prettyknitting

Resolutions

As 2008 draws to a close, the inevitable cycle of reflecting upon the year and making resolutions for the upcoming year begins. No year in recent memory has been quite this exciting or worrysome and no other time has felt so full of promise as right now.

For me 2008 was a big year, although knitting and blogging-wise it was not the most productive. On the other hand, I did have a baby, worked two jobs, traveled, and managed not to lose it completely in the process, which I think it's pretty good all considering, even if my knitting output suffered.

On the knitting front nothing has been more significant in 2008 than the advent and widespread use of the wonder that is Ravelry. For years DH and I had thought about ways to build a decent yarn and project database for personal use, but we never even came close to the community-based multi-feature awesomeness that Ravelry has created. Never again will knitters have to suffer the indignity of having to knit a sweater based on a single paltry picture on a knitting book. Thanks to Ravelry, knitters can benefit from the experience of others and learn, before casting on, that certain all-over lacy patterns paired with certain necklines look very unfortunate on certain curvier, bustier ladies (Memories of Ukraine, anyone?). We can easily find out what yarn subsitutions others used, what modifications were successfully and unsuccessfully attempted. Ravelry has also provided a platform for keeping us honest. We can log our stashes, our knitting book libraries, our FOs, and UFOs, our queues and hopes and dreams.

My plan for 2009 Ravelry-wise is to utilize it even efficiently, with no project too big or too small to catalog (if it's on the needles, it should have be on Ravelry) and no pattern deviation too obvious to fail to mention (at the rate at which I put projects down, it's important to note anything and everything because chances are, I won't remember it when I pick it back up again). Also I have several design sketches waiting on the wings, and I am inspired by the lovely Longwool who saw something she liked in a movie, designed a sweater based on it, and knit it up to wonderful results. Kudos!

So, here are my resolutions, knitting related and otherwise:
1. No more cashmere, garments or yarn. After reading so much about how much of the world's cashmere comes from China, and how Chinese cashmere goats are destroying the landscape to such an extent that the dust and pollution are travelling all the way to California I just can't bring myself to buy cashmere stuff anymore. Technically, exceptions should be able to be made if such cashmere products of confirmed non-Chinese provenance could be found (such as handspun yarns from local farms), however that would violate resolution #2.
2. Yarn diet, thou shalt log all of thy stash in Ravelry and knit 365 days from yarn contained in said stash and nothing else. Heck, 365 days could easily be spent just managing UFOs. Plus maybe the yarn constraints (such as they are) will perhaps force me to be more creative, perhaps even put to paper some of the many ideas I've been playing with for so long.
3. No more paper cups. In 2008 we committed as a family to reducing our use of plastic shopping bags as much as possible. To that end, DH and I carried little foldable nylon bags everywhere and used them wherever we shopped: at the grocery store, at the bookstore, at the pharmacy, at the mall. Not all outlets were as cooperative as we hoped, some places started packaging our purchases in plastic bags before we had a chance to tell them we brought a bag with us and when we told them we didn't need a bag they would remove the stuff from the plastic bag, let us put it in our reusable bags but then (gasp!) they would throw the plastic bag they were going to give us in the trash instead of using it for the next customer. Yikes. Overall, though, we calculated we saved over 500 bags, and if we keep this up (which we fully intend to) we could save many thousands of bags over our lifetimes. Well, in 2009 we are committing to not using any more paper cups. We will carry our thermal mugs with us and if we don't have it, we will either order coffee in a regular mug "for here" or not have the coffee at all (ecological AND economical).

So, in sum, Happy New Year, may 2009 fullfill its warm and woolly promise in every way!

Better Late Than Never

Although more than a month overdue, my second Lady Sweater is finished and I absolutely love it. It fits great, the colors are awesome (although the second sleeve does not match the first) and I have a whole skein to spare. The color does not seem to bleed on my clothes, but it did bleed a lot on my needles and fingers so I should probably wash and block again. I am contemplating whether to add a pewter clasp closure or whether to just keep it as is.

Olympic Failure

Much like the US Men's and Women's relay race teams, I too have dropped the proverbial baton and failed to finish my Olympic event. I am referring, of course, to the wildly popular Ravelympics, in which I entered my second attempt at the February Lady Sweater for the SweaterSprint event. I'd love to say that events beyond my control hindered my speedy progress, but it was really a combination of things that I knew would happen and should have taken into account when selecting a project (ie. out-of-town guests, trip to a friend's wedding, fussy baby, secret knitting,etc). With all of that said, the project is at a respectable 55% completion and it's still interesting and fun enough that I anticipate full completion before too long.

My previous February Lady attempt was a complete success despite the unusual yarn choice (Sugar and Cream Confectionary Colors). My mom loved it and is keeping it, and the price tag couldn't have been more reasonable (under $15).

 

For the second take I went with the Dream in Color Classy (Ravelry's most popular yarn for this project) and I love everything about this yarn except the fact that it has been staining my needles and fingers every time I pick it up. Small price to pay for the rich color variations and luscious springy machine washable yarn goodness. I guess I'll just have to rinse it extra well to make sure it doesn't bleed onto my clothes when I do wear it.

 

Babies are bad for business

So baby Liam has been here for 7 weeks now and both the knitting and the blogging have been suffering dearly. Some good knitting and finishing was accomplished before the birth, but not too much since.

The aforementioned Moderne Baby Blanket was finished and mailed in time for the birth of Liam's baby friend Ella, and the parents report she has been enjoying its cottony-goodness. (Unfortulately the blanket is inside out in this picture, which means I need to do a better job of weaving in those pesky ends next time).

Also finished thanks to my DMIL, is my second attempt at the Wild Stripes Blanket, this time in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, as opposed to the original yarn specified by the pattern. I am super happy with the colors and the weight of the blanket and ever happier that someone else did the sewing. I would definitely consider knitting another one of these puppies, but not anywhere in the near future.

On the needles currently are my wonderful silky Clapotis shawl, and there is no earthly reason why this project has been on the needles for this long. These days though, it is rare for me to get more than 2 or 3 rows per sitting. I also got started on the back-zip baby jacket from Fiber Trends in Cotton Comfort, which I think will be really nice for the fall and early winter. It's a nice portable project which has been stowed in the diaper bag so I can get a couple of rows in whenever I get a second.

I am secretly glad I didn't finish up the other baby projects I had started because Liam ended up being significantly bigger than the average baby and is already wearing 6 month-sized baby clothes, so any itty-bitty cutie baby things would have likely only fit for a split second, if at all. And here is some unadulterated baby goodness for your viewing enjoyment:

Slow progress

With less than 2.5 weeks to go on this pregnancy you'd think I would have had all of the relevant baby knitting finished and washed and just waiting for the peanut. But you'd be wrong. I am currently simultaneously working on at least a dozen baby projects with no end in sight. I can't list them all because a few are secret, but here is the basic breakdown:

1. Baby Wild Stripes 2 from Knitty.com 80%
2. Naturally Nice Sweater in Cotton Ease 80%
3. Peapod Baby set from Interweave Knits 15%
4. Baby Bell Bottoms from blue blog 10%
5. Moon and Stars Blanket from Nursery Knits 70%
6. Baby Surprise Jacket in TyDye 30%

I also have a few projects going for myself including a Clapotis that I found half knitted in a closet, and an original design that I am hoping to get done before the next Knitty.com submission deadline. When not knitting I have been spending a lot of time on Ravelry where instead of just cataloging my projects and stash as I had originally planned, I keep finding more stuff I want to make and that has led to a couple of ill-advised late night cast-ons in between some nasty Braxton-Hicks. I guess I better get back to stitching since I may not have that much time left. :)

Somebody stop me!

Christmas is finally come and gone, and I have to admit I made out like a bandit. I got a beautiful organic cotton sweater from my MIL and a hand-dyed merino and bamboo Mommy Snug from Aunt Jan. Meanwhile, baby boy's Wild Stripes blanket is at a stunning 98% completion status (knitting status, that is), and a Cotton Ease cardigan at around 75%.

Here's the problem: when I found out I was having a boy I promptly abandoned the Alphabet Blanket (it being pink and all) and moved on to more boy-friendly projects. The Wild Stripes blanket has always been a favorite of mine, and it was a surprisingly quit knit given its relatively small gauge. The color changes kept it interesting, although I only wove in half the ends as I went, so going back in for all of those dangling strands will probably not be quite as fun. But since the blanket will have a back, it doesn't have to too neat, just woven enough so it won't unravel. So now that this is done, I should move on to another project. But I feel strangely compelled to knit another Wild Stripes. I also need to finish the Moderne Blanket, which is now earmarked for a friend's girl baby due in May, since it is not really a boyish color scheme.

In addition, the first Wild Stripes blanket has a lot of leftover yarn, so I am hoping to whip up a family of Sheldons in various colors to go with the blanket, and maybe a couple of hats and booties. My only concern about the current blanket is that I knit it in Merino Style as specified in the pattern, but it is not machine washable. I have read that people have machine washed it in the cold gentle cycle with only minimal gauge change, but I am still skeptical as to its ability to hold up to long term baby abuse. I am considering future Wild Stripes in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, Knit Picks Shine Sport, Plymouth Encore or some other such machine washable and dryable fare.

Also in the works, 60% completed, a Moon and Stars Blanket, from Zoe Mellor's Nursery Knits. I am using Lion Brand Cotton Ease in the color violet, which is a really nice night sky color and I decided to duplicate stitch the moon and stars instead of trying to do intarsia, which I don't really enjoy. So despite my total lameness as a blogger, knitting has been getting done.

Z is for zounds! S is for S*!# didn't anyone check this chart?

A full row of letters has been completed on the alphabet blanket and another one is halfway done, and so far there have been a couple of mistakes. The first one on row 11, as previously mentioned, and the second one on the second right side row of the S. I guess the key to anticipating and preventing these mistakes is to count the number of yarn overs and the number of decreases in each row. If they don't add up, there is a mistake. The problem is, you may be many rows ahead before you know something was not right. At that point, it is much harder to pinpoint the mistake, so you'll have to fudge. Hopefully, now that I am armed with this life-altering (and pattern-saving) knowledge, I will prevail.

Other than knitting the blanket, not much else is going on. I am in full countdown mode for the sheep and wool festival (Oct 20, baby!), and in the meantime trying to survive the nausea and exhaustion-fest that is the miracle of early pregnancy. Everyone tells me that the second trimester brings a burst of energy that helps you get your house ready for the baby. Well, I am definitely looking forward to that, and so is my craft room (currently operating as a crap-storage room).

Going for broke

Since clearly I had not settled on any projects, and the Moderne blanket was already mostly done (at least the fun part anyway), I found myself one evening casting on for yet another project. Not just any other project, but one of the most ambitious baby blankets to date: the Debbie Bliss alphabet blanket. It's utterly adorable, and at a whopping 6.5 sts/inch, it does not go all that quickly.
I am using Sirdar Breeze DK, which I love, and which I guess has been discontinued (got it on sale at my local LYS). Also discontinued: the pattern corrections which according to many archived forums Debbie Bliss had at some point posted on her website. I did notice that something happened on row 11 that didn't add up, but given the massive size of the blanket and the tiny size of the stitches, I figured I'd fudge it on my way up somehow. The baby probably won't care.

As for a maternity sweater for me, Aunt Jan agreed to think about it, and my DMIL (darling mother-in-law) has offered to knit one herself, out of the blue. Score! Two sweaters. I am actually thinking about having Aunt Jan knit a cool striped hoodie from Erika Knight's "Knitting for Two" (left), and maybe have my DMIL knit either the "Mommy Snug" (right) or this cute organic cotton matching "Mommy and Baby" sweater set I saw at Yarn Forward. I think she'd enjoy that. I am considering knitting the lacy Debbie Bliss silk alpaca cardi myself, but we'll just have to see.

Knitting ADD

So, progress has been made on some of the aforementioned UFO's but not much. Turns out, as I was ransacking my stash for necessary skeins to complete said projects, I happened upon - you guessed it - MORE projects. Specifically, though, a nice half-completed Moderne blanket (of Mason-Dixon Knitting fame) and it was just the kind of project I needed to get through the nausea and knit in front of the TV. It is nice Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (my favorite!), in the pleasant and mellow "cream-periwinkle-babyblue-chartreuse" combination.

While knitting the blanket, though, I have been giving more thought to the pregnancy sweater issue. I have been granted a sneak preview of Glampyre Knits' newest pattern "petal", another maternity sweater. I kinda offered to be a test knitter (perhaps not the wisest move given my propensity to alter patterns on the fly and not even make notes about it), so I should probably do that before I do anything else. The thing is, though, given the weather situation vis-a-vis time when I will be showing, the Petal sweater is not ideal. The Debbie Bliss cardigan or IK's "Mommy Snug" are better overall choices. So I have enlisted the help of the brilliant, the intrepid Aunt Jan, the world's fastest knitter. If anyone can get my belly covered in hand-knitted goodness before the first snowflake hits the ground, Aunt Jan can! I gave her a choice between Debbie Bliss and IK, so let's keep our fingers crossed that she is up for the challenge and does not choose "neither." I know it's weird to ask other people to knit for you what you could knit for yourself, but given my track record knitting stuff for myself, this is definitely my best shot at wearing a hand-knitted maternity sweater before my second child (bear in mind I am expecting my first) graduates from college.

Back in business

... with more UFOs than ever! A sample list (and this is just the stuff that comes to mind):
-Halfobi by Ivete, knitted in Inca Cotton, pattern modified by knitting it seamlessly in the round. 66% completed.
-Top Down Baby Sweater pattern by Lion Brand, knitted in Cotton Ease, no modifications (at least none that I intended). May have gotten lax on the measurements. 70% completed (needs sleeves)
-Iris Sweater by Natural knitted, knit in wonderful Euroflax linen. Why God why did I not realize that this pattern would never, under any circumstances, flatter my figure? 66% completed (needs sleeves)
-Sitcom Sweater pattern by Knitty, knit in KidSilk Haze and Summer Tweed. No modifications.
-Must Have Cardigan pattern by . Knit in Patons Classic Merino. 30% completed (back only). Should probably go ahead and knit both fronts together to make sure any impromptu modifications get faithfully reproduced on both sides.
-Shawl, lovely blue Malabrigo lace. About 10% done. Third project attempt on this yarn.
-Vest for my dad. Mostly merino. 50% done (needs back)
-Sheep baby blanket pattern by Vogue on the Go Baby Blankets 2. Knit in Goa. No modifications. 20% done. Meant for a friend's baby, never delivered. He's 18 months now.
-Striped baby set by Morehouse Merino. Very cute. Colors a bit baby-girlish, I started it when 2 sets of friends were pregnant but they both ended up having baby boys. Put project aside, never picked it back up.
-Viking Coat by Lavold's Viking Knits. 70% done. Needs one sleeve, a hood, and tons of finishing. Knit in Lopi.
-Not So Shrunken Cardi pattern by Knit and Tonic. Knit in Silky Wool. 60% done, needs sleeves. (doesn't everything?)
Again, just the short list. Stuff that immediately comes to mind.

Of course there are tons of projects waiting in the wings, ready to take flight.
The Knitty Wild Stripes Blanket is high on my list. I have the yarn and LOVE the way it looks.
The Elizabeth Zimmerman best baby sweater. It hardly counts, though.
I promised my DH a roll neck raglan sweater ages ago. Yarn was purchased at the Sheep and Wool festival circa 2005.
A Debbie Bliss baby doll style cardigan that seems pregnancy friendly
Interweave Knits awesome maternity sweater by Kate Gilbert
A lacy airy nursing poncho - maybe harvested Euroflax linen from unflattering sweater