And She Knits Too!

Caught in the Web

Charlotte's Web that is. I started and now I can't stop. I knit it at the coffee shop. I knit it at the doctor's office. I knit it, sitting on the examination table, in the gown, while waiting for the doctor (I waited 30 minutes, what would you do?) I knit it while staying up too late watching Sense & Sensibility (but I went to bed just at Maryann falls ill--I have some sense).

Now that doesn't mean I got a lot done--but I did make it through one and a half pattern repeats. The picture shows the orange and the start of the blue. Since this is a poncho, it's knit in the round and I started using a provisional cast on because I'm not sure what I will do with the neck (I'm leaning toward an attached i-cord, but will consider all suggestions).

I love the brightness of this colourway. This is going to be a fun poncho to wear.

This doesn't mean I didn't work on my chapter...it is nearing completion. I'm too excited about finishing this draft to be tempted by Charlotte.

Grace Kelly?

When the latest Knitty came out I immediately zeroed in on Grace. I love the look of this tee. But I despise mohair so I was looking for a good alternative. I think I found it in Needful Yarns Kelly. Here's my progress on the back with colour 50 a stripey blue.

The yarn has long stripe repeats that don't quite varigate (but aren't as long as Kureyon). I think the interesting construction of Grace will really show off this yarn. It's a good time to start too. The weather has finally changed--it was actually hot yesterday.

I also wound the balls and started my Charlotte Poncho but I think I made a mistake in my design, so I need to work that out. That has to be done later because Friday is my self-imposed deadline for my Concluding Chapter. I gotta get out of the house to avoid temptation.

I've been busy

I had a great weekend. First off, I finished my Summer In Banff sweater. Thanks for all the kind offers of extra lime yarn. I found some locally, from my pal Amy (did you see her amazing lime poncho) who had a bit left of the same dyelot, that turned out to be just enough. Here it is on the floor and on me.

I need to give it a wash and machine dry to shrink it up a bit (I even planned for the shrinkage). I also need a zipper, but that will have to wait until next weekend. Besides, we're finally getting some warm weather so I doubt I'll be wearing it.

On Sunday I joined Amy, Kate and Jenna for our Mother's Day Yarn Crawl. We met at Lettuce Knit, a lovely newish yarn shop in Kensington Market that I hadn't found the chance to visit. We had a good time there picking out this Koigu for another Charlotte's Web.

Actually, I'm going to make some modifications and make a Charlotte's Poncho--a short lacy one that I keep seeing on the streets. I decided to use only three colours instead of the usual five, though I might integrate the partial skein of orangey yarn that I couldn't resist. I'm still working out some of the pattern shaping, but I want to start it soon.

Hungry from that shopping, we went for Dim Sum--a first for me. It was good food and great fun. Then off to Romni yarns to shop some more. I picked up this yarn to make Devan (one of my three baby boy sweaters).

We then browsed the huge shop and decided to end the day with cheesecake and coffee at a local bakery. This was a great day to spend Mother's Day. (I also had an early breakfast in bed with Craig and the kids). I can see this becoming an annual event.

Ahead of schedule

I managed to get in some good knitting time before the kids went to bed (they played nicely on their own) and finished the final pieces of Summer in Banff. So while watching the ho hum end of Friends I seamed it up (well I have just a bit left on one arm--I was tired).

I like it, though I look like I have Incredible Hulk arms. I think I should have made the sleeves wider because the bulky yarn hugs my massive biceps, making them look bigger--seriously, I have muscles and everything. The sleeves are too long but I'm assuming they'll shrink a bunch in the dryer. I don't feel like reknitting them so I'll wear it and see. This is hardly prom wear--I want a cozy jacket for snuggling up in.

All that's left then is the collar. This is all I have left of the lime and that's the colour I want to use. So what do I do? I was planning a foldover collar like Rosedale, but I don't think I have enough. So I might do a baseball jacket type collar (like those satin jackets that were all the rage in the early 80's--to wear roller skating!). Any other suggestions? Anyone want to donate/trade their lime araucania leftovers?

I'm embarrassed to ask after Wendy's post today. She's totally justified in telling off her selfish readers (check out her cool new button). I just don't want to come off like as greedy/needy is all. I'll be checking the cotton on my Mother's Day yarn crawl--I can't wait.

Speed

Just because I'm knitting up Summer in Banff at a rapid pace, doesn't mean I should be. I've made a few mistakes, and now I have to rip back. On the left front I only bound off one stitch instead of two. I didn't notice until I was measuring the right front against it. So back it went to the beginning of the armhole shaping. I also neglected to read my own pattern for the right front and had to rip back 10 rows. Twice.

I'm not too frustrated because at 3.5 sts to the inch it's fast to re-knit. If I get enough time in tonight, I can have it knit up, leaving Friday and Saturday for seaming and the neck. I'll be done just in time. We haven't had two nice days in a row here and I could use a spring sweater. I haven't worn the Faux Mandarin cardi yet, mostly because it's sorta fancy and I haven't found the occasion.

And, I can think about what to start next. It will likely be a baby sweater. I would like to do a tank, but it doesn't seem summery enough yet.

Knitters=Thinkers

Thanks to everyone for their great comments on yesterday's post. You gave me lots to think about. I also appreciate your interest in my current "life's work"--it's nice to know that people out there are interested in the work I do. As the thesis is winding up (I'm writing the conclusion this week) I'll try to add a few tidbits every so often...mostly because I might not be knitting so much over the next few weeks, and I like to post.

I had a good day writing yesterday so I got to spend the evening (not) watching the Leafs lose and knitting up a storm. I started and completed the front left of my Summer in Banff last night (while, I confess watching American Idol--I love standards and wanted to see what they did to them). I even got creative and changed the neck line to make it shorter to facilitate the collar I'm considering (pretty much like the stars sweater of a few posts ago).

I'm quite happy with it, and my emerging ability to adapt knitting patterns (even my own adaptations of other knitting patterns) to suit my desires. I'm thinking about gauge and graph paper and resizing and it's fun. And, because this is chunky yarn, I might have a funky new jacket by the weekend. I would like to be finished by Sunday because I'm planning a Mother's Day yarn shop crawl, and could pick up a zipper on the trip.

Like watching a social train wreck

I spent last evening finishing my results chapter summary at the local Starbucks (yipee). When I got home, it was time to veg out in front of the tv with my lime sleeve (which I finished btw). There was NOTHING on my uncabled tv so I channel surfed and came across The Swan. Frankly, I was horrified.

I had just finished writing about social constructions of health as the maintenance of ideal forms of femininity. Basically the idea that we tend to equate healthiness with beauty--to be healthy is to look good--thin, good skin, physically fit, body hair removed, no glasses etc. And that this looking good does not violate social boundaries regarding gender, especially that women maintain a "womanly form" with full breasts and toned but not full of "masculine" muscles.

Watching these women parade around in their grey underwear, being measured, assessed, coached to lose weight and exercise, getting plastic surgery and hiding away in some castle without mirrors was utterly shocking. I realize that as a society we tend to prize attractiveness, but this just reinforces this trend and pathologizes women who don't look like supermodels. I couldn't look away but I couldn't believe that this show was real. It was like my theorizing came to life in front of my eyes (in ways far worse than what I found in women's magazines).

I think that cured me from any guilty pleasure I take from reality tv (which means the occasional peek at Survivor and American/Canadian Idol). It seems that these producers have no limits.

The Limey

No, not the great Terrance Stamp movie, but my fab Araucania Nature Cotton sleeves for Summer In Banff. Speaking of movies, I knit the first sleeve up while watching some great 70's paranoia-themed flicks (Three Days of The Condor and Marathon Man) on Saturday Night at the Movies.

This chunky cotton is a quick knit and super soft. I'm sorry I didn't buy more from Elann, and now they're all out. And I wished I had bought more of the lime for this project.

I made some modifications to my original pattern idea based on seeing this All Season's Cotton jacket. I want the collar in lime (I was originally thinking of making it turquoise) and I might have even included those stars. I'll have to troll the local yarn shops to see if I can find the same dye lot. I already got lucky twice this year finding more yarn in the same dye lot so I might be pushing my luck. The pattern did provide a good solution for the zipper facings--the first two stitches are in moss stitch--so there's no picking up later. Whatever happens it's going to be a comfy cozy jacket.

I think I like it

The Mandarin Faux Cardi is complete. I slogged through the reverse single crochet and by going down a needle size and changing the ratio of pick ups to 3 over 4, then 2 over 3, repeat...I got it almost looking good. Thanks to everyone who helped me out with that.

Then I sewed in the middle piece (more than once because I seemed to have issues with keeping it even), steamed it, and it was done.

I can't say I'm ecstatic about it or anything. It could be because of all the troubles I had with it, or it just might be the piece itself. It looks perfectly fine laying flat on the bed:

But I'm ambivalent about it on me. It feels nice on--I think it justs needs to sit without me messing with it for a bit. (Sheesh I look grumpy--I'm not, really.)

In any case, it's done and I can get on with other knitting...I'm deciding on what to make for the first of 3 new baby boy sweaters-cute tiny sweaters are the perfect antidote to feeling ho hum.