To Hell with That

So I was going to continue to post about knitting that's been done in the last six months...but that's just boring. Head over to my Ravelry page to check out all the FO goodness. Today, I've got more important fish to fry.

Like Roam. When Fall Knitty came out, I was impressed. For once, I honestly liked most of the projects. Muir, Henry, Cherie Amour, Neiman, Mr Greenjeans, Percy, Flower Power, Totally Autumn, Q, Diamond Waffle, Oblique, Juno Regia...all fabulous. But Roam. Roam made the knitter in me jump up and down and yell.

As is my tendency, first I looked up the suggested yarn to see about cost, colors, fiber content, etc. And while I'm sure it is a lovely yarn, there is no way in hell you'll find me paying that much money for a sweater. I was willing to search for a yarn that cost more than what I'd usually spend because I was pretty sure I wouldn't get to Roam before Christmas anyway, so more expensive yarn would make an excellent addition to my list for Santa.

And thus began the search for the perfect yarn. As usual, my first stop was KnitPicks, but I really really really wanted a variegated yarn, which KnitPicks didn't have in a DK weight. I checked out Laura's Blog and checked out her recommendations for yarn subs. From there I went to Briar Rose Fibers and fell in love. I'd known about Briar Rose from listening to Cast On, but I'd never really looked too closely, in part because I am a college student on a college student budget, and in part because, in my earlier knitting days, the idea of purchasing yarn that wasn't obviously labeled with "worsted" or "DK" or whatever freaked me out.

And so, on Christmas, Santa delivered.



Two skeins of "teals, olives, and browns", and one skein of "olives." I cannot even express how beautiful this yarn is. The colors are sublime, the yarn is soft (but not too soft) and squishy, and it's knitting up wonderfully.

My fantastic boyfriend got me the Knit Picks Options set for Christmas, and so, armed with my brand new Size 6 needles and my brand new Yarn, I got to work.



As you can see, I am a stellar photographer...

The back is done, and I've started the fronts. I love seed stitch, I love this yarn, I love this sweater, and I love knitting! Yay!

It's a New Year

Bad blogger, no cookie.

My New Year's resolution is to update my blog with some sort of regularity. Fingers crossed!

Since I last updated (in July!), lots and lots of knitting has occurred.

Thermal is complete!

Start: May 2007
Finished: August 2007
Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss in Pumpkin, 7 skeins
Needles: Size US 3 circular and double points
Verdict: A+. I love this sweater. It was super super fun to make and it looks great. It could stand to be a little longer, but I still may try to steam some extra length into it. This was a fabulous pattern!

Hedera Socks!



Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Wisterious, 1 skein
Needles: Size US 1 double points
Comments: Although I had intended the Diamante Socks (which are still unfinished, by the way) to be for my father's wife's birthday, I saw this yarn in a LYS and had to buy it and make lacy socks! This was a wonderful wonderful pattern - I can certainly see why Cookie A's patterns are so popular. They were fun and fast to make (three weeks, I think?). And at 450 yds per skein, I have enough left over to make a pair of anklets for me, especially if I make striped socks!

Thuja Socks!



Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Cocoa Kiss, 1 skein
Needles: Size US 0 double points
Comments: I made these for my dad's birthday in November. I altered the pattern for fingering weight yarn and CO 78 stitches. My dad doesn't really like thick socks, so I made these on 0s and they really turned out great. I used an eye of the partridge heel and a short-row toe. I can't say enough good things about the Smooshy sock yarn. It is fabulous.

Okay, that's it for today. There's lots more, though, so stay tuned! (ha!)

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.