15 March, 2008
Who knew…
You could buy yarn from the Dollar Store?
Sure enough, there it was, just sitting all innocent-looking in a big cardboard box. I couldn’t resist (because I cannot afford to be a yarn snob), so I grabbed two skeins in colours I rather like: black and white. I have yet to open the packaging, so I don’t know what it feels like, or how it knits up, but I’ll certainly let all of you know when I gather up the courage.
However, it turns out I can be a yarn snob… when someone else is buying. My mother still owed me one skein of yarn as a “bribe” from back when I took the SAT’s a few weeks ago, so I popped into Stash and got the following:
The newest Interweave Knits (finally), and a skein of Pagewood Farms’ sock yarn in the colourway “Bird of Paradise”. I think it will find itself being turned into a Lace Ribbon scarf. Yum.
In other yummy news, the Sun Ray shawl is off the needles!
(seen here looking like a crumpled mess, but that will be fixed soon.)
I even took that extra TWO HOURS and did the adorable little picot bind-off at the edge:
I swear, if it wasn’t so cute… *grumble*
Anyway, it’s due to meet its date with the blocking pins tomorrow, and hopefully, we won’t have a repeat of last time. I don’t mind sleeping on the floor, but The Faerie may.
As far as the other shawl? Well, it’s coming along:
Looks about the same, don’t it? I assure you, I’m actually working. I’m just over 1/3 of the way through Clue 2 of Dem Fischer Sin Fru, and I’m still enjoying it greatly. My only worry is, where am I going to block it? It looks like it will be HUGE when it’s done. Looks like I should look into getting some of those foam blocks…
PS. Yes, I’ve been spinning. Here’s what I’ve spun up:
and here’s what I have left:
Woo hoo.
12 March, 2008
Chugging Along
Man, I seem to have this nasty habit where I post, then fall off the internet for a week. I really need to cut that out. This week, I have a semi-excuse. I would have posted more, but I (ahem) misplaced my camera (it was in the car the whole time. I am a dork) and went to Santa Cruz to visit the college there (ohmygodit’ssoprettywannagowannagowannago!). And then I heard that Gary Gygax had died. I took the news much, much harder than I had expected. I didn’t know him personally, nor did I ever get to meet him, but I feel like he left a huge impact on my life. All of those hours spend around a table, the thousands of calories consumed in the form of soda, chips, and pizza, the hundreds of dollars spent on dice and supplement books… and most of all, the sense of friendship, excitement, adventure, and (occasionally) frustration that I received from the amazing game he gave us. Needless to say, I was grieving a bit last week. I had wanted to write a tribute to him, but I felt that others had said what I couldn’t. Last week, our party rolled up our sleeves, dusted off our old 2nd-edition rulebooks, and played some good old-fashioned “hack-and-slash” Dungeons and Dragons. It was a fitting tribute.
And so, where there’s knerdy, there’s knitting. There’s been quite a bit of progress on the knitting front. I’m 50% done with the Monos Locos, having turned the heel during game last week (why does that always seem to coincide?):
(Sock #1: magic loop. Sock #2: DPN’s)
I’m doing them two at a time (not on two circulars, because I was impatient and wanted to start them right now instead of waiting for my order from Knitpicks to come in (oh, yes, I have things to show you once it gets here. Pretty, shiny things…). I didn’t have a kitchen scale when I started knitting them, so I decided to do it like this. I am amused. The beautiful, one- to two-row stripes are endlessly charming:
Expect to see more Paca-peds in the future.
Also, I finished Clue 1 of Dem Fischer Sin Fru. It really doesn’t look exciting right now, because I’m worried that if I take it off the needles to dry-block, I’ll never get it back on! Look at it, all crammed onto the needles:
(Note: for this pattern, stitch markers are your friend…)
Poor thing. Again, when my order from Knitpicks gets here it will have a little more room to breathe.
Occasionally, I want something a little more mindless than uber-fine lace, so I dragged out the Sun Ray Shawl again, as it had been… er, marinating in the UFO basket for a bit:
I’m getting impatient (and running out of yarn), so when I finish this repeat (I believe it’s the fifth fourth one), I’ll bind off and block it. Lovely warm (casual) shawl for the win.
Remember back in 2007 when I learned to spin? Well, I haven’t stopped. I’ve been chugging away on my Artfibers “Miso” that I bought back in August, spinning a little at a time. Now, I’m a very self-conscious spinner, and I don’t like my parents watching me spin, so I usually wait until they’ve gone to bed to spin. Needless to say, there definitely could be more spinning hours in a day if I could just get over that… (sigh) Although, I’m very proud of what I’ve spun up so far:
(Insert picture here. I am a dork, and forgot to take pictures)
It’s a little finer than what I had originally aimed for, but I think it will do just fine. And no, I don’t know how much is there at the moment. I need to wind off and wash the yarn to set the twist, and then I’ll let y’alls know.
Whew! That’s a lot in one post! See? I haven’t just been wandering about absent-mindedly, clutching my knitting needles and muttering about “percentile charts” and “saving throws”. I’ll be okay. Here, look at yarn:
Yarn good.
28 February, 2008
Oh, For the Love of…
Well, last Tuesday was my birthday. I thought to myself, “today is my day. I think I’ll take the day off from blogging.”
And then promptly took the whole week off. I totally fail as a blogger. Sigh.
Sadly, I don’t have much to show in the way of knitting content, since this week is midterms and the SAT’s are breathing down my neck (ohmygodthey’reonSATURDAY), but what I can show you is this:
I have very sneaky, clever friends. So, I wake up that morning and I go to school, and The Faery meets me on the train like he does (almost) every morning. He gives me a hug and a kiss, says “happy birthday”, and puts this string of mardi gras beads around my neck. I smile and laugh, and am happy.
Then, I get to school, and my friend Chelsea says hello. I mention that it’s my birthday, and she gets all happy and says she has something for me. She reaches into her backpack and pulls out one of those cloth leis you get at the party store and gives it to me. Again, I smile and laugh, because I go to art school and these things just happen. Note that I am not putting two and two together yet.
The bell rings, and we leave class. On my way to Chemistry, my friend Grim comes over, hugs me, says “happy birthday”, and– you guessed it– gives me another flower lei. Now, Grim goes to Hawaii nearly every summer, so I figured she just happened to have them leing around (har har), and that it’s an odd coincidence. Then who should show up but The Faery? He grins and laughs… and puts a string of mardi gras beads around my neck.
Then I figured it out.
This kept happening through the day, by the way. I got more mardi gras beads and leis from some more friends of mine, and even a few of my teacher were in on it! My friends are very sneaky, and I love them dearly. I had a great time, guys! Thanks so much.
As for loot? I got some nice things for my birthday. I got a copy of Victorian Lace Today (squee!), a gift certificate to a spa (this one), some art from my artist friends, and a beautiful shawl pin shaped like a sword:
(shown here on the Snowdrop Shawl because it shows up better than on Secret of the Stole)
I also got a buncha money from the various relatives (being a young adult rocks), so you’ll have to wait until I spend it to see what I got! I’m thinking of a set of the KnitPicks Options needles, maybe some more sock yarn, and one or two sweater’s worth of yarn. Mmm, stash enhancement…
PS. I turned the heel on the first Monkey:
It’s like all the colours of good Indian food.
24 February, 2008
Smells Like Nerd Spirit
Whew! This weekend has been crazy! Yesterday was spent at WonderCon (which is AWESOME), and today was spent recovering on the couch with Dem Fischer Sin Fru and watching the Oscars (am I the only one who was annoyed that “Transformers” didn’t win anything?). I’m totally fried, so all you get is a meme:
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Rosie Honda
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Vanilla Aerosole
3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Turquoise Octopus
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Serenity Berkeley
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name): Bruka
6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink, add THE): The Lavender Cocoa
7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Robert Bud
8. STRIPPER NAME ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent): Jasmine
9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Gautier Greenwitch
11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Winter Sunflower
12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Strawberry Pullover
13. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Cinnamon toast Redwood
Hmm, I taaaaag… whoever reads this blog who likes memes. Enjoy, guys!
14 February, 2008
It Begins
The dogs know that I am up to something. They know that I will be leaving the house, and I may never return (at least, in their imaginations). This has led to some fairly neurotic cat-chasing behavior. I have had to soothe her:
And might I say, she looks positively snorgle-licious while keeping me company. Suitcase?
Packed. Shawls?
Properly contained within ziploc bags, so they will not be harmed. New travelling sock?
Packed and ready to go. I may or may not have internet access at the ‘con this weekend, so I will try and do one last short entry before I leave tomorrow (hooray for sleeping in!) I’m off to get one more good night’s sleep before the madness fun begins.
PS. Is anybody else sensing a definite colour theme here?
13 February, 2008
Be Vewy Vewy Quiet…
The baby’s sleeping:
I swear, these dogs will wake up just to bark at leaves falling across the street. It’s a delicate balancing act tying to come home after bellydance at 9:00 and not wake the whole household.
That’s why this will be a relatively short entry: I’ve just gotten home from dance class, and I have a bunch of things to do before I can achieve the sweet release of sleep, including finishing my homework, taking a shower, making a packing list for PantheaCon, and putting away my new yarn.
Yeah, I thought that might get your attention. New yarn, all right. See, my mother worked out a deal with me: since I’m going to SAT tutoring every week, for every two sessions, I get one skein of yarn. Pretty sweet, eh? I love bribery. Here’s this week’s treat:
A lovely hank of Baruffa Cashwool; 1460 yards in a beautiful rich orange colour. Exactly the shade you’d expect from an almost too-ripe pumpkin. Delicious. I believe this will be destined for Secret of the Stole II once the Fisherman’s Wife is finished– eventually. See, every four rows, the shawl increases by twelve stitches. Needless to say, the rows are getting pretty long, and I’m only halfway through Clue 1! Sigh. I comfort myself by knitting something small and equally as beautiful. Remember this yarn?
(somewhat over-exposed photo. The colours are much more rich than that.)
My beloved Paca-Peds is finally getting used! Hoorah! Last night, it became this:
(yes, I do wind my yarn into yarn cocoons. I find it very satisfying, and I feel immensely clever whilst doing it. Also, they’re freaking adorable.)
which is becoming a pair of these:
Yup. (a very bad picture of) Los Monocos Locos; in other words, toe-up Monkeys. I love, love, love this yarn! The colours are deeply saturated and rich, the yarn is smooth and warm between my fingers, and I get an opportunity to do Magic Loop, another technique that makes me feel very clever, indeed. I will definitely be buying more of this yarn in the future. It comes in so many scrumptious colourways it makes me happy. I’ve been eyeing the “Ocean” colourway for a pair of socks for my dear mother.
That’s all for today! Tomorrow will (hopefully) be the last post of the week, as I am off to PantheaCon on Friday morning. I will try to arrange for a guest-blogger, but I can make you no promises. I’m off to panic write a packing list.
11 February, 2008
Busy, Busy, Busy
Indeed I have been. These past few days have been packed with stuff! Over the weekend alone I:
Finished the Jaywalkers:
(you’re only getting a picture of one, because I haven’t woven in the ends on the other)
Tried to find the rest of the Bay Area through the fog:
(this is a completely normal ocurrence, I assure you. It’s very beautiful, but a major pain in the arse to drive in)
Cleaned off the desk in my studio/office:
Roasted marshmallows on the stove:
(Don’t worry, I haven’t turned into a petite Asian girl; that’s my partner-in-crime, Liz)
And made a hat:
Yes, that is indeed an Odessa, from the fabulous Grumperina, but without the beads; mostly because I was too lazy to go to the bead store, and I needed a new hat (yarn is some Caron SimplySoft scrounged from my favourite cheap-yarn source, the Depot for Creative Reuse). It looks all ready for me to cut the yarn and fasten off, right? What’s stopping me, you say? This is:
Apparently, I grossly underestimated the size of my head, and I didn’t intend to make a yamulke out of this pattern. D’oh! I ripped out the decrease section, and re-knit it so that it fit my head a bit better (pictures to come after I clear out the camera’s memory card). I’m so glad I didn’t cut the yarn before I tried it on! Lucky me.
Whew! I was busy! And this month is going to stay busy, so blogging may be a bit (more) sporadic for the next few weeks, at least until I take the SAT’s in (gulp) three weeks. Coming up tomorrow: The FO for Odessa, and “The Adventures of Liz and Ryn: People Who Like to Set Stuff on Fire”. Good times were had by all, and nothing really important caught on fire. Much.
6 February, 2008
Wait… Was that Sun?
Yup, the weather’s starting to clear up here in California. Last week, we celebrated Imbolc, also known as the Feat of St. Brigid, or… Groundhog Day. Imbolc, to us Pagans, celebrates not spring itself, but the promise of spring. Sort of a “good job, you made it halfway through, you deserve to stop and celebrate for a bit”. What can I say? Us Pagans, we like to celebrate.
So anyway, I’ve been plodding along on my current WIP’s, making some pretty good progress this week. I’ve done a lot of this:
Because I’ve been commuting more than usual this week.
Last night, I went to the Oakland Museum of California to see a documentary called “The Iron Ladies of Liberia” (scroll down a bit), which was smashingly good, and quite funny in some places. My favourite part was when the president of Liberia had to go talk to President Bush in the US, and every time he spoke, the audience laughed. I love my community.
Speaking of politics, yesterday was Super Tuesday, as I’m sure you all know. Since I live in California, that meant watching the election coverage last night (no, I will not tell you who my family voted for). It was quite cozy, for I had this:
(that’s a small dog, for those who weren’t quite sure)
and I worked on this:
You can’t tell at the moment (because I’m recovering from a rather severe migraine and can’t focus enough to dry-block), but this is half of Clue 1 from Dem Fischer Sin Fru, or the Fisherman’s Wife shawl. Moni is such a talented designer, and I’m having great fun with this shawl design; it’s a Faroese-style shawl, and the clues are released in a very clever way that I can’t describe without making it sound… well, somewhat less clever. Just trust me on this one.
But wait! you say. Where did that lovely soft grey yarn come from? Well, remember these?
A few weeks ago, I went to the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse to get some materials for an art project, and I saw these babies. There was an entire SHELF of coned yarns of varying colours, sizes, and states of cleanliness. I picked out three of them for my very own, and as far as I can tell, all three of them are 100% wool. I think the seafoam green and the light grey may even be merino, because of the slight halo they both have.
Either way, they’re soft and there’s a bajillion miles of it. I’m thinking the green will be made into either a Spring Shawl Surprise or I will use it to experiment with yarn dyeing techniques. Yes, yes, the gears are turning. Mwahaha…
Either way, dinner’s in the oven, my migraine medicine’s kicking in, and I have an almost-finished sock calling me. See how close I am?
Yup. Just 0.5″ of ribbing left to go. I can knock this baby out in half an hour, tops. That is, if the migraine meds don’t knock me out too bad…
PS. Sun Ray Shawl? What Sun Ray Shawl? There is only Zuul the Fisherman’s Wife…
31 January, 2008
FO: Evangeline
So warm!
Pattern: Evangeline from the January 2008 Magknits
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted, scrounged from the depths of The Stash.
Needles: Crystal palace US 7 circulars (knit using Magic Loop)
Modifications: None. I knit the elbow-length version, because wrist-length gloves irritate me.
Appreciating the Craft
(“the craft”, as in knitting, not “the Craft”, as in Paganism/Wicca, although I am a practicing Pagan.)
It has been Very Cold here in Berkeley. Like, I can see my breath in the freaking car cold. Thank goodness I knit, or I would have lost the feeling in my fingers about a week ago. I’m sitting at the computer, and I am wearing my newly-finished Evangeline Gloves (F.O. above), a pair of hand-knit socks, and a hat. I am quite warm, and my family is quite warm. My mother is, I believe, wearing her birthday scarf from last year.
Winter is the time of the year when our craft is appreciated the most, I think. People have a real, genuine need for warm, wooly objects, and us knitters are the ones to supply them. Because a sweater from Target/K-mart/what have you is not nearly as warm as a hand-knit sweater. Partially because it’s usually thicker, and better constructed. And then there’s the love. Oh, yes, the love. Feel it, you must. Hmmmm… (so says Knitterly Yoda. C’mon, you know the little green dude knits. It’s fairly obvious.)
ANYway, back to the original point. Winter is not only the time when I’m appreciated for my skills (not those skills. Only The Faery appreciates those), but it also includes the birthdays of some of my very favourite people, including the illustrious AntChris, who was kind enough to guest-blog for me whilst I was away in Hawaii for two weeks. Last Tuesday, she celebrated an undisclosed number of years, as it was her birthday. I won’t be posting a picture of her, partially because I sadly have no good pictures of her, and she’s a bit more protective of her internet identity than I am.
Happy birthday, Chrissie. May the year be good to you (and I hope you finish that scarf soon. It’s very pretty), you silly Swedish Aquarius, you.
The Knerdy Knitter 