March catch-up, a hat trick of FOs!

I’ve updated the projects page as I have actually been on a finishing streak! Even though I did put aside Juliet for the time being (it is already getting warm here in Tucson, so I have lost some of the compelling need to be knitting a bulky weight sweater), I think it was a good choice. I finished the Ribbons Baby Blanket, AND I cast on and finished my first BSJ!!! The blanket turned out lovely. The BSJ was really fun and I didn’t put it down once — just trusted in EZ and knit on, and hey! it worked! All it needs are some buttons. I will update with pictures here and on Ravelry at some point.

I will be continuing the finishing streak with a hat trick, finishing the Lenore socks from the Rockin’ Sock Club. I cast on for the second sock on Monday March 17 and today I am half-way through the gusset and I bet that I’ll have it finished over the next 2 or 3 evenings.

Then — what next? I *should* finish the second sock of the pair of baby socks, but the new RSC yarn (“Lucky”) is really cool and it’s a very interesting pattern. I might do that next, and then another slog of WIPs.

 

A month later…

I am in a state of sweater fear. After the troubles I had with the final shape and size of Camisa, I think I’m a little gun-shy. I’ve been knitting on Juliet all month (I haven’t been able to accomplish any heroics, but it’s been steady progress), and I’m down to (I think) the last 2 repeats of the lace pattern. Fears are worming away in my brain — will it be too big? Too small? Will the double-stranded yarn (Cascade 220) be too stiff? Too bulky? How will I finish the sleeves (I left the live stitches on waste yarn so I could add some length and shape to them, as they were kinda wing-like)? Did this project just eat up a month of my life and 7 skeins of yarn and have nothing good to show for it? Or… will it be OK? Will it be better than OK? I’m in a state about it and I almost want to turn to another project, like finishing up the Ribbons baby blanket, or my second Lenore sock, or starting the new RSC kit (I’m going to try 2 socks at once!!). But I think I will soldier on. Even if it turns out that I am knitting myself a thrift store sweater. Oy.

 

For the record…FO – Inside Out Socks

I just completed Inside Out Socks in STR Monsoon–yes, the first installment of this year’s Rockin’ Sock Club. Sheesh! And, happily, even thought the two socks were knit months apart, they ended up looking like a pair!

Gotta reiterate–these socks feel amazing when they’re on my feet, but pulling them on is a bitch!!! The cables fight against the naturally stretchy rib. It’s pretty rough getting them on and off! But even though I’m considering asking my sister (who has smaller feet) to see how she likes them, I haven’t determined for absolute wheter I’m gonna go that route. Because.They.Feel. Really. Great.On.

 

Winslow and a new week

We’ve been here, on vacation with our two dogs:

And, at night, watched these films:

• The Lives of Others (riveting and deeply moving on multiple levels)
• Primer (a non-traditional sci-fi indie by a guy who really understands what engineers are like; kinda fascinating especially if you happen to live with one)

I didn’t knit at all while on vacation, but now I am back in my knitting chair and working on Inside Outs, while dreaming about other projects (there are so many temptations — my Ravelry queue is up to 3 pages!).

 

Surprise, I’m back

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I posted. Gee, thankgoodness for bookmarks or else I probably would have been at a loss on how even to get to my blog admin page! So — let’s leapfrog over the usual excuses (work, travel, summer wedding, work, ennui, work, family mishegoss, travel, work) and just make a fresh start of it, shall we? Here’s my knitting rundown:

FOs:

• Yes! There is one! I went back and dealt with my SSS for my Grasshoppers. They are now finished and I’m very pleased. They fit a LOT better than the Inside Outs, even though I am slogging through my SSS with that project now (see below).

Projects upon which attention is being lavished (or, at least, paid):

• Inside Out SS: slogging through. This sock looks and feels awesome — once I tuggggg it on and break into a sweat that I’m going to rip it in half doing so. There is something about the cable pattern starting too early that makes the instep really tight over the ankle area. I know that others have complained about their difficulties with this aspect of the pattern and I’m sure there is a good way to rectify it. However, I am just not that productive a knitter to stomach ripping out an entire sock, oh god to think of it makes me want to cry!! So I am going to knit the SS just like the first — and, if I can’t deal with the traumatic sock-putting-onning, then I will gift them to my sister, who has tiny dainty feet and will surely have less trouble.
• Clapotis: I’ve used up all my project yarn (4 skeins of Noro SG) and need to order more — I am thinking I will order two skeins and then see where I am.
• Bricklayer: I have knitted another round of strips, gosh I love this project for a mind-clearing break!
• Sock Yarn blankie — another square knitted, this one out of remaining STR Silkie Walk on the Wild Tide. I don’t know how I feel about this project. One part of me loves the patchwork of it; another part of me worries that’s its going to look like — how do some knitters say — clown puke? I will make a post soon with a photo and consider further.
• Camisa — the front is FINISHED, I just need to do the back and the sewing up. I love the way she is looking, I’m just still a wee bit nervous over the fit issues.

Films viewed:

• Notes on a Scandal (delicious and thoughtful)
• Army of Shadows (Armee des Ombres) (pas de question, superb)
• Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby (weak, but for the performance of SB Cohen — hilarious!)
• Little Children (its accomplishment sneaks up on you; respectable and I’m glad its not my life)
• For Your Consideration (Fred Willard is hilarious, but overall it is not the best of the Guest oeuvre)
• Volver (totally perfect and wonderful in every way)
• Sherrybaby (interesting and honorable but not earthshaking)
• Casino Royale (wow factor — the truest Bond to the books, not better nor worse but a different Bond than SC)

Days away from home in August (projecting through the end of this month):

• Work: 12 days (days without Andy)
• Pleasure, with Andy (Blair’s wedding): 3

 

At the finish line…

Well, c’est la vie! Due to some incredible “mountains” along Le Tour, I didn’t finish Camisa, but I get pretty far on it and I also diverted some energy to my Grasshopper socks UFO. I finished the socks a couple of days ago and they are lovely! I would post a picture but for being away from home yet again tonight….

Hence, the mountains that burned me out on my Le Tour goal…Over the last few weeks I’ve been on two business trips and I have just begin another one! I am experiencing so many “firsts” on Camisa, it was not a project I wanted to take on the road. Let’s see, what firsts have I accomplished on this Le Tour KAL:

• First KAL, yes, true!
• First garment
• First adaptation of a pattern for fit
• First use of shaping
• First knitting “both at the same time”
• First marathon knitting sessions — I knit for looooooong period of time on this project!!

Anyway, even though I did not finish the entire garment, I have the front completely done and the lower back panel complete. So it is close! Plus I have a new pair of socks. Je suis content.

 

La Lanterne Rouge

I’m back from four days traveling betwixt Tucson and Gallup. NM (for work, sigh) and I’m feeling that I am La Lanterne Rouge in La Tour. I made a lot of progress on Camisa before I left, but I left her at home and so she been waiting at the pit stop for me to return. I didn’t want to take her on the trip because she has gotten quite big; I also didn’t want to her to have to depend on me to think and figure things out, especially size-related things, while I was on a stressful work trip. Here’s where I left her; the front piece is nearly done (when it’s done, that leaves only the upper back panel and the making up!!!):

I pinned the cap sleeves out so that they could be seen in the photo (they curl up otherwise). BTW, another first for me: First Knitting of Two Sides at the Same Time (I never quite grokked that pattern instruction until now!).

Bust darts mod:
I blogged earlier about how I have altered the sizing in this pattern somewhat. To deal with my bodacious curves, I have made the wait proportionately smaller than the rest of the piece. I knitted directional M1 increases in the lower panel, and for the upper panel I interpreted Knitting Daily’s post on the Tomato top to create bust darts in a pair on each side.

I picked up 81 stitches on the top of the basketweave panel (this number of stitches corresponded with the pattern’s instructions for the panel), and I wanted to increase up to 105 stitches, which is in between the two larger sizes given. I wanted to complete the increases within the pattern’s instructions of 5 repeats of a 6-row segment. So I worked out how to spread out the increases among those repeats, doing the bust dart increases first (with 4 darts for 4 RS rows, increasing 4 stitches per RS row, then continuing just 2 darts for 1 RS row, increasing 2 more stitches). These were done within the first 2 repeats. I then only did the increases at the sides over the next 3 repeats as per the instructions (6 more stitches increased). So, if you are still reading this, that’s a total of 24 stitches increased, and 81 + 24 = 105! Yay!

I placed the bust darts like so:
13 st | pm | 7 st | pm | 41 st | pm | 7 st | pm | 13 st

To made the increases for the darts, I just purled into the front and back of the stitch that was on the inside of each marker.

So, I took along the remainder of my STR Silkie Walk on the Wild Tide yarn and cast on for the second Grasshopper sock. This time, instead of the pattern way to cast on (it’s a toe-up sock), I used Judy’s Magic Cast On and it is so easy and gives perfect results. Merci, Judy. I made good progress on it; I turned the heel last night and next is to knit the heel flap:

So, now I am torn between Camisa and Grasshopper!! Today is my day to knit, because tomorrow I must go in to my office and catch up on some work. What to do, what to do?

 

Ok, wow

I have finally gotten off my duff and out of my doldrums and am back in the saddle — hmmm, any more tired old sayings that I could be using here???

I’ve been on several work-related trips and also a 5-day vacation, and while I had Internet access, I just didn’t feel in the mode of blogging, or, sadly, really doing that much knitting.

However, the last few days and today have been true red letter days when it comes to knits, and a lot of it has to do with the knitting community — wow. If there were any doubt, cast them off (hah!). This *is * a powerful community with a lot of magic to make a person feel good, and connected, and inspired. For me, it’s especially lovely because it makes me feel connected both to other real live human beings, and also connected to the craft. Every time a connection makes me think, aha!, or gives me an idea, I am enriched both in a sense of community and in my personal development in the craft. Another lovely thing is that, unlike trotting down to the knitting circle at the LYS, which is great when it happens but it doesn’t happen often enough (for me), the broader virtual knitting community has a way of surprising you. All of a sudden, like some kind and lucky boomerang, energy that I sent out will come bouncing back to me. It’s so….lovely.

Anyway, here’s just a short list of the nice knitting things that have happened in the last week, thereabouts:

• I got a totally unexpected package and “reveal” from my Secret Pal. She is just the most generous and thoughtful person ever. Not only did she spoil me rotten, she even sent along her extra leftover sock yarns for me to work into the sock yarn blankie. Jeez!! What did I do to deserve this!!!
• Today, I got my invite to Ravelry. Can I just say… holy crap! I thought I knew all about how awesome the site is, but now that I’ve clicked around it for even just a few minutes, I am totally astounded by the thought, care, time and skill that has gone into building it. I know just a little about websites, but enough to know that building this site is a amazingly generous gift to the community. I plan to contribute to the site just as soon as possible.
• Sandi, the editor of Knitting Daily wrote a great post about modifying the cute Tomato pattern to make it into a Hot Tomato. Her generosity in sharing her knowledge, her fun spirit, and the matter-of-fact can-doism of self-acceptance and love just make me want to sing. (If I could sing, I would.) Check it out, especially if you are more a Marilyn Monroe than an Audrey Hepburn. For me, who has morphed from Audrey to Marilyn now that I am in my 30s, this one post, along with its follow-ups, is just gonna rock my world, I know it.
• I bought delicious yarn at Knitorious in St. Louis. (More in another post.) I actually spotted the yarn, immediately knew I HAD to have it, and bought it, no guilt, no angst. What joy.
• And…..I found a perfect pattern to start knitting up some of said yarn! More joy.

• Oh…and on top of all this, I received the June installment of the Rockin Sock Club, and picked up several new magazines as well as a book courtesy of my SP — A Knitter’s Book of Finishing Techniques.

 

Where have I been?

Here’s a clue:

I’ve just gotten back from 2 weeks in Anchorage and Homer, during which I knit along on the Grasshopper socks. This is a picture of Portage Glacier, on the way from Anchorage to Homer. Beautiful, no?

I am catching up on emails and paperwork and blog stuff! One wonderful knitting-related tidbit that just can’t wait: I got a wonderful box of gifts from my Secret Pal! (Which reminds me that I MUST get my box to the post office tomorrow for my giftee secret pal!!) My gifter Secret Pal, who is from Caldonia Michigan (that’s all I know about her) sent me:

• FOUR skeins of Noro Silk Garden in indigo-themed colors (colorway 08). It is gorgeous.
• Fresh and delicious smelling lemon bath soap, wrapped in a lovely paper wrapper printed with botanical lemon pictures.
• The sweetest card (with baby elephants on it; my favorite animal is the elephant) with a gift card to Godiva chocolates. mmm. I might have to go there tomorrow…

Truly lovely and thoughtful gifts. Knitters are the nicest people.

 

Taming the Wild Tide!!

Previously, I made some notes on my struggles with the Grasshopper pattern for STR Silkie Walk on the Wild Tide, the April installment of the Rockin’ Sock Club. Well, I have prevailed! Thanks so much to Eunny Jang’s lace tutorial Part III — The Structure of Lace, I have not only learned the pattern but I truly feel I understand lace now, and powerful role of the humble yarn-over. I printed out Eunny’s piece and read it many times. I compared the way I was making YOs with her illustrations. Well I was so off. What I think was happening is that I had first encountered YOs as an accident, an error in knitting. “Why do I have an extra stitch now in this row?” “Well, it looks like you made an accidental yarn-over.” Therefore, I thought that these accidental YOs – those caused by holding the working yarn on the wrong side for knit or purl, was a YO. Sure they are, technically, but when you are working lace you need to make what I am terming a “true YO” — taking the yarn to the front of the work and leaving it there for knit side, but wrapping it around to the back and bring it forward again for purl side. (Do check out Eunny’s article, it says it much better than I do!)

Once I corrected this, I was ab to knit the faggoting stitch easily and without tears, or cramped hands. The second row, where the p2togs are in YO-p order, is more difficult, but it’s still fine and if I use my left thumb to spread the p from the following YO, it’s really quite easy. I think that making a “true YO” gives enough yarn in the stitch to be comfortable. I find that I can actually keep an even tension on the instep (instead of artificially knitting loosely) without making things too tight to purl into later.

I’m really relieved and proud of my learning. I tried very hard to figure this out, and I feel that I’ve gained a skill that will help me with lots of knitting in the future!

It makes me happy that I’m in the RSC — sticking with the pattern is really motivating to me to puzzle out problems and teach myself new skills.