My Plan

Today I have a plan. It is a simple one.

1. I will stay away from the computer. It is expensive. I end up on ravelry. I fall in love with a pattern (which sometimes isn't free.) I queue the pattern. I order yarn for pattern. At least I'm supporting the economy and indy designers.
2. I will stay in my pajamas. This may only be a problem at mail fetching time, but if Offpsring is home I can make her do it.
3. I will knit until my fingers are numb. Thanks to my ravelry habit I have squillions of WIPs.
4. I will alternate between trashy TV and Wimbledon coverage. (Boy, I miss Bill Kurtis.)
   

Have a good day everyone!

Oh Yeah. These, Too

I forgot some other symptom-of-startitis projects:

• Ophelia: Ordered the yarn for this on yesterday...haven't even thought about needles. Hope I have what I need.
• Ishbel: I've been ogling this one for a while. I'm sure some stash diving could produce some yarn, but still need to buy pattern.
• Aestlight: Got the pattern and again I'm sure stash diving will provide some yarn. I can't decide between Ishbel and this one.

I cast on for Tube Toporini (Againi) and got through the ribbing and one cable repeat. (I've modified the cable: front twist over 8 stitches with 3 knit stitches on each side and 2 purls in the middle. Does that make sense?)

Now, Arnold is staring at me and wondering if I'm going to go to bed.

G'night!

Must. Resist.

I've got a case of startitis coming on.

• Sarena: I've got the yarn and needles (albeit 40" size 7s...11 inches more than the recommended 29"), but I don't want to check gauge and can't decide if I want to do the S/M or L/XL size.
• Nati: I don't have the yarn or needles. I would need to purchase them (I've got the site open in another window right now....stop me, please?) I like this sweater...but I've been burned by chunky yarn before and I'm not sure that the 30 pounds I've lost will make a difference. (Damn boobies.)
• Commuter Scarf: Resistance was futile. I started it earlier this evening
• Tube Toporini (againi): Got the yarn and needles. I want to use the easier cable solution that came to me as I finished the last one.
• Tube Toporini (againi, but with a twisti): I have an idea for a sweater that uses the TT's construction...just a different stitch pattern. Got the yarn for this one too, but only one needle so I'll have to decide which one to do first.
• Blackrose Socks: Yarn-check, needles-check. Tried this one before but didn't like the yarn color I was using.
• Rosa: Bought the yarn for this back in April. Just haven't gotten around to casting on.

In other news:
I went with the Knit Nite crew to visit a nearby Alpaca farm today. Of course, I forgot my camera. The witty, picture-laden post I hoped to share with you will *alas* never be. I can tell you I had a blast (despite the AL heat) and alpacas are cuties. Oh, and their fur is soooo soft.

Clarice- Road Test and Pattern Review

Thursday evening I put the finishing touches on Clarice.



It's more flattering than it seems in the picture. Offspring is out of town so Hubadub took the picture. I am convinced that Offspring is the only one who can take semi decent picture of me in my knitting/crochet. The wonky neck line has more to do with my wonky back and boobies, but I can live with it.

Stats are available on my rav project page.

Now, about the pattern....

I think it's a bit misleading to call it "seamless." I guess technically it is, but it felt a lot like a pieced project. I thought it was a bit convoluted. But maybe I was just cranky.

First you work the back. Then you do a strap and do some modified single crochets. Next you move on to the next strap. At the end of that one you do some chains, turn and work back to the end...where you chain an armhole length and go across the back again and chain some more when you get to the next armhole. Keep going until you've worked into that chain you made earlier. Eventually you do a round of single crochets around the neck and work down toward the skirting where it all gets attached and then you are working what I consider to be a seamless piece. You end up with quite a few ends to weave in.

As for the road test...
It was very comfy and I did get a compliment while in it. Hubadub and I went to our favorite eatery and ate outside and I was not uncomfortably hot. It is a nice and airy pattern. I will be wearing this one again...just not sure if I'll be making another one.

Contest Winner

Hello everyone!

I am back from Spain and ready to announce the winner of the Domiknitrix contest....


Katerina!!! Yay!!! (picture Kermit the Frog opening The Muppet Show)

I Should Be Getting Ready

But I have pics to show you!



Eet ees nice, no? (and a nice view of a dead azalea bush, too. I should do something about that.)

In other news...
There is a ribbon cutting ceremony at the local airport and rain predicted for both Charlotte and Philadelphia. I have no idea what conditions are in Frankfurt. (Yeah, I know logic says the flights should be Montgomery, Atlanta, Madrid, Malaga...but we have Montgomery, Charlotte, Philly, Frankfurt, Malaga. Ah! The joys of budget travel. Thank goodness I know German, too.)

Remembered Miscellany and an FO

I remembered!

Miscellany #1
I had the most wonderful exchange with a nice young man* who rung me up at Target today.

Daniel: Good Morning, how are you?
Self: I'm fine, and you?
Daniel: Very well, thanks for asking.
Self: I'm sure being at work is no fun.
Daniel: In this economy I'm glad to have my job.

Right on Daniel!

In the past couple of months I have had some of the rudest cashiers/workers. There is one little girl at a store I frequent who is so vile (I almost want to apologize for having the audacity to make a purchase) that when I see her at the register, I will turn around and leave the store. (Which reminds me, I need to e-mail the manager about her 'tude.) Any honest work is good work and I get so mad at folks who act like having to work is a PITA. There are plenty of people willing to step in and take their place.

Miscellany #2
I mentioned my loathing of seaming at Knit Nite yesterday and one of our new members grinned sheepishly and said, "I love seaming." I told her she is now my seaming buddy and I am going to give a pieced sweater a try. Baby steps, though. I'm thinking something knit in one piece to the arm holes and short sleeved.

An FO!!!!
I did indeed manage to finish Bluebell before I left for Spain!



I promise to model it when I return. I'm glad you all suggested it. I really enjoyed knitting it. Even the MMBR (Miles and Miles of Bloody Ribbing...credit to Lishy who originally coined the phrase on her project page for the sweater.) And the best part? It fits!

I've made 2 sweaters that I'll actually wear! (I even packed Tube Toporini for the trip.) And I've got the yarn for another Toporini and yarn for a tube top idea I've got kicking around. Last year was the year of the sock, maybe this year should be the year of the tube top.


*Maybe between 19 and 24? Gawd, they are all starting to look like babies to me.

I Leave You With Miscellany

I leave for Spain tomorrow, so I won't be posting much. (Yes, yes, I know I wasn't really posting much to begin with, but allow me my fantasy.)

I am one strap away from finishing Bluebell/Pretty in Pink. I probably would have arrived at this point sooner if I wasn't two-timing on it with this:



This would be the lovely Clarice. Normally I am not a fan of crocheted garments, but this is everything a crocheted garment should be. Crochet is for Summer is you ask me.

I think when I started both Pretty in Pink and Clarice I thought I had a chance of finishing them before I left for Spain, but that just didn't happen. I promise to finish and model them when I get back. Which reminds me...

The Dominknitrix contest will end the 20th of June. I'll announce the winner on the 21st.

Let the Miscellany Begin

• Today is my 14th wedding anniversary. I have the greatest Hubadub in the world. We went out to lunch and just hung out. I love hime so much because (1)He didn't say a word when I started climbing on chairs to get a picture of Clarice and (2) He spoils me EVERY DAY of the year, not just anniversaries and holidays.
• The Summer issue of Knitty is here!
• I am missing a local WWKIP event to take these kids to Spain. They better appreciate it. (Just kidding, don't get your feathers in a ruffle.)

Hmm. Again, I have forgotten much of the miscellany. Oh well. ¡Hasta Luego, chicos!

Stop The Presses!

The ribbing is done. Repeat. Ribbing is done. Moving on to the next step. Thank G-d!

This Could Take a While

Two days of near constant knitting. 6 out of 12 inches done.

'Nuf said.

Three For One (Or: Link Much?)

I've actually got three posts running around in my head, so I'll just put them in one instead of cluttering up your reader.

Field Trip
A few of the ladies from Knit Nite drove to Montevallo on Thursday evening to meet some of the knitters at Crossroads Cottage. Of course, I did a little shopping as well. I've got the Lady Jane Vest in my queue and I found some Portland Tweed that will be perfect for it. I chose this lovely shade of purple. It kind of reminds me of a bottle Poison by Christian Dior. I also picked out some Classic Silk for the Retro Redux Shrug.

I had sooo much fun. What a great group of folks. I think there were about 20 ladies. It's so exciting to know there is a yarn shop about 70 miles from my house. Close enough to make a day trip, far enough not to spend every last dime I have on yarn.

I even wore my Tube Toporini...in public!

What's Up With That?
I really have to wonder about the knitting demographics in Alabama. It seems that no knitters exist 5 miles south of Birmingham. Like I said, there were 20 people at the Montevallo Knit Nite. We feel pretty good when we get 8. And I'm sure I've mentioned before that we do not have an LYS. Even what we have (Michael's and Hobby Lobby) seems to be thinning its yarn stock recently. Really it's sad.

As Promised
I have begun the Pretty in Pink, which I have decided to call Bluebell. (Even though I suspect it will look more seafoam when I get it into natural lighting.) Just 13 inches of k3p2 ribbing and I can start some shaping. Shouldn't take me longer than a month or two.

Supermodel

NOT!



Hmmm. Probably should have had the picture taken from the other side. That's my wonky scoliosis thick side.

Brain Fart

Damn.

I had all kinds of random things to say and as soon as the posting window opened in Blogger I forgot them.

Well, I'll start with an FO report and see of the other random (and actually inconsequential) things come back to me.

I ultimately decided to to Tube Toporini. (I am, however, listening to my "public" and I have duly noted the opinions of Swapna, Jen, and Jessica. I have the yarn for Pretty in Pink and I will cast on for it in the next 24 hours. Mine will actually be Pretty in Blue.)

Obligatory pic

Unfortunately it is a rainy, gray day so the modeled picture will have to wait. (I think I still owe you guys a modeled pic of my Shrug of Winter. *ooops*)

Pattern: Tube Toporini by Zephyr Style. As far as patterns go, this is a good one. I give it 3 cats out of 4. I guess in some ways I am OCD, 'cause I was not happy with the way the cable lined up with the k3 p2 ribbing at the bottom. I changed the cable so it would "flow" from the ribbing better. As I knit the final rounds and looked over my work, I realized that I had over complicated things (the new cable I chose has required a little number fudging) and there was a much simpler way I could have done things. Since I'll probably do this pattern again, I can give it a try.
Yarn/Colorway: Lion Brand Cotton Ease/Terra Cotta. I used a little over 1 and 3/4 balls. (So now I have a single ball of Cotton Ease.)
Needles: 24" Addi circs US size 7/4.5 MM

I am pleased with this project and Offspring assures me that I look good in it.

So this post is really just a re-run of my ravelry project page. And the random bits still haven't returned. I hate getting old.