Saturday, March 25, 2006

Angora Baby Booties

Pattern: Angora Baby Booties from Last-minute Knitted Gifts
Designer: Joelle Hoverson
Yarn: As called for in pattern, Belangor 100% angora in color Biscayne (#810). I bought it from purlsoho.com
Needles: US #5 dpn
Gauge: ??

More baby booties! These take no time at all (knit on US #5 s.) Simple pattern. Love the double knit technique she uses for the toe. I really, really want to make them in the Bouton d'Or Angora in the bright coral color as pictured on p. 37 in the book, but can't find it anywhere. Does anyone know where/if I can get it? Maybe I'll look around for an equally brilliant red in another brand of angora.

This is the first time I knit with 100% angora. It really tickles my nose, but I don't mind. Dexter cat has been trying to EAT the booties and sneakily lies down next to me just to get a little closer to the fluff. I have never seen him this determined to get yarn and (gasp) finished objects before.

I have a LYS run planned with Emily today! (Emily doesn't yet have a personal blog, but she is a dedicated blog reader who is certain to be sucked further in.) Following our LYS visit, we are going to head over to Borders on Pearl Street for a delightful knitting filled afternoon with the gals (and maybe our token man, Tom). Now, I have to decide which projects to bring to knitting.

Friday, March 24, 2006

FO: Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks

Pattern: Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks (pdf) free from Interweave Knits.
Designer: Ann Budd
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (machine washable!!) in Daffodil #204. The pattern claims that you can make 3 pairs of baby socks from every skein. Lots of colorways available through Jimmy Beans Wool
Needles: US 0
Gauge: ??

If you look at the pattern, you will see that it has quite a few variations, some with cables, lace or ruffles. I didn't do any of the patterns. Instead I did 2x2 ribbing for the leg of the sock, but I tried out a new technique, 2 circs instead of on dps! I used instructions for the 2 circ method I found on socknitters. I only used the 2 circs for the legs. After that, I did revert to the dps. I anticipate using this technique a lot for future socks and other small circular projects that require 2 (sweater sleeves, mittens).

About Shepherd Sock yarn. I love it! There are so many colors available and it is machine washable. I'm not really sure how much yarn I used. This was stash yarn. I purchased it a couple of years ago to make my sister arm warmers (that turned out fabulously). I also have another colorway called Desert Flower #100 with purples, pinks, turquoise, and browns that I am thinking about knitting up as baby socks too. I can't wait to get more, but I need to make some more socks first (self-restraint is a virtue, isn't it?)

The baby socks are for a good friend of mine who is pregnant, due at the end of the summer. I can't wait to try out more baby patterns and baby yarns! Some others patterns I'm thinking about are: Lovable Toys rabbit and elephant and Child's Placket-neck pullover from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts and Aran Pullover from Knitting For Baby. Actually, there are lots of other patterns that look like a lot of fun too.

My friend just told me she is having a boy! Should this change the way I knit for the child? I'm amazed at how gender defining even the youngest of baby garmants are. I guess I wouldn't have sent her any lacy, frilly things, even if she were having girl, but what about color choices? I don't want to knit anything that screams girl for her boy, or boy for her boy. I am going to try to be as gender neutral as possible. (This isn't just for me. I'm sure my friend wouldn't want anything too gender defining.)

Oh, I don't know if my D(soon-to-be)H knows that I am knitting these baby items for my friend's baby or if he thinks I am going crazy on him, knitting baby things for my future children (I am not pregnant, but he knows I want to have children soon.) I think I may have forgotten to say who they were for. He did say they were cute.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

March - Red and Pink


This morning, I got out my pink and red yarn and started playing. I tried different combinations next to each other, exploring the color variations. Here are some pictures:



Above is a bag full of various pink and red yarns.


My yarn for Orangina (which I have yet to start.) Mmm, Rowan 4-ply cotton.


Here is Dexter exploring some pink mohair.




For the above two picture, I was trying to lay the yarns that were most alike together, to create a spectrum.



Friday, March 17, 2006

100 thing about me

I have seen a bunch of these things on people's blogs. Today, I decided to do one myself.

One Hundred Things About Me:
1. I live with 2 cats (Portia & Dexter) and a man (Adam) in Boulder, Colorado, USA.
2. I love to travel. I have been to 16 countries and 33 US states. I plan to visit many more places.
3. I dream in color.
4. I like designing websites.
5. I am a librarian, and I love what I do. I get to work with teens.
6. I can't wait to be a mother.
7. I am right handed.
8. I pierced my nose myself when I was 16. I started wearing a nose ring again when I turned 28.
9. I love a good story.
10. I was born in Maryland.
11. I attended elementary school in Brimley in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
12. I attended Balswin High School in Pittsburgh.
13. I would like to publish a novel, but I currently don't write.
14. I am learning about houseplants and plan to cultivate window boxes this summer.
15. I burn and freckle.
16. My office / knitting room is a mess.
17. My personality type is INFP.
18. When I was growing up I wanted to be an astronaut, an archeologist, a vet, an artist, and a writer, chronologically.
19. If I had it to do over I would have majored in Neuroscience, Linguistics, or Writing.
20. I love watching Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice. They are hilarious.
21. I think I am very tolerant and find joy in people's differences.
22. Social problems baffle me.
23. I used to diagram sentences for fun.
24. I have a hard time doing even simple math in my head, but I like doing math problems if I have paper, pencil, and no one looking over my shoulder.
25. I can type approximately 55 wpm with 0 mistakes.
26. I would like to speak French fluently (or at least semi-fluently.)
27. Currently, my favorite alcoholic drink is a dirty gin martini.
28. I am learning how to dance.
29. I should drink more water.
30. I wish I could read faster.
31. Sometimes I like to go bicycling.
32. I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. I am the oldest.
33. I love english toffee.
34. I like to throw useless things away.
35. I love watching thunderstorms.
36. I am a morning person.
37. I am not religious.
38. I can see the foothills of the rocky mountains from my bedroom window.
39. When I was 20 and was living in Pittsburgh, I hopped on a greyhound bus in the middle of the night and ended up in Montreal.
40. I stayed at the youth hostel there for a week, and then took a greyhound to Santa Fe, NM where I lived for 9 months. The greyhound ride from Montreal to Santa Fe took over 50 hours.
41. While there, I worked at the Georgia O'Keeffe museum during the first and second years it was open.
42. I have gotten much better at interacting with people as I have aged.
43. I don't like finishing things, like the last little bit of milk or shampoo or sliver of soap. This drives Adam crazy.
44. I start way more books and knitting projects than I ever finish.
45. I am getting better at finishing knitting projects.
46. I drive a 2004 Nissan Sentra in a neutral metallic color.
47. I used to have pretty bad vision -3.5 and -4.5 with severe astigmatism, but I had eye surgery last month and now I can see without glasses.
48. I still look for my glasses in the morning and attempt to take them off of my face before I go to bed.
49. I was teased a lot in school. I think a lot of kids are.
50. I haven't seen my biological father since I was a very small child, but we email sporadically.
51. When I was 15, I thought I looked like a boy, so I started wearing dresses.
52. I cycle between look nice and not giving a @#$%.
53. I have fainted many times in my life. I haven't fainted in a couple of months now.
54. One time, I fainted in public because I was READING a passage describing self-mutilation.
55. I was very depressed as a teenager and tried to kill myself multiple times. I had to stay in mental hospitals.
56. I ran away from home.
57. I used lots of illegal substances.
58. I dropped out of high school.
59. I graduated from college with honors.
60. Now I have a masters degree in library and info sci with a focus on youth services.
61. I have a soft spot in my heart for teens, because I remember how hard it can be.
62. I don't regret anything.
63. I love camping.
64. I didn't develop breasts until I was in my early 20s when I gained 20#s. I thought I was a very boyish girl, but really I was just under weight.
65. Now, I am about 20#s more voluptuous than I would like to be.
66. I am not a very good speller.
67. I used to know how to program in C, C++, and Java, but it has been years and I don't think I know how to do it anymore.
68. I studied computer information systems with a minor in cognitive psychology as an undergrad. I started as a Linguistics major, changed to sociology, and finally settled on CIS because of its interdisciplinary nature.
69. I still love linguistics.
70. I have a hard time making decisions because I like so many things. Making a decision is saying NO to many options.
71. I still dream about Rowl, my kitty from childhood who lived for 20 years.
72. Cheesy songs make me cry.
73. I cry when I am happy.
74. I used to tell myself stories.
75. I still do, especially when I am doing things I don't want to do.
76. I can never remember the punch lines of jokes.
77. I don't like to dwell on the past.
78. I want to visit all the continents of the world.
79. Adam and I are visiting Honolulu, Kauai, Maui, Hilo, Christmas island, bora bora, raiatea, moorea, and tahiti for our honeymoon cruise.
80. We plan on having babies soon.
81. We have known each other since he was 17 and I was 19, but we didn't start dating until 2 years later (when I got back from Santa Fe)
82. I wish I were smarter, but I am glad I am as smart as I am.
83. I wish I were better at being thoughtful, but this is something I am working on.
84. Writing lists helps me be more productive.
85. I just started a subscription to martha stewart living because I would like to be better at organizing a household.
86. I think I will be a great mother.
87. I am good at listening when I realize someone needs someone to listen.
88. I should drink more water.
89. I love taking hot bathes with lavender oil.
90. I love taking walks in the evening.
91. I love wearing nice clothes and eating at nice restaurants.
92. My favorite meal is tuna steak done rare with a peppercorn crust; veggies maybe asparagus, onions, and mushrooms or a fresh spinach salad with goat cheese; some warm, crusty bread; and a decadent dessert.
93. I also really love oatmeal, grilled cheese sandwiches, claussen's pickles, french croissants, large vats of homemade soup, fresh fruit, yogurt, and ice cream.
94. I am an ok cook and baker, but I should really practice more often.
95. I love ethnic food too, especially anything spicy.
96. I think of myself as an intermediate knitter, but I am not afraid to try difficult patterns and techniques.
97. I am also not afraid to keep it simple.
98. I try not to dislike people based on their political or religious belief, but to look deeper into them.
99. I would like to revisit this list and perhaps revise it every year or so. Hmm, I wonder if I will.
100. I am getting married on June 3, 2006.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Project Spectrum

I found out about Project Spectrum from FiddlesticKnitting : The idea is, each month you explore a different color. For March, it is red / pink. For my part, I have this totally covered. I carry a red pocketbook, wear red shoes, have both pink and red sunglasses. I haven't knit anything in red or pink for a while, although I do have an ample supply of both colors in my stash. I may carry over red / pink to April for orange as I have Rowan 4-ply cotton in a lovely warm pinky corally color that I am dying to turn into Stefanie Japel's Orangina (pattern for sale).

As for more red / pink exploration, I have a number of projects lined up. I'd love to do them now, but I am already going to have to speed to make it to work on time.
1. Take lovely pictures of all of the red and pink yarn in my stash, or at least some of it.
2. I've been meaning to crochet a lovely cloche which should be quick, if I can remember how to crochet
3. I'll buy myself some lovely flowers in red or pink.

No matter what, do not wear red or pink on St. Patty's day. I for one will be wearing the green on the 17th!

Ok, now I'm going to have to teleport to work (with my hair still wet) to get there on time.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Book Meme

Meme instructions: Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you might read, cross out the ones you won't, underline the ones on your book shelf, and place parentheses around the ones you've never even heard of.


The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
(The Secret History - Donna Tartt)
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
(Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell)
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Atonement - Ian McEwan
(The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Dune - Frank Herbert

Some of the books I said I read, I actually listened to on audiobook, and some of the books I say are on my bookshelf are actually on my virtual bookshelf, downloaded from audible.com.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Hats

CABLE HAT
YARN: Bunny and Classic Elite Inca Alpaca in similar blues held together.
NEEDLES: US 9 Addi Naturas (First time I used them, delightful!)
NOTES: Three cables come up from 2 1/2 inches of 2x2 ribbing. In the body I purled in between the cables. The only thing I would change are the decreases. There are some small puckers where I started my decreases. I'll have to play around with that.

PIXIE HAT

YARN: same as above.
NEEDLES: US 9 addi naturas
NOTES: I originally knit this hat for Adam, but it doesn't fit him. However, it does fit me and the cable hat fits him. So now, Adam and I can walk around in matching handknit hats looking like the nerds that we are!

Finished Cardigan!!!


Here it finally is, my cardigan!

CARDIGAN
PATTERN:
Knitting Pure & Simple Neckdown V Neck Shaped Cardigan #241
YARN: Cascade 220
NEEDLES: US 7 24" addi turbos, US 6 24" addi turbos (to further define waistline), US 7 16" for sleeves.
NOTE: Instead of having a tie, I decided to go with a toggle. I'm very happy with the way the whole thing turned out. And it even fits!

TOP: the whole thing.
BOTTOM 1: Some detail of the toggle and neckline.
BOTTOM RED: This is what happens when I cover the flash with my finger!





Friday, March 03, 2006

Handspun pour moi!

My dear friend, Kate, took a series of spinning classes this past month. She surprised me this past Wednesday (yay Wednesdays!!!) with this fine specimen of her work. She also dyed it pink so I can use it to knit my flowers. Thanks Kate. What a great surprise!
ABOVE: Kate's Handspun with Dexter, my fiber and needle loving kitty, who is keeping an eye on it.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

How did you learn to knit???

WHO?: My babysitter taught me to crochet. My mother taught me to knit. I don't think either of them got very far with me. I remember my mom showing me how to cast on any number of times. Since then, I have learned a variety of techniques from books and classes. The books I have found most useful for extending my repertoire of techniques have been Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'n Bitch and Nancie Wiseman's Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques. As for classes, I have taken Sock Knitting, Yarn Characteristics, Gauge, and Knitting 2 at Shuttles here in Boulder. I've been very happy with the quality of instruction and general knitting know-how of the instructors at Shuttles

WHEN?: I first started to learn how to knit when I was 7 or 8 years old. I crocheted quite a bit more, actually, because for crochet, all I had to remember was the slip knot. For some reason, casting on was very intimidating to me. When I was in high school, I crocheted an afghan, when I wasn't being a juvenile delinquent. While living in Santa Fe, NM, at the age of 20, I crocheted my second afghan. And I crocheted a third afghan while in grad school, but it has since been destroyed. As for knitting, I got back into knitting about 4 years ago. For the most part, I retaught myself from the above mentioned books, online tutorials, and through frantic calls to mom.

WHY?: My mom and babysitter first taught me to knit to give me something to do; keep me out of trouble. I continue to knit for those same reasons. There are so many ways to spend time and sometimes I feel like I never accomplish anything. With knitting, I have something tangible that shows my accomplishments. I see myself improving with practice and advice from other knitters. Knitting has also given me a great group of friends who are always up for driving for miles to see some alpacas or visit yonder yarn stores. Knitting also makes me feel contected to the past. I am grateful to my babysitter and my mother for passing down their craft.

So, how did you learn to knit?