february baby sweater

pattern: baby sweater on two needles by Elizabeth Zimmermann, from Knitter’s Almanac

for: Isabelle & Patrick’s baby

yarn: grey Cotton Ease (easy to clean, hides stains relatively well)

needles: size 7 addi turbos

time: June 24 to June 27

overall: Completely rejuvinating knit for me. I’ve been spending my time with tiny stitches–too many 2.5mm stitches everywhere. Even my Clapotis is slowing to a crawl. And voila! I feel better! This was a spicy interlude, something I wanted to do for a few months now anyway, and it provided respite in my lax month of knitting. It was fast and I loved every second of it. I could set my knitting aside after an hour and actually be able to tell I was making progress.

a note on the toggles: It was important to me to make a button decision that was a slight variation on both the pattern and what other people have done. So many people have made this and the variations out there were wonderfully inspiring.  The color!  I love being surprised by people’s choices.  I figured I’d do something I hadn’t seen yet.  Toggles. I love toggles.  We haven’t known each other long enough for you to know that about me, but I love them. They’re oddly cozy and rustic, if not a little bit snazzy.

If you haven’t yet…make this sweater!  It’s fun and EZ is a must-read.  The confidence she projects to her readers is so valuable to anyone’s knitting experience.  Go for it, do what works for you.

back in the swing of things

After a brief blog hiatus, I return with very little knitting done.  My drive out west was such a big opportunity, yet despite everyone telling me how gorgeous the drive was, no one could have prepared me for just how beautiful it would be.  I was glued to the car windows, obssesing over landscapes and every hint of mountains in the distance.  Mountains!  I love them.  My heart stops a little every time Mt. Hood or St. Helens comes into view.  As a girl from the flattest regions of the midwest, they have become my new obsession.  A lifelong love, I think.
Portland has been good to me.  I am staying with friends and am completely enchanted by their kids.  Two years old and eleven months.  They are lovely and crazy, funny and the sweetest things imaginable (obviously I don’t deal with the diapered, nap-taking monsters that surely live inside them!).  They are my biggest distractions day to day.  I’d rather play monster and run around than finish a sock or two.  It’s just more fun.
I am halfway through a four-part interview process with a company out here.  I am really intimidated by their methods and the interviews are really long.  I usually interview well, and apparently still do, seeing as they asked me back for the third time.  I can’t believe there is a third time involved at all, let alone a fourth, but there are a lot of people to talk to.  I didn’t feel at my best in the second round, but it worked out okay.  It’s grueling.  I bet the FBI doesn’t have interviews this thorough.  Wish me luck this Wednesday.
What I’m working on now:
a) Finishing the last half of the final pomatomus sock.  It’s been painfully neglected, but I can’t focus enough on the pattern right now.  A little darling constantly asking, “Whatcha doin’? Hey Megan? Whatcha doin’ ???”  It’s lovely she wants to be so involved with everything, so I don’t mind.  It’s more important to talk to her than count my stitches anyhow.
b) Two Clapotis patterns going.  One mini scarf, one huge wrap.  It’s on size 5 needles and I added eight extra increases.  I don’t think it’s ever going to end.  Ever.  I’m going Clapotis crazy and need a small break.
c) Sweet Pea socks from summer Knitty.  I got new sock yarn here at Close Knit, some greenish Jitterbug that intrigued me.  I mostly started the sock just to see what the yarn looked like knitted up.  I love it.
d) February Baby Sweater from EZ for friends that are anticipating their first baby in September.  It’s been an easy knit so far.
Although I haven’t been knitting as much lately, I feel the quality of my knitting has improved.  The time I devote is exclusive.  I can count in peace, pay attention, sit on the front porch at dusk and just go for it.  It’s relaxing and I appreciate it more.  It’s a lovely change.

Happy solstice!  I hope many happy first days of summer were had.

clapotis progress

As a knitter, there was very little motivation in my projects until last year. There were scarves and other shining examples of knit-purl rows, and this went on for years. I was a boring, beginning knitter for six years. Then something happened. I wanted more. I wanted to make a shawl, and then another, and then all of a sudden, a hat worked it’s way across my needles. I loved circular knitting. I read books like a crazy woman and taught myself new stitches. I copied patterns out of library books that were way over my head. I didn’t care. I’d figure it out. Knitting websites and blogs began to monopolize all the time I spent on the computer (which was fine), and I loved that I found all these people who understood it was perfectly fine to shush your husband while counting stitches. They were like me and it was fantastic. So because of this late-blooming evolution in personal knitting, I am knitting Clapotis. I would have done it sooner, but I wasn’t here yet. It’s enjoyable and easy and I’m happy to have jumped on the bandwagon. And while many, many knitters before me have slipped and twisted these stitches, I may be the first who has spoken of Clapotis without a shudder-worthy pun.

I am getting a surprising amount of knitting done, in between setting up interviews with jobs that I am completely underqualified for (someone offered me a marketing position at a mortgage company…???)  and deciding which shoes I can live without for 4 months (um, none).  I finished my first pomatomus sock and am nearly 1/3 of the way through a full-sized Clapotis.  Another three increases and I’ll be in the dropped stitch straight rows.  My memory card corrupted on me today as I started to take photos, so it will be a few days before I get new ones up.  I really don’t know how that sort of thing happens, but it did.  Thank god it wasn’t my camera. 

Six days left in Illinois.  So nervous and excited.

mini clapotis

I’ve grown bored of my Branching Out scarf. It’s gone now and I’m using the yarn for the best purpose ever…my mom’s mother’s day present. I’m seeing her next weekend and so I have an extra week to complete this. I think the mini version will suit her best, and the gorgeous 100% silk is pretty mom-worthy, don’t you think? I dropped down a needle size from what I used in the swatch and I’m very happy with it so far. I did a Lorna’s Laces order earlier this week and got some Shepherd sport for a full-size Clapotis for myself. Apparently I have a theme this week. Lorna’s Laces and Clapotis. It’s a really fun week.

race to the finish

I’m so in love with my Pomatomus sock, it’s not even funny. On the other hand, I hate my Jaywalker sock even more. Specifically, I hate the yarn. It’s really cute in small batches (like the first two inches of this sock), but it’s too fussy for me. The sock pattern is lovely, though–sturdy and very easy to memorize. I think I would prefer them in a solid color. I have some Lorna’s Shepherd Sock in Harvest en route to my house, originally intended for a pair of opera gloves, but I think I’ll make another pair of Jaywalkers with it instead. Or maybe some red-ish Trekking I’ve had my eye on, though maybe I need a break from stripes.

I’m really looking forward to my trip to New York next weekend (a very nice birthday present from my mom). I need a little break and change of scenery to clear my head. My poor little head is feeling stuffed and disoriented from all the pre-move agendas and never-ending lists. Once I return, I have a week and a half before driving out to Portland! That’s another fun vacation in itself. My sister Kelly is driving out with me, which means a week of camping and midwestern sight-seeing. Oh, and 2,000 miles to cover. We don’t have a specific date we need to be there, so it’s two gals and the open road. And hopefully some coffee in there somewhere. Lots of coffee.

pomatomus begins

I have been a crazy sock knitter lately. The portability of them is appealing, as I am tying up loose ends and running around everywhere. In my many errands, I stopped by Nina and aquired 2 skeins of Lorna’s Laces shepard sock in Motherlode. They pretty much insisted on their own that they must immediately be turned into a pair of Pomatomus socks. I dropped the Jaywalkers (about 1/2 of one sock done) and started these yesterday. Contrary to popular opinion, they knit up quickly and are pretty easy. The pattern is well-written and easy to follow–so far anyway. I love how quickly the pattern appeared, making me want to knit faster and faster because I can’t wait to wear them. That’s the sign of a good knit, eh? The yarn is richly colored and, honestly, intoxicating. I love it all together. Hopefully they will be done soon! These will officially be my first pair of completed socks, provided I don’t get sucked into another pattern and lovelier yarn. Nah, not possible.  That doesn’t sound like me at all…

bunny

Today I just wanted to make something fun. Nothing fancy, just plain cute.

pattern: bunny by Jess Hutchinson

yarn: sugar ‘n cream cotton yarn

needles: size 8 bamboo

time: One day, for a few hours at a time (as always, while watching movies)

overall: So cute! The pattern is just for the bunny, but I incorporated a dress, similar to another doll Jess Hutchinson had made. The bunny on it’s own is great and very simple to whip up, but sometimes you just need to make a lady bunny. Yep.

Happy weekend!

first sock

Alright, so here it is. It’s my first sock. I’m not entirely finished with it, but I don’t care. The yarn is too thin for this gauge and I didn’t wrap the heel stitches. The pattern didn’t call for it, but I know better, so this sock isn’t going any further. I am going to use this very cute yarn to make Jaywalker socks instead.

I’m sorry if all this has made me cranky. This sock is stupid. I’m also cranky about Photobucket. Apparently I no longer have an account with them. My photos are still being hosted, but according to the assholes in charge, I just don’t have an account anymore. Which means that I have to fucking organize my Flickr account (which I don’t want to do right now) because it will be looked at. Photobucket was easy for Myspace and photos I didn’t really want to catalog and commit to. I’ve been wanting to organize my photos for years now, but all the wedding photos last year took precedence. I put together albums for our parents and for us and it was crazy time consuming. Now I’ll do it digitally. In the meantime, please ignore my unorganized photos and enjoy the existing sets and collections. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have everything organized.

The end.

Oh, and fuck you Photobucket. I always thought you had a stupid name.

Bainbridge Scarf

Easy as pie! And just as good! 

yarn: pale blue cotton ric-rac-esque yarn, terribly soft and purchased in a bargain bin in a town attic sale in France two years ago.  Maker unknown, yardage unknown. 

needles: #5 16″ circular

pattern: Bainbridge Scarf by Pepperknit

time: A couple of evening hours here and there, over three days.  The broken rib stitch is something you can do in your sleep.  You can even do it watching a movie you enjoy and want to pay attention to.

overall: Cute, doesn’t take a lot of time, perfect paired with a light jacket.  Mine, being cotton, stretched out a bit upon wearing.  I may try shrinking it.  I’m mildly allergic to wool, so I avoid it where possible.  Those of you who aren’t should try a wool blend for more structure.

I love beautiful yarn

I’ve been sitting on two hanks of Artyarns Regal Silk, deciding what should become of it.  It’s this gorgeous hand-painted saffron and lilac colorway.  I tried varieties of stitches out and this yarn falls flat with anything basic.  The Branching Out scarf from Knitty 2005 was the winner.  It’s a lovely lace pattern that’s easy to work with and gratifying as you go.  It’s dense enough to show off the yarn, yet open enough to flatter the pattern.  Everyone wins!  I can’t wait to block it and see the finished result.  Only 22 repeats to go…

When in doubt, make a dishcloth

Well, I’ve had a pretty busy couple of days.  I’m finalizing our plans for Portland and making all sorts of lists.  I’m also getting back into my sewing groove…nothing major, just fixing some clothes.  It’s been nice to feel the pedal beneath my foot again.  

I have a few knitting projects going, but have been on a dishcloth bender for the past two days.  There never seems to be an explaination for the desire to make dishcloths.  Perhaps I need to make something immediately useful?  The ballband dishcloth, of Mason-Dixon fame, has a particularly addictive quality with it’s easy to memorize pattern.  I’m picking up the Bainbridge scarf to finish tonight and will maybe have time to start a pair of socks.  Last week, my husband came home from a thrift store with some cool sock yarn.  He works down the street from a thrift store and very sweetly checks there for yarn or fabric.  It’s pretty hit or miss with the yarn, but so thoughtful and I wind up with good stuff.  Like this sock yarn.  It looks like it will be a Fair Isle pattern, but that’s part of the surprise of thrifted yarn.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

Beaufort Hat

I love making hats.  I just do.  My winter hat got a bit frayed this year, so I decided to make a new one for next year.  I wanted it to be a little lighter, mostly because Portland winter is non-existent compared to Chicago death-snow.  I made the hat in large, but because I used 100% cotton yarn, I wish I had gone down a size.  It is just a bit loose.  I gently steam blocked it to open up the stitches a bit, but may try cold blocking it to improve the shape.  I really love the feel of this cotton, but I think I’d recommend using a less substantial yarn to show off the stitches more.  They get a bit lost in the thickness.  All in all, I’m happy with the outcome. 

yarn: approx. 100 yards Blue Sky Cotton in #622 pumpkin

needles: size 8 circular, 16 inch

pattern: Beaufort by Angela Hahn

time: one evening watching Lost and a few hours the next morning

stripey hand warmers

This is a really good project for leftover yarn.  A friend of mine had made this basic pattern a few years ago and rather than using a solid color like she did, I chose to use a variety of colors.   Although it’s really, really basic, I always enjoy making things with my friends.

yarn: 5 assorted colors and textures, nothing too bulky.  Because I was using odds and ends, I didn’t really measure out how much I was using. 

needles: size 7 rosewood

Cast on 30 stitches, then work a random pattern in stockinette stitch (try random stripe generator, it’s really fun).  Continue until piece measures 7 inches, or more if you desire a longer look.  My friend Amber made some really fun elbow-length warmers, a good way to spice up 3/4 length sleeves in the winter.  Cast off, leaving an 8-inch tail.  Fold the completed piece in half.  You will begin to stitch the sides together using a darning needle and extra  yarn.  Use the 8-inch tail to stitch the top 1.5 inches together.  Then begin stitching the opposite end.  You will stitch 4 inches in toward the middle, leaving a 1.5 thumb hole.  

overall: Super easy project, knits up fast, fun to wear. I think if I were to make these again, I would knit in the round.