I finished something!

I have been working on the freaking cabled tote from Interweave for six months. It doesn't want to be finished. It is felted. The cables have been needle-felt outlined.

But it still needs to be lined. And I have to order the handles.

So it's not finished.

But these are

Two Finished Hats!

I'm knitting hats at the moment. I don't have enough hats and I'm never mad about store ones, so now I've knit two with another on the needles. Two weeks ago (pre-Recruitment) I finished the Fisherman's Beanie, from Rowan Coast Book:



. The hat fits really well, a bit big. It knit flat, but I got tired of that quite quickly and decided to join it. It moved much more quickly after that. I love that bit on a hat when you get to the decreases and think you're almost done. Two hours later.... (Details of yarn and such here)




The next hat, my project for the week of sorority recruitment and this week was this Burgundy Ribbed Hat that I knit out of some gorgeous hand-dyed I got at iKnit. The yarn was thinner than I thought, but I swatched, cast on 112 stitches and went. I even figured out the decreases on my own. I love it. If you look carefully at that picture you can see my new piercing. My cartilage came out over the summer so Mom took me to get it redo Friday. (Hat details here)

Now I'm working on Straun, by Ysolda. I've done the nifty Invisible Cast-On and am increasing.

FO: Pink and Blue Socks

I think I'm finally in love with sock knitting. They fit. They're pretty. Did I mention that they fit?I knit the top of the cuff, the last three rounds or so, with size eight needles, to keep them from being too tight. And they're perfect. They're Fortissma Sock, details hereI started them in January, but only just finished them thanks to the wonder that is higher education. And papers. But I was determined not to be on the same project that I was one at Christmas during Spring Break, so when I took a cab up to the post office yesterday, I spent five hours at the nearby Starbucks listening to podcasts. I came out with socks!  They're toe-up (of course) with a heel flap, which in my opinion is the best of both worlds.Look, this one fits too:It's so nice to have an FO. I must admit I love my mostly monogamous knitting ( I have a charity hat that I work on at knitting club), but it is nice to be done with something and move on.And move on I shall since I have next to no homework this weekend. It's all during spring break :(

FO: Hermione's Cable and Bobble Hat

From Charmed Knits .


I love this hat so much. I've worn it nearly every day since it got cold here, and I adore it. It's a little big; and I have to fold the brim up twice, or else this happens:
but I still love it. Made in Cascade 220 that I bought at the Purly Gates closing sale last year. It once going to be fuzzy feet, but changed its mind. So now I have an extra ball in the stash that I need to do something with.Needles as prescribed in the pattern, no mods to speak of.

Happy Times and an FO

The hat still needs pictures, but on the way home from school I finished this:

It's Rowan Cotton, and it started out as Quant from Knitty, but the drape wasn't right. I kept the i-cord and the triangle increase and decrease and then just garter stitched the rest. Worked nicely. I may make my sister one for Christmas out of the leftover yarn



I'm home for Christmas, and it's fantastic. The last few weeks were full of drama, both over classes and friends. To put it in knitting terms, the hat I was working on since Thanksgiving and was only about a quarter done, was finished in two days of having nothing to do.

It's funny, normally on holidays my family drives me nuts, but so far so good and I've encountered most of them. My sister moved today, from the low-income housing the mental health facility had her living in to a nicer duplex across town. We drove off to help her and mom and my brother loaded all of her bags and boxes and the washer-dryer into Brother's trailer. Helping, were a guy named Jonathon who had on a Superman shirt, and six little kids playing in the parking lot.

My brother is a boat captain, who has a huge-ass pick-up truck and listens to country music. He has a six year old, who's too smart for his breeches (that's a technical term).

We went and saw my nana, who's gotten so she doesn't want to leave the house (except to go get her hair done every Friday) in her old age (which she often reminds everyone is eighty-two, similar to the Eddie Izzard sketch, which I would link to, but it seems to only be on this cd: Definite Article track 4)  and this is sad, because she was always independent.

Mom is amazing, if a product of her one-town Southern roots. My baby brother wants a puppy from Santa, which is precious. Our house smells like Christmas tree, a rather good feat for our tiny tree.


Maybe it's because I don't want anything but payments on my cards for Christmas.... (I'm definitely going to London and want them paid off from last year). Mom insisted on buying me stuff from Amazon, but that was her call. I'm just happy to be home with my bear nativity in the bathroom:


And time to read and knit.

I think I want to learn how to double knit socks.... just a thought.

Being home has never been so happy.

FO: Newsboy Cap

Finished the Newsboy Cap from Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation. I actually finished knitting it a few weeks ago, but it was not until today that I got the stuff to put in the brim, :-/

It's Jo Sharp Aran Tweed, received from the Ravelry Summer Cap Swap. It took almost all of my two balls.

I love this! It's rather floppy and kinda big (oh swatching, why don't I do thee?), but I like that as I have big hair.... I liked the yarn, although the tweed is thick and sometimes difficult to work with.

I love newsboy caps though, and will possibly knit this again. I'm naming it my pretentious and indie cap, thanks to something one of my sisters said whist I was knitting it!

FO Jeans Socks!

These socks are knit from the yarn my LJ Secret Pal sent me (thanks Lauren!). They're knit in Knitty's toe-up pattern, exactly, but still a little loose in the foot and the heel's long. I think I'm going to try a backwards flap heel next time. Still, they fit. Poor darlings were so streatched out after I wore them yesterday though!



 Next up is finishing the scarf I started before Europe, and then swatching for Wicked!

FO: Lizard Ridge Afghan

Pattern from Knitty Fall 2006

Started: January 2007 Finished August 2007



Pattern Notes/Mods: I love this pattern, and the afghan is gorgeous! One thing I did differently, though, was lay the blocks out so that they flow down instead of across, because the afghan is larger that way. Also, i did a garter stitch edging with mitered corners to make the edge a bit more frame like. I sewed tbe blocks together with mattress stitch (Techniques with Thersea)


What I really love about this pattern is that each block is separate and thus each tells a story. There's one that I bought at my dad's in the spring. Three that Mom and I bought before she left me back at school. There's the one fro m my Secret Pal and the one I was knitting when my friends and I got coffee and knit.



On Ravelry, I have tons of blog entries devoted to this thing, because where ever I went a square went.


(complete yarn details here on Ravelry)

And now it's done. What's a girl to do with herself?

FO: Fingerless Mitts

Alas Lizard Ridge is not quite an FO yet. Two large seams, edging and the final blocking need to be done. It's looking good though.

BUT! I did finish the Fingerless Mitts I started with the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran I started in between LR squares ages ago. (better pictures in the daytime tomorrow)

They're self-designed, and I like them. The yarn is quite warm, but that will be nice in winter/my dorm room. If I could do it again, I'd do a thumb gusset instead of the Fetching-esque thumb, because that one skews the cables. I'd also look at doing a braided cable, and use a smaller gauge for that maybe.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied.


My mom really likes them, and she's been after me to make her a pair of fingerless for a while, but these ones are a little small for her.

The thing is.... she can knit. Could make herself a pair, but she's too wary of trying new techniques. It's not that she even uses the perfectly valid 'I don't have enough time' excuse. She just doesn't seem to be comfortable with new techniques. For me, this is what knitting is about. I love taking a project and learning how to do things in the pattern. It's part of the fun. And I like to teach myself, asking for help only when I've tried already.

I'm like this with pretty much everything. For instance, I just got a book I plan on using to re-teach myself how to swim. (my lessons were stalled, and thus I don't breathe or move right). I've taught myself about many historical periods and how to hypnotize, do magic tricks, and best of all, knit.

So, because I know she can do it but won't I'm hesitant to knit for her. Is this weird? Or is it the whole "give a man a fish, he eats once; teach a man to fish, he eats for the rest of his life" thing?

That's about it, knit-wise. Lizard Ridge is nearly done! Still not on Ravelry, which probably means I'll get the invite, like, the day I leave for Europe, but with my pictures on Flickr and my mom taking her laptop I can probably get set-up then anyway. :)

YARN! And an FO!

Wow, sorry it's been a while... I was waiting for my shipment from Yarnmarket to come in and come in it has! My last three skeins of Noro for Lizard Ridge and my Debbie Bliss!



While I was waiting for that, I started a Calorimetry, but was nearly done when I realized it was too small and decided that I was too lazy to frog. Instead I did a headband that Mom found on Knitpicks

It's made from leftover Di Ve Teseo, from which I made my best friend a ribbed hat last Christmas. I really like it, and it's a great stash buster. There's not much else, knitting-wise. I plan to spend the next few days listening to podcasts and Ingrid Michaelson (wish I had money, I'd get her shirt :-( ) and finishing my afghan.

Book review time.

I finished this one last week, but didn't want to post a review without a real post. So next post will have another review.


Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

This book is almost purely satire, and yet still has the classic ending. Catherine is not, as Jane Austen points out, really anything special that would make her a heroine. True to this, nothing in the story that could lead to a great Gothic adventure becomes one. Naive, but well-read, Catherine expects a mystery around every corner when she goes with her new friend Eleanor Tilney to her Abbey (and not, as the back of the book suggests with Eleanor's brother, Henry who is just there with them). But, each time there could be a great mystery there is a mundane explanation.

Instead, the mystery comes when Catherine is suddenly sent away from the abbey by Eleanor and Henry's father.

Overall, I liked the book. I like Henry even more than Darcy (blasphemous, I know!) and the stereotype and satire were fantastic and even laughing-out-loud funny. However, I think Austen's point would have been made even if she had not pointed out that Catherine did not have this or that quality of an accomplished lady, as she so often does. Elizabeth Bennett cannot play the pianoforte; Catherine cannot draw.

I did like how adamant and accurate Austen was about Catherine's seventeen-year-old naiveté. There was significantly less plot than in Pride and Prejudice, but it made very a very good light novel.

FO: Hogwarts Hip Scarf

The answer to the question What Was the Bag of Ends for is upon us!

The bag of ends was for the Hogwarts Hip Scarf from Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter! I finished knitting it the day after I got to my dad's but weaving in the ends was something else entirely! It took me a good three days. I spray blocked it Monday, but the wool kept twisting in a spiral when I wore it today. I'm either going to block it majorly with warm water or just let it be. Probably going to let it be.

The pattern is fantastic and easy, I'll probably make a couple more to wear as head scarves in different colors. I used Cascade 200 left over from my Gryffindor Scarf (Movies 1&2 style) that I made in my senior year and not the recommended Superwash. It didn't even take a full ball of the red, much less the yellow.




By all rights, I should have two FOs for you today, but my one skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerion Aran wasn't enough for the cabled fingerless mitts I'm fashioning, so that'll have to wait until I can get some more. That is the FOUR ROWS AND A THUMB will have to wait. FOUR ROWS!!!

I'm going to cast on another Lizard Ridge square, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow morning i'm going to get up and swim, and I need to work on my novel and want to spend some time reading, but Lizard Ridge calls.

I think I hinted at my dad none-too-subtly enough that he may get me a Bookmate which would be awesome!

A few sign-ups received for the Official Knitter's Book Swap I assume some peopel are waiting until they know what they're sending. I knew as soon as I thought up the idea :D

Lizard Blocks and Bags of Ends (No Odds)

Well, if the trip to my dad's was good for one thing, it was knitting. I already told you all about the yarn stores, but I also got a fair bit of knitting done.

For a bit of yarn pr0n, that's Debbie Bliss cashmerino DK and I'm planning on making socks with the blue as the heel and toes. Pretteh, no? I really like it. I also picked up a ball of Cashmerino Aran, because I'm plan on making my Wicked out of that, and I wanted to try it out.





As for FOs, this one's not completely finished yet, but this bag is all the ends I had to weave in for it. I ended up duplicate stitching them in thanks to Thersea's tutorial on Knitty and that seemed to work well. Pictures once it's blooked.


I got four Lizard Ridge blocks done in between the day before we left (last Friday) and yesterday. It would have been Friday-to-Friday, but it got too dark on the ride home. Here they are in all their glory. Clockwise it's: 147, 150, 209 and 175 aka Witch's Lake, Winter Store, Gelly Roll and Rose Garden. (Gelly Pen because that one reminds me of the gel pens I was obsessed with at thirteen)


That's about it. I plan to spend today working on editing the novel I wrote for last year's NaNoWriMo and working on my gloves. I'll also be listening to podcasts and waiting anxiously for my Ravelry invite still.... :D

How about that time when I FINISHED MY SOCKS!

That's right, you heard me, the socks of forever are DONE! Ladies and Gentlemen I have knit my first socks for myself! (my first socks were actually for my best friend Carly).

See? Proof:



And more proof!


I'm seriously excited just to have done these and have them fit, but I do have some pattern notes.

Pattern: Knitty's Universal Toe-Up Sock Pattern

Yarn: Knitpicks Parade, Gumball (discontinued, I think) 334 yrds (2 balls)

Notes: I knit them too big. They fit, but the slide down on my legs and the heel on the left one sticks out of my shoe :-/. When the pattern says multiply by .9, multiply. The socks has been measured to your foot, it is not going to make it not fit. I promise. Also, my Socks on One String technique works well, but remember with a pattern like this knitting from the opposite side of the ball will cause it to reverse as seen in the top cuff of my right sock.

I also wasn't nuts about the yarn, it split easily, and in the end I somewhat dislike the colors and the gray bits.... but it is cheerful!

Aside from all of that, I am enamoured of sock knitting. I found a couple balls of sock yarn in my mom's stash and will probably steal one to make more that actully fit soon. And these will be bed socks. Yay bed socks!!!!!

Of FOs, What are you knitting? and nose-rings

What's up, y'all? First off, FO.


Spring-y scarf. I knit on it for both the drive home for Easter and the drive back. Didn't knit on it much whilst at home, for reasons to come later. It's Banderas Gerifil color 107 and Laines du Nord Kiddy Print color 600. Basically a mohair and a polyester fun yarn held together. My best friend made a similar blue scarf for her first project and I begged for one in pink and, well, ended up making my own a year later.



Rie and I are listening to Celtic music, and it's awesome. Oh, by the way, Rie's moved into my room for a bit. She's having parental trouble, and I have a spare bed. The administration knows of this not *shifty eyes*

Anywayz, went home for Easter. Saturday was awesome. I went to brunch with a friend and then he had to go to Tech work for the show that was up so I GOT TO SEE THE NEW AUDITORIUM! Twas amazing.

And I got to talk to my high school drama teacher and we argued about Shakespeare concepts. 'Twas awesome. We decided that I could teach Shakespeare in France and it'd work.

On Easter the best part was seeing my little brother open his basket. He got very excited over candy and Cars toys.

Oh, and my mom didn't know that you could blow up Peeps. So of course:


In other news, my grandmother noticed my nose-ring. She had been staring at my face for a while during Easter dinner, and when I went into the kitchen with Mama she said: "I think Nana's noticed your nose-ring".

When Nana went out to get a sweater everyone was laughing. My uncle said he'd only just noticed it, and my older, jerk face of a brother mimed pulling it out with a fork. Nothing was said until dessert when I called my sister strange.

"You're the strange one," Nana said.

"Why?" Mom asked.

"With that thing."

And that was all that was said. I'm waiting for her to call my mom and be all "Why'd you let her do such a thing?" but whatever.


On the ride there, though, I discovered a major knitting pet peeve of mine. Those who ask: "What are you knitting?" when it's a long strip of fabric. I want to say socks.

Or when a little girl at the baseball game I went to (my ride's boyfriend was playing and we stopped in on the way) was staring at the knitting and her mother says:

"She's knittin'; maybe she's making a sweater."

Um.... no?

Or my sister, who asked me if I'd "moved up to blankets yet?".

Driving came up at family dinner. Of course, everyone had an opinion. Don't wanna talk about it. *pouts*. But Daddy's signing me up for Driver's Ed this summer.

Know what'd be awesome? Easter baskets full of yarn instead of eggs and candy....


And this. It's pretty awesome.

PS. Mid-Summer presentation went very well, I think. I played the changeling boy, cuz I'm little like that, and the actual talking went pretty well. I liked my paper.

Comfort Knitting

So after the disappointing misadventures of Sock, on Saturday night I cast on a Calorimetry from the Winter Knitty I'd done one over Christmas Break (pictured), in Plymouth Boku Color 01 (Plymouth's version of Kureyon) with the 120 stitches, and another in February, using Boku Color 05 for my little sister in my sorority to give her on the night of Revelations. On that one I used 84 stitches, I think. Thus, I knew the pattern well. I did a little under half that night, some during Initiation and the rest Sunday night. Less than twenty-four hours, probably about two or three actually working on it. It was a comfort knit. Anyone else do that? My comfort knits are Fetching, Calorimetry and squares for my afghan, I think.



I only cast on 88 for this one, and the yarn is Debbie Bliss SoHo color 37507. That's me modeling it. I forgot the bruse on the bridge of my nose was still there. It's a funny story, involving the metal edge at the bottom of the bunk above me and my face. Anyway, I like the Calorimetry with my hair better than hats, because my hair is teh thick, and I wanted one for spring.

In other news, my Starbucks craving was finally appeased. Sonya, Rieddhi and I set off today for some much needed Starbucks and Knitting (the combination is amazing). I spent most of the day doing layout for the litmag, when not in class, and by the time we went I was DYING for caffiene. My only words were: "Starbucks, please Starbucks. Coffee? Coffee? Coffee?"

We decided to take pictures for the knitting club facebook group, and I like them. We're cute little knitters.
Ah caffeine. Note the grandeness.

Sonya pretending to
work on my afgahn square. She didn't have her knitting with her.

Rie, working on a blanket square for Sonya. (One of her friends is having a baby)

Me, working on my afghan block


I've gotten pretty quick on the Lizard Ridge blocks. I should have this one done by Thursday/Friday-ish, if not sooner. One of my friends is in town, and I'll probably see her tomorrow, and I need to do that whole preparing for class thing.

We're planning a field trip to Knitch next week, which is good because I'm knitting through my stash *gasp, shock*. After this afghan block. (And maybe a scarf....and another afghan block) I'm gonna try socks again. And actually gauge and calculate and stuff. *Mutters angrily about silly gaugeness* Because I want to wear pretty socks.

S0, that's it. Starbucks+Knitting= ultimate stress reliever. Rie and I are planning another exursion later this week.

Oh, and good news. I just found out that my high school just got it's auditorium rebuilt. It was killed in Hurricane Ivan my junior year, so I'm really excited for them, and I talked to my drama teacher for about half an hour and squeed over it.

Laters.