Beginnings of a Sock & 7 Things

I really love knitting on planes--I find it very relaxing. I'm not a nervous flyer, but knitting really helps pass the time. Just before our trip to San Diego, I came across the Diagonal Rib Socks pattern from Knitting Daily and decided they would be perfect for the trip.


I'm not very far, but the plane ride to San Diego is not very long! Plus, on the way back I was sleepy, and decided I needed to read a fluffy magazine instead (my other travel must).

I'm knitting these out of Koigu, and now I know why people love this yarn so much. The color in the photo is way off. San Francisco has been having some overcast weather, so it is hard to get good photos. It's not pink/magenta at all, but really more of a deep plum. I'm loving working with this yarn!

Right Out Loud tagged me for the 7 Random Things meme. I'm glad it wasn't the 8 Things one that is also going around, because it is hard to come up with this stuff!

1. My husband and I were married in New Orleans under a giant oak tree a year before Hurricane Katrina. We think the tree is still there, but are not sure. I have so many good memories there, that I think it would be depressing to visit there now.

2. Since graduating from college, I have lived in 5 states: Florida, Wisconsin (my home state), Illinois, Michigan and now California. I grew up in a small town near Green Bay and always wanted to get out and live in a big city. This is one of the few things I imagined myself doing as a child/teen that actually came true!

3. I'm pretty shy, and I especially dislike large groups of strangers. I find mass networking events especially unpleasant.

4. I've always been into art and craft, and I was an art major in college. I was especially into pinhole photograpy and printmaking. A newer interest of mine has been book arts.

5. In high school track, my event was discus. My school didn't really have any good female shot putters, so all the girls who did discus also had to do shot put. I've always been fairly wimpy, and I got by with discus by having "good form". That didn't really work with shot put, so this event could get pretty mortifying at times!

6. I've only had two cars. The first was an '88 Plymouth Sundance, that I finally replaced about two and half years ago. It still ran very well, but both air conditioning and heat were issues. When the ceiling started falling down, that was the last straw:)

7. Normally, I'm not an indecisive shopper, but whenever I receive a gift certificate, I have a very difficult time deciding what to use it for. For some reason, I feel like I need to purchase something special with it. As a result, I tend to hold onto to them for a long time before finding the right thing.

OK, if you are one of the 5 people out there who hasn't done this meme and would like to, consider yourself tagged!

Finished Sweater and San Diego Fun

Well, I finished my sweater... yesterday. I decided early Friday night that it wasn't worth stressing to finish it. The night before a trip is crazy enough as is.

Pattern: A Sweater for All Ages from The Yarn Girls Guide to Beyond the Basics
Yarn: Artful Yarns Fable
Mods: Added 1.5 inches to length.

This sweater turned out fairly well over all. I only used 2 of the 3 skeins called for in the pattern, which was nice. I like the fit as well.

However, even though I added an inch and a half to the length it is still way too short. We're talking stomach exposing (see second photo). This is the second sweater I've made from this book, and I had the same problem with the first, although not nearly so bad. I'll definitely be keeping this in mind if I make anything else from the book.

Not a very good photo, but I think you get the idea. Believe it or not, I was pulling it down the whole time I was taking photots.

Since I have so much yarn left, I guess I could undo the side seams a little and add a few inches to the bottom. I'd definitely wear it more if it was longer. What a pain though!

We had a really fun trip to San Diego. The weather was warmer than the mid-60s they were predicting, so we were a little toasty. We stayed in a really nice hotel with an amazingly comfortable bed. It was great!


What wasn't nice was being woken up by the fire alarm going off at 2am! Talk about terrifying. I think we would have been burned to a crisp by the time we made it downstairs if there had been a real fire, but thankfully someone had just burned their popcorn! It was hard to fall back asleep after that.


Saturday we walked to Balboa Park, which was really pretty. The architecture of all the buildings was beautiful and it was very warm. I wish I had packed my shorts!

We had a good time at Petco Park, too, although the Brewers lost both of their games. As you can imagine, Joel wasn't very happy. We had great seats for both games which was a plus though. The food at this stadium was pretty bad, although we had club seats for the second game, so the options were a little better. You can tell what I go to games for!


Before the game on Sunday, we walked around the waterfront for a couple of hours. I was determined to wear the only pair of sandals I brought, even though I knew they wouldn't be good for walking around in. I think I may have jinxed the second game by wearing a Padres bandaid over my blister. Oops!

TGIF!

I’m so close to finishing my sweater. I just need to seam the sides (the shoulders and sleeves are done) and then add some ribbing around the neck and front placket. I can still do it. Right?!?!?!

We are leaving at the crack of dawn* tomorrow morning. This is not your normal sightseeing trip; it’s more of a baseball pilgrimage. My husband loves the Milwaukee Brewers, and they are having a great year. Unfortunately, since our move away from Chicago we are no longer a short 2-hour drive away from Milwaukee.

So we are traveling to San Diego to see the Brewers play on Saturday and Sunday, and then we are heading back to San Francisco on Sunday evening. Hopefully, we can squeeze some of the sights in… a whirlwind tour at the least!

I’m not really a baseball fan, but I definitely enjoy the atmosphere, people and food. Plus, Joel is really excited, so it should be fun. They are also playing three games in San Francisco in August… you know where we’ll be then.


We had the day off on Wednesday, and so we decided to go to Alcatraz. It was really interesting.


Alcatraz is swarming with birds. I’ve developed something of a bird phobia, as I seem to be a magnet for bird poop. I can normally be seen running for cover anytime there is a flock of birds flying overhead. Wouldn’t you know it? Right before we left, one got my jacket. Pretty soon, I won’t be able to bring myself to go outdoors anymore!


* I normally consider anytime before 6am “the crack of dawn”, and we need to catch a 7:30am flight, so I’m sure you can feel my pain.

Making Progress

I'm still holding out hope that my sweater will be finished in time for our trip. I finished the back Friday night, but didn't work on it much over the weekend. Last night I cast on for the front, and finished a few inches...


but I still have quite a bit to go. I'll see how many inches I can add tonight.

The yarn is a really nice blend of pima cotton and silk. It's a mix of colors I wouldn't normally go for... kind of a salmon, dusty mauve/purple and light khaki mix... but I really like it anyway. I'm making a small size because all of my other cotton sweater have really stretched out, but I'm starting to worry that it will be too small.

We spent a little time in the East Bay this weekend, and on the way back we stopped on Treasure Island. I've always been curious to check it out. There wasn't too much to see, but the view of San Francisco is great.


Aside from knitting, I have a new obsession. I first had this tea at my office, and it is so good.


It's hard to get excited about tea, but this Sweet & Spicy Tea is amazing. It's a really flavorful red tea, and the name says it all. Plus, it smells delicious. I pictured myself searching all over for it, but found it at Traders Joe's.

I realize the weather is probably getting hot everywhere else, but it's chilly here. At least I can still enjoy a cup of hot tea!

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

I am so happy that it's Friday, and my weekend has begun. I have been feeling sleep deprived all week, and now I can finally catch up. It's pretty rare that I ever get enough sleep. I've always enjoyed staying up late, and I have a hard time getting to bed at a decent hour.

In addition to sleeping, I'm hoping to get a lot of knitting done this weekend. We are going to San Diego next weekend, and earlier this week I started thinking how nice it would be to have a new sweater to wear. A hand-knit sweater.

I realize that I am most likely totally deluding myself that this will be finished by next weekend, but I am still optimistic at this point. Things in my favor: cap sleeves, heavy worsted yarn and a super simple pattern. What's working against me is the lack of time and the fact that this sweater will need to be seamed.

I'm still holding out hope though. I'm almost to the armholes on the back, and it should progress quickly after that. I have a day off in the middle of next week as well. Cross your fingers for me!

I'm slightly embarrassed to say that we are still not completely unpacked from our move in February. For the most part we are done, but this apartment is so small that we seem to have run out of space to put things. There are still a few pictures to be hung as well.

The sign in the second photo used to hang in our dining room, but in our new apartment the kitchen and dining/living room are one big room. There really isn't a good wall to hang it on. We finally decided to hang it from the ceiling. That will be my other weekend project.

Taking It All In

After a couple weekends devoted to watching Footballer's Wives (which devolves pretty quickly from fun/trashy to just plain stupid), our last few weekends have been spent enjoying our new city and surrounding areas. Last weekend we tried some new restaurants and went to our favorite local bakery. Yum!

We also went to Moss Beach, which was really interesting. During low tide you can walk out on the reef--we saw lots of hermit crabs, plants, mussels and one star fish. Sea lions also hang out there. By the time we turned around and started heading back toward our car, the tide was really high. We went around a corner and there were about 20 of them on the beach within about 50 feet of us. That is the closest I will probably ever come to a sea lion. It was a little scary!

I've made some progress on my scarf...


I'd say it's about half done, maybe a little less. It's actually a fast moving project--when I'm knitting on it that is! I should be able to wear this year round with the cool weather we have here. As summer approaches, it seems to be getting cooler. So strange!

Slow Going

For a while there, I felt like I was turning out completed projects left and right. But now that I have a job again, I remember why I didn't get as much knitting done before. It's not really that I have less time, although that is true. It's more like a lack of motivation--my inner couch potato is returning--and a bit of knitter's ennui.

I know this won't last, but lately I have been more interested in thinking about knitting than actually picking up needles. I've been going through my books, and I picked up a couple new ones, too.


I have been eyeing both of these books for a while, and I finally gave in and bought them. The first, domiknitrix, is a really interesting book visually. Each page is like a little piece of art. It has lots of instruction and not just the basics, so it will make a good reference.

1. The Slink, 2. Swizzle Vest, 3. Bob Dobbs Vest, 4. City Coat

Some of the patterns are a little crazy, but there are some good ones, too. My favorite is the City Coat. Joel wants me to make him the Bob Dobbs vest, but I want to make sure he'll actually wear it before investing hours in it.

1. Rowena Cardigan, 2. Pimlico Shrug, 3. Peapod Cardigan, 4. Luxe Neck Warmer, 5. House Slippers, 6. Baby Cape

Knit 2 Together is the other book, and Tracy Ullman is a co-author. I find it really interesting that she is a knitter, and it sounds like she really knows what she's doing, too. This book has so many cute patterns--above are just a few of my favorites. I really love the Rowena and Pea Pod Cardigans. I even like the slippers, and normally I think knitted slippers are tacky.

Now I just need to take Tracey's advice to, "Go Home!! Go home! And knit."

Up Next...

I've never been much of a swatcher. I do swatch, but I usually only knit a couple of inches, and that's it. Swatching is one of my least favorite parts of knitting, mostly because I become very impatient to start the project. Needless to say, I never block my swatches as many people recommend... until now.

I'm working on a silk lace scarf, and I knew that I wouldn't get a good idea of the end result without doing a proper swatch. So I knit a little more than usual (still not a full 4 inches though!) and then blocked it. You can really tell the difference between what's on the needles and what the end result will be. As you can see, I need to practice my blocking technique. It's a little wonky!

This is my first lace project, and it's really simple. I hope I don't make too many mistakes though, because I really hate ripping back when yarn-overs are involved.

I also picked up some yarn to make the U-Neck Vest from Fitted Knits. I've wanted to make a vest for a while, and I think this will be a good pattern. The yarn is Cascade 222 Quattro, and it's really pretty. It's not quite as bright as in the photo.

This (and all the other projects I have going!) should keep me busy for a while.

A Finished Pair of Mitts

The mitts are finally complete. I really only spent a few days working on them, but those few days seemed to be dragged out over a couple of weeks.



Pattern: Dashing from Knitty.com
Yarn: Mountain Colors Twizzle
Needles: US6 DPNs

This was a fun pattern, and if I had knit consistently on them, they would have been finished in a few days. The yarn was great to work with--so soft and the colors are beautiful. It's generally pretty chilly here, so these are perfect. I'd like to make a pair for myself at some point, but I would definitely make them shorter if I did. They are very long on me.

My husband is happy as well. Believe it or not, this is the first thing I've knit for him. I'm a selfish knitter! There is a much promised sweater in the works, but I haven't worked on it for quite a while. Hopefully, these will keep him happy for a while.

Loving the Library

My mitts are coming along slowly but surely. I had a minor setback last night when I realized, just before starting the second set of cables, that I had done the first set in the wrong direction. I briefly considered continuing on, but then decided to rip back. They really do knit up quick, and I only had to do ten rows over, so it wasn't too bad. I'm hoping to finish them this week.

One of my favorite things about San Francisco so far (and this may say something about me) is that the local library is two blocks away. It is small but has a surprisingly good selection. One of the best parts though is that you can access the catalog, reserve and renew online.


We moved here from Chicago, and although you could check the catalog online, you had to do everything else in person. I have problems with returning books on time and have been known to rack up some sizable fines, so this makes me very happy!

I went a little crazy requesting books from other branches, so now I have quite the stack of knitting books. It has been so much fun going through them. Of course, I've picked out a few that I want to buy. My favorites are Wrap Style, Modular Knits, The Opinionated Knitter and Hip Knit Hats.

Next Monday is my first paycheck, so maybe I will pick one (or two!) up. Also dangerous: my new office is about three blocks from a yarn store. This is where I picked up the lovely yarn for my Cable Footies. They have a very nice selection, but it is a little pricey. Hopefully, that will help keep me away!

On top of Mt. Diablo

I have had very little time to knit in the past week--due to my first week at the new job and also Turbo Tax hell (I'll never wait until the 17th to file again--that is for sure!). I did manage to finish one mitt over the weekend, and I should be able to finish the other this week. It turned out very well, but it's really long. Too long for me, but OK for my husband.

We went to Mt. Diablo on Saturday. The views were amazing, and the pictures don't do justice since it was really overcast. We drove to the top, passing many bikers and hikers struggling to make it up. They all looked about ready to fall over in exhaustion.

It was so cold and windy at the top, but we took a few pictures before jumping back in the car.

A pretty picnic spot for a much warmer day!

Before heading home, we went to BevMo! and stocked up. Who can resist a 5 cent wine sale? Not us!

Dashing Along

I started (and restarted) these mitts this weekend. The first time I had some cable and sizing issues. So I ripped them out and began again with a much better result.


They are for my husband, and I promise that they fit him much better than they look on me in the photo. The yarn is really great. So soft and lovely. I spent just a few hours on them yesterday, and I feel like I have a lot to show for it. Sometimes you need a little instant gratification!

Elfish Feet?

My footies are complete!

Pattern: Cable Footies from One Skein by Leigh Radford
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted
Needles: US6 DPNs

I loved everything about this project - from the beautiful, soft yarn to the simple cable pattern. They were so quick to knit that second sock syndrome was never really an issue. Perfect for my chilly apartment!

The one thing I was unsure of was the kitchener stitch. I remember feeling this way after my first pair of socks was complete as well. Does anyone know of a good tutorial or book I could refer to in the future?

The toes turned out very pointy. They fit me well though, so I guess that is the shape of my foot. The footies stand up on their own, and I think they look like wacky elf shoes when they're not on. Very cute!

Completed Shrug

After a major ripping session, I finished my shrug last night. This was such a fun project!

Pattern: Two-tone Ribbed Shrug from Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel.
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needles: US6 for body and US3 for ribbing

I really enjoyed knitting this shrug. The only problem I had was with the ribbed increases, and it was my own fault and [somewhat] easily rectified. The sleeves are shorter than I would have liked, but I'm hoping they'll lengthen with a good blocking. If not, I'm OK with how they are now.

I love the colors, too. I didn't have anything specific in mind when I went the yarn store, and this is what I came home with. Even though its purple, it feels somewhat neutral, and it will go with a lot of things.

I told myself I wouldn't start anything new until I finished something, and I kept my promise. I seem to have a million things on the needles right now! I picked up some Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted a while ago, and it has been taunting me. So last night after weaving in the last ends on the shrug I cast on for the Cabled Footies from One Skein.

The yarn is so amazing. Very soft and the colors are just beautiful. I'd love to knit a sweater with this yarn, but I think that would totally break the bank. I will just have to enjoy my footies. This is going to be a quick project--the socks are short and the yarn is thick!

Knitting Inventory

Last night I decided to inventory my knitting needles, just to see exactly what I have. Most of the needles (apart from some of the circulars and DPNs) were inherited from my mom, who in turn inherited them from her MIL.

What I learned: I have an obscene amount of needles (only a very small portion is pictured). Many are duplicates of the same size. For instance, I could have six projects going on size 15 needles at one time. This does not seem very likely to ever happen, thankfully!

I have no plans to get rid of any of any needles--at least at this point. They have sentimental value, and of course, it's nice to be able to start most projects without having to purchase needles. The only times I need to buy needles are occasionally for circular and smaller size DPNs. The straights are definitely covered!

I've also been going through my yarn to pick out projects for Project Spectrum: April/May. The colors are pink, green and yellow. I have absolutely no yellow, and I doubt that will change soon, but I do have some pink and green.


Pinks:
Berroco Cotton Twist (back left) - I started Glampyre's mini sweater with this, but I'm not sure if I have enough or if this is a good sweater for me. Shadyside Studio Wools hand colored raw silk (front skein) - I'm deciding between two scarf patterns for this. Suss Twisted - I have two skeins, but I'm not sure what to use it for. I made a tank out of this last summer, and I loved it.




Green/Pink Combo:
Trekking (XXL), pictured with vintage Majesty needles. Only 65 cents! This will most likely be used for the Rhodie Gus Socks pattern from Through the Loops.



Greens:
Mountain Colors Twizzle (ball) - intended for Dashing from Knitty. Misti Alpaca Lace for Swallowtail Shawl from the fall 2006 Knits magazine. I'm not sure if my skills are up for tackling this yet. Manos del Uruguay - 5 skeins for the Hot Lava Cardigan from Blue Alvarez Designs.


This should keep me busy for a while!

A Little Bit of Progress

I've finished both sleeves on my Two-Toned Ribbed Shrug. This has been a simple and quick knit so far. I'd probably be close to finishing, but I needed to buy needles for the body ribbing.


I'm having a difficult time capturing the true colors of this yarn. The darker shade is a deep plum color. The body is a heathered purple with lots of blue. I'm really happy with the colors I chose--I don't wear much purple, but this will be nice for a change.

I've also made a little progress on one of the sleeves for my Hourglass Sweater. It is currently about elbow length. I'm having a really hard time getting into knitting on this sweater, but I do want to finish it soon. Part of the problem is that my gauge is off. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I cast on, but it should still fit. The sweater will just be a little more relaxed than I had originally planned.

In non-knitting news, I finally landed a job after living in San Francisco for two months. I'm really excited about it, and I'm sure my husband is, too! Hopefully, this doesn't cut into my knitting time too much, but at the very least, I will be able to afford lots of new yarn!

Project Spectrum - February & March

1. Cables in Chamonix--Complete!, 2. Camisole Tube, 3. Cupcakes, 4. Center Square on Joel, 5. Secret Window, 6. Haircuts, 7. Cavern Cardi, 8. Beads, 9. Finished Garter Scarf, 10. Into the Water, 11. Shades of Blue, 12. Sand Dollars, 13. Blue Cupcake

As you can see, blue is one of my favorite colors! I do have a few projects planned for April/May, and I'm sure a few unplanned ones will be started as well.

The Perfect Day

Yesterday was a really fun day and my birthday. I got up early and went to a local bakery, where I had my favorite, a cheese roll. So good, but not very healthy, I'm sure. From there I walked over to the Japanese Tea Garden. I have been meaning to visit for weeks, but just haven't made it.


It was so beautiful and peaceful. I love it! It was pretty crowded for a weekday morning, but not too bad.

In the afternoon I decided to check out a local yarn store. What a great store! There was so much yarn of all types stacked from floor to ceiling. They had all of my favorites and lots more to try. I had a some birthday money (thanks to Joel's mom and grandmother!), so I picked up a few things.

Cascade 220: 2 skeins of the lighter color and 1 of the darker. The colors are a little off here, but you get the idea. This is for the two-toned ribbed shrug in Fitted Knits.


Three skeins of Noro Silk Garden. The colors are off here, too. This is for More Stripes from the latest Knitty. There is quite a bit of orange in this colorway. I'm not really a big orange fan, but I think it goes well with the other colors.


I've already cast on for the shrug--not a very exciting photo! I have a bunch of works in progress right now... maybe too many.

I spent the rest of the day hanging out with my husband. We went out for some drinks and dinner... the perfect way to end the day.

All done!

After lots of procrastination, I finally put the finishing touches on my Cavern Cardi this afternoon. Just in time for the nice weather we are supposed to get later this week.

Cavern Cardigan by Cosmicpluto Knits
Yarn: GGH Illusion (recycled from Round Yoke Sweater)
Needles: US6 circular and DPNs

This sweater, a simple top-down pattern, progressed really quickly. I recycled the yarn from another sweater I knit last spring that I wasn't happy with. This is not my favorite yarn, that's for sure. Although I like the color and stripe effect, it snags like crazy. I think this is due to the loose cabled construction of the yarn. There are quite a few noticeable snags even though I was very careful not to catch the it. The yarn is also pretty crunchy, although it did improve after blocking. Hopefully, the sweater will get softer the more it's washed.

Other than the yarn, I'm very pleased with how this turned out. I was originally planning long sleeves, but decided to go with short instead. Perfect for spring!

The tie for this sweater threw me for a bit of a loop. The pattern calls for you to crochet a 10-inch chain and then slip stitch back to the start. Crocheting a chain is my one and only crochet skill, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out the slip stitch even though looks really simple. My hook kept getting caught on the splitty yarn, so I decided to skip the slip stitch and just go with a simple chain.

My final touch was to add a couple beads to the ends of the ties. Very cute! This is something I'll wear often.

Quiet Weekend

What an uneventful weekend! The weather was very blah--super foggy with some occasional rain. We watched a couple movies and relaxed. I love quiet weekends.

I spent yesterday trying to get the smell of bleach off my hands after cleaning up some sand dollars found at the beach. If you go to the right part of the beach at the right time, then there are lots to be found. I have always loved them, and I'm thinking about putting some in a shadow box for the bathroom.

There has been quite a bit of knitting done over the past few days as well. I'm starting to get shoulder pain--that can't be a good sign! I finally bound off my Cavern Cardi, which just needs the finishing touches before it's complete.

I also started a new pattern, the All-Season Shell. I had the called for yarn, which was purchased at a going out of business sale. If it hadn't been so cheap, I probably wouldn't have bought it. I can't resist a good bargain though. Anyway, this seemed like a good way to use it up--something simple that I'll actually wear. I think the name is funny. Is it just me, or is a shell something you wear under a suit with pearls?

Tonight I'm going to start the sleeves for my hourglass sweater. I'm having a hard time getting motivated to work on this pattern, but I think once I get going it will progress quickly.