And She Knits Too!

Necessity is the mother of invention

Problem: I want to ride my bike to work but must transport my huge poster home from the printers (poster is 90" by 46").

Consensus of everyone I ask: You're taking the subway today honey.

Lightbulb moment: Last  night on the subway on the way home from great night of knitting at Lettuce Knit (got to meet That Laurie who is a knitter/dyer/spinner extraordinare and all round nice woman)...I need some sort of carrying device for the tube.  Aha!  My yoga mat bag.

Aren't I clever?

And it actually worked!  Poster is at work.  I haven't looked at it yet, mostly because I'm afraid I won't be able to get it back in the tube when I'm done.  I'm going to borrow a snazzy telescopic poster case to get it to Banff.  Not as nifty as a knitted thing, but probably safer. 

My research partner offered to take it home in her car tonight so I won't have to worry about getting it home.  Too bad, I felt like an Academic Ninja with it on (I know, dorky, but I'm a geek, what can I say!)

TTC Knit Sightings

I was coming out of Chester subway station, as I always do at around 5pm, and I spotted a real live version of my Skull Scarf coming toward me.  In an unusually bold gesture for me, I stopped the kid (he was a skinny teenager, with some seriously "edgy" clothing on, and lots of socially progressive buttons on his lapels) and remarked that I very much liked his scarf.

He was with his mother and indicated that she knit it.  I then told her I designed it and told her it was very neat to see one of my designs in action and that she did a fantastic job on it (she did, it was done in a larger weight yarn and was really cool).  We chatted knitting a bit, the son remarked that he was the envy of his friends and then she actually took our picture!  I have already forgotten her name (silly woman that I am) so I'll just say thanks for knitting my pattern and giving me a nice pick me up at the end of the day.

Of course, that little ego boost made me stupid brazen.  I picked up Urchin and finished it.  I grafted it perfectly (boucle yarn makes that difficult to execute, but with nice results) and I completed another fetching hat for Emma.  Shit. 

My gauge was off, because the thing looked like a chef's hat--very poofy on the top.  Not small and neat like the picture.  I swatched so this shouldn't happen. 

Oh well, the yarn was free and the time was minimal and I learned a few things.  I then started my Frivol, and completed one row before I decided to graph the pattern because I like charts much more than written instructions.  Finding a free charting pattern took some time (I used this one, and fudged the cable sts that it didn't have) but by then it was bed time.  Tonight, it's me and beer and malabrigo.

I was feeling a bit better even though it was chilly today (with a wind chill even) and I was wishing I had a hat.  Then I got knocked back on my ass again.  On the subway, there was a teen-girl looking very smart in handknit fingerless gloves and a perfect urchin.  Perfect, tiny, cute.  Now, this does not mean that it would look as good on me, but it was correctly done.  Shit.

No, I didn't tell her she had a nice hat.  One bold talking to strangers thing every 24 hours only. 

Randomness

Well, it's almost Wednesday, so let's do random.

1. I started watching 24, on DVD from the beginning.  I missed it on tv (no cable, I don't like buying tv, but that's another story).  I think I'm going to like this show. 

2. Met my Mentor for lunch today.  She's was my Master's supervisor, sat on my Ph.D. committee and has always made me feel smart and capable.  I left feeling recharged and inspired.  I like those kind of meetings.  Thanks Pam.

3. My design in progress is coming along well.  I'm very pleased with Part One.  One word to describe Part Two: Calmer.  I'm happy.

4. The DaVinci Code Quest (oops good show though)--the book--is it as good as all that?  I feel like I'm missing a popular cultural event, but don't know if I really care.  Waste of words?  So-So? Fantastique?  Let me know.  If you're at Cannes, send me a movie review so I can be very jealous.

5. Had a friend and her kids over for dinner.  It was great to do social stuff.  I like social stuff, especially when the guest brings beer (though this is never obligatory if you come and visit, just really nice).  Her baby is awfully cute.  Babies really are magic. 

6. I've got a rant building, but I want to save it for tomorrow.  Must watch 24 and knit calmer, I'm warm from beer.  mmmmmm.

Shameless Self Promotion

BIG GIRL KNITS is out! 

The book is spectacular--full of shapely styles for bigger women (no more shapeless rectangles).  Check out all the Big Girl goodness (blog and website) from Jillian and Amy and a bunch of fabulous designers (including me).   

If you want a more unbiased opinion, Big Girl Knits just received a glowing review from Knitter's Review today (I'm so pleased my Big Girl bag, Scarlett, was mentioned--that's the shameless part of all this self-promotion).   

I'm not a big girl myself, but I found their B3 system (boobs, belly and butt) really useful for helping me think about what works with my figure and how to make adjustments to sweaters so they suit me best.  After knitting a LOT of sweaters that look good on the couch but terrible on me, I'm glad to have this book in my knitting reference library. 

Though I'm thinking of getting out the calculator to re-size this:

And, the feminist in me is very happy to see a book which celebrates different sized women and dares to show what big women really look like instead of trying to hide them under tent-sized clothes.  This book also doesn't lie (like all those women's magazines I spent so much time studying).  It doesn't promise to make you look skinny, but instead helps knitters understand their bodies and knit garments that flatter their shape.  We need a lot more of these kinds of books around. 

Check it out here, or at your local bookseller or yarn shop.

Daisy, Daisy

Give me your answer, do.

I'm half crazy, all for the love of you...

The Daisy Shawl is done.  And I love it.  The last bind-off was a bit of a drag.  I ran out of yarn about 20 sts before the end and had to rip it back.  Ripping back KSH is not fun.  Once I got the bind off undone I had to go back 13 rows (ie a pattern repeat) and bind off again.  But I wasn't angry for long because it's beautiful...

There's no outside shots today because it's really cold (-20C), and I'm not dressed for photos, but Emma offered to model it for me:

So pretty,

Sunday stuff

Dinner is on the stove and I have a *few* minutes to chat.

My Jaywalker sock now has a short-row heel.  I like it.  I'm a short-row heel person and I should just go with that (though I want to do an eye of partridge heel just to try it).  My japanese short-rows weren't perfect, but I have another sock to practice on.  I like garter stitch short row heels because you don't have to worry about the wraps, but they aren't as deep as stockinette heels and I need to conserve yardage.

The Daisy Shawl is done.  I ran out of yarn while binding off (shit!) so I had to rip back the bind off (shit!--it ain't easy with KSH) and a row of daisies.  But now it's off the needles and very pretty.

I can't block it though because Alexander has been throwing up all day and isn't super careful about where.  I block shawls on the rug in front of the tv, so I'm waiting.  I'm sure you understand.

I'm also sick with a crappy cold.  Advil Cold and Sinus with extra Advil is helping (I've got a wicked headache to add to the crappiness), but it does give me the excuse to sleep and laze around and knit.  I've been doing both.  I've been scrimping on my sleep this month and it's payback time.

I have avoided the news these last few days and this has been good.  Nothing is going to change my vote so why should I listen to people talk about the election.  Though I admit, this article on polling was very good--mostly because it critiques television coverage. Tomorrow I'll be doing beer and CBC TV election coverage.  All will be revealed then.

Well, time to put the water on (we're having pasta with tomato sauce with sausage). 

Start as you mean to go

Happy New Year to everyone.  We brought in the New Year with the kids by having a nice Japanese meal out.  Emma discovered Tempura and Xander loves red bean ice cream meaning that we will be able to visit Aji Sai with the kids more often (we partake in it a fair bit ourselves, but love it that the kids will eat their too).

Once they were asleep we joined the party at our neighbours and brought in the New Year with interesting and downright odd conversation and (too many) cocktails.  I did manage to foil my hosts by being able to get home (we share a wall with them and the joke was to see if we would get home all right since we had to walk down three steps, walk two paces and up three steps to get in our door), but they certainly made a good attempt, though luckily I'm not (too) hungover.

Since everyone was moving slow today I spent a lot of time on my Daisy Shawl.  We took down the decorations today but haven't put the tree out yet.  It looked so odd that I decided it needed to be adorned with Kid Silk Haze.

This shawl is the next thing I want to finish--I've got the finishing fever.  I figure that I'm starting 2006 as I mean to finish it--lots of sushi, good parties with fun people and surrounding myself with fabulous fibres.  And more movies.  Now off to watch a DVD.

Japanese Knitting

There's been a lot references to Japanese knitting patterns floating around the virtual knitting world lately and I'm becoming rather smitten with the work that's being produced there.  Classic but innovative, and really interesting and challenging knits.  Cara's latest link is very enticing.

So I thought I would ask, what's your favourite book/link/pattern/stitch guide from Japan?

ArtFibers Wrap Update: I knit another few inches last night while watching A Series of Unfortunate Events (very good film).  I'm getting to the end of a few of the balls of yarn, so I'm nearing the end.  Hopefully I won't be weaving in ends in the car on the way to the party. 

Coming soon to a Bookstore Near You!

I have a bag pattern in here.  And I know it's a great book.  Patterns for big girls which aren't dropped sleeve rectangles.  It's about time.  And big congrats to Jillian and Amy, way to go!

Better, but...

Here's Daisy the sequel.

I went up 3 needle sizes to a 6mm and did the background in garter stitch this time.  It's better, but I'm still not sure.  I love the idea of getting something like Kat Coyle's blue daisy shawl (thanks for the tips Kat) but it doesn't seem to be working for me.  Maybe this would be better in a heavier yarn so that only the daisies are lacey. 

Since it's kidsilk haze I want to use it for the right thing.  I think I'll let it sit for a few days before I make a final decision.  I mean it's not like I have nothing else on the needles.