Revolt of the Self Striping Yarn

I had a little trouble following the heel instructions from the tostetoes site, and decided to try Wendy's short row heel. After frogging it once, it started to make sense and I ended up with what looks like another toe. So I confidently knit up the other heel only to find, "the horror, the horror" the Forstissima self striping yarn which so perfectly matched decided to go off on it's own and make a red and yellow heel.

Yikes! I'll have to sleep on that one!

Knitting Needle Case

The decluttering has resulted in my targeted areas looking more cluttered. I suspect that things have to look worse before they get better. One thing always leads to another and I took a break to make a needle carrier, as I had become obsessed with one while sorting my patterns and remembering fondly the project called the Traveling Quilter, a pattern by Patricia B. Campbell, put out by the Heart and Home Pattern Company. (I'm not sure they are in business anymore). This lead me to look for some Hobbs Thermore and to The Calico Cat. Scroll down on the page to read a little about Carol Kuniyoshi. She is always so gracious and helpful. She shared with me that she used to work at the Liberty House in Ala Moana back when they sold yarn. In my early knitting days I used to love to hang out at the vast and probably only yarn store in Honolulu, the downtown Liberty House. This is my first needle carrier and I made it for my double pointed needles. I discovered that I have at least 3 sets of number 5 and some other duplicates. I want to make one for the circular needles, but I'm still thinking about how that one will look. Who knows maybe I'll make a traveling one, too, although I usually use my Traveling Quilter for that.


I have gotten stuck on the two socks on the circular needle. I'm at the part called "shaping the heel". Somehow I can't visualize it. I'll just have to think on it for awhile, but the stripes are coming out pretty cool.

Gratuitous Pet Picture

Tweedy came out today, old man that he is. He was such a great flyer and singer in his younger days. He still gets a kick out of hopping around and flies about a bit, although I'm not sure he can see where he is going. Here is he is posing by the Japanese fishing float.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Laa, Laa-laa's cousin from Hawaii is showing off my current project, knitting two socks at once on the 40" Addi turbos. Laa is a past project of mine, shamelessly put up here for lack of new finished projects to show. I knit Laa from (gasp) Red Heart and was short finishing up the curly-Q on top of her head.

This current project, every so small yet, is one of many firsts for me. After realizing that I only ordered one skein of the camoflague Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock yarn from Knit Happens even though it clearly states I need two, I decided to go with the Fortissimi colori socka.
While ordering another skein of that Lorna's Laces, some how, I also ordered black Cascade 220 and color 305 Koigu KPPPM. Funny how that happens!

The Addi turbos, size one, are really great, but oh so tiny and it took me forever to have any stripes.

The pattern I am using is, Knitting Basic Toe-Up Socks Using the "Magic Loop" Circular Method, Two Socks on One Cirular, with support from Purlwise for the figure 8 cast on.

Now while this is not a great feat like keohinani's sock within a sock, it's plenty challenging for myopic me!

The sock pattern is all stockinette since the self striping yarn is the real star, but after only 3 stripes I'm flirting with other patterns.



I eliminated the step about tightening up the cast on stitches and. I kind of like the ridge, but having never done this before I wonder if it will matter. Also, I started with a slip knot in an effort to start the yarn at the same place, but I think it can be undone if I need to attempt to tighten up the cast on row later.

My other thoughts on the one long circular needle technique is whether or not the needle/cable join will take a beating and break soon.
I have new respect for veteran sock knitter's like candsmon and january one who whip through that sock yarn and tiny needles with such speed!

No cooking for me today as I am taking the family out to celebrate my mom's birthday. So... time to blog and comtemplate all that I have to be thankful for...great country, great food, great friends, great family, great yarns, and great music, just to name a few (in no particular order)

Lush Cardigan

I graduated high school in a class of 607 students. The great thing about graduation is that when the diploma is given and the tassel passed over the cap, it is over. It is time to move on to bigger and better things. I can't say I really enjoyed high school. Perhaps it is because I experienced and ended my first "true love" in high school. Perhaps it was because I felt awkward and self conscious about who I was and where I was going. For me, the most memorable thing about graduation was Yvonne Elliman singing the Janis Ian song, "Society's Child".

The thing I'll remember most about the Lush Cardigan, is that I loved yarn, the way it felt so soft and warm, the color, the way it knit, the smell, and the cool way it fluffed up when "fulled". I suspect I might be allergic to angora, as my allergies took a slight turn for the worse, but then again it could just be the weather.

It still needs closure. I have some possibilites, but for now I think I'll put it away with the high school memories, at least until my sister comes to try it on. I am toying with the idea of some sort of clippy thingy, like the chains people put on their beepers. I have also toyed with some wonderful lampwork buttons made my the the talented Karen at Bella Beads

Sushi

Well I hate to give candsmon more quilt but some mommy's make Cute Bento for their children's school lunches. But maybe she is blessed with children like mine, with more simple tastes. I was able to get away with peanut butter and jelly and, cold cuts and cheese (no mayo) for years. I actually attemped more healthy lunches, but they wouldn't eat them. They are cheese/meat/carb kind of people, just like their dad. I once had a major argument with my oldest about tofu, and I am still haunted by the experience.

BTW, a bento is a prepacked lunch. The Japanese have turned it into an art form, and even have special boxes for them. Sushi is a generic rice "sandwich" that is now made with all kinds of additives and shapes, including raw fish (sashimi) and spam (yikes!) and traditional vegies like pickled radish, shiso, and gourd. Ideally the lunches do not contain items that spoil easily as the bento may not be refrigerated for a while, but since California invented the California roll, refrigeration is more common.

I hope my first skein of Lorna's Laces comes in the mail soon with my long Addi turbos. I want to try the magic loop technique for my next project. I am stalking the mailperson, but so far no luck :(

I am contemplating a closure for the Lush sweater. It looks very nice, but I am not sure it will fit my sister. The fulling made it all a little more solid and this yarn is very, very warm!

Clutter Treasure

I had a great anticlutter weekend. I threw out the partially disintegrated Weber grill and the despised recliner in icky brown. I was surprised to find that someone wanted the Weber Grill as it had been collected before the Bulky Item pickup. I also went through "The Closet". I packaged up the old cookbooks I'll never use and threw away all those used vhs tapes. Just threw them away just like that. The videos, mostly exercise, I have in a box for the next pickup by Savers or whoever calls first.

I started looking at my craft books and magazines and stopped at "The Official Knit-A-Dress-A-Day Knitting Book" by Joan Rattner, Women's Editor, This Week Magazine, 1968.

The knitting is done on Reynold's Jumbo Jets-a needle with a 3 inch circumfirence. There are some for sale on Ebay.



I was thinking I don't need this book, but there is something that made me pay a $.95 for it (original price was a dollar) and I think I'll have to keep it awhile longer as it just makes me smile. It doesn't really take up much room.

Maybe I'll find some Reynold's Jumbo Jets at the swap meet or a thrift store. Who knows?

Lush Moments

The instructions in this pattern say to full the pieces slightly by washing then drying the parts for 5-10 minutes on low heat. It doesn't say whether to weave in the ends first. It doesn't say what temperature water should be, or what kind of soap to use. I have never felted anything but I was encouraged by the 50% angora content of this yarn (I hope no bunnies were injured in the production)to go for it since angora does not felt, and just pray I didn't end up with a munchkin size sweater or the lint ball that ate Puunui.

Here the pieces are all laid out. I spied the error in sleeve number two, after the fulling process. I decided I would have to leave it. I just hope everything dries in this humid time of year. I'm beginning to dread the collar/neckline.

Knowing me, I'll be pointing out that error to everyone. So there it is! Right out in public.

The Ball of Yarn that Never Dies

While pondering the skimpy notes on how to "full" lightly the Lush Cardigan parts, I knit up the other bootie and a tiny hat with the yarn left over from Gone with Wind, formerly of Socktober fame. Here they are unblocked and posed for keohinani to animate them into a witty cartoon.

As I was in a vintage horror mode until the TV went goofy, and the fact that I still have yarn left made me feel as if this ball of yarn will never die! I'll try not to subject anyone who reads this blog to another project made from this yarn.

Multidirectional Scarf, FO

The Multidirectional Scarf using two skeins of Noro Silk Garden is complete. It was a fun quick knit. The picture is a little fuzzy, but I can see I can block it a little more.

Wish the Lush sleeves were going faster. I think it would be better if sleeves were knit from the top down, then they would go faster instead of slower.

And look what the postman brought. I had these on my wish list and apparently one dark night I ordered them in my sleep. That's the only explanation I can think of for them to show up at my front door.


On my short list of things to do (other then get up and go to work) I will put eyes and claws on the blue Totoro, and I will finish Lush Cardigan before my sister comes next month! And I hope to make some jewelry for gifts. I am also trying acupunture to balance my yin and yang. While I am not sure I entirely believe in these principles, it helped me before so I'm trying it again. Apparently I have too much yang, which is common in menopause.

And, if there is any time left, maybe I'll send a few Christmas cards for a change. I used to start at the beginning of the address book one year and the end of the book the following year so at least some people got cards every other year. Then when the kids where little, I made Holiday cards with their pictures, because of course they were the cutest kids ever! Now it's a real challenge to get them to pose for a picture and not act goofy, so it's actually been a couple years since I even tried to send cards. I admire people like my mom, who have a system and never fail to send cards. I guess email Christmas cards aren't universally accepted yet.

Fringe benefits

Multidirectional scarf is done. I have more then just a small amount of yarn left, so I'm contemplating a fringe. After that I just need to block it. Its a little short, but I love the colors.

Aaah, Diversions

It comes as no surprise to me anymore how I can wile away the minutes (okay, hours) surfing the Net. Here are some new places I went to today and there is so much amazing creativity, and insight out there.

craftholic
Knitting Escapism
craftholic
split yarn
Big Girl Feet
street and YOs
Warning, x-rated
KnittingHelp.com

I have my two Lush sleeves 1/3 done, and have started the Multidirectional Scarf in Noro Silk Garden. I just love the way the colors show up. There are a bunch of pictures of the scarf on the split yarn site.

After watching the video on the Magic Loop technique feel an impulse to buy really long Addi Turbos. My only salvation is that Isle Knits is closed on Sunday.

Shopping Day

I could feel the shopping urge building and today all it took was my son needing fishfood to send me on my merry way. In reality it was a series of events that pushed me over the edge. I dropped my Shiseido compact and it cracked, so although I rarely put on the warpaint, I wanted to hit Shirokiya for another. I also didn't like the way that particular powder made my face red in photos. And, of course I had to buy fishfood. I am also on a quest to find a Panasonic EV-2510 Rolling Massager for my mom for her birthday.

Then there is the creative doldrums. I knit up the cute baby hat using that pink acrylic stuff and it is now going to have to be a toilet paper roll cover. I've cast on both sleeves for the Lush cardigan but don't feel like working on it. I made one blue Totoro, but he is still earless and armless. I also have to get away from all the left over Halloween candy!

And, the new Barnes and Nobles store opened at Ala Moana shopping center. I walked pass it on the way to the pet store. As far as I can tell they didn't have any knitting calendars, but I did pick up 3 knitting related items and two books.
Fall 2005 Knit It!
Socks.Socks.Socks. edited by Elaine Rowley
A gathering of LACE gathered by Meg Swansen
Everday Sacred, A Woman's Journey Home by Sue Bender
Zen and the Art of Needlecraft by Sandra Detrixhe

Yarn and Friends is right on the way home, so I stopped in. I got size 5 bamboo double pointed needles, and 3 skeins of Noro Silk Garden. One color 8 to match the lonely skein I had left over from Clapotis. They had the 2006 Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar, too.

It doesn't take much does it. I really need to re-read Everyday Sacred. Instead of emptying my bowl I keep filling it up!

Halloween 2005

A little late, but there it is in all it's glory.