Knitting Rage

In the meantime...

2010-05-25T12:01:00.002-05:00

While you're voting on which hat to knit for my current boss/postdoc advisor, I offer up an FO. A toddler-sized Baby Surprise Jacket, modeled by one Toddler Wily. This sweater is not for her, but for a wee one yet to be born.

Dilemma

2010-05-21T07:52:00.001-05:00

There are no mathematics in the world to help me predict which hat my current boss/mentor will like the best. Perhaps the very select readership of Knitting Rage can help?

First, a description of the recipient. Think tornado with a pony tail. Think Hilary Clinton in hiking boots. Think Peter, Paul and Mary with extra wheat grass. Got an image of someone like that? Now, would that individual prefer (warning: Ravelry links ahead):

1. Opus Spicatum (or here)
2. Entomology Hat (or here, but scroll down)
3. Beaumont Beanie (or here)
4. My Mum's Fair Isle Hat
5. Other (leave suggestions in the comments)

Vote on it - upper right-hand corner poll. Remember: vote early, vote often.

Road Rage!

2010-05-11T09:41:00.000-05:00

Well, not really. I wanted to document the construction occurring directly outside my building this summer. The signs indicating the construction start date went up in early May. Construction start: May 10. What was happening as I biked into work yesterday? This:

And more than a few people doing something like this:

I hope to chronicle the progress over the next 2 months. BTW, the construction is for an addition to our current building. The removal of the road is to presumably access pipes and wires.

Oh yeah, I've been knitting - another pair of Monkeys.

Beep!

2010-04-20T00:01:00.002-05:00

The owner of this blog is currently engaged at a workshop on Complex Systems (kindly ignore that bit about Geosciences. I am not a geoscientist, nor do I play one on tv). Please leave a message at the beep commenting on your answer to that little poll in the upper right-hand corner of the blog.

Beep!

Skew Askew

2010-04-13T00:01:00.002-05:00

This blog's been all numbers for a few posts now, but I thought I'd remind my gentle readers that indeed, I do knit (albeit slowly) and occasionally, I have an FO to share. Today is one of those fantastic days. An FO! Skew, that fabulously unconventional sock from Lana Holden. This was an incredibly fun knit - and really, not too challenging once I let go of any sense of control over the pattern. This is a good pattern for striping yarn (although the logistics of the pattern did result in a small amount of pooling around the ankle). The socks fit quite well - though as many, many knitters note, they are tight to get on. Full details of my Skew available on Ravelry.

Sadly, the only picture I have of my beautiful skew was captured with my computer's built-in Photo Booth. Ho hum, I know. I'll try and do better this weekend.

Imagine, however, my surprise as I was editing the project details when up popped this little gem:

Be still my heart - dynamic analytics from Ravelry? I swooned! Then I checked out the data - nearly 90% of respondents rated Skew a 4 or a 5. What an endorsement! (Disclosure: I gave it a 4 for 2 reasons: (1) the kitchner stitch around the heal was fiddly and (2) a normal cast-off for the cuff? Really, after all that?). The mean difficulty rating was a 4.3, which places it as an interesting but not mind-boggling knit. (I rated it a little more difficult because I couldn't intuit my way through the pattern.)

Finally, a little appreciation for how quickly this pattern has spread. Released as a Knitty Winter surprise in early February 2010, this is the little pattern that could. As of this writing, there are 1000 Skews in progress or completed. 3194 members have queued this origami-like sock. All told, that's 4194 possible skews, roughly 28% the number of Fetchings... okay, that's a little misleading. Looking at the queuing figure, the rate of queuing looks fairly chaotic over the short term, but following the spike upon release (wow - 1062 in nearly a day?!), it's actually leveled out - sort of.

I can't help but wonder what might have been if Skew'd been released nearer to the summer Olympics...

Won't you be my neighbor?

2010-04-06T00:01:00.067-05:00

Have you ever looked at your neighbors on Ravelry? Go ahead - take a look. Click the 'People' tab, then scroll to the bottom of the page. You'll see a section titled 'your neighbors: Ravelers with similar taste in patterns'. Basically, Ravelry compares your FOs/WIPs and queued projects with the rest of the member's FOs/WIPs and queued projects*. The ten people with whom you overlap the most are your neighbors.

I was interested in what projects my neighbors and I were knitting. Did we overlap on popular projects? Was there a tribe of like-minded individuals who had also knit lingerie, sea stars and tea lights? I also wanted to know a little more about my neighbors - how long had they been on Ravelry? Did they blog? How long had they been knitting?

Methods
On March 27, I recorded the following information about my neighbors:

Name
Knitting experience
Ravelry experience
Website (if any)
All our common FOs, WIPs and Queued projects

I then tallied how many of the common projects were common to all 10 of my neighbors (e.g., how many of my neighbors also knit a Baby Surprise Jacket?). I grouped the projects into: baby/toddler, socks, shawls/scarfs, sweaters/jackets and hats.

I also recorded the top 10 ravelry projects, as identified by the number of projects in Ravlery.

Results and Discussion

Figure 1. Common projects by category.

My neighbors and I have, on average 13.8 years of knitting experience (+/- 4.8 years). We have all been on Ravelry since 2007, with most of us signing up in the spring/summer of that year (Ravelry launched in May of 2007 - we were early adopters!). Nine of us have blogs. Clearly, we are a group dedicated to knitting for the long haul and we rather embrace technology. We are modern women.
We are sock knitters. Of the 69 common projects, 45% are socks (Figure 1). Two of those projects (Monkey and Jaywalker) appears in the top 10 list on Ravelry.
We are also people who knit for small folks. Again, of the 69 common projects, 22% are tagged as baby/toddler. One project (Baby Surprise Jacket) appears in the top 10 list on Ravelry.
Scarves and shawls are a close runner up to babies and toddlers (garnering 17%).
The number one common pattern is... Embossed leaves by Mona Schmidt. Eight of my neighbors have knit this pattern - a lovely lace sock pattern that comes in at #39 on the top 100 in Ravelry.
Coming in at a close second is the Jaywalker pattern. I find this particularly amusing since I have long since frogged my Jaywalkers. But still, I was smitten with the pattern enough at one time to cast on!
In general, we are not knitters of the Ravelry top 10 (or at least, if we are, we knit different items!). Only three of our common patterns appear in the top 10. Another 5 patterns appear in the top 50.
A few of my FOs/WIPs have only one neighbor. These include: Moderne Log Cabin blanket, Helleborus and Na Craga. Interestingly, these are three of my favorite knits (even if one (Na Craga) is my longest languishing WIP).
There is only one adult sweater that appears in the common WIP/FO list - Sunrise Circle Jacket. I am not, by nature, a sweater knitter. Don't get me wrong - I wish I were. I've knit a few but never been happy with the result. Even the Sunrise Circle Jacket, I don't wear (not happy with how the decreases make it look like a naked watermelon). So I stick to hats, scarves, socks and shawls.
One of my neighbors is knitting royalty. Yes indeed, it's none other than the Yarn Harlot herself! We have 10 common WIPs/FOs, including the Sunrise Circle Jacket, Moderne Log Cabin blanket and the BSJ.

There you have my analysis of me Ravelry neighbors. Quite a nice group, don't you think? Now go take a look at your neighbors. What are they knitting? Why are they your neighbors? And are any of your neighbors knitting lingerie?

*There's something odd going on though. Ravelry says neighbor 1 and I have 16 projects in common. However, when I click through, I see 8 FOs/WIPs in common and 2 queued projects in common, which does not sum to the 16 projects Ravelry says we have in common. There is a similar discrepancy for a few other neighbors. I am wondering if the algorithm also takes into account favorited projects.

Trend analysis, the collaboration edition

2010-03-30T00:01:00.014-05:00

Many thanks to the commenters on last week's post. As someone who has done limited colorwork and as someone who did not watch the Olympics (I know, gasp!), I was constrained in my ability to explain that particular pattern in the data. Colorwork often requires more attention to both a pattern and the process of knitting - which distracts from watching the curling gold medal round (thanks, Kristy). Further, there really isn't a current must-knit colorwork pattern (thanks, Teresa). Finally, lace knitting may be an upward trend these days, thus it would be well-represented in the Ravelympics (thanks, Kimberli).

Kimberli also pointed out some differences between Ravelympics 2010 (winter edition) and Ravelympics 2008 (summer edition). Socks were quite popular in 2008, which seems reasonable given the season, the heat (at least in the northern hemisphere), and the travel. Socks are light, portable and go well with the beach, barbecues and fireworks.

I truly think the February Lady Sweater represents a first sweater project for many knitters - thus the appearance in both the 2010 and 2008 Ravelympics. What is it that makes the FLS so approachable that it is consistently queued in Ravelympics? It is knit in one piece and the shaping is minimal - and there is lace!

Finally, my thanks to the visitors this week - see below for the impact of a friend tagging a post on the Ravelympics discussion board on website traffic! I hope you enjoyed my analysis and follow-up. Return next week when I explore my neighbors on Ravelry!

Ravelympics

2010-03-23T00:01:00.068-05:00

Casey, co-founder of Ravelry, recently posted some simple summary statistics of Ravelympics. I did a quick glance - and then a double-glance. Just over 50% of all projects tagged with Ravelympics were completed. I don't know if this is good or bad, but it got me thinking. Do the Ravelympics reflect Ravelry in general? Why do folks pick the projects they do for Ravelympics? Here's my pseudo-scientific analysis.

Methods
Casey posted summary data for the Ravelympics on March 17, 2010. On March 18, I performed an advanced search in patterns (empty search box), which returned all patterns in the Ravelry database. I then sorted the patterns by 'most projects'. I recorded the number of projects, row gauge (and converted to stitches per inch) and publication date. For each project, I tagged it as lace or not-lace. This was purely subjective, based on my own definition of lace (i.e., lots of holes).

Results
About one third of the top ten projects appear in both Ravelry and Ravelympics (Table 1): February Lady Sweater, Clapotis and Baby Surprise Jacket. These three projects are knit at approximately the same gauge (4.5 - 5 stitches per inch), though the yarn weight is variable. Two (FLS and BSJ) are Elizabeth Zimmerman or EZ-inspired patterns. All three are tagged as low difficulty on Ravelry.

Ravelympics projects are newer. The mean publication date is 2002 for Ravelry and 2004 for Ravelympics (if we remove BSJ, which has a publication date of 1968, the mean publication dates are 2006 and 2008, respectively).

Of the top 10 projects in Ravelympics, 6 could be classified as lace (February Lady Sweater, Ishbel, Citron, Traveling Woman, Clapotis and Multnomah). Three projects in the top 10 of Ravely could be classified as lace (Clapotis, February Lady Sweater and Swallowtail Shawl).

Two socks appear in the Ravelry group and one sock appears in Ravelympics. Only one project on either list could be classified as colorwork (Olympic Reindeer Hat, Ravelympics). Further, only one project on either list could be classified as cabled (Fetching, Ravelry).

The mean gauge for Ravelry projects is 5.9 stitches per inch (+/- 0.6) and for Ravelympics is 5.2 (+/- 0.5). There is no statistically significant difference between these two groups (t-test, p=0.34).

Table 1. Top 10 projects in Ravelry and the Ravelympics.

	Ravelry (No. Projects) (Pub Date)	Ravelympics (No. Projects) (Pub Date)
1	Fetching (14,805) (2006)	February Lady Sweater (166) (2008)
2	Clapotis (14,482) (2004)	Ishbel (131) (2009)
3	Monkey (11,455) (2006)	Citron (126) (2009)
4	Baby Surprise Jacket (10,866) (1968)	Traveling Woman (116) (2009)
5	Calorimetry (10,809) (2006)	Clapotis (115) (2004)
6	February Lady Sweater (8,540) (2008)	BSJ (81) (1968)
7	Saartje’s Bootees (7,339) (2007)	French Press Slippers (74) (2009)
8	Jaywalker (7,284) (2005)	Multnomah (73) (2009)
9	Noro Striped Scarf (6,919) (2007)	Olympic Reindeer Hat (72) (2009)
10	Swallowtail Shawl (6,457) (2006)	Skew (68) (2009)

Discussion
Ravelympics projects only partially reflect general Ravelry trends. Ravelympians choose newer projects and gravitate towards lace. Many knitters list lace as difficult, requiring extensive time and attention. Thus, lace is seen as a perfect challenge for Ravelympics. However, the same can be said of color work and yet we find only one project in the Ravelympics top ten. Do knitters see color work as less challenging, and therefore less worthy of Ravelympics? Or do knitters see color work as even more challenging and beyond the constraints of Ravelympics? Or were there few enticing/exciting/enigmatic color work patterns released in the last year?

Socks are an incredibly popular project for many knitters. Yet the only sock to make Ravelympics was Skew. For most Ravelympians, I would suspect that socks do not pose a significant challenge. At the time of Ravelympics, Skew was an incredibly new pattern and offered a unique construction (hence the name, Skew), making it a popular choice for many athletes.

The lack of cable projects in Ravelympics is a bit mystifying. On first blush, it may be that many knitters consider cables insufficiently challenging. However, as for color work, it could also be that a sufficiently challenging cable project (e.g., Na Craga) was beyond the scope of Ravelympics.

The February Lady Sweater is an interesting project appearing in both groups. FLS is an easy knit and makes a great first sweater for many. I would predict that many FLS are knit by new knitters or as a first sweater project by more experienced knitters (some who have sweater-phobia). As such, it represents an outstanding challenge for Ravelympics.

In summary, it seems that lace projects are quite possibly the perfect project for the Ravelympics. Challenging and beautiful, lace embodies what it means to knit, to compete and to achieve gold.

In the coming years, we might expect a few of the Ravelympics patterns to make their way into the Ravelry top 10 - although the enduring aspects of a project are open for discussion. I look forward to 2014, when we can again ask: what are knitters knitting and why?

Crazy

2010-03-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Am I crazy that I think these would be fun to knit? Yeah, I thought so.

BTW, update on the pop resolution: Monday was day 1 for purchasing only one bottle o' caffeine a week. It was tough, but I made it. I expect day 2 will prove much more difficult.

Sporadic, at best

2010-02-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

It took just under 10 hours on Friday for my work life to go from manageable to out of control. As a result, work will, for the foreseeable future, bleed uncontrollably into all aspects of my life. It means no weaving, no sewing and very little knitting. It means I will neglect this blog, like an unfit mother, posting sporadically when I need a break from writing, thinking and crunching numbers.

(ps The Jaywalkers are a fun knit, but I do see why Cookie A.l's Monkey's are #1 on Ravelry.)

Total cop-out

2010-02-04T00:01:00.003-05:00

No post because I am sick, exhausted and so very busy. A better blogger would have posts written for just these times. Not me. Catch you next week.

Happy Groundhog Day

2010-02-02T00:01:00.002-05:00

And what a better day to revisit ye old New Year's Resolutions. Let's start with the

Knitty

Knit less. See the sewing and weaving. Sure, nothing is finished, but it was time spent on crafts other than knitting.
Knit in color. Cha-ching my blog-reading friends! Bonus story: walking across campus with my boss. She turns and asks what brand my hat is - she likes it, looks warm. I held out my hands and said I made it - with these. A priceless event.
Finish Na Craga. No where near completion, but I at least excavated the basic parts.
Finish the tea lights. No comment.
Finish the plain gray sweater. No comment.
Knit more Christmas gifts. Check - started my first pair of Jaywalkers, which will end up a gift for someone.

Personal resolution
Step 1 - success to date. I have purchased no soda in the grocery store, not even the 99 cent cups at the checkout. Well, almost. My boss has started bringing 2 liters to work - for everyone to share. I do partake one or two (or three?) cups a week. I think it's only fair that I purchase a bottle in exchange. Don't you agree?

Think of the Knitting

2010-01-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

Backstory:
My oldest daughter is three and going through a phase where she does not want her little sister (15 months) to play with any toys (it matters not to whom they belong). Screaming matches, tug-of-wars, and pushing episodes have all ensued. We agreed that Jeneric could name three toys every day that were hers and hers alone for the day and if she chose, she could put these up high where Toddler Wily could not get them.

Tuesday night:
Jeneric asks me what things I want to put up high, so Toddler Wily can't get into them. Like the sainted mother I am, I reply that there's nothing I want to put up high. I'm happy to share with Toddler Wily. Jeneric calls my bs. She tilts her head to the side and says, "Hmm. Mama, I think you want to put your knitting up high, don't you?"

Touché, little one. Touché .

Will wonders never cease?

2010-01-26T00:01:00.001-05:00

If you can believe it, dear readers, I have taken up Na Craga! Over the weekend, I excavated the WIP stash to unearth two sleeves, a front and the ribbing on the back. I ripped the ribbing (and found a broken yarn, to boot), cast on and knit the ribbing and first pattern repeat. The picture is horrible, but that's what you get at 10 pm using PhotoBooth!

Star Towels

2010-01-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

A few years ago - maybe four? - I had a lot more free time on my hands. I also had grand ideas about weaving a project a month. Towels, place mats, runners, ordinary cloth, you name it. It's taken a while, but I'm starting to make time for hobbies (other than knitting). Eric and I turned out 2 rugs over the last year (simple log cabin rugs that are really nothing more than a slight of hand for the eye). We also wove one shawl - our first project using tencel. I am sorry to admit that we took pictures of nothing.

The weaving stash has long contained some cones of cotton - red and white:

We plan to use these together to make a few Star Dishtowels:

(a free project available from Handwoven.)

Before we warp, we do have a decision - which towel? The all-over star pattern, pictured on the right? Or the striped version, pictured on the left? Readers, care to weigh in?

Norah, FO

2010-01-19T07:31:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was far busier than I expected. Although I'd hoped to finish a hat, wind a warp, piece a quilt back and begin quilting said quilt. Instead, I:

Advanced from white to yellow belt and broke a board. I study at the Mid-Michigan Academy of Martial Arts, which is a mixed martial arts school. I love it. And for a beginner, I'm pretty decent.
Finished Norah!

I cast-off Norah with angst. It looked too tall, the tick/lice patterning was bumply and it looked distinctly homemade. Indeed, the hat could stand to be about an inch shorter, but it fits and is warm (I wore it to work today). Blocking smoothed out a lot of the bumps and frumps. I like the hat. In time, it may just replace my beloved Kittiwake. Full details on Ravelry.
I did manage to piece the quilt back. Two cuts and one seam. Easy. A little more challenging with a toddler helping, but it got done. Said toddler also wanted to help with making the quilt sandwich, but since she couldn't help but walk all over the quilt, well, that was not about to happen.
No warping, but I did pull together the necessary materials, including the pattern and the yarn, both of which had been marinating in the stash for several years.

The other, other fiber craft

2010-01-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

Sewing, that is. I don't sew nearly as often as I'd like, in part because my sewing room is also the kitchen.

This weekend, I managed to find a little inspiration. For two afternoons, I cleared the clutter from the table and got down to business. The first step was to remember where I was in this project. I had sewn strips together, but could not remember how I'd arranged these blocks of fabric. So I laid everything on the floor and flipped and positioned and flipped again until I found an arrangement that mostly, sort of worked. Then, I labeled it. Should have done that back in July when I started this quilt! Lesson learned.

And yes, it is critically important to color coordinate your socks with your quilting project.

From there, it was a lot of pinning and alignment and repinning and alignment.

And a bit of sewing until...

A complete quilt top - look Ma, it even has the borders! I hope to spend time this weekend reteaching myself how to piece together the back - then executing that maneuver. After that, it's off on an adventure of quilting on my own machine with a finishing maneuver of binding. Note to self: invest in an obscene number of safety pins, pronto.

New Year, New Resolution

2010-01-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

Previously, I outlined my knitting resolutions. Today, I’m going all-out with the boredom factor to detail my one and only personal resolution (aside from getting a new job).

Resolution: Stop drinking so much soda*.
Odds of succeeding: nil.

Merriam Webster defines resolution as:

The act or process of resolving.
The subsidence of a pathological state.
Something that is resolved.

No wonder most resolutions fail. Goodness, what is a resolution but crossing your arms, stomping your foot and saying, ‘There. I fixed it.’ There. I stopped drinking soda. Except no, I haven’t.

Resolution is such a vague term that this year I’m going to use the much more apt terminology of goal setting.

Now setting a goal can also spell trouble. However, I am flush with incite into goals. In scientific teaching, we say that a goal is something with a measurable outcome. Revisiting my Resolution, I need to add some component that I can quantify. For example:

Goal: I will drink soda only when at a restaurant.
Measurable component: I can count the number of times I buy soda in the grocery store or a vending machine on campus.

That’s very nice, you might say. Let’s call it a day. Unfortunately, I don’t know how or when I’ll get to that goal. At the dojo, we say that a goal is a resolution with a written plan and deadline. Once again, let’s revisit that Resolution, now a Goal.

Goal: I will drink soda only when at a restaurant.
Step 1: I will not buy soda at the grocery store. This means no cans or bottles AND it means no 99 cent cups at the checkout counter. Deadline: January 1, 2010.
Step 2: I will buy no more than one soda from a vending machine in any given week. This means I will need to bring something from home – likely water or iced tea. Deadline: March 1, 2010.
Step 3: I will buy no soda from vending machines. Deadline: May 1, 2010.

The astute reader will notice that one deadline has passed. I am holding steady after 1 shopping trip and successfully resisted purchasing either a case of soda or a cup of soda at the checkout. I feel okay about this knowing I can still buy a bottle of soda at work, if I need to. I’ve got some time to survey my beverage options (are Margaritas okay at work? No? Are you sure?), make sure I’ve got proper vessels for transport and get past those withdrawal headaches.

There you have it. My over-analyzed, three-step program for kicking the soda habit.

*You should know that I am ashamed to admit that when I first typed this, I used pop instead of soda.

The Rage

2010-01-07T09:50:00.001-05:00

Lest you think I’d forgotten the complete title of this blog – Knitting Rage – let me assure you I have not. In New Jersey, rage was easy and superficial. Yell about the bad drivers, crazy maneuvers on the Garden State and call it a day. Although Michigan hosts an unusually large number of Sunday drivers, it’s nothing to get worked up about. I could whine about the lack of culture, our inability to find decent pizza, bagels or Indian food. But that’s whining, not rage.

Today’s rageful thought of the day is about choices and the inward rage that sometimes accompanies those choices. Every evening, after the girls are in bed and have had their 93rd drink of water, I put the kettle on for tea and curl up in my big brown chair. Most nights I cruise blogs for 20 minutes and then turn to knitting. Occasionally, I get off my duff and hit the sewing machine. But every night, I struggle with guilt. My work chirps at me: read a paper, analyze that data, write up those results, think of something brilliant! As a postdoc in science (albeit it biology education), there is a common stereotype that we (a) have no life, no hobbies, no interests outside of the lab and the corollary (b) all we do is work, work, work – 80+ hours a week. Even within my field, there is the perception that hobbies and family are unfortunate and only detract from one’s research.

So that is my rage – at the stereotypes, at the departmental perceptions, at my own inability to clearly define myself, my life, my research. There is rage at society and the trend to work more, harder, longer. There is rage at the growing perception that our work defines us.

This semester, I’m sitting in on a graduate seminar that’s all about the Mommy track – how to balance family and a career. As a mother, I am hoping to gain incite into balancing work and family and guilt. As a scientist, I’m interested in whether the what, why and how we teach can prepare our students to better maneuver this evolving landscape. I expect to pick up this thread several more times this spring. The role of gender in science and education is becoming increasingly interesting.

Norah Hat, Redux

2010-01-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

Fair Isle knitting. Well. It has long daunted me and I can't quite explain why. Not that it is easy - but it is not hard. And not that my little Norah Hat is perfect. My first attempt was way too tight - a 16" circumference hat rather than 20". My second attempt is, perhaps, too loose but blocking fixes many sins and it may just help the two colors meld together better than they currently do.

I knit with both colors in my left hand. I tried briefly to hold one in my right and failed completely. It just didn't work for me. Ravelry to the rescue with a techniques video (which I can't seem to find just now)... in any case, two colors, one hand and away we go.

It's given me confidence to look a little more honestly at the the Endpaper Mitts. I have 2 skeins of Louet Gems Fingering Weight in a pale blue and a gift certificate to Threadbear... might have to swing over there for some contrasting cream or white!

Knitting Resolutions

2009-12-24T00:01:00.003-05:00

It's been two years since I made any knitting resolutions - or at least since I publicly professed them. I'll come right out and say that I like making resolutions. I like the idea of starting the year off on the right foot with small, accomplish-able goals. Also, it involves making a list and I, like so many others, love writing lists.

2010 Knitting Resolutions

Knit less. I know! Sacrilegious! But I dearly love sewing and find that I only sew when a deadline looms. It's time to get in touch with the recreational sewer and finish a few quilts and make some clothes and toys for the girls.
Knit in color. Intarsia, Fair Isle, I'm gonna learn to love you this year, even if it means knitting slower than a snail in mud.
Finish Na Craga.
Finish the tea lights.
Finish the plain gray sweater.
Knit more Christmas gifts. Socks and scarves all around!

How about you? Any knitting resolutions or are such things verboten?

Happy Christmas to those who celebrate. Next week, the blog is on vacation but I promise to photograph Norah as knitting progresses.

Norah

2009-12-23T08:27:00.000-05:00

Well, Tuesday certainly got away from me, didn't it? Nary a peep from this knitter.

Norah arrived safely last Wednesday and I cast on as soon as time permitted - i.e., Saturday. The first bit is cotton, which gets folded up and hemmed to the inside. Makes wearing the hat less itchy. And indeed, that's all I had time to complete. So imagine a ring of stockinette, 2 1/2 inches, in navy blue. Thrilling, no?

About that color - navy. Yeah, the blue is a bit more navy that I generally like, but it will still contrast nicely with the eggshell white. The end hat - if knit properly - will still be stunning. Plus, if all goes well, this will be just the first of many color-work projects.

And now for something completely different

2009-12-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

A sea star! My folks visited over the summer and while browsing our local Barnes and Noble, my Mom stumbled across Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh. She thought it looked cute and brought it home. There are so many awesome things in this book - from an earthworm to a praying mantis, with a cucumber and carrot thrown in for health. I'm starting simple with the sea star.

This was a fast knit - about 4 days from cast on of the first arm to weaving in the last tail. There is an errata for the pattern - though it should be obvious to anyone who's comfortable with subtraction. I slightly modified the slipped stitch edges just to make 'em neater - and in the process made all the stitch picking up a whole lot easier. The last 2 rounds were terrible to knit - these are knit after stuffing the arms. Need to reconsider this for the next little star. I used leftover Cascade 220 in red and pink. This little sea star is headed to Florida and I think I'll call him Reginald. Reginald P. Star, III.

In mourning...

2009-12-15T00:01:00.006-05:00

for the hole that has emerged in my dear, beloved Kittiwake.

Of all the hats in the world, this hat - my first Starmore project - was perfect. It was warm, not too scratchy and fit over any number of hair styles. I will miss this hat. True, I could darn the hole - though it emerged right on the edge of a cable. Instead, I decided to follow Teresa's example and knit a hat as one of my first colorwork knitting projects. Late Saturday night (after a most satisfying round of Mario Galaxy), I ordered Norah from Bea Ellis:

Colors 0010 (white) and 5473 (deep teal). I am *so* excited. I do hope the kit arrives before I leave for MN - I really want to get started right away!

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

2009-12-10T07:39:00.000-05:00

I have 2 rows left on the Helleborus scarf (I know - 2 rows. Couldn't have sucked it up and finished it last night or even this morning? And sadly, no, no I couldn't). Which means... I'm overdue in the ponder department. What to work on next? Under consideration:

Toddler Monkeys. I daresay I have enough yarn from the original Monkeys to make a wee pair.
Arm/wrist mitts. But which pattern? Currently considering Cabled Wristers, Toast, and Endpaper Mitts. Leaning towards the Cabled Wristers as I think they'd be a quick knit - and portable for upcoming holiday travels.
Get back to work on the Simple Cardigan of excessive grayness. I have the cuff of one sleeve done - that's 1.9 sleeves left to knit!!
Various other UFO - including tea lights and Na Craga.
Avoid this decision altogether and sew new pajamas for myself as my last pair just hit the trash (4 years old and going strong until a large hole emerged in the shorts). I do have some fantastic sock monkey flannel fabric.

Decisions, decisions. And, with the end of Glee until, what April? I've got to reconfigure my tv watching - what will fill the void in the intervening months? Finally, in the immortal words of Pinky:
"Well, I think so, Brain, but if Jimmy cracks corn, and no one cares, why does he keep doing it?"

Not yet done

2009-12-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

I'd hoped to complete the Helleborus scarf over the weekend. Alas, a few things came between me and the end.

Thing 1: Acadia, the cat. She is very fond of sitting on things that are or will become clothing.

Thing 2: a nasty stomach virus.

The outlook for this week is much better - complete with a predicted snowstorm that will keep us home bound for a few hours, at any rate. More and better content to come!

Two little monkeys jumped on the bed

2009-12-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

And lucky for this story, none fell off or bumped their heads. Presenting a pair of monkeys, first cousins (once removed).

Certainly a fun knit. I can even see myself making a second pair. But not until after Christmas.

Christmas Stockings

2009-12-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

These stockings represent 3 independent knitters. In 2006 and 2009, I knit the plain felted stockings - one for each girl.

In 1980, my paternal grandmother made my stocking which has an uncanny resemblance to Eric's stocking, knit around 1976 by his maternal grandmother and later embellished by Eric.

Quite a motley crew, eh? Now some would say aw, tradition or neat-o that your stockings match. But I'm starting to wonder if perhaps it's time to create a new tradition - new stockings for the entire family. Stockings that match, that are modern, that are distinctly ours. What do you think? And should the stockings be sewn/quilted or knit?!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to autopost, I am not immune to posting on a national holiday. If all went well, I spent 12 hours yesterday driving and knitting my way from Michigan to upstate New York. In an ideal world, the girls slept most of the way (we were supposed to hit the road at 4 am - wonder if that really happened?) and we arrived in time for a delicious family dinner.

A wee bit o' knitting content: On the drive, I took 2 projects - can you guess? Yes, the slothful knitter took the Helleborus scarf and the Monkeys. I doubt I finished either of the on the drive!

I'm dreaming of... recycled plastic yarn?

2009-11-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

Apparently my subconscious is a bit worried that I will run out of projects on the Thanksgiving drive. Last night, I had a long and involved dream about... yarn. Not any yarn, but a recycled yarn made from plastic soda bottles. And yes, I do own a ball of such a beast, procured at Rhinebeck a few years back. I've always intended to make dish clothes, but never gotten around to it. In the dream, I was done with the Helleborus scarf, done with the Monkeys and done with Thanksgiving dinner. I'd wisely packed an extra ball of yarn, my set of KnitPicks Options and whoosh! found myself ready to cast-on for that perfect dish cloth or scrubbie or soap sock. Except, no pattern. And apparently, no brain. I was unable to knit even the simplest seed or garter stitch cloth. I frantically cast about for something - anything - to knit and in disgust, I jammed the yarn and needles into a tote and groused the whole way home.

And then I woke up and decided I should think about taking along an additional ball of yarn. And a pattern. Just in case.

Crazy Monkey Business

2009-11-24T00:01:00.002-05:00

It's about time to cast-on for the 2nd Monkey sock. If I'm honest, it's long past time. Ahem. This post isn't really about the Monkey, but about the Yarn - that Crazy Zauberball.

Item the first:
These socks have absolutely no hope of turning out identical. Fraternal it will be. Heck, judging by the striping, I'll be happy if they're mistaken for first cousins.

Item the second:
I daresay about a third of the price of a ball of Zauberball goes directly to the winding procedure. It's very intricate - and for good reason. Brenda Dayne of Cast-On made reference to this in a not too distant podcast. Take a look at the Jenni-wound center-pull ball:

Would you purchase that? Not likely, right? So fancy winding to get:

And you have a Crazy Yarn with mass appeal.

Ten things

2009-11-19T00:01:00.002-05:00

If you want knitting content, visit Tuesday's post and add a few inches to the scarf. What can I say? The days leading into Thanksgiving are always busy for me - mostly because work picks up in anticipation of year-end deadlines. (Also, I pulled or tore a muscle in my abdomen, so I'm not quite working at full capacity.) So today I offer up the following diversion, inspired by Claudia via Carole.

Ten things I wish I knew how to do – and the likelihood of actually learning/doing

Sew a complete garment for one of my girls that looks professional in every way. Pretty high probability- I love to sew and smaller people mean faster projects (in general).
Code an awesome website. Probable. I'll need a good website professionally at some point - don't want to look like a fool to the funding agencies, eh?
Knit a pair of Anemoi mittens (aside: in my head, I call these anemone mittens). This requires learning stranded colorwork. Probably. As soon as I finish the rest of my queue, that is!
Raise confident, intelligent, compassionate daughters. This is not a cop-out! Every day, I try to better myself as a parent – how can I modify my behaviors to improve the environment in which they grow. Unknown, but I do hope this is highly likely. Only time will tell.
Write a novel (or novella) that I am not embarrassed to show friends (requires having an idea worthy of a novel). Rather unlikely, but you never know when inspiration will strike.
Have a house (or at least the downstairs) that does not look like the decorator was three-years old. Very unlikely.
Visit Alaska. Definitely - headed there this summer.
Walk part (all?) of the Kerry Way. Possible.
Draw. Incredibly unlikely. It is why I never finished my art minor - couldn't handle the drawing requirement!
Write an advice column. Incredibly unlikely. But I do read a bunch - from Auntie BubboPants on Ravelry to the traditional Dear Abby to the new traditional Dear Prudence to Savage Love. Working in a world where egos are larger than the suburbans the people drive, it's my little indulgence.

Project

2009-11-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Wow, the rate of progress around these parts is astounding.

1. Up first, the Helleborus scarf. Powered through the first ball of Malabrigo (mmm) and into the second. Boring picture, true, but it's so fun to knit. Got about 18 inches out of the first ball, so I expect a scarf well over 60 inches. Woot!

2. Second (and final for today) a finished monkey sock. Haven't cast-on for the second sock. Soon!

Most importantly, Happy Birthday, Eric!

Project update

2009-11-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

1. Monkey socks. Status: cruising along. These are just barely too small for me which means, I think, they'll fit my sister-in-law perfectly. In a perfect world, these would be done in time to mail to her before she heads in for surgery. In reality, they'll probably get done on the drive to NY for Thanksgiving, which means they'll arrive for the latter half of her recovery.

2. Helleborus (aka Green Scarf). Status: currently stalled but ammunition has been acquired. Last week, I ordered 2 additional skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino from Webs. It arrived today. See?

How I go about merging the 2 dye lots remains up in the air. In most lights, the 4 balls match pretty well. In the picture above, it appears that the skein on the right is a touch darker. Hmm. I think I'll wait until I'm home with sunlight, take them outside and check. But if I had to guess, I'd say I'm just going to knit normally, and ignore the dye lots.

The other other fiber craft

2009-11-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend, my oldest daughter celebrated her third birthday. It was her first party and we were determined to do it right - plan and execute a party that made her feel special. To that end, I crafted 3 projects - two with fiber and one with food coloring.

1. A special girl deserves a special hat - a crown in this case. I used a tutorial from Juicy Bits and felt from Purl Soho.

2. A rainbow themed birthday party requires colorful garland - or, in this case bunting, made from a tutorial by Sweet Jessie at Sew, Mama, Sew!

3. And a rainbow cake, inspired by mckmama.

The day was a success, judging by the smile on the birthday girl's face.

Fatigue

2009-11-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to find a posting schedule that works with my life. The Tuesday/Thursday posting scheme seems, in theory, suitable. This week is a bit of an anomaly - Eric is out of town on business (the first time in over 2 years) and so I'm playing the single parent for a few days (tip of the hat to all single parents out there. It's tough!). Which is long-winded way to say sorry for the insubstantial post and lack of pictures. I can offer 2 project updates:
1. The Monkey Socks continue to grow. I am ready to turn the heal and charge into the toe on the first sock.
2. I caved and ordered 2 additional skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino. I'm toying with Teresa's idea of working in the 2nd dye-lot for the center of the scarf. It will depend on how poorly the 2 dye-lots match.

Fingers crossed for some knitting relief this weekend - although with a toddler birthday party to throw on Sunday, I suspect not!

Monkey and me

2009-11-03T00:01:00.002-05:00

I’ve long resisted the charms of the ubiquitous monkey socks. As of this writing, there are 10,442 monkey projects. Every day, it is added to at least 3 people’s queue. It is, in short the most popular sock pattern on Raverly. I never saw the appeal of Monkeys, although I admired many monkeys around the web.

Enter Crazy Zauberball, colorway, well, crazy.

I toyed with Wendy Johnson’s toe-up mock cable socks. The cable was lost with the striping. So I retreated to a simple 2 x 2 rib. Ugh – too simple and deadly boring.

And then in a fit of random clicking around Ravelry, I chanced upon a Monkey. I tilted my head. I squinted. And with a quick nod, I knew that I was going to down the kool aid and attempt to knit a little monkey business.

Knitting at work is a no-no, and I am not knitting at work. But, PhotoBooth clearly shows the crazy rainbow that is my first pair of monkeys.

You can also see my current favorite scarf, the Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronique Avery.

Cheating will always do you wrong

2009-10-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Late last week I finished the second front on my simple, plain, gray cardigan. With the Michigan winter beginning to choke the daylight from the sky (and the color, too), I found myself without the will to continue into the sleeves. Too much gray (ditto for getting into gear on the Na Craga). I have a simple but colorful sock on the needles, but I’m currently apathetic about that project (I think the simple rib pattern just isn’t fitting the playfulness that is Zauberball Crazy). What’s a Michigander to do but cast on a new project using bright! cheerful! colorful! yarn? Enter Malabrigo Silky Merino, a most luscious fiber. The colorway dill is electrifying. Combine with one simple scarf pattern – Helleborus by Terhi Montonen – and you have a recipe for a quick, satisfying, uplifting knit. Just the right diversion to get you back on track with the simple, gray cardigan.

Unless. Unless, of course, you won this yarn on a blog contest (thanks, Kristy!), have only 2 hanks and have severely underestimated how far that yarn will go. Well, if you do that, then you end up knitting 5 inches, taking a few measurements and realizing that your scarf will top out at 30 inches. Sure, blocking could push that length to 35 inches, but still. 35 is not 60 (not in this universe at any rate) and a scarf of 30 inches just won’t do.

After careful analysis of the situation (read: wondering if I could magically make 2 additional hanks of Malabrigo Silky Merino in Dill appear), I found 2 options:

Option 1: Rip the 5 inches and cast on for a scarf of half the current width. It is 12 inches, after all, and a 6-inch wide scarf is very wearable. Pro: A completed scarf from yarn all of the same dye lot. Con: I have to rip my current knitting and settle for a scarf half as wide as I’d hoped.
Option 2: Purchase more yarn, albeit of a different dye lot. Pro: I can continue to knit with my current yarn as the remaining yarn is shipped and I get a wide, squishy scarf. Con: the dye lots are different. How gruesome could that look?

So what’s a knitter to do? I know what I should do. Yeah, I realize that cheating on my cardigan has brought me bad knitting karma. And while I know I should probably cast-on for that first sleeve, I suspect I will stray even further and do a little sewing.

Na Craga angst

2009-10-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

Given my spotty posting track record, you are undoubtedly unconcerned about the fate of Eric’s Na Craga. In fact, you’d be quite forgiven for even forgetting the existence of Eric’s Na Craga. Let me bring you up to speed.

First, an inventory:
1. Sleeves. Completed summer of 2006. At the time I had two fears: (1) all those cables and (2) sleeve island. Figuring the sleeves had fewer cables than the front and back, I tackled them first. Baby steps, right?
2. Front. Completed fall 2006. Buoyed by the success of the sleeves, I jumped head first into the body and quickly clicked my way to the boxy neck.
3. Back. .

What happened? You may recall that in November 2006, I thought it prudent to invert my entire life by having a baby. It took about 6 months for me to reach a new equilibrium (what can I say? I’m resistant to change) at which time I thought it prudent to line up a postdoc and defend my dissertation. Six more months to gain my sea legs and bam, I decide to have another baby. Invert life once again (which oddly enough does not return it to the 2006 pre-baby state at all) and pretty much all knitting takes a backseat to treading water in the land known as parenthood.

At that point, Na Craga was buried on a shelf, dead to me, Eric and the world. And then one day, one of my many LYS (Threadbear Fiber Arts) held a Customer’s Garage Sale. So I sorted through my books, fiber and yarn, culling the heard to make some dough when what did I stumble upon, but poor, neglected Na Craga. I gave it a sad smile, plumped the fronts, smoothed the arms and vowed to work on it… soon.

These days, Na Craga stares at me from a basket on the shelf, batting puppy-dog eyes and whimpering ever so softly. Maybe this winter, Na Craga. Maybe this winter.

Ode to scarf weather

2009-10-23T12:27:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year. The dropping temperatures and crisp mornings nip at my neck. I happily reach for a scarf – maybe a lacy number, a cashmere cutie or a color-shifting wrap. Each scarf is a heaping helping of comfort food, warming my thoughts as I trudge through driving rain (and snow) to the bus stop, office and beyond.

Imaginary Rhinebeck

2009-10-21T11:15:00.000-05:00

My previous post made no mention of my angst at missing yet another fun, fiber-filled weekend known colloquially as Rhinebeck and technically as the NY State Sheep and Wool Festival. My denial was so deep that I’d buried my resentment to the furthest, dustiest corners of my brain.

But trolling the blogs on Monday reminded me of what I’d missed. The yarn, the food, the cute animals. I must admit to a mild twinge of homesickness – I graduated from Arlington High School, just down the road. I’ve been to many state fairs, craft fairs and yes, Sheep & Wool festivals on those very fair grounds. And let’s not forget that it’s apple season and NY has, by far, the best apples in the nation (and I know for a fact that a lovely farmer and his family sets up a stand just down the road from the festival. They have some good Honeycrisps.).

I missed going to Rhinebeck this year by a hair. Well, by a work-related hair. The upset and anger I felt at missing Rhinebeck was perplexing. I have enough yarn. My knitting time is limited. I spin very little (though I yearn to spin more). Few projects entice me and fewer still captivate me long enough to complete. And yet here I was, pouting in the middle of Michigan because I couldn’t go to the party.

It’s classic, isn’t it? Like the toddler who wants the candy she can’t have or the teenager who wants their own car. We often want what we can’t have. I admire the folks who went for the people – friends and bloggers alike. But in all of their reports and photos there lingers the ubiquitous purchase. The skein of sock yarn, a bar of soap, a lone button or clasp.

And I wanted to be a part of that – I wanted to stroll an entire fairground devoted to fiber and pick up one or two things I didn’t need. I wanted to ogle yarns, ponder projects and make one or two hasty and rash purchases. I wanted a little retail therapy.

I know I live in a town with not 1 or 2 but 4 local yarn stores. I have ready access to fiber-related retail therapy. But it is not the same as trekking to Rhinebeck and joining the throngs of people – fiber novices to experts to revered masters. There is a camaraderie in that sort of retail therapy, as if a thousand other individuals collectively smile and say yeah, that skein of variegated cashmere sock yarn your currently ogling? It will make the perfect socks for your toddler girls.

Well, it's been a quiet few months around here

2009-10-19T00:01:00.005-05:00

Not that I've gone anywhere or done anything more impressive then, well, embiggen the family with a 2nd daughter (who's no longer a baby, but a toddler). Work is busy - and in times like these busy equates with job security (even for me, a mere postdoc on soft money). So let's ease back into the knit blog, with an update on the WIP from the previous post, a few FO from the past year, and some ideas for future posts.

The socks for Toddler Jeneric were knit and worn.

The Baby Yours sweater was completed, worn and retired. Somewhere in there a baby happened.

I completed the hedegrow socks in time for Christmas.

And the scarf was also completed, though worn just last week for the first time.

I'm still on Ravelry (look for Jeneric) and still knitting. Current projects include:
A simple cardigan (rav link), using Knit Picks shadow (two strands held together) in a terrific gray. Yeah, gray - like the sky in Michigan. Gray is subdued, goes with everything and it's more likely I'll actually wear the finished product.

(This picture exemplifies a lovely mistake that I caught! in the nick of time and have since corrected. I haven't taken a new picture because really, what's so exciting about a little gray cardigan?)

Recently complete projects:
Serpentine socks (rav link) in a bamboo yarn.

I love and covet bamboo - bamboo sheets are amazing. Our bamboo cutting board is fantastic. My favorite scarf? You guessed right if you said bamboo (also, knit in the past year).

Whew. That's a lot of linking and pictures. Enough for now! We'll see if I can put together a post on current sewing, if I can redo the template for the website, since road rage in Michigan is rather nonexistant, or if I can put together my musings on life, kids, and hobbies. Perhaps I might even put pen to paper to capture the angst I feel over Eric's Na Craga. Poor, neglected Na Craga.

An FO parade!

2008-09-18T10:13:00.000-05:00

But not today. This blogging thing gets terribly tricky when photos are expected, nay, required to tell a good story. Which is why the FO parade will be postponed until I can remember to take pictures of the aforementioned, hinted at FOs. And hey, why not bait you some more. Here's what's on tap for the FO parade:
1. Baby-Yours Sweater (Ravelry link)
2. Spectrum Scarf (Ravelry link)
3. A woven project (ooo, ahh!). In tencel (ooo, ahh!).

If you're lucky (and I'm ambitious), I may even photograph some in-progress projects, including:
1. Hedgerow socks (Ravelry link)
2. Toddler Jeneric's fall coat (ooo! A sewing project).

In other news, I am ecstatic at the release of the Kit, Chloe & Louise doll patterns from Wee Wonderfuls. I adore these dolls and have wanted to make them for Toddler Jeneric since forever. In fact, they are the whole reason I started sewing. How's that for inspiration?

A sock knitting meme and a hint at an FO

2008-09-12T14:58:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I love memes. Great for blog fodder (when I think about posting, that is) and this one is even relevant to the blog - sock knitting (which makes me nauseous in early pregnancy). Today's meme courtesy of Claudia.

When did you first learn to knit socks?
About three months after I learned to knit. So Sometime in 2003 or 2004? Not sure the exact date, but I am sure the motivation was something along the lines of: there’s got to be more than squares to this knitting thing.

What's the first sock you ever knit?
A very simple pair in a self-striping Regia color-way.

Favorite Sock Pattern?
No specific pattern, but I do love short-row heels and toe-up socks.

Favorite needle method?
DPNs. Makes the project look edgier, scarier.

Favorite sock needles?
Wooden or bamboo, size US 0 or US 1, 5 inches in length.

Who do you knit socks for?
Anybody – family, friends, animals. It’s been brought to my attention that I have ignored the feet of my daughter and should feel enough guilt to make all of her winter socks this year. Doubtful that will happen, but I should be able to squeak out a pair.

How many pairs have you knitted to date?
No idea. More than a breadbox?

What is on your sock knitting to-do list?
Knit a pair for above-mentioned daughter (she’s under 2 – it should be quick).
Knit the purple Socks that Rock into a pair for Mother-in-Law, in time for Christmas. Don’t laugh!

What kind of socks to you like to knit?
Striped? Yes.
Colorwork? No.
Plain Stockinette? Yes.
Cabled? Definitely.
Lace? Most assuredly.
Anklets? Yep.
Knee Socks? Boy howdy, yes. I’ve made two pair, neither stay up the way I’d like. I see this as a challenge.
Solid colors? I’d like to say yes, but I’ve only knit one pair of solid socks. Wonder what that says about me?
Bright and crazy? Just wait until you see what I’ve in store for Toddler Jeneric.
Faux Fair Isle (the yarn doing all of the work)? Have done this, not keen on it.
---

What a difference a sleep makes. I've been speeding through the Baby Yours Sweater (Ravelry Link). There was a brief moment of terror as I attached the sleeves (I know - you attach 2 squares, but WHERE do you attach them? How does one figure that out? Because yes, in every other pattern I've made, the sleeve is shaped! There are indicators for attachment! But I digress). Never fear, I did indeed conquer the sleeve seaming (all while watching Murder on the Orient Express - what a cast! What bad acting!). Next up: seem the side and sleeves. Easy, peasy, says I. Pick up the little bar on one side, then the little bar on the other side. Yeah. Only it wasn't quite working that way last night (could be the suspense of the movie). I gave the sweater an overnight time-out, and this morning, in the 5-minutes before I ran to catch my bus, I totally figured it out and cruised halfway up one side. I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll finish the seaming tonight. Next up: a quest for buttons.

The little green monster

2008-09-10T07:30:00.002-05:00

Well, not so much a monster as a tiny sweater for a baby-to-be. I've no photos, only a Ravelry link. It's the Baby-Yours Sweater, designed by the Yarn Harlot. And it was really only a monster for the first two or three cable rows, as I was getting my bearings. Of course, in that time I managed to futz the very simple check pattern - turning it into a 4-row pattern repeat rather than a 2-row repeat. No matter. It still looks lovely. Fingers and toes crossed that it's finished before Baby Wily makes his/her (preferably quick and painless) entry into the world.

Of course, there's enough yarn left for some booties and a hat. Priorities, though. Toddler Jeneric is patiently waiting for her fall coat and winter scarf and hat. Goodness. You'd think I slept 4 hours a day.

An FO

2008-09-01T20:08:00.002-05:00

I know I ignore this blog like it was the ugly stepchild of a man I married just for money. And really, I am clearly having an affair with the far more handsome, if somewhat less-affluent Ravelry since I've been on a mission to photograph and update all my projects over there (User name: Jeneric). I've also updated my library and I'm toying with entering my stash (toying - let's not get serious about this Mr. Ravelry, shall we?).

In any case, visit me on Ravelry where you can see more FOs like the Baby Blanket (loosely based on the Mason-Dixon modern baby blanket - see, there's that connotation, again. Loose!).

Blue

2008-08-18T20:12:00.004-05:00

Toddler Jeneric needs a fall coat. What do we think of blue?

For a cute baby jacket?

(never fear - it goes up to a 4T size)

This is a lined coat that can be done in raggy strips. For my first attempt, I decided to go with a single piece for the outer layer (the floral print) with a flannel lining (fall winds can be quite chilly in Michigan).

I also get to play around with Do Sew, a tracing paper of sorts so I can use the pattern for multiple sizes. I know a few babies on the way who might like a little coat of their own...

The other, other fiber hobby

2008-07-28T18:41:00.004-05:00

I've recently decided to try my hand, yet again, at sewing. Third time and everything, right?*

So we've a great store where I can take courses here and there. They've got a back room full of machines that are free to use whenever classes aren't in session. So far, I've completed one project:

A reversible sundress for Jeneric. Which she loves!

I'm in the process of making some napkins for home use. If time permits the next time I'm at a machine, I plan to tackle bloomers to go with Jeneric's dress.

*Full disclosure: first time in third grade to finish a scout badge; second time in 7th grade as part of home ec. You'd think having a mother who's an accomplished quilter and seamstress would help with motivation. Or maybe not, eh?

Happy (belated) Canada Day!

2008-07-02T06:55:00.003-05:00

Although I am not Canadian (not yet, at any rate), I celebrated Canada day by not getting burnt. I know, seems like such a small way to celebrate (what, no screech?), but if you'd seen the burn I got two Canada days ago, well, you'd be applauding my efforts.

Huzzah for Canada! Thanks for not invading the lower 48 (or Alaska or Hawai'i). We'll see if we can return the favor.

Procratina-meme

2008-05-06T19:19:00.003-05:00

I saw this on And she knits, too, and thought to myself, self, you've read a lot of those books. Let's tally the data on this.

The guidelines: bold those books you've read; underline those that were read for school; italicize those you began but never finished. For simplicity, I'm just going to bold books I've read and italicize the one's I never finished.

Ready? Here goes:

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran: a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian: a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno (and Purgatory and Paradise)
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes: a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States: 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics: a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood: a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

Summary:
31 of 106 books read
7 out of 106 started and unfinished

Conclusions:
1. I usually finish what I start. Wish it were the same for my knitting.
2. I've not read nearly as much as I thought I had. Should I create a reading life list?
3. The Red Badge of Courage, which I read at least 6 times for school, was not on that list. To this day, I hold a grudge against Stephen Crane.

Cat or mouse?

2008-04-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

Those of you who use Gmail are, perhaps, aware that you can set your 'status' in the chat box to anything at all. Available, Out-of-office, Blue or Red, whatever. I regularly set my status to simple questions: Plaid or stripes, Boy or girl, etc. Yesterday, I changed my status to Cat or mouse. Late last night, our cat, Acadia (the chunky one, natch) caught a mouse. And proceeded to play cat and mouse into the morning.

I'm thinking of changing my status to chocolate or chocolate.

Crumpets and Crones

2007-10-16T20:50:00.001-05:00

I harbor deep fantasies, well, delusions of owning my own business one day. Most of the time, I revel in owning a yarn store. I have no idea what the particulars would entail. No doubt I would be horrific at choosing yarn (how do you settle on which to stock?), too tight with the money and miserable with advertising. But you can be sure I'd come up with a snappy company name. To wit:

The Naked Sheep (yes, this store already exists, but I didn't know that when the name occurred to me). I see quite a few Wooly Sheep stores, which makes no sense since the sheep must get naked in order to stock the store.

Twist and Shout. A combination knitting store and karaoke bar.

Crones and Scones. Not a knitting store, this would be a bakery (another fantasy) that I'd open later in life.

What would you name your shop?

I have issues

2007-09-24T09:37:00.001-05:00

Well, that should be obvious by now, but when I say issues, I mean knitting issues. Two, to be precise.

Issue the first:
Knitting with cotton - three strands of heavy worsted weight cotton - hurts. My wrists hurt, my fingers hurt. For such a simple project (Absorba, the great bathmat), there's a lot of pain involved. With just two 'strips' remaining, I'm confident that I can knit through the pain to a pleasant FO. No pain, no gain, right?

Issue the second:
Row gauge. I swatched like a banshee for the Sunrise Circle Jacket. I got stitch gauge, but not row gauge. Fine. I can do math (even calculus, shh!), so I can futz my way through to an acceptable product. I cast-on the back, made some minimal calculations and modified the pattern accordingly. Back complete.

I love the darts.

So warm.

I went to cast-on the front left and hit a wall. I've got no clue how to modify this pattern to accommodate my row gauge. Further, I'm not sure how row gauge affects this pattern. See, the patterns asks you to cast on the cuff of the sleeve and knit the sleeve up through the raglan shaping. That's fine. I can do some fancy math and make the increases work out. But then, oh then. You continue into the shaping of the raglan and at the same time you begin work on the front. In this manner, you increase every single row to create a semi-circular left front. Understand? No? Check out the pattern. Will the front be too long, overlap too much? What's going to happen? Aieee! Can I modify the pattern and if so, how? Can I modify my row gauge and if so, how? Will I ever have a finished sweater that fits me, me, me?

Clearly, distractions are in order.

Distraction the first:

A very bad picture of my socks from Sockapalooza. Better pictures available from Yarn Thulu. These are beautiful socks, just the right height and they came with other sock-knitting goodies. Lucky for me, I got over the sock nausea, huh?

Distraction the second:

Cute kid. Clearly dressed by Daddy. Note the clashing pinks in the stockings and onesie, combined with the orange of the fleece vest. I love this outfit.

ETA: I found a somewhat useful link to row gauge issues. Basically, Kate says knit the fronts with your gauge (they will overlap more/less depending on row gauge) and make the back match. So I will sally forth on the left front and see where it takes me. It may mean ripping the back to ensure it matches the length of the front (but since my stitch gauge is spot on, who knows?).

Finished object, the first

2007-09-20T15:35:00.000-05:00

As life settles back into a routine that doesn't include writing a dissertation, I hope to update my little world on some of the projects I've completed. First up, I offer an actual photo of the socks I knit for my sockpal.

It's up on Ravelry, too (I'm Jeneric, for those interested). Specifics can be found there. I loved knitting these socks and will almost certainly knit a second pair to keep, perhaps in a pale pink to add a cheery touch to the cold winters coming my way.

I make no promises, but I will try to photograph several other completed projects and, if you're good and don't stick things in your mouth, I'll even show some in-progress things. Is it really that obvious that I live with a toddler?

I passed. Can I knit now?

2007-09-13T12:03:00.000-05:00

It's been a while, hasn't it?

For those interested, there is a direct and negative correlation between dissertation writing and knitting production.

I valiantly tried to knit through the entire month leading up to my defense (which included a trip to a conference in California with a baby). It was not successful. My project of choice? The mystery shawl. Who was it who said complicated lace and dissertations don't mix? That would be me.

So to recap the knitting:
1. Mystery shawl. I got to the third chart and abandoned it. It wasn't for the mistakes (though there had been several). It wasn't for the complicated nature of the beast. Really, it was because it was a beast, a swan to be specific. When the theme was revealed, I lost all interest. It's sitting quietly in a bag, awaiting the frog pond and greener pastures.

2. Black socks for Eric. Good grief. I lost interest in these months ago.

3. Shedir hat. I cast on for this and frogged it the same night. Love the pattern. Love the yarn. Don't love them together.

4. Various other projects were cast on and I don't remember them now.

5. Sunrise circle jacket. It's on, baby. Love the yarn (Brooks Farm Solana). It's like knitting with cherry juice (and I said so on Ravelry user name: Jeneric). I ripped the back once, to tidy up my darts. I'm now chugging along at a slow but respectable speed. Fingers crossed that this jacket is both wearable and a pleasure to wear.

6. Just last night, the yarn arrived for Absorba, the great bathmat. Those folks at Elmore Pigsah sure are quietly efficient. I ordered three cones of the Peaches and Cream Double Worsted Sunday evening and heard not a peep until Wednesday afternoon when a little e-mail alert notified me that it had arrived on my doorstep. I cast on PDQ (pretty darn quickly) and immediately noticed two things: (1) cotton is not wool nor does it pretend to be; (2) knitting with US 13 needles is gawd awful. I feel like I've lost the use of my thumbs or been stuck in a hoggy faze. Nevertheless, I love the resulting fabric and I will stick with this project until I have a bathmat. Or lose all feeling in my wrists, whichever comes first.

Knitter's Nightmare

2007-07-31T07:14:00.000-05:00

I woke last night in terror. I couldn't remember the date and I thought surely I had missed the Sockapalooza4 Mail date. My brain whirred. It was Monday, tomorrow was Tuesday. When was August 2nd? Let's work backwards. What was today? Today was, ah, well, Monday, yes I know, but the date? I couldn't remember. Think, McFly, think! Eventually I remembered that Monday was July 30th and July has 31 days which puts August 2nd on Thursday. Fantastic! Plenty of time to box up the socks that I finished a month ago. And didn't blog about.

Sigh. It's been busy around here. I'd show you what I've been working on, but it probably won't upload well and it's interesting only to Ecology geeks, like me. Yes, the thesis is written (150 or so pages. It's tought to keep track) and will be sent to the committee today or tomorrow. My attention is now on writing a presentation for ESA and my defense.

Cross your fingers and toes and if all goes well, I'll have some FO and WIP pictures soon.

Gratuitous Garlic

2007-07-10T07:51:00.000-05:00

Siskiyou Purple Garlic

I had to share. Isn't it lovely?

Update!

2007-07-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while my friends and boy, have I been busy. Not so much with the knitting, though. I've been told that this is a good thing. Finishing one's dissertation is important, especially if one hopes to get a job. Sigh.

The good news is that my defense is set for August 24th, which means I must be done writing by the end of July. Knitting time will still be limited as I prepare two presentations (one for a scholarly conference, the other for the big day), but you may notice that I am slightly more productive in those interim weeks.

And now for some gratuitous scenery. Yep, that's where I did my dissertation research. Pretty, eh? It's the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, located mere minutes from New York City. You should visit.

Wrong way

2007-05-29T10:57:00.001-05:00

I think most of you who read this blog know exactly where I work. And if you don't, just imagine a one-way road that loops around a pond, in a complete circle. A circle, as in, if you've missed your exit, you can continue around the loop until you again reach the exit.

Now imagine an SUV tearing down said one-way loop, flying by his/her exit. Three seconds later, s/he hits the breaks, does an illegal u-turn and accelerates the wrong way back around the loop.

Horrific, I know. Even more upsetting when you learn that I recognized the driver as a long-standing citizen of this institution. There was no call for that behavior.

We interrupt this silence

2007-05-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

for a quick FAQ and update on the knitting.

Q. Have you been knitting?
A. Of course. Sadly, the knitting is not daily but I try very hard to squeak in at least 15 minutes of knitting when I can.

Q. What are you knitting?
A. Good question! I had good intentions to continue plowing through Eric's Na Craga, but when the temperatures starting topping 85, I cried uncle and cast aside the 100% wool sweater for smaller, portable, light-weight things.

Q. A wise decision, but you never answered the question.
A. Ahem. Yes. Well, you see, there's been a snafu. I have successfully completed one sock for Sockapaloooza. See?
Pattern: Spiral Boot Sock, by Veronik Avery from Summer 2007 IK
Yarn: Brooks Farm Acero, in blue
Modifications: Not a darn one!

I have cast-on for the second. See?

But alas, I know I will run out of yarn. I carefully divided my skein into two even balls. I knit feverishly while in several airports over the course of two days. As I turned the heal on the first sock, I knew with every fiber of my being that I would not have enough yarn. Brashly, I carried on, dipping into the second ball mere inches away from the toe.

I contacted Brooks Farm about purchasing more of this yarn. As I suspected, this dye lot sold out at Maryland Sheep & Wool. However, they are dying another batch soon. I intend to purchase one skein to complete my sock. I know it will not match and frankly my dears, I don't give a (beaver) dam. These socks will not be for my sock pal, I will keep them and love them as my own. I will knit my sock pal another pair - perhaps this very same pattern - in yarn that I have purchased sufficient quantities of.

Q. A good plan. Why were you in airports for two days?
A. Visiting East Lansing, Michigan where I was interviewing for a postdoc opportunity. Which I got. Which means I have to write, write, write and defend this summer. Hopefully by August. Which means few knitting posts.

Q. Ah, so really, it's not me, it's you?
A. Yes, it's me. My fault that I won't be writing much of anything knit-wise in the coming weeks. Take solace, however. It appears the sock-knitting nausea has passed. And that's a really fantastic thing.

A first time for everything

2007-05-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

(The onesie says: 'Mama is a yarn ho.')

Maryland Sheep & Wool was fantastic, overwhelming and satisfying. I didn't knit a stitch on the trip down or back, nor did I knit during 'down times' at the festival. Why? We drove mainly at night (and I did a lot of the driving) and when you have a 6-month old, there are no down times. Let's look at the haul, shall we?
First up, some wool in a blue (blue mist) that matches Baby Jeneric's eyes and will make a spectacular hooded jacket from Debbie Bliss' Simply Baby.
Next, we have Solana, a red Brooks Farm yarn that I coveted and tried not to buy. It's more than I usually spend on yarn, but the color and texture will make a fantastic Sunrise Circle Jacket. This marks the first first - buying the yarn I love and not skimping. Will it make a difference in the final object? We'll see.
Finally, Acero, more Brooks Farm yarn, this time a blue sock-weight yarn, destined for my Sockapalooza4 pal. I love the Spiral Boot Socks from Veronik Avery in the Summer 2007 IK and this yarn is going to make a fantastic pair.

I have to come clean, though. The patterns calls for 3 skeins of Reynolds Soft Sea yarn, which at 1 62 yard per skein, totals 485 yards. This skein of yarn is 420 yards, which is about 65 yards short. Will I make it? Will I have to rip back to shorten the leg? Should I have just purchased two skeins? (probably!)

The second first thing was that I actually admitted to being a blogger! Inadvertently, I encouraged a random knitter to purchase some of the same red yarn that I was purchasing. She got in line behind me and struck up a conversation. At one point, she asked if I had a blog and instead of lying (which I normally do!), I said yes. Of course, being the doofus that I am, I didn't say my name or the blog, but Kristy, of Eleven Stitches is a very put-together person and handed me a business card with her blog information. Go visit and check out that drop stitch sweater she knit. It's her own pattern and looked amazing in person. It's also thanks to Kristy that I picked up the sock yarn.

As Brenda Dayne would say, it's time to Cast-on.

Sockapalooooza!

2007-05-03T19:48:00.000-05:00

The 4th round of sockapalooza has begun! I signed up as a declaration of war against my sock nausea and I'm coming out fighting! I've surfed the usual suspects, including Knitty, MagKnits and the Interweave Knits website. While my decision isn't final, I am leaning towards the spiral boot socks by Veronik Avery in the yet-to-be-released Summer 2007 issue of IK. Yarn shopping/splurging will occur this Saturday at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

On the flip side, my sock pal has already sent me something - an e-postcard of Babs, the knitting obsessed chicken from Chicken Run (who else loves everything that comes out of Aardman Animation?). I can tell this knitter has good taste and will create a fantastic pair of socks to warm my feet this fall.

Oops!

2007-04-25T20:41:00.000-05:00

Does this count as breaking my self-imposed yarn diet?

Yeah, that's what I thought. But it was on sale (60% off!)! But it was souvenir yarn (Florida vacation)! But it was a gift (well, from Eric for being a great Mom)! But! But!

Sigh. Yeah, I didn't mean to buy it, but the colors were fantastic, it'll look great on Autumn (sweater?), and it was so cheap. I could have bought more, but I did show some restraint. And I didn't actually purchase it - I made Eric do my dirty work.

If anyone's looking to purchase a yarn store in Florida, I know where one's for sale!

Better late, eh?

2007-04-15T00:53:00.000-05:00

Yes, as predicted in the last post, I completed the back of Na Craga. I know, all along I've been saying front, but in a hasty decision mediated by the discovery of a small mistake (fixable!), I've decided this will be the back. This sweater has not been knit in the traditional order. I began with the sleeves, then the back and now (well, tomorrow night) the front. Who thinks I can finish this in time for the county fair (in August)? I'm thinking yes!
Two notes: 1. Blocking will help even out those two sleeves - honest, they are the same length! 2. Yes, my husband really is that tall and skinny. I am knitting the smallest girth and longest length on this sweater.

In the meantime, I am questioning my travel knit project. Florida + white cardigan = sun glare and blindness. Might be a good time for those black socks, huh? Speaking of socks, I have decided to wage war against the sock nausea phenomenon. I joined Sockapalooza4. In this manner, I will be forced to knit an entire pair of socks, perhaps in a complicated pattern (perhaps not), perhaps knee-highs (perhaps not - although I am itching to try my hand at something like this), perhaps striped (perhaps not). You get the picture. Socks will be knit and maybe by the time I graft the 2nd toe, I'll actually be enjoying myself.

Did I mention Maryland enjoys all the sheep, llamas and alpacas. Maybe we can get a few photos of her with the animals (although her petting skills aren't top notch just yet). At the very least, we'll pick up some soap and a few skeins of yarn (but no lamb ? Can you tell I'm excited to go? I'm quietly hoping that Baby Jenericsandwich or sausage for me - blech!).

Maybe some bran...

2007-04-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

would help make this blog more regular.

I always have high hopes of updating twice a week. You can see how well that's worked. Maybe it's the new mom gig or the baby that doesn't take naps (but she sleeps through the night, so you know, no complaints), or the thesis writing that I'm cramming into most spare moments. Whatever the reason, knitting has been slow and blog posts have been scattered. Here's an abbreviated, photograph-free update.

1. Na Craga. I'm a mere 10 rows away from completing the back. I estimate this will be complete next Monday, during knit-night. Maybe I can work up the front in less time?
2. Hat & scarf set. Did you know about this? I'm knitting these in exchange for an illustration. The scarf is nearing completion and the hat has been started, but is currently mired in fears of sizing and pattern choice.
3. Sweater for Baby Jeneric. Yarn purchased, pattern chosen. No knitting, not even a swatch.

See? Boring all around these parts. I can guarantee a bit of excitement in the not-too-distant future. The Wily Jeneric family will be taking a week to vacation in Florida (oooo - tanned knitting time!) and will, in early May, be traversing the east coast to the wilds of Maryland for the annual Sheep & Wool festival (can you say yarn binge??).

Veni, Vidi, Blogged

2007-03-23T10:51:00.000-05:00

I am compulsive about avoiding lines, so Priscilla and I caught a 3:30 train to NYC and arrived in time to see the Yarn Harlot's slide show. Twice.

There were a lot of people - the auditorium holds about 800 and it was darn near full.

Ooh, there she is, in all her knitted glory. The photo is crummy, but perhaps you can make out her speech, camera and sock. She didn't knit as she spoke, but she did whip out the sock during the Q & A portion.

Just after she took this photo, she took the time to thank the many people who helped make her a success. As she wrapped up her acknowledgements, she began to share the story of how her mother-in-law had come to NYC this afternoon as a surprise. She hadn't gotten two sentences into the story when she looked over and saw Joe, her husband, who was supposed to be in Montreal. Sad to say, I didn't get her reaction on film, but it was clearly true love. Aww.

The Yarn Harlot does not disappoint. She is an amazing speaker, full of wit and humour. I really wanted to take her home with me, to show her off to all my friends and family, to have her explain to them this knitting thing. This particular speech was brushed with inspiration, not just about knitting, but about standing up, being who you are (a knitter, a mom, etc) and, most importantly, not letting others tell you who you are or should be. Brava to Stephanie, may her words whisper among us all and continue to change the world for good.

Excitement

2007-03-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

In late January, we broke down and purchased a Wii*. If you've played the Wii, you know there's an "Everybody Votes" channel where questions are posed nationally and internationally. A few days back, one of the questions was "Do you belong to any fan clubs?" Both Eric and I thought for a moment and then answered no, as did the majority of Americans. Late last night, as I was pondering today's schedule, Eric turned to me and said, "not in a fan club, huh?"

Yeah, I'm giddy in anticipation. I have signed copies of every one of her books, I've seen her in Maryland and Atlantic City, NJ. But I've never heard her speak. I can't wait. Knitters, it's time to represent.

*I encourage the playing of Wii. Where else can I beat up my husband without having the police show up?

Where are they now?

2007-03-19T11:44:00.001-05:00

It seems like forever since I’ve mentioned any knitting progress. And I’m so woefully limited on photographs lately. Could it be because Baby Jeneric has her first cold? Or could it be because she thoughtfully shared that cold with Mom?
Na Craga slowly marches on. There is a scant 10 cm left to the front (doesn’t it already look long enough?). One would have thought I could finish that in short order, but alas, I have flung away the interesting knitting in favor of simple ribbing.

May I present ’42,’ a ridiculously simple scarf (k2, p2 ribbing) in a fantastic forest green with a spasm of bark brown. There will be a matching hat, where the main color will be the bark brown (due to limited quantities of the forest green).

Did I mention I was knitting socks for my husband (the other half of Wily Jeneric)? I started these last year. They are the Gentleman’s Socks from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks.
Needless to say, these socks haven’t progressed very far for two specific reasons:
1. I generally knit at night. Knitting black in dim lighting is difficult (for me, at least).
2. The last pair of socks I knit was during the first trimester of my pregnancy when I experienced morning sickness like nothing I’ve ever felt before (even water was too difficult to keep down). Many thanks to the makers of Zofran. Ahem. This experience has tainted sock knitting for me. My stomach still gets a little queezy when I pick up the tiny dpns. What’s a knitter to do? In my case, I now knit baby hats.

2007 Knitting Resolutions: March Update

2007-03-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

Well, we’re two months into 2007. Let’s look at how well I’ve been keeping the promises I made to myself.

1. Knit from my stash.
Busted with the purchase of enough cotton yarn to knit Baby Jeneric a sweater. This uses my get-out-of-jail-free card. Can I make it to May and Maryland?

2. Projects in the Queue:
a. Na Craga. Baby steps, baby steps! Every day, I’m one pattern repeat (or half a repeat) closer to being done. As of today, I’m about halfway through the sweater front. My goal is do have this completed by July so I can enter it into our urban county fair.
b. Baby sweater with NZ wool. Rethinking the use of this wool for a sweater. Some knitted toys or pillows might be better.
c. Kittiwake. No progress.
d. Sunrise circle jacket. No progress.

4. Spin more. Lots more. Oh yes, I’ve been spinning! Just this past week, I tired of spinning the ‘cheap, dull’ pencil roving I’d purchased for practice. I pulled off the bobbin, set it on a shelf, and unearthed the beautiful merino/silk roving I’d purchased nearly 2 years ago at Rhinebeck. A wise spinner once said, “spin with the best you can afford.”

5. Think about knitting fair isle. Yep, about once a week, I look at Eunny’s Anemoi’s mittens (which, in my head, I call anemone).

Not too bad, eh?

Heads up (Seven up!)*

2007-03-07T18:40:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Miss Dashwood, Winter 2004 Knitty.com
Size: 6-12 months
Modifications: Omitted bobble border, earflaps and ties
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK, 142 yards/50 g; 1 skein
Needles: US 6
New techniques: Learned a new picot cast-on.
Final Thoughts: An adorable and quick knit; definitely a hat I will make again. The cast-on directions were somewhat confusing, but I cobbled together a nice little hat.

*Anyone remember playing that game in elementary school? It was one of my favorites, probably because I always cheated.

All Better!

2007-03-01T12:28:00.000-05:00

It was bound to happen. I’ve made some small cabling mistakes on Na Craga, never large enough to warrant rash measures. Until today.

As is my habit (well, now it’s my habit), I was scrutinizing the last pattern repeat for errors and there it was, smugly sitting in the middle of the large, bold, center motif. This was not a mistake to be ignored. This was a mistake that needed the smirk wiped from its face. Lucky for me, Baby Jeneric was fast asleep, giving me time to spank those stitches back into shape using the Yarn Harlot’s fantabulous tutorial.

I was too eager to get started to remember to take a before shot, but I did take a during shot:

Here, I’ve ripped back to the offending row. The stitches are isolated and trust me, they are feeling the shame. Using dpns (smaller than what I’m using for the project), I crossed the cable correctly, reknit the frogged rows and slid it all back onto a straight needle.

I won’t lie. There was a rush of adrenalin as I ripped back those six stitches, recrossed and reknit them. It was a good, short-lived high. I shall sally forth without fear of mussing-up a cable cross.

Rage Outlet

2007-02-28T12:43:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Ry4an, I now know of another way to vent my rage at crazed NJ drivers: PlateWire. If only I'd know about this on Saturday when I watched an SUV perform an illegal U-turn mere feet from a large intersection OVER a concrete median. I suppose the driver was at least using the car for it's intended purpose - after all, they were going off-road.

What would Jesus do?

2007-02-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

He’d use his turn signals, that’s what.

Dear people of New Jersey:

If you are turning off a major or minor road, please, for the love of all things wooly, use a turn signal. On that same note, if you are not turning off the road, please turn off your turn signal. A little bit of common courtesy, now and again, won’t kill you (I think).

As you might guess, I was burned this morning by a non-signaling passenger vehicle (nspv). Pulling on to Route 1 means a quick acceleration (at any time of the day). I was dutifully pressing the pedal when I was cut-off by a slow-to-accelerate nspv. Fine. I can take one insult. But! Less than a half a mile later, the nspv hits the breaks and careens into a right hand turn for the local ‘adult’ boutique. At 9 am. I guess some urges can make you forget what you learned in driver’s ed.

And the Na Craga Continues

2007-02-15T18:17:00.000-05:00

Never fear, I have not abandoned Na Craga. Despite a minor set back in forgetting the pattern one knit-night, I have forged ahead, casting-on the front and working 5 pattern repeats.
Worried that I’d bitten off more than I could chew, I began Na Craga with the sleeves. I reasoned that sleeves were small, with 2 fewer cable motifs and 6 fewer cable blocks. Clearly, I shouldn’t have worried. Yes, there’s a lot more cabling going on, but none of it is tricky and it all follows very logically (at least to my brain. I’ve met a number of knitters who don’t seem to be able to memorize patterns at all, no matter how simple or straight forward. I know I use a pneumonic here and there, but knitting is so mathematical that it just seems to flow. Am I alone in this?). Now just because I’ve said the knitting is easy doesn’t mean (1) I won’t screw up. In fact, I have already, but it’s not noticeable; or (2) I’ll finish any more quickly. My goal is 1 pattern repeat a day and if you knew my life these days, you’d know that’s a pretty ambitious goal (if you’ve got tricks for convincing a 3-month old the merits of napping, I’d be forever greatful).

(ps Is it me or does that center motif look a bit like a nose?)

Twist and Turns: For Lovers of Cable Knitting

2007-02-15T14:16:00.000-05:00

If you hadn’t already noticed, this winter is the season of the cable. Take a quick walk through your local mall or around the internet – cables are everywhere. As a knitter obsessed with texture (see Kittiwake, the Irish Hiking Scarf and Na Craga for proof), I’m quite pleased by this trend.

Knitters have long been obsessed with cables. Alice Starmore’s had several tomes on the subject. Recent additions to the cable knitting frenzy include Cables Untangled, by Melissa Leapman and
Inspired Cable Knits by Fiona Ellis. Both books are fantastic, filled to the brim with inspiration.

In my quest for cables, I stumbled across a newsletter, Twist and Turns, dedicated to cable knitting. I subscribed instantly. My first issue, Winter 2006, appeared in my mailbox less than a week later. The four projects in this issue range from a basic raglan sweater to socks to a brioche möebius. While it’s unlikely that I’d wear the möebius, the challenge of knitting one might just egg me into knitting it. Maybe I am a bit of a process knitter after all.

A Little FO

2007-02-08T14:10:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Multidirectional scarf
Modifications: None
Yarn: Fleece Artist, 2-ply Cashmere
Needles: US 2
Final Thought: Despite the utter simplicity of the scarf, the knitting never got old. A perfect combination of yarn and pattern.

Eager Beavers

2007-02-04T16:38:00.000-05:00

Today is that venerable of non-holidays, Super Bowl Sunday. What better way to celebrate than with a yarn sale?

I hoisted my bum out of bed at the unconscionable hour of 5:30 (okay, I didn't have to get up that early, but a little monster I know was hungry). At 7 am, I hit the road, stopping briefly to pick up a co-conspirator. By our calculations, we'd arrive at Knit-a-bit by 7:30, with a half hour to spare before the doors opened. Yes, there'd be a line, but it would probably be short.

(The sign behind us lists the rules of engagement for the sale - no pushing, shoving or tackling, no yarn winding, pattern drafting and the like. Please excuse the more-than-usual terribleness of the photo. It was a camera phone.)

Turns out the line was very short. In years past, the sale began at 8 am. This year, however, the sale began at 9 am (actually, the doors ended up opening at 8:35, and they allowed 10 customers in at a time). Good thing we brought our knitting.

As the first ones in, we were awarded a 2007 Pattern-a-day calendar and the opportunity to fondle the yarn first. I yearned for much of the yarn, but showed great restraint.

That's 7 skeins of Zara, earmarked as a hat/scarf set for a friend; 5 skeins of Cotton Classic, for a wee sweater; and 1 skein of Zarella Baby for a wee hat. You must know that I did not purchase the Zarella Baby - it was a gift in return for opening a door on Tuesday. But I did purchase the cotton yarn and have used up my 1 free binge.

I managed to pass up Lush at 40% off, some baby wool at 30% off, Rowan Cashsoft at 30% off, and so much more, it boggles even my mind.

My co-conspirator, on the other hand? Well, let's just say yarn kept jumping into her bag.

Mission Accomplished

2007-02-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

And by mission, I mean the knitting of two Na Craga sleeves that match each other in length, width and knitting tension. I’ve been knitting just shy of three years (which classifies me as a newby when compared to some knitters) and I am still challenged to have a consistent tension. This skill is one I firmly believe comes with time and knitting practice.

The sleeves have actually been completed for three weeks. I had planned to cast-on for the front at knitting night (every Monday at a local library), but came up short when I realized I’d left the pattern at home. My needles are forlorn and cold.

Don’t fret that I was bored through an entire knitting night. No indeed! I had cleverly brought along a second project – a scarf!

I love this project simply for the yarn. It’s Fleece Artist, 2-ply cashmere (does this make me a yarn snob?). There’s no color listed on the tag, but it reminds me of an ocean just after a storm – the deep blue water broken by greens from the storm with the occasional white-cap still present. Handling the yarn is soothing in the way that waves crashing against rocks can lull you to sleep. In fact, I often do fall asleep working on this scarf (that I am knitting late in the evening has no bearing on the sleep).

Resolution Update

2007-02-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

But first, a very happy Groundhog day to everyone. Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this morning, which means we’ll have an early spring. Of course, this assumes we’ve had a winter and except for a few cold days, we’ve had a very mild season.

On this festive day (and for my first post in February), I thought I’d see how well I’d done with my Knitting Resolutions.
1. No yarn purchases. You can check my credit card statements and ask my family. I have purchased no yarn this month.
2. Projects in the queue. I’ve only had time to work on Na Craga and startitis has only manifested in the form of one scarf and some socks, both knit from well-marinated stash yarn.
3. Finish documenting FOs from 2006. I believe this is done, although they are not yet available for your viewing pleasure. I need to set up a Flickr gallery.
4. Spin more. Yep, I’ve failed on this as the wheel has sat idle for the entire month. On quiet days, I can hear the wheel weeping.
5. Think about fair isle. I’m happy to report that I have done this, mostly because I find these mittens irresistible. Eunny notes that this pattern is ideal for knitters comfortable knitting two colors in the round or adventurous novices comfortable reading charts. I definitely fall into the latter category. Should I take the jump?
6. Walk 100 miles. If you do the math, that means I needed to have walked 33 miles in January. I managed to walk 24.1 miles (these miles are in addition to the miles I already walk around campus). I’m short about 9 miles and I don’t see myself making up the difference in February (it’s a short month after all). I do have plenty of excuses, though! I’m a new mom (to a nearly 3-month old), trying to keep house, finish a PhD and do a little work on the side (you know, to earn money to feed the aforementioned 3-month old). Even though I didn’t reach the goal, and likely won’t by April 1, I’m still getting into better shape (as opposed to my pregnancy, I-ate-a-beach-ball shape).

Potential Resolution Conflicts
1. I do not have yarn to knit fair isle. Does this indicate how small my stash really is? Or does this reveal my fear of color knitting?
2. There is a family wedding in June. I’ve got a little monkey who will need a cotton sweater (Did I mention the wedding is in Minnesota?). I have no cotton in the stash (that’s a lie. There is one ball of Sugar & Cream, but that’s inappropriate for frilly sweaters). Can I count this sweater as a gift, both to the baby and the bride & groom to be (after all, cold babies howl and can ruin the loveliest of moments)? Do I con someone into purchasing the yarn for me? Do I use up my exception already?

Broken Resolutions?

2007-01-25T16:25:00.000-05:00

A while back, I posted my knitting resolutions for 2007. In the comments, Teresa brought up a potential threat to my resolve: the annual Knit-a-Bit sale. Held on Super Bowl Sunday (the store owners are marketing geniuses), the sale used to be 40% off everything in the store. Yes, everything. In the past year, however, they have implemented the ‘yard line’ policy. Some items are on the 20 yard line, and thus are 20% off; there is a 30 yard line and a 40 yard line – you get the idea. Not as great a sale as before, but still pretty darn good for a yarn store.

This will be my third year attending this sale and I don’t believe I will be breaking any resolutions. To wit:
1. I said nothing about books, needles or notions. Since I have a major cable addiction these days, I’ll be checking out Melissa Leapman’s Cables Untangled. I’m also in need of some stitch markers and I really ought to peruse my needle collection and see if I shouldn’t augment it in some way.
2. Gift yarn is an exception and wouldn’t you know it? I have a gift I need to knit! Granted, it’s a simple hat and scarf combo, but I am looking forward to picking out yarn for this project. This ought to fill my need to purchase yarn. Anyone want to take bets on whether I fall off the wagon?

Scarf Attack!

2007-01-20T21:22:00.000-05:00

My near zealous love for knitting is a bit of a mystery to me. Wool generally makes me itch. Hand knit items tend to be too thick or heavy for this girl who loves thin and trim clothes. Add the two together and you get someone who doesn’t wear many knitted garments. Until now.

Last winter I knit two hats that I fell in love with – Kittiwake,
by Alice Starmore, knit in alpaca (mmm, alpaca)

and Odessa, by Grumperina, in Rowan Cashshoft.

Neither of these hats promotes excessive itching and both are cute. Result: two hand knit items that I wear daily, weather permitting (and sometimes when there’s really no call).

I thought that would be the end of the knits I would love to wear. Who could have predicted the metabolic change that accompanies pregnancy and makes me constantly cold? Probably most mothers, but I digress. Last week, I found myself freezing and unable to turn up the heat (pinching pennies on heating oil means you can buy more yarn). In frustration, I wrapped a scarf around my neck.

Why has no one told me about the warming powers of scarves? I was toasty in no time and quickly lamenting my lack of hand knit scarves. I’ve got only two: the one pictured above and a second scarf, knit by a good friend, which is much too warm to wear around the house.

My quest for fun and warm scarf patterns has begun. I’m considering:
Branching Out
Shifting Sands
Double Helix Scarf
Argosy

And as a bonus: lots of stash usage!

To fix or not to fix

2007-01-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

That is no longer the question.

I took the Na Craga sleeve to my Monday night knitting group and asked the opinion of the venerable members. I was shocked that not only did they not endorse dropping those eight stitches down (they claim such effort will lead me to drink and since I’m currently breast feeding, well, you see the problem) they also didn’t endorse the duplicate stitch fix. The overwhelming response was to leave the mistake.

What’s a perfectionist to do under all of that peer pressure? Buckle, of course. I gleefully picked up my pointy sticks and continued knitting like nothing was the matter. I cruised through a full pattern repeat and charged into another. After nearly four weeks of ignoring the sleeve (punishing an inanimate object is very effective), I was happy to be cabling again. I’m cruising through this second sleeve and hope to be starting the body in the very, very near future.

And honestly? The mistake doesn’t bother me so much. Yeah, I know it’s there, but in the grand scheme of the sweater, it’s a small error. I’ve got too much to do, in life and the sweater, to spend this much time fretting over such a small mistake. I don’t even think of it as a mistake any more – after all, the sweater will still be wearable, it doesn’t offend anyone and it’s really difficult to see.

Road Rage in Slow Motion

2007-01-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

Oh, my. I’m still in awe at the alarming display of rage I witnessed today. It occurred mid-morning between a very old station wagon and a very new Cadillac. Both were driven by retired men.

The wagon pulls onto a major roadway, causing the Cadillac to decelerate. The Cadillac gets huffy, pulls around the wagon and returns to the right lane in front of the wagon. Mr. Cadi then hits the breaks and comes to a complete stop. On a major highway. Where there are many cars going 60+ miles an hour.

Thankfully, the wagon was able to stop, as were all the cars behind him in the right lane. I have no idea if either man got out of the car or whether a verbal fight ensued.

No matter how old or wise you get, sometimes the ideas we learned in kindergarten still prove to be the hardest to remember.

The Mind takes on the Heart

2007-01-09T16:08:00.000-05:00

I am a perfectionist, a trait well-suited to graduate studies in ecology but not so useful for knitting. Yes, I am that knitter who will rip out rows or drop stitches to fix a purl that should be a knit. I hate mistakes and take great strides to avoid them.

Alas, new-mother brain means that my error radar is a bit erratic. In my latest knit, Na Craga (an Alice Starmore Aran) I miss-crossed a cable in an early pattern repeat on the sleeve.

I conducted a public survey (n=1) and found that the average person could not find the error. However, any knitter would immediately see the mistake and would shun me as a careless knitter (although it's difficult to see the error in the photos - I'd strive for better photos, but I need to feed a wee one).

The old me (she who had loads of free time and was not tied to a baby nor trying to finish a PhD) would have ripped back all 9 pattern repeats to fix the miss-crossed cable. Alas, the old me has been buried deep beneath a pile of dirty cloth diapers and the new me frantically searched the internet for a better solution.

A better blogger would have before and after pictures. Alas, there are no after pictures. While my mind has firmly settled on the easy way out, my heart still wants me to rip back all the way to the offending row, fix the cable and carry on with my head held high, knowing my work was free of such an egregious error. Since I have no intention of doing this, it’s just a matter of time before my heart throws in the towel and lets my mind have it’s way. I’ll keep you posted.

Reaction Time

2007-01-07T18:44:00.000-05:00

Undoubtedly you’ve experienced a phenomenon known in physics as reaction time (in ecology, we call it lag time). This is the time it takes to respond to a change in one’s environment. For example: you are stopped at a red light. The light changes green. You cannot instantly accelerate because you must first process the change in the environment (light changes from red to green) and then properly react (step on the gas). Oddly enough, the nanoseconds it takes for your brain to process this information and send a signal to your right leg results in a one or two second delay in your acceleration.

In geological time, this is not worth mentioning. In New Jersey time, this is a crime against humanity. I offer today’s example of road rage where a truck driver, fifth in line from the front laid on his horn the instant the light changed. He continued to honk his horn until he began accelerating, and then proceeded to run the red light. Our raging truck driver demonstrates how most New Jersey-ans do not understand reaction time*.

*The exception to this rule is when you are the first car in line. When in that position, a Jersey driver has a perfect understanding of reaction time and will demonstrate their knowledge by politely giving the finger to horn honkers.

2007 Knitting Resolutions

2007-01-03T16:06:00.000-05:00

I’ve recently accepted that I love to make lists (like other knitters). To do lists, don’t do lists, lists of things to buy, places to go, things to do. It seems only natural then, for me to share my 2007 Knitting to do/don’t do list.

1. Knit from my stash. This has been going ‘round and while my stash is meager by many standards, I’m not comfortable with its size. Since I’ve a new baby to tend, I don’t have much spare time or money to shop for yarn, so it makes sense.
Rules:
R1. No yarn purchases for 9 months, January 1 – September 30.
R2. Exceptions:

a. Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival
b. Yarn for gifts may be purchased if I have nothing suitable.
c. If, in the course of a project, I run out of yarn I must purchase yarn to finish the project.
d. I am allowed to receive gift yarn (not that this happens often, but occasionally a kind friend visits New Zealand and sends me yarn).
e. I am allowed to binge just once in the next nine months.

R3. Should the stash be exhausted before September 30, I am allowed to resume yarn purchasing on a project-by-project basis.

2. Projects in the Queue (don’t you just love that word?):

Na Craga. This is an Alice Starmore Aran that I am knitting for my 6’ 4” husband. It may get done for Christmas 2007.
Baby sweater. No pattern determined, but I have a great deal of New Zealand wool in need of a project.
Kittiwake. Another Starmore pattern, this time a hat. I’ve got one hat already, but I have yarn enough for a second (and maybe a third) and a few relatives who’d look good in this hat.
Sunrise circle jacket. I don’t have yarn for this project, so it might need to wait until I’ve exhausted the stash, September 30 or MD Sheep and Wool.

3. Finish documenting FOs from 2006. Ahem. This means taking pictures and trying to remember project specifications. I’m hoping this blog thing will help me stay on top of this for 2007.

4. Spin more. Lots more. Now that my ankles have returned to a normal size (gotta love the pregnant woman’s water retention), pushing the treadle should no longer cause pain.

5. Think about knitting fair isle.

6. Walk 100 miles by April 1. As of today, I’m at 3.5 miles, with a 1.5 mile walk scheduled for this evening.

Exit 10

2007-01-01T20:59:00.000-05:00

It’s a bad time to begin a blog. The internet is flooded with knitting blogs, I am a brand-new mother and, oh yes, I am in the last months of a PhD. It’s clear the odds are piled high and deep against me. However, for eons I have been obsessed with two things: New Jersey traffic and knitting (okay, not eons, but I work at large temporal scales, so I tend to exaggerate). My commute to school is approximately 5 miles and on a typical day takes no more than 10 minutes – in New Jersey, where the average commute is 30 minutes each way, I am lucky to have such a short ‘commute.’ Despite my limited time on the road, at least once (if not five times) a week, I will witness some flagrant and stupid act of driving. Road Rage – it’s alive and well in the Garden State.

How can a lowly graduate student combat the stupidity of her fellow drivers? She knits, sometimes voraciously, sometimes not, but always with the knitting.

So by way of a long and rambling introduction (can you guess my degree is in science and not comparative literature?), here’s my blog, a place where I will dutifully collect instances of road rage and temper them with pictures and tales of my knitting. Fasten your seat belts, grab the chicken bar and don’t forget your knitting.