MS3 begins...

Oh dear is it late. I cast on for Mystery Stole 3 at 11:30 or so this evening and completed a good 15 rows before I realized that I was adding beads in the center of every row by mistake- those blocks weren't "gray bead blocks" but merely "center blocks" which appeared gray. If only I had access to a color printer, I'd have avoided a fair bit of ripping back!

On the plus side I finally got a good system going for working in the beads without frizzing the yarn loops. So that's positive. And I have now completed Chart A. Chart B will take a lot longer (4 stitch row is a lot less than constantly working towards 99!), but I imagine I can knock that out before the next clue, if not within the weekend.

I feel awful. I haven't stayed up this late knitting in some time. Reading, talking to friends.. sure. But I can't believe I was knitting lace after 2:30! I did start making a mistake in the very last row of the chart (49), but immediately realized the error. Evidently working on the Adamas shawls and the Hanami were good preparation.

On that note, tomorrow I will post pretty pictures. I'm really enjoying the knitting- nothing makes me happier than little bitty cables or intricate lace. The pattern thus far is quite intricate, and therefore very pleasing! The KnitPicks Bare is a bit rough on my hands, but I've been working with CashSoft for days and there is simply no comparison between laceweight merino and a cashmere blend. I also am trying out the Addi Turbo Lace needles (like half the world it seems). Here's my thoughts:

OH YES.

They are grippy but smooth. The cord is perfect. They can't loosen up on me and drop my stitches. After the first 4 rows, I never had a problem with the stitches falling off unintentionally. They are pretty, and nice and pointy for pulling in the lace, and I am absolutely in love. I have heard in a couple reviews that the metal is an alloy that can be affected by skin pH, which worries me- there is a reason I can't wear earrings or most rings and necklaces! But maybe I'll be lucky and won't react too badly to them (and conversely, I hope I don't wear away the finish!).

Bedtime for bonzos. But I finished Chart A!! And it was easy peasy! I never got lost reading the chart because of the nifty KnitPicks chart holder (sadly too small for the next charts, I fear. And it was even fun to do the beads! So far it's just ducky.

Fascinating Japanese Knitting

Here's an interesting one for you. I still get emails from Threadbear Fiber Arts- the neatest yarn shop owned by two of the neatest guy knitters ever. I used to shop with them when they were in Indiana- it was a pretty solid drive to get out there, but the shop was worth it. Now they have relocated to Lansing, Michigan and I'm back in Maryland, but they still send really interesting emails. They offer great (and cheap!) classes, and I am particularly intrigued by a new line they are carrying: Habu from Japan. I decided to check out their site to see if anyone local carries their stuff, since it sounds interesting. I also had heard that Japanese patterns are interesting to knit. Well it sure seems so. This is their main website and if you go through they have a diagram which explains (sort of) how to knit to Japanese directions. See for yourself. Threadbear is doing a class with their local rep, but I figure it might be fun to try and do it on my own... the instructions mostly make sense. I think. Apparently WoolWorks in Baltimore carries their yarns. So does Stitch DC right here in town! So I think I may take a field trip soon. Here are some of their yarns available online, if you are so inclined to view them- I want to touch them before ordering. Pretty Yarns

But I am not allowed to do anything until I get my Mystery Stole 3 underway. Also, here's a picture of the other shawl I cast on for- I hate it. I hate that I have to knit the collar part first. I will get over my antipathy at some point, because the finished product is so beautiful- but maybe I'll work on it this fall: I'm even working it in this colorway.

Craft project complete and some other fun

Instead of reading a silly book for my book discussion group on Wednesday, I have had a fruitful evening. I picked up my dry cleaning, went to the library, went to the fabric store, got groceries, and even cooked dinner. Soon I get to have angel food cake with whipped cream, strawberries and raspberries. All in all, a success. Except for the 340 pages left to read, I suppose.

The craft store had exactly the ribbon I was looking for to complete my craft project for the exchange! It's so pretty, but I dare not post the picture until after my recipient gets it in the mail. Check my Flickr, if you're a Flickr contact of mine, for a sneak peek.

This seems to be a pretty typical bed-full of things to play with:

Note the annoying book front and center, and a hidden Eoin Colfer book hiding in there as well. I've been reading loads of comic books and children's books lately, which may account for my rebellion against biography. Even good biography.

I have also been working quite a bit on a baby blanket gift. I need to work faster; there are three babies due starting in August. Yikes! Here's one:

They will hopefully block out to the same size- I have faith. Each square gets a crochet border before they are crocheted together. If I have enough yarn, I will do a lace border as well.

I began the June sock club kit from the Celtic Knot Yarn Shop, one of my favorite local spots. It's a nifty little ankle sock, and I am adoring the Ultramerino. I am not really enjoying the pattern, however, as it seems rife with mistakes. I may rip back to the picked-up stitches again to fix an error I made in the pattern. The plus side of making an ankle sock? It took me less than an evening to start the sock and turn the heel!


Finally for today, we have the pink yarn barf

Which now looks something like this:


I wish I had a significantly better camera. I've been doing some soul searching about money lately, however, and decided that I will not go on the Stitch 'n Beach cruise this upcoming February (because it's a bit of an extravagent expense, considering my travel plans for the next year). On the other hand, after trying to watch the first disc of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season One, I have determined I can't wait any longer for a television. The color is so far gone, and the brightness so completely shot, that I actually couldn't see most of the show! Horrors! I guess it's not that surprising that my old trusty television has given up the ghost- I bought it pretty early on in college. After 8 years it is time for something I can carry (no big tube tvs!). And something that is bright enough so I can play video games again. In case I decide to. If I can ever break away from my knitting long enough to play Zelda.

I have no project fidelity

My Schaeffer yarn came in. OH YES. For a shawl. OH YES. Funny thing is, that I'm about to start the Mystery Stole project... will I be able to do both?

I've nearly finished the craft project, so I'm timely with that. And I finished 3 squares of my cousin's baby afghan, plus another couple rows of crochet for my coworker's baby afghan. Surely I can start the lace shawl today?? Hmm.

Too many projects. Too little fidelity. But I think it's time to head up to Rockville and pick up that gorgeous yarn right now. And cast on. What better things do I have to do??

I've been alternating projects- one repeat of lace, one row of crochet, one repeat of a baby afghan square, one repeat of Brian's sweater. It's fun, but I may never get everything done this way...

Here's a tease of what's on the needles:

The baby owl sweater (back is done, I started knitting the two fronts at the same time. Haven't worked on this in a day or two, though, since I can't knit from two balls simultaneously on the metro.


And the beginnings of something new, though a bit blurred:


I absolutely adore the KnitPicks Options set. In fact, I am currently using 3 of the 4 cords. (again, no project fidelity). Note also the awesome chart keeper- this is so amazingly useful! And I love that it can stand on its own.

My very first knit-along

You may be aware that I'm knitting the Hanami shawl. I even have managed to post pictures of that work in progress- pretty pink! What you may not know is that Pink Lemon Twist, the designer of said shawl, has done two Mystery Stole knitalongs in the past. And I got notification that round 3 is about to begin. Having never joined a real knitalong before, and of course never a mystery knitalong, I was excited to sign up and check out this new and exciting thing. Here's the link to the group, in case you are interested in signing up: Yahoo Group for MS3. Essentially, she will send out clues, in PDF format, which include tips/charts/etc to creating an entirely new lace pattern. There is no way to know ahead of time how it will look- you just knit along for the ride! This sounds perfect to me. I should be able to keep up with the group, since it's only ever a few rows at a time and you have a week to complete them. Of course, if I don't keep up, nobody is going to knock down my door in disgust. Thus far, we have been told that the theme would work best with white or black laceweight yarn, and we can elect to use beads. I have a trillion beads left over from Hanami, so I plan to use those (clear with silver lining) and the Knit Picks Bare (Color Your Own) laceweight yarn. It's a completely natural color, and I already had one skein in my stash. I ordered another, assuming an undyed yarn should be approximately the same "dye lot" even after some time, and that brings the total cost of new yarn for this project to... 4 bucks. That's within my yarn diet rules! I also ordered a chart keeper from KnitPicks, because I have a hard time keeping track of the rows with my bad eyesight.

Yesterday I also picked up the new sock kit from the Sock Knitting Club at The Celtic Knot Yarn Shop in Ellicott City. This month's theme seems to be beachy- the yarn is a beautiful blue, and I got a nifty blue stitch marker. The sock pattern for this month is a little ankle sock, which should be a fun and fast knit. While I was there, Carole (the lovely shop owner) also sent me home with some donated fabulous pink ribbon yarn so I can knit a scarf for the SOS project. It's a great reason to knit, and of course I would not ever normally choose this yarn, or certainly wear it... so this way I get to knit with it, and pass it on. Not bad!

In other knitting related acquisitions, I ordered a few travel-sized vacuum bags. The kind that you can roll all the air out, making the contents into a tiny little package. I've decided that using these will help with stash management, and alleviate my fear of bugs getting into my wool. I also got a few Large size ZipLocks (they're huge! 3 gallon!) which I've already started using. I can fit two sweater projects in one bag- which is awesome and amazing.

Stay tuned- I've been working on a crocheted baby blanket, Brian's sweater (the back is DONE!), and the Manly Socks (one sock is DONE!). Piccies to come! For now, I'm off to WoolWinders, my other favorite LYS, to work on a baby owl sweater. Did I mention I have a really hard time with the yarn diet? At least this is a gift.

Slow progress

Usually I post finished objects. Pretty things, all done up and tied with a bow. I've been reading a great deal the past few weeks however, and despite getting some good knitting time in, nothing is anywhere near done. Here's some progress!

Brian's sweater is moving along. I might even finish the back someday. 30 inches of back, people! The pattern is there for size.


Also, I'm moving slowly along on the manly socks. Plodding, really. I suspect there is no way to make my target date... but it's summer now. Who would really want to wear wool socks in the summer?? They lose a bit of their manliness on my new blanket, I think. My mother bought new blankets for my sister and me, of the same amazing fuzzy yumminess as her current blanket-of-choice. They're machine washable, and mine is pink! Mom knows me so well.


Finally, I cast on for the Hanami shawl. It is amazingly beautiful. The cast on, however, took ages. The longest part? Getting to a bead store to buy the right dewdrop-looking beads. And then locating a crochet hook tiny enough to spear them. With the aid of my roommate, it is cast on and zooming along- nearly one repeat of the basketweave pattern complete. A full view:


And something of a detail: