On and Off the Needles

Busy bee, that's me. FINALLY, I finished the never ending Wabi Sabi Sweater, aka Central Park Hoodie. Woot! Woot! Didn't think it would happen, didja? Me either, to be honest. But it is finis, off the needles.

Don't remember it? That's because I started it in July '06! Seriously, this sweater took me 3 months to knit, and a year and a half to assemble. Sheesh, Velma.

That's me working on it in the Siskiyou Wilderness, on my annual backpacking trip. Hardly recognize myself, seeing me with my long blonde tresses.

But it's all done, and I'm proud to show it off.

Ta DA! Behold, the FINISHED Central Park Hoodie, which I call my 'Wabi Sabi Sweater' because I read the cable chart wrong, and all the cables are oriented upside down!!

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie from Knitscene
Yarn: Donegal Tweed from eBay seller ceol-deas
Needles: #7US Addi Turbos
Started: July 2006
Completed: January 17, 2008

I did a one minor pattern mod (in addition to the 'Oops' cabling issue mentioned above). This was my first experience with buttons, and after picking up the freakin' 316 button-band stitches (!), I did one-row buttonholes, which turned out beautifully, much less gappy than the 2-row ones called for.

I hate seaming, but I must say, the little alligator hairclip thingies I found at the dollar store worked GREAT for holding seams together! Just like those commercial Knit Klips, but waaaay more cost-effective. Get yourself some!

What else, what else... I started a new pair of socks! Using the knit-from-side-to-side pattern Sidewinders and some Opal yarn from my stash (yay, Stash Knitdown!) Doesn't the swatch look cute with my Rocketdog mary-janes? Love me some cute shoes. BUT. These socks really aren't progressing the way I'd hoped. My initial thought on seeing this pattern was, "How hard could it be? It's just stockinette!" Wrong-O. The pattern is 18 pages. Seriously. AND, I FUBARed it already. The second photo is of the first couple of inches, which I need to rip back because I failed to pay attention to the "and AT THE SAME TIME" part of the pattern, and worked it wrong. Doh! So, back to the proverbial drawing board. I'm thinking I might make the 2nd sock straight stockinette knit in-the-round, so that a) it is easier, and b) one sock stripes vertically and one horizontally. We'll see.


On a more successful note, I did a quickie knit on Wednesday at Purl 'n Hurl. Another FO! I was so in love with my handspun, WoolyBear in 'Bahama Mama', and the merino locks are soooo soft and scrumptious, that I just *had* to make myself something yummy to wear against the skin. So I did this little necky thing.


Pattern: none, just a wee garter stitch neck wrap
Yarn: COLORBOMB Creations WoolyBear™ in 'Bahama Mama'
Needles: US#17/12mm Addi Turbos
Started: January 30, 2008
Completed: January 30, 2008

(Still need to sew the button on, so I guess, technically , it's not 100% complete yet. Soon.)

Tags: COLORBOMB Creations, FOs, WIPs, handspun, knitting

Happy 2008!

Isn't this the most glorious way to start the new year? I had to get up to pee this morning, at 7:33 if you must know, and this lovely sight is what greeted me. Lucky girl!

After making us a yummy breakfast, Cole is off in the garage, puttering and playing with his new lathe from Santa. He's a happy boy, that one. Although I haven't yet found a project for him to make me using his new tool, after seeing a picture of the picker spinygora's husband made her, I think I'll go find the plans on eBay and push *that* project to the top of the list!

So, I read somewhere (probably on Ravelry) that it is considered good luck in some circles to cast on a new project on the 1st day of the new year. With that in mind, and thinking that you simply can't have too much good luck, I started the Valentine Elf Topper. No pic yet, so I just put the yarn from my stash here.

Pattern: Elf Cap by Michelle Heyman in Handknit Holidays
Yarn: Rowan Biggy Print in 'Tickle'
Needles: #15US Addi Turbos
Started: January 1, 2008
Completed: n/a

My other current (active) WIP is the Band of Mystery Hat! Responding to a call-for-knitters by Jacie of Insubordiknit fame, I was the happy recipient of a whole PILE of her ecstatic handspun art yarn, which I am putting to use by freeforming them into a hat to be worn by a member of an as-yet-unnamed band in a video. At least, that's how I understand it. Anyway, I'm a little behind, seeing as I have to get it to her by the 15th. But I work very well under pressure! Here are the details for those interested:

Pattern: improvised freeform knit/crochet hat
Yarn: various handspun art yarns by Insubordiknit
Needles & Hooks: multiple
Started: December 14, 2007
Completed: n/a

This is the perfect start to my participation in Stash Knit-Down 2008. The idea behind this is to shop from your stash before hitting that 'add to cart' button or heading down to your LYS for a shopping spree. Considering I have 25 MILES of yarn in my stash already, it seems like the sensible thing to do. It doesn't preclude buying yarn all year, just gets me thinking in a "use-what-you-have-first" mindset. Not sure if I'll meet the January Challenge: Knit a Mile, but worth a try... Look for the button to appear in the sidebar with the total yardage I've knit in 2008 beneath it. Cool beans, huh?

As promised, here are my 2008 New Year's Resolutions (please note: this is the first time in my 43.5 years that I've jumped on this particular bandwagon, so no promises as to my stick-to-it-iveness):

1. I Resolve to blog at least 2x/week in '08
2. I Resolve to shop from my stash before buying new yarn in '08
3. I Resolve to finish my Central Park Hoodie in '08, come hell or high water
   

Looking for more? Here's a new online art 'zine, published by my online friend Cindy: the Studioloo Magazine. In the inaugaral Jan08 issue, she talks about pumpkins, The Yarn Museum, the band Lolligags, artist Twinkie Chan, Corn Chowder, and Shrink Vision. Intrigued? get it FREE at Studioloo. If you're on Ravelry, she's got a group there, too.

Still need more? (My, aren't *you* needy! ;) Check out the Dec. 15 issue of Yarnival and the Winter '07 Knitty.

Happy New Year, all!!

Tags: CPH, holidays, resolutions, StashDown08, WIPs

Yesterday a FO, Today a WIP

I didn't knit much for awhile, but I'm back on the needle (heehee) and I'm working my way through my UFO bags (yes, 'bags', plural -- I can't believe how many abandoned projects I've accumulated). The Ravelry group, Finish Me, that's giving me just the kick in the butt motivation I so desperately need.


So, I picked up my languishing Central Park Hoodie from last year, which I'd avoided working on because I had 316 stitches to pick up for the button bands. I think I'd rather have a rectal exam than pick up 316 stitches; that's how much I hate picking. up. freakin'. STITCHES! But they're all behind me now, as are my very first buttonholes (wheee!), which look just perfect if I must say so myself. That's the left band on the left, sans buttons, and that's the right band on the, well, the right (how clever am I?)

All that's left is the seaming. Woot! Woot!

Tags: CPH, Central Park Hoodie, WIP

Do You Ravel?

I have fallen into the vortex that is Ravelry. Big time. It is just a carnival-ride of fiber fun! Are you in yet? Yes? Look me up and add me as a friend -- I'm velmalikevelvet there. No? Get thee over HERE and put your name on the waiting list, pronto. It's still in beta, and they are adding wannabes as fast as their nimble fingers can type in email invites.

If you have somehow managed to avoid hearing about Ravelry (like, you've been in Estonia learning to make folk socks or something), check out the "What the hell is Ravelry?" sneak peak, complete with screen shots. And there's more info here.

What you have to look forward to once you're in:

• index of your knitting/crochet projects
• project queue
• stash inventory
  
• massive group forums
• pattern and yarn browsers
• so much more (!)

That sounded bor-ing. It's not, but you'll just have to trust me 'til you're in.

I know you're wondering what I've been doing over there (admit it, you're curious). Well, I started two forum groups, Purl 'n Hurl Humboldt (the Rav-presence for our local SnB) and Shoes + Socks = LUST (for lovers of shoes and handknit socks; we share shoe porn links). My yarns are there too (I even bought my first adverts; that's one down at the bottom of the post). And there's yarn pr0n! I've just bought Yarn Pirate, Vesper, and Lorna's Laces sock yarn from 3 different destashing Ravelers. (Beware: this site can be dangerous to your pocketbook). I've found the motivation there to finish a couple of UFOs, too. You're looking at a picture of 'Obnoxious Hat', made from Material Whirled handspun I've had sitting around for a couple of years. I winged it, no pattern, just an idea, in crochet. I love the look of the brim; makes me feel like a baddass snowboard-punk when I wear it (which, of course, I am emphatically not). And I'm almost done with my Central Park Hoodie, which has been languishing on the needles for 2 YEARS waiting for me to pick up 316 stitches for the button bands. Which I've now done. Yay me! And done the buttonholes, a first. All that's left is seaming, so look for another FO shot soon.

DETAILS:
Name: Obnoxious Hat
Begun: October 26, 2007
Finished: October 27, 2007
Tools: K/6.5mm crochet hook
Materials: Material Whirled handspun, 'Obnoxious'
Pattern: Improvised.

Tags: ravelry, knitting, FO, CPH