April 2005 Archives

I joined Emy's Baby Knit-along, a baby knits free-for-all. Nothing like a knit-along to motivate me into knitting faster! I finished the back, miraculously:

See the 12 inches of stockinette? I was just itching to do cables that I sped right through it. So while I'm not a Stockinette Avenger like Margene, I can say that I *do* like it because it sets off patterns, such as smocking, beautifully.

Thanks for your feedback on Kim Hargreaves' site; glad I'm not the only one who was disappointed. However, she has lovely designs and I hope that there will eventually be an option to purchase patterns individually, or at least in book form. Debbie Bliss or Teva Durham, who just released Loop-d-Loop, are good business role models.

Updated: The Gallery.

Reading: Um, a bunch of Asterix comic books (he he, I know it doesn't count). I snapped up a few when I picked up the knitting books. However, Sandy's post on Anne Tyler's Ladder of Years has made me curious enough to borrow it. I think I can imagine abandoning a life(style) if there was something traumatic enough to make me do so, like Judy Blunt did. She wrote about leaving her husband to pursue her dreams in Breaking Clean. I can imagine leaving design and knitting behind to pursue my greatest passion, climbing. I know I can climb the higher grades if I work on it, but there are just so many things involved with that. Anyway, I'll give a little review on Anne Tyler's when I'm finished with it. Robert Graves' I, Claudius? Lots of intrigue involving the Roman empire; if you like historical fiction, Robert Graves and Steven Pressfield are good authors to keep in mind.

So Stinkerbell got an email from Kim Hargreaves saying that the patterns will not be for sale. You have. To buy. The kit. Um, $54 for a shrug? Plus $17 for shipping? Still undecided with this; what do you think?

I finally purchased my copy of Stephanie's At Knit's End and Interweave Knits' Summer 2005 issue. I flipped through and snickered at a couple of paragraphs; I definitely like it. I'll put this in the knitting bag as an on-the-go read. As for the magazine, I definitely like Debbie Bliss' Fiery Bolero; it's the adult interpretation of Poppy from Cotton Angora. Vicki Sever's Heart Sachet and Ann Budd's Baby Socks are good-to-have patterns when you have just one skein of sock yarn. My favorite, though, is Fiona Ellis' Premiere Pullover: cables and lace in a classic silhouette, just my style.

I finished knitting the smocking on the back and tonight I'll try to finish it off; try being the operative word as we have dinner guests and I don't function much after a couple of glass of wine. Wendy told me that the yarn, Baruffa Aerobic, has been discontinued for quite some time but that it wore surprisingly well. Good to know for a toddler's jacket!

Miles of eyelets and a thick book. When I raised my head from my work this weekend it was almost evening. But I'm done with both! There is only seaming left, and my input into Cara's K1R2.

Remember Poppy, the little bolero I made last year? (Refresh your memory here.) I received this a couple of months ago and *finally* remembered to post it. I also made her a little hat. Isn't she adorable? I want to smush her face! And I'll get a chance to, soon!

Reading: I, Claudius by Robert Graves. There are so many names in this book. At page 54 it's starting to get interesting, so I think I'll stick with it. Last week my easy reads were Marian Keyes' The Other Side of the Story and James Patterson's London Bridges. I've already read all of Keyes' other books, all of them very light in tone and quirky girl stories. Patterson's book, however, I didn't enjoy very much. I've read all his books and his writing has gotten to be very... spare. As in short sentences, short chapters (it ended at chapter 86?) and a whole lot of mental filling in. If you started reading his Alex Cross novels with this, you wouldn't like it very much. Start with his earlier stuff. Also, finished Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. An interesting book, not a bad way to finish, but I think it could've been better. That's all I'm going to say for now! Go to K1R2 May 2 for the discussion, okay?

Happy Earth Day everyone!

I have a feeling I will totally appreciate this pullover come high summer. It's got lots of ventilation but at the same time it's long sleeved, so it's got the shadey side too. The sleeves will need a good blocking, look how it's leaning to the left. It's because of the eyelet pattern: (yo, k2tog), rep to end. It would probably lean to the right if the pattern was reversed. I'm about a third done on the second sleeve. I should start blocking the pieces, shouldn't I, so that I can start immediately on seaming once the second sleeve is done.

Reading: Here's my short stack for the next 2 weeks. I'm way past halfway on Strange/Norell, having read 300+ pages in the span of 2 days. I tell ya, when I read, I *really* do read. Curiously enough, I find myself reading it with a British accent in my head. Is it me, or does anyone else do anything strange when they read books?

I missed meeting with Marjorie late last week. Marjorie flew all the way from Hong Kong! Marjorie, I'm sorry we didn't see each other! It would've been nice to see her but somehow our schedules didn't work out. Go check out her version of Grace, that lovely cabled confection from Debbie Bliss' Cotton Angora.

Rowan has published a third brochure of their Rowan Classic Collection, Classic Holiday. You can see the patterns here and here. I like the Sun Skirt (if it was just below the knee so I wouldn't appear too vertically compressed), Holiday, and Carnival. They're all beautiful patterns but for some reason I'm not really into them. Ponchos and bags are not my thing, and the rest are fine, but not spectacular. Of all the spring/summer pattern magazines (online and offline) to come out so far, I like the latest Rebecca and Interweave Knits best.

Dear Kim,

Your site is up! Oh my. It took some time, but it's finally up and looking good. I love your understated chocolate brown and robin's egg blue colors (very chic) and your little block logo with the sans serif font (caps/lowercase is also very friendly).

I am lovin' Glint, that cropped, short-sleeved jacket (let's not call it a shrug, shall we?) with the single button, especially the way it's being worn with a gauzey longer-sleeved blouse over it. Very, very pretty. I have to say, too, that your photographs are well shot, without those silly blurs that may hide pattern imperfections or wonky seams.

But tell me, can you sell the patterns on their own without having to buy the yarn? It's a good idea to sell the kit as a whole, but you're also missing the market of people-who-already-have-yarn-and-just-want-the-pattern. Anyway, just thinking out loud. Beautiful job, hon.

MJ

So did you get your free Ben & Jerry's ice cream today? If you read this before 8p Pacific, then you'll still be able to get some. Aah, it was good. I went with a co-worker to the one in Venice: my first pass I got Coffee; my second pass (we did it sneakily, going to another staffer) I got Chocolate Therapy. Yum, chocolate pudding, chocolate cookies and chocolate ice cream! I think I need a time out right about now.

Actually, I'm lactose-intolerant (a lot of Asians are), so I rarely eat ice cream, just sorbets. As a sobering thought, it's interesting to know that Ben Cohen (of Ben & Jerry's), had a quadruple bypass at age 49. And that Irv Robbins' (of Baskin-Robbins) poor health may be due to excessive ice cream consumption. Don't eat too much, people! Savor the free cone day, and then move on...

I earned my Good Citizen gold star today. At an intersection 5 cars ran a red light turning left. (Before I go on, it must be said that in L.A. this is fairly common and no one bats an eyelid, because quite frankly it's all about being FIRST in line and fuck you all. That is, until a black-and-white spots you.) Where was I? So anyway, everyone is already driving through the intersection (me included) when out of the corner of my eye I see this white blur and instinctively I brake. So do the other cars to the left and right of me (I was in the middle lane). It was a truck, ladders and all, running the fully, definitely, affirmatively red light. Screeching brakes and squealing tires, it sped off, ignoring the angry honking by me and other drivers. I'm normally a low-key driver, but this irritated me because it could've been a bad accident. I caught up with the truck at the next light; it was a Gas Company maintenance truck with a sticker on the back that said "How am I driving? 1-800-GAS-SAFE" You know what I did. What a fucker. I hope they assign toilet-cleaning to him.

More ice cream, please!

Okay, one more thing. This may or may not be in bad taste, so blame it on my sugar high. Did you hear they elected a new pope? Yeah, his name is George Ringo... (Geddit? John Paul? George Ringo? Geddit? Geddit?)

Yes, yes, I miss me some cables. You can only take so much eyelet or stockinette... When Elizabeth gave me Debbie Bliss' Celtic Knits, I knew instantly I'd love it, and here's why: cables. This is the beginning of the Smock Jacket that I'm making for my niece. (Click for Polly's version.) I'm knitting the largest size, 3 years. She's only 17 months, but I figured I need time to finish it. The yarn was a bargain find at a yarn shop close to work, Yarns Unlimited. It has a warehousey feel, good prices, and lots of yarn. I fell for the pale lavender yarn, Baruffa/Lane Borgosesia Aerobic. It must be a discontinued line because I didn't find any information online. If anyone knows anything about it, please drop a line!

This was waiting for me in the mailbox Saturday night: Mia sent over 4 balls of Mondial Splendid in #75 Aquamarine. Doesn't it look bubblegummy? I kid you not, that's the actual color. I'm fascinated by its ropey texture; curious to see what it'll look like knitted up. I've got a total of 440 yards; maybe a tank top or a springy scarf? Thanks Mia!

In preparation for Germany, I bought a German language course CD set. I figued that I can learn something while sitting in traffic, instead of listening to the same old CDs or National Public Radio. So everyday when I get home I pepper BF with phrases like "Wo is die Toilette, bitte?" or "Ich möchte eine Fahrkarte von Frankfurt zum Barcelona." He just smiles and thinks it's amusing. I'm so excited! When we were younger, the family would fly up to Europe for summer vacations. We kids were so familiar with airports and hotels, and we loved the European countrysides. I hope it hasn't changed so much!

Ooh, I just read this: Kim Hargreaves' site is debuting with a spring collection April 20! (I've only knit one design of hers; I love the simple, clean lines of her designs.)

Here's progress on the pullover: front and back complete, and starting on a sleeve. I love me some eyelets! (Although you should've seen the first couple of frogged attempts, as the yarn-overs were zig-zagging all over the place.)

Technique time! See how the shoulder seams lay so nice and flat? It's a three-needle bind-off (Google for it). Seeing as how quite a few people have used this, I decided to try it instead of my trusty standby, the backstitch. Et voila, I love it! The seam isn't thick, the stitches line up with each other and best of all, the neatness of the back:

Waiting for me is a bunch of e-mails to reply to and a long Bloglines list to read. It's been busy: work, travel plans, taxes. I've inhaled enough smelly marker for a dozen high-school kids on yet another Big Project; paid for overpriced plane tickets to Germany (Europe in the summer, suggested BF. Climbing! Foreign yarn!); and did my taxes. (grumble grumble) Apparently I make way too much money--and that's a stretch--as a freelance designer so there goes a good chunk of change. Note to all freelancers: get a receipt for everything.

Reading: A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice. I finished this in three evenings. It was mainly out of curiosity that I picked this up at the library, since his mother is one of my favorite authors. His first effort is fine; there's a bit of uneven pacing and some choppy transitions. I started to skim pages in the middle and toward the end--boredom, perhaps--but it's a good start to his career. Still reading Strange/Norell and gradually getting more involved with it. I love those names!

He he. Well, the pattern book is German, in German, from Germany. Ditto the yarn, Gedifra Modern Cotton in 3219 Pink, a dee-licious shade that I instantly fell in love with the moment I opened BF's mom's Christmas package. The yarn is fairly similar to Patons Katrina, which I've worked with previously. It's composed of thin threads wrapped around a thick core. The yarn is quite elastic, which makes it perfect for form-fitting garments; it has stretch, great texture, drapes well, and is silky soooooft.

This is what I'm knitting, a pullover with eyelet sleeves. BF helped me with the pattern translation which I then translated into knit-English. (If you've ever translated a German pattern yourself, you'll know what I mean.) I knit the back in 5 days, and I've started on the front. I didn't like the rolled edge that the pattern called for, so I made 3 rows of eyelets instead. Much nicer, ja?

Real estate prices in California have been skyrocketing for the past 2-3 years now that even a starter/fixer-upper is about $400k. This is especially true in the beach cities, where I live. There's also the trend of developers buying up old houses, tearing them down, and building, not duplexes, but triplexes on them. All share at least one common wall. Isn't that sad, no room for a garden, just concrete. And on my daily commute I pass by a housing community in progress, called "Fusion: A Statement in Living". Statement is right: to its left is the Metro yard, behind it an electrical plant, to the right a federal building, in front the road, and opposite is an aerospace company. The lot it's being built on used to be part of the yard. Are people so desperate enough to willingly move into an area like this? Maybe it's the sun frying their brains...

Via Kottke, here's an interesting article on how a company is trying to patent a crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Well, it's about the bread seal, but come on, it's a fricking pb&j!

And, an interview with Harriet Klausner, Amazon.com's #1 and most prolific reviewer.

Thanks everyone for your comments on Clapotis. Mia, it was after his mess-up, so he was being very nice! Colleen, this will be a spring/summer scarf/wrap; I live near the beach and it gets a tad chilly during the summer evenings. Sandy J, it lost its curl when I blocked it, so think ahead when you make one (curl, don't block; no curl, no block). Better yet, make two! And there goes my plug for Clapotis!

Did you hear about the guy who bought a fish from a Chinese restaurant and let it go? He has pictures too! Read it--and see it--here.

Care for some neutered dog haiku?

Reading: Okay, I felt like I copped out when I made Strange/Norrell my read last week. So I read John Sandford's Mortal Prey. He has a series of Prey books, that BF likes to call my serial killer books. I do like to read different things, every once in a while. I'm currently reading Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain, would like the book's perspective before I go rent the video.

Pattern: Clapotis (from Knitty Fall 2004) by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Handpainted Twinkletoes sock yarn from eBay store Over The Rainbow Yarns, 585 yards (I could be wrong). I believe the pink/blue/teal/purple colorway is called Crocus.
Needles: US 8
Finished Size: 26.5" wide x 68" long, with blocking.

I love it! Can you tell by my goofy grin?

Of course, I made some modifications. I used sock yarn instead of worsted. With less yardage, I knit one less increase at the beginning (and therefore one less decrease at the end) and one less straight repeat. Everything was going swimmingly until the I knit the decreases, where I predictably ran out of yarn halfway. Rrrriiippp! I had knit 12 straight repeats so I frogged back to the end of the 11th. Good thing I had a lifeline there, and that I didn't drop any stitches yet. I knit the decreases again. And again... rrriiipp! So I ended up doing decreases on both sides for 1 whole repeat toward the very end, and then did the finishing decrease the specified way. That end looks pointy, then angles in sharply, then pointy again. I dropped all the stitches, soaked and blocked it, and proceeded to dance around the apartment wearing Clapotis. BF was impressed (though not with my dancing).

I highly recommend this pattern to anyone looking for a quick knitted gift. The bias cut is a great idea. It looks great unblocked--the bias shows more--but I blocked this to make a wrap.

Reading: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I've read all of 50 pages; it's starting to get interesting (but oh so slowly). And, since The Big Project at work has been completed I've been catching up on my newsreader feeds and listening to KnitCasts.

As predicted, John Grisham's The Broker was boring. His writing is definitely not what it used to be. If you've ever read his first two books, you'll know what I'm talking about. There isn't enough... substance. My sibs and I share a lot of books (my older sister's job requires weekly travel, so she buys a lot of popular fiction paperbacks in airports, reads them, and then passes them down), and we all agree that he's not writing like he used to. Michael Crichton, on the other hand, has kept up the level of writing in his books, regardless of topic (think Congo). Anyway, that's my two cents on popular fiction writers.

Battle Royale was a good, bloody-guts-and-violence book. It sparked controversy in Japan because of the violence and the fact that (spoiler!) children were killing each other, but thankfully it's fiction. I could rehash some of the discussion on that topic, or you could read the book and at least appreciate the writing. Go to Amazon.com for more reviews. And for anyone else who's interested, there's a 16-volume manga version. Wendy, let me know what you think of it.