Archives for September 2004

Knitting Kureyon is comfort knitting. Yum!

The only other time I’ve used Kureyon is for scarves and Booga Bags — this is the first garment I’m knitting from it. So far (after knitting with it for a whole day) I am loving it.

I really really really like yarns that have that minimally processed feel. (Is Kureyon minimally processed or does it just give the appearance of being rustic?) Granted, you have to pick bits of flora out of the yarn, but I don’t have a problem with that.

Knitting with a solid, hearty yarn like this makes me think of eating thick sandwiches on whole wheat bread. (Yes, I’m hungry right now.) Mmmmmmmm.

One of my happiest knitting experiences ever was knitting Starmore’s Inishmore from some no-name merino-corriedale handspun I bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival eons ago. This was one of the yummiest yarns I ever flung over a needle. It was full of lanolin and my hands were in great shape after knitting it. It’s one of those projects I was sorry to see completed, as the knitting of it was so fun.

Another yarn I remember fondly was some Black Welsh Mountain handspun I bought from a tiny place in Cornwall on a trip to the UK in the mid-1990s. That yarn was so minimally processed it smelled positively gamey. I still have a bunch of it and it has aired out a bit over time, but it’s still a bit whiffy.

Ah . . . yarn I have known . . .

But back to Butterfly.

I hauled out all the Kureyon I have for this project and pulled out the ends to see where each skein starts. Then I matched them up in twos and lined them up in a bookcase, two by two, like pairs of animals waiting to get on the ark.

I picked the skeins I wanted to use to start the fronts and marked the ball bands so I’d remember what I used.

It occurs to me that after knitting the fronts, I ought to make the sleeves next, so I can endeavor to get them to match somewhat. Then what’s left, I use to knit the back (and the collar, of course). The back really doesn’t matter because it will not match the front. Period. The stripes will be half the height of the front stripes, because the width of the back is double the width of each of the side fronts, know what I mean? So there’s no need to be concerned about it anyhow. Not gonna happen.

And when it comes right down to it, I’m not that concerned about the fronts and the sleeves. I’m simply entertaining myself to see how close I can get them while putting minimal thought and effort into it.

Laziness, I embrace you.

Speaking of laziness. Did I sew up Fern last night? Why, no, I didn’t. But I may tonight. Oooh! The excitement of it all.

A question about Lara — did I block her? No, I didn’t. I very very rarely ever block anything, apart from a light pressing with a steam iron.

See laziness, above.

Lucy is happy that I’m not too lazy to feed her.

Butterfly!

By late afternoon yesterday it became obvious that Butterfly was the runaway hit.

So Butterfly it is. I started last night.

The pattern directs you to start with the back, but I started with the fronts. I’m not overly concerned about matching the stripes, but I think it would look better if the two fronts sort of matched each other. So they’ll be knitted first. That way I’ve got all my yarn to look over and choose the skeins that appear to match.

Fernito is Finito . . . Almost

Yes, I finished the knitting on Fern yesterday, but did not start assembling her. (When did I get to be such a rebel? Tossing aside an unassembled sweater to start a new one. Oooh! Naughty! But I’ll get to it in a day or two) An interesting note: I used more yarn than the pattern called for. This almost never happens to me. I almost always use less. But I needed to dip into an eighth skein of Rown Kid Classic on the sleeve cap of the last sleeve. Go figure.

I did buy an extra skein last week when I was at Knit Happens because it looked like I was using yarn at an alarming rate. Turns out I was right.

Note to Caryn:
I bought the Rowan Vintage Style book on September 18 at Knit Happens, and they had it a couple of days before that. So it’s out! It’s out!

And a question:
You often mention that you just happen to have enough of a yarn to make a particular sweater. Is this because you find a yarn you like, even if you don’t have a specific purpose for it, and buy a sweaters worth? And do you usualy make the colorway in the pattern?

I will often buy a sweater’s worth of a yarn I like, tis true. And then it marinates in the stash for ages. But I did knit Klaralund from stash yarn.

As for knitting sweaters in the colorway shown in the pattern, I’d say I more often don’t — I usually prefer to choose my own colorway.

Yowie zowie, but we had some serious rain last night! The remnants of hurricane Jeanne blew through and kicked up a fuss.

But Lucy was prepared.

I’m closing in on completing Fern — I’m on the last sleeve. Yahoo! I’m looking forward to wearing this sweater, if the weather will cooperate.

But that brings me to a dilemma. What to knit next?

Sometimes this is not an issue. I know exactly what’s next in the line-up. But this time I’ve got too many choices. Eeeeek!

There is Alouette from Rowan Vintage Style.

I’ve got the yarn to knit this (Rowan 4-ply Soft) in the colors called for in the pattern.

I’ve also got Rowan 4-ply soft in Expresso (a nice chocolate brown) that I bought to knit Fleur, but think I want to use it for Agnes instead.

I’ve got Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk in a lovely golden tan that I bought to make Freida, but think I’ m going to use it to make Magnolia from Rowan Vintage Style instead.

And then there’s the Kureyon.

I’ve got Kureyon in color #128 to make “Butterfly” from the Jane Ellison Noro Book.

And I’ve got Kureyon in color #147 to make “Lindebo” from the Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Book Two.

And I can’t decide which I wanna make.

So help me decide. Vote on your favorite!

Kitty Bed Update

I’ve started knitting my kitty bed. It’s looking . . . uh . . . interesting.

To Stash Or Not To Stash

That is the question.

The question I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. In 2004 I’ve been on a kick to get rid of stuff. Half of my cowboy boots and at least two-thirds of my clothes went to the Salvation Army last spring. I have too much stuff. I have too much stuff. I have too much stuff. This is what happens when you live in the same place for more than ten years and are lazy.

I have too much stash. I’ve got some stuff that, to be honest, I have no idea what it is, except that it’s wool of some sort. I’ve got bags of yarn that I bought with no fixed idea of what to make. I’m considering getting rid of everything that is not earmarked for a specific project. Or close to everything.

I made a good start last week. I sent out a bunch of feltable wool to kitty bed knitters. But I think I’m going to start going through the rest of the stash and putting stuff up for sale, either on eBay or privately.

What will I do with the money I make? Buy more yarn, of course.

No one ever accused me of being logical.

Meow.

Today is kitty bed day. I am planning to start knitting my kitty bed for the Kitty Beds for Petfinder.com project today.

Here ‘s what I’m using:

That’s Noro Big Kureyon. The very same Noro Big Kureyon I fished out of the SSRP box at the beginning of the month. Well, half of it anyway. I sent the other half to a knitter in Singapore who will also use it to make a kitty bed.

Just for fun (and because I am insane) I decided to add another strand of something to the Big Kureyon as I knit the bed. To make it extra plush and snuggly. Hence the Heilo in coordinating (?) colors.

I am a little concerned, however, that I’ll need to send a pair of sunglasses along with the bed for the poor kitty who becomes the end-user. Hey, are cats colorblind? I hope?

(Is it obvious to all that I am a geek when I refer to a cat as an end-user?)

We’ve gotten a lot of response to the Kitty Bed Project. If you are interested in joining and can knit a kittybed for Petfinder.com by the beginning of November (see my blog entries of last week for explanation of the project), please feel free to join the Yahoo Group for the project.

Weekend Knitting

I spent the weekend knitting on Fern. I finished the right front, and the first sleeve. Here is the selfsame sleeve, quickly pinned out for its photo op:

Lucy Sez

I got my kitty bed right here!

How’s that for an imaginative blog entry title? I know what you’re thinking now: “Where does she come up with them?”

I did not blog yesterday about my Wednesday night visit to Knit Happens because I needed to elevate the ankle when I got home and didn’t feel like taking photos (ankle is coming along, btw — thanks for your inquiries and good wishes).

But I did indulge in retail therapy.

Rowan 4-ply Soft to make Alouette from the Rowan Vintage Style book. I blogged about how I was strangely drawn to that design earlier this month. So I succumbed.

And there was a mysterious box waiting for me there, from Tish in NY.

Inside:

An amazing array of Spongebob stuff! Words fail me.

You can see that Phyl-Phyl was impressed too.

Thank you, Tish! What fun!

And then I came home from work yesterday to find an alluring package sent from La Belle France! Inside:

A veritable smorgasbord of yummy yarns from the wonderful Becky!

The lavender-flecked yarn is a homespun, and I’m thinking it would make a lovely shoulder shawl or wide scarf. The fluffy tan is Louinie, and is wonderfully furry. The turquoise is “Flash” ribbon, and the black is “Gioia” — also a ribbon — but with sequins attached. I’m thinking about that carried along with a black or maybe silver fuzzy yarn for a special scarf.

So many fun yarns to play with! So many ideas of what to make! My head is spinning with the possibilities.

Becky, you are the greatest!

Fern

My Fern is growing. Here is the left side front. I like the collar very much and I am quite besotted with the little frilly bits!

Frilly bit close-up:

Happy Friday to all!