Er . . . Hello, Again.

I will make no excuses, except to say that in the past I had a job that required me to be in front of a computer for hours on end, and that I have not had that job for some time. (*Good* thing.)

Decided to take some time to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up (though that moment *must* be long since past, mustn't it?), I further decided that for a while I would do nothing that I did not wish to do while I was doing it, but that I would definately make the effort to keep blogging, as I enjoyed it so well.

Well!

During the first week of the new regime, I was so busy with other things, and being not constantly in front of a computer, no blogging.

And somehow, what with this and that . . . the ill-advised purchase of a Playstation 2 (TOOL OF THE DEVIL!), Harry Potter (last opportunity to fully enjoy the first six before embarking on the last), Big Love (who knew?), Jane Austen, traveling, new computer that I *cannot* understand, and who recalls what else . . .

After a while, what can I say, but most times I forgot I had a blog at all.

Well you may wonder.

When I was knitting, I did think about it quite a lot, missed it and you, and as I finished projects and started new ones, I mentally composed many and long blog entries. Which, as you know, were never posted.

EZ insists that one may read and knit at the same time (which may be true if one's book lays flat), but I am near certain that *I* at least cannot simultaneously knit and blog.

&c.

But something happened yesterday that determined me finally to write.




Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a good photo of the whole of it. Bigger than I expected.

Also in the way of an update, St. Brigid is long since finished:




Not sure I like the collar, but I'll have to wear it a few times to figure that out, and it is far too hot for wool just now.

Oh, and Posy, too, finally:




Definately wearable, although not as I imagined. I should not have cut out all those inches -- she would not have been too short after all. Contemporary pants styles are so low cut! Not that I have a problem baring my midriff in appropriate circumstances, but between the lacey holes and the missing inches, the poor girl is not suited for, er, respectable work. I still like her, though. She's cheeky.

So, so much more, but probably the first entry back should endeavour to not overwhelm either the writer or the reader (assuming any remain!), for fear that there shall never be another.

Cheers!

Miss Me?

I'm done!

Green Superwash Weasley:




I used THIS to get an idea of what I was doing, but made lots of modifications to account for the yarn I was using (Valley Superwash, from Webs). As I said before, the yarn is quite nice -- a little denser than your Cascade 220 Superwash, maybe also a little softer. I put the sweater (or most of it, anyway) through the wash before blocking, and it held up very well.

I like this pattern a lot. And I think what I may like about it the very most is that it is a kids' sweater that can potentially be used for several years. It is quite baggy, giving plenty of room to grow in width.

So the part of the sweater where a kid's rapidly increasing size would really become an issue is the sleeves, maybe the body length. But the sleeves are baggy too, and are knit from the top-down. (I did a rolled bottom sleeve rather than the ribbing that the pattern called for.) All of which means that Mother-of-Y can send the sweater back to me when the sleeves get too short, I can easily add some more length (maybe even that ribbing in a contrasting color), and they get at least another year out of it. Neat.

Scarf for V:




I used THIS to get an idea of what I was doing, but made lots of modifications to account for the fact that I wanted a scarf rather than a hat. (I'll post those mods in a day or so, for those who are interested.) This yarn was great, too -- but it is hard to not like Kureyon. (Although, these colors are also not my favorites! Ever seen Kureyon 170? Now *that* is to die for.)

Now, I have to ask.

Kureyon.

I heard just the other day something that made me think it isn't supposed to be pronounced Cure-E-On.

Which is the only way I've heard it said.

Not that I have heard that many people say, "Kureyon" at all.

Mostly I just see it written.

But really, if you sound it out, using Japanese pronunciation, it is clearly Koo-Ray-On.

Which is the closest the Japanese language can get to the English word "Crayon."

WHICH, AS IT TURNS OUT, IS WHAT KUREYON MEANS.

So my question is, am I the only Noro fan on the block who did not know this?

Matchy-Matchy

Ever so important in knitted items that are destined to be covered in food and spit-up.

Done and done:

Probably you all know this, but just in case, these are Mason-Dixon style bibs and burp cloths out of Rowan Handknit Cotton dk. Color is not true -- the green is about right, but the purple is warmer.


Done, done and done:

You're seen the salmon bib before -- but now it has a button that matches the new burp cloth. (Principle of the thing. You understand.)


Hello!:

If you're wondering why you get so many more pictures of this one than the other one, it is only because this one remains curious about the camera.


And new yarn. (No picture -- couldn't get a good one.) 5 skeins Rowan handknit cotton dk, three skeins "fonty Velourine," and two skeins "Merlin Avalon."

And no, I didn't break the resolution to get them. They came from two separate bricks-and-mortar shops, neither of which I have shopped at yet this quarter, so good for me!

But I am getting a little worried that I'm running out of LYSs. There aren't too many more within reasonable distance. What if I've already hit them all by the end of February, and then in March I start jonesin' real bad? (Road trip!!!)

Some "Not Pink"

But first, some Pink:




Yes, finally wove in the rest of those ends. The morning of the baby shower, would you believe it? (Of course you would.)

Decided to go with a crochet edging (simple) and no lining on the back (even simpler).

So, that (along with the other stuff I've shown you before) was the pink.

I said before that the big non-pink thing was just not going to be ready.

The universe confirmed that it wasn't "just me" and my slow knitting pace -- I was also unable to (quickly) find the right zipper.

So that whole thing might be on hold for a while again.

"Plan B" was shoes and a hat. That went really quickly, despite the small gauge I ultimately settled on. Yeah, yeah, I know I said I wasn't going to do anything with a small gauge, but that Rowan 4-ply cotton was right there. Took far less than one ball of each shade.




Shoes are "Stripey Shoes" from 50 Baby Booties to Knit.




Let me tell you that people are way more impressed by knitted baby shoes than you'd think, given the amount of time it takes to make them.

The only part that took much more than an instant was the bit in the middle -- you know, the really important part of any knitting project (absolutely can't be skipped!) when you refuse to weave in the ends and sew the seams.

That part took me days.

(I feel it is very important to not skimp on this step. Never skimp on procrastination or on frosting.)

The hat was just made up: Cast-on some stitches, went round and round, decreased at what seemed like an appropriate time, ended with an I-cord. Knotted the I-cord. Decided it needed something more, so added a do-hickey from Knitted Flowers. (If it is important to anyone, I can probably scare up the wherewithal to actually write "how to make this hat" out in pattern form.)

Never did I-cord before.




I like it.

They Rock, Barely

Having finished the Handspun Socks and Prime Rib Scarf, I allowed myself to cast on some of my new Socks that Rock.

As you can see, I did a bit more than just casting on.




Colour = Bloodstone. Loved it in the skein. Not sure about in yet in sock form. In hindsight, I probably would have been happier with Kryptonite.

Ah, well.

At least I know that if I decide I don't want them, someone in my, er, household does. (They're too big for Mum.)

"Mine! All mine!"


Was doing plain ol' stockinette, so I thought I'd mix it up a little with a new-to-me cast-on.

Tubular cast-on, using no-waste method.


Also, what I think is an Eye of Partridge heel, but I'm really not too sure about that.

My favorite bit of the sock.


Finally, I heard some rumor that ladders wash out. Ladders wash out???!!! Usually I knit an extra stitch on each needle to avoid ladders. But, hey, if there's a chance that I don't have to bother with that . . . that deserves a test.

So, test ladders.


Verdict: Sock that Rock is really, really nice.

But beware!

If you are knitting for big feet -- and I don't consider mine all that huge, but I do have giganto heels -- do yourself a favor and get two skeins, okay? (Yeah, I know, expensive.) Or plan as a contingency contrasting ribbing, or heels, or toes.

I almost didn't make it. Literally had inches to spare.

I had, in fact, to dig through the trash and find that (still clean!) foot-long "scrap" leftover from the "tail" end of my cast-on. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had enough length to graft the toe.

Don't believe me?




Not even enough left over to do one of those eeeentsy mitered squares for my sock-yarn-leftovers masterpiece.

Which was just about enough to convince me to do contrasting toes, just so I could have the leftovers.

Because I had this fantasy that the blanket would reflect ALL of my post-"pre-blog" socks.

But on balance I think that ruining perfectly good toes (I don't have a proper contrasting yarn) just so I can have a perfect blanket is probably a bit too off, even for me.

Yet another fantasy bites the dust.

duck . . . duck . . .

duck . . .




duck . . .




duck . . .




duck . . .




GOOSE!




So that's 12 of 66 hats for Dulaan done, except for the washing, which I plan to do way later, en masse. Still unknown whether the scarf is for Dulaan or for the Doctor.

Oldest WIP No Longer

These were cast on nearly a year ago -- sometime last February, I think. (Pre-blog, in any event.)

Maybe I should have a goal of finishing (or acknowledging the abandonment of) all knitting projects within a year of casting on?

Now my oldest WIP is Posy. I'm terrified that she'll have the same problem as Freya. I'm too scared (or lazy?) to pick her up and just measure.

Anyway, handspun socks for Dulaan:

Was so busy trying to avoid holes at the join of the second heel (these were knit flat, then seamed, then the toes and heels added) that I forgot to check what sort of heel I did on the first one.

So, totally different heels!

But I like them.


My desperate urge to cast on some Socks that Rock carried me through these, and most of the way through the grey and red "prime rib" scarf I haven't yet shown you -- also for Dulaan, unless the Doctor snags it.

Now that urge is passed.

Now I only have the urge to finish the prime rib scarf.

Rather, that is, than working on the knitting I *really* should be doing -- i.e., the things that actually have deadlines: V's scarf, the green Weasley, the Dale zippered hoodie.

Ah, well. Go with the flow.

Catch Up

Hey, how ya doing? Long time no blog.

Have answered the question of "Y." ("Because!"):

The increasing and decreasing method blocked out very nicely, but in the end wasn't really what I was looking for. Backstitching looks particularly crappy. But a chain stitch 'round the edge looks real nice.


Have figured out Great-Grand-Mum's afghan:

It was, indeed, double-crochet between the stitches in the row below. No chain stitches between.


Fetching!:

There's another one of these around here somewhere . . . probably holding the camera. I have to say, I never really liked this pattern. Still don't love it. But WOW I was SO COLD! And Fetching is very, very fast.


And finally, yarn!:

Socks that Rock from Churchmouse, out on Bainbridge Island. Fantastic shop.


You have *no* idea how difficult it was to keep it under the resolved five skeins. I haven't ever seen Socks that Rock, at least not physically, in person. There was this one called "Kryptonite" that I just *had* to have. Only I had to have it slightly less than these other five. Five? Why did I choose five? So hard. But I did it. Nine days in, and I haven't broken the resolution yet.


And when am I ever going to get to knit these? NOW NOW NOW! No. (I am such trouble.) I'm telling myself that if I can finish those handspun socks (my oldest UFO) for Dulaan and one other project (knitter's choice), then I can cast on another pair of socks. Maybe by then, the urge will have passed?

In other news, Aran Knitting hasn't magically showed up. Working on the insurance angle now, although it isn't entirely clear that "theft off the porch, post-delivery" is covered. Am considering buying another copy, but maybe I should make some of those Dulaan Hats first, as a sort of a down-payment on the karma problem . . .