Skeintily Clad

its just like knitting a bike...

2010-06-27T20:54:00.001-04:00

its just like knitting a bike...
Originally uploaded by Skeintily Clad

i'd forgotten how to turn a heel.

a few years ago i could do it in my sleep. but i stopped knitting. and now i want to start again. i've got a perfectly good sock-and-a-half that have been sitting on the needles for a year or three... no problem, right? just finish that second sock and BAM, i'm back in the knitting groove. well, @*&#$&(%#.

its all good. i'd like to thank West Wing (season 2), Underwood Cellars Pinot Noir (2009), and Cosmic Pluto's short row heel tutorial for the assist.

oh, and this might also be my way of saying 'hi, i think i'ma start blogging again!'

Angora Rabbit needs a home

2007-11-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who is looking for a new home for a 1-yr old white english angora bunny. She will give her away free to a good home, cage included. I wish i could take her, but can't. If you live in the boston area and are interested, please send me an email.

Hello World

2007-09-18T14:30:00.000-04:00

proof of my crafty existance:

I excavated a path to my sewing machine and started working on my quilts again. yeehaw. This Monkey Wrench (aka Friendly Hand or Milky Way) quilt top is finally coming together. and looking AWESOME if i do say so myself. I'm so easily impressed. haha.

I get terribly bored cutting hundreds of half-square triangles and i have a tendency to stuff quilts that i'm bored with in the closet for years at a time (ahem, pink baby quilt). I've developed a new strategy of working on two quilts simultaneously. My friend G says its strange, but i doubt i'm the only one to do this. Since they are each at different stages of the process if i get bored piecing individual squares, i can switch to sewing strips of squares that are already done on the Provencal quilt. This has allowed me to make tons of progress on both quilt tops without getting bored and doing something else entirely. I really want to finish these. The "Pirates of Provence" quilt was started over 4 years ago, and the Blue/Green one is a married present that is >2 yrs late. I'm almost done with both tops now!! yaay!

And no, i don't switch the thread color between quilts. There are more than a few people out there who will be horrified that i'm not using a matching thread for each quilt. Maybe i'm lazy, or maybe i'm just not fussy. i don't care. Since this is not hand sewn and not a decorative top stitch, these threads should never be seen, right? Why do they need to match the fabric??

where i is?

2007-08-21T16:26:00.000-04:00

in the lab, mostly.

i have not posted here because i have an extreme case of creativelessness. By the time i make it home each night i have zero desire to do anything creative. No knitting, no spinning, no sewing. nothing. I just want to veg out and watch idiotic things like "Girls Next Door".

anyone have a spare muse they'd like to lend me?

There should be something pretty in this post... so here is a cool photo i took of the bridge in Charleston, SC.

Have you seen this sock?

2007-07-11T11:22:00.001-04:00

Have you seen this sock?
Originally uploaded by Skeintily Clad

-- Ochre Alert -- this is an activation of the missing sock network --

Missing: one handknit sock.

Last seen: Saturday July 7th, 10 am. Reagan National Airport in the vicinity of Gate 44.

Height: 12 inches
Weight: 36 g
Color: shades of lavender and green (handpainted)
Age: 1 week old.

Distinguishing characteristics: superwash merino. Knit from the ankle down. Sock is finished, but ends are still loose. I removed it from my carry-on to compare length with the second sock. When i took out my knitting on the plane, the first one was gone. :(

Stashsplosion Saturday

2007-03-06T17:35:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday I hosted a Craft Brunch & Swap & Dye at my house, aka "Stashsplosion". My house is not huge, we were quite full with about 12 people.

There was some actual swapping, but mostly people brought stuff that fell into the "this can't live at my house anymore" category. First we slopped a truly obscene amount of yarn into the middle of the living room floor. There was much fondling, ogling, bargaining, and laughing. Brunch and mimosa's helped. We shared stories of bad yarn decisions and abandoned projects. (I gave away a practically complete kids sweater. Its been stuck in that state for 5+ years. I am never going to finish it. Nor am i going to frog it. It is better that it just go to someone else's house where it might be worn someday.)

Two of the gals in attendance are new knitters without much personal stash. They each received a whole bag full of yarn to "seed" their new stash. Another attendee is allergic to wool, and she made out like a bandit! There was quite a lot of cotton and acrylic yarns in the pile that people no longer wanted, but that she could put to good use.

After a few hours we took a break, cleared the brunch, and i showed a few people how to dye yarn. Gina has been itching to knit Clapotis. I recently ordered some undyed merino/tencel for her and she decided that "Saturday is a good day to dye". (go ahead, try to say it without making the evil-badguy-in-a-Bond-movie voice. i bet you can't!) She painted up a whole whack of it for that project.

Surprisingly, nearly all that yarn found new loving homes! I explicitly said that the leftovers couldn't not stay at my house. Out of the whole pile of unloved yarn, only this one bag remained. I will deliver it to some church, school, or thrift store that might put it to good use. (Boston area suggestions welcome!)

mon Clapotis est finis

2007-03-05T16:02:00.001-05:00

its a scarf...
Originally uploaded by Skeintily Clad.

its more of a mini-clap. width of a large scarf, but very long. and very warm!

600 yds of handpainted Bluefaced leicester yarn. 1 week of super easy mindless knitting. I know i'm years behind the pattern trends here, but i will agree with what others have blogged many times before. There is definitely a naughty little thrill in dropping stitches ON PURPOSE and not fixing them. tee hee.

Here i am wearing it in my lab, unblocked. I'm too lazy to block it and i rather like the curling anyway. Hey, i'm giving myself major credit for actually sewing in the ends the same week that i finished it. we've got to cherish our minor victories in life.

fun with felidae

2007-02-28T19:35:00.000-05:00

I finished my clapotis! i'm wearing it today (unblocked, of course) and i love it. I forgot to take pictures of it because i was too busy torturing my cat. We dressed her up like RapCat and took many embarassing photos. And to add to the fun, Big O got a Wii last week. So now we can look at silly websites and watch YouTube videos on our TV!

It was nice knowing y'all. Its very probable that i will be suffocated in my sleep tonight.

when the yarn speaks, you do she wants

2007-02-23T17:09:00.000-05:00

Clapotis has been on my "to knit" list for a long time. (not just in my head. look, its over there in the sidebar!) I've been waiting for the right yarn to come along and tell me that it belongs to that pattern.

I have been dyeing a ton of yarn lately. Mostly sock yarn, but i'm also completely enamored with some amazing Bluefaced Leicester yarn that I got. Been itching to get my needles into it. I didn't plan this color, it just sort of put itself together. When it emerged from the dye crock i was immediately in love with it and new it had to become Clapotis. Its pale pink, chocolate brown, magenta, purple, and a really pale gray/lilac. Makes me think of Pansies.

I have 600 yards, so i'm making a more scarf-y (less wrap-y) sized Clapotis. One of the skeins came out darker with almost no pink in it, but the other two match each other very well. To avoid choppy changes in colors I knit halfway through the first light skein, then started alternating light and dark skeins every two rows. I can still see the shift because i know its there, but its not really glaring. I'm really happy with how its coming out. The DK weight BFL is awesome to knit with and is going to be great as a scarf.

And its such a quick pattern to knit. I started it two days ago, and the rows just keep flying through my fingers. I'm about half done already!

insta-hat for this insta-winter

2007-02-20T16:04:00.001-05:00

Crocheted hat for insta-winter
Originally uploaded by Skeintily Clad.

The extremely late onset of sudden winter made me realize that i don't have a good hat! I am constantly losing my winter hats, so they are usually cheap purchased ones or very simple hand knit ones. This is no different. I had a skein of very soft coopworth yarn that i spun a few years ago in my stash. It is natural colored and navajo plied. (squishy! yay!)

My crochet skills are completely abysmal. It even took me a few attempts to actually get the hat right, but oh well. i think my head looks ridiculous in this shape of hat, but Big O says its cute. The hat is thick, warm, and definitely gets the job done. That's all the matters.

In news for Knitting Scientists:
Go listen to the most recent podcast at Its a Purl, Man. This week Guido interviews fellow boston area knitting scientist: Kathy, aka Grumperina.

baaa.

2007-02-15T14:12:00.001-05:00

attempt two
Originally uploaded by Skeintily Clad.

Big Orange asked me to make him some mittens this winter. (to review: In the past few years i have knit him an orange hat, two orange scarves, and handspun sweater.) Of course, I can't refuse a direct request! I showed him the adorable skull and squirrel mittens from Hello Yarn that i'd been itching to knit. He asked me to make his with video game characters instead. He designed the first pass at the stitch pattern - Tetris blocks on one side, space invaders on the other.

For the first pass i cast on 48 stitches. I knew it would probably be too small, but i didn't want to knit a flat swatch so i started the mitten pattern anyway. Second attempt i tried 54 stitches. Still too small. Then i had the 'brilliant' idea to actually MEASURE his hand... 11" around at the widest part. duh. at 7 st/inch, that would be 77 stitches around. I figure i should deduct at least 10% to make a snug fit. Would 20% be better? I don't know. This is how projects get put in the "on hold basket of doom".

Ok, i admit it. i am one of those knitting sheep. It has taken me years to fully realize this, but I really don't like to think about my knitting. I rarely finish projects that i can't zombie knit at night in front of the tube. I knit because the repetitive motion calms me. Once something requires dedicated brain waves, i often lose interest. I really admire all the knitters out there who design truly creative projects from scratch. Its time that I finally accept that I am just not one of them. Maybe in a few years, after grad school, i will want to be challenged by my knitting. Just not right now.

C'est la vie!

what i haven't been knitting

2007-02-06T18:00:00.001-05:00

what i haven't been knitting
Originally uploaded by Skeintily Clad.

i took a headlong jump into my UFO pile and started ripping. Also a few scarves and bags that i finished but never wore. gone.

On the top of this picture you can see what WAS a nearly complete Hot Lava Cardigan, but i hated how it looked on me. I started it last weekend after meeting the gal who designed it. But i need to rethink that because the style can be less than flattering to us boobularly inclined gals.

Finished: Starsky

2007-02-03T12:57:00.000-05:00

Every beginning knitting book i've ever read says that you should NEVER EVER block ribbing. that's just silly. I understand not wanting to lose the elasticity of the ribbing, but obviously the collar of Starsky needed to be blocked. MUCH better.

Not being a fan of belted sweaters, i never planned on making the belt for Starsky. I figured i'd just knit some buttonholes into the collar. Unfortunately, i completely forgot about that plan until i was casting off the #(*&%^ collar! grr. I'm currently wearing it held closed with a safety pin. classy. When i find some buttons that i really like, i plan on knitting some i-cord frog/loops to close it. No rush, since i have no problem wearing sweaters 95% complete. (I wear my Ribby Cardi all the time; still no zipper.)

Summary Specs:
Pattern - Starsky from Knitty.
Yarn - Debbie Bliss Merino Aran. Purchased from the Webs garage sale. 17 balls completely used, no belt.
Started - May 2006
Finished - Jan 2007
Mods - knit plain stockinette back.
Thoughts - Easy pattern to knit, love the finished sweater. I think the whole sweater needs to be washed one more time to soften up the yarn even more. It has gotten softer each time i've worn it.

The sleeves are rather large, but they match the style of the sweater. The pattern claims to be designed with 8" of ease, putting me at the XL size. I love it when designers list the predicted ease in the design. I much prefer it to telling me what size the model is wearing. (how does that help me, if i don't know what her bust size is?!) Ever since the horrid results of my blue/green aran, i'm especially wary of the suggested ease in sweater designs. [that sweater is still in 'time out' on my basement floor. next to the washing machine, because i just can't bring myself to throw it in the hot water to shrink it to a wearable size.] For Starsky, I chose to knit the size L instead and i'm glad i did! Yes, Starsky is designed to be comfy and oversized... but I really don't think the model in the photo is wearing a sweater with 8" of ease, which would be extremely baggy. If nothing else, i've convinced myself that I do not personally like sweaters with more than 5" of ease. I might make another sweater similar to this, but i would use the large body measurements, but make the sleeves in medium.

late breaking news...

2007-01-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

tune in (or record) this coming monday (1/29) at 11:30 am as Sarah, Dayna, and I appear on the show "Uncommon Threads" on HGTV. i'm nervous! the trip and filming process was so much sensory overload, i have no idea how the show will look when it airs. It may be cheesy, it might not make any sense. I really hope I didn't make any stupid mistakes in explaining how to dye wool!

I really meant to post this earlier, when we found out that the show was being aired on HGTV. (It was supposed to be on DIY, a channel that i don't even get!) If you want to catch it in re-runs it is episode #220 "Starry Night". (full directions and photos available on the website.) First I dye roving to match the colors of Van Gogh's famous painting. Then Sarah and Dayna use needle felting and beading techniques to recreate the masterpiece in wool. Then Allison sews and embroiders the cute little bag i'm holding in this picture. Sometime in March/April will be our second episode "Message in a Bag" (#258).

I've been recording and watching the other episodes all week. Its really surreal to see them and think "I was on that set. i sat in that seat." And in my mind i can hear the director say "more energy!!" A few days ago was the "Crafty Helper" episode that Marisa, Jennifer, and Caro (members of the Austin Glitterati). I totally couldn't get over thinking "We were having dinner together the night before. weird!!"

finished: Turtleneck Shrug

2007-01-25T11:41:00.000-05:00

It is finished and worn. Several times, actually. It is a strange, and slightly ridiculous item of clothing. Despite that, i'm immensely pleased with it. It does exactly what you think and expect it will do: keep your arms warm. Its great for the wishy-washy weather that can't decide whether or not its actually winter. People at work gave it a strange look at first glance, but then decided it was cool.

Details
Pattern: Turtleneck Shrug from Scarf Style.
Yarn: my own handspun wool/angora. Roving came from "Spinning-a-Dream" (website down, unfortunately).
Modifications: different gauge, diff needles, diff # of stitches. Also tinked with the shaping of the shoulder because I do not have wispy little upper arms like that cute Interweave Press model!

One arm is softer than the other. Even though the two skeins had the same gauge, one had a much nicer angora halo than the other. I'm sure its noticeable to me only. I don't care anyway. If it were perfect, it would be sold at Wal-Mart. That's my motto. Its a variation on what my quilting friends say: "Only Allah is perfect".

Sabine says that angora yarn makes the BEST pillow!

Starsky is done, but the collar needs to be re-blocked. And i have to figure out whether i'm making the belt or not.

angora goodness

2007-01-16T11:57:00.000-05:00

Starsky is very, very almost done. Since the collar is knit onto the fronts and back together, it is too clunky to be a good travel project right now. My fingers were itching to start a new project....

It's the Turtleneck Shrug from Scarf Style. The yarn is wool/angora that i spun ages ago. The photo is my lame attempt to capture the delicious angora halo. *droooool*

know some really unique knitters?

2007-01-10T15:44:00.000-05:00

This email just came from Lorelei, the producer of our Uncommon Threads episodes. She is working on Knitty Gritty right now, and looking for some special knitters. please pass it along if you know someone who would be interested.

***KNITTY GRITTY one hour special seeks stories***

CALL FOR KNITTERS - January 2007

Screen Door Entertainment's TV show Knitty Gritty is looking for unique
knitting groups, individuals, or events to profile in an upcoming one-hour
special for the DIY Network. We are looking in the Los Angeles area AND
NATIONWIDE!!!! We'll be taping this special throughout 2007, and we'll come
to you.

We're searching for knitters or groups with a "story" or extra-special
quality. For example: unlikely knitters such as a sports team/league or a
group of Harley bikers, actors who knit on the set or bands who knit
backstage, groups who knit in unusual places such as a pub or baseball
stadium, someone who has knit a car cozy or something incredibly unusual or
large, someone who incorporates knitting with art projects, people who knit
for a purpose/cause (whether for charity with a great story behind it, or
for a nontraditional cause such as knitting graffiti taggers, etc), a
knitter with a personal human interest story, or anything else along these
lines that may come to mind.

If you have any leads for us - even if it's just something you've heard of
or you're not sure if it would work- please send me an e-mail with as much
info as you can provide, as soon as you can. We'd love to hear more and
could really use your help in finding these stories to make this one hour
special, well... special!

Please feel free to repost this (anywhere you can - on myspace, your blog,
or to a mailing list).

Thank you so much for your help! :)

Please send leads to:

Lorelei at LPlotczyk at sdetv.com
or
Joy at JWingard at sdetv.com

finished: girly baby quilt

2007-01-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

its really, truly, completely done! I snapped this picture before putting it in the washer yesterday because i had a nagging fear that it would get ruined. it didn't. Now its washed, signed, and ready to go in the mail. I hope she likes it!

maybe i should knit that cat bed now.

2007-01-04T17:37:00.000-05:00

In our house we have:
- 1 double-bedded cat castle
- 1 ikea cat tent
- 1 human bed
- 2 office chairs
- 4 padded dining room chairs
- a couch
- a comfy armchair
- 1 persian carpet
- pile of dirty laundry
- pile of clean laundry
- several closets full of clothes

On most days the cats are content to sleep on any of these things. Or they might be found napping in other ingenious places - like above the fridge.

Unless i'm blocking something. If the blocking board is out, this is where they will always sleep:

Block & Roll

2007-01-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

the fronts of Starsky are finished and drying on the blocking pad.

the sleeves were finished in june 2006 (but not blocked yet).

the back is 3/4 done and won't take much longer, because i decided to scrap the "banana leaf" pattern on the back and knit it plain. i'm bored with this sweater and I really didn't like knitting that stitch pattern. I'm feeling needy and want instant(er) gratification. I decided that I would rather have a plain back on a finished sweater than have it languish in the UFO pile for another 6 months.

This yarn (debbie bliss merino aran) seemed a little rough and stiff while I was working with it. I was hoping that blocking would soften it up, and #(*%&% it did! The blocked pieces aren't even dry yet, but they feel completely different than the unblocked pieces. i'm very pleased. one of these years i'll learn to wash swatches before starting a project. probably not gonna be 2007. maybe next year.

finished: Party Dress

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

wonder of wonders, the dress was finished (mostly) ontime!! i wore it to the Nutcracker 3/4 hemmed, 1/4 safety pinned on saturday. I did finish hemming and stitching everything in time for our big New Year's Eve Soiree.

I thought it should have a little more volume under the skirt, to get more of a 50's vintage feel. There's a costume shop very close to our house, but they closed early yesterday for the holiday. Luckily, there is a thrift store accross the street. i stopped in and found an old bridesmaid dress for $8.50. I cut the crinoline out of that and wore it under the skirt to make it a bit more flouncy.

Ms G's dress turned out awesome as well. She even made a matching bag out of leftover fabric! Since our dress patterns were originally from 1952, we had fun hamming it up with cocktails and gloves.

party dress ahoy

2006-12-29T14:44:00.000-05:00

My christmas prez from B. Orange is tickets to see Boston Ballet's Nutrcracker this saturday. On sunday, D and I are throwing our "2nd Annual Very Swish New Year's Eve Party". I love having an excuse to dress up, drink fancy-pants cocktails, and have friends over. Well, two dressy ocassions, and i've got nothing nice to wear! So i decided to sew my own dress. (yeah, yeah. because i am a wee bit nutz and don't have enough deadlines. shush.) Did i mention the wedding i am attending next weekend? 3 occasions in two weeks has to justify it, right?

This crazy idea is not /entirely/ my fault. I do have an accomplice. I was merely toying with the idea of sewing a dress this week, browsing patterns in the lab. Ms G got involved and decided to make one herself as well. she's an instigator, i tell you! (She met her beau at this very party last year. that's her excuse to need a pretty dress!)

One of the nice things about being grad students is that we can ditch the lab on a friday afternoon to hit the fabric stores! We both picked "new retro" dresses: butterick 4919 and butterick 4790. I picked a faux-silk shimmery number that is woven so that its silver in one light, lavender in another. (i'm hoping to also wear this dress to 3 winter/early spring weddings i've got coming up.) I found a picture of the original pattern over at the wonderful blog "A Dress A Day". Ms G picked a blue/brown silk dupioni combo that is just to-die-for.

I cut the fabric and started the major seams before we left for christmas and have worked on the rest of it most of the day today. Oh yeah, that's another nice thing about being a grad student: I can take this week off to hang out in my PJs and sew (and clean the house and get ready for the soiree) all day. If the boss asks, I officially call it "resting and relaxing before the hellish semester on the horizon".

My co-conspirator is just about finished with her dress! Its awesome. Mine is also just about finished. (picture taken while bodice and skirt were still pinned together.) Tomorrow i will finish hemming the full circle skirt (ugh!) and take a nicer picture of my dress.

purple & pirates

2006-12-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

nothing soothes the "overwhelmies" in me like slaying a 2 year old UFO.
ok, its not entirely slain. But i spent FOUR HOURS of tv-time last night sewing in the #$*%&%$@ ends and doing up seams. Now I have one more seam and the neck still to knit. How is it that sewing in ends takes longer than the actual knitting? well, almost.

The original intended recipient of this sweater is now 3 years old. The second intended recipient is 2. Both of them have far outgrown this sweater. I'm really going to finish it now, and give it to Ms Zeebi's upcoming arrival. (i already told her, so i don't have to keep it a secret. *whew*)

In other news, i'm back in a "Purple Phase" again. I wear purple eyeglasses every day, but at the moment i've also got purple on the needles:

on the ears:

on the tree:

on the bobbin:

bring more aspirin

2006-12-20T17:09:00.000-05:00

obviously, i haven't been knitting lately. have been dyeing, spinning, and preparing a "metric truckton" of yarn for Bazaar Bizarre last weekend. here's a picture of some of it:

(there was much more stashed under the table!)
BB was awesome. amazing. super duper. big "hi" to everyone who visited the show.

After 8 hours of standing, talking, spinning, interacting... i had to go home and crash immediately. I was in bed by 9 pm and slept 13 hours! i'm pretty sure i woke up with a "yarn hangover". ha!

the good news is that the "yarn factory" inhabiting my living room for the past few months has retreated. the bad news is that i just realized how behind i am on finishing christmas presents. wait, i'm stressed out because i'm overextended and behind on deadlines? this should surprise no one.

pictures of current projects coming soon.

no nice needles for me!

2006-12-13T12:21:00.000-05:00

dangit! I went to NYC last weekend, tossed the sock-bag in my purse for knitting on the train... and later pulled out TWO broken brittany birch needles. :( I've already used their 'free replacement' offer once, so now i'm just stuck with two broken needles. I really like these needles, but apparently i don't treat them well. I guess i'll stick to my bent plastic Pony needles.

I wore my finished Falling Leaves socks yesterday. ok ok, actually i wore them for about 23 hours in a row (i slept in them). i love them to death. I think i want to wear handknit socks every day this winter. mmmmmmm, warm. right, but i only have 4 pairs because i usually give them away. must knit more socks. in my copious free time.

Merry Christmas, from the Baarmy Sheep! Locals: Don't forget to come to Boston Bazaar Bizarre this weekend to finish off your holiday shopping with tons of awesome handmade stuff.

sock action

2006-12-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

Here are my finished Falling Leaves socks! Well, very very nearly finished. Because no matter how many times i do it, i have to look up the instructions for stretchy bind-off every single time. I just have a mental block against memorizing this, my preferred bind off for toe-up socks (aka EZs sewn bind-off).
Yarn: STR "Covelite", purchased over the summer at Churchmouse Yarns and Teas in Bainbridge Island, WA. (very cute shop. pricey, but nice.)
pattern: Falling Leaves from Knitty. heavily modified. started in Sept, languished in the sock bag until thanksgiving.

current purse-socks: another pair of jaywalkers. I was going to work on my blue Starsky sweater over thanksgiving after finishing the felling leaves socks. I really was planning on it. Instead, we went to the LYS, bought new yarn, and started these socks. They were supposed to be a present for my mom, but i am so enamored with this yarn i might keep them. the colors are really gorgeous. Meilenweit something-or-other. I've already lost the ball band.

Sheep Shopper Weekly

2006-11-30T18:16:00.000-05:00

"Fleece on Earth" t-shirt from Over East Farm. Diane was very nice to chat with and also gave me a "Spin Free or Dye" bumper sticker. I love it!

I got this adorable shirt at the Vermont fiber event, but I wanted it to have its own post. I've been trying to take a picture of it for two weeks, but its just not happening. The weather isn't cooperating. Life isn't cooperating. (i'm getting a big, fat 'F' in science these days. my car battery died last night. etc.) So here it is, picture stolen directly from their website. I am, however, wearing the shirt today and it makes me grin whenever look down.

Craftland, Providence RI.

2006-11-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

Superwash sock yarn delivered to Craftland on sunday. Along with some merino roving and new spinning kits. The Craftland store space is HUGE. The building is still a work in progress, but i was very impressed with how well organized they are with inventory and check-in. I can't wait to see it turned into a shop on December 1st.

Bella has to be the star of the show.

alert the press

2006-11-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

My new wheel has finally arrived home. I couldn't be more pleased with it. The living room must now be rearranged to fit Hyacinthe. (Its massive, compared to my little ashford traditional.) The double treadle action is smooth as butter. Its going to take a little while for me to get used to double drive instead of scotch tension. The workmanship is amazing. Here is David, of The Merlin Tree, just before he showed me how to take the wheel off and load it into my car. Did i mention how nice he is? His wife Kathy (sp?), is a doll too. I could continue gushing, but i'll stop now.

The event on saturday was the "3rd Annual Southern Vermont Fiber Event" hosted by the River Spinners guildin Brattleboro VT. It was a small, but very pleasant gathering of vendors from the area.
I bought some dehaired llama from Hemlock Haven Llama Farm. I picked the choclate brown from Bailey (click to see a really adorable llama face!) Another purchase was 8 oz of irresistable cormo cross roving from This and That Farm in Danby VT. I tried to resist, I really did! That little voice in my head made me go back to her booth 4 times, then finally buy it. It was a toss up between the roving or undyed Cormo / Tussah blend yarn that they had spun by Green Mountain Spinnery. I'm usually not drawn to yarn at fiber events; I lust for roving. This yarn is something special, let me tell you. If I could have somehow justified buying myself a sweaters-worth on saturday, i would have. (quick, call her and get it for yourself before i change my mind!)

they're listening?

2006-11-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

Its so cute when our spouses/partners/children figure out how to relate to the knitter in their life by comparing something to knitting. Like when the video game playing child realizes that "let me get to the end of the row" is analagous to "let me get to a save point". Recently big Orange used knitting analogies twice to try to help me understand him.

1) He was really excited about trying out a new computer program/language/thing. He brought me into his office and boasted "look at this cool visualization that i made with that data! its so cool, because blah, blah, blah." (obviously, programming for 'fun' didn't really register with me...)
"Why would you want to do that? you already had that information using the other program."
"Yeah, but that's not the point. its just cool to try it out using a new program. Its like swatching a new yarn."

[awwwww!]

2) We were discussing violent video games. (he works in the video game industry. even though i don't play them, we end up in these kinds of dicussions often.) He said that he doesn't like playing them, but i pointed out that he does own a few notoriously violent video games.
"what about Half Life 2? you bought that."
"yeah, i had to. Everyone was talking about it and i had to see what it was all about. Like when you knit Jaywalkers. You wanted to know why they were so popular. same idea."

[double awwwwwwww!!!]

i'm, like, interviewed on, like, a podcast...

2006-11-16T16:18:00.000-05:00

At the Boston Knit Out I was interviewed by Guido for the It's a Purl, Man podcast.

egads, please forgive the numerous times that I, like, say something, like, really ditzy? It was nerves, I swear. I am usually a very good public speaker, but I always practice talks many times. Even when teaching, I usually plan out the gist of the lecture beforehand. Having a freeform chat in front of a big microphone was something completely new to me.

Sheep Shopper: Ovine Cookie Cutter

2006-11-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

Last weekend i saw the King Arthur Flour catalogue over at Zeebi's house. They have a whole catalog? who knew? (probably everyone but me.) They also sell baking mixes, all manner of nifty kitchen gadget, at this super cute sheep cookie cutter. i'm lusting after this cookie cutter. (yeah, yeah. i have a ton of cookie cutters already. and no time to bake complicated cookies. i care not. sheeeeep!)

In knitting: Has anyone started an Equestrian Blazer Knitalong yet? i'm in love with this sweater. I'm not a big KAL fan, but i'm always interested in learning from the experiences of others. I need something simple, but interesting to knit over thanksgiving break and think this is the winner!

creative kick start

2006-11-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

We went to the Waltham Mills Open Studios this past weekend. This was the second year i've gone to this event. It features two huge factory buildings FULL of studios. Some of the bigger studios have built in lofts for living space, which is extra cool. Most of the artists are the same from year to year and it was very interesting to see what they've been working on this year; some went in a totally new direction, some just a little bit of a change. Definitely worth checking out next year if you're local.

The best part for me was seeing how people use and organize their space. It inspired me to run home and clean up my own (crap) craft room again. Yes, i know i've whined about this never ending cycle before. I clean it, i start using the space, i spread out and leave projects all over the house. Then we clean the house and everything that's mine gets shoved into the pit for me to deal with later. Yes, my mother did try to teach me to put away my toys after using them but for some damn reason it just never stuck. I'm just like a child who must take every toy out of the toybox and then move onto a totally new game. i'm weak.

After returning from the mills, i excavated a path to the sewing table and started working on Wedding Quilt #2 again. I've got 9 complete blocks and enough partial pieces for another 9 blocks. I can't remember how many i was plannig to make for this quilt... i think 56. In my mind, I see the pattern going all the way to the edge, with no border. Of course, I'm likely to give up and put a border on it. That's how quilts get made in distraction-ville.

Wait, i've got 10 blocks done. I gave one to the couple on their 1st wedding anniversary. As a promise that they would someday get this quilt. Other things going on quilt-wise:
- I still haven't put a binding on the pink baby quilt. baby was born two months ago. i have ONE STEP LEFT! geez!
- Wedding Quilt #1: piecing is about half done (wedding is this january - long engagement).
- Wedding Quilt #3: completely planned, fabric purchased. Won't let myself start cutting until one of these other wedding quilts is done.

Fiber Twist this weekend

2006-10-27T11:43:00.000-04:00

can you believe that I still haven't knit anything! my fingers are getting itchy. soon, i think. I've been spinning a little here and there. I do, however, have two exciting fiber things on the horizon:

First: I'm going to go to the Franklin County Fiber Twist tomorrow. Its a really fun small fiber fest combined with an open farm/studio tour. It was great last year. Even though the weather report isn't looking great for farm visits tomorrow, there is still the indoor marketplace with vendors. I did not go to Rhinebeck this year. (Even though i am glad i didn't go, i'm still ignoring the blogs of everyone who did!) If you're like me and find Rhinebeck/MDS&W to be insanely overwhelming, this event is a really nice change. Just enough stuff to see in one day without ridiculous sensory overload, and its very easy to run into and visit with fiber friends and bloggers.

Second: I got a call from David at The Merlin Tree. My Hyacinthe wheel is finished!!! I will get it soon, and possibly this weekend. I am so very, VERY excited. I just have to figure out how to get it home, because it probably won't fit in the back seat of my little 'ol Corolla. eep!

busy and blue

2006-10-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

i have a confession.
I haven't knit a stitch in weeks.

Partially because i was busy. My brother was in the boston for a few days before returning to Poland. He's been living there for 3 years now, so it was nice to see him briefly. I had a birthday; i'm 29 now. My dad is coming to visit from Seattle next week, gotta get the house clean.

The other reason is i was a bit blue for a few weeks. For some reason, i temporarily lost all desire to knit. or craft. or be creative in any way. I was fatigued and just wanted to veg out all the time. I really wasn't feeling "myself" there for a bit. Perhaps it was the change in seasons, or a little illness, or the start of the new school year, or the stress of grad school, or the birthday... who knows. Probably a combination of all of them hitting me at the same time. UGH!

I am feeling better now... but i haven't really jumped back on the knitting horse yet. I still have a sock in my purse, but i've forgotten the stitch pattern and haven't had the oomph to look it up. Its lost its appeal. I've been spinning here and there. And teaching my friend G to spin. She comes over and uses my wheel, while i just sit and watch her spin. eek, i need a knitting kick start! Even though i've got a bajillion unfinished ones, i think i need a sexy new project to get me fired up again. hrm....

I DID finish the shawl collar on St Moritz, but keep forgetting to take a picture of it. It came out pretty nice. Now the only thing left to do on that sweater is steek the sleeves and insert them. I guess its time to admit it... i'm terrified. Yes, i know the neck came out just fine, and i didn't even machine stitch it before cutting. But the sleeves will take more stress and i feel like they need the reinforcement. I've been reading up on crocheted steeks, but i'm terrified of those too. eek!

do sweaters have movie rights?

2006-09-21T14:51:00.000-04:00

today i was going to blog about resurrecting a UFO from the knitting basket graveyard... but since it is that time of year, i think its more accurate to compare it to a television show.

(cue flashback music)
Last season on "St Moritz":
A difficult sweater was chosen as her entry into the Knitting Olympics. Striving to push the boundaries of her knitting world, she splurged on the Dale of Norway kit and eagerly swatched. With weather, roadtrips, and help from internet-friends she made good time.
(music slows down)
But despite the best intentions, the challenge is not completed. Vowing to finish in a timely manner, she kept plugging along. Body and sleeves were completed, and scissors poised to steek...
(switch to dramatic cliffhanger music)
... In the dramatic season finale she cut open the neck of the sweater, sealing its fate for eternity. At the same time, she realized her near fatal mistake. Will one knitter's hubris doom St Moritz to sweater purgatory?! Will she overcome this tragedy and design the shawl collar of her dreams?
(flash teaser shot of scenes from this season)

Tune in next week for the season premier of... St Moritz! only on KBC, Knitters Broadcasting Network.

too tired to think of something clever

2006-09-15T11:18:00.000-04:00

I have no interesting knitting progress to show for this week. Fall classes have started and i am TAing this year. I really enjoy teaching and so far its going quite well. I have a great group of students in my review section and they are making it more enjoyable. The downside is that it eats up a lot of time. Add that to a new early bed time (so i can get up for early Yoga) equals less knitting time.

There has been quite a bit of dyeing going on at Casa de Skeintily over the past few weeks, however. This batch of sock yarn will soon be whisked off to The Little Knittery in Los Angeles. The rest will go to Worcester with me on sunday.

Now, if only i could make my western blots look as pretty as my yarn! bad science, bad. bad!

The Sheep Shopper

2006-09-13T11:33:00.000-04:00

this goes back to my earlier series of "Things for Wool-Loving People Who Also Love to Shop", aka "Sheep for Brains".

I found this card at my local pharmacy while browsing for birthday cards. Its odd, but strangely endearing. i love it!

The inside: "What is WRONG with these people?"

(Its made my Hallmark's "Fresh Ink" brand, and i got mine at Walgreens.)

the perpetual woostah cheerleader.

2006-09-12T15:43:00.000-04:00

This weekend is stART on the Street '06! It is going to be an amazing gathering of artists and i'm really looking forward to it. Its been getting better each year and i think its going to be great this year. (even though its no longer my hometown, i still love woostah!!)

I'll be there sharing a boothful of yarn with Woolarina Kate. She's going to have a hard time keeping me in the booth... i really want to go shop at all the others.

If you go to Worcester on sunday, please stop by and say 'hi'!

the sweet rewards of procrastination

2006-09-11T17:08:00.000-04:00

... yes procrastination is sometimes rewarding. especially if it is someone else who is avoiding their work. and they make you gifts instead!

Every time i knit socks, i manage to create a giant tangled up puke-ball of yarn in my purse. I put the skeins in little plastic baggies to try to keep them organized. No luck. Somehow, the center of the ball barfs itself out into my purse, gets tangled up with my keys and cell phone, and turns into a hopeless mess.

On more than one occassion, K8 has been kind enough to patiently un-knot this pitiful mess and make a new ball for me. She's got a really nifty little fabric pouch that someone sewed that keeps her small projects neatly and safely separated. I am tres jealous of her sock pouch, have inspected it several times, and often declare that i'm going to sew one for myself.

I fully intended to make one this weekend. Before my lovely STR ball barfed itself into a mess in my purse. But as usual, i had too much going on. (and in the spirit of full disclosure, i my craft room is a disaster zone. i would have to excavate a path to the sewing machine, and i just don't have that kind of free time.) Things i did do this weekend: finish my first falling leaves sock. I dyed a whole whack of sock yarn! I went to yoga, went to a picnic, and attended a funeral. Not done: house cleaning. cooking. laundry. craft room cleaning.

First thing this morning, i got a visit in the lab from Mrs. Zeebi. (she has a new knitting blog. Go say 'hi'. then tell her to stop knitting and work on her thesis! Then she can be Dr. Zeebi!) She had a secret present for me...

A sock pouch!! With bowling vintage girls on it! its so awesome, i can hardly stand it. Her procrastination = my gain. rock on!

I started laughing maniacally as i pulled my purse out of my drawer and showed her the current state of my sock:

(note that in my attempts to fix the problem, i somehow managed to get the yarn inextricably knotted AROUND the handle of the purse!!)

Lucky for me, Mrs. Z loves untangling knots. She says it calms her. We managed to get my second Falling Leaves sock disentangled from its pukey mess and into its now bowling ladies sock pouch. sweet.

we luv puns

2006-09-10T15:11:00.000-04:00

Hey knitting scientists:
Check out this cute cartoon over at Double Helix. tee hee!!

why can't i get paid for that?

2006-09-08T15:05:00.000-04:00

Serious folks. you have GOT to stop writing amazing blogs about knitting and spinning and all things crafty. I just don't have the time to keep up with everyone that i want to. My bloglines subscription has 2500+ unread posts! And i keep stumbling across new and amazing blogs that i really want to keep up on.

I really hate not knowing what other people are knitting, doing, talking about. That's one of the great things about craft blogging, its not done in a vacuum. You really get a chance to chat with, e-interact with, and sometimes even 'actually' meet so many cool people with similar interests.

On a related note - Eve has created a really clever new 'blog carnival', or Yarnival. She takes you on a little tour of some cool blogs you may have never read before. I do NOT need any new blogs to read! And yet, i still clicky-clickied my way through all of them! curse you, eve! If only

i could figure out some way to wrangle a professional blog reading career. dang.

well that was d'uh!

2006-09-06T11:32:00.000-04:00

I've known for at least 3 years that the minor league baseball team in Lowell MA is the "Spinners".

I've known for at least 4 years that Lowell MA has a rich textile history, being the home of the first major fiber factory in the US. (Technically the first was in Waltham, about 4 blocks from my current house! how very cool.)

So why is it that it wasn't until a few weeks ago that i put the two together and figured out that the team was named for, duh, fiber spinning?! oh mah gawd. How cute is their logo of a spindle/baseball bat? They even have some t-shirts that say "wicked good yarn"!

We went to a game with friends and i decided that they are my new favorite team. Darius even bought me a tres cool spinners t-shirt:

customer service so good, its bad

2006-09-04T16:45:00.000-04:00

Many knitters have mentioned a recent rash of yarn store owners/employees with a bad attitude. I've heard many complaints of apathetic, bitchy, and just plain unhelpful staff. Last weekend i experienced a store full of friendly employees and friends, so helpful that i wanted to scream!

It started with a need for road trip knitting. I wanted sometime small (a la socks) but not too boring. I've just knit 2 pairs of plain jane stockinette socks, so i'm thinking a little more spicy. But i will get car sick if there's too much cabling or pattern reading involved. So i decided on the falling leaves pattern. Gave the pattern a quick read through, didn't see any red flags or unexpected shaping. seems like a straight forward toe-up sock with simple lace patterning. sweet. Wound my beautiful STR lightweight into a ball the morning of the trip, throw size 1 and 2 double points into the knitting bag with skein and pattern. (swatching? no time! that would require forthought. as if.)

In the car, i found out there might be a hiccup. The pattern is written for 3 sizes, but the pattern gives cast-on numbers for only 1. Curious, i thought. Then i notice that there are 3 different gauges listed. huh? It took me a few minutes of puzzling and confusion to figure out that one is to adjust the size of the sock by changing needle size and gauge. (the 12 stitch pattern repeat makes it hard to change size by changing number of stitches cast on). Perhaps this is obvious to other people, but I don't normally knit lace or patterned socks. This was NOT obvious to me, and it is not mentioned in the pattern notes at all.

but i'm a smart gal. figured it out. Unfortunately, my smallest needles (size 1) were too large and my toe was coming out huge. I started to plan a way around it in my head. ooh! there is a nice little yarn shop in the neighborhood we are visiting; we've stopped in before on previous trips to visit D's parents. Since it was a saturday afternoon, i figured i could stop by the store and see if they happened to have some size 0 needles in stock. Or maybe i'll pick up a different sock yarn that's a little thicker than STR lightweight. It would be a nice, easy solution. yay.

We walk in, say 'hello' to the ladies in the shop, and i head over to the needle corner. I notice they are having a class or group as there is about 5 ladies sitting around the table knitting.
One of them gets up to ask me if i need help (that's a great start! some yarn stores ignore you until you ask for help). I said "yes, i'm wondering if you have any size 0 needles in stock. circular or double point". This set off a cascade of responses from everyone in the store, almost simultaneously:
lady 1: oh, i don't think so. not out front. let me check the free needles in the back to be sure.
lady 2: what are you knitting on tiny toothpicks?
me: oh, socks. i'm on size 1 needles now, but the gauge is too big
lady 1: (from the back) oh, i found one size 0, but let me see if i can find the mate
lady 3: (before i can answer) no, she's knitting socks, she doesn't want straight needles.
lady 4: oh, do you need such small needles? i'm knitting these socks on 3's and they are coming out fine.
me: well, i've already got the yarn and its pretty thin (i pull sock toe and yarn out of my purse)...
lady 2 (cutting me off): oh you're knitting on double points, you know you could do that on circular needles, right?
me: oh yes, but i happen to like double points, they work for me....
Lady 3: (cutting me off) What's your gauge? have you measured it? (i'm getting the idea that she's the teacher or in charge of the group...)
me: i think i'm 7.5 stitches to the inch. i'm knitting in the car, so its a little hard to measure --
lady 3: (snatches my sock from my fingers and starts to measure the gauge).
lady 2: are you you married to that sock pattern? maybe you should just knit something else. Lady 3: you have 8 stitches to the inch. What does the pattern call for?
Me: well, its a little confusingly written.
lady 3: (snatches pattern from me.) let me see it.
[at this point its clear that she thinks i'm a newbie/idiot. i shoot Darius a glaring look.]
me: No, i'm not married to this pattern, but i'm on a road trip. And this is the one i threw into the knitting bag with me. i don't have all my needles. so that's why i thought i'd just stop in and see...
Lady 2: well we have plenty of sock patterns, i can show you another one.
me: Well yes, i could knit another pattern. In fact, i have a generic sock pattern memorized, so i don't really need one thank. I just wanted to try something knew.
Lady 3: It says 32 stitches to 4 inches. which is what you have. You must have cast on the wrong number of stitches.
me: (my patience with this crew is now frazzled. i'm trying to somehow get accross to them that i KNOW HOW TO KNIT!) Yes, i did. its a provisional cast-on, then short row toe, back up the other side, so that you have 72 stitches around. The problem is that its a 12 stitch repeat so if i remove 24 stitches from the whole sock it will be way too small.

This continues for a few more minutes while i try to get accross to these ladies that yes, i know what i'm doing. i am perfectly capable of using that stitch pattern in another sock pattern. But i simply thought i'd see if they had size 0 needles or another yarn for an easy fix. THANK YOU. They finally let it drop and let me shop in peace. Not seeing any sock yarn i wanted, i bought a book that i wanted and we left.

Now, having worked in a yarn store before, i can completely understand both sides of the coin. Customers are often confused, annoying, and stupid. Many customers don't really know how to read a pattern or are really confused. But just because you don't recognize me as a regular, don't assume i'm an idiot. PLEASE treat all customers with equal respect. I know they were trying to be helpful, which is why i still bought the book i wanted. But i was supremely annoyed and probably will not stop in there next time i'm down there. I will go out of my way to visit yarn stores in neighboring towns if i need anything.

ok, i'm done ranting now. g'day.

socks in a purse

2006-09-01T13:28:00.000-04:00

a colorful, but content-light post today.

2 pairs of "purse socks" that i recently knit. Each pair is from 220 yds of my handpainted sock yarn.

currently on the needles: Falling Leaves in Socks that Rock (color lovelite? will check the label at home).

I've got a long/involved rant/story that i want to tell, but that will wait for this weekend. Ciao!

one way train to tantrumville

2006-08-28T19:26:00.000-04:00

Beaverslide Aran-
On friday morning i had a sweater that was too wide. Now i have a sweater that is too wide, too long, and really stinky. I tried really hard to make sure i blocked it to the same length it was before (the perfect length), but now it is about 5" longer in the body AND the sleeves. I left it too damp to dry well (and to make things worse it rained in MA all weekend ) so now its musty and gross.
grrr.
[walk away. breathe deep. pour a glass of wine. calculate the risk of putting the sweater in a hot load of wash for a few minutes.]

S(ocks)oaP-
This is how much knitting one can get done during a funny-bad action-horror movie. I laughed. I screamed. I shouted at the screen. I knit really fast.

And this is the stupid-silly that happens after you see said funny-bad action-horror movie with your friends:

Snake in a Sock!! With needles for fangs! wearing a french market bag/beret? i don't know. Obviously i forked a bunch of brain cells with the $10.50 that i paid to see that damn movie. (it was still fun.)

wet sweater, check it and see...

2006-08-25T10:24:00.000-04:00

(got a fever of a hundred and three.... wet sweater, do you know how to dance? ok i'll stop)

Here is my very very wet but very very nearly finished Beaverslide Blue/Green Aran!! can i get a woohoo??

I desperately tried to block it a few inches smaller in the chest, but i'm not keeping my hopes us. I'm so in love with the softness and color of this yarn. Which makes me even more disappointed that the fit is so huge.

We're going out of town for the weekend, so i thought it would be a good opportunity to leave the sweater to peacefully dry for a few days. Big Orange said "how are you going to keep the kitties from sleeping on it while we're gone?" HAHAHAH. there is no keeping the kitties off of wool sweaters. i gave up on that little farce years ago. they are going to sleep on it once its dry-ish. c'est la vie.

I'm trying to be mature, but if i don't like the fit of this sweater when i get back on monday, i just might have to throw a tantrum. the world is warned.

current projects update

2006-08-17T16:35:00.000-04:00

As mentioned awhile ago, i'm trying to figure out a useful (for me at least) way to use David Allen's Getting Things Done system for craft projects. It has been very helpful in getting other aspects of my life on track, but crafts (in particular knitting and quilting) don't seem to lend themselves well to this system. This is mainly because the system revolves around breaking every project down into short, simple, do-able steps called the "Next Action". This is awesome because instead of having a monster on your to-do list (i.e. File Taxes) you break it down into manageable chunks (i.e. Pick up tax booklets @ library). I found this immensely helpful because i have a serious problem with procrastinating on projects that seem huge and overwhelming.

But back to crafting! I find this hard for knitting. Sure the beginning is easy: "pick pattern for cardigan" and "swatch for needle size". The end is easy "bind-off collar" and "sew in ends". Its the middle that kills me... how can you possibly make "keep knitting until its done" into smaller chunks? sure, i can say "knit arm" or "knit back", but its hard to break it down any more than that. And quilting? "sew 58 pattern squares" seems a little daunting! I welcome suggestions.

So while thinking on this a lil' while, i'm going to start listing my Next Actions for each current and stalled project. Mostly in the hopes that i will get a mental jump start and want to finish those stalled items (olympic sweater that needs finishing?! aran that JUST needs a new neckline??).

here's a taste of what i've been knitting lately (mostly during the trip):
a) the left front of my Starsky cardigan. Its in desperate need of some blocking! not good for knitting on the plane, but great for layovers and horrendously long waits (like 5 hours waiting in LAX.)
The sleeves were done during my west coast trip in may, and the right front is now started. i love me some progress.
Next Action: continue with right front.

b) a simple toe-up sock (wendy's. always.) in my own handpainted yarn. I call the color Ranier Cherries. I name most of my colors after food. go figure.
socks are perfect knitting for planes, so you don't annoy the piss out of your row-mates.
Next Action: cast off. start sock two.

c) crocheted zig-zag scarf in the superest, softest handspun from Woolarina Kate. Crocheting is also great for planes. except that i kept flicking my feeding yarn to pull it out of the skein every few stitches, which apparently annoyed my neighbor. even though i was being very careful not to invade his space. oh well.
Next Action: Well this wasn't really a project. but i might rip it out and make something else with the yarn. still deciding.

the politics of... ooooh feeling good.

2006-08-16T15:10:00.000-04:00

I may be a day late and a dollah short on passing this link along, but check out this great post on the Politics of Knitting in Public. The thoughts here really hit home for me, as a science grad student. I often wish i could knit during weekly seminars. I'm not bored by them, but its more that knitting would help me pay attention better. I know for a fact that when my hands are busy knitting, its easier for my brain to remain focused on a conversation (or presentation or movie). There are many studies that support this, and any teacher of students with ADHD would agree.

And yet, there is no way that i could actually knit during seminar without being frowned at. The professors would definitely think i was not paying attention, was a less dedicated student, or didn't care about the topic. i try to pay attention, but usually end up distracted and end up fidgeting with my coffee cup for 40 minutes out of the hour.

The same goes for down-time in the lab. Every scientist knows that you have lots of little waiting periods throughout the day. 10 minutes here spinning samples, 5 minutes there waiting for a buffer to mix. Its not enough time to do something else, but would be the perfect time to whip out a sock and knit a row or two. But that is WAY frowned upon. People would rather see you browsing web comics or playing sudoku than knitting. Because if you're knitting, you are obviously NOT paying attention to anything else. blah!

thoughts from other knitting scientists? How is the culture at your school/job? How could we change it?

we're baaa-aaack!

2006-08-14T11:39:00.000-04:00

Whoa! its been a few days, and i am still overstimulated from our trip to TV-land. It was simultaneously exhausting and yet exhilerating. I won't relay every second of the trip, because Sarah already beat me to the punch! Do go and read her travelogue, its quite an epic adventure. Here are some random thoughts in no particular order...

1) We had bad luck with LAX going both directions. my mother suggests that i don't fly there anymore because it must be ME who is causing the problems. har.

2) Other crafters who are ramping up for your filming in the next few weeks: MAKE EXTRA STEPOUTS. i can not stress this enough. more than your producer asked for, more than you think you are going to need. We thought we were really prepared, and we didn't have enough step outs. its still took 4 hours to film each episode, when they had scheduled only 2.5. And we got most of our takes the first time. Crafting really takes more time than any of the film crew anticipated. (they are all aboslute dolls, but the director and most of the crew put together couldn't sew on a button if they needed to.)

3) Allison Whitlock is awesome. She's tall, beautiful, clever, crafty, talented, etc etc. You have to be over-the-top smiley and energetic on screen, and she is a pro. I was endlessly amused that when the cameras start rolling, she'll turn and say "we're smiling, we're chatting... (turn to camera) Hi, i'm Allison Whitlock..." I'm sure i will look like a buffoon, because i was absolutely mesmerized by her perfectly white teeth.

4) i have a million times more respect for anyone in the tv or film industry now, even idiotic tv personalities like Kelly Ripa. I used to think she was a ditz, but now i completely respect how much talent it must take to film a LIVE television show without cussing, picking your nose, or saying "ummm" too much. and smiling the whole time! major respect.

5) the set is just amazing. I want to move into that set and live there. Its the nicest craft room any imaginary person could want. And the sewing machine!!! holy cow, its a ridiculously expensive bernina quilting machine (that i almost broke a few times. no stress!) it purrrrrrs as it sews. It's almost like this...
me: sewing machine?
Bernie: Yes, Dharia?
me: I'd like to sew this seam now.
Bernie: Absolutely Dharia. Would you like me to end needle up or needle down? Would you like some coffee with that?

my machine at home:
me: Sewing machine?
Singer: Duh... huh?
me: i'd like to sew this seam now.
Singer: Maybe. ummm... but first i need to cough up a hairball. come back in an hour.

6) television is an alternate reality. Its so weird, wild, and crazy. People are rushed all day long, the producers put out constant little fires, the prop guys run to target to buy a microwave 10 minutes before filming. You have a microphone on so the crew can hear everyone you say, even if you just talk into space. Allison has a little earpiece where they can give her direction while she's filming. That helps her ask really insightful questions, or ask about things you forgot to mention. Which is awesome because i was so nervous i forgot to say a few keys things (especially in the segment on dyeing wool).

7) the cameramen hate Lefties. Because the camera on a boom is over your left shoulder, so if you cut/poour/point with that hand you block his shot. So the director kept having to say "stop, can you put that down and pour with your right hand?" That was ok. The next day i had to sew and cut fabric. The rotary cutter they gave me was a) dull and b) set up to be righty only. So i had to cut right handed, with a dull blade, on top of being ridiculously nervous and my hands were shaking. oy vay!

8) after our second day of filming, we ran into the gals from Austin Glitterati at our hotel: Caro, Marisa, and Jennifer. They were super fun and awesome to meet in person. I really love meeting other craft/knit bloggers in person. they are always so nice and kind! We had dinner with them and told them (probably horrified them) all about our two days.

Well that's all for now. I'm sure i'll remember more over the next few days. If you click on any of the pictures you should be taken to this Flickr Pool of everyone's photos from filming UT. check them out!

did it make me stronger?

2006-08-09T01:16:00.000-04:00

How to torture an ADD-crafter in 3 easy steps:

1) have her make some thing cool, unique, and spontaneous.

2) have her write out detailed instructions for said spontaneous thing that was made without any real pattern or plan.

3) Great! you're almost there. Now make her do the item 7 more times! oh, and don't forget that each step-out needs to be identical to the first.

yeah. just shoot me. I have enough trouble finishing things the first time! making the same exact thing (or pieces of the same thing) 7 times was the most grueling mental torture i've been through in a while. [I am tempted to say that it may have been competition for qualifying proposals in horrific pain!]

The felines "helped" by keeping each step-out warm while i worked on the next.

This post may not make any sense at all. we are here in CA, had a really long and tiring day of filming. I have so much i want to post about! but i am simultaneously exhausted and overstimulated. I desperately need to sleep but i'm not sure i can. iyeeeee!

hello Terror, so nice to meet you.

2006-08-02T11:15:00.000-04:00

t minus 5 days 'til we leave for california to film Uncommon Threads. i was ok before, but now the unholy terror has set in. I am still finishing my step-outs. I don't have any nice clothes. I need a haircut and a manicure. The producers told us to wear more makeup than normal, and "definitely wear foundation". hrm... i wear lipstick approximately 5 times per year. If i'm getting really wild and crazy i'll dig out my mascara and eyeliner. Foundation? i can't even remember the last time i wore full makeup! crappity crap.

But the fear really goes deeper than that. The clothing, hair, and makeup are just the surface of it. Why am I showing people how to dye wool? I've never taken a class, i just do it the way that i've worked out on my own. for all i know, i am doing it all wrong! and sewing? I only do what my grandmother taught me when i was 13. what qualifies me to be demonstrating that to everyone with cable? Lady Linoleum over at Monster Crochet has summed it up far better than i ever could. give it a read.

Last friday i came home to find a HUGE box on my front steps. It was wool from Zeilingers that i dropped off with them during NHS&W. Originally 3 fleeces, given to me by another AWW member. I thought i would be able to wash the fleece myself, but after a year of it sitting in a closet, i gave up that idea. I dropped off 21 lbs of icky, oily, muck and got 16 lbs back of fluffly, scrumptious, off-white merino roving! yaaaay. That seals it. cleaning fleece is my cut off. I will happily dye it, card it, spin it, and knit it. but i have no interest in washing it myself.

I had to immediately spin up 2 bobbins, no dye at all. I plied them last night and plan to knit a nice scarf and hat to give to Trish as a thank you for the nice fleece.

stuck in a color groove

2006-07-31T13:36:00.000-04:00

after finishing those jaywalker socks i wanted to quickly cast on another sock to keep in my purse. I've realized that i can knit socks in record time if i have one with me at all times. If i have free time at lunch with no one to talk to - work on the sock. waiting at the doc, gas station, grocery store - knit. (yeah, yeah, i know i am not the first person in the world to think of this. but i'm still excited about it.) Also, i learned that i can knit in the movie theater! I have knit in fron the the tv for years, but have always been in utter awe of people who knit at the movies, but didn't think i could do it. So i tried it out on friday while we watched Clerks II, and i fnished the whole ankle of the sock. it was just stockinette so i was able to knit completely by feel. i am stupidly excited about this.

So yeah, went to the stash of sock yarns. Its not an overly huge stash, but its adequate. just about every color you can think of. For some reason, i grabbed 2 skeins of my handpainted blue/green superwash. That means that everything i've knit in the past year has been either blue or orange. a quick refresher: blue olympic sweater (unfinished), blue/green aran (unfinished), B. Orange sweater, blue Starsky (in progress), red/orange jaywalkers, just to name a few. I've got no problems dyeing other exciting colors, but when it comes to knitting for myself i seem to be stuck.

Ooooh, but i conned Woolarina Kate out of the loveliest purple/gray/black handspun this weekend. I am itching to make something awesome from that. I do love purple. I wear purple all the time. (my eyeglasses are purple!) I frequently buy purple yarn, but it always seems 'too pretty' to knit with and sits in my stash forever-and-ever. i will try to work on this!

next up on the quilting block

2006-07-27T16:55:00.000-04:00

While the quilt bug is still fresh and i'm on a roll i decided to move right along to the next To Do project. Actually, it's an old To Do project, but i was waiting for the muse to strike. You know how Emily Post (or whoever is in charge of deciding these things) says that you have a year from the date of the wedding to give someone their gift? Well we have some friends (E & A) who got married last year. Oh, about 51 weeks ago to be exact. Right, so we have one week left to be within the realm of "polite". And I really, really like to give people something handmade for wedding gifts. In fact, i'm "owe" 4 wedding presents to good friends who've gotten hitched in the past year. I should've bought gifts, but i've committed myself to making something for each of them. So right now there are 2 quilts and 2 stained glass panels on my "open projects" file. I have plans for the others, but this one i just didn't have the creative spark until last week!

At the recent wedding in wyoming, we stayed at someone's house. The guest bed had a really gorgeous quilt on it. Using only 2 colors. In fact, it was all the same half-square triangle arranged in an interesting chevron pattern. i loved it. i wanted to copy that pattern for E & A's quilt. While i was buying the pink backing fabric for the baby quilt i found the 2 fabrics that would be perfect for them. The dark fabric is a blue-green is the teeniest random lime green dots. The light fabric is light lime green with blue and green leaves/buds on it. I really love these fabrics!

Then, i realized that making approximately 200 of the same half square triangle would be ridiculously tedious and boring. i would NEVER finish that! So i went hunting through quilting websites and my own books and found another pattern that would look great in two colors, but have enough variation to keep me interested. BUT also not so hard that its beyond my capabilities. (if its not rotary cut, i just won't do it. applique and paper piecing = yucka to me!)

Voila! Quilter's Cache calls it Friendly Hand. One of my rotary quilting books calls it Milky Way. I call it "not Gross-Country-Quilty looking". Somehow, I managed to have a whole saturday afternoon to myself last weekend and i was able to get a really good jump on the quilt top. i have no illusions that it will be finished by their first anniversary, but at least my guilt is slightly appeased now that the project is really underway.

Adventures in ShowBiz

2006-07-26T11:39:00.000-04:00

Sarah (3 Cat Nite), Dayna (Crafty Scientist) and I are going to california in a few weeks to be on a tv craft show! Its a new show on the DIY network called Uncommon Threads. They just started airing season 1, but we are filming two eipsodes for season 2. Our episodes won't actually air for quite some time.

In the process leading up to this, we have learned all about the behind-the-scenes workings (secrets?) of television filming. You know when you are watching a show and they say "now sew the seam and it will look like this..." and they magically have it already done to the next step? Those are called "step-outs". We make those ahead of time and bring them to the studio with us. The finished piece that they show is called "the Hero". There are all kinds of little things we are learning that you wouldn't think about just watching crafts on tv. Its pretty fascinating (and a little daunting/stressful too).

I was on a tv show before when i was very, very young. I was on a week's worth of Romper Room, filmed in San Francisco in the early 1980's. It was actually 5 episodes (5 different outfits) filmed all in one day. I remember my grandmother (an amazing seamstress) made me 5 new dresses just for that. I also remember crying when i found out that the Magic Mirror was nothing more than an empty frame and trick photography. (yes, I was always what they call "a sensitive child".) Hopefully i have grown up enough not to cry on set this time. ha!

FO: Globetrotter Jaywalkers

2006-07-24T11:08:00.000-04:00

i generally resist knitting extremely popular patterns... but i am glad i gave in and knit these Jaywalker socks. I can totally see why everyone loves the pattern so much. Its simple, its gorgeous, it makes great socks. i love them.

Carol left a comment saying that she is knitting jaywalkers from the very same yarn right now, but has run out of yarn and will need another skein. oh no! I weighed mine on the lab scale and it seemed like i was going to be VERY close. Strangely, i had more yarn left over than i thought i would. After grafting up the toe and holding the socks up to each other, i realized that my fear of runnig out of yarn made me hastily start the decreases on the second toe... the second sock is about 1" shorter than the first! whoopsie. But they both fit, and that's all i care about.

on a related note, I'm sure some readers will note instantly that the stripes don't match up at all. that's because I Don't Care. I know there are many knitters out there who painstakingly match stripes, and that's fine. that's their thing. I am not one of them, because i find slightly mismatching socks charming. It reminds me of the hours of labor that was put into them. I do like things to be "done right", but i do not strive to have things "done perfect". that's my thing.

oh - Big thanks to Shelina and Cape Cod Mary who commented about the feed dogs on my sewing machine. Shelina suggested covering them with an index card, and Mary suggested buying a plastic thingy to cover them. I was thinking of fancier machines where you can lower the feed dogs and it didn't occur to me to just cover them. Then, the combination of comments reminded me to look in the box of accessories that came with my sewing machine... and behold - there is that exact plastic piece that covers the feed dogs! I never knew what it was for, so it didn't even occur to me that i already had that thing.

baby quilt approaching completion

2006-07-21T17:15:00.000-04:00

i picked a backing fabric and sandwiched the batting (don't you love my highly correct and technical terminology?). I am proud of myself for using (mostly) fabrics that were already in my stash. i did have to buy the hot pink for the stips between blocks. but i squeezed the whole border out of one fat quarter i already had. Then i bought 1 yard for the backing. the quilt is exactly 36" wide, and i should have bought a little more than 1 yard. now i have to use a contrasting fabric for finishing it instead of folding up the backing (which would have been nice and simple).

As for quilting: i wanted to send it away to a really cool long arm quilter that Gina used for one of her quilts. but i am trying to save on ca$h, so i decided to do it on my machine. My sewing machine is 10 yrs old and doesn't lower the feed dogs, so i can't do free motion stitching. I am just doing stitch-in-the-ditch and various geometric (straight line) patterns. I don't love the pattern, but i think it will look cool in the end.

There are a multitide of things "less than perfect" (ok, really screwed up) with this quilt. I can see them all. Mainly, I started this 3+ years ago, and i definitely didn't think through what i was doing before just starting out. the fabrics don't really match each other either. now i've learned better than that. But i don't want to let all the little picky things i don't like about it keep me from finishing it and giving a really nice gift to a really good friend.

So i'm trying to find the balance between "just get the (#$*&%ing thing done" and "make something i am really happy with". Because the former is what my mother always does and i always hated the end product. and the latter is what i want to do, but actually breeds procrastination instead of me completing things. Somewhere in there i know there is a place where my inner perfectionist is happy and yet things Get Done.

Mr Sock goes to Wyoming

2006-07-19T10:42:00.000-04:00

This pair of jaywalkers will have traversed about 10 different states before they are done! The first sock was knit from Massachusetts to California, Oregon, and Washington and back (and airport layovers). The second sock was knit on the flights from MA to Salt Lake City and then in the car from there to Rock Springs, Wyoming.

This was my first trip to Utah and Wyoming. Its so beautiful! Everything you've read about it being wide, open and huge is true. The sky really does seem /higher/ than when you are in a city. Its also really in the middle of nowhere. Rock Springs, WY is a small city with a population of 20,000. It made my realize just what a city girl i really am. You can't even believe how excited i was to find a drive through espresso stand!!

We were there to attend the wedding of two of my friends, J & M. The ceremony was in a remote national forest overlooking a breathtaking gorge. wow.

we knit-freaks like to talk about knitting at any chance, but how often does one get to talk about knitting in a wedding toast?!? I was a bridesmaid because i introduced the couple to each other. Since knitting was actually involved in their first meeting, i just HAD to seize the opportunity.

The story: The Bride (J) and i met when i moved to Worcester MA and we became fast friends. I taught her to knit, and we started a weekly SnB with some other friends.
The Groom (M) worked with me in the lab. At some point, i decided they might like each other. They liked the idea and wanted to meet in some sort of informal gathering. We tried to meet up with him for drinks one night, but that didn't work out. A few days later, he stopped by the bookstore where we gathered for weekly knititng. He patiently sat and chatted while the crazy girls all blabbed about our current projects. He flipped through J's book/journal of finished knitting projects and didn't think she was insane. in fact, he thought she was cute and charming. Soon it was beyond "like each other" and progressed to "perfect for each other". and now they are married!

go figure.

<-- the sock lounging on a dinosaur at a rest stop on the way back to the airport. Who knew dino's were that little and cute? teehee.

finished sewing object: batwing shirt

2006-07-10T10:31:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was the only weekend in two months that is not completely booked (with a wedding, family travel, craft show or otherwise). So i used it to spend some 'quality time' with my crafting. Also spent a good amount of time putzing around the house getting random stuff done, and cleaning, and relaxing. It was very nice.

One thing that felt great to finally do was puting together the top for this baby quilt. I started this at least 3 years ago when one of my friends announced her pregnancy. Well, as usual I made all the squares but never finished it. That girl is now a walking, talking darling (who doesn't need a baby quilt). However, another very good friend recently announced that she was going to have a girl, so i think its a perfect time to get this puppy off my UFO list. Gina helped me plan the layout and strips because i made all the squares without actually planning how it was going to be finished. The sewing / piecing took me all of 30 minutes. (i can't believe i put it off for so long!) Now its ready for the border, then finishing. yay!

The other thing i finished was a blouse for myself. i bought the pattern and fabric about 2 years ago, but never even cut it out. Again, after encouragement from Gina, I realized how easy it would actually be and finally did it. Its not anywhere near perfect quality, but i am happy with it and like it enough to wear it to school today. (even though its too dressy for the lab. its new clothes! i just had to wear it!) The pattern is Vogue 7827, which was VERY simple. The annoying part is the ton of hemming you have to do, before even assembling the shirt. But it was good to force me do it first, otherwise it probably would've remained another unhemmed UFO.

lime slurpee

2006-07-08T20:18:00.000-04:00

Got a chance to get back to the spinning wheel this week!

blue/yellow/green blue faced leicester. i love the invigorating summer colors.

now that's weird!

2006-07-06T13:40:00.000-04:00

did everyone get the new Webs (Valley Yarn) catalog in the mail? i'm very impressed with the array of their own yarns they've developed over the past few years. There are a couple new yarns i will keep in the back of my mind when i need something very affordable with good colors.

here's the interesting bit. They are featuring Monterey, a yarn they've produced for many years now. i flip past page 23, then pause, go back. I think i knit that sweater. no, not "i've knit a sweater like that" or "i've made that pattern before". No, i'm pretty sure the photograph is of a sweater that i knit for their store about 4 years ago. They used to trade store credit for fast knitters who would knit floor model sweaters. I did that a few times. I didn't take a picture of that finished item because i was in a rush to get it to the store by the deadline. I had completely forgotten about that sweater! i didn't really design it or anything, but i still feel kinda cool. It would be funny if it really is "my sweater" in the picture. hehe.

productivity, project planning, and crafts?

2006-07-05T11:57:00.000-04:00

I'm currently reading David Allen's "Getting Things Done". Its a very interesting book about personal productivity and project planning. There is quite a cult following of people that use his system to address every aspect of their life. Most of the book is written for office professionals who have meetings, projects, phone calls and the like on a daily basis. I don't need a system for organizing my lab work. The stress in my life comes from my "other" stuff... from unfinished craft projects, creative ideas i would like to try, friends that i don't spend enough time with.

So here's my question: Does anyone use a GTD system to organize their crafty life? Or, what tips and tricks do people have for battling the pile of unfinished projects around the house? i would love to hear about it.

i'm such a knit-tease

2006-06-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

no, i haven't worked on the aran. or the dale ski sweater. or the sock. or the Starsky. or any spinning. The sudden onset of summer has made the thought of wool in my lap utterly disgusting.

Right now i'm on a sewing jag. While on the west coast for vacation, EVERY SINGLE clothing shop had really adorable summery sun dresses in the window. I really wanted to shop and try them on, but i resisted. In seattle i had a few discussions with a friend about sewing our own clothes and making skirts for the summer.

I decided that once i got finished with schoolwork and summer started i would initiate "Operation Sundress".

Step 1: finish re-arranging and cleaning craft room so that sewing machine is free and has a place to live. check.

Step 2: pick out cute sewing pattern. check. i've got some nice fabric for this already. but i reserve the right to change my mind and get new fabric.

Step 3: realize that i have 2 incomplete quilts already started. One is a baby quilt and all the squares are done, it just needs to be assembled and finished. Oh, i have a friend who is due in a few months, i should really finish this for her before starting a new dress....

Step 4: oh, hey look, i have a nice shirt pattern and fabric that i purchased several years ago. Its an easy pattern. I think i'll make that to "refresh my sewing skills". Its been nearly 10 years since i've sewn anything but quilt squares or knitting needle cases.

Right. so Operation Sundress has turned into Operation Unending Sewing Projects and Operation I'm Not Interested in Knitting Right Now and Operation Crafting with ADD!

hurdles are hurdled, back to craft blather!

2006-06-20T10:03:00.000-04:00

i have jumped through the final hoop of my first year at grad school. The "outside" (off-topic qualifying proposal) is done, finished, completed. I had the weekend to recover from the stress-collapse that followed. Now i can think about fun summer activities. I still work in the lab all summer, but there are no classes and teaching until the fall, so its less stressful than the rest of the year. That means time for crafting again!

Right, i need to get back to this aran fiasco that happened just before vacation. I finished all the pieces of the blue/green Beaverslide aran. I put them together. i knit the neck and triumphantly tried it on....

its HUGE. i mean really huge. i'm swimming in it. It can be worn off-should in an attempt at "Flashdance does Fisherman's Sweaters". my guage is wrong? Nope, its spot on. Have i knit the wrong size? It is designed to be 50" around, for a person with a 44.5" bust. I double checked: still my bust size, check. actual width of sweater, check.

Something is wrong with the ease of the sweater. Up to this point, i really thought i understood ease. i've been knitting sweaters for many years now. I know that 5" of ease is a lot, but i like my sweaters roomy. That's when i realized the fatal error:

The model in the photograph is not wearing a sweater with 5" of ease.
She is obviously wearing a sweater with MUCH less ease. The sweater on her is almost tight fitting, definitely not the baggy ease called for by the pattern designers. (according to this handy-dandy easement chart, a sweater of this size is going to be very baggy.) When i started knitting this sweater (3+ years ago) i had a pretty accurate idea of the size. And i wanted a very baggy sweater. People change, i am more comfortable wearing a tighter fit than i was a few years ago. And as time went on i began to picture the model in the booklet and thought i was making myself a sweater that would fit me in the same way. I completely forgot that i was making a larger sweater. UGH!

All is not lost. I need to rip out the collar and do it again on smaller needles. Then block the whole thing. And realize that its going to be a roomy sweater. And from now on i will be hypercritical of the sweater pictured and the model that's wearing it. (coming soon, my gripe about the super ridiculous ease guidelines on the new sweater i'm knitting!)

vacation knits

2006-06-09T17:06:00.000-04:00

Don't we look relaxed? We were sitting at a cafe in Long Beach, CA with one of my best friends. Soaking up the sunset and people watching. joy.

But you want to read about the knitting, right? Lets start back in MA, the night before the trip. All swatching was done past midnight and we were leaving our house at 5 am! I know some people pack early, plan projects, and get a good night's sleep before they go somewhere. not me. I pack at the last minute and then stay up half the night swatching, tracking down the needles i need, frantically looking through pattern books, printing patterns from the internet. it happens every time i go anywhere.

That Debbie Bliss Aran is supposed to be 18 st to 4 inches, but it just didn't work for me. I started with 15 st on the called-for needles. I could squish it to 16 st/4 in on much smaller needles, but the fabric wasn't very nice. The other yarn (ZarOne) was the right gauge, but i didn't have the right needles for the patterns. Instead of forcing the 'aran' to be something it didn't want to be, i decided it would be just as nice as Starsky. I brought socks for the airplane since i suppose its not polite to be stabbing your neighbors with 10" straight needles for 6 hours.

what was accomplished while travelling? one (1) jaywalker sock and two (2) starsky sleeves. fun!

movie references gone so, so bad.

2006-06-06T21:12:00.000-04:00

coming soon to a knitting theater new you:
Socks on a Motherf#*%in' Plane!!!!

oopsie

2006-05-26T19:59:00.000-04:00

its kind of hard to pack for vacation when your nice luggage is being used to store yarn. hehehe.

ciao!

too much Tyra?

2006-05-25T10:09:00.000-04:00

Two... beauuuutiful balls of yarn stand before me.

One is a light ocean blue color, just perfect for summer knitting. But the judges are worried that your bulky guage might not work well with vacation travel knitting.
The other is also a gorgeous color, with a versatile aran weight gauge. The judges think she could be used for just about anything. But... they are worried about being so perfect that they won't be able to decide on one single project.
Only one of you can go on to become...
.
.
.
America's. Next. Top Sweater

pictureless post; think blue.

2006-05-23T18:01:00.000-04:00

i tried to have an interesting picture today, but the camera just wasn't cooperating.

I've gone back to working on my blue-green aran. there is only about 6 inches left of the shoulder, then its ready to block and seam. why, yes, i AM procrastinating on the St. Moritz neck. because i don't like to work on things that are complicated. perhaps its makes me a lazy knitter... perhaps i'm a slacker. Whatever the word, I have come to the realization that i don't like to think too hard when i'm knitting. I expect my knitting to be relaxing; something i can do at night in front of the tube. Not entirely mindless, though, I like it to have a little bit of challenge. Just not so much that i need to contemplate heavily. I am not the kind of knitter that designs her own patterns or significantly alters patterns. I just don't find that relaxing.

Right, back to St. Moritz. I need to actually sit down with pattern books and /think/ about how to make the collar i want. and so i'm procrastinating by finishing up other UFOs.

I must have the Blues lately. Not only am i finishing this aran, but I also came home with two different blue yarns from the Webs Tent sale last weekend. As much as i tried, i couldn't resist the disgustingly cheap prices. (buying from them was so much easier to justify when i had an employee discount! damn i miss that.) I got two bags of a bulky yarn - Filatura di Crosa ZarOne in a light aqua blue. I think this one is coming on vacation with me next week for plane/car knitting. I am torn on the pattern, though. Deciding between: Blackberry / Hot Lava shruggy type cardigan (pros: easy pattern, immediate gratification, nice shape. cons: odd shaping in the back, possibly not flattering for big-boobied gals?) or Glampyre Bulky Cabled Cardigan (pros: top down for easy of altering shape, simple to knit while travelling. cons: bulky yarn + cables + big boobs = disaster?)
thoughts from the blogiverse?

The second blue yarn to jump into my basket was some Debbie Bliss Merino Aran in a really gorgeous teal blue. I was thinking about making Rogue with it, but 1600 yards in the 20 balls i've got might be cutting it too close for my taste (pattern calls for 1650 for the largest size). Hypothetical option #2 is the Sunrise Circle Cardigan. suggestions?

new for knitting scientists

2006-05-18T14:46:00.000-04:00

(this is yesterday's news for some, but not everyone has seen it yet. I do love me some knitting science geekery!)

have you already knit yourself a Double Helix Scarf? or don't want to do cables? Rosalind is a cool new pattern from Alice, a member of the knitting scientists webring. I love that she named it after Ms Franklin. This scarf is definitely going into my 'to knit' file.

(nqc) FO: Big Orange Sweater

2006-05-17T10:29:00.000-04:00

attending recent fiber festival made my startitis flare up. the itch is bad. i'm pawing through my knitting library again. and lusting after a sweater kit from Mostly Merino that i first saw at Gore Place. I very nearly bought it at NHS&W, but decided on the new wheel instead. of course i have plenty of yarn already in my stash! AND 4 unfinished sweaters at home!! (the startitis care's not. it wants to rush of planning something new. grrrr)

my anti-startitis prescription? finish something! I was waiting to block the B. Orange pieces, but they are big and i don't know where to lay them all out. screw it. i seamed them up watching the toob over the last few nights. Tonight i will finish sewing in the ends and probably block it this weekend.

The second incentive to finish this particular sweater was the upcoming MAS&W in Cummington, Ma. I bought the orange fleece there last year. I mentioned that i was going to spin it and knit it for Darius, and we joked about whether it would get done over the coming winter. The vendor laughed, "Yeah right, if you have that done by this time next year i will be really impressed." a challenge was issued!! (i am not a competitive person by nature, but i do appreciate a good dare now and then.) Boy and I will be on the west coast visiting family and friends during the weekend of MAS&W this year, so i can't show it to her in person. But i know its done. and he likes it! (see the whack rabbit dance shot is proof!)

specs:
Fiber- washed and dyed merino fleece purchased from Winterbery Farm. i must mention (yet again) how much i loved this fiber! it was easy to work with and the spun yarn is light, soft, warm, and gorgeous. (i'm considering buying this year's fleece from the same sheep and making a sweater for myself!)
i bought about 1 lb of orange and 1 lb of yellow. I blended with random red roving to keep it 'overall orangey'. But i didn't blend completely because i wanted the random tweedy look. Started with handcarding, then bought a drum carder in the fall. Forgot to keep track of how many yards spun... think i used up 1.5 lbs. probably spun about 1500 yds of 2-ply, worsted weight yarn.
Pattern- Knit Great Basics by Vicki Square. My favorite book for making simple guy sweaters. Also a really great book for handspun yarn. The math is already worked out for the same size in a variety of yarn gauges. If your yarn changes as you knit, you can just switch needles and use the numbers from the next column over. no muss, no fuss. And it fits him perfectly!
Time- one year exactly from fleece to sweater.

NH S&W purchases

2006-05-16T19:51:00.000-04:00

Like many others this weekend, i actually paid to LEAVE stuff at the fairgrounds. I brought up two garbage bags of raw fleece that someone gave me last spring. Of course i thought i would have time to wash and process it myself... shyeah right. So i brought it up and left it with the Zeilinger's truck. My cra(p)ft room is very happy to have that mess gone. I should get it mailed back to me sometime in july.

I was 'on the lookout' for a nice used spinning wheel while there as well. Or something that i just had to have. And i found it... a Merlin Tree Hyacinthe Wheel! I am so very, very excited. Its the last one he has available. I'd been eyeing them on the website for months and was pretty disappointed when the site said they were sold out. He had one with him that was being picked up that day and i got to give it a test spin. *droooool* I swam around the fairgrounds for a few hours thinking about it. Then went back and put a down payment on it. Sometime later this summer it will be done. oh boy oh boy oh boy.

lets get IKEAfied

2006-05-14T16:06:00.000-04:00

Those who've actually been to my house will not believe this... but i'm posting this from my craft room!! How is this possible? Many weeks ago, friend Jenn and I measured every square inch of room and furniture in the crap room. She brought graph paper and actually drew out a little model room and found the best possible arrangment. IKEA catalog in hand, we planned out a new, usable craft room. I didn't have the money to go ahead with the plan at the time, but planned on using my tax return for it.

Then i came across pictures of someone else's utterly droolworthy craft room and it inspired (or shamed) me into getting my own room into shape. On wednesday Jenn, Gina, Darius and I went to IKEA Stoughton and actually purchased the furniture.

Here is feline overlord Sabine supervising while Gina fiddles with small swedish hardware and the boys attach the glass doors.

I've spent most of the day today cleaning, organizing, culling, etc. The desktop is clear, i've got music and computer set up. Surprisingly, my entire yarn stash only takes up one cabinet! Its hard for me to actually organize, instead of just 'put away' and fill up drawers without really going through things.
I'll definitely post more pictures when the whole room is pretty and functional. Its so exciting!

cat in lieu of knitting

2006-05-09T13:36:00.000-04:00

its been a busy week. i attended a friend's wedding over the weekend and saw all my college buds. That makes me very happy. I taught a friend to knit on the drive to the wedding. didn't do much studying for the final exam that was last night. but its done, and i'm feeling pretty confident about it. Rounding the home stretch on the first year of grad school. I have a few more days to decide which lab i want to join and write a little report. Then i have the rest of may and some of june to write and defend my qualifying proposal.

since i've been an unproductive knitter, here's a cat picture. That is Sabine snuggled up in balls of roving. on top of my laptop. they sure know how to pick the sweet napping spot!

what was i thinking?

2006-05-05T16:24:00.000-04:00

so here's a fiber-ish story from the last week:

i was in Sturbridge last weekend for a friend's bridal shower. I stopped in at a quaint little shop that advertised "quilts, wool, fabric". Hey, this car breaks for wool! well it wasn't spinning wool, as i'd hoped. It turned out to be felted wool for sewing and quilting, making "primitive" style crafts. As an aside, i hate that term. when did "country" get repackaged at "primitive"?!? ugh. but that's what they like in sturbridge.

The crafts and quilts were really cute, even thought not normally my style. In a moment of supreme idiocy, i decided to buy a small rug hooking kit. It looked fun. It had cute sheep. It was a small beginner item, and i thought it was something i would like doing.

I tried it. i officially don't like it. i worked on it a few nights this week. still don't like it.

It is supposed to be a 'sheep brick', whatever that is. Why do i need to cover a brick in wool?! While i was bitching about it in front of the tv, B. Orange responded: "well, its a brick cozy. then you can throw it through the window of the yarn stores you don't like."

HA! i love that boy.

sheep lover's webgame

2006-05-03T16:39:00.000-04:00

Big Orange is an evil, evil man. A man that knows i have a love of sheep and puzzle games, and has an interest in making me like video games. So he sent me the link to this addictive little number: Puzzled Sheep. give it a try.

citizen of the procrasti-nation

2006-05-01T14:52:00.000-04:00

Now, what did i do wrong on the neckline of St Moritz? Well, in classic dharia tradition, i forged ahead without thinking or paying attention. I want to make the crew neck version, not the zipper neck (because i know i would never actually sew in the zipper). As you can see, mine is NOT a crew neck! As i was knitting from the photocopied pattern for the zipper neck i knew something wasn't right with the shape of the neckline, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. So i tinked around with the slope and depth of it while continuing, making it more shallow than the pattern calls for. Its hard to visualize what the final neckline will look like while you're making it with a steek. After cutting, i realized what the problem was. d'oh! So now i have something halfway between a crew neck and zipper neck.

After much bitching, moaning, cussing, contemplating, and conferring with other knitters... i've decided to make a cowl neck for it. I've never really made a shawl collar, so i need to go to the bat library and research that for a bit. (i think i said 'cowl neck' to some friends this weekend cause i was tired. they gave me a very strange look.)

Did i get started on it? of course not. But i did finish the knitting for the Big Orange Sweater!!! woohooo. the boy might get this sweater by the end of may after all. one year after purchasing the fleece. The woman challenged me to spin, design, and knit the whole thing in one year. While i am not the most competitive spirit in the world, i do enjoy a good challenge. Who cares if he can't wear it til next fall? it is GOING to be done before Cummington this may, (*#&$(*&%#@.

B. Orange pieces need major blocking. Neck of St Moritz needs knitting. What did i do this weekend? I made a mindless-knitting hat from handspun leftovers. Because i was jealous of the cute little hats that i've seen Woolarina Kate knitting and wanted one for myself.

hot scissor-on-sweater action

2006-04-27T09:51:00.000-04:00

or, more precisely, ABJECT TERROR!!! I steamed the neck steeks to within an inch of their little stitchy lives. no sewing. then i sat down, took a deep breath... and cut.

Then i had to do a dance and wear it around the house while still in "potato sack" mode. it almost looks like i'm wearing a sweater with big epaulets. heh. My sewing machine is at the bottom of the cra(ft)p room right now, so i can't cut the arms open just yet. (might go to friend's house to use her machine, since its already set up and working.)

BUT.....
Houston, we have a problem. It has to do with the neckline. and me being a plow-ahead-without-planning kind of knitter. i'll let you ponder that for a day or two and see if you can guess what corner i've managed to knit myself into. Maybe i'll give a prize to the person to correctly guess why i'm a gigantic ditz.

Woolapalooza

2006-04-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

obviously, i am not a timely blogger. I'm still about 2 weeks behind on things i've been meaning to post, and am very slowly getting to them...

A few weeks ago i taught short people (and their parents) how to spin as a part of Drumlin Farm's Sheapshearing festival "Woolapalooza". The farm is run by Mass Audubon Society and has a ton of fun and educational stuff for kids including farm animals, wildlife sanctuary, education programs, and a farm stand. If you live in the boston metro area, i highly recommend taking the quick trip out to Weston some day soon.

a knitter's worst nightmare...

2006-04-24T08:58:00.000-04:00

beware! Heed this warning:

When you're invited out for a night of drinking to celebrate the birthday of a friend..... DO NOT WEAR A HANDKNIT SWEATER. When you have a little bit too much to drink, and the bar get warm... DO NOT REMOVE that handknit sweater. If you're a ditz, like me, there is a very good chance that you will LEAVE your ribby cardi at the bar at the end of the night. *sob*

[There is one little ray of hope: A friend-of-a-friend supposedly picked it up and took it home for me. I will continue to kick myself until the sweater is actually back in my hot little hands. keep your fingers crossed!]

turtle approaches finish line

2006-04-18T11:46:00.000-04:00

hey, hey, hey! I'm picking up steam again on St. Moritz. I've cast-off the neck front stitches and started an 8-stitch steek. I am still loving 2-color knitting. i might be hooked!

I kept thinking the body was coming out huge-mongous because there aren't any armholes for reference. Now that i know where the neckline is, i can hold it up to my neck and the fit looks fabulous. very exciting!

i might have to invite some friends over for a steeking party soon. I will definitely need all the moral support i can get when it comes time to bring scissors to sweater. Moral support and a stiff cocktail.

Do collies dream of perfect sheep?

2006-04-12T13:54:00.000-04:00

I shouldn't be shopping online, but its the perfect thing to do while experiments are running. There isn't enough time to get anything productive done in between steps, so of course i browse the internet. My new favorite quickie is to search for sheep things on Etsy. ok, i'm not ONLY obsessed with things sheepish. Friends and readers know how much i love watching the sheep dog trials at wool festivals. i just can't get over how smart those border collies are! Imagine my squeal of glee when i came across this border collie painting... with his fantasy flock in the background?! You can find creative paintings of many different breeds (both dog and cat) available from the artists at CopyCat & Dog Studios.

hello world

2006-04-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

hey there! Thank you to everyone who sent me supportive comments and thoughts about grad school and life in general. Always nice to hear from others who are going (or have gone) through the same thing. And its nice to hear from non-scientists who are fiber obsessed too. hehe.

School workload is down to a dull roar for now, the brief period between midterms and finals. I'm still doing background reading for my qualifying exam, and am halfway through my final laboratory rotation. I've knit VERY little in the last few weeks... i just don't have enough brain cells left over for pattern reading right now. I've been spinning at night when i veg out in front of the boob tube. Note to those who care: i DID knit a few rounds of St. Moritz this week. Its still on top of the knitting basket. just progressing with extreme slow-itude.

I have lots of things i've been wanting to post here, but haven't found the time. hopefully i'll get a few of them up this week. Here's the first:

I wore my felted mittens just about every day this fall and winter; the poor things took quite a beating. I wore holes at the fingertips of both mittens and the thumb of one!

I remember reading a book or website somewhere about using needlefelting to darn holes in socks, so i thought that would work pretty well on these guys. Everytime i wore them i thought about fixing them, but still hadn't gotten around to it. A few weeks ago felting superstar Sarah came over to my house for an evening of crafting and i asked if she'd attempt to mend them for me. Wow, she did an amazing job!

Of course, spring has finally arrived in boston. (yay!!!!!!) So i'll put the mittens away, but i'm very happy to have them fixed NOW so they'll be ready to wear when the weather turns cold again.

sheep for brains

2006-03-17T11:51:00.000-05:00

i meant to post this weeks ago but forgot. My mom was recently visiting and noticed my growing collection of "sheep things". i laughed when she said "oh, i didn't know that you were collecting sheep..." I know what i'll be getting for holiday presents now!
Since I know i'm not the only fiber freak out there obsessed with sheep and lambs, i thought i'd start to share my sheepy finds. maybe 1 per week? we'll see.

I recently traded some spinning fiber with Tracy, the creator of Happy Owl Glass Works. I got this adorable little lamb pendant:

surfacing quickly

2006-03-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

just popping in to show y'all the fibery things i've been up to in the past two weeks. I am creeping along on St. Moritz. Creeping is good though, it has NOT been thrown into the UFO-basket-of-doom. I completed the pieces for "super easy boatneck 2 : baby sweater boogaloo". I just need to make myself seam it up and get it in the mail! I also finished spinning a few skeins of that bluefaced leicester i was working on in the last post.

I have been a good girl and finished beaucoup de schoolwork as well. I haven't had a chance to read anyone else's blog in weeks, though. I feel very out of the loop. I hate it when i don't know whats going on in the rest of the yarniverse! (yes, it did occur to me that i could've saved myself money and time if i had been ignoring blogs the week that stephanie announced the KO. ha!)

For those of you who are also scientists and/or familiar with the grad school jargon, here's a bit about whats going on in my life. Yesterday i started my 4th (and final) rotation. I have to write a rotation report and give a presentation about the 3rd one on monday. I also have a big midterm in one week (tuesday). I've started writing my qualifying proposal and have to turn in a rough draft next week (also tuesday). I have to decide which lab i want to join for thesis research by may, then defend the qualifying proposal in early june. *sigh* In general, i am enjoying grad school immensely. And all this stuff will get done. But i feel constantly overwhelmed and stressed out and i think about quitting regularly. I'm not sure why, but the worst day is always monday. I guess i relax on the weekend and then i have to face all the stuff looming over me and have a hard time dealing with it.

ok, i would really like to be knitting right now, but instead i will exert self-control and write a report.

must do school work.

2006-03-03T11:11:00.000-05:00

i got spanked at school for not turning in a report that was due a while ago. damn. That means i have to buckle down and do more school work (and less crafting). I convinced myself that the down could really be buckled this weekend... so i had a date with my spinning wheel last night.

Spun 3 bobbins full of bluefaced leicester that i dyed sunflower yellow / gold / cranberry colors. I forgot how much i heart spinning BFL. To quote rachel ray: "mmm, mm, mmmm, mm, mm."

FO: skinny cabled scarf

2006-03-02T13:55:00.000-05:00

my pretty, pretty distraction scarf.
Specs:
170 yards of handspun yarn, approx heavy worsted weight.
Yarn started as washed coopworth and polypay fleece. Dyed in the lock, blended on the drum carder. Spun up 2 ply.
cable pattern improvised.

I finally have a scarf that matches my felted mittens!

move along, nothing to see here

2006-03-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

Obviously, i didn't finish my St. Moritz during the knitting olympics. I'm not terribly devastated by it. I took on a huge challenge; something that i've wanted to knit for a long time and never had the balls to try. I learned that i COULD do it and i WILL finish it. Fellow Moritzian Roberta will keep me honest. Cognrats to everyone who finished. And also congrats to everyone who tried something beyond their normal comfort level, even if you didn't finish!

I had a great time on sunday afternoon at the Team Boston closing ceremonies party. Big thanks to Cara for organizing such a fun event! It was so nice to chat to a whole new group of boston area knitters. And there were at least 3 other Science Knit members there too. (not a big surprise that boston has a disproportionate number of the world's knitting scientists. hehehe.)

I have been debating whether to take a short break from St. Moritz or not. I decided not to, because i know my own M.O. If i take a break, it will become a stash-monster and not get finished for years. So i decided to make myself keep knitting just this until its done.

mmmm yeah.... That lasted exactly 1 day. Woolarina Kate invited me to knit with some of her friends in somerville on monday night. I knew i was less than an inch from starting the body pattern, so i was extra careful to pack one skein of every pattern color, the pattern, stitch markers, tape measure, etc. Once there, i settled into my stockinette rhythm.... and ran out of background color! I brought a skein of the other 4 colors, and not the background. grrrrrrrr. Since i had a skein of my handspun with me, i cast on for a simple, mindless scarf. so much for not working on anything else til this is done.

No worries, I finished the little scarf last night and am back to St. Moritz today. Re-enthused, with all the colors that i will need to start the colorwork.

silk painting

2006-02-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

On saturday afternoon Jenny and I learned how to paint silk from Sarah. I made a scarf with koi on watery blues. it was so much fun.

The dyes behave slightly differently than acid dyes for wool. Mixing liquid color is easy, but once its on the silk its much harder to get colors to blend. If i had room in my life for another addiction... but i don't. So i'll just have to go to sarah's house to play with this.

(obviously, my knitting progress is not interesting enough to show off.)

just to make you drool

2006-02-23T21:03:00.000-05:00

I won't bore you with a picture of 9" of plain stockinette. i might make it to the start of the pattern during the ladies free skate tonight. i love me some ice skating, so i get a lot less knitting done with the skating on.

But i love posts with pictures. So i present a little fiber pr0n:
My luscious batts and spindle from Grafton Fibers. yum.

dimensional warp

2006-02-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

Its worse than a black hole. The body of a sweater like this is the evil alternate dimension of sleeve island. Alcohol won't help. neither will chocolate. I scrounged up 9+ hours of knitting time between monday and tuesday and what do i have to show for it?

FIVE INCHES. quick math reveals that i will need at least 40 more hours of knitting to finish the body. mmhmmm. yup. that'll happen.

Griffin, my codependant feline child, decided to console me last night while i knit. (in fact both cats were sitting on me at the time, but Sabine ran off when the camera came out.) Can i blame my olympic failure on poor field conditions? there was a fur storm that obscured my view?

fiber and circumstance

2006-02-20T17:04:00.000-05:00

last week in review:
tuesday - whine about not being able to go to SPA.
wednesday - decide that i really, really want to go and its worth shuffling plans with friends to fit it in. Big Orange has a friend/business buddy that he really should meet with who lives in portland, anyway. We can go up saturday afternoon; he can have his meeting while i go to SPA and we can spend the night at their house. fab.
thursday - there's been a death in the family. cancel weekend plans and start to arrange travel plans.
friday - decide that i really, really need some 'fiber therapy' and he still needs to meet with friend. We can drive up to portland friday afternoon and spend just a few hours before leaving for funeral in philadelphia.

And it was worth it. Even though i was only there for a few hours, it was such a wonderful time. I needed to be in the presence of other crazy fiber people. To soak up the pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. I got to see quite a few people i know from fiber festivals or craft shows. I got to "actually" meet some blog people, which was fun. Bought beautiful batts and a spindle from Grafton Fibers. Chatted with Stephanie for a bit. [note to self: yeah, good job trying to act cool and not like a total fan girl. but next time remember that she meets hundreds, probably thousands, of rabid knitters and does not remember meeting you at one book signing. dweeb!] I even sat for a bit and knit with complete strangers. school stress, life stress, and sadness floated away for a few hours. such a nice feeling.

didn't get as much knitting done in the car as i'd hoped. much of the driving was done at night and that just doesn't play well with fair isle. I finished sleeve 2, but have yet to cast on for the body. I was supposed to get a lot done over the weekend! i'm so far behind now that my chances of finishing in time are slim-to-none. I'm going to keep trying, but i guess it wasn't meant to be.

here is the sleeve posing as we drove over the Tappan Zee bridge:

in other news

2006-02-18T00:12:00.000-05:00

i forgot to post this before the olympics started.

I finally carded and spun the very last skein i need for the B. Orange sweater. Here the boy, the sweater pieces, and the final skein wait patiently to be united at last. For those of you who haven't met him, his shirt isn't orange by chance. he wears that color every day. its his 'thing'.

I can't really complain. i'm obsessed with sheep.

re: knitting olympics.
I finished the first sleeve! second sleeve is half done. sudden plan changes dictate that i will be spending at least 18 hours in the car this weekend. (long story for another day.) I should be able to get a ton of knitting done, as long as i don't get car sick. I have a sneeking suspicion that following a pattern and knitting in the car will be bad news, but i'm keeping my hopes up.

Right now its past midnight. I have insomnia. i'm trying to stay quiet because we're staying at someone else's house. my knitting? OUT IN THE CAR. i can't go get it. shoot me, please?

progress shot

2006-02-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

HUGE thanks to Roberta of Krafty1 for showing me how to get over my issue establishing the new pattern row! I now appreciate the value of participating in a KAL in a timely manner. (as in, NOT taking a year to finish your sweater that everyone else already did. my Ribby Cardi. ahem.) Without inter-friends working on the same thing i probably would've done my usual "ADD thing" and shoved the sweater to the bottom of the knitting basket for a year or two. but i'm over the bump and progressing nicely on my snowy mountains. yay!

I worked on it a bit last night and this morning, I absolutely had to do schoolwork on monday night. Clearly, i'm not 31% done with this yet.... but that's ok. I will make up time this weekend.

dag-nabbit!

2006-02-15T00:32:00.000-05:00

@#(*&%$#(*&

for some dumb reason, i thought NETA spa was next weekend instead of THIS weekend!! And i already made plans for right in the middle of saturday afternoon that i can't change. crud, crud, crud. I was really looking forward to hanging out, spinning, socializing, and shopping.
I wanted to be a part of it, especially since i won the beautiful afghan in the raffle last year. (I wanted to donate some yarn to this year's raffle but the time just snuck up on me! now i don't know how to get it there in time or who to contact about it.) i'm balancing a little bit too much on my plate right now and there's just no way that i can swing it.

I might have to huff and pout (and not read a few key blogs) for a little bit. just like i did when i didn't make it to rhinebeck in the fall. *harumph*

[if you live in new england and were contemplating whether or not to go... DO IT. its really worth the trip. i had a great time last year, for the few hours i was able to go.]

frustrationville. population: me.

2006-02-13T10:50:00.000-05:00

I was flying right along on my sleeve. The pattern was working out perfectly. Nice easy repeats. I have my center stitches marked. I got through the bottom pattern with no glitches. The row with 3 colors i decided i will go back later and do the 3rd in duplicate stitch. I'm ready to start the upper pattern. The one with the mountains, that doesn't have nice, easy repeats. That's where i hit my glitch. The Dale pattern doesn't mark sizes on the sleeve, so you don't know exactly where to start and stop the pattern. I assume this is because you are still increasing through this section and they want you to just count how many stitches you have and work it out for yourself. (You have to work the pattern into your increases however you see fit). For this section, i should be able to count how many stitches are on my needle and then read back from the center stitches to figure out where i should start the pattern. This makes perfect sense in my head. But on the needles it just isn't working. I tried to knit the same row 5 times and just could NOT get it to work out. Some growling and cussing later, i decided i'm going to let that sleeve rest a for a few days and come back to it with a clear head. I cast on for the other sleeve last night and worked a few inches of that one instead.

homework? what homework?

go, blizzard, go!!

2006-02-12T10:10:00.000-05:00

Every olympic knitter in New England is cheering today. We knew we were going to be snowed in this morning, but its especially pleasing to open the front door and see this:

snow, on the porch, blowing sideways, with no sign of letting up any time soon. awesome. That means that homework and knitting are the only things i have to do today. Blizzards on the weekend are much less stressful than during the week because you don't have to worry about whether or not your job/school was cancelled and if you should try to make it in or not. A sunday blizzard means you just sit around in your pajamas and enjoy the day. yaaaaay!!!

And about that olympic knitting....
This is where i left off when i went to bed last night. I had to stop anyway because (even with every lamp in the room on) i couldn't see the different between the black and marine blue stitches. so annoying. I'm almost done with the black pattern stitches though! I'm starting with the sleeve because i want to make sure i've worked out all gauge and puckering issues before doing the main body. pucking in the boobular area would make me very, very unhappy.

I was supposed to get together with some other gals this morning for a knitting/quilting brunch. It would be nice if we could still do it in the afternoon. but i'm going to be knitting anyway!

yeah, hello, hi?

2006-02-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

how am i supposed to be knitting when there are waltzing cow-people on television? i nearly spewed wine and chocolate out my nostrils. And i don't want an injury so early in the games!

that is so... me

2006-02-09T20:30:00.000-05:00

I was so proud of myself for finishing that cute little lavender boat neck sweater BEFORE my friend had her baby. I thought "ok, the announcement will come any day now. Then i'll put it in the mail and i'll be so on top of it!"

shyeah. Baby boy Quin was born this week. BOY. I have no idea why i was so sure that she was having a girl. I guess i totally imagined it. oops. Well i have 2 skeins of the same yarn in green/blue and the sweater knits up quickly. And i have 3 other friends due soon, so one of them will get the lavender version.

[My mom thinks i should send it anyway because boys these days can wear any color. but i know this gal, and she absolutely will not dress her boy in lavender. period.]

Utah on my mind

2006-02-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

Last night my mind started to wander, and arrived at "what was i knitting during the last winter olympics?" That started a big, fat roller coaster of memories!

Lets start a few months before that, fall 2001. [Wayne's World time warp music. doodle-oot, doodle-oot] I had recently left a failed long-term relationship. I spent the previous school year as a high school science teacher (8th and 9th grade). Even though everyone says the second year is easier, I was utterly traumatized and just couldn't bring myself to go back to teaching. I had no idea what i was going to do with myself.

In december i went to visit my brother, who was studying in Copenhagen for the year. I knit him a sweater as a christmas present and i remember sitting in Heathrow during my layover, finishing seams and darning in yarn ends! I spent New Year's Eve in Berlin with a college friend and i witnessed the changover from the Mark to the Euro. Very, very awesome. Half of my backpack was full of Noro Kureyon because i was knitting the first version of the kureyon sweater (now my beloved Rosedale U.)

Back to the US for january, where the story gets depressing. Living completely on my own for the first time, hip deep in debt, i worked 3 jobs to get by. I worked as a Denny's waitress, math tutor, and at a local yarn store (where most of that paycheck went right back to them. employee discounts are evil). I lived in the crappiest efficiency apartment on the face of the planet. 1 room, made from a converted garage; it had terrible insulation and a big pole in the middle of the room. and BURNT ORANGE SHAG CARPET. Because heat was included in my rent, the landlords locked the thermostat at a ridiculously low temperature. I used to put ziploc baggies of ice cubes on it to force the heat to turn on. I had no friends and no social life, so i got a lot of knitting done. And i watched every possible second of the 2002 winter olympics.

Stick with me, i really am going somewhere with this.

Things were about to change. In the spring i got a "real job" in Worcester, MA. I moved to a nice apartment, got two adorable kittens, and started to make new friends. While there were still many roadbumps, things were looking up. (I would've never guess in early 2002 that Mitt Romney would later be my governor!) I settled into a new career and became a published scientist. I made so many wonderful friends and really loved my new city. I travelled to some cool places, learned to scuba dive and drive a scooter. Eventually, i met Big Orange and fell in love again. (awwwww.) This fall we started a whole new chapter in our lives. We moved to a new city, he started a new career, and i'm working towards getting a PhD in biology. Of course there are always bumps (grad student stipend, OUCH) and i really miss my "worcester family". But i'm very happy with my life in general, and i'm really amazed at how much things have changed in the span of 4 years. It feels like that was a million years ago. And i'm definitely going to reflect on that as i knit and watch the 2006 olympics!

What were you knitting/doing during the 2002 olympics? and 1998? care to go further?