Vickilicious Knits

FO - Vine Lace Scarf

2010-01-25T03:46:00.000-05:00

When I was thinking of something to knit for my boss's birthday, I thought about her preferences and decided that something green and sparkly was absolutely the way to go.

Pattern: my own (still coming), using Barbara Walker's Vine Lace stitch, learned from the Jellyfish shrug; project page here on Ravelry
Size: scarf size, approximately 6"x54"
Yarn: Patons Brilliant 69% Acrylic 19% Nylon 12% Polyester, color 3232 Glitter Green; I used 1 ball, 1.75 oz/50 g and 166 yards/158 m.
Needles: aluminum 9-inch size 10.5
Modifications: same as my first

Started: December 4, 2008
Finished: January 10, 2010

I had been wanting to knit another Vine Lace Scarf for a long time, since my cousin's wife Yvonne loved my first one so much and it looked so cute on her. My boss is really into accessories, the shinier the better (I think this is part of why we get along so well).

I actually started this project for my boss's birthday last year (her 2008 birthday) and then again for her 2009 birthday, but I didn't give it to her until I gave the rest of my lab their extraordinarily belated Christmas gifts in January. The actual knitting time was about a day, as vine lace really flies by.

Vine lace is one of my favorite stitch patterns, as it has a big impact for easy, intuitive knitting that my hands seem to know how to do automatically by now.

I love lace scarves and the way they flutter and shimmer in the breeze. This yarn blocks remarkably well for an artificial fiber - I soaked the finished scarf in soap and warm water, then ran it over with an iron on low heat (my iron's Nylon setting) to block it into place.

I really couldn't be happier with the way this scarf came out. It was a lovely little gift - my boss loved it and pointed out how nicely it contrasted against the black top she was wearing. She also thought it would work tied in her hair or as a belt.

I'll probably write a quick little pattern at some point (surround two repeats of vine lace with garter stitch, knit until you run out of yarn...), but I'm sure I will knit another one of these scarves soon.

Previous posts on this project:
- But what about December birthdays?

FO - Hello Kitty Hat

2010-01-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

My labmate and dear friend Penelope is fairly obsessed with Hello Kitty. When I was brainstorming her Christmas gift, I thought something playful and well, adorable, was in order, and so I made her a Hello Kitty hat.

Pattern: Official Kittyville Hat (Ravelry link) by Kitty Schmidt, free pattern on Kittyville
Size: adult size hat
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft 10-ply aran weight, colors White and Raspberry, 100% acrylic; I used about half a skein of the white, which was approximately 165 yards/ 151 meters and a small amount of the raspberry
Needles: Susan Bates size 7 (4.5 mm) 16" circular and Knit Picks nickel-plated double-pointed needles, set of 5 size 7 (4.5 mm)
Modifications: Knit hat as written; added bow from the Hello Kitty Hat pattern (Ravelry)

Started: January 12, 2010
Finished: January 13, 2010

I saw a number of almost unbearably cute Hello Kitty hats on Ravelry, but I decided to go with just the bow and ears attached to an otherwise serviceable white hat, as a kind of homage to Hello Kitty, a hat in the spirit without being a literal depiction. Also, this way Penelope could actually be Hello Kitty, and that is way, way more fun.

The pattern was great: straightforward, fast, and easy, making for a very satisfying and enjoyable project. I loved the I-cord and had to refrain from making 3-foot long tassles. The pom-poms look sweet now, but they were quite a hassle to make. I've read before that acrylic makes lousy pom-poms, and I think it was only through sheer obsession that I got these to a state I am happy with.

I love the way the ears are constructed from picked-up stitches, knit in two layers that are sewn together for stability and structure. Having the seed stitch echo the lower band and ear flaps was a nice touch. I really like the way the seed stitch looks on this hat, and it didn't occur to me until I was almost done with it that it's really no more work than K1, P1 ribbing.

Of course, what makes this project is the bow. My goodness, am I smitten with this bow. It's such a simple construction (garter stitch rectangle with a smaller rectangle cinching it in at the middle and sewn together), but it comes out utterly adorable. I sewed it down at a coquettish angle, and the hat came alive.

I had so much fun making this hat, and I loved giving it as a gift. Penelope was totally thrilled and looked ridiculously cute. I'm so happy!

For the love of Nancy Bush

2010-01-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

I purchased my copy of Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks quite some time ago, and it wasn't until this past September that I knit my first project from it.

When I saw that the January Sockdown for the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry had Nancy Bush as the featured designer, I couldn't resist starting two new pairs.

The first is the Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern, which I am working toe-up over 64 stitches. This is my portable, train and subway type knitting, since the pattern is effortless to memorize and easy to pick up at any point and work a few rows.

In starting the second pair, I surprised even myself, as I was following the instructions and knitting them from the top down. They are the Fancy Silk Sock for a Child of 5 or 6 Years, though I am calling them my Fancy Merino Socks. I probably could have knit these toe-up, but I love the lacy cuff and the way the heel shaping forms a geometric counterpoint to the delicate lace pattern. I guess Nancy Bush really is that good.

New year, new lace

2010-01-09T10:55:00.002-05:00

In lieu of a mosaic of last year's FOs (which I umm, still haven't finished photographing) or a summary of frantic Christmas gift knitting (nope), I have a fresh start for the new year.

Hellooooo, lace. I've missed you.

This is the start of the Wakame Lace Tunic, from the summer 2008 Interweave Knits. It has a very interesting construction, and I really love the lace pattern. I hope I continue to enjoy this project after a couple hundred more hours of it.

FO - Yellow Evening Stockings

2009-12-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

It feels like so long ago that I photographed these, and even longer since I finished them, but I'm happy to finally present one of my favorite FOs yet, yellow knee socks:

Pattern: Evening Stockings for a Young Lady (Ravelry link) by Nancy Bush, from the book Knitting Vintage Socks
Size: lady's US size 9 with 9-inch foot circumference and 9.5-inch foot length
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette 4-ply fingering weight, color 6240 Semolina, 100% wool; I used 2.14 skeins, which was 107 grams/3.76 oz or 494.3 yards/452 meters.
Needles: Knit Picks 6" nickel-plated double-pointed needles, set of 5 size 1.5 (2.50 mm)
Modifications: Added 10 lace repeats after calf decreases to lengthen leg; used toe from Hedera instead of star toe in pattern

Started: September 1, 2009
Finished: September 27, 2009

These were my first knee socks, and I actually followed the pattern, despite my general reluctance (should I call it extreme aversion?) to knitting socks from the top-down. That Nancy Bush, man. She can write a pattern!

Usually when I knit socks, I take the lace or stitch pattern and plug it into my preferred method of toe-up sock knitting. I was really tempted to do that with these socks as well, but when I started reading all of the calf-shaping instructions, I realized that these were a totally different game, and if I wanted socks that would fit, I should do them the way Nancy wrote them. I'm so glad I did!

The calf shaping is wonderful. It was written to transition smoothly within the lace pattern, so there was no tricky math or problematic recalculation of where in the lace to work increases or decreases. The lace pattern itself was wonderfully intuitive, and I memorized it in the first repeat. Because it was so easy and logical, these socks literally flew by, and I loved every minute of them.

I was iffy about the star toe in the pattern, since I was definitely planning to wear these socks with shoes and I wanted something that would lay as flat as possible. I opted for the toe from the Hedera pattern, which was one of the only top-down toes I'd done before, but which I noted fit my toes very comfortably and worked unobtrusively in shoes.

And I have to admit that while I wasn't a fan of working the heel and gusset (the pattern was very clear, easy to follow etc - it's just a personal thing), it looks pretty lovely and it fits very comfortably into my shoes. Shockingly, these socks actually stay up while I walk too, which is a major bonus for any knee socks.

I knit these socks as part of the September Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown challenge, where one of the options was knitting yellow socks. I was surprised at how many people started out hating on yellow, since I adore it. I had been dreaming about yellow lace knee socks for a while (perhaps I have a bit of Malvolio in me), so I found this a perfect occasion.

The yarn was a pleasure, as I expected. While not as soft as some of the pricier sock yarns I've used, I found Palette to be a really good yarn for this project. The socks didn't stretch out with wearing, they didn't felt or pill at all, and they seemed comfortable and durable, yet soft. For the price, I don't think you can find a better value in fingering-weight wool, and I genuinely adore its color.

If it's not overly obvious, I love these socks and I'm thrilled with this project. I wore these to work and my labmates were all coveting them like crazy, asking where they could buy a similar pair. I love having something so unique and so specifically suited to my personality, which I enjoy wearing as much as I enjoyed making them!

Why haven't I been blogging?

2009-12-09T04:45:00.002-05:00

Usually when you title a blog post with a question, it implies that that question will be answered and perhaps remedied, rather than contemplated at length, but I can't make such a promise in this instance.

My interest in blogging certainly waxes and wanes, both here and on my regular blog. I have a plethora of "life excuses," including another long trip to Italy in October and November that I forgot to mention, crazy lots of stuff going on at work, and all kinds of illnesses ranging from bronchitis with borderline pneumonia (which almost prevented that Italy trip) and my current malady, swine flu. Bleh.

This blog, unlike my everyday blog or my non-sequitor Twitter and Facebook updates, is so focused in its subject that if I don't have something specific to say about knitting or crafts, I tend not to say it.

More to the point, the way I "say" things here is largely through photography. It's not that the words are just spacers between photos - I care a lot about those too - but I am not likely to write about a project if I don't have photos.

(People who read a lot of knitting blogs are probably all "Ha, photography, that old chestnut!")

I used to live in a light-filled apartment, with a photographer. It's not that he shot my knits for me (at least not without some begging), but our whole apartment was set up in a way that was conducive to shooting (along with painting). We had white counter-tops and white windowsills, white desktops, off-white curtains and white walls that wouldn't distort colors, and plenty of fill lamps and photography stuff that would block out the clutter or shadows or what have you. If I needed to take modeled shots, I lived in Brooklyn and was never shy for a backdrop.

Now I am living in my parents' house, where there is very little consistent light. Every room is a different color, and there are all kinds of furniture and decorations (lovely stuff, of course). You'd think this would make for easier shooting, since it should be more interesting (and unlike our apartment, it's usually very clean), but I struggle to find anywhere that doesn't overpower the knits themselves with pattern and texture. More often than not, when I am shooting my knitting projects, I find myself laying them out on a large sheet of drawing paper on my bed or resorting to the top of the washing machine, to get a neutral background.

It should have been easier in the summer, since my parents have a truly lovely garden, but I struggled with boats, coolers, neighboring houses, and so forth always intruding in the background. And while my mother is patient and a very talented photographer, she doesn't seem to understand, the way my ex-boyfriend did, that sometimes I need a couple dozen photos to get one where I don't look agonizingly awkward and uncomfortable.

That said, I haven't fully sorted out the photography situation, but I will at least make some attempts soon. I have quite a growing pile of FOs, which I've been mentioning since the spring, and I'm either lacking proper photos or am fairly dismally unhappy with those that I have. But I'm going to work on them and try to get back in the habit of posting more frequently.

I'm really looking forward to it.

A Touch of Yellow

2009-09-13T23:35:00.003-04:00

As much as I don't want to acknowledge that summer will ever end, I've become increasingly aware of the chill in the air. In my memory, summer stretches through September and well up to my birthday (November 1), but in reality, I know that fall is coming sooner than I think.

I put aside my plan to make the Upstairs Wrap for this October wedding. I still plan to make it, since I absolutely adore the way it's coming out, but I think it will be too airy, light, and summery for a proper fall wrap.

Instead I've started a pair of wool knee socks, in a delightful warm yellow (Knit Picks Palette, in Semolina). I really don't like knitting socks from the top down, but I'm glad I'm following the pattern as written on these.

I guess they are my way of stretching a bit of summer into the fall.

FO - Farnkrautsocken

2009-08-31T16:08:00.000-04:00

Remember when I joked about renaming this blog "Vickilicious Knits Green Socks"? There is some comfort in being predictable, no?

In many ways, these are a Greatest Hits of my favorite aspects of knitting: green wool, toe-up, small gauge, fast-moving, vine lace, socks... I mean, what's not to love??

Pattern: Farnkrautsocken (Ravelry link) by Silke Pieper, available as a free Ravelry download; my project page is here
Size: lady's US size 9 with 9-inch foot circumference and 9.5-inch foot length
Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta/Regia Uni 4-ply fingering weight, color 2082 Green, 75% new wool/25% nylon; I used 76.1 grams/2.67 oz or 349.6 yards/319.7 meters.
Needles: Knit Picks 6" nickel-plated double-pointed needles, set of 5 size 1.5 (2.50 mm)
Modifications: Used figure-8 cast-on and swapped jojo heel for short-row heel

Started: July 29, 2009
Finished: August 26, 2009

I knit these socks as part of the July Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown, a challenge that included Homegrown Designers who are members of the group. I found this pattern clearly written, well-organized, and just lovely through and through.

The pattern called for a jojo heel, and while I was looking forward to trying this new technique, I ended up using my tried and true short-row heel. I really like the look of it and, frankly, I didn't have the pattern with me when it came to heel-turning time, so I just went with what I knew.

I'm sort of glad I did because these are some of the neater heels I've worked, and I really love the way they fit.

Everything about these socks was easy and satisfying. I am a huge fan of vine lace (as you may note from the scarf and two Jellyfish shrugs I've knit that incorporate the vine lace pattern). It's a four-row repeat, with two plain knit rows and two essentially identical pattern rows that differ only in being off-set by one stitch. It is fast, intuitive, has a pleasant rhythm, and at this point, I can work it in my sleep, which is helpful because much of the time I spent knitting these socks was while half-awake on the train or subway.

I like the way the front and back are divided by narrow bands of stockinette that frame the vine lace. In the past, when I'd considered knitting vine lace socks, I thought I wanted an all-over lace pattern, but the way these bands absorb the off-set stitches and draw a neat line down the leg just charms me.

The yarn was quite a treat as well. I kept finding myself surprised at how soft it was, for such a durable, workhorse type of yarn. I'm happy I have a few other colors of this yarn in my stash, and I will certainly keep an eye out for it in the future - I just love it. I also must say, this is perhaps the most perfect shade of green I've ever worked with, and I'm thrilled to have socks in such a great color. (I'm also happy to have nearly 25 grams leftover, which I hope to use in some kind of accessory.)

All in all, I couldn't be happier with this project! It's revived my interest in sock-knitting, lace, and knitting in general, just in time for fall.

FO - iPod Sock

2009-08-30T23:18:00.002-04:00

For such a simple project, this iPod sock has been one of the most satisfying lately.

Pattern: iPod Sock by Jillian Neary (free PDF available here), my project is here on Ravelry
Size: one size, approximately 2"x4.5"
Yarn: Mondial Extrafine 8-ply DK weight*, color 804 Orange dye lot #57, 100% Extrafine Merino; I used 9 grams, totaling approximately 34.7 yards/31.8 meters.
Needles: size 1 (2.25mm) DPNs
Modifications: None

Started: August 29, 2009
Finished: August 29, 2009

* This yarn is listed as DK weight in Ravelry, but I found it to be straight up fingering weight.

I was charmed by such a wee tiny ball of yarn left over from my Bella Catena Italiana socks, and I'd hoped to be able to use it, as it is such a decadent, lovely merino.

When I recently upgraded to a Macbook Pro (looooooove), I got a free engraved iPod because I purchased it through my school's Apple store. I could have gotten a Nano, but I opted for a classic because it had a 120 gig drive (versus the 8 gig Nano) and well, it matches my Mac so nicely.

The trouble is, within seconds of getting my shiny new iPod, my brother dragged it across the table and scratched the silver bottom. Grrrr. I knew it needed a cozy if it was going to survive many-hour trips through Manhattan and Brooklyn.

This pattern was straightforward, easy, fast, fun, and I adore the finished product. I'm so charmed by the crispness of the edge formed by the ribbing, and even though my Kitchener stitch was surprisingly sloppy, I sort of dug the sharp edge it made. The ribbing made it nice and stretchy for a snug, happy fit.

I used all but a few centimeters of the rest of this fantastic orange yarn, which was yet another of many points of satisfaction in this great project. Highly recommended for a rainy afternoon.

(On an administrative note, I suspect I've gotten some of the technical problems worked out, so I hope to have a lot more to share soon!)

Technical difficulties

2009-08-29T13:55:00.002-04:00

I'm having some trouble with FTP publishing on this blog, and more and more I think I may jump ship to WordPess since they seem to do a lot better with self-hosted blogs.

I have a few things I'd like to post, but I keep seeing weird errors and screwy things, so I'm going to hold off until I get that sorted out, I hope sometime this weekend.

Sorry for the (continued) delay!

FO - Green Jellyfish Shrug

2009-08-23T21:21:00.000-04:00

(Note: I actually wrote this post in September of 2008, but I didn't publish it at the time because I didn't take detail shots until uhh, last weekend.)

As far as shrugs go, this one is already very well traveled.

It was seen on the streets of Milan.

It made undocumented appearances in Venice and Volterra (among other cities).

It went to Rome where it visited many churches.

It even made it to the Vatican.

With each time I took it out of my suitcase and slid it over my shoulders, I think I fell a little more in love.

Pattern: Jellyfish (Ravelry link) by Iris G., free pattern previously available on MagKnits, now available for sale here
On Ravelry: Green Jellyfish
Size: Small
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted 10-ply worsted weight, Grass (dye lot 3740), 60% Pima cotton 40% Modal; I used 4.5 50-gram balls, totaling approximately 225 grams/7.92 oz or 337.5 yards/308.6 meters.
Needles: US size 10 (6.0 mm) straights and Knit Picks Options interchangeable circular needles, in US size 8 (5.0 mm)
Modifications: none

Started: July 10, 2008
Finished: July 14, 2008

This project literally flew off the needles. I've knit one Jellyfish previously and loved the experience then, so I knew it would be fun. By substituting worsted weight cotton yarn, I got a denser but still nicely draping fabric which made for a substantial yet cool shrug.

I took a bit of a risk working the size small, since I usually wear a large in store-bought tops, but I think if I had made this any larger it would fall off my shoulders and look sloppy.

The construction of this shrug is really satisfying: the sleeves and body are knit flat, seamed at the underarms, then stitches are picked up to do the neckline ribbing in the round. Because of the heavier yarn, the neck ribbing forms a sort of collar that cuts in sweetly around my clavicle. It's a nice surprising detail that looks intentional, and I have to like that.

I used Elizabeth Zimmermann's sewn bind-off (with instructions from this Knitty article) to maintain the stretchiness of the rib. Because I used a way longer yarn tail than necessary, I wasn't completely in love with the technique, but I see how useful it is.

The way the vine lace came out just thrills me.

I have previously professed my deep love for this yarn, and it continues to rank among my favorites. I noticed that this color shed slightly more than the others I've used, which I hear is a fairly common complaint, but I didn't find it bothersome. It holds up beautifully to washing and wearing and the color is exactly what I wanted for a summery shrug.

This almost instantly became my go-to garment to wear with sleeveless dresses and tops. I wore it regularly while I was in Italy (and got compliments every time), all over Brooklyn and New Jersey, and basically everywhere I go. It is by far my most frequently worn FO, and I adore it. People consistently comment on its color (which matches my favorite malachite earrings really nicely) as well as its unique style, all of which please me to no end.

I definitely recommend this pattern in a DK or worsted weight yarn, or whatever you could imagine. It was a fast, easy, and pleasant knit and I think it would makes a great gift too. All around, this is one of my favorite FOs, and I look forward to all the wear I'm sure I will continue to get out of it.

Previous Entries on this Project:
- Keeping Busy

For Those About to Block...

2009-08-23T09:23:00.000-04:00

This is a really good one.

Once the weather sorts itself out, I hope to have a big pile of FO photos.

Knitting to Wear

2009-08-15T06:00:00.004-04:00

I've been thinking lately about why I knit what I do. Like many knitters, I get entranced by patterns and yarns, dream about creating unique garments custom-fit to my measurements, and I get a special thrill when it all comes together "just so."

This summer I noticed that I have seasonal "uniforms" that I put together, without fail, every year. I'm sure it's because my mother imbued a sense of classic styling in me very young, but there are few differences between dresses or outfits I would have worn at ages seven or twenty-seven. When I looked in my armoire, I noticed stacks and stacks of carefully-folded sweaters, shrugs, and little knits of all weights that I've amassed over the years and come to consider indispensable in dressing. Above anyone I know, I am that girl who always brings a sweater.

Unfortunately, my knitting output hasn't really matched my wardrobe needs up to this point. Of the projects I've actually finished (which is its own issue), the two I've used exponentially more than all others were both shrugs. Every single time I wear them, I get compliments. My friends and colleagues - and even strangers in churches in Italy - admire their unique shape or color, ask where I got them, and refuse to believe how simple they were to make, until (in one instance), I sketched out a top-down raglan and explained exactly how it was made.

There have been a handful of projects that, if I'm being honest, I will probably never wear. Or they require so much work to "fix" that I've lost all enthusiasm for them. That bums me out, and for a long time it discouraged me from knitting anything wearable (perhaps you noticed the sock fixation?). Often I'd hit that point of realization partway through knitting them, and they'd languish for several years in hibernation, their pieces stacked in my knitting basket making me feel guilty.

I've come to this realization before, but I disregarded those intentions and launched into a flurry of accessories, socks, impractical strapless situations, and well, more socks.

I think I've sorted it out now. I'm learning about which type of garments suit me, and I've gone back through my projects in progress to make a secondary queue of sorts, dividing pieces into those which I really do intend to finish, versus those I plan to frog so I can reuse the yarn for something I will actually enjoy wearing.

That said, I'm still going to make socks and accessories, since I love knitting them and I do wear them a lot. In fact, I've got big knee-sock plans for this fall. I guess in general, I'm going to try to spend my "sweater time" a little more productively if I can help it, and actually get some of these big exciting wearable things made.

Shimmer

2009-08-08T16:08:00.003-04:00

It occurs to me that if I wait to photograph and post each of the eight FOs I currently have waiting, or the staggering pile of WIPs I've started, I will succeed in taking the entire summer off from blogging, which really hasn't been my intent.

Moving forward, I have become utterly entranced by this yarn.

It is KnitPicks Shimmer Hand Dyed, a lovely baby alpaca and silk blend that has escaped my attention until now. I originally bought it for a little laceweight shrug project, thinking the variegation would look nice in the stitch pattern. The color is Eucalyptus, a subtle blend of light greens and pale tones.

It wasn't until I got it in my hands, though, that I realized just how special it feels. It is heavenly soft, a pleasure to touch. The silk gives it strength and smoothness that glides through my fingers, while the baby alpaca makes it weightless, with a delicate halo.

I decided this yarn needed to become something special, elegant, maybe even a little fancy. Also, I wanted to wrap myself in it. I searched Ravelry for an understated pattern which would showcase the beautiful texture and colors of the yarn, and I came up with the fabulous Upstairs Shawl.

I have this green Calvin Klein satin dress that I bought earlier this summer, which I've decided to wear to a wedding in October. I am excited beyond words to try to complete this shawl in time to go with it.

Man, I am a sucker for green lace.

Sweater Events

2009-06-27T18:55:00.003-04:00

I know I've read before about these "events" that occur in the creation of a sweater. Casting on, waist shaping, working the neckline, and so on.

I think, apart from casting on and casting off, there are few sweater events I enjoy more than splitting the sleeves from the body of a top-down raglan. It feels like such definite and specific progress, and it breaks the seemingly interminable increase rows into much more manageable sections.

I've been slowly knitting here and there on my Featherweight Cardigan all month, and I finally finished the increases and split the sleeves the other night while watching Madama Butterfly on TV.

I switched from M1 increases to kf&b, which I'm happy about. I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying knitting with laceweight yarn, even if it's slow-going at times. I expect there will be quite a few more laceweight tops showing up in these parts soon.

Whispering Along

2009-06-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

As much as it feels like I haven't been knitting, I've been making quiet progress on my Whisper Cardigan.

I'm about to finish the second sleeve, and I have to say, this is going much faster than I thought it would. I'm encouraged that one day soon it will simply slide off the needles finished like a sigh.

The fabric created is so lovely. Using a fingering weight yarn makes it feel substantial, but still airy and light. I think this is going to be really pleasant to wear.

I think this is true love.

One Glorious Inch

2009-06-13T10:28:00.001-04:00

I got out of lab early on Wednesday, and I was determined to parlay my unexpected free time into relaxation. I probably would have benefited more from catching up on work and preparing myself for the rest of the week... but I opted for napping, watching a wonderful documentary with my mom, and knitting.

Yes, you read that correctly, knitting! I cast on for the Featherweight Cardigan and knit the first few rows, a whole inch. Working with laceweight yarn on size 6 needles makes for beautiful, airy fabric, and I am fanatical about this color.

The merino/silk blend feels lovely in my hands, which are so happy to be at this again. I have a feeling this is going to become one of my all-time favorite projects, and I'm looking forward to enjoying every stitch!

An abundance of light but nary a stitch

2009-06-08T00:04:00.003-04:00

In the winter, I complain that my knitting photos are thin on the ground because there is insufficient light or lousy weather. Here I am surrounded with gorgeous spring light and ample opportunity to photograph knits... and I've been too busy.

The end of this past semester was incredibly demanding. I spoke at a science & art symposium, which required weeks of preparation. I postponed my thesis and graduation until the fall. I took a trip to Boston. I got a new sailboat (early graduation gift from my parents) and I have been pretty obsessed with getting it ready to take out on the water (and learning to sail). I attended a conference for a week in Los Angeles (didn't even bring a knitting project - what is wrong with me?!). It's just gone on.

And now that I'm back, I've been taking an Organic Chemistry class at the university down the road. It's a 6-week intensive course with lab, meeting all day every Monday through Thursday, with hours and hours of homework, reading, and lab reports every evening. It is no exaggeration when I say I've had barely any time for anything else. Oh, but I'm trying to stay on top of work projects and my art history thesis too. It is exhausting.

The thing is, I haven't lost interest in knitting. Or in knit-blogging. The scarce few minutes a day I spend looking through knitting blogs are some of my most pleasant moments, and I daydream about picking back up needles and yarn.

Like many knitters, I am currently obsessed with two Hannah Fettig lightweight cardigans. First, the Whisper Cardigan from the spring 2009 Interweave Knits, which I've cast on in this surprisingly lovely Knit Picks Palette in Twig:

This yarn has a history, as I originally bought it to make my ex-boyfriend a Henry scarf. I decided the color was not right next to his greenish-brown coat and when I thought about it next to his neck, I opted for softer Knit Picks Gloss instead. Then we broke up, so I had 800+ yards of both yarns sitting in my stash cabinet kind of mocking me.

I decided I would quite like a slinky little fly-away cardigan to wear over spring and summer dresses, and I love the way this project is going so far. I'm just about to start the second sleeve, but I've been totally remiss in taking any progress photos so far. I hope I'm not lying when I say, "Soon."

This project got me all amped up for using thin yarns to make cardigans, so I went on a rash of queuing sweater-type projects using the laceweight I'd previously designated for various shawls. Making and attempting to wear my Flower Basket Shawl was an interesting lesson for me. While I can always go for a good scarf or rectangular wrap, I feel really awkward in a triangular shawl. I'm not ready to say they're not my style yet, but they may not be.

Part of my attraction to knitting is this idea that you can create whatever you can imagine. I often open my closet and dream about all the types of garments I'd like to have floating out of it, which is how I know I really need to learn to sew. Whenever I put on a sleeveless dress, I open the right half of my armoire (where I store the sweaters, shrugs etc), and I wish some light-weight, airy colorful little cardigans with 3/4 sleeves would spring into being. Fortunately, I can knit them! And this is wonderful!

I wound one skein of Knit Picks Gloss Lace in Aegean, in preparation for the Featherweight Cardigan, my second obsession-sweater of this summer. I've already bought and swooned over the pattern (such elegant construction), and I can't wait to make it.

I finished another project, too, and predictably, not made time for FO shots.

This brings the total to-photograph and to-post list for FOs up to:
- three hats
- two pairs of socks
- two shrugs
- one scarf

The list for WIPs is staggering and ridiculous, so I'm gonna leave that one alone until I catch up around here. I even have an indigo-dyeing project and articles on mordants and natural dyeing from, well, a year ago. Yikes.

I'm going to try to make some time for knitting in this coming week if at all possible. I really, really miss it!

Oh hello there, I'm home.

2009-04-10T00:37:00.002-04:00

I keep forgetting to come back over here to say hello, and I've been back from Italy over a week already!

Since I last wrote, I've finished two pairs of socks and started three more. I still have to photograph the two (yes, two) hats I finished before I left. I have other new projects to talk about too! This is to say, I've been a good knitter, but a bad blogger, and I will attempt to remedy that this weekend.

In the past 10 days, I've been to the opera twice (wheee!), I've made a major decision about my academic career, and I've gotten incredibly obsessed with the data I'm analyzing for a talk I'm giving later this month.

I've also been photographing flowers in the April sun, enjoying time relaxing with my parents and pets, and getting back into the swing of life in the good old USA.

So, I will take some photos and be back with the beginning of a parade of FOs soon!

Un altro viaggio

2009-03-12T05:45:00.002-04:00

I think I completely neglected to mention that I am going back to Italy! And I leave today!

My research group has been invited to study an ancient mosaic in the Herculaneum, and we'll be conducting additional research in Pompeii. From there, I travel to Venice for art history thesis research in manuscript collections and libraries. I will be spending a total of 20 days in Italy, the rest of March. I am ridiculously excited.

I finished two projects this past week, which I am dying to show you. I am close to finishing my pink socks, and I do hope to find some time to knit on planes, trains, and in what little downtime I may have while I am in Italy.

I hope you have a lovely March, and I will see you with FOs in April. Arrivederci!

How the time flies

2009-03-03T02:14:00.003-05:00

I realize, with much chagrin, that I am becoming one of those once-a-month-or-so bloggers around here. I have never been busier with work or school, and it's all coming to a head as I finish my second thesis (and with it, two master's degrees) this semester. I haven't had much time to knit, let alone think or breathe, and as such, my projects languish.

I discovered a huge error that I made in my Sunshine sweater, which necessitated frogging the entire thing and starting over. I'd just split off for the sleeves and was working my way down the body when the math wasn't really adding up. I was supposed to have fewer stitches on the front than the back, yet I had many more. I asked the Obscuriosity KAL group on Ravelry for help, and the designer figured out that instead of increasing at the beginning and end of a RS row just two times (as is clearly indicated in the pattern), I kept doing so on every RS row, all the way along. Obviously this created many additional stitches and the wrong shape to my neckline, whoops.

I also just plain ran out of February to finish the January Sockdown challenge socks I was knitting (my pink ones). I have not yet turned the heel on the second sock, though I do love the way the first finished sock looks. I expect to have those done sometime soon.

And no, I have not touched the pile of my now long, long overdue Christmas knits, nor did I write down the modifications I made to one item that is part of what must be a matching pair.

I am very much looking forward to organizing my projects and having a big finishing party, but I fear that day is much further away than I'd like. Ah well, one stitch at a time!

Also Blue

2009-02-06T17:36:00.000-05:00

In contrast with my ever-so-pink socks, I am also going through quite a bit of a blue phase as well. I'm obsessed with navy and deeper, richer blues in ways I've never been before.

I started a Sunshine sweater, a beautifully-detailed top-down raglan designed by the lovely Auntie Amanda.

I remember when Amanda submitted this design to a Craftster "One Stitch to Rule Them All" challenge (where I submitted my Garter Lace Tote) and I thought I'd never be able to make something that complex and stylish.

I'm pretty chuffed that I'm making it through with nary a worry. This is a wonderful pattern and easy to customize for a perfect fit. I just split off the sleeves and am making my way down the body. I can't wait to finish this sweater!

It wouldn't be me if I didn't also cast on for a new pair of socks. These are Eleanor socks, a pattern I've made once before (with not such great success).

This yarn is quite a treat. The varying shades of blue are combining so nicely, and I love working with it.

I'm working the eyelets the same this time, so I think I should be really happy with these socks.

Meanwhile, I'm relishing the blues.

Pink

2009-02-04T19:14:00.002-05:00

When I was a child, my favorite color, without question, was pink. Everything I owned was some shade between the palest blush and the most scorching vibrant hot pink the 1980s could produce.

Over time, this enthusiasm waned, and I started to hate pink. I'd say "I'm just not a pink person," even as I admired delicate pink flowers or bold swathes of magenta in paintings. Quietly, I'd slip it into my clothing choices, thinking it was just another color, until the other day I looked in the mirror and saw pink pearls with a pink blouse (and pink camisole and underwear underneath).

I realized I have definitely returned to pink, in all its delicate and delectable shades.

The yarn for these socks is unabashedly feminine and pink, tempered with a creamy white that makes it so very pleasant to work with. The heavenly soft merino of Dream in Color Smooshy is making the entire experience one of great sensory delights, and I'm thrilled with how these socks are coming along.

I never thought I'd be so happy making something so... pink.

FO - Une Cabled Legwarmers

2009-01-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

For a while now, I've been trying to bring legwarmers back.

These make me so glad I did.

Pattern: Une Cabled Legwarmers, free pattern from Berroco (here on Ravelry)
Size: one size
Yarn: Knit Picks Sierra (now Cadena) super-bulky, Natural color, 70% Peruvian Highland Wool / 30% Superfine Alpaca; I used 3 100-gram skeins and part of a 4th, totaling approximately 350 yards
Needles: size 10 (6.0 mm) and size 8 (5.0 mm) straights
Modifications: Changed pattern so it didn't have the attached clogs, started by casting on 52 stitches and working 7 rounds of 1x1 ribbing at ankle

Started: January 5, 2009
Finished: January 14, 2009

I started knitting in part because I wanted so badly to make myself a pair of legwarmers. They are such a perfect item for frigid cold weather like we've been experiencing lately, and they make it that I can actually stay warmer wearing skirts and dress shoes than if I wore pants.

This pattern is fast, fun, and intuitive. You knit them flat on straights, which I think makes it go a little faster, and it avoided issues with ladders like I usually get when working at a large gauge in the round.

One seam up the back et voilà, legwarmers!

I was nervous about the cables, but they were much easier than I anticipated. I love the plaited look of them, and they were actually really fun to do.

In this yarn, they are so squishy and sculptural, and they make an elegant, but strong statement.

I feel as though I should write a love letter to this yarn. I bought it several years ago to make a capelet that looked disastrous on me. When I found this pattern, I was thrilled, as it was a much more suitable use of such warm, snuggly, thick, and crazy soft yarn.

This is actually a slightly heavier yarn than the pattern called for, but it was a nominal difference which makes them roomy enough on my ankles to pull down over my shoes, but still fitted enough to stay up at my calves and knees. The top ribbing is just long enough to pull over my knees on really cold days, but perfect if I fold them over as shown.

These are so cozy that I don't just wear them when I want to be stylishly warm out in public. In fact most often, I wear them around the house with slippers.

My legs have never been happier.

2008 Knits in Review

2009-01-04T16:48:00.001-05:00

I didn't mean to come off so negative in my last post. Once I finally found a few minutes to make these mosaics, I realized I've actually been quite involved in knitting this year.

I think most of my knitting attention went to socks, and I finished nine pairs, all for myself.

1. Komet Socks, 2. Shock the Monkey Socks, 3. Bella Catena Italiana, 4. Eleanor Socks, 5. Spring Twists, 6. Kaaffe Fassett Socks, 7. Seduction Socks, 8. Toe-Up Eye of Partridge Heel Socks, 9. Hedera Socks

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

With the exception of the Hedera socks, all were knit toe-up and with a short-row heel. I think I've found a formula that really works for me. Sock Knitters Anonymous definitely played a huge part in my sock obsession (or is it the other way around?), though I may ease up on my participation a touch to focus on other projects.

In non-sock knitting, I did a bit more than I realized.

1. Flower Basket Shawl, 2. Green Jellyfish Shrug, 3. Cropped Raglan Sweater for Elise, 4. Molly Ringwald, 5. Bella Paquita, 6. Tempting, 7. Butterfly Hat, 8. Sun Ray Shawl, 9. Naturally-Dyed Yarns

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

(I haven't even posted about that green shrug, yikes.)

Still, it felt like I was knitting so much more. I may have gotten carried away with the mosaic maker, but I compiled one final collection: Knits That Might Have Been. All the things I started and didn't finish, the projects to which I devoted several days and then frogged, things I got 80% through and then put aside... there's a lot of these.

1. Odessa Hat (IP), 2. Billy's Birthday Hat (IP), 3. Cobblestone Pullover for Dad (IP), 4. Dad's Slip-Stitch Socks (IP), 5. Calorimetry (IP), 6. Springtide Socks (IP), 7. Scrolls Socks (IP), 8. Lace Ribbon Scarf (IP), 9. One-Tone Shrug (IP), 10. Spiral Boot Socks (IP), 11. Holly Jacket (IP), 12. A Knitted Gnome (IP), 13. Kolenya Mitts (IP), 14. Lelah Top (IP), 15. Esther Socks (F), 16. July Mystery Socks (F), 17. Aleita Shell (F), 18. Brigit Socks (F), 19. Pretty Petals Socks (F), 20. Entrelac Socks (F), 21. Pomatomus Socks (F)

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

(IP) = in progress still
(F) = frogged

And if I'm being honest, there are even more that I haven't photographed, including 3 or 4 unfinished Christmas gifts.

I expect that many of the projects from this third mosaic will comprise the early FOs of 2009. Otherwise they will join the ever-increasing pile of languishing knits from 2007 and 2006 (have I really been knitting that long already?).

This leads me to my goal for 2009: The Year of Finishing Things I Start.

What this means and how I plan to accomplish it will be fleshed out soon, including a parade of WIPs and discussion of what makes me abandon a project.

I look forward to a more productive and relaxing year of knitting in 2009. This time without the sarcasm, Happy New Year!