Looptangle

O me, I am so woefully existential.

I’m kinda stuck in the middle of a bunch of projects at the moment.  Mom picked up the pattern book Brooklyn Tweed used for his cardigan version of the Urban Aran, so that’s good.  Now I’m going to have to choose yarn.  I think I want some of the stuff he used from elann.  We’re thinking we’ll both knit one for ourselves first to get the hang of it, since it is a pattern intended for women, then we’ll know better how to alter them for Dad and B.

I’ve got a third baby booty about halfway done, but I’m stalling out on it because the baby is so far from being born, and the needles are so tiny.  So I’m putting that project to sleep for a little while.

There’s the trip to Canada in November peeking over the horizon that has me anxious to knit a pile of toasty warm goodness.  Most of my Ravelry queue is for that purpose.   I really hate being cold.  I think I need some gorgeous mittens, too, but I haven’t found any that leapt out at me quite yet.

And I’ve got the yarn for the Hemlock Ring blanket (Yes, I am stalking Brooklyn Tweed.) and can start any second, if only the vintage doily instructions weren’t so horrid.  I’ve tried charting them out twice now, and I know there was an error in the first chart, and I got so confused doing the second one that I just couldn’t keep it up.  My next attempt will be to print out the written instructions and highlight every separate “maneuver.”  I get lost in all the k2sl1pssok2tog crap.  I don’t think that exists, but I refuse to look at the pattern right now.  It ANGERS me.

In an effort to jumpstart the old creativity machine, I ran across this FANTASTIC collection of sketchbook prompts.  They suggest going through and altering all the pages of the sketchbook before doing any artwork in it to counteract blank page syndrome.  I really like the idea of doing some washes or textures on the pages - seems like a relaxing process.  There’s a big group campout coming up in a few weeks, and I am putting together some activities that will help me cope with all that togetherness.  I think a couple of knitting projects, a sketchbook, pencils, and watercolors will be just the thing.  Oh, and some books!

Well, they’re FOR babies…

Pretty cute, eh? I LOVE the pattern. I did not know how easy it was to pick up and knit stitches, and now I’m an addict. I’m picking up and knitting everything in sight! I can’t help myself! The dog was a bit perturbed and got revenge on me:

…by being super cute and out of focus. Rrrnngghh! The rescue org we got him from called him a big polar bear, and it’s so true. I am ded of cute on a daily basis.

In case you were wondering where I’ve run off to lately, B and I have been hardcore Kitchn Curing. Check out my photos, which they’ve been using almost weekly! B jokes it’s ’cause no one else is doing the missions, but I think it’s because our photography skills have vastly improved, as well as the great lighting in the kitchen. Good times.

Last Sunday we roasted a chicken, B brewed beer, and I made bread with the spent grains. Mmmm very tasty.  Click through the photo for more details…

I’m making myself hungry!

Love, love, LOVE this pattern. The blocking went well, I wasn’t able to get a straight edge with the string, but I like the scooped look it got.

See? Not bad for a first timer. It’s a leeeetle small, but so soft and cuddly. I’ve been using it as a tiny lap blanket when I go somewhere and sit with my coat on. Warm legs are good!

Next up, some knitting for other people, oh yeah, and I’ve gotten sucked into the Hemlock Ring Blanket. Just received my KnitPicks order of 1.eleventy million balls of Wool of the Andes in Claret Heather.

And I just started Bellydancing class! When will I ever sleep? I’ll be having WAY too much fun.

I was poking around some blocking search results when an old Yarn Harlot post on blocking with thread and pins popped up. I think she’s using the Forest Canopy in her demonstration. Seriously. So I’m going to give the thread method a try tonight on the guest bed.

You know I’m a knitting nerd enthusiast when I get all excited and bouncy to go home and block.

I always feel bad about posting without pictures. It’s a kind of difficult habit to work up to - lots of steps and remembering things, which I am not particularly known for unless they are obscure lines in inane comedy films.

So, no, no pics today. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

• Need to get me some wires to block out my Forest Canopy Shawl - yay! It’s sooooo soft. I just want to huddle under it until Spring remembers it’s late for something.
• I’ve signed up with The Kitchn’s 8 week Kitchen Cure challenge. Yes, that middle photo on their post is, indeed, my kitchen! I took a ton of before pictures. It’s keeping me fairly busy.
• Yesterday I spent most of the day working on painting my Skorne Hordes army. I’ll take some pictures when they’re all done. I’m painting their armor peacock turqoise instead of the red they’re shown in, which is part of the fun of these figures. My elephant-like Titans are the palest shade of pink, because what is scarier than a rampaging pink battle elephant?
  • In case you aren’t sure what the heck this is all about, it’s a game that is sort of like chess in the sense that there are figures with different moves that you play against an opponent’s army. But unlike chess, there are several different factions and the rules get pretty complicated. Still a lot of fun though.
• I’m eyeing several different projects to begin soon. A couple of friends are pregnant, so I may work on some baby booties for real.
• Just for fun, here’s the stuff currently at the top of my Ravelry queue:
  • Urban Aran man’s cardigan - going to KAL with Mom
  • Saartje’s Booties - I hear good things
  • Arbor - a woman’s short sleeved sweater
  • Spring Things Shawl - I would totally jump right into this one except I haven’t blocked Forest Canopy yet and I don’t know how often I’ll use it. I’m also chomping a the bit for the Icarus shawl.
  • Ophelia - a sleeveless summery lacy cardigan. I’m still kind of on the fence about this one. I might try to concentrate on more mittens over the summer to prepare for our trip up to Victoria, Canada in November. We are going to freeze to death.

That’s about it for now. I’ll try to post some tasty pics this week.

I took some pictures! Lucky you! The composition is not my finest, but to be fair, I was taking pictures because I was too sick to read or knit. There were some thoroughly horrifying self-portraits, but I’m not sure I’m ready to unleash them on the world yet.

First, I honor my tools. I hang my resting circular needles from a floor lamp for some reason. I like the soft clicking the honey-colored needles make when I touch them.

Then, I took a partial picture of my giant fiber shelf. I told myself I’d arrange by yarn weight, but I just couldn’t help grouping all the colors together.

Closeups are available on Flickr, if you’re curious. The googly eyeballs are attached to a tiny little bat-shaped bag who likes to perch here and there. Unless you were referring to the Grumpy CareBear someone gave me. You can see that I’m only partly done with the shelf organization. It’s getting there though!

I still have a bit of a lingering cough, which is disgusting but I’ll take it over not breathing.  That, and reading still makes me a little seasick, but I still have to do it all day at work, so I haven’t been doing much knitting.

Tonight, though, I’m returning to yoga after a week away, and I’m bringing my knitting to see how that goes.  I love to get there a bit early so I don’t have to worry about traffic and then I use the extra time to knit.  They have a nice selection of teas there too, so I can hydrate in style.  Good times.

Ugh.  The plague got us.  I had about 3 days warning as B succumbed to the horribleness of the chest congestion flu and then we were both sick.  He may be pushing a little too hard and is still quite sick, though working, and today is my first day back at work since getting sick friday night.  Bleh.

I haven’t been able to read or even KNIT.  It’s awful.  I may try tonight, but every time I’ve tried I’ve gotten a horrible headache for my hubris.

I’m looking at you, all-too-quiet CDC.  Someone’s running flu strain tests on Atlanta, aren’t they?

Fevers bring out the conspiracy theorist in me.  Cheers!

Hooray for imagery! First, I give you my magic baby slipper:

I really liked how the pattern was constructed, hardly any finishing. I didn’t do any finishing since I just wanted to play with the pattern and see how it worked. It came out pretty large, and used all my yarn, but the color isn’t appropriate for the baby I need to knit for anyway. Best to be conservative with colors for coworkers’ baby boys.

The sole is worked back and forth, then you pick up and knit in the round. I was a bit daunted by the old “pick up and knit” routine, but I’ve been learning recently (I CAN be taught!) that often the way I fear something has to be done is different than the way it’s actually done. I found a video online and it was pretty easy. Fun, actually. They mention that some knitters like to use a crochet hook, and I think they must be Continental knitters because I’m a thrower and having the yarn in my right hand gave me a good angle on pulling the yarn through. *shrug*

On to my latest project, suggested by Opal, the Forest Canopy shawl.

It’s knit on size 8 needles (I went down to 7 since I’m such a loose woman knitter) and it’s soooo pretty. I love the leaves! They will definitely open up a lot in blocking. The yarn is such a dream, so soft, just a whisper in my hands as I knit. I’m heading up to Victoria, BC in November for a wedding, and I think this will be a great item to keep on hand to stay toasty warm. In fact, my brain has been working furiously on millions of projects to work on for that trip, like this one for B. But I digress.

Oh, look at those gorgeous, wondrously useful and glorious lifelines delicately wandering off into the distance! Oh how I love them. They’ve come in handy at least 3 times so far. It’s also really interesting because the construction of a triangular shawl is kind of funky. The lifelines show how the knitting bends in the middle. It’s sort of hard to describe, but that bumpy border is the top long edge of the shawl, and it is somehow at the beginning and end of each row. Magic!

Remember my post on the diverging paths knitters ultimately choose?  I was a little wrong.  It’s not like there aren’t little shortcuts going between the main thoroughfares.  I stumbled over to the sock path a few days ago…

I just wanted something small, easy, and above all, new.  The pattern seemed really well-designed and adorable, too, plus I owe a coworker a baby shower gift.  So SockPixie’s Magic Slippers seemed just the thing!

Seriously, have you ever seen anything so cute?  Haven’t yet decided yet whether they are cuter than the socks my friend’s sister’s baby had on that were colored to look like mary-janes.

I’ll take pictures soon.  This morning, literally as I was about to press the button to take the first picture, B came in with freshly made breakfast smoothies, and when you’re presented with a fresh smoothie, you take the smoothie.  Don’t even try to resist.

I didn’t have the right size yarn, or for that matter, tiny enough needles, so I just figured I’d fiddle around with some Lorna’s Laces I bought eons ago and my tiniest #2s, which I magic-looped.

I am loving the magic loop, by the way.   Previously, I had tried to learn the magic loop while also attempting to learn two socks simultaneously, and that was another instance of “more than I could chew.”  But the other day I was messing around with some yarn I had in my purse and a circular needle I threw in there on my way out, and it just sort of happened without my paying attention to it.  I believed that I could knit a small circumference on long needles, and then, I did.  Weird, eh?  Only later did I realize what I’d accomplished.

The miracles of yarn and sticks.  I love it.