Cattywampus

Almost a sweater

The pink Tang is coming along nicely, with a little bit of perseverance I should have it done and ready to go for our trip this coming weekend.  We are going to upstate NY where it is likely to actually go BELOW 50 degrees (unlike Philly which has been at a steady 50 for about 5 weeks now), and I would love to be able to wear it.

A funny thing happened...the mind is a strange device.  

I knew I was knitting this sweater on size 8 needles, knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt.  So when it came time to pick up the sleeve cap I used size 8 double points and thought that the stitches looked a little loose, but figured that was because of the purling and odd angles involved.  Finished the sleeve on magic loop with the original needles, all is well.

I decided to do the neck next because I was anxious to see if my plan was going to work.  I envisioned a cowl neck.  You will notice that this is NOT a cowl neck, I tried, I really did.  I picked up around the rather snug neckhole and increased every two inches (ish) adding a total of another 2 inches (ish) to the circumference of the tube by the end.  I also, as the directions told me too, increased the needle size halfway up the neck so the second half would easily lay over the first half.  I did think that the size 9 needle looked awfully big next to the other needle, and thought more than once that the stitches seemed quite loose, but since I KNEW I was using 8s, didn't think much about it.

I do not have a cowl, that is obvious, I think the neck hole was just too snug to do much flopping, but hopefully the neck is loose enough that I won't feel like it's choking me (as turtlenecks usually make me feel).

At some point in the middle of the night last night I woke up and it was like a scene from a movie where the main character puts the clues together to figure out what's going on.  I saw first one thing, then the next in rapid succession and thought OMG, I'm using SEVENS to knit the sweater, NOT EIGHTS!  And then promptly fell back asleep.  First thing this morning I bolted down the stairs to measure and sure enough, I am using 7s for the body of the sweater.   Mystery solved.

The brain is an amazing, crazy thing.  All those little clues and I was SO SURE that I was using 8s that I just chugged along, not thinking twice about anything, but at some point my unconscious saw the evidence stacked up against my certainty and said "hey - wait a minute!"

And since my sweater seems none the worse off for it, I am not going to undo a stitch, but I do have to decide if I should pick up the second sleeve cap on 7s or 8s.  Symmetry or fix what I can?  Hmf.  What would you do?

When I was on the plane a few weeks ago somebody asked me if I was making a dog sweater.  So I felt compelled to put the body of the sweater on the dog.

 

I was quite amused.  The best part was that the dog loved it and settled down for an hour or so in his cuddly personal blanket.  Do you think he was trying to tell me something?

Pixie, on the other hand, has no interest in holding still for such things, but does love a good peanut butter jar.

 I had a wonderful weekend of family, good food, shopping, putting up Christmas decorations and reorganizing some things.  I hope you all enjoyed the holiday as well!

Two week Shawl

A few weeks ago I found out that dh's work was having a gala and he wasn't supposed to work at the gala, we were supposed to GO to the gala.  ACK!  So there was a frantic search for a dress and shoes, and of course an even more frantic search for a ridiculously quick shawl pattern that I could finish in that time period.

Anne recommended Trevi, and I chose Road to China Light because I fell in love with the color and it didn't hurt that it was a sport weight yarn and that would make it go even quicker.

It turned out lovely, the yarn is absurdly soft, and it really kept me warm.  I'm glad I had it, it was really chilly in the ballroom.  I had never been to a gala before, it turns out it's like a black tie wedding, except nobody is the center of attention.  Weird.  

 

In other news, I decided I was going to darn socks this weekend.  I had 5 pairs that were in dire need of help, two that I had given to a friend and she had returned them for fixing and 3 of my own pairs.  I am SO thrilled that she wears them to a point that they need to be fixed, there's nothing better than knowing my handknit gifts are appreciated and used to that point.

Duke helped me collect the socks and the leftover yarn to use.

I found a great video on youtube and I used that as a starting point.

With a lightbulb substituting as my darning egg, I got started. 

 

My first effort, it didn't come out fabulously, but it'll do for now.

 

It's mate didn't actually have a hole yet, so I swiss darned that one.

 

Which, as I understand it, is simply duplicate stitch over the worn yarn to reinforce it.  (and even if it isn't, that's what I did!)

My next attempt came out a little better.

 

and again it's mate didn't quite have a hole yet, so it got the swiss darning treatment, which I have to say I prefer, so I will try to get to the socks before holes actually start.

 

So four pairs done, one to go.  It is rather time consuming, but pretty zen-like once you get the hang of it.  I am definitely glad to know how to fix them so I don't have to give up on entire socks b/c of one little hole.  

I also learned that top down socks with slip stitch heels wear better for me than toe up socks, so it's a good thing I switched back to that style!  

I have two sweaters going and I managed to take a picture of one of them, Tang, from Fitted Knits.

 

I'm almost on the sleeves, it's all downhill from here!

Salt Lake City is Purty

This is a belated post, I was at a conference in Salt Lake City the weekend before last and it was GORGEOUS!

We had a chance to tour Temple Square, see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform in person, it was amazing!

 

Crazy bird man, check!

 

We ventured out to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake

 

 

 

Even the city itself had the most amazing views!

 

It was gorgeous, you should go.  

Oh & I can't forget The Black Sheep - here's my souvenir yarn!  The store was cute and the people were very friendly and helpful.  

Sorry for the short (on words) post, it seems that if I let something go too long I have very little to say about it, but I did go, it was lovely and I do recommend it if you have a chance to stop by there on the way to or from somewhere.  

And the winner is...

Who doesn't love a good bathroom mirror shot?

or three?

 

So here she is, the Pompon sweater from Feminine Knits, conspicuously without pompons.  You also might notice that I am not wearing the undershirt that I should be wearing with this, but I won't tell if you don't.  I promise I will wear it when I dress for work.  

In Lorna's Laces GreenLine DK, changes to pattern:  3/4 length sleeves instead of short sleeves.  A wool sweater with short sleeves just seems silly.  

I must have had some gauge issues b/c I made the smallest size, 36", and while I haven't measured this it is definitely more like 33".  I could probably get another inch or two in there if I blocked it more severely, but I'm happy, so I'm not worried about it.

Compared to the purple sweater which I thought was quite Meh indeed, I am totally and completely thrilled with this and can't wait for this silly 60 degree weather to leave so I can wear it.  

This has been a long time in the making, I started it when I went for jury duty in mid-july and finished the body, then it hibernated for a few months until I managed to finish the sleeves.  The idea of making them longer and thus the computations necessary to figure that out really seemed daunting at the time, but once I really sat down to do it I didn't have any trouble working it out.

I spent 2.5 hours seaming this and all I had to do were the shoulder seams and the sleeves, I knit the body in one piece.  I detest seaming.  I am glad the three sweaters I have OTN right now are all seamless.  I have to admit, I like the way sweaters with set-in sleeves fit, they tend to have more shaping than raglan style, but I would still prefer to do the top down short row sleeves instead of seam them in.  It just seems cruel and unusual to be all DONE but with so much work left to go.  Hmf.  

I whine, but it was worth it.  I luuurrrrrvvve it!

One Meh, One YAY!, and one TBA

Last week I finished Elaine's Blouse, let's not talk about how at the very end I realized one sleeve was two stitches larger than the other.  I don't know what it was, but this sweater and I did NOT play nice together.

I am not thrilled with it.  I don't hate it, but it certainly wasn't worth all that time and trouble.

 

I may try to throw it in the dryer (this seems to be a theme with me lately) to see if I can tighten it up at all, but I don't know if I'll bother, the weather to wear this has more or less passed until April, so I may just wait until then to see if my feelings about it change.

 

I know it doesn't look actively bad, but after all the problems I had with it I was hoping for a WOW finish and I didn't get that.

I have, however, finished my lacy scarf for my not-so-secret pre-holiday exchange with my friend Heather and while I think the instructions weren't the best (I kept having to k2tog when it wasn't in the pattern to make the YOs line up right), I am thrilled with the final product, which you can't see yet b/c she would see it too and that would ruin what was left of the surprise.  Be assured that it is fabulous and I will show it to you when I can.

Also, I finished the red Pompon sweater from Feminine Knits which looked like this last week.  

Now it looks like this.  

Hence - tba - I am most optimistic though, I have no reason to think I won't love it.  Things are going to be a little hectic this week and I'm not sure when I'll have time to sit down and seam it, but soon.  

In other news, I am going to a black tie gala.  Long story short (btw, I just found out what tldr meant a few weeks ago, I am so behind the times) we knew about the gala but thought dh had to volunteer at it, turns out we need to go, in three weeks.  This was discovered on thursday.  Friday I was in a panic b/c I will be out of town at a conference the end of this week and the weekend and out of town the following weekend too, so the whole outfit had to be purchased this weekend, and - this is where the knitting comes in - I only have three weeks to make a shawl.

I asked Anne, and she recommended Trevi, but I had no appropriate yarn.  So Jennygirl & Suzygirl were nice enough to abandon our lunch knitting on friday and quest with me to Rosie's where I picked up Road to China Light in Garnet, which is thicker than the recommended yarn but I hope will still be elegant even in that heavier weight.

 

This yarn really doesn't photograph well, it's a true garnet color, deep red, maybe a bit more purpley than orange tone, I guess the fiber make up causes the light to reflect off it oddly for pics.  

I did find a dress  and shoes at Macy's and with undergarments and all it totaled less than the tux he has to rent, and I get to keep mine!  Now off to the races with the shawl!

Like I said, later this week I am flying to a conference - in Salt Lake City, so as long as my needles don't get confiscated I will have some good solid hours to work on it this weekend.  I also have to choose a stockinette project to take along with me for brainless conference knitting.  I was thinking either this vneck or this absurdly plain but still adorable cowl neck.

Choices, choices!  I also have to start soon on some little sweaters for my Goddaughter & her baby brother or else they won't get done by Christmas, maybe I'll get one of those started today.  Such little things don't take long, but if I never start them they will certainly not be done in time for Christmas!

Today is the 18th day of rainy weather we've had straight so I am ignoring the outside and hunkering down, knitting, baking scones and bread, making soup - and thoroughly enjoying the extra hour in my day, the one good thing about the time change in the fall.