As always, this is just a list of the things that were lucky enough to be blogged.
Leg Warmers
Aunt Maggie's Slippers
Sockhead, Jovie, Bertrand Louise
Puerperium Cardigan
Serenity
Summer Flies
Tooth Fairy Bag
Emelie
Miette
Sabine
Contented Cardi
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Can we postpone Christmas?
Christmas is approaching like a freight train. Loud. Fast. And unstoppable.
I am so not ready.
The children are getting several homemade gifts this year. One of which is unbelievably awesome. So unbelievably awesome we will never again have a gift this awesome to give. The Greatest is in charge of that project, but I've got an important role too. I'd say it is a 95/15 split for the workload. One project is because I want to be a Weasley (that's all me). The last of which is because I am full of self-loathing and have decided as punishment for being me and not a Weasley I must give up sleep and work on this project every spare moment the children are in school or sleeping from now until Christmas (this project is also all me).
And the Children wonder why I'm so stressed and yelling all the time.
'Tis the Season.
In other fun news we've had fantastic weather. Cloudy. Gloomy. Brooding.
And there's been rain! I adored it.
Until last night, when the dogs realized they are distant cousins of the Wicked Witch of the West and as such they must not allow water to come into direct contact with their fur. As a result of this revelation the old dog went outside and peed on the covered patio a foot from the grass rather than pee in the rain. Small dog peed on my family room rug. And boy dog peed on our Christmas Tree.
Awesome.
I'm starting to re-evaluate my life and pondering why we have so many dogs.
In unrelated news here's today's sweater.
(blurry, off-center, dirty bathroom mirror photos. I need more sleep)
Pattern: Sabine (rav link)
Yarn: Sock That Rock, Light weight, 2 skeins
Needles: Size 8 Addi Turbos
Modifications: I made quite a few. I cast on for one size, but ended up doing increases on the yoke until the stitch count was equal to a much larger size. I knit the sleeves next instead of the body, and I might have added some length to the sleeves (I don't remember, and my rav notes say "I might have, but I don't remember"). I never worked the decreases for the front of the body. I just kept increasing. First every other row, then every three rows, then every four rows, then every five rows, then I ran out of yarn.
Review: I knit this ages and ages ago. Probably sometime last year. I've never actually worn it until today. I don't love this sweater as much as I want to love this sweater. It has fantastic detail. There is waist shaping. I love the eyelet row on the back...
And sleeves...
Although I'm not sure why I keep knitting sweaters with fantastic back detail. My back looks like this.
No one ever sees them.
But back to the knitting. The bind-off technique is a revelation.
So pretty.
I love the yarn, and the way the colors remind me of a painting by Monet. I should love this sweater. The individual elements are full of win. But when you put it all together, it just doesn't do it for me. It has a similar shape to the Whisper Cardigan, which I liked so much I've knit two. I almost wonder if I shouldn't have just knit a third Whisper. The drape on this isn't as nice. And I wonder if it just isn't a tad too short. I used every inch of yarn I had, so if it is too short that is because of yarn supply, not a deficiency in the design.
It is wearable. And I got a compliment on it today from another knitter (although I haven't ruled out the possibility that she was just being nice). So I guess I'll keep it for now, but I can not promise that I won't frog it at some future date and make it into something new.
I am so not ready.
The children are getting several homemade gifts this year. One of which is unbelievably awesome. So unbelievably awesome we will never again have a gift this awesome to give. The Greatest is in charge of that project, but I've got an important role too. I'd say it is a 95/15 split for the workload. One project is because I want to be a Weasley (that's all me). The last of which is because I am full of self-loathing and have decided as punishment for being me and not a Weasley I must give up sleep and work on this project every spare moment the children are in school or sleeping from now until Christmas (this project is also all me).
And the Children wonder why I'm so stressed and yelling all the time.
'Tis the Season.
In other fun news we've had fantastic weather. Cloudy. Gloomy. Brooding.
And there's been rain! I adored it.
Until last night, when the dogs realized they are distant cousins of the Wicked Witch of the West and as such they must not allow water to come into direct contact with their fur. As a result of this revelation the old dog went outside and peed on the covered patio a foot from the grass rather than pee in the rain. Small dog peed on my family room rug. And boy dog peed on our Christmas Tree.
Awesome.
I'm starting to re-evaluate my life and pondering why we have so many dogs.
In unrelated news here's today's sweater.
(blurry, off-center, dirty bathroom mirror photos. I need more sleep)
Pattern: Sabine (rav link)
Yarn: Sock That Rock, Light weight, 2 skeins
Needles: Size 8 Addi Turbos
Modifications: I made quite a few. I cast on for one size, but ended up doing increases on the yoke until the stitch count was equal to a much larger size. I knit the sleeves next instead of the body, and I might have added some length to the sleeves (I don't remember, and my rav notes say "I might have, but I don't remember"). I never worked the decreases for the front of the body. I just kept increasing. First every other row, then every three rows, then every four rows, then every five rows, then I ran out of yarn.
Review: I knit this ages and ages ago. Probably sometime last year. I've never actually worn it until today. I don't love this sweater as much as I want to love this sweater. It has fantastic detail. There is waist shaping. I love the eyelet row on the back...
And sleeves...
Although I'm not sure why I keep knitting sweaters with fantastic back detail. My back looks like this.
No one ever sees them.
But back to the knitting. The bind-off technique is a revelation.
So pretty.
I love the yarn, and the way the colors remind me of a painting by Monet. I should love this sweater. The individual elements are full of win. But when you put it all together, it just doesn't do it for me. It has a similar shape to the Whisper Cardigan, which I liked so much I've knit two. I almost wonder if I shouldn't have just knit a third Whisper. The drape on this isn't as nice. And I wonder if it just isn't a tad too short. I used every inch of yarn I had, so if it is too short that is because of yarn supply, not a deficiency in the design.
It is wearable. And I got a compliment on it today from another knitter (although I haven't ruled out the possibility that she was just being nice). So I guess I'll keep it for now, but I can not promise that I won't frog it at some future date and make it into something new.
Monday, December 05, 2011
I'm Cold
So we survived Thanksgiving. We had turkey, and stuffing, and mashed potatoes, and real cranberry sauce. And we had desserts.
So many desserts. I failed to get a picture of our perfect turkey, but by golly I got the desserts. There are only six of us in the house. We ate pie for breakfast for a week (and sometimes for lunch too).
Then I got sick. Really sick (which I am positive had nothing to do with my all dessert diet). The kind where you lie around and pray for death sick.
Forget running around town looking cute in my hand knit sweaters. I wore the same pair of pajama pants and grey t-shirt for a week straight. I think they might need to be burned now.
But I am feeling better. While I was lying in bed pretending I was dead I think winter officially descended on the desert. It started with rain, which made everything cold. And then it just stayed cold, it never warmed back up. It was 65 degrees today and I was freezing. Yes, point, laugh, mock me. I deserve it. My blood is ridiculously thin now. But when you're sweating in the 80 degree heat and I'm still wearing a sweater, well, we'll see who's laughing then.
I found myself wearing another of my new favorite sweaters today. (Is there a limit to how many favorites of something a person can have? I hope really really hope not, cause I'm working on 15 different favorite sweaters). As luck would have it The Greatest was home with me, so I handed him my camera and asked him to take a picture of my sweater for me.
I got this.
Awesome. I should have stuck with the self timer.
I did manage to get three more out of him.
Front.
Back.
And a requested close up of the cable (whose color in no way resembles the color in real life).
He takes a very utilitarian approach to picture taking. Get in, get out, get done.
I had to take my own picture of my cute shoes (which is so much harder than it sounds.)
He shops with the same mantra. Get in, get out, get done. And if I want to look at shoes I can do it on my own time.
I don't like shopping with him.
But I digress.
Back to the sweater.
Pattern: Contented Cardi (rav link)
Yarn: Cascade 220, in some number that means Granny Smith Apple Green, 5 skeins (I got this on clearance. Why would they put such pretty Granny Smith Apple Green on clearance? Their loss = my gain!)
Needles: Size 7 Addi Turbos
Modifications: None that I remember, and I've got none in my Rav notes. So we're good. Must have followed the pattern as written. Must have been a really well-written pattern. Honestly can't remember now. I just remember it being a joy to knit from start to finish. Even with the miles and miles and miles of St stitch.
Review: I loves this sweater. The Cascade 220 seemed a bit thick for this pattern at first, but I got gauge, and in the end I'm happy with the way the front drapes. So happy faces all around. It is comfy and warm and everything I need in a throw-over-everything sweater.
In unrelated news, guess what Bird wants for Christmas.
So many desserts. I failed to get a picture of our perfect turkey, but by golly I got the desserts. There are only six of us in the house. We ate pie for breakfast for a week (and sometimes for lunch too).
Then I got sick. Really sick (which I am positive had nothing to do with my all dessert diet). The kind where you lie around and pray for death sick.
Forget running around town looking cute in my hand knit sweaters. I wore the same pair of pajama pants and grey t-shirt for a week straight. I think they might need to be burned now.
But I am feeling better. While I was lying in bed pretending I was dead I think winter officially descended on the desert. It started with rain, which made everything cold. And then it just stayed cold, it never warmed back up. It was 65 degrees today and I was freezing. Yes, point, laugh, mock me. I deserve it. My blood is ridiculously thin now. But when you're sweating in the 80 degree heat and I'm still wearing a sweater, well, we'll see who's laughing then.
I found myself wearing another of my new favorite sweaters today. (Is there a limit to how many favorites of something a person can have? I hope really really hope not, cause I'm working on 15 different favorite sweaters). As luck would have it The Greatest was home with me, so I handed him my camera and asked him to take a picture of my sweater for me.
I got this.
Awesome. I should have stuck with the self timer.
I did manage to get three more out of him.
Front.
Back.
And a requested close up of the cable (whose color in no way resembles the color in real life).
He takes a very utilitarian approach to picture taking. Get in, get out, get done.
I had to take my own picture of my cute shoes (which is so much harder than it sounds.)
He shops with the same mantra. Get in, get out, get done. And if I want to look at shoes I can do it on my own time.
I don't like shopping with him.
But I digress.
Back to the sweater.
Pattern: Contented Cardi (rav link)
Yarn: Cascade 220, in some number that means Granny Smith Apple Green, 5 skeins (I got this on clearance. Why would they put such pretty Granny Smith Apple Green on clearance? Their loss = my gain!)
Needles: Size 7 Addi Turbos
Modifications: None that I remember, and I've got none in my Rav notes. So we're good. Must have followed the pattern as written. Must have been a really well-written pattern. Honestly can't remember now. I just remember it being a joy to knit from start to finish. Even with the miles and miles and miles of St stitch.
Review: I loves this sweater. The Cascade 220 seemed a bit thick for this pattern at first, but I got gauge, and in the end I'm happy with the way the front drapes. So happy faces all around. It is comfy and warm and everything I need in a throw-over-everything sweater.
In unrelated news, guess what Bird wants for Christmas.
