Rosemary

Remember that unexpected adventure? It was a deeper rabbit hole than even I anticipated. It took me four days to reach completion, but I'd say it was worth it.

In February of last year, I decided to start my first sweater. I chose the pattern, Plain and Simple Pullover, ordered some Knit Picks Palette in red, and got started. However, I planned on making it with long sleeves, instead of the short ones in the pattern. Being a newer knitter than I am now, it didn't occur to me right away that drop sleeves wouldn't be able to be easily converted by just knitting them longer. Ultimately, I asked around on Ravelry and found someone who said they'd help me convert it to a raglan. I knitted both sleeves from the cuff up, but life happened and the Raveler was unable to help me. So, I finally put the sweater away, with plans to take an evening to frog it at a later date.

However, it never did get frogged, and the other night it floated back into my mind when I was falling asleep. I realized that I could probably manage the raglan shaping now, having gotten many a sock gusset under my belt since then. Using EZ's directions from The Opinionated Knitter, I did the calculations, got numbers for my gauge, and the rest was history. Victorious, glorious history.

(This might be my new favorite picture of myself.)

It's been a really gloomy day outside, so we'll probably take more pictures at a later time.

I'm so happy with this sweater. It fits very well, which was more than I expected, and it's delightfully warm. All the math worked out beautifully, and now I can't wait to make more sweaters! I'm so glad that I didn't have to end up frogging all of my hard work. I named her Rosemary, because I finished her the same night that I saw White Christmas, with Rosemary Clooney, for the first time. I know, shameful, right? One of the most famous movies in my favorite era of cinema, and I hadn't seen it.

But, it's just like this sweater--better late than never. :)

P.S. I also finished Ben's first pair of socks, and started a second. Pics to come.

Upgrade

This is the first day off I've had since the last time I posted! Wow, I really need it, too. I wanted to show you the last thing from our little photoshoot in the park. I finally knitted Ben a proper wool scarf, after all these years.

It's about time! For the past six years, he's been using the scarf that I crocheted him out of Red Heart when we first started dating. Yeah, not exactly the warmest, coziest thing to make a scarf from. I wasn't always the yarn snob that I am now.

Anyway, it served him well enough through New Orleans winters, but he needed something a little more substantial in Chicago (if he wanted to survive until spring.)

It's just a plain seed-stitch scarf, made extra wide and long so that he can wrap it around three times when it gets cold enough for him to need that. I made it from two skeins of Imperial Yarn Columbia in 116 Black Cherry. I think I used 5.00mm needles, but I'm actually not sure. That's what the yarn called for, so that's probably what I used. He's gotten a lot of use out of it so far, and it's a very sturdy yarn, so I think it will be a scarf that sticks around for a long time.

I am almost done with my first pair of socks for Ben! The first one fit him perfectly, and I'm really excited about stocking up on socks (hah, get it?) for winter. Pictures soon of a couple pairs of finished socks. Until then, back to knitting by the tree!

Doe

This shawl turned out totally differently than I thought it would, and I find that very symbolic. (In case you haven't noticed, I find most of my FO's symbolic. Humor me.)

It's hard to explain how it's symbolic or why, but I can show you how surprising the transformation was. When I finished, I thought that I'd block and wind up with a beautifully simple and functional piece.

But, then I blocked, and the yarn and the pattern worked together to create something even more gorgeous than I originally expected.

I enjoyed this project immensely. It was soothing and the finished product is gorgeous. I'm so pleased.

Details:
Pattern: Damson by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Primavera
Needles: 4.5mm

I would normally have used 4.0mm needles for something like this, but I used my handmade needles that I got at VKL at the beginning, and realized when I transferred onto circulars that they lean more toward 4.5mm. So, I transferred onto 4.5mm circulars, and I don't mind the larger gauge. Also, I left off the border because I didn't have enough yarn due to the slightly larger gauge. I think this particular version of Damson in this yarn looks better without the edging.

Also, my Cyber Monday yarn purchases came yesterday!!!!! I'll share some pictures soon, but I will say one thing now: There Will Be Socks.

Oh, and they put up a beautiful tree in the tiny park where we took our photoshoot. It's the holiday season, yay!

Old Faithful

Because I am supremely sleepy, I'm just going to share this one thing from yesterday's photo shoot, and the new shawl will wait until tomorrow when I am making sense.

I made these gloves two years ago, and just took finished pictures of them yesterday. For shame. However, the good news is that they look exactly like they did the day I finished them.

I cobbled these together from a few different fingerless glove patterns on Ravelry, and I've worn them daily for two, going on three winters. They are phenomenal, durable, and comfortable--and I can't say enough for gloves with long wrists.

There's not much more I can say about them, because I didn't really use a single pattern. They were knitted with KnitPicks Telemark, which is a remarkably durable yarn. I think that yarn, combined with the tight gauge, is what's kept them looking the same for the past two years. I highly recommend this yarn for gloves, although I think it may be discontinued.

I'll be back tomorrow with many pictures of my newest completed shawl. For now, I leave you with a picture (one of many) that we took of this adorable bird who kept us company during our shoot:

Goodnight, all!

A Long-Delayed Introduction

It is a beautiful day here in Chicago, and Ben and I went to a little park and had a little photo shoot of several different knits. Now, I can finally share them with you all! It's about time that I properly introduce Esperanza.

She started like this:

And, slowly but surely, she grew:

Then, one night, she was done:

I blocked her the next morning:

I wore her to VKL:

And now, finally, I made the time today to take proper photos of her outside:

It's about time. I couldn't be happier.

Pattern: Queen Anne's Lace by MMario
Needles: 3.5mm dpns and 4.00mm circulars
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Verde Esperanza

I love, love, love this pattern. Please knit it, you won't regret it.

P.S. I'll be back tomorrow with more from the photoshoot!

Parade of Projects, Part One: Women Are Tough

As promised, I return with pictures! I have knitted several things since the last time I posted pictures, so I'm going to try to catch up now.

The first project to be shown off is the shawl that I knitted for my Grandmother's birthday. I did much of it in one night, and it's pretty much a miracle that I finished it on time.





Pattern: Traveling Woman by Liz Abinante
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Masala
Comments: In my hurry to get this shawl done on time, I didn't record what needle size I used. It was probably 4.00. I left off the border due to time constraints, but I discovered that I also really like it without the border. The edging looks more winglike. I really love this pattern (I've knitted it once before), and I'm happy with how this one came out. Taking the pictures was a huge pain, because it was super windy that day. I think these two were the only successful pictures taken.

Stay tuned for Parade of Projects, Part Two!

Weaving in Loose Ends

To put it simply, I had a strange childhood. Due to this, I missed out on a few things that many would consider essential.

This weekend, in a strange and wonderful turn of events, I was able to "weave in" a few loose ends.

We wound up on Ship Island, and by the end of the day, I had seen and swam at a beach, flown a kite, and built a sand castle--all of which were things that had been on my to-do list for the past twenty years.





These pictures did not come out very well, which is unfortunate, because this dragon looked so cool in person!





Later that night, we returned home and went to the midnight showing of Tommy Wiseau's The Room at the Prytania Theatre. If you don't know about this movie, find out. Unless you're faint of heart. Then, don't. You may die of disappointment.

All in all, this day was one of the best days of my life.

As far as knitting is concerned, I'm still working on Blue Heaven. But, if you look to the right, you'll notice that things are disappearing from my WIPS! I have been frogging what needs to be frogged, and I'm about to finally block and sew the button on that crocheted cowl! Soon, only my actual works in progress will be listed as wips!

I'll be back soon, hopefully with pictures of finished things! I have socks to make for my best friend's birthday, as well.

A Night With Ishbel--Creative Burnthrough

Night before last, I did something which really helps me when I'm overloaded with stress, or my sleep cycle is messed up, or really if there's anything wrong that I don't know how to cope with. A cure all, my "creative burnthough" is something that I turn to when I need to purge excess negativity. Instead of letting it stress me, and keep me awake at night, I stop everything and focus on an unfinished craft, until nothing else matters. I work until it is finished (no matter how long it takes) and then collapse, exhausted, into a deep and perfect sleep. I have never done this intentionally before, but I realized the other night that it was really what I needed. So, I sat down with Ishbel, only halfway through the first repeat of the A section of lace, at 11pm. I watched (listened to) V for Vendetta, Fight Club, Memoirs of a Geisha, Only You, and Pride and Prejudice.

By then, my little triangle of stockinette had turned from this:



Into this:



I wasn't quite exhausted yet, so I decided to block her. But then, I found a dropped stitch, which I will assume happened one of the four times that binding off turned into nodding off. I had already blocked the shawl when I found the error, so I had to wait for her to dry. So, I took a 45 minute nap--which was interrupted by at least three phone calls. When she was dry, I took her down, dug out the ends (my least favorite part) and then tinked the bind-off to the mistake (this part happened in an IHOP, while my boyfriend and three male friends had a cheery time. I was a little stormcloud sitting in the middle of the booth, grumpily tinking the bind-off, then growing angrier still when, in my exhaustion, I forgot to stop tinking after I fixed the mistake, and tinked way more than I needed to. Then, I finally got the bind-off done correctly (although I bound off the repaired half with a different sized needle than I bound off the other half with, which I was concerned would be a problem. It wasn't.) After all this, I reblocked my Ishbel last night, before finally lying down for a long, uninterrupted night of solid and blissful sleep.

I woke up to this:





I'd say that a single dropped stitch was getting off easy, considering I pulled an all nighter to knit lace.

The Details:
Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague (rav link)
Yarn: Old Maiden Aunt Alpaca/Merino 4ply in the Limited Edition Ysolda colorway, purchased at Old Maiden Aunt
Needles: 4.0 mm Harmony Circulars
The Commentary:
This shawl is fantastic. Now I know why it's so popular! Ysolda has written this pattern that is so easy to read, and the shawl just grows and grows so quickly! It was clear enough for me to understand easily, even at 4am. I love the finished product, and I know that I will wear it often. I can't wait to make a bigger version, hopefully with the lovely pink laceweight that Ysolda used! I knew that I had more than enough yarn to do the small version, but not enough to do the large version, so I have a bit of this yarn left, which I intend to use in conjunction with more of Lilith's beautiful yarn. I will be shopping at Old Maiden Aunt again.
What a wonderful project, all around! I'm very satisfied with it, and the 'creative burnthrough' that produced it. Some things always work.

Dolores

Dolores has been finished and blocked for some time now, but I've been alternating between busy and lazy, and I've neglected to show her off!







I knew when it was tiring my arms out to hold up the work on the needles that she was going to be big, but she blocked out to a thrilling 82"x40", and that's the measurement that I got today, over a week after unpinning. The finished product is exactly what I wanted--a big, cozy shawl to wrap up in when I'm chilly, but with an elegant, polished look. I've gotten more compliments on this shawl than on some of my lace ones, which is pretty funny. It's nearly translucent, and I think that's what's so appealing about it.

The Details:
Pattern: Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West (Rav link)
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette
Needles: 4mm KA Bamboo Circulars

This is my fourth completed shawl in the 10 Shawls for 2010 Challenge. (Rav link)

In other news, I finally ordered my Harmony needles:



(I promise, I will post better pictures of them soon, when I'm in a picture-taking mood. That was right when I opened the box, on my front steps.)

Since I had to test out the dpns to make sure that I liked the 4" length before my 30 days were up, I started on my first socks! I'm halfway through the second sock, and not only do I love the dpns, but I LOVE knitting socks! After my 10 shawls are done, I think they'll be several pairs of socks. As it is, I need to get these done so I can go back to working on my Ishbel and Blue Heaven. I don't have pictures of the socks, or the Ishbel, but here's what Blue Heaven looks like, so far:



Oh, and here's a picture of the ninja that I made for my good friend Evan's graduation gift! (He's the one that I'm teaching to crochet. I can't wait for him to come and visit so that I can teach him more!)



I will have pictures of Ishbel, and the (hopefully) finished socks in posts to come, stay tuned! (Oh, also pictures of my mountain of Cascade 220 that I purchased!) I have a weekend full of concert performances, and after that, work and most of my rehearsals are over for the summer, and it will be full-on knitting, reading, and relaxing time!!

Travels

My Traveling Woman is finished.





The Details:
Pattern:Traveling Woman by Liz Abinanthe
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette in "Fairy Tale"
Needles: US 5 KA Bamboo Circulars for the body, US 8 KA Bamboo Circulars for the bind off. (I'm really glad I did this, my bind off had tons of stretch.)


When I cast on for this shawl, I planned for it to be a clever project while on my trip to Memphis to perform the Brahms requiem with the choir. A fourteen hour round trip, my knitter friend Amanda (bicyclefairy on Ravelry) at my side, I figured I'd be nearly done by the time I got home, and I'd be able to say that I made "Traveling Woman" on my trip.



Well, first of all, this shawl took me two months to finish, partially because it was the hardest thing I've made so far, and partially because I've been busier than I've ever been in my life. There was a great deal of physical journeying before it was done.

However, I had no idea when I started this project how much of a mental and emotional journey I would go though before I bound off. In the course of this shawl, I performed two requiems, an opera, and Carmina Burana. The Brahms requiem changed my life. I came home from Memphis a new and better musician, and my eyes were permanently open to why I do what I do. The independence of the trip was needed, especially since I had some family problems a few days beforehand. I think, in some ways, the problems that I was having before I left were really what sparked the change in mindset.



Anyway, I feel like all of the things that have gone on in the past few months have changed the way I think. I am a much better performer now, because I've finally figured out how I feel about my career. I have also figured out how I feel about people in my life that have brought me nothing but sorrow.



I've spent much of the last two years missing my friends, because I "don't have time" to see them. Well, I've been making time.






and it's been amazing.





I also sat back and really assessed what in my life makes me happy, and what doesn't. As a result, this will be the first summer of my adult life that I will not be working myself to death at a place where I am both unappreciated and unsatisfied.

This summer will be a summer of knitting, books, movies, and most importantly, friends. I'm not going to be wasting any more of my time.

As happy as I am, both with the shawl and my revelations, I bound off in sadness, because I found out last night that a dear friend of mine will be having heart surgery on Monday. He is elderly, and this will be hard, no matter what the outcome. I have been praying for him day and night, and I hope that anyone inclined to pray who reads this will also offer their prayers for Mr. Bill Thomas.



So, as I sit now with my Traveling Woman wrapped around my shoulders, I know that it was not physical travels that lay before me, but a journey to a better realization of who I am, and what's truly important to me.