Grumperina goes to local yarn shops and Home Depot

It all happened so quickly!

2005-04-03T22:54:00.000-04:00

Pack your bags, kids, we're moving!

http://www.grumperina.com/knitblog/
a subdivision of the new http://www.grumperina.com

It all happened so quickly, I haven't even blogged about it. I registered a domain with LivingDot, and before I knew it, there it was, my entire knitting webpage (formerly on Harvard's turf) and my new blog (formerly with Blogger). LivingDot has been just fantastic as far as tech support goes. I'm decent at html, but I wouldn't be able to tell you the difference between css and cgi, although I'm pretty sure that's like comparing apples and oranges. Well, the lovely folks at LivingDot held my hand throughout the entire MovableType experience. Their response times are incredible, and what I thought would be a painful procedure lasting several months turned out to be a rather painless one lasting a few days. I'm sure I've mentioned that I have a busy period coming up at work, so taking that into account I thought the new site would take forever. I wasn't even going to buy the domain until much later, but decided to get it now to at least move my html files. Then, boom, there was my blog!

In practical terms, here's what going to happen: my Blogger archives have been moved (by the wonderful Pavel at LivingDot, at midnight on a Saturday night), but the formatting is a little off. You'll see unexpected font changes and weird picture placement, that's all. The comments, unfortunately, weren't moved, but that's the least of my worries. I do not expect the same kind of Blogger nonsense we're all used to - inability to add comments, error pages when comments actually went through, inability to access Dashboard, etc. However, considering I'm a MovableType super-novice, please let me know if you run into any problems. A new thing is that I will ask you to leave your e-mail address when you comment; I hope that's not a problem. I'm doing it because so many times I just want to write you back, but have to try to find your blog, and then hope you have your e-mail posted on there.

Please update your bookmarks, subscriptions, etc. I am now going to do the same for all the KALs and rings I'm in :).

I'm so excited!

P.S. In case you're wondering, I will also move my other Blogger blogs to grumperina.com too, just not this very minute (or month). Although it took a lot less time than I expected, it still took several days. Since my other blogs (based on number of subscribers) are more for my own venting than other people reading, I'll let them suffer with Blogger for just a bit more.

P.P.S. A special thanks to Diana for leaving a comment once upon a time, which led me to explore and admire her blog, and then for recommending LivingDot.

News from grandma’s house

2005-03-31T19:59:00.000-05:00

Internet business: As I’ve mentioned to some of you, the great thing about Blogger is that there’s practically no thinking; the bad thing about Blogger is that thousands of blogs all reside on the same server, so if things go screwy (as they often do), everyone suffers. I am pretty paralyzed right with respect to internet stuff because I’m incredibly busy at work, but come July, I hope to get my act together and move to my own domain. I’ve admired Diana’s site in the past, and her webhost sounds like the kind of folks I want to deal with, even though I’d have to once have to deal with MT. I definitely need to be able to shove regular .html pages on there, and I’d like at least two separate blogs (not just two categories), and I’m just so picky! I hate myself for that. For now, even though many of you send me regular e-mails about how much Blogger sucks, I can’t do much about it, sorry, because school really does come first.

Strickfingerhut: Some angel named Sue (thank you, Sue!) left me a comment about using an INOX Strickfingerhut for stranded knitting, and I’ve been pretty much obsessed with finding one since then. Anyone know where I can buy one online? I have had zero luck finding an online retailer. The only LYS in the Boston area that I know carries INOX accessories is Newbury yarns, but my instincts tell me that a shop that small won’t have an obscure little whatchamacallit… Strickfingerhut.

Warning: very self-centered talk follows:

From today, a picture of me and my grandma; she’s wearing the socks I knit for her in October, my very first pair ever

As I mentioned, I dug through my baby albums and found some classic grumpy pictures to share with you:

Grumpiness can be acquired later on in life, but some of us are just born that way

Grandma is trying to reason with me, but it’s just not happening

Eh, eh, get me out of here! I want mommy!

I could have used this one for my banner, I think

Not happy, even though I was just given some candies by this better-than-average-looking Mrs. Claus. I think it’s all the tinsel everywhere.

I guess celebrating Soviet holidays didn’t alleviate my grumpy mood

This is what I look like in school pictures (too bad the photo is b/w and bad quality because I’m wearing a gorgeous dress that my mom sewed and embroidered herself)

Grumpy toddlers grow into grumpy school children (I’m on the left in both), grow into grumpy teenagers, grow into grumpy adults…

VPC progress: this is pretty much solely for Tara’s sake.

I finished knitting all three pieces to the armhole. I very roughly basted them together, and used safety pins instead of buttons. I put the whole thing on, and here’s what I’ve got:

I think everything is going according to plan. The sweater seems to have the amount of ease I like (very little), it seems to be long enough (I added an inch to what the pattern specifies), and there is some hope that it will close over my bust without… busting open. I started the armhole shaping tonight, and if I get a significant amount of knitting done in the next few days, I might post an update; currently, I do more blogging than knitting :).

The story of the wall-hanging

2005-03-31T12:59:00.000-05:00

Remember this monster?

It’s the square I knit for a patch wall hanging my Sunday Stitch ‘n Bitch decided to put together and give to the owners of the coffee shop where we meet. On Saturday we met to sew everyone’s squares into a wall hanging (also complete with a potluck and yarn swap). Betsy and Omar took some pictures and allowed me to steal them from their fab (and recently-updated) website. Here’s our beauty!

Can you find my square?

And here are some of the contributors holding up the (nearly finished, still needs a crocheted border) wall hanging:

Erin, Julie, me (sometimes I grin like a stupid idiot), Betsy and Omar

And I couldn’t resist posting this picture of me, your favorite Grumperina, weaving in ends:

More pictures are on Betsy and Omar’s website; make sure to click “Continue reading “Wall hanging”.

You guys are way too sweet!

2005-03-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

I got four separate e-mails letting me know that my blog is down - thank you so much, and I know! I noticed this last night, and it was bothering me so much that I woke up at 4 a.m. (not on purpose or anything), and half-asleep booted my computer to see if it was back up! Blogger has been terrible in the past two weeks. I also kept getting that blank page when I'd load the url, and I wasn't able to load "dashboard", the interface where I can add posts, change the look of the blog, etc. But now it seems back on track. For how long, I don't know.

Which brings me to point #2: it's time for me to get my own domain. I've been keeping all my pictures, videos, and knitting webpages on Harvard's domain, and really I would rather have it elsewhere. And Blogger is a serious pain in the butt. Can anyone recommend user-friendly blogger (using the term generically) software? Movable Type, in its raw form, is a bit too much for me. I can (and have) figure it out, but I want something a bit more simple, with a user-friendly interface. Any suggestions?

Edit: Thank you for all your suggestions. I'm not looking for a Blogger-type website (Blogger, Typepad, Blogcity, etc.). I will buy my own domain for two purposes - I'll have a blog on there, and also regular html-coded pages for life and knitting stuff. So, I just need some software to help me with the blog part. Movable Type in its raw form worked fine for that (I had my blog on Harvard's domain for a while), but it was very awkward for me to code. So, something like Movable Type, or a software that is based on Movable Type, but is easier to use would be the winning ticket :).

Elizabeth Zimmermann buttons

2005-03-29T00:25:00.000-05:00

I have very strong feelings about Elizabeth Zimmermann. Unfortunately, my brain is that of a scientist: my entire life I have been trained to boil down my thoughts to the bare essentials, to speak in a clear, concise, organized manner, without any wordiness whatsoever. Just try writing a 1000-word grant proposal and you’ll understand! And here I am, trying to explain why EZ is my idol, and my scientifically inclined writing skills are totally failing me. I apologize.

What do I know about EZ? The interesting thing is that everything I know about her I’ve gathered from a variety of sources, not from any one cohesive source. If you Google ‘Elizabeth Zimmermann biography’, you get nothing of the sort!

What I know is that she is often referred to as the grandmother of modern knitting. As I understand it, the use of hand knitting for making clothes decreased as the machine-knitting industry advanced from 16th century onward. Although many people knit during early- and mid-1900s, knitting knowledge was passed mother-to-daughter, and in decreasingly fewer instances; no widespread information or patterns were available. Elizabeth Zimmermann entered the knitting scene in the 1950s with the publication of Wool Gathering, a hand-knitting newsletter, and steadily, albeit slowly, knitting started to increase in popularity. Surely it wasn’t the sole doing of EZ, but her contributions to knitting are of great importance. Knitting then, as now, often had an air of self-importance and complexity: only the special, the select few, the well trained can complete a hand-knitted garment. To which Elizabeth said, phooey! I quote, “Really, all you need to become a good knitter are wool, needles, hands, and slightly below-average intelligence.” (Knitting Without Tears).

I think if you put Elizabeth Zimmermann in a roomful of people who were skeptical about whether they could learn to knit, or whether they could knit a complicated garment, she would run around like a little crazy lady saying “nonsense!” left and right. She saw knitting for its simplicity, not for its complexity. She noticed that human bodies of all shapes and sizes followed certain proportions, and incorporated a percentage system in her designs. For sleeves, cast on 20% of the number of stitches you had for the body. How much more simple does it get?!? She introduced the seamless yoke sweater, and told knitters how to knit Scandinavian and Aran sweaters on circular needles: knitters no longer had to deal with the wrong side and saw the pattern develop in front of their eyes, a great technical advantage. There were other sweater patterns, bind-off techniques, buttonholes, the i-cord, socks, selvedge stitches, etc., etc., etc.

Although I myself like/need to do things the complicated way, there is something very empowering about knowing that there is a simple way to which I can resort at any time, and that I can do anything using it! I also love (love!) Elizabeth Zimmermann’s self-claimed title of the Opinionated Knitter, and her lack of shyness to state her opinions. As I understand it, a lot of stuffy knitters had a real problem with knitting being as easy as EZ claimed, and she answered their concerns in the most clever ways – phony seams come to mind. And when they tried to make her patterns more complicated by publishing them as knitted flat rather than circularly, she just started her own publishing company. It’s like the ultimate “Ha!” She knew she had a better way, and she made sure everyone else knew it, and in the process she introduced knitting to a great number of new knitters, and simplified knitting for many experienced ones.

When I got The Opinionated Knitter, I was very moved. There are pictures of sweaters knit by EZ herself in that book; there are pictures of her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren in that book, wearing her original designs. There are her hand-written notes, signatures, drawings, and corrections. There’s a picture of EZ sitting next to Barbara G. Walker (of the Treasury of Knitting fame), taken in 1980, the year I was born. There are the most touching pictures of Elizabeth Zimmermann herself. I had to do something.

I’ve been mulling over making Elizabeth Zimmermann buttons for a while now. I’m worried about copyrights, to be honest, but I decided to take a chance. If Schoolhouse Press tells me I’m trespassing copyright laws, you’ll be the first to know. For now, I’m starting with some simple “knit on” buttons in EZ’s own handwriting. If you idolize EZ as much as I do, take a button, and knit on!

P.S. There may be slowing down in knitting and blogging activity for a few months. I have my annual Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting coming up, and a lot of experiments to complete before then. I’ll be here, just not as much right here in blogland :/

P.P.S. A big thanks to June for pointing out I had Zimmermann misspelled.

We interrupt this otherwise orderly blog to bring you a bucketful of randomness

2005-03-24T21:27:00.000-05:00

My knitting has been all over the place. This is very unusual for me: I’m typically a one-project-at-a-time type of gal. And this even extends to thinking about projects. Here are some of the things going on:

I am slowly, but surely, working on the VPC. I’m being supremely obsessive compulsive about it. I check my gauge every 3 inches. I count my stitches every 5 rows. I measure and re-measure. I double-check everything and don’t trust my math skills. I only work on it at home, with the TV’s volume lowered. If I have to rip this rendition, my brain will spontaneously combust.

I have started Pretty Comfy Socks using elann’s Sock It to Me Collection Esprit. Per my own rules, this is my “going out” project, and I do not touch it at all when I’m at home. As a result, I have completed a whopping five rows.

I got some yarn for the Russian hooded pullover. This is a bit of a story… A while back I noticed that elann was having some very interesting yarn on sale called ONline Linie 76 – Cup in a lovely burgundy. I thought about it, and thought about it, for like a month, and then I read on Alison’s blog that the yarn was soft, and I also saw how interesting the yarn looked knit up. Well… racing back to elann I went and lucky me, 28 skeins of the burgundy remained, and I snatched up 14 of ‘em. I got the yarn a few a days ago, and it’s everything I thought it would be:

For those of you keeping track, I’m working on the VPC, I have already bought KnitPicks Merino Style in hollyberry for the Adrienne Vittadini sweater, now I have bought ONline Linie 76 for the Russian hooded pullover, I bought some raspberry Louet with no project in mind (but there’s enough for almost two sweaters, I think)… and that’s not the end of it!

I bought some new Noro Daria, which is a cord-like yarn great for purses and other items which need structure, and also some Katia Sevilla, which looks and feels like the ribbon used to wrap gifts.

I will use these two yarns to make a little pouch… it will be in seed stitch or linen stitch, it will have a zipper (which I also already bought), and it will be lined with some cool fabric. The pattern will be all mine and I have some very clever ideas already :). I do not exclude a submission possibility, so most likely this is the first and last time you’ll hear about this… for a long while. This is a project I actually need to start asap, since the recipient’s birthday is April 8th. Yikes!

There has been book purchasing. Most recently, I got my own copy of Shadow Knitting by Vivian Hoxbro and At Knit’s End by none other than Yarn Harlot. These two are on their way. Also, a few weeks ago I bought Elizabeth Zimmerman’s The Opinionated Knitter, which I’m enjoying immensely.

There has been pattern purchasing. I surfed onto a photo of this gorgeous pillow on the knitsmiths website. And I knew I had to make it.

At the LYS I found the pattern for this Dale pillow, and I couldn’t resist buying another one, Dalegarn Interiorkolleksjon NR 119. The only thing… and it’s sort of big… is that I have no idea how to knit two-handed. Someone recommended that I drape one color over my left index finger, and the other over my left middle finger. I tried this, and it’s something I can get used to. I know, it’s an odd project for a first-time two-color stranded knitter, but I’m willing to give it a try.

And now I need to get back to knitting my VPC, thank you very much. Later, alligator!

P.S. Notice any difference in my photography? I got an Ott-Lite!

I just couldn't resist...

2005-03-24T19:53:00.000-05:00

Interviewing KLV, Betsy, Judy, Diana, and Alexandria was a wonderful experience. I love to knit, and I love to listen about knitting.

Michelle made this adorable gif animation out of one of my grumpy pictures (by the way, you know my baby photo albums are completely filled with pictures like that, and when I visit my grandma next week, I hope to bring some back with me).

Also, she jokingly asked to be interviewed, and even though I said that I won’t be conducting any more interviews, I want to make this one exception. You see, Michelle is someone I know in real life, and I know she’ll have witty stuff to say :).

Michelle, these questions are for you:

1. From your blog we can see that you have a lot of UFOs. What is your most complete UFO? Something that’s just missing a bind-off, or just needs to be seamed, etc.
2. You’ve been knitting for a while. What was knitting like before Fun Fur, K1, Martha poncho crazes, knitting celebrities, Debbie Stoller, etc.?
3. What is the one project or type of project you will never ever want to make, other than those funky overalls?
4. People for Ethical Treatment of Wool has hit every yarn shop in the world. They will seize all wool yarn, and put it to graze on pastures. They will leave only one kind of wool… one brand, one type, one weight... to satisfy angry knitters. If you had to knit with one wool yarn for the rest of your life (unlimited colors, unlimited supply), what would it be?
5. Non-knitting question: Have you ever made a wish when blowing out birthday candles, or when someone picked an eyelash off your cheek, or when breaking a wishbone, and have it come true?

This post is about you!

2005-03-22T16:55:00.000-05:00

Enough self-centered blabber. Me, me, me, me, and my pictures and my VPC and my early onset of middle-age grumpiness… now let’s talk about you! I am glad you guys want me to interview you! And it’s cool that I know some of you quite well and can ask pretty specific questions, and I look forward to learning more about everyone else! I decided to follow Tara’s lead and ask 4 knitting questions, and 1 non-knitting question. Also, I loved putting these interviews together, but there are only so many one girl can do (and only so long she can put off her experiments to write blog entries). Five is plenty for me, so I will not be interviewing anyone else :).

KLV, of course I want to interview you! Here are your questions:

1. I know you knit and crochet. Is there any type of project that you would only crochet or only knit?
2. Do you plan to teach your children how to knit and/or crochet, especially your cutie Z? (R is currently into video games and LEGOs, as far as I can tell). Will you suggest, highly recommend, or require that your children learn?
3. What is the one yarn that you’ve always wanted, but don’t have? And why don’t you have it yet?!?
4. What is the most unusual or embarrassing thing that’s happened to you at a local yarn shop?
5. What do you do to relax when you’re really tense? And if it’s knitting/crochet, then pick another answer :).

Betsy, here are your questions:

1. I know there’s some roving and a drop-spindle hiding between your rabbits’ hay, but how come we don’t read much about it on your blog?
2. Talk to me about color. We agree, and we disagree. There is orange, there’s green, there’s rhubarb. Have you always liked orange? Is green one of your favorites, too? What colors make your knitting happy?
3. What is the one knitting pattern you absolutely love, but know you will never, ever make? Why? Have you bookmarked or purchased this pattern to admire it lovingly?
4. Is there anything unusual about the way you knit? Do you cable without a cable needle, or knit backwards, or hold your yarn differently, etc.?
5. Other than yarn, do you have any particular shopping obsession? Shoes, coats, jewelry, etc.?

Judy, here are your questions:

1. How did you come up with the name for your blog? Does is have any knitting significance?
2. You seem to be a very well-stocked knitter, with extra balls of every yarn. Give us an idea of the size of your stash? (in whatever measurement is convenient: pounds, number of balls, number of bathtubs, houses, etc)
3. Did you teach your daughter, Katie, to knit? Has it been a rewarding experience? Do you always want to jump in there and help her with her mistakes?
4. You seem to knit a lot of socks, you even have a poll on your website! How did your sock-knitting start, and what’s the appeal? Why do you keep on knitting socks?
5. You live in South Carolina. What do you like better, the mild winters, or the steamy summers, and why?

Diana, here are your questions: (I tried really hard to keep the “me” part to a minimum)

1. You and I have many similar knitting habits. I also have a hard time working on more than two projects at the same time. Why does it stress you out? Do you not have any UFOs as a result? What do you do if you start a project and it just doesn’t work for you?
2. Despite the popularity of the Rebecca Wrap Cardigan in blogland, you went against your “style” (and mine) and jumped on the bandwagon. Your wrap came out gorgeous, by the way; I’m glad to have found your blog, I dig your knits. Anyway, there’s supposed to be a question. What do you think about massive numbers of knitters working on the same project? Is it helpful, frustrating, distracting? Related: what do you think about knit-alongs?
3. You mention some totally enviable yarn brands on your blog: Dale, Harrisville, Jo Sharp, GGH. If all the yarn companies, except one, were to disappear off the face of the planet, which company would you want to supply all your yarns?
4. Do you dabble in other fiber arts: crochet, spinning, weaving, etc.?
5. Do you take advantage of New York’s theater scene? Do you like to go to plays, musicals, comedy shows?

And finally, Alexandria, these questions are for you. Alexandria is a new knitter and is hoping to use this interview to inaugurate knitting content into her currently knit-less blog. We like that!

1. Basic knitting history – why, how, and when did you learn to knit?
2. What kinds of yarns do you like? Have you chosen an absolute-favorite yarn yet?
3. You live in the People’s Republic just like me, and probably use public transportation with some frequency. Have you knit on the subway or bus yet? What do you think about people who knit in public?
4. As they say, keep an eye on the prize. What is the ultimate knitting project for you? What kinds of things do you hope to make or design?
5. You have some interesting stories on your blog. Have they been published anywhere, or do you plan to do so?

This post is about me

2005-03-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

As though the rest of this blog isn’t! Hehehehe, hahahaha… Oy, my side is hurting.

I asked Tara of the DirtyPurls fame (which in my head I always rhyme, dirty purls, dirty girls :)) to interview me, and she has asked me these thoughtful and awesome questions:

1. I am dying to know the story behind the picture in your profile and on your button. Is that you?

Yes, that’s me in the picture. I was a grumpy child, and despite my parents’ best intentions, I’ve grown into a grumpy adult. Not all the time, but you know, ~~most of~~ all the time :). Here is that picture in higher-res:

And here is another picture of me as a child:

Convinced that Grumperina is the perfect name for me? :)

2. Since you're a pretty new knit blogger like me, tell us about your knitting history. How did you learn? How long have you been knitting? What's your favorite thing you've made so far? (I know I'm cheating b/c there are 3 questions, but they're all related, dammit!)

Someone showed me how to knit when I was little, maybe 8 or 9. I think it was my mom’s cousin. I learned to cast-on and knit. I knit maybe twenty stitches and that was the end of it. However, when I learned to knit this past July, I remembered how to hold the yarn (Continentally) and needles, so I learned quickly. I taught myself from the Knitting for Dummies book. So, I’ve been knitting 9 months. My favorite thing that I’ve knit so far is this pair of socks for my grandma, which I knit from Louet (what else?):

3. I dig that you are rebelling against the current Clapotis craze even though you love it. So is there anything in particular that will draw you to a pattern so that you absolutely have to knit it?

I love a challenge! If the pattern has at least two charts, I’ll almost definitely want to make it. If I need to make major pattern alterations, I’m up for it. If it involves learning a major technique, like knitting backwards or stranding using both hands, you know I’ve got the pattern already (yes, I did get the pattern this Saturday, but I’m saving that for another post). And you know if anyone ever tells me I won’t be able to make something, I’ll make it… and I have.

Otherwise, I prefer to work with yarn no heavier than worsted weight, and with needles no larger than US 7. If it’s pink or red, it helps.

The Clapotis thing… I just had to take a stand. I think you’ll all agree that it’s way too much at this point. I love it, I even bought yarn for it, but it.will.not.happen for me. I understand that BMKT (before my knitting time) there was something called Charlotte’s Shawl? Yeah, not for me.

4. Non knitting question... What's one place in the world you'd love to go and why? Or, if you've traveled alot, what is your favorite place you've been to?

I really, really want to go to Alaska. I’ve been collecting Alaska articles and Alaska books for several years now, and I’ve been planning the trip. I’m not sure when or how it will happen since my close friends can hardly be described as “outdoorsy.” I am not opposed to traveling on my own, as I have done on many occasions in the past, but a trip to Alaska will require driving, which I do very poorly.

5. So, like, when did your obsession with Louet start and how? (sorry, I couldn't resist!)

I guess grandma’s socks up above were my first Louet experience. And you know, once you go Louet, you never go back! Look, I Loueted today:

Thank you for interviewing me, Tara! And now I can interview you! Here are the rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me."

2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones above.

3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Resolutions

2005-03-21T19:39:00.000-05:00

I, Grumperina the grumpy, hereby make the following resolutions, in front of everyone so that if I stray from the aforementioned resolutions, dozens of people will point it out:

Learn how to code bulletpoints in html to make nice-looking lists. (Apparently, this is done. If everything else was as easy... sigh)

Accept the fact that even though both of the Vintage Pink Cardigan's fronts and half the back are done, everything will have to be frogged.

I will not frog anything until I mattress stitch the ribbing at the bottom to make sure I like the way it looks. That way when I restart my VPC knitting, I will have full confidence that the ribbing will be perfect when seamed.

Edit

I will knit the three body pieces of the VPC only up to the armhole. Then I will baste the parts together to make sure they close over my bust. Only then I will proceed with the armhole- and neck-shaping and the sleeves.

I will not restart the knitting until I've thoroughly wet and dried the pink Louet. It has a great memory and stitches come out wobbly if the yarn has seen the needles before.

~~I will stop being so obsessive-compulsive and such a perfectionist~~. I will stop paying attention to all the knitters who point out my OC and perfectionist tendencies.

For the sake of my own health, I will start a small project. I am no longer capable of dragging around all the VPC pieces and my full-sized notebook of VPC notes.

For the sake of my own sanity, I will no longer knit VPC at Stitch 'n Bitch or at my Tuesday lunch group. These two places make mistakes happen.

So, I'm definitely starting a pair of socks.

Knitting in Frustration

2005-03-19T11:19:00.000-05:00

I’m sure all of us have found knitting relaxing and tension-reducing. Otherwise we wouldn’t keep doing it!

I am having some major issues with the Vintage Pink Cardigan. Ever since I realized that I had messed up on the shaping and would have to frog the two fully completed front panels, I can hardly stand the sight of it. I think I have worked a whopping two rows since then. I haven’t ripped the fronts, and I’m not sure how I’m going to get myself to do it. I realized that I needed some other knitting for a bit to take my mind off the inevitable.

Enter Vivan Hoxbro’s Shadow Knitting. What a clever idea! The technique is basically very clever variations on a two-tone garter stitch background to form ridges of light and dark color. When viewed from some angles, the pattern forms horizontal stripes; when viewed from others, there are vertical stripes. Alternating the basic patterns forms checkers and triangles and other illusions. And you know I was immediately drawn to the book because it has complicated charts like this:

I love a good challenge! The hardest part about shadow knitting was figuring out how to make the nifty border (tip: twist the two yarns before slipping the first stitch).

I decided to knit the most basic project, a simple potholder. And here’s what I did in my frustration. I took some worsted-weight cotton and using US 4 needles knit it at a whopping 23 sts/4 inches. So tight! It allowed me to grind my teeth, and for my palms to sweat, and a few curse words here and there, and I feel so much better now. So much more relaxed.

And here are some photos of the potholder. I tried to capture how it looks from different angles:

The wrong side of shadow knitting also looks pretty cool, like garter stitch with some interest:

Well, I’m off to Home Depot. That’s right, Grumperina goes to local yarn shops and Home Depot :).

I need a hug!

2005-03-16T20:43:00.000-05:00

But first, hugs to you all! So many knitters left helpful and encouraging throughts after my grocery shopping disaster, and you really made me feel better. I wrote a "thank you" on my life blog, and many of you are included!

Silly, silly Grumperina! Silly, silly, Grumperina! Grumpy, grumpy Grumperina!

Let's say you spy a cute little cardigan pattern in the latest issue of Interview Knits. And let's say you decide you know how to make it better. "Add shaping for my curves," you say.

Ok. You can do this. You've got more science degrees than limbs. You decide that the bottom of the sweater will be 18", and that you will narrow this to 16 1/2" at the waist. How many inches do you take in on each side?

How many inches do you take in on each side? 18 minus 16.5, divided by 2! That is, 3/4".

What did Grumperina do? Grumperina took in 1.5" on each side. Making the waist narrow to a measly 15". And she noticed that the shaping was looking very extreme, but she's got extreme curves, so she went with it ;).

There will be frogging. Complete frogging. Take a lookie before this is once again a big pile of yarn:

On the plus side, I just recently (re)discovered this clever way to avoid steps when doing neck opening and armhole shaping, and now I'll be sure to implement it :). (A thanks to dirtypurls for posting the link).

Sigh. Maybe I should start the Adrienne Vittadini sweater instead of frogging. Hehehe, hahaha, hehehe! I amuse myself.

It's time to stop the hype

2005-03-16T12:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's ready. And I'm ready for you to try it! My own design, months in the making, rejected by Knitty, it's the free pattern for an iPod cozy! Or iPod cosy, depending on where you live.

Click on the picture to get the pattern in .pdf format (Click here if you need Adobe Reader).

Here's a back shot which shows off the buttons:

Now, go! Make one!

A special thanks to Subway Knitter who entertained a long discussion with me about copyrights. Neither one of us is a lawyer, and that's really the best way to decipher copyright laws. I'm only half-kidding :).

Also, a small note: this pattern is for a full-sized iPod; more specifically, the newer full-sized versions which don't have the four buttons under the screen. For me, the hardest part about creating this pattern was the lack of a model. That's right, you would have never guessed, but I do not have an iPod!. Of any kind! And I don't want one, will never have one! In creating this pattern, I would knit something, then gingerly place the work-in-progress against a coworker's iPod (and it's her iPod in the picture, too, photographed on top of my lab bench) to see what needed changing. It was not a quick process, bringing the knitting to work, taking notes, going home, changing a few stitches, trying it on again the next day... For this reason, I do not think I will create a cozy for a mini. However, I encourage you to create it! It will take a lot of trial and error, since the round opening has be "just so" to stretch horizontally and vertically and leave the Click Wheel exposed. However, we're talking just a few yards of Manos here, not a big loss. Good luck!

Coming soon!

2005-03-16T00:45:00.000-05:00

I can be such a tease :) :). Check later on in the day for the pattern.

Little post

2005-03-14T01:29:00.000-05:00

The rejected Knitty pattern is almost ready for its unveiling. I showed the knit sample at Stitch'n'Bitch today, and one knitter immediately asked me whether she could have the pattern. Of course! As soon as I put the finishing touches on it ;).

I have now completed the two fronts of the Vintage Pink Cardigan and have started the back. I would take a picture and post it right now, but I had a really traumatic evening. Hopefully I feel better soon... or at least feel motivated enough to take a picture.

Happy knitting, everyone.

Substitute blog found, comments back on track.

2005-03-12T07:11:00.000-05:00

Well, it appears the ability to comment returned late last night, which is great. I was starting to accumulate a mental list of Blogger blogs where I had wanted to leave comments. Wheewww! Glad it was a temporary matter.

A friendly knitter (not sure if she wanted her name shared) has partially relieved my insanity by sending me a link to the Knitting in the Valley blog, where Agnes has a picture of her newly completed Pretty Comfy Socks. This isn't the blog I had in mind, but is a perfect substitute because the picture is just as good (I know, I'm a picky little !@#$%). Now I don't have to spend hours and hours looking through my internet history, trying to figure out where I saw those cute, white Pretty Comfy Socks. Thanks, friendly knitter, you saved me from taking two expensive anti-anxiety and three expensive sedative pills, so now I can buy more yarn :-D.

To answer Tara's question, the little guy is a dwarf hamster, and along with his brother, they are the cutest dwarf hamsters ever. We thank you for your compliment.

I have been working on my Knitty reject pattern... now reworking it for a third time. I should stop and just publish the darn thing, but the perfectionist in me is saying "no way."

Comments

2005-03-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

Blogger has been having a comment-ache for a few days now, and I know you can't post comments - I'm so sorry! It's not just my blog - I visited three other Blogger blogs, and I got the same "blog not found" error message. The only time I'm able to leave comments is if I'm logged in and trying to leave them on my own blogs - that does you no good, of course!

I love getting comments (love it!), so if you feel like saying something, just drop me an e-mail (grumperina at gmail dot com). I'll post them on your behalf. I got e-mails from SubwayKnitter, Betsy, and CatBookMom already - thank you, girls!

I don't like posts without pictures, and I don't want to post pictures of knitting right now, so check out the cutie who was helping me deal with the Blogger comment-ache:

I was lured here with food, I have no particular fondness for technology.

I'm concentrating on fitting this entire piece of bread into my mouth.

Don't you dare take the bread away!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Help me find that blog!

2005-03-10T22:09:00.000-05:00

I don't like posts without pictures, so I'll make this a quick one. I'm making steady progress on the Vintage Pink Cardigan: I have finished the right front, and half of the left front. I hope to re-write the pattern and work up a sample of my Knitty reject over the weekend. As many of you might have guessed from the comments, it's an iPod cosy. And not one of those that's just a big envelope for the iPod: my version has an opening for the click wheel and a clear plastic cover for the screen. Oooo!

But I seriously need your help. I was surfing knitting blogs last night, and I came across a fabulous pair of Pretty Comfy Socks. That pair totally convinced me that I have to make myself a pair. Now I can't find the blog! What I remember: The pair was white or cream, and the photograph pictured the socks being worn by the knitter... just enough leg to show the socks and nothing else. In her post the knitter commented that she was very happy with how they turned out and that they would be perfect for warmer weather that's coming soon. I think the knitter made them from Cascade Fixation. There was a picture of another FO in the post, too, but I forget what it was.

So, white/cream Pretty Comfy Socks modeled by the knitter. Anyone?

The good, the bad, the ugly

2005-03-07T16:10:00.000-05:00

The bad:

Kathy,

Thanks so much for your submission! It's really creative, but unfortunately, not right for Knitty.

I thank you for taking the time to prepare it and send it in and hope we'll see something from you again in the future!

Best,

Amy
[editor, Knitty]
http://knitty.com

The good:

Now I get to share this pattern with all of you! Give me a few weeks because I've made the pattern even better than before and need a bit of time to knit up another sample, but soon there will be a goodie here for everyone to try. Stay tuned!

The ugly:

There is no ugly! Check out how cute Egle and I look in our matching Backyard Leaves scarves:

Egle is really tall, just in case you're starting to think I'm 4'5". In spirit of complete honesty, I have no qualms admitting to you that I retouched this photo lightly to spare you the glare of my enormous forehead. If you want an example or retouching gone way too far, take a look at your next Victoria's Secret catalog, and look at the models' armpits. Their retouching specialist just has no idea about armpits because those girls look like they have way extra skin in there. Perfectly smooth skin, but too much of it nonetheless.

Stay tuned for my rejected Knitty pattern!

Ready to go!

2005-03-06T01:11:00.000-05:00

Well, the second of my Backyard Leaves scarves is done! Just in time, too, since the recipient's birthday get-together is tomorrow.

The two scarves, in perfect harmony :)

This means that I have no other distractions, and that I'm ready to dive head first into completing the pink cardigan from IK. I'm excited, a little nervous, but mainly excited!

Ever wonder how much you spend on knitting supplies? I do! Read this post on my personal blog to find out why I care so very much. Anyway, I've been keeping very, very careful track of my knitting expenses in an Excel spreadsheet. The first entry is dated 6/7/04, when I bought Knitting for Dummies, and the second entry is dated 7/17/04, when I bought a blanket pattern to use for my first project. And now, 8 months later, I have reached a milestone:

Ladies and gentleman, I have broken the one thousand dollar threshold. Clearly, this knitting thing is slightly more than a hobby.

So, anyone else keep track, or have an idea of how much they've spent in a year or half a year or as long as they've been knitting? :)

No title for this post

2005-03-04T10:22:00.000-05:00

No title for this post because it's not about anything in particular.

I haven't worked on the pink cardigan at all after I took that photo; instead, I've been frantically trying to finish up the raspberry Backyard Leaves scarf. The recipient's birthday is Sunday, and I know it's totally feasible for me to finish the scarf before then if I just work hard enough. I actually need to finish knitting it by Saturday night, wash and block overnight, sew the two halves together Sunday, and give the gift Sunday night.

I borrowed Vivian Hoxbro's Shadow Knitting from the library, and I love it! Well, what I love is the way the designs look, and I particularly love the simple pot holders, heart bags (what a great gift!), toss pillow covers, and The Squared Top for the kiddies. Ok, ok, ok, now that you force it out of me, what I really love are the super duper fancy charts. Yes, I love the charts and the fact that one must consult these monstrosities to actually knit something from the book.

I also borrowed The Best of Knitter's Magazine Shawls and Scarves. While this book has enough complicated charts to keep even me happy, the book is so terribly busy and disorganized that it's immediately going back to the library. Yikes! Looks like someone with a very short attention span put that together. It gave me a headache. On top of my ear ache. Oy.

It's true

2005-03-02T00:59:00.000-05:00

The rumors are true. Yes, I've started my first adult sweater.

This is the start of the right panel of the Vintage Pink Cardigan, I'm just a few rows before the armhole shaping. I pinned it in place so I could take a picture. Yes, I added "a bit" of shaping, hehe...

Delirium

2005-03-01T15:28:00.000-05:00

Michelle: Wow! Ok, don't tell me you're not even a little curious as to how your cardigan would look unshaped with a Fun Fur capelet attachment? Scratch that: Festive Fur. I was just trying to challenge myself to think of something repulsive. My blog is broken and won't let me update :^( So I have to infiltrate yours :^)

Me: You are the only one who would recommend a Fun Fur (or better yet, Festive Fur) capelet as an addition to that cardigan. Tell ya what, I'll also make those ridiculous overalls from K1 and wear the trio as one complete outfit. Of course I'll have to wear the cowboy hat (trimmed in Fun Fur) and cowboy boots, too. Yeeehaw!

I'm home sick today, and slightly delirious from all the meds I'm popping, and all the tea and clementines are making me go to the bathroom every 20 minutes. However, as a result this delirium, I present this:

Michelle, this is for you.

Ladies and gentlemen, Vintage Pink Cardigan from Interweave Knits, paired with gorgeous Lion Brand overalls, a Festive Fur capelet, and a cowboy hat trimmed with Fun Fur. I should submit this to the geniuses at Lion Brand right now and you know this design is so good that it will be in the next issue of K1. That's right.

Things are happening

2005-02-27T20:46:00.000-05:00

In Oscar speech fashion:

Thank you everyone for your advice about the pink Louet yarn for my Vintage Pink Cardigan from Interweave Knits.

judyouzts - I'm glad you're enjoying my blog, and you aren't the first to tell me that pink looks good on everyone.
CatBookMom - I agree that the coincidences were almost a bit much, and the pink (I think) is even lovelier in real life.
Sara - I love working with Louet and it doesn't disappoint. I'm not sure why it's not more popular, because the yardage is excellent! I think it's not distributed as widely as, let's say, Debbie Bliss.
June and 1nderlandwoman - I'm destined, you are both right.
yarnhappy - thank you, I hope the pink looks good in real life and in pictures, and thank you for your comment about my lacy scarves.
My knitting posse - you know who you are, I would not be giving this speech if it weren't for your constant support and advice... and reminding me that patterns using needles larger than US 7 are not for me :).

So, the verdict is that I'll be making the Vintage Pink Cardigan using the Pink Panther (rrarrr!) Louet. There, I said it :).

--------

Someone told my brain I had won the lottery, when I actually hadn't. Evidence:

Working clockwise, first, I got 11 skeins of KnitPicks Merino Style in hollyberry for my Adrienne Vittadini sweater. I haven't swatched for this sweater yet, but using some of my favorite sweaters as templates, I have so far figured out the precise sizing.

Second, I got 6 balls of elann's Sock It to Me Collection Esprit. I haven't done anything with this yarn, but I didn't hesitate to buy a lot of it because I can wear socks made out of it! As opposed to wool, which would make my perpetually-hot feet sweat way too much.

The dark looking hanks curled up are KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud in midnight. This yarn is absolutely fabulous: very soft, and I love this color - it looks pretty much as it does on their website: almost black, with greenish/bluish/tealish hues. I have a lacey something or other planned for this yarn that I'll have to tell you about in another post.

Then I got one skein of KnitPicks Merino Style in vanilla as a potential candidate for the Vintage Pink Cardigan, but decided to go with the pink instead... so I'll just keep it for stash enhancement purposes :).

I got a lightly-used copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears in an out-of-print hardback edition. I love this book so much, and I can't wait to read it again, this time underlining all the important quotes. She says things that make sense, and that's so refreshing.

And last, but certainly not least, I got the pink Louet for the Vintage Pink Cardigan. Enough has been said about the yarn, but I'll add that at this point I've swatched for gauge and figured out exactly what size I need to make it.

--------

Now I shift focus to the two sweaters, the Adrienne Vittadini and the Vintage Pink Cardigan. My knitting group seemed more excited about making the cardigan first, and I'm leaning in that direction myself because of the Clapotis. I'm not going to rant too much right now because I just got back from knitting group where I was my alter ego Grumperina. Suffice it to say that I'm afraid the Cardigan will become quite popular and soon everyone will be making one. I will then abruptly and immediately lose all interest in making this sweater.

Believe it or not, the pattern for this sweater is written without any shaping! A sweater flows over the curves of a woman, hips, waist, chest, and pullover sweaters without shaping are often able to absorb the curves by stretching. However, add a button-band in there as for a cardigan, and lack of shaping leads to serious pulling and exposure! So the bottom line is that I've started to rewrite the entire pattern. I will be adding shaping, making the sweater an inch longer (as written it's borderline cropped) and creating a size between the pattern's smallest and second-smallest sizes. Except the bust, where I'll be making some crazy increases :).

Gosh, I would look like a ridiculous monkey if I just made this sweater boxy, as written. That would be a monster mistake. That would be like making a drop-shoulder sweater. Or using Fun Fur. Although a drop-shoulder sweater in Fun Fur would be alright because you couldn't see the ridiculous placement of shoulder seams.

I will be casting on shortly, and I'll be making the front panel with the fancy edging first, because increasing the length of the sweater by an inch will dictate the number of edge repeats.

--------

The second Backyard Leaves scarf is still in progress, and I'll do my best to finish it up soon. I'm not the kind of knitter who can start a new project before finishing the previous one. I know, this is very unusual.

I went to a party this weekend, where I saw one of my creations, the zipped cardigan with a matching hat being worn by baby Nicolas. It looked like crap, completely pilled and fuzzed, even though I gave it to them only in the beginning of January! I was very upset about this, but I think it's just that elann's Peruvian Collection Highland Wool is not meant to be machine-washed frequently. I actually machine-washed it before I handed it over, and then blocked, and everything was fine, but the wool is not superwash, and the baby (according to mom) wears the sweater a lot, so the number of washings took their toll. Oh well. We live, we learn. I'm allowed one mistake, right? From now on I will only use machine-washable yarn for garments that will be machine-washed frequently.

Do they talk to you, too?

2005-02-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

Dear Stitch, my knitting god,

I believe you are trying to communicate with me. As dense as I sometimes am, I think the message is coming through. Let’s see if I got it right:

First, Jenifer from Knitting at 5337 asked me about Louet Gems, which prompted me to pet it as I was writing a quickie review. Mmmm, Louet, I love you so much.

Second, I remembered that one of my local yarn shops, the one which carries Louet, is having a winter clearance to make space for new spring goodies. Mmmm, winter clearance, I love you so much.

Third, it has already occurred to me that the Vintage Pink Cardigan from the Spring 2005 Interweave Knits is knit at 24 sts/4 inches, which also happens to be the recommended gauge for Louet Gems Merino Opal. Coincidence?

Fourth, I don’t insist on making a pink sweater like the one in the magazine, but I’m not opposed to it, and Louet does make a lovely pink called “Pink Panther”. Rrrarr! I love pink.

Prompted by these weird coincidences, off to the LYS I went. Their current selection of Louet is very meager because they’re just trying to get rid of their leftovers. Just a skein of this, two of that, and then a whole bin of three different shades of brown that can only be described as variations on poop – yuck!

But what was hiding between all the poopy-colored yarn? Some pink goodness, which I promptly placed in my basket, lest anyone else snatch it from under my nose. I quickly looked over both shoulders to make sure no one saw me take the goods. I’m possessive when it comes to yarn. I went to a corner of the LYS to contemplate.

How many skeins of Louet did I calculate I needed to complete this sweater? 5.8.

How many skeins were there at the LYS? Exactly 6.

Were they all the same dye lot? Yes.

Were they on sale? Yes.

In the words of our great President, shock and awe. I paid my $64.80 (would have been $72 full price), and went home.

Dear Stitch, the message is clear, but there’s only one question remaining – is this pink the pink for me? Some pinks make me look washed out, with my pale skin and all. I’m still pondering this point, and plan to take a skein of the yarn to my knitting group to get some live opinions. In the meantime, I snapped two photos – one indoors and one outdoors – to see if the readers have any opinion:

What do you think? Will this work?

To further shed light on this situation (or perhaps to utterly confuse myself), I took some pink clothes out of my closets, and compared the skein of Louet to them:

Before you say anything, yeah, I have a lot of clothes, and a lot of pink clothes. Hehehe, hoohoohoo, I’m just thinking how much more ridiculous this picture would look if I compared the skein to my pink underwear and bras instead :).

I felt really reassured when I noticed the pink Louet nearly perfectly matched a favorite sweater of mine (the one which the top of the skein is touching).

In conclusion, Stich, the god of knitting, I understand. I will do my best to produce a quality garment from this Louet.

Your most humble follower,
Grumperina

Why I love Louet

2005-02-25T10:13:00.000-05:00

Jenifer from Knitting at 5337 asked whether I agree that Louet Gems Merino sportweight (that weight is called Opal) is similar to Koigu Premium Merino.

If you hold a hank of Louet and a hank of Koigu next to each other, I can see why people would say they are alike. Both are tightly-spun merinos, Louet is a 3-ply, while Koigu is a 2-ply. The resulting yarn in both cases has little beads of texture along its edge, almost like delicate lace. The weights are similar - Koigu is fingering, and the Louet I'm talking about here is sportweight. Louet also makes a line called Pearl, which is probably even more similar to KPM because it's fingering, but I have no experience with it. Nonetheless, KPM and Louet Opal could be potentially used for similar projects. Louet comes in more subdued, earthy tones, while KPM comes in every shade under the sun.

I think KPM is a bit softer, and produces a buttery fabric. Louet is also soft, but it has this "great sweater yarn" feeling to it - this stuff isn't going to fall apart or pill in three days! The reason for the difference in softness, I think, is that Louet is superwash merino, while KPM isn't. An ideal project for Louet - sportweight socks, sweaters (I'm considering Louet for this bad boy), baby clothes of all kinds (especially). A garment made out of Louet will withstand repetitive baby pukings and washings. An ideal project for KPM - shawl, adult sweater for someone who'll take really good care of it. I guess anything that you know will be handled delicately.

Finally, the price comparison. KPM is $11 for 50 grams/176 yards of goodness, Louet Opal (sportweight) is $12 for 100 grams/225 yards. Louet Pearl (fingering) is $7 for 50 grams/185 yards. Need I say more? :)

Enjoy your KPMs and your Louets, they both rock!

block lace much?

2005-02-24T21:12:00.000-05:00

My knitting group meets at a cozy coffee shop, and has been doing so for almost a year. I started attending this group in October, and even though it's terribly out of the way for me, I haven't been able to stop :). The people are fantastic, and as a group we have decided to make a wall hanging for the coffee shop. Each of us has pledged to make one or two 8" squares, and we plan to stitch them together to make the finished project. The wall hanging was originally conceived as a Christmas/holiday gift, but what knitter has the time to knit a little extra something during the holidays? So now our squares are due on March 15th (the Ides of March), and with the seaming, the wall hanging will be probably done by Cinco de Mayo.

I pledged to make one square, and it was automatically assumed that I'd use some kind of small needles, or some kind of thin yarn, or some kind of lacy pattern with weird cables, or a combination of the above. Ha!

Yes, that's what I did :) (minus the cables). I consulted my Barbara Walker Treasuries for inspiration, and decided to combine two lacy patterns for my square. I used Louet Gems Merino sportweight and US 3 needles to make my square.

Lace comes alive after blocking; in this case, the size increased dramatically. After making a swatch and blocking it, I calculated how big (or small) I'd need to make my actual square:

Here is the unblocked square. The piece of paper beneath is actually 8" x 8", while the square is a measly 6" wide and 7" high. This gives you an idea of how much the square will have to stretch.

I used hundreds of pins to make sure the square blocked to a perfect 8" x 8" and that all the patterning showed off nicely. Betsy said the square reminded her of Hellraiser in this state. Personally, it reminded me of braces.

And here it is, the finished square! I'm very happy with how it turned out. Making this square taught me to always make a gauge swatch when doing lace, if the final size matters.

In other news:

What's this?

I'm at it again. In the right corner, in the rose corner, we have the current champion, Backyard Leaves 1! In the left corner, the raspberry corner, we have the challenger, Backyard Leaves 2!

Backyard Leaves 2 is precisely identical to the first one, except the yarn is a different color. The rose-colored one is all mine, but the raspberry one will be for my friend Egle. And since we've been talking about blocking, how about those scarves?!? Blocking made a huge difference here, I think, making the finished scarf flatter, and the leaves pattern more visible.

A bit of this and that...

2005-02-21T11:11:00.000-05:00

1. I was supposed to go on a trip to WEBS today, but it's been cancelled at the last minute due to the monster snow storm that's taking place right this very minute. After I found this out, first I pouted (a lot), and then I decided it was time to take action.

2. Let's recap my WIMs:

1. Adrienne Vittadini sweater from the Fall 2004 book, the tension for which is 19 sts/4 in.

2. Vintage Pink Cardigan from Interweave Knits, the tension for which is 24 sts/4 in.

3. Hooded pullover from Knitting Woman's website, the tension for which is 12 sts/4 in (by the way, I have completely and fully translated the pattern at this point).

I am happy to report that by taking away the WEBS trip, I have now purchased yarn for #1, and a skein to test out for #2 (just one skein for now because I want to see if the color is right). I'm still thinking about #3, because I'm not sure how much I want a heavy sweater at a gauge of 12 sts.

3. I was reading EZ's Knitting Without Tears. I haven't read it before for whatever reason. Now that I've actually picked up the book, she's quickly becoming my personal hero. I love the way the book is written, and I love how she addresses the reader, and once I get my own copy, I'm going back and underlining the important parts as I would in a textbook. Some of my favorites so far:

"If you hate to knit, why, bless you, don't; follow your secret heart and take up something else."
"When wondering how much wool to buy, ask the saleslady. She knows by experience. If she doesn't know and isn't interested, go to another store."
"Tight knitters lead a hard and anxious life." (yes, I'm a tight knitter)

And, so far, my very favorite quote:
"Some knitters get an enormous charge out of employing the most difficult methods and performing the job perfectly. They will obviously want to twist both the knit and the purl stitches in ribbing, and have my blessing."

Thank you for your blessing, EZ. I was just praising the beauty of twisted knits and purls yesterday, and those who go to knitting group with me may testify that I like nothing more than knitting entire garments with itsy-bitsy-tiny size 2 needles :).

Backyard Leaves scarf is done

2005-02-19T20:38:00.000-05:00

Betsy was talking about the Clapotis* and said that it's one of these patterns that is just so well-thought out and carefully designed, making it truly outstanding. I completely agree with her about the Clapotis pattern, and think that Backyard Leaves by Annie Modesitt is in the same truly outstanding category. Just everything about the design is brilliant - from the way the leaves run in opposite directions, to the smooth waves the edges form, to the nifty pointy ends of the leaves. In fact, I'll be making another one of these scarves immediately**.

Tada!

That's me, sporting my new scarf

I used the entirety of 4 skeins, and my Backyard Leaves ended up being 4 1/4" wide by 90" long - that's enough to wrap twice around my neck and have plenty left over to tie in the front. The pattern (which uses a slightly thicker yarn) makes a scarf that's 5" wide and 78" long, for comparison.

I love it!!!

Some more comments are on my knitting webpage.

*I am still determined to NOT make a Clapotis. I will live vicariously through the hundreds (literally) of Clapotis knitters out there.
**The second Backyard Leaves scarf will be identical to the first, except I will use the raspberry color of elann's 100% Peruvian Collection alpaca, and I will give it as a gift to my friend Egle.

The Knitting Relationship

2005-02-15T00:12:00.000-05:00

My breakdown of the knitting relationship in stages:

1. Capturing attention. You’ve spotted it! Just like you spot a cute guy or girl in a coffee shop, or that paperback you’ve always wanted to read in a used-book store, you’ve spotted the perfect yarn or the perfect pattern. You touch and look, then walk around and check out the competition, only to frantically rush back when you see another knitter fondling what, really, is meant to be yours. The glee in your heart as you stand in the checkout line, or finally receive the order you placed online, plants a huge grin on your face, even if you save it until you’re alone in your apartment.

2. Courtship. It’s yours, all yours! You get it home, place it on the coffee table, and admire it from different angles. But not for too long – as soon as all the essential components are there (yarn, pattern, needles), you cast on. Ahh! You know what I’m talking about, that first row you knit with a new yarn, it’s better than… many things :). You are still trying to establish the rules of the relationship with your yarn – how tightly does it like to be knit? What kind of needles work best with its texture? Everything is new and exciting!

3. Early love. You can’t wait to knit! If you aren’t working on your project, you are thinking about it. You can’t wait to keep knitting and seeing the item develop in front of your eyes. At the movies, at dinner, while you dream, all you can think about is that tricky border and that lovely texture. Your SO is afraid you’re seeing someone else named ‘Pearl,’ because you say his name in your sleep. Life is gooood.

4. Monotony. You’ve figured it out. Now there’s nothing new. Yes, this is exactly how it looked two rows ago, two days ago. Yes, you already know that after the green section of the yarn, the gray will come. Is there really a back to this thing, too? You look ahead at the pages of the pattern and can’t believe that one measly sweater has four parts… and there’s a collar, too? This is getting ridiculous. You contemplate making a placemat out of the intended scarf, a vest out of the sweater. You start hiding the project in non-transparent bags in hopes of forgetting it.

5. Cheating. You’ve had enough. Yeah, yeah, you loved it once, but the front took four weeks, and you’re skilled at proportions, and adjusting for your serious lack of motivation you’ve calculated that the sweater will be done in… August?!? A wool sweater in the middle of summer? You roll your eyes. You’re ready to feel something new on your needles, so in secret you surf the web for new project ideas and stop by your local yarn shop. You come home with a plastic bag and your project shoots you an angry glance. What? Oh that? It’s nothing, just some stitch markers, hehe. There’s no way you could start a new project while your unfinished one is looking at you, so back in the non-transparent bag it goes! The feel of new yarn and new needles is making you woozy. This is what’s knitting is all about. Yes, you weren’t intending to make cotton socks in the middle of winter, and, yes, you grabbed the first yarn which slyly winked at you at the yarn shop, but damn it, you needed a change! Isn’t that a good enough reason?!? Shut up, brain. You need cotton socks. Now. In lawn green, thank you very much.

6. Reconciliation. You come running back. While cleaning the back of your closet, you come across a non-transparent bag and open it up against your better judgment. Ahh, that’s what it is. Instead of being repulsed, you touch the fabric and suddenly remember why you started the project in the first place. Wow, the yarn is spectacular, and the color goes so much better with your skin tone than that hideous lawn green. And the design is so clever, that tricky border really makes the edges so interesting! You cautiously knit a few rows to see if your hands remember how to handle the yarn and pattern, then jump into it head first. The next thing you know, you’ve finished a sleeve in one evening. You are on your way to being soul mates once again.

7. Nagging. Just… one… more… row! After your reconciliation, you knit like crazy. You don’t stop to think and admire your work, you just knit until your wrists go numb. Your friends haven’t seen you in a few weeks, but that’s okay because you’ve just got a few more inches to work. But exactly when it’s almost over, it seems your needles have been paralyzed. The project just sits there, laughing at you. You force yourself to knit the same way you forced yourself to have that “bubble gum” flavored medicine as a kid. And nothing works. All of a sudden you can’t remember the simplest of decreases and your seaming would allow passersby to discern the color of your lingerie. Utter frustration at the most inappropriate time. It’s a battle between your brain telling you, “do it!” and your hands saying, “whateva!” You’ve included “ability to seam” in your prayers, never mind that it’s the only thing in your prayers, you have never before prayed in your life, and that you’ve been a conscious atheist for the past 15 years.

8. Closure. You place the finishing touches. You already had the psychiatrist appointment scheduled, but somehow things have resolved themselves before you reached full-blown insanity. Seaming wasn’t so bad after a few shots of vodka, and you decided that a turtleneck wasn’t your style anyway, thus reducing your finishing work to a simple crewneck collar. You’re glad that you added an extra inch to the length, and your perfect choice of style, color, and yarn even amazes yourself.

9. Admiration. It’s everything you hoped it would be. Your project says, “Not bad, kid, I knew you could do it.” “Thanks,” you say, “we make a good team.”

As for the lawn green cotton socks, that’s another story…

Where are you right now in your knitting relationship? Me and my alpaca lace scarf are around stage 6 or 7. Which means we'll be admiring each other sometime soon :).

My whims on WIMs

2005-02-13T19:32:00.000-05:00

As though I don't have enough planned...

Kristina brough the new copy of Interweave Knits to knitting group tonight and of course another work in mind has formulated in my head. Interestingly, the first thing that I noticed in the magazine was the advertisement for the new Adrienne Vittadini pattern book, but I'm not buying any more of her patterns until I make one from the pattern book I already have - let's see how well they fit me. Anyway, this also caught my attention:

The pattern is called Vintage Pink Cardigan, and it's knit in light worsted/DK alpaca/silk blend.

Okay, it's gorgeous.

Here's the thing: I know I'd have to modify the pattern right off the bat. Cardigans never fit me because they come apart at the bust, so I'd either have to make extra increases or make short row darts or something. I would also consider making the sweater as is, and sewing the opening shut. This is what I do for all the blouses I own. What makes me even more doubtful is that this sweater, more or less, has an intricate design running vertically down the middle. I do not own any sweaters which are designed this way, so I have no idea whether this style would go to me. I know, I know, I should get myself to Macy's and try something like this on, then decide whether this project is worthwhile. And it's not like I don't have plenty of other works in mind!

I got the third!

2005-02-12T17:36:00.000-05:00

Other than swatching for the KnitPicks review, I have not knit one row this entire week. I've been busy with work-related stuff, sigh.

But look what the knitting fairy brought me a few days ago:

I got this out-of-print hardback edition on eBay, and it's in great condition. The dust jacket is a little worn and the pages are a bit yellowed from age, but it looks untouched otherwise. I paid $38, including shipping. This is a little more than what I paid for the first and second edtitions, but ... I wanted it! If you were the one bidding against me just seconds before the auction's end, I'm sorry. I did outbid you. I eBay a lot, and I know how to make sure I get the item if someone is also bidding at the last moment.

I take it back. I'm not sorry, I'm gleeful :-D. Now I got the first, second, and third out-of-print hardback editions of Barbara Walker's Knitting Treasuries. Woohoo!

Clapo... NO!

2005-02-11T00:26:00.000-05:00

I love the Clapotis. I have not made a Clapotis, but the design is SPECTACULAR. I'm a difficult person to please, and I don't dole out adjectives like 'spectacular' often. Kate Gilbert, are you reading this? You are brilliant for designing the Clapotis.

However, everyone and their mother is knitting a Clapotis. In particular, Betsy is making a gorgeous one. And everyone else is making one. And I'm sick and tired or reading about it... the Clap, Clapotwo, Clapothree, blah blah blah.

I'm taking a stand. I will knit something more original. I will not look like everyone else. I am my own boss! (insert Eric Cartman voice) I do wha' I want!

I feel what I feel when I think about Fun Fur. This is very sad, because the Clapotis is... spectacular. Sigh.

Revisiting the AV sweater

2005-02-08T01:04:00.001-05:00

I feel that the post where I talk about my new project, the Adrienne Vittadini sweater, needs a follow-up, since I've found a yarn to make it - woohoo!

The suggested Adrienne Vittadini yarn is completely out of my budget. I considered your suggestions, and surfed the web here, there, and everywhere, and here's what I was thinking. First, I very much like Karabella Aurora 8. This is a yarn I've seen at the LYS and have had the chance to touch. Very soft, plush, and some of the colors are right up my alley (#2, #5, #20... some others not carried at WEBS). However, it's still a bit too expensive and recently I ran into someone wearing a scarf made of it. Very interesting coincidence: the pattern for the scarf I'm currently knitting (halfway done, by the way) is written for Karabella Aurora 8. Anyway, I ran into a woman wearing it made from the suggested Karabella yarn and it looked completely deflated. Like a cotton sweater worn to death. No thank you! This one is out.

The second yarn I spotted for the aforementioned AV sweater is KnitPicks Andean Silk. The gauge is right on, and the content is incredibly similar to the suggested yarn called Martina. The color I would use is called ‘sangria’, a wine red that’s not bad at all*. However, from my KnitPicks review below, I wasn’t so crazy about the yarn. In contrast, KnitPicks Merino Style and Elegance yarns impressed me very much. With respect to Merino Style, ‘hollyberry’ and ‘storm’ colors went really well with my skin. As for Elegance, I really liked ‘ash.’ But to be honest, I really liked the Merino Style, and probably wouldn’t go for Elegance at all. The gauge of both Merino Style and Elegance is different from what’s recommended (recommended is 19 sts/4 inches, and these yarns are 22 sts/4 inches). However, considering I’m going to have to rework the entire pattern anyway, why not squeeze in a gauge change while we’re at it?!? I don’t even know why I buy patterns any more, I rework all the important details anyway.

So, at this point I’m pretty much poised to buy the Merino Style in ‘hollyberry’ for my sweater, and I will, pending one other thing: I might be going to WEBS in a few weeks. A knitting friend has invited me to go, and who knows what goodies I’ll find there. If the goods are good, they will be bought**. I just hope they take credit cards, otherwise I’ll have to stuff my pockets with wads of twenties and it won’t be a pretty site :).

*For all these different yarns, I stand in front of the mirror and put the skein next to my face – that’s how I decide whether the color will go with my skin tone or not. I’m very pale with a bluish tint (really), so many yarns just blend with my skin.

**Someone got her tax return and wants to strangle her accountant for way overestimating how much estimated tax she had to pay last year. But that’s okay, because now I got it all back.

KnitPicks review

2005-02-07T17:24:00.000-05:00

KnitPicks very recently came out with their own line of yarns. Since they do not sell color cards, I ordered a bunch of different ones, and here is my review:

A note on color: All monitors differ, and the colors in the printed catalog differ, and my digital camera adds another source of variability. However, my monitor and my printed catalog are in decent agreement, and I have found that in real life, the yarn is in general lighter and brighter than the monitor/catalog. Some colors are very close to what's in the catalog, and others (rhubarb) couldn't have been further off.

1. Wool of the Andes: very nice basic wool. Yardage same as Peruvian Collection Wool from elann (110 yards per 50 g skein). Not super scratchy, would be good for outer garments, hats, mittens. Pretty tightly spun, would be good for cable work, open work. No halo. I only got one skein, the color is cranberry.

2. Andean Silk: disappointment. Something was off in making this yarn. Although the yarn is very soft, it seems scratchy to me. I do not think I would be able to wear it next to my skin. It is typical 'alpaca', and has those long, straight fibers sticking out, giving the yarn a halo (and probably a tendency to shed a little bit). The silk gives the yarn a nice sheen, and the individual plies of the yarn are clearly distinguishable because they are not spun together tightly. It is not as stretchy as wool yarns, and I think for that reason it might not make a great sweater, or even hat. On the other hand, I could see this yarn used for a scarf or a shawl. I think seeing the individual plies would distract from cable and open work, and I would bet the yarn would split easily, making it not the best candidate for such knitting anyway. Yardage is comparable to Adrienne Vittadini's Martina (96 yards in 50 g for KnitPicks, 109 yards in 50 g for Martina), although this yarn is much cheaper. The colors I got were: (a) barn red, (b) slate, (c) bluebell, (d) sangria, and (e) cream.

3. Elegance: Remarkably similar to Andean Silk, except this yarn is super soft and doesn't seem scratchy (I'll have to swatch to be sure). It has a halo, but none of the long alpaca fibers sticking out like the Andean Silk (or elann's Peruvian Collection Alpaca, for that matter). Again, doesn't seem as stretchy as wool (hello, it's alpaca, of course). Has a great sheen to it, individual plies are distinguishable, may not be the best for cable and lace work. The softest yarn of all the ones I ordered. Yardage same as elann's Peruvian Collection Alpaca, but this stuff is definitely softer and doesn't shed as much. Yardage much better than Debbie Bliss Baby Alpaca Silk, but I don't know how it compares in 'softness.' The colors I ordered were (a) barn red, (b) wild rose, and (c) ash. Ash was my favorite color.

Update! I've swatched this bad boy. Yummy and delicious.

The silk content of the yarn definitely makes itself known - the swatch is smooth and slinky. Stitches are easily seen, as are the individual plies, even though there is a soft halo. Despite not having wool content, the fabric seems to be quite stretchy. I rubbed the fabric against each other (as hard as I would were I trying to get a stain out of cotton) and noticed some fuzzing. Uhm, I'm not sure if it was more or less than normal (?). Well, it didn't fall apart, how's that? :) My gauge on US 5 needles is 23 1/3 sts per 4 inches, and on US 6, it's 21 sts per 4 inches. Right in line with what KnitPicks predicts. Yes, this yarn is wearable against bare skin - I tucked the swatch under my shirt and was irritated to the same extent wool irritates my skin, which means for everyone else it will be fine. I wound the ball on my wool winder, and the yarn seems completely free of defects and irregularities.

4. Merino style: love it! Feels very nice. I expect to be able to wear it next to my skin, but I have to knit up a swatch first to be sure. Pretty tightly spun, no halo, would be good for cables and open work. Very soft, springy, does not appear like it would split easily. Yardage comparable to Patons Classic Merino Wool (50 g, 123 yards here versus 100 g, 223 yards for Patons). I got the following colors: (a) dusk, (b) storm, (c) hollyberry, (d) maple leaf, (e) rhubarb, (f) petal, and (g) harvest.

Update! I've swatched this bad boy. And I'm in love with this yarn.

Just an all around great yarn. Very soft, flexible, slides smoothly on needles. Very nice stitch definition, and no halo. I think it would be great for a sweater, and it's definitely wearable against bare skin, determined the same way as Elegance. Oh! The end of the yarn that runs to the middle of the skein is gently tucked under the label - no more fishing for that end in the middle of the skein, only to pull out what seems like half of it! I did the rub test, just like with Elegance (I'm really quite vigorous, I have to "vigorously shake tubes" all the time at work), and I noticed some fuzzing and pilling. With Elegance, it was more of a fuzzing, here it's more of a pilling. But, gosh, I hope I'm not that vigorous when I actually wear the sweaters! The swatch did not fall apart, that's a good thing. My gauge on US 5 needles is 23 1/3 sts per 4 inches, and on US 6, it's 22 1/3 sts per 4 inches. Right in line with what KnitPicks predicts.

However, is there trouble in paradise?

As I was swatching, I noticed that in two separate places within a few feet of each other, one of the yarn plies was torn! Gasp! So, after I was done with my swatch, I rewound the skein using my wool winder, and found no further problems. In fact, now I can testify that the color, yarn thickness, and tightness of spin are uniform throughout the majority of the skein. As I mentioned, Elegance didn't have any defects, so I'm going to guess that this was just a small defect in this one skein. By the way, I love this 'petal' color! Too bad it nearly matches my skin tone :(.

Here are the four yarns in similar colors close to each other:

Conclusions: I might have a sensitivity to alpaca, just like to mohair, because I find it soft and itchy at the same time. The merino seems like a nice yarn for the price. Considering Elegance is only $1 more than Andean Silk, buy the Elegance. Rewind all yarn skeins and hanks before using them, to make sure there are no "surprises" hiding inside (I hope I'm not suggesting anything new here).

Tricotage

2005-02-04T21:48:00.000-05:00

There is a wonderful word in Russian, 'tricotage.' The root is French: tricot means knit. In Russian, 'tricotage' refers to a fine knit fabric, such as the stuff used to make t-shirts. More often than not, 'tricotage' is cotton, very stretchy, and your sewing machine's worst nightmare.

I bought a long-sleeved shirt made out of 'tricotage' some time ago. Although its sleeves were three inches too long (you can see that on the mannequin) and it had an awkward ribbon tie in the front, I really liked the way it fit, so I decided to keep it and do some alterations. Oh, and it was on sale, that helped matters :).

Here is where the sleeves came to when I bought the shirt:

Pretty ridiculous.

My mom is a great seamstress, and my mom's uncle is a professional tailor, so I've grown up around fabric chalk and taking measurements and fancy sewing machines. However, I haven't used any of that equipment. Until now. Fabric chalk and brand new gingher scissors* in hand, I got to work.

Sewing tricotage on a sewing machine is not trivial at all. It's very stretchy and it's therefore very easy to pull it too much when feeding it into the sewing machine. Plus, the sleeves of this tee are bell-shaped. Plus, I've used the sewing machine only once before (I still take out the manual to figure out how to thread it - yikes!). I will fully disclose that I had to baste the fabric into place and that it took me more than one try to be satisfied with the result, but I did it!

Ahh, the length is much better. And here's what it looks like on the inside - you can see the two rows of stitches: I made one small fold, then stitched, to secure the fraying, and then a bigger fold (followed by stitching) to make the edge.

I took care of the ribbon tie by hand, leaving a small part of it in for scrunchiness, but sewing the openings shut and cutting the extra. Here's a photo of the finished product, modeled by yours truly (a little fuzzy, sorry):

The first time I used a sewing machine it was to sew thin plastic to handknit fabric. And now tricotage. I really don't take the easy way out, ever :).

*The gingher scissors were a New Year's gift to myself. I got tired of using Fiskars, especially considering my pair is blunt, blunt-ended, and meant for cutting paper. I couldn't believe how sharp and smooth the ginghers were. I liked the full-metal construction and the feeling of weight in my hand. Wow. Talk about nice scissors!

An interesting possibility

2005-02-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

Through fluffa's website I came across this Russian knitter's website called Knit Your Own Karma. "Knitting Woman," that's what the owner of the website calls herself, has just completed a fabulous hooded pullover, and has included links to both pictures of it, and instructions. How is one suppososed to knit this fabulousity? By knowing Russian, and translating the pattern, of course! My reading skills in Russian are questionable, at best, and my knowledge of knitting terms in Russian is non-existent, but I think with my mom's help, we could figure it out. Ooo, ooo, is this another project?

So far I have been able to ascertain the following: the tension is 12 sts and 15 rows/10 cm. This is bulky yarn, and the project would go quickly. Interestingly, the pattern calls for US 8 needles, and 'Knitting Woman' used US 7. So I guess it's bulky yarn knit pretty tightly. In the US, yarn like this would be worked on US 10-11, I think. The pattern is written in one size - 42/44. I'm not sure what this means, because I'm 100 cm around the bust (is that a size 50?), but also have European jackets which say 40 on the tag. Go figure! However, knowing the tension and that they ask to cast on 54 sts, this size will work for me!

Interesting possibilities :). Maybe I'll make it?

Will someone wipe up my drool?

2005-02-01T13:44:00.000-05:00

A friend from the about.com knitting forum posted this link to some absolutely gorgeous handpainted yarns. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I'm quite enamored with Little Cayman.

What's your favorite? And, please, pass a hankie, I need to wipe up my drool.

alpaca meets lace

2005-02-01T10:31:00.000-05:00

Now that grandma's socks are done, but I'm still researching the yarn for my Adrienne Vittadini sweater, I'm working on another exciting project.

I first spotted the Backyard Leaves scarf when I borrowed Scarf Style from the library. It didn't make a big impression on me at the time. Then I saw a sample scarf knit up at Woolcott, a local yarn shop, and was very impressed with the intricate design. I requested the book again from the library, ordered some yarn, and got started on Sunday.

The yarn I'm using is 100% alpaca from elann.com. It is sleek, slick, a little fuzzy, and unlike wool, not very stretchy. It reminds me of angora a lot, except not as itchy (I'm mildly allergic to angora). I picked out two colors, antique rose and raspberry, with hopes of keeping one and returning the other. However, I liked both colors so much that I decided to keep 'em both.

On Sunday I asked some fellow knitters which one would suit me better, and the group voted 'raspberry.' So I went ahead and cast on with the antique rose because despite their vote I realized that's the one I wanted to use :).

Working with this yarn is wonderful. It is so soft and buttery. It has great stitch definition, more defined than wool, I'd say. After working two repeats of the pattern, I think this alpaca will work well for the pattern.

The pattern is complicated (16 different types of stitches are used), but not impossible. It has the most clever little border formed by a combination of slipped and knit stitches - compact, firm, very neat. Here's a close-up of one of the leaves:

I think this will be an enjoyable project while I mull over yarn selection for the sweater :).

Grandmother's socks completed!

2005-01-31T18:13:00.000-05:00

This Saturday I forced myself to sit still and knit in order to finish grandma's socks. Anything short of that wouldn't have worked :). I washed and blocked them overnight, and took photographs on Sunday (which, by the way, was a gorgeous winter day). And here they are, in various settings:

Because I wanted to make sure this pair of socks lasts longer than just a few months like the previous pair, I decided to add reinforcement thread into the soles of the socks. I couldn't very well hold the two together and knit because the yarn is handpainted, so I wove the thread in a manner one weaves in ends. Here's what the sole of the sock looks like on the inside:

I mailed the socks to my grandma this morning, so Wednesday or Thursday I'll hear from her to see if she likes them :).

Hello, precious!

2005-01-28T20:27:00.000-05:00

Look what I got in the mail yesterday:

Barbara Walker's Treasuries are considered the best stitch dictionaries around, and I agree. The hardcover editions are out-of-print, and have to be hunted down as used copies on Amazon or ebay. I got this one on Amazon, and it's in excellent condition. The dust jacket is a bit worn, and the pages yellowed, but it looks untouched otherwise. It was a great bargain at less than $30 including S&H, and now joins the first Treasury (in similar condition, also from Amazon, also slightly less than $30) on my bookshelf.

I have not knit a row since Sunday. Grandma's socks are starting to drag and I want to finish them quickly. Sigh.

Re-sizing, aka, grumble

2005-01-23T19:13:00.000-05:00

Time for a little venting. Adrienne Vittadini sweater. Sizing. Grumble.

I took out a few of my favorite sweaters and measured their bust at underarm and length to shoulder. They are all a little different, but I think for my (soon to be) AV sweater, I want the bust to be 36.5-37", and length to shoulder to be 22-22.5".

Now it becomes complicated. The AV sweater pattern is written for 35, 39, 43, 47, 51" bust measurement. So already I'm going to have to adjust the width of the sweater. But this is not the biggest problem considering this: the sweater pattern is written for 23, 23.5, 24, 24.5, 25" length-to-shoulder measurments. Who are these people with such long torsos? (This isn't true of all AV patterns; others in the book are closer to my desired sweater length) Because the body of the sweater is shaped, it's not just a matter of making it shorter. I'm going to have to take some measurements and probably compare this sweater pattern to others in the book, and then make some serious adjustments. Grumble.

Grumble.

EZ videos

2005-01-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

I rented two "Knitting Workshop with Elizabeth Zimmermann" videos from the library, and really enjoyed watching them. She is such a cool cucumber, she doesn't make anything seem complicated. Cutting your knitting or making fancy seamless shoulder shaping is as complicated as casting on a stitch! I picked up a few interesting tidbits - she doesn't make a slipnot when she starts casting on, just like me! She purls using the Norwegian purl, and she knits very loosely. Fascinating. The videos were pleasantly homemade - she talks to Meg Swansen off-camera, drops needles and tangles her wool all the time. One of my favorite parts is when she is talking about putting pockets into sweaters as an afterthought, and just on a whim cuts the vest she's wearing to show how she would unravel the wool and put a pocket in there! She has a bit of "heretic" in her, and says "they said I wouldn't be able to put shoulder shaping into a seamless sweater, so I showed them" and "for whatever reason they wanted a seam down the side of a sweater, so I made a phony one." I like how she doesn't talk down to the person on the other side of the television, nor makes the lessons too cutesy and non-serious.

Suggestions solicited

2005-01-20T19:11:00.000-05:00

I've eyed me a sweater. I've made several baby sweaters, but this will be the first adult-sized sweater, and it will be for me! I saw an ad for the Fall 2004 Adrienne Vittadini pattern book, and fell in love with the one on the cover:

Isn't it pretty? I see only one modification I'd like to do: I want the lace to start approximately at armpit level.

The yarn used for the pattern is, of course, Adrienne Vittadini brand, called Martina. Martina is 70% merino wool and 30% silk, 11 wpi, 19 sts/4 inch on US7. One ball has 50 grams, 109 yards, and costs more than my rent... I mean, $15. I need 11 balls to complete the project (11 x $15 = $165). Ha! Not a grad student's stipend.

I am soliciting suggestions for an alternate. I already have two in mind, but I won't bias you. I would like the replacement yarn to be the same gauge, and either 100% wool or a wool blend (alpaca, cotton, silk, synthetic is fine; mohair and angora are no good). Lavender doesn't look good on a pale person like me, so I was thinking of making the sweater crimson/garnet/cranberry. Oh, and less than $80 would be great :).

I eagerly await your suggestions :).

What's on my knitting needles?

2005-01-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

I have a few things brewing in the back of my head, but only one thing actually on my needles. I like to work on one thing at a time, I think because I like to finish something before I start the next thing.

I made a pair of socks for my grandmother back in October, and she loved them. They were sportweight with simple horseshoe cables, and came out great, if I do say so myself.

Grandma wore this pair of socks every day (my mom tells me), and they have pretty much disintegrated. So, granddaughter to the rescue! I'm making her another pair.

The pattern is from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush, called New England.

The yarn I'm using is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. This yarn splits easily and is therefore a major PITA. But it makes a good-lookin' sock, I tell you that! Here's the wound ball of yarn and the beginnings of the first sock.

At this point I have finished the first sock, and have barely started the second. I want to be done soon so I can start the other projects in the back of my mind :).