Tree Hugger Knits

Another Nicest (Non-kniting) Thing

2012-02-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

While we're on the topic of nicest things, my man did something incredibly sweet for me last week. It was Wednesday. Wednesdays are long days for me as I work all day, teach a college class at night, and then (knit-willing) go to knitting group. I was on my way home from said knitting group and my gas tank was dangerously low. So I stopped to get some gas, but before I got out of the car, I decided that I was too hungry to wait until I got home to eat a snack and was greedily stuffing cheese crackers into my mouth. I know. This is strange behavior and it probably looks very strange to others. In fact, I know it does because I got caught and was told as much - more on that later. My thinking was this - I wanted to eat before I got out of the car and touched the dirty gas nozzle with my clean hands. Anyway, as I was greedily stuffing cheese crackers into my mouth, I looked up, only to see a large man standing by my window. I jumped, frightened half to death, before I realized it was my guy. He had seen me pull in as he was driving by and pulled in to check and see if it was me, but then thought it couldn't be me because I would never do something so strange as to stuff food into my mouth while stopped next to the gas pump at a gas station. I explained about the cheese crackers and the hunger and the dirty gas nozzle and then my man did the nicest thing - he pumped my gas for me. It was so sweet.

Here are the socks I am knitting for him:

They are sort of like test socks. If he likes & wears these, he gets more (eventually).

The Nicest (Non-knitting)Thing

2012-02-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I am in the crappiest of moods, someone comes along and does the nicest thing for me. Moments like this remind me that there is joy to be found in the tiniest of places, if one is open to seeing it.

Several weeks ago, I was tired after a long day. I realized that we were out of dog food and that if I did not go out and get some, the dogs would go food-less in the morning. And with dogs like this, that wasn't an option:

The hour was late(ish) and it would be cutting it close to go to my preferred pet store. So, I grumpily slogged out the door, muttering under my breath and resolving to go to the first pet store I came across. Once there, I made a b-line for the food isle. I felt tense and cranky, and I bet I looked like I was in a bad mood too. I found what I needed and noted that the price was a bit higher than in my usual store. I trudged up to the counter and put my package atop it. Then, the man working the register did the nicest thing - he gave me a coupon. A $10 off coupon. It was the nicest thing. I didn't ask for it and I'm sure I looked pissy and he did it anyway. I thanked him and old him that my night hadn't been going so well and that this coupon was so thoughtful that it was helping to turn it around. He then proceeded to do another. nicest. thing! He gave me a second coupon (for later). Go figure!

Paved With Good Intentions

2012-01-03T17:21:00.000-08:00

We all know what road that is - the one paved with good intentions....SO, during these beginning days of 2012, I'm not going to go into all of the things I would like to/intend to/should do. Instead, I am going to write a blog post and hope it continues.

Today was full of goodness: time with the dogs, molasses donuts, knitting, unpacking Christmas yarn....

And frustration: a ball of lace-weight yarn that would not cooperate (I mean I had to get out the scissors would not cooperate.)

And resolve: to stay calm, look forward to what is on tomorrow's agenda, and make some time to knit more....

especially when I have a fantastic father who gets me thoughtful, beautiful, woolly gifts for Christmas.

Knitterly Gifts

2012-01-01T18:38:00.001-08:00

Things I knit this season:

An impressionist beret and fingerless gloves, for A:

A boneyard shawl for AJ:

A scarf for a co-worker:

Plus picture-less mittens and owl wristlets that I forgot to photograph. Perhaps I'll ask the recipients for pics.

Declaring Independence

2011-07-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

This fourth of July, I declared my independence from dust. I was motivated to do this by the imminent arrival of friends, whom I love dearly and did not want to expose to the full extent of my grungieness (not that they would mind; they are, after all, my friends).

A few days with friends always helps me to realize:

1. I have really good friends, for whom I'm grateful.

Friends like this. And Megan and Matt who came to visit with me and take me bike riding. Oh, yeah, and they were celebrating their first year of marriage too. ;)

2. I am lucky to live in the beautiful country, state, town, and house that I call home.

3. Having friends over is a great way to make sure I clean that house every once in a while.

4. It is important to slow down and enjoy life and the people you love.

Number 4 is one I want to practice more.

Cleaning House

2011-07-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Friday was a good day; I met a friend for a lovely breakfast, attended lunchtime yoga, and then met a second friend for an iced coffee. When I got home, I discovered that my dog had not only made it into my office space (I left the door closed), but had knocked over various items and left a mess. At first I was exasperated by this. All I could see was the mess. But as I began to pick up the stray balls of yarn and rifle through the bags from which things tumbled, I took the opportunity that presented itself: clean. I dumped out the various bags that filled the space. I balled up all the little left over bits of yarny goodness that had been tossed in baggies and left for later. I resolved to take stock and make space.

Of course, in my fantasies, this meant keeping track of every skein of yarn, every ounce of fiber, and every bit of crafty material, either in an excel spreadsheet or on Ravelry. That did not happen; what did happen is that I made some space. I don't feel so overwhelmed when I walk into the room anymore. This was one of those evenings that develops its own momentum; before I knew it, it was midnight.

I didn't intend to "clean" when I woke up this day. In fact, I didn't actually get to the items I planned to spend time on at all. But I am not disappointed; making space here has left me energized to clean house, make space, and regroup in other ways.

Sometimes Life Hands You A Hell Sandwich....

2011-03-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

And all you can say is, "Do I get a pickle with that?"

So....I had some hard news this weekend, which I have been handling by breathing deeply and knitting and spinning. There are worse ways to cope, I say. (We won't talk about the Irish coffee cake and bag of biscotti that came home with me from Great Harvest yesterday.)

I spun some merino-yak that I've been working on for a. long. time. now. (years)

I also visited Northeast Fiber Arts, where there was open knitting and very good cookies. I started a Rasta Cowl that is now finished. I also bought some yarn for the class I'm taking with Nancy Bush - Traditional Mittens of Estonia - next Saturday!

Rasta Cowl in color 864 Porrinho

Finally, I finished my Fleece Artist Mittens; all I had to do were the thumbs, so it was cake once I sat down and actually did it. Here they are in my favorite colors: blues and greens.

Now, it's on to new projects - and a yarn crawl post.

P-TownPart Two

2011-03-10T17:30:00.000-08:00

If you visit Cape Cod in the winter, you need to be prepared for everything to be closed. We were. We spent our time meandering down-town. Provincetown is very eclectic and there is a shop to meet your every need; this make window shopping especially delightful. I saw the big pink elephant at the Marc Jacobs store. (I didn't even knew there were Marc Jacobs stores). I had delicious hot chocolate and good service at The Purple Feather. They had homemade gelato, too, which I look forward to trying the next time I visit. We enjoyed dinner, courtesy of Provincetown House of Pizza on two occasions because they are conveniently located, and because, well, we are pizza and chicken fingers kind of people. For breakfast, we asked our trusty inn-keepers what they recommended, and Chach was their pick. We weren't disappointed. You can read my trip advisor review of this place here.

I also found my favorite coffee joint in P-town - The Wired Puppy. I even treated myself to a new travel mug from there because I liked it so much! We could bring the dog in with us; they even had water bowls set up and dog treats at the ready.

My cute new travel mug!

On our way off of the Cape, we stopped at PB Boulangerie, a fancy French bakery that I heard about on the my yarn crawl. The hazelnut croissants were to die for!

Other than find places to eat, we three (me, man, dog) walked around a lot and visited the beach. When we weren't exploring, we were enjoying the coziness of our lovely cottage.

Stay tuned for a post about my P-town yarn crawl, including the fun little bakery we found (I just love bakeries!) and another new coffee cup.

P-town is the Best!

2011-03-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Usually, during my February break, I go visit grandma or my parents. Even though I'm all growed up, I feel compelled to go visit and spend time with my family. This year, however, it just felt like WAY too much, especially with all of the snow that's been hitting their home base of the Tri-State area. What I REALLY needed this year was a few days away. I wanted some R &R, some peace and quiet, some time with my man and my doggie. I knew that if I stayed at home I would probably work all week and then feel frustrated and upset that I was still stressed out and didn't actually get a break. And, if I did that, it would be no one's fault but my own. So, I did some google-fu, talked to some peeps, and came up with a plan. The plan was Provincetown on Cape Cod!

I had never been to P-town before (or anywhere on Cape Cod for that matter), but according to the internets, it is one of the dog-friendliest places on Earth. Sure, it was the middle of winter, which made it off-off season to go to Cape Cod. That was just dandy with me; I could book a place at an affordable rate and have a scouting mission to see if I'd want to go back closer to the regular season.

The trip worked out remarkably well! Usually, I leave trips and plans and stuff to my other half. This time, I picked the location and the inn we stayed at. I am quite pleased with myself!

We stayed at Four Gables, in the Daisy Mae cottage, a stand-alone studio cottage with a queen bed, kitchenette, and fireplace. It was a dream! Bob and Gary, the guys who run the show are friendly, knowledgeable, and all-around awesome. The cottage was super clean, affordable and best of all, it was dog friendly. Our doggie, Cisco, loved the place and quickly made himself at home. Other qualities I appreciated about this venue are that all of the energy is generated from renewable sources, and there are recycling and compost bins available. Four Gables is located in the West End of town; this makes it a bit out of the way, but still only a short walk to downtown. The inn-keepers even provide two bikes for you to use during your stay, should you feel like biking instead of walking.

Daisy Mae felt like a home away from home.

I definitely want to visit again soon, and I liked the spaciousness of visiting in the off season. I don't know how much I'd enjoy the town during peak season. Stay tuned for more vacation posts, including places we went - not much was open this time of year, but we found some choice morsels and of course, a Cape Cod yarn crawl!

Blog Abandonment Syndrome

2011-03-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

Yes...I think I have it. I feel guilt about not posting to this here blog, but do not actually get off my tush and do anything about it. Nope!

Should I seek medical help? Perhaps the support of good friends can help? That's what knocked me out of my (TWO YEAR) hiatus this time....I was inspired by the lovely blog of Holy Knitter. If you don't read her blog, you should, and not just because I am mentioned :).

A LOT has happened since I've last blogged. I've moved to a new house - my first one. I am now an Aunt to my gorgeous nephew Dominic. I have....A.Dog. (and he's super cute!). And now I have a blog that is not utterly defunct. More to come soon (I pinkie swear) about my recent vacation (and subsequent yarn purchase), my first sweater of the year (and second ever completed - once I put the dang buttons on), and my current knitting project. I know...you just can't wait!

When mom isn't blogging she's with me. Can you blame her?

KBR:Knit-Blog-Resuscitation

2009-03-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been thinking about reviving this blog for quite some time now, and well...clearly I have not perfected telekinesis, because it's been years (yikes!) since I posted.

But I am back! For now....

I love reading other people's blogs and am often sad at the thought that I could be creating my own record of lovely knitting (and life) bits to look back fondly on, but I haven't, for many reasons: laziness, procrastination, perfectionist induced self-censorship, sheer exhaustion. That stops (for) now!

Recently, I finished my second Clapotis. I made this one in Dream in Color, Smooshy, in the Blue Lagoon colorway. It is a belated birthday gift for a very dear friend of mine.

I am currently working on the February Lady Sweater, in a lovely shade of purple. The yarn is a Kraemer yarn that I bought at the Kraemer Yarn Factory when I first started knitting. Anticipating a visit to grandma's house, I had looked up all of the yarn shops near her. Grandma had done some homework too. Kraemer Yarns in Nazareth, PA, was a mere 15 minute drive from her house, and they gave factory tours, so off we went! I still remember my grandmother waiting patiently while I rummaged around the shop, chatting a-mile-a-minute to the sales lady, a tattered copy of Interweave Knits in my hand. I had big plans for this yarn. It was going to be the Pearl Buck Swing Jacket. That never happened. The yarn has sat patiently in my stash, waiting for the right moment, waiting to be noticed again. Enter: February Lady Sweater! The color is great; the stitch gauge is correct, and the pattern seems fantastic (yay! for no seams).

I started this project last Wednesday (25 Feb.) and hope to finish up the garter stitch yoke, do my first lace repeat, and divide for the sleeves tonight. Yes, I am ambitious....

STR Kit Arrives - YAY

2007-03-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've fallen short of the one post per week mark already, but hey, March is a new month and I'm already posting, so hopefully I'm back on the posting bandwagon...

I've been busy being a non-monogamous knitter - the never-ending project has not ended, the cable-footies are not finished, the matching jay-walker sock has not even been started....and I've started Roza's socks in a very lovely shade of this! (I couldn't help myself - the bf was out of town, I was out galavanting with a friend, and this yarn just followed me home. This happens a lot, but usually I'm satisfied just knowing I have the yarn and saving it for another time. This time, though, all I wanted to do was cast on - so I did - and it felt great!)

In-between all of this, I did manage to knit my first EZ item (woot!) -mitered mittens from Knitter's Almanac. Instead of the afterthought thumb, I placed thumb stitches on waste yarn and then picked up and knit the thumb. I don't have pics because the mittens were for Grandma, whom I visited this week, neglecting to stage a photo op. I think these mittens are beautiful, but do wish I had either knit them on thicker yarn or started with more stitches, because I needed to reinforce the miter sections of the mittens on the inside, or else Grandma's skin would show through. This is the only part of the mittens where this happened though.... anybody know why?

I also finished calorimetry from knitty (pics to follow later, maybe...)

Now, on to the reason I began this post in the first place (not that you'd know it) - my Socks that Rock Kit arrived today - YAY YAY YAY! I'm an STR newbie and this was a very exciting event for me. I love the binder (I have a particular affinity for the stationary supplies, and for the parenthesis, in case you haven't noticed) the sticker, the key chain surprise, oh yeah - and the SOCK YARN! Ahhh...manna from heaven (or blue moon fiber arts, as the case may be)

The Never-ending Project

2007-02-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

We all have those projects - the ones from hell that just won't go away, won't finish themselves, and don't inspire you to pick them up and finish them - EVER. Well, for me this is a two color garter-stitch coat that I've been working on for about a year.

At first, I thought it would be a quick and easy project, great for my first adult garment. I chose one color to do the entire piece in, rather than two, because I liked the store model and that was done in one color. I couldn't afford the original yarn (Frog Tree Alpaca, doubled), so I settled on Cascade Pastaza in a gray-black color (007, I think, but the yarn is downstairs and I'm too lazy to go check).

Now, I like the yarn, I do. And the pattern is easy to follow. But here's the thing...the darn project is just SO BORING! So boring, in fact, that I allowed myself to purchase some beautiful Louisa Harding Sari Ribbon yarn as a bribe. I chose a pinkish colorway (it's called browns on the site to which I've linked, but it's pinks in person) and told myself that it will be for accenting the color and sleeves of the jacket when it's all done.

I'm a bit of a timid knitter when it comes to large projects, so even though I've read about tons of people who choose a plain sweater to knit and then are bored, I thought this one was a good choice for me because I didn't want anything I could screw up. Well, the universe is teaching me a lesson because, not only am I bored with this knit (but determined to finish it before embarking on another sweater) but I screwed it up and had to rip it out too.

I was concentrating so hard on trying to get the button holes in the correct place that I forgot to decrease for the underarm. DUH! I've fixed that now and have finished the back and both fronts of the sweater. However, one front is larger than the other front, and said front side also seems to be a bit larger than the back to which it's supposed to attach. By larger, I mean 1 - 1/2" wider and about 1/2 - 1" longer than the other two pieces. (This could have something to do with the fact that I put the project down for about 8 months and then picked it up again without even bothering to check to see if my gauge was the same.) HELP! Can I block this out?

I decided to take a break before knitting the sleeves and hope for some friendly advice, either from some kind readers, or from my lovely knitting circle friends, with whom I meet on Wednesday evenings.

Since I have from now until Wednesday to break from this godawful jacket, and a BIG GAME to watch in a little bit, I've decided to start the Cablefooties from One Skein, in this:

It's a potluck skein from Cherry Tree Hill that I snagged at a LYS a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if the cables will be too busy with the variegated colors, but I'm gonna give it a try. I knit up a swatch to check gauge earlier today and the yarn is just gorgeous. It's jewel-tones meet Mother Earth. Wish me luck! I'll post FO picks if it ever gets to that point.

First 1 1/2 FOs of 2007

2007-01-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Now, I know that some people aren't really into the whole wrist-warmer/fingerless glove thing (scroll down to read "The Doltdrums of Winter"), but I like 'em (and I like the Knitting Curmudgeon too). Call me a KnitDweeb if you must, but I like fingerless gloves. I'm the kind of dorky girl who thought it was the coolest thing when, for a fleeting moment in fashion history, someone had the bright idea to make sweatshirts with extra-long sleeves and to give those extra-long sleeves thumb holes. My hands are always cold, but wearing gloves around the house and at work just isn't gonna happen. Besides, I like the mobility fingerless gloves provide. Now, after this veritable treatise on the merits of fingerless gloves, I'd damn well better wear mine :). Presenting my first FO of 2007:

From left to right: pair; front of left mitt; back of left mitt.

Particulars:
Pattern - Eric's Glovelets from Green Mountain Spinnery
Yarn - Khroma DK (50% Baby Alpaca, 50% Merino) from The Fibre Company, in Cypress
Needles - size 3 Brittany double-points

I've also finished one of my very first pair of jaywalkers. I'm doing this in Trekking and it's lovely, but the yarn does tend to split a bit. Here's the one sock I have done:

Hopefully, I'll have better pics to post when the pair is done. As of now (with one sock still to go), I plan to knit these again...

Well, tomorrow is Monday and I suppose I'd better get ready for it...

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2007-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

In addition to all of the gorgeous, fantastic, wonderful knitting books I received in December, I also received (GASP!) yarn. My Dad got me these beauties:

The Good (from right to left) - Fleece Artist Kid Silk 3 ply in Amethyst, Fleece Artist Basic Merino Socks in Hercules [top] and Cosmic D [bottom], and Claudia Handpainted 100% Merino Fingering Weight in Oops. Yummy!

I'm not sure what to make with the Kid Silk 3 ply. I love this yarn and have already knit a Clapotis in the Marine colorway. As for the sock yarn - there are always socks to be knit. I might do something extra special with the Claudia Handpainted, but I don't know what...

My mom got me this eclectic bunch:

The Bad - Fancy Fur in Stain Glass Black, in so much as it's...well...fun fur (eek!)
AND
The Ugly - Patons Cici in Calypso

Now, these last two yarns aren't so bad, really. They're just - different. I'm sure I can figure out something lovely to make with them for Mom for Christmas 2007 (mwahahaha). Seriously though, the Fancy Fur might make excellent trim for an uber long and slinky black cardigan and/or on a black felted bag. And the Paton's - I think it might make for a spunky little crocheted cloche, like the one done in neutral here, but without the flower.

I Won the Knitting Lottery!

2007-01-14T14:24:00.000-08:00

Boy, am I a lucky knitter! Since I have no finished objects of which to speak, let me share some of the wonderful fiber related goodies I managed to get my hands on over the holidays...sometimes it's not such a bad thing if everyone think's you're fiber obsessed.

Gifts from the mother:

The Happy Hooker - I haven't done much crochet, but the patterns in this book make me want to start. I've been wanting it for a while.

One Skein and Spin to Knit - Two books on my must have list for a while.

Knitted Flowers, Exquisite Little Knits, and Victorian Lace Today - These books are pure splurge. They're for when I just want to knit something absolutely luxurious or fancy.

I am SO glad that I had these on my holiday list, I can hardly contain myself.

From the sister: Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns and Chick Knits. These weren't on my knitting wish list, but they are very cool. It was awfully sweet of my muggle sister to scour the bookstore for some good-looking knitting books. Chick Knits has some knit-worthy projects and they come on neat little project cards. The Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns will be a much appreciated reference book as time goes on. While I am not as ambitions as A Year in Stitches, I may just cast on for a few swatches. I am thinking of designing a stole and this might be the perfect guide to help me along.

And from my daddy, who loves to spoil me:

My very first EZ book, The Opinionated Knitter, the Stich'N bitch 2007 calendar (I wanted this one because I had the knitting pattern a day calendar last year and wanted something with a little more oomph...), and At Knit's End, the only Stephanie Pearl-McPhee book that I don't already own. My daddy does his homework. I have Stephanie's book by my bed. I read a few pages before I go to sleep at knit. I also really like the EZ book; I'm reading it now and dreaming of the projects I will one day knit.

As if these weren't enough, my daddy also got me this:

It's a dellaQ circular needle organizer! I love this case. It fits all of my circular needles (and I have a lot). Now, my circular needle collection is contained within this case and my Boye needle case (which, of course, holds the needles it came with). For one of my next projects, I want to knit a felted needle roll to hold all of my double pointed needles. I've seen some patterns and knit up model at this store. Oh no, gentle blogsters, my father did not stop there. You see, in order to obtain these delightful goodies for his much loved daughter, my dad went to the yarn store. And, he must've reasoned that he shouldn't go to the yarn store and not buy yarn, so my beloved father, man of my heart, BOUGHT ME YARN. And not just any yarn - good, delectable, luscious yarn. Pics to follow at a later date.

I feel like I won the knitting lottery.

Blog 2007 or Bust

2007-01-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I've been reading all of these wonderful posts about the new year and resolutions (or anti-resolutions, which are equally as good) and this prompted me to actually get off my tush and attempt to put something on this blog.

I have been a very bad blogger. I will try to improve. As I look at some of the other wonderful knitting and spinning blogs out there, I wish I had kept up with this blog. Many of you have wonderful chronicles of your knitting adventures, and I am jealous. In the latest Knitty D and the City podcast, Wendy was able to tell when she knit a certain project because she could look at her blog. Me- on the other hand - I have to go by my memory, and since I can't even seem to remember to take pictures of my FOs, this is not good.

So, let's not call this a resolution or anything, but rather I will just say that I would like to post at least once a week (day) this year. Perhaps then I'll get some readers :)

While I'm not the best poster, I am a very good blog voyeur and podcast listener. Here are some of my favs:

Knitting Blogs, etc.:

Yarn Harlot
Grumperina
See Eunny Knit
Insubordiknit
PixiePurls
Brooklyntweed
Woolflowers
The Blue Blog
January One
Knit and Tonic
Tea Leaves

Podcasts:

Cast-On (of course)
Lime-n-Violet (must listen)
Pixie Purls
Knitty D and the City
Knitwit: Rantings of a Rabid Knitter
Sticks and String

This is just a small sampling of the wonderful blogs and podcasts out there. Do you have a blog or podcast favorite (or both)? Drop me a comment and let me in on what I've been missing.

Vermont Sheep and Wool

2006-10-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Last month, I went to the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival. It was fab-u-lous!

I saw these fine creatures:

And this one:

And finally...

...this cutie pie! This shetland was sooo cute and small and friendly that I immediately had visions of sheep fairies leaving little flocks on my doorstep.

At some point, I may post a picture of the measly two skeins of yarn I purchased. However, the big haul for this adventure was...

This is a hitchhiker wheel from The Merlin Tree. It's my very first spinning wheel. YAY! I chose this wheel for several reasons: it's affordable; it's small; it's portable; it's cute, and finally, the proprietors of this small, VT company are good people. The designers of this wheel (who also happen to be the founders of the company) are both middle school teachers, like me. Check 'em out.

Of course, once I got the wheel, I went shopping for some roving. Here's what I got:

The first photo is of my confetti roving and the second two photos are of a colorway called ruby twist. I also bought a natural blend called #1 BFL that the sales person suggested would be a good choice with which to start spinning. All of the roving is from Copper Moose.

Do you spin? Drop me a comment and let me know your fiber/wheel/spindle of choice. I'd also love to know about your favorite fiber source.

Miss(knit)ing in Action

2006-10-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well....it certainly has been a while. Fall is always a busy time of year for me and I have to admit, I've been spending so much time knitting and shopping and reading all of your blogs that I haven't been keeping up with mine. So, dear readers (all two of you), please forgive me. Now: on to the show!

I've been a busy little bee toward the end of the summer and into fall. I've been working on socks for brother, made out of this:

It's Mountain Colors Bearfoot Sock Yarn in the colorway Sierra. I just love it! I got it here. I also purchased some Fleece Artist 3 ply kid silk merino from these ladies and I used it to make my clapotis. If you live in the New Jersey area, I highly recommend this shop; despite the seeming randomness of the way the website is organized, the shop is amazing and carries boatloads of luscious, hard-to-find yarn.

The socks were off to a rough start after I was too impatient to wait for my brother's actual foot measurement and started them early. You see, I over-estimated just a bit; I used the yarn harlot's formula from her latest book, but didn't take into consideration that although my brother is a tall, big-footed man, his feet are very very narrow. Hence, the sock guts:

Not to worry though...the patient survived surgery and made a full recovery. I have one completed sock and after a brief interlude (more about this in another post), am working on completing the second sock. The pair should be done very very soon.

These socks were my first attempt at several new techniques: magic loop (love it!), toe-up socks, and short-row heels (I think I prefer heel flaps). Drop me a comment and tell me about your favorite (or least favorite) sock techniques.

Clap Happy

2006-09-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

So, I've been meaning to post for a while, but, as you all know, life happens. From now on, I will try to update my blog at least once a week (just in case anyone out there in the blogosphere is actually reading). I consider this a worthy goal.

I finished Clapotis a while ago and am very pleased with my finished product. Here are some photos, with the Clap kindly modeled by the lovely Miss B.

The photos don't do this colorway justice. In "real" life, the colors are darker and much more vibrant. It's made from Fleece Artist Kid Silk 3 ply in the colorway Marine that I got from this lovely place. Now they have an online store too! The Clap is the first thing I've knit, from beginning to end, with me in mind. I love to wear it to the movies, wrap it over me, and slip my thumbs in between some of the slipped stitches to secure it. Bottom line: it was a PITA to knit, but the finished product is well worth it, especially when made with an absolutely luscious yarn like Fleece Artist.

I also finished fetching. I made these gorgeous wristwarmers out of 100% Mongolian cashmere. I sent them to my youngest brother, who is currently studying in Egypt. Way cool!

These are also modeled by the lovely Miss B. You rock!

In other news, school started last week. Since I teach, this translates into little to no knitting time. I am, however, plugging away at a pair of socks for my bro in Egypt. I also just cast on for Grumperina's Jaywalkers. I just love these and have been meaning to make some for a while. They will be MINE.............. all MINE :).

Fun-ctional and Eco-Friendly

2006-08-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

When I first read about the dream-swatch head wrap pattern on knit and tonic's blog, I thought to myself, "That's neat. And it's really pretty." However, it didn't strike me as something that I would knit. I dunno why. I think it was because its use seemed so vague - wear it around your head (or as a scarf, or as a really big wrist-band. Wear it however you want!). Then something happned - on a whim, I decided to knit it. I wanted to knit something new, kind of fun but not too hard, different, and quick. I wanted immediate satisfaction and a cool finished object. Dream swatch was perfect! I dug out the remnants of a ball of bamboo yarn I had been aching to put to good use. I'd originally got the yarn for a watch project I was putting together (which still hasn't quite gotten off the ground) and had lost the ball band long ago. No matter - with this project I could knit until I ran out of yarn and not worry too much. If the finished product didn't make it around my head, it would hopefully make it around someplace else or someone else's head.

Even more important than the finished project is what I learned from dream swatch. For the first time, I was knitting something for which I didn't have a determined use. It wasn't a bag or a sweater or a sock; it was just a long strip of cloth in a very cool pattern and a dynamite colorway. Dream swatch reminded me of how important it is to let go and just knit - the rest will work itself out. This turned out to be one of my favorite projects of the summer (so far) precisely because it was so different from what I had knit in the past. In having no specific uses, it had many general and functional uses. I ended up giving this dream swatch to a very creative friend of mine - my new coworker. It felt wonderful to be able to give her a gift that was made creatively but also could be used creatively.

I'm thinking of making another one, this time out of this gorgeous silk:

I'll keep you posted on my progress (hehehe). For those interested, you can find the dream swatch head wrap pattern on knit and tonic's website. It's available as a pdf download in the free pattern section. If you'd like to read more about the evolution of the dream swatch, knit and tonic discusses the pattern in her May 8, 2006 entry.

Confessions of a Knit-blog Voyeur

2006-07-31T12:23:00.000-07:00

It’s all my ipod’s fault. Really it is. I mean, I’ve had this blog a lot longer than I’ve had my ipod, but somehow it still makes sense to blame him – it – the ipod. I’ve always meant to post here. Yet, somehow, with all of the second-guessing and bad writing and “real” life interruptions, nothing got posted. Enter ipod – a gift from the bf. Add in podcasts. Ipod + podcasts = knit blog-a-holic. This addiction was made evident when, in one of her podcasts, Pixie mentioned bloglines. I immediately went and signed up, thus ensuring my place as a knit blog-a-holic. Only here’s the rub – until now I’ve just been indulging my voyeuristic knitting fantasies – perusing other people’s blogs (Grumperina and Eunny, you both rock!), viewing all of their hand-knitted goodness, grabbing hints, tips, ideas…free patterns. I haven’t actually contributed to the blog-o-sphere in any meaningful way (not that you’d exactly call this meaningful, but it’s a start). All this take-take-take I’ve been doing has been weighing heavily on my knitting conscience. So, I’ve decided to jump into the fray and become a full-fledged knitting blogger (whatever that means).

Oh, how I’ve dreamed of blogging about all of my lovely knit creations. In my mind I’m knitting something fabulously earthy (yet eco-friendly) like a soy-silk sweater or hemp skirt. Alas, the reality is that I buy yarn like it’s going out of style, but rarely do my nimble fingers catch up. What I’m left with is a lot of yarn (some of it fabulous, some of it wearing the “what was I thinking” label), not so many finished projects, and a hibernating blog. I’m sure you can relate.

So, help me – please! Warning – shameless plea for comments follows. Welcome me into this blog-o-sphere and keep me honest about posting. For good measure, I’ve included photos of my sock yarn stash (categorizing it makes it seem like a smaller, and thus, more reasonably sized stash).

What’s your favorite sock pattern? What's your favorite non-sock item to knit with sock yarn? Write me a comment or send me an email @ knittygirl78 at gmail dot com.