Yarn Wars

So my laptop broke (fortunately it was just Windows, and I was able to reinstall and fix it) and I was sick and filled with snot so I couldn't sleep.  So then I decided to reorganize my yarn.  For the longest time I'd been good about keep everything in gallon zip lock backs in a storage bin so they couldn't mate with each other.

 (This is what happens when you DON'T use such methods.)

However as of late I'd gotten lazy and just started tossing balls of yarn on top of the heap.  So I figured since I was bored and couldn't sleep (snot would drown me) I'd organize the yarns again. 

After I'd pulled things out of the bin, I could truly see how bad it was getting.

As you can see, my cat was trying to help, by jumping on and wrapping around her any skeins I was trying to wrap up again.  In the mean time I did win force the yarn into submission.

Mischief Managed.

Colorwork Bishes!

So I've long been a "color work is for horrible reindeer sweaters" type of person.  However after being guilted into making a whopping pair of four pairs of Tardis Socks (and eventually a fifth, because I'm a glutton for punishment so I offered someone to make yet another pair). 

I girded my loins (ok knitting needles) and gave it a go.  Within an hour I could knit with two hands (eg one hand Continental and the other US style) and had pretty colors!  That didn't look horrid or like a reindeer!  (Also knitting w/ two hands at the same time makes me feel like a rocket scientist.  I'm easily impressed with myself apparently).

Cable On the Side Mittens Review

This is a review of Maggie Menzel's Cable on the Side Mittens.

This is the second pair of mittens I've knitted and I must say these are, in my limited opinion, wonderful.  I'm much more likely to knit a pair of fingerless gloves than mittens, so I was a bit intimidated by the top of the mittens and finishing off the thumb.  The pattern is incredibly clear, and even for a relatively newbie, (to mittens at least) such as myself, after reading the actual pattern I felt much better about it.  The nice thing about these mitts is that they look far more complicated than they are to knit. 

It took me about 5 hours over three days to knit the first mitten (I will admit the mid portion gets tedious because of the relative simplicity and repetition of the pattern. I kept cheating on the mitten with other projects.) but was great for quick cast off gratification. 

Finally publishing patterns

So for every pattern I have on needles written by someone who knows what they're doing (eg not me) I have 2 to 3 that are monsters I'm creating.  A full fifty percent get frogged, or put into back of the closet banishment, but a decent amount turn out cute stuff.  However I generally suck at documenting what I'm doing while knitting, and have several different things going at once.  So I'm making a concerted effort to actually post and share the things I've done. 

On the one hand being honest I've only been knitting about two years, and quite honestly every time I think I know what I'm doing I make some insanely ridiculous mistake that humbles me.  (I suspect I will be knitting for 40 years and still have that happen, but still.)  I tend to lean towards not learning proper ways to do things if they look scary (read : any effort on my part at all) and frankenknitting things to at best, strange result.  On the other hand I find that because I don't know how to do things correctly sometimes I stumble upon pay dirt and a way of doing things that other people either haven't tried, or haven't executed.

The first of these things is may Wavy Crockett Shawl.  It's a crescent shawl that doesn't use short rows and is done from left to right.  I'm honestly still working with the shaping to perfect the curve, but if you want something a little different, but easy as pie, this should work for you.

Wavy Crockett Shawl Pattern

Cast on 15 stitches.  Knit one, place marker. 

There are two parts to this shawl, the part before and after the marker.  The part after the marker will be the chart below.  On rows where there is a * on the chart you will make one before the marker on the second stitch of the row by knitting front and back of the second stitch at the beginning of the row.  (The exception is the first increase will be done in the only stitch before the marker.)  For example, on row 9, after you finish purling across from row eight, you will turn your work, knit one, knit front and back of the second stitch, and knit till the marker, slip the marker and continue the chart.

Once you have increased to 30 stitches before the marker knit 3 chart repeats without increases before the marker. 

Now the * rows will mark decreases rather than increases.  So again, you would purl to the end of your row, turn your work, knit one, knit two together, knit to the marker, slip the marker and continue in chart.  Once you are down to one stitch before the marker you will finish the pattern (should end at the same time the end of the chart repeat) and then knit the next row.  You will bind off loosely the following row. 

Note:  for making 5 stitches (shown on the chart as MMMMM, written as "make 5") you will knit into the bar between the next stitch and your current stitch, yarn over, knit, yarn over and knit.  This will create 5 new stitches.

 UNCHARTED LACE PATTERN
* 1)  k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k, yo, k2tog, yo, k2
   2)  yo, p2tog, purl to end
   3)  k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2
   4)  yo, p2tog, purl to end
* 5)  k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, make 5, k2tog, k, yo, k2tog, yo, k2
   6)  yo, p2tog, purl to end
   7)  k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, k2
   8)  yo, p2tog, purl to end
* 9)  k3, yo, k2tog, yo, slip slip k psso, k, yo, k2tog, k, k2tog, k, k2tog, k, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2
   10)  yo, p2tog, purl to end
   11)  k3, yo, k2tog, yo, slip slip k psso, yo, k2tog, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2tog, yo k2tog, yo, k2tog, k
   12)  yo, p2tog, purl to end
* 13)  k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k, yo, k2tog, k, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k
   14) yo, p2tog, p3, p2tog, p, p2tog, purl to end
   15)  k3, (yo, k2tog) x6, k1
   16)  yo, p2tog, purl to end
* 17)  k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k
   18)  yo, p2tog, p, p2tog, purl to end

I Hate Nupps Like They Called Me Fat

So I just finished the Echo Flower Shawl.  I was blitzing through it (I did the shawlette version) and then got to the part where the nupps were involved.  And then things ground to a halt. 

According to the interwebs, "A 'nupp' is a small 'bobble' made out of one stitch for a small flower. To make one, you knit a stitch, do not take it off the left hand needle; and then follow the sequence *yo; k1* into the same stitch as many times as desired. On the next row all the nupp stitches are knit or purled together."

According to me nupps are something that was created by the devil.  Bascially you go along and birds are singing and you start the front part of the nupp, no big.  Just a few extra stitches in one stitch.  Then you get to the purl row.  And then the crying starts.  And shortly after that the cursing.  Because those 7 or so extra loops that you've added in that one stitch?  Are smashed together.  And getting a needle through them to purl?  Is nigh impossible. 

I tried w/ a crochet hook.  I tried w/ a smaller needle.  Eventually I was able to get through that purl row (only taking - literally - about 5 times as long as it would w/ out nupps).  So I figured I'd do the loops much looser this time.  Same thing happened somehow.  I manage to mush everything back again.  I finally figured out how to get them to work, using this video but it was too little too late.  They still ended up looking manky and I cursed them every step of the way. 

So nupps?  Can just piss off.

Wool and I have decided to just be friends...

So wool and I just had our first big fight.  You see, I have been knitting shawls and wraps using sock yarn.  And throwing them in the washing machine to loosen up the yarn has been A OK.  I pin them and block them as normal, (I don't put wool in the dryer... I'm not a philistine.) no problem.  However I got some Bamboo and Ewe from the lovely people at Stitch and Bitch Nation and decided to do a shawl in DK weight.  (Idea gotten from 198 Yards of Heaven). 

I finished the shawl rather quickly (yay DK weight!) and threw in to washer as usual.  About 10 minutes later I pulled out a ball of fuzz.  Apparently wool does this thing called "felting" otherwise known as "making me cry."  Having cut my teeth on acrylic (which is totally besties with the washer AND the dryer) this was a rather unexpected result.

I cannot possibly start gifting family in cold climates things made out of ornery and difficult.  And while I personally LOVE wool and am willing to work for it's love, it's going to have to be for things I make for only myself.  I know superwash will resolve this but since I have PILES of supercry wool laying around I cannot justify replacing it all.  So in the mean time, wool and I are still hanging out, but I'm sad to say the love affair is over.

Blasphemy!!!

Ok so I realize this is going to end up w/ people w/ knitted pitchforks and torches outside my blog, but I officially HATE top down socks.  I decided to knit an easy pair Earl Grey from the amazing Yarn Harlot but it kinda blew goats doing the pattern.** I was really happy starting out, the cuff flew by, but when I got to the heel everything went off the rails.  I did manage to succesfully execute the sock and will be finishing the pair.  But arg.  The heel was all fiddly and guesswork and using magic 8 ball.  (Should I decrease here?  Outlook fuzzy.  Ask again later.)  And then I don't know if this is my fail or what, but the toes from where I had to graft together have an annoying ridge.  I hate the idea of re-engineering patterns for top down socks to toe up, but it's so much easier at this point than having to break out calculus to get a heel right.  (I use Priscilla Wild's short row heel for my toe ups and I can basically turn off my brain and I always get the exact right number of stitches.  It's pretty much magic.)

** Note the pattern was great, the socks turned out lovely.  Just not going to be getting on board the whole top down thing any time in the near ever.

Cuff Down Socks

So now that I've mastered toe up socks (read : they feet on people feet.  mostly.) I've decided to start trying cuff down socks.  On the one hand I much prefer the entire idea behind toe up (go as long as you want, no running out of yarn, no grafting or kitchner stitch) however I feel the need to learn to do the stupid things.  One I tend to jump up and down and say I'll never "x" then do "x" all the time later.  The next issue is a lot of amazing sock patterns are top down, and rejiggering them is a pain.  So I'm about 3/5 done with a cuff, of course I know the nightmare starts when the heel comes.  We shall see...

Damn Ewe!

So I'm seeing even more of a shift towards natural fibers in my buying habits.  I've started doing a circular shawl in a bamboo / ewe mix (so stretchy!  lurve that!), and found myself today buying a skein of Bamboo Ewe from Debbie Stoller "just to try out."  On the one hand I do still love me some acylic (Caron Simply Soft lives in a special part of my heart), it's easy to wash, less expensive and has a gazillion colors.  My main issue is outside of sock yarn, it's mostly DK weight and heavier.  It's muuuch eaiser to find lighter wieght yarns made of natural fibers.  Also the self striping sock yarn is good for socks, not so much other projects, I think it tends to look a bit wonky even in shawls and scarves.  However I'm still working on a passel of stuff for family in Missouri, so easy wash thicker yarn has a large part of my stash.  But if they come out with more colorways of Bamboo Ewe, there's going to be trouble...

Un-named Unvented Toe Up Sock Cast On

Step One
 Pull out your trusty crochet hook.  I use a medium small one, size F (3.75MM).  Size isn't massively important but nothing huge or tiny.

Step Two
  Using the yarn you're going to use for your sock (there is no waste yarn in this cast on) chain 1/4 of the total number of sock stitches you will need plus one.  (EG for 60 stitches total in the sock you will cast on 15 +1 = 16).

Step Three
  Using the loops on the right side (rather than the bumps on the back as most crochet related cast ons use) pick up and knit (knit up) 15 stitches.  (The chain should look like this (|) You will pick up on one of ( to knit into.

Step Four
  Using another needle, pick up and knit the loops on the other side of the chain, to 15 stitches. 

Step Five
Knit one row across on each needle.  Then you can start your normal toe increases.

Cat Religion

Ok so apparently I "unvented" a toe up cast on method.  Woots me.  Will post instructions and pictures later today.  To me it's much easier than the Magic Loop method, but of course I'd say that since it was basically my idea.  Also once I finish the second sock in this set I'll be posting a pattern for some socks.  No on to whining about work. 

I do internet tech support for a medium big name ISP.

Customer : I can’t go online.
(we do troubleshooting)
Me : Can you see if you can go online now?
Customer : How do I go online?
Me : Your password is sdfk111.
Customer : Is the 1 caps locks?

Also I’ve learned to never ever ask what website a customer is having problems downloading from. Because he will be 900 years old and he will say playboy.

Then there was this gem:

“The last tech that went out stole the 42 karat gold cross from around my cats neck.”
A) Really!??!
B) How do you even know your cat's religion?  What if it's hindu?
C) REALLY?!

Yarn Porn

So it's getting a bit unsettling in my head as of late.  I spend my time reading knitting books, while knitting, and surfing the internet looking at yarn.  And then head to ravelry so I can talk about all of the above.  I'd almost feel more normal if it was actually pron...  Some days are worsted than others.

Knit 1 billion squillion rows of stockinette... Then some more

So I started a Garnstudio pattern (a lovely yoked cardigan) in the desire to learn to do bottom up raglan as part of my Learn to Knit, not to Ghetto Yarn Together self improvement project.  And thus far there is no freaking way I'm not finishing this damn sweater.  I'm knitting it on US 2s (even on the beautiful Addi 40" circular it's still quite painful) and let me just say, 150 stitches of stockinette for 33 cm?  Is horrible.  I will finish this thing if it kills both of us.  There will be a Chair of Knitting a Damn Yoke Studies created for me because I will beat this thing into the ground.  I will wear it every other day because nothing that takes this much boring time should not be pwned.

I'm pretty sure I'm the dictionary definition of a product knitter.  I fly through things to finish them.  And the "them" in question is usually something that if it requires anything past casting off (and I do mean anything.  Ask me how many socks I have with a tail due to an unwoven end.) I blow through it or don't.  What this means is I have a pile of things in my closet that look like my cat was in charge of sewing them together.  Kitchner and mattress stitching take forever!  I don't want to have to weave through all of the stitches (horror of horrors sometimes multiple times).  It'll be much faster to just turn it inside out and use a tapestry needle to work through the back of every few stitches.  And it is much faster.  In no time at all I'll have beautifully knitted (my actually knitting itself is actually pretty solid, I've even managed to make my stockinette squares almost have no curling by over tightening on the purl side) sweater with seams that gap, bunch, and generally look like a thresher was involved at some point. 


So I'm going out of my way to do things that right now either are socks and hats (eg all in one go and worst I'll have to do is actually weave the last damn end in).  The idea is to stop wasting my beautiful yarn, (really the back of the closet could not possibly ask for any more knitted but unwearable products) and actually make stuff that doesnt' look like homeless chic.  (Which is a total exaggeration.  I would be too ashamed to donate what's in the back of the closet anywhere.) 

Ribbit... Ribbit...

Frogged like sooooo many things in the last few days.  Managed to get most of a sock done, realized the yarn was waaay too thick (it's for family in Missouri so the theory was thicker yarn = good.  Theory is wrong.)  Then I froggied the sparkly tunic below (bottom up knitting is a bad idea with a fixed amount of yarn.  I'd rather it be shorter than expected rather than run out of yarn for things like shoulders.  In the mean time I've been learning the joys of short rows and stuff, and actually understanding them, rather than just doing them.  (You do not want to know how I've been doing heels on my knitted socks.  It's shameful.)

Yarnaholic

I think I need to join a support group.  I went out today and I was like, I'd like to get size 1 circulars.  And I didn't buy them.  However I did come home w/ 6 skeins of Deborah Norville's serenity garden yarns in new amazing colors!  So if I knit w/ out stop including while, eating, sleeping and driving, I will only have to live to be 293480 to use all the yarn I've bought.  This month.

Loopy Woots!

So I feel a bit like a traitor of my yarn store the Knitting Patch because I had to order some yarn from the Loopy Ewe (I needed an extra skein the KP didn't have) and let me just say, if you don't have a yarn store near you, you should use the Loopy Ewe.  I got a handwritten letter thanking me for my purchase and everything came super quick.  And she sent me my beloved Malabrigo so there were already stars in my eyes to begin with.

This is the project that got stalled because I suck at actually making sure I have enough yarn for a project.  It's much faster to make frequent trips to the store and / or wait for things in the mail than to actually use any of the gagillion yarn yardage calculators on the internet.

This is the first of the many socks that will come from my Caron Country buying bonanza.  They're going to be called Sunshine Socks, and to me it looks like rays of the sun.   Hopefully if you squint and take a quick blow to the head you'll see what I mean...

Michaels was having a clearance sale today, got about $60 plus of yarn for $20.  You can see the cat is impressed.  (Or possibly judgemental...)

And here's the insanely expensive and beautiful glitter yarn that I'm using to make into a tunic.  If I have enough yarn.  If not it'll be torn out (cries) and redone into a reguarl sweater.  ($50 limits additional yarn in this case.)

My other really active WIP, the Interweave Fountain Pen Shawl which I think is going well but I'm pretty hit or miss with shawls so we shall see.

First Pattern on Ravelry

So I posted my first pattern on Ravelry which can be found here.  I'm starting my next project which will also be a free Ravelry design, but it's a sweater that involves a cast on of 200+.  And then knitted in the round.  It's dying to become a shrodenger's cat (in my house the word for an unintentional mobius) so I took at least 5 minutes to get it sorted out, and I'm still pretty sure there's an at least 50% chance I've twisted it.  As it starts to take shape, more than 1/8th of an inch of yarn I'll post pictures of my progress.  It being made with amazing sparkly but soft yarn.