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Monday, November 07, 2005
In DenialI'm rapidly getting to the point in the semester when the amount of work I should be doing increases exponentially. I am still firmly in denial, however, and continue to say things like "I'll study over Thanksgiving." I'm going to be VERY unhappy in a couple of weeks, but it'll be entirely my own fault, so in the meantime, I'm going to knit.So, once again (ah, the advantages of updating so rarely) I have FOs to show off - but the most exciting one isn't even mine!!! Presenting S's mittens:  First knitted project - in the round on DPNs, with increases, decreases, ribbing, and even an impromptu color-change when we ran out of the brown! These look GREAT, and my help was minimal - demonstrations, explanations, the occasional fix-a-mistake, and things like picking up stitches for the thumb. But at least 99% of it was S - what a great first project! He's thinking of moving on to socks next... But not to be outdone, I finished some mittens too - I just left off the tops. These are destined for Grandma, since she complains that her hands get a bit chilly when she's reading or watching TV or whatever... so hopefully these'll fit and keep her toasty. They're a variation on the fingerless mitts I made myself last year.  Grandma's Fingerless Mitts Pattern: my own Yarn: artyarns supermerino, color 109 Notes: these will always be the "supreme court" mittens in my mind - I knit most of the first mitten listening to Justice Ginsberg speak on the legacy of the Rehnquist court, and I finished the second while listening to a panel speak about the Alito nomination. Other than that? A really basic pattern and a really quick knit. :) But I'll see your mittens, and raise you a sweater!!!  Green Stripey Sweater Pattern: my own, using the top-down raglan generator (stripe pattern from Knitty's felted messenger bag!) Yarn: cascade 220, 5 skeins total because of the striping, but with plenty leftover of each color! Notes: I LOVED making this sweater, even though I had to rip out the body once (waist shaping miscalculation) and rip out the almost-finished sleeve once (sleeve decrease miscalculation). Since this was my first top-down experience, I didn't make many mods to the pattern - but for my next effort, I'm definitely adding in a scoop neck so the front doesn't ride up. Oh, and thank goodness that Cascade 220 felts, because with all those stripes and the multiple rips, I spit spliced plenty! And how much did I love making this sweater? Enough so that I (almost) immediately cast on for another version:  As you can see, I did neck shaping on this one. I used provisional cast-ons for all the neck edges since I'm not sure what type of neckline I want at this point, and, as the Irregulars know, I'm NOT a fan of "pick up and knit." I figure once the sweater is more "established," I'll bring it to the committee and get suggestions for the neckline. The yarn is the AMAZING brook's farm Four Play from MDS&W...  I have an idea for the overall design of the sweater, but I need to see if it'll play out as I imagine. But I'm VERY excited to be finally knitting something out of my MDS&W yarn - I was seriously facing attending next year's festival without having knit ANY of my yarn from last year's shopping spree. Not, of course, that having more projects in stash than I can possibly knit in the next, oh, few YEARS stopped me from buying something new - but it honestly wasn't my fault. I was working at the shop when the books came in from the publishers - I figured it was fate, so I bought mine before we even bothered to put a price sticker on it.  But a new sock knitting book means a new pair of socks on the needles, right?  Sorry for the blurry pic - that's some Koigu KPPPM, size 1 needles, and a very modified "gentleman's sock" from Knitting Vintage Socks. These will be for me, because I'm essentially done with my holiday knitting - I decided what I wanted to knit for various people, knit the projects, and refuse to feel guilty for cutting the gift-knitting off, and knitting for myself. Although I do still have to finish Dad's vest and felt a messenger bag... but hey, it's only November, right? But speaking of new projects (COUGH COUGH), I have to bust Holly - first, she was just going to wind the Koigu KPPPM into a ball. then, she was just going to admire how pretty it was. then, she was just going to "check" and see if she had any free size 7 needles. then, she was just going to "check" and see if she remembered the pattern for Clapotis. "Oops! Did I just cast on?"  Don't worry, Holly - Abby's right with you. Although she may not knit, she is totally in favor of exploring and trying new things... 
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