Not So Fancy Nancy

Thinking Very Pink

I hate it when fashion sneaks up on me! After my recent neutral binge I thought I'd add a little color to my knitting life. Ordered some Rowan Cotton Glace after seeing the Knitters cover and thinking that looked good for our weather. Stopped by my local J Jill (which is in a small, tasteful strip mall, which means I walk straight in and out again) and bought a skirt that had pink accents, so I ordered the Jaeger Albany to make a matching jacket. Already had the Rowan Kidsilk in stash and though it would be nice with the skirt too. I SWEAR, I reached all these choices independently. Then I went to the mall and discovered what every other woman in North America already knows ... pink is this season's "it color". Oh thanks. Since I'm doomed to be unfashionable, I'm not fond of being halfway there... looking like I tried but didn't quite get it. I also don't want my knitted objects to be so over before I finish them! But I've got the yarn, like the skirt and darnit, I can be fashionable -- or post-fashionable -- if I want!

These two yarns are actually different tones in person and the Jaeger has that lovely mercerized sheen and is a tape yarn.

Here's the Kidsilk Haze Cobweb shawl so far. I've just increased to the final width and have about 6 repeats to go plus 2" edging. Still trying to decide if I want to repeat that extra two st st rows mistake as a design choice (about in the middle of this photo). This has been my carry-around project this week, which comes with inherent dangers.

Did a little goddess research. Yeah, I'm weird, but you knew that already. Hera was definitely the wrong choice for Goddess of Knitting. I hate that passive-aggressive blame the other woman and support the jerk bs - she's not qualified to wind my yarn! Hestia is too passive and homebound as well. Athena is the goddess of craftsmen, including weavers, so she's the logical choice. And she kicks butt. But I also have a soft spot for Arachne, the goddess whom Athena turned into a spider for telling the truth about Zeus in their weave-off. She's got that knitter's hubris (ok, my knitting hubris, which I know at least one or two of you share) and an eye for truth. Since I'm knitting Cobweb and starting Charlotte's Web soon I'm going with Arachne, but I'll try not to piss off Athena as I like my human form just fine.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments about the bunny sweater. I haven't answered them all or been posting to blogs this week because I've got numbness in my pinkies and ring fingers. Went to PT yesterday and doing better, but still avoiding excessive typing. Like this. I am reading blogs and do love all your comments, but please forgive if I don't answer or post. Need to get better.

Also need to have kids back in school! One more week to go, after which I will have to be scrapped off the floor.

Nice Sweet Bunny Sweater

Finished! Learned a lot. It's cute. And, most importantly, the recipient loves it. It fits now, but with a little grow room. Crossing my fingers for more wear next year.

Still going to try for the white dress shot, but it just had to be worn immediately for a trip to Costco. Took the 101 home (avoiding the I-5 parking lot) and watched a perfect sunset flash on the waves as we drove. Of course no camera to catch Emily and Bunnies in the best light of the day. Still, very nice way to start the weekend.

The collar has since been pulled into proper shape - this was bound off and literally thrown on going out the door to drop big sis at a playdate (one kid doing the Costco beg-a-thon is enough). I had wisely woven in every last loose thread before finishing the collar. Know thyself. I loose all interest after that last bind off stitch is pulled through! Poor Klara still has a yarn end dangling between my breasts, tickling me periodically like it's trying to remind me to sew it up. I'm am such a lazy housekeeper. Anyway, I'll take my cheap thrills where I can get em.

This has made me think of something my mom told me years ago. Her mom called dust bunnies slut bunnies because ... "only sluts would have dust under their beds". You'd have to know my Grandma to appreciate that completely, but I still get a kick out of it. It's a very good thing Grandma never got to look under my beds. Makes me blush knowing the kind of knitting dust that interface is hiding - slut bunnies indeed!

The collar is done exactly to pattern , but if I had it to do again I would do fewer increases at the points. I think a little steaming will completely resolve the extreme pointy issues. We headed straight out into the garden when we got home for these photos, but it was already getting dark. The last photo below (on the table) shows the positive effects of a bit of tugging and shaping - it's about right now.

Yesterday afternoon I ripped the left side buttonband about 1/2 way, spliced yarn, knitted the needed six rows, spliced sewing yarn, then reattached. It just had to be done and I'm proud of myself for biting the bullet and doing it right. Was stupid to cut the tails before really assessing it, so I had to own up and fix it. Did the buttonhole band last night - oh what fun. Did figure out a neat little trick for keeping the yet-to-be-sewn buttons where I want them - double stick tape works like a charm.

Learned how to do a moss stitch bind off:  following pattern, bind off K or P wise after that type of stitch -- Thanks Debbie/Stitch and Bitch. My mom and I agree she does a good job simplifying things that should be just that.

I have to share this...  the Knitting Goddess was smiling on me (maybe she was pleased about the buttonband) - I got the 77 neckline stitches picked up the very first time! Really. Actually, it was even better - I got 78, so it was perfectly even, but moss needs an odd number, so I chose that forever loosey goosey spot at the left shoulder/back join to tighten up with a K2tog. Probably never to be repeated in my knitting life, so I must rejoice. Who would be the knitting goddess anyway - Hera?

Here's the collar closer to what it should look like. A thought for those of you new to sweater construction:  When increasing on the the sleeves, do the right increase (beginning of a right side row) by knitting into the front and back one stitch after the selvage stitch, but do the left side (end of the right side row) two stitches before the selvage stitch. This makes the little "fashioned" bumps even on each side of the seam. Did it for the first time on this sweater and I really like the way it looks. Oh, and did you notice the lovely UN-puckered buttonband? ;) Gotta close, my arm's starting to get sore from patting myself on the back.

btw, if any of you were wondering why that whole evil bunny thing popped into my mind... think Monty Python's Holy Grail. The rabbit looked cute, but .... Laughed so hard I cried first time I saw it. Hum, must rent that soon.

The Curse of the Evil Bunny Sweater

OK folks, I had a nice long post that took all afternoon between the kids making me crazy beyond measure. It was going to be my one measure of success in a day of appointments, leaky roof, ants in my pantry, back pain, rushing, waiting, catnip all over the house, playdates and a three year old testing every boundary. Going to be... Hit the wrong button and now I have no successes to mark this day. And dinner's not even thought of and it's 6:30.

Here's the early draft with photos. Imagine something wittier, more descriptive.

**************************

"Do a kid's sweater, they're easy" my patoot - this sweater just goes on and on. Fair Isle, intarsia (with evil fraying cotton), cables, moss stitch, sewn on button bands and little bitty fiddly sawtooth borders ... the fun never stops.

Here it is sans collar and buttonhole band. The sawtooth border is discussed below.

Yeah, it's cute. Yeah, I'm happy to have made it. Yeah yeah yeah. Honestly, all whinging aside, it's been very educational, which I guess is the purpose of a sampler sweater. And better to learn on a kid's sweater than one I plan to wear for years. Because this one, lets be honest, will look good for about a week at best and there after be found on the floorboards of the van or stuffed in the bottom of Em's backpack after pre-school. But I did buy a white dress to go under it the other day (Hope and mother's dreams spring eternal), so final photos will be forthcoming.

That buttonband is too tight, but tough. It was too loose at first, so I undid it and redid it and it's done, so there. First mistake was to sew while on perma-hold with insurance company over a claim from last June (yes!). I waited them out and they agreed to pay just to get rid of me. So this will be forever the too-tight buttonband that's all Aetna's fault! (Real mistake was to declare it done and cut the yarn, but that I can't blame on Aetna).

Was very worried about the evil bunnies being pulled apart, so I blew $0.60 on iron-on interfacing (and another $6 on a feather boa to keep the lucky recipient of this sweater occupied in the fabric store while I waited to have my sixty cents of interfacing cut). It does add a little stiffness, but I choose a woven, lightweight one that's not too bad. Trust me, the bunnies look 10X better even if a bit of drape is lost. Anyway, now she'll have to worry that off before she can get to the million loose ends below.  My 2 cents -- intarsia is much better in WOOL. And yes, I would typically weave in the ends, but this yarn frays apart and floats out of position.

Had a long description of this sawtooth fiasco. Guess a photo tells the story anyway. Just why did it take SIX repeats to think to change the dec? Why? Thought it would iron out. Insert Pope quote again. The offending teeth will be pulled out shortly.

There is a bright light on my knitting horizon. I won't even let myself get out the winder until the evil bunnies are done, but I know it's there, waiting for me! Bet some of you can guess what it's going to be. Yeah, I've always been late to parties, but I have fun anyway.

Klaralund seamed and worn!

I'm getting a little tired of seaming around here. Don't feel like I can knit until Klaralund and Bunnies are sewn, so I've not knitted in over three days and I'm getting bored with this self-imposed block. But, it's just not right with Easter, spring break and Grandparent's visit around the corner not to finish Bunnies before doing anything for myself. Just not right. But boy would I like to be less responsible right now! Klaralund wore me out. Too much sitting. Way too much fiddling. Got DH to take photos today. Sorry for the mixed quality, but he's new to the camera and I just don't want to change back again (it's 67 and sunny, not sweater weather until evening).

So, here it is. I like this photo because it shows the modified garter rows across the shoulders. It's a nice bit of texture that doesn't show as well in other shots.

I like Klara now, but in honor of full disclosure, I must tell you this baby got WORKED. I blocked the heck out of it only to find that once again, my arms really really really are that short. You'd think I'd finally believe, but I keep trying to extend them through sheer will. Worrying that these sleeves would be too short, I pulled them to the pattern length. Yeah sure. I kept quiet here, but I was having huge doubts when I was sewing as to whether I'd look just bad, or deeply horrible. All that seaming gave me ample time to contemplate how I would blog this failure - maybe a sweater photo only? Finally couldn't wait a second longer to see, so I put it on with the right front bodice unsewn. It was truly comical - that side of the panel dropped down and made it the ultimate nursing sweater. Sorry, no blog pics.

Finished the seaming and found the whole thing just too darned big. Not only am I short, but I'm actually not that wide. Looked like I'd raided my big sister's closet. So, I stuck it in the wash, let it dry flat about 85%, then stuck it in the dryer. A daring and desperate move, but it worked. Took 3" off the bodice and 2" off each sleeve. And it's softer too.

Here are two more pics to show the sleeve treatment. The pattern has you cast on the final number of stitches and knit straight all the way up and across the shoulder to cast off, but I shaped the wrists instead and I'm happy with that. (See my previous post for a blocking photo.) I also shaped the waist, which again I'm happy with. It was a mistake though to open it back up again at the bodice - I'm a little more pear than hourglass. The fit, particularly on the dropped shoulders, would have been better without that extra inch on each side. Please forgive the goofy "STOP in the Name of Love" pose - like I said, these were the best of 15! Laugh at me, but please don't laugh at my sweater - that I couldn't take.

Well, at least I had knitting time!

Thanks for all the good thoughts and kind comments. Again, please forgive me this time for not answering individually. Still trying to get back on track and can't sit for a long time comfortably.

My procedure went well. They forgot to tell me not to eat, so I got to have it without sedation. FYI - I don't recommend being totally awake on the OR table. It's so reassuring to have the support staff discusses their weekends while you have a drill in your spine and the doctor is correcting their drug dosage math and instrument layout. At least my doc was on topic and I got to see the stuff from my disc which was so thoughtfully described by an onlooker as "ewww, looks like a booger". Not the A-team that morning, but my doctor is very good, so I held that thought. Seem to be recuperating well, but at this point only time will tell.

So, I had the first 72 hours post-op to spend "restfully" and got very good at knitting on my back and side. Bunny sweater is on the edging (no pics today - needs blocking), Klaralund is ready for seaming and Clapotis II is done and already worn.

I love how this turned out! I did choose to block it to make it a little wider and shorter since the yarn tended to pull long. It's incredibly light weight and yet cozy across my shoulders.

The Lavold Silky Wool doesn't have the bounce of the merino, but it's got it's own kind of beautiful drape. The yarn handled well and knitted up quickly and while the stitches are intentionally loose (this yarn calls for US 6 needles) they are reasonably consistent for this type of "natural" yarn and the ladders hold well.

When I feel better I will add a photo wearing it. Will also post final measurements in the Finished gallery soon. I followed the pattern and used 3.25 balls of the on US 7's.

Klaralund is in the final stages. Wow these 28" x 18" sleeves took forever! Actually, as you can see, I did alter the sleeves to add shaping at the wrists. I was terrified I wouldn't have enough yarn (have finished with about 1/2 ball remaining), and also didn't want the sleeves too big on my short body. But, I must admit I still have my fingers crossed as to how this will look on me. Think that's why it's been on my dining table for a day waiting for seaming? This photo is during my wet-block of the sleeves. Couldn't recommend it too highly for this pattern to get the exact measurements before seaming. It's not printed with a schematic, but it's pretty easy to make one. Then you can alter it as I did for your hips and wingspan.

For you experienced knitters this may be obvious, but I want to share my "discovery" -- use a quilter's ruler for blocking. I was using my other favorite find - a freebie paper tape measures from IKEA (I've got one in every knitting bag) - but it got wet and the first inch disintegrated (note to self, paper is water soluble). Grabbed this out of the closet to avoid trudging upstairs to find my sturdier tape measure. Wow! It's perfect for getting two pieces just right and exactly the same. Also helps when tugging the rows straight. Save your Micheal's or JoAnn coupon and get one of these babies!

I soaked the Noro Silk Garden (about which I've complained so much) for several hours in wool wash (the no-rinse kind) and it did loose some of the stray matter and soften nicely. I did a lot of manipulation with the blocking and it seems to have really improved the fabric too.

Here it is ready for seaming. Maybe tonight. That kind of position - sitting and leaning over - isn't very comfortable so I'll do in in stages. For those of you not familiar with the pattern, the sleeves go up and across the bodice and the bind-offs form the neckline. In this photo the back is folded to keep from falling off the table - it's the same as the other side laying flat. It's a cool design. We're supposed to have rain tomorrow so I know I'll kick myself if it's not done - this may be one of my last chances to wear it until next year.

Life beyond knitting (There is?)

Sorry I've not been blogging. My back procedure is tomorrow morning and I've spent the last two weeks or so getting my family and house ready for me to be off my feet for a few days and unable to sit for extended time or lift for a few weeks. Won't cover the details we all understand, just imagine errands, taxes, bookkeeping, kid stuff, housekeeping, etc.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last entry. I don't think I answered most of you, which I usually do. I read every comment and appreciated all of them. Thanks also for the emails as to my well-being. I'm a little anxious, but this is a non-invasive out-patient procedure and the risks are minimal. My problem is that I've been on this table nine times and I know to some degree what's coming. Kind of like the dentist.

My back got a little scary about two weeks ago and I wondered if I would make it til now, but thankfully I have. That last blow-out came after a similar upswing in pain, so I've been anxious and very careful. Sadly, sitting really exacerbates it, so I've not knitted as much as I would like. Hope to start something new during this forced break - maybe socks with this cotton? I haven't seen it knitted up yet, but looks like a fun sandal sock. I hope it's not too hard on the bottom of my feet. I wear berks around the house except for the hottest days of summer since our floors are hard and cold. I hate cold feet!

Did do a massive restructuring of my craft space through. Before Emily joined us my craft room was the third bedroom with it's south facing French doors and great view. Bright and airy with a laminate floor that could take anything. Now I have a dark little corner in the office/guest room. Not complaining, but it's also not quite the same! Like many unattractive and hidden corners, it had become the piling place and was about a foot deep in clutter. Much of that clutter was meaningful and resistant to a quick clean up. Dedicated last weekend to massive organizing while DH built plain but effective shelves. Getting a solartube installed next week to add daytime light. The photo above is pc brightened - it's really dark back there. Still a work in progress, but I love being able to see the cards I receive and have a place to pin up visual cues. I was able to create three scrapbook pages this week - something I hadn't done since October.

Don't have knitting progress photos - next time. I am on repeat 10/13 of the straight section of Clapotis II, so I expect to be done this week. Might just squeeeak by with only three balls (it will be by yards). Returned two of the six that I definitely won't need and exchanged them for Starmore's Tudor Roses (hardcover), which I wanted specifically for the Elizabeth I pattern and generally for the Tudor connection, and Zimmermann's Knitting Around, specifically for pi r squared pattern and generally for her knowledge.

Didn't recognize my luck at the time, but my LYS sold me the Starmore book for list. It's now on ebay for $80+. I remember when I first searched for her Aran Knitting book and was teased unmercifully by all the dead links on google. It had been remaindered and sold at virtually nothing, but no one had stock left at any of the links. Now of course it's hundreds of dollars. Luckily my library has it.

Went down to the Del Mar Home and Garden show last night to pick up coupons for the solartubes and walked away with five new orchids. Finally admitted I need to learn their names, so I spent some time photographing and learning about them last night. If you like orchids, click to enlarge.

Also spent way too much of my little free time listing Emily's Gymboree clothes from last spring on ebay. I hope it pays enough to make it worth my time - last time it did. Will be thrilled for the proceeds because it's PayPal in/PayPal out ... spring yarn money baby!

Look for updates in a week or two. Until then, take care everyone!