¡Happy New Year!
I keep planning to add things to the projects page on Ravelry but not quite getting around to it. I usually have pictures of everything before it goes out the door as a gift, but… I only seem to upload the ones I finished since I started using Ravelry.
I should include pictures of the bent scarf, but it is a gift for my MIL and I would like it to be a surprise. The pictures are uploaded so if you want to look, help yourself. Keep in mind that it has not been blocked and I fully expect the blocking to beautify it. 100% llama yarn, semi-felted single, bought ages and ages ago before I knew what makes a good yarn.
I got a new knitting bag. Of course I never go anywhere so who knows why I got it. But we were at the World of Goods warehouse sale and how could I possibly pass up a purple batik bag for $5? I do really like it. It is almost perfect. It would be a better knitting bag if it stood up on its own, if I was sure of the handles’ durability, and if the inside was not black. I can possibly add a cardboard insert to help the freestanding. And if the handles fall off a $5 bag, I am not out too much money.
I cast on for my sweater. The yarn is absolutely brilliant in this. It looks better cast on in the sweater than it did skeined or balled. I am wavering on whether I should frog and start again. I did a long-tail cast-on and it looks horrid. I also managed to be a little confused on whether I was going to be using the #6 or #8 needles. But I did start on it. I much prefer the fabric to the #6 swatch, but the body will take about 22500 stitches compared to 15000. That is a huge difference in work and the #8 swatch looks tolerable. I will take some pictures before I frog. I might do a sleeve first. I should definitely take pictures, but eh.
Project-wise, my schedule cleared up a little. The February date for the Woodland Shawl has been put off. I am now doing that for me and I want to do lacework in the summer. It might end up being something that is put up for adoption, but I am knitting it because I want to knit it and there is no pressure.
Currently the plans are spinning for my rainy day scowl. Coming up with a project plan/pattern for the scowl. And sweater. And sucking it up and using the sock yarn that taunts me daily. (“I am an adult, sock knitting is not too hard. I will master it. And then I will have an entire repertoire of woolly socks and my feet will never be cold again!”)
I have decided that I am extremely funny and should have a job naming things. For example:
I have named “Knave of Hearts, Jack of All Spades”.
The new (proto)yarn, I want to call “Mood Indiglo” but I suspect I would get a lot of complaints from Timex and Billy Joel’s attorneys. It may end up being something like “cobalt cutin” for the dust that appears on blueberries and grapes. Today’s research suggests the Epic of Gilgamesh was written on lapis lazuli tablets… so I am leaning toward “Source of Gilgamesh”.
Have you thought of using size 7 needles and getting the best of all. Fewer stitches and better stitch definition than the size 8. The fiber names are pretty descriptive and clever at the same time.
Comment by TwistedKnitster — January 1, 2009 @ 11:27 pm
When I was buying needles, I bought 2 #4, 2 #6, 2 #8…. etcetera. That way I could two-circ hats and things. There is not an appreciable difference in my knitting if I change up or down one size… at least not in comparison between winter and summer or morning v. afternoon knitting. (The warmer my hands are, the tighter the tension can be. If it is cold, I do not flex my tensioning fingers enough.) So it did not make sense to invest in every size.
The current plan is to set the body aside and knit the sleeves on #6 needles. If I can get both sleeves and the collar from one ball, then I will definitely frog the body and knit on #6s. I would need the sleeves finished so they could be attached at the underarms anyway. I think I started with the body because I was telling myself if I ran short on yarn, I could make it a vest instead.
Comment by UndyedYarnpire — January 2, 2009 @ 11:01 am