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Sunday, January 21, 2007
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Now presenting: Stuff I have yet to blog about!
I finished my Swallowtail Shawl this week. I used some chocolate brown Misti Alpaca Lace and size four needles and ended up with a shawl that just barely covers my linebacker-style shoulders. It's a hair over the size it was supposed to be (according to the pattern), and obviously designed for very tiny people, and not those of Norse/German/other-very-large-and-substantial-people ancestry.
I also finished up about 600 yards of two-ply, we'll-call-it-sportweight yarn. Half of it is superwash carded with tussah silk, and the other half is some handpainted Bluefaced Leicester roving from Sweet Georgia Yarns. The skein on the left is what I was aiming for; the one on the right has the BFL portion a little thicker than I desired. Still, I ended up with almost exactly the same amount on each bobbin (4 ounces on each bobbin without a Woolee Winder; that is not too shabby).
I think I'd like to turn this into a nice, crazy shawl. There should be some subtle striping going on, so some variation of feather-and-fan is a very good possibility, something a la this. I should at least have enough to make something bigger than the Swallowtail Shawl, right? Anything's bigger than that. (Maybe I'll give it to Sophie, as she doesn't seem to have inherited my shoulders, being a basset hound and all.)
The final piece for show-and-tell is a very late Christmas present. My goal is simply to have it done before spring. It's going to a friend of mine who is a) weird, and b) appreciates knitting very, very much. (He is in the market for a girlfriend and has expressed interest in having his own personal knitter-girl, so if you'd like to submit an application, please do.) The pattern comes from this site (warning: opens a PDF) and, I must say, is pretty darn boring. Good pattern and all, but I prefer my knitting to be a little less chart-dependent. The recipient will be pleased, when I happen to finish. I'm at the almost-halfway point now.
Thanks to all of you for the feedback you gave on the blanket yarn and congratulations. I'll be keeping the yarn, and I hope to start it tomorrow. This particular Debbie Bliss book should arrive on my stoop in the afternoon.
Tipper @ 8:04 PM * link
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Saturday, January 13, 2007
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If these are knitters, I'd rather be a "muggle." (In which I rant.)
Of all of the communities I have been involved with on the internet - and over the years, there have been many - knitters are the absolute most dramatic of everyone.
Many of the comments to this entry are appalling. As I said in my comment (one of, oh, three that weren't of the "let's destroy 'em!" variety), absolutely none of us know the whole story. We certainly don't know enough to say that it happened because all banks (and the government, of course) are anti-woman and anti-knitter. That's just frickin' preposterous.
This is the sort of thing that led me to create Knitters for Bush. It was created to counteract all of the negative stuff I saw out in knitting blogland, and it wasn't necessarily created to be active, just to exist. It's a statement, more than anything. I believe that regardless of your political beliefs or personal feelings about those who hold office in the government, it doesn't do any good to be a jerk. Know the saying about catching more flies with honey than vinegar? People should try that sometime.
In which I conquer washing handknits.
So I think I've hit upon a system. Throw the handknits in the wash with cold water and Eucalan, agitate just a bit, soak, spin out the water. Now, they key - put the hand knits in the dryer on the "air" setting for just 25 minutes or so. This gets out lint and a significant amount of dog/cat hair. My socks are almost dry, having only been hanging up for half of a day, and they're terribly soft. The sweaters I've set out to finish drying flat, but I'm sure it will take no time at all. I WIN, HAND KNITS!
In which I talk about my current projects.
So, I'm about 12 rows away from finishing my Swallowtail Shawl. The lily-of-the-valley bit may be pretty, but it sure is time-consuming. I got quite a few rows done on my plane ride to Phoenix and thought I might even finish it while there, but I was distracted by my Trekking #101, half of which became a toe-up sock that is ever-so-slightly too big but still wearable. I bound it off while at Tempe Yarn and Fiber with my mom and the lovely 2ktog folks (they are adorable and fun to boot!).
I received a shipment of very special yarn today - 15 balls of Rowan Wool Cotton in Citron for The Baby Blanket. It's delicious, and oh-so-expensive. There is a tiny bit of buyer's remorse in me. What do you think, folks? Should I keep it, or should I opt for something more economical such as KnitPicks Shine Sport? The Shine is slightly heavier than the recommended yarn, but it's a blanket, so I won't sweat that. It also doesn't contain wool, which is one of the appealing things about the Wool Cotton. Input is welcome.
I have a huuuuuge urge to make a sweater. Something with cables, and all for me. Of course, if I return the Wool Cotton I could get enough blanket yarn and yarn for Starsky for less than I paid for the Wool Cotton. That is a tempting thought.
Tomorrow I shall spend quality time with my knitting and spinning. I need it bad.
Tipper @ 8:28 PM * link
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Monday, January 01, 2007
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Welcome to a new year!
I rang in the new year by finishing number 2 of Matthew's Wyvern Sock just seconds before the ball dropping.
He's been wearing them since and are thus probably covered in cat and dog hair; otherwise I'd have tried to get a picture.
We had nice times with two halves of my family for Christmas, but I think I preferred the times we spent at home.
I did other things during my rather long hiatus from blogging. I tried to stay sane when nausea was the order of the day, and slept longer than I felt possible for me. I also made a little sweater (the almost seamless baby sweater from Knitter's Almanac) for a friend's baby. I used a couple of balls of KnitPicks Merino Style and some vintage buttons. (I also finished a pair of mittens and a hat for her mommy, and a ganomy hat for her daddy, but I didn't get pictures of those.)
And prior to that, I made a bunch of Christmas cards. I couldn't keep up with the demand and had to resort to - *gasp!* - storebought cards for some people, but I think I did a pretty good job.
Looking forward
My resolutions are not very remarkable for the new year; the big one is to successfully pop out a kid. Knitting-wise, I want to be sure to update my blog at least once per week (I felt so guilty ignoring it the past month and a half!) and finish at least one project, no matter how small, each month. 2006 wasn't a banner year for knitting for me; I felt like I didn't have any time or energy to do it, and I think that was a huge downside to the year. I need to take that time for me, as it keeps me centered. You guys know how it is.
At 4:50 tomorrow morning, I head off to Arizona to spend some time with my mom. I think she's feeling the pull of grannyhood and is suggesting that we visit several yarn shops. I am not going to argue with that. Word on the street is that Tempe Yarn and Fiber is a nifty place, and one I haven't been to before, so we'll be sure to visit it, along with some of my old favorites.
Like a true knitter, my suitcase is half packed with clothes, half with knitting projects. I hope I can show you some progress by the time I return.
Tipper @ 7:44 PM * link
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