Yay for yarn shipments!

There is no better feeling than coming home to a big box o' yarn freshly shipped from wherever. I want to pile all the skeins up like leaves on the front lawn and roll in them, toss them in the air... It's just so refreshing, you know? All those crisp ball bands and bright colours. So this knitpicks order I got:

2 - Merino Style Nutmeg (for current sweater)
3 - Merino Style Asparagus (for current sweater)
1 each - Wool of the Andes in Fern, Daffodil and Chestnut (for T's hat)
2 - WotA in Mist (for who knows what, maybe gloves or a hat for me)
10 - WotA in Amber Heather, which is very pretty IRL! (for cropped shrug sweater thing)

So all told that's 20 lovely skeins. And I still have quite a few skeins left from my last order, so I am not allowed to order any more until I have used them up. Unless I run out of yarn for the sweaters, which is likely. I think I have a few more balls of Merino Style in a bright orange, 5 skeins of Main Line in chocolate, and a random skein of Shamrock that isn't big enough to do anything with (don't ask me why I only ordered one, wasn't thinking clearly that day aparently).

Stripey sweater is progressing nicely. I know i'm slack with the piccies but I'll try to take some this weekend. Should hopefully finish the first sleeve cap tonight, and then just the second sleeve and the button band to finish knitting! Hopefully 'twill be done within the week. I am very anxious to begin a different project. Dammit, I just remembered that Beth has my US6 24" circular needle, so the button band will have to wait until i can make it to the craft store. bleh.

T wants his hat in rugby-ish stripes with a foldover ribbed brim, which i kinda think is going to look crappy but we'll see.

I want to whip myself up Fetching before it gets too cold. I love me some fingerless gloves but i think I've misplaced my usual pair and after finished the Knucks i don't think i want to venture into another pair any time soon.

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In other news, I made my girlfriend order me a new pair of 1/2" acrylic plugs off of ebay, because it appears I've developed an allergy to the rosewood ones I've been wearing for the last several months. Damn me and my sensitive damn skin. I can't wear most metals in my ears -- the one exception being surgical steel -- and since that generally comes in piercing jewelry that's kinda why i started stretching my ears in the first place. And metal necklaces make my neck turn all lizardy, so i can only wear those for a short period of time too.

This sweater has rekindled my love of knitting. I must admit I had become a little jaded with the needles, bored of scarves and hats but without the financial or temporal resources to invest in a larger project. So I dabbled in other things: a little cross-stitching here, a little painting there. And then I made the commitment to a sweater. The original intention was to follow this pattern, but after numerous frustrations with gauge and dimensions I had to frog the whole thing, and I decided to take a completely mathematical approach to designing something loosely based on Sesame but with a few modifications that better suited my tastes.

I cannot tell you how many pages of notepaper I've used for this, and how much damn math I've had to do. When I've finished the thing, depending on whether it actually fits, I'll type up the pattern and post it here. Currently I can tell you this much: The number of rows per stripe is consistent over both the ribbing and stockinette parts of the sweater, which was something I greatly disliked about the original pattern; I've kept with the waist shaping but calculated increases and such based on my own dimensions; I've made the sleeves and the body longer, to suit my amazon-like proportions; and I've made it into a V-neck rather than that floppy collar thing. Unfortunately because of the gauge issue I did not order enough yarn to begin with, so about halfway through I ordered a few more skeins and it looks like that's still not going to be enough. I'm using DK weight merino on US6 needles. Thus far I have finished the back panel and both front panels, and (go me!) I have been good about the finishing work and weaving in the ends once I finish a panel instead of at the end. Yesterday morning I seamed the shoulders, and retrospectively realized that I should have kept those stitches live and used the 3-needle bind-off, but the modified grafting worked pretty well anyway. I just wanted to check the fit, and so far it's definitely doing well in length and from what I can tell will be fine in width. I started on one of the sleeves the night before last, and I'm a little nervous about it because I've only ever done top-down raglan construction so I've never had to do a sleeve cap before. I can tell you right now, though, it will be a long time before I attempt another striped sweater. All those yarn ends! The horror!


And now, fueled by the thus-far success of this project, I've ordered yarn for another sweater: a cropped long-sleeve hooded cardigan shrug, based on craftster thread. It'll be a heathered brown. I'm excited to finish the stripey one and move on to this.

I've been wanting to concentrate more on knitting for myself, especially now that the weather is turning a little colder. I do, however, still have a couple projects lined up for others. There's the other fingerless glove for Beth, which I'd like to get to her before it gets too cold in the City but I can't bear to put down the stripey sweater just yet to work on something else; and I've promised a friend of mine a simple striped hat, which I intend to finish relatively soon but hang on to until I can give it to him as a cheer-up present when he's house-bound in January for top surgery. I've put the halter top that I was doing on hold, considering the weather is starting to cool down, and maybe I'll pick that up before spring and maybe I'll just scrap it altogether.

So that's it for the craftiness. In other news I'm working on cutting unnatural foods out of my diet, most especially those containing high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, and I've actually been exercising. I've started doing at least ten minutes of reps per day (except on my long work days) and when I have the time, 2-3 times per week, taking a half-hour walk around my neighborhood. I've been very good about it so far, and I already feel better. Heh.

Sesame woes...

EDIT: I screwed up the gauge irreparably. I'm an idiot. So now I'm going to frog the whole thing and try again. But at least now I've got some idea of where I went wrong, and what I need to do. I'm really not that upset about this -- there were a couple things about the pattern that I wasn't as fond of, and now I'll just make up my own pattern that's loosely based on Sesame.

Sesame, Part 1

I ordered a big ol' batch of yarn from Knitpicks recently -- 21 freakin' skeins for 46 bucks! I know there's a boycott going around because of their less-than-savory pattern-stealing practices, but my boycott list is long enough for the time, and i just can't resist good-quality yarn at those prices. (I'm poor, gimme a break.)

Anyway, i've been lusting after Magknit's Sesame for quite some time, so i broke down and bought the yarn. I'm using knitpick merino style in Asparagus and Nutmeg. I had the hardest time choosing the colours--as much as i love colour and pride myself on having a heightened awareness of colour theory, i just could not make a pleasing match -- i loved the shade of green of the asparagus, but nothing seemed to go with it, so i made my girlfriend pick its mate. Still not sure, but i suppose it's too late now anyway and we'll just see how it goes. So far i'm about half done with the back portion, and i've only been working on it for a couple of days. It's knitting up a lot faster than i thought it would, especially since it's DK on US6s. And i'm being a good girl and weaving in my ends a few at a time as i go along, because i HATE finishing and knowing me i'd get all the pieces finished and then it would sit in my WIPs pile forever because i can't fathom doing all that finishing at once.

Also, using the same yarn in Moss i'm making Knitty's Knucks for Beth, to keep her warm in NYC (to which said beastie just moved with her girlfriend, damn her). I finished one, but i'm putting the second off until i've worked on Sesame a bit more -- i get bored working on one big project consistently, so i'm breaking up a few of my planned projects, hopefully to be done with all by October. That's the goal, anyway.

I'm in the new apartment now, have been for a month, and i'm still not unpacked. Big surprise, eh? I started taking pictures but the damn batteries in my camera died, and i know i have some around here but they're in a box somewhere. So that'll come later.

excuses and x-stitch

okay, i know i have been conspicuously absent. there's been a whole hell of a lot going on in my life lately.

1) Work has been busier, which means less time to play on the comp, because i actually make most of my posts at work. silly me. It's a good thing, I guess, because as a brand-new small business we should be busy, but i've been overly stressed and felt lately like i'm just spread too thinly to be as effective as i need to be. Not to mention that one of my coworkers left, so we had to hire someone new who has the knowledge but not the experience, which means we're all trying to train her in everything while still keeping up with our own duties.

2) Three of my favourite people are moving away this month. My best friend Beth is moving to new york city with her girlfriend at the end of the month. right now i'm not even letting myself think about this, and how incredibly depressed i am going to be when she's gone. My most-recent-ex-girlfriend Erin is moving to the City at the end of the month as well (completely unrelated to Beth's move). I haven't seen her much since we broke up, but we still talk and she's still very important to me. And Louise, my best friend from high school and my first love, who I have known since i was 16 and she was 15, left three days ago for Australia to study abroad for a year. I've been spoiled because she's lived only half an hour away for the last 4 years, but by the time she comes back (i suppose that's an "if", really) i probably won't be living here anymore. So i've been spending as much time as possible with these people lately before they go, and trying not to think about what my life is going to be like without them here.

3) I'm moving to a new apartment. In two days. It's only across town, but still, moving is such a hassle. it's one of those houses that has been split into separate apartments, and my place is a little one-bedroom on the first floor. i think part of it might have been a front porch in a former life, but has since been enclosed, because the entire front of the apartment is huge, beautiful windows. i'm so excited about all the natural light! no idea what i'm going to do about curtains, though. i'd rather make my own, but based on the yardage i'd need i think it'll be more cost-effective to just buy some. but i'm allowed to paint, so i have some fantastic ideas about what i'm going to do with the space. namely at least one wall in a bright spring green. i'm taking proactive action against my seasonal depression this year with paint and natural lighting. heh. the main downside of this place is the lack of storage (only two closets! gah!) so i need to come up with something creative for storing my crafty shite. i think i might track down a nice tall dresser and refinish it, since i love redoing furniture anyway, and just use that. there will be pictures of everything once i move in and unpack, never you fear.

4) Being stressed out from everything has taken a physical toll on my body, so i've been sleeping a lot and watching a lot of mind-numbing tv to keep my mind off of everything. my girlfriend has been stressed lately too, but her stress manifests itself in physical problems, and she's been in and out of doctor's offices lately. i'm worried about her, and that just makes everything else harder.

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okay, enough with the excuses. on to what i've been doing lately, craft-wise. i've taken a hiatus from knitting, because the last few projects i've work on have just been either frustrating-to-the-point-of-giving-up, or solely to use up yarn in my stash. i've got a few big projects in mind, but i've been putting off ordering the yarn until i've 1) moved; and 2) recovered from the financial strain of moving. i'm not a very organized person to begin with, and my projects have an unfortunate habit of ending up all over my house in various states of dishabille, needles misplaced, run out of yarn halfway through, etc.

My newly-acquired hobby: cross stitching! I finally broke down and ordered a kit from Subversive Cross Stitch. Here is my first-ever piece:

It has not been washed or framed yet, obviously. I was surprised at how easy the whole thing was, and how very much i enjoyed it. so of course i went out a bought more fabric and embroidery floss and such. my second project was a birthday present for my mother. i bought one of the little kits that was on sale, and even though it's cheesy mom will like it:

she likes anything with flowers, really. her birthday was two weeks ago and my slackass hasn't framed or mailed it yet. but i told her i'm coming to visit some time in the next month, so i'll bring it with me then.

i made another one for a friend of mine, but it turned out horribly so i'm too embarrased to post a picture of it.

i really like the concept of x-stitching, but it's hard to stay away from the cheese-factor with it. in the spirit of subversive cross stitch i've been sketching up ideas for snarky little phrases, and visions of campy wall decor are dancing in my head. i'm working on one right now that involves dinosaurs, so we'll see how that turns out.

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i leave you with my final image of the day: my other kitty, Duck, and her affinity for electronic devices.

Sock knitting?

Am I the only one who *gasp* doesn't understand the point of sock knitting? I feel blasphemous saying that. They take forever, those tiny needles hurt, and really it's so much cheaper and more functional to buy things to wear on your feet which will only get smelly and eventually full of holes. Or maybe I'm just bitter because my feet are so large. Yeah, that must be it. But i hear so many people gushing about how much they love sock knitting, and i feel like i'm missing out on something. Every attempt i've made i just get pissed off and resolve never to try again. Bah.

Oh, the kitten has a name now. Loosey. As in Loosey-Goosey. So I've got Duck and a permutation of Goose. Because I'm a sucker for stupid puns, especially when it comes to naming my pets. She is at this moment pawing at my knee and meowing in that high-pitched way of hers.

I went to the liberry this morning and picked up a few knitting books. Joelle Hoverson's Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, Melanie Falick's Weekend Knitting, and Kathleen Taylor's Knit One, Felt Too. Plus a book on embroidery, because I like embellishing things, especially knitted bags and stuff, but I know next to nothing about the particular knots.

first handspun, pt. 2

And the spinning continues. Here is the result of my first foray into the world of spinning. Obviously it's rather uneven, and I think I may have twisted it all too tightly, but it's currently drying on a hanger in my shower after being soaked to hopefully stretch out some of the kinks. I think it ended up being about 50 yards long -- don't know what I could do with that little yarn, but maybe i'll just leave it lying around as a memento of my humble beginnings. Or something like that.

I've got some purple and black roving that I may fuss with soon, try for something a good bit thinner. And probably just one color at a time. I like the pink, I like the teal, but the colors together are very, uh, obnoxious?

kitten

for good measure -- kitten love. this is my new baby. she has a temporary name but i haven't decided on a perma-name yet. she has the prettiest orange eyes you've ever seen.

first handspun, pt. 1

have not been terribly productive lately, as i've been covering a lot of shifts for a coworker that is in europe for the next two weeks, not to mention watching her cats.

after much deliberation, i've decided to try my hand at crossstitching (why do the three s's in that word delight me so?) i order the "irony is not dead" kit from subversive crossstitch today, so i'll be on the edge of my seat until that arrives.

(and this attempt to learn a new skill comes hard on the heels of ordering debbie stoller's happy hooker, oohing and aahing over the patterns, crochet stitches dancing in my head -- and then spending about 5 minutes with hook in hand before rolling my eyes in utter exasperation. i think i unfortunately have a very ingrained distaste for crochet that is interfering with the expansion of my skill set.)

but! i have learned to spin. my yarn is wobbly and uneven, but better than i thought it would be on the first try. still not sure i'm doing it quite right, but i suppose when i actually attempt to knit with it i'll know for sure.

i bought the roving and spindle a year or so ago and could never quite get the hang of it on my own, but after a brief lesson from lystessa i was ready to try again.

started with this teal wool and spun the lot of it. then i wound it onto a toilet paper tube and moved on to a lovely length of hot pink roving. spun the whole damn thing, this time much more evenly, and it is languishing on a toilet paper tube right now too. hopefully tonight i will get around to attempting to ply it, and see if this mess o' fibers actually becomes yarn.

i am childishly proud of this; if i had a magnet strong enough i'd totally make mom put it up on her fridge.

also, within the past couple weeks i've finished a couple of pantas. you know, that headband thingit that's been floating around craftster for ages. i started making one about a month ago with some scrap patons classic merino i had lying around, but i ran out of yarn 3/4 of the way through so i had to frog it. stupid me.

this one is made of cheap pink acrylic crap, worsted weight, on US5 needles. i made it with the original number of ribs, and the damn thing doesn't stay on my head very well.


so i moved on to green, and made it with one less rib -- and i think this one turned out a hell of a lot better. it just doesn't seem so huge.

and in case you can't tell, no i have not mastered the art of taking pictures of myself. shh.

that's all for right now -- stay tuned for the saga of the ginormous bag from hell!

okay, i think i've finally gotten this up and running how i want it. yay. so when i have time i'll make a post (with pictures! new camera! w00t!)