Monday, August 28, 2006

these are o.r. scrubs. oh, are they?

Satin Coat, Versace, $2143. I should take my mom's advice and marry a doctor. There were a few comments about that coat - yes, it's way too expensive, and yes I love it. I would almost spend my savings for that coat, that's pretty bad. It's my favorite color, too.

Anyway, enough about that. I have been working on my forever unfinished sweater. I was a wondering if it was going to be the right size, and I couldn't tell if it was too big or too small, but it seems to be just right.

Picture 77231

I am getting near the last repeat of the pattern. Then there are just a bunch of eyelets and ribbing to the collar. I hope that part of it goes faster. Knitting cables and ribbing on size 2 needles seems like it's taking forever. It looks pretty, though. It will be nice when it's finished.

I got a lot done while I watched Rusmore on Sunday afternoon. Rushmore is one of my favorite movies - it brings back lots of memories. When I was 15, I went to see it with all of my friends and they all hated it and I was in heaven because it's awesome. It also has Luke Wilson in it and he's pretty yummy.

The poor sock has been abandoned for now. It has been left to the size of my bed, waiting to be ripped. I figured out what I'm going to do about the heel - I'll do what
Cara did here, make a regular heel flap, just backwards. It should make it a bit less plain and hopefully fit better. I think I'll leave the rest of the sock in plain stockinette, the colors make a nice enough pattern.

Picture 77234

I haven't done much knitting this weekend. My mom's in town for the week, so I've spent a lot of time with her. It's so nice to see my mommy everyday, especially at night before bed. It makes me really happy. She's also been feeding me - I haven't had Cheerios once for dinner since she's been here. She bought me some sleepy vitamins to help me sleep better, too. I love my mommy.

Since this post is about all kinds of crap, there's one more thing. I bought Push Barman to Open Old Wounds by Belle & Sebastian. It's a collection of songs from different EPs they did. I have some of the EPs already, so disc 1 is pretty useless, but I don't have any of the songs from disc 2, so it's like getting a new B&S cd. It's very cool. I'm pretty sure that mostly no one that will read this will know what I'm talking about, but that's okay.

Friday, August 25, 2006

i love september

Trees change color, leaves fall, lovely deep blue skies, Thanksgiving, cold air, sweaters, that smell... my favorite smell of fall.

And the new season comes out!

Picture 77229Picture 77227

There were only three good magazines at the store last night, so that's all I got. I flipped through for about two seconds and found that bright blue coat. I want that coat. There is also an article in In Style about cabled knitted bags. I thought that was kind of cool. I have been planning on making a cabled purse for awhile now. Maybe this fall, since apparently it is in style.

cabled purse

This is one I found months ago, but I don't remember what the pattern was or what site I found it on. I saved the picture just for an idea - it looks pretty easy to figure out how they did that. It is really cute, so I might do something similar.

This is kind of sad. Poor Pluto, I always liked that planet. I guess there's some arguing over it though. I don't really know enough about the solar system to completely understand it. I guess I never paid enough attention.

I am having serious doubts about the knee-highs. I don't really like the short-row heel and I think they are a little too plain for me. Even if they had some arch shaping or something, it would be much better. I'm giving the sock a little time to grow on me before I rip it. I do like the colors a lot, so I'll have to figure something out.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

colors

Lately I've noticed that my inspiration comes from strange places. There was a dress in the window of Jessica McClintock in the mall this past weekend in a silky deep green and I thought that might be the color for my Frost Flowers and Leaves.

Then I went to Banana Republic and found the most gorgeous raspberry color sweater (of course I bought it), but thought that might be the right color.

I also found some gorgeous blues at JCrew and now I think my color choices are too bright and too deep for this shawl. If I could get the silk in deep green it would be perfect, but that won't happen.

So I will have to just keep my eye out for more inspiration. That teal wool looks a lot like the color I'm using for my rib & cable pullover (it is one of my favorite colors, but more like the shade of the dress). With all the time I'm going to spend making this thing, I want to have a color I will actually like in the end.

Later in the day - I've found this great shade of Zephyr called "Chanel". It's that last one of the pictures, the fuschia-ish color. Maybe that will be it, though it is approaching being a bit too tacky. I've also discovered Helen's Lace, but that may be out of my price range. Then there is this stuff, Grignasco MerinoSilk that looks nice. This is probably the most work I've ever done finding the right yarn for something - and I've hardly spent any time so far. I guess there's no rush. The hard part of all of this is possibly spending $100 on wool I can't see or feel before I buy it. I don't like that idea very much. I will just have to find out what other people like to use for lace.

MO06073893_BL8471_FA06_m71205_BL8442br417187-10p01v01Ruby163766163767MarineChanel

Monday, August 21, 2006

hazey jane

A new sock. Destined to be knee-high (if the 215 yards will make it so).

sock

That is my first (second really, i ripped the first one) short-row heel. I haven't decided on it yet. I do like making heel flaps, picking up stitches and decreasing, and doing that in reverse for toe-up. The short-row heels are sort of low key, which is nice. It adds to the plainness of the stockinette.

This yarn has interesting pooling. I'm not sure it would be called pooling, but it's sort of got tiger stripes. They're kind of pretty I guess. I thought about doing a leaf lace pattern of some sort, but sometimes the lace gets lost in all that color, so I thought stockinette would do. It's doing alright for now, but I'll probably have to elastify the ribbing in the tops when they are done.

Maybe these socks will be a good excuse to buy a new skirt for fall. :) And maybe some new shoes, too!

Thursday, August 17, 2006

say hello to the angels

Swallowtail

It came out very pretty! My favorite parts of triangular shawls are the very tips of the triangle. The yarn over patterns are so cool. It's also not too small:

Swallowtail

Swallowtail

Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark (from Fall 2006 Interweave)
Misti Alpaca Lace, 1 skein
Size 2 Addi Naturas
Finished size: 42x21"
August 12-16, 2006

I was concerned about the size when it was finished, but it blocked out large enough to wear. Since I used smaller needles (size 2 instead of 4), it came out smaller, but it's still okay. It actually warmed me up a bit while I was wearing it, which I found very strange because of how light it is. I am definitely going to make another black shawl - next time much bigger, though. Black is so elegant and really brings out the pattern in a way that sometimes colored yarn doesn't.

I want blocking wires! The whole string business still doesn't make a straight enough edge for me. It is better than just pins - I can't seem to get a straight edge at all with that method. Maybe I'll slip some in my next yarn purchase. :-)

Next on the list is Frost Flowers & Leaves from A Gathering of Lace. I would love to use the Jade Sapphire cashmere for it, but I need over 3000 yards. That would be over $300! AH. I will definitely have to find something else to use. I would love to use the same silk that Eunny used, but that would cost about $200. I was thinking of maybe Merino Oro, or I could use the yarn recommended by the pattern, Jamieson & Smith, though maybe in cobweb weight. That would fulfill my dream of making a proper huge shawl with shetland wool. I've wanted to do that since I was 17 and read about shetland lace from a big needlepoint book I got from the Texere mill in Bradford. I should have made one that summer - I had all the time in the world.

Swallowtail

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

mini

Hmm... it might be a little small.

Picture 77136

Picture 77143

If Bear can wear it as a large shawl, there could be a problem - he is only 15 inches tall. The unstretched measurements are 29x12, but it feels like it might stretch a lot when I block it. It's in the sink right now having a bath, so we'll see.

That unblocked black lace is damn ugly, that's for sure. Bear does makes it glamorous, though (even with his shredded feet).

Monday, August 14, 2006

the hazards of knitting

eyeache headache armache eyeache fingerache eyeache dizzy dizzy dizzy dizzy

Swallowtail

106 rows done, two charts left - 28 rows to go. Of course, 28 growing rows including over 100 more p5togs, not as simple as it sounds.

But the p5togs are worth it. See the little round ball looking things near the bottom? They will be prettier when it's blocked, of course, but they are neat because they are flat discs, not raised like bobbles. I used a size 0 needle to help with the p5togs. If it were thicker yarn it wouldn't be as hard to do, but the thin splitty lace yarn doesn't make for easy p5togs.

Knitting usually doesn't give me a headache, but I think it's the fiddly lace with the fiddly pattern. It wasn't bad until I got to the "lily of the valley" part of the pattern. The spiders are easy to make and it was easy to memorize the pattern, so I could do a lot of it without looking.

José - i think it feels like tarantulas - soft, fuzzy and a little silky, almost like plush velvet. :)

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Friday, August 11, 2006

made in vietnam

A few weeks ago, after the sadness, I was at the yarn shop trying to buy a set of rosewood size 1 Lantern Moon needles. I noticed that the rosewood ones that I have don't seem as fragile as the ebony ones. Especially since the two that broke were made of ebony. Since these needles cost about $20, I was very disappointed that they broke. I asked the lady at the yarn store if she knew if they replace needles, and she was so nice and helpful and called Latern Moon to ask. We found out that they do replace needles, which I was excited about.

While driving home (you are still allowed to drive and talk in Tampa, though not in DC), I called the number she gave me and talked to a really nice lady at Latern Moon. I told her that I had two broken needles and that it was my fault that one broke, but the second one was not my fault. I asked if I could pay for one of the needles - she said no, I'll just send you two new ones. I was amazed! I asked her if I could please pay for one of them, and she said no. Oh well.

About two weeks later I received a nice tube in the mail, my replacement Latern Moons! I got home and pulled them out to use them, and then saw they were size 2's, not 1's. :-(

I emailed to the email address on the invoice and asked if I should send them back and they said no - bonus, you can keep those size 2's and we'll send you new size 1's.

A few weeks later, another tube arrived - my size 1's!

Lantern Moons

What a happy day! I love these needles and I am very impressed with the company and quality of service.

On another note, I got a catalog in the mail and thought some of the clothes were quite pretty. I have never heard of it before - Peruvian Connection. There are definitely a lot of things I would never wear, but there are a few nice pieces, and a lot of alpaca!

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

violaceous

I have to say, this is a very cool birthday present.

Flower Basket Shawl

Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn Clark (Fiber Trends)
Misti Alpaca dk 4-ply 80% Baby Suri Alpaca, 20% Silk, color 1750 (PURPLE)
About 400 yards
Size 5 Addi Turbos
August 1 - August 8, 2006
I did 11 repeats of the main pattern
The only modification I made was I used a sl2, k1, psso double decrease instead of the sl1, k2tog, psso. I think it makes it look nicer.
Finished size: 49 inches across, 23 inches down

This yarn has a really nice drape, and makes a warm shawl. I like all the colors it comes in, too. We work in a really cold office, and my friend doesn't like to wear sweaters, so she's getting a pretty purple shawl for her birthday. She might not wear this in the office either, but I'm sure she'll like it.

Here are some more pictures:

Flower Basket Shawl

Flower Basket Shawl

Flower Basket Shawl

This was the first triangular shaped shawl I've made. I like how it starts with only 2 stitches and grows on the bias. The Swallowtail Shawl from the new Interweave is similar (also by Evelyn Clark), and since I already happen to have a ball of misti alpaca lace yarn, I think I will start that one tonight. I started it last night, but the size 4 needles recommended by the pattern produce lace that is just too loose for me. Maybe it's me, maybe I knit too loose, though I don't think so.

I would like to figure out lace enough to make my own patterns, but it's not time for that yet. One of the next ones will be Frost Flowers & Leaves from A Gathering of Lace. It is just gorgeous.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

whatever makes you happy

Some things I love about Virginia:

Picture 77000
Leo
Picture 77008
My most favorite road - along with clouds!
Picture 77016
We can't get caribou down here in Florida, and it makes us very sad. :-(

I also went to the yarn store and found some pretty sock yarn. I have to find a pattern for it, maybe these or these, though I'm probably going to find a different yarn to use for those second ones. They need a more solid colored yarn to show the holes better.

This is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Purple Iris. I think that brown bit on the top left is supposed to represent the dead leaves or something, I'm not quite sure. It is still a pretty color combination. I found some light blue stuff that I wanted to get, but they only had one skein - such sadness.

Picture 76980

The shawl is finished - this is a picture before I knit the edging. It doesn't seem to be as big as I wanted it to be, but I think it will grow quite a bit when I block it. It will also look like a shawl and not a gigantic purple egg carton.

Picture 76977

Saturday, August 05, 2006

beauty

ralph lauren jacket

I absolutely love this jacket - It's Ralph Lauren Fall 2006. My old fashion mania has returned, and I'm so excited. I can't wait for September's two-inch thick magazines! :-)

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

he took all of my sins and he wrote a pocket novel called the state that I'm in

sitemap

José's is prettier than mine. Mine looks like it belongs to a boy. :-( I honestly don't understand this, or the point of it, but it's cool to watch it being made.

This is day #4 - home all day watching movies. I finished Firewall, and watched A Good Woman, because I like Scarlett. I snuck out to Blockbuster today because I was about to go crazy, and got that movie and the Pallbearer. I got the Pallbearer again (already watched it on Sunday), because I only saw the last half.

I made a discovery today, as well. After trying two different kinds of chicken soup, I decided to make my own. I got some chicken broth that is usually pretty bland, and simmered it with onions, bay leaves and salt and pepper and it made a really tasty broth. I put chicken in it as well, but the chicken was a bit of a disaster. It's a good start to soup if I can figure out how to make the chicken properly. :-)

I have 6 repeats done of the Flower Basket Shawl. With nothing else to do, knitting goes pretty fast. Here's a little progress shot:

Picture 76976

I have used up just over 1 skein of yarn so far, and I bought 4, so I think it will make a pretty big shawl, which is what I want.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

purple baby alpacas from peru

Another day at home (3rd day in a row), feeling like crap (infected sinuses & ears, yuk), I decided to go out to the yarn store. I found exactly what I wanted.

Misti

80% Baby Alpaca, 20% Silk 4-ply dk in PURPLE (though the picture makes it look blue)
To make this:

Flower Basket Shawl

Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn Clark (Fiber Trends)

Flower Basket

Flower Basket

I did a few repeats of the pattern tonight. Since the yarn is so thick, it goes along pretty quickly. The pattern suggested size 10 (!) needles for dk weight yarn, but I'm using size 5. I tried it out with 8's, and it was too loose. 7's were too loose as well, so I just went down to 5's and it's turning out nicely. I agree with Eunny about using a smaller needle for the design to show better. I like the yarn overs in lace to make the holes, not the space inside individual stitches.

I also changed the double decreases in the pattern. They call for a sl1, k2tog, psso, which I did for the first two rows. You can see it in the picture above on the left on the stem - there are two twisted looking stitches. I decided to change it to the way the double decreases are done on the jaywalkers - sl2, k1, psso. It makes the decreases invisible, and makes the lines of the pattern flow better. This way the stems all flow into eachother, instead of looking sloppy.

This is for my friend for her birthday September 1st. Her favorite color is purple, which was a bit hard to find, but I am really happy with this yarn and pattern - it will be pretty.

I have watched a ton of movies the last couple of days. I won't mention one of them, because I didn't like it at all - though it won some awards, which I don't understand. Besides that, The Pallbearer, Miss Congeniality, 28 Days, Boiler Room, Bereft (boring, though it does remind me a bit of how I've been feeling the last 5 months), Annapolis, and I'm in the middle of Firewall. I also have Derailed to watch. I liked Annapolis - it reminded me a bit of a really nice day I had a few years ago (including the lead character's name). Sometimes I wish I was 17 again.