

Accidents Will Happen

2009-03-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

If you're me, that means you'll slam the car door on your finger.

Doesn't look too bad, does it? Well, trust me when I say this is the G-rated photo, because under the band-aid things are ugly. The bone at the tippy top is fractured, the rest of the finger squished, and I'm out of knitting commission for at least a month. Boo.

The upside is that I'm bored out of my gourd already, which will hopefully mean catching up on blogging and project photo taking for Ravelry. I haven't been doing much of either because I was on a knitting tear the last couple of months. You know the rush, right? Gauge was spot on! Projects were working out! I was casting on and finishing with equal fervor! I was in the zone, and enjoying every minute.

A highlight of this productivity was Malabrigo March 2009 over at the Malabrigo Junkies Ravelry group. I joined in on the fun by participating in four KALs for Cherry Garcia, Dean Street Hat, Forest Canopy Shawl, and Just Enough Ruffles. In some fluke I finished all four projects in ten days, which must be a personal best for pokey me.

Pattern: Just Enough Ruffles (MM09 #1) - my Rav page here
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Olive - 1.5 skeins
Needles: US 9 32" and 40" Knit Picks Options circs
Mods: None
Rating: ****

I knit this pattern to 1) practice short rows and 2) knit lengthwise, something I rarely do because usually I don't like how the cast-on edge looks. I'm happy with how it turned out, and see this as a go-to pattern whenever I need a quick gift.

Pattern: Dean (Winchester*) Hat (MM09 #2) - my Rav page here
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Chestnut - 1 skein
Needles: US 6 and 7 16" circs
Size: Adult Small/96 stitches
Mods: None
Rating: *****

Love the mock cables, which look harder than they are. Hate the fact that I flubbed and added an extra knit row on one repeat...and didn't catch it until I'd bound off and taken this photo. Oh, well, I'll definitely be knitting this pattern again. Best part? This pattern includes two brim options (rolled and ribbed), three sizes (child, adult small, adult large) and two yarn options (worsted or bulky), making it very usable.

*In a total spazzy fangrrl moment, I knit in a colorway that matches Dean Winchester's t-shirt.

Pattern: Cherry Garcia (MM09 #3) - my Rav page here
Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky in Vaa - 1 skein
Needles: US 11 16" circs
Mods: Only two cables as I ran short of yarn
Rating: ***

This was the project where I conquered my loose ribbing/cabling. I practiced a tip I read on page 11 of Melissa Leapman's Continuous Cables to tighten up my last always wonky knit stitch before a purl stitch. (The tip is to wrap the first purl stitch the opposite way you normally do, twisting the stitch and tightening things up nicely. On the next row you untwist the stitch and repeat.) The tip worked like a charm, and my ribbing should be sexier from now on.

Pattern: Forest Canopy Shawl (MM09 #4) - my Rav page here
Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in Blackberry - 2 skeins
Needles: US 8 29" Bryspun circs
Finished Dimensions: 53" x 22"
Mods: None
Rating: *****

Each year for the past four years I've knit my Mom a shawl. (Past years include Flower Basket, Gothic Leaf, and Hanami.) This year I presented her with Forest Canopy. It's my personal fave of my MM09 projects. The pattern is easily memorized, knits up quickly, and the yarn...well, this was my first time using Silky Merino, and I can't rave about the yarn enough. It's a delight to knit: the silk glows, the merino adds plumpness to the stitches, and it's just all over rustic and yummy. This one was a sheer delight from start to finish.

Life Is Short

2009-02-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

Lux Interior, frontman for the Cramps and the Grand Poobah of Psychobilly, passed away yesterday. He, along with wife Poison Ivy and a parade of other musicians, made a generation of punks' hips swivel and senses delight to their lo-fi sleaze-o-rama garage sound.

RIP, Lux. Hope you've found a new kind of kick.

2009?

2008-12-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

Bring it.

Now that the carols are sung, the presents unwrapped, and the fruitcake crumbs swept up, we all turn our pretty little heads towards a new year. I'm not big on year-end ruminations or new year resolutions; what's done is done, and we all know resolutions are about as helpful as an umbrella in the face of a tsunami. I am, however, all for fun, and that's what I wish each and every one of you for the coming year.

However, before moving on I suppose I should put the final nail in the Mission: Possible 2008 coffin. Okay, I gotta admit it: MP08 was tough. I don't do well with enforced rules - I'm a rebel, dammit - and at times it smacked of "gotta do" instead of "wanna do." But I persevered, and succeeded. Of my 12 goals, I finished 'em all. And knit a bunch of other stuff, too.

1. Gift spinning wheel, books, and fiber to Patty.
2. Felt one pair, and Plasti Dip soles of three pairs of felted slippers.
3. Finish Gothic Leaf Stole. (4 skeins of Euroflax Sportweight in Eggplant)
4. Finish Cobblestone. (16 balls of Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed)
5. Finish Shedir. (1-2 balls of Rowan Calmer in Coffee Bean)
6. Crochet baby blanket out of Rowan All Seasons Cotton. (11 balls in Citron, Giddy, Lime Leaf and Remote)
7. Crochet another baby blanket. (1 skein of Koigu KPM and 5 skeins Shibui Sock)
8. Use up some Malabrigo Worsted. (3 skeins - 2 Tamarind Cowls and a Celtic Cable Neckwarmer in Bijou Blue and Black)
9. Knit Unoriginal Hat. (1 skein STR Leticia in Hard Rock)
10. Use up some Lamb’s Pride Worsted. (4 skeins - 3 Berry Bags in Orange You Glad, Limeade Lemon Drop, and a tad of Old Sage; Marsan Watchcap in Brite Blue)
11. Knit a Stacked Eyelet Cowl. (1 skein of Lotus Yarns Nirvana in Blood Flowers)
12. Knit two Yarn Harlot One Row Scarves. (4 balls Artfibers Kyoto in lime and teal)

So that's done then. And now my thoughts turn to becoming a loose woman. Beginning tomorrow, my knitting group and I are gonna do a Feel Like a Floozy KAL for the first week of January. Each day we're gonna cast on a project (or two or three). No guilt, no worrying about last names, just reckless casting on. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Please join us!

Sunny Delight

2008-12-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Berry Bag by Nguyen Le (my Ravelry link here)
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted in Lemon Drop, Limeade and Orange You Glad - 1 skein each; a tad of Old Sage
Needles: US 11 24" circs and dpns
Mods: None
Rating: Easy peasy lemon squeezy

Remember Mission Possible: 2008? 12 finished projects in 12 months? Or else? As the year end approaches, I've dusted off my MP:08 project list, amended it to better reflect what I'm knitting now instead of what I thought I'd be knitting now a year ago (this is allowed, so I'm not cheating), and re-attacked it with relish. Trying to stay true to the idea behind it, I've chosen a couple of projects using deep stash, which for me means yarn that's been hanging around unused for two years.

These sweet bags are the first of the two projects. Way back in the winter of 2006 Tom bought me a bunch of Lamb's Pride Worsted in single skein colors. Ostensibly it was to be using making a slew of Jess Hutch toys. Only one problem: I hadn't realized I find knitting toys fiddly. (And by fiddly I mean I'd rather stick US 1 needles into my eyes than make them.) So. It has sat unused. Until I tripped over this pattern on etsy. (Kinda expensive at $8, but I didn't feel like chasing down the Interweave Felts issue it's in; I was not to be deterred in my destashing.) It's, like, the best felt pattern ever.

+ Single skein stashbuster.
+ Quick. I knit and felted a bag a night over three nights, and the leaves took a half hour tops.
+Perfect holiday gift.
+ Cute. They measure 8" round after felting, which falls into the "small is cute" category. Perfect size for holding your sock WIPs.

I chose scurvy deterrent colors, in celebration of the citrus trees in our backyard, but any color combo would work. Mix it up with crocheted or felted flowers instead of the leaves. Omit decoration and go for minimal. Just make this bag. You'll be berry glad you did.

A Send Off to Anne

2008-11-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

Tom's Mom, Anne, passed away two weeks ago, and we spent last week up in Washington saying goodbye to her, attending her funeral, and visiting with the rest of his family. Anne was an incredible woman, a consummate fiber artist, and a loving and supportive mother in law, and while these circumstances always make one sound trite, she will be missed greatly.

Knitting, spinning, weaving...she did it all. Stitch n Bitch? Her group met in the 1960s. State fair? Her spinning and weaving won her three Grand Championships and dozens of other ribbons (mostly blues) in the Western Washington State Fair. Sheep to shawl? You betcha.

Anne and I always shared a close bond due to our love of knitting, and so at Tom's sister's insistence I returned home with a few of her handmade items. Four pairs of Kool-Aid dyed wool socks she knit. Three woven wool scarves that were part of her weaving group's sale stash . Some yarn and a few booklets that missed a former garage sale. Practical, humble mementos of a woman who survived the Depression, served in the Coast Guard in World War II, birthed and raised six kids (five of them boys), and met each challenge with enthusiasm and humor.

She'll always be missed, but I have no doubt where she's ended up: She's whipping the angels into shape...and whipping them up some new robes in a lovely Cormo, too. So here's to Anne! The world is less one kick ass knitter, and that's a darn shame.

These Mean Streets

2008-11-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday Tom and I, along with Ellen and her husband Larry, took a noir-themed architectural tour of Los Angeles. Entitled "L.A. NOIR-chitecture: A Hard-boiled Tour Through the Historic City," it was co-presented by the Los Angeles Conservancy and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and included seven stops. (A pdf of the tour may be found here. This is the flyer for the tour. It folds up into four pages, so the first page is upside down, but it will print correctly.)

photo courtesy of Ellen Bloom

Formosa Cafe. 1925. Hang out of boxers, actors, and gangsters, it was featured in the 1997 film adaptation of James Ellroy's L.A. Confidential.

Villa Primavera. 1923. It may be a little run down now, but back in the day this Spanish-style courtyard apartment house was home to such stars as James Dean and Harold Lloyd. It was featured in the 1950 film adaptation of Dorothy Hughes' In a Lonely Place.

Parva-Sed-Apta Apartments. 1923. Formerly a boarding house, Nathanael West stayed here during the summer of 1935 when he was researching and writing The Day of the Locust. Elizabeth Short, aka The Black Dahlia, lived in the apartment building next door on the right in the 1940s.

Security Trust and Savings Building. 1921. Thought to be the inspiration for the office of Raymond Chandler's iconic detective Philip Marlowe.

Mulholland Dam. 1924. Located in the Hollywood Hills, it is featured in Michael Connelly's The Overlook. Madonna used to own a home to the right of the houses seen in the upper right corner.

Warner Bros. Studios. 1926-present. A highlight of the tour, the "New York Street" lot is now used in the television shows ER and Cold Case. Back in 1941, it was used to portray the foggy San Francisco streets seen in the film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon.

Glendale Southern Pacific Railroad Terminal. 1924. My favorite stop on the tour, this gorgeous Spanish Colonial Revival building is still in use as an Amtrak/Greyhound station. Billy Wilder used it to great effect as the scene of the crime in his 1944 film adaptation of Double Indemnity.

Thanks to the Los Angeles Conservancy docents for a stellar job in presentations at the sites, excellent signage leading to and from sites (esp. for Mulholland Dam), and crowd control. From start to finish we had a fantastic time, and hope that there may be other literary-theme inspired tours in the future.

Happy Day of the Dead!

2008-11-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Oaxaca, Mexico 1997

Reason Number 5,438 I Love My Husband

2008-10-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

This morning, as I'm putting our new wool blanket on our bed, Tom walks up, lifts his shirt, rubs the wool on his belly, and says with a big grin, "Hairshirt."

* * * (I tried to think up a segue from hairshirt to bat shawl, but I got nothin'.)

The Bat Shawl is disappointing me. I've ripped back to row 7, reknit to row 15 (which is still effed up even though the designer and another Raveler redid the border instructions and they're supposedly fixed), and last night realized I'm gonna run out of yarn. By not just the extra 100 yards I gave myself as wiggle room, but by a lot. Merde. Unless any of you have some extra Elann Baby Silk in color 500 Deepest Black Lot # 61 just lying around that you'd like to overnight me, it looks like I won't be wearing it for Halloween. If ya do, let's talk!

Ah, well, as a balm to soothe that pain, here's some spooky yarn upon which to feast our eyes. I've been selling off some of my stash on Ravelry, had a PayPal balance for a minute, and decided to use some of it to buy some BMFA Laci in Thraven. First it was destined for Irtfa'a, but now I'm thinking Cleite.

Next is the Malabrigo in autumnal shades I bought with a Webs gift certificate Tom gave me last Christmas. (Can you believe I held onto it for 10 months? Me neither.)

From bottom clockwise: Olive, Burgundy, Lettuce, Glazed Carrot, Black, Vaa, and Sunset (in the middle)

Next is the first installment of Lotus Yarns' Big Ass Yarn Club. 540 yards of worsted superwash merino in colorway Bliss. Awesome yardage! And the color reminds me a lot of...

...the next and final yarn, Yarn Pirate's BFL DK in Monster Mash. Spooktacular!

Now I'm off to practice my cackle. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

* * *

On the turntable: Various ~ Halloween Hootenanny

Happy Whatever the Hell Day It Is

2008-10-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

Has it really been two months since I last posted? Two months? Hell's bells. I, like everyone else, realize a lot of my online time has shifted to Ravelry, but whoa. I feel like David Bowie when he said he didn't remember 1970.

What have I been up to? Uh, I know I've done some stuff. My knitting has consisted of, well, good knits gone bad. First I was knitting on my Knitting Pure and Simple cardigan. It's currently in time out. I finished the body, only to realize the bottom edge looks like crap.

I need to rip out that 1 inch of seed stitch, go down a needle size, and hopefully the ugly ripples will disappear and the cast off will be cleaner. (I like how the Cotton Fleece is knitting up, but I kinda miss wool's forgiving nature on this one.)

After I wadded up the sweater, shoved it into a bag and hid it in a corner, I worked feverishly on my Bat Shawl. Finished the body, started the border. Realized the border pattern numbers were off, and tried a half-assed fix. Which didn't work. I'm currently debating about ripping 10 rows and reknitting, or ripping 19 rows and crocheting a picot edge.

After I wadded up the shawl and shoved it into a bag, I decided to knit a small something to allay all that big project frustration.

So I began a Celtic Cable Neckwarmer, using some black worsted Malabrigo. Sproingy cables are the best!

And that's it for knitting. No wonder I haven't blogged much. But I did see Nick Cave at the Hollywood Bowl.

The venue was the worst imaginable for his kind of show (they cut the band off halfway through their set due to the sound curfew, which was a total bleepin' rip off), but I hadn't seen him and the Bad Seeds since 1992 in San Francisco, so it was limited fun, but still fun. And he and the band were tight. I bought the best swag:

Not sure what project I'll wad up and cram into it, but I'll make sure it's a worthy one.

And that's it for now, kids. Tune in tomorrow when I showcase some recent spooky yarn additions. 'Tis the season, after all.

On the turntable: Jimmy Smith ~ Crazy! Baby

Holiday Knitting, aka One for You, One for Me

2008-08-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

For many, "holiday knitting" focuses on those wintry celebrations of light - Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule - where gifts are exchanged, nog is imbibed, and good cheer is felt by all. I, however, come from a background where "handmade" equates with "cheap," "regifted," and "ugly." My sister and I were scarred by inappropriate gifts throughout our childhood; we joke about it annually as we exchange our Xmas Amazon gift certificates and breathe our sighs of relief. With this background, I'm very sensitive to my own gift giving, and, except for a few select -and hopefully worthy - December presents, prefer to gift handmades throughout the year.

This year, my select gifts will be accessories. Right now I'm concentrating on cowls. Yep, I somehow am part of an online knitting trend. (Dunno how; usually I'm two years behind the eight ball, if not out of it entirely. I still haven't knit a Clapotis or a pair of Fetchings.)

Pattern: Tamarind Cowl by Kristen Hanley Cardozo
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted in Bijou Blue - 1 skein
Needles: US 8 16" circs
Mods: None
Rating: Five stars

What a great one skein project. It knits up lickety split, and gives bang for the buck with its ruched construction. Y'know I'm not a big Malabrigo fan (I know, I know), but I admit the yarn works perfectly for the pattern. It is soft, supple, and the subtle variegation provides a little interest. I'm currently working on a second.

I'm also having a blast knitting for mememe. Some of you have seen it on Ravelry, but for those who haven't, I'm knitting myself a Batgrrl Shawl for Halloween.

I'm currently on the third repeat, which means three bats are flying off my needles. Har. Any batty puns you'd like to share? This is the simplest lace shawl ever. Ever. The yarn is Elann's Baby Silk. Fuzzier than expected, but cheap enough for this silliness.

In other Halloween randomness: The AntiCraft's Samhain issue shall be devoted to Los Dias de los Muertos. Hold me back. And Herschnerr's has a Halloween yarn special. Ack!rylic. With metallic thread. $12.99 for 10 balls (in orange, black, yellow, white, green and orange/black/white variegated). Oh, the kitsch that could ensue.

* * *

On the turntable: The Cramps ~ Songs the Lord Taught Us

Hanami

2008-08-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

The cherry blossoms

scatter and we watch and the

more cherry blossoms blow

~ Onitsura (1660-1738)

Mary was over yesterday morning. We were felting some stuff for her, and in between doing that we snapped a few shots of Hanami. She kindly agreed to model. Thanks, Mary, for strikin' a great pose!

Pattern: Hanami Stole by Melanie Gibbons (my Ravelry page here)
Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud - 2 skeins in Peppermint Heather
Needles: US 2 1/2 (3 mm) 24" circular
Size: 15" x 54" (basketweave portion is 29" long and cherry blossom portion is 25" long)
Mods: Omitted beads on cast on; long tail cast on; slipped first stitch of each row purlwise with yarn in front; only knit 16 rows on chart G
Rating: It's pink and fluffy and has a great theme...what's not to love?

As I mentioned waaaay back when, my knitting group is doing a Summer of Lace KAL. For it I decided to finally do Hanami; this pattern has been a back burner on my queue since Melanie published it. What to say that hasn't been said already about it? Uh, not much. The pattern is straightforward and, while it became monotonous somewhere in the middle, provides a great impact when finished. What else? I love a good theme, and this shawl delivers. Though at 54" in length it really should be called a scarf, shouldn't it? Yes, indeed, which just adds to its versatility. Oh, and I love the ruffle. I wasn't going to do it, but at the last minute decided what the heck. Heck was right, because it's a perfect foil for all those falling blossoms.

* * *

In other news, I'm knitting lots. I've even begun *gasp* holiday knitting. More on that later, taters.

On the turntable: Cal Tjader's Several Shades of Jade

Fiendish Find of the Week

2008-08-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

*Tap, tap, tap* ...is this thing on? *feedback* Why, hello, ladies and gents. I bring to you the following public service announcement:

La's been busy with the dye pots. She's come up with some great colorways, and will be launching them in her new etsy store, Dizzy Blonde Yarns, tomorrow. You can find her colorways - including a wonderfully moody Lac Noir that's oh so mine - here.

Best of luck in your new endeavor, La! See ya tomorrow!

Blockhead

2008-08-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hanami is off the needles and on the blocking board. Specs to follow once she's dry, but here's a peek:

* * *

On the turntable: The Undertones ~ True Confessions (Singles = A's + B's) - The A side is possibly the best music to block to. Ever.

What I'm Doin'

2008-07-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

1. Lusting after Kylie's new boots. Are they not wicked cool? Since I live in a place that gets maybe five raindrops a year, I'm also nefariously plotting to vacation from now on only in places where moisture is rampant so I can get a pair, too.

2. Shaving my legs. I realized it's been two weeks since I last did. Man, what am I, some kinda hippie or something? Next thing you know I'll be getting a Grateful Dead dancing bear tat on my ankle and following Phish around the country in a VW Microbus. (wait, are Phish even still around?)

3. Aaaand, quickly dissuading that image, my pastel infatuation is ending. A little pink and fuzzy goes a long way, boys and girls. Dare I say too long? Hanami is three charts and a ruffle away from being done; I can knit half a chart a day before narcolepsy occurs. Hopefully by the next time I drag my lazy ass into blog posting again it'll be off the needles and blocked. Or you can call me Rip Van Winklette.

4. I've picked my next lace project. I even have the cone of black Zephyr from my aborted Mystery Shawl 3 for it. It feels good to scuttle back to the dark side.

Photo courtesy of Emilee Mooney/the AntiCraft

5. Playing with my crock pot/slow cooker. Summer is kicking my ass in the hot department, and if I even look at the stove our little house heats up unbearably. Sometimes I'll shuck my shirt and cook en brassiere, but that freaks out Tom (the neighbors might see!), and the crock pot is a nice compromise. (And yeah, the dude needs to shed some of those pesky Protestant inhibitions, but then again, I'm a gal who isn't shaving her legs, so who you gonna listen to?) Thanks to Marie I'm reading this blog, and having varied success in the kitchen. Verdict so far is that big hunks of meat work well, as do soups. I'm on the lookout for good recipes, so if you have any faves, please email me!

* * *

On the turntable: Devil Takes His Turn by the Dusty 45s

Lazy Hazy Daze

2008-07-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

The days run away like wild horses over the hills.
~Charles Bukowski

And I'm knitting lace. Pink, frothy lace. I'm on the seventh and last repeat of the basket weave portion of Hanami, and thankful to soon be transitioning to the cherry blossom part. So far it's an easy knit; so easy that I've eschewed lifelines, and have only messed up twice with runaway stitches. All have been corralled, and here's hoping my fixes aren't too obvious. My gauge is a little big, so the stitches are more open than I prefer, but a gentle blocking and the spun sugar aspect of the Alpaca Cloud will hopefully mitigate my knitting on size US2s instead of US0s. (When did my knitting get so loose? Perplexing.)

Half done with Hanami, and already I'm daydreaming about the next lace project for my knitting group's Summer of Lace KAL. In the won'thavetothinksomuch corner are Adamas, Foliage, Juno Regina, and Moon Dance. In the breathtakinglybeautifulbutwillitmakemepullallmyhairout corner is Irtfa'a. (Thanks to Meredith for once again putting this on my radar.) I wonder which one will win out? Any preferences?

Summer of Lace

2008-06-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

Happy summer solstice! Today kicks off my knitting group's Summer of Lace KAL. A bunch of us will be lacing away until the fall equinox (9/23) on all sorts of things that begin with the letter S - scarves, shawls, sweaters. I, along with Mary and Silvia, will be knitting Hanami. This pattern piqued my interest from the get go, and now, finally, is its time to be made.

I'm using the recommended yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Peppermint Heather on size US 2s. The number of line repeats + these small needles = a project which shall probably take me ad infinitum to finish, but whatever. I'm groovin' on the fuzzy pink yarn, hiding inside with the a/c cranked while our week-long heat wave continues outside. It's a good thing the basketweave pattern is simple.

Stay cool, y'all!

Out and About

2008-06-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy since we returned from vacation. In this time I've:

+ Seen a dear out-of-state friend whom I hadn't seen in several years
+ Drunk three lemon drops with said friend and gotten over the resultant hangover
+ Overseen a window repair after a bird flew into and broke it (the bird flew away, and is hopefully happily living out its life)
+ Had my MIL and my grandfather go into the hospital (both are in their late 80s and in their twilight time)
+ Thought about blogging 100 times and ended up working in the garden instead, as the weather has been in the mid-70s F and gorgeous
+ Been gifted a dead mouse by Fiend, who has come back from a three-week walkabout bouncy and friendly
+ Hit the 30% off anniversary sale at Needle in a Haystack, where I only bought the Addi Turbo US 5 32" circ I need for my KP&S cardi (such restraint, eh?)
+ Gotten food poisoning at a new local restaurant (Pepe's - don't eat here)

What I haven't done is give you my down and dirty recap of Denver area LYS, which I shall do right now. Before our trip I spent some time on KnitMap, figuring out which stores I wanted to hit. I knew my time would be very limited, so my final list included only three: A Knitted Peace, Lamb Shoppe, and Showers of Flowers Yarn Shop.

First up was Showers of Flowers. From the outside the store looks like a concrete bunker, but inside it's large and inviting. Reminded me a lot of Yarn Lady, truth be told, especially since it has copious amounts of novelty yarns. C.O.P.I.O.U.S. Even Cindy, who's never knit a stitch in her life, said, "Wow, it's really frou frou in here, isn't it?" There was a great selection of basic, too - Berroco Ultra Alpaca, various Cascades, and a very nice selection of baby yarns - and if I was a local I know I'd shop there for those. As a tourist, however, I walked away empty handed.

Never saw the Lamb Shoppe (drat! muggles!), but did manage to hit A Knitted Peace. It's a smaller store, and had a nice selection of summer cotton yarns out. My purchase here was a single skein of local hand-dyed - Red Rocks Fiber Works Snowmass Sock in Grass Green - to commemorate my trip.

I only wish I'd had more time, as Marie gave me two other recommendations I would have loved to check out along with the Lamb Shoppe. Ah, well, next time!

Also next time: Knitting content. Promise.

Rocky Mountain High

2008-05-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Vacation was awesome. Remarkably knit-free, but awesome. The first three days were spent visiting with old friends of mine, Duane and Cindy.

I've known them since my senior year of high school (1981-82). They're the co-owners of Wax Trax Records (aka the best record store in the world)) and mighty fine hosts. Tom had never been to Colorado before this, so we geared our activities around showing him some of the sights.

Highlights include Red Rocks and nearby biker town Morrison...

...contemporary art at the recently remodeled Denver Art Museum and walking around downtown...

Denver Public Library as seen from the Denver Art Museum

...hitting Colfax Avenue for lunch at Davies' Chuck Wagon Diner...

...and a stop at the Tattered Cover before heading to...

...Wax Trax, which will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in November.

The second half of our trip was spent in Boulder and Estes Park. We lolled around the lovely Bradley Boulder Inn...

...ambled around Pearl Street and the CU campus...

... and spent our last day on a mountain drive that culminated in Estes Park.

Boulder Falls

For you pop culture junkies, Estes Park is the home of the Stanley Hotel, which was Stephen King's inspiration for The Shining. We've run around saying "redrum" ever since.

Wonderfully atmospheric shot of the Stanley Hotel

We had such a great time we debated about coming home, but sanity prevailed, and we got on our plane, jiggity jig. Next up, a succinct report on a couple of Denver area LYS, which is all I was able to see since I was 1) surrounded by non-knitters, and 2) busy doing other stuff. Which might have involved pie. Imagine that.

Foliage

2008-05-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Whew. Thanks for letting me vent yesterday. I feel much better. My mood probably has a lot to do with the fact that Tom and I are off on a week's vacation this coming Saturday. We'll be in Colorado, visiting with friends in Denver and hanging in Boulder, home of my alma mater. (Go Buffs!) I won't be online much after this post, so I'll catch up with everyone when I return.

Pattern: Foliage by Emilee Mooney - version 2 for worsted weight yarn
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Moss - 1/2 skein
Needles: Addi Turbo 16" US 5 and 7; Clover bamboo dpns US 7
Mods: To cast on I crocheted a four-loop chain, joined it, picked up the first four knit stitches, and began on Row 2 (kf&b four times) of the pattern.
Rating: * * *

My Reckless Cast On #5 took about a second to knit. That is, after the hour or so I tried to figure out how to do a pleasing-to-the-eye cast on. Okay, maybe I exaggerate, but I did fiddle with the cast on for a while. As per usual, my knitting group came to the rescue - thanks, Marie, for the suggestion - and once that was done, this lace hat quickly finished itself. I love that you start at the crown and work down, that the lace pattern is nice and rustic looking in the Malabrigo, that this is such a quick knit. I'm not a fan of single-ply yarn, and as I knitted, was afraid that if I looked at it the Malabrigo would felt. (Someday I'll buy you all a mai tai, and you can explain the Cult of Malabrigo to me.) However, once knit up, it looked good enough to gift to Beth, whose head you see in the photos. So I did.

Have to dash. There's travel knitting to pick out. Have a great week!

Make Bacon, Not War

2008-05-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This post is rant heavy. It was written tongue in cheek, but it's still ranty.

"What's in the box?" ~ Brad Pitt in Se7en

Late last year I saw that Woolgirl was hosting a Seven Deadly Sins yarn club called the Seven Deadly S(p)ins. Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride? Sign me up. The first shipment was Gluttony, and was kinda twee, but I stayed open minded as I gleefully anticipated what was to come. And then the second shipment, Wrath, arrived Monday. Wrath, people. Gonna be good. I pictured a box full of dark blood red yarn, a copy of Medea, some dark chocolate, maybe a pattern for a voodoo doll and a bottle of arsenic...you get the idea. I might have been slavering on the box as I opened it.

To this:

WTF? My head almost exploded. For some reason we weren't getting Wrath. Oh no. The theme instead was "spun" into its opposite: Peace. What the fuck? I feel so cheated I'm ranting about it three days later like some crazy person on the Hip Knits Ravelry thread.

Now, I respect the care that was given to this package, which cost me $39.25 by the way. The bath theme with its sheep washcloth pattern, soap, bath salts and chamomile teabags swag is...nice. The measly 150 yards of blue DK cotton yarn, not so much. The Lily's Sugar n Cream equivalent? Approximately $2. The club runners do address this in their accompanying letter by saying "Please note that this month's shipment is a tad 'light' on yarn, but please no 'wrathful' thoughts about this, as our upcoming shipments will have more than enough yarn to make up for this lighter and more peaceful package." So, they, uh, know they're shorting us? Yup.

More head almost exploding. I had to take two Extra Strength Tylenol and go furiously knit on Flutter. It didn't help, and I actually posted my dismay - like some crazy person - on the Ravelry SDS club board. It didn't help, so here I am ranting to you.

If I wanted fluffy bunnies and sparkly unicorns I would've joined the FBSU yarn club. But I didn't. And I hate to be condescended to/bait and switched; it makes me cranky, and not in the mood to knit a frickin' $40 sheep washcloth or soak in bubbles contemplating world peace. No, instead it makes me want to use my yarn to...make the above mentioned voodoo doll. Hmm, I wonder if there's a pattern on...aah, the Anti Craft. Bad Juju. Lovely.

And, while on the Anti Craft site, I discovered the new issue was up. It's dedicated to bacon. The entire thing. Bacon. The first pattern is even called Bacon of Hate - read about its wonderful raison d'etre here - and is the perfect little receptacle for my wrath. Uh, I mean peace. Lovely. That Zabet, she'd do the Seven Deadlies right.

Oh, and if you're wondering, I can hardly wait until I get my Pine Sol and mop duster pattern with accompanying tract on good housecleaning for Sloth.

Good Stuff

2008-05-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

1. Bright, Sunshiny Day

Anita says I make her day. Thanks, Anita! Hers is one of the first blogs I started reading way back when, and I'm continually awed by her wicked sock knitting skills. And her way with Rowan yarn. She and I have done a couple of swaps, and her heart is B.I.G.

As for passing along this sweet sentiment, I love all of you. Doesn't that sound L.A.? Yeah, well, I do. But, after thinking about it for a few days, I want to give a shout out to a few special grrls:

Mary - Founder of my knitting group and maker of a mean lemon bar. Her urging me to do so is the reason I started this blog, and her untiring enthusiasm for all things yarn-related keeps me inspired and knittin' alongside her.

Marie - Co-founder of my knitting group and a fellow tweed lover. She shares her knowledge selflessly and never laughs at my moments of knitting idiocy. (It's embarrassing how long it took me to figure out a workable cast on for Foliage, but her suggestion saved the hat.) She likes Neil Gaiman. 'Nuff said.

Ellen - Sometimes I think we were separated at birth. Except she's way hipper than I. I'm still not sure about this acrylic she keeps telling me about, though; sounds a little newfangled to me.

Laura - For some reason, she puts up with me even though I sometimes leave her totally random blog comments. And break her wine glasses. We share a geeky love of Captain Tightpants...maybe that has something to do with it??

Meredith - Her blog - like her - is honest, positive, and laugh out loud amusing, and while we may live far away from each other, I'd totally take her to my favorite tiki bar if she came to visit.

Melanie - She's feisty, funny, and strong. I can't wait to get the first installment of her Punk Rock Sock Club; as I told her, I've almost gnawed off my fingers in anticipation.

Wendy - We bought $5 postcards together. Isn't that insane? If we were in high school together we'd be hell on wheels: Smoking in the girl's room, riding with boys in Camaros, drinking blueberry daiquiris under pool tables while listening to AC/DC...so it's a good thing we met now. She has the best taste in stash I've ever run across. And yes, I'm talking about yarn.

Ladies, you make my day!

2) I Need Some New Projects

Bye, bye Boing!

The Reckless Cast On was a success. Of my seven projects, I've completed three (Reverse Cable Scarf, Foliage, and Rick Rack), frogged one (Boing), and am still plugging away on the remaining three (Flutter, Cable Footies, and Neck Down Cardi). Details to come on the FOs.

3) Or Maybe I Don't

My knitting group is running a Spring Cleaning KAL until 6/20. We're finishing our UFOs, and some people are making good headway. My project is my Lenores. I've knit an inch on them.

4. A Great Argument for (Hand) Knits

On the Seventh Day...

2008-05-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

~ Project #7 - Friday ~

...I cast on my final reckless cast on. I always like to have an easy felted bag on the needles. They're great group knitting, and oh so practical when they're done.

Thanks to Ravelry I discovered this cute pattern, Rick Rack, and decided it would do as the perfect spring bag to make. (though for some reason I keep wanting to call it Riff Raff) I'm knitting it in my fave girly grrl combo - hot pink and red - out of some Patons Classic Wool I scored super cheap last fall.

And so, gentle reader, our madcap week of casting on high jinx comes to a close. Though I do have a postscript: When I told Tom what I was doing he was quiet for a second and then asked, "So, since you're doing one a day, will you continue knitting that project on the same day from now on?" My first thought was Wow, even I'm not that OCD. My second? Hey, that's a pretty good idea.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Swatchi Smiled

2008-05-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

~Project #6 - Thursday ~

And I cheated. I actually cast on Knitting Pure and Simple's pattern #241 last night around 11 pm. In true reckless style I haven't washed my gauge swatch, so I could be frakked. I have a good feeling about this, though, and am choosing to think not. (If you're missing your rosy colored glasses, let me know.)

The yarn in use is Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece. Another first for me; partner-in-crime Mary and I scored some at the current Little Knits' sale. The colorway is Black Forest, a dark, dark green in sunlight that assumes a blackish tint in shade. It's knitting like a dream, and I envision myself wearing this cardi non-stop when it's finished.

Happy May Day! Hope you're all boinking, er knitting, your little hearts out.

Foliage

2008-04-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

~ Project #5 - Wednesday ~

Today's cast on was an afterthought. This afternoon the mail person brought me some much anticipated yarn - more on that later - and I spent today's knitting time swatching for my next sweater. Realizing the day's almost over, I grabbed a ball of Malabrigo - my first! - and cast on the first three rows of Foliage. I'm sure this will be a lovely knit, but right now I just want to get back to my sweater swatching. I've even prayed to Swatchi, the goddess of gauge, in hopes that she smiles upon my efforts. If she does, project #6 is in the bag!

Reckless Casting On Continues

2008-04-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

~ Project #3 - Monday ~
This one really was spontaneous. Yesterday afternoon Mary gifts me with Boing, five minutes later I grab my hank of coveted Sweet Georgia Handpainted Lace in Fondant and cast on. And immediately realize that this project is a problem child. The pattern is easy, but sadistic as it employs p2tog tbl stitches. On size 3 needles in lace weight that's a total bitch. The yarn is fun - if any pattern calls for this wacky colorway, Boing is it - but the merino is grabby and already beginning to fuzz. Erm. We'll see how this one goes; it may be destined for the frog pond.

~ Project #4 - Tuesday ~
Today's project is one I've been meaning to do for a while. I'm making my Mom a pair of One Skein's Cable Footies , using Dream in Color's Classy in Lipstick Lava. It's my first time knitting with DIC, and I'm lovin' the little I've knit.

This exercise is fun. It's getting me outside my knitting comfort zone in a good way. It's giving me practice in fitting patterns with stash yarn, something I often have trouble doing. It's using up said stash yarn, which helps with my Mission: Possible 2008 goals. It's shown me that I like a little silk in my lace yarn, and that an order to Sarah's Yarns for some Zephyr might be in order. It's prompting me to start some I-really-should-knit-that-project projects that have been lingering too long on my to-do list. Huh. Who knew it would be so introspective. Well, knitting's like that sometimes.

Impetuous

2008-04-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Mary and I were kicking around the idea of a KAL where you cast on whatever your little heart desires. No fuss, no muss, no talk of finishing, just reckless casting on...the knitting equivalent of Boogie Nights. We were half joking, but on Saturday last I decided Why the hell not? So I'm casting on a project a day this week!

~ Project #1 - Saturday ~
First up is a reversible scarf pattern from Lori Lawson (Rav profile here) using some of her delish hand painted angora/merino yarn. It cranked on US 10s, and within 24 hours I had bound off.

Pattern: Reverse Cable Scarf by Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio
Yarn: Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio Angora/Merino in Golden Eye - 2 skeins
Needles: Clover 9" US 10 straights
Mods: None
Rating: Ed Wood would approve
Ravelry link here

See the little spots of emerald amidst the olive and gold?

Wham, bam, what a satisfying knit. The yarn? Gorgeous. Angora. Which happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine. Sure, I was snorting fuzz as I knit, but what a high. At the larger gauge the scarf drapes nicely, and the yarn is shown off to advantage. I could make ten of these, but onto...

~ Project #2 - Sunday ~
This one is Wendy's fault. She says Knit with cashmere. I say Okay. (Yeah, I'm easy. And yeah, Wendy knows her shit when it comes to knitting with the good stuff.) Yesterday I cast on Flutter using Posh Yarn's Camilla in Chocolate. Camilla is a two-ply lace weight cashmere I bought on sale from Pick Up Sticks last summer. The dye job? Inferior - half is rich cordovan and chocolate, half is lackluster shades of brown and tan, and the resultant pooling is all sorts of random craptastic - but I just can't stop knitting long enough to start over with another yarn. Because, well, cashmere. 'Tis yummy. And I can always overdye when I'm done, right?

The pooling, it be fugly

Today's project is still TBD, so tune in tomorrow to see what rooting around in the stash scares up. Wow, isn't this exciting?

It Fits! It Fits!

2008-04-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

Check it out. Tom has a Cobblestone. Just need to kitchener the armpits and sew in the ends. Tom loves how it fits, and my fears of creating my first man dress have been assuaged. (Well, mostly. Hopefully it won't double in size when I wash it. Cross your fingers, will ya? Thanks.)

More details later. Now I dance the man sweater victory dance!

The Girl Is Crafty

2008-04-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

The girl is crafty like ice is cold!
~Beastie Boys

A little while ago Cher blogged here about the Pay It Forward handmade gift exchange project that's going around blogland. I thought it sounded cool. So I signed up, and she sent me the most bitchin' package.

She combined it with my birthday, and my loot includes a hand knit skull washcloth and a cabled wrist warmer in green (one of my favorite colors!); a mix CD; and a skull pendant from Imogen.

The wrist warmer is actually this pattern for a coffee cup cozy, but I'm wearin' it instead. (Ravelry pattern link here.)

I'd also like to spread the DIY love - and hope you will, too - so here's the official scoop:

I will send a lovely handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment here requesting to join this PIF (Pay It Forward) exchange. I'm not sure what that gift will be yet- it will be a surprise! The only thing you have to do in return is to pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Once you sign up, I'll email you to let you know that you are one of the three. Then copy and paste the above paragraph on your blog, and three other lucky people will be recipients of your handmade work.

Thanks, Cher, for my wicked cool goodies!

What's My Line?

2008-04-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

First Debi did it. Then La. Then Shannon. I so want to hang with the cool kids, I'm doing it, too.

Movie Meme

1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. Looking them up is cheating, please don’t. If you do, a big thug named Guido will pay you a call. Naw, not really, but I'll be sad that you're a cheater.

1. Workers of the world, unite!
2. The numbers all go to eleven. ~ This Is Spinal Tap ~ Carrie
3. And it exploded. ~ Galaxy Quest ~ Debi
4. Hey, nice marmot. ~ The Big Lebowksi ~ Andria (nice triple play, grrl)
5. You eat a lot of acid, Miller, back in the hippie days? ~ Repo Man ~ Cher
6. We're on a mission from God. ~ Blues Brothers ~ Andria
7. Anybody interested in grabbing a couple of burgers and hittin' the cemetery?
8. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado...Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. ~ Glengarry GlenRoss ~ Andria
9. You're not gonna fuckin' kill me, are you?
10. I am big. It's the pictures that got small. ~ Sunset Boulevard ~ Lisa

Birthday Fun

2008-04-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Ellen, Jillian, Linda, Marie, Melise, MJ, Patty, and Wendy helped me celebrate my birthday in grand fashion. As usual my photo taking was sporadic and random, but Ellen has a great slide show of the day here. (The cupcake and oilcloth bag photos seen here are hers, too.)

We met at Gilbert's El Indio for lunch, and then hit the Oaxacan folk art store Artesanias Oaxaquenas to check out their oilcloth bags.

After that we went on a mini yarn crawl to Yarns Unlimited and Wild Fiber in Santa Monica. There were cupcakes. And presents. There were funny waiters who showed us their chest hair and asked for our dollars. There was plenty of yarn ogling and fondling. Someone was heard to say, "Forget merino. Go for cashmere."

Patty at the Wall of Koigu in Wild Fiber

There was even a vintage hearse sighting.

It was 90 degrees in Santa Monica, and no one passed out from heat exhaustion.

Probably the only thing that could have better was if we'd had yarn boys to carry our bags and feed us grapes; with this thought in mind I'm already brainstorming for next year.

Thanks for celebrating with me, ladies!

A Long Time Coming

2008-04-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Gothic Leaf Stole by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Euroflax Sportweight Linen in Eggplant - 4 skeins
Needles: US 4 29" Bryspun circs
Finished Dimensions: 15" by 85"
Mods: Cast on 89 stitches instead of 105 for one less repeat; didn't graft but knit straight
Rating: The planets aligned
Ravelry link here.

My Mom was in town visiting us for the past week. While she was here - she left this morning - I finally gave her her Gothic Leaf. Truth be told, it was kinda hard to do. Because, well, the finished project was just so darn lovely, and I was feeling rather...possessive about it.

I'm 90% a process knitter, and I knit for others almost always. When I give things away, they're gone. I hope people like the things I make for them, and am always pleased to hear back when they do. (And if they don't, well, I hope they donate them to a thrift shop so someone else may use it, but I never stress over it. It's probably the most Zen I ever am.) And my Mom is the best recipient for which a gal could ask. She's not a knitter, but she loves handknits. And she's one of the few people who likes and wears shawls, which is great when I'm channeling the lace.

But. After her Gothic Leaf was washed and blocked, the linen seduced me. Supple, with a little shine, the stitches glowed. When I would hold the shawl up, the drape was righteous. The shawl has been finished for two months, but somehow I never could get around to wrapping it up and mailing it. It lived instead on the top of my stash bins, in a little plastic bag, and I found myself taking it out and stroking it regularly. But when Mom arrived I did the right thing and handed it over. And boy, am I glad I did now. It's perfect for her, don't you think?

Gothic Leaf is pure comfort knitting. Very simple lace, it doesn't even employ psso's (only k2tog's and ssk's). The pattern is easily memorized, and varied enough not to make you want to stick your head in the oven after the zillionth row. I started out using lifelines, but abandoned them early on. The original pattern is grafted, but per Sivia's instructions for knitting it in linen, I knit mine straight. I also left out one repeat in the row, to make it smaller for my Mom's petite frame.

Gothic Leaf is the third pattern of Sivia's I've knit, and the second I've finished. (Hanging Garden languishes somewhere.) So it was with joy in my heart that I received my first Year of Lace kit a few weeks ago, as Sivia has written the pattern for it, too. (What? I didn't tell you I'd signed up for this club? Huh. I wonder how it slipped my mind.)

The pattern is called Phoenix Rising, and is a triangular shawl. I'd cast on, but the accompanying skein of Claudia's Silk Lace has 5 (!) knots in it. Not good. The gals at Make 1 have been very proactive - I guess there are several of us that received sub par skeins - and I'm hoping to receive a replacement skein soon.

In the meantime, I'm chugging along on Cobblestone. I'm roughly 5" up the yoke. I do have a question for those of you who've made this sweater: How did you do the short rows in garter stitch? My knit ones are fine, but my purl ones make huge, honkin' holes. I've picked up the wrap on the next row (which is a knit row), but that doesn't make any difference. Sorry, I don't have photos, but any advice is appreciated.

This weekend is busy. Tomorrow is a birthday shindig featuring yarn and knitting for yours truly. (Turning 44 has its perks.) And tomorrow night my BFF Laura is having an art opening. She painted my bitchin' Knitdevil you see on the sidebar. If you're in the Los Angeles area and have a thing for luchadores, check her paintings out at the Bike Oven.

Happy weekend!

Kickin' Out the Jams*

2008-03-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Happy spring! Not much blogging has happened this month, but there's been a good amount of knitting. And, just to mix it up a bit, some crochet, too.

March goals:

+ Keep knitting related purchases under $100. Well, it isn't the end of the month quite yet, but due to some strategic selling on Ravelry I've managed to spend $30.03 out of pocket in March. I'm not planning on buying anything else this month, and I have a lot of wiggle room even if I do, so I'm considering this a victory.
+ Finish crocheting baby blanket for Tom's grandnephew. Done. Details below.
+ Finish body of Cobblestone and one sleeve. Done. Knitting sleeves in the round is really fast, isn't it? I finished the first and cast on the second in two days. For me that's, like, unheard of fast.

I also cast on and finished the first cuff of my Lenore socks. There was a brief panic phase, where I thought I'd done one of the decreases incorrectly, but after conferring with my confreres discovered everything was copacetic. All the angst pooped me out, though, so the sock has been in time out since then. Still, it's pretty, yes?

* * *

Fine Lines Baby Blanket

Pattern: Fine Lines from Candy Blankies by Candi Jensen
Yarn: Rowan All Seasons Cotton in Lime Leaf (5 balls) and Citron, Remote, and Giddy (2 balls each)
Hook: I
Mods: None
Rating: Perfect baby shower gift
Ravelry link here.

As many of you know, last year was a year of orgiastic stash enhancement for me. This was largely due to several great 50% off sales, and the yarn for this blanket was acquired through two of them. Two years ago I made the first version of this blanket for my knit buddy Beth when she was expecting her second child. I hadn't expected to make another, but Rowan All Seasons Cotton at 50% off? In pretty, Easter egg shell colors? Hey, babies are always being born, right? Lemme get my credit card.

Not much to say about the pattern - it's mindless half double crochet with a single crochet border - but the Rowan colors just make me happy, y'know? And it's fast, which is great when the baby arrives several weeks early...which is what Tom's grandnephew did.

Well, we're pretty caught up, so that's it for this time. Catch ya on the flipside!

*Anyone else an MC5 fan?

Yeah Yeah Yeah

2008-03-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hi! Here I am. February sucked. Let's sweep away the last vestiges of it, shall we, and jump into good stuff? Oh, yes, lets!

Goal Tending Pt. 2

February goals:
+ Keep knitting related purchases under $100. This includes yarn, patterns, needles, everything. Total spent = $41.94.
+ Finish Gothic Leaf Stole. Done! Recap this week.
+ Cast on Cobblestone and knit 10" of the body. Done! Approximately 16" up the body. I need to take it off the needles and measure, as I'm getting close to setting up for the sleeves at 17". I'm still lovin' the yarn. And the sizing is plenty big. It might be too big, but I have a contingency plan if it is: Feed Tom more cookies.
+ Cast on and finish first Lenore sock. Nope. I cast on twice, and ripped both times.

March goals:
+ Keep knitting related purchases under $100.
+ Finish crocheting baby blanket for Tom's grandnephew.
+ Finish body of Cobblestone and one sleeve.

Why, yes, March is a slacker goal month. Whatever. I'm feeling rebellious, and staving off lace shawl cravings until my Year of Lace (Ravelry group here) package arrives.

Mission Possible 2008

Finished goals are in italic. Goals finished in February are in orange.

1. Gift spinning wheel, spinning books, and fiber to Patty.
2. Felt one pair and Plasti Dip soles of 3 pairs of felted slippers.
3. Finish Gothic Leaf Stole. (4 skeins of Euroflax Sportweight in Eggplant)
4. Finish Cobblestone. (?? balls of Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed)
5. Finish Shedir. (1 ball of Rowan Calmer in Coffee Bean)
6. Crochet baby blanket out of Rowan All Seasons Cotton. (11 balls in Citron, Giddy, Lime Leaf and Remote)
7. Crochet stealth project.
8. Knit Unoriginal Hat out of STR Leticia in Ravenscroft.
9. Knit Unoriginal Hat out of STR Leticia in Hard Rock.
10. Knit Lenore socks out of STR Lightweight in Lenore.
11. Knit a pair of fingerless gloves (either ggh Cashmere or Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran).
12. Knit another pair of socks.

I Knit a Hat

Pattern: Noro Hat by Saartje de Bruijn
Yarn: Noro Taiyo in colorway 1 - 1 skein
Needles: US 7 16" Addi Turbos
Mods: None
Rating: *****

On President's Day our knitting group held an impromptu meetup. During it we moseyed over to the LYS, espied a basket of Noro Taiyo, and most of us came home with a skein. Casting about for a project for mine, I lit on Saartje's hat. It's great TV knitting you can finish in an evening or two.

And while I don't have the photos to prove it, it looks good on everyone. Trust me, it does.

The Taiyo is loosely spun and soft; perfect for a hat. I did suffer the ubiquitous Noro experience: almost to the end of the skein, the yarn shredded apart a foot away from a knot with an ungainly color join. (This join robbed me of my second repeat of pink. Gah.) It's kinda pricey, so I don't know if I'd buy it for a larger project. But for a one skein project? Very versatile.

Conforming

2008-02-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Unoriginal Hat by Yarn Harlot
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Leticia in Hard Rock - 1 skein
Needles: US 11 Takumi dpns
Mods: None
Rating: Quickies can be satisfying

It was the night before the Super Bowl. Craving an easy knit, I cast on for Mission: Possible 2008 goal # 9, aka Yarn Harlot's Unoriginal Hat. The next day, sometime during the game, I cast off. All told, maybe 2 hours of knitting. The dpns slowed me down, and confirmed that in the circs vs. dpns debate for hat knitting I'm a circs girl all the way.

Before knitting, I perused Ravelry to see what people said about the pattern. There were several mentions of running out of yarn, and, when knitting on size US 10 1/2, of the hat turning out too small. So I bumped up to US 11, and felt like Scrooge as I suspiciously watched my yarn slither from ball to needles. Well. I shouldn't have worried. I had yarn to spare. And a hat that was huge on me. Luckily, it fit better on Mary - it's her noggin in the photo - and she graciously took it off my hands.

I have another skein of Leticia in Ravenscroft earmarked for another Unoriginal. Dunno, I might just use it to make a simple 2x2 ribbed hat instead. Or, if I do feel the need to blend in again, I'll go down to a US 10 1/2 and, depending on sizing, maybe only do one repeat of the pattern . 'Coz I do love me that Ravenscroft in all its dark, brooding wonderfulness.

Other knitting continues apace. Gothic Leaf is done (finally!) except for weaving in the ends and blocking. I've begun Cobblestone v. 2.0. I've gone up two sizes, and am roughly 3" into the body. I'm still loving the yarn, and the stockinette is very soothing. I've successfully controlled my urges about casting on Lenore, and will begin them on the 15th. Lenore is the next KAL my knitting group is doing this year, and the 15th is our official start date.

I'm also casting about for some good plane knitting, so if you have any ideas, please let me know. Unfortunately, Tom and I need to attend to some sad family business out of town this week, so I'll be away from a computer from Tuesday until we return late Thursday. See ya when we get back.

Goal Tending

2008-02-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

Here we are, three days into February, and I've yet to 'fess up to how my January goals went for Stash Knit Down 2008 and Mission: Possible 2008. Without further ado...

Stash Knit Down 2008

January goals:
+ Buy no yarn - I folded like a cheap suit after 12 days.

A skein of Wollmeise in Frosch from the Loopy Ewe (yes, I succumbed to the hysteria).

Two gorgeous skeins of Bloodflowers in Aura and Nirvana from Melanie. It's a grey, rainy day today, and this colorway is difficult to catch in all its beauty, but here's a close up of the Aura that's nearer to the real color. The Nirvana is available in her etsy shop, so hurry, go get yourself some!

Also: I committed to a reup on my Loopy Ewe Sock Club subscription (though I haven't paid for it yet, so I'm not counting it). I bought more yarn for my stealth crochet project, too, as I ran short at the end. Oh, and I helped Wendy out with her sale, too. Hey, anything for a friend, right?
+ Don't whine about buying no yarn - I didn't whine a bit during the 12 days I actually controlled myself.
+ Cast on Lenore socks - My knitting group is knitting these for our second KAL of the year. It begins on 2/15, so I'm waiting to cast on then.
+ Finish knitting Cobblestone - Hahaha. This is a good one. It's frogged and waiting to be cast on again.
+ Stealth crochet project - DONE

February goals:
+ Keep knitting related purchases under $100. This includes yarn, patterns, needles, everything.
+ Finish Gothic Leaf Stole.
+ Cast on Cobblestone and knit 10" of the body.
+ Cast on and finish first Lenore sock.

Mission: Possible 2008

#7 - Crochet stealth project - DONE

I'm puttering along on a few others, too, but won't include them until they're 100% finito.

Silent Poetry Reading for the Feast of St. Brigid

2008-02-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

To Emily Bronte

The witch-owls call, black shadows fall
About my lonely way;
The wind sinks down, and ne'er a sound
Proclaims the passing day.

I am alone, all others gone
Into the warmth and light,
Again once more, as oft before,
I hear the voice of night.

For me alone those murmurs come
From the rustling woods;
For me alone the sea makes moan
Beneath his aching floods.

All interwove with jewelled love
Are beauty, joy and woe;
All one with me, the singing sea,
The grey sheep as they go.

~ Florence Cortis-Stanford
from An Anthology of Scottish Women Poets
by Catherine Kerrigan

Huh?

2008-01-29T10:30:00.000-08:00

Has it really been over a week since I last posted? Holy crap. I think the alien abductions have started back up, because I've lost several days here. Well, in this (missing) time I've...

1) Been attacked by another yucky germ. Of the stomach variety. Ugh. Better now, but the weekend was rough.

2) Started knitting again on Gothic Leaf. I'm on the fourth and last skein of Euroflax, and it's finally beginning to look stole-ish. Hopefully it'll be finished in the next week.

3) Gone from this -

to this -

Yep, that's Cobblestone. 10 inches of the body worth. Way too small. My guesstimation? Off by 4 inches. I figured it would be frakked up somehow...hey, this is me we're talking about here. The knitting goddess has decreed that I must sweat blood over every sweater I make, and I'm her obliging neophyte as always. I'm ruminating on my next course of action. I think I'll go up one pattern size, though Tom did say yesterday he'd prefer it to fit loosely "like a sweatshirt." That's my guy: t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt. So I might go up two sizes. I just want it to fit, so I'm amazingly calm and accepting about whatever I have to do to achieve that. Huh. Maybe aliens have been tampering with me.

4) Watched a pretty good heist movie. Face, with Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone. Tom and I love heist movies, and this one stayed taut and had some twists at the end that made it enjoyable. To keep the heist theme going, I picked up Lemons Never Lie by Richard Stark. Hard Case Crime reissued this gem last summer, and I'm enjoying rereading it...how can you go wrong with a sociopath actor who just wants to put on summer stock and needs some cash to do so?

5) Staved off serious cast-on cravings for several projects while I finish Gothic Leaf and work on a stealth project. My resolve was good, but then Mary cast on her Lenores. I'm hunting for my dpns today.

* * *

Fiend is 99% healed. He still has a little scab on his jaw, but is otherwise back to his bouncy, freaky self. He's once again mostly outdoors, and happy as a clam in his bed on our front porch. Thanks again for all your well wishes for the little guy.

An Embarrassment of Riches

2008-01-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

Call me a lucky gal, because I've received some great knitterly gifts from my friends lately.

For Christmas, Barbara gave me a hat and mitt set. Such a thoughtful gift; they're my fave color, and the hat is a Knitty pattern that carries my name. She designed the mitts to match, mirroring the lace pattern from the hat. Very warm and snuggly!

For Christmas, Mary and I bought each other two skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Leticia. We're making Unoriginal Hats...I know, pretty original of us, eh? On the left is Hard Rock, and on the right is Ravenscroft. You can't really tell from the photo, but the Hard Rock ball is larger than the Ravenscroft; it looks like a different base yarn. Very plump and even, while the Ravenscroft is thick and thin like Manos. As soon as I get some more pressing projects out of the way, I'll jump on this helpless yarn like a starving woman on a (insert favorite meal here)...or on that Stargate: Atlantis Ronon. He's cute.

Mary also gifted me a skein of Mirasol Hacho last week. When she gave it to me, I immediately said "bees" and she said "camo," so it's affectionately known now as my bee camo yarn.

For Christmas, in addition to the skully stitch markers you've seen before, Patty gave me total cuteness in the form of this little felted kitty. She patterned it after my white cat Maggie, so we call it...Mini Maggie. Isn't this face adorable? The little pink nose. The droopy ear. The glistening eyes. Gah. I've just melted into a puddle.

Somehow, Wendy just knew I'd love these stitch markers. She was correct. I love them like I love the Rev. Very rockabilly, they're made from glass (!). And the groovy coin purse she wrapped them in is now home to all my stitch markers. Now, why do I feel the hankering for a bluebird tattoo?!

Thanks, amigos!

Itty Bitty Cables

2008-01-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Shedir from Fall 2004 Knitty
Yarn: Rowan Calmer in 481 Coffee Bean - 1 skein exactly (my fave Calmer color)
Needle: US 3 16" Addi Turbo circs
Mods: None
Rating: Tingly all over
Began: 12/31/07 Finished: 1/13/08

My first FO of 2008! As mentioned before, Shedir was chosen by my knitting group to be our first KAL of the year. Barbara, Melise, and I are the first wave of finishers, and here are our hats:

Poppa Shedir is Melise's red one; Momma Shedir is Barbara's blue one; Baby Shedir is my brown one

I must confess that the chart intimidated me when I first looked at it. But, once I dove in, the pattern was easy! Just two-stitch cable crosses. The first repeat was tough: the yarn/small needles/cabling combo hurt my left hand if I worked on it for more than three rows at a time. But, once I changed how I held the needles, furious cabling ensued.

This was the first time I've knit with Calmer, and I now know why people gush about this yarn. It's oh so soft, and warm and springy like wool. Yum. I'm glad to have more of it in stash to use again.

Now, those that know me know I'm a little OCD when it comes to mistakes in my work. They make me squirmy, and usually when I try to make them not bug me, they bug me. A lot. So, it's kinda interesting that on Shedir I made two whopping! huge! mistakes...and I didn't rip out and fix them. Both are places where I lost my cable for a few rows, and somehow purled when I should have knit. Both are on the back at the bottom, and I'm perfectly happy with them being where they are. I just love my hat!

P.S. Sorry for the crappy pictures. Tom and I both tried to get better ones, but Shedir was elusive and didn't want to be photographed. The color is most accurate in the second and fourth photos.

What a Week

2008-01-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

I'll try to cool it with the alliteration, but whew. This week has been busy. I haven't had a chance to knit...or to nab Tom to take photos of Shedir so I can post about it. Sorry. Hopefully I'll grab him tonight and photographs will ensue. No, get your minds out of the gutter. Not those kind of photos, but nice, tasteful, knitted FO photos. Sheesh.

Fiend Update

The Fiend is well. Our regular vet saw him yesterday, and removed both the drain and the staple since he's healing so quickly. And, unless he scratches too much, the Cone of Humiliation is off for good, too. He's much happier about that. And sassier. He's growled at me once and bitten me twice today, so I'd say he's well on his way to his former psycho self.

He remains inside for another week until he's fully healed. Some of you have asked about him becoming an inside cat after this, and while we would love that, I have to say there's no chance in hell of it happening. Well, unless we kept him cooped up in our back room, and that would drive all of us mad; his meowing to go outside is already beginning to get on my last nerve.

He's the latest in a long line of strays we've adopted over the years, and I hope that the next one is a sweet furball who just curls up in my lap and purrs and never wants to go outside again. But Fiend? He's a free spirit, and prefers the wild outdoors to a warm, cushy, inside existence. Silly boy. I guess sometimes having the brain the size of a walnut is a detriment.

Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed

There were a couple of comments in Tuesday's post about the yarn I'm using for Tom's Cobblestone.

Katie K said: Don't you find a lot of nasty vegetal matter in that yarn? Personally I've found it very annoying to be constantly picking it out. Also the yarn has a shaggy raggy uneven quality. Maybe only in the purple that I've been using to knit a durrow sweater.

Yes, Katie, I have been finding a lot of little pieces of vegetable matter in my yarn. But, for some reason, it hasn't bothered me. Which is kinda amazing, considering how snarky I can be about yarn. (Don't even mention Black Water Abbey 2-ply worsted in my hearing, or my head will spin around, green vomit will splatter, and I'll bore you to death with how it hurt my wittle fingers knitting with it.) I just put it down to the rustic quality of the yarn and keep on knitting. Its softness probably has a lot to do with me forgiving its shortcomings. Also, the cheap ass price I nabbed it for on Webs discount.

As to the shaggy, raggy, uneven quality: Yes, I do see this in sections of the yarn, too. Some are thinner, some are thicker, some have tweedy lumps...but the knitted fabric is pleasing to the eye and the touch, so I'm satisfied. And did I mention it was soft? I'm so easy when the yarn is soft.

Jodi said: I knit a hat out of the Kathmandu Aran Tweed, and it wasn't my favorite knitting experience. Boring pattern + too tight a gauge for the yarn = yawn. Glad to hear it's working well for Cobblestone!

Well, see, now that you mention gauge I have to 'fess up. When I swatched, I swatched with three different needle sizes (US 5, 6, 7 - hey, that's almost a band!) and the gauge was the same for each one. WTF?! Has that ever happened to you? Before washing, after washing, they were all the same. And it wasn't the pattern's recommended gauge. So. After seriously conferring with Mary, we decided the best thing to do was to fiddle. I went down a needle and a pattern size, and am saying prayers daily to the knitting goddess that our calculations were correct and shall produce the perfectly sized garment for my husband. Crazy, I know, but here's hopin'. Yeah, the yarn isn't the only thing that's soft (in the head).

The Veils

My latest musical crush.

Tomorrow

Knitting content. I swear.

A Fiend Curtailed

2008-01-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

Several of you have asked about Fiend, which is kind and sweet of you. I haven't mentioned him in a while, because there hasn't been much to say. The following picture sums up our relationship over the past six months:

We feed him, he eats. Refusing to come inside for more than a few minutes at a time since we introduced him to our cat Maggie, he hangs out on our front stoop and roams the neighborhood. (Maggie was nonplussed, but Fiend wigged out.) We bought a bed for him, and he uses it when it gets cold. Sometimes. We still don't know where he sleeps at night, and sometimes he'll disappear for a day or two, and then return hungry. He's very protective of his food bowl, and will still hiss, lunge and swipe at us if we take it away to fill it. But if we bring food out and fill it on the stoop, he purrs and is our best friend. Tom has taken to calling him Norman for this behavior.

Then, this past Saturday, we were leaving the house to go to the library to pick up a book, and he appeared underfoot. The right side of his face was a bloody mess, so off to the emergency vet we went instead. Surgery ensued, and it was discovered that he had an abscess, under which was scar tissue, under which was another deep, deep abscess. He now has a drain and a huge staple in his jaw, several more visits to the vet in store over the next two weeks...AND the Cone of Humiliation.

We're keeping him inside while he heals, which is going much better than expected. He's doing well - eating, taking his antibiotic and hurray! using his cat box. (Hey, he's been outside for 12 years, and I worry about these things.)

He's also dreaming of freedom. Soon, little guy, soon.

In between feedings, hot compresses and cat box cleanings, I'm knitting away on Tom's Cobblestone.

I've mentioned it briefly before, but, like Fiend, there hasn't been much to say about it. I've knit 6" of the body, and am already thrilled that the finishing will be minimal. I'm really enjoying the Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed; it's very soft and the perfect color for Tom. A few nights ago Tom came up as I was working on it and said, "That's a nice blue." Did I feel smug? You betcha.

Here's a close-up of of the other stitch markers Patty gave me for Christmas. Another skull - this one's all business - and matching red and black seed beaded markers complete the set. So cool.

In other news, Shedir is done! I'll post about it later this week. Now it's time to administer the afternoon hot compress and knit a little more with that lovely blue yarn.

A Whole New Meaning to the Term "Fun Fur"

2008-01-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

Ever since my sister and I saw the Plushies and Furries episode of CSI we've giggled our way through emailing each other articles about this strange little fetish. And today...well, today she's outdone herself by sending me the following gem. So much so that I just have to share. (Sorry.)

WTF? Of course the video is only part of it; I spent way too many minutes I'll never get back reading the (for the most part) horribly unintelligible comments, too. It's like a train wreck, people.

And then...then I'm surfing around knitting sites, and what do I find? This. Which sends me into paroxysms of laughter. 'Coz I'm twisted. And I also enjoy a good circus freak; Lobster Boy being right up there.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Stash Love-In

2008-01-10T10:29:00.001-08:00

I love my stash. I really do. It provides a great deal of pleasure: visual, tactile, even olfactory - the lanolin smell of the Harris tweed! the vinegar smell of hand-dyed sock yarn! But, in an attempt to save some money this year, I'm reining myself in on adding to it, and instead will be knitting the majority of 2008 projects from it.

This kinda freaks me out.

So, to help me stay, uh, balanced and on track, I've joined a couple of destash groups. The first I mentioned a while back: Stash Knit Down 2008. It's a Ravelry group, and they're a little intense. They're discussing storage options. They're figuring out the mileage of their stashes in Excel. They're offering challenges for people to join in on: January's is to knit a mile. A mile. For a slow process knitter like me, that's crazy talk. One of the helpful things they have done, though, is offer a thread for you to list your monthly goals. Now this I can do. So, each month I'll be thrilling you with my little list, copied here for motivation/accountability.

I rocked December...

December goals:

Finish my holiday knitting.
Finish my second Campfire sock.
Cast on Cobblestone.
Spend any holiday gift certificates with abandon and...
...mentally prepare for cutting back in 2008.

January goals:

Buy no yarn.
Don't whine about buying no yarn.
Cast on Lenore socks.
Finish knitting Cobblestone.
Stealth crochet project.

...and already January is iffy. Finish Cobblestone? Haha, good one. (If past history is anything to go by, it'll be done in June.) Well, insert a cliche here about hope springing, and let's move on the second group, shall we?

Mission: Possible 2008

This post is running long, so if you're interested in learning more, details are here and here. My goals:

Gift spinning wheel, spinning books, and fiber to Patty. DONE
Felt one pair and Plasti Dip soles of 3 pairs of felted slippers.
Finish Gothic Leaf Stole. (4 skeins of Euroflax Sportweight in Eggplant)
Finish Cobblestone. (?? balls of Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed)
Finish Shedir. (1-2 balls of Rowan Calmer in Coffee Bean)
Crochet baby blanket out of Rowan All Seasons Cotton. (11 balls in Citron, Giddy, Lime Leaf and Remote)
Crochet stealth project.
Knit Unoriginal Hat out of STR Leticia in Ravenscroft.
Knit Unoriginal Hat out of STR Leticia in Hard Rock.
Knit Lenore socks out of STR Lightweight in Lenore.
Knit a pair of fingerless gloves (either ggh Cashmere or Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran).
Knit another pair of socks.

One of its caveats - and the most important to fickle, free spirited me - is that you must donate any unfinished listed projects/yarns at the end of the year. This kinda freaks me out. So, I played it conservative. Like I said, I love my stash.

So, what stash knitting are you doing?

In the Shower

2008-01-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

...is where I do some of my best thinking. Take today's brilliance:

Dear Sick Germs,
Please get out of my body. Now.
Thank you,
Me

Today I was supposed to be knitting with friends. Instead, I'm home, feeling like warmed over three day-old pizza. Fluctuating between feverish/cranky/pathetic, I think cranky is winning: Tom has banned me from the couch, from which a short while ago I was screaming obscenities at two football teams I know/care nothing about. Honestly, don't you think he should be serving me hot tea and lemon - with cream puffs on the side - and fluffing my pillows? Well, for that I probably need to work the pathos a little harder, eh?

I've been knitting a little this weekend, mostly on Gothic Leaf. My third skein of Euroflax is almost finished, and I need to do Phase 2 of Operation Yarn Sausage pronto so that I'll have a fourth and final skein to finish.

I've also cast on and am turtling (is so a word) along on Shedir. Every once in a while OOPs (my knitting group) does a KAL, and this pattern is our latest. We began on January 1st. I've discovered that the small needles/cables/cotton yarn combo hurts my left hand if I do more than three rounds at a time. So, it's going slowly. I'm on row 21. On the plus side, I'm loving the chocolate brown Calmer I'm using. Soft! Squishy!

And check out the stitch marker. Handmade by Patty, is it not the coolest? Its brothers and sisters are keeping place in another knit, which I will show you soon. Now, it's back to the couch. Tom has left to buy groceries, and the coast is clear. Hope he brings me cream puffs.

Lala and Eggplant Blob

2008-01-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

Lala Shawl

Pattern: Lala Scarf by Kat Coyle from Greetings from Knit Cafe
Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Bilberry (1 skein), Velvet Plum (half a skein), and Velvet Leaf (a smidgen)
Needle: US 4 29" Bryspun circs
Mods: See belowFinished dimensions: 50" by 25" (lightly blocked)
Rating: Good enough to eat

Lala simmered on the back burner of my to-do-queue for a year and a half. Kat's original version is a candy floss confection of lace weight mohair/silk, but somehow I never got around to making it with any of the (copious amounts of) Kid Silk Haze in stash. Instead, last fall I did a swap with Anita, who sent me two skeins of Colinette Jitterbug. As soon as the skeins were in my hot little hands, I knew I wanted to use them with this pattern. Use a larger gauge yarn, a smaller needle, and the pattern would turn into a delectable, if rustic, shawl, thought I.

So, I cast on, and knit, knit, knit. Easy pattern, lovely yarn, Byronesque colors...quickly I used up the skein of Velvet Bilberry, added a little bit of Velvet Fern (already in stash) and tackled the Velvet Plum ruffled edge. If I were to knit this pattern again, I'd probably crochet the picots, as the effect is similar, and it's one heck of a lot quicker and easier. But I'd never knit a picot edge before, so I had to give it a go. It was fun, though very time consuming. I also omitted the final row of single crochet called for to finish the pattern, as I think the edge looks just dandy as is.

Once done, I gave it a Eucalan bath and blocked it very lightly. It was my first time using Jitterbug, but it won't be my last. The colors remained steadfast in the bath (kinda surprising, considering how deeply jewel toned the colorways are), and the yarn springy and soft once dry. In the skeins the yarn was over spun and kinky in many places, but the kinks disappeared once knitted/washed, and yielded a lovely feeling fabric. Gifted to my Mom, the colors are oh so her, with a little bit of me (the line of green) thrown in, too.

* * *

Eggplant Blob

Through some fluke, I ended 2007 with most of my projects finished. Casting around for something to knit in mid-December, I dragged out my Gothic Leaf Stole. We got reacquainted, and are now spending lots of time together. I'm consumed with finishing it by the end of January, and have given myself an ultimatum: Knit a minimum of two rows a day on it. Or else. Most days I'm surpassing that minimum, and I'm now nearly 3/4 finished. Love how the linen is knitting up in this simple lace pattern, and I'm looking forward to showing you blocked photos in a few weeks.

Fired Up

2008-01-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Hope everyone celebrated (or not, depending on your preference) to their satisfaction over the last few weeks. Lots of catching up to do now that life is settling back into its regular routine, but first, some very important knitblog business:

1. Carolyn over at Jolly Ewe is in the running for being January's Knit Girl! Please go vote for her here. She has a bitchin' knitterly tattoo, dyes a mean skein o' yarn, and has an artichoke plant intent on world domination. Or, in other words, totally deserves to win. Voting ends on 1/6.

2. Don't know what they were smokin', but Jen and Laura picked humble l'il ole me as one of the Fresh Blood winners (#12 on the list) in their Fourth Annual JenLa Blog Awards for 2007. Wow, I guess that santeria priest did know what he was doing when I asked him to make me famous. Thanks, grrls, for the shout out. I'll try to live up to the infamy in a style worthy of you both. Smoochies.

Now, onto the catching up. The holiday knits have all been delivered, so I can finally post some FOs.

Pattern: Campfire Socks by Cider Moon
Yarn: Artyarns Ultramerino 8 in color 127 - 2 skeins
Needle: US 4 Bryspun dpns
Mods: None. I knit the top down version.
Rating: Third time's a charm.

As I mentioned here, this is the first pair of socks I've knit entirely on my own. (They're really my third pair of socks.) I know, I'm like the first person ever who knit a pair...yeah, yeah...but I can't help being proud of them. Yarn, gauge, pattern, needles, the planets, everything came together and created a pair of socks that fit. They were gifted to my Mom as part of her Xmas present; her house is cold in the winter, and I wanted to make these as a pair of house/bed socks for her. She reports back that they're comfy and even match her pyjamas. Right on.

The pattern is perfect for the beginning sock knitter. The larger gauge yarn allows for a quick knit, the simple pattern holds your interest while teaching you how to read a patterned (vs. straight stockinette) sock pattern, and the instructions are clear and thorough. I, for one, loved the spoon feeding on working the heel and gusset, and felt pretty darn good when I grafted my toes. This pair certainly isn't perfect: there are those loose gusset stitches on the left hand sides of each sock, and one of the toes looks more like a nipple than a toe, but them's small potatoes compared to the enormity of me knitting socks. Oh, and that matching striping? I totally meant to do that.

Now, for the yarn chosen. The Ultramerino 8 makes lovely bed socks, but is very splitty and probably won't hold up for long; by the time I finished knitting, the cuffs already were blurred (can yarn be blurry? well, you know what I mean) and fuzzy. I knew these things going in, however, and chose the yarn more for the soft feel and the cheery colorway. Plus, it came from Mary, who sweated through my first pair of socks with me. (Thanks again to her and Barbara for all their help.)

Next up? More frakkin' lace. See ya later, taters.

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Were You Naughty or Nice?

2007-12-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

So, how are every one's holidays so far? Hope they've been fun filled, and that Santa brought you lots of goodies. Because see this? He obviously had one too many after the presents were delivered, and ended up passed out on a neighbor's front lawn. (I had a boyfriend in college who passed out under a bush in a rainstorm for a night, but that's a story for another day.)

Tom and I spotted Santa yesterday afternoon. Our presents were opened, it was a crisp, bright day, so we jumped in the Mustang and took a drive up into Angeles National Forest.

We stopped and had a light picnic lunch, returned home and plopped on the couch for Lakers basketball and knitting.

We finished the day off with a scrumptious prime rib dinner (Tom's favorite and our Christmas traditional dinner). Lovely.

As for gifties, Santa did bring me with a copy of Boho Baby Knits, which I've been coveting since it came out this fall. It's full of adorable patterns!

He also brought these great colorways from Tempted Yarns: Left to right we have Fishnets, Roxanne, and Bordello.

Under them you can see our Christmas tree skirt. When I learned to crochet eight? nine? years ago, it was the first project I completed after twelve billion dishcloths for practice. Made out of unknown brand ack!rylic, we use it every year. It's a humble connection to women's work through the centuries: the families we form, the food we serve, the homes we warm, the gifts we make and give selflessly to those we care about and love. Every time I take it out and lay it under the tree I rejoice in this connection, and the world shines a little brighter.

Merry, merry to all! And to all a kick ass crafty 2008!

Makin' with the Merry

2007-12-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

Bright blessings to you and your families.
Here's hoping your holidays are extra sparkly!

Busy

2007-11-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

Hope all my US readers had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was crazy. Tom woke up on Thanksgiving morning with a bad virus, and spent the next five days in bed. Really sick, poor thing. He's back to work, working 12-15 hour days this week, and still isn't better. So, no holiday to speak of, even though I did serve a righteous turkey and fixins. Chalking it up to being that kind of year and moving on....

What else has been going on? Well, I've seen a l'il devil in his brand new hat.

Kille came to knitting group last week with Baby W. Isn't he adorable? The hat is even a tad big, so he'll be able to grow into it over the winter.

I've joined a couple of KALs. My KAL involvement was spotty at best this year, but I'm hopeful my brain and fingers will work better in 2008. One is the Stash Knit Down 2008 Ravelry group, which I've joined with Barbara. Next year I have to go on a strict yarn budget, and I'm hoping this group will keep me upbeat about knitting from stash.

The other is Melanie's Fearless Knitting KAL. I love the idea behind this one, and will either be learning Fair Isle and/or making a top down sweater. (Isn't it crazy I've never made a top down sweater?) So, if you're in the mood to add new techniques to your arsenal o' knitty knowledge, or conquer your fear of eeky steeks, I hope you'll join us on this one.

Also gotta give a shout out to La, who has designed a Firefly inspired blanket named Serenity. Cunning, ain't she?

And I've been doing the usual knitty things: I've obsessed about the new Raven line from Blue Moon, and am anxiously awaiting my order. I've swatched for Tom's Cobblestone and have somehow lost the swatches. (Huh? How do swatches just disappear?) I didn't even measure them before they went poof, so gotta start again. My holiday knitting is almost finished, and I'm anxious to get back to my second Campfire sock. Once it's done, Mary and I will be joining Carolyn in making our Socks That Rock Lenores. Can't wait for that gothic goodness to be on the needles.

Gobble, Gobble

2007-11-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

I'm in the midst of Thanksgiving preparation, but wanted to pop in and wish all my US readers a very happy turkey day...and the rest of the world a very happy weekend. Tom and I will be cooking the full-on traditional spread of turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce and veggie. (He always grumbles, but I always make sure we get a little green bean or broccoli action.) Tonight I'm baking a coffee cake for breakfast and a pumpkin pie for dessert, so I gotta go get busy with the mixing bowls and spices. Tomorrow we'll be feasting, he'll be watching copious amounts of football, and I'll be knitting between naps. Can't wait.

Happy holidays! See you after the tryptophan wears off.

Flyin' High

2007-11-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

This morning I was set to write a little post, and then I saw Anne's Raven shawl in all its blocked glory. Thoughts flew out of my head and scattered like dandelion seeds on the wind. Who knows what I was going to say. I now entreat you to go look at it here.

The heights our craft reaches can be awe inspiring. Humbling. Inspirational. And drop dead gorgeous. Here's hopin' your knitting is allowing your creative wings to soar today.

Epiphany

2007-11-13T15:38:00.000-08:00

Behold the first sock made entirely on my own.

I need another one. And, uh, what's an eye of partridge heel? I wanna do that next.

WIPs-y Wednesday

2007-11-07T14:55:00.000-08:00

Taking a cue from Mary, here's a recap of what I've been working on lately.

First up are two projects I'm making for my Mom. A few weeks ago she asked for a black version of my Triangle Bag, and all I have left to do on hers is sew it together and felt it.

I'm also knitting her a Reverse Cable Scarf in some luscious Lush in the Blackberry Wine colorway.

Sorry for the blurry closeup; I had a doozie of a time capturing the color (is it just me, or are dark reds hard to photograph?). This would be a quick project, except that I am so over scarves at the moment. I think the Chevron did me in. The progress I have made was in the wee hours one night when I was watching The Proposition on cable. Man, Ray Winstone sold that movie, and Guy Pearce...well, all I could think as I watched him was, Eat a donut, man. He was creepily emaciated. My man Nick wrote the script and the soundtrack, and overall I think he did a good job on the first and a fair job on the second. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, knitting...

I'm also working s-l-o-w-l-y on my Campfire Socks.

First sock, 3 1/2" in. I started it forever ago, then put it down and now am picking it back up. The cheery colors spiral nicely, don't they?

Mostly what I'm working on, however, are holiday gifts. Normally I don't do much holiday knitting, but this year I stumbled over a gift idea that's functional and fun to make for folks, and I'm a holiday knitting machine. I'm also dreaming of casting on new projects: Kat Coyle's Lala Scarf and the Yarn Harlot's Lenore Socks. I also recently raided WEBS for some of their cut price Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed, and came away with two sweaters' worth; one sweater's worth shall be a Cobblestone for Tom.

We Have a Winner

2007-11-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, two. Since the Halloween mini-contest comments were so clever, I couldn't narrow it down to just those folks who told me their fave scary fairy tales. So I did the following: I put the name of everyone who commented in a bowl. Then anyone who actually told me a FSFT I put their name in again, so they'd have a fair chance of winning. I shook things up, pulled the following names a few minutes ago, and...drum roll please:

The winners are Shannon and Liz! I'll be in touch about your goodies.

Thanks to all who participated.

Our Halloween was fun. For some reason the imps and goblins weren't out in force like past years, and we actually were able to hand out candy, eat dinner, hand out candy, watch a movie, hand out candy, and then gorge ourselves on the left over Butterfingers. It was quite civilized; in past years we'd burn through 400 pieces of candy and would be eating at 9:30 pm. The mellowness was nice. We took turns answering the door, and I was even able to knit a bit. Tom's cyclops pumpkin - his signature carving - was a hit with the trick or treaters, as was the "good" candy we handed out. The Junior Mints were a marked favorite. All in all a good time.

It's been a while since I've flashed my WIPs, so knitting content next post. And lookee here. I've frogged my MS3 stole.

Whew. I feel so much lighter.

Happy Day of the Dead. May you and your families - those living and departed - be blessed through the coming year.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

Want Some Candy, Little Girl?

2007-10-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

My thoughts are turning, as they are wont to do this time of year, to the delightfully scary. And what is scarier than those macabre Grimm's fairy tales? Man, it sucked to be a little match girl back in the day. In celebration of the better times we live in - let's hear it for central heating and Snickers - I'm having a mini-Halloween contest. Tell me your favorite SCARY fairy tale in the comments by the witching hour tomorrow night (Samhain, midnight PST), and you could win a skein of spooky sock yarn. I'll draw a winning name from my trusty cauldron on Thursday for one of the following skeins of yarn, and the winner will be announced then. Oh, and if you have a preference for a particular yarn, let me know that, too.

Lovesticks Superwash Sport in Count Sockula

Lovesticks BFL Fingering in Day of the Dead

Razzy Tazzy Knits Superwash Sock in Witch in a Blender

Two other recent acquisitions aren't included in the drawing (sorry), but are too good to omit in my Halloween yarn roundup. Both are sock club colorways, and both get my motor goin'. The first is Yarn Pirate's Killer Bees. I was hoping for a groovy Halloween colorway from her, and she definitely delivered a clever spin on this holiday's colors.

The second is Socks That Rock's Lenore. Up until now I've been ambivalent about the STR Rockin' Sock Club colorways. Oh, they've been nice, yeah, okay, but not particularly me. Well. Then they sent me Lenore.

Isn't she gorgeous? The goth fangirl in me almost fainted when I ripped open the box and Lenore - along with a gothic sock pattern written by the Yarn Harlot herself (!) and these cute spiders - popped out. As I've told several friends, I think my hand trembled as I opened up the plastic bag and held her for the first time. And yeah, Lenore makes me that much more anxious for next week's unveiling of the rest of the Raven series...how about you? (I just checked the Blue Moon Fiber Arts website, and unfortunately it doesn't have anything about the Raven series listed right now. I think the other colors go live on 11/5.)

That's it for now, as I must dust off the broom and practice my cackle for tomorrow night. Happy haunting, my ghoulies.

Revvin' Up for Halloween

2007-10-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Tom and I, along with our friends Laura, Carol and Holly, hit the 8th annual Festival de la Gente in East Los Angeles.

A pre-Dias de los Muertos street fair, it included music, altars...

a classic hot rod show...

...and skulls as far as the eye could see!

It also provided me the chance to give Laura the two scarves I recently knit her to replace the stolen Bruise.

Pattern: Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (AKA Bruiser)
Yarn: La Petite Knitterie Hand Painted Merino in colors 324C and 824 - 1 skein each
Needle: US 5
Mods: None
Rating: 17 billion Chevrons can't be wrong

It was enjoyable being part of the Chevron Scarf phenomena. I probably spent hours perusing Ravelry and the Flickr group checking out all the lovely permutations. The pattern itself? Mind numbingly boring. Initially I was going to use two skeins of each color and make a longer scarf - this version is roughly 45" long - but quickly realized I'd rather chew my left hand off than continue knitting it after I used up the first of the two skeins. So instead, Laura received a throat warmer sized scarf, and I get to keep my left hand...what I call a win-win.

For her second scarf, I wanted to make her something luxurious in her favorite color. I've been hoping for an excuse to try Seasilk, and when I saw this subtle semi-solid blue colorway, I knew now was the time.

Pattern: Montego Bay Scarf from Summer 2007 issue of Interweave Knits
Yarn: Handmaiden Seasilk in Polar Sea - 1 skein (bought from Tidal Brook Yarns on eBay)
Needle: US6
Mods: Omitted the fringe
Rating: Proud to be a Seasilk virgin no longer

The stitches literally dripped off my needles, pooling into a beautiful scarf. I thought the fringe the pattern called for was a waste of good yarn, so I added a few rows of garter stitch to the ends and just kept knitting until my skein was used up. An understated, lovely project in a to die for yarn. Good knittin'!

Meet the OOPs Gang

2007-10-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Debbi: Duke, let's go do some crimes.
Duke: Yeah. Let's go get sushi and not pay.
~Repo Man

My local knitting group is named the OOPs Knitters. We're a private group that grew out of a Stitch n Bitch group in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles, and we've been meeting together for two and a half years. I feel very lucky to be a part of this group, and you'll see why right now as I introduce you to some of them.

Our ringleader, Needles O'Banion

Catwoman DPN

Original Skeinsta

Ami G. Rumi AKA Bunny Killa

Yarn Terrorista (our newest, sadly blogless member)

And me, Missy "Steeks" McTweed

We're all modeling the Balaclava I whipped up as a lark for Single Skein September. (We're also armed and dangerous around cashmere, so be careful if you run into us in a dark alley and have some on your person.)

Pattern: Balaclava from Knit.1 Winter 2006/07 issue
Yarn: Cascade 220 in color 8555 - 1.25 skeins (easily 1 skein if you shorten the neck portion)
Needle: US 8 16" Addi Turbos; US 8 DPNs
Mods: None, though I may single crochet around the face opening to tighten things up a bit.
Rating: Having your friends model a woolly ski mask in 80 degree heat for you? Priceless.

Oh, and the blurry photos are intended to provide gritty verisimilitude. Really.

Watch your stash!

Rock n Roll Hoochie Coo

2007-10-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments about my eye situation. It was super hard to 'fess up about it. Now that I have, your caring and acceptance of the possibility of endless miles of stockinette - and maybe garter stitch, too - in the days to come have deeply touched my heart. I'm sending each and every one of you big virtual bear hugs. And air kisses. 'Coz that's how we roll in LA, don'tcha know? Hehe.

Now, time to catch up with what I've been knitting. I have several FOs to show off this week! The first is a knitdevilish combo for a knitting friend's new baby. She's vehemently anti-pastel, and very rock n roll. I hope the color combo tickles her fancy.

Rock n Roll Blankie

Pattern: Fluffiest Baby Blanket from Greetings from Knit Cafe
Yarn: ggh Esprit in color 4 Black - 4 skeins; Patons Cha Cha in Siren - half a skein at the most
Needle: US 10 1/2 and any ole crochet hook
Mods: None
Rating: Business up front, party in the back

Ever have a stash yarn you don't know what to do with? So you log onto Ravelry, and do a search of what patterns other knitters have made with it? Well, this is exactly how this blanket came to be. The Esprit was one of my oldest stash yarns (from 2004); it was destined to be a crocheted scarf (the Fun Fur Scarf from Vogue Knitting on the Go: Crocheted Scarves, to be exact), but I couldn't see the stitches well enough to crochet with it. I'm not sure how it survived culling, but during the latest (as I was prepping for the crafty garage sale Marie hosted a few weeks ago), I unearthed it again. I picked it up. So soft! And then, somehow, I'd sat down at the computer and discovered this blanket pattern. As Catwoman says, Purrrrfect.

Once the blankie was done, I knew it needed a little something extra to go with it. I'd just bought this skein of WOTA at our garage sale, and once again it was Ravelry to the rescue.

Lil' Devil Baby Hat

Pattern: Lil' Devil Baby Hat by K. Schmidt
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Red - 1 skein
Needle: US 7
Mods: Knit the horns separately and whip stitched 'em into place
Rating: Wicked cute! (do check out the Ravelry pics - there are some adorable imps modeling their red hats)

That's it for today. Tune in tomorrow for the perfect accessory for a bankrobber.

Transitions

2007-10-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I wish I was talking about the Noro kind. Instead, I'm talking about the life changing kind, the kind that the Fates bonk you over the head with as they cut one strand of existence and substitute another one in the fabric that makes up a person's life.

Yep, it may sound dramatic, but my non-knitting life has been intense lately. The short version is that I have a medical condition that is drastically changing my world. The long version follows, and is the reason why my blogging has suffered. More on that after my explanation, if you care to read my tale of woe, gentle reader.

In spring 2006 my optometrist discovered a problem with my peripheral vision. Months of seeing doctors and medical testing led me to a retina specialist at USC, who informed me in January 2007 that I probably have a variant of a disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). It is a genetically inherited disease, and untreatable. In March I quit driving. In August my doctor declared me legally blind. I still have a small amount of core center vision, but I am uncertain how long it will remain, and am now in the process of preparing as best I may for losing the rest of my sight.

So, yeah, intense. And time consuming. There's a huge learning curve that will be taking up more and more of my time, and so I've regretfully come to the point where I don't know how much longer I will be able to maintain this blog. I'll keep knitting and posting as long as I can, but posting will probably continue to be erratic from here on out. Plus, my knitting has become reductive, with easy stockinette and felting patterns the only things I can wrap my head around, which must be dullsville to read about! Hopefully I'll be able to get back to sweaters and lace and socks soon.

Being part of the knitblog community has been a joy in an otherwise difficult time. I'll continue to read all your blogs, and visit with you on Ravelry, and hopefully still see you here once in a while. Thank you all for your friendship and knitty brilliance. Knitters rule!

Crafty Garage Sale

2007-09-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Los Angeles area and are hankering for a good garage sale, here's one for you! This Saturday (9/29) Marie is hosting - and I and several of my knitting group cronies are contributing to - a crafter's bonanza of yarn, patterns, books, knitting, crochet and needlepoint supplies, fabric and sewing supplies, scrap booking supplies and much, much more.

Here's the pile of stuff I'll be selling. I've added to it a bit since the photo was taken this morning. I will be selling a few pieces of vintage pottery and a brand new/unused Elna 1010 sewing machine with case and walking foot, too. (I'm asking $125 for the sewing machine.)

Please contact Marie or leave me a comment if you need directions to her house. Hours of the sale are from 9 am to 4 pm. Hope to see you there!

Celebratin'

2007-09-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a day of firsts.

First #1:

Seeing the Yarn Harlot at the Los Angeles Central Public Library with my knitting BFFs: Annette, Barbara, Jillian, Marie, Mary, MJ and Patty.

L to R: MJ, Jillian, Mary, Annette

Also in our grrl gang for the day were knitting BFFs Carolyn, Wendy and (sadly blogless) Zoe.

L to R: Wendy and Marie

Carolyn drove down from northern California, so she gets the Longest Distance Traveled Award...and the Most Intrepid Award for still finding the event after her car's navigation system sent her to a mortuary in San Pedro instead.

Carolyn

Wendy gets the Best Traffic Story Award: En route she ran into a traffic jam because a house had fallen off its truck and was blocking everything for miles. Check it out here.

The Harlot was the Harlot. Funny, a little prickly, a lot empowering, she spoke for almost an hour and a half and graciously signed hundreds of books.

Barbara and Stephanie

She even took the time to pose with our group for a photo, which, uh, I don't have (hope to get a copy soon). My photos are once again random and blurry - I really need to work on taking better event pictures! - but please check out everyone else's blogs for more in-focus scoopage. And Ellen has a wonderful post about the event, too. (She introduced Stephanie!)

Our motley crew (photo credit to Mary - thanks)

It has been a while since our knitting group has had a day out together, and what a day it was. Not to get all maudlin, but as I sat in the audience, surrounded by and chattering and laughing with my friends, I felt this wonderful completeness at the connection we all shared. Very cool.

First #2: My first year blogiversary. Hey, it's been a year. How'd that happen?

First #3: Renewing my Yarn Pirate Booty Club membership. (It's still open, in case you're thinking about doing it.) My fingers are crossed we get a bitchin' Halloween colorway. 'Coz you know me and Halloween.

We're Having a Heat Wave

2007-09-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week. Highlights:

+ Temps in the low to mid 100s. Wicked hotness, especially for all the furry critters. At night I've been leaving water out for the skunks and possums, in addition to keeping a close eye on our outdoor cats Fiend and Archie. (I know. Varmints. Can you say soft hearted? I'm the walking dictionary of it.) So far we're all okay, but whew, it's been hot. Especially since...
+ On Sunday, our a/c died. Tom MacGyvered it after 24 hours of 90+ degrees in the house, but we're looking at replacing it. Our internet service has also been intermittent, but seems to be back now that temps have cooled somewhat. (Today it's only 90! Whee! Break out the sweaters!)
+ Fiend was in another fight which left his head an infected mess, prompting a trip to the emergency vet at 9 pm on Monday night. For being such an ornery cuss, he's amazingly docile when at the vet; he's also taking his liquid antibiotic like a champ, and his head is healing well. Poor little guy.

So. Kinda intense for a holiday weekend. But hey, there's knitting to be done, right? Too bad I don't have much to show you. But look! Over there! Is that a sock yarn club kit I see?!

Why yes, it is. This is the first installment of the Yarn Tree's A Sock for All Seasons Yarn Club. And while my photos are decidedly lo-fi, the club is anything but! Our first yarn is Schaefer Anne in this groovy autumnal colorway. Also included is this reversible project bag, a sock pattern designed by Rachel DeNys named Falling Lace Sock, as well as Yarn Tree's Basic Sock Pattern, a handmade Brittany cable needle, a how-to DVD and a brief history of Schaefer Yarn. Score!

Local knitsters Jillian and Jerry are also in this club, and Jillian has a nice write up about the club here.

As for knitting, my stealth project is finished, though it still needs to be blocked. It qualifies as my first FO for Single Skein September. Speaking of SSS - Liz has started SSS groups on Ravelry and Flickr, and it'd be great if you joined us in using up those odd balls in your stash.

For my second SSS project, today I cast on the first of my Campfire Socks. Each will use a skein of Artyarns Ultramerino 8, so I'm hoping they qualify. I also want to knit some hats, but have to hit the LYS for some needles first. (Out of all the needles I have, how can I not have a US 8 16" circ? It's vexing.) And Fetchings. Would you believe I've never made a pair? About time, isn't it? I love fingerless gloves, and have two balls of black Cashmerino Aran earmarked. Not sure if I'll get to all these small projects, but they're certainly the perfect hot weather knitting!

Fiendish Finds of the Week

2007-08-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite knitbloggers are doing most excellent things, and today is the perfect day to talk 'em up. Random order, all fun.

1. Liz, via a contest Stash and Burn is running from now until September 21, is having a Single Skein September. I'm in, too. Hey, I might actually make a pair of Fetchings finally. The mind boggles. Won't you join us?

2. Robbie seriously has a way with orange and lime green. And hedgehogs.

3. Lyndsey-Jane is hand dying yarn and roving in bright, happy colors. Grab her goodies at her etsy shop, the Yarn Bar. (Right now it's cleaned out due to a Lime n Violet mention, but she's restocking next week.)

4. Kgirl has just finished a ruby-licious Rowena.

5. Melanie is hand dying semi-solids now. Is it appropriate to say that my heart filled with lust when I saw her first colorway? Probably not, but I will anyway.

6. Marie is putting the word out about Secret of the Stole KAL. I'm so easy. I've joined this one, too. Sign ups close on October 4th, with the first clue releasing the next day.

Marie also sent me a prize for finishing my CPH and breaking the Great Sweater Curse. A skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Bitterroot Rainbow and a dolly made out of Marie's own hand spun. The dolly is a good luck poppet to keep further sweater curses at bay, which warms the cockles of my heart. Thanks, amigo.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Purple Haze

2007-08-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

It's unprecedented, but I've been knitting with aubergine like a madwoman lately. Check it out:

Felted Bag

Pattern: Felted Bag from Home by Debbie Bliss
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk in color 12 - 6 and a smidge balls
Needles: US 8 24" Addi circs
Mods: None
Rating: 5 out of 5 atomic starbursts

I'm a big fan of 1950s moderne design. The clean lines, the organic shapes, the sense of whimsy - whether in a Richard Neutra house or a Russel Wright dish - delight me. I find the same enjoyment with this simple felted bag.

These little handles, dainty in comparison to the bulk of the bag below, give it that extra something, turning it into a whimsical, practical creation. And I don't know if you can see it in the photos, but the silk gives the bag an understated, proto-boucle texture. Nifty.

Gothic Leaf

After taking a little break, I need to get back to this enjoyable knit. I've begun my second skein of Euroflax, and she's roughly 24" long. This project is really hard to photograph well, but here's a close up showing the silly linen stitches.

Chevron Scarf aka The Bruiser

Thanks for all your comments about this here color combination. Everyone was in favor of it, so I've kept knitting. However. I think it looks like a bruise. Which is perfect, because I can give it to my BFF Laura. (Hi, Laura!) A few years ago I wanted to make her a scarf, so I asked what color she wanted it to be. Ever the smarty, she responded, "Bruise." Amazingly enough, I found some Colinette Point 5 that looked exactly like a bruise - mustard, rust, purple, red and turquoise - and knit her this funky long scarf we nicknamed The Bruise. Well, a few months ago some loser at her work stole The Bruise, which was totally lame.

But, now I've got The Bruiser a quarter of the way finished! This is a fun, quick knit, and I can see why people are so gaga over this pattern; already I'm thinking up different color combos to try once The Bruiser is living with Laura.

La Petite Knitterie

2007-08-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your well wishes! I'm on the mend, though still fuzzy brained, and before any more time passes I want to post about last Saturday's road trip to La Petite Knitterie, one of my favorite LYS.

They were celebrating their three-year anniversary with a sale, so Marie, Patty and I went to check it out.

Spun confectionery

An exquisite gem of a store, LPK's shelves are full of lovely yarns, some of which are hand-spun and hand-dyed by the talented Lori Lawson. (Who graciously remembered me from when Jillian, Barbara and I stalked her Capistrano Fibers Arts Studio booth at the Southern California Hand Weaver's Fiber Show last fall. I was honored and felt not worthy.)

Lori spinning her magic

I came away with four skeins of her variegated LPK Handpaints superwash merino fingering weight, with which I'm thinking about making a Chevron Scarf.

LPK Handpaints in baskets, along with adorable baby sweaters

Now, I need your opinion. Do you like these colors together? Hate 'em? Is the purple too dark?

The subtle coloration really is beautiful, and I want to make sure I use this yarn to its full advantage.

It was a fun outing, and for sure we'll be attending the 2007 SoCal Handweaver's show, too. It will be on Sunday, November 4th; more details here. See you there?

Second Purse, Same As the First

2007-08-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

I've got the flu. It's 100 degrees F. I'm cranky. But not cranky enough not to sew on this cool vintage Lucite button and finish up my second Triangle bag.

This Triangle might not be as cute as the first, but I love it just as much for its practicality and retro look. Whipped up with some well marinated stash Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Coal, I can hardly wait for cooler days to use it (and its sister when I'm feeling more flamboyant) when I'm out and about.

As far as other knitting goes, I'm still chugging away on my linen Gothic Leaf. I've started a stealth project out of Sea Silk. (My first Sea Silk. *swoon*) I need to swatch again for Ariann. Just to make sure. And Mystery Stole 3? Cast aside when I learned what the final shape is. (Edited version of what ran through my head at the theme reveal: WTF? A wing? With a table runner point on the other end? I'm so confused.) I was going to frog it, but my pique has cooled, and some day I might make the symmetrical version. Maybe. I'm finishing up another felted purse, the one on page 48 of Debbie Bliss's Home, using some of the super cheap Alpaca Silk I scored at one of my Black Sheep Knittery forays this summer. More photos when I'm not hot and cranky, I promise. And now, back to bed for me. Stay cool!

Screaming Meme

2007-08-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Beth has tagged me for the 8 Random Facts meme. While my list shan't top hers (go go dancer! cigarette girl!), I'll give it my best.

1. I once drank next to Joe Strummer in an Edinburgh pub. Post-Clash, pre-Mescaleros, he was busking around the UK, playing impromptu gigs wherever and whenever he felt like it. I was at the pub, waiting for my friends to arrive for the show, drinking a pint of cider. Three guys in flashy leathers walked in, and I remember thinking, What poseurs. They stood next to me, and one tried to talk to me. I ignored him, thinking, This overdressed lame-o is trying to chat me up? Puhleeze. My friends arrived, and I moved away from the bar; only when someone asked me what Joe said to me did I realize who it was. (I never recognize celebrities in Los Angeles, either.)

2. I've studied and read tarot cards since I was 17.

3. I can quote many lines from Zorro the Gay Blade, Grosse Point Blank and Repo Man. And The Big Liebowski. I'm not sure what this says about me.

4. My love for Johnny Cash is pure and true.

5. Three friends and I once drove from Denver, Colorado, to Lawrence, Kansas, to see our friends and favorite local band, the Fluid, play. This was immediately after seeing them play a record-release gig for a new album. After the Lawrence show the three of us talked the other friend out of trying to find William S. Burroughs' house, piled back in the car and drove home. Roughly 1,100 miles round trip, I have no memory of if we ate anything, but I do remember the show was held in a converted bomb shelter.

6. Georges Jacques Danton was a childhood hero.

7. I learned to knit for the first time when I was six. My maternal grandmother taught me.

8. I love cilantro.

Tag free zone, but if you wanna, go for it.

Central Park Hoodie

2007-08-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie from Fall 2006 Knitscene
Yarn: Black Water Abbey 2-ply worsted weight in Pippin - 7 skeins
Needles: US 7 and 8
Size: 48"
Mods: Knit the band as one piece, omitted buttons
Cast on: March '07 Finished: August '07
Rating: 3 out of 5 frogs

Waaaay back in January '06, the members of my knitting group gave their resolutions for the year. Mine was to knit six sweaters. (6 in '06 - catchy, isn't it?) Hearing my grandiose plans, the knitting goddess smacked me down and good; each of the six patterns I attempted led to naught. Proclaiming that I was under a Great Sweater Curse (GSC), I finally gave up mid-year and knit a bunch of other stuff.

2007 rolled around, and I wondered if maybe it was safe to try another sweater. I bought some BWA at Stitches West, and cast on for CPH in March. And today, today I broke the Great Sweater Curse. Whew. It's been a long time coming.

Pros
+ Cute, simple pattern.
+ CPH is the second adult sweater I've knit in my life.
+ As the breaker of the GSC, it's a success.
+ It fits. Kinda.
+ Love the color.
+ I'm satisfied with my finishing job.

Cons
+ The yarn. It hurt my hands. A lot. (I still have a yarn burn scar from it on my index finger.) The BWA is so tightly wound that I couldn't manipulate it well; the loose purls in and wonky stitches to the right of each cable panel horrify me. If I hadn't been so stubborn about breaking the GSC, I would have frogged and used a different yarn. But I was, and I didn't, making this an excellent lesson on how yarn can make or break a project.
+ The sleeves are super long. I'd read about this problem on the KAL, but blithely didn't modify mine. Now I have gorilla sleeves. Whatever.
+ The pattern does run small. I'm a big girl, and wanted it a little roomy, so went with the largest size. It fits, but is still very open in front.

Thanks to Liz for her killer cable advice; to Seattle Marie, Marie and Mary for knitting along with me; and to all our fellow CPH KALers.

Clue 3

2007-07-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

Done!

P.S. Sorry about the blue chenille bedspread clashing with the lace design.

Back in Black

2007-07-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was all about Mystery Stole 3. After discovering my first clue's wonkiness I stewed for a couple of weeks. Did some procrastination knitting. Then on Saturday evening I sucked it up, and in the course of 24 hours knit 72 rows. I'm now halfway through the third clue, and hope to finish it today. Here it is at the end of clue 2:

My goal is to be caught up for the fifth clue - and the theme reveal - by Friday. To that end I'll be shortening the fourth clue. Because really? My attention might waver - clue 4's chart looks kinda monotonous - and I'd find myself casting on Ariann (I'm this close) - or 17 other projects from my Ravelry queue and that would be that for poor ole MS3. So good bye stole, hello scarf!

I have to admit I'm still waiting for the satanic message to pop out on mine, though. Have any of you seen it on yours? Because I'd really hate to miss it. For those of you wondering what the heck I'm on about: in a nutshell a woman in the MS3 group caused quite a stir when she posted to the group and to her blog - scroll down to the end of the post - that she was wondering if the theme had to do with "the man downstairs." This is the best troll action I've seen in awhile, and makes me giggle. C'mon, cutesy names for Beelzebub? That's funny.

Bang your heads, knitsters. Hope you're working on something fun.

Found It

2007-07-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Long Lost Scarf

Recently I discovered this simple mesh scarf I crocheted three? four? years ago wadded in a corner of my yarn closet. Whoa. I'm having a moment like David Bowie did when he said he can't remember the year 1970.

Pattern: Open Season from the fall 2003 issue of Family Circle Easy Knitting
Yarn: Classic Elite Lush - 1 skein color 4413 black
Hook: Maybe an F or a G? I do like a good F.

Central Park Hoodie

I've found the strength to finish the hood and button band. Next up: seaming. As soon as that's done I'll post a proper recap of the Project That Broke the Sweater Curse.

Triangle Purse

Thanks for all your compliments on my Triangle purse. I'm glad you liked it. Me, I like it so much I'm making another one. In black. For decoration I'm gonna sew on a cool 30s lucite button I bought at Stitches West.

Ariann

I'm swatching tonight!

Fiendish Find of the Week

2007-07-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

Skull-A-Day

Project Spectrum Sunday

2007-07-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Girly Girl

2007-07-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Triangle by Pick Up Sticks!
Yarn: Cascade 220 - 2 skeins 7805 (MC) and 1.25 skeins 9404 (CC)
Needles: US 10 Addi 24" circs
Mods: Because I'm a symmetry fan (i.e. mental, since the bag is felted and it matters not), I subbed ssks on the right side when decreasing. Omitted the over-stitching around the top and handles.
Rating: 100 million heart candies

Just below my cynical, spooky exterior hides a gooey, twee center that's surprising even to me sometimes. Take this bag. That I knit it - in pink! and red! together! - is an example of my submerged girliness. (It's also what led to me to dress in what I call Amish Punk - thrifted 50s floral patterned dresses with black stockings and my Doc Martens boots - for years...but I digress.)

When I saw the pattern at Stitches West I thought, that's kinda cute, bought it and forgot about it. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I craved a mindless project to fill in between my Mystery Stole (stalled on row 100) and CPH (stalled on the button band). It fit the bill, so I worked on it at knitting group. Mindlessly. Two days ago I finished it, felted it, threw it on the top of the dryer to dry and forgot about it. Then yesterday, as I was checking it for dryness, I discovered I love it soooo much.

Over the years I've owned scores of vintage purses with this exact shape. They've been black patent leather, or faux leopard print fur, or dark navy leather, or black velveteen. But never pink. And red. Together.

So, if ever you're channeling Hello Kitty or June Cleaver and looking for a purse to make, this is the pattern for you. It's easy. And just so gosh darn cute.

Gothic Leaf Scarf

2007-07-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Gothic Leaf Scarf by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Yarns fingering weight in Navy Olive - 1.5 skeins
Needles: US 4 Bryspun circs
Size: 6" x 60"
Mods: None
Rating: Yippee! A FO!

Hot off the blocking board! My first Gothic Leaf is finished. Cheshire Catlike, the pattern proved elusive as I was photographing it. (I had all sorts of arty photo op ideas, but finally resorted to ye olde knitting on the pillowcase trick for the closeup.)

Gothic Leaf is one of those easy to intermediate patterns that either helps a newbie lace knitter get the hang of what they're doing or provides a simple knit to the more advanced. The directions are straight forward, the chart a 20-row (WS purl rows included) repeat, the pattern easily adaptable for making either a scarf or a shawl. For this scarf I cast on 39 st, with a 3 garter stitch border on either side of the pattern. I thoroughly enjoyed knitting it up, and confess that I'm still enjoying making the shawl sized version in linen, too.

The colorway makes me purr. Doesn't it look reptilian? Mrowr.

* * *
Hey, as soon as you're on Ravelry, please let me know! My id is "knitdevil". I'm gradually learning my way around the site; this week I'm uploading more of my stash and *gasp* being sociable and joining a bunch of groups. I've also been in an organizin' mood, and have sorted my patterns and fleshed out my queue of to-be-knitted projects. Yesterday I wound up a bunch of yarn. Ah, the possibilities waiting to burst forth. They include:

+ Toe up socks in Artyarns Ultramerino 8
+ Cashmere Cowl No. 2 in Posh Camilla
+ Ariann in Berroco Ultra Alpaca
+ Montego Bay in Alchemy Bamboo
+ Georgiana Scarf in Chasing Rainbows Tussah Merino

Of course, now that I've blogged about them, I'll cast on something completely different. You know how it goes.

That's it for now. Hold onto your hats, though, because tomorrow I have another FO to tromp out. It's madness around here, I tell ya, sheer madness.

Clue One Done

2007-07-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I finished the first Mystery Stole 3 clue. Here it is in all its funky glory. I fear there's a baaaad mistake about a third of the way up; can you see it? Sigh. Am I ripping back? Heck, no.

To divert myself from mooning about the imperfections of my creation, here's a cute story.

Last Saturday Tom and I are in the car going to get groceries. Up the block we pass a young, male neighbor who's wearing skimpy shorts and tennis shoes, working in his front yard, lugging a wheelbarrow full of something.

Tom: Look, a stud muffin.
Me: (thinking quickly) Oh, hon, I don't need to look. You're my stud muffin.
Tom: No, I'm more your stud jelly donut. Your stud danish.

Happy knitting!

The Days Are Full

2007-07-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Cookie A.

What's been going on lately? Well, last Friday I took a toe-up sock class Cookie was teaching at Unwind. Ellen and Barbara took it, too, and with their help (and vestigial memories from knitting my Frankensocks with Mary last fall) I managed to finish my practice sock within the three hour class.

I'm a bad blogger, and spaced taking my camera, but Ellen has posted about our fun time here. (For your amusement she's included a photo of me looking positively bedbug crazy next to her gorgeous self.)

Cookie did not disappoint. She was very patient, she made herself available to everyone, she adjusted the pattern to our knowledge level...she ruled. She also taught us a sewn bind off, which yers truly thinks is as nifty as a slice of Pie and Burger's coconut creme pie.

Mystery Stole 3

There are 6,688 members. (Yarn Harlot joining near the end was a call for everyone to jump in the pool - yay!) USA Today is interviewing Melanie. What a phenomena.

I'm still on clue 1, row 90. I guess that officially makes me a Slow Bee (thanks to Bonne Marie for the button).

It's fun, not knowing what will come next, and I'm enjoying the pattern so far. There are lots of guesses about what the theme is, but I'm content just to watch the stitches form.

Mick Harvey

I've been listening to One Man's Treasure non-stop. And yes, I kinda have a crush.

Three Websites Rivaling Ravelry for My Attention

Thanks go to Marie for...Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Novels. Lordy, this one's funny.

Stop, You're Killing Me! Great resource if you're a hard boiled gal like me.

Television Without Pity has been a personal fave for a while. Hilarious and mind boggling. And the snark's served hot.

Pass the Wasabi

2007-07-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Knowing that I find knitted/crocheted food delightfully whimsical, Mary presented me with this cute sushi wallet kit for my birthday. A couple of weeks ago I needed something to offset all the lace I've been knitting, so I dug it out of stash, sat down and whipped it up.

It's the perfect project for a new knitter/felter. (Felter? Felt maker? Person who felts?) Super easy to knit and assemble (two hours tops), this little (roughly 7.5"x 5") bag makes a great carrier for my iPod. The only detractor is the sushi itself; the white yarn (as white yarn is wont to do) didn't felt, and my California roll ended up looking more like a birth control device than something you'd want to dip in soy sauce and nibble on. Ah, well, so it's an artistic interpretation of sushi, right?

Pattern: Sushi Wallet from Pick Up Sticks!
Yarn: Included in kit
Needles: US 10 Addis
Mods: None
Rating: 3 out of 5 California rolls

Other food patterns to dig into and enjoy:
Regina's meat series - Seriously, what's not to love about felted cheeseburgers? (check out her June 19, 2007 post, "Felt the Meat")
Jean Greenhowe's Jiffyknits - Ms. Greenhowe makes spaghetti and meatballs, boiled eggs, cookies...and you can, too. (also, some scary ass clown dolls, if you're into that sort of thing)
Rachel Matthews' Knitorama - Feel like a crocheted pint of stout? Or how about a jelly roll? If so, here's the book for you.

Minty Fresh

2007-07-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

Swiped from La, I couldn't resist this meme, mainly because it jives nicely with something I mentioned yesterday. Yeah, the English major in me loves thematic jiving.

Time for SCATTERGORIES, amigos.

Here are the rules:
+ Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following.
+ They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up.
+ If you can’t think of anything, skip it.
+ Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same first initial.
+ You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.
+ Have fun!

My name: Madge
1. Famous singer/band: Metallica
2. Four letter word: Muck
3. Street name: Mulholland Drive
4. Color: Magenta
5. Gifts/Presents: Money (does this make me shallow?)
6. Vehicle: Mustang
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Muscle tees
8. Boy Name: Michael
9. Girl Name: Megan
10. Movie Title: Matador (mmm, young Antonio Banderas)
11. Drink: Mojito
12. Occupation: Mud Wrestler, Maestro, Moll
13. Celebrity: Matthew Modine
14. Magazine: Maximum Rock n Roll
15. US City: Moscow, ID
16. Pro Sports Team: Maple Leafs
17. Reason for Being Late for Work: Medical emergency
18. Something You Throw Away: Metal shavings
19. Things You Shout: Move it!
20. Cartoon Character: Minnie Mouse

Now for a *spoiler alert.* If you're shy about seeing the latest Yarntini sock club offering, avert thine eyes.

It arrived yesterday. The Mint Mojito colorway is in a 50 wool/50 tencel blend, and comes with its own cocktail recipe! Also included in the box were itty bitty US 1 rosewood DPNs (my dpn collection just got a lot posher), Erika L. Seelinger's Cricosaura sock pattern, and Yarntini's signature giftie, flavored lip balm. Mint, of course. Yeah, this time the package is pretty nifty, so call me appeased. Yay.

If the Anti-Social Shoe Fits

2007-07-02T11:19:00.001-07:00

Has it really been a week since I last posted? Zounds. I owe everyone email, too; apologies if you've left a comment or emailed me recently. The strands of blogland are getting away from me, like an errant ball of (insert favorite yarn here) that's rolled under the couch. Today I'll try and catch up a bit, so without further mumblings...

Yesterday six of us Anti-Social Knitters met at Wen's house for a potluck lunch, knitting, crocheting and a yarn swap. I was a total spaz, and clicked only these random photos. (I'm blaming flakiness on the 90+ degree heat we're having. My brain has melted.) Ellen will have her recap up soon, too, and I'm sure her photos will do a great job of showing our shenanigans.

Wen

Ellen and Marie

La and Zoe

Yarn Swap-o-Rama

I restrained myself, and didn't roll in or drool on the yarn. I did bring home three goodies:

1,000 yds. Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace in Tahoe

400 yds. of Schaefer Yarns Esperanza in Tink

1 lonely skein of Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Worsted in Natural

We really are a fun bunch, so if you're in the Los Angeles area and are interested in joining in on future ASK events, please give a shout out to La so she can add you to our email list.

Okay, that's it for today. Stay tuned this week for mysterious stole workings, a grudging acknowledgement of semi-appeasement, fun with apricots, and another example of socktardedness.

Cozy Corner

2007-06-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ellen's sofa has inspired me. A few days ago she posted about her favorite place to knit/crochet, and I enjoyed reading her post so much that I thought I'd post about my favorite spot, too.

Most of my knitting/crocheting occurs here, in a corner of our well-worn sofa in our living room. As you can see, project bags surround the spot!

Where do you sit when you knit or crochet?

Erato Is On Vacation

2007-06-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

I've started this post

five
times

Each time

it resembles Melba toast

What is it about lace? Knitting it is as exciting as eating spicy green curry, or riding a roller coaster, or saying yes when you should say no. But blogging about it? Dull as that school paper you had to write on your least favorite subject. Mine was on Anthony Trollope; Barchester Towers almost killed me.

My Gothic Leaves unfurl. Using two very different yarns makes each a unique knitting experience. And the pattern is as friendly a one as you're likely to find anywhere. Plus, the design reminds me of scarabs, which imho is very cool.

A half complete scarf.

A quarter complete shawl.

In other news...

...my June Socks That Rock club yarn arrived on Saturday. The colorway is Firebird. Peachy keen goodness...

...I snagged a spot in Yarn Pirate's Booty Club. The sock yarn madness continues...

...the summer knitty? Ho hum. But I like the new Knitscene...

...my roving stash has been born! First I ordered this awesome pink hand-dyed BFL from Carolyn...

...and then my Mom was kind enough to pick up this lovely teal mystery fiber (I think this is the same kind of stuff with which I'm practicing right now)...

...and some Clear Waters Farm Corriedale from Llamas and Lambs.

I'm also spending way too much time on Ravelry, but I'll post about that later. Now, it's back to knitting...lace.

My Next Project

2007-06-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Melanie is hosting a contest for some of her yummy hand-dyed yarn. She wants to see either 1) your first finished project, or 2) the next project you're going to do. I'm going with option two. I'll be making Pick Up Sticks felted Triangle Purse in this girly pink/red combo.

I'll omit the little circles and add a vintage brooch. Some choices from my collection:

So, what's your next project going to be?

Mystery Stole 3

2007-06-21T11:42:00.001-07:00

Mystery Stole 3 begins on June 29th. I'm swatched and rarin' to go. At this time there are almost 2,600 people from all over the world signed up, and the Yahoo list is abuzz with people deciding on what yarn to use and whether or not they want to add the optional beads. Pattern creatrix and group moderator Melanie has told us that this pattern works best in black or white. Bet you know which color I picked. Yep. JaggerSpun Zephyr in Ebony. Even raided the stash for it. (I bought it on sale last year from Red Bird Knits, but have since discovered Sarah's Yarns is the place to go for Zephyr.) I'm using US 3 29" Bryspuns, and will be omitting the beads.

Within my local knitting group, there are four of us who will be participating: Mary, Marie, Seattle Marie and myself.

It's incredible to think that 2,500+ people will be knitting this pattern together. Sorry to get all California new-agey on ya, but the thought of all of us working the same stitches at (roughly) the same time is magical. I always love our online knitting/crocheting community, but some moments are extra special. This is one of them.

Sign ups close on July 6th, so if you're thinking about it, go sign up now. Fiend will be happy you did.

Hot Socklet

2007-06-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Generic cuff down socks
Yarn: Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash in color 02 - 1 and a smidge skeins
Needles: Bryspun US 4 5" dpns
Rating: 10 little piggies

It's been a long time coming, me knitting my first pair of socks. Since last summer, actually. But now, now I'm the proud mama of socklets, and I'm feeling downright giddy.

A great big round of applause goes to Barbara, who guided me through the process with aplomb and humor. We've been meeting regularly over the last few months for Sock 101 classes, and yesterday we finished up with toe decreases and grafting. Hey, grafting is pretty cool.

So is this scrumptious Artfibers Galicia Barbara gifted to me.

Is this my color or what? Yowza. But before I run off on a tangent extolling silk, Artfibers, and asking for opinions on what lace scarf pattern I should use with it, back to the socklets.

I'm exceedingly happy I finally figured out how sock construction works. And that these fit, even though they were meant to be for a child. Heh. Obviously I'm still iffy on the math, so thank goodness for Sensational Knitted Socks; I'll be making my next pair - another generic cuff down stockinette pair out of Artyarns Ultramerino 8 in color 127 (a birthday present from Mary - man, I'm blessed with great friends) - using this dandy reference.

And, to keep the momentum going, I'm taking Cookie A.'s toe up class with Ellen and Barbara at Unwind in a few weeks, too.

Fiend update: This morning was B.I.G. Big as in Fiend went to the vet big. He's so freaky skittish that we've been putting it off until we could at least pet him without him spazzing. Then, two days ago, he sported a bite on his ear and forehead that turned nasty yesterday, so in he went today. And guess what? He went into the carrier without a problem. Yep, Tom was able to pick him up and put him in the carrier without biting, scratching, hissing, yowling or twisting. I just stood there, holding the backup bribe can of tuna fish, in disbelief. Cats are so fickle. We're still waiting on some test results, but have learned he's around 12 (! we thought he was a year old - so much for our age telling ability), has been neutered, and came back negative for kitty aids and leukemia. He was well behaved at the vet, and was mellow when Tom brought him home. B.I.G. Next up, he and Maggie get to make nice.

Project Spectrum Sunday

2007-06-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Rowan Harris Chunky in Lobster

The Week in Review

2007-06-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Gothic Leaf Stole

One repeat down. I heart the Euroflax linen big time. I'm also glad there are only k2togs and ssks in this pattern, as its lack of give makes for some interesting tugging here and there.

Central Park Hoodie

Still waiting for its button(less) bands. It's gonna be waiting a while; now that hot weather has hit, to look at it makes me sweat. Unless I crank the air con and get freaky deaky with it. We'll see.

Spinning

Here's my first bobbin of funny single ply. My tension is all over the place since I'm still getting my hands and feet to work together. There are big puffy lumps, and thin sections, and everything in between. I'm really enjoying myself. And thanks to Carolyn, Patty and Georgia for their help and encouragement.

Ravelry

I received my invite a week ago, but didn't visit until a couple of days ago. Why? Because I need another internet knitting time suck like I need trepanation. But I'm curious by nature, and finally just had to see what all the hoopla was about. It took a minute tops to assimilate me. The pattern database is so frickin' cool! I don't know how much time I'll have to spend on it, but I hope to keep a running tally of WIPs and FOs at the very least.

Yarn Pirate Booty Club

Sign ups for Yarn Pirate's sock club are happening tonight at 6 pm PDT. Fingers crossed I and everyone who wants one snags a spot.

Fantasy Island

2007-06-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Meredith is running a competition through June 17. Instructions may be found here, but in a nutshell she's asking for a description of what three yarns you would want with you on a deserted island. For this scenario, Tom and I have donned our arch-villain guises of Lord Death Maggot and Lady Doom. The year is 1962, and the location is near Dr. No's lair.

Somewhere in the Bahamas, our luxury cruiser, the Destroyer, has foundered on a picturesque beach. Palm trees sway, the surf gently caresses the sand, and crabs the color of paprika cavort in tide pools. We, however, are miffed. We were working for SMERSH on a contract basis, until James Bond came along and upset things with that Dr. No business. Now, they're cleaning that mess up and aren't returning our calls. So, a few weeks ago, we decided to go freelance. Since we were vacationing in Nassau, we thought we'd check out the islands in the area and see if anything appropriate for a nefarious base of operations caught our eye. Nothing really has, and last night we'd decided to head to Cuba for a little gambling before starting up the search again. We celebrated our decision by imbibing a few too many champagne cocktails, and set the steering on autopilot so we could leisurely sleep in. Then we crashed. Literally. Stupid autopilot.

As LDM is moving the death ray into the underground caverns we've discovered, I'm reviewing my yarn options. Hmm, what to take with me? Let's see....

1. Koigu KPM. So versatile! Lace, socks, scarves, hats, gloves - all can be made with this delicious yarn.

2. Cascade 220. So practical! Perfect for garments, blankets, toys - and for felting little vests for the monkeys we see in the palm trees.

3. Rowan Scottish Tweed DK. So tweedy! A must for cable projects.

Yes, those will do nicely. And now I must rush. LDM is calling - seems he needs help programming our rescue jet to come pick us up. Ta ta, minions!

A Birthday and a Berroco Pattern Book That Isn't Blindingly Bad

2007-06-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Tom was being exceedingly curmudgeonly about his birthday this year. So, we - as in the royal we, meaning me - decided a Sunday day trip to Ventura was just the thing to cheer him up. It's close (in SoCal terms), has a cute downtown, a Mission, nearby beaches, and his favorite Mustang parts store, National Parts Depot.

It also has a yarn store, but I swear this didn't factor into my selfless role as birthday gloominess dispenser.

Well, not at first, anyway. Then I discovered that it was practically next to his car parts store. So, I waited until he suggested that he drop me off there while he went and talked classic cars and bought a new Mustang exhaust system...and then I demurely agreed that it might be fun to check out Anacapa Fine Yarns. Which he did, and I did, and fun was had by all.

Lois - here she is! - has a cozy store full of beautiful yarns, an amazing selection of needles and friendly customers.

Even though I've shot my yarn budget for the year, and have given myself an ultimatum about buying more, I found some lovelies that just had to come home with me. Obviously I need to work on my self-control issues, but in the meantime I have more green yarn!

Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Leaf

O-Wool Balance in Malachite

I also picked up a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern (#221 Neckdown Summer Cardigan - I've never knit a sweater top down, and figure I should try it sooner than later) and some Bryspun needles (some 5" dpns for socks and 29" circs in US 3 and 4 for the huge amount of lace knitting I'm doing this summer).

Then we were off to downtown Ventura for an early dinner of yummy Indian - it's been ages since we've had some chicken tikka masala - and a leisurely drive home the "back way" on highway 126.

Yesterday our celebration proper included margaritas and a present or two, and Tom is another year older and happily contemplating ripping apart his car engine this weekend. Thanks for all the well wishes!

Non sequitur: Just stumbled on the Berroco preview of Norah Gaughan Collection Vol. 1. Dig it!

Old Habits

2007-06-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

I tried. I really did. I thought if I concentrated on one or two projects - instead of my usual 5, 6, 7, 8s - I would finish my CPH that much sooner. Instead, there was a lot of whinging on the blog and a sad dead in the water stall on my creativity and the little knitting I was accomplishing. So much for intentions, etc. Today it's back to my old habits, and I couldn't be happier.

I cast on my Gothic Leaf stole in the scrumptious aubergine linen, aka the sausage yarn. I've worked 13 rows, and so far the Euroflax is behaving itself. Not much give to it, of course, but there's a nice stitch definition with the US 4s I'm using. What do you think?

I've started some other stuff, too, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Today is Tom's birthday, and now we're off to celebrate.

Project Spectrum Sunday

2007-06-10T19:26:00.001-07:00

Yarn Pirate superwash merino in Copper

Spinning My Wheel

2007-06-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

Last summer I bought a spinning wheel. Marie was upgrading to a fancier one, and needed a home for her Louet S17. In some mad fit I bought it, and it has sat collecting dust in my living room ever since. And then, today, on a spur of the moment, Patty came over and taught me how to spin. Just like that.

Well, to be honest, I'm not sure if what I was doing qualifies as anything more than playing with roving. Mostly it was me spinning the wheel in the wrong direction, or overtwisting, or - there was lots of this - undertwisting, or...well, you get the idea. But, for two brief moments, things clicked. My hands felt it. It was magic.

Today I also signed up for Mystery Stole 3, thanks to Mary's tip off. This is my first "mystery" KAL, and it sounds like a lot of fun. I also have the right yarn in stash - JaggerSpun Zephyr in Ebony - which clinched the deal. Between this and my Gothic Leaves, t'will be the summer o' lace chez Knitdevil.

I've gotten off my duff, and the CPH hood is almost finished. After discussing it with Patty - knitting friends are the greatest! - I'm doing a 3-needle bindoff on it; grafting can wait for another day. I'm omitting buttons, too, in an attempt to move things along. This sweater, it just needs to be done.

Now, however, I have to go play with my spinning wheel. Happy weekend!

Anyone Seen My Knitting Mojo?

2007-06-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

It was here a while ago, but I have the feeling it's now sitting next to the Rev, drinking boilermakers and listening to Tammy Wynette in a Texas roadhouse. Or maybe guest spotting on Knits Gone Wild. Because it sure ain't here. Must be time to cast on a new project, get the creativity flowing again while I finish my CPH. Which frankly, has me bored to somnolence. Time to shake things up a bit, maybe find a Project Spectrum related somethin' somethin' to work on, too.

Eight inches of the CPH hood finished. Four more to go, then onto the decreasing and grafting. I've never grafted. I love to learn new things, and am looking forward to adding this to my knitting repertoire.

Hmm, let's distract you from this total lack of knitterly excitement with a contest or two, shall we? Meredith has a Fantasy Island scenario for us here, and Jen has a TV-themed one here. I'll be posting my Fantasy Island one on this here blog soon.

Speaking of contests, Teresa picked me as one of the lucky winners in her recent bare-all-in-the stash-enhancement contest. I won this lovely Koigu and matching button and stitch markers. Thanks, Teresa, for my lovely gifties!

Fiend alert: Guess who's brave for a skittish cat? Mister Fiend. We've lured him into our lair with treats and catnip.

He doesn't stay long, usually 20-30 minutes, but one night he was in for two hours. We only let him in when our other cat Maggie is in the backyard, since he bolts every time he sees her. We have to be very quiet when he's inside; even the TV freaks his scene. This little guy is the spookiest cat I've ever known, but he's perfectly content to hang out on and around our front doorstep, with occasional forays inside, which works for us. He hides well (we're still trying to figure out where he sleeps at night), and since our attempts to get him around to the back of the house were a bust, I'm feeling more secure about him being outside at night. He's a funny looking critter, and, as you can see, a big fan of the catnip, and follows Tom around like a dog.

Patty also has some new additions to her household. She's fostering two wee kittens right now. Soon they will need homes, so please contact her if you're in the LA area and looking for a kitty.

Project Spectrum Sunday

2007-06-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

Operation Yarn Sausage

2007-05-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

As mentioned here, I want to knit a shawl-sized Gothic Leaf out of Euroflax sport weight linen. Online advice culled from Sivia Harding's blog and Knitter's Review said to wash the yarn first, so yesterday I did. Please join me as we walk through Operation Yarn Sausage.

1. Assembled tools - yarn, size 10 crochet cotton and nylons.

2. First I unwound the hanks and gave them a gentle shake to loosen them up. I then placed eight figure eight-shaped ties around them to keep tangling to a minimum during the washing process.

3. Yarn ready for stuffing.

4. Some online knitters recommended washing the linen in mesh bags. I, however, 1) don't have mesh bags, and 2) was concerned about tangling, so I followed Jayne and Mary's recommendation and used nylons. I folded the hanks in half, and put each one in a cut down nylon. I snugged the yarn down into the toe and cinched a knot.

5. Into the washer we go. I set my washer on the smallest load/hottest water setting, added two tablespoons of Eucalan and tossed in the sausages.

6. Thirty minutes later I pulled them out and popped them into the dryer, which was also set to the hottest setting.

7. I ran them through the dryer twice. I took them out and discovered they were still damp. At this point I got bored with the process, unwound the hanks and hung them up to dry. Twenty four hours later they're still damp, so I've just cut off the crochet thread ties, shaken the hanks out and hung them up outside in the shade to finish drying.

Thoughts: Linen is a lovely fiber, but soft isn't an adjective for it until it's well worn. Even so, based on the online comments I read, my expectation was that the washed yarn would soften up considerably. Well, it didn't. It did loosen up a little, however, and feels less slick. After washing, the yarn is shedding fuzzies, but these are easy to remove. The color remains vividly aubergine.

The process was easy and liberating in the way cutting steeks must be liberating: washing non-acrylic/superwash yarn in the washing machine on the hot setting? And drying it in the drying machine on the hot setting? Taboo busting.

Would I pre-wash linen yarn again? Sure. If/when it happens, I'll probably run through the entire process twice, to see if that elusive softness people were talking about occurs.

And as soon as this yarn dries, I'll ball her up and get cracking on my shawl. I'll let you know how the yarn works out then.