Not So Fancy Nancy

Loads of calories, real and visual

Emily turns six today. Every single inch of her is so totally six. She knows her own mind and isn't afraid to share it! We love her very much.

This quiltlet was made back in November, but every time I wash it with plans to get a photo, squirt here snags it back and makes it hers again. It's with her each night, on the sofa and generally around the house (leading to a new rule:  no silky blanket at the table). Wonderful to have anything you've made get so much use! The front side is made up of leftover blocks from a bed-sized quilt (WIP) and the backing is super silky soft pink plush (say that three times fast). You can see a bit of in the the second photo below. A big pain to quilt, but it was worth it.

 

Another birthday means another slightly goofy mom cake. I made pink cupcakes (that strawberry mix flavor) for my Pinkalicious girl to take to school. We topped those with white frosting and colored flower-shaped sprinkles. Re-beat the remaining frosting with red coloring to frost this chocolate cake and something tells me it was a little too much whipping for the butter. I was out of sugar so there wasn't much to be done and anyway, the birthday girl was OK with the look. Still, it was touch and go there for a few minutes as each time I'd frost one side the top layer would make a run for it on the other.

Now for the non-fattening content:  Calorimetry from Knitty Winter 2006.

Here are my notes from Ravelry:

CO just 90 stitches on US #7’s, but otherwise followed the pattern. I have a big head and it fits well. I’ve got about three color changes left on the ball. The pattern is designed to yield a wide band to cover the top of your head and it does that. Might make another narrower one for more of a ear-warmer/headband effect.

This colorway wouldn’t be my first choice, but I had this ball stashed to make a hat for my daughter. This winter she’s gotten into a “no mom-made for me” stage, so I considered it fair game. After seeing this knit up she wanted the yarn back for a skate hat. Sorry kiddo.

This is the perfect dog-walking at night hat. Just enough hat to keep you warm, but it avoids the dreaded hat head, which for curly headed folk is deadly. If I remember correctly, Ms Harlot equated the look with a part of a man's anatomy which I shall leave nameless.

Just so you don't think I felt as severe as the above photos look, I'll let you in on my not-really-a-secret that's just not been on the blog yet:  My 10-yr-old and I got braces around Halloween. Only 15 months to go... My front teeth have already moved forward a lot and soon my side teeth, so indented you can't see them, will be able to be pulled outward. Sometimes - everyday - I think I'm crazy, but my already narrow palate had shifted a lot after all that dental work last winter and I was bummed. I'll just drive my car for a few more years as I admire my smile in the rearview mirror (while my orthodontist picks out his new beemer).

I'll finish with some garden photos. Two bits of rain in December followed by temperate weather fooled my David Austin roses into thinking they were in England in the springtime. Some of the blooms are punky compared to spring, but the William Shakespeare 2000 and Ambridge are the largest I've seen.

We've cut back most of the perennials so the garden looks pretty bare. I've not had the heart to cut the roses until after this little surge because those spots of color are so cheerful in the cleared beds. Must do it this weekend though so they can get some rest before spring. I've not fed the poor dears since spring, so they're making these flowers on fumes.

   

Some things come into their own this time of year. The Breath of Heaven (behind the red rose above) are all blooming, the geraniums look great, the lavender is near perfect and the Christmas cactus is doing its thing in the courtyard. Most other things need a little R&R.

   

 

Three steps forward, two giant steps back

First, no Mr. Greenjeans. That baby must be ripped to the CO, and I must admit I'm considering other patterns for that yarn. Drooping at the shoulders, baggy across the back and too small at the hips is a recipe for a sweater that lives in the bottom of the drawer and I like this yarn too much for that fate. I'll try to get photos for the next post for proof of it's hideousness, but no guarantees because it depresses me. More likely that I'll just suddenly jump up, screw the ball winder to the table and have at it. I'm not giving up on the pattern forever - I just need to make a smaller size with a more giving pattern at the bottom, but I'm not feeling the love today.

So, that's giant backward step one... here's two:

Cast on about the same time as Mr. Greenjeans and victim of the same over-sizing. This is Rowan's Foxtail pattern in their Tapestry yarn. It's a cute little swing jacket that should be a no-brainer. The bottom portion is knitted as one piece, so it is supposed to be 40" for me. Wha'da'ya think, is 11+" of ease a tad too much? Jeez! Feel like an idiot that it took 10" of knitting to notice this, but my excuse is that it's been jammed on the needles so the true width was hidden until I gained some length. Also, it's been my carry-around project since before Christmas that I've picked up and put down 100's of times. So, while I'd occasionally think "damn this thing seems wide", I'd check the pattern, see that I was (supposedly) on track and keep at it. Did some spot measuring and it seems my gauge meanders from the spec'd 22 to as large as 20.5.

The fabric doesn't show that variation - it looks lovely. I like the yarn too, though on the #5's I used to get gauge I had a little trouble with splitting. Now I'm going to CO on with KnitPic's #6's (sharper tips), but with 12" fewer stitches. I've yet to count, but my guesstimate is this will knock off a good 50 stitches plus per row and I'm ok with that.

So, what's moving forward?

Finished all eight panels of Skeppsta. This has been excellent evening knitting. I'm going to miss the click clack of those huge needles and the fun of building those short row wedges. Now it's time to block and sew. Going to start the sleeves after sewing up the body since it's very wide. I don't mind this one wide - that's the design, but I do have short arms, so I think my sleeves will be more stubs than sleeves. Need to get a good measure to refigure the increases. I want to finish this one soon while we still have cold evenings around the house.

Another step forward, and into new territory no less:  Aran Sweater from Interweave Winter 2005.

This is not TV knitting for me, but I can listen to audio books. Thrilled to be using this long stashed  Jaeger Shetland Aran and an old magazine. This feels downright virtuous! Very happy that I downloaded the improved chart. No mistakes were made on the original, but that one lower part of the X on the right side is different from the repeat and I don't think I would have seen that on the magazine's tiny chart. Color coding is my new favorite technique!

Only one mistake so far and I'm letting it go (right side just below center in this photo). This is the back side, so once I'm finished I won't have to look at it.

Hum, what was that third step forward ... ? Oh yeah, I'm starting my blocks again. Found three discontinued colors of the Plymouth Tweed on Webs that my LYS didn't have. I really needed some more darks, so that cool brown and dark blue are perfect. The light aqua on the left is new too.

For you quilters, I've got some of that brewing too. Planning to tap this New Year's time to clear the decks energy.

A Wicked case for negative ease: an FO for the New Year.

The only good thing about being really sick is that when you're better you appreciate your health. I'm feeling very appreciative! It took three rounds of antibiotics and a evening trip to the ER to defeat two different infections, but no more fever, no more pain and no more pressure headaches. Thank goodness for Cipro. When trying to help my 5-year-old understand the pain in my head I said "It hurts so much that I can't knit." and her eyes went wide. "That's BAD!" Yes sweetie, it's that bad.

When my eyes could move again without stabbing pain I cast on and made this in less than a week. What a joy to knit soft, easy stockinette in the round! It flew off the needles. Finished just this morning and used the camera on a timer (explaining why I have that I'm frozen while waiting for the beeps to stop look).

The details:

Pattern:  Wicked by Zephyr. Very easy, very fast and very comfortable to wear. Calls for 18/4", which fits so many yarns. One of the most popular pullovers on Ravelry and I can see why.

Yarn:  Fifteen balls of Laines Du Nord Cashsilk with less than a yard to spare. Adore the hand of this yarn, which is not surprising given the blend of 50% extrafine merino, 25% silk and 25% cashmere. Grabbed it at deep discount on the Webs end-of-year sale and just had to cast on immediately. This was excellent tactile therapy. Sadly, given it's softness I'm not sure it will wear well, but I will love every minute I have it on.

Notes:   Followed the pattern at the neckline, but if I make it again I might tighten that up so I don't have to wear a shirt under. Finally got smart and sized for negative ease. I'm about 41" and I always seem to be swallowed up my handknits. This time I made the 36-38" and it fits. Given the soft drape of this yarn I might have been able to go even smaller, but as it is it's comfy layered.

The pattern left the sleeves up to the knitter and I cast off the first one at least five times. Each time I'd try it on I thought just a little longer until finally I guesstimated I could get long sleeves out of my yarn. When I'd finished both sleeves to my wrist and still had a couple of yards left I added a few more ribbed rows than at the neckline because I like sleeves just over my hands. I actually considered frogging both sleeves to add the length to the stockinette part, but I decided the longer sleeve ribbing didn't look weird and I couldn't bare ripping yet again.

For the bottom I did a simple 1x1 rib rather than the called for seed stitch (designed to tie in with the pocket, which I skipped). I did follow the shaping suggestions and am very glad I did because it makes it hang smoothly on the sides and back. You can see the decreases below the arm and increases at the hips. I shaped the sleeves (not in the instructions) because I thought it looked right with the shaped body and it conserved yarn too.

We flew to Oregon for Christmas with my in-laws. My S&BIL and kids flew up from Orange Co, so it was a full family affair. Wii's were under the tree, much food was eaten and fun was had. I did knit while there (before I got sick again), but most of my knitting time was spent making a scarf as a gift for my MIL. No FO photo because I finished on our last night and the condo where we were staying had really, really bad colors and lighting for night/flash photos. My MIL seems to like it and the colors are beautiful on her.

Here's a close-up:

Pattern:  Clapotis done as a scarf. Final size about 8" x 60+".

Yarn:  Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb. One hank in Watercolor. Finished with less than 12".

We had snow showers on Christmas Eve and Day which pleased us all to no end. I know many of you have had more than enough snow lately, but for us it was delightful. One morning I just sat in my Pj's at the window of the condo and watched it come down.

I think I would get a lot more knitting done if I lived where there was more weather. My DH does not think that's reason enough to move north, but I do.

No photos of my favorite afternoon because my husband and I were on our only lunch date alone in Bend. The snow coming down on the river was simply beautiful. Downtown Bend looked like a postcard of a snowy small town straight from a Hollywood movie. The sidewalks were full of after-Christmas shoppers bundled up while going in and out of little shops. A very good pint at Deschutes Brewery helped set the mood!

With the snow and slush we only got to hike down to the Deschutes River twice because footing on the switchback trail was a bit dodgy most days. Got good use of my new real winter coat and hiking boots! Almost every day I walked the two miles between my in-laws house and the condo, snow, wind or shine. My old hiking boots fell apart on the first time they got wet and I hobbled back to my in-law's with the soles flip-flopping. Wore borrowed boots until I could get to REI for an after-Christmas sale (and no sales tax! whoo hoo). They will help with my New Year's resolution to do more trail walking.

It was almost dark on our last hike, but you can still get a hint of the amazing colors along the riverbank from these photos. The red dogwood sticks and wheat-colored grasses next to the steel gray river where stunning. This was a high point of the trip for me.

Happy New Year everyone. Next time I'll share what I'm going to do with Mr. Greenjeans ... once I decide for myself.