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November 29, 2006
Shedir
This was one of those unplanned projects. Well, to the extent someone that has to order yarn can have an unplanned project. Travis has been wearing this really ugly machine-knit hat (it has a company logo embroidered on it) and I decided that he needed a new hat. So, last week I ordered some yarn and I cast-on Wednesday night. I knit on the hat whenever I had a spare moment on Thanksgiving, and throughout the weekend. I should have finished on Saturday night, but had to rip back a bit and rework the pattern. So, I actually finished Sunday evening about 10:30.
Project Details:
Pattern: Shedir
Yarn: Dolly Maxi in Smoke Grey - 2 balls
Needles: 3.75mm 16" Addi Naturas
Thoughts/Modifications: Well, I obviously substituted yarn because cotton yarn for a winter hat in Wyoming doesn't make a lot of sense. I also wanted to make the hat a bit bigger to fit a guy. I used a tubular cast-on and cabled without a cable needle. I also had to reduce the total number of rows for the hat because my larger row gauge was resulting in a very tall hat. So, I just deleted one horizontal repeat and it turned out about right. This yarn is very soft and squooshy (yes, I do believe that is the technical term for it) and it's superwash - a must for Travis because he throws everything into the washing machine and just assumes it will come out just like it went in. I think the fit is ok. I maybe could have gotten away with a 3.5mm needle, but I wanted the cables to provide a dense hat that would stand up to the cold and wind in Wyoming.
However, despite what these photos might lead you to believe, Travis has yet to wear the hat outside because he thinks that it will not be "wind proof" (although the 12 degree high today would have been a good test). I explained that the cables and the wool would do a nice job of keeping his head nice and toasty, but he does not believe me. Or, he doesn't like it and thought the wind proof thing would be the better route. I don't know. Now, I could line it, but damn it I want him to tell me with actual certainty (by this I mean have some freaking proof) that the hat lets the wind blow through and freeze his ears off. I don't really think that's asking too much after I spent 4 days knitting the thing for him. So, I've decided that I'll give him a couple of weeks to wear it and if he doesn't I'm going to donate it to charity.
Posted by Stephanie at 7:37 PM | Comments (40)November 27, 2006
Back to Reality
The weekend is over and I'm not sure what to do with myself. I had a lovely 5 days without having to report to work, and it was fabulous. Now it's time to get back into the swing of life. No more lazing away the day with a cup of tea and my knitting. Sigh. Those were the days. Now it's on to the hussle and bussle of the Christmas holiday. Shopping and wrapping and baking. Yipes. I need to make a list of the things to buy and the things to bake - you know, I like lists.
I knit Travis a hat over the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm not sure how he feels about it - he's unwilling to commit. I'll get a thumbs up or thumbs down on it tonight. It's supposed to be -15 degrees by tomorrow afternoon, so it seems to me a nice warm handknit hat would be just the ticket, but what do I know. Whether he likes it or not, I'm going to make him model it tonight, so I should have pictures for you this week.
The installation guy was supposed to come install my high speed internet yesterday at 1:00 and at 2:00 I finally called to see where he was. Apparently he hurt himself on Wednesday, but no one felt the need to call and tell me about that. Delivery and installation people are probably one of my biggest pet peeves. No one else in the world gets away with making an appointment and then just not showing up. Why do they feel like they have that right? They've rescheduled for Wednesday night at 5:30, so we'll see if they actually make it. I'm not going to hold my breath if it's all the same to you.
Well, I don't seem to be putting anything wonderful down in this post. I think it's a continuation of the Monday blahs. I hope to have something more exciting to talk about tomorrow. Have a good Monday.
Posted by Stephanie at 9:28 AM | Comments (13)November 24, 2006
Eye Candy Friday
I survived Thanksgiving and we had a lovely day. Everything got baked and cleaned and prepared without any major mishaps. Well, except for the pipeline at the end of the road. They chose Wednesday to close the road and install pipe across it. So, the road into my house was closed for most of the afternoon. Luckily, the neighbor pulled up to the closure right behind me and we managed to get home cutting across the pasture on a 2 track road. It took 45 minutes, but it was a heck of a lot better than sitting in the car for 6 hours. A little notice might have been nice, but what do I know.
Here's a little Thanksgiving Eye Candy for you.
I hope those of you who celebrate had a great holiday. We're headed out to do a little bit of shopping locally, but are avoiding the mall and the big chain stores like the plague. I hope you are all enjoying a long weekend and are not out shopping at the mall on Black Friday.
November 21, 2006
I Like This Dyeing Business
On an administrative note: Jacqueline and I have decided to host a knit along for the Victorian Lace Today book. It's a very flexible sort of thing - join when you want, start when you want, knit what you want (from the book) and finish whenever you get around to it. We're imagining a place for people to get together and share ideas or problems, ask questions, and get advice from other lace knitters. If you're interested in joining us, e-mail us at victorianlacealong AT gmail DOT com.
On Saturday I took a dyeing workshop at the local yarn shop and I have to tell you - I had a great time. Dyeing isn't as scary as I thought it would be. We had a great teacher and a fun group - there were about 7 of us - and I learned a lot.
We started by handpainting some yarn with the primary colors and I got some nice rainbow sock yarn. It might be a bit bright, but it will be fun for someone. That KnitPicks yarn I've had for eons came in handy.
Then we handpainted yarn with varying depths of shade - I chose blue - and it turned out pretty good. I imagine they'll be a nice, subtle sock when knit up (and I'm really hoping it doesn't pool like crazy).
We stopped for lunch, which was a carry-in and after lunch we dyed some merino locks in the crock pot, handpainted some roving, a silk hankie, and some silk sliver. I didn't even felt my roving, I was so proud.
We had a little outlet problem, so we had to take most of our stuff home and steam it, which was interesting, but it turned out ok. So, now I need to figure out what dyes to order, what else I need, a good book or two, and when the heck I'm going to find the time to play with dyeing. I honestly think I need to quit my job or figure out a way to survive on 3 hours of sleep because that's the only solution that's coming to mind. Tomorrow will be dedicated to baking a preparing for the big turkey day. I still need to grocery shop tonight. I'm still not sure how it got to be Thanksgiving already. Wasn't it just Halloween last week? Anyway. I need to grocery shop (I finally made out my list this morning, which made me late for work). Tomorrow, I need to bake a pecan pie, a pumpkin cheesecake, some dinner rolls, and cut about 50 pounds of stuffing ingredients. Oh, and I have a massage appointment tonight that I've rescheduled twice. Travis is supposed to pick up the turkey from the butcher tonight before 5:30. Last year he forgot, so I need to try to remember to call and remind him before they close. At some point I need to finish rearranging the furniture in my house (it was a brilliant move to start that project on Sunday - sheesh), clean the guest room, do something about the state of my craft room (it's at the "enter at your own risk" stage), and iron a table cloth and napkins. Yipes. I'd better stop writing - I'm starting to scare myself. In fact, the eye twitch is back.
I have plans to post tomorrow, but I'll be home and at the mercy of dial-up. We'll hope that the speed of things increases after everyone goes to work. If I can swing it I'll post some in-progress shots of the baking.
Posted by Stephanie at 12:27 PM | Comments (24)November 20, 2006
It's The Little Things
It was a nice weekend - busy, but nice. This little treat was waiting for me when I got home on Friday night.
In case you can't read it, it says "Sweetie, I came home early & cooked you dinner. It took 4 hours. Trav" I swear - just when I think that guy can't be sweet - he goes and does something like that.
The dyeing workshop on Saturday was wonderful. I'm really excited about dyeing and I need to get some dyes ordered and get some of the things I need. Realistically, I won't have time to do much dyeing until after the holidays, but I think those winter weekends are a great time for playing with color. I have a lot of pictures, but the dial-up just couldn't handle the upload this morning. The good news is that I will soon have high-speed internet and I am so excited. Maybe a week or so.
Yesterday I sat on the couch and watched a movie and worked on my slipper. I finished the top part.
Now I've picked up the stitches on the cast-on edge and am working on the sole. It's going quickly, so I hope I can make good progress on it over the holiday weekend.
November 17, 2006
Eye Candy Friday
It's Friday! Yay. I feel like this week has gone on forever. I'm ready for the weekend and then next week is a short week because of Thanksgiving. Yippee. I'm imagining lots of knitting and maybe even some spinning. This is the sunrise over the barn yesterday morning. The colors were just unbelievable.
Have a great weekend.
November 16, 2006
Detour
Yesterday was exhausting. My argument went well - I think. It's so hard to know and I basically just have to forget about it because it will be at least 6 months before I hear anything from the Wyoming Supreme Court. So, life goes on. I left work early yesterday because I certainly wasn't being productive. I just couldn't concentrate. It was like I'd used up all my brain power getting through a 20 minute oral argument and I just couldn't figure out how to get back in to the swing of things. So, I went home and plowed through the disaster that was my house. I swear to you, I do not know how two adults and one small dog can make a house so absolutely cluttered. I suppose the fact that I haven't done anything but work on my supreme court argument might have something to do with the state of things, but still. The dishes alone were enough to make me want to hide under the bed with my knitting. Why is it that the dishwasher fills up so fast? And how the heck hard is it to empty the damn thing? I mean really. It only takes 10 minutes (maybe) to empty it, yet I just pile the dishes in the sink rather than empty the dishwasher and put the dirty dishes in there so I at least don't have to look at them. Washing them by hand would clearly be out of the relm of possibilities if I can't even be bothered with the dishwasher - way too much effort if you know what I mean. After the kitchen, there was the living room. I can see the surface of the coffee table, which I consider a major improvement. It's a big coffee table and it was completely buried under papers and magazines and computer parephernalia. The dogs toys are all back in the basket and I managed to do a load of laundry. You know things are bad when you don't have any clean underwear. At that point things like laundry really need attention. Oh, and the final push to unmuck the house was to go through the huge pile of catalogs and get rid of all but the few that I actually might order from. I swear I must be getting at least 10 of those suckers every single day. That is my least favorite part of the holidays and generally if I'm going to order something, I'm just going to get online and order it. I wish those companies would just save the trees and the hassle and stop sending those catalogs to me. At this point I'd decided that I'd done entirely enough "housework" for the night and made myself some mac and cheese, built a fire, and watched some television.
I debated about working on the sock. I'm close to being ready to start the ribbing and I thought it would be really nice to finish that, but I didn't work on the sock. Nor did I work on the wedding square (that I really have to finish this weekend). Didn't work on Butterfly, didn't spin. Instead, I took a little detour.
This is the start of the Curiously Clever Clogs (without beads) in some lovely Cascade 220. I'm in desparate need of a new pair of slippers, so I thought I'd start these and work on them at home. The pattern is very detailed, but so far seems easy enough.
Saturday I'm taking a dyeing class from 10-2 at the LYS. The lady teaching the class is very knowledgable and I think it will be a great exposure to chemical dyeing (I did take a natural dyeing class at Estes Park last year) and hopefully I'll get brave enough to try dyeing some of the fleece I have. We'll see. I hope I have the opportunity to take lots of pictures (read: I'll try to be a good blogger).
Posted by Stephanie at 7:03 AM | Comments (19)November 14, 2006
Tatami
As promised, here's the lovely Tatami (aka Kimono Sweater). I'm still not happy with the picture and I could not figure out how to crop it in iPhoto this morning (and I didn't have time to play with it - so sorry), but you've all seen the picture on Sundara's site, so you know it's gorgeous.
Project Details:
Pattern: Tatami from Sundara Yarns - pattern by Melissa Werhle
Yarn: Sundara Yarn Sport Merino - 5 skeins - color #12 (I think, well, I'm pretty sure, but I hope Sundara will correct me if I'm wrong)
Needles: US #4 Addi Turbos - there was quite a bit of swatching to get gauge, but in the end, the sweater fits nicely.
Thoughts: This is a great pattern. It's simple to knit, but cute and a bit different from my normal style. It's knit all in once piece and I have to admit that I didn't think I'd ever get done with the sleeves - it's still Sleeve Island, even if they're knit at the same time as the rest of the sweater. The Sundara Sport Merino is fabulous. Very soft and pleasant to work with and it is wonderful after you wash it - it just gets softer. I love that the yarn is superwash, but I'm not sure I'll ever throw this sweater in the washer just because I generally handwash all my sweaters, but who knows. It is nice to have options.
Posted by Stephanie at 7:02 AM | Comments (43)November 13, 2006
It's All About Yarn
I had planned to post about Tatami - the sweater I test knit for Sundara Yarns, but every picture I took was terrible. The light here was awful all weekend. So, I'm going to try again today and hopefully post about the sweater tomorrow.
This weekend was pretty quiet. I made a lot of progress on the Knee High, but did run out of yarn.
Please ignore my really white, bruised leg. That's how far I got with the first ball of yarn. The good news is that I have a second ball, and I continued with it and am in the process of getting a third ball from Piece of Beauty. I should have the third ball before I'm at that point on the second sock, so it all worked out. I debated about finishing the sock with the blue, but I decided that it would be too much plain blue and I wouldn't like how it looked. Better to do it right and get an extra ball of yarn.
Yesterday I spent some time working, but I also sat down at my spinning wheel and finished the purple I was spinning (I'll try to ply that next weekend) and started the blue roving I bought at Estes Park.
I'm not sure about this stuff. I think I'm used to spinning top or something because this stuff is kind of annoying. There are all kinds of little burrs in it and the fibers seem to be going every which way. Despite that, I am pretty pleased with how it's spinning up. I'd like to make a hat or socks with this. I think I have 4 oz, so I'm not sure what I'll be able to get out of it, but I'm trying to spin worsted (even though you can't really tell - the end result is really hairy).
I have a Supreme Court argument this week, so it's going to be kind of quiet around Unwind until Thursday. I hope you all have a great week. I'll have a sweater post for you tomorrow and hopefully a knee high finished this week.
Posted by Stephanie at 7:16 AM | Comments (19)November 9, 2006
Mid-Calf
The knee high is creeping up to about mid-calf. Right now I have 7.5 inches and I need to knit until I have about 14 (and hopefully I won't run out of yarn before I get there), then I'll add the ribbing in the solid blue.
I just finished the 4th set of increases, and the pattern calls for 8 - so, really on track for the 14", assuming the yarn holds (can you tell I'm worried about that?)
I've been knitting these socks on 2.0mm Susan Bates needles, as recommended by Grumperina. I have to tell you - I love them. They're a little long - 7 inches rather than 6, but the good outweighs the bad. The points are wonderful, the coating on the metal is perfect for socks - the needles are nice and strong, but not too slick, and they're cheap! I bought the socks needle set at the LYS (the set is 4 pairs of needles - 000, 00, 0, and 1) for $10!
The only other news is my new cell phone. I have had a long term hate relationship with the previous phone and yesterday was the first day I was eligible for a new phone. So, over lunch I ran right down to Circuit City and set myself up with a new version.
Picking out a cell phone is hard. There are so many, and 90% are flip phones (which I have a personal aversion to). That left me just a couple of choices. I considered a blackberry or palm, but I know I wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost of all those bells and whistles. This one actually has an MP3 player, which I won't use because of my iPod, but other than that - I really like it. I can't figure out how to get the bluetooth headset to work - I either have it on when I don't want it on or it's off when I want it on. I hope I'll get it figured out today, but man this technology makes my head hurt.
November 7, 2006
November
This is for Deb
Today is a busy day. I'm leaving soon to go to a deposition, plus it's election day. It promises to be more fun than I can stand. I am making great progress on the first knee high - I've started the leg increases and probably have about 5 inches done on the leg. Pictures soon - it's still just a plain sock, but the stripes make it fun.
Don't forget to vote today. We're lucky that we live in a country that gives us the right to vote, so let's make sure we make the most of it. Have a great day. I'll have a better post for you tomorrow.
November 6, 2006
I'm The Luckiest Knitter
This past weekend was another crazy weekend. We went to visit my dad and stepmom and I really don't know where the weekend went. I did do some shopping (big surprise, I know). JoAnn (my stepmom) and I started the day at the local craft fair. I was really excited because I thought I might be able to find some acrylic tea cozies, but I didn't see a single one.
I saw a lot of crazy stuff - some alpaca socks - machine knit, and some handknit alpaca hats made from handspun that I wasn't at all impressed with. I did manage to go to two yarn stores and broaden my horizons. I really liked one of the stores - although it was a combination of yarn and home stuff. It had a great feel and really nice yarns, but I behaved and didn't buy anything. I'm still trying to work through the stash. I wasn't as enamoured with the yarn at the second store, but it was a gorgeous old home and very welcoming. I did buy 8 ounces of lovely camel-colored baby alpaca roving to try spinning. It has motivated me to get back to the spinning wheel.
When I arrived home yesterday, I had the loveliest surprise in my mailbox.
The very talented Grumperina sent me the wonderful Happy Green socks (the color is more accurate on her blog - I only had artificial light) she made during Socktoberfest. I am so lucky to have such wonderful and generous knitting friends. I am so in love with these socks that I am wearing them today with my boring lawyer clothes and every time I look at them, they make me smile. Just what a girl needs on a cold and blustery Monday.
Posted by Stephanie at 7:10 AM | Comments (18)November 2, 2006
A New Heel
I know I've said it before, but after yesterday it bears repeating. Knitting and blogging friends are the best. Thanks for helping me out of my funk. Between all the lovely comments and some serious chocolate (dark chocolate truffles), plus some knitting, tv watching, and puppy snuggles I'm feeling much better.
The sock has made a turn - a heel turn to be precise.
I kind of fumbled my way through the solid color heel and played around with a couple of ways to pick up the wraps on the short-rows. I used the tutorial from Misocrafty for the toe, but I wanted to compare it to the method where you pick up and knit (or purl) the wraps with the stitch (like Wendy explains). I'm getting holes (tiny ones, but they're there) with both methods and I'm not sure why. Maybe one of you short-row experts can help me with this one. Even with the tiny holes, I have a completely lovely sock and now I need to work about 4 inches of the leg before I start the calf increases. I can't wait.
Posted by Stephanie at 9:22 AM | Comments (22)November 1, 2006
Enter At Your Own Risk
I'm in a really crappy mood today. I don't know why. I've thought about it and damned if I can figure out what has me all pissed off. It isn't even Monday, so I can't even blame something as arbitrary as the day of the week. Go figure. So, given my present frame of mind I seriously considered sparing you all from my crabbiness, but since you're reading this I'm sure you can figure out that I've decided to be selfish and post in the hopes that just writing something will make me feel a bit better.
I have had a pretty quiet week so far. I'm about 1/2 inch from the heel on the first knee high sock, but right now it looks just like it did the other day, only longer. Not so exciting to photograph, but pretty exciting to knit on. I've been working on the wedding square at lunch, but the last time I worked on it we had a bit of a falling out, so she's been in a time out. We'll see if she's decided to change her behavior when I pick her up today.
I didn't have any trick-or-treaters last night - that's common, but I usually buy a couple of bags of candy just to be on the safe side. There are a few kids that live in my "neighborhood," but I think they usually go to town to trick-or-treat - more bang for their buck that way. So, the good news with that is that I didn't spend all night jumping up and down to get the door. The bad news is that I have 3 bags of candy in my house. Well, it's actually only about 2 1/2 now - Travis ate half a bag of kit kats when he got home last night, plus the ones he ate for breakfast. Maybe he'll finish off the peanut butter cups tonight. Speaking of kit kats, I'm eating one right now. Surely chocolate will improve my mood. It's the miracle cure, isn't it?
I forgot to tell you the other day that I spray painted a chair in my craft room red. It matches the red in the shades and on the lampshade, but now it needs a nice cushion to make it more comfortable for those sewing sessions. I guess I'm going to have to get the sewing machine out soon because the sewing projects are piling up. I've also been thinking about making some cute pajama pants from Amy Butler for a couple of people for Christmas. I told myself I wasn't going to knit anything for Christmas, but sewing doesn't count in that ban. So, I'm trying to decide if I actually want to sew the pants for Christmas. I'm not doing anything until I'm sure I want to. Oh, but speaking of not knitting anything for Christmas, did you see the hat Jared posted about? Damn that guy. He always posts these projects and then I just really want to knit them. Travis has misplaced his favorite hat (he's sure I did something with it, and I'm equally sure it's his fault), and I think that pattern (pdf - page 3) would be perfect for Travis. So, I may be knitting one small project for Christmas. Maybe.
The only other topic I have is the new Interweave Knits. I got my copy Monday and I've looked through it three or four times. My favorite pattern by far is Eunny's fair isle pullover. I think I'll add that to my list of projects to knit (not until I finish Butterfly though). The only other one that was mildly interesting to me is the Equestrian Blazer. Oh, wait that's not true. I also like the Nantucket Jacket from Norah Gaughan, but realistically, I'll never knit it. I don't know why really, but I just know I won't.
Tonight I plan to sit on the couch and watch Lost and CSI: NY and knit the heel on my sock. Hopefully that will produce a photo or two for you tomorrow because I know todays post is whiny and boring. Don't give up on me - hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Posted by Stephanie at 10:59 AM | Comments (23)
