Month: January 2010

Pride and Prejudice socks

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I am calling them thus because I spent the majority of the time knitting them while listening to Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” at work.  It amazes me that when I am clearly looking out the window, knitting, and listening to a story, with my back turned to the room, I still get people wandering in and interrupting me. Seems to be the nature of the place though.

These are wonderful socks, they are long, large, intricate but not complicated.  The first shot is of the lace detail, the second is the textured detail that goes right down over the heel.  I am thrilled with these, they are warm and comfy on a super cold day.

Mellow Yellow

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I am attempting to stay mellow about this winter, but it has been tough. Today we saw the sun!  For a bit. At least I could bask in it this morning, and it did sort of make up for the quite cold temps.

So I’ve noticed that the majority of my yarn choices lately have been rather bright and..well…Caribbean.  Lots of turquoise, as well as sunny bright interesting colors.

The sock I’ve been working on is rather a good example of that.  The yarn is dream in color, colorway butter peeps.  The pattern is childs french sock from Vintage Socks.  It is the largest sock I’ve ever made but I really like it.  I’ll get better details of the shell pattern once they are done.

Knitting content

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Yes, for real!

I’ve been working on another test knit. Who knew I’d have so much fun with these?  This is the “Tutu Pullover” and it will be for Bug.  I am doing it in very untutulike colors and yarn.  I am sure that for the sake of variety, that is ok.

I’ve really struggled with this one thus far. I had this evening of complete insanity looking for size 7 needle tips.  I couldn’t find them, but what is worse is that there were size 6’s in my size 7 space, leading me to believe I was using the correct needle size.  It was quite frustrating.  It seems rather hard to believe that I, of all people, do not have size 7 tips, and there is no telling how often I’ve been knitting with size 6’s thinking I was using size 7’s.

So, the needle size wasn’t working, my yarn choice wasn’t working, I couldn’t manage to read the instructions properly…well the whole thing just got messed up. So I scrapped that and started all over.  AFTER borrowing a size 7 circ. This second endeavor is going much more smoothly, and I’ve finally divided for the armholes. Let’s see how fast I can get this puppy knit!

Daft. The only word to describe her.

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I met a very interesting person at work on Thursday. I’ve not encountered her before except perhaps by phone.  It was an experience I can assure you.  She was obviously looking for Dr. S, or his support staff T.  T was out of the office ill, so that was of no help and this woman had obviously never been on our floor before.  She came into the office and asked where Dr. S’s office was.  When I told her, she said that he was not there. (Then why would you ask me where his office was if you already knew?)  She asked where T’s office was. I indicated the door behind her and told her that T was out of the office.  She then asked me if I knew where Dr. S was. I told her I did not.  She asked where Dr. S’s lab was, and I indicated that it was down the hall, last door on the left.

At this point I think I am rid of her.  But, not so lucky after all.  She came back and told me she could not find Dr. S’s lab.  She said, “Where is T’s office, is it next to Dr. S’s office?”  Having just told her where T’s office was, I rather irritatingly reiterated my comment.  She then wanted Dr. S’s number. I gave it to her even though she had already established that Dr. S was not in his office.  He, unsurprisingly, did not answer his phone, being out of the office and all.  She then wanted T’s number.  Having just indicated where T’s office was….twice…and telling her T was out of the office, I refused to give it to her. I rather thought that when she called T, and T did not answer, and the phone rolled to me and I picked it up and answered it, it might just blow her mind.  So I again told her that T was out of the office.  She then decided to go stand by Dr. S’s office.

Fortunately, Dr. S walked in at that point and took her off my hands. I was never so pleased to see someone walk out of my office.

Friday, right around the time I had to leave, someone pops her head around my office area. It is the same daft woman from yesterday!  She says “Hi Munchkin! I wanted to know if Dr. K has a mailbox on this floor.”

Munchkin?!?!? ME? I am the least munchkin like person I know. I am at least twice her height.  Where would she get the idea that she could call me munchkin?  Bizarre!

Weather Biddies

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The weather biddies at work are all a flutter, clucking about the upcoming weather.  They must be loving this winter!  Everything is cause for alarm to a weather biddie.

We spent a month and a half living like we were in the upper peninsula of Michigan, with the extreme cold and the copious amounts of snow.  For the past week or so we have been magically transported to London. The fog is quite amazing. In the morning while it is still dark I can barely see a thing.  Since people are currently walking in the road as the sidewalks are all still snow covered, I often feel like I am a bowling ball and the pedestrians are the pins.  The trees get this odd kind of frost all over them that would sparkle, providing there was sun. There is not.

Now the weather biddies are all a flutter about ice. Quarter inch tonight and quarter inch tomorrow they say with all the alarm they can muster. Alarm better reserved for an anthrax outbreak if you ask me.  All I can think is this probably means another snow day for the Bug, which knocks off our routine especially when we are most needing to establish one.  Oh yeah, and I haven’t any more vacation time to take. Not that this is problematic with my job, it just means even more to make up once the winter is over, and less to take in the summer.

In knitting news, or lack thereof, I am still working on my kelmscott, still working on Bug’s blanket, and the rest is not worth mentioning.  Or rather, I don’t feel like mentioning the test knit I had to rip out and restart, the fact that I have lost all my size 7 needle tips, if I had any at all, and that I am having a knitting slump anyhow that I blame on the weather.  What has been done is some knitting on an old shawl that I never finished.  I’ll actually take pictures of that one soon and blog about it, but due to weather (yep, we just blame it all on the weather) I can’t get a decent picture to save my life.  Not that I’ve tried.

I’ll try to blog more later. If we end up with a day off tomorrow, I promise to blog. With a picture.  That is all from here.

We’re having a heat wave!

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Yesterday, while Bug was running all over the house and being loud, I realized that it felt terribly quiet in the house. I couldn’t quite figure out why. Then I realized it. For the first time in weeks the heater was not running.  Was my heater broken? No, for the first time in over a month, the temps raised all the way up to 26F.  The heater just didn’t need to be on.  So I looked out at my driveway which I had salted earlier in the week. It had been too cold for the salt to work, but now it was actually dry!

This morning I woke up at 5am. It was 23F at 5am.  This feels like a downright miracle!  The temps are predicted to get above freezing this week, which I suspect will cause even more mess on the road from slush, and a ton of melting snow.  On the other hand, we need to somehow get rid of some of the drifts, and I will welcome the ensuing slush for the time being.

I’ve worked pretty hard on Bug’s blanket this weekend.  I am on square #5 at the moment and all seems to be going well besides my bold statements about not wanting to block it once it is done, and then seeing that blocking will be most necessary.

I am really appreciating the colors I picked for this.  They are most gorgeous.

Dyeing for the weekend

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Since we were home so much this past week, I decided a bit of dyeing might be fun.  I did two merino/tencel rovings in a newer to me technique. I am quite pleased with them and I think I will continue in this technique rather than my former one.  I am also getting great results with no dye run off after I am done.

I know they are blue heavy. As soon as I get more gloves I’ll try some additional colors.

Can’t get warm…..

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It is just not possible. We try, but there is no appropriate way to stay warm in this weather.  Fortunately we do not have to go anywhere if we don’t want to, until the cold spell is over. And it is due to be over tomorrow!  Even my brand new car is having cold issues, it doesn’t want to turn over and the beeps sound completely sick.  It is amazing how a new car with a lot of battery drain has trouble where my super old subaru with no computerized components had no issue whatsoever.  I spent years in that car sure that it would strand me somewhere, and the only time it did was when the gas gauge broke.

So, we are in, drinking tea and hot chocolate, bundling up, keeping busy by taking down christmas decorations, and I am knitting.  I began a front panel to my kelmscott cardi.  It is very satisfying to work that much lace into a sweater, but it is also rather slow going. I’ve also knit the sleeves for this, so due to the snow days, the sweater is going rather fast.  But, I will not be working on it again until Monday evening. Until then, I will be working on Bug’s blanket and an old old lace project that I haven’t touched in about a year and a half.

Stay tuned because I also did a bit of dyeing, since turning the oven on is a real pleasure in this weather. And I’ve got an upcoming test knit for a pullover for Bug.  Life in knitting is just good!

A Sock

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Way back when I knit the mystic light shawl out of shibui sock yarn, I had a bunch left over. Enough for a full pair of socks. And though it has taken me two years or so, I’ve finally got socks going using the leftovers. I find that I love the springiness of the shibui, and their semi-solids are quite lovely.  I took the pattern from Vintage Socks but the sock itself is done in my own way.

Since I’ve only been to work 2 days this week, I’ve had more than enough knitting time.  I’ve finished a sleeve and started a second of the kelmscott. I’ve also got a good portion of one of the front panels done. Bugs blanket has been worked on as well.  We took down the christmas decorations today and all that is left to put away is the tree.  I am feeling quite accomplished at the moment.  Oh yeah…AND I’ve even got something brewing in the dye pot.  Life is good!  But I can’t wait to get back to work!

Bug Blankie

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Bug wants a blankie. She sat me down and had a talk with me about how she really wanted one and how she is disappointed in me because I haven’t finished the scrappy one I started.  Now, making a blanket seems like a rather long and boring prospect, but her desire for it was so strong that I decided it might be time. Not to mention the bitter cold we’ve had here, she could really use some wool in her room.  Not that it will be done in time for this year…..

So I decided on the moderne log cabin as her blankie and I picked out 4 colors. Her requirement was that pink be in there somewhere, so I went with a pink theme that seemed more grown up than cutsie.  The yarn is cascade 220 since it is such a good wool that holds up well.  I’ve started on block number 4, but the blocks are slow going as they are getting larger and larger.  I’ll give you all a look at the project once the 4th block is complete.  For now, I’ll let you see the colors.

I wasn’t sure when I’d get a start on it. When the yarn came in Bug immediately wanted me to get going. I really wasn’t in the mood.  So I told her that if she would wind 5 of the 19 skeins, I’d start that very day.  She wound all 5.  The next day she wound another.  Hopefully she will continue to help with her blankie in this way because if there is one thing I don’t like about knitting it is the winding of the skeins.  Despite having the most awesome swift ever made.

Snow Day

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Yet again! I am willing to bet tomorrow will be another one.  Oddly, it is so very bitterly cold that I don’t mind having a snow day, no one really wants to be out in this anyhow.  Except Bug, who is putting on her snowpants as I write this.

So, I am going to work on the front lace panel of my Kelmscott cardigan.

In the meantime, I can show you one of my latest socks. This is from Vintage Socks and the yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy.  I am going to enjoy the simple lace pattern on this one.

Kelmscott KAL

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This is the finished back of my Kelmscott cardigan. You can see the lace detail at the bottom, but the knitting of this was just basic stockinette and not all that interesting.  Ummeyusuf is knitting hers just a bit differently, as she is combining the fronts and the back.  She also has a great start here!  The color of her yarn is just beautiful!

Happy 2010!

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I found my turquoise dye and was able to make a semi matching corner on my latest finished object. So it got blocked last evening.

It is still too cold to be going outside to take pretty pictures, so blog readers will just have to deal with winter indoor pics.