cast on!

"Before beginning, thread 360 beads onto working end of yarn ..."

bare needles

So the only thing I really have on the needles right now is my FLS.  I'm feeling pretty bored with it, but I keep on trucking because I want to be done so I can move on to other things.

Somewhere along the way, I think I've become a monogamous knitter.  I think it was with C's vest.  I was so afraid I'd still be knitting that thing at my retirement party that I decided I would just work on it until it was done.  Surprise!  It was done in four weeks.  That method worked so well, I've cranked out one project at a time ever since.

But now I'm getting bored, and I think I need something else on the needles.  Having some variety in projects to choose from keeps my mojo from going flat.

So I think I'm going to cast on a new lace project.  I have all the materials I need to start my Thundercloud Cowl.

Pattern picture from knitpicks.com

I'm so excited to use this Knitpicks Aloft!  I haven't used mohair before, but I've always wanted to.  I'm looking forward to these beads, too.  I'm not usually into sparkle, but for some reason, I'm excited about it with this cowl. 

So I think I'll cast this on tonight or tomorrow, and hopefully the excitement of a new project will seep into my old project, too.

FO: Daybreak

At one point, it seemed like everyone on Ravelry was talking about or making Daybreak.  Somehow, I found myself on the shawlette train this summer, and I made a bunch of them.  So I figured I was ready to tackle this one.

After I cast on, my first impression was, "Holy stockinette, Batman.  This is a lot of purling."  Just at the point I was starting to get bored, the stripes started.  Now, it's still basically stockinette, but the variation of the stripes and the slipped stitches kept it interesting.

This shawl is so architectural.  It's lines are crisp and straight, something that's not common in knitting.  I had no idea it would turn out so huge!  But I love it.

I used two different kinds of yarn.  The grey is Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light and the white is Valley Yarns Charlemont.  I enjoyed working with both of them, and they worked well together.  The Ultra Alpaca is a little coarser, with stray fibers.  It's not sheddy, just a little tiny bit fury.  The Charlemont is a bit shiny and very smooth.  I very rarely use two different yarns in one project.  I was a little nervous about them blocking differently, but I had no problems at all.
 
Ravelry page

FO parade

While we were on vacation, I started and finished a couple of things.  They need a moment in the spotlight.

On the way to the airport, I bound off the Rose Red beret, a Ysolda pattern.

I used Valley Yarns Deerfield, an alpaca and silk blend in a DK weight. 

This yarn is very inexpensive, but feels like a treat.  Ysolda, of course, has beautiful designs that are fun to knit.  A combination of lace and cables = perfect.

Ravelry project page

I finished Little A's second February Baby Sweater.  It is pretty stinking cute on her.

I lovelovelove this Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern.  It's zippy fast, practical and beautiful.  I used Valley Yarns Superwash in the teal colorway.  I think the bright orange buttons take a sweet, classic sweater and make it just a teeny bit edgy.

Ravelry project page

Then I cast on a Shawl Collared Cowl for my mom using Cascade Yarns Baby Alpaca Chunky.

I'm not quite decided on this one yet.  It seems like there needs to be a button to keep the bottom layer more stable.  If I had a coat on over it, maybe that would keep it in place better.  I have some yarn to make myself one. 

Ravelry project page

I've finished a couple other things since we got home, but I'm still slogging away on my February Lady Sweater.

How wrong would it be to cast on another sweater before I finish this one?

Blocking!

Blocking is amazing.  It's like magic.  I love looking at all those little stitches, relaxing into their new permanent home, all lined up like obedient soldiers.  Seeing pieces on the blocking boards is the first time I see what I've accomplished.  It's almost as satisfying to me as wearing the finished object. 

It does take some effort.  I spent about 40 minutes blocking this piece--longer than I've spent blocking anything else, even whole sweaters.  It took that long because I threaded blocking wires through every edge.  I wanted to avoid the little shark teeth that can result from blocking a smooth edge with pins.  When the piece dries, it pulls in a bit, leaving the fabric pinned down looking jagged.  So I spent the time with the blocking wires.  And in the scheme of a two week project, 40 minutes to make it look finished is nothing.

I learned about blocking from my mom and the internet.  It used to sound so complicated and mysterious, like it was this warp zone that only the really good knitters knew about.  But it's actually one of the easiest knitting techniques you can use.

I wet block everything.  I let the item soak in warm water for 15 minutes.  Longer if I forget about it.  Then I gently squeeze it out, not wringing it, since this can damage fibers.  Then I lay it out on a towel, roll the towel up, and kneel on it.  It's very important to make sure the cats are locked out of the room from this point on, since wet wool drives them bonkers.

Next, I spread the piece out, either on my blocking mats, or on an old sheet spread out over the floor if the blocking mats aren't big enough.  We have a spare bedroom with plenty of floor real estate for blocking, but before we moved to this house, I used the dining room table to spread out the blocking mats.  Then I'd put the mats on top of the fridge.  They were out of the way, out of the cats' reach, and--bonus--it was nice and warm up there.

Then it's just a matter of pulling and squishing into shape.  It's pretty important to have a tape measure with you so you can make sure your pieces match your measurements or schematic.  For the number of tape measures I own, I find myself without one an inexcusable number of times.  Even with shawls, where size isn't very important, you need a tape measure to make sure everything is symmetrical.  I always let my pieces sit for 48 hours.  I figure, even in the most humid of weather, they're totally dry.  And it's good to practice patience. 

I blocked my Daybreak two nights ago, which means, it's time to take out the wires and see what I've created!

Blogvember!

It's not an original thought, but what are the interwebs for if not for stealing other peoples' good thoughts?  This month, I'm going to attempt to blog each day. 

The challenge, I think, will be pictures.  It's getting dark earlier, which means less time for pictures.  And for some reason, getting out the usb cable feels like a chore.  Remember when you had to drive to the drug store, wait three whole days, and then pick up a little bundle of paper with your pictures on them?  So I don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to complaining about opening up one drawer and plugging in one cable. 

So here's what I've been up to lately: sewing!  I made my little girl a sheep costume for Halloween.  I used Simplicity 2068. 

I took sewing lessons when I was little, but it's been a while since I really sewed anything.  I have an adorable little toddler now, and it seems like I should do what I can to capitalize on the cuteness.  This learn to sew with big fuzzy felt pattern seemed like a good way to get back into it. 

This pattern was definitely incredibly easy.  I think it took me three hours from cutting to hemming.  Which is good, since I started the whole project on October 29.  I made size 2, and I think it will fit for next year!  I love how it came out.  I recommend the pattern!

She was a sheep.  I was a shepherd.

I have a couple of other things in my queue for her now.  I'm in the middle of making Simplicity 2016. 

I started it a couple of weeks ago, but ran into a problem.  I was trying to put in a zipper without a zipper foot.  (Remember how bothered I am when it comes to getting out my usb cord?  Yeah, driving all the way to the fabric store for a replacement zipper foot wasn't as appealing as just trying to do without.)  I accidentally hit the metal piece at the top of the teeth, and my machine died.  The repairman said that I had an electrical problem and a timing problem, and he fixed everything for $65.  And now my machine works beautifully! 
I got it back just in time to make the Halloween costume, so now nothing's stopping me from finishing up the dress.

I also am thinking about some jumpers from Simplicity 2574.

When I was dressing Little A the other day, though, I tried to put on a new purple jumper and she howled!  She cried real tears, like a jumper was too much of a life disappointment to tolerate at 7:30 am.  So I don't know if she's against jumpers or against the color purple or what.  I might see if I can get her to wear another jumper before I invest time in this one. 

The only problem with the sewing is that I can't knit at the same time.  Choices, choices.

Vacation!

We took 10 days vacation at the beginning of October and flew to California to see my parents.  I love spending time with my family and I love getting to be back in the West.  I feel the right size out there, where the horizon is so far away and the mountains are enormous and the sky is open and breezy and light.  I know Appalachians love the comfort of their mountains, but I usually end up feeling like a sweater that's been crammed in the bottom dresser drawer all summer.  When I get out West, I feel like I can finally take a deep breath. 

In order to take vacation, we had to work like crazy the week before and the week after.  And getting there and back was almost heart-attack inducing.  Actually, getting there was a dream.  Little A is 18 months old, so the airlines say she can fly for free.  Flying for free means you don't pay for a seat, which means you don't get one.  On the way out, we had an extra seat in our row, so she had a seat to herself and had a great time.  She slept and I gripped about not bringing my knitting.  I didn't think I would have a free hand to myself, let alone two, and I didn't want to chance my needles through airport security for nothing.

The way back, however ... different story.  Our connecting flight to LAX was delayed by 3 hours, so we missed our connecting flight to Pittsburgh.  They rerouted us on a different airline, which left us with a 35 minute layover in LAX.  Did you know Terminal 5 at LAX is under major construction?  It looked like a perfect backdrop for a Halloween thriller about someone getting murdered at an abandoned airport, except that it was absolutely crammed with people.  We didn't have boarding passes for the flight, just a tiny itinerary that said our plane was in Terminal 6. 

Someone in the temporary signs department at LAX has had a tragic life, where humor can only be found in sending hapless strangers running all over the place in a panic.  We ran the length of the terminal twice looking for passage to Terminal 6 before someone told us we had to go to Gate 62B or whatever to take a shuttle.  The sign for the shuttle was huge.  The words that told you that the shuttle went to Terminal 6 were half an inch tall.  They wouldn't let us on the shuttle with our stroller, so they told us to get on the elevator, walk through the tunnel, run into the wall at platform 9 3/4 and then get on another elevator to Terminal 6. 

The right elevator was hidden behind some kind of forcefield that kept it indestinguishable to the mortal eye.  We did, however, find a wrong elevator that took us from the bottom of a broken escalator to the top of the broken escalator.  We were totally alone, way back in some terminal warp zone, and no one was even pretending to pardon the mess.  Chains were hanging from the ceiling and tools were laying around and I would not have been surprised to see a bloody body strewn across the escalator.  Maybe I've been watching too many episodes of Castle.

Once we found the right elevator, it dumped us into an eternally long hallway with solitary light bulbs every thirty feet.  I found the breath to shout to C, "Are we in a mental institution horror movie?" as we ran with all we had.  At this point, I remembered that we were parents of a small child, and checked to make sure she was still in her stroller.  She was.  Then we passed a sign that said something like, "If you hear a siren, evacuate the tunnel.  The gate will close and the tunnel will fill with carbon monoxide."  We held our breath as we ran under a guillotine-like gate. 

We came up the elevator on the other side into a glorious terminal.  It was the Taj-Mahal of terminals.  It was the holy land of Terminal 6 for those who had spent forty years wandering through the wilderness of Terminal 5.  We felt victorious as we approached plasma flat-screen panels ... which told us that our flight was boarding from a gate in Terminal 5. 

Half a second and many expletives later, we were forcing our way onto the shuttle, stroller and all.  Now we're outside, riding across the tarmac we just ran under, and it's 90 degrees.  We're wearing sweaters and coats because, after all, it's October.  We make it back to the first level of hell, aka Terminal 5, and I take off, leaving C with the stroller.  I manage to eek out, "Detroit!" as I pass out on the gate counter, and the woman behind it, who apparently has had such a blessed career that she's never had to deal with any one missing boarding call, says, "Why are you so late?" 

They shove us onto the fully boarded plane without boarding passes, and when I tell the flight attendant I don't have a seat assignment, she says, "That's not my job.  You'll have to talk to a ticket agent."  The ticket agent has followed us onto the plane and tells us to sit wherever we can find a seat.  I find a seat between two women who thought they had scored a little extra room on a four hour flight.  They didn't seem eager to welcome two very sweaty people to their tiny neighborhood.  C got the last seat.  In an emergency exit row.  Which meant little A was all mine. 

Our last flight from Detroit to Pittsburgh was boarding when we arrived, but it was only 3 gates down.  So we made it.  And when it comes to flying across the country, any trip that ends with "we made it" is a good trip.  And it's better than taking covered wagon across the prairie for four months.  And we got to spend a lot of time with my family.  So I'd run through Terminal 5 again if I had to. 

Another great thing about being on vacation, in addition to losing 2 pounds on the LAX cardio workout, is getting in a ton of knitting.  I have heaps of FOs to show you.  Next time!