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!
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Monkey and me
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Cheating will always do you wrong
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:
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?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Na Craga angst
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.
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.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Ode to scarf weather
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.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Imaginary Rhinebeck
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.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Well, it's been a quiet few months around here
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.
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.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
An FO parade!
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?
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?
Friday, September 12, 2008
A sock knitting meme and a hint at an FO
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The little green monster
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.
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.
Monday, September 01, 2008
An FO
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!).
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!).
Monday, August 18, 2008
Blue
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...
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...
Monday, July 28, 2008
The other, other fiber hobby
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?
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?
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Happy (belated) Canada Day!
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.
Huzzah for Canada! Thanks for not invading the lower 48 (or Alaska or Hawai'i). We'll see if we can return the favor.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Procratina-meme
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Cat or mouse?
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.
I'm thinking of changing my status to chocolate or chocolate.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Crumpets and Crones
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?
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?
Monday, September 24, 2007
I have issues
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?).
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?).
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Finished object, the first
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?
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?
Thursday, September 13, 2007
I passed. Can I knit now?
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.
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.
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