Measure twice, knit once.

It turns out that the reason the socks I made for DH are too long (as in, REALLY too long) are that I somehow either mismeasured his foot, or just made up some random measurement and put it into the sockulator. So in fact, I knit it perfectly, and my gauge was spot on, I just screwed up the original number. I'm disappointed. I mean, they're wearable, and if you know my DH, you know he's so not about perfection (thank G-d, being married to me), but still, it's a bummer to have worked so hard on something and have it be WRONG. You can see in the pictures, it's way too long, and a bit too loose. Oh, the details. These were knit on Knit Picks Options, Size 5s with a 40" cable, using the Magic Loop technique. I attempted to learn Lucia's L1A technique, but didn't quite do very well with it. I did better with her L1B. I think this is the Patons Classic Merino Wool, so it's a heavier-weight sock, but DH likes that.








BUT. This does mean that since I FINISHED something, I get to start something new! Baby cardigan? Socks for me? Keep chugging away on the poncho? Maybe I'll just play with my swift and winder tonight and go to bed early.

Planning

One aspect of knitting that I really enjoy is the planning. I love looking up yarns on the web, going to yarn stores and seeing what's out there, looking up patterns, thinking about what I'm going to do next. While I'm certainly no SABLE*, I do have yarn for a variety of projects. I must finish DH's sock. I think I'm going to rip out the scarf I'm doing (more on that later), and then I can start a couple of new projects. I need to do some hats for the NICU, I'm "behind". Not because they expect something from me, but because I want my knitting for them to be a regular and consistent part of my knitting practice, and the last hats I did, I dropped off before Christmas.

So, the scarf...it's just not singing to me. If the color works with the dress I am planning to wear to a friend's wedding, I may try and do a shawl for that. This may just be another unknittable yarn for me (which would suck, because it was NOT cheap). I don't know, I need to ponder what I'm doing with it. I still have the Magic Waves shawl to do, but I think I won't start that until I finish the poncho. I have some socks to start, and a sweater for a friend's baby. So, lots of fun things to work on! It's a good thing I actually really enjoy the knitting part as well as the planning part!

Knitting Anxiety

I finished the second (of four) diamonds for my poncho. I am feeling anxious about whether I did a couple of things correctly or not. It's hard to even describe what I did, if you're not familiar with modular knitting. But, you're knitting back and forth, moving down the row to the center. The pattern says to knit until you reach the center stitch. Now, first, I can't remember if I moved my marker or not - I know I set it up the way I thought it would be, and the way it was set up (you have the other stitches on a holder), the number of rows worked out. But, I'm worried that I didn't set it up correctly. (I know, this is totally unclear, but it makes sense to me.) So, I just knit it the way the pattern called for - on the last row, you bind off half of the stitches. We'll see in the end if it comes out. And hey, if it's totally wrong, I'll either suck it up and wear it anyway, OR I'll rip it out and (cry) and redo it. Perfectionism be gone! The other thing I was confused on was with the binding off. You bind off to the center stitch, which is an increase. I did the increase, and then bound off the last pre-marker stitch, since it says to bind off all sts to the marker. I don't know, hopefully it's right. It's fine for now, since I'm where I need to be, but it may be kerfuffled at the end, when you're joining two sides together with a three needle bind-off. I am not sure what to do if I have some random different number of stitches.

I don't usually get this anxious about making mistakes, but this is such a big project!

FOs and a bad yarn store experience

DH was off to London last week for a long weekend (visiting with his sisters), so I took the boys to the ILs. We had a great time, and I got tons of knitting done! I finished one of DHs socks, and got the heel turned on the other, so now I just need to finish the leg of it. Sadly, they're a tad too big. Still wearable, but I'm still figuring out how to size socks. The pattern called for the sock to fit exact to foot length, but I think it really needed to have a small amount of negative ease. Maybe all socks need this? These are in a worsted wool, so they're quite heavy. Pictures to come when I finish the other.

I also decided to jump on the Fetching bandwagon. Overall, I'm fairly happy with how they came out. I didn't actually block them, and perhaps I should have, to stop the top of rolling. These were knit using the Magic Loop technique, with KnitPicks Options size 6 needles and a 40" cord. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in Red (I think I used 610 or 611). New techniques for me included cabling (not hard at all, it turns out, though like all things, probably difficult to do really really well), and the Picot Bindoff. I bought two skeins of the yarn, but used only one. I was a bit short, which leads to me to the things I am not as pleased with on these. Basically, the thumbs don't match. The left thumb is 4 rows and a sewn cast-off, the right thumb is 3 rows and a regular bind-off. You actually can't really tell that they are different lengths, but the bind-offs do look different. I just wasn't willing to crack open the second skein when I knew that I'd not use the rest of it for anything. I'm also not happy with the regular bind off, as there's a bit of a gap. You can see it on the right palm shot. I did get more of this yarn in purple, and I'll be making myself a pair, and a matching hat. The yarn is delicious! These got sent off to SIL today.



































So, this leads to my unpleasant yarn store experience. There's a cute yarn store in the town that ILs live, that has a nice selection. I've not gotten a great vibe (they seem to be of the Snotty Yarn Store persuasion as opposed to the Friendly Yarn Store persuasion, if you know what I mean). I bought the yarn on...Saturday. I finished the gloves on Monday (I think, maybe it was Sunday, they're quick). I went in on Tuesday to exchange the second ball for a color that I like, to make a pair for me. I will admit that I wasn't paying attention and didn't notice the Closed sign. I opened the door and started to go in, and Condescending Lady said "We're closed, we're doing inventory." She sounded beyond annoyed. I said "Oh, I'm sorry, are you open tomorrow?" She said in the snottiest tone imaginable "Yes, at our usual time, 11:00." I left, feeling bizarrely humiliated, and almost in tears. It was very strange. This is a town that makes a living off of tourists, and people are typically really nice.

My first response was "I'm never setting foot in there again." By the next morning, I was able to let it go enough to say "Why should I let her rudeness stick me with a ball of yarn I don't need when I've already paid for it and I can get something I will use?" So I went in, and exchanged it, and left. I will never spend a cent there again though. The other women who work there were pleasant enough (though a bit inept), and I think this woman is the owner. I heard her talking to the other people working and she definitely had that attitude about her, but still. I didn't do anything wrong other than make an honest mistake in thinking the store was open and not noticing the sign. I'm not hypersensitive typically, and I don't look for reasons to feel offended. I was planning to write her a letter, but decided that (a) for spiritual reasons, I need to let it go and (b) she wouldn't give a sh*t anyway. So, I'll express my displeasure with my buying power. There are many independent yarn stores that I can support, not to mention ordering on-line, and I don't need her store, and I really don't need to support a business that treats people badly.

Today's moment brought to you by D'OH!

So remember how I thought I hadn't bought enough yarn for the baby sweater? Iit occurred to me that perhaps I might be a tad off in my calculations. Because, you know, turns out that 100 grams is NOT 1 ounce. 100 grams, is in fact, about 3.53 ounces. The pattern calls for 4 ounces, I have 7.06 (more or less). Yay! That made me simultaneously ridiculously happy and sad for my lack of brain cells.

I finished another baby hat. I think I'll be sending this one off to Hats for Alex. This is in Tahki Cotton Colors, I really like how it came out. The pattern is my own design (well, not really, I mean, it's just a simple roll-brimmed hat with an i-cord knot at the top, I didn't think it up, but I didn't use any particular pattern either). I think I may do a couple of plain hats for "my" NICU, just to get something off to them soon.

I'm still loving doing the hats, but I've also gotten caught up in personal projects. I'm almost half-way done with the poncho. It's so pretty, and a really neat design! I am also longing to get some socks started.

My big excitement is that tomorrow my swift and winder arrive! I had them sent to my parents' house because my DH was there for a weekend, and I figured it would get there during the time he was there. Of course it did not, so it's been there for 3 weeks (something like). Hooray! I have so much yarn to wind at this point, it's silly! I really don't mind winding by hand, actually, though I'm not really all that great at it, but I had some birthday money left and a coupon to Joann, so here it comes! I'm pondering doing some socks on DPKs to try it out. I do love me my Magic Loop technique, but since I didn't hate the DPKs when I did the baby cardigan sleeves, it occurred to me to give it a try. We'll see.

Okay, I'm done for today! Off to do some more poncho.

No, seriously, I need help.

I bought MORE YARN today!!!
And, silly me, forgot to look at how much I needed (4 ounces) and bought half of that. I did have a project in mind, but I think I'll dedicate this to other things. It's the Fantasy Naturale in a couple of pretty, pastel colorways. Baby hats, baby hats!

Maybe I'll learn to cable.

Darn it.

I had a whole post that I wrote about this hierarchy thing in the world of knitting, and my thoughts about it, and it appears to have vanished. Ah well, probably not that interesting anyway. I do think essentially that people who have a need to feel superior to others have Issues and aren't really that relevant to me. Turns out that I'm a knitter, not a Knitter because (a) there are some projects that I knit with *gasp* the horror, acrylic, and (b) I have zero interest in doing lace. Ever.

But yay, that means I get to do what I want, however I enjoy doing it, without worrying about what people think of me!

Just chugging along on my projects. I got the body of the hat I'm doing almost done during our nursery school meeting last night, and I got some poncho done today. Not much, because then I reminded myself that my son is still barfing, and I can't wash this while it's still on needles.

My gorgeous Tahki Baby Colors scarf (in colorways 27) was a victim of the stomach flu today. I washed it with some dish detergent in the sink, and laid it out on the washer to dry. We'll see how it does. *sigh* We were actually in a yarn store when the incident occurred (I thought he was over it, otherwise I never would have taken him out, I'm not that sucky of a parent!), and thankfully we didn't hit any thing in the store, I bore the brunt of it. Poor boo. Hopefully he'll be better soon.

I need a twelve step program...

...for Yarn Addiction.

I am lusting over a bunch of yarns at the moment, to the point where I'm spending more time on-line looking at them than I am, you know, knitting up what I have so I CAN buy more yarn!!!

Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille in printed colors. I want to make washcloths out of this, I think it would work, and wouldn't it feel luxurious?? I love chenille! You could also do a lovely baby sweater out of this, couldn't you. Baby hats?

Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale. My knitting friend is making this gorgeous baby blanket out of this stuff, and it's SO nice. And she told me about a new yarn store to try out too.

Various sock yarns. What else is new?

Okay, I'm going to do a little knitting on the poncho and then go to bed early, since I was up ALL NIGHT with a barfing baby. Not the most fun I've ever had.

Getting back into it...

Since finishing a few things, I've started a few more. I've got a hat on the needles for the NICU, in a very pretty Tahki Cotton Colors (blues and purples, cute). I started P53 in Supermerino 108, but my skeins are totally different from the picture. It's gorgeous, just a heck of a lot darker than the pictured pattern. I can see that I'm going to need to have smaller projects going too, because this is going to take a long time. It's actually knitting up a bit faster than I though, but it's still a big project - the biggest I've ever undertaken, actually!

I've still got DH's socks languishing on the needles...I don't think I'm inspired to knit two socks at once, so I need to take one of them off the circs. I think I'd like to knit them in parts, serially (feet of each, heels of each, legs of each). That should get me going.

And I am planning my next pair of socks. I think it's going to be Wendy's toe-up Feather and Fan socks, maybe in one of my Lorna's Laces sock wool. I am waiting on some needles and my swift and winder! I had them sent to my mom's house, and they didn't show up before DH left to come back here. My folks are coming down next week to take care of the boys while I have jury duty (on Valentine's Day, fun fun!), so I can wait.

I also need to start Module Two for the CBE program! I got my feedback from Module 1, and it was really positive, which felt really good. I just need to get moving.

*sigh*

What I learned yesterday...that I cannot do projects that require more than minimal brain power when the boys are awake. That multidirectional scarf with the Boho yarn? F-cked it up, and frogged it entirely. I wasn't 100% on-board with the yarn anyway, so perhaps it's just not meant to be, and I'll get different yarn for that scarf, but still, a bummer.

So, that leaves me...DH's socks, and I just started another NICU hat. That can be my brainless project. I think I'll start the poncho tomorrow night (or my school work, yeah, there's that to be doing too). So, what to do with 4 skeins of Boho burgundy yarn? It's not enough for a shrug or shawl....maybe a plain garter-stitch scarf? It's so pretty, the yarn really speaks for itself, you know? It doesn't need a pattern.

I also need to figure out how to fix my hands before doing more knitting with this yarn, it's really prone to snagging on my rough hands. I haven't encountered this before (I've mainly knit with wool, cotton, and non-natural fibers). It's winter, I have two kids, so I wash my hands A LOT and they are dry. I do my MK hand treatments (but every time I do, the boys insist on having hand treatments too), but that doesn't seem to be doing enough. More hand lotion? I dunno.

Another FO for donation

But this is for my son's nursery school's silent auction.


The yarn is Tahki Cotton Classics Colors in colorways 106. I love these colors, they remind me of Frootloops or Fruit Stripe gum. They're really fun! The hat was knit on size 6 Knitpicks Options, using the Magic Loop technique. I didn't use a pattern, it's just a simple roll-brimmed hat. The socks are a few different patterns put together - a short-row toe and heels, on size 3 Addi Turbos, also Magic Loop'd. Both should be newborn size. I think they are really cute, let's see if they sell! :)

Maybe I should rename this blog...

To insomniac knitter.

I have this sleep thing where if I get woken up after less than an hour or so of sleep, I usually cannot get back to sleep for hours. This happened last night (I did not handle it gracefully, I will admit), and once I got DS1 back to bed, I lay awake. Finally I accepted that sleep wasn't going to happen any time soon, so I got up. I ended up typing up the baby sock pattern I was going to use, and then casting on. I did the toe (I substituted a short-row toe for the Figure 8 cast-on she used), and about half the foot. These things are so cute! These are socks to match the hat I made for our nursery school's silent auction. I've got the ribbing left to do, then one more sock, and then I'm done with my time-sensitive projects. I find I enjoy them less than just knitting stuff because I want to. The NICU hats are totally on my own time/initiative.

Anyway, I'll post pictures when I finish these itty bitty socks!

Laughing at myself.

I showed the sweater to DH, and he said "I love the buttons, they really make the sweater." I realized that I agreed...little pearly white buttons? Grandma made it.* Cute little duck buttons? $50 in a boutique! :) Well, maybe not $50, since the yarn's not that nice, but still...I am glad I made the effort to go get them. I scrapped the matching hat, I did a garter stitch edge and it was flaring and I just didn't like it. What does it say about me that I feel guilty for quitting a project that (a) the intended recipients don't even know about and (b) no one even asked me to do - it's a GIFT.

A friend and I also came up with a love-meter for knitting, when a friend has a baby. I love you: Fruit Hat / Sweater / Blanket.

Ah, it doesn't take much to amuse me.

* Please note, no offense intended to anyone's Grandma who knit them a baby sweater!

Some FOs!

I actually have gotten some stuff done (almost).

This is Baby J's sweater. The gauge was off, so it's kind of...small. I really hope it fits him. I just can't seem to knit right for this kid! This is my third attempt - two hats frogged. I'm doing a hat too, but if I don't get it done tonight, the sweater is getting sent tomorrow without it. It needs to get to him. I'm not loving how the colors clumped up on the body, but I love the stripes on the arms. Ah, the fun of variegated yarns! You never know what you're going to get!

Here's the button on the sweater. How cute is that? Well, IMO, very cute! I got the
buttons at Windsor Button. The yarn is Bernat Softee in Dreamy Blue. I thought it would be...softer, somehow, but it's fine. Not great yarn, but totally machine washable and dryable, and these aren't folks who are going to notice really nice yarn. I've got a whole 'nother ball of this, so perhaps I'll do some NICU hats with it. The patterns is one that I found on-line a while ago, but seems to be gone from about.com - do they not have tons of patterns anymore? It's the top-down, all one piece baby cardigan with the button band integrated into the body of the sweater, so you don't have to pick up any stitches. This was knit on size 4 bamboos.

Yesterday/last night I finally finished the Garterlac Dishcloth (by way of Knit Worth), which looks complicated, but once I figured it out, was so easy I didn't even need to keep track of my rows! Mine isn't quite as pretty as the others...it's sort of a funny shape. But hey! That's okay, I'm just going to be washing dishes (or myself) with it, so it doesn't have to be perfect! I don't know if I was knitting too loosely or if I cast-on too tightly. I did a regular knitted cast-on, maybe something looser/stretchier would be better? I don't know. I am so doing more of these, I have so much Sugar'n'Cream yarn!

And I finished a pair of socks!!! They were done using 40" Addi Turbos, size 2, with Cascade Fixation. They definitely aren't perfect (err, that seems to be my theme for FOs right now, ah well). I didn't think about the fact that the yarn is 1.7% elastic, so they're REALLY stretchy, and I made them exact length, so really, they're too long. I also didn't do the best job on the double-wrapped, short row heels, so I've got some little holes, but that's okay. AND, I did a regular bind-off on one of them (hey, I was on a plane with no internet access, so I couldn't look up a stretchier bind-off, and how DID people do this stuff before the internet??), but I did EZ's sewn cast-off for the second, and that's way nicer. I don't mind the fiddly-ness of it.

And on to the future...

I did get really bored of stockinette with these, so my next pair, I'm going to do something with a pattern. I've got some Artyarns sock yarn, and I'm thinking of doing Knitty's RPM. I've also got some Plymouth Sockotta (in 6674) that I need a pattern for. Any ideas? Once I get done with Baby J's hat, I'm going to do a quick hat and booties for my son's nursery school silent auction. I need to finish DH's socks too, and THEN I get to figure out my next ME project...probably my Artyarns poncho, I really want to get that made so I can wear it, since it got cold here, and we're keeping the house really cold to save money. :) I think I need some sort of big bulky yarn shawl too.

Uh oh.

I learned something....well, wonderful yet not great for my wallet today. I had to get buttons for the baby cardigan (I measured it against some random baby at Starbucks and there's no way it's a 6-month, closer to a 2-4 month so I gotta get it to this kid PRONTO), so I took DS2 downtown to Windsor Button. Now, the last time I was there was before I got married - I got the tulle for my veil there. So, 1999/early 2000? It was buttons, craft stuff, fake flowers, ribbons, bridal things. Not yarn. Sometime in the last 6-7 years, they've become close to a yarn store! They've got a pretty great selection of some really nice yarns! I bought a couple of balls of Tahki Cotton Classics Colors because I need to make something for our preschool silent auction, and I figure a hat and booties oughta work. The thing is, they were so nice (unlike the Woolcott folks, where it's always a risk that you're going to get massive attitude), and it's T-accessible (which means I could get the boys to go with the bribery of a train ride). I so did not need to know this! I have too much knitting to do!

Oh, I got little ducky buttons, very cute.

I've got to block the sweater (which, by the way, I don't really know how to do) and do the buttons, plus finish the little hat. I've got my Cascade Fixation short-row toe/heel socks almost done. I'm not thrilled with them, actually. I didn't think about the fact that elastic yarn is stretchy, and made them true-to-length for my feet, so I think they're going to be too big. And the one I've cast off, it's too tight (I did a regular cast-off). So, for the other, I'm going to learn EZ's sewn cast-off, because, hey, I need to learn it. And I made these socks too short in length. They're fine, they'll fit, but I think I'd like them taller. Ah well, live and learn, eh? I got all this knitting done on my recent trip to San Francisco (which rocked for many reasons). I'll post pictures after I finish this stuff.

I'm trying to do a Garterlac Dishcloth too, but I keep screwing it up and having to restart it. Oh well. By now I'm so bound and determined that I'm going to learn this thing!! I'm excited to be getting things done because I've got so many fun projects I'm planning. Currently I've got yarn for:

• A multidirectional hat (Artyarns)
• A multidirectional poncho (Artyarns)
• A multidirectional scarf (Berocco)
• The Magic Waves shawl (Berocco)
• Socks (Artyarns, Lorna's Lace)
• Many many baby hats and dishcloths.

And now I've started thinking about shawls. We'll see what I do with the Magic Waves one, though that doesn't strike me as a cozy shawl, more of a dressy one.

Okay, I'm going to go block that sweater!!

I cannot start anything else.

Until I finish something!
I'm making some progress.

• I turned the second heel of the Cascade Fixation socks. I'm a bit concerned that with the elastic, they're going to be too big, but hey, my SIL has bigger feet than I, so if they are, she can have them!
• I did another triangle on the MD scarf. I am not 100% confident about the Boho being the right yarn for it, but DH thinks it's nice, so I'll keep going. It's about an hour a triangle, and I need to be able to concentrate to do them, so it's an "after the boys go to bed" project.
• The body of the cardigan is done. I made a mistake with the sleeve I started, I space and started it at the shoulder instead of the underarm and I just know it's gonna bug me. I need to rip out the three rows or so that I've done, and redo it. I would LOVE to get this done in the next couple of days, as all that's left are the sleeves. I'm totally not confident about the sizing on this since I didn't swatch (I know! Bad!), and I'm scared it's going to be too small. I have already frogged two hats for this baby, so I am just going to send this off. Per my measurements, it should work, but I haven't had a newborn in, well, 20 months, so I can't remember how small they are!
• DH's socks are still languishing on the needles. Maybe I'll take them on the plane with me when I head off to CA on Thursday for 5 days by myself!! If I get something done, I am so bringing the other Boho to start the Magic Waves wrap! I got the yarn to do the size small, and I am (of course) freaking out that it's going to be too small.

Size is my issue today, apparently.

What I'm doing instead of knitting tonight.

Documenting all my stuff, of course!

Two pairs of socks in process; A sweater I made for Gus (two years ago, yet to be seamed); Yarn for a Walter sweater; my dishcloth yarn stash; A baby sweater for a friend; my NICU baby hats stash; Artyarns Supermerino (poncho and hat); Boho and Boho colors for Magic Waves shawl/scarf; Sock yarn (not including the Artyarns that they sent the wrong color); Chunky sweater for Gus, now for Walter (side needs reseaming, I HATE SEAMING); Boho Multidirectional Scarf. This doesn't include a bunch of random odds and ends (some of which are enough to do more projects with)...this is just the stash that I am intending to knit.

Weekend Update in Knitting

I got some knitting accomplished this weekend, yay!

I frogged the Bamboo dishcloth, it just wasn't working for me (as evidenced by the fact that it had been sitting on my needles for weeks, and really, how long does it take to knit a dishcloth). Instead, I whipped out a simple basket weave cloth to give to our amazing babysitter for Christmas. Then, while I was waiting for my DH for our date night (spent browsing electronics at the mall, woo hoo), I finished the rest of the foot of sock #2. I just need to turn the heel on that one, and then I can finish them both up at the same time. Yay! I'd love to get them done this week, I don't know if that's realistic. Well, actually, I know that it's NOT realistic, but a woman can dream.

Tonight, I started working with the Berroco Boho, the stuff that's not going to work for the other pattern. I decided to try a multi-directional scarf. I got the pattern when I signed up for the Artyarns multi-directional yahoo group (post an intro, get a pattern, how cool is that?), so I started that. I got the first 1/2 triangle and one complete triangle done. This yarn is amazing! It's so soft and drapy! The scarf is in garter stitch, and I'm wondering if it would look better in stockinette. I can't decide. I'm going to do a couple more triangles and see what I think. The wrong side stitch when the yarn changes kind of bugs me, I may just need to get over that. It's a cool pattern, but one that can only be worked when I can really concentrate on it, since it's all short rows (i.e., lots of counting). Did I mention that this yarn is amazing? I can't decide if I'll fringe it or not.

Okay, I must go to bed, I'm tired!

Oh sugar!

In an effort to curtail Gus's swearing, I'm attempting to quit myself, hence the euphemisms.


My yarnmarket order arrived, and it's totally correct, but the yarns that I got to coordiante with each other...don't. At all. I got Berroco Boho Colors in Sangria and Boho in Raspberries and Strawberries. On my screen the Raspberries, Strawberries is very purple, in real life it's much more of a burgundy wine color. The Sangria is definitely purple and pink. Both are gorgeous yarns, they're just not going to work together.

I just called Webs and they've obviously written down wrong the colors they used. They said they used Boho 9268, but that's the green, so I'm wondering if they used the lighter red? I just called, and she wasn't sure. I went ahead and added the Torero to my order, and let's hope it works!

Now, what to do with 392 yards of a gorgeous, heavy wine yarn?? I'm not sending it back!!

I need to get out more, I think.

I am way, way too excited by the fact that my Yarnmarket order is due to arrive tomorrow. WAY. I am also too excited for my Webs order as well. Yeah. I really do need to get out more or get a hobby or someth...oh wait. That's what got me into this state. :)

I'm going to go finish foot of sock #2 and get the heel turned tonight, so I can get them both on needles and finish them!