The feats and foibles of a fiber fanatic.
2/17/2005
Tuesday was Emma’s Adoption Day. We got her from a rescue two years ago. Since we do not know her exactly age or her birthday we celebrate her adoption day as her birthday. She was my Valentine that year and I’ve never had such a great Valentine - before or after! If you go by the information we got when we adopted her, she should be about 3.5 years old. We think she’s probably closer to 5 years old.
Here is Emma enjoying her present, and boy has she been enjoying it!
Obligatory knitting content - I ripped out what I had done at SnB on Clapotis because I somewhere had forgotten to do an increase and I ribbed back several rows individually and I still hadn’t found it, so I frogged it. I’m now up to 11 stitch markers in the increase section, but am contemplating ripping and moving up a needle size.
Question: Given that the yarn is 52% Rayon and 48% Cotton am I better off having a slightly tight gauge to keep it from growing over time, or should I go up a needle size? How much does dropping the stitches change the drape? If it’s feeling a bit stiff will it loosen when I drop those stitches?
2/15/2005
I finished the knitting on it on Friday evening before the midnight showing of Casablanca. I had roughly 4 yds to spare I think. Not much anyway.
I wove in ends on Sunday and I blocked it yesterday and he got it as a Valentine’s present. He’s wearing it at present (or rather, he wore it to work today) because it is snowing big time today. I’m so glad. He just about left without it, but then he remembered he had a scarf and put it on. Had he left it, I’d have a photo for you. But, I’m glad he wore it.
I was all worried that my getting it done would seal us having 50 degree weather for the remainder of the winter like we’ve had for the majority of the new year so far. So, hopefully I’ll talk him into a photo shoot over the weekend sometime when he’s home during daylight hours.
Here is my Textiles A Mano Cotton Rayon Tape Yarn that I’m using for Claptis. I took a box, pushed a dowel through it and have these balls on them so I can pull from the outside and not twist the ribbon too much. It’s working pretty good, though it is awful slippery and when it gets to the very edges of the ball it likes to slip off and wrap around the dowel. I got cast on and through two increase sections at SnB last night. I didn’t get a ton done as we were busy talking about the job market and husbands and sweater design etc. But, it is looking interesting. I figure we’ve all seen a hundred pics of Clapotis in progress around the blogs so there is no need to show you one of this one until there is something more significant to look at.
I will get to the second Sockapalooza sock. I write my final lesson for the new class at Designedly, Kristi today, so I’m planning on focusing on the sock later this week. That top just requires so much concentration that I don’t have the opportunity to do so expect when DH is at work and I’m trying to be really good and work while he’s at work. I think I’m also having a hard time picking it up because I know there are things I’ll change the next time I knit this sock, but for the second sock I have to match the first one and not make those changes. I think that is causing a bit of stumbling block for me. This is only my second case of second sock syndrome!
This is the yarn steal I got off of Ebay last week. It arrived on Friday. It’s Cascade Sierra #8, an 80/20 cotton-wool blend. It’s a worsted weight. I guess I got the killer deal because they were miss packaged and the tags say they are 192 yd, but they are 170 yds according to the auction. I figure this will make a great spring and summer night sweater. I’m going to design it myself. I have some ideas of details I like, but I’m no farther than that.
In fact, the yarn is still in its bag because I’m not going to let myself open it until the second Sockapalooza, Spearfish sock is completed. So, since I have some time, I’d love to have suggestions from any of you on sweater styles that flatter a pear shape with an ample chest (DH loves the ribbed turtle nexk sweaters on me, but a gal can only have so many of those, right?). And, your favorite books to reference when designing. I’ll probably invest in one or two, but will go to the library and use ILL for what I need as well. So, bring it on! :-)
I want YOUR comment! :-)
Yeah, I’m fishing for comments…
2/14/2005
Dear Secret Pal -
You are too kind! That yarn you sent from Be Sweet is sooo full of yummy textures!* I can’t wait to wind them into balls, but I wanted to do the photo shoot with them in their original hanks. And, Twizzlers! Thank you! Thay are my comfort and snacky food of late. I was down to only one and I just couldn’t bring myself to eat that last one and here a new pack arrived. So, DH ate the last one for me :-) And those pens are awesome colors. I’ve been admiring the new Sharpie colors, but hadn’t played with them yet and I’ve never tried the Identi-Pens in my art journaling so I’m quite excited. I write my last lesson for a while today and tomorrow and then I should have some “play” time once again :-) The lotion is great! I actually had gotten the exact one from SIL1 last year for my birthday and it’s been gone for a while now. And, the container is so usefull for other things when empty too. The Braille card it really, cool! I still can’t believe you work with blind people. What are the chances that someone with a blind mother would randomly get paired up with someone who works with blind people??
Thank you so very much! Oh, and the lovely paper you wrapped the yarn in - I’ll be using that for a journal cover at some point, I’m sure!
:-) Kristi
*
Look at all the various types of fiber in these hanks? Just a quick superficial look turns up some mohair boucle, standard mohair, various ribbons and a novelty slub yarn. I can’t wait to ball it so I can see how it is put together and so I have an idea of the yardage present. I’m suspecting it’ll make a nice sized scarf.
I’ll be back later today, or perhaps tomorrow with the latest yarn acquisitions that I spoke of on Friday, but I don’t want to dilute the wonderfulness of my first SPIV package :-)
2/11/2005
Wow, I think I’m cutting DH’s scarf close….
We’re having some puppy issues with the dear Emma (okay, she isn’t really puppy and really don’t know how old she actually is, if we listen to the rescue she’s 3.5 years old, but we’re expecting more like 5 years old) so I was up before dawn and knit on it while I took in The O.C.
I attached the last (#4) skein yesterday. I’ve completed 1, plus a bit of one triangle, then got to the half-way point where I needed to decide whether to start the decreases for the final 1/2 triangle or if I could continue and finish this triangle and then do the final half one. So, when I got to that point I weighed the remaining skein on the scale and I was at 21 g/50g. Looking at past skeins it looks like I get *just* under 3 full triangles per skein so I’m gambling and finishing this triangle and then doing the final triangle. I think I’ll make it. But, just in case, I put in life lines on each half at the mark where my knitting stitch would change to the decreases. So, I’m mostly set if I do run short.
My Ebay yarn arrived (I’ll post pics next week, batteries are dead)! Yippeee! 1700 yds of Cascade Sierra in #8. It is scrumptuous. I can’t wait to start designing my own spring/summer sweater for it. :-)
I also made a purchase other than the needles to continue the multi-directional when I went to Textiles a Mano on Wednesday and I’ve swatched for Clapotis. Okay, so Clapotis doesn’t *really* require swatching, but I did it anyway just to get an idea. I chose a cotton rayon tape (my colorway is not in that pic) that knits at a worsted weight. It’ll make a great all-season fashion accessorie. Laura tried to talk me into this really bright orange, but I went for a multi-color that is pushing me out of my comfort slightly - it has a fair bit of blue. But it also has gorgeous greens and a tiny touch of coral. I think it’ll look really great with this J. Jill outfit I bought with my birthday money last year. Other than that, I’m not really sure what it goes with. Though I suppose it would dress up a simple tee and jeans too. I need to fashion a spool to pull the yarn from though so the ribbon doesn’t twist like mad. Oh, and it was a bit of a bitch to ball because it was so slick. But, I love the splash of shininess the rayon gives it! *swoon*
Tonight, the midnight showing of Casablanca - on the BIG SCREEN! I’ve never seen it on a big screen and we haven’t upgraded that one from VHS to DVD either! And, it’s like a double date because we’re going with another couple (whom I met through SnB too), LOL!
Have a great Valentine’s Weekend to those who celebrate (DH and I are just cooking a more elaborate meal than we normally would on Sunday evening, so it’s non-commercial and quality time together)!
