You are currently browsing the monthly archive for September 2007.
Whoopsie! I missed my first blogiversary. Kind of. My first post was technically September 10, 2006. But my first *real* post was September 29th. So I only sort of missed it? Or is it in two days? Whatever, I’m taking the weighted average and saying that it’s today.
Happy Blogiversary to me! Hooray!
So in my first (real) post, I talked about the yarn I dyed and wasn’t it so great and I was going to do so much more dyeing.
Yeah, that was a year ago.
Since then I have done, um, no more dyeing. So I thought I’d pull it out now. Cuz it’s my blogiversary. Uh-huh! Here it is.
Jaggerspun Zephyr DK (50% wool, 50% silk), dyed with ProChem WashFast acid dyes in raspberry, mulberry, and boysenberry. I’m calling it Berry Bootaful. Because it is. I took lots and lots of pictures.
It’s the leftovers from the cone I bought from Sarah’s Yarns awhile ago. I made my MIL’s swallowtail shawl out of half of it. This is the other half. I’m thinking now I need another one. Maybe the laceweight this time?
Dang, that’s pretty. No, it’s bootaful!
It’s for Clapotis. I might have to make a mini, because I think I only have about 550 yds. I’ll burn that bridge when I come to it.
Happy blogiversary to me! One whole year. It sure doesn’t seem like that long. It’s been a hoot.
…and many more!
Lace leaf pullover! Yay done!
Oh wait, did you actually want to *see* it?
Hmm, that might be an issue. I love my husband. He has many redeeming qualities. However he is, um, less than talented at photography.
Okay, he sucks.
Exhibit A:
WTF is that?
Exhibit B:
That actually would have been a nice picture, if it were, I don’t know, IN FOCUS!
The best of the bunch. Really.
I admit maybe those were my fault.
I put this one in because it shows how short my hair is. Yikes! I just got it cut (by the guy!) and he took off about an inch too much all the way around. I hate it. I keep pulling on it, thinking it will stretch. It hasn’t worked so far, but I’ll keep you updated.
Oh wait, details. Did you want details?
Pattern: the lace leaf pullover by Teva Durham, from Loop d loop
Yarn: Malabrigo chunky in olive, 5 skeins
Size: small (or the smallest one), 38” chest
Mods: none really. I made the sleeves about an inch shorter, but they are still too long. It doesn’t bug me too much.
Begun: Friday, September 14
Finished: Friday, September 21—a sweater in a week, woot!
I like it. It will be a perfect winter-time lounging in front of the fire sweater. It’s so cozy. The Malabrigo….words fail me. Get some.
But, the pictures? Um. Orata, can I call you the next time I need pictures? Seriously.
Can I just say how amused I was that almost everybody who commented on my last post did so in Pirate? You guys rock the friggin’ Kasbah. You know that, right?
I finished knitting the lace leaf sweater. I’ll seam it up tonight. (grin Grin GRIN!)
In the meantime, here’s what I’ve been
Coveting (purple! squeeeeeee!)
and more very much big coveting.
I’m making that damn sweater! Screw the fact that I’ve never done fair isle before. I just have to get my hands on the pattern. It just pains me to buy the whole Simply Shetland 4 booklet, because it’s 22 bucks, and I don’t like any other patterns in there. None. I just want the Autumn Rose pullover pattern, with this burning desire that boarders on the unholy. I requested that my public library buy it. They might–they have purchased every single knitting book that I’ve requested in the last two years, and that number easily tops twenty. So, I have hope.
I’m tired today. I didn’t sleep so well last night, because Izzy insisted on sleeping right next to me in bed, with his head on my pillow. He looked so cute that I didn’t have the heart to chuck his ass on the floor, like I normally would.
Would you?
(What the hell is that thing coming out of his head, btw? It looks like an ear trumpet.)
Happy Friday!
Ahoy, me hearties!
So I guess I’ve been on this sweater kick lately. I cast on fer th’ Cobblestone pullover.
Th’ blub finally caught on that ‘t be fer th’ lad’s. Well, I told th’ lad’s ‘t be. He askt me, so I told. I be very happy t’ report that th’ reception be a positive one. “Fer me?” he spake. “Fer me?” Aye, dear, fer ye. He e’en likes th’ yarn. He hasn’t been buggin’ me about ‘t either, which be a good thin’ on accoun’ o’ all I’ve wanted t’ do lately be knit this:
Lace Leaf pullover (here’s a beauty), from Loop d loop. Check ou’ this yarn I’m using—th’ yarn, th’ yarrrrrrrrrrn.
Malabrigo Chunky, in olive. Tis so very very very nice. I hope ‘t doesn’t pill like th’ worsted weight Malabrigo, but I don’t think ‘t be that bad. Tis a three-ply. That scares away th’ icky pill monsters, doesn’t ‘t?
Shiver me timbers! Look how far I be already! I finished th’ body. This sweater has what I will diplomatically call “unusual” construction. Ye start at th’ bottom, an’ knit up in th’ round. Then ye put yer stitches on a holder, an’ cast on fer th’ top–from th’ top down. Ye start flat, then join an’ knit in th’ round, then separate an’ knit flat, then join fer th’ round again. Then ye graft th’ top an’ th’ bottom together wi’ Kitchener stitch. Ridiculous? Mightily. Pretty? Aye, very.
Lord willin’ an’ th’ creek don’t rise, I ortin’ ta be havin’ this done by th’ weekend. I cast on Fridee night. A sweater in a week! Whoda thunk ‘t? O’ course, knittin’ at 2.5 sts/in *does* help.
I also got a surprise package in th’ mail last high tide’. Yarn! Fer socks!
Aye, from Yarn4socks. Tis this Twisted merino, which be the’r Octobree sock club package. I had honestly forgotten I signed up fer ‘t. Aye! Tis a beauty! I don’t usually go fer sock clubs, but I knew what this package be goin’ t’ contain ahead o’ time, on accoun’ o’ that land lubber Anne be a squealer. Yup, th’ pattern be an Anne Hanson design. I honestly don’t know *when* I’ll get t’ this, since I’ve organized all upcomin’ Christmas an’ birthday knittin’, an’ I need t’ start soon. Aye, smartly. I e’en put ‘t all in order in me Raverly queue. Hot damn, I’m organized. Now I jus’ be havin’ t’ stick t’ ‘t.
Must…resist…pretty…yarn…arrrugh!
Oh aye, Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day. An English t’ Buccanneer translator can be found here. Use it or I be givin’ you a keel haulin’.
So when I went to take a picture of my latest sweater progress yesterday, I discovered that the batteries in my camera were dead. Oops. So here’s a picture of Oscar that I took last week instead.
It’s funny how similar this picture is to this one, taken almost a year ago. He looks kinda scruffy in this one–see those scratches on his nose? He’s almost half the size of the neighbor’s cat, but insists on picking fights. Dumbass.
Dang, I need to weed whack.
Sweater pics–soon, I swear.
Friday again. Did you notice?
Here’s what I’ve been
Listening to
Reading (sad, but good–I recommend)
and
That’s one of the best movies of all time. I do not exaggerate. You can keep your Citizen Kanes, your Apocalypse Nows, and your Gone With the Winds. I’ll take bizarre teenage comedy any day. Speaking of which, I actually won a blog contest run by annie knits a little while ago, based solely on my ability to quote this movie. The prize yarn currently winging its way toward me is this.
You never know when completely useless and esoteric knowledge is going to come in handy, do you?
Have a great day!
I updated the Grad Journal again. It’s pretty depressing this week, so I’m also posting this happy and pretty picture.
Flowers are nice, aren’t they?
Slurp!
Pattern: Wicked, from zephyrstyle
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Twisted, in Backstabber, 1 skein
Size: 34″
Begun: August…something…I think maybe the 22nd?
Finished: September 4, 2007
Por: Moi
Diagnosis: Love
I opted for the waist shaping. Fits pretty durn good, don’t it? I was a bit worried, when I first tried it on, that the pocket would make me look like I had a gargantu-gut.
But it blocked out okay.
The bestest part? This is how much yarn I had left:
No, really. That’s all of it. I had to take apart my gauge swatch and spit splice it onto the end. I also took all of the tails from casting on and from binding off the sleeves and splice those on as well. This was in addition to using the no-yarn crochet cast off. I had to end two rows early, too: the pattern called for 9 rows of moss stitch for the bottom; I only did 7. But 7’s a lucky number, right?
Well, lucky for me.
I did love knitting this sweater. The pattern was fun and it was pretty quick and the yarn was mucho fabuloso. I apparently also loved taking pictures of it.
It’s kind of a purple-y color, so I’m counting it for Project Spectrum.
Final thoughts: Yay! Make one.
That is all.
Holy shnikies, what a week. Only one night so far have I gotten home before eight o’clock. Meetings, seminars, general bullshit. Bleah. I’ve barley had time to knit–I decided to swatch a little bit more before starting the Cobblestone pullover and I haven’t even finished that.
Barfarooney!
So here’s what I’ve been
and
That movie was meh. Put it on your must-miss list.
That’s all for now. Maybe a good weekend off will restore me to my normally smart-assed and verbose self.
We can only hope.
*thank the mother fucking lord in heaven it’s friday. is that sacrilegious? do i care?
I have triumphed. Begone, foul ennui! Make you never darken my doorstep again!
I can’t stop knitting Wicked.
I’m really sorry–sorry that I didn’t show more progress along the way. I didn’t want it to be a poof! But a poof it is. Almost. Right now, I’m at that bit where you stop to knit the pocket. I decided to knit the sleeves first, as I’m slightly worried about running out of yarn. Those are done, and I’m halfway through the pocket. Then I attach it, then I knit the bottom ribbing. That’s all! I imagine I’ll finish tonight or tomorrow. This sweater has just flown off my needles.
Of course, now that I’ve said that, something dreadful will happen and I’ll have to rip half the thing out. It’s really nice knitting, though, so I don’t mind. See the pretty stitches?
Yay.
Moving along, I have decided to knit the Cobblestone pullover.
I’m going to use some yarn that’s been languishing in my stash for a bit–this Rowanspun Aran in caviar. I got it for a song ages ago, from some place going out of business. Sad, yes, but happy for me. I think it was 75% off. Anyway, it’s larger than the called-for worsted, but my numbers work out such that I can knit the smallest size, but it will be big enough for the blub.
So now the question is, should I tell him? Or should I just start knitting? He’s already approved this pattern, but I know he’s going to whine about the sweater I started for him ages ago, this horrible boring thing done in Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran Tweed. The yarn is very nice, but I’ve heard that it pills. A lot. This is probably not the best yarn for a man who wears sweaters like jackets. That it, he wears the same one every day. Besides, the sweater is a complete disaster and I have to rip it out. I’d rather not discuss it–the wounds are too fresh. But he’ll want to know why I can’t use the old yarn for the new sweater.
Because I want to use it for something else? Ahem.
Maybe I will just start knitting.
the chemgrrl chronicles 
