January 2005 Archives
Got this from Felicia of Sweet Georgia Knits: the latest and greatest previews from Rowan and Jaeger are online! There are 2 booklets in addition to the latest Rowan magazine, one for Cotton Rope and another called the Beach Collection. There are 2 new magazines for Jaeger Siena and Aqua/Trinity, and finally 2 entirely new magazines by RYC, which seems to be using cashmere-blend yarns. Lovely stuff!
Kim Hargreaves, we miss you and wish you'd open your online store someday, but some of these knits are fantastic. What are your favorites? I like the delicate cami on the front of the Rowan mag, but I'd wear that with a silky cami underneath, thank you. Or a nice long-sleeve white shirt...
A link from the lovely Becky: the new Gedifra Highlights 51 is out! This lacy tunic is my favorite; perfect for spring and summer.
Cara, tagged me and so I must comply... this is *fun*. Thanks, Cara!
- Total amount of music files on your computer: Three gig (or gigs?). I haven't finished uploading all my favorites to the iPod but I'm reserving space for file backup in case my computer crashes again.
- The last CD you bought was: 100th Window by Massive Attack
- What is the song you last listened to before reading this message? Aah. Romanza by Andrea Bocelli. That particular song is my favorite.
- The 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you: When I like a particular song, I play it over and over again, which makes BF nuts when he's in the car with me (sorry)!
- Dream Machine by Mark Farina
- Elevator Love Letter by Stars
- Under Your Skin by Luscious Jackson
- Useless by Kruder & Dorfmeister
- The Only One I Know by Charlatans UK
- Straight Out The Jungle by Jungle Brothers. Okay, so it's 6...
- Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 people) and why?I'll tap these knitbloggers because their names come right after each other alpahbetically. Hah!
Reading: Finished A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge and continuing on with his A Deepness In The Sky. It's science fiction, but the themes are universal: group mind/thought, humanity, perspective, etc. A very good read. I've also signed up for Knit One Read Too which has lists of books, so I'll be picking things for my list from there. A lot of people are in a reading mood... it must be the cold weather and staying in.
The sweater has become my work-break knitting while we pack and move (there's a 2-week overlap of moving out and moving in so our living situation is in limbo). Here's the front; the random fluffiness of the mohair gives stockinette such an interesting texture. As of this writing I'm halfway up the first sleeve; Becks is on her 2nd. I'll probably stop before the decreasing, knit the neck ribbing, and fit it. Like Froggy and Emma I have looong arms, so I want to make sure I knit enough sleeve to cover the wrists!
My usual set of paired decreases is SKPO and K2tog, which I used for the armhole shaping. And then I borrowed Maggie Righetti's Knitting in Plain English from the library and found that she recommended SSK and K2tog as a better paired decrease, which is what I did here (although you can barely see it). Additionally, a better technique to go with SKPO would be what Miss Righetti called "K-move-PSSO-move", which involves knitting a stitch, transferring it back to the left needle and passing the 2nd stitch over it, then moving it to the right. Did you know that? I didn't. Yay for new techniques!
I bought Nigella Lawson's Feast last week. Has anyone seen the cover? She's wearing a fuzzy red scarf/shrug that looks absolutely gorgeous. It's garter stitch all the way, but in cashmere (I imagine that's what she'd wear) it looks luxurious. The book is a good read, too. I'm not much of a cookbook cook (or a cook, as a matter of fact), but some of the recipes under "Chocolate Hall of Fame" are tempting!
Found the link for 2005 Knitalongs, thanks to La.
Reading: I'm following Large Hearted Boy's meme of reading 52 books in 52 weeks. I'm keeping the list in the About section, so if you can think of any, fiction or nonfiction, serious or not, I would love to know. Just drop a line in my comments. So far I've read {1} A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton, {2} Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg, and {3} Contact, by Carl Sagan. I'm currently reading {4} A Fire upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge. I'd love to try your favorite reads!
So here's the back, done in a week. I believe I may have a sweater in time for--fingers crossed--Stitches West. I'll be in San Francisco that weekend so I'll drop by on my way down on Sunday. Any West Coasters planning on going? I know JenLa are.
Update: Becks is working on her version of Fluffy Sweater made with Rowan Kid Classic in a beautiful shade of purple. Can't wait to see her finished sweater!
This beautiful cherry and walnut Kundert spindle, a whopping 1.1 ounces, came from The Bellwether. Amelia was quite patient with me when it came to picking woods and payment hassles! I owe a huge THANK YOU to Anne for the recommendations on spindles, weights, and sizes (she's got a great collection). I've been reading her archives and other spinning-related blogs for their fiber experiences. ... I make no apologies for my obsessive compulsiveness (ahem).
Listening to: Salva Mea by Faithless, an oldie but goodie!
This is the back of Fluffy Sweater from Sarah Dallas' Vintage Knits. I'm almost to the shoulder shaping; this is remarkable given that I'm a slow knitter, but it's probably because my last big project was that cabled jacket, Grace. It also led me to the revelation that stockinette stitch is fast, easy, and boring (everybody nod yes), or perfect knitting when watching DVDs. I've lusted after this ever since I bought the book and saw Emily's and, later on, Karen's. No matter that Rowan Kid Soft was discontinued; I just found the right eBay store and the right color, a grassy green called Blithe.
I purchased some Louet olive green Corriedale from Blue Goose Glen's eBay shop. It's a fantastic shade of olive, incredibly luminous and even. Since it's been raining in L.A. I've been forced to do more indoor things (not that it's bad; I'm just an outdoor person). I intend on plying this to make a thicker yarn. I dropped my bottom whorl spindle on my sister's tile floor and, horror of horrors, the wheel slipped off, but I hot-glued it back on. I know, it's probably not balanced anymore, but it's still working!
Thanks again to Mia (again) and Elizabeth! As if the yarn and candy weren't enough, Mia sent over a plumeria, jasmine and sandalwood-scented candle (handcrafted by Crystal Journey Candles) and rose soap (by Bee & Flower). The mail never smelled so good. Elizabeth sent Debbie Bliss' Celtic Knits, and I've already tabbed the rose-colored multi-cabled sweater as a future project. Girls, I hope you have fun with those spindles and yarn!
We're in the midst of packing our belongings for an eventual move, so we've been busy. I have a bunch of replies to make, so please don't think I'm just ignoring your comments! Thanks for your patience.
Pattern: Poppy from Debbie Bliss' Cotton Angora
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora in White
Needles: US8
This baby bolero is for my friend's daughter, born in December. It'll be a while before she can fit in this! I made the smallest size in a little over a week (procrastination over finishing, as usual). The yarn is a soft, warm white, which I think is perfect for babies. I would make this again for other little girls. (Couldn't get a light picture; it's depressingly gloomy with the rain)
A little stash and candy enhancement, courtesy of Mia, my Secret Pal 2 giftee. Heart-shaped melon gummies, fruity hard candy, and chocolate! I've never had Dagoba Organic Chocolate, so the lavender-and-blueberry flavor was a treat for me. And of course, chocolate for a cause is always a good thing. The hardest part is the self-control! The handpainted yarn, more than 500 yards I'm guessing, is a mix of pinks, and blues with some teal and purple. It's beautiful. This is destined for either Kate's Clapotis or Polly's Kiri (links to pdf) in the future. Thanks so much, Mia! And we're okay, the rain has been horrible but thankfully we're not in any of the flooded or damaged areas.
Mmmm, melon gummy... so yummy in my tummy!
Currently reading: Kottke, whose entries are a varied range of topics that are informative, thoughtful; The Old Hag, a beautifully designed site that makes reading enjoyable; and Petite Anglaise, a Brit's life in France.
Many thanks to the Knotty Girls JenLa for naming this humble little effort the Blog with the Most Visual Serenity in their Best of 2004 (scroll to 1/1 entry) list. Truth be told, I designed this at 4am one morning and picked soothing colors, only because I didn't want to really wake up and my eyes were permanently half-shut from doing freelance all night. But thanks Jen and La!
It's been hard to concentrate on knitting with all the problems related to my computer crashing, work stress, holiday madness, and then the Asian tsunami. I found it was easier to reach for the spindle and feel the fiber flowing through my fingers. There are no patterns or stitches to keep track of, no rows to count, just the twirling of the spindle stem and the winding of the yarn into a satisfying cop:
I'm quite happy with the end result. This is the rest of the variegated Colonial roving that came with my beginner's kit from Annie Mae's eBay store. The color mix is Agate, and I'm afraid I did a poor job of spinning the colors, as it looks muddy. After a day on the spindle I wound it on to my improvised niddy noddy. It's a frame made of canvas stretcher bars with white paper taped to the rough sides to prevent the yarn from snagging. Kinda convenient when the BF is an artist, yah?
I gently washed the yarn and let it air dry for a couple of days, then skeined it. The yield from an ounce of fiber was 166 yards of some degree of laceweight. I graduated from the park and draft method (highly recommend this to other beginners) to full-on standing and spinning long lengths. It was going well until BF said "Hey, you're standing!" whereupon I broke my concentration and dropped the spindle. So anyone have any ideas for this, other than hats, mittens or mittenettes?
Reading: Hahaha... check this out. If it's missing, here's my screenshot. And this about marketing mistakes. And this is a great clip about truth in advertising.
Watching: Happenstance, starring Audrey Tautou. She picks great roles.
SixApart, the company behind TypePad and MovableType, has just published the Comment Spam Guide. For those knitbloggers who program their own sites, this is a good thing to look through.
This, as well.
I'll be doing updates this weekend. So should you.
Pattern: Adapted from Reversible Cable Stole pattern by Lily Chin
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in #144 Conker
Needles: US7
I did indeed finish the scarf in time for Christmas delivery. Remind me of this next time I decide to knit another scarf with US7s. Argh.
The holidays were quiet for us, no camping or climbing involved as BF was sick and it had been raining. It's unusual for L.A. especially for this time of the year, but rain cleans the air and nourishes plant life, so I don't mind. We spent Christmas weekend at my sister's; New Year's at my brother's: lots of great food and wine, games, and walks with the dogs. I taught BF how to play tetherball at a nearby playground while at my sister's, and he being 13" taller than me, promptly kicked my butt. No fair.
I got yarn, pattern books, potholders, handkerchiefs, and knitted socks from BF's mother and her friend, all the way from Germany. His mom has been incredibly generous with the potholders and doilies (smile); I think she likes sharing these things with me since I'm a woman! There were some touching notes, too, like how she crocheted these numerous potholders (trust me, we have a lot) and handkerchiefs from when she was young, for her dowry. The crocheted edgings are so delicate and beautiful.
I'd already mentioned the iPod from my office White Elephant; BF's present to me will be iPod accessories after the shopping crowds have died down and stores have restocked their shelves. Honey soap and lavender lotion from Anthropologie from a friend. I also received chocolate (brother), a new planner (dad), a Philippe S+arck mouse (sister), and a lovely pink pashmina and silk stole (from secret Santa brother-in-law, who regaled us with the story of how he wrangled with two well-dressed women for the last pink one, hee hee).
This holiday was more mellow than previous ones, but I would attribute part of it to everyone loading up on food and wine. We focused more on family and togetherness, and less on presents and religion. Really, everyone works hard and it's a good 2 weeks of just catching up with everyone else. It was good. So there you go. Hope everyone had a peaceful, enjoyable holiday.
Reading: Secret Pal 2 Mia has a weblog, woo hoo! And of course, Dooce.
To be more generous and giving to others.
There are many organizations out there you can donate to; one of the most accessible is the International Red Cross. If you have an Amazon.com account, you can do it here.
Found via Kottke, Wikipedia's comprehensive coverage of the earthquake and tsunami.
