S ‘n B Tonight!

Just a friendly reminder that it’s Stitch ‘n Bitch night tonight! 6-8pm at Catalyst Coffee on the SE corner of Horsetooth and Shields, right next to McCoy’s Morning Glory.

There was a lovely turn out last week, though I don’t know if it was just the chocolate. But, we’re always open to meeting new people who enjoy knitting, spinning, crocheting and the like!

Not much knitting news I’m afraid. I fixed the error in the Spearfish Socks, but didn’t really get any farther than I had been before that. Then I got about 2 more triangles completed on the Multidirectional scarf. Nothing worth photographing I’m afraid. But, soon there will be sock pictures. Though tonight I think it’ll be scarf night because it’s easy knitting for visiting etc.

Spearfish Socks…

Yes, the Sockapalooza design has a name!

I was inspired by some of the photos I took of three gorgeous waterfalls in the Spearfish, SD area in 2003.

Click on the ones below for larger versions…

I was able to carefully knit about 8 rounds on the sock yesterday/last night during a bout of insomnia. Unfortunately I think I missed a YO two rounds back because I’m short one stitch. That’ll teach me to not count my stitches as I’m knitting the plain round but rather before I knit that round. Because it was nearing 5am I opted to not pull out just yet. But, it’s looking good.

The repeat at the top is 12 rounds though so I’m going to make you wait to see the sock for a bit…

WTF Cast-On???

When popping into Michael’s the other day in search of something I needed for class examples I saw this on the magazine rack. Since I’m not a member of TKGA I hadn’t seen one before and I’m not one to pass up the opportunity to check out a knitting rag.

However, I have a few bones to pick…

- What the heck was up with all the photographs of garments on the models backwards? (see cover photo above and shrug photo below)

- What happened to the Sizing Guidelines?? How is a finished garment bust measurement of 44 inches a 1X??? Okay, the low end of a 1X according to the Craft Yarn Council of America is 44 inches, but that is the actual bust measurement and the sweater in question (see image below) is not an “extremely close fitting” garment. I’d say it falls between the close fitting and oversize which should then have an ease of 2-4 inches. So, even if you go with the lowest possible actual chest measurement and smallest about of ease for a standard fit the 1X the sweater really should measure 46 inches across the bust, but really more like 47-48 to include the full span of 1X size. The size markings on that should be shifted down to be Xs-L! It won’t stop me from putting this pattern (or something inspired by it) on my to knit list because I really like the detailing at the neck and shoulders (though I’m not too fond of it on the shoulders, it makes it kind of miltary-like).

I wasn’t too impressed with most of the other patterns in there either. The socks are kind of nice and I might get around to them as some point. The men’s sweater I thought was nice, but DH wasn’t too impressed so I probably won’t be knitting that either. Besides the purple fuzzy shrug being modeled backwards, it’s fuzzy over a large body area so that is definitely not for me thank you very much - even though it is my fav color. I’ll pass on having bobbles around by head and I’ll also pass on that felted project with the felt flowers.

Perhaps I was expecting too much, but it seems to me that these patterns weren’t very fitting to what I think of when I think of guild members. Perhaps it is because they don’t publish submission guidelines other than colors and shapes of garments they are looking for? I’m pretty sure I won’t be picking up one of these again unless I know there is a specific pattern in there that I have to knit (which isn’t likely given their small sizes in the garments).

Verdict of the Dr yesterday was that I have tendonitis in my wrist. That’s a relief. Between all the photo editing and class writing I do I was a little scared it might have been the beginnings of carpal tunnel. So, no knitting for a little while longer, keep icing and taking ibuprofen and she gave me a bit heftier brace to wear. Hopefully I’ll have more exciting knitting content to share with you next week!

Multidirectional Madness!

Also in my The Knitter.com order were these 4 skeins of Noro Silk Garden, No 47…

Which after many episodes of Millenium and a taco bar birthday party over the weekend became this…

Once again, I’m using a sz 8 (US) needle. It makes a nice soft fabric - not too stiff and not lacey.

DH made a special request for this particular pattern a few weeks ago. I had originally had other plans in mind, but when the man asks for something specific, that is what he gets because that way I know he’ll wear it. I’m feeling a tad bit of a crunch though because his birthday is the 25th. And, while I had gotten him other gifts and he chose the yarn and has seen me knitting the scarf I’d still like to be done by the 25th.

However, pacing is not in my vocabulary… It seems after feeling a crunch I’ve pushed a bit too hard. My wrist started aching last night. I thought it would be better this morning, but it’s not. So, I have the wrist brace on once again :-( That’ll make Stitch ‘n Bitch interesting this evening. I’ll perhaps have to bring my laptop and my stitch books and work on my Sockapalooza sock design instead of actually knitting. We’ll see I guess.

Speaking of Stitch ‘n Bitch, there is a chocolate tasting that is overlapping into Stitch ‘n Bitch time tonight. Can it get any better than great coffee with great service, free chocolate and a bunch of knitting and bitching?? I think not!

Some of you out there reading this better make it this week, we’re very nearly a month into the new year and you aren’t meeting your resolution! ;-) You know who you are, so there is no need to name, names….

EDIT: Sorry, I hadn’t read your blog yet. You gotta make it soon, though!

Sockapalooza Time!

I placed an order from The Knitter.com on Monday. The order arrived on Tuesday! I was floored. Granted, she is in Boulder, only about 1 hr away. But I was never expecting for it to ship the same day I placed my order. Plus, she has free shipping and there was 1 ball of yarn in my order that was back ordered. It’s often been my experience that places that offer free shippin wait until the entire order is ready to ship. But she didn’t wait and I’m quite happy.

Actually happy isn’t the right word. Ecstatic is more like it. You see, in the last month I’ve had not ONE single on-line ordering experience go well. I had Folk Socks from Amazon show up absolutely used even though I was buying a new copy (I have nothing against used books, in fact I love them, but this was a broken spine, a creased back cover and last 20 pages, the edges of the spine on both the front and back were totally worn of all printing and it was supposed to be a new copy - bad, bad, bad). Then I order the Love Socks shirt from CafePress only to get the wrong item in the wrong size with the wrong image on it. My sister had also ordered my Christmas present from B&N and I got the wrong format even though she had paid for the DVD version I got the VHS because their on-line catalog had the UPC for the VHS listed on teh DVD page. So, I really needed this spot of on-line ordering heaven to give me back my confidence.

In that order was the sock yarn I chose for the sockapalooza socks I’ll be knitting over the next two months (or less, I’m hoping). I haven’t chosen a pattern yet. I’m trying to decide if I want to design my own or use an actual pattern. And, I didn’t get a lot of info from my future sock recipient. She said to knit what I like. So, I chose the color based on her FOs from last year. I’m leaning towards a lacey sock. But, I’m not sure just yet…

More on my yarn order tomorrow…