The Rainwoman Knits.

Haunted by Fiber

2007-10-31T14:32:00.000-04:00

You think I'm kidding.

I couldn't sleep last night because I kept dreaming of Bouton D'or Ksar - a yarn I had seen yesterday at my not-so-LYS. It was a clearance yarn, and I knew I had remarked the name in my head for some reason but couldn't remember why. Not having a particular lust for aran-weight yarns (I go for laceweight everytime), I resisted and left. After coming home, I looked it up and saw it was a camel fiber blend, which I wanted to try. And then it haunted me.

I had bought some Koigu in a rich orange-red color. Previously, I'd had a skein of KPPPM in similar shades, but I'd meant to trade it away after I'd found better matching skeins for my Charlotte's Web shawl. It was a shame I didn't still have it because it matched what I'd gotten so well. This morning I dug out the trade-yarn bag, and discovered I did still have it! And then I remembered that the not-so-LYS had had a couple more skeins in the same color yesterday.

I lasted half an hour until I jumped in car and went right back to the not-so-LYS.

I may be poorer, but I have five skeins of red-orange Koigu, and some really soft camel yarn to boot. Poor, but very satisfied.

When Yarn Attacks...

2007-10-23T18:08:00.000-04:00

...you must do as it commands.

They're after me; they all want me to knit them!

(a.k.a.) I didn't want to work today, so I looked up new knitting books in between teaching classes.

The first - Clara Parke's yarn handbook. I had to buy this one today; mostly because it has great info about yarn. Although a couple of the projects are calling me - linen basket liners (and I have linen!) and a felted bag...I'm not interested in most. I had hoped that by not purchasing the other book I want (below) I could avoid the must. knit. now. delirium. (As I am desperately trying to make some FO's.)

So this book - Knitting New Scarves - is on my purchase ASAP list. These scarves are gorgeous, intriguing in construction, and just fun. There are three in there that I want to make right this minute.

And on top of all of it - I'm getting an urge to knit a sweater. Never mind all the sweater yarn I have on my bookcase waiting to become Starsky.

I want to make a Perfect Sweater. Can I handle the endless stockinette? I don't know. I do know that the cold rain we have here today probably has affected this desire. Now...what color of Cascade 220 do I want...

Socks socks socks

2007-09-24T11:15:00.000-04:00

I have caught the sock-knitting fever! Don't ask me why, I don't know...

I'm hoping that my new entree into Ravelry will get me a few readers over here when I actually post things. (I'm rainwomanknits).

I have a question for sock knitters - what is a high instep, in sock terms? What's the measurement that means you have one? And what do you do to the sock if you have one? Does that mean high arches? That doesn't really make sense to me...because I don't think my high arches change the number of stitches I need for my foot.

Ok, next question. I have three skeins of Fleece Artist - two are Sea Wool, and the other is regular Merino 2/6. I have three sock patterns. Anyone want to help me mix and match a yarn to a pattern?

Yarns first:

Ok, Blogger is weird. I'm just going to pretend it's doing what I want. Ok, now for the three patterns - we have Coupling and Hedera from Knitty. And the Whitby Socks from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. The pic below is of Grumperina's Whitbys. I can't really find any good pics of the Coupling or the Hedera off Google, so go check out the pattern pics or stuff on Ravelry. I kind of fancy the cream/grey Sea wool for the Whitby...but maybe the fall colored Sea wool would be better for it? Which sea wool for the coupling then? And does that leave the mermaid merino for the Hedera? Maybe I should just do a plain sock for the Merino? I can't decide...

What to Make, What to make...

2007-05-09T16:18:00.000-04:00

I cannot decide what to make. Not that I don't have things I am making now, but...you know...something I want to take with me to Fl to work on while I am at home.

I have gotten this yarn - it is Blue Heron Mercerized Cotton, Lace weight, about 1000 yds.

Which of the following projects from Victorian Lace Today should I make?

Should I make the Handsome Triangle? This is really simple, and takes the right amount of yarn, but it calls for a heavier yarn than the Blue Heron, which might mean the finished shawl would be a little small. I'd also want to add a different border, because all those fiddly crochet loop-bind-offs would drive me nuts.

Or should I make the Cherry Leaf shawl? Same concerns about yarn weight as above.

Or, the Myrtle leaf shawl? This I think is gorgeous, but it's rectangular, and would it look good in my garnet yarn? This does call for the right weight of yarn.

Does anyone have an opinion?

A knitting Meme...

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

...'cause I'm too busy to post my pics; on the way to some happy-fun graduate student meetings!
Mark with bold the things you have knit at least once, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

A Much Needed Update

2007-04-08T13:08:00.000-04:00

Hi, internets!

I've been gone a while, so I'll post some photos I've taken of FO's, and maybe update my current projects list :)

Here's the blanket I made for Casey's baby, Megan.

These are the Kureyon squares I've made for my log cabin blanket.

This is the beginning of my Here and There Cables scarf from Scarf Style.

This is the beginning of my Lady Eleanor stole from Scarf Style.

And this is the beginning of my Color on Color Scarf, also from Scarf Style. I know, I know, I need to knit different kinds of things! I'm working on it. :)

Happy Easter!

I'm Alive!

2006-10-19T14:55:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so I know that no one probably ever reads this much anymore, given my two-month absence, but what can I say?

Moving and starting grad school is a time-consuming change.

But regardless of how I feel about all that, or whether I've blogged or not, I have been knitting!!

I've gone through some phases since we got here. I finished my Fetching gloves, made two Odessa hats, started my first two socks, started a baby blanket for Casey...started a shawl from Folk Shawls, and most recently, two scarves from Scarf style.

We have here Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole in Silk Garden #226; isn't she lovely?

I don't think the color is working out for me though, or I just got really boring skeins in the mail, so I am going to cast on today with #88 and see how I like that.

We also have the Misty Garden scarf, made of silk/mohair by Habu Textiles...this stuff is soo thin that it seems like knitting with the embodiment of evil! It is starting out really nice, though, so I hope I can get it done for my sister's birthday or Christmas, both of which are about the same time.

I intend to order some Cotton Comfort from Green Mountain Spinnery in the next few days for the Midwest Moonlight scarf. I just can't resist the color and they way the fabric appears to be. Although I also kind of want to make one in the silver color, as well as the featured blue.

The only reason I even bought the book was for the Vintage Velvet pattern, but I still haven't been able to contemplate shelling out that much money for Touch Me...especially as I want to use the pretty blue-gray variegated colorway of Touch Me Due. Otherwise, I can't decide between brown, gray, copper, and green...

Crunch Time

2006-08-01T14:08:00.000-04:00

Since we will be moving soon...I refuse to realize just HOW soon...I think I need to set a goal for myself. I seriously need to get everything off the needles - whether I finish it or frog it. (Except for my Moderne blanket; it has no hope of finishing. I'd be happy with a finished section!)

Although it is a fairly short move, I feel like I need to narrow my focus down as I start packing - and after the move, I'll be starting classes and doing something for my fellowship, so I'll still need to keep my projects down in numbers. I just wish I had finished the HTS by now, because I think it might be too complicated to work on once I'm back to work...

The greatest challenge shall not be the finishing, but the ban on new projects...especially because I had wanted to complete a couple buttonhole bags before I see my mom and sister this weekend. Hmm...

Off to finish a ballband! And then to FedEx, and then to finish a Fetching!

Birthday yarn drool

2006-07-04T14:26:00.000-04:00

I finally managed to slowly pull the information on my birthday present out of Matt. He's been promising to give me this present for at least a week and a half now, and I wasn't sure he really had anything for me or not. Well, no, he doesn't, but he intended to put me in the car and drive me somewhere for me to pick something for myself. He gave me some choices and I nixed them all and told him he is taking me to the yarn store.

So now I am planning my yarn purchases. More Noro for blanket squares, maybe some cotton chenille for MD washcloths...maybe some Rowan for Casey's baby's blanket.

*sigh* Sorry for the random post, but Bear is sitting here whining at me, and it. must. stop.

HTS....

2006-06-06T13:44:00.001-04:00

The Highland Triangle Shawl is driving me batty.

The pattern is, well, a bit difficult, especially as I have never done either a charted project, or lace before. But seriously. It's not that hard.

Never mind the fact that I've had to frog the whole first section twice, and several smaller times before that. It's that darn YO, K, YO, K2tog, K, K2tog row. I got through the whole thing, and then messed up the 47th row. And then I kept going to try and figure out the pattern repeat boxes - which I still don't get, because you can't repeat the whole section in the increases, or you run out of stitches at the end and have half a box and some random pattern that doesn't match up - and I think I was only one st off, but I couldn't tell because of the row 47 problem...So I frog it, redo it, get halfway through, and end up with only 1K at the end of a row instead of 2. Now what went wrong? I redid the row, and got the same thing. Somewhere I forgot to increase or something. So I pulled it all out again this morning. The Indiecita Alpaca is looking a little fuzzier for the wear, and I don't think I can keep reusing it if I have to do this again. I am rather fed up with the whole thing.

However. I want. this. shawl. It. will. work. and. I. will. knit. it. darn. it.

For now, I cast on the Absorba mat...it's mindless, but enough fun with four strands and log cabinning, which I have never done either, to keep me amused.

And maybe some guardian angel out there who has done the HTS can explain to me exactly what "work increases into pattern as established" means, and how to repeat the boxes so they match the pattern. Not to mention the random increase rows "established" after the five repeats. Is it just like the knitting rest rows? Help? Someone?

More new UFO's!

2006-05-23T19:00:00.000-04:00

Those are my first two MD dishcloths, and a third on the needles. I'm making it with yellow and country...something ombre in Sugar n Cream, and I actually really like it; the ombre looks much better knitted than in the ball! I am keeping these around as my take-to-work and watching-tv knitting, since I don't have to pay them much attention. However, my wrists hurt while working them, so I can only do so much at a time.

Yesterday, DH took me to City Knits, downtown, and I drooled around for the ten minutes until they closed, leaving with my second set of Addi Turbo needles - God, I love these things! - and three balls of this 80% wool / 20% rayon stuff in a pretty color called Honey Maple. I'm attempting the Variation on a Frill pattern at knitty.com. So I sat right down and taught myself the long-tail cast on last night. My sentiments: "this seems stupid" But this method's benefits will soon show themselves, I am sure. (Um, I really don't know why this pc is sideways...just pretend :-P)

Check out what else I found on knitty: nautie. These things made my day! I mean made. my. day. Since I am a paleontologist...or will be...someday...I just love these things. I feel like a groupie, but I am going to have to email the designer and tell her how awesome this pattern is. Get this - she's my age, in bioinformatics, and got married just a week before Matt and I last year!! Neat. Don't know how to use dpn's yet, but I can promise that I will soon!

I have been a very, very bad girl.

2006-05-20T16:10:00.000-04:00

I found a yarn store. Not the one I went looking for, but that's another story. I had the misfortune to bring all of this home with me:

Not a great pic, but yes, that is ten balls of Plymouth Suri Alpaca. With luck...and the pattern...that will become the Highland Shawl from Folk Shawls. My hubby's gonna kill me...

This is my sari silk scarf, and it should be finished this evening. I'd like for it to be longer, but I don't want to gamble too much on the amount of yarn remaining in the ball. Of course, it would be collapsing if it were really low...

This is the Malabrigo laceweight that will become the Feather and Fan shawl...after I've cut my teeth with Highland.

The only remaining question is:: what to do with these?

A knitting blog of my very own?

2006-05-19T13:42:00.000-04:00

Since I have now joined the MD KAL...I've kind of become fascinated with trolling the net for knitting stories, pics and patterns, and now I really want a place to make little updates on my own knitting. Most of my projects right now are not actually from the MD book, so I think that this blog shall become my knitting blog - since it's laying around all unused and stuff.

So, my first knitting post. I'll put up photos or my stuff and my stash a bit later, when I figure that out. Today I am trying to finish my sari silk scarf, because it's cool - both the scarf and the weather. I am also halfway through a dishcloth in pretty colors, but I'm setting that down for a while because even holding the needles (aluminum at the moment) for one row makes my hand and wrist ache for hours. This could be a problem.

Then it's on to all my stash projects. I have one skein of Misti Alpaca in teal for a scarf, and I recently recieved three skeins each of Malabrigo worsted in Emerald Blue, and Malabrigo Laceweight in Citrus. These yarns are so amazing....*daydreams*

Anyway. Most of the citrus laceweight is going to become this:

The Feather and Fan shawl from the book A Gathering of Lace. Nope, never made lace before. But I. want. this. shawl.

The worsted weight yarn may become wristwarmers, and maybe a hat, or another kind of shawl. I'd like to make something clapotis-like, but I don't actually want one of those.

Otherwise, I need to obtain some of the needles known as Addis. Since I don't really have an LYS, this could be difficult - the only one nearby is downtown, and I won't go into Detroit by myself.

Well, I gotta run, since the shop is actually getting a ton of customers today --

Introducing Me!

2005-08-06T00:03:00.000-04:00

Hi, everyone! Most of you reading this probably know me in reality ( not just cyberspace), but just in case, you can read my blog at www.xanga.com/softstarsong. This account has been created mostly to keep track of my blogger friends, and so I can pester them by commenting on their posts :)