Big Mini-update

Lots to update...

First, I have tons of finished knit pieces, but no pictures. Part of this is the fact that many of these pieces are gifts and were given away without pictures or the pictures are in the hands of others. These include a knit lobsters that I gave to Ryan, the finished stacked ribbed cardigan that I gave to Leah, and a slouchy beret that I gave to Emma. All of these things need to be posted still. I've also finished my February Lady Sweater, buttons and all. And, my cropped jacket out of Vogue (minus buttons). I'm going to try and get pictures of everything this weekend because, frankly, all of these loose ends are driving me nuts! And even though the knitting is done, the entire process feels unfinished without posting the finished pieces either here or on my Ravelry account. Somehow it is not nearly as satisfying. Not to mention, even though I have been doing quite a bit of knitting, I have little to blog about. So, this weekend I'm going to try to rein all of my stupid, nagging, loose ends in.

Second, I'm done with the multi-project attitude. I don't think I handle it well. In the last few months I have taken on far too many things, and don't feel nearly as accomplished because nothing gets done with any speed. Now, I need focus, and thus am back to working (or attempting) to work on one (2 at the most) projects at a time. This is a great time to start over with the new simplistic attitude as most of my current projects are coming to a close. Currently I'm working on a pair of Froot Loop Socks. And planning to start the Jasper Diamond Hoodie from Vintage Baby Knits for my boss' (bosses', boss's ???) baby. She is set to have the baby in December, and seeing that I'm hoping to leave my current job around that time, I figure it makes a good parting gift for my favorite boss. The potential baby sweater is below. Plus, I need some downtime from big people sweaters, and baby sweaters go so darn quick, it will be a nice break.

Now, all I need is some snap closures, new yarn, and buttons. Hopefully I'll be done with wrapping up all my loose ends and have a big picture post on Sunday afternoon.

Lastly, I really would like to get my sewing machine repaired so I improve my sewing, and possibly start quilting. The other day I went to a really cute quilting shop in Ballard to look for fabric for buttons (which turned out really wonderful, and you will hopefully see on Sunday...). The place was so bright and cheery it really made me want to learn to quilt. Not to mention many of the blogs I read are from crafty people in general, and these wonderful women make modern, colorful quilts. In particular, this blog by Pikku-Kettu Knits just makes me want to quilt everytime I see it. The woman at the quilting shop suggested that I take a class...but I wasn't convinced. Most of my knitting skill sets, and all of my crochet skills have come from books, so why would quilting be any different? I think I'm going to look around, invest in a few books, and work on getting my machine repaired.

Fallin' for Sweaters

Now that school is almost over, and my sweaters are almost done, I finally have time for some fresh pattern ideas. Last weekend I treated myself and picked up the fall issues of Knitscene, Vogue Knitting, and Interweave Knits. (Sidenote: McKey, winner of ANTM is on the cover of Vogue Knitting for fall, random) And being one of the those people that can't commit to starting new projects without ending some of the current ones, it just makes me want to plow on through even more.

Surprisingly, it was Knitscene, who I am not the biggest fan of, that yielded the most patterns. There are 4 or 5 sweaters that I just can't wait to knit. Here are some of the them:


I love the earth tones that they chose for these knits, and can see myself doing a few in rich, jewel tones as well (like plum or burgundy). Perfect for fall. Most of these appear like relaxing, mindless knitting, which seems appealing right about now. I'm also all about little details in simple garments, I think they really make a piece special. These patterns do a really good job of that here with things like an off set collar, buttoned and cropped sleeve, or really interesting cables. They all seem really wearable and easy to construct.

But the first thing that I want to make (and hopefully can get yarn for in the next day or two) is from Vogue Knitting. I really love the cropped gold jacket (second in from the left), but will probably look to make it in a warm brown color. It seems like it has sturdy construction, and I love the double breasted look (usually VERY flattering). Plus it gives me the opportunity to find some cute hand made buttons off of etsy (like these).


Sadly, there is almost nothing that I want to make out of Interweave Knits this fall. The problem is (and this is not just this fall or this magazine) is the majority of the fall patterns are meant to be warm, and thus, look really bulky. While they may look good on a model that is 5'9 and 110lbs, the same pattern would make me look just fat. So, I usually look for patterns that have some fit to them, especially under the bust/along the rib cage, otherwise I'm just asking to be mistaken for a pregnant woman. The exception is, and this is where something like the cropped jacket above would fall, is if the piece has structure or a stiffness to it. Floppy, bulky knitted things just won't due. And so, even if I like the pattern or look, like this following picture, I know I could never wear it.

The other issue is, and this is a problem for MANY patterns, the sweater ends at an awkward length for my torso. I naturally have a short waist, and I'm pretty short statured too, so I need the bottom seam to fall at my hips or past my natural waist. Interweave tend to have a lot of cute sweaters that fall right at the waist though, and I can't bring myself to spend time knitting them only to be disappointed about how they look on me. Like this:

So cute...but not on me.

Anyway, it is apparent by now that I have a lot of motivation to finish my current projects and move on to some wonderful fall sweaters.

On the brink

After being "almost done" with 3 different sweaters for about a month and a half, I'm really actually almost done.

My February Lady sweater needs only a few buttons sewn on to be called done. I'm feel pretty motivated, so this shouldn't be a problem to get done tonight.

I also have a little baby sweater in progress, but no rush on that. It still needs a hood and a crocheted edge, but again, I'll wait on this piece a little longer.

Lastly, the Checkered Rib sweater that I started for my sister is almost complete...well, the knitting portion is almost done. I have to finish about an inch or two on the second sleeve, plus the button band and the neck line. None of that really worries me, and I'm fully ready to plow right through. However, I didn't listen to my gut on this piece when I first started and pretty much followed the pattern verbatim. I should have made the piece in the round and saved myself a bunch of tedious hand sewing, but I didn't. So, even though the knitting is almost done, I still a little while left on the thing. The seam on the underside of the sleeve has to be done, and then the sleeves have to be sewn to the body. Ugh, hate hand sewing.

Back to work now.

CG Method, from a knitter

As a curly haired gal, who really never had another tangible hair role model (if only I knew Carrie Bradshaw) to tell me what to do, I've been lost for a long time. In the last few weeks I finally got fed up with my rats-nest-esque hair, and started to do some research. And I found this wonderful website: naturallycurly.com and also the book "Curly Girl" by Lorraine Massey. After a little reading I've come to the conclusion that I don't know anything about curly hair.

The book in particular (though the website has lots of helpful hints and products I want to try!), focuses on one strategy: The Curly Girl Method (CG for short). Basically it means:

-Don't brush your hair, ever
-Don't towel dry (use paper towels or a cotton t-shirt)
-Stop using products with silicone, and sulfate
-Pretty much stop shampooing
-Use Conditioner to wash hair instead, and even then, not everyday
-Put down the blow dry/flat iron forever

Now, this may seem shocking. Give up shampoo??? Uh, gross!! But tons of curly haired girls do it, or they do a modified version and use a sulfate free shampoo when they need it (low-poo, if you will). I'm planning on doing a low-poo version, I'm still too wary to give it up all together. It really clicked though when they described it in terms that a knitter could appreciate. Hair on your head is basically an animal fiber, like wool. And the sulfates in shampoo are basically the same thing as dish soap, which I would never use on wool. Curly hair is even more dry and porous than straight hair, so should be treated more gently. I wouldn't agitate wool all the time when it's wet, and don't wring it out, so why do it to my hair?

So, now I'm on the CG method. I'm only on day 2, but it's already looking a little better. Instead of using shampoo, I wash my hair with sulfate free conditioner (which also has some cleanser in it, as most conditioners do). The action of rubbing the scalp and rinsing is what cleans the hair. I'm a little nervous, but willing to give it a try after looking at all the before and after pictures on the site.

In other news, I finished my February Lady Sweater, finally! I'll put pictures up later this week.

Oh, and I got the best hair cut ever today. I guess that is what I get for going to someone that actually has and specializes in curly hair. Sorry that this post is all about hair, I've got CG method on the brain.

Done, and done.

Finally that quarter is over and I have time to knit as much as I want. However, I'm sort of in a knitting funk. I mentioned previously that I bought some Koigu sock yarn that I was very excited about, and an equally fabulous book of sock patterns to use. As I was making the sock though, it seemed a little snug on my foot, which I just attributed to the type of needles I was using that were making it difficult to try on. When I finished though, the sock was small. MUCH too small. And if I knew someone who could enjoy a small knitted sock I would gladly make its partner and keep on truckin'. But I was making the sock for my own feet, which are a pretty dainty size six, so it's difficult to find anyone who can squeeze into something drastically smaller. Now I'm at the annoying point where I'm forced to unravel the entire thing to preserve the great yarn, and start all over. Ick. The task is really unappetizing, and its forced me into a knitting funk.

I'm also working on my whisper cardigan, which is almost done. It should be light and perfect for hot weather. Overall though, I'm just not knitting much. My trip down to Vancouver will be a good opportunity for me to do some knitting, and work on all my partially complete projects.

I also did something totally impractical, and bought a big book of vintage baby knits. I saw it while I was shopping for GRE books (somehow I got lost in a knitting section, who knows), and was too tempted to stop myself. The book is so nice looking, all hard bound with cute babies laughing I couldn't resist. I've had the thing for about a month, and haven't made anything yet, but that might soon change. My boss told me a few days ago that she just found out she is having a baby, and I was invited to a baby shower (for someone I don't even know, but oh well) this weekend. So, to get me out of the groove, I ran to the craft store, bought some super pink cheapo baby yarn, and am going to crank out something cute for this strange girl's baby. I don't know the girl, so if the yarn isn't the best, she won't know, and how can she deny a hopefully cute knit from a total stranger.

Lastly, I bought a new computer. It's so fast, and doesn't shut down randomly, so I can't complain.

FO: Baudelaire and Sunshine

Finally I have some time to update! And luckily it was such a nice day for pictures.



First, the Baudelaire socks.





Name: Baudelaire (Knitty Pattern)
Needles: US #2
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Sock Yarn in Pesto
Time: A few weeks off and on
Notes: These socks are sort of a mixed bag for me. I really like how that turned out in the end, and they were enjoyable while I was making them, but from the pattern I had higher expectations. I thought that the final result would be better looking somehow. Possibly it's the yarn choice, the yarn was soft, but got fuzzy as I worked with it. This pattern was super easy to memorize though, which was really nice and great for bus knitting. These socks were also my first attempt at a toe-up sock, and I think that I'm a real fan now. I think that the finished toe is nicer then with a top-down sock, more rounded and soft. (Ravelry)

Next...Sunshine!





Name: Sunshine (Pattern from Sock Innovation by Cookie A.)
Needles: US #1 1/2
Yarn: Lorna's Laces in Navy
Time: A few days all together
Notes: Love these socks! The pattern is lovely, but really the yarn is what makes it great. This is my favorite yarn so far. It has great stitch definition , makes a really nice knit fabric, and doesn't fuzz up at all. It's a little on the thin side, which I really don't mind, I tend to lean towards the finer yarns. One big plus of the pattern though, is that it was a super simple repeat that has the added advantage of looking complex and difficult.

And I have a couple new projects in the works as well, plus new yarn. Once the quarter is over I can start some bigger stuff.



The gray yarn on the top, Knit Picks Gloss Lace in Sterling, is for the Whisper Cardigan in the spring Interweave Knits magazine. The yarn on bottom I'm really excited to use. It's Koigu sock yarn, which I haven't used before, but is knitting up really nice. After hearing so much about it, I'm not disappointed at all. I'm making the Lace and Cable Socks from Socks From the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson. Hopefully I will be posting some finished projects soon.

Short Row Hell

My new sock project is not going as smoothly as I hoped. It's my first attempt at a toe up sock, and the first time I've tried to do a short row heel. After watching a few videos, I finally figured out the cast on, and the toe doesn't look too bad, but this heel is a major pain! I mean, I know that it's nice to learn new things, and everything I've read says this heel is fabulous...but, come on! I just ripped out 19 rows, and am going to start again. It's really fortunate that I have the internet as a knitting resource, otherwise I would be going really bonkers right now.

FO: Spring Forward

Seems fitting to post these today. Finished them a few days ago, but it's so bright and springy outside, it just seems right.



Name: Spring Forward (Knitty Pattern)
Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Cotton Solid in Light Blue
Time: About 2 weeks
Notes: I like how these socks turned out for the most part, but they are not as flexible as I expected. When on, they are comfortable, and the cotton feels nice and light for spring. But, trying to get them on is kind of a chore. Hopefully they will stretch out a bit more with some blocking and time. The best thing about this sock was that I learned how to do a long tail cast on, which produces a much tighter, neater, cast on edge. Don't think that I will go back to doing whatever crazy cast on I was doing before. (Ravelry Link)





Now onto the next pair...

FO: Thujas and Star Crossed Beret

Now that the break has started I have some time to sit down and do absolutely nothing. Well, nothing by knit that is. Leah's "Spring Forward" socks are on the needles, along with my "February Lady Cardigan". Here are some finished knits that I've had done for a while, but finally have time to post.



Name: Thuja Socks (Knitty Pattern)
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Truffle
Time: A few days plus time for blocking
Note: I really loved making these, and I think that Ryan really likes wearing them as well. They knit up so fast because of the worsted yarn, and the pattern was pleasantly simple. It was fast, but not boring. I'm even considering using finer yarn and needles to make a female version of this sock. The yarn is also soft and feels pretty durable (not to mention, CHEAP). I will probably use it again. (Ravelry Link)






Name: Start Crossed Slouchy Beret (Pattern)
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted in Chestnut
Time: 1 day
Notes: Love this hat! The pattern is so easy and elegant, and would be excellent for anyone starting to do cables. The best part however, is the YARN. SO SOFT and just dreamy to knit with. I totally understand now why everyone is so in love with it, and I will use it again soon! This is was also the first time that I used the long tail cast-on. It was so helpful in making my ribbing look finished, my poor "in progress" Pomtomus socks look so crummy at the edges in hind sight. (Ravelry Link)



Ugh, I look so pale in these photos.

Lastly, Here is a sample of my crazy yarn shopping over the last few weeks to prepare for my time off. (You have no idea how long it took to get Nibbles into that position)

Study Break

To keep myself sane, I'm taking a little break from studying for my Chem final tomorrow to look at some future knits. These are things that I plan to start over spring break, and that yarn is already purchased for. Hopefully after my test tomorrow I can start these:


These are the "Spring Forward" socks from Knitty (Summer 08). I'm planning on making them for Leah, and they are the first thing on my break list. I bought some Crystal Palace Panda Cotton (a cotton bamboo blend) that hopefully will be good (sure is soft!).
Then I have...

The "February Lady Sweater", which I think is SO cute. I thought a cardigan might be nice for spring, and maybe easier to fit than my last sweater attempt. For this I got some cheap knit pick Comfy Worsted Wool, should knit up fine.
Lastly,

"Baudelaire". I LOVE these socks. I wanted to make them the first time I saw them, and finally think that my skills are decent enough to make an attempt. I've heard horror stories about these socks though (super tight ankle and instep), and hope that none of that bad juju is heading my way. The yarn is in the mail right now, and I ordered enough to give myself options.

Well, that makes me a little more excited to get through my tests and work tomorrow, then off to my knitting. Now, back to thermodynamics and electrochemistry.

(photos from Knitty Summer 08 and Summer 06, Feb. Lady Sweater from Flint Knits)

FO: Copy Cat Hat

Everything has been so crazy lately, and even though I have been knitting up a storm, finding time to take pictures is impossible. This morning though, before heading back to the UW (spent all yesterday there), Ryan snapped a few shots of my new hat.





Name: Slouchy Copy Cat Hat (pattern)
Time: about 2 days
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Forest Green (less than 1 skein)
Notes: I really love this hat. I started it to just kill some time before my mail order yarn came, and it turned into a favorite of mine. The yarn was pulled from an abandoned project, and ended up working out better than expected. Lately I've been trying to shy away from my crappy cheapo yarn, but because this is a wool blend, it seems to take away that icky feel that I get from plastic yarns. The pattern was really simple, and mindless, and I would make another one in an instant. And I probably will next time I want something quick to refresh my palette. Ravelry Link



Right before I finished this hat, I pushed through and made one of my pomotomus socks. The pattern is really beautiful, and I'm happy with the one completed sock, but it is really taxing to make. Maybe the pattern is a little too daunting for me, or maybe I don't like following charts while I knit as much as I thought I did, but either way, I needed a little break. That's when I picked up this hat.

Before I go back to my socks though, I have another project to complete. I started a pair of Thuja socks (knitty pattern) for Ryan. They are knit using a worsted weight yarn (instead of tiny tiny sock yarn), which I love, and are practically flying off the needles (SO FAST). Probably will finished them today or tomorrow.

Now, time for me to get back to homework. I have to complete my VERY last homework for chem, then I am done forever!

FO: Owl Mitts and Pink

Okay, time for a big post. Yesterday half of my new yarn came that I ordered from The Loopy Ewe. I was really pleased with how quickly the package came, and it even had a hand-written note inside, really great customer service. Definitely will be ordering from them in the future. Here's what I got:





The brown Malabrigo yarn in Chestnut is for a hat that I've been looking at for a while. Plus some Shibuiknits in Rappongi for my new pair of socks. The colors are great, really vibrant. The pattern is also really intricate, and a little more challenging than what I've done in the past.

I've also finally upload the finished pictures of my sweater. This knit has TONS of flaws, but I'm still pretty happy with it for a first sweater. The ribbing on the bottom is too tight, I didn't bind off loosely enough, and too baggy under the arms. For some reason there are also massive holes under the arms. I tried to stitch them up, but they are still pretty obvious. The yarn ended up being light and forgiving, and inexpensive. Overall, I can't really complain, and is makes me more confident for my next sweater.





Lastly, I made a quick mitten project the last 2 days. Initially it was just suppose to hold me over until my new yarn got here, but I really ended up liking the mitts. Not to mention, my new yarn arrived WAY sooner than I expected.



They have cute little owls on the backs, and someday soon I will finish them up by sewing some button eyes on them.

Now, off to more chem homework. Can't wait until this quarter is over!

Waiting...

Ugh, I just want to knit. I finished my sweater a few days ago, and even got to wear it yesterday, but have yet to take pictures. This weekend I will probably get around to taking some. I'm between projects right now, and am waiting for a bunch of yarn that I ordered to arrive. The last hour I've been lazing around on ravelry, queuing up projects that I will never have time to make. Instead, I get to study for my chem midterm...

FO: Monkey Socks

Finally! Here are the finished Monkey socks!

Monkey Socks

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A. Knitty Link

Yarn: Knit Picks Essential Sock Yarn in Lantana

Needles: US 1 1/2 (2.25 mm)

Time: about 2 weeks (though it could have been less)

Notes: I love these socks. They are super comfy, and the pattern looks complex without actually being difficult to make. If I make them again I will try to make them a bit more snug, they are bigger than I expected. Overall, I'm a happy camper, and I now understand why everyone loves making these socks so much.

Ravelry Link

Cookie Monster

The monkey socks have been done for days now, and are finished blocking. I haven't had a free moment to really properly try them on or take a picture, but that should happen tomorrow. I'll talk more about them in the morning.

Now that my socks are done, I'm having sock longing. I really liked knitting them. They were a fast knit, and the pattern was interesting, totally unlike my sweater. I fear that I chose a sweater pattern that was too easy and boring, and now it's just difficult to finish. I keep telling myself that I need to work on it, and not to buy anymore yarn before it's finished, but new patterns I want to try are piling up. This weekend hopefully I'll finished the sweater, so I can move on to something with a bit more flavor.

In other news, today at work we held our 2nd annual cookie contest. Despite the fact I had a midterm today, and should probably have been studying, I decided to make some of my favorite andes mints cookies. AND I WON! Awesome. I don't think that I've ever won anything before, so it was extra thrilling. Out of 30+ cookies, mine were the best! Sweet. All of them got eaten up, and even beat the fancy smancy ice cream sandwich cookies. I won 37 dollars (random, I know), some cookie cutters, and a couple coupons from my bosses to get out of assignments I don't like at work or steal an extra desk hour for myself. Proof of win:


Who knew I could be competitive? Here is the recipe just in case you want to make some delicious cookies. I pretty much think that andes mints are delicious in anything though, so just replacing chocolate chips with chilled, chopped up andes mints in cookies is also awesome. The version I made for the contest though is chocolate. Anyway...


Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 bag (12oz) chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, but semi-sweet might be better)
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
36 chocolate mint wafer candies (ANDESSSS)


Instructions
1. In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Don't burn it! Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.



2. Sift dry ingredients together. Add eggs to chocolate mixture until fully mixed. Then add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Be careful not to over mix, dough will be thick. I mix by hand. Chill dough at least 1 hour.



3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).



4. Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-9 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie.


Yum!

(Picture from the web (http://allrecipes.com/Cook/Photo.aspx?photoID=28075) ...but mine pretty much looked the same)

One down...

Finished one of my monkey socks last weekend, and hope to have the other done soon. It would be great if I could take my knitting with me on the plane this weekend, but I'm a little scared that they may think my needles are too sharp and weapon-like at security. Yes, it sounds silly, but the needles I'm using are very small and aluminum and sort of sharp. Though they are probably no more dangerous than a pen, I guess they could be thought of as a potential plane hijacking device. I would hate to lose my yarn, needles, etc, so I probably won't risk it. The socks might just have to wait.

One note about the first finished sock...It is great! I'm surprised how good it looked, actually. The pattern is really pretty, and the color looks wonderful too. Plus, I used the kitchener (sp??) stitch to graft the toe closed, and now I understand why this stitch is so amazing. The finishing looks really professional, and hardly looks stitched closed. It looks like the toe seam just kissed itself closed. Right now, the socks is a little lumpy and needs to blocked before I will let anyone see it. Once both are complete and ready for wear, I'll post some pictures.

Monkey On My Back

For the last few days I've been trying to figure out this really popular sock pattern (Monkey Socks) that everyone on Ravelry seems to love. TONS of people have made these socks, and the general consensus is that this pattern is fun, easy, and generally lovely. So, of course, my thoughts were that these were perfect socks for me to start with. I started the pattern a few days ago, no problem. Once I got past the first inch or so of ribbing at the top I had a problem. The pattern didn't seem to work over the 16 stitches that is called for, and so the whole thing just seemed totally off. The pattern didn't line up, and ended up just UGLY. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, and after looking at a bunch of blogs about these monkeys, I still don't know what is wrong. However...I finally found a way! After working the pattern a few times on bigger needles with some old crappy yarn, I found that I can work it easily over 18 stitches instead of 16. Still don't know why things were wrong to begin with, but I'm excited to get back to work on my socks. Finally!

And yes, I am aware that changing the number of stitches will likely mess up the rest of the pattern, but that is something I will deal with when the time comes. On to my monkeys...

Finally some time!

Finally I have some time to update! The last week I got some work done on my sweater, but not much between my tests and homework. The body of the sweater is complete almost. The sleeves still need to be done, along with the ribbing along the neckline.




Here is the sweater on my duct tape dress form. The book (Custom Knits) had instructions to make the form out of duct tape and fiber fill. It's super helpful for the most part, but I got a little too lazy when making it, and the measurements are off. The waist is totally wrong (way too big!). However, the bust is pretty much correct, which is the measurement that most concerns me. Most often when I try on a sweater, tee shirt, anything, the bust is always too tight. So, to get the bust to fit, I usually have to go up a size or two, which makes the waist and length all wrong. It's really frustrating when I shop, and I was hoping that by knitting my own garment I could get around the whole thing.

I made some modifications to the pattern to make it fit better. I made the shoulders and bust with a large, and then increased the number of decreasing rounds as I worked my way down the body. In theory (and considering that I've never done this before, that's all it is) the waist will be somewhere between a medium and a small. All that is left is too add sleeves and do the finishing stuff.



My sock yarn also came this weekend, along with my new needles. I have my pattern picked out, and am planning to start right after I'm done here. It's all a little daunting, wish me luck!

All about chem...

No knitting for me this week. I'm up to my ears in midterms and homework, so my sweater is going to have to take a couple days off. I made some progress on it last week though, and hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures this weekend. I also ordered some sock yarn and tiny tiny tiny needles to attempt socks on.

New Knits

Finally found the camera cord last night. Ryan offered to help me look in my room, and found it after about 2 seconds of looking. Somehow I missed it, oh well. Now some knits:

Simple Mittens
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool in Ocean Blues
Needles: US7 and US5
Time: A couple days
These didn't take very long to make and were easier than I expected. The very top is more pointy than I would have liked, but looks better once they are on.

Shake Your Pompoms Ski Hat
Yarn: Red Heart Designer Sport in Pistachio and Cocoa
Needles: US7 and US8
Time: A week or so
To make the hat warmer I really should have made it with something other than acrylic yarn. The cheapo yarn also makes it too stretchy and annoying to wear with curly hair. It stretches out too much and makes my head look kind of huge. I'm trying to buy better yarn from here on out, so hopefully this will be the last of the Red Heart for a while.


In a Twist Wrist Warmers
Yarn: Don't remember, it was from a million year old crochet project
Needles: US6
Time: 2 days
I love the cable knit on these, it was really fun to make. The cables don't show up very well on the photos though. The yarn worked better than I expected considering that I only made these to fill time until I can start my sweater. If only I wore wrist warmers...
All patterns from The Knitter's Bible:Knitted Accessories by Claire Crompton.

Now I'm just waiting until the yarn I ordered comes in the mail. Once it's here I can start work on my sweater pattern. Exciting!

Camera Shy

A couple days ago I finally finished the chocolate and lime ski hat I had been working on. Hoping to post some pictures I went to get my digital camera only to find the battery dead, and my battery charging cord missing. It was just a day full of bad luck. Either way, pictures didn't get posted (obviously), but hopefully they will be soon. One good thing did come out of my camera disappointment though. In my frustration I picked up my needles again and cracked out a cable knit wrist warmer. I still have to make the other one (1/3 complete), but the project was super quick, and took me less then 24 hours to make. It probably helps that I got sucked in an America's Next Top Model marathon and sat there mindlessly knitting. The cable knit was deceptively difficult looking, and fun to make. I messed up a few times, but the ribbing and pattern help to disguise it, plus the yarn is a solid color. The only sad thing about the project is that I totally don't wear wrist warmers (a little too emo?).

Tomorrow I have no intention of going to school or working (Sorry Dad). Instead I'm going to spend my morning sipping mimosas, eating french toast and watching the inauguration. I hate to pass up any opportunity to watch Anderson Cooper. Between his awkward chemistry with every other CNN anchor and his pretentious white hair, he's captivating. Not to mention, I figure college is probably the only acceptable time in my life when drinking in the morning is okay. After my CNN-athon I'll take some time and sort through the wreckage that is my bedroom. Hopefully I'll be able to find my camera cord, otherwise my camera problems are bigger than not being able to post my knits.

Beginning

Hello! I made the choice (after looking at about a million other sites) that it might be a good idea to start a knitting blog. Hopefully I can use this as a place to post things that I'm working on, along with my completed projects. The idea is for me to improve...a lot! Most sane knitters probably don't start blogging until they want the world to see their work and talent. I am not one of those knitters (unfortunately). Instead, I think that this would be a good way for me to look at any progress I'm making and hopefully have some knitting accountability.

By the end of the year I would like to:

Make a piece of cable knit
Make a decent sweater
Make socks
Try to Swatch and Gauge for EVERY piece I knit
Start using GOOD yarn (goodbye Red Heart)
And possibly make something WITHOUT a pattern (scary)

That's a lot in a year, but I'm feeling strangely positive about it all.

Tonight I hope to finally be done with a lime/chocolate ski hat that I'm been working at for a week or so. Once finished I'll post some pictures, along with recently finished mittens.

-Rachel

p.s. Yes, the blog is named after my hamster, Nibbles. It is extremely difficult coming up with a clever title that hasn't been used before...so for now, it will be Nibble Knits.