Note to Self - READ INSTRUCTIONS

You would think, after going through two days of dropping down and reknitting (KnitPicks Options tips came in really handy for this) a section of Icarus that I'd be really careful not to mess up in future. I haven't been using a lifeline because I'm not sure what to use for one - so you'd think that I'd be even more careful.

But somehow I managed to get through the main body pattern for a sixth time (I added an extra section because I'll have more than enough yarn and I knit small and I like big shawls) without realizing that the instructions CLEARLY state that I should stop at row 34 on the last repeat. But in my infinite wisdom I just plowed through to the end of the repeat. And started the next patterning line. And it didn't work out. Hmmm, I wonder why. So I did some calculations and recounted my stitches and couldn't figure out how in the world the designer could expect to make this work. And then I went and looked at the directions. And then I swore at my own stupidity. And then I took the shawl off the needle (Zephyr is sticky enough for this not to be a nightmare) and ripped back 6 or 7 rows. And picked up all the stitches. And made a huge, huge mess with my yarn.

I admit it. I was mad. I wasn't thinking. I tore back willy nilly and did not realize that the same characteristics that made it possible for me to rip back with impunity (the aforementioned stickiness) might cause problems when I ripped back without doing anything for the loose yarn. So the yarn solved the problem for me. And became a gigantic knot. And brilliantly (I am nothing if not brilliant) I worked on unknotting my knot. I worked from both ends and wound the end closest to the yarn cake around the cake and starting balling up the yarn nearest the shawl. And once I fixed that knot, what happened? Oh yeah, that "ball" I'd started to keep things orderly became an even bigger knot than the first was. I spent almost three hours working on undoing my knotty yarn last night, and another hour today before I restored order. Now I just have to hope that I really did pick up all the stitches...

Mystery Socks

I've started my first pair of mystery socks today with SKA's May: Sockdown Mystery Sock. The sock contains fair isle, although I'm not sure how extensive the fair isle is. I'm working with KnitPicks Gloss in Woodland Sage as my main color, with KnitPicks Fingering Bare (white), Gloss in Burgandy and Louet Gems Pearl in Pink Panther. I've just finished with clue 1.



I used size 2.75mm DPNs for the cuff and moved up to 3.25 for the fair isle. My tension is definitely a bit wonky (I'm using the two handed method) but I think I'm still tighter on the bigger needle in the fair isle than on the smaller needle in the ribbing. But it's definitely better than my last attempt. If I can find my other size 3.25 DPNs I'll work on my second sock, so I can have them both ready for the next clue.

Spinning

I have accomplished yarn. Pretty yarn. Multicolored yarn. Enough yarn for a whole project (although I'm not sure what project just yet). I started out with superwash merino roving by Sakina Needles in the colorway Rhubarb Pie.

I split the roving into two lengths that were nearly identical in an attempt to get two bobbins to ply that had color transitions that were roughly the same.

And then I spun.

And then I plied. (and when it turned out I had more length on my second bobbin I wound the extra singles into a center-pull ball and plied the two ends together)

And then I skeined and blocked and had yarn. Lovely yarn, soft, lofty yarn.

All told about 280 yards of approximately DK weight yarn. Now the only question is what to make with it.

Secret Pal

I gave my final secret pal gift today. The first three gifts were anything, but this last, reveal, gift was supposed to be handmade. So handmade it was.

The gift looked like this (note the super cool way the stripes came together):


And it contained this knitted gift:

Pattern: Gretel by Ysolde Teague
Yarn: Malabrigo worsted

And this sewn gift (it was definitely a hit with the recipient):
Front view:

Side view:

Back view:

Pattern: Peanut the Elephant from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, author Joelle Hoverson, pattern by Hillary Lang

I fought with the yarn, and the yarn won.

Last night I decided to pick up my Adamas shawl for the first time in a while. The last time I had worked on it the yarn had ripped and I'd had to rip back to my one and only lifeline and then pick the stitches back up. Apparently I didn't do that right. I tried to work the row a couple times and it just didn't work. So I just ripped back the whole damn thing. I almost cried. And then I ended up with a knot I couldn't pick out so I broke the yarn again. I really almost cried.

Now I have to decide whether I'm going to try with the same shawl again or if I'm going to try a different shawl.

I am sad.

Firestarters

Finished! Pretty.

I made progress on my Something Green at yesterday's Stitch 'n Bitch and ended up leaving when my left pointer finger started to look a bit raw (I tension pretty tightly and consistently over the same area and with this cotton yarn my finger gets pretty unhappy). I'm past my last increases and just need to keep knitting until I'm happy with the length. And I'm almost at my hip already, so hopefully I'll be able to get the body done soon. And then I can tackle those sleeves. And the button band. Oh dear.

Aarrrrggggghhhhhhh! Alternatively: Thank Heavens for Lifelines

So yesterday I finally got off my tush and deided to play with my Options needles. So I transfered my Adamas shawl from the Addis I had been using (and hating) to my options. And everything was going swimmingly. The stitches were moving much more easily over the needle and join, the points were pointer and just lovely. Once I finished the pattern repeat I placed a lifeline (my first of this shawl) and put the shawl down for the day.

This morning I worked on the shawl for a bit and got halfway through a repeat. All was well. After dinner I sat down again and started to knit. And then something weird happened. The stitches became hard to manipulate, the the ones on the row below the one I was working were all bunched up and odd. It took me a couple minutes to figure out what way wrong. I realized it when I saw a whisp of unspun silk. My yarn had ripped. It had caught on something, and that something was the join of the options. Dude. Not good. I ripped back to the lifeline, tightened up the joins (which I had neglected to do) and starting picking up stitches. I just finished.

Now I'm going to have to join the broken edges - to Eunny's blog I go. I really hope this doesn't happen again, cause I really don't want to give up my Options. Although, if it does there's a simple solution. I'll just go buy some fixed circs from KnitPicks.

I finished my Baudelaires last night at Fiber Night (btw - I can't even express how happy it makes me to hang out with other knitters, this is a really great group and I'm going to miss them when I move in the fall) and I love them. They are beautiful and comfortable and fit great. Happiness.



And so, since I have bound-off my last January socks I'm thinking of casting on another pair of February socks. I'm going to use January's Yarn Pirate yarn (it's called Calamata and it is green and brown and purple and gorgeous) and I think I'm going to make Firestarters. In my current financial panic I'm uncertain whether I should continue to be part of Yarn Pirate's sock club - so I've decided that I should actually see how the yarn knits up in order to make my decision. It's certainly very soft and pretty. Now I just have to wind a 480 yard skein into a ball from the amazing skein of my knees. Wish me luck.

I'm fulfilling my second resolution for the year. I am doing colorwork! I'm making Cookie A's Red Herring socks in Cocoa and Woodland Sage. The brown is a little lighter than I prefer, but I think the contrast is working well. I was expecting to have to keep ripping back and redoing, but aside from a bit of a tension issue (that I'm hoping will work itself out in blocking) it's going pretty well.

Project Updates

I have finished my first pair of Sockdown: January socks (Hedera) and they came out beautifully.



I'm about 1/3 done with my second Baudelaire, but it's been abandoned for the time being.

I have reached the first set of ribbing increases on my Something Green, so I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something there.

I really need to replace the Addi that I'm using for Ali's afghan with KP options so I start working on it again.

I'm about to cast on for the Red Herring socks, which I'm doing in brown and teal instead of the originally intended brown and red. But first I must shower, and wind the yarn. Oh, and printing out the pattern might help too.

Green Sleeves

Ok, I know it's an awful pun, but that's just who I am.

The sleeves on my Something Green are way too big. Fourteen stitches too big. On a sweater whose gauge is 18 stitches to four inches. Um, oops. I'm going to try to do double decreases on either side of the center of the sleeve every four rows three times and then do three instead of two sets of decreases when the pattern calls for them. And I'm going to be willing to rip out the sleeve if it's funky. I really can't wait to get this sweater done. I've barely started on the body ribbing but I have a whole lot more to do. I really want this to be a wearable sweater - not least because I don't think I'll ever knit with this yarn again.

In other fibery news I have borrowed a wheel (Louet SD10 DT) and just got my pound of fiber last night. I alternate between thinking I'll actually be able to use the undyed yarn for a Tam from Knitty's winter '07 issue to a fear of yarn barf up the wazoo. I guess we'll see.

Addendum to an earlier post.

In my second ever post on this blog I commented that I needed to learn to read while knitting. My Grandmother did it, I should be able to as well.

I'm just adding this as a note to say that I have learned to read and knit at the same time. It's much easier on the internet (and it requires a pattern that is simple or already memorized) but I can manage it with a hardcover, given sufficient items to weight down the pages. And knitting while reading slows down both activities. But I do it all the time.

Go me!

I am making progress on my resolutions. I have ordered a set of KnitPicks Options and financed them by selling off some Addi needles I hated. I have bought roving (it's on its way) and will be borrowing a wheel (starting tomorrow) on which to practice my spinning. I'm really excited about dyeing the roving too, I'm going to experiment with koolaid and hope it works out to something crazy and pretty and not crazy and hideous.

And perhaps most importantly, I have returned to my Something Green sweater. I did enough today that it looks almost sweater shaped. I'm a bit worried that the sleeves are huge (I know I made a mistake, but I'm not about to go back and rip it out, it's hard enough to get me to work on this in the first place - stupid sweater fear) but I'm going to consult everyone at tomorrow's Stitch 'n Bitch and see what they think. I think a few decreases more than written into the pattern will get me back to me-sized sleeves.



I am failing miserably at keeping the couch clear (it currently houses two projects, patterns for said projects, a packet from school, my camera, my camera cord, two remotes, a packet of ginger chews and my yarn pirate club yarn).

I am also failing miserably at buying yarn without guilt. I've actually halted my yarn buying for the time being. My finances are freaking me out. I hate being a student. I just keep looking ahead to next year when I have a job and will have money and will be able to spend money on yarn and roving without feelings of guilt and panic. If I like spinning as much as I think I will I may make a wheel a present for myself after my first paycheck (or two, I don't think I'm going to get over my money issues that quickly). Luckily I've built up a nice little stash (practically non-existant in the eyes of many on Ravelry, but enough to keep me in socks for a while) so I won't need to buy yarn.

In which I swear I'm going to be a good blogger and start using photos!

Well, my plan to get a lot of knitting done in Israel was a bust. Not only did I lose my Felici socks, I got sick on New Year's day and ended up having to come home. And then I caught a cold on Wednesday. Not exactly the break I'd been looking for. December's Felici socks are gone. So are my Eleanoras. I realized yesterday that I'd done one of the motifs twice and instead of ripping back and going on I just frogged the whole thing. I'll make them some other time, they're beautiful, but too much for me in my current sneezy, dizzy state.

I am making progress on other fronts though. I picked up the Hemlock afghan last night and made a bit of progress. I think I'm nearing the end of the motif, and I'll be starting the feather and fan soon. At that point it'll make good TV knitting, if I ever start watching TV again.

The Adamas shawl has been progressing nicely, but is currently on hold pending the arrival of my KnitPicks Options. My Addis were driving me nuts because the yarn just would not slide on them. I can't wait to work on it more though, it's just so pretty and I adore the yarn.



I've finished one of my Hedera socks and I love the way it's turning out. I always though Hedera looked boring, but in person it's just lovely. The colors are gorgeous too.



I also just cast-on another pair of Baudelaire in Burgandy Gloss. This is the skein I ordered to make the Red Herring socks with, but I decided that the Cocoa looked better with Woodland Sage. The other skein of Burgandy is one its way (along with another skein of Woodland Sage and Felici and size 1 DPNs to replace the ones I lost in Israel).