Friday, January 30, 2009

Just Thoughts

I have finished the second Araucania sock. Read the description in the link for Ranco and that's what it is. Basic, smooth tight twist and a pair of socks for 8 bucks. The color is not consistently solid which is fine by me. It's one of the reasons I go back to the Araucania line. If I have any negative remark about the product in any weight, and I've used fingering to bulky in this product, is the pilling that occurs but I haven't found a 100% wool that doesn't. With the tighter twist the pills are easily removed.
I knit my socks on size 0 needles and gave the leftover yarn a spin on size 2's. Nice stitch definition and of course a bit drapier. I could see me using it for a larger item. Then again, I don't think I've ever said no to a yarn adventure.
On the weather front around here..grrrrr....the sleet, freezing rain is ruining perfectly good fluffy snow and makes driving an adventure I'd rather NOT participate in. Let's not even go into the problems trying to shovel the stuff. I was late, late, late for work yesterday morning because rain on top of snow had frozen and encased my tires 1" up from the pavement. The chopping process ruined a perfectly good hair day. Oh and that took place after I had recruited my hair dryer to get the door open. A half inch of ice covered the car-very shiny. Hmmmm. My love of winter took a serious hit.

Monday, January 26, 2009

18 Degrees

It's brutal out there. Another gust of brrr chill from our Canadian friends. They're spreading the love. The couch, blanket, knitting and remote made the weekend. We're expecting snow "with accumulations" by Tuesday night. (read: you'll be shoveling Wednesday morning dude)
I tried a new sock yarn. An Auracania solid with a Staggered Gull Wing design for giggles. I got tired of the design and quit when I got sick of it because Elizabeth Zimmerman said I could. Sock 2 is on the needles. I'm interested how much of a change there will be once blocked.
As I mentioned earlier, no buttons have been found for the sweater below. No whiskered fambly members have owned up to their whereabouts. What would I do without these markers? (Get off my arse and buy new buttons that's what!)

You KNOW what will happen once I do that don't you? That's alright. Once they show up I'll design something around them.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Gloves & Chinese Knots

I jumped on the I-cord finger gloves method and gave it a resounding...hmmm. Here they are in process.

They made up very quick and the I-Cord finger manufacture was painless but....
I'm not happy with the grafting part of the project. I'll be searching for an alternative method before attempting again.And yes, they fit like a glove, thank you for asking.

As for the Chinese Knots section of the title, I decided to try something different than buttons and buttonholes. After attaching my button bands I knit up lengths of I-Cord and fashioned them into buttons and closures. I wish I could tell you exactly where I got the idea but I don't want to give credit to the wrong source suffice to say it was an email from a knitting source with a link to creating said fasteners from a recently published book. If I find it I'll post an addendum with the info. Here is the w.i.p.

I used the leftover yarn to create the gloves: Auracania from the back room at Webs. Stitch pattern is double broken rib. You're seeing it in its unblocked state and I have to tell you, it won't look much different blocked. If you wander back to last summer's posts I fashioned a grey and white pullover with same stitch pattern. Yup, it's a favorite. We have a running joke in my family about flamingos and my dislike for the plastic lawn ornaments and such. Given my family and friend's sick sense of humor I get alot of flamingo stuff. When purchasing the yarn the first thing that came to mind that the colorway is very flamingo-ey to me. Pink, coral and yellow. Check out a flamingo...you'll see.

Are you asking about the buttons for the Gryffindor sweater? The ones lost? Oh, yes, they're still lost but it hasn't stopped me from wearing the cardi in the house, complete with stitch markers (the ones that look like little locks) marking where the buttons SHOULD BE. It kills me! I bought the perfect buttons for it and bought out the supply. They're in the house somewhere I just know it.

And now for something unusual: me getting emotional over an inauguration. That was a first.

Thursday, January 08, 2009

I Can't Find My Buttons

Anybody seen them? Yup, the ones that WERE in my purse are no longer and no one in the house claims to have seen or moved them, though I have my doubts about Beau's claim to innocence.There's just something about that face...

So now I have two 99% finished projects that I have not photo'd because Western MA refuses to allow sunshine to get through when I'm home, (the sun shines fine while I'm at work.) for a decent shot. I also find myself contemplating what to do next project-wise. I have a stash of Valley Yarns "Northfield" (same name of the town I work in) and though I usually look at yarn like a sculptor looks at a rock and says: "You're going to be a (fill in blank)", I get nothing. It's a blend of merino, baby alpaca and silk . For you dyers they have a larger hank (625yds), just so you know. I may have to put it in the marinating drawer for now. That'll teach me for buying yarn based on its name.

I also find myself thinking spring/summer even though winter has just begun and Mother Nature is slapping us up side the head every couple of days with the crappiest winter weather. Snow is fine but this sleet, freezing rain garbage is a back breaker for shoveling. Snowblower? Hah, it refuses to deal with such slop. I swear I hear it laughing from the garage.