knit what? purl who?

Well, finals week is over, and I'm on spring break (which just means I get to work a whole lot). Miss Emily came to visit, and she left with some knitted gifts for herself:

pattern: endpaper mitts, free pattern from Eunny Jang
yarn: Drops Alpaca in colors 5565 and 7300
needles: size 0 and 2 bamboo dpns

pattern: adjusted poncho vest pattern from the Spring 2007 knitscene
yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in, I think, Misty Blue
needles: size 15

I took this picture the night before she left, that's why it's really crappy. Neither of us had any interest at the time to actually put it on and pose for a picture. This pattern is not only the first actual garment I have made, but also the first pattern I have ever modified. I left off the fringe obviously, and instead of making two rectangles, I decreased and made 'armholes' so it was alittle more flattering. I also seamed the sides together and used the buttons as decoration instead of for closure.

Pre and post felting.

pattern: this was a pattern that I had read in a book a while ago, something like Knitting for Baby, and attempted to reproduce
yarn: Frog tree Aplaca reclaimed from a certain convertible mitten disaster.
needles: size 10 bamboo needles

This was the first time I tried hand felting. I hate wasting all that water running it through the washing machine. I put the thing in a pot of boiling water for a while, rubbed it between my hands, and it turned out pretty darn ball-shaped. I put a big jingle bell in the center. Not bad for about two hours of work, start to finish.

Today is my birthday, but I've been celebrating for the past week. My wonderful friends and significant other provided me with gift certificates, books, and a yarn allowance. I'm now the proud owner of a ball winder and swift. One of my LYS's recently changed locations and had a re-opening event this weekend. I met Bev Galeskas from Fiber Trends and she was giving lessons on how to needle felt. Just in time, too. One of my friends just had a baby and methinks this new skill will turn into a pretty darn cute baby gift.

I was also gifted this:

which I have been drooling over for quite some time. My friend (who looks suspiciously like the model in the book) read about it in a magazine. Here are pictures of some of the projects. A brief (and uneducated) review of Twinkle's Big City Knits:

1. All of the patterns are done using her own line of yarn, which in the online stores I've looked at, are "coming soon". The Soft Chunky used in most of her patterns is like $17.95 for 83 yards. Ouch. She does have a small part at the end of the book in which she describes yarn you can substitute. However, she tells you that instead of holding four strands of Cruise (which is supposedly a DK weight) you can hold one strand of Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece or Cotton Fine. That doesn't sound right.

2. Which brings me to my second point. I am by no means a pattern expert, but I am reading things that don't sound right to me, like pattern yardage. There is a link to errata. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets longer. (Like I said though, these opinions come from the uneducated reader.)

3. Buyer beware: if you are larger than a 36 inch bust, the patterns in this book have not been written for you. That doesn't make any difference to the people who are comfortable making modifications, but this book claims to be for beginner knitters.

Enough complaining, the patterns are adorable, and the pictures are very well done. I find myself leafing through it over and over like a magazine. After some searching I found this:

It's Brown Sheep Burly Spun in Lemon Drop. I found it on eBay for a really good price. I'll be using it to make the Karate Sweater. I have enough for the small size. Normally, I would make the medium size, but since this is a bulky knit with a huge gauge, I'm going to go down a size. It'll either stretch or I'll block it bigger. I'd like to avoid looking enormous.

I have to run out the door to dinner, so I don't have time to proofread. Forgive the misspells!

I've realized that I pass through three stages with every knitting project.

Stage 1: Preparation (aka: infatuation)
I become infatuated with a new project. I obsess about what pattern to use with a certain new yarn or vice versa. I frantically collect all the items I need to begin. I imagine all of the compliments people will give me, they'll stop me in the street and tell me how beautiful my whatever is, and I'll say "Thanks. I made it." in a really casual way, and then they'll call all their friends over and say "Look at this, she MADE this!" And I'll be late to work because of posing for pictures and signing autographs...

Stage 2: Production (aka: neck cramps)

The relaxation/rabid knitting begins. The house must be quiet. I must not be asked too many questions. The dogs must not sit on the yarn.

Stage 3: Presentation (aka: this is ugly)
Once the whatever is almost done, and I realize that people are actually going to see it, I start having second thoughts. I get broody (if that's a real word). Was this the right color/yarn/size? Am I going to look ridiculous/fat/insane? Maybe I should rip this out and try something else. Did I actually think about what I was making or was I blinded by the thought of a new project and a trip (or two or three) to the yarn store? Any why did I make something I have to SEW together?

The Karate sweater has entered Stage 3. The upside is that it took me two days to mostly finish the thing. About three qusrters of the way thorough I started wondering if a sweater with all those holes in it is something I'll actually wear. Originally I was thinking it would be a good spring weather sweater. Now it just looks like something with a bunch of holes in it. I'm debating ripping it out and using the yarn to make the Rockefeller sweater, or the Shopping Tunic, or the Skating Sweater instead. But can I confess something? I'm secretly afraid that I'm not going to like anything I make out of this book. I've been spying on some FO's on other sites and it seems to me that the general feeling is very "meh" about their completed projects. And mind you, these women are clones of the model in the book. Are the chunky knits not very flattering? It doesn't matter whether or not these women look adorable (which they do), because if you don't like it, you won't wear it. Another problem that I'm having is the way the thing is put together. It has this weird shoulder seam thing that is not very comfortable. I am not patient when it comes to finishing things, so it could just be my cobble job. Here are some crappy pictures of the finished thing sans button that I took last night:

There is another category of knittied thing that does not really fall into the three stages. The Gift. There are two sub-categories: Satisfaction (liking and being proud of the gift) and Misery (you'll see what I mean.) Knit and Tonic Wendy has a post about how she will never again make a pattern for someone that she doesn't like. ( the pattern, not the person.) I wish I would have taken that advice before I started the convertible mittens for my friend Elizabeth. She doesn't know that I have a website, so I may speak freely. I should start by saying that Elizabeth is a good friend, and I wanted to make her somehting nice for her birthday that she wuld actually use. I knew that she wanted a pair of convertible mittens, but I was planning on making her a pair of endpaper mitts. Why? I think they're adorable, I wear mine all the time, I think the pattern is fun, and I actually want to make the second when I'm done with the first. I picked out some red and orange alpaca to match her vest. I was ready to cast on. And then I got the email. A pattern forwarded to me with a not so subtle hint that she likes these convertible mittens. And I take one look at the pattern and hate it. Okaaaaaaaay...
I made a mitten out of the alpaca. Awful. Too thin, the cable looked stupid, whatever. Lets try a little fair isle. It doesn't change the fact that that this isn't the right yarn for the things. Trip to LYS. For some reason I get talked into this self striping soy/wool yarn. I don't know why. I don't like self striping yarn. I don't really like stripes, except on socks, and I don't knit socks. And I agonized over the color of the ugly striping yarn. I got it home. I made another mitten. I hate it. Another trip to the LYS. I buy a skein of undyed wool thinking that I would put off the color decision a little while longer. I dye it green. The green is nice. But not for these mittens. Maybe a dog sweater. BACK TO THE YARN STORE. WHAT COLOR THIS TIME?

So, here we are. Not done. I had finals and a friend in town, but they should be done this weekend (only a month after her actual birthday). In case you're wondering, I hate these, too. Maybe I'll take a picture when it's over. I need to get these mittens out of my life and move on. And consider it a lesson learned to never make a pattern I hate again, not matter how much I like the person it's for. And to stop obsessing over color. It wastes a lot of time.

A completed swatch:

I've decided this project may have to be donated to Miss Elizabeth. It's only fair since her mittens are still, at this point, mitten. She mentioned that she wanted "someone" to knit her some socks (actually, she probably meant her mother, who finishes gifts) and she liked the colors in this yarn. I'm actually enjoying this pattern, and it might even get finished. To resist the temptation of keeping them for myself, I made them 1/4 inch shorter than they should be for my size. I'm hoping that makes up for the fact that she wears a half size smaller shoe than I do.

Did you notice anything sad about the picture above? Like the broken rosewood dpn? I'd like to pay a compliment to my LYS. I went in the other day (to get some more sock yarn for moi) and mentioned the broken needle, Judith got right on the horn with Lantern Moon, and I walked out with a brand new set of replacements. Pretty slick. I guess I'd also like to pay a compliment to Lantern Moon for standing behind their needles (cause they ain't cheap), although I emailed them before I went to the yarn store, and I haven't heard back. I'm just a little sad that they don't have any more rosewood, my replacements are blonde.

Good news on the Twinkle front. The lovely Miss Anja (my friend who looks just like the model in the book) has expressed some desire for the Karate Sweater, and it is definately more her style than mine. I just couldn't bring myself to rip it out. I think I might have enough yarn left over for the Best Friend Sweater. I was a little harsh on Twinkle in one of my previous posts. I'm not mad at her, I'm mad at myself (I should have gone for the Rockefeller the first time, I think). I am willing to try to rekindle our love affair via the Best Friend (minus the bobbles- they look too much like teats for my taste). Will our love last? Only time will tell...

Finally! Elizabeth will get a birthday gift (only a month and a half late), and I have finished my first pair of socks!

Pattern: Beginner's Lightweight Socks from Knitting Pure and Simple
Yarn: Tofutsies Sock Yarn color 718
Needles: 4 Lantern Moon Rosewood dpn's size 1 on the first sock, 5 replacement Lantern Moon Blonde dpn's size 1 on the second sock.

Here's a close up of the color pattern:

I suppose I could have blocked them before I took a picture, but too bad. Since Elizabeth doesn't read this I can say I'm glad she expressed an interest in these, because the color is a little too Easter egg (I know I said I was turning over a new leaf with this sock thing and was going to stop being so picky, but still...). I will also say that I only want to use Lantern Moon dpn's from now on until forever. I have a small collection of bamboo dpn's from Empress, which I like a lot better than Clovers, and Empress dpn's are like $6.00 a set. I don't know if I'll ever be able to use them again, the Lantern Moons were definitely superior. There's something about using beautiful, spendy needles that makes a project seem special, even if it's just a pair of socks that look like they were thrown up by the Easter Bunny.
Since I am dontating the Easter vomit socks to Elizabeth (I actually do like them, despite their looking like vomit), I started a pair for myself. As with most things, I am loving the colors right now:

Strange how this color (728) stripes while the other blew chunks in a spiral pattern (honestly, I like them). You can see the colors better in the ball than in the sock, I think I'm eclipsing the light. Interestingly enough, when I originally took a poll at the yarn store between these two colors, everyone voted for the vomit because it was 'more colorful'. All right.

Either way, I'm glad to finally have something knitted to give to Elizabeth, it gives me more opportunities to give dirty looks to the half finished pile of mitten in the yarn basket. Sadly, I know a little someone who will be sorry to see the socks go:

My chemistry professor is from Poland, and apparently, izi is Polish for easy. At least I hope so, he puts it at the end of half his slides. Anyway, there was a lot more izi in this sweater than on my last chemistry exam.

Pattern: I used EZ's percentage system and raglan shoulder decrease from Knitting without Tears. I used Eunny's crocheted steek tutorial, and I was inspired to start the thing after I saw Brooklyn Tweed's Saddle Shoulder Aran
Yarn: Cascade 220 Quatro 5019 stolen from the Kenobi Jacket (sorry, pal)
Needles: US 8 circulars from my Knitpicks Options set

A lot of firsts in this project: First sweater without a real pattern (second sweater ever), first attempt at steeking, and should I give away my ignorance/laziness and confess this is the first project I've blocked? Heh, heh. I forced myself to do it this time:

Note the dog head in the bottom corner.

This project was really fun and fast. In fact, I'm planning another long sleeve in brown, probably with Cascade 220 again, which fits into my budget, especially if I have no pattern and I'm going to cut the thing. Cardigans are great to throw on and I'll wear it through the summer beacuse it get's cold in the evenings in Washington state, even in the summer time.

Overall, I'm really happy with how this turned out. Next time, I'll be sure to use a smaller crochet hook, the steek was a little lumpy before blocking. I couldn't find a smaller one, and I was too impatient to actually go get a new one. I still haven't put in any button holes (I showed this to someone and they asked me if I knew how to make buttonholes "Please, woman! You obviously haven't done your reading.") I want to try EZ's afterthought buttonhole.

Finished sweater: Hooray!

To prove that I actually do accomplish things...

Pattern: jumbo elephant from Knitted Toys
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, I forget the color, but it's bright yellow.
Needles: US 2 straights
Modifications: Used smaller needles (pattern called for US 3), put a couple of jingle balls inside. I used fabric instead of felt for the ears, I put a piece of card inside them, and a little bit of fluff so they would be soft, but keep their shape withiout getting too puffy. I didn't use buttons for eyes like the pattern says (for a baby?, get real.) I just used regular yarn, doubled it, made a colonial knot and stitched that down. Hopefully the baby can't eat it.

I love this book. I think the pattens are adorable. Cotton fleece is yuck, in my opinion, to work with, but it makes a good knitted toy, and should clean up well.

Here's a side shot.

Here it is hanging out with a knitted babe.

That knitted babe was the project that got me re-obesessed with knitting. About two years ago, a co-worker showed up at work with that book, and a few of us decided to make one, just for fun. As you can see, it's bright pink, and has no clothes, except for some strategically placed iron-on flowers. It's also propped up against a can of baked beans in this picture. Oh, well. Here's where it usually lives.

Riding bareback on the duck decoy. Sheesh.

Without further delay...

A brown sweater.

Pattern: my own, using Elizabeth Zimmermann's percentage system.
Yarn: Cascade 220, some heathery brown color
Needles: US 8 Knitpicks Circulars

Here is a poor picture of somebody wearing it.

Despite loathing any picture that contains myself, I love this sweater and wear it all the time. Cascade 220 is surprisingly softer than you might think, and is affordable. I plan on making some basic turtlenecks for the fall from it this year.

My mom's sweater is back from the seamstress, but I got bored in the three weeks it took her, so I had to start some new things. I've started Orangina, and Flicca. My friend from work and I are having a mini Flicca-Along (it's just the two of us), using Rowan Yorkshire Tweed. The pattern calls for a chunky weight yarn, I'm using an aran weight and I've already had to rip it out beacuse I was afraid it wouldn't be wide enough across the shoulders. It's already long enough for a dog to sleep under...

and on top of...