Made With Love

Confession

2011-04-30T11:50:00.005-04:00

I don't really understand when I see knitters saying/writing things like "I almost went a whole month without buying yarn!"

Do they really have such little self-control? Are they trying to be cute?

It doesn't bother me that other knitters amass such large stashes (they can do whatever they please!) but it does boggle the mind a bit. I buy for specific projects, or for vague projects (i.e. "a hat" but a specific pattern has yet to be determined). However, sometimes I don't end up making those things, or I have some yarn leftover, so I do have a small stash from failed initiatives and odds and ends. It will all get used up though. My next few projects will be knit from my little stash - which will encourage me to finally knit a whole pair of adult socks! (I made a pair of baby socks, and one sock for my husband. Unfortunately - or really, "fortunately" - he has two feet so it doesn't do him much good.)

There was one really indulgent purchase that I made. I was still a newish knitter, at a local yarn shop that has unpleasant owners but an amazing selection of yarn and frequent sales. I saw the most beautiful yarn... A blue skein of Fleece Artist. And it was half price! But it was much too fine for me to knit with at that point, so after I paid for it, I lovingly fondled it and then packed it away. It was like a "grown up skein," something to work towards and anticipate. That skein is now an almost-complete shawl and holy hell it was so great to go to my sewing room, get that prized skein that I've been waiting years to knit with, and cast on!

Do you stash? Is there a method to your madness, or do you just buy whatever you like?

New Love

2011-04-18T18:37:00.003-04:00

I've been quilting. I love it. It's so wonderful and fun -- the time just flies by! Maybe I'm, cheating by saying I've been quilting -- I've only done a quilt top and a half, but haven't actually gotten to the quilting part yet. My grandmother, quilter extraordinaire, suggested it might be difficult to do without having someone show me how, so I'll be sending my quilt top off to her. It's what I'd describe as picnic-sized, and you'll have a picture soon.

I became addicted to quilting today

2011-04-10T01:37:00.004-04:00

I don't want to stop but it's nearly 2 a.m.(!!) so I am making myself quit before I make mistakes. I have a whole quilt top nearly completed - it's all cut and pieced and most of the blocks are sewn into rows. A few remaining rows are pinned and waiting for morning. I might add another row or two, will have to measure it against my bed. This was meant to be a lap quilt.. But I can't stop, so queen-sized it shall be.

Crepe Dress: Fabric

2010-11-21T19:31:00.003-05:00

My Crepe dress pattern arrived this week! I've never used a Collette pattern before, but I really like the set-up. The instructions are in a little booklet, and the pattern pieces are folded up and stored in a pocket in the booklet's cover. I'm really pleased that the instructions will be so easy to use; this is a huge improvement from the patterns I've used before - just regular McCalls, Simplicity, Vogue, etc, but the instructions are always printed in tiny type on a huge sheet of paper.

I've also decided on the main fabric for dress. I had a rather unsuccessful look around town, not really expecting to find much cotton at this time of year. I was hoping for a navy shirting fabric with white pinstripes, but I couldn't find any navy! Weird, right? So I decided to branch out from my comfort zone (slightly, only slightly) and I ordered a gorgeous Amy Butler cotton print. Why is it out of my comfort zone? Well, I don't wear any pink at all, and wear very few floral prints. But I'm pretty pleased with this and am excited to receive it:

I'll be looking for a nice light blue for the contrast wraps, to match the accents.

Considering a Sew-Along

2010-11-07T12:40:00.003-05:00

I think I'm going to participate in Gertie's Collette Crepe Dress sew-along. It's been a few years since I've sewn a dress, and I'd love to improve my garment knowledge and take advantage of the knowledge shared in a sew-along. Plus, I think the style will suit me. I'd like to make with nice navy shirting cotton, I think.

I'm only hesitating because work has been crazy (I've been working 45-50hr weeks since August) and I haven't been super motivated lately. Maybe this will be the push I need! And I can always bookmark the posts for later..

If you want to join, click the link above for a discount on the dress pattern!

Toys

2010-10-12T22:13:00.002-04:00

Little birdie 02
Originally uploaded by loveasaverb

I've been busy sewing toy prototypes. This little birdie is made from a free pattern (I plan to make a whole mobile one day!), but I've made my own bunny, seahorse, and am trying to perfect a little owl. I'll share some more soon, but you can check out my flickr in the meantime!

Sweaterscatterbrain

2010-09-28T20:48:00.004-04:00

I have two knitting goals. Saying them outloud (by which I really mean writing them here) will make them real:

1. Finish Jack's sweater before our anniversary (mid-November).
I stopped knitting for months and months. I feel guilty; this was supposed to be done for autumn. The body is done, and sleeves are about half-done. Then I'll have to knit the turtleneck, block everything, and seam the shoulders and sew in the sleeves (clever me, I'm knitting the sleeves in the round to avoid seaming).

2. Cast-on and knit myself a sweater... by the end of the year!
I will not cast on until Jack's sweater is blocking. But I have the yarn and pattern and I'm ready.

brb

2010-05-15T21:31:00.002-04:00

Things have been quiet because we got a new condo and are in hardcore renovation mode. I say "we" but my husband is doing most of it as I work full-time. Today we painted the kitchen and living room wall red, and it looks like I got in a fistfight! There are red blotches all over my hands and wrists. The bedroom and bathroom are all painted, as is the sewing/knitting/craft room (yes! that's right!!), and the hardwood floor is ready to be laid down. Stay tuned for actual knitting content.

MySewingCircle.com

2010-04-18T22:06:00.002-04:00

I signed up for MySewingCircle.com yesterday. It's a site for sewers that is based on Ravelry. It is still a bit barebones (in particular, the forums need more work and groups would be nice), but so far, so good. It was quite buggy in Firefox (in particulr the date on the projects) but works fine in Chrome.

My username on there is twolemons.

Birthday Birdies

2010-04-11T19:19:00.004-04:00

I made this tote bag for my friend Req's birthday gift a few weeks ago. I used some lovely love bird cotton I picked up last fall and made it per my usual tote formula: muslin lining, a deep box shape -- I'm not sure the proper name of the technique and my Googlefu is failing me, but you can find the corners explained in this tutorial. It basically makes the bag three-dimensional rather than just lying flat, and I find it makes a roomier bag. There is also a little pocket inside, made of the bird fabric.

The cotton is very thin, so I added some fusible interfacing to the straps for strength. I only had the lightest interfacing possible -- bought to practive making appliqués -- but it worked well enough. You can see that I added a double line of stitching to each side of the straps. And of course the finishing touch is the decorative stitch around the top of the bag.

I filled the bag with a lovely, sunny bunch of flowers and it made a nice gift!

Mabel Murple: A Free Hat Pattern

2010-03-08T20:54:00.004-05:00

I knit the first version of this hat on New Year's Day, then re-knit it a couple of months later to write up the pattern. I'm happy to share it with you as a free download. Check out Mabel Murple on Ravelry!

The pattern was named after the titular character of one of Sheree Fitch's amazing children's books. I loved her books as a child; her writing really instilled a love of language and reading in me. While knitting this purple hat, I kept thinking "Mabel Murple's house is purple, so is Mabel's hair..." so why not name it for her?

Materials:
- 150 m (160 yards) of your favourite worsted weight yarn (I used Cascade 220)
- 5 mm straight needles
- 4.5 mm double-pointed needles
- 5 mm double-pointed needles
- cable needle of spare DPN
- measuring tape

Click here to access the free PDF! (also available through Ravelry)
Ravelry link

I hope you like the pattern!

Soon to come: a free pattern! My first!

2010-03-07T17:33:00.003-05:00

I am very excited to announce that I have written my first pattern, a nice hat. Luckily I got it all written up before the end of the season! It will be available for free download soon -- I'm just waiting for Ravelry to recognize me as a designer so I can set it all up. But the PDF is ready to go, so I hope to share it soon... fingers crossed for tomorrow!

The world is quite different ever since the robotic uprising of the early nineties

2010-02-28T11:35:00.007-05:00

My mum and dad came to town yesterday so I was able to give my mum her yoga bag. She seemed quite happy that it matched the little lunch bag I made her for Christmas. I made a yoga bag for myself last night, after yoga class, and used some of my favourite fabric:

ROBOTS!!

I also tidied up my Ravelry queue last night, removing about a dozen patterns I'd never knit (a bikini? let's be realistic, people) and adding tags to almost everything else in there, then did the same with my favourites list. It was good to get organized; I'm expecting to knit three baby items forf co-workers this spring/early summer, so I was glad to get a refresher on the baby patterns I'd queued up.

I finished the body of Jack's sweater on Friday night (rejoice!), but can't work on the sleeves until I buy a second 3.75mm circular needle. The neighbourhood toy shop which carries a small selection of yarn and needles doesn't open until noon, so I'm enjoying a big cup of tea while I wait.

FO: Yoga Mat Bag

2010-02-21T20:18:00.003-05:00

I was feeling a bit restless last night, so I plugged in my sewing machine and made this bag for my mum's yoga mat. Just a little something to keep the mat from getting dirty while in transit:

(Note to self: no more photos of black fabric in direct sunlight)

The fabric was purchased at JoAnn's on my trip to NY last fall. I thought the black would ensure it doesn't look too dirty, and the flowers and warm colours are right up my mum's figurative alley. I used a bright orange ribbon from my ribbon colection for the drawstring:

I made one of these as part of a birthday gift for my sister a few weeks ago (with awesome BANANA fabric -- sorry, no pics). It's really easy to do:
1. Take a rectangle of fabric (make sure it will wrap around your mat with a few inches of ease)
2. Press and sew the little tube for the drawstring to be fed through
3. Pin the strap in place and sew up the bottom and side of the bag, securing the strap (the strap can be made with the woven stuff you purchase at a fabric store, or simply with a strip of fabric)

(I'm happy to provide a more thorough tutorial if anyone wants, but I'm sure there are a bunch that have already been published on various blogs.)

Did I ever mention my ribbon collection? My husband set up a nice dispensing station:

(And there are still more spools that didn't fit)

Homemade Dog Food

2010-01-24T15:22:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, we had to make a batch of homemade dog food. Our local pet store took a longer holiday than we expected, and poor Monsteress ran out of food.

She is a 3-year-old American Staffordshire and is pretty small: 40lbs. We feed her what we consider the best food available (and I'm happy to support a family-owned Canadian company!): Orijens dog food. We usually feed her one cup of kibble for breakfast and one cup with dinner. Dinner is supplemented with fresh veggies (her favourite treat) or the occasional raw egg.

I started with this "basic dog food" recipe (on the right sidebar) but tweaked it for greater portions of meat and veggies. Here's what I ended up making:

Monsteress's Mash
9 cups water
4 cups uncooked brown rice
1/4 cup oats
275 grams ground lamb
500 grams ground beef (medium leanness)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 head broccoli, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 small sweet potato, diced
2 carrots, diced
1-2 tablespooons peanut butter

Combine water, oats, rice, and sweet potato in large pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low-med. Add meat, oil, and half of the broccoli, green pepper, and carrots; put the remaining veggies in a sealed container to use as fresh garnish. Continue cooking approx 30 minutes or until the liquid is all absorbed. Stir in peanut butter and let cool. Keep refrigerated.

NOTE: the medium ground beef and the lamb were nice and fatty. If using lean beef or poultry, you'll want to add a bit more oil.

It was tempting to add some flavour so it would smell good while cooking, but I reminded myself it was for the dog, not me. Chicken broth would probably make it really yummy, but it would add salt that she doesn't need.

This made a large batch which lasted almost a week. We fed her 1.25-1.5 cups of the mash, topped with the fresh veggies or a raw egg for each meal. We of course also mixed in the remaining kibble for the first few meals, and added a bit of fresh kibble to the last few meals of the batch -- didn't want to switch her diet too suddenly. She ate every last bite!

FO: Laura's Felted Bowls

2010-01-03T17:09:00.003-05:00

My sister was not-so-subtly admiring some felted trinket bowls on Etsy this fall, so I made her a set for Christmas. This was my first dyeing project, and first felting project.

The knitting was very straightforward, and took only a few days to do all four bowls. The dyeing was the most difficult step -- I could not find Kool Aid anywhere in Montreal! I did manage to get some on a little trip to upstate New York, so I was happy about that. I usaed grape, cherry orange, and lemonade. The cherry took the fastest; lemonade had the least effect.

I was planning to felt by hand, so I had an idea to make the job a bit easier. Felting is caused by shocking wool (immersing it in very hot, then very cold water) and applying friction -- so I bought a pair of exfoliating gloves from the dollarstore. They're meant to be used in the shower, but why not use them on the bowls? It did go fairly well, but jeez, hand-felting is tiring! It took two sessions to fully felt the bowls and I worked up a sweat within the first two minutes.

After the two felting sessions, the largest bowl was still a bit floppy, so I sprayed all of the bowls with starch while they were drying. It is still a lottle wobbly, but the three smaller bowls are fine.

Yarn: Garnstudio DROPS Alaska, natural/undyed (3 skeins)
Needles: 6 mm
Pattern: Felted Nesting Bowls by Alice Themla

Overall, I'm very pleased. And my sister loved the bowls!

Sweet Pin Cushion

2009-12-05T13:36:00.002-05:00

After seeing this sweet pincushion, I had to make one! Unfortunately, I don't have many (any) scraps or selvedges, but I do have some pretty cotton prints waiting to be used.

Oh, and I don't know how to quilt but was willing to learn -- except none of my fabrics really complimented each other. So I just made the pin cushion without the quilt squares, or the fancy selvedge pockets. I found a Montreal crafter (on Ravelry!) with a scrap of quilt batting, and got to work.

I used the bird print for the outer pockets and the cushion, muslin for the main piece in center and the backing, and a small floral print for the inside of the pockets. The cushion itself is lined with quilt batting, and stuffed with fine steel wool and some cotton scraps. This will help the needles stay sharp.

The most difficult part of this project was the binding! It was really tricky, and isn't perfect, but that's okay.

This is a Christmas gift for my grandmother, who is always sewing, quilting, or knitting.

WOOL, specifically Briggs & Little's Regal

2009-11-16T16:26:00.008-05:00

There is a great article in the latest Twist Collective, called "The Softness Myth" by Clara Parkes. It is an excerpt from her new book, The Knitter's Book of Wool. Click here to read the article. (I had a mini-gush-fest about her Knitter's Book of Yarn last winter, and have asked for the new book for Christmas this year. Whoo!)

Wool is definitely my favourite fibre -- there is so much variety, it looks so crisp, and I love the natrual properties: warm even when wet, flame-resistant, etc. I won't drone on.

This seems like a good time to write about the yarn I am using for one of my current WIPs. My husband had been asking for a sweater, so I picked a few patterns that were within my skill and interest level, and let him pick the one he liked best. Ever unique, he selected Tiennie's Fog Sweater, with the cabled sleeves of Jodi Greene's Durrow. He wanted a plain, manly colour -- brown, grey, dark green, etc -- and no stripes. I chose black, always a favourite and easy to coordinate. I wanted a textured yarn, a little rough and with some lanolin as this sweater will be outerwear... A yarn to last a decade, with what I call "character," and I wanted to support a Canadian yarn maker. (We are going through the Canadian citizenship process for my hub, and I'm always saying how great Canada is, so why not use Canadian wool?)

After some research, I settled on Briggs & Little Regal (Rav page), a worsted-weight yarn from a family-run mill in my home province of New Brunswick. The mill is over 150 years old; my grandmother has knit their yarn for decades. What a legacy! The comments on Ravelry really sealed the deal and assured me that it was exactly what I was looking for.

I tried a few retailers, but none had the quantity I needed, so I ordered directly from the mill. The phone service was great, very friendly, and I was pleased with the prices and quick shipping (orders are mailed the next day). I even asked to please make sure the skeins were of the same dye lot and the woman replied, "Oh, we always do!" I highly recommend them!! You can check out the Briggs & Little site here; there's a virtual tour of the mill.

The sweater is going really well. I haven't taken a picture because a big, black piece of 1x1 ribbing isn't too interesting. I'm halfway through the second hank, and have come across one spot where the yarn was tied off (I just cut out the knot and spit-spliced the ends together). Otherwise, it's been great. There is some variety in the thickness/thinness of the yarn, but I'm sure it will even out upon blocking, and hell, it gives it the character I wanted. It is lightweight: I used 3.5mms for the hem of the sweater, and 3.75mms for the body. The yarn does make my hands a little dry when I work with it, ande there's a bit of vegetable matter to pull out, but nothing major. I'm going to wash and block the sweater before making my final verdict, but so far I am very happy with my choice.

Oh, and I'm very happy with the Fog Sweater pattern too :)

Enrobed

2009-11-08T16:13:00.004-05:00

It has been an embarrassingly long time since I last posted. And I was so excited to share pictures from my little fabric shopping trip in upstate New York -- oh, but I haven't even taken the pictures yet. Oh well. I have so far made 2 skirts -- but it is much too cold to wear them before Spring -- and I just finished up a gift I was making for my hubs for our 1st anniversary, which is next week.

He has a beloved bathrobe that I've been trying to replace without much success... So I figured I'd make a replacement! I got yards and yards (FIVE!) of blue terrycloth at Joanne's during the trip I mentioned (and was able to use a 50% off coupon) -- I'd have preferred a different colour, but light pink and light blue were the only choices. I figured most bathrobe patterns would be the same, so I selected a Simplicity 2-hour pattern. However, it took much longer than 2 hours, as I double- or triple-sewed every seam. I want this to last gosh dang it, and since I was working with terry cloth (and have no pinking shears), I made sure to zig-zag as well straight-stitch every seam.

SOMETHING TO NOTE about the pattern: the measurements on the pattern envelope did seem quite large -- the large size had a chest measurement of 48-50 inches. THAT'S HUGE compared to a man's size "L" t-shirt. I went with that anyway, thinking bigger is better and cozier... Then when I was looking up the pattern to include a pic with this post, I learnt that THIS IS A PLUS-SIZE PATTERN. It does not say that anywhere on the envelope or in the pattern -- the only indication is the measurements themselves, and if you didn't know any better, how could you tell? Anyway, it's just a robe so it's not a big deal, but it should have been marked somewhere. Thumbs down.

I omitted the fusible interfacing from the front band (a lot of hassle for a small result), and also left off the belt loops. I did patch pockets rather than the set-in ones the pattern included, to better match the old beloved bathrobe. It had been ages since I last used a pattern and jeez, I forgot how tiring it is to first cut out all of the pattern pieces, and then pin them down and cut the fabric.

The bathrobe was sewn surreptitiously over a few weekends: I washed and cut the fabric at my mother's house right after it was purchased. (Okay I admit my mum cut it -- I'm left-handed couldn't get her sewing scisssors through 2 thick layers.) I've been working on it while my husband has been out to watch his weekly football game. It had to be done over a few weeks, mostly because of the time it took me to remove the fabric from its hiding place and set up my sewing station, as well as re-hide the fabric and clean up all evidence. TERRY CLOTH SHEDS - A LOT. I've had to sweep each time, as well as use the lint-roller on myself, my chair, the ironing board, the door mat...

Cross Stitch

2009-08-28T20:47:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday I did this:

I have been meaning to try cross stitch for a while. When I saw a book on the sale table, I knew it was time! I picked up the supplies from a fabric store; I was surprised at how expensive the Aida cloth was -- and that it wasn't available by the metre, only in a little package. I do have the address of an embroidery store in Westmount, so I will try to stop by sometime soon. After doing these initials based on a chart in the book, I freestyled the little watermelon. No real reason behind it except that I bought blue-grey, pink, and light green embroidery thread. I have sketched something on some graph paper and am hoping to share it soon.

Scheming

2009-06-05T19:09:00.005-04:00

When I am done Jack's socks, I will treat myself to 10 skeins of Elann's Camila. It is a 50/50 Cotton Linen blend and I have something special in mind. I have not knit with linen, but the book describesw it as having lovely drape, being quite cool, and just improving in softness, texture, and appearance the more you wash it. It is also a very strong fibre, and there are all sorts of other details that make me excited to try it out. This particular yarn has some lovely projects linked up on Ravelry, as well as great reviews on various blogs. AND at only $2.75 (US) per 112m skein, this will be a very affordable way to so much yardage.

I am excited but am using my willpower to not order a huge amount of yarn.. Until I finish at least one project.

Knitting Needle Storage

2009-05-02T14:55:00.007-04:00

I used to keep my knitting needles in a beautiful vase... But one day it was knocked over and it shattered. No big deal, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later since I am such a klutz; somehow, I am not to blame for its breakage though. Now I keep my needles in a big stainless steel holder, but wanted a better way to organize them. So I made this today:

I did not use a tutorial, but just made a little mock-up out of paper, and then started cutting the fabric. I made sure to make it tall enough that I could fold down the top flap to keep the needles secure:

I picked up the blue and purple fabric last week, and the yellow butterfly print is a vintage bedsheet that I've had for a couple of years. I bought it thinking that it would make a lovely summer dress, but never got around to it (I don't look good in yellow!). I used the hem of the sheet in such a way that I could avoid hemming the tops of the pockets.

I didn't have any pretty ribbon, so it is being held closed with a couple of hair elastics for now. It is quite hefty when it is all rolled up and could substitute as a nice head-whacker in a pinch. THOWK!

I am very happy with this project.

Tea and a Sock

2009-04-27T09:31:00.007-04:00

What a nice way to start one's day: with tea and a sock.

The sock is the second half of a pair that I am knitting for my friends' daughter's first birthday. This little girl was the recipient of the first sweater I ever made, and I decided to follow the same strategy to figure out socks: start small!

The sock is just a plain top-down sock that fit my needs: pattern uses sock yarn and is sized for 12mo. I decided to jazz them up a little by adding the cables to the cuff. I really had no idea how much yarn they would take, so I used the bigger of my 2 skeins of leftover sock yarn. In this case, the yarn is leftover from the feather & fan scarf that I knit for my Great-Aunt Jenny. I was a bit perplexed by the gusset instructions, but decided to just gto for it, and I've had great success.

The panda mug is one of a pair that my friend Elise gave to Jack and I as a wedding present. She threw the mugs (on a potter's wheel), glazed them, and hand-painted the pandas and the gold edging. I love these mugs!

Braided Cable Arm Warmers

2009-04-10T20:20:00.009-04:00

The weekend after I knit my wooly owl mittens, I spent an afternoon playing around with cables. I didn't have a pattern, but was just experimenting with different patterns and widths. I felt counterproductive after so much knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping, so I settled on a nice braided cable and made some arm warmers:

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Jojoland 100% wool in Hawaiian Blue (1.5ish skeins)
Needles: 4.5 and 5mm
New skill: Braided cables

I made these with Spring in mind -- it's bicycle riding season! I don't like to wear mittens when I bike because I find they are too slippery on thr brake handles. And given that I lost one of my nice leather gloves after only a few weeks, I figured I'd make some fingerless mitts. I wanted to make sure they covered my some of fingers and a bit of my thumbs to keep me warm -- it is still pretty chilly in Montreal.

In addition to the extended finger covering, I also made sure to knit extra-long arms on them. I want to make sure no cold air sneaks up my sleeves! The pattern is reversible, so I made two copies of the same mitt.

My favourite detail is the way that the ribbing feeds into the cables. Here is the WIP picture I posted whe they were actually in progress:

Overall, this was a great weekend project and I'm very happy with them. I kept detailed notes and have a few tweaks in mind if I ever knit them again.

Progress

2009-04-05T23:53:00.002-04:00

I'm working on a new cardiagan/jacket. Having used a whole skein of Cascade 220 means that I knit 200m this weekend! I estimate that the jacket is 25% done, but I'm being safe. I actually have a slight friction burn on my index finger from so much knitting!

Twit, Twit, Twoo

2009-04-02T08:58:00.005-04:00

As I often mention, I am trying to learn a new skill with each project. Well, I got really excited about cables a few weeks ago, and found the perfect small project to do so:

Pattern: Give a Hoot by Kelbourne Woolens
Yarn: Garnstudio Drops Alaska (100% wool)
Needles: 4mm and 5mm
New skill: CABLES!

I'm not yet ready to knit the owl sweater, so these mittens were just enough to satiate me.

The pattern is very well-written. It does produce a rather small mitten, but this can be easily fixed. Since I have long, slim hands, I just needed to lengthen mine by knitting an extra round of knit stitches before the gusset increases, and a few extra repeats of rows 14 and 28. I also made long cuffs that can be tucked into my sleeves. The yarn was alright. It made a nice and sturdy pair of mittens, but I wouldn't use it for a garment (except outerwear).

I went to RixRax to get the teeny tiny buttons for the eyes. I always love that store -- so many possibilities! -- but I don't think I will be going there again. The store is wonderful, but the service is severly lacking; it's the kind of store where you feel like you're not wanted. So I will spend my money elsewhere!

After wearing those mitts for a few cozy weeks, Spring is in the air, so they will be retired shortly. Don't worry, I've already knit some armwarmers!

Oh yeah, and cables? Easy peasy. The directions in this pattern make it absolutely clear and terror-free. I used a DPN for them, but my sis has since sent me some cable needles.

Braided Cable

2009-03-15T14:38:00.004-04:00

I spent last night trying playing around with cables, and today I am making:

Special thanks to the Very Good Dog that let me photograph that on her. I'm sure this is a standard cable pattern, but I figured it out myself, so huzzah!

Paper Cranes

2009-03-15T00:36:00.003-04:00

Oh, goodness. I have fallen in love... With a dress! Check out the absolutely beautiful Paper Crane Frock, from grosgrainfabulous. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, but it is even available to win! And, ahem, made right to my measurements. Too good to be true, right? Fingers crossed that if I ever win a contest, it will be this one! The blog features achingly adorable kids costumes sprinkled with other wonderful giveaways and it is so easy to win -- just post a link and share the love!

I have spent my evening experimenting with knitting cables and exploring crafty blogs. I would really like to go fabric shopping tomorrow, but I'm not sure if the garment district is open n Sundays. I suppose it is worth a trip, as it's only a short metro ride. Fabric shopping, woohoo!

Now i'm off to peruse Craft Gossip, which grosgrainribbon described so inticingly...

A February Sweater for a Lady

2009-02-28T16:08:00.009-05:00

This was my first cardigan, first adult-sized garment, and it was a wonderful project. I really enjoyed it: the pattern, the yarn, the sense of accomplishment! I found that once I got through the yoke and worked a few repeats of the lace pattern, I didn’t go back to the pattern at all. It was very easy to figure out the next step, and the seagull lace was easily memorised. (Though I have to say, I think that “seagull lace” is a misnomer. Can’t decide what I would have named it, but my mother suggested “flying geese.”)

Pattern: February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne
Yarn: Sirdar Click DK with Wool
Needles: 5mm, 4.5mm, 3.75mm
New skills: full-sized garment! Modified to fit just me! Reversible, 1-row buttonholes!

I had some early frustration: I knit the entire yoke and then ripped it out… four times. THE ENTIRE YOKE. As my gauge and yarn weight were slightly different from the pattern, I knew from the beginning that I would have to modify the number of CO sts. I also knew that I would omit the eyelet row, as my bosom isn’t exactly busting out of my tops. However, I had some difficulties with numbers: the lace pattern is over 7sts, so I had to work it so that front pieces, sleeves, and the back section each had a number of stitches divisible by 7. I realised this a little late, as I would have preferred to work it all out before casting on. Well, live and learn. So, I made an Excel spreadsheet. Seriously. I am not mathematically inclined, and was getting really frustrated as I kept knitting and frogging, knitting and frogging… the spreadsheet really made everything so clear!

I brought the cardigan with me on my family's Christmas trip to Cuba. (As soon as I found out that the tickets had been booked, I confirmed that I could bring my knitting needles on the plane. While it was much too cramped to actually knit when we were in the air, it was great to have them with me for the hours spent waiting at the gate.) My goal was to finish knitting the body when I was there -- and I would have, but I ran out of yarn with only a few rows left on the hem. Should have brought that second ball of yarn! The picture at right was snapped on Christmas Day.

I modified this quite heavily to suit me:

Needles: As you can tell from the picture, I made my sweater a little more fitted than the pattern called for. The yoke was knit on 5mm needles; about half-way down the body I switched to 4.5mm needles. I did this because I noticed that several sweaters on Ravelry seemed to sag in the back. I am quite slim, so I wanted it to be more fitted. As I wanted fitted sleeves, I picked up the sleeve stitches with 5mm needles and worked one round, then switched to 4.5mm to continue the sleeves. The cuffs were done with on 3.75mms, as I found the garter st was too loose at 4mm.

Yoke: CO 83sts; increased to 231 before starting lace pattern. (If you’re following the math, this meant one final row of raglan increases that was different from all the others.) Omitted eyelet row.

Buttons and Buttonholes: 4 buttonholes worked for 4sts and spaced over 12 rows. I chose quality metal buttons with shanks, and sewed small plastic buttons on the reverse. This is the best way that I know to sew buttons to knits!

Sleeves: I was thinking of making this long-sleeved, but I had no clue how to work decreases into the lace pattern (so that the sleeve would remain fitted – I’m not a fan of the baggy sleeves seen on the Ravelry project pages). Once I knit the first sleeve and tried it on, I decided it was great as-is, and scrapped the idea of figuring out the decreases. The cuffs (as well as the hem at the bottom of the body) were knit to match the width of the garter stitch edging.

Yarn: Sirdar Click is a lovely, springy DK blend of 30Wool/70Acrylic. I usually shun acrylic, but this is just such a nice yarn. It is soft, lustrous, a beautiful teal colour, and a real pleasure to knit with. I picked it up from Knit Knackers in Ottawa, where it cost $4.99/ball last autumn. With 150m per ball, what a steal! I didn’t keep track of the number of balls I used – I am 98% sure it was four-and-a-bit, but I’d say five-and-a-bit to be safe.

All in all, this was a well-written pattern knit up with lovely yarn. I'm very happy with the finished product, and highly recommend it as a "first garment" project.

Preliminary pictures

2009-02-24T21:05:00.008-05:00

Well, it's February, which meant that I had to finish my February Lady Sweater. This has been done for a few days, and now that I've found buttons, I figured I'd post a few pictures:

Buttons! Had a really difficult time getting buttons, which is what really delayed this project over the last couple of weeks. My usual buttons stores were closed, so I ended up grabbing these from the fabric store. (Sorry the picture is not too clear, but I assure you that they are lovely.)

I was really, really careful as I knit this. I wanted it to be as amazing as I could possibly make it. I am not a perfectionist and often just move on when I notice errors, but this time, I went back and fixed them – unless they were noticed several inches later, in which case I decided SCREW IT!

Learning curveballs:
- modifying the yoke... ouf, math is not one of my strong suits
- accidentally knit a stitch marker into the fabric – not worth frogging all that lace, so I sacrificed the stitch marker, though I was sad to see it go. It was from a set I received in the Montreal Knits swap.
- overzealousness on a WS row meant that I purled the last 7 sts, instead of knitting to make garter st – again, not worth frogging all that lace so I used a crochet hook and a tail of yarn to make it less noticeable
- somehow have a few rows where the columns of lace are off – not worth frogging (do you see a pattern here?)

Anyway, I'm happy with the project, despite the snags. It was a great pattern, and I'm so excited to wear my first finished garment. It is just about done blocking, but I'm going to leave it overnight -- and probably all day tomorrow, since I don't have much time before heading to work in the morning. Tomorrow evening, I will sew on the buttons (while my banana bread is baking) and it will finally be complete. I am excited to try on the finished project! Many more details to come...

First FO of 2009

2009-01-31T16:07:00.004-05:00

I was itching to knit with this yarn. It was in my possession for one week, but it was calling to me, the tiny hairs were whispering, it was wrapping itself around my fingers as I slept..

Okay, that is a bit much. But you know that yarn that as soon as you see it, you need to knit it -- but only the most perfect project will do? Yeah, that's this yarn. My husband put two skeins of beautiful Louet Bonnie yarn in my Christmas stocking, which was a lovely surprise when I returned from my trip to Cuba. This wool-silk blend (94 and 6%, respectively) is so soft and absolutely gorgeous that I knew I had to knit a little something pour moi with that yarn. A lot of knitters use gifted yarns to make things for other people, but Jack got the yarn for me and so it remains for me.

At first, I didn't think that "Forest Floor" was an appropriate name for this colourway, but after unwinding the skein knitting row upon row of gorgeous, subtle colour changes, Forest Floor seems just right. There is just over one full colour repeat in each 80m skein.

I whipped up this little neckwarmer yesterday evening, using just less than a skein. There are only a few meters left, to hopefully balance out any mismatched colour in the second project I intend to use this for..

Pattern: Cowl'd and Frosty Morning, by Kelly Herdrich

Yarn: Louet Bonnie, colour 03 Forest Floor
Needles: 6mm (5.5 would have sufficed)

New skills: err.. Okay, I broke my own rule with this one. No new skill with this project.

Modifications: 1 extra repeat of pattern

I plan to use the other skein for the stripes on a matching pair of mittens. I just need to find a solid-colour yarn that deserves to be knit alongside this one. Bonnie is a bit lightweight for a bulky, so hopefully something appropriate will turn up.

This pictures don't quite do the yarn justice. It is gorgeous. Gorgeous.

(If you're wondering about my recent post on the proliferation of cowls and my subsequent knitting of a cowl, let me tell you this: I do not have a problem with cowls. They're quick knits, instant gratification, and I imagine they are much more comfortable for knitters in warmer climates who may long for scarves, but are too sensible to knit something they'll get no use of. Hey, I live in chilly Montreal and I made one! It's just that so many of these patterns seem to be turning up and they are, let's face it, remarkably similar. You know, like the dozens of garter stitch or 1x1 rib or mistake rib scarves you find on Ravelry. It's great that the internet allows so many people to become self-published designers, don't get me wrong, but how many freaking garter stitch scarf "patterns" are really needed?)

What are you excited to knit?

2009-01-28T20:52:00.004-05:00

Goodness. I'm suddenly really excited to learn cables. First, I saw Alexis Layton's lovely Cabled Hot Water Bottle Cosy. There is something so appealing about this. I love the natural coloured wool and the chunky cables. Sure, I already knit a hot water bottle cover, but I won't let that stop me. Especially since my hot water bottle (and lovely alpaca cover) kept my feet warm last night -- while the power was out and we had no heat for 4hrs. Scheduled yet wholly surprising maitenance! Apparently my landlord had been notified of this scheduled outage, but he definitely failed to notify his tenants. Ah well. OnedayIwillownmyownhome.

AND THEN I saw the absolutely AMAZING Owl sweater -- I can't believe I had not seen this yet. It is so beautiful!! And there are already a few pages of successful patterns on Ravelry.

Yessss. I will learn cables.

(Eventually. My next big project will be a sweater for the hubby.)

The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes

2009-01-10T00:00:00.005-05:00

This book is amazing. Amazing! It tells you about all different types of fibres, where they come from, how they are harvested or created, and how you can expect them to re/act when knit.

My brother gave it to me for Christmas/my birthday. It was on my wishlist, and I'm very happy to have it! The book is well-written and really informative. Not to mention that it really feeds into my desire for an alpaca farm and angora bunnies.. I was reading this on the train home to Montreal after flying back from Cuba and was actually giggling aloud. My seatmate kept peering at my book, presumably wondering how knitting could be so funny.

I haven't checked out all the patterns, but they seem pretty nice. Nothing jumped out at me, but I'm sure I will knit something. The ruffled scarf is quite nice.
I highly recommend this book. It is a great resource.

Ramblings

2008-12-13T21:14:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted pictures in ages -- but to be fair, I haven't taken any in ages. Daylight is pretty minimal, and I'm usually at work during it, so the opportunity for clear pics seem to pass me by. Of course, it usually so overcast on weekends that no natural light comes in. I'm not complaining though -- winter is finally here! It was raining and raining and snowing and raining... but now the snow is finally staying on the ground! I love it, and the dog is having a blast running around in it too. The streets and sidewalks are way too icey though; you'd think the city would have figured this out by now, but no.

I had a wonderful knitting session last weekend. A couple of colleagues from my department knit (and one crohets!), so three of us got together for an afternoon of tea, knitting, cats, and chats. Unfortunately, the girl who crochets couldn't join us; I'd love to improve my crochet skills and she is looking to improve her knitting skills. It was really my first social knitting event, as none of my other friends knit. We all had a great time, and one of the girls is having a knitting birthday party tomorrow. I'll be there! I'm so happy to have some knitting friends. Another girl from work was asking me how I learnt to knit, and said she is interested in taking it up. I told her about knittinghelp.com and encouraged her to check it out so she can join our knit sessions.

Life is pretty good.

IN ONE WEEK, I WILL BE KNITTING ON A BEACH.
Finally, a vacation!!

2008-11-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

Am I the only one getting tired of seeing endless cowels when I browse Ravlery for new patterns?

Progress report

2008-10-18T12:51:00.007-04:00

Ooh, look what is coming along so nicely:

Yep. I am really enjoying knitting my Lady Sweater. I did have to rip out the entire yoke twice, but I figured out my math and it's great. Okay, I admit I only ripped the yoke out one and a half times: I never finished frogging the second time and just started this one from a new skein. I will use the half-frogged attempt for the sleeves. But I haven't knit a single row since that picture was snapped! Well, I have, but on another project..

Yes, I started another one. the Christmas stockings are a kind last-resort project, so they don't count, but I started knitting a white mohair shrug. Jack picked up the yarn for me, and I felt I should start on it right away! I should go snap a picture, actually. THEN I will work on the Lady Sweater. I am excited to buy buttons for it, but won;t let myself go to the button store until it is done; that's just another excuse for procrastination!

ETA: Here's the mohairiness:

Also, I love autumn.

Choke: A FO

2008-10-12T16:25:00.003-04:00

Having reviewed the posts on the first page of my blog, I am pretty embarrassed at my seeming lack of productivity! But you know, in the last month and a half, I finished a joint honours degree, started a new job, and have been promoted. So, I've been busy -- but I have also been knitting. I am in this weird stage of life where I come home from work, and there's nothing to do. Sure, there are always more dishes to be washed and more laundry to be sorted, but this is the first time in my adult life where I have not come home and had to go straight to schoolwork or a contract. I have always, since my second last year of high school, been working. The only summer where I did not take summer classes at University, I worked two jobs. Every other summer, I have worked and taken a load of summer classes. So now, when I get home from work, the only balancing act is: Should I knit? Should I read -- for pleasure? Should I do housework?

It is beautiful.

On to knitting! Here is a FO I finished over the summer: a dragonskin scarf for my mother.

Project: Choke, by Ailsa Daly
Made for: Mum's 50th birthday
Yarn: Tanis Fibre Arts fingering weight in Royal Flush

I really liked the pattern (so cool! Dragon scales!) and have gushed about this yarn before.. Both are highly recommended! I intend to make this scarf again, but not with a hand-painted yarn -- as beautiful as it is, I felt like it hid the stitch definition. And, I stand by my earlier assertion: So cool! Dragon scales!!!!!!!

Ooh, look at how beautiful the yarn is!!!!!! The yarn is from the same fibre artist as the yarn I used to knit Jenny's Scarf -- I vowed to never again knit a scarf with sock yarn, but holy moly, it is so beautiful and irresistible! One day, I'll knit socks.. Maybe.

2008-10-11T22:35:00.005-04:00

This is a few weeks old, but it is a really great essay. Whatever your political leanings, don't forget to vote in Canada's federal election on Tuesday.

To be creative is, in fact, Canadian

MARGARET ATWOOD

The Globe and Mail, September 24, 2008

What sort of country do we want to live in? What sort of country do we already live in? What do we like? Who are we?

At present, we are a very creative country. For decades, we've been punching above our weight on the world stage - in writing, in popular music and in many other fields. Canada was once a cultural void on the world map, now it's a force. In addition, the arts are a large segment of our economy: The Conference Board estimates Canada's cultural sector generated $46-billion, or 3.8 per cent of Canada's GDP, in 2007. And, according to the Canada Council, in 2003-2004, the sector accounted for an “estimated 600,000 jobs (roughly the same as agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, oil & gas and utilities combined).”

But we've just been sent a signal by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that he gives not a toss for these facts. Tuesday, he told us that some group called “ordinary people” didn't care about something called “the arts.” His idea of “the arts” is a bunch of rich people gathering at galas whining about their grants. Well, I can count the number of moderately rich writers who live in Canada on the fingers of one hand: I'm one of them, and I'm no Warren Buffett. I don't whine about my grants because I don't get any grants. I whine about other grants - grants for young people, that may help them to turn into me, and thus pay to the federal and provincial governments the kinds of taxes I pay, and cover off the salaries of such as Mr. Harper. In fact, less than 10 per cent of writers actually make a living by their writing, however modest that living may be. They have other jobs. But people write, and want to write, and pack into creative writing classes, because they love this activity – not because they think they'll be millionaires.

Every single one of those people is an “ordinary person.” Mr. Harper's idea of an ordinary person is that of an envious hater without a scrap of artistic talent or creativity or curiosity, and no appreciation for anything that's attractive or beautiful. My idea of an ordinary person is quite different. Human beings are creative by nature. For millenniums we have been putting our creativity into our cultures - cultures with unique languages, architecture, religious ceremonies, dances, music, furnishings, textiles, clothing and special cuisines. “Ordinary people” pack into the cheap seats at concerts and fill theatres where operas are brought to them live. The total attendance for “the arts” in Canada in fact exceeds that for sports events. “The arts” are not a “niche interest.” They are part of being human.

(Continued here)

2008-09-21T23:33:00.000-04:00

I'm knitting. Really.

Reckless acts of swappery!

2008-08-30T15:05:00.010-04:00

I participated in my first ever swap this summer, with the lovely ladies of Montreal Knits. The price range was $20-30, and we were supposed to send a knitted item -- though this wasn't entirely clear to me at first, ha, and I know I'm not the only one. Personally, I knit a couple of small items because I wanted to send some gorgeous yarn to my partner.

I haven't actually met any of the group members yet, but am hoping to start going to their Knit Nites now that I am done school. My partner really spoiled me, exceeding all expectations! Check it out:

BEAUTIFUL Warani yarn. 50% Suri Alpaca, 50% Extra Fine Merino. It is so luxurious and I love the colour! I am going to try to hunt down another skein, or one in a complimenting colour, perhaps to make some mitts for myself. Haven't really decided on a project, but it is gorgeous, and I'll need to find it asap as the distributer has discontinued it.

Yeah, I am flashing Wu-Tang as I model these fingerless mitts! I spent Thursday transcribing part of a Wu-Tang documentary at work, so decided to show my support as Jack snapped a pic of these mitts. They are a perfect fit, and are exactly my colours. I am looking forward to wearing these on my autumn bike rides to and from work. Jack really likes em too, and I suspect he'd like his own pair..

WOAH! SO MANY GOODIES! Nifty spring-less safety pins (I have been wanting these, but haven't seen them in my travels), gorgeous handmade beaded stitch counters, yummy lip gloss, fine fibre wash, tape measurer, handmade DPN holder (so clever! I'm so glad to have this!), 2 sets of DPNs, Robyn's Nest magnet, Motown CD, and Vanilla Clodhoppers! Yeah, those have almost all been eaten. I have already used the handmade stitch markers, and they work really well! They have me considering a new technique for making stitch markers (note the cool Stewie and Godiva tins holding the stitch holders),

MY FIRST KNITTING MAGAZINES. I am really excited about these! Have already marked off some interesting patterns, and I can't wait to read all of the articles and tips. Being a self-taught knitter, this is exciting for me. I am considering asking for a subscription for Christmas, so this is a great chance to check out 2 major knitting magazines.

Honestly, it is like she looked at the survey that I filled out at the start of the swap and managed to pick out all of my favourite items. I am so, so pleased and thankful for everything.

I sent off my package today -- it was ready to go earlier this week, except for stitch markers.. I couldn't find my wire to make them! But we did a big clean-up yesterday and of course the wire turned up. So I made the stitch markers this morning, and posted the parcel. I won't say anything else about it though, just in case..!

Just popping in to say..

2008-08-18T22:50:00.003-04:00

I'm done my undergraduate degree!

I just got home from writing my last exam of a Joint honours degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.

The best surprise was getting back an essay after the exam and finding I'd been given an A, which I was not expecting! Honestly, I thought that it was the worst paper I'd ever written, and was much happier with the other essay that I handed in prior to the exam (the full grade of the course is comprised of 2 essays + final exam -- which itself had 2 essays). So, I'm done!

This is completely unrelated to my blog, but I am just so excited and happy. I had to blab somewhere! Ah, now to go back to reading for pleasure..

Soup Recipe

2008-08-15T15:26:00.003-04:00

Last winter I had a hankering for Mulligatawny Soup, so I looked up some recipes, and combined all of the elements that looked delicious. Here's what I came up with:

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP

3 cloves garlic, minced
ground cumin (approx 3 Tbsp)*
curry powder (approx 2 Tbsp)*
chili powder (approx 1 Tbsp)*
random Mexican hot sauce
1/4 cup butter
4 boneless skinless half chicken breasts, cut to large bite-sized pieces
8 cups chicken stock (I made mine with bullion cubes because I didn't have a whole chicken to work with)
2-3 stalks celery, sliced
3-4 carrots, sliced
1-2 potatoes, diced
1 can peas, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper (should be peppery)
1 medium-sized MacIntosh apple (or other tart apple) peeled, cored and diced
1 cup plain yogurt
lemon juice (approx 2 Tbsp)
2/3 cup cream (I used 15% but use what you prefer)
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro to garnish

In skillet or wok, heat butter and 1 Tbsp cumin over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides.

Add chicken to stock with liberal splash of hot sauce, cover and cook on low heat. Drain all but 1 Tbsp liquid from wok and add garlic and spices. Add carrots, celery, potato, splash of hot sauce, and a ladle-full of stock. Cook on medium-low heat for approx 10 minutes, stirring often.

Transfer veggies and liquid to soup pot. Add peas, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. (At this point, I removed some of the soup for Jack as he did not want apples, yogurt, or cream in his soup.)

Stir in yogurt and apple. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Skim off fat if necessary.

Stir in lemon juice, then add cream.

Serve garnished with fresh parsley or cilantro.

*I'm really not sure how much spice I use when I cook, this are guesstimates. Taste it and adjust to your liking.

FO: Shoulder Warmer (with mods)

2008-08-08T22:05:00.005-04:00

Finally, she posts a FO!

I have been very busy lately and haven't had time to knit (sob!) BUT I just had the last class of my undergraduate career.. Only one last exam! It has been fun and I love being in school (still trying to figure out how to be a professional student), but I am ready for some real world action. Anyway, on to the knitting!!

Project: Shoulder Warmer
Pattern Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet, by Julia Allen
New Skills: Err.. "Knitting a garment in 2 days" is a skill, yeah?

I obviously was in the middle of talking to someone in the above picture, so excuse the funny face!

The English editor inside me feels the need to say that this is not a caplet, but the misnomer can be traced back to Anthropologie, so don't give me any flack!

This was a great pattern, and knit up quite quickly. The yarn was also quite nice; I love the colour and it is so squishy!! It was a bit itchy when I first tried it on, but it feels great after washing and blocking. All in all, this was a quick and satisfying knit. I kept track of my notes, in case anyone else plans to knit this with worsted-weight yarn. I hope that someone finds this helpful:

Size: Small
Yarn: 5 balls of Jojoland worsted-weight wool (100m/110y per ball). I finished the body with four balls, but needed to use a fifth to BO the body and hem the sleeves.
Needles: 6.5mm
Gauge: approx. 7 sts over 2”

NOTE: You will have quite a few stitches on your needles if you use straights; it might be easier to work this back and forth on circs.

Holding yarn double-standed, CO 56sts on 6.5mm needles.
Work seven rows seed stitch.

Begin raglan (I placed my stitch markers as follows-- Row 1, RS: [2st seed border], K7, yo, pm, K1, pm, yo, K8, yo, pm, K1, pm, yo, K18, yo, pm, K1, pm, yo, K8, yo, pm, K1, pm, yo, K7, [2st seed border])

You will knit rows 2&3 a total of 13-14x, until each sleeve has 34 or 36sts.

Separate sleeve stitches and place on waste yarn. Continue stockingette body for another 3.5", then do 2 rows seed st and BO.

Finish sleeves with 2 rows seed st and BO.

AWESOMENESS EXTRORDINAIRE

2008-08-08T21:20:00.002-04:00

Okay so I'm not a huge video game nerd, but the geek in me feels all warm and fuzzy:

Someone is knitting the entire first level of Super Mario Bros! She has got quite a bit done so far. You can check in on her process here.

Questionnaire

2008-07-26T23:22:00.003-04:00

I'm not a part of this swap, but liked the questionnaire. I have replaced "dishcloth" with more applicable terms where necessary:

Keepin' Cool in Summer Dishcloth Exchange Questionnaire:
1. Do you Knit or Crochet? For how long?
I taught myself how to crochet three or four years ago, but haven't done much with it. I would have to pull out my booklet to guide through making anything. I taught myself how to knit a year and a half ago, but only really got into it last fall. I am addicted.

2. Do you enjoy using metal, wooden, or some other kind of needle/hook?
My grandmother gave me all of her spare needles, so I mostly knit on old English aluminums. I also like bamboo, and would love to try wooden needles.

3. What are your favourite types of yarn? Any you just can't stand?
I love natural fibers: wool, merino, alpaca.. I would love to try camel and bamboo. I am not a fan of synthetics, but will tolerate a blend if it is washable. I really dislike novelty yarns and anything that squeaks and looks cheap.

4. When it comes to yarn, are there any brands you'd love to try and haven't?
I am still so new to knitting that I feel like I have barely tried anything! I would love to buy more yarn from small companies, or individuals, especially in Canada.

5. When you make knitted items, do you use them yourself, or tend to give them as gifts?
I think it is pretty balanced at the moment. I have a whole queue of projects I love that I am trying to work through; some items are for myself, but I am always working on at least one gift.

6. Do you have a favourite colour? Any that you dislike?
I like blues, especially deep ones. I wear a lot of black; refuse to wear pink except on my undies or socks. I like all colours, really, but some reds/oranges/yellows don't suit my complexion.

7. What colour(s) (if any!) are your kitchen and bath decorated in?
Well my current residence is not a place I am investing money in, as I hope to buy a home next summer. I'd like a blueish-grey walls with white accents for the bathroom. Kitchen would depend on the layout and lighting -- anything from bright red to warm cream.

8. What are your favourite scents around the house?
Citrus -- grapefruit, orange, tangerine.

9. What is your very favourite thing about summer?
Flowers and grass and leaves on the trees. Birdsong.

10. What is your least favourite thing about summer?
Smelly, grumpy people on suffocating buses and metros.

11. Do you use soap or body wash in the shower?
Body wash.

12. What scents do you enjoy in the bath?
Again, citrus. Also, mango, strawberry, raspberry.

13. What is your favourite stitch pattern?
I will always love seed stitch, but don't have a favourite. I'd really love a stitch dictionary; virtual is okay, but a book would be a dream!

14. What sort of treats do you enjoy? Sweet or Salty?
Both! I like to snack on almonds or cashews, but absolutely LOVE candy: red licorice, vanilla Clodhoppers, sour rings.. I eat a lot of fruit though. It's cheaper than candy.

15. Imagine today is one of the hottest days of the year - what do you do to keep cool? Or are you one of those folks who loves the hot weather?
Oh, I stay inside my nice cool home and sip tasty beverages. I always keep a drinking glass in the freezer so that my milk or juice can be extra cold when I drink it.

16. What sorts of hobbies do you enjoy besides knitting or crocheting?
I like to sew, and am anxiously awaiting a home where I can have a garden (currently have 0 lawn, not even a balcony or rooftop!). I spend a lot of my free time reading. When I knit, I like to watch funny shows like "Dog Bites Man," "King of the Hill" or "Home Movies."

17. Do you collect anything (besides yarn!)
I don't have enough space for collectibles!

18. Are you on Ravelry? If so, share your ID!
Yes, it is a great a resource for free patterns! I rarely use the yarn recommended in the patterns I knit, so the yarn index list helps me find a comparable substitute.
My username is loveasaverb

19. Do you have any allergies?
Pineapple :(

20. Do you have any pets?
I have a wonderful American Staffordshire who I would love to brag about, but I'll save you the agony and just say she is the most affectionate, clever, and well-behaved dog I've ever met. We also have a Persian cat who is older than I am (she is 24 and going strong!). She really has character and interrupts conversations to meow at me.

Need to get these thoughts out of my head; the knitting is taking precedence over the homework!

2008-07-25T19:09:00.009-04:00

I wore my shoulder warmer to a friend's vernissage last night. Here is an action shot that was snapped when I wasn't paying attention:

Yes, I really am that lanky. My friends absolutely loved it and couldn't believe that I had made it myself. They were quite impressed, which of course was a huge compliment to me! I had a few nice pictures taken as well, and am waiting to for my friend to send them my way. Also got an actual shot of the bf and I, which is quite rare and therefore exciting. The vernissage was at the bar I used to bartend at -- don't think I've been back since last summer. I got pretty pissed off when I found out that I was supposed to be payed by the bar every night -- after working 5 or 6 months in which I was told the only money I made were my tips. "It's not retroactive," the owner laughed, when I told him that I hadn't been paid at all. Anyway, they have fixed it up quite nicely and my friend's photos looked wonderful.

In other news, I made myself a big yarn shopping list (and an appropriately named document, saved right in the middle of my desktop for easy access!). There are quite a few projects that I am eager to get started on.. My next visit to Ottawa (should be in a week or two) will involve going to a lovely little store that is crammed full of all sorts of yarn priced ridiculously low: odd balls, discontinued colours, et cetera. So I have a made list of which yarn is required for which projects, and I will shop for as many as I can. I want to make (in general order):
-- pair of felted Christmas stockings for the bf and I
-- the diamond rib lace shrug
-- a little cape for myself, though that will be a frivolous treat
-- the February Lady Sweater -- though I really should finish the Mrs. Darcy cardigan first!

I should be thinking in terms of Christmas knitting.. A sweater for bf (he has asked for Mr. Stripey, in black-grey-brown though I'm dreading another double-knit.. takes so long!). Decide on a scarf for the skein of Malabrigo intended for my grandmother. Find yarn for a scarf or shawl for Jack's mum -- have never met her, so I will just choose something gorgeous and hope for the best.

I am also taking part in my first swap (!!), through the local Ravelry group. I am pretty excited and have some need ideas for my swap partner. Hope she likes everything!

A promise that pictures will come soon:

2008-07-19T15:46:00.004-04:00

I have been quite productive! In two nights, I knit myself a turquoise shrug, based on Julia Allen's "Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet." I washed it and set it to block yesterday and it should be dry by tonight. The yarn (same as I'm using for Mrs. Darcy) is absolutely beautiful -- I love the colour and the sqooshiness of the wool. Knitters, you do know what I mean when I talk about "sqooshiness," right? The wool felt a bit scratchy when I tried it on, but the wash should have softened it up.

I don't think I've ever knit anything so quickly! Two nights! It didn't even make it onto my "on the needles" list in the sidebar. I also basically re-wrote the pattern, as I decided it would be quicker if I knit the shrug with double-stranded yarn. I will post my instructions once I have some pics; they will hopefully be useful to anyone else wanting to make a size small with double-stranded yarn.

The scarf that I am making for my brother's birthday gift is close to being done.. Well, the knitting at least -- then I have to weave in all those ends. Ugh. I did about.. seven stripes (so, fourteen ends) last night before I got fed up. The ends sometimes poke out of the scarf that I made the bf last year, so I might need to re-evaluate my technique.. That's one of the downsides of being a self-taught knitter: I'm not always sure if there is a better way to do something. Well, practice makes perfect! And I suppose I could get off my butt and try to make to a social gathering -- there are a few knit nights that take place fairly close by, but they never seem very convenient.

Excitement, and a contest

2008-07-13T23:58:00.006-04:00

IT'S DONE! I finished knitting my Hush Hush project this afternoon, and am really excited to block it. It is still in my sidebar at 99% until it is washed and blocked. I will hopefully add pics to my Rav project page soon, so the Ravelry users can see what all my excitement is about. Stay tuned.

ALSO I am very happy to share this wonderful contest with you. It is so easy to enter! Because I am a little bit incompetent tonight and can't figure out how to turn this button into something clickable, look at this:

(oooh.. ahh..) and click here. You have until July 31st.

And it goes on and on and on and on..

2008-07-05T17:01:00.007-04:00

For most of the past seven months, I've had less than one hour of knitting time per week. ISN'T THAT INSANE?? Any and every knitting project seems to take ages to complete.

Two weeks ago, my schedule opened up quite a bit so I am trying to buckle down on one particular project.. currently known as Hush-Hush. I'm working on it for my mother's 50th birthday; it is in her colours and an absolutely gorgeous stitch pattern.

Yarn from Tanis Fiber Arts; colourway "Royal Flush" (middle skein). On the left is Tanis's "Lilac" and on the right is Malabrigo "Snow Bird."

(I don't think she knows I have a blog but don't want to give out too many details -- just in case!)

However, I (somewhat foolishly) decided to use a sock yarn for this project.. I LOVE the yarn and LOVE the colours, but my goodness, it is taking ages. I worked really hard on Hush-Hush for the past two days, and went from being 20% done the project to 75% done. YAY ME. Current length is 50", and I am aiming for 66" before blocking..

THEN I still have to block. Which isn't a problem; I rather like blocking. It is a productive, almost relaxing process and I love to see the piece take its proper shape before my eyes. I was intimidated the first time that I had to do it, but holy moly it is so easy and so worthwhile. I won't do it here, but at my sister's the next time I head to Ottawa. The yarn can be machine washed, then I'll set it out to block. However, this means that I'll have Hush-Hush laying around chez moi for about a month before it is blocked and gifted! It's so soft and lovely that I'll have to hide it from myself..!

I can't wait to post the awesome pattern that I am using! And to show pictures! If you're on Ravelry you can get a sneak preview -- in the left-hand column of this blog, click on the "where my stitches at?" button to find my profile and browse my projects.

Corbin (wip)

2008-06-30T13:12:00.004-04:00

I estimate that I will have 100 ends to weave in when this is done.

Needle Conversion Chart

2008-06-24T22:22:00.003-04:00

For knitting needles and crochet hooks:

2008-06-24T15:49:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to update you on what I am working on right now:

The Mrs. Darcy cardigan has been given a bit of a rest -- I need to do some frogging and calculating for it, and really don't have the mental energy (or inclination) to work on it right now. I am hoping to complete it by late summer/early autumn, but that will depend on my work situation.

The Hush-Hush Royal Flush project is coming along well, but holy moly it is slow going! My deadline is late August, so I still have plenty of time for it. The yarn is so so lovely; I am really glad that I grabbed two skeins of hand-dyed yarn from Tanis Fiber Arts.

Last week I picked up some yarn for a quick project. My brother requested a scarf, so I decided to knit one for his birthday gift. Yes, his birthday is in August, but he goes to University on the other side of the country. Thia way, he will have the scarf when it starts getting chilly. I wanted it to be inexpensive and washable (boys are messy, you know!) so I grabbed a few skeins of acrylic. Here are the colours:

Unfortunately, I couldn't find four appropriate colours of the same brand, so one of the skeins is a bit thicker. It affects the width of the scarf ever-so-slightly, so the stripes are narrowest for that yarn.

More to come!

Maddy's Jacket

2008-05-24T16:31:00.008-04:00

Wow, it has been a while since I've posted here! I've had a FO to share, but it was waiting to be gifted so it was a bit hush hush. Here it is:

Project: Maddy's Jacket
Made for: baby Lawrence
Pattern: Peach Blossom Baby Jacket by Looking Glass Knits
New Skills: Raglan, first jacket, DPNs

You may notice that the sleeves looks a little off: the jacket is actually knit in twisted stockingette, whereas the sleeves are regular stockingette. It wasn't done on purpose -- this project helped me realize that I've been wrapping the yarn the wrong way on the purl sts, so it has been twisting. I knew something was up! Some fellow self-taught leftie knitters on lj helped me figure out what I was doing wrong. I still think it looks cute, but wish the sleeves matched!

The pattern said that this could all be done on straights, but there was no way I could pick up the sleeve stitches -- so it forced me to learn how to use DPNs a little sooner than I'd planned to.

Otherwise, the pattern was excellent and I really love the finished product. I wanted something that was not too cutesy or traditional to match the parents' personalities.

I started knitting this before the gender of the baby was known and used some blue acrylic* I've had for a while, and picked up some lovely soft yellow to compliment it. I think it would look sweet on either gender, but baby ended up being a girl so I picked up some yellow buttons to finish it off. She definitely won't fit into it for a little while, but I'm excited to see how it looks on her

It's not perfect, but I think it is pretty adorable for my first sweater.

*NOTE baby clothes and blankets generally should not be knit with acrylic. They are traditionally knit with wool because it burns very reluctantly, and is self-extinguishing (the flame will go out when taken away from the source of fire). Acrylic, on the other hand, could melt into a baby's skin. Of course, you hope your baby won't be surrounded by flames, but remember that he/she has no way to move away from them. I only used acrylic because this is a jacket, not sleep wear, so she won't be unattended while wearing it. I also let the parents know, and they were glad to hear that it is machine-washable!

Feather & Fan Scarf

2008-04-20T15:54:00.005-04:00

I wanted to knit a light, lovely scarf for my Great Aunt Jenny who is dying of cancer. She lives in England and I can't go visit, but I wanted to send her a tangible expression of love, comfort, and well wishes.

Project: Jenny's Scarf
Pattern: Easy Lace Scarf by Knitters Review
Made for: Aunt Jenny
New skill: Lace knitting, beaded fringe

I had a moment of panic while knitting -- what if wool is irritable to cancer patients? Would a lace scarf be appropriate for springtime on the southern English coast? I was reassured, and finished knitting it a few days later. I used some lovely sock yarn that was hand-dyed by a local fiber artist. I highly recommend the yarn -- the colours are gorgeous, the price is right, AND this 80% wool -- 20% nylon blend is machine washable and dryable. Check out Tanis Fiber Arts on Etsy.

After blocking, the scarf measured 6' (before blocking, it was as long as my desk at work, I'll have to measure that on Monday!).

I decided it could use some embellishment, so I headed over to the neighbourhood bead shop and picked up some pretty gold beads, figured out how to wrangle them onto the yarn, et voila.

I wrapped up the scarf with a nice bar of Verbena-scented soap and mailed it off on Wednesday.

Old Shale

2008-04-09T22:59:00.004-04:00

Yes! I finished knitting on Monday, and blocked it tonight. Should be dry in the morning..

I'm thinking I will add beaded fringe, so I'll need to head over to Bidz soon.. Probably won't have a chance until this weekend -- maybe tomorrow, if they're open into the evening.

I'll tell the story of it when I post the final pictures.

Nintendo DS Lite Cover

2008-04-05T14:53:00.007-04:00

Project: DS cover
Pattern: Seamless Nintendo DS Lite Sock by Kathryn Ivy
Made for: Me
New skill: Seamless double-knit pouch

I'm not the type to knit cozies for items just for the sake of having cozies. I did, however, want my (ok, the bf's) DS Lite protected from scratches.

I was going to knit this using the leftover skein from Jack's mosaic scarf. He always carries his PSP in a case, so I thought he'd like one for the DS as well. Good thing I told him before knitting it -- he told me he wouldn't use a case for the DS so I should save my yarn; he has one for PSP only because the screen is exposed. I always have a ton of crap in my purse and didn't want the DS to get too badly scratched, so I made one anyway. Just in purple instead.

This yarn is leftover from the calorimetry that I made my sister for her birthday. It is absolutely lovely, I recommend it: Queensland Collection Rustic Wool in colour 09.

And yes, that's an Ice Blue DS. Isn't it lovely? It has been loaded it up with Tetris, Sudoku, and old school Mario Bros for me to play, along with a ton of other games I just haven't tried!

Monsteress's Extra Yummy PB Cookies

2008-04-03T21:52:00.009-04:00

1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
Dash of water
Dash of salt
1 1/4 cup flour (might need an extra sprinkle)

Mix the milk, egg, pb and water in a large bowl. Add salt and gradually mix in flour. Roll out the dough and cut with your favourite cookie cutters.

Bake at 350'

(I love my dog, and my cookie cutter!)

Matilda

2008-03-28T20:51:00.004-04:00

I started this blog with the intention of showcasing my creations, but phew, I am so tired lately. I will use this post to show off a project I finished in November:

Project: Mosaic scarf
Pattern: Matilda by Silke Hupka
Made for: Jack
New skill: Double knit, slip stitch, working with two colours

This scarf is amazing, I am so happy with it! It was my first serious, wanna-make-it-perfect project. I made it as part of Jack's Christmas present and put a lot of time and effort into it. The doubleknit took exceedingly long (I worked on this DAILY for over a month) but makes it so cosy. I chose the brown-grey Kureyon because it looks great with a variety of his jackets.

Yarn: Noro Kureyon, 100% wool, colour 149 (2 skeins); Inca Gold Marra, 70% merino 30% baby alpaca, black (3 skeins). The Kureyon pissed me off, I probably won’t use it anymore: BOTH skeins had that issue where it wasn’t one consistent string of yarn but had been tied to another. This happened in TWO places in the second skein which was spun terribly uneven to the point of near-breakage! Bah. The other yarn was lovely though.

One of the first people to compliment Jack on the scarf were two old ladies who coludn't believe his girlfriend had knit it for him. They told him it was well done and a beautiful pattern -- I think it was good to hear that from someone other than me!

Hand-wash only.

Stitch markers

2008-03-21T12:06:00.006-04:00

A couple of months ago, I was working on a project that required stitch markers. I was in a hurry so went and bought a pack from a chain store for a couple of dollars, but really didn't like them. They were big and clunky and made quite large holes where I used them in the piece. I can't post a picture as it is a Secret Project, so just trust me on it..

So, a few days ago I made my own stitch markers:

Materials:
17 ga wire
needle-nose pliers
wire cutter (sometimes on the pliers)
beads

You also need something to wrap the wire around to make a circle; this should be big enough in diameter that the stitch markers can be used on different sized needles. I used a whiteout pen and they are hanging from a 6mm needle in the picture. You can see that there is plenty of room for them to be slid onto larger needles, and because the wire is such a fine gauge you do not need to wore about noticeable holes in your work where the yarn was pulled over the markers.

1. Cut a piece of wire 3-4"
2. Wrap wire around the pen and twist together for about 0.5"
3. Add beads to one end of the wire
4. Fold the wire over the beads and wind it around the middle.
5. Trim excess wire, press in ends with pliers so it doesn't snag your yarn.

I used beads that I already had, so only had to spend a few dollars on the wire -- and I got tons. This is a quick and simple craft and I plan to make more!

2008-03-14T18:01:00.001-04:00