The Knitting Fates are cruel

This morning I began knitting the edging on the Laminaria shawl. I was excited, I always get excited when I start a new section of knitting, be it a heel or an edging. So a few days ago I added a lifeline, after the third repeat and before the final 8 rows that mark the end of the body. I appeased the Knitting Fates and the repeat went flawlessly.

Let me digress for a moment. I am using a recycled lace weight cashmere that was once a white sweater, but is now a pink yarn. I have broken this yarn several times in the beginning of the shawl, then learned how to knit loosely enough to make it work, especially since one of my breaks was in the row below the 3 into 9 stitch.

So last night on row 5 of the repeat I came to a knot in the yarn. I knew better, but I just kept knitting. I was tired and thought it would work itself out. After finishing the repeat this morning I kinda cringed at the knot every time I crossed it, but I made it through. And then I started the edging, and a third of the way into the first row, the yarn in the row below broke while I was doing the 3 into 9.

I had to rip back the last repeat.

Yes, only 8 rows, but 8 long, long rows.

But I had the lifeline, so yea. And I am remarkably positive about the whole situation. I'm a process knitter, it's a bit sad but not the end of the world. You mean I have to knit some more? Oh god no, not more knitting! AAHHHH...

Simple elegance

I like difficult knitting patterns. Being a scientist without a lab I find the challenge very mentally stimulating and am still in awe that klutzy me can produce beauty and complexity from mere string (OK, maybe not mere string, I have been lucky enough to work with some truly beautiful yarns and fibers). The ADD usually gets the better of me and I switch between current projects and starting new ones like casually flipping through channels at 3AM looking for something that is not an infomercial.

And then I met the Spring Thaw shawl, and this is not the first project to hit me like this, just the current one. The lace is beautiful, a leafy motif, and the yarn reminds me of home in the fall, but without the leaf peepers getting in my way. But I digress, the point is still the simple elegance. Each 8 row repeat adds half a leaf, and is staggered in such a way that as you finish up one set of leaves, you are beginning another set. OK, not describing it well, but trust me on this. And though it is lace, and therefore a bit fiddly, the pattern makes it really easy to read your knitting and even though my rows are now over 200 stitches each, I know when I make a mistake so no full on ripping back (knock on wood).

But the point is simple elegance. The patterns I choose are rarely so elegant, so deceptively intricate in it's technical simplicity. This is an amazing patters, so I might just have to go and knit it.

J.

Oops

So I missed yesterday, still coming back sooner than expected. Good news is I can no longer use the camera as an excuse not to blog ("oh, I'll blog when I upload the pictures in a month or two"). I figured out the webcam, which I used only for Skype up until now.

So what am I working on? The sweater, one would think. Alas I have strayed. I got some new needles (thanks Mom and Tom!) and since Kate was nice enough to provide an excellent color copy of the pattern and an amazingly fun-to-knit colorway of some sock yarn that is still a bit of a mystery to me (I'll get details for Ravelry when I get around to it), I began knitting her a pair of Cookie A.'s Cubist socks.
Pardon the bedhead, it is morning and not everyone is awake yet (me included). No real detail of the sock yet, I'm 6 rows into the cuff. Still, they have been started.

Jump start

I kinda want to be one of those bloggers who update regularly. Why? Because I have a terrible memory and want to remember some things. For example, today Jack is sick. He is having one of his migraines, but being so brave about it. He throws up everything he drinks within half an hour, and once he was trying to hold it in until he got his bucket, and some came out his nose. He cracked me up a few minutes later when he said in a straight forward manner "I throwed up everywhere. My nose throwed up too."
And the crafts too. I was reading the Yarn Harlot's bog mere minutes ago and she had an excellent point. She has a running story of what she is working on and why they sometimes get set aside and has been able to use that as a reference. Brilliant, and an awesome idea for someone like me. Maybe I can use it as a test, a habit to change that can influence me to change other habits as well.
And before I ramble on even more on that subject, lets talk crafts.

Nothing finished. I began working on a crochet afghan out of the sock yarn I got from Miss Violet herself. I love it and set aside Sgt. Sweater for a bit. The 2 at once sleeves made it out again yesterday and I have worked on them today as well. Back on the knit kick, and still trying to be monogamous to the sweater.
I hand quilted a bit of Lily's quilt. Then the flea-ridden cat took up residence on it, so it was vacuumed and steamed and is now set aside. I scrapbooked. Well, I made one digi page. Again about Jack. Seems I have many more pictures of Lily, but tend to scrap Jack.
I have the credits in a document, so if anyone reads this blog and wants to know what was used and where to get it, let me know. Didn't want to over complicate things with my first page on the new netbook, so I went simple and somewhat classic. I like it anyway.

So there it is, a fresh start (again). See how long this lasts.

So much for updating

As usual, I am late with the updates. Months late. But things have been happening, crafting has been continued.

I have a goal. I hope to finish several projects I have in progress (and this has nothing to do with my strict yarn diet, nothing at all ;)). I have a pair of socks, if you count the one finished and the 4 different socks not yet to the heel. I have a sweater (which I have been making progress on!) and Brett's scarf (which still bores me to death). I have finished a shrug and a pair of monster booties for Lily.
So the sweater. I'm making the Military Cardigan and it is a very fiddly pattern, which makes it all the more interesting to me. The back is done and I'm halfway up the right side. It is coming along nicely and I do promise some pictures soon.

As for the dramas, I just need to rant for a minute. Not too long, or I'll get all riled up.

Republicans in general anger me. If it's not the foot dragging when it comes to passing anything Obama proposes (and why? so they can say he didn't do anything or come through on any of his promises?) it's backpedaling on their own party line because Obama acts on it (Drill baby drill, unless Obama says so!). And in today's world I had hoped silly things like discrimination would be a thing of the past, but alas being gay in the military loses wars (because God knows straight male soldiers don't rape and harass female soldiers, it's only those sex crazed homosexuals!) and being immodest causes earthquakes (is it wrong that I kinda wanted boobquake to cause a massive one?).

And I'm done for the moment. Yes, more pisses me off, but I'd like to keep a civil tongue and at the moment coffee along with silent contemplation will suit my goals. And knitting, I may have to go get that sweater and knit a bit.

J.

Sew many distractions

So one of the reasons I have not been knitting much (aside from the dishes, laundry and the pesky need to feed the kids) is that sewing bags has been a new thing for me. I found a free bag pattern I liked at allpeoplequilt.com and scaled it down to make a single small project bag.



OK, so I need to work on this whole posting pics to my blog thing. Bear with me, I'm new. So that was my first bag, completely hand sewn. I scaled down the pattern just a little to make a second bag, one for a larger project with some inside pockets and such (they are essentially reversible bags).



That one is made from 4 fat quarters, each a different pattern. I have been using it to keep the GAAA in, but I'm thinking that the knitalong I'm going to do with Kate will occupy this bag.

This past September I went to my first quilt show. I found a couple panels of Eric Carle fabric, one from the Very Hungry Catepillar and one from Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? I was thinking of making little quilts, but the panels were long and odd shaped. Then I decided to make a tote bag. Most of it is improvised, the bottom was made with square corners.


The inside is the Brown Bear fabris. There are pockets sewn in using the leftovers (the second picture) and I added a button and clasp to close the top.


This bag is likely going to be an overnight bag for the kids. Brett likes the idea of storing art supplies in it, so we will see.

And that is what I have been up to. I knit a bit of the GAAA and even knit some of the scarf, but the scarf will be the main focus this week, that and finishing Jack's bag (I made him a small bag like my pink/red one using Pooh fabric. I just need to finish the handles by hand and it will be done (Jack wants everything I make and seems to think these are all toy bags).

At Peace

I am at peace with today.

The dishes are done, Jack is actually napping, Lily is fed and happy and I'm about to knit.

Jack did sit on his train box and pee into his car tin and all over Petey's mouse. I did get a note from the vet reminding us to get Petey's Rabies shot, letting me know that I have been spelling the cat's name wrong for months. I knew it looked weird, but couldn't figure out the problem. Minor compared to the pee. And then there was the trail of TP leading from the bathroom to Jack's room. And the booby trapped toilet that dropped a car into the bowl when Daddy moved the seat. But he is napping.

And the knitting. I must be knitting the scarf I've been ignoring for weeks. No, that has become a black dot on the blackness of space in the galaxy that is my crafting. I took the Great American Aran Afghan (GAAAaaaa) and spent half an hour working out what row I was on in the square in progress. The knitting of it went swimmingly, the four rows I have knit so far. I also hated the way the four completed squares were seamed. I'm a better seamer now, so I spent the morning doing dishes and un-seaming blocks. Yes, I would apparently rather pick out one particular string in a sea of like colored strings than knit that stinking scarf. And I like it, that is the problem! I like lace, I like short lace rows. I enjoy this pattern. Why can I not knit it?

So now I pick up the afghan square, along with the other 3 sticks I need to complete the center cable. And you know what? I'm at peace with that.