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

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

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

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

1. 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).
2. 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?
3. 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!
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Have a house (or at least the downstairs) that does not look like the decorator was three-years old. Very unlikely.
7. Visit Alaska. Definitely - headed there this summer.
8. Walk part (all?) of the Kerry Way. Possible.
9. Draw. Incredibly unlikely. It is why I never finished my art minor - couldn't handle the drawing requirement!
10. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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.