And She Knits Too!

Yup, too small

I didn't even bother to try it on.

It'll look great on Mom, and it looks pretty dang good on Emma.  Of course, now she wants one.  I like that she likes Rowan stuff.  She's going to get a more girlie spinoff instead, something ribbed and pink and orange that I'll start tonight, before she changes her mind (which she's done a bunch of times already). 

Time out bin

I finished knitting all the pieces of Angie the other day but ran out of yarn before finishing the neck.  It looks okay with the shorter neck, but not great.  So I'm still on the hunt for another ball of cotton tape (Colour 549 Sharp, Lot L43854).  After all this work, I'm not completely convinced this is the sweater for me and I've put it in the storage ottoman for a little time out. 

I hate when you get all excited about a sweater and it goes awry.  I hate that I practically knit this sweater twice and I'm so ambivalent about it.  I could rip it and stash the yarn or knit this one or finish seaming it up and then deciding, but right now I just don't want to see it.  Grrrr.   

Row gauge, my new dominatrix

Yes Mistress Row Gauge, I should have listened to you.  Yes, Mistress, I understand that even if I like the sweater at 24 rows to 10cm *you* like it better at the 18 rows that the pattern calls for.

Yes mistress row gauge, while it does look a bit messier (but that will block out) and I see the sweater has a better drape and will actually fit me if I knit it to the proper gauge.  And yes, I will therefore have enough yarn to finish it instead of running out like I did the first time.

I understand that I must listen to your Mistress Row Gauge and paying for my folly by knitting most of the sweater again.

Yes Mistress I should have listened to you.  I will try to be more subservient to you in the future.

Night Blogging

I've been a lazy blogger lately.  Not because I don't have much to say (like that would ever happen), but because I don't seem to give myself the time to say it.  So instead of reading or knitting in bed, I figured I would do some blogging (besides Craig is asleep and probably would object to me turning the light on).

For the first time in a month (or longer) I got to the new and improved Lettuce Knit for Knit Night.  First Amy and I had a yummy Big Fat Burrito (which dripped on my white skirt) and talked shop.  She gave me a fancy Namaste needle binder for my birthday which I really like and which means I can get rid of the Black and Decker big black tool box which currently holds my needles.

And I did some real, live, more than one row of knitting.  I finished the back of Angie and am seriously wondering if I will have enough yarn to finish this one.  I have only 3 balls left (at 65m) and the whole front and neck to do.  I think it's going to be really close.  I probably should start looking for another ball in the same dyelot now.

I also did some work on Ripples in time.  This is the last piece and I'm making good progress.  I love this sweater.  Easy but elegant cables, baby sized and fine yarn, with a "ahhhh so cute" factor.

Sorry the picture sucks.  This one actually looks like knitting.  When I used the flash it was a pink blur with a little green blur on top.

And I met a nice woman, Elizabeth tonight who lives near by and who just finished Rock Star.  Seeing it in person has bumped it up on my To Do list.  She used a cotton silk blend which while lovely is not what I want.  I'm still thinking of Silk Maiden (a perfect sub for the too dear Alchemy Synchronicity), but I would prefer to use something in the stash like Art Fibers Sherlock colour 14 I have.  I bet it would look good in the red Amour Calmer I have too (though I wasn't envisioning this sweater in red).  All this talk of yummy yarns should provide some good fibre dreams tonight.

May 2-4 Recap

The might be the coldest May long weekend in my life.  I'm very glad I wasn't camping.  And really, a cottage with all the amenities is the proper place to knit and relax anyway.

So here's a quick recap.

There was lousy, cold weather.  With freezing rain even.  Which meant there were worms. 

Xander said these ones were cute and had to be convinced that they preferred living in the dirt to a shorter life in his hand.

There was lots of knitting.  All the pieces of Sunrise Circle are blocking and I finally managed to get a sleeve I liked with the Cotton Tape.  I decided to go back to Angie and found a solution.  I use a smaller needle just for the dropped stitches portion.  Now it looks neater and with the blocking it looks great.  The other sleeve is half done.  Traffic was unusually light on the way home; I was hoping to complete the whole sleeve.

There were also Fireworks.  A huge heaping mound of them.  Craig likes fireworks and he and some other folks all pitched in and there was quite a show. 

Here's some video if you want to see more of the action.  (It's very short--it's more fun to watch than record).

And finally, the cottage now has all the amenities.  Wine and beer and spirits were plentiful.  And who cares if it's cold when you can sit like this and watch the stars and listen to the bullfrogs and the waves hitting the shore.

Social Butterfly

Phew, where did the week go?  I'm sorry I've  been neglecting the blog, things just got so busy.  Wednesday I ran a focus group of knitters for my research.  That was a lot of fun.  We then went to Lettuce Knit and I stayed until pretty late.  Thursday I met an old friend I haven't seen in 5 years and we caught up on life and had some dinner and beers--another late night.  Yesterday I had a full day of work and then went to the Spotted Dick for Knit Night with the Toronto knitters.  I managed to get a whole bunch of knitting done, met some nifty new people and had a few pints.

Today I'm staffing the Jumping Castle at the school Fun Fair.  I somehow inadvertantly signed up for 2 hour long spots.  Let's hope it doesn't rain.  My experience as a carnie is minimal, but I'm thinking a Jumping castle, hundreds of children and rain don't mix.  I can see slipping and kids crashing into each other and crying (probably me and the children). 

At least I have the first two slots, then I can duck down to the Naked Sheep and meet the TTC Knit-Alongers this afternoon.  I need to go and pick up some yarn for a secret project (aka design for a book).

The design deadline means that the Cotton Tape is in the time-out corner.  I worked this sleeve on 7mm needles and I like how it looks.  Except that the row gauge is way off.  Like 9 rows off.  So I'm not sure what to do next.  I'm pretty sure I won't have enough yarn if I keep things as they are, so when the purple thing is done (see I showed you the yarn) then I will deal with the Tape.

Also made progress on my Red Hot Koigu sock. 

Nothing like waiting for the doctor to do your physical, in your gown, turning the heel on a sock.  And, having the doctor fondling the yarn (I figure if I keep knitting in her office, she'll get bitten by the bug--I can see it in her eyes) and notice it will match my gown.  Good thing I have a sense of humour.

Well off to find my raincoat, just in case.

But I want it now!

There's an episode of the Simpsons where Homer wants to buy a gun (I think to join the NRA, but I may be mixing up my plotlines) and the guy at the shop tells him there's a 5 day waiting period.  Homer says,

Five day waiting period for my gun?  But I'm angry now! I'd kill you if I had my gun... How am I supposed to last five days without shooting something?

With my newly purchased Rowan Cotton Tape, I feel the same way.  I bought 11 balls of it in dark pink (549 Sharp) to make this sweater (Angie)  from the It's A Tape Thing book (there's some good photos of it on the Elann site). 

I want a loose comfy pullover to wear in the mornings when it's still cool.  On the weekend I casted on using my preferred cable cast on method and got to work.  The flared edges at the sleeves and hem are the result of dropped stitches, a detail I though nifty, until I did the first drop.

After Clapotis, I'm not afraid to drop stitches for a decorative effect.  Clearly, I underestimated Kate's superior design prowess (sorry Kate) because this one didn't work so good--notice that really long strand at the end.  Methinks my cast on is to blame. 

Hey Rowan, if I need a particular cast on to make this work, why not say so in the pattern?  That way I don't knit 13 rows and then find out things the hard way okay?

So I rip it all out, do a long tail cast on and it's sorta better, but still not great.  I can't get the gauge consistent using the 2X2 rib.  The swatch is done in st. st. and looks fine, but my ribbing is all messy and bleh and too big.  Since the whole sweater is 2X2 rib, I decide to abandon it and use this sweater as a template to design something myself--a pullover with raglan sleeves--no Flashdance neck.

Somehow I manage to screw up the nice looking hem several times and actually fell asleep while knitting it Saturday night.  This does not bode well.  And, I keep thinking about Angie and how I want that sweater.  So I'll swatch in pattern, use different needles and see what happens. 

Grrrr.  What was supposed to be a quick, instant gratification knit is now not.  I hate when that happens.