Knitopolis

Impatience

I'm loving this trend of small, simple shawls.  Ishbel, here knitted in Alchemy Bamboo (Raspberry), is just one of the fun projects making the rounds on Ravelry.  I, myself, have several in my queue, including Daybreak, Herbivore, Damson, and Emily, among others.   It's quite gratifying to finish a project quickly (especially if you have a lot of projects going on like I always do).

 

And, the thing is, I love Ishbel.  It's perfect for wearing at work.  Although bamboo is not especially warm, it protects against office drafts and is, simply, a pretty accessory.

Another simple, small project I finished recently is Mara using gorgeous madelinetosh Tosh Worsted (Cherry).  It still needs to be washed and blocked, but I can tell already that I'm going to love this on colder days.

Using Tosh Sock, I've started Ulmus.  It uses a bit more yarn than the other two, but it's simple.  I'm trying to think outside my color box with the Chamomile and Graphite--I think I like it.  But, I love the project. 

 

I finished my February Lady Sweater--I need to photograph it, though.  And I have a couple of additional projects actively in the works to share later (with more madelinetosh).  If you're short on time, I encourage you to try one of these easy projects with some beautiful yarn--it's quite uplifting.

Bad Blogger

I'm sitting in a Starbucks waiting for my honey and killing time. Gee, maybe I should blog it since it's been months since my last confes...er post.

I'm working a shawl called "Mara" with madelinetosh worsted. I think the color is called "cherry". A simple pattern with a gorgeous yarn. Seriously, madelinetosh is my new yarn crush.

I took a photo earlier today of a, yep, February Lady cardi. I noticed on Ravelry that my choice of Dream in Color Classy in "Happy Forest" was a popular one--a lot of people chose the same color! I'm nearly finished with one sleeve with another to go, then it's done. It's been a fairly quick project, which is good, and I think I'm going to love it, also good!

I think I have a couple more projects to show and tell. Hopefully, in a matter of days, not months.

Knitopolis' 3-D House of Yarn Pr0n

Check out the 3-D image* taken from my iPhone. There are so many cool little apps available.

Also, sometimes you just have to do something you love. I've wanting to knit a stole out of Alchemy Bamboo for a couple of years, but always let the prohibitive cost, well, prohibit me. But, I forgot about all the good reasons not to (the price, the metric tons of stash I possess, etc.) and gave in to the one good reason to buy these skeins from PurlSoho--the stuff is freaking gorgeous and it's a joy to work with.

OK, that's two reasons. All I can say is that it's making me a very happy knitter. Just a little peek for now--more about it soon!

*3-D glasses required

ps--why aren't my feeds working on bloglines?  They're valid.  grrrr...

You know your stashing is out of control when...

...your supply drawer at the office is filled with yarn.

Wound Up

Years ago, I read my horoscope in Free Will Astrology.  It said something like, "...you feel like a kernel of popcorn ready to pop..."  I cut it out of the paper and kept for a couple of years because it somehow captured exactly how I felt at the time.  I would consider that at the cusp of the current phase of my life.  I seem to be in a similar situation for the past several months--maybe this time, I'm a tightly wound ball of koigu ready to bounce--either way, I feel the need to reinvent myself.

I have a long list of unfinished projects that need to be dealt with.   They need to be "corrected" (yes, read that in an ominous Mr. Grady from The Shining way).  They're dragging me down.  I work on them, but not very enthusiastically, so progress is slow.  But, no more of that.  I'm going to pull out the 2, maybe 3, I still want to finish, but everything is either going to be unraveled or packaged up and placed in a storage bin for future consideration.  I want a fresh start and I'm going to take it.

Forever

Where have I been?  Bluebells have come and gone.  Another long silence.  So much for my vow to post once a week or whatever--I missed the entire month of March! 

I'm so out of the loop, but I have been knitting.

I finished Alhambra.

Pattern:  Alhambra by Anne Hanson
Yarn:  Tilli Tomas Milan in "kpixie Green", 2 skeins

And what do you do as soon as you finish a green scarf?--Why, start another, of course!

 

This time it's the Trellis Scarf from Interweave Knits, Spring 2006.  I'm using some gorgeous Hedgehog Fibres Merino/Cashmere sock yarn (color:  Hunter).  As a slight variation, I sized up a needle and I'm knitting a extra two pattern repeats horizontally to end up with more of a stole than scarf.

(Lace-in-progress always looks so awful.)

Funny how there at the end of winter when all was mostly gray and gloomy, I only seemed to be interested in the color green.  I'm considering knitting something not green next.

I finished my Transitions Gloves awhile back, but for whatever reason, I cannot get a decent photo of them--it's either too sunny (as below), or too dark, or there was another color around throwing the camera off (let's just say yellow formica as a background was a bad idea). 

The color of the Shibui sock yarn is much more intense.

Pattern:  Transitions Gloves
Yarn:  ShibuiKnits Sock in Peony and Chinese Red--one skein each

I feel I've been very neglectful lately--to my blog, my online friends, my offline friends--even my dollies.   The poor things are reduced to wearing the winter outfits I put on them in 2007.  So, I bought each of the three a fabulous new dress made by the incredibly talented Hilary at moshi moshi (her illustration work is wonderful, I'm just happy she finds time to make doll outfits, too). 
 

Now, if I can just find time to dress the girls.

What I'll do for everyone I've neglected, I don't know...

Through the Viewfinder

I've been experimenting with "Through the Viewfinder"photography.  It is a technique that involves taking a digital photograph through the viewfinder of a twin lens reflex camera (a type popular in the 1940s and 50s).  I'm not sure why the results are so evocative with all the noise and distortion, but it's definitely a growing aesthetic.

All you need is your digital camera, a TLR camera (the preferred model is a Kodak Duaflex II) and some means to block the light between the two.  I'm using a primitive set-up--just a 5-inch section of paper towel tube that fits on the viewfinder of the Duaflex and accomodates the lens of the point-and-shoot camera at the other.  More sophisticated photographers use more elaborate contraptions and an SLR.

There's a great resource at Flickr.   Etsy has a number of photographers selling TTV prints.

I've even captured some knitting:

Alhambra.  It's more or less done, in fact, it's blocking at the moment, so real photos to come.

And, well, I've been bad.  But as long as I'm confessing, I should share with you the work of a brilliant hand-dyer, Beata of Hedgehog Fibers. 

hamana-hamana-hamana 

This is a silk/cashmere blend, the color is "Ripe" and this photo doesn't do it justice.  I've been extra bad, though, so I'll have some more to show you later.

Obligatory Blog Post

I've fallen down a bit on my resolutions--it's been over a month since my last post!  Hopefully, this weekend I'll be able to photograph my finished Transition Gloves and my half-finished Alhambra Scarf.   Or maybe even the half-finished Gretel hat for which I can't find the other half of the yarn that is supposed to be in the stash.  

I finished a pair of plain socks for a friend using a self-patterning yarn and got the bug to knit myself a pair with some stashed Regia Canadian Color self-striping yarn.

See, I have a very bad cellphone photo to prove it.

I've been working on some other stuff, too--really!

I'm going to get caught up with my documentation this weekend--I promise.

Wherein the Fates Conspire Against Me

I'm finding that it's difficult to stop acquiring yarn.

I bought a couple of skeins of Silk Garden before Christmas thinking I could make a quick scarf for my sweetie, but he wants it wider, he wants it longer.  I've already made two trips to the yarn shop for reinforcements and it looks like a third trip is going to be necessary.

 

Like pretty much everyone, I'm a fan of brooklyntweed, I'm combining his Noro Scarf and his "Your My Iro" Scarf into one loooong piece of Noro-y goodness.

And for the first time ever, I received yarn as a gift from a non-knitter.  My dear friend, Liz, showed up with a Christmas gift of three skeins of natural handspun from a local spinner, Waterford Wool.

 

Then, as fate would have it, we went to Alexandria over the weekend for a look around, but--oh, noes!--Knit Happens was closed for inventory.  So later we stopped at a Starbucks to replace a french press that was broken the day before.  The manager was changing out the yarn ball-themed Christmas decorations--I asked him what they do with them when they're done and he said, "You want one?"  Unfortunately, all the wreathes were spoken for, but he gave me this cute little thing:

OK, it's not really yarn, but I'm thinking I'll glitter over the Starbucks ads and ill totally use this at home next year.

As we left, traffic was heavy, so we took a different route home than expected--right by Aylin's Woolgatherer, so of course we had to stop.  Wouldn't you know it--a 25% off sale.

I practiced a great deal of restraint, I think.  One skein of Silk Garden (#272) for the Sweet Mary Jane's my mom requested (she loved the pair I made for my aunt last year):

I also picked up a big skein of Cascade Ecological Wool for matching mitties and hat for my sweetie, and this skein of Malabrigo (#114) for the worst of reasons-- "just because":

Everywhere I go, yarn is being foisted upon me!

Yeah, pity me, I'm suffering.

 

 

 

 

 

So Very Pink

I finally got around to photographing my very, very pink Place Cable Aran (Interweave Knits Fall 2007). Did I mention that it's really pink?  If you don't believe me, take a look:

In spite of its extreme pinkness, I like it well enough.  If I had it do over, I would've added a couple of inches to its length.  Oh, and not knitted it with pink yarn.  That's Misti Alpaca, btw, I think the color is called Raspberry Ice--lovely stuff, except for its pinkitude.  Btw, this is not my first FO of 2009; however, it was probably my last of 2008.

I've put a bit of time into my Fair Isle Sampler Hat (Interweave Knits Winter 2004), in fact, I've completely reknit what I had started.  These colors are much better.

I'm finding that I really enjoy colorwork.  I think I would absolutely love it at a larger gauge, which I'm sure I'll try later.

In the meantime, onward and upward.

Knitting and Knitting Related Resolutions

 

I was reading this list and thought I should post my own:

1. Knit at least 2/3 of 2009 projects from my stash.  Either get around to knitting the stuff I originally intended the stash yarn or find new projects.  Get creative to make it work--dye yarn, combine yarns, etc.  Only purchase new yarn for projects I intend to start immediately.  And finish that stash inventory!
2. Knit at least one original design in 2009.  I've been thinking and posting about this for awhile now.  I have lots of ideas, I need to act on them.
3. Knit more for others.  I'm a pretty selfish knitter, but I'm trying to do better.  I'm working on a glorious Noro scarf for my sweetie, a pair of socks for one of my best friends, and a couple of pairs of mittens for Baltimore school children as part of an effort coordinated by this lovely shop.
4. Finish projects.  No more UFO pile.  Like stash, I have no room for it and it's a drag.  I need to continue eliminating the abandoned projects I have on hand (Placed Cable Aran and Transition Gloves were started over a year ago and just recently picked up again).
5. Consider re-purposing finished projects that don't see much wear.  There's a lot of good yarn tied up in projects that don't fit or hang properly--what's the point of that?
6. Finally, I want to update my blog more frequently.  I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, but I would like to post at least once a week.

In general, I plan to disengage the automatic pilot a bit more this coming year and make better and more deliberate choices.

I wish you all a healthy, happy 2009 with lots of fun knitting for all!

 

Stash

A few weeks ago I decided to get started on a stash inventory. I started in a corner of a closet and looked through boxes and put all the yarn info and amounts in a spreadsheet. First of all, let me say, if you think your stash is daunting to look, start putting in a spreadsheet—it’s not for the faint of heart. I’m not even halfway finished and I have dozens of types of yarn so far. Second, it occurred to me that nearly every skein was bought with a purpose in mind. There are a few sale items, some eBay bargains, a couple of “limited edition” type skeins, and my huge Rowan Cork hoardings, but by and large, all this yarn was bought for specific projects that were never started.

Even with all the unfinished stuff I have lying around, before I knew it I had cast-on two of those intended projects.

First, I ran across several skeins of Alchemy Lone Star in “Spruce” that they were practically giving away at WEBS a couple of years ago. And, so, here is my finished Wandering Aran Fields capelet from Wrap Style.

I found several skeins of Misti Alpaca from a long-hibernating UFO, the “Placed Cables Aran”.  I dragged the project out of the bottom of my basket and finished the knitting—just a bit sewing and blocking to go. I think I’m going to like this, but what was I thinking with the pink?! Misti Alpaca comes in so many gorgeous colors, but this is the one I chose.

Go figure.

I also found the Berrocco Peruvia that was intended for another Nora Gaughan project, the “Tilted Duster” and started that.

This is a start, but I have a long way to go to reduce the amount of yarn I have in the house.

For me, it’s become a burden. There are practical reasons, such as, I really don’t have the space for it; and emotional, not entirely rational, reasons—for example, the stash has become a sort of momento mori, reminding me of my mortality because, in a lifetime, I can’t possibly use the yarn I have plus the yarn I would continue to acquire—I really don’t want this stuff to be someone’s great thrift store find someday.

My case against stash (YMMV)

1. Tastes change—e.g., I may have been all about fuchsia at one point, maybe now I can’t stand it. When your stash starts to span years, this is a danger.

2. The fervor for an intended pattern fades—sometimes you get caught up in a Ravelry or blog fad, you want to join in and knit that fab new cardi, but you just can’t get to it at the time (I still haven’t gotten around to a lot)

3. It takes away part of the energy and pleasure of starting a new project—don’t underestimate the momentum that choosing the yarn for a new project creates. When you pack the yarn away, you’ve put the brakes on your enthusiasm—maybe just a little, maybe a lot—but it’ll never be the same. (also, aesthetically, yarn that’s been stored in a plastic bin for two years isn’t as nice and perky as “fresh” yarn).

4. And my most controversial statement—it’s not healthy. There, I said it. It’s almost obsessive-compulsive behavior. Sometimes, I feel a bit of a panic—as if there isn’t a endless stream of yarn offerings and if I don’t acquire that particular yarn in a certain quantity RIGHT NOW, I will never have the opportunity again. This is most pronounced with limited edition or sale yarns, but sometimes it’s just the thought that maybe that perfect yarn or perfect color will be discontinued. I must have lived through some sort of sheep plague or boll weevils in a previous life or two.

5. Another controversial statement—economically, it’s stupid. For all the previous reasons plus if you decide to destash, you’re certainly going to sell most of it at a slight loss at least. Also, there are risks with stashing yarn--insects, dust, moisture, and other damage.

6. Yet another controversial statement—it’s not green—at least in spirit if not in actuality. It’s part of a pattern of consuming more than you need. I’m taking up space in my home. The carbon footprint of a ball of yarn I resell is going to be huge because it had to be shipped to me or to the shop where I bought it and then reshipped to the person who buys it from me.

7. It’s a time waster.

8. It’s greedy.

9. It’s emotionally draining—for all the previous reasons, plus the irrational notion in my head that my stash will outlive me.

I’m going to try to work entirely from stash for the foreseeable future. It’s not to say I will make no yarn purchases, I’m sure I will, but I’m going to go to the stash first for all future projects. Perhaps if I get that inventory finished, it’ll be a lot easier to do that.

Of course, with economic times such as they are, I could probably come up with a case FOR stash, but I’ll save that for another time.

Sometimes it's just that the color is all wrong...

See this Tilli Tomas "Milan" in "Floral Flurry"  --pretty, no?

See this Woodland Shawl -- knitted up in Tilli Tomas "Milan" in "Floral Flurry"?

Whenever I look at it, I'm reminded of the quote "It's like a koala bear crapped a rainbow in my brain."

I don't get it--it's so pretty in the skein.  It would probably be OK for socks or mitts, but you don't want any significant yardage with this stuff.  This may be my first post-knitting dye job.  I'll finish it, even block it, just to be sure, but I'm already pretty sure that  This.  Cannot.  Stand.

But why finish it when I'm barely started?  1.  It's a simple but lovely pattern (perfect for my commute) and I don't want to stop, 2. The yarn is delicious, the color notwithstanding, and 3. I haz four skeins of the stuff!

Feeeeel it--it's fuzzy...

Gossamer Stars Scarf

I actually finished something.

Gossamer Stars Scarf, from the Summer 08 Interweave Knits. I used Tilli Tomas' Fil de la Mer in "Parchment".

It feels lovely. This is my first experience with a DK weight silk/seacell blend. I would love a silky cardi out of this stuff.

This is a super easy and fun knit--I was able to do most of it on public transportation and it's nice to not have to refer to a pattern.

SKIF/Habu Attack!

My stick-to-it-iveness is really lacking, presently.

I blame these people.

I have a number of projects that I actually don't hate that I, nonetheless, cannot find the time to finish, opting instead to work on Neptune.  Not the planet, the SKIF pattern, although Neptune the planet should be nice and cool at -200C--it's 94F here today, but I digress...

I started out, as I planned, using three strands of Habu yarns-- one strand of Shosenshi Paper, one strand of laceweight merino, and one strand of handpainted mohair/silk  After a couple of inches, though, the sameness of it was starting to get to me and I was wondering if I should reconsider my choices.  At the same time, I was still absorbing the images in the fabulous Setsuko Torii book. 

Then, purely by chance, I was browsing at a yarn shop near where I had just left a late meeting and saw this stuff. 

A-21 Tobe Moire.  I haz green, too.

I think it had been there awhile, it was all covered with fuzz.  At first, there was the kneejerk oooh-yuck-novelty-yarn reaction, but then I had a idea, a wonderful idea, a wonderful bunderful idea!  What if I used these weird little caterpillar things sparingly to add to a little visual interest to the miles of plain stockinette stitch that is Neptune (at least my version)?

At first, I tried to randomly knit a bit in with the other three strands, but that didn't work.  So, I went back to Setsuko Torii and noticed that this particular yarn was used in a fairly open stitch--you have to really, otherwise the caterpillars get squashed. 

Also, I liked how the yarn is used in a striping effect.  And, thus, Neptune was reborn under the sign of Setsuko Torii.

I'm dropping the paper for a few rows and picking up the Tobe Moire for one row in the middle of this lighter stripe.

You can see a bit of the green in the handpainted mohair, I may or may not introduce of bit of the green Tobe Moire--it will only be a scattering of green caterpillars at most.  Also, I'm not sure if I'm going to take the striping all the way up or stop at the armholes.  Is the back going to match the front?  I don't know!

So, while it's patterned, there's still a seat-of-the-pants aspect to it that is invigorating.

Although I have mixed feelings about the result, the whole experience seems to have allowed for a creative breakthrough.  Oddly, instead of thinking about what patterns I would like to knit from next, I seem to be thinking in terms of creating my own designs.  This is really a first for me.  I've been pretty happy to follow the lead of others since I started knitting, but all of a sudden, that doesn't seem to be enough.  I was trained as a architect and work in the development field, so it's somewhat surprising that it has taken so long for this impulse to bubble to the surface.   These things we knit have a spatial aspect, they have structure,

Who knows when or if I'll ever get around to acting on this impulse other than making a few sketches in a notebook, but it's an advancement--a bit of a leap--that it making this whole knitting enterprise suddenly a lot more interesting. 

Gossamer Stars

There was a somewhat primitive look about Gossamer Stars that appealed to me when I first saw it.  Turns out that it may have been due to the wrong side being featured in Interweave Knits, according to the designer, Kat Coyle.

No matter.  I still like it.  I needed something easy to take on my commute and I need some silky scarves to help sheild myself from the sun this summer (Knitspot Anne has a ton of great lacy scarves I've been considering).

To compliment this primitive look, I chose a color that is completely out of character for me--a tea-stained looking color of Tilli Tomas "Fil de la Mer" called "Parchment".

This is my first time with the heavier weight version of the silk/seacell blends.   I don't especially care for the construction of the this particular yarn.   Because I could not resist the color, I picked up a couple of skeins of Tilli Tomas "Soie de la Mer" in "Caribbean." 

I like it better--it's spun rather than plied.

Sheesh.  I can't believe I'm taking more stash pics.  I really need to let up on the lace yarn purchases--the stash is growing out of control while I continue my usual slow pace of knitting.