red right ankle

Announcement!

2006-04-03T11:48:00.000-06:00

I originally started this blog with the idea of chronicling my crafty adventures. I've now realized that they go far beyond knitting -- in the past year, I've started writing two separate series (one fantasy, one science fiction), and I want to start blogging about my writing adventures as well.

To that end, I'm moving my blog over to Typepad. I would love it if you would keep reading and letting me know your opinions -- more than ever now, because I'll be posting sections from my stories and I'll want to know what you think.

My new blog is located at: Miss Teen Wordpower. I'll still be reading all your blogs, and I can't wait to see what new creations you'll be creating.

See you all later!

Flashing My Stash!

2006-04-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

Since Tee is in Boston, I could flash my stash without him walking around with an indulgent smirk on his face. However, he should know better than to be smug -- after all, he's addicted to World of Warcraft!

Without further ado, here I go, flashing my stash!

First, I decided to organize my stash. This was a catastrophic decision and in order to escape from the chaos, I ran away and started to clean the kitchen. THAT'S HOW OVERWHELMED I WAS.

After recovering and finishing the organization, I managed to find my favorites. It was quite an experience, going through my stash and remembering for what I had bought each skein of yarn. I found a few balls of yarn without labels at the bottom of one of the baskets from my first few weeks of knowing how to knit; I had gotten them with no idea of what to do with them. Now, two years later, turning them over in my hands, I started to invision designs for them: a delicate capelet, an airy netting to hang instead of curtains. I never thought I'd be able to design my own pieces when I first started knitting, but there isn't a pattern I knit today that I don't make modifications to, even if I'm just changing the size. It surprised me, to be honest, to suddenly recognize tangible proof of having grown.

Speaking of designing...

Knitpicks Merino Style, destined to become a super-secret design for one of my friends, whose band is going on tour and has asked me to create some custom pieces for her. Exciting!

Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport, for the Nordic Mittens in IK's Winter 2004 issue. I need to order more of the Plumberry main color, but that can wait until I'm ready to knit these up next fall.

Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, Knitpicks Paint Your Own Merino Laceweight, and Dale of Norway Baby Ull. I'm starting to experiment with different dyeing techniques and these are my favorite yarns for experimentation.

My sock yarn stash. I have a slight addiction to sock yarn. My substantially reduced stash includes Knitpicks Simple Stripes, Invicta Coloris, Jaeger Matchmaker, Koigu, and Cherry Tree Hill. The last two are the yarns that take my addiction, inject it with pure adrenalin, and take me into the "obsessive fan" realm.

Reynolds Saucy Sport for the Peppermint Stripe Sweater in Stitch 'n Bitch. I started this project last February, but between gauge problems and school, I put it away and only rediscovered it today!

One of my absolute favorite yarns, Noro Kureyon in colorway 124. These skeins are the result of me over-estimating when I ordered the yarn for my Lady Eleanor stole. They'll become a felted knitting bag or a modified Boobholder.

Lamb's Pride yarns -- I can't say enough good things about them. I have several leftover skeins of Lamb's Pride Bulky from when I made the Fairly Easy Fair Isle cardigan from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation. I have a cardigan pattern in mind for them, but since it's getting gradually warmer, it'll probably wait until next fall. The Lamb's Pride Worsted skeins are gifts from my second Secret Pal, and I'm planning a cute Fair Isle hat/mitten combo for them. This picture proves that I would have done quite well with March's Project Spectrum color choice! I will never, ever grow out of my pink stage.

Here's the entire stash, neatly arranged and cuddled together. Think of it as a sort of cast bow for my stash!

I've loved looking at everyone's stashes -- it's inspiring and I've got plenty of new projects that I want to knit! If you haven't already, check out Knit and Tonic's Flash Your Stash entry. It's awe-inspiring!

I also finally got around to taking a picture of myself wearing Lady Eleanor.

I should be finished with the first Jaywalker sock tonight...but only if I get started knitting now! So, it's off to spend an evening with Peter Parker. Hey, if my superhero isn't here, I have to find a replacement!

Yarn For Breakfast

2006-03-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been waking up about half an hour before I need to get up, and I treasure that little bit of time before Tee and I need to get ready for our day in earnest. I can read knitting blogs, write emails, have a full breakfast, or knit a few rows on my latest project in early morning sunlight. It's lovely.

Our apartment is in the basement of our landlords' home. We get an enormous amount of sunlight for where we live, but I've discovered that I can take my best pictures of my projects in that half hour before Tee gets up and I have to get ready for school. So, a new series begins: Yarn For Breakfast!

Today's main course: Grumperina's Jaywalker socks, served up fresh and tasty.

I've become quite devoted to the Magic Loop technique. It wasn't very fluid at first, and I had a hard time getting used to not pulling my stitches tight to close up any gaps at the joins, but now I find it just as convenient and useful as using 5 DPNS (my usual number). I'm using Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Tropical Storm -- my mom will eventually be the recipient of these beauties.

I think it also bears mentioning that after my midterm (American Identities in Literature...ugh, Melville and Thoreau!), I skipped class to play disc out by the campus pond. It's so, so gorgeous out! I love New England.

EDIT: I'll be taking part in the April 1st Flash Your Stash fun. I couldn't decide what button to use...so here are my two favorites.

This one is appropriate, considering that my college is better known as "ZooMass".

Bea Arthur, I love you.

Who else is taking part in Flash Your Stash? I know Cathy is, but there has to be more of you!

Stash-Enhancing Joys

2006-03-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Friday was such a successful excursion! I love A Good Yarn more every time I visit. Tee is visiting BU for grad school this Saturday, so I might take another trip out there to visit again.

...not like I need to, after the orgy of stash-enhancing that occured on Friday. After walking about 800 miles, Mom and I were exhausted, happy, and more than a little amazed that we had spent an entire day in each other's company and not come to blows.

I know that sounds more than a little extreme, but back when I was trying to survive puberty, I was a monster. My mother and I fought constantly, bitterly...you get the picture. We fought for the sake of fighting. Finally, I graduated, I went to college and I started to grow up. I've always loved my mom, but for a long time, I was too cool to like her. I cringe to think about it now.

I guess I have knitting to thank, in part, for letting us get so close. She taught me how to knit during my sophomore year of college and I've never looked back. Now, it's a tradition that, whenever I go home to visit, we rent BBC miniseries (Jane Austen adaptations are always popular) and knit for hours. I mean hours. We talk now, instead of yelling, and we have inside jokes about British actors and bad accents. I just came back to Amherst yesterday, and I wish I was back upstairs, knitting with Mom. For once, I'm glad I'm homesick.

Handcrafts are uniquely fulfilling; they bring groups of such dissimilar people together, but the crafts also serve to connect the crafter with everyone who's knit a sweater, sewn a quilt, or cooked a meal. When you craft, you are both making progress and living in history.

I saved all of my babysitting money since January, so I wouldn't feel guilty about splurging. And splurge I did, without shame!

From Windsor Button, I got Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn -- this fiber feels like melted butter in the skein. I can't wait to see how it knits up!

The blue yarn is for my mom -- I think I'll make Craftaholic's Mata Hari socks with it. The other skeins? For me, of course!

As I've said before (and will probably say a million times again), A Good Yarn is a lovely, lovely store. I indulged my craving for Koigu there.

I could have spent more; in fact, I spent much less than I was planning to, but I'm content. I have patterns in mind for all the sock yarns I bought, but with the money I didn't spend, I'm going to buy my dream knitting bag from Della Q.

Progress pictures tonight! I hope everyone's enjoying the Spring weather!

Know Your Onion!

2006-03-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm more than a little embarrassed at how long it's been since I updated. I had originally planned to make this blog an almost-daily update on my crafty endeavors, but I've rather gloriously failed. Life took over in a big way.

Thankfully, everything has been worked out with my financial situation. I work an IT position, so I know that I'm more aware than most about how insidious this type of damage can be. It was still terrifying to watch my personal information snatched away.

I haven't been idle, though. I've been dragging myself through an insanely boring course on American literature (bane of my existence), an honors writing course, and two French classes. I'm so glad that this week is Spring Break...even if I'm working eight hour days the whole time! On Friday, my mom and I are taking a girls' trip to Boston -- we'll go to the MFA, Windsor Button, A Good Yarn, the Pourhouse...I can't wait!

I finished Lady Eleanor from
Scarf Style last week.

The Lady herself, after three balls.

In what can only be called a knitting frenzy, I knit up six balls in one weekend.

She looked so lovely reclining that I couldn't bring myself to take any pictures of me wearing her -- not yet, at least!

She's big beyond all sense.

Project Stats:
Project: Lady Eleanor Stole from
Scarf Style
Yarn Used: Noro Kureyon in #124, ten skeins.
Needles: Addi Turbos, size 7, 32" circular.
Modifications/notes: Instead of casting on 56 stitches, I only cast on 49. Believe me, if I hadn't, this lady would have turned into a blanket. I really advise using at least a 29" circular needle to knit this project, otherwise the sheer weight will have your hands and wrists aching after the first three balls. I also substituted my preferred increase (k1fb) for the M1 from the pattern. Sometimes there is a visible difference, but luckily I didn't run into that and I avoided some really unslightly holes in the fabric.

Honestly? I adore this project. It was soothing to knit, especially on Addi Turbos, and I loved watching the color subtly change from one block to another. Tres Chic Veronique made Lady E in the exact same Noro colorway...I can't say that I blame her. It's gorgeous, with bright jewel tones standing out against cool, muted grey-blues. I have four more skeins of #124 coming to me soon -- I'm planning on making a felted knitting bag with them.

As for current WIPs, I've restarted the Norwegian stockings, have a seemingly unending parade of socks in my knitting bag, and am still hammering out the designs for my vest and hat patterns. It's going to be a productive Spring Break!

Life Takes Over...

2006-02-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

The rush to finish for the Knitting Olympics has been stymied.

All of my online information has been hacked. Email, Paypal, eBay, bank information...this is a nightmare.

Luckily, everything is going to be recovered and everyone on the service end of this mess has been so kind and capable, but I'm still terrified by what this could have become.

Ironic, isn't it, that I work with clients, helping to make their computers more secure?

My head hurts.

Progress Report

2006-02-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Knitting Olympics is an amazing phenomenom. With only a week left to go, I'm wondering if I can measure up, but I've been swept away by the talent and excitement that everyone is exhibiting. Even if I don't finish, I can't wait to see what everyone else has done.

That said, since my last update, I've frogged the entire stocking twice, and ripped back at least three inches three more times. I'm starting to get a little worried; I'm less than halfway through the first stocking and there's only a week left. Thank the Lord that we have a three day weekend!

After frogging everything for the second time, I power-knit through three hours of Law and Order: SVU and managed to recoop my losses.

I'm still in love with this pattern, luckily. I'll be working on it all night, as Tee and I immerse ourselves in the usual Sunday Movie Night -- this week, Bride and Prejudice and Aliens. Yes, the nice people at Hollywood Video are afraid of us.

I've managed to knock off my own Odessa, pattern by the lovely Grumperina. It's a relaxing, soothing knit, perfect for working on while answering calls from irate frat guys.

I apologize for my lack of makeup, consciousness, etc.

I've really got to focus on the stockings...I want to be through the first stocking and into the second by Tuesday. With tomorrow off, it's completely doable. I just need to focus. Focus. FOCUS!

Oh damn.

Knitting Olympics Progress

2006-02-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite ~~crack dealer~~ yarn store! This Saturday, Tee and I went out to Boston and stopped at A Good Yarn, over in Brookline. We got there about 20 minutes before they closed, but everyone there was more than happy to help out. I bought yarn for the Estonian Socks from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks, and Tee was a huge hit as the most enthusiastic yarn boyfriend ever.

We also stopped at Windsor Button (another great store) over near the Common, and I was surprised at how pervasive the Knitting Olympics have become. Everyone at Windsor Button was talking about it -- I startled a bunch of older ladies when I overheard them talking about the Knitting Olympics and yelled "Whoa! What team are you guys on?!" Propriety in yarn stores is not my strong point.

As for a progress update, I decided not to go with the Union Square Market Pullover at the last minute. The original plan was to order Knitpick's Paint Your Own merino wool and dye the yarn to my specifications, but work took over and I didn't order the yarn in time. So, I switched to the Norwegian Stocking from Nancy Bush's amazing book, Folk Socks. I'm an unabashed sock and colorwork lover, so I chose to follow Captain Planet's lead and combine their powers.

This pattern is a dream. Folk Socks is set up so that you can read through all the separate heel and toe techniques before you ever reach the patterns, allowing the knitter to experiment on their own with the different styles and see how they serve distinct purposes. Even if you just skip ahead to the patterns, knitting each of the eighteen different socks takes you through every technique previously written about. It's a great book.

The Norwegian Stockings are, unsurprisingly, super-popular patterns. Two of my favorite bloggers have made their own versions recently and their projects inspired me to make my own. Eunny's stockings and Fig and Plum's stockings are both absolutely lovely.

That said (and a lot was said!), here are my Norwegian Stockings, part the first.

After several mishaps, including a curious four-year-old, frustration with Magic Loop, and gauge issues so monstrous that I can't bear to talk about them (of course, they happen one of the few times that I care to swatch with any passion), I made it through graph A while watching The Chronicles of Riddick last night. I know, I know, I'm too awesome.

At the pace I'm moving at, I'm not sure that the stockings will take me more than a week to finish. Therefore, if I finish early, I'll also be making the Estonian Socks from Folk Socks as well. A girl's got to keep busy, right?

Knitting Plans

2006-01-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

The best part about having my parents do my taxes is that I get my tax return that much sooner. I'm saving money to go see my younger sister over Easter vacation (she's in Ireland for the semester -- and is currently regaling me with stories of thousands of "walking yarn stores" all over the place!), but between my tax return and my financial aid refund check, I actually have money with which to buy yarn!

My resolution, however, was not to buy any yarn for the month of January. My lovely Secret Pal sent me a gift certificate to a lovely eBay store, Yarnbow, so I don't feel guilty using that to buy my yarn for one of my future projects -- the infamous Clapotis.

Now, my sister being abroad has had some unexpected benefits! Not only is she within walking distance of stores filled with affordable Rowan and Debbie Bliss yarns, she's now my excuse for stash-enhancing! My plan is to send her at least one hand-knitted item a month (at least) while she's abroad. The present for January? A Branching Out scarf in the yarn of her choice. I refuse to analyze her decision to use acrylic yarn over Frog Tree Alpaca Sport, but at least the acrylic is working up nicely. The pattern is crisply defined, so the impossibility of blocking the scarf won't hurt the quality of the work.

Now that Christmas knitting is over, I'm starting to plan what I'm going to knit this year. These plans are subject to change, and probably will about seven or eight times as the months go by, but as of this moment, here are the first of my 2006 knitting plans.

1.The Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics: My choice of projects was Interweave Knits' Union Square Market Pullover. I haven't made a sweater since I knit the Lace Leaf Pullover for my mother, but I knit that in stages over, oh, about four months. The challenge in knitting the USMP will be doing so in sixteen days, while being in school full-time. It's destined to join my sister in Ireland.

2. Marnie MacLean's Halley's Comet Hat: I found the pattern for this hat through Grumperina's blog. I plan on making this for my good friend Mack, who is fleeing the country for a year abroad in Australia.

3. Eunny's absolutely gorgeous Deep V Vest: The more I read Eunny's blog, the more impressed I become with her work. She just had the most amazing series of entries on steeking, and I'm eager to try this pattern so I can cut my steek teeth.

4. Grumperina's Jaywalker Socks: Enough said.

5. Norwegian Knee Socks from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush: Personally, I think these are just about the cutest socks of all time. My mom bought me the book for my birthday and is mailing it to me today -- I'll get started on these as soon as the Knitting Olympics are over.

A non-project-specific goal for 2006 is to get one of my designs published in one of the many knitting publications out there. I've been designing and swatching my rear end off -- hopefully, something will come of it!

SP 7!

2006-01-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Secret Pal Seven hostesses have posted the questionnaire for this round! I should be getting my spoilee this weekend sometime, so to tide me over, here's my questionnaire:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? I use some Lion Brand yarns (like the Wool-Ease line) for projects that need to be washed, like hats/scarves for little kids, but I don't use them for myself because they don't keep me warm enough. I love my natural fibers, especially wool.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I'm learning how to use a drop spindle, and while I can crochet, my knowledge of that craft is functional at best. I'm improving every day, however!

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? My mother made me a beautiful knitting needle case last Christmas for my straights, and I have a small fabric wallet in which I keep my DPNs and circulars.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting for almost two years, but only seriously for about a year. I'm probably just an intermediate knitter.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I have a wishlist on Amazon, under the email address "paintmehaunted@hotmail.com"

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) My favorite perfume scent is Clinique Happy, or Clinique Happy Heart. I don't burn candles, but I really like candy-scented soaps like the ones you can get at My My Distro.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I have an embarrassingly sweet tooth, so much that I can never decide on my favorite candy! I usually just stick with ice cream to satiate my cravings.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I do some cross stitch, paper-making, and I'm learning how to machine sew. I used to write a zine in high school called Eye Beacon that I want to resurrect.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) My computer can play CDs and MP3s...and as for my music taste, I'll give anything a try. As of right now, I'm listening to a lot of Face to Face, Death From Above 1979, Coheed and Cambria, Sunny Day Real Estate, Celtic folk, and overly earnest pop-punk.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? My all-time favorite color combination is hot pink and black, but right now, I'm wearing lots of warm browns with jewel tones, especially turquoise.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? At my parents' house, I share space with them, my younger brother and sister, a cranky, knitted-item-killing cat, and an incredibly lazy golden retriever. As for right now, I live in Amherst with my boyfriend and our two mice, with our absolutely amazing landlords right above us.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves even if it's 100 degrees out, I'm growing out an awkward haircut so hats are mandatory, but I wear gloves more than mittens and ponchos make me look like a hobbit. No, I'm dead serious!

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Noro Kureyon, Malabrigo, Brown Sheep yarns (seriously, I love them all!), Frog Tree Alpaca Sport (heaven does come in skeins!).

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I'm not a fan of pure acrylic yarns if I'm knitting for myself; I have a very low natural body temperature (93-94 degrees Fahrenheit), so I need fibers that hold in warmth at all times. Acrylic is out for that reason.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Right now? Noro Kureyon. I'm using it for a current project, and I hope I have enough left over for a hat when I'm finished.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Right now, I love knitting socks and hats because there's such endless room for experimentation in both items once one has learned the basics. Also, they're portable and I can knit them while I'm at work.

17. What are you knitting right now? I'm knitting a pair of socks for myself with Knitpick's Essential sock yarn, Knitty's Branching Out scarf in Frog Tree Alpaca Sport, and Stitch n' Bitch Nation's Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers, in Noro Kureyon, color #127 (I should have these done tonight!).

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Frankly, I love it! I love to see what other people are up to.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars, actually -- if I drop a project, I won't lose a needle and nothing is going to roll away!

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? My bamboo needles are so precious, but right now I'm doing lots of sock knitting and my aluminum DPNs work best with most sock yarns. Plastic needles tend to turn into crescent-shaped former needles around here -- my boyfriend doesn't look where he's sitting.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I have a yarn winder...when I first bought it, I wound literally every skein of yarn I owned. Then, I bought more yarn so I could wind more!

22. How did you learn to knit? I learned how to knit during Spring Break of my sophomore year of college. It had snown heavily, ruining all my plans, so my mom taught me to knit to shut me up. I promptly made the world's worst scarf and never looked back.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? Ugh, almost a year old at this point! It's the Go-Everywhere, Go-With-Everything Cardigan from the first Stitch n' Bitch book.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? My favorite animated characters are Optimus Prime, the cast of Dinosaucers, and Danger Mouse. Tigers top my list of favorite animals.

25. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, or Halloween. It depends on what holiday I'm enjoying!

26. Is there anything that you collect? Horror movies, Clive Barker books, and zombie-related items.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Just Interweave Knits.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? I really want Nancy Bush's Folk Socks and the yarn to do the Norwegian stocking pattern. At least my birthday is soon, right?

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I would love to get my hands on a project that would let me experiment using entrelac, actually. I've seen some beautiful entrelac designs lately in blog land and all I need to do is find a pattern that appeals to me!

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I love knitting socks because they're so portable, and because once you've knit a pair or two for yourself, you can make them from memory! My shoe size is US 8.5, and my foot circumference is 9".

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) My birthday is January 14th.

Are any of you taking part in SP7?

Holiday!

2005-12-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

I reached a stress-saturation point over the past three weeks and ended up in a Zen-like mental state in which I could no longer feel pain, urgency, or stress. Exams are over, Christmas is over, and all I have to do is go to work and field phone calls from irate professors. I'm golden.

Sadly, Christmas knitting is over too. I'm at a loss for what to knit next, now that I don't have any deadlines to freak out about. Tee comes back from Chicago this Friday, and I have until then to finish up his fingerless gloves. Ok, to start his fingerless gloves. There's definitely enough time in which to accomplish that, since work is so slow and my entire social circle is home for the holidays.

I'm really, really pleased with how the Nordic Mittens for my sister turned out! I didn't let anyone see them until they were finished, and got to bask in the oohs and aahs of my most impressed family.

Jesse loves them, and I have enough yarn left over to make a pair for myself. My mom was so in love with the design that I ended up getting her the yarn for the full-cover version (done so beautifully by Bowerbird Knits). After my next paycheck, I'll be ordering those eight colors for myself!

I made my mom Teva Durham's Lace Leaf Pullover, but the sleeves ended up being too tight so I'm redoing the entire pullover. I'll post pictures of the aftermath of my upcoming frogging party.

After re-reading this entry, it seems like I do have a fair amount of knitting in the queue. Thank God!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!

2005-12-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

I've been so lax in updating this past week! Finals are steadily approaching, Christmas is coming, and these past two weeks have been stressful beyond all sense. It looks like I've finally found a way to get rid of what's bothering me, and for that I'm thankful. Extremely thankful. Don't you all just love cryptic blog entries? Ha!

Secret Pal Six is almost over...I'm sort of bummed out, because nothing made my day more than checking my mail and finding a package addressed to me! Tee gets all the good stuff in the mail, but for a while I was making him jealous because my Spoiler was so fantastic. Speaking of, my Spoiler was Kim from Kim's Knitting World. As soon as I get home (because, lucky me, I'm at work/school all day), I'll be posting pictures of the latest largesse.

As for my knitting, I've finished one of the Nordic Mittens, and am almost finished with the cuff of the second. I've started to post my pictures on my Flickr account, which is of great interest to me because I can A) get comments on my pictures; B) share the pictures in groups; and C) keep track of friends' progress who don't have blogs or livejournals. If any of you faithful readers have Flickr accounts, add me! I'd love to see what you're up to!

After the Christmas knitting is done, I'll probably start another Fairly Easy Fair Isle cardigan for my sister. The poor kid is going to have a complete new wardrobe by the time she leaves to go abroad, but I figure that if I ingratiate myself to her now with lovely handknits, she'll kidnap a sheep for me. Or twenty.

Congratulations to the 21st Century Hostess on her new apartment! That's wicked awesome!

I am absolutely horrible at ending blog entries.

Thanksgiving.

2005-11-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

I got back from visiting my family yesterday afternoon, following quite possibly the most sedate Thanksgiving vacation we've ever had. And thank God for that; I didn't want to deal with family drama again this year. My immediate family is fantastic, but the rest are all certifiably insane. Tee came home with me but ended up leaving Friday morning when we drove to the Cape to visit my grandmother. I missed him exceedingly until I saw him Sunday night. We wrapped down the vacation by indulging in the first two episodes of the new season of LOST. We're both fascinated by the show, but I lean more towards the obsessive side of fascination.

Speaking of obsessions, I went to see the new Pride and Prejudice on Saturday with my mom and sister. "Went" is a very loose term, since I had to be dragged there. What did they expect? I never watch any movie that stars Keira Knightley if I can help it. She's one of the leaders in a new wave of mediocrity and to see her ruin the character that I love best in the world was heartbreaking. Elizabeth Bennett is supposed to be witty, feisty, charming, and more than a touch self-satisfied. She does not snarl, she is not openly hostile. Mr. Darcy is an arrogant, introspective gentleman, not a lovesick, sullen rich boy. The costumes were from the 1770s, certain musical instruments/musical techniques hadn't been invented when the movie took place, and Keira Knightley was horrible! As I said to my sister, the movie didn't disappoint me -- it was exactly as bad as I thought it would be.

That concludes my rant...I just had to get it out of my system. I didn't get much knitting accomplished over the vacation, thanks to a rather vindictive cat (goodbye, Nordic Mitten), but I'm planning on finishing up the sleeves for my mother's Lace Leaf Pullover tonight and then seaming them tomorrow. As for right now, adventures with the Bursar's Office!

fashion choices.

2005-11-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

i'm always shocked at what people are willing to wear. the entire female population of the southwest living area here at umass seem to have one collective wardrobe that they all utilize. they've got an unofficial uniform: badly-done/badly-grown-out blonde highlights, white eyeliner, too much self-tanner, popped collars, ugg boots, and gaucho pants tucked into aforementioned boots. it makes my brain shrink.

on a lighter note, here are my latest progress pictures.

i'm working on a simple feather-and-fan lace scarf out of "little lovely" from handpaintedyarn.com. the scarf is a sweetly mindless little project for when i'm at work and it's too busy to work on anything that requires an iota of concentration.

i finished my about-the-house socks, using the lovely yarn that my secret pal sent me. they are wonderful! we live in a basement apartment, so when it gets cold, it stays cold and i really, really needed a warm pair of socks.

the heel gusset decreases were a bit wonky on one of the socks, as you can see in the above picture. they stretch open a bit when i'm wearing them but the problem didn't repeat itself. i’ve since used some of the leftover yarn to close up the holes. i used ann budd's the knitter's handy book of patterns for the pattern. such a great resource!

remember the nordic mittens from interweave knits i was talking about last post?
they're currently eating my brain.

i made one mistake. just one. i only realized that i had made the mistake when i was 47 rows into the chart. i started to cry. then, after trying to mash the mitten in an apoplectic fit of despair, i decided to try duplicate stitch to cover up the color mistake. it worked.

while recovering from the craft-induced beserker rage (i don't think todd will ever trust me with sharp objects/living creatures again), i discovered that knitting podcasts exist. i feel better about everything.

2005-11-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

as ambitious as i wanted to be this christmas, i don't think i'm going to be able to meet my goal of having a sweater made for mom, dad, my sister, my brother, and my boyfriend. i have class for 13 hours a week, work for 20 hours a week, and i babysit quite a bit as well. i have mom's sweater almost finished, with just finishing the sleeves and grafting the pieces together left. since we have a three-day weekend starting tomorrow, i'm hoping i can get that done.

i've decided to make socks and hats for everyone instead. i can still be just as creative with smaller projects, they're easier to carry with me to class/work, i can dye the yarn my SP sent me from knitpicks for some of the hats...i think i've convinced myself.

i'm currently obsessed with this book:

my mom got it at WEBS a while back, and i borrowed it the last time i was at home. it's a treasure. i'm ordering my own copy off amazon when i get home from work -- this is an example of a time when i'm glad i'm getting more hours at work. i can splurge on knitting goodies!

i'm not sure how i feel about the anticraft; some of the patterns are cute (like this one, although i'd probably forego the duplicate stitch and make it as an intarsia project), but altogether it feels like a crafty version of hot topic. it's a novel idea, but nothing out of the common way.

after i finish mom's sweater and my current pair of socks, i'll be working on these mittens:

from the winter 2004 issue of interweave knits. i'm making two pairs: one for myself, and one for a lucky young lady who'll definitely need them in the months to come (i know she reads this, so i have to be sneaky!). i'm not completely enamored of the color scheme as it appears in the picture, but i think the pattern would look incredibly crisp in black and white.

i can't believe i have a month and a half to get all this done! my hands will probably fall off, so tee is going to have to help me open my gifts.

later!

2005-11-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

i know i have the most wonderful boyfriend ever.

he proved it yet again today, however, and he deserves to be celebrated.

work was rather rough this morning, for myriad reasons. i wanted to go home and relax with him for a while, so i called and asked him if he could drive me. i offered to buy him lunch in return, so he skipped lunch with his friends and we went to antonio's. of course, beforehand, he kindly allowed me to get in some retail therapy at the creative needle in amherst. i walked out with:

+ a skein of sock yarn that will be knitted up for my secret pal
+ straight needles in sz 1 and 2
+ the yarn harlot's book, at knit's end: meditations for women who knit too much

and he has since put up with me rationalizing my purchases and reading sections of the book to him. he laughed at the "you know you knit too much when..." bits most because he lives with that reality.

so here's to tee.

2005-11-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

anarchy and apron strings

the article is from may, but it's still worth reading!

2005-11-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

happy halloween, everyone! i had a most excellent time.

i received a wonderful package from my amazing (and seemingly, telepathic) secret pal!

along with yarns to dye for (another wonderful addition to my library!), i received:

i was planning on buying this exact yarn from knitpicks on the exact day that i got the package. my secret pal is amazing, and has possibly evolved into the next stage of human development. they are a super-human, and probably levitated the package to me with the power of their mind. it's a great way to get around the post office, isn't it?

i'll hopefully have a few FOs to post at the end of the weekend...i'm going home to visit the family, so there'll be lots of prime knitting time as i watch horrible scifi b-movies with my dad.

FINISHED!

2005-10-20T07:07:00.000-06:00

i finished up the fairly easy fair isle cardigan from stitch 'n bitch nation last thursday. it was an impressively quick knit; even with work, school, and two other projects going at the same time, i was able to finish it within a week. hurrah!

i used brown sheep lamb's pride builky as suggested in the book, but i did change the colors since i wasn't sure of the onyx as my MC. i preferred the browned-out purple of the aubergine, so i used that instead and based my CC choices on that. it makes me feel wonderfully buxom! i'm going to crochet around the buttonholes to give them a little more stability, but i'm so very pleased!

i got a terrific package from my secret pal -- by some odd coincidence, they sent me a wonderful knitted hat that perfectly matched the cardigan! i'm not one to wear hats, but this one has barely left my head since i opened the package. i also got some lovely sock yarn and the most adorable set of magnets -- a complete godsend, since the only way todd's attention can be grabbed in the mornings is by putting what you need on/in the fridge. i'll be posting pictures later, once i get home from work.

2005-09-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

it gets kind of lonely on tuesday and thursday nights -- todd's either at the lab until late or working until 2am. however, it does leave me lots of time for knitting without guilt!

i'm completely in love with knitpicks. all of it. i've been wanting to dye so badly, and their wool of the andes is PERFECT for the job! i have four days a week off from classes and work, and there's only so much homework a girl can do!

as soon as i get my loan excess check...hoooo boy. knitpicks will be able to upgrade to a whole new facility.

my secret pal spoilee got her first surprise from me yesterday, and wrote about it in her blog! she was really excited and that totally made my day. everyone seems to be getting really, really into the exchange this time -- i can't wait to see how it all turns out!

i'll be posting WIPs and FOs tonight after knitting club at school!

2005-09-15T18:04:00.000-06:00

i got my spoiler and spoilee for secret pal six! i just emailed the person i'm spoiling and i got a very sweet email from the person who's spoiling me! i'm really, really excited and can't wait to get started!

i'm just making a quick progress update while todd is at work. i've barely seen him for half an hour altogether today and it feels sort of odd. i was half awake when he left at 8:30 this morning to work in the lab, and he was home for a little while before he left for work at the sub -- until 1:00am! poor guy, we have to be at school tomorrow for 8:30.

here goes...

my ballet tee shirt from teva durham's book loop-d-loop -- it's about halfway finished here.

and here's the finished product. i've gained some weight, most noticeably in my arms, and i'm not pleased. no more lazy ice cream nights! i love how the tee looks, though!

next up: actually finishing wendy's toe-up sock pattern, getting started on teva durham's lace leaf pullover, and making another ballet tee shirt for my mom's birthday.

good night!

2005-09-09T08:02:00.000-06:00

with school starting, moving into a new apartment, and giving my life an entire 180 degree turn from where i thought it would be heading, i haven't had time to update! i'll be posting pictures of my latest projects tonight, after school, but here's my survey for the secret pal 6! i'm so excited!

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I tend to avoid red heart and lion brand simply because I have too much of the stuff! I've used lion brand homespun to knit my two-hour hats and four-hour mittens, but I've got tons of it lying around! I don't know what to do with it!

2. Do you spin? Crochet? sadly, I don't spin, but I do crochet. My knowledge is strictly utilitarian.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) I'm allergic to smoke, and sometimes cats and dogs will make me sneeze if I haven't been around one for a long time.

4. How long have you been knitting? Almost two years.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I do! Under paintmehaunted@hotmail.com

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Mmm, peppermint, apples, cinnamon!

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Oh lord, don't get me started! I try to stick with fruit to sate it, but sometimes I get a craving for Frosted Cheerios with extra sugar and then it's "all aboard the ADD express"!

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I do cross stitch, paper-making, and a little bit of sewing.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes, my computer can play MP3s, and my music tastes are extremely varied. Right now, my favorite bands are My Chemical Romance, the Shins, An Albatross, the Decemberists, Neutral Milk Hotel, Coheed and Cambria, Death From Above 1979, the Blood Brothers, and Pretty Girls Make Graves.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I hate orange and yellow in any shades. My favorite color is red, but I love rich browns with bright jewel tones like turquoise and emerald green, and a perennial favorite color combination is hot pink and black!

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have a great family, but I live in my college town with my wonderful boyfriend and our two pet mice.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) I'd love to one day have some of my knitting designs published on Knitty or another big publication, but my main dream is to finish my fantasy novel and become famous for that! Then, I want to buy a townhouse in Boston and never miss a Red Sox home game!

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I really love Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece, and Valley Yarn's Florence and Shelburne (available at WEBS. Malabrigo is always fantastic and has great yardage, and I'm currently obsessed with Handpainted Yarns' laceweight wool.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I'm really not a fan of most pure acrylics -- I like them mixed with natural fibers, but I just detest the feel of them against my skin!

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? I'm obsessed with Loop-d-Loop's Ballet Tee and Lace Leaf Pullover patterns, and I'm overjoyed that I finally learned how to work lace patterns (thank you Barbara G. Walker stitch pattern books!)!

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks!

17. What are you knitting right now? I'm making a simple Feather and Fan lace scarf for my mom's birthday, a pair of socks for myself, and Loop-d-Loop's Ballet Tee.

18. What do you think about ponchos? Unflattering, dated, cumbersome.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars!

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Bamboo, simply because I'm a classy lady and I find nothing more soothing than knitting with a warm pair of bamboo needles! I'm happy with anything, though.

21. Are you a sock knitter? Yes! I just learned the toe-up method and I'm addicted!

22. How did you learn to knit? I was bored during Spring Break and complaining that I couldn't see my boyfriend because it was pouring snow and ice. My mom got sick of it and told me to go get the yarn and needles she had bought for me that Christmas. It took me a week, but I made a very confused stockinette stitch scarf. After that, it was love.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? Ugh, six months! I just need to seam the damn thing and I'll be fine...but I can't bring myself to do it!

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? My favorite animated character is either Optimus Prime or Danger Mouse...and I freaking love unicorns and tigers. No joke.

25. What is your favorite holiday? My favorite holiday is Christmas...but I love Halloween too.

26. Is there anything that you collect? Zombie movies! Well, horror movies of any sort, as well as Jane Austen adaptations and 80's/90's teen movies (along the lines of Empire Records and Pretty in Pink).

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Just one -- to Interweave Knits.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? Anything by Elizabeth Zimmerman, except for Knitting Without Tears.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another?? Not particularly -- I'm trying to limit myself now!

Thank you, secret pal!

2005-08-10T12:01:00.000-06:00

knitting all-nighters? they're not as fun as i thought they would be. i tried to pull one this weekend, but i think it only spend up how fast i was getting sick. i tried to get up on monday to go to work, knowing that if i didn't go, my boss would be the only one working in our department, but i almost collapsed going down the stairs. totally lame.

also lame? the fact that i have had the finished pieces for my "go everywhere go with everything" cardigan from stitch 'n bitch sitting in a pile in my room for over a month, and i haven't stitched it together yet.

ugh. i really need to get working on that, but considering the fact that i basically knit two sweaters this weekend, i think i should give myself a break before i get carpal tunnel syndrome.

i'll post more pictures of the store sweaters later.

2005-08-03T10:05:00.000-06:00

i'm not sure where i want to go with this. i have a livejournal, but for some reason i'm starting to feel closed off there. too much drama, not enough depth.

perhaps i'm just looking for a new start.

for now, this will probably be a record of my crafty exploits. enjoy!