cute cat post

Completely gratuitous and unnecessary, but Isis is just adorable and I had to share!

Funny story - boyfriend and I have had bad colds and now are left with some nasty-sounding coughs. The other day we were both on the couch reading, and Isis was asleep in my lap. Boyfriend coughed loudly and I have never seen Isis so startled! She jumped out of my lap and fell into my knitting basket on the floor next to the couch. Then in trying to get out of the basket, she knocked it over and all my works-in-progress and other items spilled everywhere. Poor kitty!

hello again

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Since my last post I finished most of my dissertation edits, save those I had questions about. I also got a postdoctoral fellowship, at a hospital in their early childhood mental health program. I start in September so I've got some time to complete the big D and knit a lot! I had a nice household routine for chores, exercise, etc. established up until two weeks ago when boyfriend caught a nasty cold that lasted about a week. I thought I was in the clear until I caught it a week ago, and I am just starting to feel better aside from some sinus congestion and a cough. I've still managed to make some progress in knitting though.

I finished the Creature Comforts Cardi:

After I seamed it up and finished the sleeves/cuffs, I was a bit frustrated to find it seemed too small. I made the size small/medium (for 34-38" bust) and it should've been plenty big. I re-blocked it, realizing now that the first time I blocked it, I should've really stretched it out; I had gotten the 29" length, but I ended up having to block it to increase the width the second time around (not quite so easy when it was seamed up instead of being a nice flat rectangle). It fits now, though I'm still tempted to take out my steamer and try to open it up a bit more.

It is cozy though! Definitely a nice sweater to throw on over a tee or tank in the spring or fall, or a cool summer day.

 I also have a couple of ongoing projects that continue:

Socks the First, based on Silver's Sock Class. Still taking me forever. I'm half-tempted to rip it out and just work 2-at-a-time toe-up socks instead. (Except I don't have long enough and small enough needles right now, and no budget for new needles right now.)

A cowl (the GAP-tastic cowl) that I will give as a gift if it comes out nicely enough. (I'm a little suspicious of how the Homespun is performing here, but I needed an acrylic for the giftee I have in mind and have no yarn budget right now, so it had to be stash.)

And I decided to do a different sweater than the Tess cardigan. I was considering casting on for it again and went over the pattern carefully to try to figure out the stitch counts and everything so I wouldn't mess it up for a fourth time. Still couldn't work it out. So I decided that in addition to being one of the most frustrating patterns I've ever come across, it probably wouldn't be all that flattering on me. I looked for a different project and found a Cropped Jacket from the Early Fall 2010 issue of Vogue Knitting that would work for the yarn and be far more flattering for me. I swatched and got gauge with size 17 needles, but the fabric is much too loose for my taste, so I'm probably going to use 15s (the recommended size where I'm about 1/2 inch short in gauge) and just figure out the math to get the right sizing....a task I've been avoiding, but probably will tackle today.

A post unrelated to knitting

Knitting related: Finished most of the Creature Comforts Cardi - it's blocked and dried and I just need to seam the sides and knit the ribbing for the sleeves. Still working on my first sock. I don't think I'm cut out for the one at a time, cuff down style of sock knitting. Dull, dull, dull. (Still on the cuff. K2, p2, k2, p2....)

In other news, I'm working on the dissertation edits and am looking forward to the day when I can burn it and all the paperwork I've accumulated to go along with it. Most frustrating process ever. It's been the source of a lot of unladylike language the past couple of days. I'm trying to keep them off the actual page when I'm typing, but it's been a challenge. I keep expecting the Word document to go up in flames on the screen at this point. I am just so sick of jumping through academic hoops.

Christmas stash has arrived

I couldn't hold off and used my Christmas gift cards to by some new yarn, as well as a few gadgets: ball winder, stitch holders, a set of new sock needles and some wool wash. 

I think best of all, of course, is the yarn: 

Socks for Kevin. 

Socks for me. 

Adorable hats for...? I want the bird one, but I'm not sure who might like the cat one....

Yarn for SpillyJane's William it was really nothing mittens.

A bottom-whorl drop spindle from Maine Woods Yarn - and my first spun yarn. It's going to take some time before it looks knittable I'm thinking...

And some more fiber from the same shop to spin once I get a little better! 

Knitting continues on my cardigan, and I'm gearing up to start the Craftsman Afghan. I lost the drawing I did with the replacement colors though, so will have to spend some time figuring that out before I begin. It might be a more complicated pattern than I originally thought, so I might hold off on it for now and learn socks instead. 

Chianti Headband

As promised, here's the finished headband!

I'm very pleased with it and already got to wear it today. It matches my red pea coat perfectly! I'm going to weigh the finished headband and the remaining yarn to see if I have enough to make another headband as a gift. It certainly didn't take much, but I haven't pulled out the scale yet to see the final number.

My spinning kit also arrived today, so there will be more news to follow once I get going with that! 

knitting distractions

I got distracted from my current project - the Creature Comforts Cardi - by yet another headwear project!
I ended up casting on for (and finishing) the Whitney Headband. It's drying right now, so I actually don't have a photo of the completed project, but the separate pieces.

I used Flower 2 from Plethora of Petals, casting on for the smaller size. (I won't go into detail about the 3 other flowers I made first that ended up being too large or not quite right - ugh!)

I found a pretty button and sewed that into the center of the flower. It should be dry by tomorrow, so hopefully I will have photos then.

In other news, I've been reading up on spinning - Start Spinning and Respect the Spindle (both from the library). I ordered a kit from Maine Woods Yarn on Etsy and it should arrive soon. I can't wait! I have still been making good progress on the Creature Comforts Cardi - I think I'm on pattern repeat 4, and probably I will have 5 or 6 total repeats if I've counted and measured correctly. I'm really enjoying it still, though I might cast on for another project just to have some more variation....

the sun is peaking out...

Actually, it's not. Not here in Missoula. It's another gray, gray day, the hills barely covered with a dusting of snow. On top of that, I'm miserably sniffly with this cold, going on Day 5. Fortunately, I made it through my interview this morning with minimal sniffling and coughing. I applied at a temp agency in hopes of earning some extra cash before my postdoc starts. (I'm just assuming I get one. Because I will/must.)

But, my own sunshine project is coming along well:

I'm really enjoying the cabling...and even the new increases I've learned. This is a very well-written pattern and definitely worth paying for.

I saw another pattern on Ravelry I just fell in love with. I think I may change my mind about making a simple lace shawl with the Universal Star Light, and make this instead - shrug meets shawl. Innovative, practical, and lovely: Fits my criteria!

For now, though, I'm focusing on my Creature Comforts Cardi. I've considered starting the Craftsman Afghan, but I think this project is giving me plenty of variety for now....

Though I am so impatient to find and start a real colorwork project; if I had the right yarn on hand, I would definitely be working on that now too! But the budget is not allowing for more yarn right now...even a couple of teeny skeins for the William, It Was Really Nothing mittens. How perfect is that pattern for me? Not only is it a reference to the Smiths (yay!), but to the blue faience hippo at the Met! The hippo was my "symbol" during a sandplay course; I ended up writing a paper on hippos and took a trip to the Met especially to see this one, since a tiny reproduction of it was what I had chosen during the course as my first sandplay object....I now have my own repro - a magnetized version that comes apart in two halves that you can put on the fridge. And it only requires two teeny little skeins from Knit Picks. These mittens are in my near future. I can feel it. What a first colorwork project! (Okay, I do have a gift card I could use, but I with all my current stashed projects, I feel a little guilty even using that. When I do, this, this, and this will certainly be in my cart!)

Off to knit, drink tea, nurse the cold, and get into some good reading on my nook. Not a bad way to spend a gray, gray day.

Looking for warmth and sun in the winter

For warmth, I have this:

And for a little sunshine:

And I've been doing a fair bit of cooking and baking. There's a Crock Pot of a delicious cabbage soup with tons of veggies - celery, carrots, onion, tomato and pepper.  Mmmm.  And cookies (long gone at this point unfortunately). These were maple-cinnamon sugar cookies, and I think snickerdoodles are in the near future.

In other news:
- I finished the Big WIP. 162 pages and who knows how many pounds of brain matter and how much --how do you measure this? -- sanity. Also the new APA format has me putting two spaces between sentences, so I'm doing that everywhere now, and it's making me a bit crazy. There goes more of my sanity. (I originally typed "I think I finished..." which is basically how unsure I am that it is good enough and doctoral-level and all that. Ugh. Will not be done really until I have degree in hand.)

- And six postdoc apps have gone out and I have one interview.

Knitting 2010 Reviewed

Lessons learned:
Importance of gauge
Cabling
Lace & yarn overs (twice!)
Crochet Edging
It's okay to adjust patterns so they better fit you and your skills (or dislike of seaming)!

Fawn Earflap Hat - gifted

Valentine Mitts - Much loved by me! First cabling project

Hot water bottle cozy - one of my favorite projects when we were living in our cold apartment in NJ. 

Cafe au Lait Mitts - gift to a grateful coworker; helped me learn how to do proper yarn overs (sort of....)

Wandering Trails Cowl - loved this pattern; haven't worn the cowl as much as I though I would though

 The Christine Bag - such a gratifying project, though it made me remember that I hate to sew!

 Lemon Drop Baby Blanket - for boyfriend's niece - it took me forever but I'm very happy with it and hope baby and her parents are too!

 Prayer shawl - for my dear supervisor. I loved the stitch pattern and meaning of the project, and I think it came out beautifully. 

 The never-ending hat for boyfriend - made it too small; frogged; started over and was bored, bored, bored by the many rows of K3, P3 ribbing. It did come out well though, in the end. 

 Winter Leaf Tam - made for myself with the beautiful yarn I was sent as a bonus when I ordered the cashmere. It matches my winter parka perfectly and I wear it all the time here in Montana. Warm, lovely drape and it doesn't flatten my hair too much. 

Mediterranean Tulle Wrap - Made with the yummiest mohair that was a birthday gift to me from sister. Haven't worn it yet, but I have two or three dresses it will be perfect for, and the weddings to wear it to this year!

Half-Felted Bag- Put on the needles as a respite from all the errors I was making in my first sweater project. Went very quickly and I'm pretty happy with it. However, it required almost five hours of sewing. Maybe it should've taken less time to sew on the pockets, but it didn't....I think it came out well though!

That was my year in knitting! I didn't include the frogged cardigan (still angry with it), or the mittenscarf, since it's not finished and will be a 2011 FO (soon).

This year I'd like to learn colorwork and sock knitting. I think that's reasonable. And successfully complete that sweater. Make some progress on the queued projects I recently bought stash for (afghan, another sweater, sleeveless top). Maybe some charity knitting with the Homespun I have. I'm less ambitious maybe than last year, especially since I realize I am a slow knitter! And there's still that dissertation thing, for the next two weeks or so.

Half-Felted Bag & Mittenscarf

The bag and mittenscarf were great projects over our holiday travels. I had no problems taking my knitting along with me on the plane, though packed it in our checked luggage in St. Louis, because I've heard security there is cranky, the lines are long and I just didn't want to take any chances there. Our flights and waiting were relatively short, too.

All the hardware arrived in CT in time, and I felted the bag successfully - my first felting project! I'm pretty happy with it, but I don't think it's a project I would make again. It took me four hours just to sew on the pockets. All hand sewing and I really couldn't see how I could machine sew them...maybe someone more skilled could. I may yet adjust the placement of the upper Chicago screws as my D-ring keeps flipping around, and I'd like to add another closure in the center of the bag since it flops a bit with closures only on the two sides. (But that's more sewing, so....)

The mittenscarf was great plane knitting - a simple K1, P1 rib for a long time. I started the mittens once we returned; finished the first mitten last night and am about halfway through the second mitten. I picked up my provisional stitches funny, apparently, since my ribbing moved there, but it looks fine. I'm running very low on yarn though and might have to order a third skein to make it to the end of the mitten....I'm not terribly upset about this because it would be an excuse to maybe order more yarn or a beginner's spinning kit....oh well. 

I'm looking forward to wearing it as today's flurries have turned into a real day-long snow shower! 

And here's one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year: qiviut! Two balls of 100% qiviut lace weight....mmmm.  It is so soft and lovely. I'm just trying to figure out what to make with it....two smaller projects....or figure out how to make a bigger scarf/shawl trimmed in the other color....not sure yet. I am looking forward to starting something though!