I finally finished the thing. The monsterous beast has yarn dangling everywhere, a bit of dust from being dropped on the floor, and is half sewn on the right side. But it's done. I won't look at it again til my Christmas Eve finishing dash. You know. To quickly weave in the ends ('cause you know I love that). Make the item look presentable as a gift. I'm off to address Christmas cards and watch Love Actually. Hugh Grant, I forgive you for being with Divine.
My Martha Stewart Friend's first project. Look at the beautiful eveness of it all. I'm green over here :) 
I promise pictures soon, as soon as I find my camera cable. I taught two people to knit over the holidays, and I have photographic evidence! It was very exciting for them and me. Maybe my addiction will be less now that I've passed along some knitting knowledge. I won't hold my breath. We went to a fantastic store in Northern California, called The Yarn Place The employees were the most helpful I've seen. They were very patient, offering great ideas to the eyelash sparkly yarn scarf makers. Continually circulating asking everyone if they needed help. There was a new room devoted entirely to sale items (I was so tempted by the Cashmere). Perhaps the best part was when an employee helped me in my sock quest. After the 2nd Horrific Hat Incident of '04 I thought I'd love to try socks with the magic loop. The employee pulled out her MAGIC LOOP WITH 2 SOCKS on it. I was a knitting fan boy at that moment. Hell, I'm still a knitting fan boy. I was in great company. So. I bought Socks & Circs and a pair of US 1 and 2 40 " circs by Inox. I bought Folk Socks elsewhere. I'm using both books to make classic socks for my husband out of Brown Sheep Co's Wildefoot yarn. The magic loop took some learning (as did the size 2 needles). After I have those under my proverbial belt, I plan on making the Welsh Country Stockings. I have the yarn all ready to go. The Ull tea cosy is meandering along, knotting the whole way. Infuriating me. Thankfully only 6 more inches to go. I'm afraid I may run out of yarn. That would be ironic. Or something. I started my first washcloth in 100% cotton. I can't wait to use it! I'm doing it in garter stitch. I'll be making a few for kitchen use, and a few for home use. When I can, I'll experiment with cables and other undiscovered patterns. I picked up a copy of Rebecca Magazine. I have my eye on quite a few sweaters. I am however slightly disappointed that some of the GGH yarn is synthetic. And expensive. I'm hoping to find the yarns the 5th at the Yarnlady bag sale. So if you are going, and you want GGH yarns, watch out for me ;)! I had a Chinese "massage" at the mall on Black Friday. I believe "massage" is a misnomer because I was pummeled. My wrist is sore from the abuse. So I'm trying to take it easy, spend my time on schoolwork {dreaded, unfun schoolwork}. After this week I'll be finishing the gigantic pile of mostly done projects for Christmas. And then into the realms of undiscovered sweater country. Onward and Upward!
I decided to use Baby Ull Dale of Norway Sport weight (using a double strand for worsted weight equivalent) for the tea cosy in Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. Do as I say, not as I do Another warning sign I chose to ignore: Baby Ull doesn't have a center pull and an outer strand as Brown Sheep Co's Sport weight. I ended up with a horribly tangled mess. So I took out the scissors. That's right folks, I cut my yarn. And then I untangled it,
Clover Jumbo Tapestry Needles (bent ends) Denise Interchangeable Needles Plastic DPNs Kacha Kacha Row Counter Rubbermaid bins for yarn stash Wool Brown Sheep Co. (Newly discovered!) Small Yarn Shops Crocheting hats Last Minute Knitted Gifts Noro Kureyon Size 5 Needles Cashmere (from afar of course) www.purlsoho.com www.woolneedlework.com Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears Knitting Sutra Mohair
I was two decreases from finishing my second Noro Hat. Then stitches started to fall off of the right needle as I was fighting to do the final K2 togs. So. I'm trying to pick up the stitches (decreases dropping like flies), and the stitches fell off of the left needle. Falling stitches everywhere. So I decide to pick up stitches one at time with a crochet hook and loop the end of the yarn through the stitches and finish off. I do this successfully. Until I find one last dropped stitch. Can you guess what happens next? The fucking yarn broke. BROKE. In multiple places. Say 2 or 3 places say ye? No. More. Stitches truly are everywhere. Obscenities abound. I own Knitting Without Tears. Shouldn't that be defense enough against such calamity? But the moral of the story is, pay attention to the warning signs. Sign Numero Uno: The Noro had the last color transition tied together. Not spun together. Tied. As in a knot. Sign Numero Dos: I was at the lab taking data when I cast on for the hat. I had the wrong size needles. Read the tea leaves people! I need a drink.
I have 47 inches of Easy Lace Scarf.
-------Edited to Add Martha Stewart Living Sock Knitting Article Commentary-------- The model is using 3 DPNs on the sock. She is knitting from the 2nd to the 3rd. There is no fourth needle that is discernable. Oh the horror! Not too much progress on the knitting. A few more rows on the Easy Lace Scarf (I'm almost done 2/3 skeins of Noro colorway 100.), and all I have to do other than the thumbs on the mitten is decrease the second mitten. Here's to hoping I didn't do any drastic changes in the pattern on the first go. I'm going to frog the "Decadent Scarf" and try a more open pattern. It's for me, and I keep frogging it. Angora, not so easy to frog. My wonderful Husband has installed a hanging pot rack, a stemware rack, and special hooks for my measuring cups. If I hadn't married him already I'd do it on the spot :). Note the calm doggy and kitty. This is a rare occurance in the Fickle household. In Honor of my going back to Vegetarianism (well 85-90% of the time anyway) I'll post the recipe I made up: Spinach Soup 1 Onion diced 3 Tbsp minced Garlic 1/2 package Morning Star Ground "Beef" 1/2 package Egg Noodles 6 Cups Water 1 Can Veggie Broth 2 handfuls Spinach leaves 1 loaf French Bread & Butter Combine all ingredients in stew pot except spinach. Simmer for 20 minutes. Wash Spinach. Add in noodles. When they are done, stir in spinach until it just wilts. Toast French Bread with butter and Serve.
Basket(s). I whipped them into shape with Natural Floral Wire. I have the wounds to prove it! I haven't quite decided on how to get the yarn to stay in a cohesive ball, or how to permanently attach the yarn to the baskets, but I'll get there. I'm knitting away on the Easy Lace Scarf, the Mittens, and the Decadent Scarf (for me, maybe). This week I'll have to finish up the bag for my SIL's birthday. I just need to felt it, and add the handles and lining. Guess that means I need to learn to use the handheld sewing machine! Good Times. My computer is repaired! All I had to do was use my Husbands til he wanted his back, then he fixed mine :).
I've finished an entire skein on the Noro Easy Scarf. I originally loved the colors, now they are an affront to my eyes. This is a signal I need to start a new project! I'm also about finished my mittens. Perhaps I ought to seek out an easier mitten pattern, because I don't know how I'm going to whip out 3 or 4 pair! On the procrastination front, I've all but finished my homework. I am so dreading the paper due the first week of December. All the professor has indicated is that it have something to do with the class, and that it be "new" research. I'm hoping 5 pages is enough? Did I mention we'll have another test immediately after Thanksgiving? And that we're going up North for Turkey Day? I know I'm going to have a C in this class. If I could drop now I'd do so in a heartbeat. These past few months have been exceedingly difficult with my Father In Law's passing from cancer. My only real relief is through knitting.
That's all I have to say today. I'm using my Husband's computer. There's talk of reinstalling the Operating System, and replacing the Hard Drive.
Isn't it easier to knit when you have other obligations in the pipeline? They're all Christmas gifts, that means something right? Like Karma points? I can't resist the lure of Noro. It's not the softest yarn. But the colors are gorgeous. And the transistions are breathtaking. The Noro hat pattern I made up on US 5 DPN's. My gauge was ~4 st/in. It needs to be wet blocked (hoping it will relax a bit). Co 80 sts, k2, p2 for about an inch and a half. Knit til you have 6" (from bottom to top of needle). Start decreases. You can do it your favorite way. I did it by adding a st marker every 10 st. Switch to DPNs when sts are too difficult to move around on needle. Row 1 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row 2 K row Row 3 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row 4 K row Row 5 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row 6 K row Row 7 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row 8 K row Row 9 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row 10 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row11 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row 12 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row 13 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Row 14 K to 2 before st marker, k2 together Cut the yarn so that you have about a foot of tail. Pull tail through each st and pull through center of hat. The mittens are 36 st mittens from Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman. It's a fantastic book, and I've enjoyed her perspective. You don't have to have a fully written out pattern, and you can knit however you please. But (as in my case previously) if your technique is different from other knitters you will have a hard time discussing technique with them.
Exorbitant. That's the only way to express my strong desire to buy Lobster Pot 100% Cashmere yarn from PurlSoho.com.
For me there are two categories of finished objects. 1) Those that are off the needles, and 2) those that have all the bloody ends woven in. Neither strike my fancy. Yesterday I finished (1) and 2)) 2 purses, a hat (2)), a fuzzy bunny (1)) and the scrap scarf (2)). I have one more purse in my Island of the Lost Finished Objects bin, one baby bootie in pink Bernat, and the Noro hat I'm making. I intended for the hat to be a xmas gift for my dad, but luckily it looks like it's more my size ;). I am resisting the temptation to buy Patton's sock yarn (on sale!) from Joann's.com, and the Peruvian Highland wool on Elann for 2.50 per. Not sure how long I will hold out on the non yarn buying front.
Just moments after I snapped the pyramid pics on campus I was attacked by a vicious albino spider. While driving my car. Luckily (after sitting at a stop sign for about 3 minutes) I was able to make it to a parking lot to kill the evil spider. It was either me or him. I’ll let you guess the outcome. Back to Basics I frogged the thumb on my mitten. The garter stitch was an affront to my sensibilities. Plus the two ginormous holes on either side looked a little squirrelly too.I finished and blocked the purple scarf. It looked so pretty hanging there from the top pins. Until I took it off and the ends curled back up. So back to the drawing board. I'm planning on hand washing it and trying again. If it doesn't work this go, then that's it! It'll be a tubular scarf. I'm going to do a chemo cap for charity on my off time. I think I'll use some extra Lionspun I have. Charity hats will be a good excuse to practice cabling. Eventually. For fun I'd like to dabble in the Noro Kureyon. I have 5 skeins of #57. I ordered some other colors for xmas gifts, but the #57 is for me. If only I could decide what to make with it. (Publishing attempt # 6)
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