So long and thanks for all the fish

I've given in and gone over to the dark side, I'll no longer be blogging from here but rather from my shinny new blog over on WordPress.

Small Victories

My little sister has become a knitter - or is on her way to doing so (it is amazing what a knitted beer bottle pattern and a ball winder can do). I present to you her reflections on the happy event:

Oh sheep. So often over looked. So oft taken for granted. It should not be so, for the fluff which adorns their exterior (I was going to be poetic and put an adjective like 'fanciful' before that...but I'm not really sure that is a good way to describe the appearance of a sheep...) is used to supply the world with wool which is the cause of countless minor (almost not worth mentioning) crimes never being committed simply due to the fact that the people who might otherwise have been lying about idle were knitting.

As I type this I have to satisfy my self with only gazing longingly at the piece of work which I cast to the ground in order to write this note instead of picking it up and knitting 'just one more row'. Indeed, it was a challenge simply to begin this piece in the first place as when I sat in front of my computer I took up my knitting and said to myself "well, just one row..." and then, while engaged in said row, another part of me replied "just finish this section leah...you know you want to...." And I did.

For those of you who thought you knew me and by reading this are becoming befuddled, don't worry, I have not been a closet knitter, I took up the art less than 24 hours ago when Kate showed me a book that had some patterns that peaked my interest. After a hurried run to Michaels we sat in the basement, the credits of Shooter bursting to run as it lay paused and neglected on the screen while Kate taught me how to knit and purl my way through a few rows.

Of course, being me, I picked a pattern which was made entirely of the world's thickest thread. It's a major character flaw of mine to never want to do anything easy while being incredibly lazy (it might be the reason why I rarely seem to finish anything). So I sat on the very edge of my seat painstakingly inserting the needle and wrapping the yarn around, pulling it out and exclaiming my dismay at having dropped a stitch. On the purl rows I repeated over and over and over again "over under, over under, over under..." My expression was one of determined anguish, but soon I saw my piece beginning to take shape. Maybe, just maybe, it's all worth it. And probably, just probably, I have joined the ranks of those whose nicotine is knitting.

And now I have a question - should I do 1 scarf in two shades of brown (or rather taupe and dark taupe...) and 1 in blue and grey, or should I do grey and one of the taupes and blue and the other...

Ack it can't be only a few hours til Friday!!

*deep breath*

So, yeah, didn't get as much done on the Thesis front as I meant too this week... oh well... it is not quite over yet.

On the knitting front:

*Jaywalkers in Shepherd Sock (Lorna's Laces) Pin Stripe are coming along nicely - a pattern I can knit in the movie theatre... while watching Rambo... and even get the heel started is always a plus in my book. I'm doing them toe up and I used a short row heel, because - dude, you ever try to knit a heel flap toe up in the theatre watching Rambo?! I seriously lucked out because the Thrifty Knitter's Sock Club decided to have Jaywalkers be one of the options for March - so I'll actually get to partially knit them in March (as I don't think I'll be finishing them in the next week), which is cool because I finished the February ones... before February started....

*My first stitch markers from a swap over at Stuff Knitters Want arrived (this is the blog link but the whole thing is actually run via a yahoo group). They are adorable hearts with words on them - I've already got two on the shawl I'm knitting now.
*Mom's birthday shawl is more than half done. I've got another 5 bead rows (of 15 with 31 rows between the 3 rows which in my head constitute 'a' bead row). I screwed up the third bead row so I'm going to screw up the same way on the 13th. It is knitting up really nice - the pattern is super easy - 5sts of seed st on each end, every thing else is mindless stockinette. The yarn is really soft (Suri Merino) and it is going to be really warm. I needs to be finished for the 8th and I think I can manage that.*I found a pattern I think will solve my left over sock yarn 'problem' - it is a cushion pattern based on different geometric shapes, I'm starting with the pattern and I'll be expanding (I've already altered the scale - to be about 3x larger) to make a blanket.

*My little sister - the one at the military college - wants to learn to knit. She bought stuff today to knit the Hangover Helpers from Son of SnB, which is the project which has inspired her desire to learn.

February: chapter 1

February is Chpt 1, Draft 1, Thesis month for me, so, less knitting more reading. But there are a few things that have yet to go up into Blogland.

1. I finished my Sydney socks. The construction is really interesting, the pattern is good, but they don't fit. I haven't got particularly high arches, but I couldn't get the socks over my heels, nor could the first friend I offered them to (though I did eventually find someone they fit). All a bit disappointing.

2. Mittens. I test knit the Ice Wine Mittens by Em (of Not Another Knit Blog). Great pattern, with amazing charts. The mittens are quite long, giving you lots of space for design and a really great long gauntlet for keeping the snow off your arms if it gets under your sleeve and keeping wrists warm.

3. I've been kind of click happy over on the Loopy Ewe over the last little while. I ordered the Wollmeise, and then a medium wooden sock blocker and a skein of Duet's Skinny (which came today) and then I signed up for the Mystic Lights KAL and realized I have a skein of Fleece Artist 2/6 Merino and so... I ordered another one and another sock blocker... (so I'll have two...)

4. I've started my mother's birthday shawl (and already managed to screw up the bead row - though not enough to go back and take it out, I'll just repeat the screw up at the other end of the shawl and no one will know.... right....). I'm enjoying it and the yarn is a really nice colour, despite the fact that it is shedding worse than a long haired cat.

5. I'm currently a level 41 Barbarian over on KnitWars...

*squee*

I have Wollemeise!!

My Loopy Ewe order arrived.

I got Wollemeise sock in Gewitterhimmel.

It is really vibrant and pretty. I'm planning to knit a Clapotis with it (since I'm having a hard time thinking of using it for socks... and since, I haven't knit a Clap yet, - and now I have plans for two...)

And the Pretty as a Peacock shawl pattern.

While I was working

I've been trying to be a good girl... really... and do work... and stuff. I have actually managed to get a little bit of work done, and even have something written which will eventually be part of a thesis.

My birthday is coming up (never sure how I feel about that, but I digress) so I have been, um, treating myself. I bought books!! The Knitter's Book of Yarn; Knitting Lingerie Style; and Romantic Hand Knits. I like them all, but haven't had time to do much more than look at pictures. Then, I got a last minute (and by that I mean 3 days and week into the semester already) teaching job. So I needed to get a copy of the text book - so I ordered more books... to get the free shipping of course... (keep telling yourself that) - which means I should be getting more knitting books, possibly even on my birthday.

I've also been opening and closing my knit picks cart, though I haven't placed an order...yet.... I'm determined to wait to order more yarn until the Loopy Ewe and Webs orders actually get here.

I'm on the lower body of the Coachella, everything is a bit funky with mine due to the yarn I'm using, I added a whack more body shaping, we'll see how that works out.

I'm nearly halfway through my test knitting project, but I need to do something a bit fiddly so I'm waiting on that a bit (as I need to do some research on the necessary technique).

I cast on Feb's Thrifty Knitter's Sock Club sock - Sydney, and um, I'm only 1 chart repeat and the ribbing on each sock away from being done ... I think I'll have to knit a different pair of socks for my Feb socks in sock a month... I've been working on these while listening to back eps of L&V and because I'm doing them at the same time (fyi I think the pattern way over estimates how much yarn is needed) and don't want to leave one at a different stage than the other I'm whizzing through them much faster than I expected to.

Gratuitious baby picture- my God-daughter was baptized this weekend, she makes this face a lot...

Football, Spinning, and Net Browsing

Football playoffs are in full swing, which means the swearing at the screen and screaming at the defence is getting louder and more intense. And my special Pats' games socks are at the heel turn of the second sock and can't be knit at any time other than during the game lest I upset the delicate balance of the football universe.

I finished spinning and plying the green Fleece Artist merino/alpaca. I think it is about a DK weight, but it varries, not very good at spinning consistently. I have been trying to find a pattern to knit with it, and I'm leaning towards Foliage at this point.

Today I downloaded all the early eps of Lime and Violet (1-35) from before I started listening to it in the Summer. I've been listening to these all day (as I translated Middle Welsh). Once I got that done (it took all day, but I'm blaming that on the fact that I tweaked my neck and leaning over the table to translate was causing my neck great pain) I sat down, with L&V and got working on my second Bellatrix sock. And I was browsing the Loopy Ewe (as I am wont to do) and suddenly some new roving appeared. So I went back to the main page and oh.look. the Wollmeise had updated! So I managed to get a skein of Gewitterhimmel and also a pattern I've had on my wishlist for awhile. Wasn't planning to buy yarn for awhile, but - dude- when the knitting gods send you Wollmeise you do not spit in their faces! One good thing about ordering from the Loopy Ewe is that- given I end up paying duty on their packages - I am very restrained in my purchases so as to mitigate additional charges (yarn money going to the government is bad - better to spread the purchase out over time).

Queen St is a wonderful place

Today I spent the morning dutifully writing in my carrel and spent the afternoon ttc-ing up and down Queen St.

I went to check out the Purple Purl on Queen E. (For the record, WAY further E than I normally get). It had a great layout, very open and bright. Not a lot of stock, which is sensible given they only opened in November. They did a better job than many a yarn shop of labeling and pricing things clearly, but still not as well as I'd like (honestly in my world, if there is no price to be found it's free people). I picked up some wool for some mittens, 3 compact needle size thing-ies, and a purty skein of pink-purple-black tofutsies (note to the world - I didn't realize there is 400+ yards in ONE skein of this!!)

Then I hopped back on the ttc and went to nearly the opposite end of Queen (well not quite but you know) and picked up a couple of things from Romni - some back fingering to heel my Bellatrix socks, some yarn for a present, and some SOAK.

From Romni (back on to the ttc) to Arton Beads, where I bought: beads for the shawl my dad is giving my mom for her birthday (score - I knit, he pays), beads for me one day to do one of the Ice Queen with the dark mohair from Aunt Shirley, beads to go with the present, some more stitch marker fixtures, stuff for St. Valentines sts markers, and some more assorted charms for sts markers. Including 2 sets of Zodiac ones, I haven't decided whether to make them all the same bead or to try to match beads to months.... I am beginning to wonder what to do with all of the sts markers I'm making. I mean, I don't use that many of them and my few knitting friends can only use so many (esp. when at least one also makes her own), so other than swaps (whereby I still end up with more markers) I'm kind of at a loss...

(this is only about half of my bead haul....)

I finished up the day with a trip to LUSH (oh - dear - they were having a sale.... is it a bad thing when you save nearly $100.... I swear most of it was for my mother!!)