Bad knitter...

I promised pictures nearly two weeks ago didn't I? My bad. I was distracted by a great many things, few of which involve knitting. Brief run down.

1. Lost old job, needed new job, found new job, new job sucks but it pays.

2. School is kicking my ass largely because I'm letting it since my brain is tired.

3. I started a sweater. Yes another. This time I am am trying Tempting from knitty spring 04 ( i think). Smaller than Janda and since its all ribbing, a more interesting knit. I've made progress.

4. I'm a bit lazy.

That's all. On to pictures!!

That is a Hermione Cable and Bobble hat from Charmed Knits (best book ever!) and it is why I am sick of cabled. I started matching mitts too but I screwed up and had to frog. It was a hard thing to do since I love and adore them. It's one ball of myster wool. I lost the ball band but I do remember its 100% wool. Its lovely and soft and warm and awesome!

Next are some lovely gloves and they are why I will not fear weaving in a few ends. I love and adore them, but my mother stupid dog chewed a massive hole in one. Anyone now how I can fix that? They are Patons Kroy, only one ball! on size 3 needles.

Next is Wisp from Knitty spring (or summer, I can't remember) 07. My first real foray in to the world of lace weight yarn and my last for a while. It's very pretty but was kind of a pain in the ass after a while. It's Rowan kidsilk night. You can't tell from the picture but it sparkles.

I also mentioned walmart and a wamrhead in my last post but I never got around to taking pictures of those things. I will tell you that I have become a fan of kool aid dying (hense walmart) and I went on a hat bender last month. I made 2 caloriemtries using my own hand dyed, a ravenclaw beret (also from charmed knits) and a pixie hat from knit wits. They are all awesome and mean that I have a very warm nogin.

Next Post: The Giant Green Thing.

Not dead!

I swear! Not dead! I've just hit a bit of a knitting wall. Too many big projects, not enough time to finish them. I have finished a few things, but I haven't uploaded the pictures yet, so it's going to stay a surprise for a few more days.

Here's a bit of a preview though:

I am a bit sick of cables.
I will no longer get annoyed with weaving in 4 or 5 ends.
Lace is pretty, but not my thing.
Who knew walmart was good for something other than toilet paper and dvds?
ANNNNNND
I have one warm head.....

Be back soon!!

Still on Track!

Classes start again and I am in the middle of a living space reorganization, but I have doing well on my knitting resolutions!

Still making progress in the Wisp, though I have slowed. I'm on the 12th repeat, after being distracted by Clapotis and life for about a week. I'm hoping to finish the Wisp by the end of the week. I maybe actually do it to! Wouldn't that be a miracle? I did hit a snag. I broke yet another pair of circs. I don't know how I do it, it must be a talent. But the point is I am now knitting Wisp with nothing but the two little points. I'm too cheap to buy a new set of needles so I have to make due.

On the Clapotis front I am still making progress. I'm on the 4th repeat of the third section. I must say, those dropped stitches are so much damn fun. I love them! I almost wish there were more, but then there would be no knitting, just dropped stitches and that's not very practical.

Back to the resolution track, I am still doing well! I haven't bought any new yarn, not counting the few balls of sock yarn, since last year. (Shut up, everyone knows sock yarn doesn't count) I even went through mt knitting books, bookmarked patterns on line and stash on Ravelry and earmarked each yarn for a particular pattern or project. It seems less daunting now. Not counting the socks, I have about 4-6 months of knitting ahead of it. But we all know I'll be distracted by socks, so I'm probably set until next fall.

A new cycle begins

Happy 2008! I took a break for the holiday, but here I am with a new revelation. Well, not so much new, as a new found willing to confess.

I am a serial starter.

I have this bad habit of starting projects with gusto, knitting like mad for the first 1/4 to 1/2 of the project, getting bored and moving on to something else which also is unlikely to get completed in a timely fashion. Unless the project can be completed in less than a weekend or is destined for someone else, I completely incapable of finishing a full project.

I always knew I was bad at finish but dude! Ravlery revels all! I was looking at my projects list and wow, that was a lot wip's for one knitter to have started in only a few months. There's the vintage-y long gloves (only one is finished), fetching (one cuff finished), the giant brown scarf (only 10" long), Tropicana socks (stalled at the first heel), the plain ol' socks (4" of the first cuff), Wisp (half done and in less than a week! And, I am still interested. I might finish this is a timely fashion), the stash-busting cropped cardigan ( 2" of the back) and the latest edition, a Clapotis so I can be just like every other knitter on the planet. That's a grand total of 8 new projects started in the past 3 months and none of them are close to being done, and half of which are not being actively knit on, AKA hibernating. Yeah, I'm bad.

Yeah, so new resolution, finish projects before starting a new one and no more than 5 wip's at a time. Seems reasonable right?

Pfft, who am I kidding.

Scatterbrain

Finished school on Friday. Commenced knitting on Saturday. Since then I have knit 3 inches on MY sock (that's right MY sock, so far 3 people have asked for them but not this time! I want a pair of socks damn it!), finished one Christmas present, got three quarters of another one done, and bought the yarn for the last one (last yarn purchase until most of the stash is gone). But aye, there's the rub, I have lost my set of 16" 4.5mm circs. Again. This will make the third pair I have lost or broken in the past year. Quite a feat don't you think? Luckily I only need them for the ribbing at the bottom, and I have 8 DPNs in that size so I'm OK but I'm still pissed. They are my favourite size so of course I will go right out any buy a new pair but I don't wanna! Gah. I'm going to Buffalo next month, so I think I'll pick up a pair of Susan Bates circs in that size. Maybe if they are coloured something other than grey, I won't lose them as easily.


So here are my projects for the week. Since I am a tight schedule and I am not the fastest knitter I chose pretty simple projects. Both are cabled hats in chunky weight yarn. I finish the Blue on in less than day. It's a pattern of my own creation. I didn't writei t down. but I am rather fond of it, so I think I will alter it and make another version, which I will write down and post. Its Lion Brand homespun in Delft and I will never use it again! Ever! seriously, I am throwing away the rest of the skein. It's squeaky, has absolutely no give, and its not terribly warm. Oh! Apparently the "painterly" colours have subtle stripes. I wish they had printed that on the bloody ball band! Gah. I used 6.5mm circs.

The green (unfinished one) is a Natty Hat from http://www.knitandtonic.typepad.com (link directly to the pattern is at the bottom) using Patons Rumor in "Fern Heather". As much as I hate homespun, that's how much I love rumor. I wish it came in more colours. It's lovely and soft and stretchy and warm. I adore it and want to have little alpaca babies with it. I used 5mm needles for the ribbing and 6.5mm for the rest.
















So there they are. I don't have a picture of the socks yet. Use your imagination. They are 4 inch's long right now at the cuff. I'm aiming for between 6 and 7 inches/ I want 'em semi-tall.

I'm off in search of my 4.5mm circs. I hate doing ribbing with DPNs....

Natty: http://www.knitandtonic.typepad.com/NattyRev.pdf
I haven't made a single mod (a first for me!!), excpet using smaller needles to get the right gauge and it's awesome. Its quickyl becoming one of my fave patterns.

New Goals

After being on Ravelry for a little over a month I have realized a few things.

1. I have too much yarn that I can't do anything with. Seriously, with the exception of sock yarn, 90% of my stash is single balls which means I can make a lot of hats and not much else.

2. My Queue is substantial, and I will probably get distracted before I start, let alone finish, most of the project on there but I want every single item damnit!

3. I need to finish what I start. I have many WIPs that I really should finish, if for no other reason than to free up the needles so I can work on make those hats-a-plenty.

That said I am starting my new years resolution early (because I never keep the ones I start in January anyway). So here are the commandments of my destashing

First commandments: I am to buy no more yarn until I have used up my current stash. This isn't as big a deal as I think it is. Most of my stash fits in a medium sized wicker laundry basket, and several balls are chunky weight and clearly sock yarn doesn't count. Duh, I will never look at my sock yarn and think "wow, I have too much sock yarn. I should get rid of some." No, I am more likely to look at is and think of all the wonderfully beautiful socks I will one day develop the patience and attention to detail to knit. If sock yarn goes on sale, I am permitted to buy it and welcome it lovingly in to the fold. The same goes for Diamond Tempo, my favourite yarn of all time. In fact if it goes on sale, I have given myself permission to buy enough for a sweater, two hats, a scarf, two pairs of mittens and possibly an afghan.

Second commandment: I will cast on not a single new project until all the ones on my needles are done, except Donna's Christmas hat because I've already bought the yarn, swatched, and started the matching scarf. I consider them pieces of the same project, like socks lol.

Third commandment: When I completed all the WIPs I can start working on the stash. I will try and choose projects that challenge my patience and skills so I can be a better knitter. I will tacker on projects that require lace, complicated cable charts, miles of seed stitch (to test my patience), colour work. I will try new cast on and cast off techniques and try continental knitting though I suspect I will continue to hate it. If all else fails, I will make Rapunzel scarves and a giant ugly afghan just to get rid of the yarn! It must go and I am giving myself until my birthday to get rid of it.

Fourth Commandment: All new yarn bought after the destashing will be quality yarn that has more going for it than pretty colour and cheap price tag. Because wool bothers my skin during the winter (I am aware of the irony), synthetics ARE acceptable, but only quality ones, and preferably blended with something natural. Also, no more single balls will be bought for stashing purposes. I will buy enough to make at least a hat and mitt set. No more novelty yarn! Not a single ball! Yes its fuzzy, and I get a small amount of joy from playing with little fuzzy balls of yarn, I simply can't make anything but pygmy puffs out of them, and I already have a herd of them.

There, the four commandments. Of course all of this will have to wait cause I have a research project and take home exam due at the end of the week so no knitting for me. I do have one thing to show you though.

This is my first glove. It's all done now, I just haven't taken a picture of it. I even blocked it. Isn't is pretty? I'm calling it my vintage-y long woollen glove. Catchy isn't it? I'll work on its mate after I finish school work and Christmas knitting. I can hardly wait. I am 8 kinds of in love with the glove.

Failed Sock

It's close to 10pm, I have a final in 12 and a half hours and I have yet to read 4 articles or review my notes. Am I studying? Nope, I'm blogging about my failed sock. The sock in question is the lacy mock cable sock that I have been knitting for two weeks, though I've probably only put 6 or 7 hours worth of work in to it. It was a rather quick knit. None of that matters though because the sock was a failure, and not just a single failure. No there are three glaring problems with this sock. To be fair though, two of them are my own fault.

Problem the first:

This is why I should never be allowed to graft. The whole concept of grafting eludes me. Not for lack of trying. I usually try three times, get frustrated and just end up doing a three needle bind off. Crude but effective. This was a sock of triumph though and I was set on properly grafting the toe, as you can see, I failed miserably. I have a feeling I'm going to attempt grafting every sock I make for the next 3 years until one day I just magically clicks and I will spend the rest of my life wonder why the hell I had so much trouble getting it. Kind of like my first attempt at roller blading.

Problem the Second: It's too small. At least a whole inch too small for my foot. The solution to both is to undo the grafting, rip the toe, knit another inch of pattern, then d the toe over again. It sound simple, but I hate picking up live stitches and the pattern prevents a lifeline from being added. So I have to decide it its worth it which brings us to problem the third.

It makes my ankle look fat. See that foot over there, that's my foot and normal its a very cute foot with a very nice ankle. This sock makes me look like I have Cankle. Not a good quality in a sock that I planned on wearing with ballet flats and thus would be visible. Tis quite the dilemma. I need help deciding what to do. Maybe I'll attapt the cable/lace pattern to a hat or scarf.

Socks and Ravelry

Partner recived her package, so I can known tell you about the coolest socks I've made to date. They are heavily modified version of Simply Ginny socks, which I lost the link to. You can't really tell in the picture jus theres a massive 10 stitch cable that goes down the centre of the sock. I knit them with Patons Kroy 4ply in the Paintbox colourway. Thres a big story about why this pattern and why that colour. Lets jsut say the theme was Harry Potter and leave it at that. I also made a sweater shaped ipod cozy, a coffee cup sleeve and a no sew double sided fleece blanket.

For another swap, I made a pair of Fetching (knitty summer 06 I think). I am a huge huge huge fan of this pattern. I will be making many a more fetching in the future. starting with a pair of my very own.The only mod I made was doing a regular bind off because lets face it, I'm a lazy knitter and I can't be bothered to do a picot bind off. Beside, it doesn't really change the look, and the picot flares out and I don't like that. (Ignore my hair looking arm. It's the flash. My arm hair doesn't look nearly that bad in natural light.) I used Vanna's Choice from Lion Brand. It made a nice dense fabric, and its machine wash an dryable, which is important to me for swaps. I want to send my partners somethin easy to care for. I have been known to make exceptions though when the yarn is pretty enough lol.

New topic! Christmas knitting! I have making a hat for my friend, and a hat/scarf set for one of my sisters, and two presents to myself. An Alpaca scarf in a chocolatey brown to go with my snazzy new red coat, and a pair of socks. I deserve a pair for myself damnit! lol. I keep giving them away. I may actually gice these ones away too though. I think my mom would like them alot. so who knows.

I have afew other projects on the go too, but I'm heistant to share because at least of of them is a swap spoiler. And while my partner is actually the orginizer thus is very busy, she also sent my package yesterday meaning shes finished and unlikely to actually read my blog between now and then. If she is, Hi Cindy! lol

If you're desperate to stalk my knitting, you can cause I am on Ravelry now! I've been having uber fun. I have pictures of a few of my favourite completed projects, some of my stash (I can't find all of it to photograph it) and all my WIPs.

Find me here:

http://www.ravelry.com/people/Michela

Swap spoilers though! So beware! Don't look if you don't want to know!

I'm off now. today we are putting up the tree, doing some cookie baking and I have about 20 journal articles to reader before Friday for a final and I have to learn aobut socio-lingistics for Tuesday. Wish me luck!

Swaps are fun

I have actually been knitting like a fiend since my last post, but I can't tell you cause they've all been for swaps. Hopefully one of my partners will recieve this week so I can post the coolest swap project I've completed to date. The others you'll have to wait for cause the send outs aren't until the end of the month.

I can tell you that I've found a new pattern for the lorna's laces I bought on a whime this summer that I thought wanted to be jaywalkers socks, but they lied. Now they want to be Tropicana socks (I like magknits sock patterns, so sue me lol). I only have about 4 inches of the first ankle so far, but they look and feel lovely! I'll be bringing them in the car for the long trip to Buffalo next week so maybe I'll get to the heel! I jot of joys! The heae!

Stay Tuned!

I am officialy a sock knitter.

Look! I made some socks! Matching socks that are actually foot shaped! These pair are destined for Jenn's feet (She better realize she has the best sister in the whole world). And no, the one on the left isn't shorter than the one on the right, I was just to lazy to pull it up all the way.

The first sock was made in the 3 week period in June this year, and the second on was done between August and today. It didn't actually take me that long to make each sock (probably about 10 hours a pop) but I got distracted by other projects and I only knit the second sock on the commute to school.

Anyway, the technicals: I used two balls of Paton's Kroy Jacquards on size 2 DPNs using this pattern: http://www.patonsyarns.com/pattern.php?LGC=kroysocks&PHPSESSID=aba5f5a96176b1187569680ee01d6575 with a few minor changes.

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

2 weeks of...

I hate it when life interferes with my various forms of crafting. I had a big paper on Ethnic representation and stereotypes in Grey's Anatomy due last week and it took all my available time for a looooong time! but now its done and I have a few weeks before the next wave of academic hell hits.

I did manage to accomplish something while I was up to my elbows in Grey's Anatomy. I finally finished the Ravenclaw Scarf! Its over 9 feet lone including the fringe. Its about 8.5" without it. pictures will be posted later. I'm too lazy to do it now. I'm at a bit of a lose now. That thing took forever and i had very little else on my needles otherwise.

I took a few days off from knitting while I contemplated my next projects because heaven forbid I actually finished something I started. I wasn't completely idle. I made a Grace Beanie from knitwhits.com. That took about 2 days.It was my 'I'm finally going to learn how to work lace' project. Its not perfect but the hearts actually look like hearts so I'm happy. I kinda wish I hadn't used the crap acrylic I had though. No, I'm not a yarn snob. I actually like synthetics, I sort of have to due to an allergy to all forms of fibre coming off the backs of mammals. This Acrylic is crap though. Its ugly and not very nice to wear. I bought it as practice yarn and that's about all its good for. Back to the point, now that I know how easy the Grace Beanie is, I'm going to make a cotton one for the spring.

On to current projects. Two things were started today after an inpromtu trip to wal-mart to stock up on my favourite Bernat yarns. The first one is a vest from the "Best of Snow" pattern booklet by Bernat (0f course). Its a lovely little book and the yarn it calls for in all the patterns is awesome stuff. It's called Glacier. Its thick and soft and shiny, all the things I love in yarn. It works up soooooooo fat too! I cast on at 10 pm and I already have nearly 5 inches done on the back of the vest. That's taking time to eat, play with my new puppy, and do a little laundry. If I keep this up I can wear it to school on Tuesday.

I'm also making the lace hard from the book too. I refused to buy a book, even if it was less than 2 bucks, without at least using two patterns from it. I'm loving it so much I think I'm going to have to make every last thing in the book lol

My final project it, drum roll please, my first pair of socks! I'm excited. I've done the cuff of the first sock already. It's going faster than I thought It would. I'm hoping the rest of the sock goes as quickly so I can avoid second sock syndrome.

That's all for now, I have to get back to my vest. I just can't stop. Its too soft!

The home stretch is the longest

I have officially pasted the 6 foot mark on the scarf. That was the intended length. Yeah, that didn't happen. I've been forced to start another repeat because the scarf didn't want to end. It wanted to be 8 feet. That's not the point of this blog though because I've already discussed the never ending scarf syndrome and yarn communication.

No the point of this blog is knitting without going anywhere. You know when you first start a project every inch seems like such an accomplishment then by the end you can knit for hours and it seems like you've done nothing even thought you've knit like 18 inches? I'm suffering from that problem right now. I have been watching Grey's Anatomy episodes for a paper I'm writing (Yeah I know, I hate me too) and since I can't just sit and watch TV/computer screen as the case my be, without feeling totally useless, I picked up my ravenclaw scarf that I put in the corner last week as punishment for disobeying my order to finish and started knitting. I knit no less than 18 inches. I haven't actually measured it but it was at least 18 inches yet I still feel like I'm not any closer to finishing. In fact I kind of feel like I'm going backwards.

Yes, I am un-knitting. Not frogging, un-knitting. There must be some magical spell on my needles so that every stitch i knit removed two from what I have already done. That's the only explanation I can come up with as to why after a couple of hours of knitting I am no closer to finishing.

To really drive home this tragedy, Spring has started to open its sleepy eyes here in Toronto. Today is actually a tolerable temperature and it's completely sunny outside. Not that mocking sunshine where it's a completely cloudless day but the temperature is cold enough to make you nose fall off in about 3 seconds. No, the sky is just.... Sunny.

All this work and I won't be able to wear this scarf. Damn it.

Ruthie the Pygmy Puff

This is Ruthie. She is here to keep Richard company.

Ruthie is a bit smaller than Richard is. She's a pygmy pygmy puff lol. Any hoo, on to the more important details. She is made of a ridculously small amount of Patons Cha Cha in Las Vegas, or whatever its called. Sames needles and notions but shes only 22 stitchs wide and 25 rows long. Same seaming and stuffing. Isn't she jsut so cute?