April Lady Sweater?

I started my FLS back in March, planning on bringing it to Puerto Rico and actually finishing it. Turns out that I didn't knit one stitch while I was in San Juan, only on the plane on the way down. Once I was home, I sort of lost interest for a bit and decided to just set it aside until the mood struck once again. During that hiatus, I was able to start and finish Owls and I was just dreaming of casting on Liesl. I told myself "project monogamy is the only way I will get these pieces done!" So I limited myself to casting on (and finishing) Owls and then back to the FLS!

Once I completed Owls, as I mentioned in my previous post, I bought the perfect buttons for my FLS to motivate me to finish the bugger. It must have worked because it was done within the week! I <3 how my FLS turned out!


It's not the best pic but it's gray and raining out so I had to use the flash. I'll attempt a better pic on a nice day. Here's a close up of the buttons.


The other night I cast on for Liesl. I decided to do the short version with the lower neckline, which isn't very low at all. I'm using Dreamweave, which is a wool/silk blend in an avocado green. I'm on on the 11th row of the yoke but it's already 2-2 1/2 inches long, so I think that once I get into it I will be able to breeze through. I only have 3 skeins in my stash (318 yds) but the sweater only calls for 260, so I'm cutting it close and really wish that I had an extra skein due to my track record. Well, I'm just going to jump in with my fingers crossed. Wish me luck!

I <3 Three Day Weekends

Today is Patriot's Day (in the Boston area) so that means no work for moi! I got to relax this morning, clean my house (and my oven!) and go to the gym all before 3pm. Ahhh, 3 day weekends rock.

This weekend also brought a visit from my mom. She got in at 2pm on Fri so we got to hang around for a couple of days, do a little shopping and eat JP Licks (mmmm, Rice Dice Cream!). She got me some treats (pictured below) at Anthropologie that I would never have bought for myself. I love these vintage looking bowls and cloth napkins!

***

On Thurs, I went to Windsor Button after work. I was in search if button eyes for my Owls sweater and some buttons for my February Lady Sweater. I found some pearly yellow-green buttons eyes and sewed them onto one owl in the front and one owl in the back on Saturday morning.

I had my sights set on something clear or transparent for the FLS because I didn't want it to look too overdone. It's busy enough as it is with the lace and the variegated blue yarn. So I settled for a clear and transparent blue button. They looked perfect when I layed them over the button band so they had to come home with me.


I'm almost there with the FLS. I have the body and 1/2 of one of the sleeves already done. I can't wait to finish it and to wash, block and sew on the buttons. I'm just dying to wear it!

It All Worked Out in the End!

Yesterday I received my Web's order containing the skein of Berroco Comfort in Copen Blue needed to finish just the neck ribbing of my Owls sweater (I was able to use scrap pieces to knit the short rows!). I seamed up the underarms and all my ends are woven in!

I tried it on and it fit pretty well. There's slight looseness in the upper back which seems to be a common problem with this pattern. I just need to sew on the buttons, that I found in my odds & ends button box, to one of the owls. Now, if only it wasn't going to be in the 50s & 60s this week!

In other knitting progress, I've picked up my FLS again after a few week-hiatus. I'm loving the colorway-- it's brighter than this pic.

Next up on the docket is Liesl. I'm thinking about using Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Maize. I'm not sure about the length but I've been thinking about the middle length.

Slow Goings...

It's already half way through January 2009 and I don't have very much to show for it. I cast on for the Central Park Hoodie on the 2nd and it's just taking a lot to motivate myself to sit and knit. I started with the front right side which seemed to knit up rather quickly and am now several cable repeats into the back. It's cold out--seriously I want this one done! I need to be wearing it already.
Being that my knitting mojo has been waxing and waning, I've been spending an excessive amount of time cruising the pages of Ravelry when I should be making attempts at progress on this sweater. Damn you, Ravelry! You're such a time sucker. You're a vacuum for all of my possible knitting time. Ahhhh...

Not that I wish Ravelry away, just that I wish I had more self control and discipline. For heaven's sake, I <3 this site more than any other! But when inspiration turns into procrastination, I may need an intervention!

Progress!

I have been making progress on my 2 WIPs this week but color work....I'm not so sure about it! Any tips? I haven't done very much of it and I'm afraid. So far, I don't feel like I'm very good. The color-work portion seems to be lumpy and tight in comparison to the stockinette body. Ick. I don't know how to fix this. Is this normal? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

As far my socks (sock) goes, I'm almost done with the foot of the first sock and will be forced to turn the heel. Ahhh...a lot of scariness with my projects lately. I have very specific instructions on how to make a basic heel, so I think I've got it under control for now...you'll probably hear me whine about in the next day or two ;-).

I have to say, I don't know why anyone wouldn't knit a sock toe up. It's awesome to be able to try it on as I go. I guess knitting a sock cuff down is like knitting a bottom up sweater. I always feel like I'm taking a gamble when I do that because it's hard to gauge fit when you can't actually try the piece on.

As I knit on the Mangyle and the sock, I daydream about swatching for my February Lady Sweater or my Central Park Hoodie. I'm not even exagerating when I say dream-- I'm literally dreaming that I'm winding my skeins of yarn to begin swatching. I know, I'm totally crazy! Oh well, I'm just selfish and want to knit sweaters for myself! I'm the only one who truly appreciates my knitted FOs. Well, that might not be totally true but I can appreciate all the hard work and time that goes into knitting them.

Good enough to wear!
So, last night, while watching True Blood, I decided to cut the bound off stitch edge of my Hey, Teach! I re-bound off with needles that were a couple sizes larger than what I used to knit the project and it seems to have fixed the problem. This morning I sewed on the buttons, with little reinforcement buttons on the back of the button band to anchor them down. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!
I also started my very first pair of socks! I used the Magic Cast On with the Magic Loop method to start. I'm following Fleegle's Toe Up Sock pattern. Finally have a use for that lone skein of KPPPM that I had in my stash forever. Of course I had to buy a second skein to knit a complete pair. Hopefully, I don't get too bored and actually finish!

"Hey, Teach, how do I fix my tight neckline?"

I finished my Hey, Teach! yesterday morning. Once I completed the finishing, I tried my new sweater on and, to my dismay, the neckline was bound off much too tightly. Oh man....and I wove in all the ends so well that I can't find the end to rip the bound off edge back to re-do it. What to do, what to do....

I was thinking that I'd just snip a few of the stitches on the bound off edge and try to rip from there. Does that sound like a good idea? Any suggestions? Help! Once I'm happy with the neckline, I'll pick out buttons and sew them on.

I knit Hey, Teach! out of Knit Picks Shine Worsted. I've never knit a garment with this yarn before. I've noticed that it sheds a lot so I'm thinking that it will probably pill quite a bit. I'm wondering how it will wear shape-wise. Will it stretch out and loss it's shape? What's your experience?

My next project is Mangyle. I've cast on and knit a few inches of the back. The main color is black and the two contrasting colors are cream and gray. I've never knit a sweater this larger. I hope it doesn't take me forever. I'm just itching to start my February Lady Sweater!

I'm in the home stretch!


Almost done with Hey, Teach! I just need to finish up the second sleeve, attach them to the body of the sweater and add the trim. Yay!

I decided to make 3/4 sleeves instead of the pattern's short sleeves, seeing how it's Fall already. I used the modification found here to do so. Thanks stashnstitch for doing all the math! I'm about half way through the second sleeve at this point and hope to finish it today on my lunch break. Then maybe, just maybe I'll get to the finishing tonight. We'll see how far I get today.

I'd really like to finish because a) I want to wear it, b) there are projects in queue that I'm dreaming about! I'm speaking literally here....dreaming about! Is this normal? Does this happen to anyone else? Do I just not have enough of a life to warrant dreaming of something other than knitting? Well at least I'm not dreaming of shooting up heroin or something equally disgusting.

What are you knitting? What are you dreaming of knitting? Let's have a little contest to make me feel more "normal." Leave me a comment and tell me both what you're working on and what you're longing to work on. There's a prize for the winner! Go!

I NEED frequent breaks to reward myself...

It's true. What I don't understand is why I need these breaks when I'm doing something that I enjoy/love. Make a little progress...take a break, make a little more progress...take a break. It's not like I'm doing anything productive during my breaks. It's like I have ADD and just can't keep focused for periods of time longer than 15 minutes. I don't get it.

I started Hey, Teach! from Knitty's Summer '08 issue. I loved it when it was released as one of the surprise projects. Usually I wait with bated breath for the surprises to be released and then get sort of disappointed when they arrive. It's not because I don't like the surprise projects per se, it's more like they just aren't spectacular, surprise-worthy projects. If they were release within the regular issue I might even really, really like them...know what I mean?

Anyways, I digress...I really liked Hey, Teach! the moment I laid eyes on it. Then Ravelry, of course, has pushed me over the edge. I checked out the 11 or so pages of FOs and decided that this project was to be CO as soon as I finished up my current projects.

Everyone raved on how this was such a fast knit so I was totally sold at this point. After I CO and knitting the first 8" of St st in no time flat, I agreed that this was a fast knit. Then I got to the lace portion.

Charts have always boggled my mind. I don't understand the concept of the "repeat the section in the red box" part of the instructions. Finally I get it know. It took me several tries, tinking back several times here and there, before I had any success with the lace pattern. This lead to numerous breaks! Though I understand why I needed these breaks.

I feel like if I had really put my mind to it I could have accomplished so much more on this project but, alas, I did not. Not to mention that having a horrible cold doesn't help productivity. Sneezing a million times, having to blow my nose even more and the constant need for nasal spray all really cut into the time allotted to knit!

Hopefully, I'll make a good dent in this project this week.

Blocking, pulling, stretching, and more blocking!

That's what I did to my Hexacomb Cardi and it seems to have worked! I got the sleeves blocked and then last night I sewed them into the armholes. There was a little finagling but it worked out for the most part.

As predicted, I don't love this sweater. It's ok, but at least it's finished and I can move on to something bigger and better. Of littler...

Last night I began swatching for a baby sweater for one of my mother's coworkers. Hopeully I van finish that fast and move onto something for me! I know, what a selfish bitch I am!!!

Guess what? I don't care.

Do You See What I See?

What's wrong with this picture? Mmmmmmm....do the set in sleeves look like they'll fit in the armhole? Don't think so! The sleeve caps are much too small. WTF!?

I've been working on this f'ing cardi all summer and when it's finally time to put the pieces together they don't even fit not to mention that it's at least a size too big. I'm blocking the sleeves right now in hopes that I can get a couple of inches out of those bitches so I don't feel like I've wasted the entire summer's knitting on a frogged project! Cross your fingers for me please.

So irritating....

Oh well. I'd like to start Hey, Teach! from this Summer's Knitty.com. I'm thinking of using my supply of Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Grass for this one. Gotta swatch-- we'll see.

It's Been Awhile...

and I didn't even realize it!!! I feel like I just posted. The summer has really flown by. I feel like though I was really, really busy I didn't get to do anything for me. I've been busy for 7 out of the the 8 weekends doing family, obligatory stuff. Not that I even mind but I'm exhausted and I haven't accomplished nearly enough for myself. Selfish, huh!?

I'm still working on my Hexacomb Cardi. Before I seamed the shoulders, I tried it on and it was too big so I ripped back a bit and then did a three-needle bind off. Hopefully that helps a bit. Now I'm working on the first sleeve.
I bet it's going to be too big on me...but it's not like anything I knit for myself turns out the way I envisioned it anyway. What a waste of knitting time....I don't get it. My gauge swatch was even a bit on the small side yet the sweater itself is loose. This always happens to me! Well, I'm going to finish it and if it doesn't fit me I will find someone that it does!

There's so much that I want to knit and I hate wasting time on pieces that don't fit or look nice on me.

Rest

I had a very restful weekend, finally. I've been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off so I really needed the rest. But resting doesn't give me a lot of content to blog about!

I did knit a little. I'm still working on my Hexacomb Cardi. I just finished the first 8" or so. I'm up to the point of separating the front and back. To tell ya the truth, I want to be wearing this sweater and not knitting it at this point. But I will keep on keepin' and finish this cardi.

I don't know what is next up in my project queue. I kind of like this but will I be done with it in time to actually wear it before the Fall rolls around? I have a great charcoal color for it but I'm not sure. We'll see.

NYC, take 2

I'm exhausted. I'm clearly getting too old to party into the wee hours of the morning. I was all over the city (NYC), for the second weekend in a row, for my best friend's bachelorette party. We had a great time. It was a blast to get all dolled up, have Martini's and Manicures at The Beauty Bar, dinner at Agave, and hit up some bars with my ladies. My body is not used to being out or even up at 4am these days not to mention the amount of alcohol consumed! Guess I'm not getting any younger.

Not much creativity going on this weekend with all the debauchery I engaged in. Though creative thoughts were plentiful. I made Rebecca pick out the materials for the garter ("something blue") that I'm making her at M & J Trimming. I could have spent hours in that place but it wasn't my party! I pinned out the lace, elastic and ribbon last night. Just need to sew it together and tack on a bow. Doesn't look like much so far. Pics to come after it's assembly!

I've made a bit of progress on my Hexicomb Cardigan. I like the knitting the hexigons-- it's easy but interesting enough at the same time. Can't wait to be able to wear it!


I also worked on Rebecca's shower favors for next weekend but I'm not going to show them until after the event...I don't know if she reads regularly, but I'm not taking any chances!

Done
Trip to NYC, done.

Wisp, done.

Hexacomb Cardi cast on, done.

Me wearing my tailored Ravelry tee, priceless.

Revenge...well, sorta, kinda

Ravelry betrayed me and sold out of the tee I wanted so desperately before I even knew that it was being sold. I swear that I dreamt about it the week before seeing it in the Ravelry Mini-Mart. Oh well. I was bitter for awhile and then decided to use all my negativity for the good of myself (not selfish at all, right!?)!!! I ordered the version of the tee I would have died for in a plus-size (1X). I knew that it would be too big but I was ready with my Singer to rectify the situation! I took in the sleeves and the sides to match my own measurement and, viola!, I now have a Ravelry tee that fits yet still exhibits how bitter I am! So take that Ravelry!!!!

So Wisp is almost done. No progress pics but she should be done shortly and I'll post pre and post blocking pictures for all to see. Most ikely I'll finish it over the long weekend and block it sometime next week.

I'm in the process of casting on for IK's Spring issue's Hexacomb Cardigan. I have half the stitches cast on at this point and just can't wait to get into the actual knitting. I loves this sweater from the moment that I saw it in the Spring issue. Actually there were quite a few pattern that I loved in the particular issue of IK, more so than most. I'm going to make this little cardi monochromatic rather than with a contrasting edging. I'm using Lion Brand Cottonease in Taupe. I figure it'll match a lot of my summer sundresses and cover my shoulder tattoo at work-- multi-functional!

Well, I'm off tonight to NYC for the long weekend. Can't wait to see the fireworks tomorrow from the FDR! Happy 4th to all.

Thought that I lost my crafting mojo...

Turns out I'm just anemic. I've been so tired lately. I finally saw my PA last week. She did a ton of bloodwork, scared me into thinking that maybe I was preggo, and told me to wait a couple of days for the results. Luckily, I manage the medical practice where I get my care...I looked up my own results the minute they were available. So I need more iron in my diet and possibly supplements (which I'm avoiding because they hurt my tummy-- which you you rather be tired or in pain? It's a toss up).

The fatigue has drastically affected my knitting production. I've barely touched Rebecca's Icarus Shawl in the last couple of weeks. I've started Fad Classic but am not in the mood. And the desire to work on the Puff Sleeve Feminine Cardi has come and gone. I need some energy and some motivation. Here's my pathetic attempt at progress:

Since I haven't felt like knitting, I've read a few books. One of great notice is The Kite Runner. It was beautifully written and an amazing story of life. I loved the author's, Khaled Hosseini, style so much that I just started his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. So far, I'm interested but I literally just started it--so it's more like a "TBD".

Well, you guessed it, I'm tired. I'm going to go rest and maybe read a little if I can get through the guilt of not wanting to knit.

Thank God for Patriots Day!

Here in New England, actually just the Boston area, we "celebrate" Patriot's Day. It's the 3rd Monday of April and the same day that the Boston Marathon is held sometimes earning this holiday it's other name-- Marathon Monday. Anyways, I like it. We're off from work. This is mostly because you cannot easily get around the city by car due to the marathon route blocking the southwest and northwest part of the city from each other. Fine by me. So I was productive yesterday-- I knit button bands and baked!

I finally steeked my Wicked Cardi that I started back in January! I totally procrastinated on this one. Who wants to cut their precious knitting in half??? It was really scary but I had to do it and finish that damn project. I almost never take this long to finish a project unless I don't actually plan on finishing it and just wanna toss it into the UFO pile in my closet.

But I did want to see the end result of this one. Also, I want to wear it before it gets too hot to do so. Out of the blue, I was suddenly motivated to make that cut down the center of my pull-over. I took out the sewing machine and sewed along the crochet chains that I had crochet last week and then just cut the fucker open. It wasn't that bad. I only got one gray hair from the experience. Here's what it looked like on Saturday afternoon in my dining room where I was working...
Then last night, as I'm sewing the buttons onto the button band, I decided that it was time to make those Oatmeal Raisin Coconut Cookies that I found a recipe for. They were super easy and turned out to be pretty decent. Maybe I'm getting over my baking slump. I just have to remember that baking is more of a science than cooking can be. Exact measurements are very important. I guess I can't use my cooking method of "a little of this, a little of that". Here's my baking process from last night...
Yum, those were good fresh out of the oven!!!!

In the beginning...

The wedding isn't until the end of August of this year, but I've started the Rebecca's Icarus Wedding Shawl this week. I figured that I'd start early just in case I run into any snags along the way. After all, it is my first big lace project.

So far, I'm only 16 rows in. I'm not a big fan of charts but at least it's easy to memorize at this point of the pattern. It's just really slow going. I wonder if I'll pick up some speed as I get more used to knitting lace on such a grand scale.

In other knitting-related news, since I'm on a self-inflicted yarn diet I've decided to purchase these to make me feel better! They'll be here next week!!! I've wanted them for awhile but couldn't justify the purchase when I already own a Denise set and a companion set. I still can't justify it but I was dying to buy something for my knitting obsession!

Ok, that might be it for now. Hopefully I work up the courage to steek my Wicked Cardi this weekend. The button band are done and waiting to be seamed on. We'll see.

Knitting? What's that???
Haven't knit in awhile-- just haven't been motivated, I guess. I whipped up a scarf for myself but that's about all I've done in the last 3 weeks.

I've thought about knitting but I just don't know what's next right now. Maybe I'll go back to the Puff-Sleeved Cardi. Or maybe I'll crank out a Fad Classic. Or should I finish off the button bands for my steeked Wicked Cardi, which is still warming my lovely dress-form? I need some direction.

I just finished The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. It was really well written. Jacobs did a fine job portraying the strengths women possess and the comradery that developed between them. I loved that it took place in NYC, being a NY girl myself. Though if you have no knowledge of knitting you may miss the metaphor.

Ok, I'm off to make my grocery list...the fun never ends (I also just finished the laundry-- please don't be jealous). Hope you all are enjoying the early days of spring and are more motivated than I've been.