Tuesday, August 28, 2007

dammit.

The Pink Leafy Sweater fits my chest but the rest is baggy. Son of a bitch. This is another reason why I like making top-down sweaters best: I could rip out the bottom, throw in some extra decreases, and make the damn thing fit. And here I was so worried about it being too tight on my hips. I clearly have no sense at all of how big my hips are.

Gah.

Well, maybe I can pretend that baggy is stylish? I'll try it on again in a bit and see. After all, the babydoll shirt/dress is in these days, and I made it longish. I might be able to get away with it.

As for how I feel about this pattern--which, officially, is the Leaf-Paneled Sweater from Runway Knits by Berta Karapetyan--well. First off, it needs more decreases for the waist. Second, though I really do like the general look of it, I'm not sure the leaf panels on the side are a good idea for most figures. They're a bit bulky--though again, this would perhaps look better if it wasn't so baggy. The other thing I'm not keen on is how wide the mock turtleneck is. I took out a few extra stitches--there weren't many I could remove and still keep the lace pattern all pretty--and it helped a little, but not much.

Oh, and the decreases for the top bit for sizes small and extra-small appear to be wrong. As far as I can figure, you can't really repeat five rows when you're knitting, not if you expect everything to look the same on each side.

Mostly I am bummed that it needs more shaping, and thus I don't look as cute in it as the model in the book. Cause if it fit, I totally would.

Monday, August 27, 2007

terrible twos!

When I was a kid, I sort of learned to knit from Ursula von Wartburg's Workshop Book of Knitting. Which is an excellent book, but all about calculating your own sizes and inventing patterns as you go, which was not overly useful for the kind of brain I have, which doesn't do well with math or precision. I'm much better now, but as a ten-year-old I was doomed. I also for the life of me couldn't figure out how to purl, and didn't know any knitters to ask. And this was well before the internet, so it wasn't like I could find a lovely video to show me how. So I made a couple of horrible garter stitch scarves out of horrible acrylic (this was the 80's, so when I say horrible, I mean it) and moved on with life.

Two years ago this month, I decided to try the knitting again. I needed something with small repetitive squarish things to stop me from playing so much Minesweeper. (Seriously. I get obsessed with small squarish things. At least this way I get clothes and stuff.)

Second time around, I made one garter stitch scarf out of this gorgeous unlabeled blue-possibly-linen-but-maybe-silk yarn that had been picked up at a garage sale and had sat in a bin in my bedroom for at least fifteen years. The yarn is gorgeous enough, all thin-but-nubby, that garter stitch on size nine needles was all that it needed to make a scarf that still gets me compliments. And then I picked up Ursula's book again, and somehow learned to purl.

And then I figured out how to use double-points, and just to see if I could, made in quick succession a hat, a pair of mittens, and a truly horrible pink sock. This was before I knew such a thing as sock yarn existed. The sock was mostly horrible because of the yarn, but it was foot-shaped and very much a sock. I pretty much haven't turned back since. There have been sweaters and lace and cables and non-horrible socks, many hats, and lots of non-horrible, non-acrylic yarns. Oh, and two pairs of pants, because I am a clearly insane person.

Now, if I could just finish Mr Leafy Pink that's staring at me, I'd be good to go.

Friday, August 24, 2007

pictures!

Right, so apparently 'tomorrow' is a flexible concept in my mind. But here they are, way too many of them. I got a little excited.

My two favorite squares of the blanket. I know, you're not supposed to have favorites, but I can't help it.


The whole blanket.
(Wonky angle: welcome to a v. small house.)

Random close-up:
(Of the wrong side. Naturally.)

And then I did some ghetto blocking . . .

Of this.

Now it's sitting there staring at me, wanting its turtleneck put on and its sides seamed together. Trouble is, it's too damn hot to knit anything where you have to think. I was going to motivate myself to put it together by designating it as the outfit for a party I'm going to tomorrow, but I think it may be too damn hot to even contemplate wearing a sweater, no matter how sleeveless and cottony.

Uh-oh, this means I need to find an outfit for that party.
Crap.

Monday, August 20, 2007

i am the champion!

Ooog. Done. Never want to see an unsewn end ever again in my whole life.

But . . . . it's GORGEOUS.

Pictures tomorrow, I promise. It'll be better than Christmas.

aha

Now I get it. Now I know why people like to have nice big spaces that they only use for sewing or knitting or whatever. My room is totally not set up for sewing together a blanket. And it's not even that big a blanket--but that's right, you heard correctly: sewing together a blanket. I crochet-edged until I wanted to kill both myself and whoever invented crochet, and then I sewed together squares like the fate of the world depended on it. Today I laid out the squares in several different orders, including Planned, Random, and Semi-Random. I even enlisted the help of my artist brother. And then I came back to my itty-bitty room, set out another Random-Ish plan, and am going with that.

Pictures when it's done!

Even though I've spent a lot of time wanting to murder this blanket, I've really enjoyed making it. I don't usually play with color. I either use one color, or yarn that's already multicolored, so I don't have to do anything with it. And when I do use color, it's usually three different blues, for example, or a color and a neutral. I don't usually rainbow, but I'm finding I like it. And given my habit of dressing like a rainbow threw up on me, I don't know why I don't bust with the color more when I knit.

Maybe I'm turning over a new leaf. I hope so. I have these bits of pink, green, and blue yarns (all of them neon-ish) that need to become something other than balls of yarn. The addition of the pink may make them too obnoxious for even me to wear, but we shall see.

Ok. Back to my seaming.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Getting There!

Barring undetected size-fuckups, the Crack Squares have all been knit! Now it's just crochet-edging and sewing up--and then deciding if the GCSB needs a border. God, I hope not.

I am going to be so psyched when I'm done with this thing. If I spend today holed up in my room watching Doctor Who and crocheting (it's raining and crappy out, so really, what else do I have to do?) I can get this bad boy done . . . well, maybe not quite today, but tomorrow. Hell yeah!

Then I can decide what to make out of all the bits of cotton yarn that are left over from making something out of all my old cotton yarn. So far am contemplating:

a) smallish log-cabin baby blanket
b) rainbow scarf, possibly with matching hat or handwarmers
c) washcloths
d) bonfire (no, I wouldn't really do that. Or would I? I am a bit chilly.)

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Still finishing . . .

I've got slightly over half of the Crack Squares sewn into bigger squares! And I only have to make three and one-third more actual squares. I desperately need more light blue yarn to sew it all together, though. Maybe I'll go Michaels-hopping this weekend, since JoAnn doesn't seem to have it except online.

And Captain Leafy Pink sweater is also progressing nicely, though there's one slightly weird spot in the lace. It's not a mistake, that's what's unfortunate. It's just a slightly manky spot. I'm hoping I can block it out of existence. And then there will be pictures. I promise.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

cleaning house

Right. Have been on a mad finishing kick for all of one day. Let's hope it lasts. I've sewn together three complete squares (that's four Garter Crack Squares apiece) of the Garter Crack Blanket, and I think I've got enough blue yarn left to get at least one more done today. This industry is because I've promised myself that if I finish the Crack Blanket, then I can make a Log Cabin blanket. And I think I only have to make between five and seven more whole Crack Squares. I keep messing up on my counts. As we know, I am not a math champion.

And I've done some work on the Leafy Sweater! I'd forgotten how much I like the lace pattern that makes it leafy. I just hope it fits: I think my front has gotten bigger since I started making it. Incentive for this is that I've got some parties I can wear it to in the near future, so it (and I) can be admired by all.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

withdrawal

Due to wedding madness, I haven't knit a thing in about two days. And now I can't decide WHAT to knit, though I think, if given a push, I could be convinced to finish up my Pink Leafy Sweater. I do need to get it done before the weather's too cold to wear it. Ooh, and my mom just bought me these pink sandals which would look great with it. So there's incentive, right?

Trouble is, I really kinda want to make another hat. I don't know why I have this hat making fetish. I think it might be because hats are so easy to adapt and mess around with. Maybe I could bust with some fair isle, only I don't think I know anyone who would wear it.

Oh, the trials of being a knitter. Woe is me.

I do wish I had some sock yarn. :(

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

still alive!

But I've been mostly wrestling with cookies these past few days. Just a word of advice: if anyone asks you to make forty dozen cookies for their wedding, and your house is not air conditioned, say no. Because the weather will be in the 90's the whole week before the wedding, and your cookies will be fucked. Especially the ones that have melted chocolate on them.

This is what I get for baking fancy cookies. If I was just gonna do your basic chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies, I'd be fine, but nooo. I have to be dramatic about it.

Son of a bitch.

As for knitting, I'm knitting a Spawn of Large Blue Stripey hat when I get too pissed off with the cookies, and plotting my next move in the knitting world. Which may involve purchasing. No, wait: I have to figure out what to do with the other half of the Noro. I think it may become part of a hat for my mother. WHAT hat is the question.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

picture pages

And here they are! Billions and billions of pictures. Well, ok, five. Aren't you lucky?

First we have Spawn of Large Blue Stripey, in two fun arrangements:
These guys went off to the Rebuilding Greensburg project, along with some random hats and such. Even though they're acrylic, I kind of love them, and may use the rest of Large Blue Stripey to make a triangle blanky.
And here we have the beginning of the Posh Hat, posing alluringly on a paper bag:
The Posh Hat, by the way, is actually the La Mancha Watchcap, found in a knitting patterns-a-day calendar thingie, designed by JoLene Treace. Am in a hurry, but will post a link to her page later. I've made this pattern about three times. I love it.
This time I did a much wider garter stitch brim, so as to have more rainbow-y colors. I also take out two repeats of the lace pattern, because otherwise it's WAY too big for my head.
And the aerial view. Must go hang out with tall people so they can enjoy it.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

holy crap.

I just made an awesome hat. That's right, the posh Noro hat has turned out quite fierce. I'll have pictures tomorrow when my face is not scary.

And dammit, why did I have to make an awesome wool hat when it's 90+ degrees out? I won't be able to wear it for months.

Friday, August 3, 2007

ha ha!

Nothing like digging through your so-called stash and discovering one of the few balls of really nice yarn that you own. I'm too poor to buy the nice stuff without a plan, or let it sit around unused, but I guess this one just fell by the wayside . . . or maybe it was too splendiferous for Year One Knitter Me to deal with. Anyhow, I think it's Noro (its label has gone bye-byes, natch) and it's all about the rainbow-y goodness. With luck, it's going to be a hat. Well, the brim of a hat. With a teal crown bit. This is my plan, anyway.

And naturally, I took pictures of the gorgeousness but I don't know where the cord is to upload the photos. Curse you, moving. By the time I figure out where everything is, I'll be heading out again, I'm sure.

Ooh, and starting tomorrow I have to get on with the baking of cookies for a friend's wedding, so maybe we'll have food pictures. I'll try to restrain myself, though. There's nothing that makes me crankier than when I'm browsing the blogs enjoying the knitting pictures, and then suddenly it all turns to food. Maybe food pictures are like babies, though: your own are always the cutest.