Knitting, spinning… and probably some bitching.

Ok, not really down, but unable to knit this weekend. It seems that a football can be a dangerous thing if you try to catch it…

I started thinking about christmas yesterday. A little early perhaps, but mostly to ignore all the crazyness happening around here. (more when things settle out)

Anyway, I started thinking about christmas and I remembered that I cast on a pair of Hedera for my youngest sister. (I’m broke as a joke so I’m waiting to buy more yarn for Sonnet.) I dragged out the Hedera and began knitting away. I’d forgotten how nice this pattern is. So easy to memorize and very nice looking. There may be more of these for other giftees…

Pics courtesy of my iPhone.

First off I must say that I’m being strangely monogamous with Sonnet. Maybe it’s the garter stitch + lovely color runs that are holding my attention, but whatever it is I’m pleased. I have one front and ¾ of a back. I’m pretty sure I’ll need to buy more yarn before it’s all said and done, but that shouldn’t be an issue. (One of the perks of using an acrylic yarn – cheap(er)) Pictures soon. (I hope)

Part of it may be that my laptop has encountered some… ur… difficulties and I haven’t been pawing through Ravelry and getting all restless. Perhaps I should avoid Ravelry unless I’m specifically looking for something new to knit…

My poor laptop isn’t to blame, though. It’s entirely my own doing. It had been a bit sluggish, so techno savvy schmuck that I am, I thought that a nice reformat would be just the ticket. Clear away all the cobwebs of orphaned processes running constantly, you know? Yeah, so I thought I’d do it my way, instead of the condoned method. Imagine my surprise when it didn’t work! (Shocking, no?)

So now the weakened laptop has fewer drivers than it was meant to, rendering it disconnected and with a fuzzy screen resolution. Joy. My only consolation is that the more techno savvy R was involved and encouraged my maverick behavior. (2 peas in an arrogant pod)

Shooting oneself in the foot is so much more painful than having someone else doing the shooting.

I love fall. It’s my favorite season. The sky is the loveliest shade of blue when it isn’t overcast. (Which I like. I know I’m in the minority. What else is new?) The weather cools off and there is a general sense of winding down. The “hard work” of summer is over.

This year, though, I’m a little nervous. Fall means winter is close behind and winter in Wisconsin is…um…an endless bitingly cold drain an acquired taste. I’m fighting to retain my love of fall with Sonnet. (I’ll have pics soon I hope)

Not necessarily a fall sweater, Sonnet is so versatile that you can customize it to be. The pattern reminds a lot of EZ. Pick your yarn, make swatch and do some math. Its side to side construction means that you can use stripy or variegated yarn without creating the unflattering appearance of a circus tent. The option exists for shaping or leaving it a bit boxy.

I’m knitting mine in a 70% acrylic and 30% wool. It isn’t squeaking or plastic, and actually feels very nice. It’s softly spun, so I’ll probably treat it gently, but it’s nice that the gentle cycle and a low tumble dry is an option.

Maybe I’ll acclimate and this winter won’t seem so cold. (Optimism is fall’s only hope.)

Oh yeah, I have a blog! Oops.

Bullet points seem easier:

• OTN: “Sonnet” I love this pattern. Love, people.
• Job: Have one, may be permanent, but would require relocating to Texas. Hmm.
• On my mind: I like Wisconsin. I miss BBQ.
• Days until I have to fit into a bridesmaid’s dress: 15
• Pounds lost after 3 WEEKS of faithfully following my diet: 3
• House: filthy
• Stash: stable
• Spinning: none
• Daily commute: 1 hour, each way
• Mood: after this list, mildly cranky

July, that is.  It’s just not up to scratch, so I’m pretending that August is already here.

I’m back to twiddling my thumbs all day, as my this-will-be-permanent-until-it-isn’t job ended.  No hard feelings, of course, and if the project “changes scope” again, I’m at the top of the list to come back.  I understand, but, damn it sucks to be unemployed again.  I detest interviews.  And applications.  And phone screenings.  Etc.  It makes the job hunting thing kind of a drag, ya’ know?  I’m still hoping that a job will magically appear soon.  In the mean time I guess I’ll just keep looking the old fashioned way.

And completely reorganize the stash in an attempt to avoid retail therapy.

The universe had a bit of a laugh at me on the summer solstice. An upset stomach and a little bit of abdominal pain had me in the ER by 10 am and an appendectomy by 7 pm. I was a nervous nellie about the whole thing as the last time I was in the hospital was… birth. I’ve never even had a broken bone, people.

R spent the day waiting with me and I had a private room so I was as comfortable as possible. (Well, I couldn’t knit. Apparently, I have very deep veins, so my IV was in the crook of my elbow and after a couple of minutes working on my sock the IV machine had a hissy fit. Something about not getting the antibiotic drip, so I gave up.)

After one long, blurry night and a fairly alert morning/afternoon I was back at home. My mom and stepdad drove up and stayed with us for a few days and man was that good. R didn’t have to miss work and it’s very nice to have your mom when you feel shitty. Plus, I got breakfast every morning. Score!

I haven’t had too much pain and all is healing well. All in all, not a bad experience, but definitely not one I’d like to repeat soon. I did have a lot of time to knit in the last few weeks. My Spring Forward socks are finished!

The yarn was hand dyed by DrewElla. (ravelry link) Very gorgeous stuff. The base is Knit Picks Bare so it feels as good as it looks. The pattern was really well written. The only mod I made was to pick up an extra stitch on either side of the gusset, which is habit more than anything else. I think I’ll be making them again.

but somehow, I’ve spent most of my free time at home doing just that. I finished up 4 oz of superwash merino from crazymonkey on Etsy in “Love at First Bite” that had been languishing. No rinse or set, yet, but basically finished.

Promptly, I ordered this gorgeous stuff:

… and started spinning the “Kalypso” colorway. The reddish pink is “Summer Winds” and the lovely green is “Cerelia” It’s 50% superwash merino and 50% Tencel. Very silky and slick as snot. But doesn’t look scrumptious?

It’s got a bit of a learning curve to it (so very very slick), but hopefully I’ll pick up some speed because, just today, this arrived:

And I love, love, love the color. It’s from The Dyeing Arts via The Loopy Ewe. It is superwash merino in “Viole(n)t”. (Named after Violet of Limenviolet) I’m trying to not think about the fact that I do have 2 spinning wheels. It would be wrong to start another spinning project, right? Right. Must. Resist.

Because of all this unforeseen spinning, the only June WIP that’s seen any action is the Ankle Sock. The first one is done:

and I’m starting the toe on the second. But I usually only work on it during my lunch hour, so it’s kind of slow going. (Since I also eat during my lunch hour.) This is a completely generic pattern that I just cobbled pieces together for, so I’m not holding it to any super high standards. (read: it’s got errors that I can live with)

Off to spin again…

I sat myself down Saturday before last, technically the last day to work on my May WIP, and finished Ophelia!  Down to the i-cord belt!  I wasn’t sure what clasps I wanted to use so I waited until Sunday to choose some during a leisurely trip to the Ben Franklin down the street.  I settled on some and now have only to attach them.  But all the knitting is complete:

The only changes I made were single crocheting around the armholes, as well as, the neck and fronts.  I had removed the garter stitch borders from around the armholes because I was afraid the fronts would be a little too wide.  (I don’t think I would bother with that again.  The difference was minimal.)  All in all, I thrilled with it.  This is an excellent pattern and the yarn, Cascade Cotton Rich, is pretty great, too.

Later that weekend I dragged out June WIP and tried to remember where I was in all of them.  The list is still pretty short, and includes many socks, but also includes The Josephine Top which may be a documentable case of a knitting black hole.   I may time myself and see how much is actually accomplished per hour.