OK I mean it this time.
September 26, 2006
I never got very far on Picovoli, and I haven’t touched much else this summer. But OF COURSE, the very sweater (well, basically) that I have been looking for since we got engaged last year was posted on Knitty just over a month before the wedding.
I’m terribly excited. Unfortunately I’m not sure if I will be able to do it in time, and even if I can I’m not sure it’ll fit. I don’t feel like writing about why right now. But! Here are some pictures!
Posted by Lauren at 7:16 pm |
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In the catalog under planning; Projects/Sweaters/Serrano
Debbie Bliss Cathay + Picovoli
May 11, 2006
I haven’t been knitting at all lately because all I have to work on is old unfinished projects, like socks and scarves and ancient hats, or projects that require me to rip something old (the sweater I made that I hate) before I can begin. This is frustrating and not at all inspirational.
Combined with the fact that there’s a Mother’s Day sale at my favorite yarn store, however, this frustrating and creativity-stifling situation can easily be turned around and used as a justification for buying nine skeins of Debbie Bliss Cathay in a lovely light blue, and using it on this pattern I have been lusting after since last August: Picovoli. I love Grumperina, and she’s shaped somewhat like me (booooobs), so I’m really excited to find this basic, flattering, adorable sweater pattern that will not depress me like the first one. If it goes well, I expect I’ll use this pattern as a canvas for lots of other things.
Alterations I’m considering include longer sleeves and maybe some short-row shaping in the booooobs.
Posted by Lauren at 7:35 pm |
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In the catalog under planning; Projects/Sweaters/Picovoli
It’s called Lava ‘cos it’s HOTTT
November 15, 2005
I finished G.’s 2nd hat last night. I told him I wasn’t going to knit him anything more than one hat and one scarf, because he doesn’t like colors; he only likes black and grey, and I’m not going to knit more than one black & grey garment of each type. So he has a black merino hat, which he seems to have lost, and a black&grey Lion Brand scarf, but then he met Manos del Uruguay.
This is the best yarn I’ve ever had. I got addicted to it while making the Bramble scarf (sorry the archives & comments pages are all confused right now) and now I want to use it for everything. When I finished the scarf and he tried it on, he didn’t take it off all morning, even inside the house. He doesn’t like wool — has a slight lanolin problem, and wool hats are hard anyway even without a lanolin problem — but Manos is so great and soft and not scratchy even though it’s 100% wool that this hat seems to be just fine for him.
So to the store we went, and he found their colorway called Lava. It’s really beautiful — black, red, brown, grey, blue. He says it’s not too bright for him, but I don’t care if it is, because if he stops wearing it, I get to have it.
The pattern is adapted from the cabled hat pattern from Stitch & Bitch Nation, but that is mostly because they had a good picture on which I could get him to demonstrate what he wanted. I used a 4-stitch cable instead of six, which affected the decreases, so I just kind of made up that part as I went along. The hat turned out very well so I might try to recreate it and write down the decreases this time.
Click for bigger.
Isn’t he cute? He’s trying to see around me because CSI is on.
Posted by Lauren at 1:09 am |
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In the catalog under Projects/Hats/Lava
Back again, again.
November 14, 2005
I finally got everything imported from the old MT site so here is a knitblog again! And I have started knitting again (after working on the same sock one or two rows at a time all summer, and never finishing) so I have some finished projects to post and some new projects, and old ones that I’m picking back up again, to whine about. Soon there will be pictures!
Posted by Lauren at 6:38 pm |
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In the catalog under meta
Knocking on wood (do bamboo needles count?)
March 15, 2005
I am now working on the sixth (at least!) iteration of the Bramble scarf, now also known as The Bane Of My Existence. First I undid it because it was too narrow (30 stitches) and also I screwed it up and couldn’t figure out how to undo it. Then I had a few false starts at 40 stitches, where I messed it up within the first few inches.
I have to force myself to only work on this when I can pay attention to it, which is not something I am used to doing; usually I can knit brainlessly while my mind does something else, like in class or watching movies or sometimes even reading. But for some reason I am totally incapable of understanding this stitch - I can do it forwards but backwards is impossible. Everything’s going over and under and around everything else and it’s hard to find where things are supposed to be.
When I finally got several inches at 40 stitches, I looked at it one day and realized that the red splotches were all lined up in a row on one side of the scarf. Once I noticed it I could not stop noticing it; I also worried that even if I could get over it, when I added the second skein, it probably wouldn’t line up, and it would just be weird. So I ripped it out.
Then I tried it again with 36 stitches. This time the red splotches made two rows, one down either side. More frustration and ripping out ensued. By this time I was starting to seriously worry about the yarn - how many times can you knit, unravel, reball, and knit again with good wool yarn before it just falls apart?
Finally, last week, I cast on 32 stitches. The red splotches are not lined up. The yarn has not disintegrated. I am about 3/4 of the way done with the first skein and I have not ruined it yet.
Hooray for me!
Posted by Lauren at 1:08 pm |
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In the catalog under Projects/scarf; Projects/scarf/Bramble; ripping
The Glory and the Agony of Unraveling
January 18, 2005
I like knitting because it is impermanent. I have always had a hard time trying to do new things because I don’t like other people to know that I am imperfect and that I can’t just do everything masterfully the first time I do it. Usually when I try new things I like them to be things that I can do at home, alone, with no observers, for a while, until I’ve got it somewhat figured out and can do it in public without being afraid that people will point and laugh and say “she doesn’t know what she’s doing!” Knitting was the perfect thing for me to start because it allowed me to hide while I learned but also to discover that it doesn’t really matter. Because nearly any knit item can be undone relatively easily, no materials are wasted, and (unless it’s stupid mistakes) I don’t even consider it wasted time, because it’s been practice. After ripping something I’m almost always a better knitter. Via learning to knit, I largely got over the thing about not trying new things. Now I can happily knit in public, trying new stitches or patterns in front of friends or on the bus or on the plane or in class. I can also take belly-dancing class and start a garden and not worry that everyone will hate me because my herbs will die or I’ll fall over.
So I’m only a tiny bit frustrated about the decision to rip the Bramble scarf. I had made such progress so quickly that I was sad to lose it, but I figure I can do it again with another free afternoon. I discovered I had lost some stitches along the way, which drove me mad, but now that I have figured out where I lost them (I think) it’ll be ok. And I decided that since I was thinking about starting over I might as well do it and make the scarf wider - the 30 stitches called for was a little narrower than I’d like. So I took it all out, cast on 40 stitches, and am diligently working away at it again. I do love this yarn so I am not too put out about having to work with it longer.
I think I’ll knit one more scarf (Bramble counts, though if I can finish Muppet [so designated by pal Katy, who thought the fuzzy Fun Fur looked like a Muppet] that’d be good too) and one more hat, so I won’t be cold, and then I’ll cut my hair all off.
Posted by Lauren at 1:04 am |
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In the catalog under Uncategorized; Projects/scarf; Projects/scarf/Bramble; ripping
More Manos del Uruguay scarf!
January 12, 2005
When I posted this afternoon I had barely started the scarf - I think I was casting on as I was thinking about what to type.
But look!
It goes so quickly!
And look!
This yarn is amazing.
Posted by Lauren at 11:39 pm |
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In the catalog under Projects/scarf; Projects/scarf/Bramble; pictures
Nice yarn makes such a difference.
I didn’t post about it at the time, but I made a quick hat late last term with Debbie Bliss Merino Aran (I think it was Aran, anyway) that looked gorgeous. It was just a basic black, ribbed foldy brim, stockinette stitch hat, but using good yarn made it look and feel amazing. This is somewhat of an unfortunate discovery as now I want to use good yarn all the time!
So on that note, I finally found an excuse to buy myself some Manos del Uruguay, which I have been wanting for a while. It’s a beautiful variegated yarn in a colorway called “Bramble,” which is mostly red and reddish-browns but also some pea-greens and some nice blues and creams. It’s really nice. I’m going to make this scarf, which I found via Scarf-o-matic. Her close-up of it made me gasp and go out and get the yarn immediately. It is not cheap yarn, but yesterday was a bad day so I am allowed to have some red and blue yarn to make up for it, don’t you think?
I have got the knitting bug again and bad. I am in the middle of about five things and I have a zillion more on my to-do list. Currently on the needles: a reddish stripey ribbed sock (1 of 2, of course); a Gryffindor scarf (about 1/3 done, since I want it long); a fuzzy (Lion Brand Fun Fur + cheap Red Heart acrylic for volume) scarf; now this Manos del Uruguay scarf. I need to rip and restart the second glove, too.
And I have been seriously thinking about making a sweater that I will like. I finished the pink one last spring and I do not like it. I could wash and block but that would only even my stitches as it’s LB Wool-ease which is partly acrylic. The body is too short and the sleeves are too poofy. I hate it. I am thinking about a blue boat-neck lightweight sweater from Hollywood Knits, but I am thinking even more about the turtleneck on the cover. Except that I don’t like turtlenecks. I adore Tempting except the neckline, again - I can’t not wear a bra so I am not good with off-the-shoulder sweaters. Basically I want a ribbed sweater but I have to find the right neckline. The most recent Interweave Knits has a sweater & capelet set with chevrons along the bottom (which I don’t necessarily like) but it has the cutest neckline! It’s a sweetheart neckline, I guess - squared off on the sides but then a tiny v in the front. I love it. So I just need to combine the ribbing and the neck - oh, and find (the money to buy) the yarn …
Posted by OldMT at 1:47 pm |
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In the catalog under Projects/scarf
Gaps in history
October 27, 2004
It’s been too long since I knit and since I posted. I knit several rounds on the second glove yesterday, finally, and it made my finger hurt. Bad me, letting my calluses lapse!
I am still working on the second glove - I finished the thumb gusset and am doing the main part of the hand now. Pinky finger will come in an inch and a half or so. It goes quickly though so with bus riding and some in-class knitting I should be there soon.
the first glove, partway done:
Also on the needles right now is a Gryffindor scarf. Not very complicated.
But I have just gotten some yarn for this adorable felted bag - I am making it black with silver in it in some places. I’m really excited. I’ve never felted before, and a bag is the perfect project because size isn’t an issue. I just did a swatch and it was super fast to knit - the yarn is big (Lopi bulky) and I’m using 10.5s. I was going to leave it until I finished the glove, but it’s so quick I might just work on it tonight and tomorrow and be done. Except for the felting. That will be an adventure.
Posted by Lauren at 3:29 pm |
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In the catalog under wishlist/yarn; Projects/Gloves/grey
all you need is glove!
July 31, 2004
I haven’t knit much all summer, and now that I have started up again I cannot put it down. And of course I have to have more than one project going at a time. The other day I met my pal John’s girlfriend and she showed me a completed sock in lion brand microspun. It is omg so soft. I immediately went out and bought some and started making a pretty silvery grey-y bluey glove. It is great yarn for that and I was feeling brave and knitting-deprived, or I would not have attempted such a potentially complicated project.
But!
I love love love The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns. It is really good for knitters who don’t like to follow patterns to the letter, or who like or want to create their own patterns but don’t want to do all the complicated math. Basically you figure out the measurement and you figure out the gauge and the book tells you the basic pattern and how to do what you need to do for that combination of numbers. It’s full of little charts that look really complicated if you don’t know what’s happening, so it impresses people too. I highly recommend it for non-hardcore pattern followers. It has made glove construction totally make sense. I’m almost done with the first one already!
