July 2007 Archives

Zarah is still trying to explain some yarn-doping allegations, but for now, the crowd is on its feet for her strong finish!

Project Details:

Pattern: Julia, by Martin Storey, Rowan Classic Summer, Book 11

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy, 7 1/4 skeins

Needle Size: Size 2 Susan Bates metal needles

Pattern Modifications: I changed from long sleeves to short sleeves because I was afraid I would run out of yarn - and I definitely would have, since I only bought 8! I like it in short sleeves anyway - it's a light, summery sweater. I had to go down a needle size to get gauge. I also moved the increases and decreases in about 3 stitches from the outside edge to make it easier to sew up.

Time to knit: April 2007 - July 2007 Thank goodness for the Tour de France KAL to kick me into gear on finishing this project!

Final impressions: It fits great, and so far the hemp/cotton blend if very comfortable, even in the heat. And get this... when I asked my husband if he liked my sweater this morning, he said: "Yeah, is it new?" That's right... for a split second he thought I bought it! (That's before he realized that's the same thing he's been seeing me work on while we watch TV for the past couple of months. Oops.) Anyway, I thought that was pretty cool, and I really like the finished result. Woo hoo!

Or... Knit 2 Together!

Well, not really, maybe Seam 2 Together? Either way, I feel like I made really great progress on the Hempathy sweater over the weekend. I guess that's the one good thing about having to share my copy of Harry Potter - lots of knitting time while I wait!

I finished knitting the front Sunday night, and did the long side seam last night. I tried to do the shoulder seam, too, but I think I'm going to have to look up some seaming techniques so I can get it right. I really wanted to do short rows and three-needle bind of for this sweater, but I couldn't figure out how to do them on the back. I was trying to keep knitting in pattern as long as I could, and the back shoulder and neck seams are a little strange. 

One book - two Harry Potter fans....  I read to about page 500 last night, before my husband insisted that I give the book back to him.  Now I'm supposedly not getting it back until he catches up with me.  (!)

In the meantime, how about some old HP fun - the Sorting Hat!  

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Interesting result, because I used to always get sorted into Gryffindor (like most other people, it seems), but I think this is probably more accurate.

And some new HP fun as well - Minty is closing in on her reverse-engineered design of Hermione's sweater from Movie 5!

 

May I suggest, if you don't have some already, that you immediately cultivate some knitting friends? Friends who want to go to yarn stores? Friends who want to sit and knit and see your patterns? Friends who just move the yarn in the freezer to put in the spanakopita like it's perfectly reasonable? It's simply, fantastically, the best.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”  -C.S. Lewis.

Thanks to the Harlot for putting it so perfectly.   

I'm sure I'm not the only nerd with Harry Potter-related plans tonight!  Our local indie movie theater, The Moxie, is showing the Prisoner of Azkaban and teaming up with an independent bookstore and other local businesses to recreate Diagon Alley in downtown Springfield - here's a blurb from the Moxie's newsletter:

On Friday, July 20, our little block of Walnut and Campbell will be magically transformed into Diagon Alley, the premiere wizard shopping district in the Harry Potter series. Festivities will begin around 6:00 pm, and here's what you can expect:

* Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes (WELL FED HEAD), an official distributor of the new book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, cordially invites you to #93 Diagon Alley on Friday, July 20th, 2007, for more magic than contained in a Skiving Snackbox. There will be ten ton-tongue toffees to the first ten guests as well as various awards, activities and diversions all over the Alley. Harry Potter books will be released promptly at 12:01 AM. Quantities are limited and we would strongly suggest you reserve your copy today.

* Terrortours (Shires for Hire), #59 Diagon Alley, will be offering carriage rides (weather permitting) throughout our little corner of the magical world. If you ask them nicely they might even take you on quick ride down Knockturn Alley. They will begin tours after 6:00 PM that evening and you will be able to catch them near Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

* Ollivander's - Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC (Springfield Hot Glass Studio), will have an extensive collection of custom magical wands and goblets on display. Open till 8:30 PM.

* Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions (Czar Graphics), will have a fine selection of ready made and custom magical clothing just for you.

* And last but not least, Moxie Cinema will transform into The Leaky Cauldron, where we'll be serving up some butter beer and showing HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN.  Did we mention we're making pitchers of Butter Beer? Don't worry, it doesn't really have butter in it, and it's kid friendly. The show starts at 9pm.

Fun times.... I'll try to get some photos before it gets too dark out! 

As you can see, the front of the Hempathy sweater is coming right along! I'm not quite as far as I'm hoped to be, but I'm still quite impressed with how much progress I've made. The blue string running through the back is wher the armhole decreases start. Unfortunately, that doesn't make the knitting go much faster, since it only takes away the stockinette side panels, and none of the lace pattern.

I've been getting distracted with other knitting projects, as well as trying to keep up my triathlon training, but I guess biking in the Tour takes discipline!

Oh - on a totally unrelated note - where's a good and not too expensive place to go for vacation in late October?  (traveling from Missouri)  (Preferably somewhere not too cold!)

So, I know I'm supposed to be really focused on my Tour de France knitting, but all my Springfield knit-buddies are knitting toe-up socks, and I want to be one of the cool kids!

I'm doing the famous Monkey pattern, and I am just doing it upside down instead of trying to rewrite the pattern the look the same as it does toe down.

The yarn is Lorna's Laces in the Devon colorway. This photo captures it pretty well.

I'm worries about getting big ole ladders where the loops of the circular needle stick out on either side - any tips on that?

Triathlon training continues... this week I did my first "brick" workout! That is a combined running and bike workout. I hadn't done any hard workouts this week, so I decided to get in a little speed workout: 1/4 mile jog, 2 mile fast bike ride, 1/4 mile sprint around the track. Rest and repeat. I could only do two repeats because I had an 8:30 hearing in a town about 45 minutes away. But that was plenty - it still kicked my butt.

On the swimming front, things seem to be going pretty well. I'm getting better with my stroke, so now I"m going to work on swimming more than one length of the pool without feeling totally winded.

I spy, with my little eye, TWO ripe tomatoes in my very own little garden!!! Yumma yumma!

La Tour is underway! Cicliste Zarah (Team Rowan) got a strong start in the first stage, completing the ribbing and the first pattern repeat, as predicted.

However, she is now experiencing some soreness due to the small gauge and inelasticity of her chosen material (Hempathy). She is attempting to work through the pain by taking regular breaks for stretching and by pacing herself through the rest of the Tour's early stages.

The team coach has determined that if she completes one pattern repeat each day, she should be able to save her strength for the arduous journey at the end of the Tour (seaming, including set-in sleeves). Stay tuned!

Photo credit to a06987 via flickr.

You can follow all the action at the official Tour KAL blog.  

I'm starting strong with a long bike ride this morning, then hopefully some knitting time this afternoon before the ubiquitous 7-7-07 wedding I'm attending tonight.

For this KAL, I'm going for the green jersey (that's the fastest rider knitter) by trying to finish my Hempathy sweater.  My goal for this weekend is to complete the ribbing and do at least one pattern repeat. 

Photo credit to Maurisico via flickr.

Yea or nay? Does this pattern (My So-Called Scarf) suit this yarn? I think the Manos yarn that's used in the pattern has much shorter color repeats.  I'd love to hear what you think.

Oh yeah... it's Friday - I'm supposed to be writing about my triathlon training!  Well, I finally went swimming.  I am definitely going to need some practice in that area.  I've got the breathing down pretty good, but I have trouble remembering to kick and move my arms at the same time.  

This weekend I'm planning to go for a long bike ride on Saturday, then on Sunday I get to splurge by eating homemade ice cream at Grandma's house!  (I'm hoping she'll have ripe tomatoes, too.)

I has a very relaxing Fourth of July - I sat around in my jammies most of the day, knitting and watching the Project Runaway marathon on Bravo. Then I went to a BBQ with some friends (only one minor BB gun incident, so nothing compared to the near-drowning that happened last time I got together with these folks! ) and then to a baseball game with fireworks after. Can't get much more all-American than that!

As you can see from the picture, I'm coming right along on Glee. I've got a few more rows to go before I get to the armholes. I also joined the fronts and started knitting in the round earlier than the pattern calls for. I'm hoping that I'll be able to add the edging and not have to worry about the hook-and-eye closures. I think the Silky Tweed looks great, and I'm hoping I will be able to wear this top even during the heat of summer.

My goal is to get as far on Glee as I can before July 7. I signed up for the Tour de France KAL, so I'll be knitting exclusively on Julia (the Hempathy sweater) during that time, trying to win the green jersey!

Be safe and have fun!

First, I want to send out a special thank you to my knitblogging buddies Tammy and Brianne.  We met up yesterday at Tammy's house to knit, and I never would have finished these socks so quickly without the delightful distraction of their company and conversation.  (In fact, I was complaining while I was there about how long they were taking to finish.  Then, all of a sudden, I was ready for the toe decreases!)

It's always fun to meet up with other knitting fanatics, because you get to see and play with stuff that you're too cheap to buy (yet).  For example, Tammy had a couple new books that I really wanted to check out:  Charmed Knits and Arctic Lace.  I only briefly flipped through each, but my impressions were this: 

Charmed Knits has some good basic patterns, but I already have plenty of books and magazines with good basic patterns.  I am a Harry Potter fan, but I probably won't be knitting myself a sweater with a big H on it anytime soon.  This is a book for diehard fans (or parents of diehard fans - lots of cute kids stuff).

Arctic Lace is a book that I didn't expect to like.  I have knit lacey patterns, but never what I consider to be "true" lace - tiny needles with laceweight yarn.  This book was really interesting because it's more of a history/anthropology lesson about lace knitters in the Arctic, and also a great resource for lace knitting, including a section on designing your own lace patterns.  There aren't a ton of patterns, but this would probably be a great book for anybody who is really into lace knitting. 

But enough with the book reviews already... let's get to the finished project!

Project Details:

Pattern: Child's First Socks in Shell Pattern, Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush

Yarn: Tess Baby/Sock Superwash in turquiose, 1 skein (100 grams) (with tons left over!)

Needle Size: Size 1 - 5 metal DPNs

Skills needed: cast on, knit, purl, yarn over, slip knit psso, knit 2 together, picking up stitches, cast off

Pattern Modifications: I added six rows to the heel flaps (16 chain stitches instead of 13) after seeing several socks made from this pattern that looked  like they had really short heels.  Then I decreased these additional stitches away in the gusset decreases.

Time to knit: April 07 - July 07. 

Final impressions: =)  The yarn is great and the pattern isn't too shabby, either.  The socks are a little snug - when am I going to learn to add a few stitches to Nancy Bush's patterns?  But I'd rather have them snug than too loose.  

I can't wait to wear all my handknitted socks with my psychadelic clogs next fall!