I *heart* Giraffes!

What is your favorite animal? When I was young enough to be asked that question with some regularity, I always answered with panda bear. It made sense. Kids called me Manda Panda. The stuff with panda bears on it was super cute, and I'm a sucker for cute and cuddly. Then, at some point in college when I was far too old for anyone to ask me what my favorite animal is, I realized I've been wrong all along.

If anyone asked me what my favorite animal is today, I would proudly tell them that I love giraffes. They are absolutely adorable in the animated and stuffed animal versions, and in real life they are just overwhelmingly and endearingly geeky. I've got a soft spot in my heart for geeks and that long neck and those gangly legs just make me want to hug them. But when you see them moving, there is nothing awkward about them; they are amazingly graceful.

So, since the secret knitting continues, I am going to share some giraffe patterns that I have queued.

The Giraffe Illusion Scarf (Rav Link) by Isis Kowarik is so much fun. I love the concept and execution of illusion knitting, but I rarely see something that I want for myself. This scarf is going to be awesome though.

I don't have nearly enough hand knit dishcloths so all three of these will be great to add to my tiny collection. They are: The Giraffe Dishcloth by Lindsay Sasseville, Giraffe Dishcloth by Emily Jagos and Giraffe Dishcloth by Whitney Webster.

And of course there are fantastic giraffe knitted toys!

In order of appearance, but certainly not any special ranking I present to you:

Sock Giraffe by Bobbie Padget, Giraffe (Rav Link) by Susan B. Anderson (I have to get this book!), Jelly Bum Giraffe by Raynor Gellatly and Little Giraffe by Christine Landry.

What is your favorite animal? Has it inspired your crafting at all?

*None of the pattern pictures are mine. They all belong to the pattern designers.

Hibiscus Shawl

Pattern: Hibiscus Shawl by Laura Chau (Rav Link)
Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss Sock Yarn in Bordeaux

Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm)
Notes: I had a lot of trouble with this pattern. I generally like to trust the pattern. Honestly, I don't have the confidence in my knitting prowess or my ability to visualize the instructions as I read them to do much more than have faith that it will all work out in the end. Most of the time (as long as I scour the internet for errata before I begin) this faith has served me well. This project changed all of that.

I really wanted this shawl.

I thought it was cute and it was going to be the perfect use of some yarn that was already in my stash. Most importantly, I work with my back to a large drafty window on the shadow side of my building. I've been wanting a shawl that will stay on my shoulders and warm my back for a long time. So, I was just as eager to cast off this project as I was to cast it on. I was zipping through this project until about half-way though the flower when things just stopped working. The lace on the far side of the flower just wouldn't line up like it was supposed to. I ripped back a few rows and tried it again. Still not right. I ripped out the entire flower and started it over. More frustration. I ended up ripping out the entire project and starting it again. I got a little bit of guidance from Ravelry, but mostly I just made changes as I went along. Here are the edits I made:

Row 74: Decrease extra stitch with RT right after flower

Row 78: Knit 8 instead of 9

Row 88: Knit 24

If you've got a good eye, you can see that there is still a row (maybe 2) that are off in the lace pattern after the flower. By the point I noticed it, I wasn't certain if it was my mistake or the pattern's and I was not patient enough to go back. Despite that minor problem (nobody notices but me) I love my first triangular wrap. No one has come out and told me that I look like an old lady when I wear it, but it wouldn't matter if they did. I never have to fuss with it to keep it on (unlike my Clapotis which has been permanently declared a scarf.) If I turn it around and wrap it around my neck, it is the perfect shape to fill in V opening of my coat and any cold from sneaking in. I'm sold! Have you discovered the joys of a triangular shawl?

Hannahmits

Now that it is January, everyone is getting to unveil the secret knitting that they've been doing for the past couple months. I have all of my secret knitting wrapped up in babies instead of Christmas, so I'm still stitching on the down-low. I do have one present that I can share though.

These weren't originally intended to be a Christmas present, but the timing worked out perfectly. (Wouldn't it be nice if that's the way all Christmas presents were.) While hanging out Hannah saw Owls and thought it was adorable (because it undeniably is). I had been wanting to knit something for Hannah, but I knew I wasn't ready to undertake a sweater for someone else (I haven't even made one for Hubby yet, and I have him and his entire wardrobe available for measurement at all times.) I also wasn't prepared to take on something that daunting in secret. Instead I decided to keep it simple and I found the mitten pattern. Once the mittens were done, Hubby helped me hijack Hannah and we took her to M & J Trimmings to pick out her own button eyes. Unfortunately, I never got good pictures of these mittens in the sun light before Hannah took them with her to brave the Arkansan winter. You will just have to believe me that they are the color of a gray squirrel and aren't really brown at all.

Pattern: Give a Hoot by Jocelyn Tunney
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Squirrel Heather

Needles: I'm sorry I forgot to write it down.
Notes: I can't tell you what needles I used, because all I am sure of is that I had to change needle sizes. I made the first mitten and when I tried it on, I was just not happy with how it fit me. My hand stretched the stitches out too much, and no matter what I tied together and stitched over, I couldn't seem to close up the gap at the thumb. So, for the second mitten I changed needle sizes and it fit beautifully.

I also learned something very important with this project. I need to make mitten thumbs longer. I have a pair of mittens never been quite happy with. The join at the thumb is full of gaping holes that I have tried to darn, sew, and knot shut with no luck. I haven't made myself a new set because my fingerless mitts are usually enough. While I was fretting over my wrong gauge for the first mitten, I showed it to a co-worker who use to own her own yarn store in Manhattan. She mentioned that I should make my thumb longer, and so I did. Now that the mittens had enough fabric to cover the full length of my thumb, the join didn't stretch out and there were no gaping holes.

This Bunny Needs A Name

As the baby making continues among my friends so does the baby knitting. I'd love to tell you what is on the needles now, but it is going to be a long time before I can say anything about it (take that as a hint...) Fortunately, I have a recent baby FO to share.

This bunny needs a name.

I started out calling him Elvis because that is what the parents to be were calling there son, but as soon as I finished the head, he had a distinct other-worldly look.

I started calling him Al the Alien Bunny, and it suited him right up until I finished his ears.

Now that he is finished though, it is unmistakable that he's a bunny and Al really isn't fitting anymore.

Pattern: Sophie by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin in Kohlarbi

Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)
Notes: I wanted to make this bunny out of cotton because I wanted it to be super washable and stress-free for mom and dad to be, but Cotlin was a very unforgiving yarn to make a toy with. Right now, I am working with Comfy for another project, and it is a bit more understanding and much softer, so next time I make a toy for a new born, I think I'm going to try that.

Despite the troubles I had trying to convince this yarn to do what I wanted, I loved this pattern. Ysolda is brilliant and even though this is the first of her patterns that I've made, my queue is full of her creations. The pattern was easy to understand, and absolutely brilliant because there was no seaming to do at all. It starts with the head, and everything else is made by picking up stitches and knitting on (which I imagine is much easier if the yarn has just a little give).

The instructions warned that the ears were going to be difficult because they are folded in half at the attachment to the head (which makes them so completely adorable), but the section I had the most problem with was the beginning of the arms. I was working with DPNs and the head just kept getting in the way. Unfortunately, my frustration filled me with impatient determination and never stopped to take a picture of this section to show you the trouble. Despite that, I will be making this pattern again with some yarn that has a bit more give and drape.

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.

Headed to the Street

Two years ago my life was changed by Sesame Street. I saw the documentary: The World According to Sesame Street, and I made the decision that I had to be a part of Sesame Workshop (formerly the Children's Television Workshop).

I've told this story before, but in honor of Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary today, I want to tell it again.

Through out high school and most of my undergraduate degree, I knew I was going to work for Disney. It started in the 90s. Disney was extending benefits to same sex couples. Amid the controversy, there were rumors that Disney was releasing books that featured having same sex parents. Scandal aside, this is when I had my personal epiphany about Disney's ability to educate. From that point on, my biggest concern about my future was deciding if I wanted to live in Orlando or Burbank.

In college I went to work for Disney. It was a six month internship, and to date it is still one of the most valuable experiences of my life. I had an insider's view to changes being made. I saw programs get cut for lack of funding. I saw other initiatives start up. What I learned while I was there is that Disney has a lot of power to educate, but it is not their priority. Disney is a company, and are by default corporate. They have a lot of wonderful programs that do great work, but if things ever got tight, they would be quick to go. Disney is under new leadership now. They continue to make decisions that I do and don't agree with.

That experience changed everything for me. I was lost for a couple years because I thought that being in children's entertainment meant viewing kids as consumers. I knew I couldn't do that, so I was looking for another path. Fortunately, a nearby college was having a viewing of The World According to Sesame Street. I had no idea what it was about, but the Big Bird lover in me wanted to go. I learned that everything I was looking for was out there. I was just looking in the wrong place. I learned about how Sesame Street started with a vision to provide preschool education opportunities to inner-city kids that weren't getting a head start elsewhere. I learned about how Sesame expanded globally to empower children around the world no matter what their needs are. I learned that there are children's entertainers out there who are advocates for imagination and love.

After a couple weeks, I had studied up on Sesame Workshop and my heart was set. A few months later Hubby and I announced to our friends and family that we were moving to New York once we finished our Master's degrees so that I could eventually work for Sesame Workshop. I am not part of the Workshop yet, but we have made it to NYC, and we love it here. I am continually inspired by what the Workshop is doing, and I will continue to search for a place where I fit in there. Hopefully, I will be able to celebrate Sesame Street's 50th anniversary as a colleague and not just a fan.

If you'd like a bit of inspiration, I recommend taking a look at some of their Initiatives, and what they do Around the World. If you just want to be nostalgic, I recommend their video library or their YouTube channel for some more recent segments. And if you would like to support Sesame Street with a birthday gift, you can contribute here: Sesame Workshop Support Us.

Just a Little Something

Inspired by Stash and Burn's Single Skein September (SSS), I decided to do some stash busting and made a couple little things for my MIL. She just received her package this weekend, so I finally get to share the projects with you. (The worst part of gift knitting is definitely the required blog silence.)

Pattern: Branching Out by Susan Pierce Lawrence

Yarn: Patons Brilliant in Mint (This was left over in my stash from my Bridesmaid Purse [Ravelry Link])

Needles: US 8 (5.00 mm)
Notes: I didn't make any adjustments to this pattern at all. In fact, it has been hanging out in the back of my head as a project to do quite some time. I thought it would be a perfect pairing of yarn and pattern for a light scarf with just the right amount of sparkle for mom, but I was always reluctant to cast on. I was worried there wouldn't be enough yarn and the scarf would turn out too short. It wouldn't be the first time I had made that mistake, so I was reluctant. I have no idea why SSS gave me the push I needed, but I'm glad it did. This turned out to be one of my first projects that turned out just a great as it was in my head.

Pattern: Quincy by Jared Flood (pattern is at the bottom of the link)
Yarn: Ozark Handspun Ozark Companion (This is a beautiful yarn that was gifted to me by some great friends.)

Needles: US 10 (6.00 mm)

Notes: I absolutely love Jared Flood's new book Made in Brooklyn. In fact, I love just about everything he does. I try to make Hubby wear his Koolhaas as often as possible because the fan-girl in me is convinced we'll bump into him while we're out, and it will be a great conversation starter. So, I never would have guessed that I'd be making a major alteration to one of his patterns. Sizing adjustments and a little bit of math reworking, sure, but dissecting his pattern to the point that my FO looks nothing at all like what he clearly intended, I did not see that coming.

I set out with every intention of making Quincy a hat just like intended. I loved every moment of the built in i-cord. I made the twist for my mobius and did the seaming.

Then, instead of moving right along and picking up stitches, I had to pause and put it on. I was struck by what a fabulous cowl it made. I turned to Hubby for his opinion, and in his adorable geekiness he was immediately caught up in the mobius fun. Once he learned that the the twist would become stationary and no longer free to move through out the strip, he was against the idea of a hat.

In the end, the deciding factor was remembering Mom commenting on my Ear Cozy during her Thanksgiving visit. I don't remember exactly what she said or what

her reasons were, but I remember her saying that she would like something like that better than a hat. It also made a great, pony-tail compatible, ear cozy. At that point, Quincy's fate was set. I've been thinking about starting another one and carrying through to make the whole hat this time, but I think I'd probably get caught up in the exact same spot. Fortunately, I have far too much baby knitting to do to even worry about it right now.

Happy Halloween!

My biggest treat this year, is getting to see one of FOs be part of the fun!

Happy Halloween Charlie!

Sydeny's Leg Warmers

"I'm at that age." That is what I tell the ladies at work. My current 'that age' is the one that comes right after the 'that age' where everyone I know is getting married. You guessed it! Everyone I know is having babies!

The babies started trickling in before I left Arkansas. (It is probably not accurate to consider twins a trickle, but we can't blame them for that). But I believe this is the year of the flood. I currently have 3 baby projects in one stage or another. The first of which is out for delivery.

Hubby and I met our friends Steve & Liz through our master's program. Steve was in our cohort, and Liz is his awesome life. It is completely honest to say that the only regret that I have from grad school is not spending more time with Liz. Hubby and I were hoping that they would visit good ol' NYC before having a baby, but things don't always work out the way we want. They are expecting beautiful baby Sydney in December.

Since Steve and Liz love Halloween, I thought about making Sydney a cute little outfit like I did for Charlie. Honestly though, I am intimidated about making something for a baby to wear at a certain point in time. I don't have a baby, so I don' t have any practical grasp on their sizing. Instead, inspired by one of Kelly's podcasts, I decided to knit her some leg warmers. According to the moms Kelly interviewed they are one of the most useful hand knit gifts. There is no problem of trying to make them fit with the diaper (in fact, if it is chilly, they don't even have to come off to change the diaper), and they continue to fit for a long time rather than just a couple months. My goal was to knit something that would be loved and used to shreds, so here they are Sydney's Leg Warmers.

Pattern: Legwarmies by Alana Dakos
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in Gelato

Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)
Notes: I loved making these. They knit up super quick (about a week of sporadic knitting). While working on these, the only time that I even paused was to point out to Hubby just how cute they were going to look on chubby baby legs.

There were a lot of comments in Ravelry about them being too big. I went down a needle size, but other than that, I pretty much ignored them. Seeing as Sydney hasn't been born yet, I have no idea what size her legs are. Even if they are too big, I imagine she'll work her way into them. Though if Mom and Dad find themselves thinking, "Man, I wish we had a smaller set of these fantabulous leg warmers," all they have to do is ask (/wink).

This was my first project with self striping yarn, and it was fantastic. I was completely obsessed with getting to the next color. I knit these two at a time and started them both at the beginning of the same color. I don't know why it amazed me so much, but I was just delighted that kept matching up.

While I was focusing on these one color at a time, I kept trying to tell myself that these colors really weren't that girly, and I could have just as easily given them to a boy. Green. Yellow. Brown. Blue. There is absolutely no stereotypical female biases in there at all. And the pink? Meh! That is just one stripe per repeat, and they are intended for a baby. What baby boy is going to mind one pink stripe. But, now that they are done, and I can see them as a whole, I know that I just couldn't give these to a little boy. Why? I don't think that colors are really gendered or that any baby would be scarred from mixing it up a little. I finally realized that it is because of my relationship with the parents. My friends are all in different states. I'm not really a close part of this baby experience for any of them. It is bad enough that I can't provide the support that I would like to. I would hate for them to think that I forgot the sex of their baby because my busy city mouse lifestyle.

Enough chatter, I have to get knitting. There is another baby gift due before December, and I don' t have enough socks to make it through November.

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.

Hunting

The end of our lease (and probably some burnout on my part because of the job and the 3-4hours of daily commute) has inspired us to do some apartment hunting and move to Brooklyn. I must say I found the whole process very pressuring and stressful, but I believe it was the thought of moving (and soon) that kept me sane during the crazy deadline packed week I just finished. On Wednesday we saw an apartment that was wonderful, but the community was not quite what we were looking for.

On Friday we set up a meeting with a broker to look at a neighborhood right next to my college, but he never showed up. It was probably for the best though because he kept putting off showing us the apartment we wanted to see and was actually having us meet him in a different neighborhood all together.

Determined not to waste the time we had set aside for hunting, we called on an apartment that I found on Craigslist. There was no answer, but we decided to walk over and check out that neighborhood in case we could get an appointment for this weekend. we loved what we saw Friday night, and made an appointment with the broker for Saturday. I think we have a place picked out. Nothing is finalized because we have to do the credit checks and so forth, but the broker seems pretty confident that this one will be ours.

So let me share it with you....

View Larger Map

I don't have any pictures of the actual apartment. The residents were still living there when we went to see it, and I felt that Mike's measurements were enough. We didn't need to be intrusive by photographing their mid-packing chaos.

As you can see from the map the entrance is on the center of the block, so we have to walk down and around the corner to do anything. Let me show you what is down and around the corner...

If we go East and turn the corner there, we come to the subway stop that will take me right to work and
The Brooklyn Museum.

If we go West and around the corner we come to the entrance for the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and
Brooklyn Public Library. This picture is from Friday night. On Saturday this area was filled with umbrella covered tables for reading in the shade and a little coffee/ice cream stand.

If we continue West past the library there is Prospect Park and a Saturday farmer's market that is year round, and
Grand Army Plaza. The area is also full of restaurants, shops, and incredibly beautiful brownstones.

Congratulations Chris and Katy!

I would like to take a moment to welcome Charlie ...

Aleita Again

Pattern: Aleita Shell by Bonne Marie Burns (Interweave Knits Spring 2008)
Yarn: Renyolds Saucy Sport
Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm)
Notes: As I mentioned earlier, I made a slew of changes in this top. First, I adjusted the measurements of the bottom slightly so it fit closer to my waistline. I also added about an inch to the length of the stockinette section so it would fall where I wanted it to on my hip. I decided that I wanted the pattern to start below my bust line and fit like an empire cut. I tried to do that with my first Aleita, but even though I had the proper length measurements it didn't fit like that. To try to fix those fit issues, I took about half of the increases out of the stockinette section and decided to put them in as bust darts at the beginning of the pattern section.

I have never done bust darts before, and the only tutorial I've read about it was for a simple top down, stockinette, raglan sweater. I had to rework some of the numbers and figure out how I wanted to make it a part of the pattern. I decided to start with three of the knit stitches of the pattern right next to each other, and increase in the purls in between them. I am really happy with how my first bust darts work out.

The final change I made was to the shoulders. I didn't really like the I-cord cover for the shoulder seams. Instead, I connected the shoulders with kitchner and left the I-cord off. It is not perfect because it doesn't follow the pattern, but I am still pretty happy with it.

Meet My Brompton

I would like to introduce you to my Brompton. Hubby and I recently bought these, and they are the reason I've not been near my computer at all for the past few weeks. (Mine is the bright yellow one.)
After a lot of research, we decided that our situation called for folding bikes. We live in New Jersey, but we are a quick bus ride from Manhattan and we spend most of our free time over there. We knew that we were going to want to take the bikes across the river with us so we could ride around Central Park and the other beautiful green spaces in New York. Once we decided on folding bikes, we talked with the guys at bfold and they helped us pick out the right one. Since we wanted our bikes to fold up as small as possible for toting on the bus, and sturdy enough for the pot holes of the NYC streets, the Brompton was the bike for us. Here is what it looks like almost completely folded up.
The handle bars are open in this picture, but they fold down and the whole bike becomes a compact little square. I love my new bike! Not only has it been on the bus and to Central Park, but we've ridden along the Hudson river on both the NJ and NY sides, ridden though Times Square, Union Square, and Columbus Circle. We've also folded them up and taken them with us in restaurants, the grocery store, the movie theater, subway, and on the ferry. It is one of the most empowering purchases I have ever made.
Since May is Bike Month in New York City, we've got big plans for these bikes. I'm not going to be biking to work on the 15th, but we are planing on checking out the small wheel races next weekend, and the folding bike ride though Brooklyn and Manhattan. As you can see by the sweater I'm wearing, the bikes haven't cut into my knitting time too much.

If Mrs. Obama wants a healty lunch...

Elmo wants a healthy lunch too!