Yarn Overboard

Destash--and a Contest!

2008-08-24T15:32:00.009-05:00

I was benched from the Ravelympics by a yucky knitting injury; I think I've got the beginnings of carpal tunnel or tendinitis or something uncomfortable, so I've been using the time I would have used for knitting to organize the stash.

What I realized is that it's time to destash, and in order to make it a productive destash (er, to get more people to look at what I've got), I've decided to hold a contest. I'm curious to know what everyone's favorite new pattern is and what they're just dying to knit this fall. Personally, I can't wait to knit Wisteria as soon as my wrists feel better. I've already got some Malabrigo in Violetas lined up and even swatched. For now I can just stare at it and pout. So tell me what's the first thing you'll be knitting this fall, and you'll be entered to win a copy of One-Skein Wonders. Heck, it might even entice you to buy some of my yarn. Get your comments in by September 13, and I'll draw the winner (by some random method) on September 14.

And now to the real purpose of this post, destashing. All of my yarn comes from a smoke-free, pet-free home and has been stored lovingly on an IKEA Billy bookshelf, so that I can admire its deliciousness. Paypal is preferred. If you have any questions or need a better picture, just let me know and I'll do my best to help. Thanks for looking! And, um, buy my yarn, ok? Or at least tell your friends to buy my yarn.

Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, 1 skein. Color: 81, Dyelot: 8596, 150 yds, worsted to aran weight, $10 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, 1.5 skeins. Color: Berry--seconds (CW-850), Dyelot: 029, worsted weight, $10 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

Lobster Pot Whale of a Skein (80% lambswool. 10% dehaired angora, 10% cashmere), 740 yd(!), Colorway: Sea Lettuce. DK to light worsted weight. $50 including shipping with delivery confirmation (originally $70).

6 skeins Berroco Pleasure (66% angora, 29% merino wool, 5% nylon). Color: 8618, Dyelot: 916033, 130 yd/skein, aran weight. $30 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

School Products Hand-dyed Lace 100% Cashmere, 1 skein. 1.75 oz, 383 yd. $23 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

Hemp for Knitting, Allhemp6, DK weight. Two skeins in Cinnamon, Lot 70; two skeins in Pumpkin, Lot50 (one skein is missing the label). 150 yd/skein. $30 including shipping with delivery confirmation for all four skeins. I was originally going to make this bag (Rav link) from No Sheep for You.

Tahki Angel, 3 skeins. 70% wool, 30% acrylic. Color: 11, Dyelot: 0010, 98 yds/skein, bulky weight. $10 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

Karabella Glimmer, 1 skein. 90% Rayom, 10% Lurex. Color: 100, Dyelot: 517257. 141 yards. Could be a nice carrying yarn for a hat. This was swatched and rewound. $7 including shipping with delivery confirmation.

FO: Marimekko Day in the Park Tote and February Lady Sweater

2008-08-22T08:35:00.005-05:00

Three months later, here it is. Now I can't say that the sewing took that long; it was the rivets, oh, the rivets. First there was the problem of making holes through about a dozen layers of corduroy and canvas, without investing in a power drill or a special fabric hole puncher that I'd never use again. Then there was the problem that once said holes were made with lots of hammering, pushing, and cursing, the included rivets were not long enough. One harrowing trip to the Garment District later and I found longer rivets. Whew.

I have to say that my Janome--along with a sturdy denim needle--was an absolute champ making this bag, which I did sans walking foot (the directions strongly recommend one). Canvas, corduroy, medium-weight fabric, and lining--it handled it all without a single hiccup. I was beaming with pride at my little baby.

The original pattern is set up so that your bag can be both a tote and a backpack. I tried that and didn't like how it looked. Besides, I'd never use this as a backpack anyway, so I did a little strap modification and turned it in a tote.

The Marimekko fabric was an impulse buy about a year ago from Reprodepot. I fell in love with the mustardy version of this classic print, but I had no particular pattern in mind until I saw Liesl's tote. I am so thrilled with this one-of-a-kind bag and proud when I walk down the street.

Also finished is my February Lady Sweater. I don't know what else to say about this sweater and yarn that haven't been said already, so I'll just show it to you.

If only it would get just a little cooler, I could wear it. I'm also at work on Liesl in a dreamy shade of Malabrigo Silky Wool. If my wrists would only feel a bit better, I could finish it.

The Slow Leak of Summer

2008-08-05T14:49:00.011-05:00

For the first time this summer, there's a different feeling in the air, like summer's got a slow leak. The ferocity of hazyhothumid is gone today, replaced by a heat that is trying, but just can't quite make it up to its typically aggressive standards. Maybe it's the first hint of fall coming. Fall has been coming in other ways, too. From the upcoming issues of Interweave and Vogue Knitting to the show-stopping Twist Collective, there's a lot to get excited about.

Wisteria is first on my list. I nearly swooned when I saw it. I immediately ordered some Malabrigo in Violetas to make it.

I'm also loving the Whisper Stripe Pullover from the new Interweave. The suggested Alchemy yarn is $$$, but it could be a "good" splurge.

I'm not sure how it will look on me, particularly with the shawl collar, but I might try this Rebecca Taylor sweater from Vogue Knitting:

I've been silent the past few months, but it's not for lack of knitting. Well, that's not entirely true. I was having wrist trouble for a few weeks, but I'm back at it again, taking things more slowly this time.

I'm not the world's best blogger, particularly because Ravelry takes up most of my e-knitting energy. Does anyone else find it somewhat exhausting to take pictures of projects, upload them to Flickr, add them to Ravelry along with any notes or comments, and then to blog about them?
Just me? I try to blog without obligation, though I do wish I could do it more often.

Here's a bit of a recap, from newest to oldest:

The Inevitable February Lady Sweater in progress in the Inevitable Dream in Color Classy in Happy Forest.

No one will believe me when I say it, but I swear that a week or two before Pam at Flint Knits posted her version of this classic EZ sweater, I was stalking adult-sized versions of the Feburary Sweater on Ravelry. I don't know any little girls, and I wanted to make this sweater so badly that I would need to make it for myself--in green, no less. Somehow the universe heard me.

Before my sore wrist, I was plugging away at Sahara in Knit Picks Comfy--a lovely yarn, by the way! I'm curious to see how it will hold up. This is a great pattern, and I can't wait to finish this.

Finally, for now, at least, I finished the Shetland Triangle (Ravelry link) from Wrap Style. It's an easy pattern in a gorgeous silk-cashmere blend yarn, Karabella Breeze.

WIP: Marimekko "Day in the Park" Tote

2008-05-19T14:27:00.006-05:00

I've been hoarding this Marimekko fabric for about eight months, looking for the perfect project. Then a month or two ago, I came across Liesl's backpack pattern. What could be better? A one-of-a-kind Marimekko bag that will inspire envy city-wide. Ok, not really, but it might be pretty cool.

I finally got down to work this weekend. Can I tell you it took me most of Saturday to cut out the many, many pieces of fabric required--main fabric, lining, interfacing, contrast fabric. Whew! I don't have the walking foot that she suggests, so I'm going to do my best without it. I am using a denim needle, though, which seems to be helping. I've got a few of the layers together, but won't have time to work on it again for a while.

I still have enough fabric left for a skirt or another project. Would it be too terrible to have a bag and a skirt of the same fabric even if I don't wear them on the same day? I can already hear people at work saying, "Don't you also have a skirt in that fabric?"

¡Qué emocion!

2008-05-11T09:10:00.007-05:00

¡Mis calcetines han llegado de parte de Carmen Gloria! ¡Vienen de tan lejos! Los calcetines están lindísimos y son de mi color favorito--verde. ¡¡Me encantan!! ¡Lo increíble es que utilicé el mismo patrón para los calcetines mi sorprendida, Maya! Extraña casualidad, ¿no? Y hablando de casualidades, la noche antes de recibir mis calcetines, terminé de leer Paula de Isabel Allende (en inglés), un libro sobre la vida de esa famosa chilena así como la historia de Chile. ¡No podrán imaginar mi sorpresa cuando descubrí en mi buzón un paquete proveniente de Chile!

Carmen Gloria también me mandó un montón de cositas bien monas: una tortuga de crochet que hizo ella misma para mis alfileres de coser, algunos alfileres de coser de colores vistosos, un sachet con aroma de ginseng y jengibre, un juguete típico de Chile, y un "bowl" también típico de ese país. ¡Gracias, Carmen Gloria! De veras aprecio mucho todos estos detalles. Soy una swapetinera feliz.

Translation: I participated once again in the Spanish sock swap Swapetines, organized by Pilar. It gives me an opportunity to practice my Spanish (that my Spanish-speaking husband so kindly corrects for me) and to exchange socks and other goodies with people from around the world. It has really been a tremendous experience. This year my socks came from Carmen Gloria in Chile--a really unbelieveable coincidence because not only did she use the same pattern (Monkey) that I use for my "sorprendedora's" socks, but also because the very night before I received them, I finished reading Isabel Allende's Paula, a book that is largely about Chile. I suppose it was meant to be. Carmen Gloria also included so many thoughtful things--an adorable crocheted turtle that can be used as a pin cushion (because she saw that I also took up sewing), some pins, a little Chilean toy, a cute ceramic bowl, and a lovely aromatic sachet. I am one happy Swapetina.

FO: Simplicity 4589

2008-02-13T14:16:00.006-05:00

Is it just me, or has the blogosphere slowed down a bit in the past week? My Bloglines isn't lighting up with new entries quite as often, it seems. Perhaps it's that winter has finally gotten the best of us with these freezing cold temperatures, snow yesterday, and drenching rain today. I feel like I need a bit of a jolt, too--some sort of excitement or even just a warm day.

I mentioned some months ago that I got a sewing machine, and I've been playing with it on the weekends. (Sewing is not really a relaxing weeknight activity like knitting.) I've turned out a few simple skirts, and have two blouses in the works, but I haven't actually shared any sewing FOs. This shirt is from December. I made it right after Christmas so that I could wear it in Puerto Rico for our visit to the in-laws.

The fabric is a Nani Iro print I had been stalking for many months. Just when I was about to get it from Purl Patchwork, it went out of stock, and so I ended up getting it from Reprodepot.com. This is a very simple pattern that goes together quite quickly. As a knitter, I was quite alarmed to read that it's supposed to have eight inches of ease, but it is a loose shirt, and woven garments need much more ease than knitted ones. I am quite pleased how well the fabric and pattern work together.

FO: Diane Cardigan

2008-02-10T12:17:00.001-05:00

Is anyone still with me? I clearly haven't been so good at this blogging thing recently. I have been good at cranking out FOs, so I'll spare you the details and get right to the pics. More in the days to come.

I'm really happy with this sweater. It's the Diane Cardigan from Louisa Harding's Knitting Little Luxuries. I fell in love with this design instantly and knew that I had to knit it right away. I worked on it rather slowly (for me) over the course of a month. The yarn is the new Manos silk blend in Stellar. The edging is supposed to be knit in a complementary shade, but after struggling with finding just the right match, I decided to continue in Stellar.

What I loved about this sweater is that no one piece took to long to knit. There is a ton of finishing, but I think it was all worth it in the end. The lace edging appears crocheted, but it is knit.

I did make one major modification to this sweater, and that was to make it about an inch and a half or two inches longer than the pattern specifications. I had finished knitting all of the pieces and started seaming, and when I tried it on, it barely came below the bust line. So I took out the cast-on edge and added the extra length. Well worth it.

Craft Factory

2007-12-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

I said that I wasn't going to knit/make Christmas presents this year, that it's too stressful, that I was trying to pare down my tasks. Yet somehow my apartment has turned into a craft emporium, with every spare minute devoted to making this or that for the holiday. At least I'm not making anyone any adult-sized sweaters.

It's been hard to take decent photos recently, in case you've also noticed the extreme lack of sun in the sky. So when we actually had a sunny day on Saturday, I grabbed the camera to start capturing the many projects I've been making since I blogged last (over a month ago!). Here are a handful, with more to come over the next few days, including some exciting sewing projects!

For my sister-in-law and her fiance, who are expecting their first child in January, I made another Judy's Grandmother's Baby Sweater from Greetings from the Knit Cafe. You may remember the first one I made for my sister's son a few months ago. My SIL didn't want to know the sex of the baby, so this is appropriately gender-neutral.

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Superwash in Camel Heather, 3 skeins

Needles: Size 6

Mods: I made the newborn size out of worsted weight instead of DK.

And because I couldn't leave well enough alone, I decided that the baby needed some mittens and a hat:The patterns are from Itty-Bitty Nursery. I tweaked two patterns, so that they would coordinate. The yarn is Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, with embroidery in the Swish yarn from the sweater.

Finally for today is a hat for my sister. It's the Lace Hat #26 from the holiday edition of Knit Simple. I had one ball of the luscious Rowan Soft Lux that I got on sale from WEBS, and as soon as I saw this hat pattern, I knew that it would be the perfect use for it. I love the gold lurex strand that runs through the yarn. Did I mention that Soft Lux is almost as soft as cashmere??

And if you haven't seen these hilarious gift tags already, go on over to Angry Chicken and print some out, won't you?

FO: Saffron Jacket

2007-11-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

I've been experiencing a lot Rowan love recently; really, it's like I've discovered it (late) for the first time. I bought a handful of magazines, which I'd been ogling, including New Shapes by Sarah Hatton. I've been wanting to make something with Big Wool for a long time, and thanks to a sale at Jimmy Beans Wool, I scored eight balls in Camouflage for a good price, originally intending to make the beautiful cover design, Anise. My husband convinced me that a peacoat was not the best design for me, since I am (a) petite and, um, (b) not nearly as flat-chested as the model (i.e., the sweater would make me look wide and squat). Okay, okay.

Second choice was Saffron. Actually second choice was Caraway, but that requires Little Big Wool. For once, I got gauge using the suggested needles, size 13 and 15. I cast on on a Friday night, and by Sunday night I had the entire sweater minus the collar/button band. Talk about instant gratification.

Seaming was another story entirely. I tried seaming the sleeve to the body three times, using backstitch, but each time, I ripped it out in frustration. I was pulling in half a stitch too much here and there, and my seam was looking crooked. Then I discovered invisible vertical to horizontal seaming in Knitty. This wonderful technique (scroll down in the link) is worked from the right side, rather than the wrong side, so you can see what you're doing--a lifesaver when you're using superbulky yarn and every mistake is visible. Plus, it's much like mattress stitch, so that it creates an invisible seam.

The problem with this sweater? Well, it's a little too small--and I got gauge. Compare with the model photo. I made the 34," and the sleeves should almost be like drop sleeves. Instead they're tight at the top of my shoulder. It's also not roomy enough for me to close in the front. The funny thing is that I started making the 36," and it looked huge--with the finished measurements in the schematic being around 40." I've decided not to frog because it's an incredibly cozy and warm sweater that I can wear to work or around the house. Let's call it "tailored" or "fitted." A-hem. About the color: it's one of those hard-to-photograph colors. It's a dark brown-green, similar to Blue Sky Alpacas Verte. I love colors that can seem like one color one moment and another the next.

WIPs on Parade

2007-10-28T12:17:00.001-05:00

I wish I could be a little more Zen about this knitting thing. You know, mindfully conscious of the process and not hurrying things along, but it just doesn't seem to be working these days. I'm completely over-stimulated. My stash is blossoming almost as quickly as my Ravelry queue, and the number of projects I want to work on RIGHT NOW is as well--like Tangled Yoke (which has been waiting in the wings for about two months), Tree Jacket, Anise (the cover sweater from New Shapes), and a design I have in mind, which is inspired by a lovely J.Crew sweater I saw about a month ago. I've got the yarn ready to go for all of them, but at the same time, I have the must-knit projects, like Saffron Cables for my sister and a baby sweater for my expectant sister-in-law. Christmas knitting just isn't going to happen this year, I think. If only I could spend all of my time happily crafting away...

Here's the start of Tangled Yoke:

The beginnings of Saffron Cables:

The beginnings of a swatch for Anise in Rowan Big Wool:

Blue Sky Cotton for Trellis:

I've got an FO--what I'm calling the Newlywed Sweater--but it's not quite dry yet. I'm really excited about it, and I'll be writing about it in a few days.

In other news, I've been holding back a little something for a few weeks. I got this lovely treat from my husband for my birthday. As my non-knitting sister said to me, upon hearing about the sewing machine, "This knitting--it's like a gateway drug."

FOs: Juliet, Baby Sweater, Hipster Baby Socks

2007-10-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

I blame it on the buttons. For almost a month, Juliet has been finished and worn to work several times, but I didn't write anything about it because I didn't have the right buttons. The first buttons I bought were big, beautiful wooden ones, but they were too heavy and caused the sweater to droop. It took me forever to get these navy plastic ones, but here they are--finally attached to the sweater. I have to say that I really love this sweater and the pattern. It's spot-on trendwise and is the perfect thing to throw on over either a short-sleeved or a long-sleeved shirt.

The yarn is the luscious Panache from KnitPicks, a baby alpaca/cashmere/silk/merino blend, which is sadly being discontinued.

Even though I haven't been writing, I've been knitting. Oh, have I been knitting. I'm about two-thirds done with my husband's EZ-style sweater. I also made out this baby sweater from Greetings from the Knit Café for my sister, who is due at the beginning of November. It's called Judy's Grandmother's Baby Sweater (Ravelry link), and it's an adorable wrap design, with a honeycomb stitch pattern. It's also completely reversible.

Yarn: KnitPicks Swish DK in Asparagus, slightly more than two skeins.

Finally, I liked the idea of baby socks, rather than baby booties, so I made these cuties, using my special-order Yarntini self-striping sock yarn in Blue Hawaiian. I call them Hipster Baby Socks.

I couldn't get over how tiny they were, and how, despite their tinyness, they're still way too big. I think they'd fit a one-year old. Oh well. Babies grow.

Teva Durham and Some More Blue

2007-09-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

I crocheted something. I really did. Teva Durham stopped by our offices yesterday to give us a crash course in crochet, and it was a real treat. She even brought us some goodies from her new yarn line. Here you see two balls of Shale. The yarn is a really lovely mohair blend, with some shimmer throughout. It probably is not the easiest thing to learn how to crochet fuzzy mohair, but it sure is prettier than the dull brown yarn I brought for the project. I was shocked at how quickly crochet goes, even my tight, crappy crochet shown here. When this is done, it will be a loopy neckwarmer, complete with flower in the contrasting yarn. Teva said that she can make this little number in 15-20 minutes. This is about an hour and a half of work for me, and I'm still not done. Practice, practice. (She also mentioned that she sometimes has to knit a sweater in a day(!) A day! Can you imagine?)

Here is my progress so far on fair Juliet. The Knit Picks Panache is just dreamy. What could be better than a combination of baby alpaca, cashmere, silk, and merino? I haven't seen too many people using it, and I wonder why. I hope it holds up with wear. What's with all the blue these days? I'm not sure, but it's all lovely.

Must. Have. Now.

2007-09-12T08:45:00.000-05:00

It's rare that a design so desperately calls out to be made immediately--as in drop-everything-you're-doing-right-now-and-knit--but Juliet does. I saw the pattern on several blogs yesterday morning. By afternoon, I had purchased the pattern, and by 6:30 pm, I was at home swatching with some Knit Picks Panache in Dusk that seems perfect for the task. Don't you just love it when you find the perfect use for yarn you had no idea what to do with?

FO: Anais and some exciting news

2007-09-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or do one's FOs look so much more fabulous on Ravelry than in real life? I've finally been adding pictures of old projects to my page, and those slightly off-center shots make me marvel at my knitting skills! Really! Funny how in real life, there's something awry about each and every project.

Well, I am thrilled to be able to show my finished Anais. It's been done for several weeks now, but we just moved to a new apartment (after the wedding and the honeymoon and a stressful apartment search; whew, I'm tired), and I only unpacked my digital camera a few days ago.

I was absolutely giddy when I first saw this sweater and ordered the booklet right away. It's my first Norah Gaughan pattern, and I really loved it. That said, the sweater's a little on the short side. (I believe that the pattern says that the length is 18 or 19 inches. That's top to bottom, mind you, not armhole to bottom.) I added an extra two inches, and it's still short, but I think it's okay, given that I'll probably wear it with a shirt underneath.

The yarn is Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in Denim Mix (5 hanks). At less than five dollars a hank, I wasn't really expecting much. It's not the softest yarn in the world, but it's really nice and holds its shape incredibly well. I'm eager to see how it will wear.

Next up, a sweater for my husband. He wanted a basic rollneck raglan sweater, so I'm trying my first EZ sweater, using her percentage system. And the yarn? Karabella Aurora 8 #22 (a dark, dark charcoal gray), which is--I hate this phrase--"to die for." I can't gush enough about it. It's like knitting with a cushy cloud. It's the softest, squishiest yarn I've ever used, and I think I should knit all of my future projects in it. Too bad it's on the pricy side for a sweater.

I almost forgot the news! Publishing Perk #567 (not to be outdone by Publishing Pitfalls numbering in the thousands): A certain Teva Durham is stopping by the offices on Thursday to teach a crafty group of us how to crochet. Whee!

Socked Out

2007-08-13T13:24:00.001-05:00

This knitter is getting a little grumpy and impatient. Today is August 14--practically winter, you see. It's time to get back to knitting sweaters. I've had my flirtations with socks. After all, they're all I've had time for with the wedding and honeymoon, but my fingers are itchy for a serious sweater project or five.

Pattern: Plain 60-stitch sock with Misocrafty short-row toe and heel.

Yarn: Koigu, P130-98, 2 hanks

I can finally knit my husband a sweater. I made the mistake of telling him about the Sweater Curse before we were married, and he insisted he didn't want me knitting for him before then, though he does proudly wear the Malabrigo hat and merino wool scarf I made. So here's the deal, this is going to be my first EZ sweater: seamless raglan with a rollneck. He wants something casual simple he can just throw on for any occasion--sitting around the house, running out to do errands, or the perfect sweater to wear with jeans. That seems to fit the bill.

Pour moi, you ask?? Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke Cardigan, of course. In Rowan Felted Tweed, which I've never used.

And guess what? There's a finally baby to knit for! My sister is six months pregnant. My mother and I were waiting impatiently to find out the sex. Now that we know it's a boy, it's READY, SET, KNIT! A few weekends ago I made these lovelies out of some leftover Rowan Cotton Glace:

This is one of the most adorable patterns I have seen. I don't know too much about child care, but is it really okay to use buttons on baby clothing? Wouldn't that present a choking hazard, or am I too paranoid?

Married...

2007-08-01T15:09:00.000-05:00

2007-07-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

I'm coming up for a last gasp of air before my wedding on Saturday. It's amazing how these things can sap all of your mental and physical energy, even if you're trying to keep them "simple." My knitting time has, of course, evaporated, but I did have time over the last month to make Thirassias.

It's the first time I knitted a pattern written in Spanish. I'm happy with it. Would you believe that I made the entire pair of socks with ONE hank of Lorna's Laces??

Swapetines!

2007-06-08T08:47:00.000-05:00

¡Qué alegría! Mis swapetines llegaron ayer. Mi novio me informó por e-mail que un paquete de España había llegado y no pude esperar a llegar a casa.

Cuando abrí el paquete, encontré esta preciosa caja:

Y dentro de la caja, descubrí mis calcetines y otras sorpresitas!!! Mi sorprendedor@ ;) resultó ser Alex.

Qué lindos calcetines, no? Son matizados de verdes, marrones y blanco. No sé si Alex lo sabe o no, pero el verde es mi color favorito! (Y es el color de mi boda, que viene en Julio.) Los calcetines están muy bien hechos y me encanta el patrón. ¡Ahora que lo he visto, yo también lo voy a utilizar!

Adentro también había dulces de violeta. (Me gusta mucho hacer una mermalada de frambuesa y violeta.) Y finalmente unos broches de Mafalda. Tengo que confesarles que no sabía nada acerca de Mafalda, pero mi novio me dijo que cuando era niño en Puerto Rico le gustaba leer las historietas de Mafalda. Tendré que investigar más acerca de este personaje.

Y lo más importante es que los calcetines me quedan bien. ¡Miren!

Los voy a usar mucho. Decidí ponermelos hoy mismo al trabajo. Muchisimas gracias, Alex!

Y gracias a Pilar de nuevo por organizar Swapetines. De veras que lo he disfrutado muchísimo y además ha sido una buena oportunidad para practicar mi español.

Translation:

Some exciting news: my socks from the Spanish sock swap that I’ve been participating in arrived yesterday. When I was at work yesterday, my fiancé sent me an email saying that a package from Spain had arrived for me, and it could only be the socks because I wasn’t expecting anything else from Spain.

When I got home, I found a beautiful box from Alex filled with my socks and other surprises. I’m really happy with them—they’re made of cotton (because as Alex mentioned in her note, the heat is coming), in a lovely variegated green, brown, and white. She also included some violet candies, and some pins of this cartoon character Mafalda. I must confess that I had never heard of Mafalda, but Pierre told me that when he was growing up he used to read the comic books.

But the most important thing is that the socks fit me well, and that I’m going to get a lot of use out of them. I even wore them to work today. Thanks so much, Alex!

FO and Please Pardon the Interruption

2007-06-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have this little thing that's been getting in the way of my knitting these days. No, it's not work; we have a Thursday lunchtime knitting circle so as not to let work interfere. The thing that is keeping me from knitting blissfully is called a wedding. Silly me. I've been cruising along, planning out projects to keep me busy all summer--and beyond--when I suddenly hit what I'm referring to as the wedding wall. There are 36 days to go until our Bastille Day event and over 90 things still to do (most of them overdue), as The Knot Web site so helpfully--she writes sarcastically--tells me. Oh, that I even thought I could knit even the simplest of lace shawls for the wedding party. It's only two people: my sister is my maid of honor, and Pierre's sister is his "best woman." But really, I'd need to outsource the knitting, and no one's beating down my door for the task. And then there are the favors: about 80 jars of handmade strawberry jams yet to be made, which I will decorate with beautful fabric rounds from Purl. This whole wedding thing hasn't really stressed me out so far, but with a to-do list longer than any to-knit list that I could possibly come up with, I'm going to need some serious down time soon.

With that aside, I finally got my invitation to Ravelry! I created an account, but I haven't had a chance to start playing around with it. I was able to take pictures of most of my stash and upload it to Flickr, though.

I'm also happy to show you a new FO, the Somewhat Cowl. I'm really happy with how it turned out, and the pattern was a joy to knit. I'm really a fan of this top-down thing. I made the 34" bust sweater, and I probably could have gotten away with the 32" because of how it's supposed to fit. Nevertheless, this is my best-fitting sweater so far and probably the most stylish.

Regarding modifications, I didn't really do many of them, except for the sleeves. I could tell that they were going to be huge, so I decreased 10 stitches in each armpit (after needing to pick up 6 or 8 to join in the round), and I'm much happier with the results.

I love this Blue Sky Alpacas Silk Alpaca. It's a joy to work with, and I'm again amazed at how the silk makes itself known after blocking.

I realize now that these pictures are a little fuzzy, so maybe I'll take some new ones.

Pattern: The Somewhat Cowl from Knit and Tonic

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Silk Alpaca in Verte, 6 hanks. This is the same color in the pattern--the most wonderful murky green.

Modifications: I reduced the sleeve diameter, as mentioned above.

Started: May 11

Finished: June 5

Why I Don't Live in Pennsylvania Anymore

2007-05-29T08:53:00.000-05:00

A little break from the knitting to show you why I don't live in PA anymore. (I suppose it's not the only reason, but it certainly helps.) All that's missing is a shotgun in the back and a Confederate flag. How can you trust Fox News?

And we wonder why the rest of the world hates us?

Lest you think it's all a vast right-wing conspiracy, here's something more pleasant from my parents' property:

Hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

Somewhat Progress

2007-05-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

I've been a little obsessive about working on the Somewhat Cowl. I started it about 10 days ago, and I've been working on it every spare moment--while I drink my coffee in the morning, while I'm waiting for dinner to finish, etc. It feels like a race against the weather because I want to wear it before it gets too hot. Alpaca + silk + 90 degree temperatures = not so comfy even in short sleeves.

Here's what I've got so far:

I was a little concerned about the pattern's lack of stitch count and somewhat vague directions, but I realize now that the pattern rocks, and the directions are perfectly specific. It was just first-time top-down jitters, I suppose. I tried it on last night, and it fits me like a glove! Even though it takes longer to knit, I prefer the look of sport-weight yarn. Plus, I can't get enough of this murky green.

To take a break from the stockinette, I dragged Pierre to Purl on Saturday. We decided that I would make washcloths for his newly married cousin in France--just a little homemade gesture, since we don't know her so well. I've been dying to make the Mason-Dixon dishcloth, and here's what I was able to do just this weekend, during my breaks from the Somewhat Cowl. The yarn is Cascade Luna, which is lovely and nubby.

I'm really in love with the super-speedy pattern and the amazing things you can do with color and a simple slip stitch.

You're Not a Knitter Until...

2007-05-17T08:52:00.000-05:00

Okay, so you knit it, too. It may be two years old now, but somewhere, there's a Clapotis in your house. Now I finally have one, too. This was fun to knit--as close to mindless as it can get without being boring. A good television knit, if you will. I'll save you the post-mortem, and just say that this is the hideously expensive Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb that the pattern calls for. Here I used the Irving Park colorway. I was thinking of using Artyarns Supermerino, but then I couldn't find just the right color. Plus, I wanted the drape and elegance that silk offers. So I gave in, and you-know-how-much later, I got this yarn from the wonderful Angelika. She's so friendly, not to mention a super fast shipper! (I can't tell you how I waste away waiting for those Knit Picks folks to finally get my orders in the mail. But yet, I can get a Phildar catalog in a week! Okay, I'm getting off track.)

I read all of the warnings that this pattern requires more than three skeins, and indeed, Knitty had updated the pattern. But there was no way I was going to pay for a fourth skein. So I did five out of the six increase repeats. And voila! Incredible hugeness still ensued.

Ooh, a contest!

2007-05-14T09:23:00.000-05:00

I just saw over at The ADD Knitter that Ali at Skeins Her Way is sponsoring a lovely summer contest. She just designed a tank for Blue Sky Alpacas, and has some extra copies of the pattern (and yarn!) to give away. Go to her blog and check it out, and then post your summer knitting goals on your blog! For me, this is a terrific idea because I've got a bunch of stuff in my basket that I'd like to get done, but I'm not sure in which order.

1. I cast on this weekend for Wendy Bernard's The Somewhat Cowl in Blue Sky Alpacas Verte (hey, that should earn me some brownie points, right?). I'm a little nervous about this pattern, because a) it's my first top down project and b) the directions don't seem that specific. I foresee a lot of frogging in my future.

2. This Phildar tank in Phildar Bamboo. I waited *two months*--yes, two months--to get the yarn from Knit N Tyme. She didn't tell me it was out of stock when I ordered it, and I didn't find this out until about three weeks later when it didn't show up. Now if only my fiancé would translate the pattern for me. (Yes, I know it comes in English now too, but I didn't know that when I ordered it, and I'm not sure I want to order the whole thing again just to have the English, when he could very well be keeping his French in good working order.)

3. Sahara. I've got the pattern at home, and some beautiful versions are starting pop up on the web. Yarn still TBD.

4. To start, if not to finish, a feather-and-fan throw for my sister in Knit Picks Swish superwash double-stranded.

5. More sock experiments! I have two skeins of Yarntini on special order that I'm eagerly awaiting because I want to drink the Yarntini Kool-Aid, too!

6. I've got a design idea, two of them really, but we'll see how that pans out.

First Socks!

2007-05-10T08:36:00.000-05:00

Hace unos días que terminé de tejer los calcetines de mi sorprendida, pero todavía necesitaba tejer los extremos ("weave in the ends"--no sé cómo se dice eso en español). Lo hice anoche mientras veía "Lost." Con estos calcetines he descubierto el problema que existe con las rayas--hay desmasiados extremos! Al final, estoy bastante satisfecha con mis primeros calcetines y espero que a mi sorprendida le gusten y que pueda perdonar cualquier error. He tenido muy en cuenta lo que a ella le gusta, basado en su blog. Hoy o mañana voy a comprar una sorpresita para añadir al paquete y el sábado emprende su largo viaje. ¡Qué nervios tengo!

Translation: A few days ago I finished knitting the socks for my Swapetines sock swap partner, but I still needed to weave in the ends--something I had been putting off. I finally did it last night while watching "Lost." I discovered the problem with knitting stripes--while it looks nice, there are way too many ends. In the end, though, I'm quite satisfied with these, my first socks, and I hope that she likes them and can forgive the many imperfections. I've tried hard to knit something I think she'll like, based upon her blog. Today or tomorrow, I'm going to buy her a little surprise to add to the package, and on Saturday, it will begin its long journey. I'm a little nervous!

Design Challenge

2007-05-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

I was at my home-away-from-home, er, Anthropologie this weekend, and I tried on this cardigan:

Now green is my favorite color and all, but holy green! I mean, this is practically neon green. The New York Times Style section seems to tell me that this misguided eighties trend is back. What's next? Tight-rolled pants? I shudder at the thought.

Anyway, I tried it on because it was on sale, and lo and behold, it fit perfectly. The shaping was great. I didn't like the gathering at the shoulders, but otherwise, it's kinda ideal. I didn't buy it because of the shocking color, but I'm thinking, just wondering, if I could design something similar (eventually) that fits me so well.

If someone knows of a similar pattern, please, let me know!

Dilemma

2007-05-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm kind of torn. I just started this knitting blog recently, as my precious few readers know. But what many people don't know is that I started out blogging about food and cooking--my first obsessive love (you can check out The Lovely Scones to see). I also blogged about cooking gluten-free for my fiancé, who has Celiac Disease. Then I discovered knitting. As with all new hobbies, I wanted to know as much as possible about it as quickly as possible, and I began voraciously devouring knitting blogs and books. Soon I was more interested in knitting than in cooking dinner. (Okay, not entirely true.) So I've let the food blog lapse a bit. I thought that I could do both, but it's harder than I expected to carry on two separate blogs. What to do?

Here are my thoughts so far. I could:

a) move the knitting stuff on over to The Lovely Scones and maybe revamp the design.
b) just start writing about food here and whatever suits my fancy, including books
c) start a new blog entirely and hope that readers from both blogs make their way over to the third one

I kind of want to stick with this blog, but then I have the problem of the name: Yarn Overboard. It's a knitting-specific name. Does anyone have any thoughts/ideas/suggestions about this?

Spring Book Chat

2007-05-02T12:50:00.000-05:00

I wrote a month or so ago about my boredom with every single book I was picking up. Now it's like spring has sprung in the publishing industry, too, and there's a veritable bonanza of new and exciting things to read.

By the way, I did find something good to read, and I'm making my way through it very slowly: Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette. Confession: I bought the book because I was intrigued enough by the movie to want to know more about her. It's the sort of book that you should read in long stretches, not in stolen minutes before falling asleep, as I have been doing.

Pardon the digression from knitting, but here's what I'm looking forward to reading in the next new months:

Knopf has picked up Grotesque, the second novel to be translated into English by Japanese mystery writer Natsuo Kirino. Kirino masterfully straddles the literary and mystery genres, while adding a feminist twist. Out was her first novel translated into English, and I believe there are others in the works. I am very taken with her voice, and I'm already about fifty pages into the book.. I understand that Knopf changed the ending of the American edition. Why?

Speaking of Japanese novelists, I also just snagged a copy of After Dark , the new Murakami.

Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite writers, but to show you how closely I was following this, I didn't even know he had a new novel coming out until today.

I'm not generally a big fan of magical realism, but whatever he puts his hand to is amazing. He tweaks reality in such a way that you can actually imagine such an alternate universe exists. This is a slim novel involving a slumbering fashion model, Denny's, and a jazz trombonist. Very Murakami.

In my opinion, Don DeLillo has been in a slump. Cosmopolis was a snore. His previous work, The Body Artist (I had to look it up because I completely forgotten the title--shows you how memorable it was), was marginally better.

Now he's back with Falling Man, a book about 9/11. I find it so hard to read anything about 9/11--having been here in NYC for it, and having had it hit me very hard--but it strikes me as sheer genius for him to be writing a book on this subject. The advance reviews are glowing, and I have high hopes for it. The title? Also sheer, chilling genius: it's a reference to that unforgettable photo from The New York Times.

I read a lot about living and eating locally. I do it as much as I can--I shop at farmer's markets, and I buy organic whenever possible. There are many books out right now with a similar sort of experiment--a year of eating locally--but I'm particularly interested in Kingsolver's approach. I think it's a good match of subject and author, and I want to see how she approaches it.

New and forthcoming also worth noting: Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach, Michael Ondaatje's Divisadero, and Roberto Bolaño's The Savage Detectives.

And now back to your regularly scheduled knitting program.

Spring has arrived! La primavera ha llegado!

2007-05-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

Finally, I can post about something green! Here's just a taste of what's sprouting up in the neighborhood. The temperatures are rising pleasantly, and the trees are all abloom. Here's the tree right outside our apartment building.

Por fin, puedo escribir sobre algo verde! Aquí tenemos un poco de lo que está creciendo en mi vecindario. Las temperaturas están subiendo de manera agradable y los árboles están floreciendo. Aquí está el árbol de enfrente:

We are so green-starved that we pack our windowsills full of plants, little promises of herbs and vegetables to nourish us--body, mind, and spirit--in the months ahead. Our little babies excite us so. Here we have sage (back left), basil (back right), and several different kinds of hot peppers (front).

Nos falta tanto el verde aquí en la ciudad que hemos sembrado un montón de plantas en tiestos. Son promesas de verdor y además vegetales para alimentarnos--en cuerpo, mente, y espíritu--en los próximos meses. Aquí vemos la salvia (atrás a la izquierda), la albahaca (atrás a la derecha) y también varios tipos de pimientos picantes (delante de las otras plantas).

And what do I spy here? It's the amaryllis offshoots that we just transplanted. And oh! A sock! Dear Swapetina, here's a hint of your green sock. I don't want to show too much of it--just a taste.

Y por aquí, el amarilis que acabamos de transplantar. ¿Y qué más? Oo! ¡Un calcetinito! Querida swapetina, te muestro un pedacito de tu calcetín verde. No quiero revelar demasiado--solamente un poquitito.

Swapetines Update

2007-04-18T09:32:00.000-05:00

Este mal tiempo ya me está cansando. Estoy leyendo muchos blogs y veo tantas fotos de la primavera--las plantas y las flores. Nos falta el verde! Aquí en Nueva York/Nueva Jersey hemos tenido tormentas fuertes y días grises, fríos y húmedos. Prefiero quedarme en casa leyendo, tejiendo, o simplemente durmiendo. Hace mucho tiempo que la temperatura no ha sobrepasado los 50F/10C.

La buena noticia es que he empezado los calcetines para mi sorprendida y los estoy disfrutando mucho. Espero que a ella le gusten. La lana es tan suave y elástica. He comprado nuevas agujas de doble punta de metal porque no me gustaron las mías de bambú. Hasta el momento las prefiero porque la lana resbala mucho más fácil. Cuando Swapetines se acabe, creo que lo voy a extrañar! Tendré una fotito pronto de mis adelantos.

My Darling Clementine

2007-04-16T08:38:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I couldn't resist. The Clementine Shawlette is just screaming for a hackneyed reference. But I've finished it now, and I'm thrilled. This is the first time I knit a project with the specified pattern yarn and color. I've had a hankering for a small orange object--orange being a color I never wear--and this Blue Sky Alpacas mandarin was just delicate enough and irresistible. I found the pattern to be quite fun to knit. Once you get through the increases, it's easy to memorize the chart, and you can just sail--almost as quickly as knitting stockinette. Now how often will I actually wear it? Who knows? But it is a little darling.

[I'm thinking of making two more for my July wedding in green or white, so that my sister (maid of honor) and my fiance's sister (best woman!) can each wear one, but I am such an overcommiter that I'm afraid to make that promise at this point. If anyone out there has a quick (and super easy) shawl pattern, let me know. I'd have to really be able to crank it out quickly.]

Anyway, the yarn is a soft, loosely spun silk/alpaca blend. I found it pleasant to work with, though it does tend to split. I have six more hanks of it in Verte to make Wendy Bernard's Somewhat Cowl. I'm hoping it doesn't split as much for that; it may not because that's almost all stockinette--no yos or other fancy stitches.

The shawlette is knit in two pieces and then Kitchenered together at the end. My Kitchener line looks okay--sort of like two rows of purl. It was kind of tricky because the yarn was so slippery. If I had to do it again, I might have ended the pattern on a different row, so it looked a little more seamless, but this is perfectly acceptable. I saw that Ruthless Knitting had a nifty technique for grafting this shawlette, but I wasn't feeling up for learning it yet, when I've only used Kitchener once before.

Details:
The Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas silk/alpaca in mandarin (the color appears slightly darker in the picture than it actually is)
Needles: Size 4 (3.5 mm) bamboo straights. I think that the pattern called for 5, but I am a notoriously loose knitter. I didn't swatch for this project; I just went down a size and my gauge turned out fine.
Pattern: from Interweave Knits Spring 2007
Pattern modifications: Other than a few goofs throughout? None.

Clementine progress

2007-04-12T17:32:00.000-05:00

I'm getting there!

FOs to Show

2007-04-09T17:58:00.000-05:00

I've been holding back a few FOs because I haven't had the time to take the pictures and write them up. So without further ado, I give you (Not) Bobble (Not) Blue from the Spring 2006 Interweave.

Other than not knitting the bobbles, I also lengthened the sleeves because I wanted this to be the sort of sweater I could throw on in the office when they crank up the air conditioning in, oh, about three days. I'm really pleased with the fit, and the cables didn't turn out half-bad either, considering this was my first cable project (yes, I like to dive right in). I got lots of oohs and ahhs at work when I wore it. (Blush.)

The back:

Some cable close-ups, for your viewing pleasure:

The details:

Yarn: Knit Picks, Wool of the Andes, about 10 skeins

Needles: 14" bamboo straights, size 4 (3.5 mm) for the ribbing, size 6 (4 mm) for the body.

And here's what I'm calling the School Products Scarf, in honor of the very affordable ($15/hank) cashmere I bought to make it. Honestly, I've been working on it for months because the pattern didn't really capture my attention (R1: P1, K1 across; R2: K3, P3 across), though I love how it looks when it's done--really classic and beautiful.

Yarn: School Products Super Bulky Cashmere, 3 hanks. I went back to SP about halfway through the scarf to buy a fourth hank, but when he asked me what I was making, he wouldn't let me buy another one. Well, okay then. He was right. Three was enough.

Pattern: adapted from a Vogue Knitting scarf book

Needles: size 13 (9mm) bamboo

Frustración

2007-04-09T10:06:00.000-05:00

No me gustan las agujas de doble punta, especialmente las mías flaquitas de bambú. La lana se engancha y se parte en las agujas. Esto me irrita bastante, cuando lo que quiero al tejer (y lo que normalmente sucede) es sentirme calmada. No me molesta usar agujas de bambú para tejer gorros porque las agujas para gorros son más gruesas, pero las flaquitas me están volviendo loca. Tengo dos opciones: o comprar agujas baratas de doble punta de metal (que son más resbaladizas para la lana) o aprender a tejer con dos agujas circulares—esto último me parece lo más sensible. Vi el video de KnittingHelp.com sobre tejer con dos agujas circulares y pienso que no tendré ningún problema. Pero…necesito comprar dos agujas circulares más y ésas son caras.

Translation: I don't like knitting with double-pointed needles, especially the teeny-tiny skinny ones I have out of bamboo (2.5 mm). The yarn keeps snagging and splitting the wool, and I get so incredibly tense and annoyed, when usually knitting makes me feel rather calm and focused. I'm not particularly bothered by using DPNs for hats because the needles are thicker, and you're typically just doing a couple rows to finish, but these teeny ones are driving me crazy. Right now, I have two options: buy those cheap metal DPNs, so that the yarn just glides along, or learn the 2-circular method. I've seen the video on KnittingHelp.com, and I don't think I'll have too much of a problem with it. But that would mean that I have to buy two new Addis--oh, why are they so expensive?? One of the women at one of the many LYS in my area suggested that if I make the investment, I buy one 24 inch and one 32 inch of the same size. That way, I'm making a smart purchase and can use the needles for more things.

Aquí están.../Here they are...

2007-03-31T11:14:00.000-05:00

Para mi sorprendida, compré Rowan Cashsoft 4-ply.

Swapetines

2007-03-28T10:54:00.000-05:00

Creo que ya he decidido lo que voy a hacer. Voy a ir a Purl Soho durante mi hora de almuerzo hoy para comprar el hilo para mi sorprendida!

Block, baby, block!

2007-03-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

I was a little late to work this morning because I just had to finish the last of the seaming for (Not) Bobble (Not) Blue. It's happily blocking on my yoga mat (great tip from a knitting friend at work!). The only thing it needs is buttons. I just have to say, thank God this thing is black because you can't see all of my wonky seaming. Does anyone else find it such a pain to seam ribbing? You already have that weird stitch on the edge, and then to try to figure out where to grab the yarn for mattress stitch, it's hard not to end up with some half stitches along the way. And oh, suddenly on Saturday night, I noticed that the pattern told me to "set in the sleeves." Great direction. I didn't quite know what that meant, but I suddenly realized that these sleeves were different than the raglan sleeves I had knit to date, and how in the world was I going to use mattress stitch to seam them to the body? I called my mom in desperation on Sunday morning, and she directed me to page 80 of Stitch 'N Bitch, which told me exactly how to do such a thing. And I thought I was so OVER that book. Clearly, I realized how essential it still is for this newish knitter. I also learned buttonholes with this sweater. I had to watch and knit along to the Knitting Help video for every single button hole. Where would I be without Amy?

I feel that seaming a sweater is a simultaneous process of self-loathing and immense pride. You are at once saying to yourself: "My God, look at these horrible errors throughout my sweater. I can't possibly wear this in public. Well, at least it's black, and it's a learning experience." And then you are also saying to yourself: "Look at this, I make my own clothes, and I can actually wear them. Who needs Banana Republic and Anthropologie? I am my own clothing store!"

Clementine Shawlette

2007-03-24T09:31:00.000-05:00

Just a little taste of the beginning of the Clementine Shawlette:

Swapetines: Decisiones

2007-03-23T12:54:00.001-05:00

Estoy muy emocionada de empezar a tejer los calcetines para mi sorprendida de Swapetines. He estado buscando hilos bonitos los últimos días, pero sin pensar en el patrón. A lo mejor debo considerar ambas cosas a la vez. No sé si quiero tejer calcetines bastante básicos con una lana espectacular—de diferentes tonos, etc.—o si debo usar una lana simple con un patrón de encaje o algo detallado. Esto es lo estoy tratando de decidir ahora.

Por ejemplo, me gustan estos patrones de Knitty:

Pero, también me gustan estos calcetines del libro No Sheep for You (a la izquierda de la foto):

Translation: I'm very excited to begin knitting for my secret sock partner. The last few days I've been looking for lovely yarns for her, but I hadn't given much thought to the pattern. Now I'm thinking that I should probably be considering both at the same time. I'm not sure if I want to knit socks with a spectacular variegated yarn and keep the pattern simple (like Amy Singer's pattern above), or if I want the pattern to stand out on a simple yarn.

Knitting and Knitting and Knitting

2007-03-22T10:13:00.000-05:00

I've been knitting away at (Not) Bobble (Not) Blue for quite some time now. I'm on the second sleeve and close to finishing. Well, before I begin finishing, that is. But after so much knitting and knitting and knitting away at the same pattern, I had to start something else just to distract me. After all, how much basic black yarn can one take?

I've had three lovely wound balls of Blue Sky Alpacas Silk Alpaca in Mandarin from Purl that had been for the Clementine Shawlette from the spring Interweave:

I cast on for it last night, and it's a delight. I made it through the first handle-like part, and I'm on to the body of the shawl. There's a certain pleasure in knitting something exactly as it is in the magazine--same color, same yarn, especially considering the yarn substitutions I typically make.

Pictures of progress and of NBNB soon!

Book Boredom

2007-02-28T11:40:00.000-05:00

Not knitting-related at all, but I've been in such a book rut recently. This might be surprising, considering I work in book publishing and love to read, but it's true. Nothing has really grabbed my attention recently, other than fluffy magazines and my knitting. So many novels seem so cliched, the writing competent but not exhilirating and the plot far from compelling. After a while, I start to wonder if it's me or them.

To remedy this problem, I've started an experiment: I have a huge collection of recently and soon-to-be-published books in my office that I pick up from the toss-away piles around the building, and I never actually read them. I grab them, thinking that this or that element looks interesting or that I read a good review and that I'll get to them someday. I've been doing this for about three years. (I *do* read some of them, to be fair, and you should see my cookbook collection.) I'm going to "knit from my stash," so to speak, with my books and see if I can discover a gem. So far, I'm 0 for 2.

Over the weekend, I started The Center of Things by Jenny McPhee--the story of a tabloid journalist with a penchant for quantum physics and an obsession with a dying movie star. It was also a NYT Notable Book. I got through about 40-50 pages of the seemingly intriguing story, when I realized that I was just not interested in the narrator, quantum physics, or the movie star. Goodbye--I put it back on the free pile where it belongs.

Last night, I started Barbara Gowdy's forthcoming novel Helpless. I had worked at Gowdy's publisher when her last book The White Bone was published, and while I didn't read that one, I knew her to be a strong, competent writer. Her writing was good, but I only made it through 20 pages of this story of a struggling single mother and her bi-racial daughter who is kidnapped by a pedophile. Though I'm sure it's a different story, it reminded me too much of Little Children--an oddly compelling book that somehow leaves a bad taste in your mouth and makes you wonder why you keep reading.

So it's on to the next one. This process is at once disappointing and exciting and oddly like spring cleaning.

Change Your Gauge

2007-02-23T09:42:00.000-05:00

I think that one of the smartest things I did since learning how to knit is to change the pattern gauge. Since I seem to crave a challenge--and I don't do anything the easy way--I've been fooling around with a calculator ever since my first sweater last fall. I knew that I wanted to make the Hourglass Sweater from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, and when I went to Purl, I found the most amazing yarn--Manos del Uruguay in Sage 107. Lo and behold, the two did not match, so I dug out SnB Nation, and saw Debbie Stoller's very clear instructions for how to change to pattern to suit the yarn you want to use. If you're careful with the increases and decreases, this is actually a simple--thought slightly more time-consuming--thing to do. When I frogged Tubey and discovered the lovely Very Necessary Sweater, I did not make gauge either. Time for the calculator again.

What's the most useful knitting technique that you can't live without?

Knitting en Español

2007-02-22T09:57:00.000-05:00

To overcome my inhibitions about speaking Spanish in front of Pierre and his family--who are all from or live in Puerto Rico--I've enrolled in an evening Spanish class at NYU. Fortunately, I placed in the highest level, with only advanced conversation classes beyond it. I've been pretty committed to improving my grasp of language--we watch a novela every night; I try to read news articles in Spanish; and I'm exposed to the language when he speaks with his family or when we go to PR.

But lately, all I've been doing is knitting--thinking about it, reading blogs, and visiting yarn Web sites. I figured there must be plenty of knitting blogs in Spanish that I could read, thus combining two interests. I stumbled across a few cool blogs, and on one of them, a Spanish woman is coming up with her own version of Sockapalooza--en Español, naturally. Hmm, I thought--what a great chance to a) finally knit socks and see what all of the fuss is about and b) practice my Spanish and get to know interesting people from around the world. Her clever name for the exchange--Swapetines. "Calcetines" is the word for "socks," so this is a sock swap. I can't wait, and I hope the participants will be patient with my Spanish! I think I will also knit some trial socks before I dare to make some for someone else. It's very exciting!

Flickr

2007-02-22T09:49:00.000-05:00

I've done the obligatory Flickr thing and posted my FOs in the sidebar. Check them out!

How I Learned to Knit for Real

2007-02-19T16:40:00.000-05:00

I learned to knit at the end of college, about seven years ago. A friend of mine--a chemistry genius and fellow writing tutor--was knitting a blanket out of Lion Brand yarn and asked me if I wanted to learn. She taught me to knit and to purl. I made a scarf or six over the years. I made square and rectangular objects. I didn't realize stockinette stitch would curl. I thought I was doing something wrong. For some reason, I couldn't do ribbing. When I tried to purl, bizarre things would happen, and I'd have about three new stitches on the needles. And so, I resigned myself to making garter stitch scarves from really great yarn--anything that would take the attention off of the fact that I could only do garter stitch.

At the beginning of 2006, I came up with a list of things I wanted to do that year. I wrote it in my Gmail account, saved it, and promptly forgot about it. This list included:

--Start food blog
--Pick up knitting again
--Take Spanish class
--Work more on Spanish reading and grammar at home
--Join gym
--Take yoga class
--Find new books to read

Can you believe that--without realizing it--I did every single one of those things between then and now?

I work for a publishing/bookselling company in New York City, and I had the fortune of taking a knitting class at work(!) with Iris Schreier, author of Exquisite Little Knits and Modular Knits and founder of Artyarns. To make a long story short, I was hooked (no crochet pun intended)! She taught us the Continental method, which was new to me, so it was like learning from scratch. But suddenly, I could do ribbing and yarn overs and increases and decreases and I was thinking of nothing else. That was in September. Now I'm on my fourth and fifth sweaters (if I include the Tubey I frogged because it looked atrocious on me).

The Unavoidable

2007-02-19T12:09:00.000-05:00

It was inevitable, really--only a matter of time until I started blogging openly about my knitting--instead of keeping it hidden in some blog closet or mixing it up with my cooking adventures over at The Lovely Scones. So here goes. I'd like to keep both blogs going.