Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Wednesday...

Well, it's almost over. I always feel better when Wednesday's almost over, don't you?

The sock is still not quite finished. I've got another inch and a bit til I start the toe decreases. I did the heel flap, turned the heel, and knit about two inches down the foot yesterday. I'm thinking I'll have this pair done by tomorrow night.

I stopped in at the library tonight after work and picked up a couple of reference books. I don't really have anything in mind to learn, but I figure it's always good to be on the look out for more info. On a quick browse through, the Vogue Knitting book looks pretty good.

See ya tomorrow (hopefully with a finished sock).

Monday, February 26, 2007

Monday Kitties.

Since there has been relatively little progress on my Jitterbug sock, I thought I'd share some pictures of my kitties.



You know, it's funny, Stu and I decided on Saturday night that we were going to try to cook more, and eat less take out. Well, I cooked last night, and we're back to take out tonight. Neither of us feel like cooking after working all day. And it doesn't help us that we live 5 blocks away from the bestest Indian restaurant ever! It's called Mirchi and it's at 64th and Granville, for anyone in Vancouver. Their butter chicken is to die for!

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Doing The Jitterbug...

Once I finished the Monkey socks, I didn't want to be without a sock on the needles, so I had to figure out what I wanted to do with the Jitterbug yarn, and fast!


The Mardi Gras colorway is very busy and bright, but I didn't want to go with a plain stockinette sock. I wanted something the would give the sock some depth, but wouldn't be overpowered by the bright colors.


I opted for a garter-rib pattern, which I grabbed from Charlotte Schurch's fabulous book, Sensational Knitted Socks. I cast on 48 stitches, and worked this pattern for the ankle, then switched to stockinette for the foot.


I know this is a fairly new yarn, so I wanted to make sure to give my impressions of it, especially since I know many people will be turned off of it because of its relatively short yardage and high price tag.


Pro's:
Beautiful vivid colors
Slightly thicker, so it knits up faster
Soft and very warm
Superwash and merino


Con's:
$24 Canadian
Very strong vinegar smell while knitting (this can be remedied by washing though)

Overall Impression:
I'm really happy with the results I'm getting with this yarn. I used a 3mm Addi to knit with it, and I think that's the perfect size needle for this yarn (for me at least). It's very cushy when knit up, and it feels delightful to work with while slipping through my fingers. It did make me want salt and vinegar chips though, because of the smell.


I'm glad I tried this stuff, but it won't become a yarn that I use regularly. I recommend trying it, but I also believe that you can get similar results and more yarn if you go with a different sock yarn.

I am really glad that I tried it, and I'm sure I will get lots of use out of the lovely socks it produced.

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Finally I think I'm on the mend from this awful cold. I managed to get lots of housework done yesterday, and it didn't totally destroy me, so I'm taking that as a good sign. I'm really looking forward to being back at work on Monday.

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Lately I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what I want to do with my life, and how I want it to look. I'm still not sure about work, but I'd like to do more travelling. Now, I'm not really a travel overseas kinda person. I'm not prone to go backpacking in Europe or anything (I don't even like to have to carry my purse, never mind a huge backpack!).

The kind of travelling I really enjoy is when Stu and I hop in the car and pick a direction and just drive. He really likes our road trips too.

We've done a couple of road trips down to Washington state (which is really not far from Vancouver), and have gone exploring in the smaller towns. We both had fun, and are planning to do more of this type of travel.


We talked about this last weekend, and yesterday he came home with a digital compass for me, because he "knows how much I like my gadgets". I admit it, I really do like my gadgets!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Friday, February 23, 2007

Monkeys? Finished!

But first, the cat. He just looked so comfy, I had to take a picture of him. He's on the cushion I've had since I was really young. It has sheep on it! I'll take a good picture of it sometime soon.


Now, on to what you're really here for--- A finshed pair o' Monkeys.


This pattern is great, and I love the yarn (except for the pooling I got on the first one). This yarn is kind of like Koigu, but it's significantly softer. All in all they were a quick knit.


The yarn was Sweet Georgia in After Glow. And of course the pattern was Monkey from Knitty.com.

I used 2.75 mm Crystal Palace bamboo needles.


I don't really know what more to say about these socks. I had fun knitting them, but I'm glad I'm done. At lease I have two finished projects for 2007.

I've got some Jitterbug that I picked up a couple of weeks ago at Urban Yarns. I think that I am going to be casting on with that next. Stay tuned!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

One Sick Monkey...

I'm sick. Instead of dwelling on all the bad things about being sick, I thought I'd tell you about a memory of being sick from my childhood ----

We used to go up to Whistler quite frequently when I was younger. We'd go and stay in a fancy hotel and spend the weekend skiing. There was one weekend, I think I was 7 or 8 years old, and I had a cold. My Dad had the same cold. For some reason, we decided not to cancel, and we went anyway. My Mom never wanted me to have Neo Citran. She said it was full of sugar, and bad for my teeth.

I guess it was the Saturday morning, about 4am or so. It was dark and snowing. I woke up because my cold was so bad that I couldn't stay asleep. There was my dad sitting at the table having just poured the hot water over the Neo Citran powder.

When he saw that I was up, he poured half his glass into another glass for me. We sat there in the almost dark drinking Neo Citran together.

It's amazing the little bits and pieces of things you remember. This is one of my fonder, albeit stranger, memories from my childhood. I think that this is why Neo Citran doesn't only bring me relief from my cold symptoms, it also brings me a lot of comfort.

Because of this cold, I was home sick from work yesterday and I made some pretty good progress on my second Monkey sock. I've only got three and a bit more repeats to go before I start decreasing for the toe. I'm hoping to get most of it finished tonight.


I'm surprised, but I really am loving this pattern. I'd highly recommend knitting this one.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

...Then The Muffin Said To The Monkey...

Well, nothing actually. That would be weird.

I made some delicious muffins this morning. They're Apricot Almond muffins from Be*Mused's blog. Here's the link to the recipe. Take a look around her blog while you're there. It's a really good read. Bonus: She's a fellow knitter.

I made a few alterations to this recipe. Most of the changes were out of necessity though. Apparently, I don't have a very well stocked kitchen.

Changes:

I used half white flour and half whole wheat bread flour (I ran out of white flour). Cut down the sugar to 1/3 cup. Used 1/4 cup of oil instead of butter. 1 teaspoon of almond extract instead of almonds. Oh, and I have some really expired buttermilk that I didn't want to use, so I used 1 tablespoon of vinegar, then filled up the rest of the cup with milk. I'd always heard of this as a substitution for buttermilk, but had been too afraid to try it before now. I'm pleased to say that there isn't even a hint of vinegar smell or taste.


They taste amazing!

I pulled my partly finished Monkey sock out of my bag last week. It had been sitting in there for over a month (I have a gigantic white leather bag, which is awesome, but things get forgotten in it, because it's so big).

I don't know what's going on with my memory, because I have no recollection of turning the heel, so I thought I still had a bunch more to go. Imagine my surprise when I found this---


I'd already turned the heel and was most of the way down the foot! I figured I might as well get it finished off, so I now have this---

The yarn is Sweet Georgia in After Glow (PS. Did you hear? She's going on hiatus! Damn!). And I used 2.75mm needles.

Just a side note on this yarn --- It is so squishy and amazing that words cannot fully describe it. You all know my love of Trekking XXL, right? Well, knitting with this after the Trekking makes the Trekking feel like straw, and the Sweet Georgia feel like pure gold!

This doesn't mean that I don't still love my Trekking, but there is a noticeable difference.

Just ignore the pooling, I know it looks horrid. It's just too much orange. The pink is really lovely though. I think this was the perfect yarn for this pattern.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Elapsed Time: A Jaywalker Story...

The pictures begin last night, and I think they really speak for themselves.

5:14pm (Right after I got home from work)


7:04pm - Stu and I had just returned from grabbing a coffee, and as you can see, I didn't get much knitting done.


9:01pm - This picture is from right before I went to bed.


8:05am - I realize that I have a good chance of finishing this morning. The end is in sight.


10:55am - We have a finished sock.


I don't know how, but the pattern almost matches up. I didn't put any effort into matching socks. This is just an added bonus.


I think we all know what this means --- I finally have a finished project this year. February 17th. First finished project.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Just A Quickie, I'm On A Deadline...

I've given myself a deadline to finish my second Jaywalker. I want to be done by tomorrow night. I'm thinking that I'm going to be up pretty late tomorrow night if I want to keep my deadline, so I'm going to revise it to Saturday by noon.


It was last Thursday that I posted my first sock, and I'm ahead of where I was there, so who knows. I'm about half an inch down the heel flap, and I'm going to try to get the heel turned tonight.

The only thing getting me through this week is that tomorrow's Friday. TFGIF. Have a great Friday! Hopefully I'll be posting pictures of a finished sock tomorrow night.

Monday, February 12, 2007

A Beginning, A Middle, And Some Luckiness...

For most of the day yesterday, I worked on the Regia Bamboo sock. Here's what it looked like mid-afternoon---

And here it is all finished---

It's super comfy and soft. It also looks great with a pair of jeans. The pattern is my own, which is basically ribbing til I didn't feel like it anymore, stockinette til it was long enough, and then a heel. Pretty basic.
Last night I after I finished the Regia sock, I cast on for the second Jaywalker. I'm almost ready to start the pattern after the ribbing.

I can't believe it, but I haven't finished a project this year. Plenty of finished single socks, and a mostly finished sweater, but nothing actually completed.

Here's the luckiness---

I went looking for some more of the Blue Sky Alpacas Melange at Urban Yarns. I figured I wouldn't find the same dye lot, because I got the first round of this stuff at Three Bags Full, but I was hoping to at least find some yarn in the same color.

I couldn't believe it. They had the exact same dye lot. I am lucky in some ways. Not in employment or education ways, but in yarn ways I am very lucky. My man luck is pretty good too. Well, once Stu and I got together anyways.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

A Jaywalker, Two Realizations, & Bamboo...Oh Yeah, And Assorted Other Stuff


...But first, an update from Redd---- His new favorite spot is a very small Adidas shoe box. He can be found curled up, sleeping in it, eating his breakfast in it, or playing with his favorite toy in it. Sorry, the picture's a little dark, but he doesn't allow flashes in his quiet area.


Next up, we have a finished Jaywalker. I don't think I need to link Magknits, because everyone knows where this pattern is from.

As you may recall, I was perfectly happy just knitting the leg, so it ended up fairly long. I'm happy with this though, because I usually like a longer sock.



I began the heel flap on Thursday night, then finished the heel flap and turned the heel on Friday night.

Saturday morning (yesterday) I woke up and contemplated putting this one aside and starting on the second one, but then I figured I might as well keep working on this one for a bit longer.




I worked on it through the morning, and by 11am I was already ready to start the toe decreases. Stu had to go into work for a bit, so I went with him and finished the toe decreases, grafted the toe, and wove in the ends. All in all, I was finished before 1pm.

I am still in disbelief that it took me so little time to finish the entire foot.

And this sock fits me like a glove (or sock, or whatever you prefer).




Here are the specs again---

Pattern: Jaywalker from Magknits.
Yarn: Trekking XXL in color #
Needles: 2.75mm Crystal Palace DPNS

I'll be casting on for the second one today.

I'd been dying to try out the Regia Bamboo that I picked up in Steveston a few weekends ago, and yesterday afternoon the urge was too strong, so I've decided to make some ankle socks. Actually, there slightly taller than ankle socks, but you get the idea.



Since it seems like an eternity since I've magic looped anything, that's what I'm doing for these socks.

This yarn is fairly thick, at least it's thicker than most sock yarn, so I'm using 3mm 32" Addi Turbos. I've cast on 54 stitches.




Wow, has the progress on this sock gone quickly! I'm almost ready to turn the heel.

This has got to be one of the softest yarns I've ever knit with. It's also nice and cushy.




You may have noticed that I'm using fairly large needles when I've been knitting sock lately. Let me tell you about my rationale --- When I'm at work, I don't normally wear regular socks, because I've got these awesome leather almost knee high boots, and there isn't enough room for socks in them, so I wear trouser socks. They're cute trouser socks too, they've got an argyle pattern to them.

So, I usually only wear my handknit socks at home or in my super comfy slide on backless Ecco runners. Needles to say, this is not very hard on socks. Also, I like the softer material that can only be achieved by knitting on bigger needles. I mean, the socks look the same, but they just feel super super nice.

So there, that's why. Just in case you were curious.

On to the realizations---

You know that pink sweater I'm making out of the Blue Sky Alpacas Melange? Well, the front and back are both finished, and I've done the ribbing for one sleeve. Everything is looking good, and I can't wait to wear it, but for some reason, I am totally unable to knit it.


I think I've figured out why. I don't think I'm going to have enough yarn for the second sleeve. Actually, I know I won't. I only have two skeins left, and I think that will only finish one sleeve. So that's it, I don't want to start, because I know I won't be able to finish.

Now that I know that that's my mental problem, I'm hoping I'll be able to start it again. I may have to use a different dye lot for the second sleeve, or I may luck out and be able to find more yarn of the same dye lot, but either way, I will not rip this sweater out. I'm prepared to finish.

It's funny, I'd never really tried to figure out exactly why a UFO stays as such, but this is a good idea. I think I'll have fewer UFOs because of it.


My second realization is that Firefly tagged my with the "Five Weird Things About You Meme" several weeks ago, and I totally forgot. I think I've done this meme before, but I'll give it another go.

1. I don't shave my legs in the winter. And in the summer, I only shave them as far as absolutely necessary. Eg. With capris, I'll shave to just below my knees, etc.

2. Stu and I eat his parents' leftovers probably 4 nights a week.

3. I am a horrible gardener. Horrible. Stu takes care of the plants. Actually, he takes care of the cats and the fish too. I just can't keep anything alive. In fact, without him, I think I'd starve to death too.

4. I could eat Indian food for every meal everyday. Seriously. Mmmm... Takeout.

5. Most night I'm asleep by 8:30pm. And I wake up oddly early on the weekends, even though I beg for 5 more minutes during the week.

I don't know if these things are really that weird. I suspect they're not.

What else was there? I can't remember, although I'm sure there was something. Oh yeah, I've put up a few wedding pictures on flickr. (My flickr is linked in the sidebar near the bottom). Just in case you're curious.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

This Is Why I Haven't Been Blogging...

I've been busy knitting a Jaywalker.

Now, I'm a fan of the school of thought that says there are a ton of awesome patterns out there, so why make the same thing twice, but Jaywalker is awesome, and this yarn wanted to be a pair of Jaywalkers.

It's not my fault. It was the yarn. How many times do we say that in a day, huh? Some may say too many.

Here's me working on it a few days ago---

Notice the pretty red couch. It's weird. Usually by this point in a project, I'm already looking forward to it being finished. This time, I'm just happy to keep on knitting.


I'm at the point now though that I need to start the heel, or I won't have enough yarn for the second sock.

See the little beaded stitch marker? It's one I got from Sunshine Yarns.

Here are the specs---

Needles: 4 2.75mm Crystal Palace needles. (God, I love these)
Yarn: Trekking XXL in color #133
Pattern: Jaywalker from Magknits.com

The reason I actually started these with this yarn was that I needed to work on something "happy", and this yarn with this pattern is a perfect fit. I started them right after my review at work. Oh, I have more on that, but it'll have to wait til later. We're going to look for a smaller fish tank tonight.