Monthly Archives: November 2009

Blocking

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Blocking

I had a post all written out about this sweater and never got around to publishing it, since then I’ve finished the sweater and started blocking today, so I thought I’d just start over.  I don’t think I’ve even put up any pictures of this while it was in progress or even mentioned it, really.  It’s odd but I just kept forgetting to talk about it.  Until I pinned it out this was just a big, shapeless blob so it’s not like you where missing anything. 

I have really enjoyed knitting this.  The pattern was just hard enough to memorize that I had to pay attention to what I was doing, which I like, but not so hard that I couldn’t knit while either watching a movie or reading.  I made mine a couple inches shorter, at full length it would have been to my knees, and I think my sleeves came out about a half inch or so long, but that was an accident.  The Berroco Ultra Alpaca is one of the nicest yarns I’ve ever used, it is so soft, has gorgeous stitch definition, and the knitted fabric has this beautiful halo to it.  I had no need to be worried about running out of yarn either, I ended up with around three or four skeins left over. 

I did more than just block the front and one sleeve of the tunic today.  I also ran my coat through another wash cycle, I kept putting in on and being unhappy with the size (I knew I should have made the next size smaller) so I let it felt a little more and it seems better now.  I’m letting it dry in a tiny patch out sun outside today and I should be able to try it on tomorrow and see if I like it more.  I also finished another woven scarf, I started this one last week before Thanksgiving and never had time to finish it up, I finished the last few inches of weaving, hem stitched the ends, washed it and it’s outside drying now along with the coat.  I think I’ll start another tomorrow.  Tonight I’m going to cast on my mittens and I have yarn on the way to me to make my first fair isle, I’m doing a vest, that way I can practice the fair isle knitting and steeking but not have to mess with sleeves.  I read on Ravelry that a vest is a good first fair isle project and I can’t wait to start it.

Now, I need some coffee.

Black Friday Shopping

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I am not a black Friday shopper.  I hate shopping anyway so getting out and going to stores on one of the busiest days of the year just sounds like a recipe for disaster.  I’d rather stay home and watch movies and eat leftovers and play with the dog.  I did, however, do some shopping at home.  I’ve been meaning to order a set of KnitPicks Options Nickel Plated needles for a long time and since I have the extra money (and I wanted some yarn for a real fair isle vest) I ordered them.  They Harmony wood needles are on sale right now, btw, if anyone is interested.  I don’t really like wood needles, I prefer either plastic or metal and I love how slick and pointy the KnitPicks needles are.  I can’t wait to get them.

Threadless has all their t-shirts for $9 today so I picked up a couple.  I’ve never ordered a shirt from them before and I have to admit that the sizing has me concerned, they run small, I know.  I went for a guy’s xl since that’s what I usually buy, I’ll just have to see how it fits.  I actually prefer women’s t-shirts since they fit a little closer and have shorter sleeves but I’m not comfortable in an American Apparel shirt, the 2xl is just a little too small through the chest, they fit but they’re a tad tighter than I like.  Here’s what I got:

Nuts! - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever Polar Gardening - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever

And my mom ordered this:

I Love Rainy Days - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever

And I think that’s all that I’m buying for myself until after Christmas.  I’ve got to save my money for taxes and a weaving loom (if I find one).

A Dye Day

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Green Yarn

I meant to post this yesterday but I haven’t been feeling good again, I’m still really woozy and disoriented.  If I’m sitting down doing something I’m usually okay (I feel a little off balance right now, for instance) but I’m having a little trouble walking without looking (and to an extent feeling) like I’m totally shitfaced drunk, so its kind of hard to get out and take pictures.  Sitting around and either knitting or weaving is working out fine, until my head starts hurting, so I have got quite a bit of that done.  More on those things later.

Last Thursday, after my trip to the dentist, I got a burst of energy and decided to dye up some yarn.  Back when I ordered the yarn for my coat and the Alpaka Tunic I also got a cone of natural colored fingering weight superwash wool/nylon sock yarn to play with.  I’ve been wanting a new pair of mittens, mine are fine for now but they’re about to wear out, so I thought I’d dye something that kind of matched my coat.  I didn’t want it the exact same color but I did want a nice yellow-green that I could use with the undyed yarn for a pair of the Let it Snow Mittens from the Fall 2008 Vogue Knitting.  The color is a little off in this picture, the yarn is more of an avocado green and not so neon.  I love, love, love how the yarn came out.  The color is almost exactly what I had in mind, it is just a touch darker but I can deal with that, and I’m very happy with all the different shades of color.  I’m itching to start the mittens but I want to wait until I’ve made a little more progress on the tunic first.  Then I think I need a new scarf to match the coat and mittens and, maybe, a hat.

Feels like the First Time

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Sweater to Cardigan

Today was actually sunny so I took a lot of pictures and I’ll be spacing the posts out over the next week, it’s supposed to rain again all next week.

I have been wanting to knit a fair isle sweater since I first started knitting but I was always nervous about steeking.  The thought of cutting up my knitting just didn’t seem like a good idea, I tend to rush things too much and do too sloppy of a job to trust that it would work.  Well, what better way to try it than on something that I didn’t knit.  My mom had this old sweater (from J.Crew) that she can’t wear because it’s too heavy and she just gets too hot in it.  The yarn the sweater is made from is very similar to Lamb’s Pride Bulky, so similar that it very well could be Lamb’s Pride Bulky.  It’s  a nice sweater, warm and cuddly, but she was going to get rid of it because she just couldn’t stand to wear it. 

Sweater to Cardigan

So I decided to cut up the front and make it a cardigan for her.  I found the center stitch and did a row of single crochet stitches up the front on one leg of the center stitch and one leg of the stitch next to it, on either side of the center.  I should have taken a picture of that.  Then I just pulled the stitches apart so I could see the bars between them and slowly cut up the center.  It actually worked.

Sweater to Cardigan

To finish off the edges, I folded them over and blanket stitched the edges down.  I used some 100% wool to do all the crochet and the blanket stitch so it will grip the sweater yarn and, hopefully, hold it all together.  Now I just need to find a zipper.  I gave the sweater back to my mom and explained what I did and she was really surprised and she loves the sweater as a cardigan, she’s even worn it a few times. 

I wore my Herringbone Sweater all day yesterday and I really love it.  I was worried about it being too big but the fit is perfect and it looks so good and it is very comfortable.  I even had a couple people ask where I bought it.  I didn’t get a picture of it, though. 

I went to my last trip to the dentist today (he was finally able to do my filling, after almost an hour of drilling) and while I was out I stopped at Joann’s and picked up some buttons for my coat.  I’ll show them next week, too.

Knitting and some other things

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Weaving Loom

It’s too dark to get any decent knitting pictures today, my house gets no sun from about mid-October until March or April, so this is what you get.  I took my weaving loom (32” Ashford rigid heddle loom) apart today so I could sand a few rough edges and re-oil it.  I’m using a natural, uncolored, Danish Oil, two coats.  This oil really brought out the color in the wood and the grain stands out a lot more, it looks good.  I got a flat finish rather than a shiny, I don’t want it to look like finished wood, I like the look of natural wood more.

I’ve been doing a lot of knitting this weekend but my pictures came out blurry so I don’t even want to mess with them.  I finished most of the front of my Alpaka Tunic, I think I have one lace repeat to go before I start the yoke.  I’m knitting mine in a gray blue Berroco Ultra Alapca, an alpaca/wool blend, the color I’m using is Stone Washed Mix, it is more blue than it looks in the picture.  The yarn is so soft and squishy and has a beautiful halo to it.  I love alpaca.

I’m freezing today.  It’s down to 41°F and it’s been raining most of the day.  There’s a chance for snow tonight and tomorrow.  I’ll admit that I’m kind of looking forward to it, I love snow, but I have too much stuff to do this week for the weather to get bad.

That’s it today, I’ll try to get some pictures tomorrow.