Anger Like I've Never Felt Before

Does the USPS train its employees to be uncaring, unhelpful, and disinterested? I am so angry with them. All I wanted was the woman to walk the fifty feet to the Automated Postal thingamagig's box and crouch down to look inside. Would she? No. Why make a customer happy?

I made DG three pairs of fingerless gloves last week. Two were quick garter stitch squares made from ugly yarn (the blue pair) and not-fun-to-knit yarn (the black and white pair). One pair was made especially for DG from a nice wool tweed accented with a linen-wool blend. I ribbed these and made a thumb. I spent a full two days knitting this pair.


And then the post office goes and loses them. Perhaps it is my fault in the end for not checking the seal on the envelope, but please just help me out and check that they didn't fall behind the bin in the box. The gloves are brown. Maybe no one saw them. Maybe someone did see them and they are so good the mean postal worker kept them. Given the attitude at this post office, I wouldn't put it past them. Don't forget my Interweave issue, too. Do they have it out for me?

I'm trying to shake my anger so I can make another pair. I don't want to infuse the yarn with anger--I want DG to be happy. I don't have enough of the brown tweed left for two more pairs, I don't think, so I may have to improvise or alter the color scheme. I'd buy more, but the yarn was a mystery yarn from a friend's stash.

In other knitting news, I'm going to put aside the something for Jen and work on other projects for now. The something for Jen is no longer seasonally appropriate, and I keep messing up because I'm not giving it my full attention. Unlike her children, Jen is not going to grow out of this (oops, did I just let slip that it's a garment?), so I can work on it in between projects. What a relief.

I made two "feely hearts," inspired by Pegotty, for a friend who's having surgery soon. I hope they give him and his wife some small comfort. I'll show a picture soon, but I still have to sew them up (I knit them in a hotel room Wednesday night and hadn't taken along a needle). I used the softest yarn I had in my stash: a 50% cashmere, 50% yak by Rovings that I bought at Stitches Midwest. It really is luscious yarn. The label suggests using 4mm needles, but I used 3.5mm (size 4) and still had to double the yarn so it wasn't holey.

I got a contrast color for Joseph's sweater, so I can get back to working on that. It's cotton, so he'll still have time to wear it. Renée will be able to wear it eventually, too.

I am so tempted to drop everything to make Isabella from the new Knitty. I like the way the collar doesn't go all the way around the neck. The only yarn I have in my stash that would work is light blue, but I think I'm also drawn to that yellowy-green that would look horrible on me. Wait, did I just say me? That's right, I'm thinking of making it for myself. I may hole up this weekend and just knit. If only I'd done laundry last weekend.

Falling Off the Wagon

So I caved. Sure, I've been traveling and enjoying the warm weather in southern Illinois, but now I'm back in the wet cold of Chicago. Yarn is the perfect remedy, of course. I had to return a rental car this morning, and, lo and behold, Loopy is just around the corner. I stopped in to see if they had something to use for a felted bag for Jen (she knows about this project). They did. I've wanted to try Karaoke so I was glad to see Loopy had some. I also spied some Nashua Wooly Stripes Tweed in a color that Jen will probably like better (Jen, please let me know, the bright colors on top or the browns to the left?). The red is some Lamb's Pride Bulky for a project I can't yet disclose.

I like Loopy, but I have one complaint. I don't like the giant price labels they put over the name of the yarn. I like knowing what the yarn is and who makes it. It frustrates me that the names are covered. I do like the very friendly, pretty, and soft dog that came and stood beside me for a while. I'm a big fan of shop animals. Oh, I also got 25% off. They are having a sale on their winter yarns. I basically saved the cost of one ball of yarn. Yee haw.


This picture represents some of the projects I have on the docket. The gray and the red are for secret projects. The green is for Joseph's sweater--I still have to find a contrasting color for tis project. The blue and brown is the Artyarns Ultramerino 4 for Stefan's socks. The purple is to swatch for Crumpets, for Renée. I've already told you the Nashua is for a bag for Jen. Yep, projects for Jen's family are still the majority.

While hanging out in hotel rooms, I worked on the something for Jen and another secret project. I didn't really make much progress, due to a headache and a full schedule. I did make some progress on the train today, after returning the rental car. The trains are only running on one track for about four stops worth. We sat in the tunnel for a good half hour. I got a bit of a cramp, from trying to avoid moving my left hand too much. I didn't want to poke the woman beside me. I got a couple inches finished on the something for Jen, so it wasn't too miserable.

I have to be a "knitting expert" for Winter Delights this afternoon. This time it's beginners. I love teaching beginners. I always say that making new knitters is my favorite thing. The challenge is going to be what they learn in two hours. The description says they'll learn to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. Whew. That's a lot for two hours. There are 15 students. That's a lot, too. Hopefully, this means that the students will want more attention and will sign up for a class at The Needleshop.

Self-medicating

I had a miserable day at work today. All I could think about on the el ride home was going to Nina to buy some yarn. Some people eat chocolate, some people drink. Me? I buy yarn. Unfortunately (fortunately), I don't get paid until Wednesday, so I didn't get off until my own stop. So far, I've resisted shopping online, too.

I don't have much to report, since the projects I'm working on are pretty much secret. I'll be three nights in a hotel this week, so I plan on making major progress on the something for Jen. I may also take along the sweater for Joseph to provide a break from the something for Jen. If I work on that, I may have photos for the next post. Here's hoping.

Open Season

The thrummed hunter's mittens are complete. Thrums are fun. I thought, at first, that the interruption of putting in the thrums would annoy me, but it didn't. I enjoyed pulling each piece from the alpaca fiber (what is it called? Roving? Top? What is top?) and then rolling it between my hands. It was like rolling Play-Dough into snakes when I was a kid. The only thing I found frustrating was knitting into the thrums on the next round. Often, one end would come out and I'd have to thread it back through. And I still don't like fingers, even just one. Thumbs I could knit all day, but fingers? Nope.

I was a little worried I'd run out of yarn and have to use a bit of a different color to finish the last inch or so. I got lucky. This is all I have left from 190 yards of Brown Sheep Top of the Lamb.

(I got this Nantucket basket for 15% of its original price--definitely for yarn storage and display)

Thrummed

I have completed the first thrummed hunter's mitten.
I adapted three different patterns to come up with this. I started with the instructions from the winter Interweave Knits. I double checked with Wool Tyme's instructions, though that's done on two straight needles. I followed the thumb and finger instructions from Spun Magazine's Bad Habit Mittens. I finished everything off following the IK instructions. I'm pretty happy with it. I've got to start on the left mitten soon, since everyone (but me) is leaving for Alaska soon.

Inside the mitten.

I don't have much to report. I haven't been finding the time to knit as I'd like. The list is still long. Every time I finish something, I add at least two. I'm headed for a visit with Jen and family, so I can't take the something for Jen. I should focus on the mitten, but I'm not sure about taking along the fleece. It will be such a hassle with the kids around. It is not an easy to pick up, easy to put down kind of project. Maybe I'll take Joseph's sweater. I think he'd like to see me making something that will be for him. We could check the size then, too. I'll post about it when I'm back in Chicago.

Nooooooooo!!!!!!!

It's a good thing I don't need any project ideas right now.

Fingers and Toes

The problem with gift knitting is that you can't show pictures. I hope this picture doesn't give away the surprise. I finished a gift for my gracious host in Elko. She's moving into her own house, so these are both a thank you and a housewarming. I hope she likes them. They'll be in the mail this week.

I had a chance to try out the Knitpicks Options needles on this project. I like them. At first, they were a little bit scratchy, but that wore off with use. They are much pointier than Addis, which was great for cabling (I usually cable without a cable needle). The cord is pretty flexible, which is good, because I move my needles a lot. Which leads me to one of my three complaints: the needles kept coming untwisted from the cord. It didn't bother me too much. I'm patient about those kinds of things. The other two complaints are minor. The needles clink somewhat loudly when dangling (I use two circular needles for small-diameter knitting), and I'd like a shorter cord option.

I am now going to work on the thrummed mittens. These are on a deadline, too. I'm excited to try this technique, though I'm going to try and adapt a thrummed mitten pattern to be thrummed hunter's mittens. I'm making these so a friend can operate his video camera in very cold weather--Alaska weather (it's been colder in Chicago than Fairbanks, but just in case). We'll see how good I am at adapting a pattern while learning a new technique. I'll have the wrist and hand to figure out how the thrums work, so I should understand it all by the time I reach the finger, right? Right?

Cowboys

First, to set the record straight, I did not meet any cowboys.* I did however, fall in love. I bought my first pair of cowboy boots (the cognac/mint--the cognac looks more like cherry wood than in the picture). Boy, are they pretty.

You can see some videos from the Gathering at the Western Folklife Center's website. There are links to the videos that were filmed during the day and then edited at night. There are also some videos and audio of some of the sessions. It will give you an idea of all the fun I had over the week. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Plus, it's always revitalizing for me to be around folklorists.

I made the Dream Swatch head wrap from a ball of Madil Eden, which is 100% bamboo. It wasn't as long as I'd have liked, but it was a fun pattern and easy enough to carry around. I didn't get too many looks while knitting, but DG did when he pulled out the napkin he's making. We were waiting for a session to start, so he started knitting (like the good knitter he is). This started a conversation with the couple who sat next to us. Everyone out West is so nice. We could tell they thought it was strange, but they didn't think it was wrong or anything. Our conversation turned out to be pretty pleasant. The session was incredible (DG put away the knitting during the session).

I'm working on the something for Jen, which takes more concentration, so I didn't work on it as much as I'd have liked. I'm also going to start something for our host at the Gathering. She provided a bed and a very warm eiderdown for us. She's moving this weekend so the gift will be both a thank you and a housewarming.

I got my Options needles! I can't wait to start. It is so cold today that I can barely type. Time to curl up with some knitting, I think.

*I met cowboys, and a lot of ranchers, and sheep shearers, and cityfolk who dressed the part, but I did not go to the gathering to find one to date, in spite of everyone's suggestions.

Sheep, Sheep Everywhere

But not a yarn to knit. Lots of yarns being spun here in Elko, Nevada, where I'm hanging out for the week. I'm working as a folklorist at the 23rd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, so don't expect to hear from me until next week. I'll be listening to Cowboy Poetry, herding kids, and interviewing folks at the Sheep Camp. I've been helping in the gallery, which has some great videos and a working jukebox full of cowboy songs. I'm a little tired of cleaning glass and plexi, but the cases are going to shine tomorrow when the gallery is open. Things get into full swing on Tuesday, I think. I can't wait. I've seen more cowboy hats than I ever imagined I would. I can't imagine how many I'll see by the time the week is over. I may even splurge on some fitted-for-me cowboy boots, if I can find the time.

I'm working on the something for Jen, and a Dream Swatch in some bamboo that I bought for the trip. I hope something will be finished by the time I'm back in the city. Until then, please visit the Western Folklife Center's website and virtually join me at the Gathering (there are even a few blogs you can visit).

The ends are now woven in. These will be sent to my sister tomorrow. I hope she likes them. I don't know that I like making fingers. Too many things going on at once, too many gaps to close up, and way too many ends to weave in.

Now? I think I'll swatch for the something for Jen. Until I get the materials for the thrummed mittens anyway.

Options

I just ordered the Knit Picks Options set. I had been resisting because I've been trying to save money instead of spend it. Here's my justification: they are a bargain. I just spent $15 on a size 7, 16" addi Turbo circular needle. Options doesn't come in 16" lengths, which is too bad, or the set could replace all my circular needle needs (I suppose I should hold judgment until I see them, but knitters I trust really like them). The Options set is $59.99, and shipping was free. I was going to make slippers from One Skein last night, but I only have one 24" size 8 circular needle (it's Bryspun. I used to have two lengths, but the 16" broke when I made the slippers for my Babci). I use the two-circular-needle method almost exclusively for small diameter circular knitting, which means that I'm going to have to purchase a set of tips for all the common sizes. I decided that making these slippers is important, and that I have to do them this week. So I thought about running to the LYS and grabbing two pairs. I thought about buying another 16" Bryspun, but as much as I love them in a straight needle, I don't love them for circular knitting. They break. The price of the Options kit is equivalent to four addi Turbo needles. So I ordered the Options. I'd better go back and order another set of size 8 tips.

I also created a simple spreadsheet to determine what needles I need. Though I have at least half the sizes in 24", I don't have needles with cord lengths longer than that. The problem is, the needles won't come for a week or two. I hope the mail is faster. As long as I get them before I leave for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, I should be fine.

This all leads to something I've been thinking about. I have this tendency to create lists of projects I must work on. Right now, my list is 15 projects long, and 10 of them are things I feel like I have to knit. Many of them have deadlines, both actual and self-imposed.

I do this thing where I make these lists and then I find other things that are more pressing, or I don't have the yarn (or needles) to make what I want from the list, so I make something "quick" instead. Now, this wouldn't really be a problem except that I purchase what I need for all the projects on the list and then I don't knit them.

Remember the Bea Ellis kit? That's in the waiting pile. So is the yarn for the other colorwork hat, We Call them Pirates. I'm working on the fingerless gloves for my sister and a sweater for Joseph (it is on hold until I get the 16" needles--the two Bryspun circulars for such a large diameter was not fun). I've purchased yarn for a special something for Jen. I also started a bag for her, out of some Summer Tweed by Rowan, but I may try to starch it into a bowl. I didn't like the way it was turning out. And I just made that hat for me, which wasn't on the list.

So I have all these projects planned and what do I do? I buy more yarn (and fleece) for some thrummed mittens. I try to start on some slippers. This is just like me. I haven't even swatched for Jen's something. I have one glove down but haven't started the other. Will I ever get to the other things on the list? Will I ever get to the list I made in June? Will I ever make something just to try (the thrummed mittens will satisfy that)? I don't know how I'll ever get a sweater finished again. I get so distracted (I have had a sweater minus one sleeve in the waiting basket since October).

Here's my current list, with due dates listed. I'll bold the items for which I have specifically purchased yarn, and star the items for which I'll use stash yarn. If it's not bold or starred, I will purchase the yarn at some point.

1. Fingerless Gloves, due before it gets warm in southern Utah.
   
2. Bag for Jen*, no due date, but I've wanted to make one since June
3. Sweater for Joseph*, due the next time I visit them
4. Dress for Renée, due along with Joseph's sweater
5. Pirate hat, due before the cold weather ends
   
6. Bea Ellis hat
7. Socks for Stefan, due next visit to Michigan
   
8. Something for Jen, due next visit
   
9. Something for coworker*, due in July
10. Thank you gift (haven't decided what) for a gift I received in November*, due soon
11. Wristlet*, due soon (I'm keeping all my essentials in my coat pocket right now)
12. Thrummed hunter's mittens, due February 23 or so
13. Thank you hat* for recent visit to CO, due before cold weather ends
14. Curtain for kitchen*
15. Jacket (this is just something I've wanted to make. Like the Bea Ellis hat and curtain, it probably will be a while before I even think about it).

I'm going to work on the fingerless gloves this week. Well, until I get the yarn and fleece for the thrummed mittens. I'm very excited about those (for now). Maybe I should buy the yarn for the dress and the jacket and then join the Knit from Your Stash knitalong. Is that cheating? I should just make rules for myself. No new projects added to the list until the list is 75% complete, no 50%. It won't stick.

I wish I had pictures to end this long post, but I only have a floppy bowl/bag and one glove finished.

Ice

This weekend I visited Colorado as part of a documentary I'm working on. Follow the progress of the subject here. On the three-hour flight there I knit a washcloth, which I intended to give to our hosts as a thank you gift. But look at it. It's all wonky. I don't know if the white's gauge is different than the blue's, or if the decrease edges are bigger than the increase edges. This pattern is so fast and pretty. Too bad it looks wrong. I'll be thanking them with a thank you note, I think.


The Rockies are such a pretty place, especially with all the snow they've had recently. It was downright cold, though. I didn't spend too much time outside, which meant that I got some knitting in. I've started fingerless gloves for my sister. I tried out a more complicated pattern, but I think she'll like something more functional, so I switched to a simple ribbing. I was also going to use a dark purple for the hand, since my sis will be using these while working with animals (she works at Best Friends Animal Society--donate to them, they do good work). Again, though, I figured she'd like it more simple, so I'm sticking with the lavender (called Monet by RYC). I love this yarn. I think I may use the dark purple for some socks. It's so soft, springy, and washable. My three favorite yarn criteria.

Eeeek!

I just found out that the Winter Delights Stitching Salon that I'm teaching is full. 15 people! Yikes. I love teaching knitting, but this seems so BIG! Am I really an "expert?" I guess so. Well, we'll see if 15 people can learn to knit a hat using two circular needles.

Lucky Number 13

Thanks to Carrie over at My Middle Name is Patience, I now have 13 knitters who blog answering my research questions. Of course, I'd still like to bother more people. If I want to present a paper at the American Folklife Society's annual meeting, I have to have an abstract submitted by March 31. I'd better get moving! The interviews are only the beginning. I still have to learn about how blogging communities function (any resource suggestions are welcome), and research relevant folklore topics.

I made a hat for myself. I used some Classic Elite Premiere from the stash. I decided to decrease for the crown in an obvious X pattern, so I did a double decrease each row. This meant the shaping happened fast. I had done the ribbing for 2 1/2 inches, so it would fold up over my ears. I look great in hats, save for three styles: cowboy, baseball, and anything that fits closely. Folding up is necessary in a hat for me. After my decreases were done, the hat fit, but I couldn't fold up the brim. Shoot. So I tried unraveling the brim, but you can't unravel ribbing from the bottom very easily. Finally, I took the scissors to the knitting. I cut off the ribbing, picked up the stitches, and knit it down. This time I knit 3 1/2 inches and used all the brown yarn (one stash ball down, hurrah). I bound off using the same bind off as I used on DG's socks.

I got an email from DG yesterday. Like any good knitted-gift recipient, he wore them immediately. He even wore them out. He says they fit perfectly and that he can't feel the bump from the bad short row heel. So far, I've knitted four and half pairs of socks. I know two of those pairs fit perfectly, and one pair fits well after it's on the foot. One pair didn't work so well, and the half-pair was sent, but I haven't gotten a verdict. I think it's time to cast on for another pair.

To the Frog Pond We Will Go

I don't have pictures. I don't have any finished objects. I've started a plain, top-down raglan sweater for my pal Joseph, which shouldn't take too long. I got past the arm holes after just a couple hours of knitting yesterday. I'm using some Rowan All Seasons Cotton from the stash. I also frogged and reknit (twice) the Bea Ellis hat. I'm not happy with the color choice. Both the brown and the blue are rather muted and just blend together in the pattern. It also makes it hard to see, so I've been making mistakes. I thought I'd switch which color was the main color, but it doesn't help. Here's a tip: don't try to watch a subtitled movie and knit your first real Fair Isle project. It just doesn't work. So I frogged it a second time and am contemplating buying two contrasting yarns. I could get two hats out of this problem, so it works out, right? I've also gotten a lot of tension practice, too. For some reason I'm resisting using my left hand to hold the yarn, and I think I've got a comfortable handle on using my right hand for both colors without dropping the yarn each color change. I still need to pay attention to keeping the tension loose, but I think it's due to the sticky wool rather than my bad tension. We'll see. If I ever get back to it.

Year of Adventure

Everyone seems to be talking about their knitting resolutions. I don't really have any at this time. I can't afford to buy yarn this month, but next month may be a whole different story (and there's no stopping me if I think I need yarn, which I will for the next three projects I'd like to make). There aren't any techniques or projects that I want to attempt but haven't for some reason. There are many things I want to try, but nothing that requires a resolution.

I finished the socks. The second socks took about three days. I could have finished in two, but I had to rip back because I'd added a stitch and I didn't like the way the color was pooling. I cut and rejoined the yarn at the point I started the ribbing, which is where I ripped back to.

These socks were done without a pattern (go me!). I used a Turkish cast on for the toes, stockinette for the foot, short rows for the heel, and a 3x1 rib for the leg, and a bind off described by Grumperina. I made the leg a little longer than I normally would because I just don't know how long men's socks should be. Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns suggested an even longer leg than I made, but I was worried they'd look like knee highs. The bind off was a little loose. I went up two needle sizes to a 4, but probably should have only gone up to a 3.

I tried misocrafty's technique for picking up the short row stitches, which I did wrong on the first sock and correctly on the second. You can see the difference below. The second is so pretty. The yarn is 100% wool Wool in the Woods Cherub, which I got from my birthday swap pal. It was pretty wooly, and left me with a very indented forefinger at the end of the night, but it's not so scratchy I couldn't work with it. I think it will feel nice on DG's feet, since he can tolerate wool just fine. I'm not showing a picture of the whole sock, because something needs to be a surprise. Oh, and the color is way more pastel-y than in the pictures.

Holidays

I don't know why there are people who hate the holidays. My family is so fun. We have a traditional Polish Christmas Eve, Wigilia, and also get together on Christmas Day. My family eats, laughs, opens gifts (like the ornaments I made, see above), and enjoys each other's company. This year I played outside with my little cousins, it was so warm. Andrew called from Iraq, too, so that was a special bonus. Even though I only live a short five-hour drive away from the family, I only see them a few times a year (they really need to visit more).
I know people complain about the consumerism, the greediness, and so on, but in families like mine, that's all put aside for spending time together. I like gifts, of course, and I got some great ones this year (three knitting related books, even), but there's nothing like the holidays to bring out the love in my family.Here's a picture of Stefan in his scarf, which he wore non-stop. He was bugging me to open the gift the minute I walked in. I forget what a good receiver he is. He carries around an afghan I made for him like it's his blankie. I plan on making him socks with the other Artyarns I bought for him.

I made a hat for my sister, too. In fact, I meant to post last night but I was enjoying the hat so much, I stayed up finishing it. I based the pattern on Fetching, which I used for her birthday present (and forgot to photograph). The yarn is the same, too: RYC Cashcotton DK. I love this hat. I was worried that the crown would look funny because of the rapid decreasing, but it turned out perfectly. I may make a version for myself.

Research

No pictures today because I'm posting from work (shh). This post is a plea for help.

I've been feeling like lately I've just been reporting on my FOs and WIPs, with no real content to this blog. I started this blog in January of last year because Jen's blog wouldn't allow anonymous comments. I thought, why not. Then, of course, I fell in love with the idea of becoming a part of a knitting community. I had started to grow my knitting community by hanging out at Nina, by attending knitting nights there, and by knitting with friends. It's nice to have friends who knit.

I had an ulterior motive for starting this blog, too. I have been reading knitting blogs for a while, and am fascinated by the popularity. Why do people blog about their knitting? Knitting is so tactile, and blogging is not. Why am I so interested in reading what others are working on? Why did I feel like I could join this community and share my own knitting adventures? I'm a folklorist. I study communities. My interest was piqued.

After about ten months of blogging and commenting on blogs, I decided to take the plunge and really start researching this community. In October I asked a few knit bloggers to answer a series of questions for me. Knitters are so gracious. I now have a good start on this project. I need to figure out a way to get more knit bloggers to answer my questions. I've refined them, and I'm still working on making them more focused, but they take time. I was thinking that starting a meme would be useful, but I wouldn't know how to track it. I need the answers to compile my findings.

Basically, I'm trying to research the motives for blogging about knitting; the impact the larger knit blogger community has on individual blogs and the knitters themselves; and the unique characteristics of an online community that is based on an artform that is physical in both creation and purpose.

So, please, if you would be willing to answer about 25 essay-type questions about knitting and blogging, please contact me through this blog. And please, please spread the word. If you read a knit blog that addresses these questions (because I'm sure we all think about them from time to time), please send me the link. I'm bookmarking them for future reference or for possible interviews.

One more plea: if you know of resources about how blogging (and its predecessors) creates or maintains communities, please recommend them. I'm interested in books, websites, scholarly articles, other blogs, or anything that leads to other resources.

Finally, thank you to those knitters who have answered questions for me already. They've given me insight on how to revise the questions and a kernel of an idea for a thesis.

In knitting news, I started the sock, the hat, and another hat. Why choose?

Indecision

I finished Stef's scarf. I like the way the pattern works with the yarn. It looks like snake skin, I think. I just did a simple "ric rac and garter" from Vogue Knitting Stitchionary. I'm hoping it's long enough for Stef. This yarn is my favorite kind. It's spongy and soft.


I also ripped Shedir and made mittens from the yarn. They are for a friend who has helped me out in a lot of ways. She lent me her daughter's car over Thanksgiving so I could drive to Michigan for my favorite holiday dinner. She helped position me to take my current job and is encouraging me to find another, less emotionally stressful job. She's starting a not-for-profit and is including me in the planning. I appreciate everything she's done. I hope the mittens show it.

Now I don't know what to make. I've got the Bea Ellis kit. I've wanted to make another pair of socks, too. I need a hat for myself, and the Bea Ellis is lined with cotton, so I could make it for me. I have a hard time sticking with something for me. Making gifts for others is like having a deadline, even if it's only self-imposed. When I make things for me, I don't feel like I have a deadline, so I move on to other things too quickly. I should keep working on Christmas gifts, but I'm not interested. I also get anxious if I only have one project going. The ornaments just aren't enough to keep me interested. I'll have something decided by my next post, I'm sure.

Robot vs. iPod

I gave Dan his robot today. The surprise was the eyes. I attached LEDs to washers and then glued the washers to the inside of the face. The LEDs flash green and red. I had a feeling Dan was going to get me an iPod. He's been trying to get me to want one since we met. I have an mp3 player, so I didn't need anything else until my mp3 player broke (I think the USB drive at work fried it). Dan got me an iPod shuffle. He'll make me an Apple cult member yet, I think. I hope the robot shows how much I appreciate this very sweet, very thoughtful gift.

Speaking of gifts, I bought a friend some Soak from One Planet Yarn and Fiber. They are so great. They noticed that I was sending it as a gift, so the emailed to ask if I wanted to include a note. Not only did they include my note, but they put it in a bag with a bow. So nice.

Good news. Nina did have the Cottage Industry yarn. I bought the last two skeins. Whew. Now I can finish Shedir. Actually, Shedir is on hold while I work on Stef's scarf. I'm loving the way it's striping. The white is making a zig zag along the scarf and the grey is pooling into triangles. I hope Stefan likes it.

I also got the kit from Bea Ellis and the yarn I ordered for We Call Them Pirates. Looks like this is going to be a Fair Isle kind of season.

Finally, the power went out the other night. I couldn't stop knitting of course. I bought a headlamp on my road trip in September. I recommend one for all knitters. It's hands-free so you can knit in the dark!

Drunk Dialing

I've never been drunk, and, therefore, I've never drunk dialed, but last night I did something akin to drunk dialing. I purchased yarn (actually, a kit), but I barely remember doing it. Evidently, I purchased a Bea Ellis kit. I remember looking at the kits, deciding on one, then deciding I didn't like any of the colors. I remember finding colors that might work, but I definitely do not remember actually buying the kit. They sent me an email today, saying it was ready to be shipped. I guess I did this after buying the yarn for a We Call Them Pirates hat, which I remember. I don't know why I would have purchased yarn for two colorwork hats, but I guess I did. At least it was only one kit. Right? I'd better check my credit card bill.

I finished Odessa this weekend. I was working on Shedir, but I left the pattern at work. I also ran out of yarn. I'm hoping Nina has some stashed somewhere that I can buy. I owe her a visit anyway.

I also got the yarn for Stef's scarf. I let him choose the colors for the scarf. They kinda clash. I'm just going to use the black and white for a simple scarf. Maybe I can have it done for Christmas.

Yoshimi

After my last post, I started a third project. I had an inspiration and had to act on it. I'm making the robot from Jess Hutchinson's Unusual Toys for You to Knit and Enjoy. I haven't sewn it up because I've ordered something that will hopefully spice it up. I'm pretty sure that the person this is for now knows it's for him, but I'm hoping the spice will make a really exciting toy.

I also finished the second Christmas stocking. I like the cable pattern I chose, but I wish I'd taken the time to figure out a pattern that would look good from the side. That's the major flaw of this and the original pattern. While this pattern was easier to work than the original, those Addis are just too blunt for cable work, especially in thick, doubled yarn.

I've started a hat: Shedir, from Knitty. I was inspired by this hat. I'm using Cottage Industry Pure Luxury Organic Peruvian Alpaca. It looks like they aren't making organic yarn anymore. I've had this in my stash for a good while. It's so soft, I'm not quite sure why I haven't used it yet. It's not the yarn called for in the pattern, so I hope it works in the pattern. So far (two rows), so good. Did I swatch? Uh. No. Seat of the pants knitting keeps it exciting, right? Don't tell my students.

Three Bags Full

I just finished working on a neck-warmer out of the GGH Tajmahal. What a beautiful yarn! I can't find it in any online yarn shop, though, so I couldn't make a whole scarf (Discountyarnsale.com has it, but they only sell it by the bag). I used the "split palm leaves" pattern from Stitchionary. Whoever I give this to will have a soft, cozy neck warmer. Makes me wish I could wear animal fibers.

I'm also working on another Christmas stocking. I'm using very simple cables on this one. I'm also simplifying the pattern. I'm just going to knit a tube for a while, then do a short row heel, then make the toe. Easy.

Along with the Christmas stocking, I'm working on ornaments. I have four finished and will make as many as I feel like. I'm not giving myself a deadline or predetermining an amount. It's a whenever project.

I'm itching to start something else. I'm waiting for some Artyarns Ultramerino 8 to make a scarf for Stef. He's the only one I'm making a specific present for. I'll probably make something for Joseph and Renée, too, if I have time.

I don't want to start anything else, so I can focus on these three things. Three seems to be my limit. If I have more than that going on, I get anxious. Of course, if I don't have three things going, I get anxious. There's so much yarn. I just want to touch it and create something from it.

It's hard to avoid starting something right now. I'm trying really hard to wait until I get the Ultramerino 8. Along with that, no patterns are jumping out at me. I keep pulling yarn out of the stash, fondling it a bit, then putting it back. Must wait for the Ultramerino.

Ambivalence vs. Expectation

Everybody is talking about Christmas presents. Some bloggers have had gifts done for months now. I'm just feeling ambivalent about it. With my sister in Utah now, and my brother in Iraq, going "home" for the holidays just doesn't seem that exciting. On Christmas eve, tradition is such that the family sits in a particular order at the table. This year, it will be Stefan and me holding up our end of the table. I'm anticipating a very mixed-emotion holiday.

No one in my family really expects gifts. Now that I have a job that pays a living wage and am old enough to feel guilty for not bringing gifts, I feel like I should give gifts, at least to those who give me one. The question of whether to buy the gifts or to make them is ever present these days. Last year, I was way too ambitious. I ended up giving Christmas gifts in the summer. Because I'm a knitter, I feel like the hand-made gift is what I should give. Since the family doesn't expect a gift from me, they don't expect a knitted gift either. But knitted gifts make sense. It's what I do and who I am, right? It is like giving a piece of myself, which is really the best kind of gift. So, I'm going to make small gifts until I'm tired of them. I'll give those out and buy the rest. I've got three finished already, but I can't show a picture since they will be gifted soon.

The socks are finished. I gave them to Aimee. I bound off too tightly on the second sock and had to redo it so she could pull it over her heel. They are snug, and difficult to get on, but she says she likes them. I liked the pattern--it was as if it were written for me: Turkish cast-on, toe-up, worked on double-pointed needles, in yarn I had. I screwed up the pattern a little bit and made the cables a smidge closer together. It still looks good, but I wonder if that's one of the reasons they are so snug. I think socks may be best knit on yarn with some added stretch, too. Koigu is so pretty, though.

Just a Hat

I just spent the weekend with Jen and family. They celebrated Joseph's 2nd birthday. I know I've said it, but I just love that kid. He and I did a lot of playing, mostly with trucks. I got a little bit of Renée time in, too. She is so cute, and smiles all the time.

I didn't knit anything for Joseph, but I did whip up a hat for Renée. It fit her nicely. I also made a bee out of the black and yellow sock yarn I had in my stash. Jen and Tony seemed to like the stocking, which was still damp when I gave it to them. I don't know why it took so long to dry. I guess I'm going to make a second stocking. I think I'll use the same pattern for the sock, but chart my own cable pattern--one that doesn't use quite so many stitches in each cross over.

Tony's mom, Guh!, gave me a book and a skein of yarn. She said it was because I inspired her to purl and she's making washcloths now. I'm glad I could move someone onto the joy that is washcloth knitting, but it was awfully generous of her to thank me with a gift. The book is One Skein Wonders. There are a lot of hat and scarf patterns (the book boasts 101 patterns), but many of them are pretty cute. Jen was oohing over a lot of the hats and bags. I think both of those things may be in her future. Like, her Christmas future.

Correlate

I know it's not a good idea to talk about work on one's blog. Hopefully, I won't be too negative about my job in making these correlations.

I was talking with a friend at work about how my job has very little product. Besides the festival I produced this summer, I administer grants most of the day. While I believe that it is very important to support artists, especially those with access to fewer resources, I don't feel as if I am being used to my full potential. Before taking my current job, I was working in museum education. Every day I either taught or created something. I loved my work, even when I wasn't happy with my job.

I taught myself to knit while I was working in museum education. I was working for the Shelburne Museum, a fantastic museum with a broad, extensive collection and well-designed school and public programs. After moving I worked for another very interesting museum, the Lake County Discovery Museum, and was able to produce a lot of school, scout, and public programs. My next job was awful, but I was still creating and growing programs. I didn't like being at work, but one class of kids could change all that. I knit all those years, but I didn't become compulsive until I moved to Chicago. I always thought it was discovering nice yarn that made me compulsive. I thought what I wanted was to touch the soft yarns.

While I was saying that I have little to show for my work, my friend pointed out that knitting is my product. It is my accomplishment; it is the thing I can hold up and say "I did this, and it is good." He got me thinking. I realized that I became a compulsive knitter about the time the novelty of giving grants wore off. I can't pinpoint the day, but I do know that I didn't have that finger itch that comes with needing to have needles in my hands until I started working this job. I wonder. If I get a job that I love, will I stop knitting as much? Somehow, I think it's too late. Once a compulsion, always a compulsion.

I'm trying to finish undone projects. I finished the clapotis. I added a 5-stitch I-cord edge to the stocking. I am headed to Michigan to celebrate Joseph's second birthday, so I'm going to take the stocking with me. If Jen and Tony like it, they can keep it. Otherwise, I'll make a new one with a different pattern. I was hoping to knit the pirate bath set from New Knits on the Block before heading home, but I haven't had the time. He'll get a very cool store-bought toy or something, no doubt. Well, if I can find the time to go shopping before Friday.

Goings On

On Sunday I decided to finish up some unfinished projects. I spent the afternoon unraveling the baby blanket. I used my birthday swift to wind the yarn up into hanks by securing the swift on the back of a chair. The swift was parallel to the ground rather than perpendicular, so I was able to spin it easily. Then I soaked the yarn--it looked like ramen in the sink-- and hung it to dry. It still has a little bit of kink, but at least it's not in that lopsided blanket anymore. The yarn smells really good. I didn't use any soap when I was soaking it because I didn't want to lose the smell. I don't know what those Brooks Farm people use, but I like it.

I also picked up Clapotis. A friend at work had been talking about it, and while I was working on it, I was talking to Lynn, who was working on one of her own. It's been sitting in my unfinished basket since April. I'm not exactly sure why I was excited to work on it, but now I've made some progress, so I may as well finish. I was at the beginning of the third section and now I'm over half way through. Only many more rows to go. Actually, I think I'm going to stop the third section after this repeat, which is the 7th. I can't handle much more of this project, and it is pretty long. Maybe I can talk myself into the 8th repeat, but I don't need 12. It's really heavy right now because of the Blue Heron yarn I'm using. I think all 12 repeats of the straight section will make it even heavier, possibly to the point where it would be unwearable. Is that justification enough? I'm simply bored again. I'm ready for the next section.

Waste of Time

Do you ever spend a few days knitting something and then, when you're all bound off and ready to weave in the ends, are simply unhappy with the project? This stocking is like that. I just finished knitting the Aran Stocking from Handknit Holidays. Some people have made a beautiful stocking. Like Sknitty, I want to adapt the contrast color cable--okay, so I'm not quite finished--but I don't know if I like the stocking at all. The foot is too short and the top is too wide. It was a pain to knit the crazy cables. Here's an example of the written directions for just one part of one cable:

"Slip 2 stis to cn, hold to front, M1p, k2, k1 from cn, slip rem st from cn to left-hand needle, k2tog-tbl."

TBL!!!! Oh, why? Wouldn't a regular k2tog look just as nice? The size 13 needle is quite difficult to shove through for a k2tog-tbl that isn't just a k2tog-tbl, but part of a cable, too. Even the simple cables couldn't be simple. Why didn't Teva Durham do a 4-cross cable? Instead, it was 3 stitches crossing over 2. Again, somewhat difficult on the big needles and double-stranded Lopi.

As for the edge, I tried the pattern, I tried a simple 4 cross cable, and I tried to do an attached I-cord. I may end up with the I-cord, if this project doesn't end up in the Never-to-be-Finished basket. By the way, I bought enough yarn for two stockings.

Enough complaining. I'm going to get back to knitting that second Badcaul sock. That pattern is easy and working.

I have a new plan. I am going to think about it for a couple of days, then I'm going to finish the stocking because there is no reason to let it sit. Maybe the contrast color is all it needs. If I really don't like it, then I am going to explore using a regular old sock pattern and the Lopi yarn on the recommended needles to make plain, maybe striped, stockings. Or maybe I'll try the other stocking pattern in the book.

Beginnings

I've just spent five days in Milwaukee at the American Folklore Society's annual meeting. It's always so good to be around colleagues, peers, mentors, and those awe-inspiring, accomplished, respected folklorists I can only dream of knowing. I was lucky enough to meet a few more people (some who fall into the latter category above) and to spend time with others that I've known since I joined this field. Folklore, like knitting, makes me feel like me. I learn so much at these meetings.

An outcome of this meeting was inspiration to start on a project I've been thinking of for over a year now. I started this blog as a means to understand the knitting blogger community, and as the beginning of this research. It was my first step on this project, and now I need to move onto the second step. I don't have all the details formulated yet, but I plan to have a good research plan and interview questions within the week. At this point, I plan on using all of my research for a paper for the next AFS annual meeting (if I get to go to Québec City, that is). I now need some folks to interview.

If you have a knitting blog and are willing to answer some emailed questions, please leave a comment so I can contact you. I am also planning on asking some knitting bloggers that I read. If you have suggestions, or know someone who would be willling to answer some questions via email, let me know.

Now on to knitting.

I'm done with the first sock! I used a Turkish cast on. I love it and will try to use it whenever I can. The pattern was easy to memorize and execute. It was also fun enough to keep me interested. It was the only project I took with me to Milwaukee, even. I followed an Anna Bell pattern, but I've been working too tightly, as I mentioned in the last post. Notice how stretched it is on my foot. I promise the person these are going to that I will wash and block them.

Lurking

Is there a sock knitter lurking beneath these nimble fingers? I cast on for these toe-up socks by Anna Bell on Friday night. Look how far I am just 72 hours later. Plus, I painted my bedroom all day on Saturday. Very little knitting. I am enjoying these so much I may even knit the second sock! I think I'll have to, because there is no way this sock is going to fit my friend who doesn't wear matching socks. Good thing I'm enjoying the sock.

I'm using two size 1 Addis and some Koigu KPPPM that I had from the Chevron Scarf I recently frogged. I just didn't like the two colors I was using. I do like them separately, though. I also think this yarn is great for socks. I'm getting a different gauge than the pattern, which is why the sock is so small. I can squeeze it onto my foot, but it is snug. Maybe it (they) will go to my sister. Maybe to Aimee. Maybe I'll never knit that second sock.

Process, Take Two

There are some knitters out there who knit to learn new techniques and to discover how the stitches all work together (along with pure enjoyment, and for other reasons, too). Not me. I like understanding what happens. I like discovering how one stitch fits into the others, but I'd rather have AHA! moments than set out to learn something.

Obviously, if I'm interested in learning a technique, I have to learn that technique by following the directions and playing around with that technique. I don't want to knit endless swatches, though. I want a finished, giftable project when I'm done. I have enough faith in my knitting abilities to tackle a project and learn the technique on the fly. I learned to cable by making a scarf (cashmere no less), I made that entrelac washcloth, and I learned to decrease by making a sweater (well, a tank top).

Enter lace. Lace has kicked my butt. For every row I knit, I have to take out two--the knitted row and the straight purling row to get the correct number of stitches back onto the needle. I can't watch TV while knitting lace (or lace knitting for that matter), I can't hold a conversation, I can't even stop to take a drink of water. I must concentrate. I've put lace into other patterns, with some tinking and frogging, but I've done it. I made a lovely top for a friend that has a lace bottom, a pair of mittens with lace cuffs, and, wait. Those are my only successful lace projects so far. I swatched for a Rebecca sweater, but I misread the pattern and then couldn't get the second swatch right no matter how I tried. I thought it was just my impatience with the projects. I hadn't dared knit with lace-weight yarn.

Then a friend of mine decided to get married. I thought a lace shawl would be a nice wedding gift. It would. But it isn't coming from me. I've been working on this darned shawl for months now (since I wound those 1200 yards into a ball), and the wedding is in a few weeks. It is not going to be done. I don't even think I can work on it any more.

It seems to me that a process knitter would have swatched it, learned the pattern, then decided whether or not to make the shawl. Process knitters don't mind frogging back rows upon rows to get it right. No way. I don't want to undo my work. If there is an egregious error, or if I catch something soon enough, I'll tink back, or frog a couple rows. If there's a twisted stitch that should be straight, or a cable is miscrossed, screw it. It's my humility flaw. Unfortunately for me, I can't fudge on this lace project. It's for a wedding! In lace, you have to have the right number of stitches to make the pattern work. Somehow I keep ending up with more or less than I should. That last repeat would look terrible if I kept going. So I'm done. No more lace for me. Maybe a cuff or a panel, but no shawls. No yarn that can break if I sneeze. No more.

I guess I'm just not a lace knitter.

It Works!

I can upload (up? down?) pictures from home!

Here are the washcloths I knit on the trip. The blue one I made ahead of time as a safety. The red was knit during Illinois and Iowa; the white and blue was knit during Nebraska and Colorado; the white during Colorado, finished shortly after crossing the Continental Divide; the orange, red, and yellow stripes knit during Arizona and Nevada; and the orange during Nevada.

DG has been using them in the shower, for dishes, and as pot holders. It's always so nice to know that your knitting is being used, isn't it?

I'm working on a hat for a friend with a new baby. I'm also finishing a sweater I started a while ago, now that DG sent back the needles I lent him for the trip. You should see the hat he's made for his niece (he's at work on a second, for his other niece). Like a pro. I guess he's right that being in a car for nine days with your knitting teacher pays off. It did in his case. Anyone else want to take me on a road trip to learn to knit, just ask.

Now that I can post pictures, I will write more. I was in a bit of a funk after the trip, but I've broken that. It's also hard to work up the motivation when I can't show what I want to write about. Don't worry. You'll soon know why I'm not a process knitter, too. I'll post a picture of the (lack of) progress on my lace piece.

Don't Get Your Hopes Up

I don't have any knitting to show. But I can post pictures if I use the PC at work. So there are pictures from the trip in the posts below. I made 5 washcloths along the way. The white one in the picture was one of two that were knit in one state. It's also DG's favorite. The other three were knit across two states. I had to drive some, of course, so I didn't have time to knit in every state. I also didn't knit one for California, because I drove during most of it.

The trip was marvelous. As you know, I was knitting these washcloths for DG as a housewarming gift. He never asked who they were for, but we did discuss the patterns and color choices. He'd been eyeing the orange cotton, so I made sure to make one in orange (Nevada). When I gave them to him on Saturday, he was so surprised and happy. He had no idea of my plan. He even used Arizona/Utah in the shower. Said it was very soft and absorbant. Success!

Check out this website. It's a project that DG and some other Hiram alumni have been working on for a while, and it should be enjoyed.

Finally!

Lake Wapella, IA


Pike's Peak


Knitting Across the Continental Divide


Sunset at Mesa Verde

 

Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde


Colorado River


Part of the Grand Canyon


Knitting in the Car

 

Junk

I'm home in Chicago, but it looks like I'm going to have to move my blog. I still can't post pictures, and I'm sure you all want to see the Grand Canyon from my camera's eye. I'm a bit too frustrated to post right now, so please bear with me a little longer. Everything but the photo upload seems to be working. I might try creating a Flickr account and posting pictures that way, but I'm too frustrated to deal with it now. Maybe tomorrow.

Road Trip Hiatus

I am leaving this morning for a road trip to California! I've never been on a road trip where I've had to stay the night somewhere. We have no plans, except that we're aiming for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I'm going with the friend I taught to knit in August. We haven't kept in touch these last ten years, but he's moving to Cali and I've never been on a road trip. I figure, we used to build things in the middle of the night on no sleep without killing each other, we can drive in the middle of the night on no sleep without killing each other.

My plan is to knit him a washcloth for every state we go through (I have one already knit, just in case). I've written down some patterns so I don't have to lug a pattern book with me, and I have about ten balls of suitable cotton. I'm not good at keeping surprises secret, though. I get so excited. What if he says: "Who are those for?" I can't lie! I'll just change the subject.

We're off! I'll be back in October.

Process

I am not a process knitter.

In my beginning knitting class tonight, my students were asking a lot of questions about how I learned certain things. One of the students was especially frustrated with herself, even though I continued to remind her that mistakes are easily fixed. I can understand the impulse to feel so frustrated you feel stupid. My theory is that we forget how to learn HOW to do things. Almost everything we learn once we've learned to read and write builds upon something we already know. Learning something like knitting makes us feel like a kindergartener all over again. We're unsure of what to do with our hands; we can't see ahead to know what's happening; and we don't yet know how to recognize our mistakes. It is like learning to write our name: shaky, backwards letters all over the page, out of order.

I taught myself, largely through trial and error. I was building upon something I knew, though, since my aunt had taught me when I was nine or so. I didn't really remember how to knit, but the cast on and knit stitches were pretty easy to pick up. Purling was another matter. It must have taken me a year before it clicked. I tried and tried. I read as much as I could. I even asked a stranger in Joann's yarn section once. She was a continental knitter (no clue at that time) and purled differently than all the ways I'd tried. At the time, I didn't know any knitters and was living in Vermont, so my aunt in Michigan couldn't tell me. But one day I had that "Aha!" moment. It took another two years to learn that I had been twisting my purls all along (I was throwing the yarn clockwise).

Everything I've learned since then has been through trial and error and watching other people, though nobody has ever sat down and walked me through the steps of something. Sometimes the fact that I've learned this way makes it hard to describe the process of knitting to others, though I love to teach, because I just know. I also believe that knew knitters will someday just know, too.

I am always so proud of my students. It is a challenge for all of them, even the ones who pick it up as if they've been knitting for years, because they are doing something completely new to them. Most of them stick it out for the entire two-class session. Some continue, some don't. Some struggle for a while before it clicks, some just give up. But they all have made the effort, and that counts for a lot.

I started this post to talk about the progress on my sweater (not one stitch has been added to the shawl, by the way). Why I'm not a process knitter is going to have to wait.

Blogger still isn't letting me post pictures. Not happy. Not happy at all. The spirals on the hat are so good.

Slacker

I'm knitting, I swear. I'm trudging along on a sweater. It's my first attempt at designing an adult-sized garment on my own (plus reference books). It's slow going. I've also made a secret gift that I can't show or talk about here. It's nothing big, just secret.

Tonight I starched this hat. I finished the knitting a while back (during my UP trip), but I let the droopy hat sit there. I've never starched anything before, and I'm not sure about my efforts here. I'm letting it dry before I try it on again. I'll post a picture of it again, then. I guess I'll post all pictures later. Hmm, will Blogger be losing another user?

Nothing to Show

Knitting has been constant, but there's no progress to show. I was away over the long weekend visiting Jen and family. Joseph and I are pals, and it was hard to leave him. He snuggled with me after his nap, which made it even harder to leave. I'm home now, and sick-ish (Jen, I don't think it was Joseph, I think I started getting it on Saturday before I got there). I slept all afternoon, so I'm just starting knitting now. Which brings me to my topic.

I am not a lace knitter. I have two and a half repeats done on the Print o' the Waves stole. It takes so much concentration that for every row I knit, I have to rip two. I'm not the kind of knitter who just wants to knit rows and rows of stockinette--though you wouldn't believe it looking at the sweater I'm working on--but I'm finding that too much concentration and I get frustrated. I like a project that I can take anywhere. I like to stuff it in my bag and carry it around, even if I don't work on it; it's like a safety blanket. I can't do that with lace like this. I would rather have a pattern I have to look at and follow, but not one that I can so easily mess up. A 16 stitch repeat shouldn't be that hard, but I can't seem to get it. Give me cables any day.