Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Today is my grandmother's 91st birthday. The running joke in my family is that, were there a nuclear war, all that would remain would be the cockroaches and my grandma. This past year has been a tough one for her, including a broken hip and a few hospitalizations, but she's doing just great, now.

Grandma taught me to knit when I was a kid. She learned from her grandfather who literally taught her with string and two long nails. That's right, nails. It gives a whole new meaning to "sticks and string" doesn't it? Grandma doesn't really knit anymore, and knitting was never an "artistic" thing for her to do, but then again, Grandma is a very practical woman - most things she did were to save money and serve a purpose, not just to look pretty. She was always more of a sewer and gardener than a knitter or crocheter, but she knows how to do just about anything. She can sew, cook, can, bake (oh, goodness, can she bake!), knit, crochet, quilt, garden, cane chairs, build furniture, and about a million other things. My grandma actually sold her washing machine to the Jahovah's Witness! Not many other grandmas can make that claim.

So, on this July 20, 2007, I want to wish a very happy 91st birthday to the greatest Grandma a girl could ask for. Although you're across the country, you're in my heart every day. I love you, Grandma!

Ravelry!

AHHHHHHHH!

I just got my Ravelry invite!!!!

AHHHHHH!!!!

SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!

Stepmother Socks

The Diamante Socks I'm making are for my father's new wife's December birthday. I figured socks were a good summer project and then I wouldn't have to be stressed about knitting deadlines once school starts again in the fall. I thought I remembered her having size 7.5 feet, so I looked it up online and that translates to about a 9.5 inch foot. I made the sock with that measurement in mind, but the sock (as seen in the last post) fits my size 8.5 foot. I'm not sure how much the difference will matter - it's possible the sock is has to stretch to fit my foot and thus will fit hers well. It's also possible it will be too big and be all bunchy at the toe.

I snuck into her closet the other day when she was out to look at shoe size, and apparently she doesn't know her shoe size, either, because her shoes range from 7 - 8.5...that's four different shoe sizes in the same closet. I'm hoping to find a friend with size 7.5 feet to try on the sock. I'm not very far up the leg (only 1/4 inch or so) so I could rip back if I had to, but I really don't want to. I know, I know...who does want to rip back their knitting, but the heel took a really long time to do and I just don't want to have to do it again.

It also means that I don't really want to keep working on the sock, since if it does need to be ripped back I'd rather rip back less than more.

I should also resume work on the Print o' the Wave stole, which has been sitting around, lonely and forelorn, at only two repeats long, for weeks.

hoo boy

I am officially the worst blogger ever.

It's not that no knitting is being done, it's just that not much progress is being made. I have a lot of projects kind of sitting around while I start new things. I'm in love with everything I'm doing, it's just that new projects always seem more, intriguing, maybe...

I have made progress on the Diamante socks. The stitch pattern is fun and the toe-up has been interesting. I'm not sure I love the toe-up heel flap, but I guess I'm still undecided. The sock, thusfar:



A close-up:



The heel took a long time, and it wasn't nearly as fun as a top-down heel flap. My favorite part of making socks is turning the heel, and it just didn't have the same je ne sais quoi. Oh, well. I think it may be a better looking heel, but I think I'd rather have the fun than the oh-so-slightly better looking heel.

I also got something I've been lusting after for quite some time.





Knitpicks "Memories" in the Redwood Forest colorway. I kind of hugged it when it came. It is even more beautiful than it looks in the pictures. The colors are just SO FREAKING PRETTY! The yarn is on clearance right now, and I'm considering buying, like, 40 skeins of it, even though I really do have an issue with making socks out of non-superwash yarn. I'll be making kneesocks out of non-superwash, but I figure kneesocks won't get the same kind of wear as regular socks, and I'm a college student: I don't have the time or motivation to hand wash SOCKS.

So, you may be wondering what I'm making, if not socks.

Viola!


Ridiculously pretty, isn't it?


A bigger photo, but what is it? Can you tell?


Why, it's a Clapotis, of course!

I am in love with this pattern. I must be the only person ever to not have knit one of these babies, yet, but my god, it's FABULOUS!

The pattern is genius, I tell you, genius!

What? What's that? My thermal?

Ummmm....

Here, look at my yarn bowl instead!!

A new socky adventure

I've started something new.



Any guesses?

That's right, it's my very first attempt at a toe-up sock.

Knitty's Diamante socks, to be exact.


Now, you may recall that I purchased this yarn to make Eunny Jang's fabulous, wonderful Bayerische Socks, to which I have only one thing to say:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Okay, maybe that was a bit extreme. I tend never to look at a pattern and think, "oh, I couldn't make that" since I know damn well any knitted piece (no matter how intricate) is made up of little more than knit and purl stitches (both of which I know! Go me!)

However, I am the first to admit defeat after actually attempting a project that just isn't working, for one reason or another. I actually only got to the first row of cables, but there is an "increase row" after the cuff, which (combined with the one row of cables I did, and the size 0 needles, and the 96-stitch rounds) made me realize I would be struggling with it the whole time, that it would not be an enjoyable knit, and that I very well may break one of my brand-new size 0 dpns in half.

So.

We move on.

Next I chose the "Carved Diamond" pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury. It is a "twisted stitch" pattern according to Ms. Walker, but really that means it's full of 2-stitch cable crossings. Which (again) proved too tedious and small for my size 1 needles. I should probably mention that I have only ever knit plain stockinette and 3-1 ribbed socks before, and only on size 2s, so perhaps I really was in over my head.

I think I have finally found a happy medium. The Diamante Socks have an interesting stitch pattern, that is not lace (someday, but I'm still not convinced...), and is not made up of cable crossings. It is also a toe-up pattern, which I have never done before, and decided it would be a good learning experience, as so many knitters swear by toe-up as their sock-knitting-method of choice.

I cast on with the figure 8 cast-on, something I found to be quite fiddly, but it was only 12 stitches on each needle, so it's over pretty fast. I would like to try other toe-up methods, but for now I'm sticking with the figure 8, if only so both socks will match.

As you can see from the picture, I have a few rounds to go before the toe is complete, but I think it will work. I'm not entirely convinced toe-up is really the way to go for me. Certainly it makes the most sense: no worries about running out of yarn!, but I'll need to finish the sock before I pass judgement.

In other news, the second Thermal sleeve is finished, and the body has been cast on (though only about two rounds have been worked). Progress is progress, however slow.

Bad Bad Bad

I am a bad, bad girl. Knitpicks was having a sale and I couldn't contain myself. I got enough yarn to make two sweaters and a Clapotis (which I still have never made, and am dying to) for $46. One sweater will have cost $11. ELEVEN DOLLARS, PEOPLE!

Knitpicks, I love you. Rock on with your affordable-yarny-goodness.

Summer Knitty!

Summer Knitty is up!

After compulsively refreshing the Knitty homepage for days, I was thrilled to see the summer issue is out. Then, I was a little disappointed. Just a little. And mostly because the things I love cost more than I wanted to spend. Not a lot, mind you, just more than I wanted to spend.

And now, the patterns:

Hip in Hemp: Love. Love. Love. I am wary of the knitted skirt thing but I think this is really adorable and could be comfy and wonderful. In the recommended yarn, you're looking at $60 for the size I want. In Knitpicks, still about $35. It would be worth it, but I already have stuff in my cart over at Knitpicks and I was hoping for a pattern to bring the total up to just over $45 (to get the free shipping), and this cute skirt would kick me up to about $70 - and I'm just not willing to spend that much right now, especially considering the number of projects I still have lying around. If only I had a little girl hanging around I could knit for...

Zinzin: Cute in concept, and I do love a satin-y bow, but I can only imagine this looking floppy from the front (as in the third image). This would perhaps be cute for a child, with the bows in the back being twee and endearing rather than an attempt at sexy.

Coachella: Not bad, but in general I'm not into knitted tanks. Unless the gauge is ridiculously small (I'm talking US0s or 1s here, and certainly not the 7s and 9s called for in this pattern) I think knitted tanks end up looking too sweater-y.

Askew: As just noted, I'm not big on knitted tanks. However. I think this is really cute over the blouse in the second image. I also really like the neckline - maybe with long sleeves?

Tangerine Twist: Not to be negative, but ew. Shapeless and matronly. Alright, I'll take the stick out of my butt here for a second - the color's not bad and the cable pattern might be cute on a shaplier garment or socks or something.

Sophie: Really interesting. I really love the back view, from the front the collar detail looks a bit choking, perhaps? I think in general it's lovely, the colors and yarn look beautiful. But. Not for me. I do like the color change in the ribbing at the neck, though. Possibly an idea I'd use on a different sweater. I would probably bring the contrast color to the bottom edge, as well, just for the final row or even just the BO row. Gets the wheels turning.

Four pairs of socks: I'm not a big fan of any of these socks. I guess "Coupling" would have to be my favorite of the four, but in general I don't care too much for lace socks. Well, no, let me rephrase. I've never made lace socks and would imagine they would feel strange inside of shoes (and there's no way I'm making socks I can't wear with shoes). Other than that, the Breeze socks bother me a little: all it is is the "Tilting Ladder" pattern from Barbara Walker on a regular old sock. Anybody could have come up with this sock. It's an "insert-stitch-pattern-here" kind of thing. Maybe I'm being overly critical, but I like to see clever, interesting patterns on Knitty.

Unmentionables: Speaking of clever and interesting! I love these adorable bloomers. Love them. They look so great for lounging or sleeping. I worry that they would stretch and get all saggy and gross in the butt, but if done in washable yarn they might work. I would love to make them, but 10 balls of Knitpicks Shine Sport in "Cream" adds up to $25 - not a bad price, but my budget is smaller right now, and at this point, I'd rather spend my money on projects I can actually wear in public.

Wisp: Pretty. I like the buttons. I would never make it.

Prickly Girl: Like I said before, I don't exactly have little girls just lying around to knit for, but even if I did, I'm not sure this would be on my list. Again, the knitted tank thing really isn't my style.

Zodiac: I'm a little confused by these, but I think they're cute enough. If I had a baby perhaps I would make one. Since I have no baby, and by the time I do I will have long forgotten this pattern, it will have to go unmade.

Grow With Me: See comments for Prickly Girl.

Grr: Cute. Really cute. Not going to make it, but really cute none the less.

Chapeau Marnier: I really can't think about hats right now. I might come back to this one in the fall.


Well, there you have it. Seventeen patterns, only two I love, and none I'll be making, at least not in the near furture.

FO: Spring Fling

Pattern: Spring Fling from Knitty Spring '05, size S.
Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Sport in Orchid, less than 6 skeins.
Needles: US 3 straights for ribbing, US 5 straights for lace pattern.
Started: May 11
Finished: May 29

I had a lot of fun working on this little cardigan. The yarn was really wonderful. It shed quite a bit while working on it but I haven't had any problems with the finished sweater pilling or anything. It's remarkably soft and squishy, it's light and has excellent drape, the color certainly grew on me. All in all a wonderful project.

The pattern itself was well written and fun. The lace was just enough interest to keep from dying but certainly not intricate enough to require all of my brain cells. (It's a k2, yo, skp on RS or a p2, yo, p2tog on WS).

I had intended to shorten the sweater because I wanted a real cropped cardigan where the ribbing began just under the bust, but then I forgot to measure and ended up making the body to the same measurements as the pattern indicates, and it's a good thing I did. It is the perfect length. It is exactly where I wanted it to be. I did make the sleeves a little bit longer - I think I did 2.5 or 3 inches of ribbing instead of the called-for 1.5 inches. I also added three buttons to the front ribbing instead of the hook-and-eye closure. I did a 2 sts BO buttonhole. I had intended to just do a YO or two, but wasn't liking how it looked.

I am convinced the model in the pictures at Knitty must be, like, 4 foot 7 or something. It says she is wearing the size XS (31" bust) and it looks quite long on her. I made the S size (34" bust) to fit around my 36" bust, so perhaps the negative ease shortened it a bit? That makes sense, except that mine is a lot shorter than it looks in the picture.

I really like how Knitty tells you what size is shown in the photos, but I think it would be nice if they also gave the bust measurement of the model. I realize many people would not want to be models if they knew their bust size would be broadcast on the internet, but sometimes I'll really like the fit of the sweater on the girl in the photo, only I have no idea how much ease I should use to get the same fit for myself.

This is my second sweater ever, and it also happens to be my second Jordana Paige sweater. Her designs are really lovely. I imagine I will be making more of them in the future.

updates! huzzah!

The Spring Fling is complete. Look for pictures in the next couple of days (as soon as I can get someone else to take them). It was a fun project, but I'll talk more about it when I post the pictures.

In other knitting news:

I am stillworking on the ribbing for the second Thermal sleeve. Dear Lord it is slow. I only have a few rows before I begin the waffle stitch, though, so I'm hoping it will begin to move faster?

I've cast on for the Print of the Wave Stole and for the Bayerische socks. I don't know whether I should really talk about either at this point, sincec I have only about 4 rows of the stole finished and literally just a cast-on edge for the first sock. I've really wanted to be knitting recently, but (A) it is ungodly hot here these past few days and all I want to do is lie on the floor and be very very still and (B) my father is getting married TOMORROW so, as can be imagined, we've all been very very busy trying to get the house clean and straightened out and figuring out wedding plans, and lists of things to do before the wedding, during the wedding, after the wedding, and while Dad and C are gone on their honeymoon (just for the record: there is no possible way I will clean the cats' litter box, so that better not be on my list of chores....)

I'm really hoping to get some good knitting done this afternoon. My fabulous roommate is arriving today about three and she's bringing her knitting with her. She has just recently started her first sweater and I'm dying to see how it's coming along.

Okay, this was already too much of a break from the mile-long list of things I have to do today.

Sleeve woes

What is it about sleeves? Why are they so boring, no matter what?

I'm right on schedule with my Spring Fling - I finished the back last Thursday, and bound off the second front last night. That gives me one week (or less, preferably) to finish the sleeves. I've cast them both on at once, one right after the other, as everything I've ever read has told me to do. It makes perfect sense - when you finish, you have both sleeves done! No Second Sleeve Syndrome! Huzzah! But. I think of sleeves as being relatively small objects. I mean, like, my arm is much smaller than my torso, so no problem, right? Ahem. Sleeves are really wide. I guess I never really thought about how GIANT the circumference to my arm is. Two sleeves does not seem like a difficult thing. 148 stitches, however, seems like the biggest number of stitches in the whole world and I will never finish. Row after row of 2x2 ribbing. And as if it weren't bad enough, you finish a row and then you have to do the exact same row all over again!

On the other hand, I am working Thermal's sleeves one at a time. Remember how cocky I was after I finished that first sleeve? Oh, it went so fast and the pattern was so interesting and it was all so much fun... Right. I have, hmmm, about six rounds of the second sleeve done. Six. And it's taken me days. (Apparently I'm really into italics today...)

Also a major problem: I went to the library. And they had a book there. (I mean, they had lots of books there, but one in particular). It was Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. Oh my. As if I weren't distracted enough.

More about that later. Now, dinner. Followed by more sleeves. Hoo Boy.

Non-Knitting Related

So I got almost zero knitting done today. I did, however, cross-stitch my little heart out. Regardez!



It's rather small, only 6.5 by 5.5 inches, and the colors in the photo are only as accurate as I could get them, which is to say not particularly. The pattern is a melding of several things, including a border I found on a sampler online, the heart motif is from "Charted Monograms for Cross Stitch and Needlepoint", a booklet printed in 1981; and the letters are a combination of the alphabets found in "Charted Classic Samplers, leaflet 161" from 1979 and "Welcome Dear Baby, by Cherly Hall" also from 1981. All three booklets were my mother's and contain some pretty useful things, so long as the colors are updated from their late-'70s, early-'80s vibe.

I used leftovers for all of it. The lavender is DMC color 316, the pink is 224, and the green will be doomed to remain nameless forever, as I have lost the tag, and there are about 800 different green embroidery floss colors in my Floss Tin.

Progress

As you can see with my last post, I'm going to try to update all of my finished objects from 2007 so they can be linked in a sidebar. Those updates will probably be pretty sporadic (as though all my posts aren't...)

Today I want to give updates on just about everything. I've been knitting a lot this past week, since I got out of school before all of my friends from home, so no one's been around to distract me from all that yarn yarn yarn. I should get a neon flashing light that says Yarn! Yarn! Yarn! You know, insead of Girls! Girls! Girls! ...Sometimes I'm too weird for my own good...

Anyhow, updates:

Thermal

I have finished the first sleeve!! Pretty exciting, n'est pas? Here, proof that I'm not lying like a pig in mud:



A close-up of the beautiful, beautiful, beautiful waffle stitch:




I am having so much fun working on this project. The stitch pattern is interesting and the fabric it creates is squishy and fun and wonderful. I have cast on for the second sleeve (against every tendency in my body which would compel me to work the body first, I have decided to start with the sleeves) and I have a few rounds of the twisted rib finished. I knit the majority of the first sleeve on US 3 dpns but my new Knitpicks circular was calling out to me so I decided to use the sleeve as an exercise in learning Magic Loop. I worked the first sleeve Magic Loop starting after the increases were complete. I'm going to use Magic Loop to work the second sleeve, I think. That's how I've cast it on, but I (still) am not entirely sure how I feel about the technique. I dislike working ribbing on dpns, so I think this is good for now, but I tend to find a cable flopping around to be just as finicky as dealing with double points. So I'm still up in the air about it.


Spring Fling

After casting on May 11, I have, in the past 10 days, completed the back, the left front, and the ribbing of the right front.



As I think I've mentioned before, the yarn is ridiculously soft. It's quite a bit pinker than I thought it would be, but I'm going to consider that a "happy accident." I generally don't wear pink, especially this shade of it, and since I really like the color, I think this will be a good chance for me to branch out. And if I end up hating it/looking jaundiced in it, a good friend of mine looks excellent in pink. Also, it's only a summer cardigan, so I can probably bear to wear it occasionally for the three months of the year it would be useful.

This is my first project with YOs. I tried making the legwarmers from One Skein which have a lace pattern at the tops, but the lace looked like I took my knitting to the garbage disposal, and I decided to frog. The lace pattern on this sweater is very simple, but still interesting enough to keep my from falling asleep.



I'm also altering this pattern to include buttons. I'll be placing three half-inch buttons along the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater. I think it will be a nice touch.

Raglan Sweater

Finally, I talk about the dang raglan that's been sitting over in the sidebar forever. It has, alas, also been sitting over in my knitting bag forever. I picked it up the other night while watching An Inconvienent Truth (excellent film, by the way). The Raglan makes for really excellent movie or tv knitting since it's just stockinette in the round with no shaping at this point, so I can just knitknitknitknitknit without having to look and check my stitches or pattern (ha!). I'm still not through with the body, but it's getting there. Slowly. And then I have the sleeves. Oh god, I may never finish....


(Please excuse the Peter Pan pose, here. I don't know what got into me...)

Okay, well, since this has been the longest post known to mankind, I think I'm finished, now.

I have, as you can see, lots and lots of work left to do. A friend just had a baby last week, so I have a cross-stitch birth sampler to work on as well.

Speaking of babies, congrats to Franklin and especially to his sister, Susan on the birth of Abigail Ann this morning. The 21st of May was my mother's birthday and she was a remarkable woman, so I'm sure that sends miles of good luck vibes to the new baby.

Huzzah!

FO: Starsky Cardigan

Pattern: Starsky from Knitty Winter '05
Yarn: Knitpicks Sierra in Leaf
Needles: US 10.5 circular
Started: 24 February 2007
Finished: 16 March 2007
Modifications: Narrower front bands, added buttons/buttonholes, no belt
Notes: This was my first sweater and I had a blast making it. I'm not sure why it got the "extra-spicy" rating at Knitty - once you get used to the cable pattern it was really pretty straight-forward. I learned how to do short-row shaping for the collar, which is cool. I made the sweater in size Medium, which has a chest measurement of 44.5 inches. This gave me the recommended 8 inches of ease, but it was way too big. I looked like Saggy, the Baggy Green Elephant. If you're wondering why it doesn't look like I'm swimming in it, it's because I tried to fix it in the seaming. There are about 2 inches of fabric inside each of the seams, which makes it a tad bulky in the underarms, but it's still baggy enough to not really be bothersome. I'm not sure why it was so big - my gauge was spot-on and I blocked it to the measurements, I think that maybe 8 inches is just plain too much ease for my taste. All in all, a great sweater that I'm pretty proud of.

Spring Fling

Today has been a lovely, lovely day. I am officially done with my Sophomore year, and am back home (sort of). As I think I mentioned, my dad is getting married soon (three weeks), and so we just moved into his fiancée's house, not far from the house where I grew up. And so I am in a new house, with a new room, and new animals (she has two cats).

To make the transition easier on myself, I bought yarn. And in the past two days, I have gone from this:



to this:



I'm really trying to be good about making swatches, I swear. I usually make about half a swatch, but I almost never save them because I'm convinced that I'll run out of yarn. Always. No matter how much I bought.

to this:



and a close-up of the lace pattern:




It's going along swimingly. I'm really enjoying working with the Knitpicks Shine Sport. It's my first time working with cotton, and I'm finding this yarn to be very soft and nearly as stretchy as wool, thanks to the 40% Model. It sheds a little bit, but only while I'm working - the actual fabric does not seem to be shedding, which is good.


Also ridiculously fabulous - a new episode of Cast On today, and Brenda Dayne mentioned my name!! (hint: my name is not really Amelia) What an exciting day.

Coming soon: Thermal. I joined the KAL today, so I better get started.

I have the best roommate ever. No lie.

Look! My roommate loves me!




And again!



Eight, count them, eight beautiful skeins of Knitpicks Gloss in the Pumpkin colorway with which to make my very own Thermal! WOOOOOO!

I'm considering this to be a reward for my two finals today (and ignoring the fact that it is a definite temptation from the two finals yet to come...)

Yarn really does make the best present ever.

They say it's my Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Me.

Goodies and....Baddies?

Progress on the Raglan moves along slowly, but progress is still progress, no? I have another 5 inches or so left on the body, then both sleeves to work. I had told myself I'd finish it for my birthday (not that it will be cold enough to wear it) on May 7, but it seems pretty obvious that that's not going to happen.

Speaking of Birthdays, I got a wonderful package in the mail this week from my boyfriend. In it:



and



Wowza. These books just about made my year. The Maggie Righetti book really is written in plain English, too. It's easy to understand, well written, thoughtful, and funny. I love her chapter on body types. For instance:

THE TRIANGLE
Think of a triangle; think of a swan gracefully swimming across a pond. A long slender neck, gently sloping shoulders, lovely round and full hips and thighs are the hallmarks of a triangular figure.

"Lovely round and full hips and thighs"??

I could gain 400 pounds and this book would still make me feel good about myself.

Also under the "goodie" title - I bought more yarn. My KnitPicks package arrived at my Dad's house yesterday. I had it delivered there so I wouldn't be tempted to start more projects before finals [gulp] are over. I ordered 3 skeins of Alpaca Cloud in "Moss Heather" for the Print o' the Wave Stole I'm making for a friend for Christmas, some Shine Sport in "Orchid" for a Spring Fling Cardigan (that I'm going to alter by shortening the body, lengthening the sleeves, and adding buttons) for myself to wear to my Dad's June wedding, Gloss in "Burgundy" for a pair of Clessidras for moi, and finally, some Essential in "Dusk" for a pair of Bayerische Socks for my Dad's soon-to-be-wife's December birthday.

Whew. I'm hoping to knit really fast so I can make some more pretty things for myself. I am so selfish...

And, on to the not-so-goodies...

Finals (AHHHHH!) are upon us. Not cool. My finals are looking like they're going to totally kick my butt in the next two weeks, so I probably will not be getting very much knitting done. Which is le poo.

Socks! and Sweater?

I finished my socks! They're actually not as nice as I'd hoped, for some reason the beginning of the purl rows of the heel were really loose, and when I picked up stitches they pulled the loose edge and you can see my foot through a row of neat little holes. Hmmm. I'm hoping that changes with a run through the wash? I love the way first pair of hand-mades get softer and squishier and more comfy after every wash.

I also made some really great progress on my raglan, as well. I had a good chunk of time to kill tonight before a midnight movie with some friends (3 hours, to be exact) so I was able to stockinette my way to where the arms split from the body. However although the arms seem to be the perfect diameter, the armpits are, well, shall we say un peu too high. In other words, unless I'm after the "wooly-armpit" feeling, it will need to be ripped back. I think I'll continue the raglan increases on the body, but not the sleaves, because otherwise I'm afraid I'll have GIANT sleeves, and no one wants that.

I also had a serious problem while knitting this evening. As mentioned, I was killing some time before meeting friends on campus, so I got myself a comfy chair in the student center and decided I'd catch up on some podcasts. Note to Self: Laughing out loud while knitting will cause strange looks from others. Perhaps Lime & Violet is not the best knitting soundtrack for knitting in public...

I mean, really. The looks I got from people. You think they'd never seen a girl with a pile of yarn in her lap repeatedly measuring the distance from her neck to armpit while laughing out loud before. What is the world coming to?

And slowly, we have progress

I currently only have two projects on the needles, though I suppose I don't usually have more than that at any one time, unless I get bored with something, in which case I put it away, pick up something new and work it from beginning to end, and then come back to the first (by now hopefully less boring) project.

Right now I'm working on a simple top-down raglan in Paton's Classic Merino, in a pretty heathered-teal. No written-up pattern, just something I got through a "sweater pattern generator" online somewhere. I don't actually remember where, which is probably not the coolest thing I've ever done, but if you google "top-down raglan pattern" I'm sure you'll come up with something.

I worked about, hmmm, 14 rows of this sweater before deciding that it wasn't nearly as exciting or gratifying as I'd hoped.

So I bought some sock yarn. Dale Baby Ull to be exact, two balls navy blue, and one kind of a tomato-y red. I'm working on my second pair of socks, really simple basic cast-on-64-stitches-and-work-only-in-stockinette-until-finished kind of socks. Okay, so they're a little more interesting that that. They have red ribbed cuffs, a red heel, and a red toe. (I can hear the oohs and aahs already).

Anyway, I'm quite enjoying the simplicity of it all and I only have one silly little toe left to finish, but as I'm headed right into Final Exam Period (ahhhhhh!) I suppose it's a good thing there's nothing so interesting sitting in my knitting bag that I can't get any work done.

(Although there is this and this and this and this to keep me more than occupied, although I haven't the yarn, needles, and/or pattern for any of these...)

"Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself"

I had a blog, once, in 9th grade, when it was extremely popular to rant about how "no one understands me!" and "my life is sooooo hard" and to assume that the internet is a Very Small Place. I'm probably lucky no serial killers read my last blog, because I'm pretty sure it would have been ridiculously easy to track me down and that would be that.

After the blogging gap, I'm feeling a bit awkward, so forgive me if I sound like a moron.

I'm a college student in Manhattan, majoring in history, and I've been knitting for about a year now. It has completely taken over my life. No, really.

I do not have a digital camera, yet, (I know, I'm the very last person on the planet to get one) but I do have a birthday coming up, so you should expect pictures - lots of them, hopefully - very soon.

I like knitting blogs with pictures. I like taking chances with my knitting. I just finished my first sweater about a month ago (the fabulous Starsky cardigan from Winter 2005 Knitty). I wore it the next day, and my friend said, "I would have picked something easier" and didn't that just make me feel smug. Indeed.

I hope that this will be a place for me to talk about my knitting and to connect with other knitters (knowing how friendly all the knitters in blogland are, it is my greatest fear that this blog will be a total failure and no one will ever read it and I will basically suck at life).

My favorite blogs EVER are Franklin Habit's The Panopticon and Eunny Jang's See Eunny Knit. Franklin is truly "spit chocolate milk out of your nose" funny, and Eunny is a golden goddess of colorwork. No lie.

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