Summer of Lace is officially over, and now I'm pondering a Fall of Sweaters and more lace. Summer itself is over here, since I had to turn on my car's heater this morning. Brr low 50s.
I knitted quite a bit of yarn over the summer, and I'm happy I now have a lace yarn stash, since my last day of work is tomorrow, and I may end up in graduate school. Or not. Either way, no money for yarn. Yay for having a ton of laceweight(a ton meaning 3 skeins of Prism Lace Wool, 1200 yrds (ish) of hand-dyed silk/merino blend, 1200 yards of sock yarn (for Luna Moth), and the two skeins of Prism that I am either using or need to reclaim. Plus 500 yards of grey sock yarn for something or other. I figure that will take me a good long time to knit up, and I have enough yarn for two sweaters and two-three tank tops on top of that, plus random singles.
I'm thinking about knitting Versatile from knitty, and I know I want to do A Cardigan for Arwen once I get comfortable with cables. I'm not sure what else I'm going to do once I get the three shawls off the needles. Yup, three....
Heartland Shawl (my I must think about this knitting) I'm in the middle of the third repeat.
Leaves of Yosemite (my brainless lace weight) Just started recently, using an EC design, and yup, leaf lace.
and the Falling Waters Shawl (aka the damn, this is heavy, and why am I only halfway done?)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Life eh.
I've frogged my brainless lace shawl. Or rather I tried. The two strands of yarn are not coming apart easily, or at all. It was a boring knit, and the gorgeous yarn was wasted on it.
The Heartland Shawl is coming along beautifully. I'm on the third repeat of the center chart, and the lace is finally starting to make sense. I'm vaguely worried about the size, but a shoulder shawl is nothing to sneeze at, especially since this is the most ambitious lace I've ever done. I'll try to get a better picture tomorrow some time.
I've joined the AM Knitter's Guild Pratchagan Along on Ravelry. It's one Terry Pratchett book, and one afghan square, a month. Given that I've read the entire Discworld series over the course of a weekend (yes, I am a fast reader) I already have ideas for...
A buggerit millenium hand and shrimp square (possibly just a blue square with a hand outlined on it, a crocheted shrimp, and buggerit written at the top)
A Night Watch Square (the badge)
A Wizzzard Square
I figure it'll be a great opportunity to learn how to do colorwork. Of course, I will need yarn. And I can't buy any, so this could get interesting. I think I have some wool-ease lying around, and scraps from stuff I've finished. I may need to wash each square once I make it to make sure it won't do weird things.
In RL news, I gave my two weeks notice on my job, so now I need to find a new one. Yes, I am an idiot, but when the stress of your job is actively making you sick, it's time to find a new one. If I end up working at McDs for a while, I can cope with that.
The Heartland Shawl is coming along beautifully. I'm on the third repeat of the center chart, and the lace is finally starting to make sense. I'm vaguely worried about the size, but a shoulder shawl is nothing to sneeze at, especially since this is the most ambitious lace I've ever done. I'll try to get a better picture tomorrow some time.
I've joined the AM Knitter's Guild Pratchagan Along on Ravelry. It's one Terry Pratchett book, and one afghan square, a month. Given that I've read the entire Discworld series over the course of a weekend (yes, I am a fast reader) I already have ideas for...
A buggerit millenium hand and shrimp square (possibly just a blue square with a hand outlined on it, a crocheted shrimp, and buggerit written at the top)
A Night Watch Square (the badge)
A Wizzzard Square
I figure it'll be a great opportunity to learn how to do colorwork. Of course, I will need yarn. And I can't buy any, so this could get interesting. I think I have some wool-ease lying around, and scraps from stuff I've finished. I may need to wash each square once I make it to make sure it won't do weird things.
In RL news, I gave my two weeks notice on my job, so now I need to find a new one. Yes, I am an idiot, but when the stress of your job is actively making you sick, it's time to find a new one. If I end up working at McDs for a while, I can cope with that.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Well, disaster kinda struck
I was happily knitting away on the Half-Square in Trinity Stitch shawl (which I decided to name the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone, since that's my particular trinity). Then I stretched it out. Then I sighed, and got a measuring tape.
It's lovely, and also only a foot and a half long when stretched. Since this is supposed to be one of the sides of the shawl, it's way too small. Plus, I'm not thrilled about the blocks of color. So, to the frog pond it goes.
I went to the yarn store on Monday to get larger lace needles, and
fell into my purse. That's 650 yards of sportweight? alpaca. It's lovely and soft, and the perfect yarn for the Heartland Shawl by Evelyn Clark. I've been wanting to do an EC lace piece for some time, and this seemed like the perfect yarn.
Sorry for the picture quality, it was taken near midnight. It's also since been frogged and restarted. EC's charts go R->L to the middle stitch, then you start back at the beginning and go R->L again. I was going R->L then L->R, plus I was having directional decrease issues. \ and / confuse me when there's more than one in a line. I ended up highlighting one and circling the other, as well as keeping the key in front of me at all times, and that seems to be working better. I'm now 4 rows away from finishing the first full lace repeat. I have to go back tonight and figure out why I have fewer stitches then I should (probably missed a couple yos). I also had a weak spot in the yarn break on me, but since it was while I was tinking back, it wasn't a huge deal.
And yes, I have more or less completely given up on finishing anything for the KAL except maybe the scarf.
It's lovely, and also only a foot and a half long when stretched. Since this is supposed to be one of the sides of the shawl, it's way too small. Plus, I'm not thrilled about the blocks of color. So, to the frog pond it goes.
I went to the yarn store on Monday to get larger lace needles, and
fell into my purse. That's 650 yards of sportweight? alpaca. It's lovely and soft, and the perfect yarn for the Heartland Shawl by Evelyn Clark. I've been wanting to do an EC lace piece for some time, and this seemed like the perfect yarn. Sorry for the picture quality, it was taken near midnight. It's also since been frogged and restarted. EC's charts go R->L to the middle stitch, then you start back at the beginning and go R->L again. I was going R->L then L->R, plus I was having directional decrease issues. \ and / confuse me when there's more than one in a line. I ended up highlighting one and circling the other, as well as keeping the key in front of me at all times, and that seems to be working better. I'm now 4 rows away from finishing the first full lace repeat. I have to go back tonight and figure out why I have fewer stitches then I should (probably missed a couple yos). I also had a weak spot in the yarn break on me, but since it was while I was tinking back, it wasn't a huge deal. And yes, I have more or less completely given up on finishing anything for the KAL except maybe the scarf.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Life not so good. Knitting good. Consumer culture bad.
So, I may have a nasty case of startitus. I certainly have a bad case of "want yarn NOW," but there is no money to get yarn. Sigh. I've been drooling over more of the Prism LaceWool. I already have 3 skeins (two of which are now in use). But the Yosmite one on Ravelry's so pretty and less than I normally pay. Sigh. Must be good. Must be good!
Seriously, I love this yarn. It's soft and strong and pretty and rips well (a good thing in a lace yarn when you're me). But I have one unused skein of Woodlands, plus I got a skein of hand-dyed silk/merino, and I have leftovers from my scarf and the shawl. And I have 1000+ yards of sock yarn that will become the Luna Moth and enough yarn for 3 sweaters. I am not hurting for yarn (even if my stash fits in two grocery bags). I must be good, and if I finish all three shawls on the needles, then I can look at buying another skein. Only then. Or if I finish three projects.
Speaking of which, I started the Half-Square in Trinity Stitch from VLT on Wed using the Alpine colorway. It's the first time I've used a laceweight without doubling it, and I was surprised at how much I liked the fabric on 7s. It's an easy pattern that makes little rosebud things. (and by easy I mean repeat two stitches all the way across, then purl a row, then repeat, slightly off-set). I probably wouldn't recommend the lace border to a new lace knitter, but the center part is a piece of cake. I also like the idea of starting on one side and decreasing. Sure the rows are really long at first, but it's still exciting and new then. Hopefully by the time I get to "so bored, why am I doing this?" the rows will be really short and that'll motivate me.
And yes, I started another shawl because I'm bored. That and the weight of the FallingWaters Shawl hurts my wrists so I can't do much at a time. I'm still in the land of way too much garter stitch with the Brainless Lace Shawl (I got 35 rows done, did an eyelet row, did 5 more garter stitch rows, then noticed that I had 17 more rows of garter stitch before I hit tail shaping (which is more garter stitch). And each row is over 200 stitches. Is it any wonder I'm bored? I think that shawl may need to be saved for brainless time. At least the other two have purling to break up the knit. The sad thing is that I love love love the texture of garter stitch, but it's just really boring.
I know I want yarn because I think it will make me happy and I'm so sick of being sick it isn't even funny and I'm frustrated with work, and yeah, life kinda sucks right now. But I'm trying to remind myself that I will be far happier with stuff done, and I can't get stuff done if I'm constantly getting new stuff. So, no buying things, and instead, finishing things. To that end, stuff I have on the needles...
1. Falling Waters Shawl (must be done by Nov 1)
2. Diamond Lattice Scarf (ditto on Nov 1, but I'd like to get it done by end of Summer of Lace if possible)
3. Brainless Lace Shawl
4. Trinity Shawl
5. Canopy scarf (which has been marinating in the WIPs since May)
6. Sock (again with the marinating)
Stuff I have the yarn and pattern and want to make...
1. A Cardigan for Arwen
2. Cabled wrist-wamers (which will be done before the cardigan so I can get used to cabling)
3. Luna Moth
4. A round shawl (which may require purchase of dpns)
I also have enough Cascade worsted to make a sweater (but the pattern I got it for requires sport-weight). Go me on the failing to read. I may do the hexagon coat from Knitting Nature and just make it shorter.
Seriously, I love this yarn. It's soft and strong and pretty and rips well (a good thing in a lace yarn when you're me). But I have one unused skein of Woodlands, plus I got a skein of hand-dyed silk/merino, and I have leftovers from my scarf and the shawl. And I have 1000+ yards of sock yarn that will become the Luna Moth and enough yarn for 3 sweaters. I am not hurting for yarn (even if my stash fits in two grocery bags). I must be good, and if I finish all three shawls on the needles, then I can look at buying another skein. Only then. Or if I finish three projects.
Speaking of which, I started the Half-Square in Trinity Stitch from VLT on Wed using the Alpine colorway. It's the first time I've used a laceweight without doubling it, and I was surprised at how much I liked the fabric on 7s. It's an easy pattern that makes little rosebud things. (and by easy I mean repeat two stitches all the way across, then purl a row, then repeat, slightly off-set). I probably wouldn't recommend the lace border to a new lace knitter, but the center part is a piece of cake. I also like the idea of starting on one side and decreasing. Sure the rows are really long at first, but it's still exciting and new then. Hopefully by the time I get to "so bored, why am I doing this?" the rows will be really short and that'll motivate me.
And yes, I started another shawl because I'm bored. That and the weight of the FallingWaters Shawl hurts my wrists so I can't do much at a time. I'm still in the land of way too much garter stitch with the Brainless Lace Shawl (I got 35 rows done, did an eyelet row, did 5 more garter stitch rows, then noticed that I had 17 more rows of garter stitch before I hit tail shaping (which is more garter stitch). And each row is over 200 stitches. Is it any wonder I'm bored? I think that shawl may need to be saved for brainless time. At least the other two have purling to break up the knit. The sad thing is that I love love love the texture of garter stitch, but it's just really boring.
I know I want yarn because I think it will make me happy and I'm so sick of being sick it isn't even funny and I'm frustrated with work, and yeah, life kinda sucks right now. But I'm trying to remind myself that I will be far happier with stuff done, and I can't get stuff done if I'm constantly getting new stuff. So, no buying things, and instead, finishing things. To that end, stuff I have on the needles...
1. Falling Waters Shawl (must be done by Nov 1)
2. Diamond Lattice Scarf (ditto on Nov 1, but I'd like to get it done by end of Summer of Lace if possible)
3. Brainless Lace Shawl
4. Trinity Shawl
5. Canopy scarf (which has been marinating in the WIPs since May)
6. Sock (again with the marinating)
Stuff I have the yarn and pattern and want to make...
1. A Cardigan for Arwen
2. Cabled wrist-wamers (which will be done before the cardigan so I can get used to cabling)
3. Luna Moth
4. A round shawl (which may require purchase of dpns)
I also have enough Cascade worsted to make a sweater (but the pattern I got it for requires sport-weight). Go me on the failing to read. I may do the hexagon coat from Knitting Nature and just make it shorter.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Wow, an update.
Yes, I stink at updating. My apologies, the month kinda went insane, and then there was DragonCon....
Anyway, since my last post I've started a new shawl, worked more on my own pattern, and worked on my scarf. I also blocked stuff for the first time ever. Here's some pics!
That's me in costume holding my scarf.
That's a pirate holding my scarf (and wow, see how much bigger it is!). This went to Con with me (it's my only project that fits in my purse right now), and I got several people to hold it. I wasn't so thrilled with this pattern starting out, but the yarn and pattern have come together to make it gorgeous. I even like the striping of the yarn.
That's the Falling Water scarf blocking.
That's the shawl in progress where I created the pattern. I know the pattern is fairly lost in the colors, but it's the same lace pattern as the scarf above.
and that's the Brainless Lace Shawl (the Feather and Fan Triangular Shawl from Folk Shawls). I call it the brainless lace shawl because so far it's been rows and rows of garter stitch with the occasional eyelet row. I like the shaping of the pattern, but I wish the lace started earlier. I'm not bothering with the color changes on this one, since I'm using a variegated yarn. I started this one since I've spent most of the month sick on and off, and thinking was not always such a good idea. It's laceweight yarn (Prism Lace Wool in Woodlands) doubled on size 8 lace turbos.
I'm currently pondering if I can get all of this done by the 21st (probably not). I've also got stories to work on, and I've started playing W0W. This may spell doom, but that's okay.
And if you're ever at a con, bring your knitting for people to drool over. Seriously, there was much drooling and squishing and I even managed to kidnap a scarf knitter over to Knitch, where she bought laceweight to make her first lace! Yay!
Anyway, since my last post I've started a new shawl, worked more on my own pattern, and worked on my scarf. I also blocked stuff for the first time ever. Here's some pics!
That's me in costume holding my scarf.
That's a pirate holding my scarf (and wow, see how much bigger it is!). This went to Con with me (it's my only project that fits in my purse right now), and I got several people to hold it. I wasn't so thrilled with this pattern starting out, but the yarn and pattern have come together to make it gorgeous. I even like the striping of the yarn.
That's the Falling Water scarf blocking.
That's the shawl in progress where I created the pattern. I know the pattern is fairly lost in the colors, but it's the same lace pattern as the scarf above.
and that's the Brainless Lace Shawl (the Feather and Fan Triangular Shawl from Folk Shawls). I call it the brainless lace shawl because so far it's been rows and rows of garter stitch with the occasional eyelet row. I like the shaping of the pattern, but I wish the lace started earlier. I'm not bothering with the color changes on this one, since I'm using a variegated yarn. I started this one since I've spent most of the month sick on and off, and thinking was not always such a good idea. It's laceweight yarn (Prism Lace Wool in Woodlands) doubled on size 8 lace turbos.
I'm currently pondering if I can get all of this done by the 21st (probably not). I've also got stories to work on, and I've started playing W0W. This may spell doom, but that's okay.
And if you're ever at a con, bring your knitting for people to drool over. Seriously, there was much drooling and squishing and I even managed to kidnap a scarf knitter over to Knitch, where she bought laceweight to make her first lace! Yay!
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