One Crazy Fiber Lady

Two skeins of Louet Gems Pearl in Pure White and a 40″ US0 Addi Turbo sitting on the bench outside Purl. I even had the skeins wound for me for a change. I would have started the socks but the beautiful weather enchanted me into walking back to the office. Stay tuned for cast on.

Craft on!

It has been an interesting couple of days.  Yesterday morning, I got to the train station and couldn’t find my rail pass holder.  I have this little flip folder that I keep my monthly pass, PATH card and a MetroCard all in.  Creates a bit of an expensive problem should I lose it. Compound the daily expense with the fact that since I had gotten my TransitChecks last Friday, on Monday I decided to take advantage of the lack of lines and bought my October Monthly train ticket ($122) and tucked that into the holder.  All of these goodies where nowhere to be seen yesterday morning.  The conductor on the train in understand and since she’d seen me almost every morning this month, let it go. I stopped at the Lost & Found at the station after getting off the train to see if anyone had found it.  No luck, but I did fill out a report.  I then bought a one way ticket (just in case I got a hard-ass conductor) and a new Pathcard which I needed in a few days anyway. 

I was running a bit late so I didn’t check the L&F on the way home, but did stop by the conductor who was standing on the platform next to the train and ask him if anyone had seen it.  Nope, no one had, but having established the loss added in that I showed him the receipt that I got when I purchased said month (and he’s also seen me every evening for the month) didn’t hassle me as well.  ‘Good thing September is almost over’, he jested. 

This morning’s ride in I got one of those hardasses, who when I explained the loss and showed him the receipt, he said "Means nothin’ to me".  Ass.  I gave him the oneway I bought yesterday, fearing he’d charge me the $5 surcharge for buying a ticket on the train NJ Transit instituted a while ago.  I seethed most of the ride in.  In 10 years, I’ve lost 2 tickets, both the last week of the month.  9 out of 10 of the conductors are nice guys but that 10th.  Sigh. 

I stopped in at the L&F when I got to the station.  Miracle of miracles (okay maybe not such a huge miracle), someone had found my ticket holder and had turned it in.  The lady behind the counter had just called my office number to leave a message that they had it.  Whew.  Seems it had fallen out of my bag in the parking lot when I pulled out my keys.  Well those two items aren’t sharing the same pocket anymore!  Thank you to the nice lady at my station.

I’ve made more progress on Kat’s socks.  I turned the heel during the ride in and am in the home stretch now.  Last night after paying some bills and getting two toddlers settled, I worked on Ivy.  I’m now into the stockinette portion.  Both projects will be going to Modern Yarn tonight.  I really love how Ivy is coming out.  The color of the Silky Wool is closer in this picture than the one I posted the other day, though still a hair darker than the actual yarn.

Is it so very wrong that I want to toss aside everything in the current and future todo list to start these socks?  Other than Kat’s socks, which are almost done, and the Koigu socks, which too are almost done, I don’t have any other sock projects.  I did abandon and reclaim needles from the Lombard Street socks.  I wasn’t feeling the love.  They are afterall, the ideal commuting knitting, though add in the cable-y goodness and it back off of perfect by a tad.  But really, how many plain knit socks can one person knit?  Wait.  Don’t answer that.  The siren’s call of Purl with its Shepherd Sock or solid colored Koigu is very loud right now.  A betting man (looking at his watch 12:34PM ET as I write this) figures that as soon as the CFL hits the "Save" button, she’s probably out the door heading for the Broadway subways and a quick ride to Prince Street.  I’d put money on the betting man (good thing I got my metro card back this morning)!

Craft on!

Call me a ChicKnits groupie but Bonne Marie looks like she’s done it again.  Her newest pattern, Ariann, looks like a winner!  I just bought the thing and it is next in line after Ivy is finished.  The pattern calls for the same gauge worsted yarn that Ribby used, of which I have an abundance.  It also uses my favorite construction method, one piece!  I really must knit faster or quit wasting precious knitting time doing silly things like working or sleeping.

I did finish the second first sock for Kat last night.  I screwed up the Sherman heel repeatedly on Monday.  After three tries, I pulled out the needle and ripped back to the setup row.  I gave up and did my standard short row/no rap PGR heel.  For some variation though, instead of my standard decrease 4 stitches every other row toe, I went for a short row toe.  I had some icky grafting but that was a matter of drifting attention span.  I cast on the second (third) sock this morning on the train. 

Last night was back to school night at their preschool.  It was good to meet their teachers and hear what they are up to.  There’s a field trip coming up on Oct 9th (their 3rd birthday coincidentally) to go pumpkin picking at a local farm.  I might take the half day and go along as they are looking for parent help.  I had a good time with a couple of the other parents, especially those ladies who’s daughters started within a month of my kids, back in 2004.  These 4 kids have been together since the infant room and are pretty tight friends.  The curriculum for the year calls for the kids to be able to recognize their name in print.  Should be interesting as this class has not only my kids with their long names:  Kathryn and Alexander, but also an Isabella and a Guenivere.  No Sam or Bob in this class and the one Ryan was moved to the younger class.  The kids made chocolate chip cookies in class on Monday for the parents.  Awwww.  My little monkeys aren’t so very little anymore!

That’s about it for this morning, time to go code something.

Craft on!

It is a good thing that I waited to start the second of Kat’s socks after finishing the first last week at the SnB. It didn’t fit her very well. Seems not fitting has been a recent trend with socks and me, especially when they are toe up.

So last night while I caught up with the end of last weeks Days of Our Lives on Soap, I started the second first sock for my little girl. I’m back to top down and am also using the magic loop again. It is a more commuter friendly method especially with the weather changing as I don’t have to battle dpns and coat sleeves (yes a light jacket has been necessary the last week or so for the morning commute).

This sock is also the Lisa Souza yarn in What-a-melon. I cast on 48 st and did a 2×2 rib for an inch. Two inches of stockinette done and I am now ready for the heel. In her very timely post Claudia (crafty weasel – sorry no linking love when mobile posting) mentioned the Sherman heel. Looks pretty good and seems even simpler than the PGR that I do regularly. What better time than now to try it. Serendipity! I’m giving it a whirl tonight on the way home.

Craft on!

Almost exactly one year ago, I posted this milestone in the monkeys’ progress.

Far to fast for this mom, we’re ready to show the next step in the relentess march of growing up.

I had a much overdue visit to Sleepy’s yesterday and purchased two twin beds for the monkeys.  They arrived this morning.  We have two excited little monkeys who aren’t quite sleeping yet, though they better be soon as there is school tomorrow!  It’s been a long day that included a trip to Princeton for a SMC get together.  Always a blast, but a long drive.  But I digress again, the twins were seriously outgrowing those toddler beds.  I can’t believe that that change was just about a year ago.  Now they look tiny again in bed.  Not this tiny, but tiny indeed.

I’ve modified my WIPs list in the left sidebar to just list the "active" projects that I have going.  I’m somewhat ashamed at how long it is.  Not to mention that there’s other things that aren’t really active, but they haven’t been declared dead yet.  Pinwheel was pronounced last week after I was halfway done with the first sleeve and decided to finally try it on.  Blech.  I’m going to reclaim those lovely shades of orange Cascade and do a top down raglan cardigan with the same color progression.  Eventually. 

Time to go relax and do a little knitting before the new week starts. 

Happy New Year.

Craft on!

One of the things I planned on for this weekend has come to pass.  I blocked the Swallowtail shawl this afternoon while the twins napped.  Even though the I didn’t have any monkey helpers for this task, I had other assistants.  Earl was a very helpful and curled up on the shawl almost immediately after I stuck the last pin into it.  At one point both Earl and Duchess had curled up on the thing.  Cats are just as helpful as toddlers.

A couple of hours later (some time with a fan blowing on it), I unstuck a now dry shawl.  I just love the magic of lace blocking!  The size is just perfect.  She just had to show off by hanging in front of my bedroom window.  Should give a pretty good sense of how big it is as this is a standard 1950′s double hung window (which should be replaced when/if construction ever starts around here but that’s for another night).

I took a closeup of the Lily of the Valley section as there was curiosity as to how it looked without the dreaded nupps.  I think my blocking left a little to be desired.  Next time I’ll block it on a grid so that I can get the better.  I don’t think it really is missing anything without the nupps. 

Project Details

Pattern:  Interweave Knits – Fall 2006
Yarn:       Misti Alpaca Laceweight
Color:      MC-1070
Started:   8/20/2006
Finished:   9/21/2006
Notes:    Used less than 1 skein of yarn.  18 gr left.

It was a very fast knit.  It took only a few days to actually knit it, way less than the month the start/end date reflects.  I hit about the halfway point repeatwise on the second chart quickly and then it sat while I worked on other things.  I returned to it and worked on it almost exclusively after finishing Clapotis.  I’m definitely making another one, just a matter of which yarn to use.  And maybe no nupps… though I will fess up that halfway through the first Lily of the Valley chart I tried another nupp.  It really wasn’t all that bad, especially with the wicked sharp knitpicks options needles.  Nice set they are!  But I digress… I was tempted for about half a second to rip back and start nupping.  Sanity prevailed though and I decided to put off nupps for the next go’round with this shawl. Might be with one of those odd HandpaintedYarn.com laceweights I bought ages ago.  It will have to wait as the needles are already in use…

I posted about my experience with the Elann Peruvian Quechua over on the KnitIVY Kal.  I wasn’t happy with either the yarn or how it was working up.  I should have gone with my first instinct (something I learned to do during school and would never ‘check over my answers’ as anything I ever changed inevitably turned out going from right to wrong) and used the Lavold Silky Wool. 

So Friday night, I pulled out the recent purchased from the closeout at Webs where I bought enough in each of two colors to make one of the Viking Sweaters.  One was a tweedy brown, pretty enough but upon reflection figured the tweed would hide the cable details.  The other is an off-white oatmeal like color. I worked my standard quickie swatch that involves casting on 20 or so stitches, knitting stockinette 10-15 rows and then measuring.  It was spot on for the gauge and the fabric felt nice with great drape.  We had a winner.

I cast on for the back and as of right now I’ve started the first decrease section.  The color in the picture isn’t quite right. 
It isn’t the dark, but then again, the paper in the background is in reality white.  The lighting is just terrible in my room.  There’s also a closeup of the cable twist.  I love the pattern so far and the yarn?  Delightful!  It has the silk crunch to it, but a wooly spring to it.  Good stuff for sure. 

Remember that last weekend’s GSSB festival was a trial for the twins for Rhinebeck?  Well, they were so good at the festival that I decided that I will be taking them on Saturday at least for a couple of hours.  Since my folks will be home Saturday, I’ll hit the festival without the monkeys on Sunday! I’ve done two days in Rhinebeck before but not in a while.  Last time was 2001 when I was on a Fleece-to-Shawl team.  I think we placed third overall, but don’t remember exactly.  It has been my second outting for that event, the first was two years prior which was only 4 months after I started spinning.  Anyway, I’m really looking forward.  Rhinebeck is the high point of the fall!  Can’t wait!

I leave you with some kitty zen. Serendipity and I have had an ongoing battle over my desk chair and who it really belongs to.  I’m currently in possession of said seat, but I know she’s lurking somewhere, ready to jump the moment I vacate it.

Craft on!

I just finished binding off Swallowtail. The pretty little thing will be blocked this weekend (along with my finally sewing and cutting Alex’s Dale). Love the pattern and the yarn. Verdict on nupps? Guilty as charged. They suck. Tracy sent me a picture of her nupp-less Swallowtail shawl and it is just gorgeous. Works for me as homey don’t do nupps.

Nose is dripping and sneezy. Head is stuffed and a cough is developing. Blech.

Craft on!

…or not to nupp. That is the question?! I’m two rows from having to make that decision on Swallowtail. I think i’ll do a test nupp and if it sucks too much, I will un-nupp it and proceed without said bothersome little buggers.

Sorry don’t have more now. Coming down with something. Will hopefully post on the weekend and the beginning of Ivy tomorrow.

Craft on!

ps – this is actually a post a wrote last night on the train home.  It has been stuck in my Treo since with posting errors reported by typepad.

Lookee what I finished last night!  Clapotis is finis!  It took another hour after getting home from the SnB, but the knitting is done.  The ends are worked in and and she is ready to wear.  Oh yeah, blocking.  Uh huh.  See, I can finish things every now and again.  Good thing too as Elann has already shipped my Quechua

Clapotis

Pattern:  Here
Yarn:  Claudia Handpainted, Poppy colorway, just under 4 skeins
Started: 9/7/2006
Finished: 9/14/2006
Mods:  Only did 11 repeats of the straight section and it is plenty big.

I’m now planning on making MANY more of these.  I can’t believe it took me so darn long to knit Clapotis.  I had to have been the last darn knitblogger to even start one.  I can think of oh so many other ways to make it.  Would be a perfect pattern in the laceweight variegated cashmere that Kristen so nicely showed me at Modern Yarn last night.  Can you imagine it?  Or all that HandpaintedYarn.com laceweight that I have about.  I’m so definitely getting Brooks Farm yarn to make another one… and do need to track down where that Artyarns Ultramerino got off to when I moved.  I’m so wearing this to Rhinebeck.

Tomorrow Deb and I are taking the twins to the Garden State Sheep Breeders festival in Ringoes, NJ.  Wish Ina some luck, this newbie spinner is entering some gorgeous things in the competition. 

Have a great weekend!

Craft on!

Okay… either blogger or IE7 ate my post and left nothing but the title.  Sorry, this take two isn’t going to be nearly as nice as the first go’round.

1.  Clapotis?:  Finished the 11 repeats (as suggested by Michelle) of the straight section and finished one repeat of the decrease.  Will wind the fourth and final skein of yarn tonight at the SnB at Modern Yarn.

2.  Ivy?:  KAL grows.  Glenna, the designer is joining us!  Lost fight with self to use stash and placed order with Elann for the Quechua in Exotic Red.  Will try and finish up other projects before yarn arrives.  BTW, postman knows me as the Yarn Lady.  He asked mom the other day who the yarn person was, discovered his wife is a knitter

3.  Socks?:  Hit the heel on the second Koigu sock before it took a vacation from the purse for a pair for Ms. Kat.  She held a bunch of my socks hostage until I promised to make her a pair.  She insisted on picking the yarn right then and there.  I pulled out my box of leftovers for her to choose from.  She selected the Souza Sock! in What-A-Melon.  I’m just shy of the first heel now. 

4.  Kitty Zen?:  All the cats dig my bed.  You’d think it was the only one in the house and not one of 4.

5.  Other?:  I saw this, an oddity, a throwback, an AUTOMAT!  It is on St.Marks between Second and Third Avenues.  I haven’t eaten there yet, but will probably soon.  There are no tables like the automat in That Touch of Mink as this is the view from the sidewalk.

Craft on!