Tangle

This is how I'm spending my evening:






How about you?


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Julia gets Yarn Bombed

"All you need in knitting is a girlfriend to get you started."

Yarn Bombing

I didn't find out about International Yarn Bombing Day until the Tuesday before so I was unprepared. Fortunately I had some hearts left over from my I *heart* My City project. Since I had company in for the weekend, I turned them into yarn bombers as well. We simply tied up some hearts to the subway poles and we journeyed through the city.

 I think my favorite bombing from that day was the NYC subway turnstiles. Did you see any good knit graffiti? I'd love to see pictures!

Playing in the City

I have friends visiting this weekend! I probably won't be posting until they head home but you can check out their adventures while they are here or you can watch this happy little yarn ball play in another fun city.



Via Threadpanda

FO: Seattle Shawl

I finally decided that I was not having enough fun knitting my Seattle so I bound off. Technically I think this means I have a FO, but I don't feel very satisfied with it. I blocked it this week and it finished drying yesterday. It was cloudy and raining today, but I took it out for pictures anyway. Really, it seemed appropriate.

The finished shawl is about 40 inches across the long edge and less than 20 inches down to the tip. It is not really as large as I would want it to be. I'm not surprised though because I didn't even finish my ball of Noro. The saddest part of this story is that despite the dreary weather and the chill in the air, I didn't wear my new scarf(lette) when i went out to take photos. I gave this a nice long bath, but it didn't really soften up at all.  I don't like wearing it on my neck. I don't know what I'll do with it for now.  Maybe I'll dig out a teddy bear that needs some accessorizing.

Tidy Mind, Tidy Stitches - 2KCBWDAY3

This post was delayed due to technical difficulties please enjoy even though it is a day late.

From Eskimimi Knits

Tidy Mind, Tidy Stitches - How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.

I am slightly embarrassed by the current state of my stash. I yearn for a visible and organized stash, but this is what I have:

From Drop Box

That is my childhood toy box. It is jam packed full of yarn. All of those bags sitting out are the sets of yarn that go with projects that I have cast on. Here is what it looks like inside:

From Drop Box

I keep everything in bags. Most of the bags are groups of yarn for particular projects. The rest were organized by weight at one time, but that has been lost a bit. I love the sentimentality of keeping my yarn in my toy box, but my access to it is horrible. I have to dig to find anything, and usually I have to pull everything out to get to that one ball I know is there somewhere. I've gone beyond hinting to Hubby that I want a new way to organize everything. So far, he's giving me some wall space in the living room that could put the organization system against. We just haven't worked out a new system or taken that inspirational trip to the container store. Until then, I keep everything organized on Ravelry.

From My Stash

Since this has become my main method of organization, I've become a little obsessive. You may notice that some of those say things like 0.14 or 0.46 left. I measure my remaining yarn when I finish a project so I know exactly how much was used so I can know how much is left. I don't have all of it that detailed, but I keep most of the new stash items up to date.

Check out the innovative and beautiful ideas that others have for organizing their stash!

A Tale of Two Yarns - 2KCBWDAY1

From Eskimimi Knits

A Tale of Two Yarns - Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

From Drop Box

The first yarn that I want to talk about is the yarn I love. It has been with me since Arkansas, and I occasionally I pull it out to fondle and contemplate. I love this yarn because it is incredibly soft and cuddly. I don't have much grey or black yarn, but this color is somehow perfect. It soft and simple and still compelling. It is the warmest black I have ever seen. Beyond that, it has great memories. It was a gift in one of my very first yarn swaps when I was still just learning to knit.
What I don't love is that I just couldn't find the perfect project for it there. Initially I tried to make a Feather and Fan Scarf, but it was just too short for my liking. I frogged it and set it aside while I searched for a better pattern. Right now I have the two balls wound up together to make a Foliage. That didn't work out so I tried again with a Hermione. It didn't seem right either. I started to search around Ravelry for someone destashing so I would have a scarf's worth, but I never had luck.  Lately, I've been considering picking up another couple balls in a different color and maybe making the Chevron Scarf. I'm sure if I wait long enough, Knitty will show up with the perfect pattern.

This second yarn has been quit an opposite experience. I had never heard of Frog Tree prior to receiving it, but I've been reading everyone on the internet rave about Noro since before I knew what yarn weights were. I finally picked some up for myself when I was visiting family in Seattle over the holidays. Everyone was right about the colors. They are fantastic. I love the long slow transitions and the combination is perfect for my Seattle memories. The trouble is that it feels absolutely horrible in my fingers. It is scratchy and stiff. There are bits of plant embedded in it. I don't mind every so often, but this is a lot. I've been making a shawl with it, and I don't know if I'll want to have it around my neck. I haven't washed it yet so I've still got my fingers crossed, but right now, I just don't understand why a process knitter would use it.

Please go check out some more fiber filled posts from Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2011.

Eye Candy

I bought some new yarn! Here is some eye candy for you.



Since I'll be caught up in blog week next week, I probably won't be talking about my WIPs very much. I have a quick update on my Bo Brite scarf. I am close to finished with the second balls of yarn, and my scarf is fantastically long. Really, really long. Taller than me long!

WIP: Seattle

I managed to do a fair amount of knitting over my wonderful game weekend. Not only did I have a long bus ride, but I also find that the right project means a lot of knitting can get done between turns.


I like to pick up some sock yarn as a souvenir when I travel but this trip I knew I wouldn't venture far enough away from the convention center.  I decided to combine my last souvenir yarn into a trip project so I could have one project full of two trips.  I picked up this yarn at Tricoter in Seattle. It is my very first ball of Noro. I confess I was a little concerned about making socks out of it. It feels really rough, and I just don't want rough socks. I went with the shawl, but I'm still worried that it might be too scratchy.  Hubby is confident it will soften up once I wash it. I am going to trust him (and the overwhelming love for Noro that I always hear about) and hope for the best.

Mixed Motives

Just over a week ago, I found out from a friend that she has brain cancer. When I first saw the news, the only way to describe how I felt was mentally winded. My mind had all of its processing power knocked out of it and for the next hour, I lost my ability to really do anything. I wasn't reacting. I wasn't working. I wasn't feeling.

Once I got over the shock, I was still at a loss for what to do. We are not close enough both physically or as friends that she really needs my help. If she had come to visit NYC, I would have dropped everything to spend the time with her, and I'd do the same if she needed me to come be with her now. She doesn't though. She has a great support group, and it sounds like she is doing a great job of taking care of herself. Knowing that, I did what I could. I pulled the softest most colorful yarn out of my stash and cast on.

I've been knitting nonstop in this project and with every stitch, I've been thinking of her. Each of the last minute late night perfectionist changes we made to our final paper in grad school. Every single stair that we climbed in Paris. The discussions from our counseling class. The moments we should have spent together that I skipped out on. Each bright color that passed through my fingers reminded me of how vibrant she is.

I never backed away to look at this project. I just kept stitching and looking at it one loop of yarn at a time. I'm not certain if I've been infusing the memories into or drawing them out of this project. Now that I am casting off, and looking at it with a just a little bit of distance, I think my motives may have been lost.  I wanted to create some comfort for my friend Danielle. I wanted to knit up the hug that I am not nearby to give.

Now, I am questioning what I had intended based on what I have accomplished. I look at the colors together and see that their combined brightness has made a dark shawl.   This yarn served me perfectly one stitch at a time, but I don't know that she'll see the beauty in it that I did. The more I look at it, the more I see a project that I would have made for me and not a non-knitter. I am often a problem solver, driven to help whenever I see an issue. There is nothing that I can do to cure cancer, and I think that this was my answer. I couldn't fix anything, so I created a project that I could do in order to allow myself to cope. I am confident that this shawl will still work to warm chilled shoulders. Hopefully she will still find the intended comfort and this will bring her some of the peace it has brought me.

Yarn Monster

Yarn Monster from toddtreece on Vimeo.

Yummm Yummm Yummm!

Follow Friday: Art Yarn

From Drop Box

From ArtYarn's about blurb:

ArtYarn is a collaborative knitting and crochet project coordinated by visual artist Rachael Elwell.


ArtYarn formed in 2008 and continue to collaborate with local community groups, world wide knitting and crochet networks and arts organisations to create gallery installations, public arts projects and creative craft workshops.


ArtYarn are inspired by the versatility of knitting and crochet as an artistic media, as well as the traditional technical aspects of knitting and crochet.


This supports the creation of highly crafted art works with a contemporary outcome. All ArtYarn projects reflect the artistic, social and historical contexts of knitting and crochet, and focus on the tactility of hand manipulated processes.


With this, ArtYarn explore individual creative expression and focus projects on devising ways to make knitting and crochet accessible through participatory making.


ArtYarn are currently based; At Ebor Mill Studios, Littleborough, Lancashire (UK), and from ArtYarn's home town Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

I like following Art Yarn because I like to be reminded of the art associated with my craft. I don't think of myself as an artist. I create things, but I rarely use much creativity. I think that a lot of knitters are artists, but I sometimes forget that. I've found that since I've become a knitter, the way I view knitted things has changed. My ability to recreate something dulls my awe of a lot of knitting.  This means that when I am in the store and I see a sweater I'm not as impressed.  I now weight the benefits of getting it quickly and cheaply now against waiting and customizing it to myself later.

While I generally think this is a good thing for shopping (I've stopped buying as many mass-produced, poor fitting, acrylic sweaters) it is not as good, but almost as strong when it comes to hand knits.  I have huge respect for people who create and design knit pieces. Sadly, respect does not have the same immediate emotional impact that awe does.  Art Yarn regularly posts yarn bombings and creative pieces that are fiber creations, but are different from the sock, sweater, and blanket patterns that I regularly see on Ravelry. That difference is enough to re-inspire the awe, and remind me how much more than a craft my hobby is.

Project Planning

I've just put my Viper Pilots in for their pre-blocking bath. That means it is now time to plan a new project. Instead of making a plan and coming back here to tell you about it, I am going to try to make this a little more stream of consciousness and write as I go through the planning.  I don't know how well it will work, but hopefully, you and I will both get to see how I work when I'm starting something new.  There might be a lot of Ravelry links in this post.  I'll try to note them, but I apologize to any non-Ravers in advance.

To the stash!  I usually go to one of two places when I'm looking for inspiration, my Ravelry queue or my stash.  I've been wanting to knit more out of my stash lately, so I've just pulled everything out of my toy box (yes, I keep my yarn in the toy box that I've had since I was a little girl) that struck me as next project worthy. Now I'm going to go through it one yarn at a time and look at my queue to see if can find the perfect combination.

First up is my Noro Sock yarn.  I just bought this over Thanksgiving as my souvenir Seattle yarn.  I think I want to make some simple socks out of them.  Glenna has a perfect pattern (Rav Link) designed specifically for the yarn that I think would be best. If you had asked me three months ago if I'd be casting on another Glenna pattern as soon as I finished my viper pilots, I'd laugh. Her stuff is beautiful, but intense. This patter, however, is even titled simple and a review of it doesn't include any Ktbl stitches so it is probably safe.

Next I have some left over Knit Picks Felici. I originally used this to make some leg warmers for Sydney, but I have quite a bit left of each ball.  I thought they would make some adorable toe up ankle socks.  It would be a simple project with some quick gratification.

I've also got just over 2 balls of Knit Picks Andean Silk left over.  I've used this for my Francis and a pair of mittens. I don't have a project picked out for this, so I'm going to queue to see what I currently have in there that needs knitting. Hats and cowls are what I'm seeing. I like Coline, Ribbed for Your Warmth (PDF), Fenimore, and Bas Relief Hat. I don't have any tams and I have a complete knitter crush on Jared Flood so if I go with this yarn I may just have to do Fenimore.

Next up, I have 8 balls of Rowan Cashsoft in a beautiful shimmery grey.  In the queue that may work for this is the Austin Hoodie, Myrtle Cardigan (Rav Link), Folded (Rav Link), and Dulce de Leche. The amount of yarn I have would be cutting it close for a few of those.  I think my favorite would be the Myrtle Cardigan.  I wouldn't have to worry about the yarn, and the lace cardigan would let me brighten up the grey color with whatever I'm wearing underneath.

Digging in my toy box, I also found Reid. This is an adorable Knitty pattern that I started in May of 2009.  I wanted to make it just because it is so darn cute, but since I don't have anyone to make it for or any sort of deadline, it has been untouched for a long time.  I'm on row 56 of 70 for the final sleeve.  It just needs to be blocked, seamed and edged once that is done.  Not much work at all to make this an FO.  I still have no idea who I'd give it to though.

Speaking of unloved WIPs, I also have a feather weight cardigan hibernating. Before I can work on this again seriously, I will have to figure out why there are two sets of needles in the bag.

I have two skeins of Knit Picks Imagination that I need to come up with a new project for.  I originally bought them for socks, but I think I want them to be repurposed.  I have a pair of Imagination socks that I love.  They are like  having a teddy bear cuddle with your feet all day.  They have slightly felted so they are perfectly form fitted to my feet, but they are a little too thick for my shoes and shed quite a bit. Besides this yarn should be admired more than my feet. I recently gave away my Hibiscus Shawl, so maybe another wrap would be nice.  My queue has a lot of great things, but I want to keep it simple since the yarn is so colorful.  I think Multnomah (PDF), Simple Things, Gaenor, Linen Stitch Scarf, and the Sango Shawl, would work well. The last two would prevent pooling, but the first three would really show off the yarn.  I torn on this one.

That's a lot, so I'm going to revisit and I'll throw the projects into a poll just so I can learn how to do that. Why do you tell me what project you think would be good.

What do you like?
	Seattle Socks
	Stripy Ankle Socks
	Purple Fenimore
	Grey Myrtle Cardigan
	Finish Reid
	Finish Feather Weight Cardigan
	Undetermined Shawl
pollcode.com free polls

That took longer than I expected, but now I think my socks are done bathing and ready to be blocked. Hopefully I'll have pictures this week!

Natural Gas or Wool

Mom just shared this great commercial with me. I think it is great idea with superb execution.

A little bit more than it makes me want natural gas, it makes me want to cover my entire world with yarn.

FO: Philly Socks

My Philly Socks saw some neglect with the influx of baby knitting. They were put on the back burner for a couple of projects, and it didn't help that one fully completed sock had to be ripped out and restarted. I didn't mind though, because I am completely comfortable with toe-up socks now. So, just over three months since their beginning, I present to you, my finished socks:

Pattern: Knotty or Knice Socks from the Fall 2008 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Koigu Premium Merino (KPM)

Needles: US 1 (2.50 mm)
Notes: I love these socks. They are my second pair, and I couldn't be happier. They do remind me of my trip to Philly. I think the yarn and the pattern look great together, and they are so comfy. I didn't make any adjustments to the pattern at all. I do want to comment on the yarn. This was my first time to knit with Koigu. The yarn was great, but the color bleed all over my fingers while knitting. Since I knit these almost exclusively on the subway, I would show up at work every morning after about 20 minutes of knitting and my fingernails would be stained, and I would have an orange ring around my finger where I wrap my working yarn. The water was a bright orange after I soaked them, but the color of the socks hasn't faded at all. Hopefully it is just excess dye. I'll just have to see what my feet look like at the end of the day. Though, I'm kinda glad I didn't make a Philly Hat.

Philly Socks

I generally don't like to apologize to the readers of my blog because I generally do this for myself, and think of it as an perk is someone finds it useful or entertaining. Today, however, I'd like to say I'm sorry to anyone still following me and to myself. It has been far too long since I have shared anything at all, and I've been disappointed. Since my last post, I have moved to Brooklyn, made good friends out of old acquaintances, had a birthday and an anniversary, hosted Hubby's parents in our new home, gotten my new library card, and went on my first official business trip. That list is full of reasons to post, not reasons to neglect writing. My reason for not posting, is none of those. I haven't been active, because Hubby's computer died. For some reason, it did not make the move, so I have turned over my computer to him. Both of us have cut back on our computer usage, simply because we have to take turns now. I will continue to be absent until one of us has gotten a replacement.

At the beginning of this month I went to Philadelphia for a workshop on the fundamentals of Research Administration. I was excited for so many reasons. I don't travel by myself very often, this was my first time to Philly, and there was just something special about going on my first business trip. The workshop was fantastic, and I learned a lot. I meet some great people, specifically a couple of knitters from D.C. and Texas. We skipped one of the evening events and headed out to the LYS together where I picked up a little souvenir.

This is some Koigu Premium Merino (KPM) for socks. I showed up early for the workshop, and spent my extra time walking around the historic area and learning about our founding fathers all over again. I was inspired by all the brick and cobblestone, so for my souvenir yarn, I was looking for something in a burnt red/brown/orange color. What I ended up with is a bit orangier than actual bricks, and is such an incredible color.

It didn't take me long to find the perfect pattern. The Knotty or Knice Socks from the Fall 2008 Interweave Knits won out because, it is toe up, and the pattern details fit perfectly with my memories of the colonial buildings. They were all small, practical, brick buildings with embellishments masking their sensibility in the front. I liked the strong lines of the ribbing in these socks, and the cable repeats are just a touch of flair that keeps them from plain, practical socks.

I've had to make just a couple adjustments because my feet are larger than the one the pattern is make for. My gauge is just a touch different and I've added an extra half of a pattern repeat to the foot. I've also decided to work these one at a time since they are my first pair toe up and with short row heels.

My perfect yarn, and my perfect pattern are combining nicely to make my Philly Socks.

Martha!

One of the women working on Martha's show is from Hoboken, so when she was preparing for the special Yarn episode, and she discovered the Hoboken SnB, she made sure we were invited.  I wasn't going to pass up such a unique opportunity, so I took the day off and headed into Hoboken to meet up with the group.  

We all wanted good seats, so we headed in early, really early.  We made it to the studio with no problems, so we had about an hour and half to wait in line before they would let us in.  The weather was great, there was free coffee, coco and breakfast foods, the company was wonderful, 

and of course, we were surrounded by knitting, so standing in line was actually great fun.  

Once inside the studio, we waited in a nice seating area for further instructions.  There, we were taught how to clap, cheer, aww, yumm, and laugh. We waited for a bit more, chatted with other knitters, and admired all of the incredible projects that people brought along.

Shortly before the taping started, they herded us into the room where all the magic was going to happen, and we waited some more.  None of us minded.  We all had our knitting, and the music was fun.  The crew were constantly complimenting us on what a great audience we were since we all had out WIPs to keep us occupied.  After a refresher course on how to fade out our clapping, they let us take pictures of the set (from our seats).  

Yarn balls hanging in the windows

Yarn Baskets sitting on all of the shelves

And yarn creations on display (yes that deer is yarn)

The actual taping was fun, but it was hard to hear much of what was going on.  What we did hear was the snide comments Martha made, and Mo Rocca giving it right back to her.  When the taping was over, Martha said something (I don't remember what, but it was pleasant), and slowly, we filed back out into the street.

Martha in her lovely yellow sweater (that was not hand knit)

Yep, that's a crocheted urinal that she's standing next to.

Why don't I remember what Martha said?  Well because I like most of my group was a little shocked at our audience gift.  Now, I don't feel like I am entitled to a free gift because I showed up to do something that I wanted to do anyway, but this gift just didn't seem appropriate.  It was a fun fur scarf kit.  I believe this product has its place in the knitting world, and I have already found some great uses for fun fur, but as a gift to a group of talented knitters who value quality yarn, it is disappointing.  Margaux, speaks for the yarn snob in all of us with her post on the event, but I think it is all summed up in Chris's picture.

My Turn

I work in an old building, and some days the heaters just don't seem to be enough. One particularly cold day I decided that needed a workhorse kind of wrap that I could keep in my office for these emergency situations. I decided it was my turn to make a Clapotis. I went through my stash looking for something with enough yardage and no assigned project. I found some orange lace weight that was given to me in a swap, but it was going to have to be held double.

Since the orange was discontinued I had to pair it up with something else. Originally I loved the orange because I thought it would highlight that color in my hair, so when looking for another color I decided to go for another shade in my hair that I wanted to accent. The red and the orange work together in a beautiful way. When I am working on them right up close, they kind of look like what you get when you start swirling mustard and ketchup around together. The further away you get, the more unified and coppery the color becomes.

I've been working on this steadily on the subway, during my lunch breaks, and at SnB and it has been going pretty quickly. I was well over half way done when I had to join my second hank of yarn, so I decided to add 3 repeats to the center section. I had no particular reason to add more other than I knew I had the yarn for it, and the decision to add three repeats was just because I like the number 15 better than the number 12. Even with that addition, I have already started my decreases and I hope to be done with this before next week.

A Beautiful Surprise

Hubby and I did most of our holiday celebrating while Mom and Dad were here at Thanksgiving. When Christmas did roll around, we did do much. We cuddled, watched some Christmas specials on tv, read, and called our families. There was no tree, feast or gifts. While I am normally a big fan of the holiday festivities, this quite day for the two of us was a nice change of pace for our first Christmas alone. Even though we didn't have anything planned, we were still in for some very sweet surprises from our friends and family.

One of the most unexpected and exciting was this beautiful hank of Ozark Handspun that was sent from some friends in Arkansas. It is a fabulous yarn. It is about an aran weight, singly ply (which I only had to point out because I am proud that I understand what it means). When the hank is opened up and laid out, the two main colors (a rich copper and a deep teal) are on opposite ends and faded into each other. I almost set my cardigan aside because I was so excited to start playing with this. I am having trouble deciding what it wants to be though. I have about 190yards so I have been thinking it might be a beret, a cowl, or a tea cozy. Of course it could also be a hat, fingerless mittens, or a (short) scarf. Any ideas? Until I figure it out, it will just have to sit here on my desk looking beautiful so I can try to commune with it as I browse Ravelry.

P.S. I finally got my male model to put on his Dashing Gauntlets so I could take a better picture.

I'm Spoiled

While Mom was here for Thanksgiving, she was determined to set me up with yarn for a project for myself. We made it out to Purl in SoHo, but the only thing that struck me as must have there was the fall issue of Knitscene. So, when Mom left, she gave me some money and a mission to buy something nice for myself. I spent a couple days going though my queue assessing all of my wish list projects and their fiber requirements. I ended up coming right back to that new Knitscene and setting my heart on the Nubby Cardigan.

I thought this would be a great opportunity to try out some Malabrigo yarn. Everywhere on the internet people are raving about this yarn and I haven't had an occasion to use it yet. I headed over to my LYS to pick some up, but the cubby of Malabrigo was close to empty. Patricia reminded me of the mill fire they had, and told me that she has an order placed, but she hasn't gotten a shipment since then. Instead of waiting an indefinite period of time, she helped me pick out an alternative.

I settled on some Cream/Tan colored Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted. It cost a bit more and I went over my 'budget,' but I'm confident that it was a worthwhile investment. It is a wonderfully soft 100% superwash wool with very subtle color variations. The main colors seem to be cream and tan, but there is also a definite hit of peach.

Last night I knit up, soaked, and blocked the swatches. As they were drying I read though the pattern and drew myself a little step by step diagram. I've decided that I am going to make the small size instead of the medium. My measurements fall pretty squarely in the middle of the two. The texture pattern is a 1x1 rib so it will have a lot of give, and so will the cables. I'm also thinking that since it is already a big cozy cardigan, too much positive ease could push it over the edge from cozy to frumpy. Hopefully I am making the right call, but I do have enough yarn to make the next size up. The only adjustment that I've decided to make to the pattern is to take an inch of the bottom ribbing. I don't wan the sweater to hit at the widest part of my hip so I am going to make it just a touch shorter.

I am excited and a little intimidated about this project. This sweater is knit in pieces and then seamed up so this is really the first time my blocking is going to be really important. It's going to be fun.