Good Girl

As always, thanks to everyone for the compliments on the finished Cropped Jacket in Lace Pattern #37. I wore it yesterday and really enjoyed it. This job at the Tragic Kingdom is giving me a lot of opportunity to wear my handknits, so it can't be that bad, right?

With the Cropped Jacket completed, I started [guilt-free] swatching for Patti. Yes, swatching. To be honest, I usually swatch about an inch or two and if it seems right, I go for it. It's a wonder anything comes out, huh? This time, however, I'm taking time to properly swatch because I really want this project to be perfect.

The yarn is Jaeger Luxury [ooh la la, Lux-U-ry!] Tweed in the Red Ink colorway [which is burgundy and navy plied together]. As I was swatching along, I started to feel unsteady about my yarn choice. I was hoping the blue and red would mix and distract my eye into making it look more purple. But it just looked splotchy. I was getting jealous of the pretty colors of the Rowan yarn that others had used. Then I saw Firetweed"s Viking Cable Cardigan in the Jaeger. I have renewed faith in my Red Ink colorway and my stubborn refusal to pay full retail!

So I casted on the 215 stitches last night and have been plugging away on my size 2 Addis. Yeah,don't expect a fo anytime soon...especially since the yarn is a wool/alpaca blend and the temps the past few days have been in the 80's and 90's. Besides that, I'm already distracted. I just found this sweater pattern and must cast on ASAP. The pattern picture is a bit frumpy, but check out some of the finished ones on Ravelry! So cute! And I have some buttons that will be perfect!

I also have an update on More Than An Apron. The R2 Paper has been a good sport, but I think that it will be entirely too thick for what I had intended. Unless I want to look like a girl wrapped in a rag rug. Could be a good look. So I will most likely frog and Paper will once again return to the stash bin. *sigh*

Also, gf is asking me to make her a sweater. The pattern calls for Lion Wool, but I want something that won't felt if she 'accidentally' throws it in the dryer. Any suggestions?

Some Of What You Come Here For

Backstory

Pattern: Cropped Jacket in Lace Pattern #37 from Rebecca #31
Yarn: GGH Capri
Needles: US 6
Exposition:
It's finally done! I'm so glad to have this off the needles. The buttons are sewn on, the pictures are taken and I can finally move on...to more exciting projects...guilt-free!

There's so much to say! So let's get into it and I'll try not to be too long winded. To the point!

I wore this out to a little backyard soirée in the hills last night. I love the cropped length and am happy with my decision to get the extra ball of yarn and make long sleeves rather than 3/4. Early in the evening, it kept me well ventilated and I was just right kind of warm, but as it got later, I was feeling kinda chilly.

The pattern was pretty straightforward [that's how I like them!] and the lace repeat was very easy to memorize. Although it did get tedious at times, the cropped length made knitting the pieces up fairly quick.

I only had a few minor issues with the written pattern, one being the length of the collar. It didn't give a specific number of cm to knit and since the pictured sweater in the book is black, it's hard to gauge how long to make it. I knit 4 rows and bound off, but it looked too short so I added another two rows and I think it looks okay.

Also, on the sleeve increases, there was no indication to continue in the lace pattern. So on the sleeves, I have a panel of lace and the inner arm is stockinette. Had I seen ahead, I would have taken the time to increase in the lace pattern, but by the time I realized one sleeve was almost completed and I wasn't about to frog and re knit.

The yarn. Capri. There are pluses and minuses. I had to be careful when knitting [and frogging] with this yarn. Since the fiber strand is chained with a thread of what looks like super thin plastic fishing line, it pulled very easily and at times the needle would split the yarn [or just catch the fiber strand or the plasticy line strand]. Kind of annoying, especially when working yarn overs and k2togs. Also, the cut yarn would unchain itself, so I had to tie a small knot in any loose ends to keep them from unraveling completely before I had a chance to weave them in. After weaving, I tied a small knot in yarn end just to be sure it wouldn't unravel.

The resulting fabric, however is really quite nice. It's kinda of a very nice nubby texture...like a non-loopy boucle. I will have to be cognizant when I'm wearing it though, because the threads will still catch and cause massive pullage. And I hate that.

I do get a little button gap-age, but it doesn't bother me too much since I don't really plan on wearing this sweater buttoned up.

My final impression is that I'm really happy with the style. I think it's very flattering on me and I hope I get a lot of wear out of it. Although I wasn't fond of knitting with this yarn, I do love the resulting fabric and adore the color.

Stick A Fork....

The Poppy-head sits in the Lap of RYC Cashsoft luxury.

Well, I finished the Blue Curacao Shawl last night. I washed it and did a very poor blocking job. I thought maybe I could take a cool picture here at work, but it's just not going to happen.

With that done, I picked up the Rebecca Cropped Jacket sleeve #2 that has been darkening my doorstep. I want it done, but I don't want to work on it. Go figure. Right now, I'm 1/2 way done with the sleeve cap and would work on it at lunch if I hadn't forgotten to pack extra yarn...bonehead! Regardless, it should be done this weekend.

You know what that means...

Say it with me...What do we cast on for next?

I, like Jody, have been feeling the Call of Fall. And with the arrival of the new IK in my mailbox, the call is even stronger! Sure it's still 80 degrees outside but I want to knit something snuggly and warm! Let's see what I might could be starting on next week...


Rowan Patti

I really love this sweater. I have the yarn, I have the motivation, I just need the weather to cool down. It's merino/alpaca, how hot can it be?

I really want to wear this as soon as it turns cooler [in December], so I could wait a few [or many] months to start this project. Or I could start now and keep it as one of those 'I need a break from lace projects' sort of thing. What if I start with the sleeves? Then move on to the collar. Then the little bitty fronts? Before I know it, it will be so cool I will be ready for the first sign of semi-cloudy 65 degree weather!

Don't be surprised if I cast on for this soon...very soon....like tonight soon.

Lady Eleanor: 2030


Gf has be wanting me to make her a sweater for the longest, and I have a pattern in mind, but no yarn. I also thought about revisiting Ariann, since I have the yarn that the style would suit her.

Then there's Lady Eleanor. She spied my scarf and wanted one of her own. I bought some Silk Garden Lite 2030 on the eBay and am looking forward to working with this colorway. It should be lovely, dontchathink?

That Which The Superstarra Never Knits

Yesterday I was blogging around and I noticed a comment in which Michelle said that it was her birthday. So, being a part of the Leo pride, I went over to her blog to wish her a happy birthday. Lo and behold, she was having a contest and guess what? I won a prize! [Whoo HOO!] Now the prize is two skeins of Wildfoote sock yarn, a cookie cutter, pancake mold [I have a star pancake mold too!] and a sheep tape measure. Now for those of you new to Superstarra-ville, I'm not really a sock knitter. I tried it once, and it wasn't so good. But, in honor of this prize and birthdays and starting something new, I'm going to give it another go. I'm going to knit a pair of socks, people. Now, I need some proper suggestions. I love Beth's Spiral Boot socks, but I think that the Wildfoote is a smaller gauge. So, I'm putting it out there, sock knitters of Superstarra-ville, what socks would you suggest? Now there are obvious choices, like Jaywalkers, which might be the pattern of choice, but I want to know what you guys have to bring to the table. And any tips are welcome, as always.

Time to go to lunch...maybe I can find a nice patch of grass on which I can lay the shawl...

Knitting...Live From The Tragic Kingdom!

Well, I'm completing my first full week here at the Tragic Kingdom. It's not so bad. And I'm trying to make my little cubby hole my own little home. So, I've brought a few things that keep me happy during the day.

Of course that means the Poppy-head has taken up permanent residence. As you can see by that tiny sliver of light to the right of the Poppy-head, I have a semi-view of the outside world. Thank god! I need my natural light!

You can also see one of my two new plants. I had bought these really pretty self-watering African Violet pots for my mom years ago at the Sawdust Festival. The haven't had a plant in them the past few years, so I rescued them from the weeds in the front yard and now they have two new plants that I am desperately trying not to kill.

My desk came stocked with an old ratty mousepad. Lucky me! I tossed it this morning and replaced it with this little guy. Isn't he too cute? I found him at Borders of all places!

I also decided to bring my crime fighting Christie doll with me. She kicks ass and makes sure none of my stuff gets lifted. Here she is looking annoyed and working on her laptop [that's her red phone next to her]. I think she was upset that one of my coworkers pointed at her and asked 'what's that?'. Like she had never seen a Christie doll in a corporate environment before. Sheesh.

Also, Hank came to keep me company. He sometimes does recon for Christie when she notices someone suspicious...especially that one co-worker. I"m telling you, don't cross the Christie doll.

And now...on to the Knitting Content portion of this post!

Sleeve #2

We're on repeat #12 of 15 before the sleeve cap bind off. Thank god! I want this off my needles so bad! I was hoping to finish it this weekend, but it looks like it's going to have to be sometime next week. We have a birthday party Sunday afternoon and I decided an hour ago to crochet up a Sweet Pea Shawl as a gift. So I'm going to try to get as much of the Cropped Jacket done today during lunch so that I can start on the shawl tonight.

I hope I have some yarn that will work!

Vacation Packing...

As knitters, we all know what vacation packing entails. What project do I take with me? And that's usually decided long before we decide what we'll actually wear.

With the tunic completed, my first thought was to finish the Cropped Sweater. Right now, I'm about 1/3 of the way through the final sleeve, so I think that I'll just do what I can and finish it up once I get home. I think that I'm leaning more toward compact projects for this trip [and don't really want to be bother with seaming].

First in the suitcase will be 5 skeins of RYC Cashsoft DK. I got this on ubersale at a LYS. The color is kinda brown, kinda gold and even takes on a subtle green in certain lights. I plan on using this to crochet...
The Blue Curacao Shawl from Amazing Crochet Lace. From the few I've seen made, this shawl is a pretty quick hook. I may even be able to wear it before the vacation is over! The ultimate goal is to make it for my cousin's wedding in mid-August.


I also thought another even more portable project would be good to bring along. I've been wanting to make the Perdita bracelets from Knitty for a while now...I even bought the DMC floss something like 6 months ago. That should be enough to keep my busy and leave a lot of room in my bag for souvenirs and sunblock. It's only a 4 day trip, afterall.

As you can see, I've made significant progress morning on packing.


Ah, that's better.

Sleeves, Sleeves, Sleeves, Sleeves and a Skirt

So while I was deciding on a solution for the Cropped Sweater conundrum, I picked up the Lace Tunic and have been working on the front non-stop. Lo and behold, I finished the front in about two days. Not bad, especially considering the length of the damn thing measures 80cm.

That means I have 3 weeks to complete 4 sleeves.
TOTALLY DO-ABLE!

The first sleeve of the Cropped Jacket is almost done...just those pesky 22 rows. And the extra ball is on it's way from Jimmy Beans Wool, so I can continue the sweater as originally planned.

The first sleeve of the Tunic in Lace Pattern has been casted on and I'm about 8cm in so far. Not bad, and the lace pattern around the bell of the sleeve will keep my interest.

And the last thing I wanted to update you about was Walking After Midnight. The skirt itself is finished, but it is bigger than I expected. My plan to wash, block and make adjustments to the waistband was thwarted by a small apartment made even smaller with the addition of a houseguest. GF's mom was staying with us and I didn't want to make the space any smaller by attempting to block it. She left yesterday, so blocking will take place tomorrow. The weather is especially warm, so it shouldn't take too long to dry.

Ok, time to get back to the tunic's sleeve. 3 weeks is a long time, but it's not that long.

I Always Liked Option #1*

I was chatting on the phone with my sister last night...she asked me how I was going to solve my sleeve issue [since she's an avid reader of the Superstarra-ville]. I said I didn't know. She suggested ripping it out; I said maybe I'd frog back two 13-row repeats and see if I could make it work. She suggested maybe ripping out from the bottom ribbing and reknitting just the bottom section; I said maybe I'd frog back two 13-row repeats and see if I could make it work. She suggested pinning it together and seeing if it wouldn't be too tight around my forearm. I grabbed the sleeve, a long stitch holder and laced up the seam.

IT WORKED! 12 fishes? 5 loaves? It's a summer miracle!

The lace opened up nicely and it wasn't uncomfortably tight! So, I'm going to frog back two 13-row repeats and reknit. I think that the yardage should work out perfectly, and I'll have the bit of 3rd ball for the collar and seaming. I feel so much better!

*before I rip back, I'm probably going to take Del's suggestion to see if anyone has a random ball hanging around that they could sell/donate to me. If you know someone who has knitted with GGH Capri in color #03, send them my way! Thanks guys!


THIS JUST IN!!!!
***I wrote the Jimmy Beans Wool customer service this morning and they responded that the yarn they have is the same dyelot as mine! And it's on sale! Whoo Hoo!!! Now I can finish the sweater properly!***

Houston...

I have a serious situation brewing here.

I was out and about knitting the Cropped Jacket's #1 sleeve cap this afternoon when I ran out of yarn...just 22 more rows away from the big bind off. I didn't have another ball, so I had to wait until I got home to complete it.

I got home and discovered this.
Hmmm...that's strange. Only two full balls and a bit of a third ball left. Two balls need to be put aside for sleeve #2, so that just leaves the bit of ball. So, estimating it out, I need knit 44 rows for both sleeve caps and the collar from that bit o' yarn. Unless I can make it the equivalent of 12 loaves and 5 fish, I don't think it will stretch that far.

So, what are the options?
1. Frogging back a few repeats make it a 3/4 sleeve. That seems like the easiest option, but the cast on number [which would have been originally around my wrist] might be too tight around my forearm.

2. Keep knitting and see if I can make the yardage work. 12 loaves, 5 fish...worked for Jesus. I'm not divine entity, and that's a lot of frogging if the miracle doesn't take place.

3. Cry and hide the sweater in the back of the closet. Trust, that crying is on the agenda for later today. I'm trying to be a big girl and not just bury my problems.

4. Frog the entire sleeve and re-adjust for a 3/4 sleeve. This seems like the best option, but that's a lot of reknitting that I just don't have time for!

Citizens of Superstarra-ville [yes, you!!!!]...can you help me out? Is there something I'm missing? In the mean time I'll be working on the tunic.

Picture Proof

I haven't posted any pictures of my progress lately...due mostly to laziness and...well you can fill in any number of excuses. I found time today while waiting for gf to get out of a meeting.

Cropped Jacket sleeve #1. I have 10 more repeats or so from this point before the armhole bind off. Yeah.

The front of the tunic. I have quite a bit to go and don't even want to think about it. This is one long ass sweater.

Here's the completed back. I really love the lace detail at the shoulder. And I'm really enjoying working with this yarn. It's got a great feel to it. I've got to get this done! I can't wait to wear it!

Either/Or, Neither/Nor

I've been struggling the last two days in an attempt to figure out which of my two summer WIP's I wanted to complete in time for the July family reunion.

I have exactly a month before we leave.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to continue working on both [the shawl that I wanted to make works up pretty quickly so I will take that along as my vacation/airport project]. I completed the back of the Tunic yesterday, and will cast on for the front this afternoon. As for the Cropped sweater, the back and both fronts are done...so all that is left are the two sleeves. The two loooong sleeves. I'll probably cast on for those later this week.

Wish me luck, the countdown begins!

My Cup Runneth Ovah!

Hey everyone! GF and I are back home! After spending 3 days in the hospital [her in a cozy bed, me in a cot], she's hit all of her post-abdominal surgery milestones and was released this afternoon. It's nice to be home. She's recovering amazingly. Thank you for all your well wishes, we really appreciate it! You guys are true friends and amazing spirits.

Like I said before, the time spent in the hospital was well-spent working on my current projects. Most of them I would like to have done before vacation in July, but I don't know how feasible that deadline is at this point. Walking After Midnight will be done this week for sure, but my other two projects, the Cropped Jacket in Lace Pattern or Tunic with Lace Pattern, are and either/or situation. I would prefer finishing the Tunic, but the Cropped Jacket is a sure bet. Hmmm...what to do, what to do?

I think I'm going to start another crochet shawl what I consider my options.

Tuesday...

Well, I'm finally re-emerging! The second day of shooting went very well. I had a really great time and think that I've made some great connections. I have a few more auditions this week, so I'm going to try really hard to keep my momentum going.

I even had a special co-star on Saturday. I brought Poppy along to set and she was used in the first scene of the day! She was a very generous co-star and think that we really nailed it [actually, she was just set dressing, but don't tell her that. Thank god she doesn't read this blog, huh?].

As for crafting, I didn't have any time to work on anything this weekend. Total bummer! I guess the trade off was being lead actress in a short movie. Hmmm...that's alwasy a hard decision as to what I'd want to be doing more.

I spent a little time working on the Cropped Jacket in Lace pattern this morning and I have a few more lace repeats before I'm done with front #2! Once that's done, I'm going to focus on Walk With Me Lord until it's done.

Now I think a nap is at the top of the queue.

Walk With Me, Lord

Hmmm...what's going down in Superstarra-ville?

I decided to work on Walking After Midnight last night and was 7 rounds away from finishing. I could taste victory! Then right before going to bed, I saw it. A missing shell. Three rounds back. It would normally not be that big of a deal, but it was the beginning of an increase section. Yeah, I debated for a long time. Then I ripped back hours of work. Because in the long run, even though it was in the back of the skirt, it would be one of those glaring mistakes that I would always have following me around.

Also, just to add insult to injury, I decided to slip my lovely skirt over my head. Hmmm...I must have shrunk! I can pinch an inch again! Why is it the projects I seem to look forward to the most are always plagued with problems? My remedy is to finish it today [and maybe in to the wee hours of tomorrow], and crochet the waistband on a smaller hook. There is a drawstring to this skirt, so it may not be as bad as it seems. Plus the cotton will shrink up too. The official name if this skirt is now, Walk With Me, Lord.

I'm quickly losing interest in the Cropped Jacket in Lace Pattern. The bad thing about that is I'm only halfway through the left front. Bad Sign. I'll finish it though, I have a really cute strapless dress that will match it perfectly. I'm thinking to quicken the project, I might shorten the sleeves, but we'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Whenever that is.

Lastly, I'm excited to start Babette once I get Walk With Me, Lord finished. I certainly do stick to certainly colors, don't I?

I'm One Big Pain

When does Summer start again? Oh, who can remember. Regardless, I feel fully engulfed in summer knitting. No tanks on the agenda, it's more along the lines of cover-ups, skirts and light sweaters.

As far as my works in progress are concerned, the Cropped Jacket in Lace Pattern is coming along nicely. I'm almost complete with the back, but...you guessed it...my wrist started hurting. Ugh. That was fine, I kinda wanted to get back to the Walking After Midnight skirt. It had been so long since I worked on it, I almost forgot where I left it.

So today, I picked it up and have made significant progress while watching a few movies on the idiot box. WHO-HOO! I'm done with the endless boring shells and am now on to pineapples. Yes, pineapples! The look more like pine cones, but who am I to refute years of crochet tradition?

I have a few things that I'm excited to get on the needles too, but I have to get pictures so we can all oooh and aaah together. I think this is the first summer that I've actually enjoyed crafting for the summer. Most of the time I find myself working on tanks that I eventually never wear or other projects, just longing to knit something useful...like a wool sweater. Nothing like knitting wool in 90 degree heat.

Time to get back to my pineapples...mmmm...pineapples.

On The CDL

I'm putting myself on the Crochet Disabled List. I'm still going to work on WAM!, but probably with less fervor than the last two crochet projects. My stiff little finger! GRRR! Not only is my finger stiff, but I'm already bored of the endless [count 'em...all 10 of them] rows of shells. Just 6 more rows before I get to make a pineapple. I can and will hang in there.

Since I just can't sit around on my ass all day and not create something, I'm back to knitting! I started the Anna dress with some stash Rowanspun 4-ply, but I'm not sure if I'm liking how it's looking. The original design used Rowan Studio Spray, but I can't handle all that mohair fibre. What to do? What to do? I might continue on with the 4-ply for a few more inches and see how I feel about it then.

So, since the Anna-Rowanspun idea wasn't really working out, I did a little more stash diving and came up with some GGH Capri and Rebecca #31's [same mag that has the Powder Jacket] design #37, entitled 'Cropped Jacket in Lace Pattern'. I couldn't have named it better myself. I started it last night, and since it's cropped, I'm expecting that it should go fairly quickly.

The yarn isn't too bad so far although it tends to pull fairly easily. That gives me some concern as to how it will wear. I'm putting that fear aside and going forward. I'll be sure to only wear it when I'm feeling very girly and will take great pains to avoid rough snaggy edges all together.

That aside, I love the tangerine color and it should be perfect as a little light cover-up for the rest of Spring and into Summer.

A little shot of the lace pattern in the yarn. I don't understand why any magazine would publish a pattern in black. I mean, how is someone supposed to see the pattern itself? Doesn't it look so much better in a color? Dumbasses.