Candy cane

We've had some excitement around here lately. Remember the big storm that knocked out power to much of the DC area? We had power, fortunately, but we were without internet until this morning. Ah, sweet, sweet internet, how I have missed you.

And I have things to share. Among them, the candy cane scarf is finished!

Yarn is Venezia Worsted (70/30 merino/silk) in colorways 101 (white) and 104. This yarn is just a dream to work with (although somewhat splitty, especially if used with pointy needles.)


Pattern: my own, based on the Fleck Stitch from Knit and Purl.

Remember how I was going for 60"? Uh, try about 75. This is me, demonstrating the finished product. I may have overshot the mark a ~tad~. But no worries--I think it's very nice anyway, and it will keep someone nice and warm. (Isn't my pineapple shirt cute?)

Now on to scarf number four, and I'm not sure what I'll do. I'll have to go stash-diving and see what's appropriate. And I don't know if I'll just do my thing or seek out a pattern that someone, y'know, actually wrote down. So many options . . .

Also, it is the Irishman's birthday. Happy birthday to my main squeeze!

Old Navy scarf

See, it's blue, and I've had it for so long . . .

No?

Anyway, this is the second scarf for the Red Scarf KAL.


Yarn is one skein of good old Cascade 220, colorway absolutely unknown. The cable is the Large Woven Cable from Cables & Arans.

And yes, the coffee table IS sitting on the loveseat in that picture. It says something about my house that when I asked a housemate why this was so, he replied "jumping jacks." Of course, I then decided to use the table to model knitwear . . .

Those of you keeping count may have noticed that while I pledged 12 scarves for the effort, I'm only done with two and a half. I think I may try for six, which is more reasonable given my schedule.

Bits and Pieces

Pretty much same old same old here. Irtfa'a looks pretty much the same as last time. I've done about 20 edging repeats, so it is still stuck in big black blobdom. I've at least gotten into a rhythm with it, so I can do a couple repeats every time I watch TV or whatever. (The Irishman and I are watching Studio 60--he's a big Aaron Sorkin fan, and we've already gone through Sports Night.)

The baby sweater is getting closer to completion--both sleeves are done, and the first front is alllllmost finished. It'll be done today, and I can at least get the second started. Then comes some blocking! The dragon is adorable, by the way.

And the cross-stitch continues.

I've finished a couple of things, but I think I'll leave those for future posts. I'm so ready to move on to new and exciting knitting--I've already got a few things lined up. (As in, balls wound, patterns copied, the whole nine yards.)

Too Hot for Knit

Too hot for proper grammar, either!

I'm just blah these days--it's hot, and all my knitting is stuck at either super-complex bits or bits that are boringly easy.

Maybe if it cools off at some point . . .

Let's Talk Lace

Now, it may not show too much on the blog, but I am obsessed with lace. I consume Anne and Alison's blogs like they are sweet, sweet, lacy crack. I cruise patterns on Ravelry and elsewhere, favorite other people's shawls, and buy more laceweight than I can possibly knit. I've even published a lace pattern and have written several more that are in various stages of development.

So it probably comes as no surprise to anyone that I have quite a few books devoted to lace on my shelves. I thought today I'd discuss my most recent acquisitions, which promise to become favorites.

First is Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia.

I have occasionally had--shall we say, issues--with Nancy Bush's patterns. (No way you got that gauge, lady!) But she's a wonderful writer, a wonderful knitter, and the flaws are really mine, not hers.

Knitted Lace of Estonia is a treasure for the serious lace knitter. It begins with a fascinating history of Estonian lace and knitting, then delves right into some Serious Knitting. The technique section alone is worth the price of the book; I've found myself consulting it for advice on other people's patterns!

I haven't knit anything from the book itself yet, but one of the things I love about Ms. Bush's books is that she assumes (nay, encourages!) that knitters will be consulting her work for ideas and influences for their own designs. To that end, she includes an Estonian stitch dictionary--with charts! (Seriously, written instructions just aren't the way to do lace.) In conclusion, A+, would buy again.

The second book I'd like to talk about is also lace, but completely different lace: Alison Jeppson Hyde's Wrapped in Comfort.

Rather than a history of knitting, Wrapped in Comfort is a personal history--a series of vignettes explaining the origin of each lace shawl (or scarf) and giving the reader a glimpse into Alison's life, complete with friends, family, and birds.

There's a handy intro to lace knitting, and the patterns are beautiful, but I confess, I probably won't be knitting them. (Well, maybe. I love the Ann Arbor shawl, and the Redwood Burl shawl is really pretty, and, um, I'm rethinking this.) The point of this book, really, is that reading it--and, unlike many knitting volumes, this book is meant to be read--is like sitting down with a old friend over coffee.

Alison's style is breezy, cheery, and funny as hell. Wrapped in Comfort is like reading a whole lot of her blog entries at once--and I mean that as a compliment. Incidentally, kudos to her editor for leaving her voice intact; it's so rare to find a pattern book that reads as if a real person wrote it.

As I said above, I don't know if I'll ever knit anything from this book, but I'm sure glad to have it and read it whenever I need a little cheer. (And you know, Michelle's shawl would look super in Malabrigo . . .)

Baby's Second Tattoo

Yes, that's right--after all the whining I did last time, I'm knitting another Baby's First Tattoo (from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation). I know, I swore I wouldn't do it, but it's soooooo cute. And a really easy knit.

I mean, look, here's a back and most of a sleeve already:



Also, this sort of thing would be quicker and easier if I didn't get these bees in my bonnet. This sweater is for my newest little cousin, Sophie, who was born a week ago today. Her father's brother's daughter (how's that for complicated?) got the orange version of the sweater, so I thought it would be nice to make this one in a different color and with a new motif on the front. Her parents aren't really skull and crossbones people, and I didn't like the other pre-charted motifs, so . . . I made my own!


If you can't tell, it's a little Chinese dragon, and I think it'll be absolutely adorable. Now I just need to knit it . . .

A Dreamy Day of Daydreaming of You

Okay, so Of Montreal probably weren't talking about knitting, but . . . isn't this dreamy?


This is my completed Dreams of Madeira scarf. The pattern is free, and a quick and beautiful knit. Needles: size three (3.25 mm).


The yarn is Jojoland Harmony (100% wool); I think colorway HC07. Ball band is not handy. This yarn is a good value for the money (800 yds for about 10 USD per skein). It's not incredibly soft, which is a quality I find many cobweb-weight yarns have; something about the proportionally higher twist, I think? Knit up and washed, however, it's softer and very warm and light. It's a separately-dyed two-ply, which gives it the beautiful color changes.


The model is the long-suffering Irishman, who--unfortunately for him--happened to be wearing a black shirt the day I decided to take pictures. But doesn't he look adorable?


The scarf, which is really more of a stole, is a gift for my friend (and new housemate!), Jennifer. I mention the stole thing because it came as a bit of a surprise to me. Not at all a bad thing, just if you're looking for something long and skinny, this isn't it.

Anyway, I am very pleased, and I even have yarn leftover!

Malabrigo nom nom nom

This time, just a little yarn pr0n. Because yarn takes the edge off, y'know?

I try very hard to avoid buying much yarn, because I don't have much space, and I already have more yarn than I could reasonably knit in a year, even if civilization were to collapse and take away my access to Posh Yarn.

On the other hand, if civilization were to collapse I could totally stop going to work, so maybe I should buy more yarn.

Anyhoodle, my Achilles' heel is weekly knit night at WoolWinders, where I'm regularly exposed to wool fumes. I'm reasonably resistant . . . but not to Malabrigo. To be fair, I'm not sure anyone is truly immune to Malabrigo. I mean, look at it:



And by "it" I of course mean "the laceweight I may or may not have purchased two skeins of because LOOK IT'S GREEN."

And then there's this:


Now, you've got to understand. I'm not really a pink person. (Well, in my dye preference. In my actual skin, I am an extremely pink person.) I'm definitely not a pastel person. But look at this. It looks like cotton candy threw up a cloud. And I am helpless before it.

I should knit this stuff quick to get it out of the stash before it breeds.

Really, that long?

Yeah, I know. But moving is haaaaaaaaaaaaaard. First, you have to pack up all your yarn. And then move it. And then unpack it. And you never know where you've put anything.

Well, at least, I never know. Maybe it's different for those of you who are "organized." Do let me know what it's like sometime.

Anyway, on the knitting front I have managed to accomplish a few things. Thus, it is time for a (*announcer voice*)

Work in Progress: Update (update update)

First and foremost, Irtfa'a. When last seen, it looked like this:


(Incidentally, why do so many knitters describe their knitting--particularly shawls and sweaters--as she? My knitting is genderqueer.)

Now it looks like this:


Yes indeed, Big Black Blob status has been achieved. I'm 2/3 done with the quill and feathers section, allllllllmost ready to start the edging. So close, and yet so far!


Next is the (sadly misnamed) March scarf. When last seen, it looked like this:


Now, it looks like this:


I estimate that it's about half-done. I have an issue with scarves where I stop knitting when I get bored, not when the scarf should actually be stopped. So they tend to be kind of short. I myself like a short scarf, but apparently other people don't? Or something crazy like that, anyway. So this time I am going with the POWER of MATHEMATICS to achieve a 60" scarf.

Also, maybe I'll change the name so it's less depressing. My friend Stephanie from knit night calls it my "candy cane." Much more friendly, eh?

So you see, lots of progress on the primary WIPs. Ravelry informs me that I have several FOs and new WIPs to discuss, but I think I'll leave those for next time. Au revoir, mes amies!*

*I don't actually speak French. I just think it's classy.

So . . .

Here's the deal. I'm moving next week. It's just a local move, but that still means packing. I have like three FOs that need to be washed and blocked, progress on old stuff, and new things to show you. But all of these will have to wait until I have moved! Alas.