YARN PORN

I am updating (and adding) pictures to Ravelry, so I figured I'd put some pictures up here too. Enjoy.




Patons Kroy Socks, 3 balls from Hobby Lobby. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them.



2 skeins (rolled into 1 ball) came in the kit for some lace scarf.. Anyway, the yarn is Naturally Atlante.



This was originally for Onerva, but I changed my mind. Now I have a single skein of Malabrigo Sock in Solis and I have no idea what to do with it.



Yarn for the vest kit my mom gave me for Christmas. It sure is puuuuuuurty.



Cascade Sock (2 skeins) being knit into Onerva. (Bottom picture is more true to color.)


This is the yarn for the Undulating Waves Scarf kit my mom gave me. It's pima cotton, but she lost the label/tag thing and I don't know the brand or dyelot or anything.



I skein of Berocco Peruvia in... some very pretty teal colorway I can't remember to save my life. It's more green, but my camera doesn't really care what I think.



3 skeins of Silky Wool in Viridian. I think I'll go back to A Good Yarn on Thursday and see if they have any more in this colorway.


1 giant (950 yards, that's what I'm talking about) skein of Madelinetosh Lace in Kelp from The Backwards Loop, they wound it for me for $1 (it's $1 for lace & fingering & sock[I think], but anything heavier is only 50 cents). The top picture is more true in color.

Hrm.

Today is the day of returning Christmas presents and using that money to buy something you'd actually use (or want). I returned $55 of stuff and then went to my LYS, A Good Yarn. I toddled around for a while and came up with e skeins of Silky Wool in Viridian (it's this light teal with just a hint of seafoam green tints), the big monstrous bottle of Euclan, and the mile-long circular needle for the blanket.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Blanket? Who's knitting a blanket?


Yes, that would be me. I decided to save all of my leftover yarn and just tie the ends together and knit and knit until it was big enough and have a multi-colored blanket of some sort. I figured that it'll take forever to knit and it will tell a very lovely story and it will give reason to my hoarding of all of my "yarn scraps". (Or maybe I'll just cast on a million stitches, knit for about 6" and call it a scarf. You never know.)


I went to see The Princess and The Frog today. While it had extremely creepy parts, (it's voodoo, what about voodoo isn't creepy) it was cuuuuuuuuuuute. I liked the southern belle, she was funny. I miss Louisiana :(

Guess who doesn't know a thing about photographing yarn...

Christmas is a very nice day.

My mother, being the beautiful creature that she is, got me the best Christmas present ever.

A swift and ball winder.

She got this for me partly because of the hints I've been dropping these past couple of weeks, and partly because it fascinates her how they work. Anyways, they're wonderful and amazing and I spent 3 hours this morning winding every skein of yarn I own (this is only a small fraction).


I also got a sweater kit that I was eyeing-but-not-buying at the quilt show (long story) my mom dragged me to in September. The one I saw was in gold, but this one is in teal and the yarn is hand dyed and hand spun and gorgeous.

As for non-knitting-related items, I got the entire Star Wars collection (I've never seen any of them before), 2 fitness games for the Wii, a couple of books (one with the low-down on socks, which is knitting-related), and various other stuff.


The morning was so crazy that I got really busy and forgot breakfast, and now my stomach hurts. Bleeeeeeeeh.


I'm going to go have some more Christmas fun, Merry Christmas to all :)


(I'll post later with some more pictures.)

Part 2: Seeeeeeeeeeee, I tooooold you.

Who wants to guess what I didn't do today...

To any and all who said "take pictures of your knitting like you promised you big, fat jerk" then you were correct. I swear I'll do it tomorrow in my room by the window with the great light. Honestly. I'll have nothing much to do tomorrow between opening presents and making The Big Dinner. (Yes, my family has enlisted the teenager to make Christmas dinner. They're bright.) I'll do it, I swear.

P.S. I'll even get some shots of the now-sewed-up neck warmer. And maybe I'll add some
pics of my Onerva so far.



I looooooooooooove knitting lace or lace-knitting or whatever. I love it and you can't stop me from making all of the lace shawls in the whole world and buying all of the lace yarn in the world and hoarding it in my room, just stroking and petting it for the rest of my life.



(Too bad I still have a harboring passion for simple slouchy hats made out of worsted yarn...)

Part 1: I swear there will be a Part 2

Go look at my projects on Ravelry. Do it, I'd dare you but that sounds lame. No, really, go look at them..

Oh, wait, there's nothing to look at because I suuuuuuuck and have severely neglected taking pretty pictures of yarn, WIPS, and finished stuff. And the hats I made for Sami and Andrew were given away before I could properly photograph them.

Today is that day that pictures will be taken. They will go from life to camera to computer to Ravelry. Sorry I've been holding out on whoever wants to see my knitting. (I'm still wondering if anyone actually reads this blog.)


Besides that I will be watching episode after episode of Gilmore Girls and knitting on the scarf I promised Mr. Kiesling (choir teacher) because the sooner I get it done the sooner I can give it to him and then he'll stop bugging me incessantly. Oh, and ya know.. I'll be working on Onerva.



The neckwarmer dried with astonishing speed and, as hoped, it doesn't smell anymore. Well, it does, but like the SOAK wash it marinated it. (Pictures later, I promise.)

I am wickedly excited about the whole "knitting lace" thing.

I finished the first repeat for Onerva, and I am way excited about how it's going to far. It's beautiful, and the only errors I've made are minimal. It's going to be so wonderful once its finished and blocked.

Too bad it's going to take forever since I have 800+ yards of yarn for this and I'm working on US 3 needles and each repeat is only about 1.5" - 2" long. GAAAAAAAH. This is going to take forever, but I am loving it, and so for now it's all good.

~~~

And I finished a neck warmer I was working on. It's a nice creamy-white color, and made out of baby alpaca. Want to know how it smelled while I was hand washing it? I don't think you do. Imagine wet dog smell times 10. It was horrible. I think it'll go away once it dries.. I hope. Anyway, it turned out very nice.


I have 40 million things I need to finish knitting, such as: a scarf for my mom, an orange scarf for my friend Lauren, Onerva, Serpentina, and all of the projects I have the yarn for but haven't technically started yet. (Like the hat I want to make out of Mirasol K'acha in this warm buttery yellow/gold color. The yarn is great except for the fact that is sheds more than a golden retriever.)


The ugly tote bag my mom wanted me to knit her? Yeah, she finally took it away from me and finished knitting it herself. Nice. She got it exactly how she wanted it and I got off scott-free. Now I just have 2 more tote bags exactly like it to knit in other colors.


I have a church Christmas party thing to go to tonight, it'll be fun.



Early New Years Resolution: Start blogging on here more often instead of my normal blog. Talking about knitting is much better than talking about silly high school stuff.

Onerva pattern (revised)

I posted a blog (that I have now deleted) with the “almost finished pattern”. Then, a couple hours later, began to actually start knitting it. I immediately realized that despite double and triple checking the damn pattern, I’ve managed to make a big mistake.

As soon as you get to row 5 (according to the chart) you become horrified at the fact that you are 2 stitches short. And then you come up with an easy way to add 2 stitches, keep going along, and then come to row 7 (according to the chart) and realize that you are again 2 stitches short. You put down the knitting, look at the pattern, and then you count how many stitches each row begins with and then how many each row ends with. You realize that after every wrong-side row, the next row requires 2 stitches that you don’t have. Every. Single. Right-side row. And then you get to row 13 and realize you are 4 stitches short (which is all my fault because I put a k3 instead of just a k. Don’t worry, that’s fixed now).

Needless to say, it was a big giant mistake in the written pattern and I went through and fixed it. Now that it’s fixed it should be good to go. I will start over on knitting it (considering I frogged it once I realized I’d screwed up) and will note and fix any more mistakes that I spot. I did the math again and it looks like adding 2 yarn overs to the WS row will account for the stitches missing.

And, well, here’s the revised pattern: (send me a message on ravelry for any more mistakes, I’m knittynwitty)

● CO 3 sts
● k3
● k, yo, k, yo, k
● k2, p, k2
● k2, yo, k, yo, k2
● k2, p3, k2
● k2, yo, k3, yo, k2
● k2, p5, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2 (this bit is the first row of the chart)
● k2, yo, p5, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p7, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p9, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p11, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p13, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p15, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p17, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p19, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p21, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p23, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p25, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k15, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p27, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p29, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k15 yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p31, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p33, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p35, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p37, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p39, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p41, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, k2tog, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p43, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k7, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k7, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p45, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p47, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p49, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p51, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, sso, k2
● k2, yo, p53, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k15, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k24
● k2, yo, p55, yo, k2

● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p57, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k15, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p59, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p61, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p63, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yok3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p65, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p67, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k3tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p69, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p71, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8,k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p73, yo, k2
● k2 k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, , k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p75, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p77, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p79, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, , k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p81, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k14, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p83, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k9, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p85, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k15, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p87, yo, p2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p89, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p91, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog,k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p93, yo, k2
● k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k6, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k8, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k8, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k6, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k4, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
● k2, yo, p95, yo, k2

Mmmmm.

I was on a plane today. A 3 hour plane ride, actually, from Iowa to Arizona. 3 hours of sitting requires a few things:

Yarn, a small project (such as a bright blue hat on circular needles), water, food, and my ipod. That's all a girl ever really needs.. Except for maybe a full-sized restroom where she could wash her hands frequently because the feeling of grimy-airport-hands is disgusting to a MAX.


"Hey, I might as well take a picture (very coyly) of my mom playing with her phone and making a very attractive face."


"Heh, nice. Wait, wait a minute.. there's a woman in the background. Waaaaait a minute. She looks like she's doing something crafty.."


Yeah, my attempt at a "better shot" just included this months' issue of Women's Health with Ashlee Simpson looking gorgeous. Nice, but not what I was aiming for.


Here we go, the killer picture (that was poorly executed and slightly blurry). A knitter, a fellow knitter, sitting (ironically) in the same isle as me. I swelled with pride. I discovered that she was using these needles and this yarn in the Tomate colorway.. I think. not sure. I know it was Berocco from the tag, and it was thin like maybe a sock yar, or a sport wieght... So Peruvia seemed like an option, because even though it's listed as a worsted weight, that's so hardcore BS that I'm not even going into it right now. If Berocco Peruvia is worsted weight, then I'm a size 2. HAH!

Anyways, yeah, fellow knitter. My mom was chuckling at how amused I was. I was more amused at how well her 4 year-old son (hidden next to her) was behaving, sitting (mostly) quietly either watching a movie or doing his "homework" while she quietly knitting away on her totally beautiful scarf that my picture does not do justice because blackberry cameras suuuuuuuck.

Yeah, so, knitters on a plane. Two of us, in the same isle, it was destiny.



My mom and I got off the plane and went to head home in our truck, which, of course, didn't start because the car-fates loathe me and are out to get me on a pretty constant basis. (While we thought we'd need a rental car to get home, the car-fates brought NASCAR into town and thus a bunch of fans who quickly ate up every single rental car available in Phoenix. Yes, every single one, it was pretty astonishing. Nicely done, car-fates, nice work.) We then spent 2 hours waiting for a tow-truck-guy to come get the car when it reality all he needed to do was spend 20 minutes recharging the battery enough to get us home. And he did, and in the span of 4 hours that it took us to get home (when it only should've taken us an hour and a half) I got no knitting done. Yeah, I know, none. It was strange. I just listened to my ipod and slept. i was to tired to knit. I know.. strange concept.


Anyways, like the hat? I'm going to fold up the bottom part of the brim to keep my ears toasty and besides that, it's your typical regularly-scheduled simple ribbed-brim hat.

Oh, the joys of the winter season.

Once upon a time I asked my friend Lauren what she'd like for a Christmas gift if I were to knit her anything (excluding an afghan or a sweater) she wanted. She wanted fingerless mitts. Bright orange fingerless mitts with a bright blue thumb. I've been looking and looking and finally found a pattern that I think she'll enjoy wearing and I will enjoy knitting for her. Here it is. I figure I'll just swap out the orange for the blue when it comes to the thumb shaping and it'll be all good.

That will be a perfect gift for Lauren, it'll definitely suit her personality.

~~~
I made my first-ever knitting birthday present for my friend Sami. A simple stockinette beanie with ribbed edging. I put it on the back burner and finally started it late Monday afternoon. No problem, I'd get it done in time.. but wait, her birthday is on Wednesday, that's only a day and a half to knit this hat.. Shoot.

Oh well. I did finish it, and she did love it, I just had to drink half a pot of coffee and pull an all-nighter last night so currently I am way burned out.

I'm glad she loved it. I figure I'll knit her a matching something to go with it for Christmas and it'll be a perfect gift for her.

~~~

Well.. that covers Lauren and Sami. That's only 2/3 of my best-buds group. Kim, the other third, is a treat I might add. She tells me she doesn't want a knitted gift, and then she tells me she does, and then goes back to looking disgusted by the idea of it. I'm not sure if I want to knit her anything because I don't know what she'd actually use or like (and it helps a lot that she won't tell me) or if I should just buy her a book of ghost stories and an industrial-sized bag of red Skittles and maybe a lifetime membership to Taco Bell or something.

If I do knit her something, she will love it, or she better pretend to love it when I'm around or I'll cry.

~~~

Okay, so uhhh.. Any want to help me out here: Where the hell did October go? October was my buffer month for the holiday knitting I need to accomplish and it's gone. And November is whipping by and December is not long enough and I am starting to think that maybe, just maybe, I might not get everything done in time.. Oooops.

Part 2: Turning the charts for Onerva into a written pattern (up to row 16)

That chart for Onerva has teeny boxes and even teeeeeeeny-er symbols. For me, reading charts is hard enough. The stupid symbols tend to merge and get all scrambled together after a while and I just don’t have enough brain function to deal with it by that point. Anyone else like this? Anyone else who’s like me and would so much rather just read a stinking pattern?

Oh, and uhh, anyone need some help figuring out how to start your work because the stupid freaking chart doesn’t include the little starting bit. And it doesn’t show the garter stitch border because the symbol for knit is a blank space. And it doesn’t include the wrong side, only ever other row that is the right side. Yeah, suuuuuper helpful chart.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am your hero. I have written up the chart as a pattern up until the 16th row (so far). You want it? Do you reeeeeeaaaaaly waaaaaaaaaaant it? Well, fine, here it is:


• CO 3 sts
• k3
• k, yo, k, yo, k
• k2, p, k2
• k2, yo, k, yo, k2
• k2, p3, k2
• k2, yo, k3, yo, k2
• k2, p5, k2
• k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2 (this bit is the first row of the chart)
• k2, p5, k2
• k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
• k2, p7, k2
• k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k, yo, ssk, k2
• k2, p9, k2
• k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
• k2, p11, k2
• k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
• k2, p13, k2
• k2, k2tog, yo, k, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2
• k2, p15, k2
• k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, s1k2togpsso, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2
• k2, p17, k2



On a few obvious notes: the first and past 2 stitches will always be knitted, and on the wrong-side-rows you’ll always purl all of the stitches except for the knitted border. Also, you increase by 2 stitches every right-side row except for when you get to 9. When you increase to 9 stitches you stay that way for 4 rows, I know, it’s weird, but that’s the way it is and it will look fine after blocking I promise. (The first row of the chart is when you have 9 stitches, by the way.)

Abbreviations (I think they’re all pretty obvious except for the long one, but I’ll post them all:)

k: knit (if there’s a number after it, you knit that many stitches)
p: purl (if there’s a number after it, you purl that many stitches)
yo: yarn over
k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
ssk: slip slip knit (or the cheating way like I do it: knit 2 stitches together through the back of the stitches)
s1k2togpsso: (it’s a double decrease, a.k.a. turning 3 stitches into 1)slip one stitch to the right needle with the yarn in the back, then knit the next 2 stitches together, and then move the slipped stitch over the stitch created bu the k2tog as if you were binding off


Okay, well that about covers it. Have I casted on yet? Nope. I missed a few days of school while I was in California, and now I have the task of making up all of my homework. As much as I wish I could knit while doing my homework, it’s kind of impossible. Maybe I’ll cast on tonight after I’m finished my homework.. Mmmm, maybe.

Part 1: Decoding the pattern for Onerva (READ THIS IF YOU NEED HELP FIGURING IT OUT TOO)

Do you know what is really, really frustrating? Trying to figure out a !@#$%^&* lace pattern when you’ve been awake for 18 hours and you’re only running off of 5 hours of sleep. That is not even close to being enough sleep to function normally, and especially not enough sleep to decode a lace pattern written in Finnish. Well, actually, some other (most likely well rested) patient individuals had already decoded it and made up a chart in English. So technically I’m trying to decode an English chart. And under normal circumstances I can do that. I have Google, I have Ravelry, I can pretty much figure anything out using these 2 tools.

So what happens when Google can’t help me, and not everyone on Ravelry is jumping at the opportunity to decode the pattern for me? Things get frustrating. Insanity levels become moderate. Levels of my patience drop considerably. I become a very hostile knitter.


See, my problem? There’s a preeeeeeeetty triangular shawl. Her name is Onerva. Onerva is Finnish. There’s a language barrier. Then I discovered Onerva 2.0 in English. I just assumed that this Onerva 2.0 would be easy for me considering that any English-speaking idiot would be able to read a chart that’s written in English.. So, so stupid of me. This Onerva has brought me to be my knees, whimpering, crying out in pain, and the worst part? I haven’t even started knitting it yet.

!@#$%^&*. If I am being defeated by a shawl I haven’t even CO for yet, can you only imagine what it will be like once I do CO?! It’ll be a nightmare. A scaaaaaaaaaaaary nightmare in which a life-sized pair of knitted needles stab me in the stomach and a mutant pair of embroidery scissors chop of my head. It’s a gory, terrifying, painful nightmare in which I am the main star.


I figured everything out except for the abbreviation “m”. Nobody knew what “m” meant. Then someone figured it out. “m” means s1k2togpsso. Now if I can just Google what that last part means I’ll be ready to go and WAIT, WHAT?! My Internet got slower, and slooooower, and then it came to a halt. Awesome, just what I need.

So.. No more Internet, no more pattern help, just me. By myself. Confused out of my mind. Getting way more frustrated by the passing seconds. And what do I do? Pull up WordPerfect and type out a makeshift blog that will be posted later when the Internet comes back.

Hey, so uhh, funny thing, I have a blackberry. A black berry with Internet. And while I am not going to blog on my blackberry, I can surely look up what psso means on my blackberry, my blackberry’s Internet still is working. When do I figure this out? Half an hour after I could've originally figured this out.

...


Excuse me while I go bang my head against a slab of concrete and cry quietly for a little while.

Psso means pass slipped stitch over. The entire thing? S1k2togpsso? That’s code for slip 1 stitch to the right needle, knit 2 stitches together, and then pass the slipped stitch over the stitch you just made by knitting two together. It's a double decrease.

That’s simple enough. I know how to do that.

Onerva 2.0 has a lot of abbreviations that took me entirely too long to figure out. And to anyone who can not handle the insanity I went through, I will now post the abbreviations for Onerva.



o (yarn over)

/ (right decrease, or knit 2 stitches together)

\ (left decrease, or slip, slip, knit. I’ve learned this can be more easily accomplished by just knitting 2 stitches through the back loop. It’s exactly the same.)

m (slip 1 stitch, do a right decrease, then move the slipped stitch over the stitch made by the decrease like you’re binding off)


Oh, and for the odd rows? You knit the first 2 stitches, purl to the last 2 stitches, and knit those last 2. The chart doesn’t really show the garter stitch border, but there is one, I promise.

Long, overdue post about buying too much yarn.

While I was on vacation in Santa Clara I did my best to go to a yarn shop - for the first time ever I might add - and I successfully went to 2. Bobbin's Nest and Green Planet Yarn, both of which were visited twice. The goods (because me? going to a knitting shop and not buying anything?! BAHAHA)

1. 2 skeins of Mirasol K'acha in Sunshine (it's more like a warm, buttery color). It's super soft, and super fuzzy, and super beautiful, and OH MY GAAH IT SHEDS MORE THAN A GOLDEN RETRIEVER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER!!

2. 2 skeins of Stonehenge Fiber Mills Sheperd's Wool in Blue Spruce (emerald green + teal = looooooove) and uhhh... some bright cobalt blue color.. let me go check *toddles over to room and rifles for four hours in the yarn bin trying to find the one stinking skein and..* AH! It's good, plain, Blue. Seriously? Lame. Anyways, yeah, in the skein it's alright, but as soon as it hits the needles it gets sooooooft. I can only imagine how much more it softens after a wash.

3. 1 skein of Malabrigo sock in the LAST AVAILABLE SKEIN OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COLORWAY THAT EVER EXISTED, or Solis. It's variegated with blues and greens and seriously, I'd kill somebody and run around the world naked for a skein of this yarn. And I got it, I'm so happy. I wasn't even expecting to find it because the yarn shop didn't claim to carry it (which they didn't, up until a month prior) and because it's the yarn I need for Onerva and the universe usually hates me in situations like that(rants about this topic a littler later, stay tuned).

4. 2 skeins of Atlante in a pretty lavender color(technically, shade 2107, but that's no fun). It came as a kit for the zig-zag lace scarf, I can't resist kits, they're just so easy. Problem? It's 100% bamboo. What does this mean? That the yarn, despite being smooth and beautiful, is ridiculously splitty and a paaaaaaaaaaain to knit with.


So total? 7 skeins.. And quite a few new sets of needles (straights, curculars, and DPNS).


Oh, and as if I didn't buy enough yarn, lets go off on a completely unrelated rant about how my mother found a pattern at a quilting convention for a handknit tote bag out of pieces of fabric tied together. She picked hot pink, forest green, black with multi-color polka dots, and baby blue. Individually they're pretty, but together? It's relatable to clown vomit. Half-way through me knitting the giant thing, she went off and finally recovered her sanity and decided she hated the colors together(Uhhh, I could've told you that mom) and wanted to pick new colors. You'd just assume I'd rip out the ugly thing and give her the fabric back but nooo, she wants to see how it's knitted up before she cuts more fabric in case she hates the pattern. *headdesk*

~~~

A a few weeks ago I found a pattern called Onerva. It's a triangular shawl and it's beautiful. Problem? The pattern is written in Finnish, the chart is weird and also in Finnish, I've never even read a chart before, I've never knit lace or anything like lace before, and I've never knit a triangular shawl before. Oh, and I don't speak Finnish or know anyone who does speak Finnish.

Of course this will be a piece of cake.. you know, after I find some sort of something on Ravelry that will help me decode this thing. And I did! Obscuriosity KAL, and old one, but still extremely helpful. Bonus: it included new charts in English, and I like things written in English.

Case #1 of the universe helping me out.

Then I decided to go to a yarn shop and see if I could find some yarn comparable to the yarn required for the pattern. Turns out the yarn shop had just started carrying the yarn I needed.

Case #2 of the universe being cool.

Oh, and I found one single skein of the most beautiful colorway that ever existed. They had sold out of all of the skeins except for one, which was all I needed.

Case #3 of the universe handing me everything I wanted.

Oh, and I found the right sized needles, the only pair, hidden behind a bunch of needles that were too short.

Okay, 4 for 4.


So you'd think that as soon as I got home and got my hands on the pattern I would instantly start it up.. right? Maybe not. Well you see, I have a bunch of unfinished projects, and most of them are Christmas/birthday gifts that I should get started on, and well you know how these things are.. FINE, I'LL ADMIT IT, I AM THE WORLD'S BIGGEST WEENIE. Yup. I printed out the pattern, I read everything that is about Onerva, I've looked at 46,856,235 pictures of it and I practically drooled all over my keyboard. Thing is, I've never done this before, and I'm a little intimidated.

Why the heck should I be scared of a shawl. What's the worst that will happen? It won't work out and I'll have to frog the entire thing? Seriously, it's not going to eat me, no one will throw eggs at me if I mess up, it won't kill anyone, I can pretend like it never happened. And hey, you know, I might even be able to do it right and have it look just as fantastically as everyone else's. You never know.

I will knit this damn shawl because I AM BIGGER AND STRONGER THAN YOU ONERVA, YOU HEAR ME? I CAN FROG YOU AND SEND YOU TO THE BACK OF THE CLOSET JUST LIKE SERPENTINA, GOT IT! I AM THE MASTER, I AM KING! (Or er.. you know, queen.)

~~~

No finished objects, just a few WIPs. (I got some serious staritis this week, it was the yarn fumes.)


Oh, and as an added note, my yarn stash is growing at an alarming rate. It's overflowing the 3 available yarn bins I have for it. As of now, I'm on a yarn diet. WOOT!

Magic Ribbon

I am frightening close to being done with this periwinkle hat. All I have left to do is to work about an inch more, decrease for 2-3 rows, bind off, and sew it up. I was originally looking for some black satin ribbon to weave through the holes created by the increases at the top of the ribbing, and then I found the bright yellow ribbon that was on The Knit that Sami gave me for my birthday. It's fate, let me explain.

1) It's the perfect length. It is long enough to thread through the holes, but short enough to tie into a bow without cutting it.

2) It contrasts the periwinkle/indigo/blue/purple/whatever-the-heck-color-it-is yarn perfectly. Seriously, it's kind of ridiculous how good the colors look together.

3) It's the perfect width. It's not too thick that it over-powers the ribbing, but it's not so thin that it's like thread.


Honestly, this was fate. The knitting gods influenced you to pick out this ribbon, because it is perfect for this hat. Sami, I thank you for the magic ribbon. I'm a big fan of magic ribbon.


Now, if I could focus long enough to finish this damn hat so that (a) I can start something else, and (b) I can wear it to the bus stop tomorrow so my ears won't turn bright red and threaten to freeze and fall off.


Pictures will be posted either tonight or tomorrow.. or in a couple of days because I am laaaaaaaaaaaaazy.

I taught a teenage boy how to knit, hear me roar.

I've taught my friends how to knit. I've helped them successfully resolve their knitting issues. And I pride myself on being a pretty decent knitting coach.


So when I was told by I boy in my youth group (yes, a real, live, breathing, testosterone-filled boy) that he wanted me to teach him how to knit, I was freaking ecstatic.



We decided I'd teach him at the church lock-in, because teaching someone how to knit is best done in the middle of the night with bad lighting. Yeah.. uhh, no.

Anyways, he went out and bought yarn and needles. (He thought he could use 36" circulars to knit himself a hat. It was hilarious. I ended up trading him those 36" needles for some 16" that would work out so much better.) He already knew how to create a slip knot. I helped him decipher a yarn label. We measured the circumference of his head, and I taught him how to cast on.

Easy as pie I tell you.

Due to the fact that we were in a pretty constant state of either running around or sleeping, I didn't get much of a chance to teach him how to knit, but I'll help him out at the next church service.

I'm so proud of myself :D

Jeeze, this brings my total to 17 skeins in 4 days.

"Hey, mom, since Hobby Lobby is on our way home, can we stop there? I want to find these needles I've been hunting for. It'll only take a minute or two."
"Sure."


I went in looking for 16" circular needles in any size except for 6.

I found 16" circulars in a US size 5.. and 2 skeins of Wool-Ease Chunky and the newest issue of Debbie Bliss's magazine.


Honestly, people should start locking me in the car or knocking me out when I ask to go to Hobby Lobby or Joanns. I only plan of getting one thing and I come out with 30$ worth of impulse-buys.


My mother is right, I really need to learn how to be financially responsible.

Plum yarn.

I casted on for a cowl yesterday with the beautiful purple yarn I found and decided it wasn’t working for me and frogged it today.

Oh, frogging. I means ripping out your knitting to re-do it or do something else with the yarn. Whatever, it means taking the stitches off the needles and pulling them out.

Like.. Ripping it out. Rip it, rip it. Kinda sounds like ribbit ribbit, right? I don’t know the full story, but something along those lines is what started the term “frogging” and it stuck.

Gotta love cool knitting lingo. (I wrote this just for you, Sami.)


Oh, back to the almost-cowl. I was in Joanns when a single skeins of bright plum yarn practically jumped out at me and forced itself into my basket. Seriously. It was made for me. I desperately looked and searched and hunted for another skein, but there wasn't one. I had gotten the last one. It was a radiant color, it was a fantastic weight, it's 4 ply, and it is sooooooft. I clutched it tight and practically sprinted to the check-out counter.

I instantly knew it had to be cuddled around my neck at all times. So, I figured, why not a cowl? I grabbed some circular needles that should work and heading home.

I cast on 150 stitches, decided 5x5 (don't ask why 5x5, it seemed like a good idea at the time) ribbing, and starting knitting.

I instantly hated it. The magnificent plum yarn was not feeling it either, so I frogged it. And now I'm back to square one. What on earth to I do with this yarn?

I really should go on a yarn diet... Nah :)

I was lazily knitting away on the bus, in choir, and knitting in US/AZ History before I finished my hat. I finished the knitting, the binding off, and sewing the top of the hat together to get a bunching-effect.finally It was done... But it looked a wee bit short.

Turns out “a wee bit short” means a whole 2 freaking inches minimum to normal people. I was bummed.

I cut out the top sewing part (and accidentally cut a teeny part of actual knitting. I was way less than amused.) and undid the binding. I put all hundred stitches back on the needles and realized that I had twisted Every. Single. Freaking. Stitch. Did I go back and untwist them all? Nope, just knit along and finished a row before I ran out of yarn.

My once-totally-beautiful hat that I had spent many hours knitting now has a row of twisted stitches and a big 1" square of ugliness where I had to fix the spot where I cut a stitch on accident.

I’m totally bummed. Not bummed enough to frog the entire damn thing and start over, but really bummed.

~~~

After getting 12 skeins of yarn (10 of them were gifted, and I had to toss one of those ten due to a questionably huge stain) yesterday, I got 3 more skeins today. That brings me to a total of 14 skeins in 2 days.

Wanna know what’s even more shocking? I wound EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM into balls and put them in appropriate bagging and into the plastic bins that contain my stash.

On another stash-related note: my current yarn bins are overflowing and can not possibly house the yarn I bought today. Now I have to figure out what the heck I’m going to do and how to store all of my yarn. Maybe stacked plastic drawers? I don’t know, I need to think outside of the box(BAHAHA, that was a totally unintentional pun, but it’s wildly amusing to me. I’m such a dork).

I love Katy Blevins

I got 12 skeins of yarn today, and 10 of them were gifted to me from Katy Blevins.

Let me repeat that so you can fully understand. She gave me 10 skeins of yarn. 10 huge pretty decent skeins of acrylic (that wasn't too shabby) yarn.

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, the way to mine is paved with yarn.


I freaking love her.



Oh, and I learned I cannot be trusted to go into Hobby Lobby and not buy at least 20$ worth of knitting stuff.

I'm back at last.

Oh, goodness, it's been a very long time since I've posted a knitting blog. To be exact, it'll be a month tomorrow. (To who ever reads this, sorry man. I've got a much cooler non-knitting blog that I update frequently. You can read that if you want to.)


I suppose I took a break from knitting. Not that I disliked the knitting, oh no, I still love knitting, but there's been school. And drama. And family emergencies. And homework. All of which have taken up significant amounts of knitting time. But I am vowing here and now to break the cycle and start knitting whenever possible.

I will be starting up on Serpentina. (Last time it almost drove me to insanity. This time, I will stand strong and I will conquer that stupid scarf.)

I'm taking the plunge. I'm diving in head first. I'm doing what every knitter has to do to really become a Knitter. (Or at least get a head start. I still have to tackle lace, Fair Isle, Entrelac, Entarsia, etc.)

I'm going to knit socks.

Yes, I know, socks. Turning heels and grafting toes, not to mention a wee bit of 2x2 ribbing(which I've already shown my severe distaste for). I went out today, bought sock yarn and DPNs and I am going to do this.

First, I have to knit a swatch. I hate knitting swatches, but I must do it to get a good start on my sock or else this may end badly.


At the moment, I've got a nauseating amount of Geometry homework to do, but I'll keep you posted(on the knitting, not the homework).

I MADE A SWATCH, HEAR ME ROAR.

Today I Made A List.

1. Buy Lion Brand: Organic Cotton and 16" US size 9 (an size 8) circulars at Joanns.
2. Cast on 66 sts.
3. Work stockinette for a couple inches until I realize the hat looks a bit small.
4. Keep knitting.
5. Notice the bottom edge is developing an unflattering curl.
6. Keep knitting.
7. Realize that this hat is so not going to fit onto my big head.
8. Pull it off the needles and try it on to realize that it will fit my head.
9. Measure that it's 4 sts to the inches, and realize that The Math says it's way too small for my head.
10. Rationalize frogging it by saying how much I hated the curl.
11. After seeing The math, CO 80 sts. to better accommodate my giant head.
12. Knit garter stitch border because garter stitch won't curl.
13. finish border, start with stockinette.
14. Start noticing that this hat is a wee bit big.
15. Keep knitting.
16. Start noticing this hat is actually going to be HUGE.
17. Keep knitting.
18. Start thinking of who has a big enough head to fit in the hat. (Andrew!)
19. Keep knitting a bit more.
20. Notice that the garter stitch border is way bigger than the rest of the hat.
21. Ignore it and continue knitting.
22. Start thinking that this hat is even to big for Andrew's head.
23. Scoff the idea that anything would be too big for Andrew's head.
24. Knit a bit more.
25. Come to term with the fact that this will definitely be too big for Andrew.
26. Decide I can sew elastic into the border, then it will fit! I'm a genius.
27. Keep knitting until I'm almost ready to start decreasing.
28. Start noticing that the border is really ugly.
29. Ignore negative thoughts and keep knitting.
30. Try it on for kicks, and decide that is it completely hideous.
31. Frogged the damn hat for the 2nd time in two days.
32. Decide not to even consider crying, and cast on 80 sts. again.
33. Make sure (multiple times) it isn't twisted before I join the two ends.
34. Start the trusty 2x2 ribbing that is perfect for hats.
35. Remember that I hate doing ribbing.
36. Continue knitting anyways.
37. Start thinking how my ribbing always looks icky and sloppy and bad.
38. Keep knitting anyways.
39. Notice that it looks a bit twisted, but straighten it out.
40. Keep knitting.
41. Notice that it is indeed twisted.
42. Spend 10 minutes trying to untwist it, doesn't work.
43. Violently curse under my breath in the middle of a church service.
44. Take it off the needles and frog it with all my might.
45. Fight the desire to start crying because it should not be this freaking hard.
46. Decide to keep the 80 sts. and cast on tomorrow on size 8 needles for the border.
47. Spends too much time on facebook and blogging about how knitting makes me crazy and come to the conclusion that today just sucks.

Secrets Revealed

I'll be honest as to why I don't like ribbing. I'm telling my secret to the world, I'm outing myself, and no one can stop me. -gulps in fear-

I kind of.. er.. zone out and lose track of how many stitches I've done.

And I loathe having to count a million stitches just to figure out where I am (I'm more than willing to do that once or twice, but not once every 7 sts when every round has 80.)


I discovered something great. It's a universal tool in knitting that I had for a while but never though of using them.

*cough*cough* stitch markers *cough*

Not like that completely obvious or anything. I mean, that's their purpose! To keep track of your stitches so you have to involve the minimum of brain function. I love them!

I have then every 10 sts. And I know to start the knitting ribbing on the blue, and purl ribbing on the yellow. It's so irrationally simple I don't know why I didn't do this sooner, it would've saved me so much time and effort. Now it's to the point that as soon as I realize I've forgotten what stitch I'm on, I only have to count a couple sts. to know where I am. Genius! (I can whiz through any math class like a pro and pass with a more-than-decent grade, but yet I can't grasp paying attention to stitch-count? Yeah, I'm not sure how exactly that works. Weird.)

~~~

I'll do ribbing for about an inch or two, and then transition into stockinette. There is nothing I love more than knitting something with only knitting. No purling, no yarn-overs, now knit-2-together or slip-slip-knit. Just knitting. Mind numbing, simple, requires-no-brain-function-what-so-ever knitting. Mmmmmm, it puts me into a trance.

And you know what I love more than mind numbing plain knitting? Music that goes with mind-numbing knitting. Like My Heart With You by the Rescues. that's my current favorite song. It's sad, but sweet, and calming. It's a song you can close your eyes and just sway to(while in a candle-lit room taking a bubble bath).

Lesson Learned

Garter Stitch border of a hat: BAAAAAD.

Stockinette Stitch border: ehh, not as bad, but I don't like the curl.

2x2 or 1x1 Ribbing border: always the best option.


There's only one problem in that.. I hate ribbing. A lot. I hate it a lot. Sure, it's pretty, it looks nice, it's easy, and it functional. So where's the downfall? It's mind numbing. You have to pay enough attention to count the knits and the purls, but it's boring. And you could zone out(like I usually do) but then I'd probably screw up the ribbing. UGH. It's obnoxious.

I either like patterns that keep my mind working, or all knitting so that I can zone out. Anything in between infuriates me.

~~~

So, this hat that I'm making, it's not working out. The edge it nice and stretchy, so it definitely won't be too tight, but there's a bit of a problem: it's not tight at all. Sure, it'll fit Andrew's huge head, but there will be nothing keeping it from falling off.

So I figured.. Elastic string! I could sew an elastic thread through the border, and then it'll fit! But then it'll be baggy(not cute slouchy, but baggy). Baggy is lame. So, I could finish it and sew elastic into it and SHAZAAM, it'll be done, but I can't. It's a bad hat. It needs ribbing. I hate ribbing, but a proper hat needs a proper border and therefore: ribbing. I know I should frog it and start over, it's a quick knit, it's not that big of a deal. But it's already 5.5". It's almost, so close I can practically taste it, ready to get decreasing and then be done. It would take maybe half an hour to finish, it's like being on the last stretch of a marathon, I can almost see the finish line.. But it's a big hat, a bad hat, and a hat that Andrew will never wear because it won't ever fit right.

I know I should frog it, I know I should just take it off the needles and frog it, but I can't. I hate frogging, it makes me sad, it makes me oh so very sad.

-fast forward 15 minutes-

I frogged it. It broke my heart, and it made me sad, but I frogged it. I measured the border, and it had a 26" circumference. So yeah, it was huge. That yarn held up well considering it's been frogged twice now, I'm a bit impressed. I took it off the needles and tried it on before I frogged it, and the stockinette portion fit fine, but the border was the only bad part. So I think I'll keep the 80 sts, suck it up, and do a 2x2 ribbed border. It'll be a nice, snug fit and it'll be fine.


Frogging my knitting always ruins my day :|

I love Elann

My shipment finally came in! I got 5 skeins of yarn, 16" US 6 needles, 2 cable needles (one for backup), and a copy of the holy Knitting Without Tears.


The caramel colored yarn is Elann Superwash Bamboo, and the blueish-purple is Elann Peruvian Highland Wool.

The bamboo (blend) is ridiculously soft, and the wool is a bit scratchy, but the color is stunning. My camera isn't doing it any justice, but believe me, it's beautiful(It's periwinkle, btw).

-

I picked up some organic cotton from Joann('s) in a pretty blue and I'm knitting it up into a roll-brim hat. I've still made no progress on Serpentina, I'm in slacker mode. And the EOSOD is in it's perpetual state of being slightly less than half-done and obnoxiously colored.

My skeins of Berroco still haven't told me what they want to be, and my Malabrigo is sitting there looking a bit unloved. I am slowly coming to terms with just how picky yarn can be. I may want to make a slouchy beret with the Malabrigo, but no one said the Malabrigo would cooperate. It didn't cooperate, by the way. And now it's looking like it would make such a pretty neck warmer, and the slouchy beret is just so much more suited for the Peruvia. I'm pretty much determined that wool that is too itchy to touch the skin but too pretty not to be worn shall be made into a hat! It's a fantastic plan since now I have 3 sets of 16' circulars (the perfect size for hats).

.....

Hello. My name is Alexandra, and I am a yarnaholic.

Hello Alexandra.

I'm a bad knit-blogger.

I know, I know, I haven't posted in a while. This weeks seems to be packed with stuff.

My mama came home from her vacation with Jim(her boyfriend). My sister, Erin, sent me my birthday presents early: the entire series series of Harry Potter books. (Now all my friends adore her because they're all dorks who worship HP. Me? I like it. I'm about halfway through the second book.)

I got a kitten! Finally! He's a black and white tabby, and I named him Mushu. He's adorable.


ON THE TOPIC OF KNITTERLY THINGS:

I haven't been knitting much. Just not in the mood I suppose. I keep looking at it and decide to read HP instead. I haven't given up on knitting, I promise, I'm just taking a break.

Despite that, I meandered over to elann.com and spent about $50 on goods. It always makes me incredibly happy that they sell pretty decent quality yarn for so cheap. I got a few skeins of yarn, 16" circular knitting needles, 2 cable needles, and a copy of Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann (who I'm told is a genius when it comes to writing knitting books)



Anyways. I don't have any WIPs to show off because they haven't changed, and no FOs. I'm going to work a bit on Serpentina today and get in a couple of rows of the Orange Scarf of D00m.

I love Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee's books.

I recently got Yarn Harlot, and read it, and I just got Knitting Rules! and I'm working through it.

They're hilarious, and I can relate to them. She's a great author.

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day..

There are bad days. The days when everything seems to suck, and even the weather is sad. Nothing seems appealing, and everything feels forced.

Yeah, today is a pretty sucky day.

So what do I normally do when I'm in a mood? I knit.


So after I f***ed Serpentina, and realized the pattern was weird for the Slouchy beret (and I didn't have the tools to make it less crappy), all the WIPs I had left were the 3 original ones.

The three scarves made out of three equally awful acrylic yarn. I tried working on the scarf for my nephew, and ended up angry by the fact that the yarn was waxy. Yes. It felt weird, and a little sticky, and really not fun to knit with. So I said "Does a 5 year old who lives in Los Angelasfrogged the damn thing. Same for the scarf for my niece. Ribbit, ribbit.

I left the orange scarf of doom because, well, the fun fur makes it bearable to knit. I do enjoy the fun fur on rare occasions.

And I ditched my grandmother's (knitting) needle case. It was old and made of icky canvas, and poorly made, and I dumped out the knitting needles and trashed it. And I'm going through the needles and ditching a few of those too. Blunt tip that I hate? Bye bye. Awkward short length? Ditching it. Am I ever going to willing use a size 0 needle? Nope, see ya!

~~~

So now I am on a mission to re-make a case for all my knitting needles with fabric that I like, and that's actually big enough. It's going to be pretty, and soft, and it will be perfect. (Considering my mom quilts, she has enough fabric to quilt something to cover the planet. And a sewing machine.)

I epically failed at trying to make one myself, so I'll have her make me one when she gets home next week. really need a crappy scarf?" The answer was no, and I