alpaca goodness

There's something about buying yarn that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I bought 5 balls of this in lavender. That's a bit over 1000 yards, should be more than enough to knit Blaze.

Of course, that means I have at least one sock and one hat to finish knitting first. Nothing quite like a little pressure.

I'm over halfway done the leg of Tina's sock and started the last big chart for Ryan's hat, having bought myself bamboo addis. I'm thinking I should have gotten the metal addis, to make this go a bit faster, but I'm pretty sure that I'll end up using the needle for socks later and I love the bamboo for the socks. Ah well, live and learn. It means I can buy more needles later, right? Or demand the knitpicks options set... for Christmas.

Here's Tina's sock, next to the first one. So far, they are matching very nicely. I'm not sure what, exactly, will happen when I get to the heel, but Tina won't care if they don't match. In fact, she would prolly enjoy it if they don't match.


And Ryan's Hat:

As you can see, the hat is starting to get a little big for even Eeyore. I don't have any larger stuffed animals, so I'll have to start taking pictures using Ryan as the model. We'll see how that goes.

I'm ready for Christmas break, minus the 25 page paper that is hanging over my head, making mean faces.

(Ah, I so love Opera as a web browser. Never mind that I have to check e-mail with FireFox, but if I look at a preview of my post and accidentally click on a picture, when I hit the back button to my post-editing window, all the text comes back! YAY Opera for not losing my text!)

In other computer dorky news, I discovered a new computer lab on campus today. All the computers in the lab run Linux. I don't really know linux, but I was able to log on, sign on Gaim, open firefox and bring up a website with the Middle English version of Canterbury Tales, and play a few games. Best part? The lab, with some 20 computers, was empty for most of the hour+ I spent there. The person in there when I got there left within 5 minutes and someone else showed up right as I was leaving. I have discovered the perfect spot to do homework and knit while on campus. Woohoo!

I supposed I should now do homework (and knit!) while at home, too. Drat.

Circular needles are not always your friend

I'm at the point where I need to do the increases for the next chart for Ryan's hat.

As you can see, the hat now fits Eeyore better than Sheldon. I'm only supposed to increase to 187 stitches, but I'm not sure that will fit Ryan's head. I've got the hat on circular needles now, but I still can't get a good idea of how well this hat is going to fit him. I'm thinking I'll increase to 204 stitches, enough for one more chart repeat, and hope that fits Ryan's head. Or I could just measure his head. Hrm...

I measured his head and checked my gauge. Gauge is 8sts/inch, his head is 23 inches. 187/8= 23.375.  So... If I follow the pattern, it should work out.  The math says it will.  Dare I trust the math?

I am HATING the circular needle I am using. It has a very NOT smooth join and I have to move every stitch over the bump. Plus, it is part of a needle kit and the tips keep unscrewing themselves from the cable which results in problems.

But, since I have circular needles for the hat, I have my dpns for Tina's other sock, which I cast on during Breakfast at Tiffany's which I watched, rather than the Eagle's game, since that game wasn't broadcast in this part of the state. NOT COOL. I figure the cuff, at least, will fit her. Right? Right.

I developed and ripped open a blister on Thursday, on my left ring finger.  Not too bad, but it healed a bit while my hand was relaxed, so stretching my hand hurts.  And also, knitting kinda hurts, since I wrap the yarn around that finger and the yarn keeps catching on the ragged bits of skin.  Ouch.

I need a bigger needle

Second, the knitting:

Hat looks like this:



Can you see the big, huge, not cool mistake? How bout now?


I'll go back and fix it with duplicate stitch or not, and see if Ryan ever notices. I'm thinking duplicate stitch.

I like the way my snowflake pattern turned out, even if it does look a bit like a cross. And Ryan's Catholic, so he won't be offended. Now, another band of the first pattern, then I have to create another snowflake pattern. Then... we see who/what it fits. The hat has gotten big enough that Sheldon's beak was one of the reasons it stayed on top of his head, but I imagine that made seeing a little difficult for him. Maybe Eeyore will be a better model next time.

And the sock, you ask?


And on my foot:


Plain, boring sock... jazzed up a bit with cat paw motifs that I keep messing up.

Grrr

 Here's the current state of the sock:


I decided to go with the "Eagle's Flight" pattern, available here. I really like the pattern, and it was easy enough to adapt it to my gauge (of 10 sts per inch. No, seriously. Look:



and I'm only using size 1s, people. And I don't think I knit THAT tightly.)

However, I'm not sure the pattern is really showing up with the dark yarn.


So I think I'm gonna end up frogging this and trying for another lace pattern, maybe
this one but I'm not sure it will work with 80 stitches, rather than 60.

Luckily, I do have a yarn that will work well with the Eagle's Flight pattern. (However, that yarn is supposed to be used for socks for my mother. I guess she'll be getting another pair of patterned socks...)

I might just try to come up with a pattern of my own. Maybe cables? Lace?

If it looks like a duck...

The problem with rechargeable batteries is that you need to recharge them.   My camera turns itself on when you plug it into the computer and I forget to turn it off.  Which wastes a lot of batteries.

Which I never realize til I turn my camera on and see "Change the Batteries" flash on the screen before my camera turns itself off.

I figured out the increasing for Ryan's hat.  I needed 34 stitches on each needle so I just spaced increases between three and four stitches and counted to make sure I'd have the right number.

And then I charted my very first Fair Isle pattern.  It's a snowflake, of a sort, and I don't think it obeys Fair Isle rules since I have stretches of 7-8 stitches of one color only.  But, I don't care.  It looks nice and Ryan didn't hate the pattern.

Here's Sheldon, modeling the hat. Oddly enough, the hat is still too small for a duck stuffed with PVC beads. I'd say this might be a problem, but I'm getting gauge and I have yet to finish four charts. And if it really is too small, I can just add another chart at the bottom. Or rip out a couple of charts, increase a bit more, fiddle around with charts, and so forth. It'll work.

And the sock, modeled by Sheldon:

I think it is a tad too small.  But then, he has big feet.

Ah, yes.  It fits Eeyore and he's quite a bit bigger than Sheldon.  Proof that the duck has big feet and that I'm at least somewhat crazy, since I have my stuffed animals modeling knit projects and so forth.

Perhaps bedtime is in order.

Uh oh

Help me out here.  Pattern for Ryan's hat tells me that with 108 stitches on my needles, to increase as follows: "[(K4, m1) 6 times, k3, m1] around. 136 sts (34 sts on each needle)"  I read that as k4, m1, k4, m1, k4, m1, k4, m1, k4, m1, k4, m1, then k3, m1 the rest of the way around.

That gives you something like 142 stitches.  (4x6 = 24.  108-24 = 84.  So, over the remaining 84 stitches, you increase every three stitches, for a total of 28 increased.   The math, it does not add up.)  And I've sat here, counting off stitches, making notes.  And really, I don't see how this is supposed to work.

Am I supposed to k4, m1 all the way around the hat?  That'll give me 135 stitches.  I need 136, for a repeats of a 17 stitch pattern.  k4, m1 most of the way around, with one or two k3, m1 seems to be my best bet.

I could be reading this completely the wrong way, I'm aware of that.  And as I think of different ways to check my math, I keep coming up with different numbers and so forth.  (And to think, I took calc and advanced linear algebra for FUN.  And did well in those classes!)

Tonight, I shall solve this problem.

Since I don't seem to be able to NOT have a sock on the needles, I cast on in Opal's Dreamcatcher, color 1235, a bunch of blues with short runs of white.  I'm trying toe up socks this time, using Judy's Magic Cast On from Knitty.com.  I started with 20 stitches and then remembered, I have wide feet.  So I ripped it all out and started again with 40 stitches.  Haven't gotten far enough yet to know if that'll work, but that's ok.  This pair of socks is for me, and thus, does not count.

Though, I really need to get a few more sets of DPNs or attempt socks with circular needles.

And since I never managed to post a picture of the finished Lorna's Laces socks, here ya go:

Lesson learned? It is hard to take good pictures of your own feet. But, I am very happy with the socks.

Used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn, color 201, Yellowstone.
Made up my own pattern of 2x2 rib, garter stitch shortrow heel, stockinette foot, and normal shortrow toe. They didn't take that long to knit, I know I wore them out the same night I finished them, some Thursday evening, about Oct. 19th.

I finished Tina's sock last night! I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, but am not sure it will be long enough for her feet. She'll have to try it on at Thanksgiving. If it needs to be a bit longer, then maybe the stripes will look better on the toe. As it is, they seem a bit funky.

I also completely ripped out Ryan's hat. The fabric was too stiff and tight and also, not quit making gauge. I figure it is a hat, I can MAKE the charts and stuff work out to fit his head. Plus, it didn't take me all that long to knit what I had. And since I finished Tina's socks, I have my set of size 2 DPNs to work with, rather than my size 1s. And I don't want to start Tina's other sock til I know the first one actually fits.

I've got a new plan in mind. I want to knit at least 7 rows/rounds on all projects on needles a week. For Ryan's hat, I want to finish at least one chart a week (and some of those charts have 15-16 rows). That way, I might actually finish things in a decent amount of time.

And also, not stress about them.

I've got enough stress going on, what with an 8-10 research/analytical paper for my Chaucer class due in, oh a week and a half. And I haven't started it yet. That's not the worst part - I haven't picked my topic yet and I've got to clear that with my professor before I hand in the paper. He did change the due date, a bit. If you don't have a final paper ready for the 16th, you can hand in an annotated bibliography and turn the paper in the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. But I also have an 5 page paper due the Wednesday before Thanksgiving due for my honors class. I'm worried about that one and yet, not. She gave us a huge speech about how no one is going to get into grad school or law school cause our papers all SUCKED. And then she handed them back out to panicking students. I managed an A-, but I'm now worried about the improvements I need to make on the next paper. Any one have any ideas for a paper topic for Austen's Emma?

Other than that, an exam next week, a trip to Harrisburg, other such fun and excitement.

the search is on

After Ryan's hat, I want to knit something large-scale for myself. I'm thinking sweater, since I've decided that I need to stop wearing hoodies all the time. (To demonstrate the extent of my hoodie-wearing habit, realize that a friend in photo club with me has ONLY pictures of me in a hoodie, wearing glasses and with hair in a pony tail. He has some 50 shots of me and tends to only take 2-3 shots of me at any one event. Two years, about 25 separate events, and I'm found wearing the SAME THING EVERY TIME.)

So, yes. A sweater. For me. That is warm, since I am Queen of the Cold. I'm looking for something fitted-ish, classic in style or at least not crazy enough to only be able to wear it for one year, and not overly hard to knit.

I've been debating Blaze from knitty.com. However, I'm pretty sure I'd want to add long sleeves and I'm not sure if that would work with the 16-round pattern. And I can't figure out what size to knit. I fall right between sizes small and medium and have a long torso, so I tend to add length to anything I knit. I suppose I could knit a few more rounds of plain ribbing, without the zig-zag at the bottom. And I might be able to add half a repeat as well. Hrm, ponder.

I also really like this cardigan, but I tend to have issues with buttoned sweaters uh, gapping. And I think this one would have the same problem.

Wendy's Somewhat Cowl, long sleeved version, is another option that I rather like. Not sure I could afford the suggested yarn, however.

Any other suggestions? The Sexy-Little-Knit-Along has some great ideas, but I find it VERY hard to search the blog to find the patterns that they have suggested and/or have knitted in the past.

I think the world's trying to make up for the last month or so. I only think, however, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

First off, I did well on all papers/exams that I was either sure I had failed or too sick to remember how the test went to know if I had failed or not. (Does that sentence make sense? I took the test and was too sick to remember anything after I handed it in, so I couldn't tell you if I was able to answer all the questions or not.)

Second of all, I have a riding lesson on Thursday. I'm a tad nervous about this, but all excited, since I drove out to the barn today and took a quick look around. They have a nice indoor and outdoor, the guy in charge seemed really nice, and there was a super-cute little boy, bout 5-6 years old, getting ready to get on his pony. And also, they have foals every year. BABY HORSES. Riding always manages to keep my head together and it will be good to ride, hopefully to do a lot of jumping over the winter.

Third of all, I started Ryan's hat. He's afraid it is going to look "too girly" what with the slightly-pale yellow. Personally, I doubt that, but he better change his mind before I finish cause I think this thing is gonna take me a while. Size 1 needles? That's a lot of stitches, folks. And I need to come up with a new pattern and chart it, since he doesn't ski. I'll prolly figure that one out when I get to it.


See, Tina's sock: I may or may not finish both of these by Christmas, just as she may or may not finish my quilt by Christmas.


Proof that my camera rocks:

I was some 30 rows up in the stands and holding my camera above my head. And still, I got shots like the above. AWESOME.

long time, no post

So, I remember having this blog, see...

A few excuses for the (major) lack of updates:

I got sick. Twice. In less than a month. It was fun, I swear! Nothing quite like going to bed ok and waking up with a really sore throat, no voice, and post-nasal drip. (The last one convinced me that I didn't have any really weird sleep-walking accidents to cause the other two.) Since then, the throat has gotten worse, I've had massive pressure in my ears, and no runny nose or cough. Weirdest disease ever. I cheered on Saturday morning when I started coughing and was even happier today when I had to blow my nose. My voice is also starting to come back. And cause my body really hates me, I ended up with a UTI as well. The fun just never stops, does it?

Football games. Screaming as loud as possible for 25 seconds (or more) straight can really kill your voice. And heading to the stadium at 5pm only to get home around midnight tends to take a junk of time out of the day. However, we only lost one of the last two home games and I think most of us saw that one coming.

Housing stress. Rent next year goes up $100 a person, for a total of $520. TOTALLY not worth it and also, want to get away from the Extra Roommate (more details later). One of my roommates isn't sure when he'll be here next year, since he's looking to take a semester off for an internship/co-op, but that throws ANOTHER kink in the whole "ok, 3 bedroom place then" plan. 2 bedrooms aren't in the price range, so I ended up applying for an efficiency. We shall see how living completely alone my senior year when a large number of my friends, including my boyfriend, have graduated works out. Yay? I'll find out in December which place I got, IF I got a place. But there was much panicking on my part as time ticked away and other people figured out what they wanted to do AND HANDED IN THEIR APPLICATIONS BEFORE ME. Um, no, not bitter about that AT ALL.

Roommate stress.  Oh, boy, was this a BIG one. Female roommate's boyfriend is always. here. He spends every night here, he comes back here after class. And the two of them just kinda ... stopped hanging out with the rest of us and talking to the rest of us unless they needed something and stuff like that. It got awkward, I got pissed. I wrote a letter, taped it to her door, and the whole thing blew up in my face. She was a) pissed about the letter, b) pissed that I was upset about the whole thing in the first place, c) apparently my lord and master, since she told me that I WOULD NOT bring up the topic again, WOULD NOT speak to her until I had "a civil tongue in my mouth", and that he WOULD spend nights here, I WOULD get used to brushing my teeth around him every morning, and so forth. Needless to say, that didn't sit very well with me. At all. I pretty much had a nervous break down while waiting for a chance to (calmly) confront her about it and had to retreat to TheBoyfriend's place for an afternoon/evening. His roommates were QUITE confused with the fact that I spend 6 hours on the floor in the living room, reading Tennyson. However, we had an apartment meeting, she apologized, I apologized, and her boyfriend isn't here QUITE so much and they're now actually cleaning the bathroom. Finally. I'm still a bit angry about the whole thing (she said she "didn't think I was actually that upset about the whole thing" even though I started the letter by saying "I'm really upset with this situation." Bitch) but am able to at least live with her, so things are better.

Fed Ex. Oh, do I hate Fed Ex. Well, I really like two people, since they were actually polite and tried to help me. But, mom bought me an iPod for my birthday and Fed Ex couldn't a) tell me when it would be delivered so I could attempt to be home to sign for it, b) accept that I did NOT want to pre-sign and have them leave it at my door as then my iPod could just walk off randomly with some nice stranger and I'd be able to do NOTHING about it, or c) let me pick it up at a Fed Ex store within two hours of where I live. (No, serious about that. I would have had to drive two hours to pick it up.) When I called to ask what I could do, the one girl said "No" to my every suggestion and then asked "Ok then?" I said "no, but apparently that doesn't seem to bother you much, so I guess I might as well just hang up and get used to the idea that customer service is just a myth." She said "Have a nice day then" and hung up. Somehow, the driver ended up with my cell phone number, called and asked when I would be home, and made a special trip back to my part of town just for me. So, I got my iPod, thanks to an awesome Fed Ex driver.

Computer troubles. iTunes would cause my computer to crash. While I've fixed that, I still have songs that won't transfer to my iPod. OF COURSE those are the songs I want to listen to and/or have stuck in my head. Then my graphic card driver went and with it, my screen. Hard to fix the problem when you can't SEE anything. I finally resorted to randomly pushing keys when booting up and on the third try, that did the trick.

And um, all of the above kinda happened RIGHT AROUND THE SAME TIME. I freaked, many times; cried, many times, and I'm sure all the stress had a hand in getting me sick.  

I finished the Lorna's Lace's socks, one hank did BOTH socks with a little bit left over. Next time, I'll knit a few more rows before starting the heels, this are a little low. If my mom likes the color, I'll knit her a pair, the remaining yarn SHOULD work since her feet are smaller than mine.

Tina's sock was completely frogged when she was here for my birthday. Since then, I've knit back to where I started to rip, using a k3,p1 rib, short row heel, and continuing the ribbing on the top of the foot. Looks pretty good and is a little loose on me, so I'm hoping that they'll fit her. If not, I'm telling her to get smaller feet.

I want to learn Fair Isle, cause apparently I don't have enough things keeping me awake at night. Ryan wants a hat and really likes the look of this. I'm hoping I can use the pattern and fudge numbers and stuff enough to knit it using Paton's Classic Merino. Otherwise, I'm not sure if Ryan will be able to afford it and if I'll finish it in time for him to actually wear it this year.