Spring Cleaning March 29, 2007

It’s been one of those unusually warm early spring weeks around here, so, for some strange reason, the idea of playing with wool sock yarn hasn’t sounded all that appealing lately. I love this time of year when everything comes back to life. The cherry trees are blooming and so pretty. Though the only cherry trees anybody ever thinks about in Washington are the ones by the Tidal Basin, they’re actually everywhere. Here are a couple right outside out building. They’re practically glowing in the sun.

The pool behind them was just uncovered the other day. What you can’t really see is that it is in dire need of a good cleaning. Which our apartment does as well. A few times a year, we actually get around to really straightening this place up and decluttering. I’m a vicious declutterer. If I don’t use it or wear it, it goes. Goodwill loves me. This might all have something do with not having lived in anything larger than 660 square feet in the last 8 years, but I really can’t stand clutter. I’m a very organized person and having everything piled up makes me crazy. We’re also in the process of buying a house (though we currently have the world’s least helpful realtor–a whole other story), so the realization that we’ll be packing all this stuff up makes me realize that some of it should go.

Enter the yarn. By most standards, my yarn accumulation would be quite small. But it no longer fits in its two boxes + this nifty thing I got at the container store to hold yarn while traveling for work for 5 months. (yarn stash in a hotel room–I think that takes me to a whole new level of craziness)

You’ll notice that it’s bursting at the seams and there’s yarn piled on top because it won’t fit inside. It’s time for an intervention. Or for me to make more things. I think I’ll go with option number two. Right now, though, I’m going to have to do something about my pile ‘o current projects in the living room.

It’s driving us both crazy.

Drat March 26, 2007

I’m so mad at myself. I ordered some more Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in a really pretty purple color called blackberry. In my haste to see my pretty new yarn, I ripped open the package…with scissors. And cut the yarn! On both skeins!

I think I cut 5 strands on this one. The other one, thankfully, was only one. I know, I know, it was just a few strands. But I’m still so annoyed with myself. I should have known better. It will be interesting to see where the breaks fall when I wind it into a ball.

Favorites, part I March 22, 2007

I’ve posted a lot lately about things I’ve made and haven’t liked. Believe it or not, I do periodically manage to make things and not immediately destroy them, even for myself! Amazingly, I even have enough examples to stretch out over a couple posts. We’ll start with scarves and the like:

- My first attempt at felting. The pattern is the Carried-Away Felted Bag from Simple Knits for Sophisticated Living. The yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride. It really doesn’t look anything like the one in the book, but I like my version better. It took absolutely forever to dry.

- The one and only thing I’ve ever made with ribbon yarn. The pattern was a modified version of the ribbon yarn scarf in Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation. This was actually the first thing I’d made that I ever wore. Since the temperature in my office is kept at a constant 35 degrees, I wear it indoors all the time.

- One of those rare times when you find a fun yarn in the bargain bin and know exactly what you’ll do with it. And it works. The pattern was my own (but it’s just your standard diagonal scarf). The yarn was Rowan Plaid. Love the yarn.

- Incredibly soft cable knit hat. The pattern is my own, the yarn is RYC Cashsoft DK. I was especially happy with the way the decreases at the top worked with the cables. The entire hat was knitted while I was stuck in the middle section of one of those big planes intended for international flights. Only I was on my way to Washington state in January. Hence, the need for a hat.

- W’s fingerless gloves. Pattern is a modified version of Knucks. The yarn is Karabella Aurora 8. We’re doing our own version of “gloves around the world.” Here they are in Paris. (Okay, it’s not a very good picture. But it’s cool.) The best part–he actually wears them on a regular basis.

- A yummy alpaca + mohair combination scarf. The pattern is Misty Garden from Scarf Style. The yarn is a combination of Blue Sky Alpacas 100% Alpaca and Rowan Kidsilk Spray. So soft. Made for my mother last year to replace a colorblock garter stitch scarf–the first thing I ever made–that she was still wearing. Looking at the garter stitch scarf now, I’m actually surprised at how good it looks, but I used unfortunate yarn and hadn’t yet gotten the hang of weaving in the ends, so they have since come undone and are now sticking out at each color change. Sadly, I was in such a hurry to give her the new one that I didn’t take a picture.

Sock Detour March 20, 2007

I finally finished the first of the rpm socks. I like the pattern. However, I don’t really like the way the yarn turned out, so this one is destined to be “deknitted.”

The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in the Knit Happens colorway (yes, named for the shop). It’s a fun pink and green color, but the stripes are thin, so it doesn’t turn out to look too good on something as wide as a sock. I’m particularly unhappy with the way the green seems to disappear and the whole thing ends up looking like some weird muddled pink color. And it pools in strange ways on the foot. I wish the stripes had turned out more the way that they did on the heel flap:

I had intended to rewrite the pattern as a top-down sock when the first one was done, but now I think I’m going to wait and make this pattern with a yarn with wider stripes.

I had already started on a toe that sort of mimicked the diagonal pattern in the rpm sock, and I’m really happy with how it turned out:

I think I’ll design a completely new sock around this toe. I’ve found some interesting patterns I want to try, so I’ve got quite a bit of swatching to do.

so close March 18, 2007

My work on the striped cardigan is done…well, at least until I get more yarn. I parked myself on the couch yesterday and got the neckband and one of the buttonbands done before I ran out of yarn.

I didn’t really expect to have enough to finish the whole thing, but I was hoping. Not so much. Here’s what’s left:

Guess I’ll be ordering another ball today. If I were smart, I’d use this as an opportunity to weave in all those ends and find some buttons. But I probably won’t.

Weaving in ends ranks right up there with seaming in the Things I’ll Go Out Of My Way To Avoid category. I admit I was really bad at it until I read this article on Knitty. Works like a charm. But it still involves a yarn needle. My craftiness does not extend past knitting, and it most definitely does not include sewing. My Mother the Master Sewer has taught me several times, and there exists somewhere in my old room evidence of these attempts–mainly a few weird tie-up box things I made.

I’ll never be a sewer and will probably never stop trying to avoid all things involved in finishing. Fortunately for me, on the rare occasion that I want something sewn, she’s always willing to make it. Such as: my needle case. I adore it. She made it for me a few years ago from the pattern in the first Stitch ‘N Bitch book. I’m the one to blame for the fabric choice, which might be a bit much for some, but I think it’s adorable.

I keep all my straight needles in it. And it’s pretty to boot. The only caveat about the pattern is that either it told me to buy too much of each fabric or I screwed it up somehow, but Mom ended up with way too much fabric. This seems to be a trend in my projects.

Speaking of Mom, happy birthday tomorrow!

Underwhelmed March 16, 2007

Despite having never been moved to buy an issue while browsing in a bookstore (definitely unusual), a couple months ago, I fell for Vogue Knitting’s cheap offer and subscribed. I finally got my first issue the other day. (why do knitting magazine take forever to mail?)

I must say that I wasn’t all that impressed. For one thing, there was very little actual knitting in it. And the way the knitting content was displayed really bugged me. Maybe I’m just terribly unsophisticated (a distinct possibility). Maybe I’m too used to Interweave Knits, which I like.

But the patterns just totally did it in for me. At the risk of appearing to try (and fail mightily, I’m just not that bitingly witty) to emulate the sadly defunct You Knit What??, here are a couple of the worst offenders, in my opinion. Seriously, what were these people thinking?

It’s the white hand of Saruman! On a sweater! What the heck? I cannot see a single male I know–I’ll even go out on a limb and say ever met–wearing that sweater. This is why there’s a boyfriend curse.

Just what I’ve always wanted–a see-through knitted dress. Perfect work attire. It doesn’t come across all that well in the picture, but the whole thing is open work crochet. And the holes aren’t small–and bigger on top. Just what you want to show off.

There was one thing that caught my eye–the adorable t-shirts from a company called Knitiot. Wish I’d thought of that name. No, I do not get royalties.

Oh, and should you ever find yourself in Greece searching for a yarn store, I have you covered. It’s in Athens. You’re on your own for translating the address:

How I Discovered Gauge Matters March 14, 2007

For the first few, oh, years, after I started knitting, I had a tendency to completely skip the whole making of the swatch when starting a new project. With all the scarves and the like that new knitters tend to make, the point that gauge matters isn’t usually driven home. Or at least it wasn’t with me.

But I learned.

Specifically, some cotton-acrylic blend yarn of unknown manufacturer taught me. Out of this yarn, I set out to make a sweater for myself as well as one for my college roommate Jenny’s (then) recently arrived baby. (He’s now 4 1/2. Wow, how time flies.) These weren’t the first sweaters I’d made, but apparently I had previously always lucked out in the gauge department and the sweaters had turned out fine. Not so much this time.

take 1

First up was the sweater for me. The pattern was for a simple raglan turtleneck sweater from the yarn’s label.

I think it was the first time I had done fully-fashioned seams, and, if the number of close-up pictures I took were any indication, I was so pleased with how they looked. When posed on the floor for pictures, the sweater looked great–cozy and exactly how I’d pictured it.

Then I put it on.

Just a bit bigger than I had planned. (Those are pajama pants, by the way. I don’t routinely walk around in public wearing yellow pants with clocks on them. But I do, it seems, post pictures of myself wearing them on the internet. Hmm.) Thinking that it might shrink, I washed and dried in on the hottest settings. No such luck. Thankfully, my mother-in-law graciously pretended to want a giant turtleneck sweater and added it to her sweater collection.

take 2

Undetered, I moved on to the baby sweater. The pattern was a roll-neck drop-shoulder baby sweater. Either I was completely in denial and thought it would turn out differently than the giant turtleneck, or, seeing as I had no babies handy to try it on, I really just had no concept of sizing of children’s clothing (or both).

I cruised right along. I do seem to recall the arm, when made with the number of decreases specified in the pattern, being several inches too long, but I apparently didn’t give much thought as to why that might be the case and simply shortened the arm to the pattern’s measurements. I finished it up and sent it off.

Doesn’t look too huge on the couch. But pictures can lie. Jenny’s thank you note was so very sweet, pointing out that it was just a tad too big and promising she’d send pictures once he’d grown into it.

That took 4 1/2 years. Just last month, Jenny sent the pictures.

Aren’t they cuties?

Did you make the burgundy sweater as well, you might ask. Why, yes, I did. And you’ll notice that it actually fits a baby. I’ve gotten better with the whole sizing thing. That sweater is actually one of my favorite baby sweaters I’ve made. More to come later on that one.

Seaming is Done! March 12, 2007

I actually checked off part of #1 on my to do list–I finished seaming the striped cardigan! It’s sad how happy having this out of the way makes me.

It has sleeves!

I love how the stripe pattern turned out.

The pattern’s technique for minimizing ends to weave in worked beautifully…until the decreases for the armholes began.

Doesn’t that look like fun? At least it’s not a scarf or something where working in the ends has to be pretty.

Now the nail biting begins. As I posted a few weeks ago, I bought the amount of yarn recommended by the pattern, only to end up with too much of the stripe colors and not enough of the brown that ties it all together. Which is also the color I need for the button band and neck. I seamed with one of the other colors, so here’s what I have left of the brown:

The burgundy is a full-sized ball for comparison. Hmm, not looking too promising.

Well, I guess if I am forced to acquire more yarn, I could do much worse than Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran.

It’s All About the Process March 11, 2007

Before I can cast on for anything new, I’m forcing myself to finish up all the projects that have been limping along half-finished. What I have on my agenda:

• must finish seaming the striped cardigan, then do the finishing. Seaming requires a great amount of willpower from me. But if I don’t get it done soon, I won’t be able to wear it until next winter!

• do the legs on a half-finished Bubby. Baby was born. Needs to be gifted.

• I, too, got caught up in the Mason-Dixon Knitting* warshrag craze. I made one and decided to do a matching disthtowel. It’s about half done, and hasn’t been touched in 5 months. The yarn was so cheap that I bought it in cones–three of them, to be exact. So far, the warshrag and dishtowel are the only things I’ve made out of it. I have enough yarn left over to make approximately 435 more.

• finish toe on rpm sock and rewrite the pattern to be toe-up. I like the flap heel but really prefer to do socks toe-up (a la widdershins). This is my car knitting (while W is driving, of course!). I’ve done one according to the pattern. Well, almost. I’m making these with Lorna’s Laces shepherd sock, and I had to redo the pattern for my smaller gauge. I’m not sure I like the way it fits, and it’s pooling in really weird ways. I think I’ll retry it toe-up and then assess.

• do finishing on the via diagonale bag. This is my airplane knitting. It’s perfect–done on size 6 circular needles, only two colors, looks complicated enough to be impressive while actually being really easy. I started it in 2005 and finished it according to the pattern. Thought it was too big, so ripped it apart. Remade it smaller. Now it needs the dreaded finishing.

You may have noticed that I’m not all that concerned about actually finishing things I make. It’s more about the process for me. I really enjoy making things but don’t really care if I have anything to show for it in the end. When I was younger, I never understood how my mom could read cookbooks just to see how the recipes were set up. Now I do the same thing with knitting patterns.

In theory, I could just keep reusing the same few skeins of yarn by making things, tearing them apart and then making something else with the same yarn. (and then I wouldn’t have to seam anything…maybe it’s not such a bad idea) But I have way too much yarn in my stash for that to work. And that would be boring.

The vast majority of things I’ve made and not torn apart have been destined for other people. Lest you think that I’m inundating my poor unsuspecting family and friends with knitted items, they are usually made by request. Things I make for other people tend to turn out quite well. And they actually wear/use them! For myself, on the other hand, I almost never like how my FOs turn out. The solution would seem to be that I keep making things for other people. I can live with that.

* I did a google search on “mason dixon” to find the M-D link. No reference to knitting in the search terms. Guess what the first link that comes up is? Not references to the Mason-Dixon line–Mason-Dixon Knitting! The power of blogging knitters!

Hold this thread as I walk away… March 8, 2007

Another sweater fell victim to my tendency to complete things and then tear them apart. It set out to be Kyoto. And initially it was, same colors and everything. Fresh on the heels of actually finishing, NOT tearing apart and even wearing the Sunrise Circle Jacket, I flew along on this one. Optimistically, I wove in the ends. And then decided it was not to be.

But instead of just tearing the whole thing apart, I thought I might like it better without the pink sash. So I redid it in green. I got all the way to the bottom band of white, about 3 rows from binding off, and tried it on again. It still looked awful on me. As a result, this is the demise of Kyoto over the last few days.

Before:

going…going…

Gone.

I think the sweater’s downfall may have been the yarn. I had a ton of Karabella Aurora 8 in the green, so it seemed to be perfect. Not so much. I think this may be my next victim:

It’s the first sweater I ever made for myself. Ever since, it’s been sitting on top of a dresser. Love the color, but I don’t particularly like the way it fits.

It, too, is made of Karabella Aurora 8. Coincidence? Perhaps not.

I think this yarn is not to be with actual items of clothing for me. Mittens, scarves, hats? Yes. Sweaters? No, unless it’s for somebody else. Now, what to do with all the green yarn?