Hiatus Ends. I Think.

Two months without a post, wow. That's a long time even for me. Remember than whole 'one summer class ended now I'll have more time' thing? Yeah, that was a total lie. Apparently when I have less time in class, I find more time for things like social outings and shopping and holidays and working and less time for things like sanity saving hobbies and blogging.


so what have I done during my eight week hiatus from the blogging world? Well lets see. I started the second sock for my sister. I've done 3 inches of the ankle. I better get on that since it's starting to get cool in Toronto.


As for that jaywalker made of the beautiful Lorna's Laces? Yeah, I had to frog it. It was the most painful frogging of my life time. As I was knitting it, I thought it looked a little small. I brushed it off and said I always think everything looks small. I made the ankle, turned the heel (my most beautiful turning to date) and started the instep. It looked amazing, if not a bit...teeny. I told myself it's wool, it will give, it will be fine. I needed to put my mind at ease though. I tried putting it on and the bastard was too small. Not even just a little small, it was way too small. I couldn't even get it over my heel! I do not have large feet. They are only size 8. (8.5 at most.). That led me to one of two conclusions. Swatches lie (and I did swatch!) or the pattern sucks. Now since it seems everyone and their aunt has knit a pair of jaywalkers successfully, I am left to conclude that swatches lie and I hate them. That is all. I did take a few pictures of the beauteous sock because I so agonize frogged it. And as soon as I get around to pulling them off my camera (cause I'm a moron and didn't put them on my memory card).

Instead here's some pictures of some other stuff I've knit over the summer.
One of the cupcake clothes. I knit this one for the yummy sweets swap on Craftster. The next one too was for that swap. My partner really liked them.

I knit an iPod/camera/cellphone/credit card holder out of the the left over kroy from Jenn's sock for this swap too. With a name like Tutti Frutti, how could I not? lol

Now, the thing that will send me to knitter's hell. Its a knit crochet hook roll. Yet another swap project. This one was for a Harry Potter Swap. Yeah, that's about it. I made a few other dishcloths cause they are just so quick. And calorimetry for yet another swap. I didn't finish that Monica Tank. I got the front piece and the body of the back done, then got bored, put it down and now summer is over. Good thing I knit it a size too big so that by the time I get around to finishing the ruffle and seaming it together, it will be summer again the Adorable Niece will still be able to wear it.

Right now I'm off to finish my RA work for the week, finish an essay that I deferred cause I got food poisoning last month and try to remember why I wanted school to start again.

Yet Another.

I am addicted to socks now. Even more than I was addicted to hats. Don't worry. once winter rolls around again I will be back on the hat wagon by right now its too lovely in Toronto to even think about needing hats again. Back to the point. I started a pair of socks for my sister who had minor surgery last week (Everything is peachy keen with her, don't worry). Sadly I only finished one in time but I have started the second one. I'm using two balls of Paton's Kroy Jacquards in Tutti Frutti. Its a lovely yarn and I now get the wool obsession. Unfortunately I am still a student and thus unable to afford wool if I want to keep knitting.

I can however afford the odd surge on wool blend sock yarn. I bought two skeins of Lorna's Laces in a lovely purple/turquoise/pink colourway last week and at 13 bucks a pop it was the most expensive yarn I have ever picked up. After much deliberation I decided that this yarn wanted to be a pair of jaywalkers. Boy was I ever right! I can't wait to finish the first one so I can post a picture of how beautifully it is knitting up with the zigzag pattern. The way the yarn was dyed gives it a pseudo self striping pattern that looks more like a spiral than striping but none the less it is lovely and looks marvelous.

I did make a minor change to the pattern by only knitting 4 inches from top to heel instead of 6 3/4 because I hate tall socks. They drive me batty. I swear it had nothing to do with wanting left overs to make an ipod sock!

I made a few other purchases this week. I found a yarn shop closer to my home called Mary's Yarns in Unionville. I went in with the intention of just getting size 1 DPNs and I left with a ball of white cotton/wool/some of kind stretchy stuff sock yarn in white that I think wants to be a pair of something cabled for fall ballet flats and 2 balls those a really awesome chunky weight blue tweedy wool/acrylic blend and I had to have despite not having a clue what to make with it. I have 400 m of the stuff. Enough to make a hat and probably a pair of mitts, or possibly a short scarf. Or a Hat and an Ascot and a couple of Hats. I think it definitely wants to be a hat. That much I know. It looks too good close to my face to not be a hat.

I fell off the wagon.

..but don't worry, I'm back on again. I was forced by life to put down my needles for a while. It seems that I am not super student and I cannot find the time to do a full year course in 6 weeks, while doing another full credit in 12 (meaning I completeled a course and a half in 6 weeks) while working part time and still find time to knit.

All that ended last Friday though when I wrote my final exam for the 6 weeks course. Now I only have class 6 hours a week instead of the 21 I was doing before, and I'm getting better at my job so its less stressful then before. Combine that with pay cheques and hello knitting!!

I had my wisdom teeth taken out last Tuesday. Yes, all of them. I had four and apprently two of them really didn't want to come out so I've been home bound and drugged out of my mind since Tuesday afternoon. During that rather unfortunate time I managed to do what I thought was impossible. Yes people, I finally did it. I knit a sock.

There it is in all its crappy glory. And yes it really is a piece of crap. I'm not going to even bother knitting it a mate. The gauge is too loose (even though it was perfect according to the pattern), the ribbing is too slouchy, the heel it too wide and the less said about the toe grafting the better. But it is a sock. A sock that looks like a sock, and had all the nessary parts required to be called a hand knit sock.

This ridiculous piece of knitting was done on size 3 DPNS with Bernat Sox (75% acrylic 25% nylon) that I'm fairly certain has been discontinued in a colour that I have long forgotten on the name of. But there it is and as much as I insult the sock, I am rather proud of it. I never thought I'd be able to do but now that I can, I think I'm going to be knitting a lot more of them. I've already bought a few balls of Parton's Kroy to make some lovely warm wooly socks for my little sister and freakishly long cold monkey toes.

Also, in my return to knitting I've made a few dishcloths in the shape of cupcakes. I like them. I'll have to remember to take a picture and get around to posting a pattern eventually because they are quite cool. They are actually shaped like cupcakes, none of that purl embossing crap. I made one of those dish clothes and I've decided I am not a fan of them.

And as a finally note on my progess as a knitter, even though I have put the Janda hoodie on hold until fall when I can hold it without my hands getting all sweaty and gross, I have started a new garment. A smaller one for a small person. I'm making the Monica Tank from Knitty.com for my nearly 3 year olf niece (http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTmonica.html). She's all excited. I decided to knit it in Lion Brand Cotton Ease because according to her mother, wool of any kind makes her itchy and red, not to mention how much easier a cotton/acrylic blend is to clean. So I let the adorable niece pick which colours she wanted her new 'Princess Shirt' (as she calls it) to me. She picked Pink and Terra Cotta. We all laughed and asked her if she was sure. She said no, then picked purple and yellow. We laughed again and started giving suggestions.

It was finally decided that the princess shirt absolutly must be Pink and White so that it would look like a Sleeping Beauty shirt. So thats what the adorable niece is getting. The body if the tank is white and the ruffle is pink. I've half way though the front of the body. I think its excellent progress. If I keep this up, the niece could be wearing it by Friday!

No progress

Summer classes started. Trying to do a full year credit in 6 weeks while doing another in 12, WHILE working at an actual paying job means I have no time to knit a sweater. I have one finsihed sleeve that I haven't have to rip back cause iscrewed up and 2 inches of the back, Yeah, maybe ill be done by next summer.

I lied, I did get a little knitting done. I joined another craft swap and I knit one thing for that. picture and describtion later, but i will say that I may be going to knitter hell for for blasphmy for making this object.

The First Sweater

My life has been quite stressful recently for a whole lotta reasons that could go on for days. To combat this stress I have decided to knit sweater. Out of the frying pan and in to the fire right? I really hope not.

After looking at dozens of patterns, I decided on the Janda Hoodie from Knit Wit ( http://www.amazon.com/Knit-Wit-Hands-Free-Step-Step/dp/0060740701 ). Yeah I know, there's a copy on knitty.com, but the book version has a more detailed pattern and more sizes. I'm knitting it with Bernat Satin, which regular readers will know is my favourite yarn because its cheap, soft, highly washable and not wool. (Damn wool allergy). Satin had the added bonus of matching the gauge PERFECTLY! I know this because I actually took the time to knit swatches.

Satin also happened to be on sale at Michael's this week. I got all the yarn I need for $18.60 plus tax. Quite the deal for 10 balls of yarn. I had enough cash to buy some scrap booking embellishments and a new pair of straights.

Anyway, I started with a sleeve so I can feel all accomplished before I start the body. Don't mess with my logic. It works for me.

That's about all So far. I haven't hit any major issues so far. But now I've jinxed it...

I miss knitting

I've had no time over the past 2 weeks to actually sit down and knit. My poor needles has sat nearby staring at me as if asking why I don't jsut pick them up and finish whatever project is on them. Oh I wish I could. I've got arm warmers on a set of DPNs that i need to finish because i need those needles to finish a project I'm doing for a swap. Both are near cokpletetion but don't expect anything for at least another week. I also started a feather and fan headband for the spring. I thought it would be a more grown up way to keep my hair out of my face during summer classes than my lululemon headband that jsut manages to slip right off anyway.

Not dead, Just busy.

See main blog for details. Here my vest though. I finished it 12 days ago but its 6 inches too big. see the buckling until my left arm? thas me trying to pull the back together for the picture so it looks right. It shouldn't be so damn big, my gauge was perfect! Perfect I tell you! When does that ever happen? I even knit a size smaller than thier suggestest sizing because its a heavy yarn and i knew it would droop pretty quick.

As for the sock, the first three attmpts failed. ill try again this summer