Science of Knitting

After months of sitting on my wall o'yarn, the day to dye had come. Teresa came over and we dyed yarn in 3 easy steps:
First - blend the dye (cake dye, with hula girl swizzle sticks of course)
Second, squirt and blend. Be sure to wear gloves!
Third - admire!

Ok, actually it was more than 3 steps, but I'm out of pictures :)


My new favorite quick knit - calorimetry (yes, I even know what a calorimeter does). Knit in an afternoon catching up on Lost and Grey's Anatomy online using Malabrigo. I, like everyone else, didn't knit the pattern as written, but cast on 96 stitches (following Eklectika's mods) and did short rows until I had 48 stitches between the markers. The yarn bled quite a bit, staining my hands an attractive orange. But it's been washed and is ready to wear! And I love it :)

Finished objects

Noro Silk Garden beanies
Fetching handwarmers, for the gift box
Scarves, for the Red Scarf Project

All finally done!

2nd Annual Cyberspace Poetry Reading and a Meme

Today is the 2nd Annual Cyberspace Poetry Reading, and here's mine:

Ophelia
Tiny fragments of my soul perform alone upon the stage
As I hide in the wings, peeking out for the critics' reviews
Unblinded by the lights, I can see their empty faces
Unsure how to take this angry girl or her bitter views

Lashing out at the world in general
Or maybe just you in particular
When the words fail her message
It takes a form gesticular

It was a classic case of Ophelia drowning
She saw the faces around her frowning
Her emotion - it was too raw
It made them uncomfortable, what they saw

"Emotional, unstable," they said
Rendering her artistic presence dead
"Not developed, too wild," they cried
But she had to let out what was inside

Lashing out at the man who hurt her
Just one in particular
His ears closed to her message
She tries switching vernacular

The songs come out of her unbidden
Pouring out of emotions once hidden
He's shocked at her angry voice
He doesn't understand her choice

Cutting him out would be so much better
It's her decision, but he won't let her
Clinging to a love now dead
The critics all turn their heads

Lashing out at all her friends
Hoping she'll calm when it all ends
Ending relationships feels like death
But when it's done, you know it's best

And as spotted on Good Yarns:

You Know You're From California When...
The fastest part of your commute is down your driveway.
You were born somewhere else.
You know how to eat an artichoke.
The primary bugs that you worry about are electronic.
Your car has bullet-proof windows.
Left is right and right is wrong.
Your monthly house payments exceed your annual income.
You can't find your other earring because your son is wearing it.
You drive to your neighborhood block party.
Your family tree contains "significant others."
You don't exterminate your roaches, you smoke them.
You see 25 lawyers chasing an ambulance.
More than clothes come out of the closets.
You go to a tanning salon before going to the beach.
More money is spent on facelifts than on diapers.
Smoking in your office is not optional.
You pack shorts and a T-shirt for skiing in the snow, and a sweater and a wetsuit for the beach. When you can't schedule a meeting because you must "do lunch."
Your children learn to walk in Birkenstocks.
Rainstorms or thunder are the lead story for the local news.
You'll reluctantly miss yoga class to wait for the hot tub repairman.
You consult your horoscope before planning your day.
A glass has been reserved for you at your favorite winery.
All highways into the state say: "no fruits."
All highways out of the state say: "Go back."
The Terminator is your governor
You can't remember . . . is pot illegal?
It's barely sprinkling rain and there's a report on every news station: "STORM WATCH"

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from California.

Meme

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest

So (this is sad) the closest book to me is Transport Phenomena. And since p. 123 was a chart, you get p. 124 instead:

"When it is substituted into Eq. 4.2-3, we get

(d^2/dr^2 - 2/r^2)(d^2/dr^2 - 2/r^2)*f = 0

The fact that the variable theta does not appear in this equation suggests that the postulate in Eq. 4.2-7 is satisfactory. Equation 4.2-8 is an 'equidimensional' fourth-order equation (see Eq. C.1-14)."

Last night was spent furiously hemming 8 curtains for a friend of a friend - furious because for the first half hour of attempting to sew my machine kept jamming. Turns out the thread had slipped out of the feed....oops. Overall, it took me about 4 hours of pinning, ironing, sewing, and trimming to finish them. And resulted in some very sore shoulders! But they're done and ready to be delivered and I can go back to knitting!

Close to be finished are Fetching and a Noro beanie. Still to be worked on are Wicker and MDK washclothes. But with the multitude of patterns I've printed out (Wicked, Green Gable, Simple Knitted Bodice, Thermal, Argosy) I've already got yarn in mind for the Knitty patterns - some Rowan tweed 4 ply for Thermal and a black and red varigated yarn for Argosy. Though I do have alot of socks to knit....There've been alot of posts lately about knee-highs, and I do have some yarns that would work....

Quizmania

Because I have no real knitting content to show (just yet - give me another day or two), I leave you with a series of quizzes. At least one of us should be entertained :)

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
The South
Boston
The Inland North
North Central
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

You paid attention during 100% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

Congratulations. You are 12% dork.

Why did you even take this quiz? Who are you kidding? Using AIM doesn't make you computer savvy, frat-boy. Go find some of the people who scored in the 85-100 range and pummel them for their USB flash drives.

The dork/nerd quiz
Quizzes for MySpace

, you're now logged in!

Below you'll find your test result. After, continue on to your homescreen to discover what we're about.

continue to OkCupid homescreen >

GRYFFINDOR! You scored 24% Slytherin, 16% Ravenclaw, 64% Gryffindor, and 28% Hufflepuff!

You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart. Gryffindors are known for their courage, audacity, and devotion to what is good and honest.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: http://is1.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" alt="free online dating" border="0"> http://www.okcupid.com">%20src=" You scored higher than 99% on Slytherin http://is1.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" alt="free online dating" border="0"> http://www.okcupid.com">%20src=" You scored higher than 99% on Ravenclaw http://is1.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" alt="free online dating" border="0"> http://www.okcupid.com">%20src=" You scored higher than 99% on Gryffindor http://is1.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" alt="free online dating" border="0"> http://www.okcupid.com">%20src=" You scored higher than 99% on Hufflepuff

Link: The Sorting Hat Test written by leeannslytherin on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two.
Book Snob
Dedicated Reader
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_kind_of_reader_are_you">What Kind of Reader Are You? Create'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Create Your Own Quiz

What kind of graduate student are you? Your Result: The closeted professional. Your talents seem to be wasted in this arena - are you sure you shouldn't be making a lot more money doing something else? The real world may seem scarier, but you belong there.
The poseur.
Typical.
The precocious expert.
What'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_kind_of_graduate_student_are_you">What kind of graduate student are you? Make'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Make Your Own Quiz

Community

One of the things people talk about on their blogs is a sense of community (another topic is why people blog, which I'll get to in a minute). I read blogs from all across the US, Canada, and even some overseas. While I may not comment on alot of these blogs, I'm still interested in what goes on with these people - good, bad, and ugly. I have felt strange about posting a comment when a blogger loses someone (or something, as some knitted objects must be frogged), but I felt like it wouldn't be right to have read their blog for so long and keep quiet when something happened.

Some people have blogs to showcase their work. Some people have blogs to talk about themselves (I most often fit into this category). Some people have blogs to share information. Crazy Aunt Purl's lastest post shares some good information. Allison, who I know through Stitch n Bitch, is having a tough time right now (that's putting it mildly). I'll let you read about it here. Her son, only a few months old, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. From all the posts out there about cancer and tumors and hospitals, I don't have to tell you how emotionally and financially heavy this is. Allison runs her own store, Supercrafty. Check it out and shop away.

Background

From CuteOverload

Finished!

After what seemed like ages, I finally finished my scarf for the Red Scarf Project. And threw in some scarves that were sitting in the "To Gift" pile (I've been trying to keep ahead on birthdays and holidays by buying gifts when I see them or stocking up a pile of knits to give away). Unfortunately, I left my camera at home and can't upload the pictures. It looks pretty much like the last photo, only longer :)

So what to work on now? I'm thinking instant gratification - so most likely Fetching and the Noro beanie. And maybe back to the Trekking socks I started last year - I'm finally ready to try a toe up heel flap. Though I'm not sure that's a good SnB project for tonight (or, now that I think about it, where I put the pattern....hmm)

I've been feeling a bit compulsive about cleaning lately (esp. since my landlady started spontaneously showing my apartment. I haven't even given her official notice yet!) - my knitting basket is a huge mess of patterns and yarn and needles. A quick project for tonight - organzing all my WIPs and putting away the stuff I'm not working on. After reading a review of the KnitPicks bags I'm somewhat tempted. But with all the other bags I have and the impending cost of the move I'm restraining myself. It would be nice to have a more knitting-oriented bag though...

And with that, back to work. I've got alot of reading to do, and some lab work. And they won't pay me if I spend all my time on the internet :)

WIPs aplenty

Finally, I have joined the My So Called Scarf bandwagon - just in time for the Red Scarf Project! As much as I love the look of the pattern and the feel of the yarn (so soft by caron?), I remember why I don't make scarves very often...I get a little bored after awhile. But, I'm on a deadline, and so I knit on...
And also finally, a Noro Silk Garden beanie. Attempt #3....
Some Fetching fingerless gloves, using the leftover yarn from my Razor Cami. I'm hoping I have enough yarn to make it, I'm cutting it awfully close!
Last but not least, Wicker from Rowan in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (which Little Knits has on sale....) I love how soft this yarn is and how vibrant the red is (I'm on a red kick right now), though I'm running through the skeins like there's no tomorrow...

I've been exercising some amazing self restraint here - as Teresa will tell you, I normally have many more projects going at once. But I'd like to be better about finishing things, as opposed to just starting them. I even managed to get some knitting in at work today - I had to take light measurements all morning, which left alot of down time waiting for time points. I managed to get another 3 inches on the beanie, in addition to some strange looks from my labmates :)

Time to get ready - a group of us are going out for dinner to celebrate my friend's birthday tonight. The perfect occasion to wear my new patent leather shoes from Nine West (who, like ALDO, are also having a sale....you know you're tempted....)

Knit from Your Stash

I have alot of yarn. Seriously. And I love to buy yarn almost as much as I love to make stuff from it. With the new job and impending move, it seems like a good time to join the Knit from Your Stash bandwagon. Guidelines are as follows:

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 16, 2007 and run through September 30, 2007 -- a period of nine months.
2. I will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:
2.a. Sock yarn does not count. (Seriously. There needs to be some wiggle room!)
2.b. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that I really and truly do not have the yarn for, I may buy yarn to knit that gift.
2.c. If I am knitting something and run out of yarn, I may purchase enough to complete the project.
2.d. I get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- I am allowed to fall off the wagon one time.
3. I am allowed to receive gifts of yarn.
4. Trading stash is allowed. (Purging of stash is encouraged in my case...)

So. There you have it. Let the knitting begin :)

Taking stock

With the new year should come an inventory of what's going on in my knitting world....

Recent FOs:
Razor Cami
Sweater from Vintage Knits (picture coming eventually, as soon as I figure out how to fix the collar)
Silk Garden beanie (probably will be redone, I'm still not happy with the edge)
Circular needle holder (this will get its own post later - it made for a good day of sewing yesterday)

WIPs:
Trekking socks
KnitPicks socks
Fingerless gloves
Wicker sweater from Rowan
Lace leaf socks (or maybe embossed leaf...I forget)
Mason Dixon dishcloth

Planned:
More beanies and fingerless gloves
More socks (have you seen my stash?)
Endpaper Mitts
Ariann (I already have the yarn)
Sahara (may have the yarn)
Clapotis (Smaller versions using Noro and Koigu)

I am nothing if not ambitious. And short on attention :)

Finally, an FO pic!

Here it is - Razor Cami, as photographed by Teresa. I also finished my Rowan sweater this morning - it's washed and being blocked. Hopefully I can get some pictures of it tomorrow if it doesn't rain. I've still got a ton on the needles (another Rowan sweater, my so called scarf, Silk Garden beanie, FBS....plenty to keep me busy!)

Happy Holidays all!

I am alive, I swear. But with the hesitation to blog at work and the lack of interest in blogging at home....well, y'all don't get many updates. So let's fix that.

Work: going well, thanks for asking. I'm a little stressed because the 2 main projects I've been participating in have become my own. It's become a panic of "OH no, what if I forget something? What if I leave out that control or that form or....something I haven't even thought of yet?" My concern about my abilities as an engineer has lead me to order Process Fluid Mechanics, An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics, Transport Phenomena, and Unit Operations. All used of course! I have my own library at work now. Feel free to ask me what all of those mean - I've come up with alot of good cooking/baking analogies :)

Creative stuff: I've been writing alot more. And playing around with GarageBand (trying to make up for the shortcomings of my mic). Though I am starting to feel like I'm stuck in a rut of bitter songs. Eh. Eventually it won't be so all-consuming and I can write less bitter songs. Patience or something. Knitting has been ongoing as usual - as is no surprise I have a ton of projects on the needles (all packed to take home with me for the shutdown next week) Life in general: These past few weeks have been rough-ish. The commute is definitely starting to affect me - after over an hour of driving to get home and having to go to the post office every night to pick something up (yes, I know I could sign for them to leave it but that hasn't worked out too well in the past), I've become incredibly crabby and short-tempered. I finally broke the news to my landlady last night that I'll be moving closer to work after my lease ends. I just can't do it anymore. It's only 30 miles (as someone who grew up in an area where towns are more spread out, driving generally doesn't bother me), but 30 miles of traffic going at most 30 mph tends to induce a murderous rage in me. And I just can't joke about it anymore. Maybe I could write a song about it....

The last few weekends have been fairly eventful. Dinners with friends, movies, concerts, slumber party (yes, I said slumber party). I checked out Bizarre Bazaar for the first time - lots of interesting stuff from jewelry to T-shirts to devilishly scary looking elves. I also went to a friend's holiday party as a volunteer photographer - which only heightened the desire to upgrade to a digital SLR. I'm looking forward to going home - sleeping in will hopefully help me kick this cough I've had since October. And I'm trying to get as much recording and knitting done as I can before I get back to LA....we'll see how that goes :) And eventually I'll get around to posting some FOs!

And, randomly:
Upon deleting spam message entitled "disapointed about what happened last monday": Yeah, me too (what did I do last Monday? What did I do this Monday? What day is it?)
Glancing over to read the box of binder clips: "Diversity Product Solutions" - everyone deserves their own kind of binder clips. Sure.
Listening to iPod while reading technical reports: Boy am I glad I used the educational discount to get my iPod.
Upon viewing this link: Hmm....

I hope all of you are well - enjoy the holidays, whatever you celebrate :)

Memes and quizzes

Because I really don't have much else to post about - aside from playing with GarageBand (thanks to copy and paste, I now have 2 guitars!) I finished the Razor Cami, but I'm going to add an edging and then find someone to take a picture of me wearing it so I can post it. Now it's back to the Rowan Sweater which has been languishing all year. And some socks. Maybe another Claptois....

Fig And Plum had a great post asking about Etsy stores. Here are some of the ones I particularly liked:

LingGlass
PhotoGlassWorks
Tadworks

On to the memes and quizzes!

Stolen from And She Knits Too! and MimKnits.

Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
No.
Explanations.

1. Yourself: achy
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): waiting
3. Your hair: indecisive
4. Your mother: worried
5. Your Father: elder
6. Your Favorite Item: yarn!
7. Your dream last night: unmemorable
8. Your Favorite drink: tea
9. Your Dream Car: unproblematic
10. The room you are in: fluorescent
11. Your Ex: idiot
12. Your fear: death
13. What you want to be in 10 years? better
14. Who you hung out with last night? Marie
15. What You're Not? squirrel
16. Muffins: poppyseed
17. One of Your Wish List Items: buecher
18. Time: running
19. The Last Thing You Did: walked
20. What You Are Wearing: new
21. Your Favorite Weather: thunder
22. Your Favorite Book: HP
23. The Last Thing You Ate: yogurt
24. Your Life: improving
25. Your Mood: meh
26. Your best friend: many
27. What are you thinking about right now? writing
28. Your car: blended
29. What are you doing at the moment? reading
30. Your summer: where?
31. Your relationship status: paused
32. What is on your TV? TV
33. What is the weather like? office
34. When is the last time you laughed? today

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

Just a quick post

It's been hectic lately between the new job (which I love) and dating (meh) and trips with friends (woohoo! Bring on the wine!). But, in very exciting news, I'm this close to being done with the Razor Cami. And I love it (I tried it on last night) All that's left is for me to knit the straps and an edging and weave in ends. But I'm really thrilled with how it's turning out (in other words, I may actually wear it)

Which begs the question - what knitting do I bring home with me?

I can't stand it.

Razor Cami and other WIPs

Still plugging away on the Razor Cami - it's going faster than I though. I may finish it by my birthday :) (Not that it matters - a camisole in Northern California doesn't strike me as proper Thanksgiving attire) (Yes, my birthday is on Thanksgiving this year. 3rd time I can remember it happening)

I've also been doing a little spinning - still working on getting an even thickness :)

The start of Intolerable Cruelty from Knitty. Mmmm....tweed.

I also learned the proper way to spell segue thanks to yummyyarn. All this time :)

Stitchy McYarnpants

Seriously? Stitchy McYarnpants? Where has this name been all of my knitting career? It amuses me in the same way my friend reading "CO 16 sts and knit in st st for 10 rows" said "Come on with 16 stitches and knit in stitchy stitchy for 10 rows"

I still die laughing about it.

It's almost as good as Threadbared.

In other news, I'm beginning to question my knitting style. I thought I knit good old-fashioned Continental (since my mom, who taught me, is German). But looking at the diagrams on this site I'm wondering if I a) knit Eastern or b) was at some point knitting Continental and just morphed it into Eastern/Combined....

The sock gets a good view

Photos

This weekend was spent camping, and in Harlot fashion, sock pictures were taken. This is what happens when 3 knitters go camping :) Pictures to come soon!

Tea and then some

So I'm going to be clearing out my tea stash of teas I don't drink anymore. I don't know if anyone out there would want an open container of tea, but let me know because I hate to throw it out! I may post pictures and ask for you to express an interest in the comments or email me. Who knows. I'm a little loopy from the coffee and antibiotics today (which really seemed like overkill at the time)

I sadly haven't done much knitting. I have quite a few started projects on the needles but work has been keeping me from making very much progress. And in 10 minutes I'm expecting a phone call about the job I've been trying for, so let's hope that pans out and I can drop the part time job :)

I finished one of the Fiberflix movies - the 1944 version of Gaslight. I had a stronger reaction to this than I thought I would - particularly with respect to the husband and how manipulative he was. Given that I'm still reverberating from the breakup, it's no surprise relationships should strike a chord with me. I got really frustrated with the female lead ("Leave him. Oh you're such an idiot. Don't believe him!") and felt as though the film dragged in the middle. I was, however, amused to find out the cocky maid was Angela Landsbury. A young Angela Landsbury. Maltese Falcon is up next!

Meme

48 Things You Could Care Less About
1. FIRST NAME? Kate

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope. But my middle name is the Americanization of my mom's middle name. That's close, right?

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Sigh. Yesterday. Breakups take forever to get past.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, when I write with a ballpoint pen on college-ruled paper. It looks bad when it gets bigger.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Sadly, lunch meat kind of grosses me out.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Totally. I'm awesome AND modest. Well, 1 out of 2.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Sitting neglected under my TV

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep, but barely.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Definitely no. Heights freak me out (which makes rock climbing an interesting outing)

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Lucky charms :) I wasn't allowed to have sugary cereal as a kid. College dorms were heaven.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope, I wrestle my foot out.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes, but I have trouble believing it sometimes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Pistachio. Because it's getting harder to find. And I like a good challenge.

14. SHOE SIZE? 8 1/2 to 9. Depending on how badly I want the shoes.

5. RED OR PINK? It depends. I'm leaning more towards red now.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? An unwillingness to let go.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Right now? My ex. Which is bad.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Hahaha.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Offwhite shirt, brown slacks, brown shoes (I had an interview today)

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Chicken Picatta. Eh.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Someone's meeting.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Hard to get off the wall red.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Hmmm....flowers maybe. People can smell nice too.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Someone at work about missing equipment.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Smile, then eyes, then height (I like my heels)

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? Sure :)

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Sake cosmo.

28. FAVORITE SPORT? Dance. Dance is a sport, right? To watch - football. Maybe. If there's beer and a college involved.

29. EYE COLOR? Blue

30. HAT SIZE? Medium

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes and they're driving me crazy right now.

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Zankou Chicken and the garlic sauce.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings. My imagination gets the better of me with scary movies.

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter. More knitwear.

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Both please.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Creme brulee.

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Hmmm, anyone bored?

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea.

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Glass Castle, The World is Flat, Assassination Vacation (I have a short attention span)

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? What mouse pad?

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Gaslight - on DVD.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Rain, thunderstorms.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Germany.

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Hmm...I can do a train whistle with my hands. Sometimes I'm really good at being the person who doesn't overthink things in lab (along the lines of "So why can't we just put it on its side like this?"). Neither of those are very exciting special talents :)

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Bartlesville, OK

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I shamelessly stole it from january one.

Soctoberfest, Stash Enhancement, and FOs

Socktoberfest!

In spite of my relative inexperience in knitting socks, I've accumulated quite a stash. My current projects are the leaf socks from an older issue of Interweave Knits (I'm not sure where the pattern is right now, these have been sitting in my basket for quite some time) and some basic toe up socks from Trekking and Regia yarns. I haven't made alot of progress yet!



I gave in to temptation (better known as retail therapy these days) and bought some Socks That Rock and Lorna's Laces (bought from yarn4socks, which is offering a Socktoberfest discount!) - two sock yarns I've been eyeing for quite some time!


I also discovered Jannette's eBay store - where I bought 10 balls of this Rowan tweed to make Intolerable Cruelty. The Cherry Tree Hill came from the yarn crawl with Pasadena SnBers last weekend - you can see I was relatively good to make up for all the online stash enhancement :)



And finally, I haven't just been buying yarn - I've been squeezing in some knitting too. I managed to finish the yoga socks I've been working on, along with a dishcloth from Mason Dixon Knitting. I really liked the yarn I used for the yoga socks (Katja Danubio?), but its fuzziness does hide the stitch detail. The dishcloth was a very satisfying project and finished in the course of a Harry Potter marathon a few weekends ago (there was much snacking in between - it didn't really take me 4 movies to finish it).


Whew. Sorry for the disjointed feel - I'm starving!

Soctoberfest, part 1

From Lolly, the Socktoberfest questionnaire:

• When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class? I started making socks a couple of years ago, and made pairs for two friends of mine from college. I taught myself, using the pattern in Weekend Knitting, and just sort of winged it (this is my approach to all knitting really).
• What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time? I'm not sure if they've held up.
• What would you have done differently? I would have learned more about making heels and fitting to feet. I have vague recollections of them not fitting one of the intended recipients.
• What yarns have you particularly enjoyed? I have to say I love Koigu, though I haven't made any socks from it yet. I've only actually made one pair of socks from sock yarn (and those have already been gifted by my ex - apparently there's a sock curse as well as a sweater curse!). I really like the chunky socks I made from some multicolored yarn I got on sale.
• Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method? I prefer DPNs, but I've been trying to get back into using 2 circulars. I made one pair that way and was really pleased with the results. I haven't tried the Magic Loop method yet, though I bought an extra long circular needle with my last KnitPicks order to try it out.
• Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?) I like the look of a flap heel, but I prefer to knit toe-up (as I have a problem sometimes with running out of yarn). The last 2 socks I've started are destined for experiments in toe-up flaps.
• How many pairs have you made? 6 - and I have 3 more on the needles! Pictures to follow soon.

I really have been knitting...

I promise I have been knitting. But with the new computer and the exploded social life, I haven't sat down to take pictures yet. More to come with pictures of FOs, WIPs, and SE. Oh, and that Socktoberfest questionnaire too!

Knitting Obsession

A video, found via the Yarn Harlot's blog.

I finished Claptois! I'm really pleased with it, and glad I finally finished it. It's been over a year since I dyed the yarn and started knitting it (it has oddly lasted as long my relationship that just ended.) (Yes, I do have too much time to think! It's only been a week.)

Yarn: Hmmm, merino? I can't find the tag. Hand-dyed in a dyeing class last spring.
Changes: I followed the pattern for the most part, except for cutting out a straight repeat. So it's 12 rows shorter than it would be otherwise. Still long enough
For the future: I don't know if I'd make this again. I love how it looks, but it felt like it took forever. Patience is not one of my virtues!

And just for my amusement:

My 10 Names Meme
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: ( pet and current street name) Marie Magnolia

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your moms side, your favorite candy) Helga Rolo (that's my favorite candy today - had it been yesterday it might have been SourPatch Kid, KinderEi, who knows)

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of last name, first three letters of your middle name) L. Joa

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Blue Dolphin

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Joanna Bartlesville

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom’s maiden name and first 3 letters of the town you grew up in.)
Lewkascbar

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The”, your favorite color, favorite drink) The Blue Saketini

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first name of both your grandfathers) Robert Gerhard

9. FUTURISTIC NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne and the name of your favorite shoes) Annie Oakely Sanku (I don't really have a favorite shoe...)

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother/father’s middle name ) Johanna Edward

Stash enhancement and a few changes

Regia Canadian Fashion colors, from Petra. Thank goodness all forms look alike, the owner speaks English, and they accept Paypal. Such beautiful colors!

Stash enhancement from the Bay Area (see Teresa's blog for more details about the stores we visited) I loved Commuknitty (source of some of the Rowan tweed above) and Stash (source of much temptation).

The small bit of angora I got from Skein Lane's closing sale. I hadn't been there in years - Skein Lane was the first 'real' yarn store I visited, where I stood shaking as I handed over my credit card for my first yarn purchase :)

Sock yarn from sweetgeorgia yarns. I'm in love with their colorways - I can't wait to start working with these yarns!


Finally, more sale yarn from A Mano. After this, I'm going on a yarn diet. My personal yarn store is overflowing!

I finally did some reorganization of my blog - taking down all the other blog links and replacing them with patterns, tips, techniques, and stores. I may replace them, but I find there are so many on my NewsGator page, it would be almost unmangageable!

Finally finished

These socks were supposed to be done months ago. MONTHS ago. Just another ad for Knitter's ADD folks!


Yarn: Um, some navy blue sock yarn? The label is in the middle of the last ball....

Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks


Modifications: Oh, thousands. Modifications to make them the right size were countless. I didn't like the full length of the leg, so I cut out 30 rounds. The length was going to be for a foot size smaller than that of the intended recipient, so I added 10 rounds. However, the toe was the major problem. I didn't like the length of it - if I have something patterned I want to continue the pattern more than I want a plain toe. So I did decreases every round instead of every other - a look I generally prefer. I had to rip out the toes twice in order to get the length right (don't try picking up navy stitches in poor lighting. Unless you have a large glass of wine nearby).

Lessons learned: After completing the first heel, I learned what that little spool of yarn I'd thrown aside was for. Needless to say, only 1 heel is reinforced :) This was also my first heel flap cuff down that wasn't done in a bulky yarn (for a sock to later be felted).

Stash enhancement photos coming soon!

Why buy clothes....

When you can spend all your money on fabric to make clothes?

Or multiple orders of the same yarn because you forgot you'd already ordered it a month ago. Something to be said about slow shipping....I now have enough Regia Nations to make 3 pairs of socks. Or maybe a pair of knee highs.

Musing

Potential. I think women in general see potential (maybe men too. Not being one, I can't speak to that). For instance, my shelf of yarn. When I look at the collection of wool and cotton and mohair and nylon, I see more than just the colors and textures and fibers (though the colors are pretty distracting). I see more than the work that went into making each yarn. I see the work going into them to make something new - another step in the transition from wool on a sheep's back to a sweater on my back. I see socks, scarves, shawls, sweaters, and undefined finished objects. The more dangerous place to focus on potential is relationships. As I filled in a friend on what happened last year, I think about this. I think about it alot when I'm writing songs, as I'm stuck in a bitter relationship song rut. There are other references - skin and bones of love won't make a meal. You can never love enough for two people. You can never change people. You can stretch them like a rubber band to make them hold you, but as the years go by (and the rubber undergoes irreversible transitions to a more brittle state) the initial infatuation dies up and they snap. And you fall. Sometimes you fall hard. You learn not to fall in without looking, and that the only person you can change is yourself. And that sometimes it's not worth it to change yourself. It's better to spend time with those who accept who you are and make no complaints that you are too dramatic, too clingy, too demanding. It's better to stand up and say, "I deserve better. I'm not demanding, I'm saying I'm worth more than this." When you are endlessly impressed that you get a phone call every night, you realize you spent 5 years settling. You spent 5 years neglecting yourself and maybe that's why you haven't been happy. You've been going through the growing pains of re-learning to prioritize yourself before others. And it's a good thing. To look around a new place and see all the potential for what you could do for yourself. The things you want to create, the changes you want to bring, the lofty goals. It's a good realization. And about time.

Stash enhancement

There's been a mad rush of stash enhancement lately (and a rediscovered desire to take more pictures)

From Sundara Yarns:

Beautiful colorways - always sells out fast!

From La Petite Knitterie:

The green yarn is some of their hand-dyed yarn. They have a beautiful selection of colors - rekindled my interest in dyeing yarn. The black and grey is for a Debblie Bliss sweater - hugely on sale and in the right guage!

From Unraveled:

From their fishbowl sale. I finally broke down and bought some Koigu KPPM, probably for some socks. I still haven't decided what to do with the black and red - but I loved the colors.

From Carodan Farms:

I'm half German, so I've been thinking about making my mom some German socks :) Since everyone seems to be running out of the Nations yarns, I went ahead and got some. In theory, it's only August. December is a long ways off.

From Buy.com:

After seeing this posted by Grumperina, I went ahead and ordered it. I'm a big fan of Nancy Bush's books - having Vintage Socks and Folk Socks already. It just came today, and I'm looking forward to browsing through it over my morning (ok, afternoon now) cup of tea.

Sadly (sort of) - there's more to come. I broke down and ordered from sweetgeorgia yarns (though I'm wondering if my order fell through the cracks - I haven't received an invoice yet. Has anyone else ordered from them?) and some Regia Canadian Colors (my Kinderscheissdeutsch was good enough to figure out the order form, and they accept Paypal!). And then there's the trip to the Bay Area next weekend...

Path to Kniterations

Let's go over some of the more amusing ways people have found my blog:

Search for "knit doll clothes" leads to this post.

Search for "obscene knitting" leads to this post.

Search for "you've had a bad day song" leads to this post. (I'm guessing the user was somewhat disappointed)

Search for "generate a paystub" leads to this post.

Any my old favorite? Kate rubber T-shirt. I can't figure out where that led them :)

Help!

After years of everyone else doing it, I started working on Clapotis (which I have to look up every time and still haven't been able to say properly). It's been a love-hate project - love the yarn and stitching. Hate because, well, it's taking forever.

And now it has a problem. You can't really see it from here:

But it developed a hole. So, I cut some spare yarn, wove around the hole, and then tied knots:

The question is - was that the right thing to do? How do I secure the knots? The yarn itself is somewhat slippery, I'm not convinced the knots will hold. Any ideas?

Road trippin'

Teresa and I took a little road trip down to La Petite Knitterie in Ladera Ranch. I'd never been before, but they were having a sale and also have amazing hand-dyed yarn. As I'm planning another foray into yarn-dyeing, I couldn't resist. I've been buying alot of sock yarns lately, so it was no surprise that I bought another couple of skeins yesterday. At some point I'll actually finish some socks instead of buying more yarn :) I also managed to pick up some silky tweed to substitute for one of Debbie Bliss' patterns - Rio. In spite of the overwhelming amount of projects I have in mind (I started transferring them to a little notebook to take with me to yarn stores - I'm only through sweaters right now), I'm staying focused and trying to finish the WIPs I have.

We'll see how that goes.

Flashin' my stash

I know I'm ages behind, but I finally have all (well, most) of my yarn out on display. One of my favorite things about my new place!

And a bit of my sock stash: