blargh, christmas

Things have been pretty hectic around here in Yarnia. The last two Christmases were studies in knitting hell. So this year I said to myself, I've learned from my mistakes! I'm not going to knit anything for Christmas this year! Store-bought gifts are definitely the way to go! I love knitting for other people, really I do, but I'm awful at knitting on a deadline. It's stressful and hectic and it makes me feel like crap when I'm not able to finish on time because A) I drastically underestimated how long something would take, or B) something goes terribly horribly wrong causing me to take much longer, or C) all of the above.

Which is why, of course, here I am with less than a week to go until Christmas, frantically knitting away despite the fact that there is No Way in Hell that I am going to finish in time. I've prioritized which projects absolutely must be finished by Christmas, and which I've got a bit of wiggle room with and if I finish them a little late it won't be so bad. My mom and grandmother are getting two pairs of socks each (I made this brilliant decision on the 9th of December. yes, I'm absolutely off my rocker) and I've finished two pairs so far. So if I'm a little late with the other two pairs it won't be the end of the world. The other parts I won't go into detail on because I'm not sure who else does and doesn't follow my blog.

In other happier FO-news, I've gotten some great things taken care of. I've finally finished J-L's hat. That awful evil intarsia beast I've been complaining about on and off for the last year? Yeah. Done. Well, nearly done. I've just got to add braided tassels to the earflaps and felt the whole mess. I'll be posting finished pictures in a blog post of its own with probably a documentation of the whole sad tale.

I've also finished Jon's mitts and scarf. Still haven't presented them to him, because life keeps getting in the way. Namely, my work schedule and his finicky car. But they came out quite nice, and I'm very pleased.

I've also completed Abby's shawlette. I used the pattern Spring Thaw, and Malabrigo sock in the colorway Abril. Lovely yarn, lovely pattern. I did have some trouble starting it. The charts only show half of the shawl, and I didn't realize this at first, then couldn't figure out why the written instructions and charts didn't match up. Two froggings later, it finally clicked. The pattern was quite easily memorizable, and the yarn is a dream. I'm so in love with the color that I want to make myself something with it. Someday, after I downsize my stash quite a bit more...

Abby seems to love it. She's worn it several times since I gave it to her, which pleases me to no end. The best part of knitting for other people is seeing them use and enjoy what I make.

And that's probably why I'm sitting here, half-finished Christmas gift beside me. The thought of it being used and loved is what keeps me going.

Ravelympics: Day 1

So, believe it or not, I've actually got a decent start on this! I'm already worlds ahead of where I was for NaKniSweMo, but we won't talk about that.

I had my pattern all picked out.

I bought the appropriate amount of yarn.

My yarn is wound into balls. (hehe, balls...)

I swatched. Well, sort of. (okay, now this is sounding familiar) I knit a bit and it was coming out too small, so I'm knitting the next size up and it should be fine. I hope. Gauge swatches lie, anyhow.

I cast on during the opening ceremonies last night, and got a couple of hours in. I've put in a couple more hours so far today, and while it is driving home the fact that yes, I do knit slow as hell, I'm actually making decent headway on this. I'm about halfway through the raglan increases, whee!

Also, Malabrigo is soft and squishy and I think I never want to knit with anything else ever again. I loves it, even if it is kind of a pain in the ass to switch skeins every couple of rows. Most of the balls look like they're pretty close to the skein, but I have one that's sort of lighter and one that's noticeably darker despite the fact that I sat in the LYS for fifteen minutes comparing skeins of Burgundy and trying to pick the five that matched the best. I started with the lightest and the darkest in the hopes that the garter section would help to further disguise the dissimilarity in color, and it seems to be working so far.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this progresses well. I'm hoping to be done with the yoke by Monday, then done with the torso by the following Monday, which would leave me two days each for the sleeves, and two more days to do any finishing and blocking. When I first started, I thought there was no way I'd actually finish it in time, but now that I've got some amount of it done, I'm feeling optimistic again!

happy christmas!

Happy Christmas, all! Here's hoping that everyone's holiday is going well.

As for me, I'm enjoying a rather lazy Christmas Day with Jason's family. Mmm, Christmas.

I'm also still knitting Onerva. But really, who didn't see that one coming? I've only got another two or three repeats left. I don't really know for sure, since I'm just knitting until I run out of yarn, and I'm terrible at estimating amounts. I'm optimistic about having it done by next week. Then just blocking and it's done!

In other happy news, I got in my yarn order yesterday! Mmmm, Cascade Dolce is just as soft and pretty as the name implies. Nine skeins of it looks like it might not be enough. I know that it's MORE than enough, because the suggested yarn is 109 yards per 50 grams, and the Dolce has the exact same yardage to grams ratio. And because I'm paranoid I ordered a whole extra skein more than what I need. I'm going to worry about it until I actually start knitting and I see that it's not using up as much yarn as I fear it will. I wish I were better at judging amounts.

Anyhow, I couldn't resist balling up one of the skeins last night, and mmmm, so soft! I'm going to knit on Onerva today, and tomorrow I'll let myself play with the Dolce a bit. Because, believe it or not, I'm actually going to swatch for this thing. And I mean actually swatch, not the half-assed swatching I normally do. Exciting!

For now, back to knitting for me.

NaKniSweMo: Day 2-3

I didn't do any knitting yesterday. It was glorious.

I haven't done any knitting today either, but I have done some planning! I sketched out a rough idea for my sweater, and I plan on winding the hanks of yarn I've got for it. Then I will swatch (omfg yes i actually plan to swatch!) and come up with a more solid pattern idea.

I've finished the final repeat on my Dane Shawl, and it still seems a bit smaller than I thought it'd turn out. I'm debating whether I should just knit the edging and hope it blooms when I block it, or if I should go for another repeat. I think I've got enough yarn to go for a second repeat. Maybe. It'd be close. So, yeah, not really sure what to do. I'm leaning toward stringing a lifeline in on the last purl row of this repeat (omfg lifeline who are you and what have you done with biteyfish??) that way if I do come up short on yarn I won't want to scream and throw things and yank my hair out when I rip back. Yeah? Yeah?

But tonight will mostly be winding up my beautiful soft oh-so-pettable sweater yarn. Mmmm, yarn. It'll give me something to do while I watch V (which I am super-excited about!) And that counts as doing something for NaKniSweMo, right? Because really, two days without doing a darned thing for it is bad enough.

buh

I seem to have fallen into another knitting slump. I've got several projects going, but none really seem to be catching my interest. I've recently started a blanket for Jason as well as a pair of socks, but I've been kind of eh on both of them; the blanket is a log cabin pattern done in half-double crochets, and the socks are 3x1 ribbing. Both are pretty mindless, which usually is exactly what I want while I'm watching tv in the evenings. But lately they just end up lying in my lap forgotten. I'm also working on that scarf for my mystery CAL. I love the way it's turning out, but the pattern is a bit to complicated for tv knitting, and I really don't like the way it's written. Urgh.

In other news, I finished my silk garden kerchief, but have yet to block it. I've finished my friend's birthday gift, but have yet to block it and sew the lining and button. I've finished all but the button band on my sweater, but seriously fucked up the seaming on the shoulders despite redoing it several times. I'm hoping a good blocking will fix it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

(are we sensing a theme here??)

In other OTHER news, my LYS is having a pre-inventory sale. I made the mistake of stopping by last weekend and spent more than I intended to. Mostly sock yarn (whee!) but also some very pretty wool that was clearanced for just $1 a skein. Yeah, I made out like a bandit on that one. Normally buying yarn inspires me to knit, but I don't have a pattern in mind for the clearance yarn, and I really don't feel like starting another pair of socks when I've already got one on the needles that I don't really want to knit on.

I actually sort of feel like knitting a sweater, of all things. Which would be great except for the fact that I don't have a pattern picked out. I also would have to go buy yarn for it, which is normally a nice thing, but I just spent my fun-money for the month on, well, yarn.

I'm hopeless, aren't I?

Keep tuned in, kids, maybe I'll have something to post besides "i feel like knitting but don't feel like knitting anything i have, and I really shouldn't add to my stash even though i just bought more yarn. which i also don't feel like knitting right now." Hell, there might even be pictures.

still alive!

Nope, I don't feel fantastic and I'm certainly not doing science, but I am certainly still alive. I'm actually in the process of packing up my apartment (which has a lot more junk in it that I realized) and moving it all into my lovely new house!!

Unfortunately this doesn't leave a whole lot of time for knitting. Sadness. I know. Anyhow, just stopping in to say I'm still here, and I'll be back someday. Hopefully soon.

In other [related] news, yarn makes lovely padding for those odd spaces between things when packing. Now my yarn is all packed up, and mostly at the new house, and I miss it. I miss it so.

My as-yet-unfinished sweater is staring at me from its perch on the arm of the sofa. I suspect it may try to strangle me if I don't finish it soon. I'm almost done, I swear! Just have to bind off the collar, pick up and knit the button bands, seam, add buttons, and I'm done! With luck I may have it finished by the time the weather cools off again in the fall. ^^

my knitting hates me

It's the only conclusion I have reached after the events of the past several weeks. I'm not sure what reason it has to hate me, but hate me it does. Suddenly and violently and all over the place.

Let's review.

There are my January KAL socks. Which, two months past the deadline, I still have not finished. I was knitting away at them, still very much within my self-imposed deadline, when I reached the toe decreases. What possessed me to stop and count my stitches, I don't know, but I did. And I discovered that somehow when I was decreasing the stitches for the gussets, I decreased too much. the sole of my sock was six stitches short because I, apparently, am an idiot who doesn't know how to count. I tried it on, and yep, it's noticeably tighter than its mate. I frogged the entire foot.

But I was not discouraged. I valiantly started knitting away at it again. An inch and a half later, I realize that I ripped back too far, and now it's hasn't been decreased enough. Because I'm an idiot who still doesn't know how to count. I ripped back again.

Frustrated with the sock, I put it in time-out. Then I went out and bought myself a skein of Malabrigo in the colorway Stonechat and cast on for a hat. I'm about halfway through the first lace panel, when I realize that I somehow, and I have no idea how, screwed it up. Ripped back. Put the hat in time out as well.

Moved on to my goofy orange hat. Screwed up the decreases, but luckily I caught the mistake three rounds in. Ripped back and reknit because damn it I was going to bloody well finish something. The rest came out all right.

Empowered by my recent victory I went back to the Spiteful Lace Socks of Hatred. Knit the foot, obsessively counting the stitches every other row. Ended with the correct number. Knit the toe. Realized that the toe of the first sock and second sock look very different. Consult the pattern. Realize that the pattern says decrease every other row. And, yep, I decreased every row. I'm an idiot, and somehow I managed to not catch it before I cut the yarn. Very nearly pitched the whole thing across the room in a childish temper tantrum. The sock is in time out again.

Considered going back to my stonechat hat. Remembered that my stonechat has already expressed its hatred toward me. It's still in time out. Cast on for my sweater instead.

I've been putting off this sweater for a long time. I was disappointed in it before I ever started it, because the yarn looked different online than in person. I thought I was ordering grey and brick-red yarn. Instead I was actually getting grey and brownish-red yarn. But after knitting it up, the color combination has grown on me. It's still not something I would have chosen intentionally, but I think that it works well. Take a look!




I'm almost done with the back, and while at first I thought I had broken the string of evilness, I was wrong. The stripes are supposed to be 20 rows wide. I've been knitting them 24 rows wide. Where I got 24 from, I have no idea. But I didn't discover that my stripes are too wide until I was halfway done with the back. The hell with it, I said, I'll have wide stripes. I don't care.

Then I discovered that not all stripes are 24. The first two after the ribbing were 24. The one after that was 28, and god knows how many the one after that would have been. Probably 38457298734 if I'd had my way about things. I ripped back. All stripes are 24 now.

I also just discovered (and may or may not have hurled my knitting away from me while swearing violently at it) that despite counting and re-counting and re-re-counting, I still cast on an incorrect number of stitches. Four too few. I just fudged the increases so at least the top half will have the right number. Did I mention I apparently suck at counting? I think a kindergartener could count better than I can. It's kind of pathetic.

But that's not true. It's just what my knitting wants me to think. It wants me to think I can't count and can't read a pattern to save my life. It wants me to doubt these basic skills I've mastered since grade school. To what end, I don't know, but it clearly has some clever, evil plot.

So, you see, my knitting hates me.

But that's okay, because right now I hate it back.

stupid lace socks

Yay! So I finished my on the fly hat last weekend, and then immediately jumped into a Foliage Hat from the Lamb's Pride bulky I bought. Imagine that! I went out, bought yarn, came home, and started a project with it. I know, I know, I almost fainted when I realized what I did. Yipes.

It came out more-or-less pretty. There's one section that I mucked up. I think I missed some YOs since two of the diamond leafy bits are sort of fused into one vaguely misshapen lump. I noticed my mistake five or six rows later, and, unwilling to rip them out, I simply dropped that section and reknit. It came out slightly less misshapen, but still wrong. Whatever. The lace pattern more-or-less hides the error, and when I shoved the hat under my non-knitting fiance's nose and demanded "What's wrong with this!?" he couldn't spot the error. So I just wear that bit in the back and try not to think too much about it.

Things I learned on this hat:

1. How to read a chart. I've never knit anything from a chart before, and this was a simple enough chart to read. Hurrah, I did it!
2. How to knit a hat top-down. All my previous hats have been cuff-up. I was thrilled at the complete and utter lack of casting on!
3. That working a simple bind-off on the ribbing of a top-down hat results in said hat not being over to fit over my head. A very painful lesson, but one I learned well.
4. The sewn bind-off is pure magic.

I've also cast on my first pair of socks for my knitalong. I'm using the Araucania Ranco Multy that I bought from simplysockyarn.com, and it is wonderful. Sturdy, but soft, and the mild color variation is just amazing. Love love love. I'm knitting the Blackrose Socks from the latest issue of Knitty, and I also love it, and I especially love the pattern and the yarn together. Unfortunately, I'm about to go frog about half of what I've knit of the first leg. See, it all began with a missed yarn-over...

I was admiring my three inches of sock leg, when I noticed IT. A solid bit where there should be a hole. Could it be? *gasp!* I missed a yarn-over! With a surge of dread I recalled when on the prior lace repeat, I'd ended up a stitch short. Unable to spot my error at the time, I just picked up an extra stitch and kept knitting.

Now that I'd spotted it, I couldn't stop staring at the error. Sure that I was being crazy, I shoved the sock under my fiance's nose and demanded "What's wrong with this!?" After peering at it for a moment, he pointed right where the yarn-over should be and said "Something looks funny right here... is it missing a hole?"

Arrrrgh! So I'm not crazy! Even my non-knitting fiance who can't spot the gaping holes or stains on his own socks, was able to see my glaring little error!! But alas, it was twenty rows ago and I really REALLY didn't want to drop those stitches down to fix it. Dropping a section of lace to add in my one little missed yarn-over isn't my idea of fun, and I'm so new at knitting lace I'd probably screw it up more. Oh well, I reasoned, that part of the leg will be under my pants, and who's going to be putting their face close enough to my feet to spot it even if I wear these socks with a skirt? So I kept knitting.

But I was so preoccupied that I repeated one of the lace rows an extra time. So the lace patterns on my socks go normal-normal-normal-too long-too short. Arrrrgh and double-arrrrgh! So I have to frog back the whole sock to fix that. And since I'm already going to be frogging, I might as well just rip back to where that stupid missed yarn-over was in the first place. *sigh*

Where I was:

(can YOU spot the missing yarn-over??)


Where I am:


Tragic, to be sure, but really, two inches was a small price to pay to be able to knit in peace. The error would have bothered me THAT MUCH. Yes. I know I'm neurotic.

Now I'm off to knit and continue watching Desperate Housewives. I think I can get back to where I was by the end of the evening...