WIP Wednesday

Yes, I have been working on the Elizabeth Bennet Cabled Cardigan. But my hands hurt after Monday night, so I took a break.




The BSJ is almost finished. Something like 12 rows left...but I think I am going to run out of yarn and that is just going to piss me off.

Excuse the bad lighting, but in a moment of rare forethought I realized I am not going to be home AT ALL tomorrow as I have an all day training and then I am meeting up for knitting. So I decided to take photos and post in the weeeeee hours of the very early morning so as not to make you wait. Or it would have been bad lighting anyway...

Hey - is something missing????

Practicing Project Monogamy

For those of you who listen to the mild mannered podcast...this post will contain graphic language.

First of all, I would like to say that seeing Tattoo Boyfriend on vacation this past weekend was AMAZING and we had a great time. Nothing that happened to make this weekend suck tons of ass were because we are anything but happy. Dragon*Con, while packed, was still a lot of fun and we had good times with friends we don't get to see nearly enough.

Next, I would like to say a big FUCK YOU to the crackhead who did this....

(well, the broken window part anyway. Tattoo Boyfriend was sweet enough to cover my window for the drive home)

and this...
To my pretty little car. Yes, you can see some Yarn Pirate in that picture. There is more damage, but this is all I can handle right now.

What was taken, you ask? Well, Tattoo Boyfriend had thrown his camera bag in the back seat and UNDER a bunch of stuff. That was all they took. Because the idiot crackhead didn't try to unlock the door after breaking the window, only pull things out of the broken window after trying to PRY MY DOORS open. ASSHATS! My car is at the shop now and it will be sometime late next week before I get it back.

Next, fuck you to the ATL PD dispatcher. She told me that she would call a car and as soon as one was available they would be there. The guys were ready to drive 15 hours home and I was ready to drive 4. I was sick and tired and sad that I was parting with Tattoo Boyfriend (no, I didn't cry that I had to leave him, yes, I did cry that my pretty car was defiled - I had promised him no crying that we were leaving - I was too stressed about the car and the camera to be upset about anything else). Eventually (almost 2 hours later) we noticed a (very nice) police officer on the street below us, so we went down and asked him to find out what the deal was. He pointed us to another officer who, it turned out, was on foot patrol on that block the whole fucking time!!!!!!! The boys could have been on the road HOURS before, but NO! (It was very sweet of them to wait for me, I did try to get them to at least go inside, but all 4 of them stayed with me. We expect this of Tattoo Boyfriend since he is the sweetest guy EVER, but his brother and 2 friends didn't have to stand out in the Atlanta heat sweating their asses off with us).

Enough of that. *takes deep breaths* I can't get all worked up over it again. Must see socks.

I have been practicing project monogamy since last Wednesday when I put all my WIPs in time out. I have not worked on FiFi. I have not worked on Boyfriend Socks. I have not worked on anything I had on my needles this time last week. So, what I have I been doing? Meet my new pretty.

This is my first Rushing Rivulet sock in the Riverbed Sock Architecture from the new Cat Bordhi book, New Pathways for Sock Knitters. Thoughts on this sock are that it is weird looking when it isn't on your foot. It looks a bit deformed as the increases are done across the sole, but it is comfy!!! I will finish the second sock and then move back to something else. The yarn is Yarn Pirate Booty Club in Calamity (superwash BFL, baybee).

Oh - and I have some kind of crud thanks to the crapass AC in our room at the Marriott which pumped out cold wet air all weekend. And fuck you flickr for getting a "massage" all afternoon instead of letting me upload my photos. And fuck you crackheads. And fuck you, evil bitch who was mean to me this weekend.

Things we are happy about other than the sock and Tattoo Boyfriend???

If you like the Misfits, you will LOVE Calabrese!!! Had they opened for the Misfits, they would have put the Misfits to shame. Seriously. I think I have a little crush on the drummer. I looked at Tattoo Boyfriend and told him it was a good thing I loved him cause I thought I was falling for the drummer. We picked up their CDs and a couple of buttons before the show and the show rocked. (FUCK YOU HYATT that it was -4 Kelvins in that ballroom and my nether regions froze solid while we were in there!!!) Tattoo Boyfriend rushed the stage with everyone else AND had a good time in the pit. He was adorable. The Pit Daddy (as I now call this guy) helped a brand new punk kid learn the art of the pit - it was a very friendly crowd. Only at D*C can you see a guy in a loin cloth in a mosh pit.

Ummmm....I got a signed copy of The Last Unicorn (and Peter Beagle tried to look down my top - ewwww).

Oh - I bought a new corset.

I have been told that I didn't have back fat really, it is just that DJ Kaidy is leaning on me funny.

And here is CapnBob of Lost Rhapsody fame. I did his hair for him that morning. He was a lovely roommate to have. There are other highlights, but this is getting rather long and I am pretty sure you don't care. I did knit through the entire Ellen Muth panel. Also, the panel I was on for Jericho. And while waiting in line to get Ellen's autograph for Tattoo Boyfriend's niece. Lots of talking about knitting happened.

Hopefully I will have enough of my voice back and the cough and sniffles gone to podcast this weekend.

WIP Wednesday

Well, this week I was challenged to a full disclosure WIP post. I have decided that this will happen next week because I just finished taking pics of half my closet to post on ebay so that I can clear some things out. Seriously. I am really clearing out. I mean it!!!

Anyway...onto the WIPs. Here we have FiFi. I am not saying anything else about it other than it's pink.
And Boyfriend Socks are coming along. There is a surprise on these that you will see when they are done. I haven't worked on anything else. Oh well.

Its too hot!!

Batteries in the camera are dead. Didn't realize they were the last set in the house. Too frakkin hot to leave the house for batteries. If I had realized this yesterday when I was out...*sigh*

WIPs are coming along nicely. FiFi is coming along. Cabled Cardie is still in the black hole of knitting doom. Boyfriend sock 1 is almost done. I haven't worked on anything else.

Even with the AC on, it is hot hot hot. I mean the heat index is something like 5 billion today. OK - 106 or something. I think the high today was 99. I don't know, since I work from home (thank you to the best employer EVER!!!) I don't actually have to go out in it. Hence no batteries. Hence no pictures. Hence sadness.

Eva is sitting next to me. She wants to be in my lap, but it is too hot to have a fat hairball on me.

Ummmm....nothing else much going on. Just knitting when it isn't too hot (Monday night I was so hot I only knit 2 rows and then went to bed.) Sometimes just being still with the fan on and the AC running and being lazy is what a nice southern night calls for.

WIP Wednesday - A Case of Startitis!

First up this week we have the Mystery Stole 3. Yes, I am a silly silly knitter knitting black lace weight while sitting on a black couch and usually wearing black pants or a black skirt.

See that pink line there? It is the end of Clue 1. I am now 14 rows into Clue 2 and that was all today. I have been having some issues with the left eye and so knitting lace has been harder than usual - I had planned to work on this all day Sunday. Yeah. Notice how while pretty it looks a bit muddled in the middle near my pinkie finger down there? Here's to blocking!!!! KaidydidKnits and Cristi have great pics of their Mystery Stoles up too. Lets see, what do we have next? It isn't the Pinwheel because it still looks like it did last week. I know I know, I should have worked on it. But instead I cast on the Elizbeth Bennett Cardigan from Fitted Knits: 25 Designs for the Fashionable Knitter. I have mentioned my great love of this book before and right after I got it I found Cascade Cloud 9 (50/50 Angora/Merino - what the pattern calls for) at almost 50% off. So I bought the yarn and it has been sitting in my stash.

Look at the collar. I really love the seed stitch followed with that peral ridge. This is echoed later in the pattern as well. Hmmmm...something seems to be missing. I wonder what it could be. I guess you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

WIP Wednesday

It's that time again...First we have the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket. About half way through this one. Maybe I will have it done next week.

Look...Pinwheel grew an arm!!!!
Shhhh...its a secret sock! It is my sock for the Hill Country Yarn Sock Contest. This one is ALMOST (ok - I am almost to the heel) and its partner is sitting next to me looking pink and happy!

Finally - I had to snap a pic of Rozz. I went out back to take the pics with my neighbors pretty flowers (I am useless with plants) and I came back to this. Now, I know my boy well enough to know he runs as soon as the door is opened, so I didn't dare try. But he is just such a sweet boy and I had to share.
Candleflame looks exactly the same as it did the last time and lacey lamb just needs blocking, so they are not worth showing right now.

I am pretty sure some crack was smoked...

I just realized that I am almost out of the Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb yarn. This is supposed to be a one skein project. It calls for 72 pattern repeats. I am at 45. See the problem here? There is no way I am going to get another 30 pattern repeats out of this yarn. MAYBE 10 more. OK - more like 2. I just measured the preblocked piece as it is right now and it is 32" in its natural state. There are no blocking sizes on the pattern. Width is 25". I followed the pattern exactly. If I had to do it again I would take out a pattern repeat or two in the width. I think when I block it it will end up about 45" long with the added rows since stretching it not to much gives me 43". So - almost done with this. I should be able to block it this weekend at this rate. GO ME!!! I will note these things in the pattern for the shop so people don't worry. I mean even I went "WHA????" when I looked at the skein. I am so much closer to being finished then I thought I was. And that makes me a happy happy knitter.

Other issues with this pattern. There are no guage guides, no needles called for. It says to double the yarn and go up a needle size for loser and down for tighter. yeah. that is sooooo specific. I am doing this on 9s only because well I am. no real reason. 2 strands together and that is what Remi CO when she started it. Granted, I frogged it 3 times since then, but that isn't the point, I am happy with the guage.

another one on the needles...

I have had the project itch. So last night I CO the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket in Wendy Velvet Touch. It is a fun pink, yellow, green and white mix. I am now a 1/4 of the way through it. I like it, though it is a bit mindless. Which is probably what I like about it right now.

Christi and I bought the pattern at the same time with the intention of knitting them at the same time, but she is done now I think and I am just starting. I am behind. It happens.

Oh - and I joined the Mystery Stole 3 KAL on yahoo. yep. I need a mental evaluation. I ordered the Lane Borgesia Cashwool in black from The Loopy Ewe for this. I am really looking forward to this. Yes, I know I claimed I was going on a yarn diet, but I am a liar when it comes to yarn, so you should all get used to that. I would rather be honest than sneak yarn in. Plus, the boy doesn't care if I buy more yarn. Hell, he encourages my yarn habit.

WIP Wednesday

Well, Christi is doing this WIP Wednesday (along with Yarn PrOn Fridays and Handspun Mondays which I will participate in on occassion...ok - I plan to participate in Handspun Mondays) and because I like the sheep, well, I am following along. So, here are the current (re:active) WIPs. From closest to being done to farthest. Excuse the craptastic pics - its raining outside and the 3 mins of sunlight we had today...well, I was on a conference call.

First we have the pinwheel sweater. I finished the alternate color loop edge this afternoon - would have last night but I ran out of gray at knitting last night, so I finshed up the pink and finished the last few gray loops after work today. All that is left are the sleeves. See those green lines, the sleeves go there.

Pretty, isn't it. Next, we have the Lacey Lamb Shawl knit from Jade Sapphire's Lacey Lamb in this weird green. I am knitting this as a sample for Charlotte Yarn, so I didn't pick the color. I have to say that the yarn is SUPER soft. I mean I really want to roll around in it. Right now I am just over half way finished with it.

Did I mention that the yarn is super soft and I want to roll around on it? Yeah. Well, it is knit on size 9 needles with the yarn held double.

Next up is the Candleflame Shawl. I have had this one in my bag and haven't looked at it in awhile. Not really that long, but its been a bit. So when I pulled it out, I was amazed at how much I really really liked it and want to get back to it. Again, not a color that I would want, but it isn't for me. And the color is growing on me. I really like the way the pattern looks in the Elsebeth Levold Silky Wool which is a fingerine weight and the specified yarn is lace weight. But I am really loving it.
And now...its the Bellocq Stocking Collection....FOOTIES. I have the feet done on both of these. I figure these will be done around the turn of the next century, but since I just started them a few weeks ago, they are active :) From this angle, you can't really see the lace vine pattern, but it is there and I think it is grand. This features a short row toe and heel. We like.

So - that's it for this week. I am hoping to get some real work done on the Lacey Lamb this week. I jumped from about 20% to over 50% since this weekend after not touching it and I am working on a couple repeats every day ... at least.

What are you working on???

Episode 6: I have a concussion from falling off the yarn diet wagon

Yeah. I bought a lot of stuff. Not much of it was yarn, but that isn't the point. It makes for a fun time of talking about all the stuff I am working on.

Yarn bought:
LimenViolet - The Cloak Maker (more this week, but I will talk about it next time
OnLine Yarns - Tondo in Mulberry ( I didn't buy it here, but it was the only place I found it with the colorway listed - woohoo)
Brown Sheep Wildefoote - Soft Jazz, Forget Me Not, Columbine
Opal Rainforest - Doktorfisch

Etsy Finds:
Poppy Flower Fibers - 20% off for all fairieknits listeners now through June 15. I got Superfreak 3 and Royal Flush
Cherry Blossom Fibers - Purple, Violet lilac, pink
macekdesigns - You have angered cthulhu, Cthulhu's Wrath
Purple Flower Designs - I have a Pink Diamond Tote

Books:
Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot's Bag of Knitting Tricks
Cables Untangled: An Exploration of Cable Knitting (Review to come in future episode)
Sensational Knitted Socks (a short review of this in this episode)
No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo & Other Delights (Review to come in future episode)
The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches
Domiknitrix: Whip Your Knitting into Shape (Reviewed in this episode - YAY!!!)
Simply Knitting Magazine
Ashford Learn to Spin booklet

Interesting other stuff:
Lantern Moon Basket - mine is in the pink and green fabric - I LOVE IT!!!
Addi Turbos in 32" size 3

Spinning Update -
I bought a Lendrum!!! (the folding wheel)
Spinning class at The Yarn Shop by Rainy Day Creations was GREAT. They have a couple more this summer.

WIP
Candleflame Shawl - Elsebeth Levold Silky Wool
Lacey Lamb Shawl - Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb
Pinwheel Sweater in elann.com highland peruvian wool
Jaywalkers in LnV sock yarn

FOs
Carie Cardigan in OnLine Tondo from Fitted Knits: 25 Designs for the Fashionable Knitter
Women's Lace Edge Hat from headhuggers.org
Preemie Jester Hat in Debbie Bliss merino DK from Knitting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time (it looks like this is $3.99 at amazon.com right now!!!)
3 more eyelash scarves for the Mary Read Memorial KAL


DIYs Knitting Gritty - I learn something new even when I don't like the projects. Its worth watching.

Yarn Shop Review
TheNeedleTree - Greenville, SC

Crafting for a Cause Update
End of May - shooting for 500 - we are at 520!!!!!! I am continually impressed by the crafting community and its kindness! Thank you all for your generous donations to so many charities!
Hit the LJ Spotlight!!!
Mention on missmalaprop.com
Steve from Webs suggests The Leader for your charity projects! Its $2.29 for 220 yards - 100% SOFT acrylic (he promises)

I might do a mini-epi on Monday with Olivia, but otherwise, no new episode for 2 weeks - the boy will be here next weekend!!!