Quickie

Just before I head into my three-hour cataloging class. (It's better than the seven-hour records management class I have tomorrow).

A flea market score:



I love that I paid the same as I would have in 1957 (see top right corner). These designs are amazing. I have both Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas and the Rowan Vintage Knits book, and I love them both dearly, but...I don't know. They're just a little too modern, I guess (which they are). I will definitely be making lots of these sweaters, although probably not with the 100% acrylic yarn advertised throughout the booklet.


And just to prove I have still been knitting:

Sushi Wallet Kit from kpixie
Needles: Unknown aluminum, US size 10.5
Modifications: None

I love this kit because everything was included except for needles (knitting and a sewing needle for the zipper). I was a little nervous about sewing in the zipper but the instructions are great and the pattern has you knit a little flap for the zipper to sit on. Also, in case you were wondering, this is wallet-sized, not change-purse sized like I thought. I have some yarn left over so I think I will make a matching change purse. I also love that it comes in an actual sushi takeout container.


There has been lots of knitting going on, just not good light for photographing, or I get home too late (after leaving too early) and there is all this annoying school stuff to do. There is one secret project that I can't share with you for awhile, and then there have been the problems. I started the Katharine Vest from the spring '08 Interweave, and then had to frog it when I wasn't following the lace pattern correctly. Then, after successfully working to the armholes, I made the mistake of counting the stitches on one of the lace rows where the stitch count is always off. (Yes, of course it says this in the directions. I read it. Several times.) Luckily I just put it in the knitting basket for a couple of days and had the foresight to count the pattern repeats, which confirmed the fact that, yes, I had been decreasing. All is well now.


Hopefully there will be some good knitting this weekend and I can get the secret project out of the way. Then next weekend is a three-day weekend--I love having an extra day to knit.

Thrift Score

I always poke in the half-hidden bins that hold a myriad of crafty things at thrift stores, hoping against hope that there will be some excellent yarn in them. Usually there are just some tangled balls of 1980s acrylic (see, if it was from the 1970s or earlier it would at least be cool colors) in several pastel shades. Not this time! I found three skeins of Bernat Glenspun English Tweed in a dark blue at a local consignment shop:

This, my friends, is 100% wool, superwash no less. And the label claims it was actually spun at a mill in England. The three skeins together cost me 75 cents.


My Christmas knitting project for myself:


Pattern: Cabled Purse from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Celestial Merino by Lucy Neatby, 1 skein Scarlet
Source: The Elegant Ewe
Needles: Clover bamboo US Size 3 dpns
Modifications: I used dpns instead of the 12" circular needle called for in the pattern. I also ended up knitting the cabled part twice, because I grabbed a set of US Size 6 dpns and didn't notice until I was on the last round of the cable chart. Oh well. It was something simple and pretty to keep my mind occupied during the hectic days surrounding Christmas and New Year's.



There hasn't been much new knitting around here, since I'm trying to clean stuff out and get organized. The organizing itself leaves slightly less time for knitting, and half-finished projects are reappearing (above is the Bird Seed Scarf from the Purl Bee that I've already shown you, but I decided I would like some more birds. Who wouldn't?). I'd like to finish them before I start anything new, especially because the second Secret of the Stole starts in a couple of weeks.

Here's my swatch:

This is done on US Size 2 bamboo needles (instead of the US Size 3 needles recommended) but I like the way it looks so I'm keeping it.

Here's the yarn I'm using:

It's Habu Textiles Extra Fine Merino. Each cone comes with 747 yards, and is only eight dollars at The Elegant Ewe in Concord. They only have this brown color, but I like it. Also the tips from Nautical Knitter, the SotS II designer, recommended natural earthy tones. The yarn is beautiful although it's very thin (hence the smaller needles). It shows lace beautifully though, and has a slight haze to it.

All right, back to the house cleaning and finishing-up-of-old-projects. Not only are the number of unfinished projects embarrassing, so is the size of my stash (especially my fiber stash, which I contribute to as if I was a person who spins on a regular basis. Obviously, this is not the case). So after the finishing-up-of-old-projects, there must be some stash busting with a capital S. Wish me luck in both endeavors.

A Very Crafty Christmas

Crafty because I made most of my gifts (and actually finished them) and because I got crafty stuff for presents. Despite my best efforts, I still had to sew up the little notebook I made for my dad on Christmas morning before he woke up, but considering some of my past Christmas fiascos--last year everyone got presents still on the needles--that was nothing. So the Victorian women had it right; handmade Christmas gifts should be started no later than July. We'll see how it goes this summer in the middle of two intense graduate classes.

I think I've shown you all the presents I gave away (except for a couple, which I forgot to take pictures of before I sent them off--maybe I can convince the recipients to take pictures for me), so here's what I got:

• The Stitch'n Bitch Page-a-Day calendar from my brother
• The Daring Book for Girls from Bethie (This book is amazing--I've already learned how to do the whistle with your two pinkies. I only wish I had it when I was younger, although I got similar stuff from a variety of other books. Amy has a great review of it here)
• Knitting Vintage Socks, a back issue of Interweave Knits, the Tree Sweater and Rusted Root pattern by Zephyr Style, Cookie A.'s German Stockings pattern, and the Blue Sky Alpacas Crochet Sweater pattern, from my parents via Kpixie
  

From left to right:

• Mama Llama hand-dyed Merino Tencel
• Black Pearl Yarns DK Cashmere
• A set of casein DPNS, US Size 2 (I'm really curious about these, and they are very inexpensive--I'll let you know how they are)
• Three skeins of Hemp for Knitting AllHemp3, to become the crocheted market bag from Crochet Me (the book, which I highly recommend)
• Again, all from my parents and bought from KPixie

From left to right:

• Two skeins Claudia Handpaints Fingering Weight Merino in colorway "Toast," to become the Friday Harbor Socks in Knitting on the Road
• One skein of Shetland Cobweb yarn (Beth's response to this was "You really are crazy, aren't you?")
• One skein of Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino in Snow, the yarn called for in the Crochet Sweater pattern above that I am absolutely desperate to make. I decided to get one skein so I could have an easier time finding a suitable subsitute yarn (the Suri Merino is $16 a skein) and thinking I could just make a hat out of this skein, but I have touched it and it is delicious and I must have this yarn for my sweater. I think. I'm going to swatch and see how it is in crocheted form and remind myself that there is no way I can afford this yarn for an entire sweater. (Also from my parents, also from Kpixie)
  
  

• On top, the crocheted and embroidered house purse kit from Make Make
• The Sushi coin purse kit from Pick Up Sticks (also from my parents and from Kpixie)

It's a good thing I have a break from school to get some serious crafting done!

The killer icicles outside my window

"Those icicles have been know to kill people!" -Ralphie's mother in A Christmas Story



Hope you all had a great holiday, and my belated present to you is on its way: the Owl Cable scarf, which would match the Owl Cable hat perfectly (that was my inspiration). It was a birthday present for my aunt, who loves owls, and unfortunately I forgot to take a picture. I'll see if I can't get her to send me one.

Time to get knitting!

The Secret's Out

I finally finished the Secret of the Stole KAL (and only one day after the deadline, too!)



It will never cease to amaze me that you can start with this




and end up with this:

(Why yes, that is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles towel)

The Yarn Harlot has a much more elegant post on lace and the magic of blocking, and since I can't say it any better than she can and I'm in the throes of finals I will send you there (and might I add I am in desperate need of those blocking wires. The thing about stoles is they have two very loooong straight edges. I tried the string method but it didn't work; I think it was because the edges were just too long). I have been making other things, but I have to do a research proposal, a planning document (just as boring as it sounds), and an in-depth annotated bibliography for reference. Unfortunately I don't think any of my professors will accept a hand-knit pair of socks instead (crazy, I know). Next Friday, I promise.

Blogger is being really frustrating. I may be switching to WordPress (don't worry, I'll let you know).

I should also admit that I signed up for the Secret of the Stole II. After my first semester of graduate school, more lace knitting on tiny needles sounds like a piece of cake.

Wish me luck. I'm diving back into the piles of homework. Seeing that light at the end of the tunnel...