Monday, February 8, 2010

Mondays can, in fact, be productive

And this Monday is no exception.  Today, I have done many things.  I have made wontons.  I made lunch.  I did three loads (or was it four?  No.  Three.) of laundry.  One of them is still in the drier, but it still counts.  I finished six sets of stitch markers (though I haven't taken pictures of them, or the last few sets either).  I did a few more rows on Erin's Deep V vest.  I guess I didn't mention that I'd started that, did I?  Well, I have now.  Cascade 220 in heathered blue and green.  AND (and this is the amazing part) I actually had to go up a needle size to get gauge.  I know, crazy, hey? It was moderately exciting.  Anyways.  There are no pictures yet of the vest.  It's currently sitting in the corner of the couch, awaiting the next few rows.

So while I have something on the needles, I'm going to keep going in chronological order here.  Seems I did a whack of knitting for other people.  And I managed to do most of it with yarn that I did not buy myself.  Excellent.  After the pair of lace ribbon scarves, there were a pair of hats.

The hats were for an ex-coworker, Matt.  We got together for coffee after not having talked in at least a year, maybe 2.  Anyways, I had the Noro hat on, and he joked about how I was still always knitting.  I think at the time I was working on a hat from the Venezia chart, with the Noro leftovers.  I was at an amazing bright blue section in the Noro.  And so Matt asked if I would knit him a hat.  I jokingly told him that if he went and picked up the yarn, then I would knit a hat for him.  Unlined, unlike the last one, which would apparently do him well in Siberia.

I didn't think much of it until I got a text a few days later, asking where I'd gotten the blue yarn (I gave him a piece to take with, for colour comparison's sake) because Dressew didn't have anything like it.  After a quick laugh, because one should never start at Dressew when looking for good yarn, I sent him up to Three Bags.  The next day, I was informed that he had yarn for me.  And would I please knit a hat for his sister, too?  I acquiesced, and picked up the yarn.  One skein of Malabrigo Chunky in violet, and one skein of Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock in Saltwater.

The Malabrigo was turned into a Dean Street Hat (rav link).  There are no pictures.  Not even on my camera.  I'm sorry.  The SweetGeorgia is now a Koolhaas.  There are 47 grams left.  Not quite enough to make another one :(  This is in fact an important fact, because despite my best intentions, the hat is too small.  So either it needs to come back from Australia, where it was sent to, or I need to obtain some more yarn.  The second option, as much of a pain as it is, is probably the way it's going to go.

But enough of me talking.  I may as well show you the pictures.

koolhaas
Apologies for the blurry.  I no longer have a tripod, because I gave it back to Makr.

koolhaas top
This is the top.  I love the way the decreases come together.


Also, I have to teach people that if they are getting me yarn for a specific purpose, and it comes in a skein, then they should get it wound into a ball.  Nevermind that it looks nicer in the skein.  100 grams of sock yarn is a LOT to wind by hand.  Even if it does look alright after winding...

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Next in line

So it would appear as though I've already failed at regular blogging; my goal was to have one post every week, and clearly that hasn't happened.  However, I still have a backlog of projects to get through, so I think I'll keep trying anyways.  After the hat, there was in fact some Christmas knitting.  Despite the fact that I'd already decided I wasn't going to knit for anyone this year.  Because mom handed me a ball of yarn and said "this is my Christmas present.  Can you make me a lacy scarf?"  What's a girl to do when her mom asks for handknits?  And then hands over the yarn, to boot?  So then I spent a week trying to find a suitable lace pattern for a high-contrast hand-dyed yarn.  Something where the lace wouldn't be obscured by all the changing colours.  (For reference, this was Fibranatura's "Yummy" in Navajo)  I finally ended up with Lace Ribbon after much searching on Ravelry, and settled in to knit.  I think I memorized the lace pattern after 2 repeats....   Anyways, some time between two weeks and a month later, there was a lacy scarf, desperately in need of blocking.  And so block I did.

Mom's scarf
I'm thinking t-pins would be a good investment...

I used some leftover white broadcloth with a wool blanket (the first aid kind) under it to give me something to pin to.  It actually worked pretty well except for when the scarf grew longer than the blanket...  But the carpet had no complaints about being pinned into.

Mom's scarf
Apologies for the blurry; I was taking no-flash pictures inside.  Colours and pattern turned out well, though, hey?

In any case, I cast off mom's scarf on the bus on my way out to Richmond one day, and was then without a knitting project.  Very unfortunate.  So I stopped in at Wool and Wicker and picked up more yarn.  For another scarf, of course.  Same pattern, same size yarn, same size needles...  But this time it was Handmaiden Casbah.  In a sort of teal and blue variegated.  Topaz, I think.   In any case, I started a scarf for Puzzle.  Who I nearly always get something pink for, but decided against it this time.  Because nobody really needs a pink lacy scarf, and it clashes with more things than teal does :p

Alisha's scarf
I'm only sad that the "inside" YO's didn't open up more, because that would have been neat.  Sort of... bubbly.

Anyways, that was probably one of the fastest things I've ever knit.  I love fast knitting :)  It's also been blocked, but is still waiting to be gifted, because I fail at actually seeing people over the holidays... But it might come with me this weekend and go to its rightful owner.

Project notes for anyone still reading, and wanting the condensed version:
Pattern: Lace Ribbon (Knitty, spring 2008)
Yarn: Fibranatura Yummy in Navajo, approx 70 grams, and Handmaiden Casbah in Topaz, approx 70 grams
Needles: 3.5 mm
Notes: Fastest. Project. Ever.  The pattern is easy to memorize, and works up quickly.  I worked three repeats of the lace pattern (45 sts) instead of the 4 repeats dictated by the pattern because mom asked for a narrow scarf (it ended up being about 6.5 inches after blocking)  I really need to remember to swatch and block for lace things though because they grow so unpredictably...