fishie’s aquarium

I wish the reason I haven’t updated in a month was because I was obsessively knitting. Unfortunately, life has been happening so the knitting has been a little stalled. I think getting so emotionally invested in getting accepted for publication, and then having the book canceled has also affected my knitting mojo quite a bit. Spending money on knitting, however, has been going in full force, in spite of my *cough* yarn diet.

Before I gush about all the yarn I bought at The Fiber Gallery’s anniversary sale, or the fact that I just registered for the Make 1 Yarn Studio Fall Fiber Arts Retreat in the Rockies outside of Calgary, I has to show you this hat:

Yarn is Noro Silk Garden, the pattern is Coronet from Knitty, although I modified it a bit. I didn’t feel the need to have a double layer where the brim folded, and I wouldn’t have had enough yarn for it anyway. Instead, I picked up stitches for the crown with the right side of the band facing, and did a row of purls before I dove into stockinette. I did the decreases a little too soon, so I plan to unravel the crown, spit felt the remaining yarn on, and do a few more rows before starting the decreases. I knit the whole hat in two days. Until I fix up my Styrofoam head to be the same size as my head, it will remain unblocked. But I’ll live.

I’ve also been working on a tank inspired by the Drawstring Chemise in the Spring ‘08 issue of Interweave Knits. I really like the look of it, but if I followed the pattern I’d look like a freaking pregnant woman. Instead, I used it as inspiration. I cast on this tank in mid-March, and I’m just now starting the lace bits on the bottom.

Progress a week ago

Made with three skeins of Rowan Calmer, knit from the top down. It fits reasonably well, although I really should have started doing decreases in the back sooner than I did. I’ll throw it in the dryer when I’m done and hope it shrinks a little. In the beginning, I was doing a great job at keeping notes so I could ultimately write up the pattern for what I was doing… but I’ve gotten lazy and bored, so I stopped. It’s not perfect and there are definitely some things I’d change knowing how my choices in decreases affected the direction of the fabric, but it’s really good practice for when I actually start writing patterns (I SWEAR I will actually do the dress that was going to be in the new Sensual Knits before they canceled it).

Now that I have all that boring knitting talk done with: YARN SALE! I got to the Fiber Gallery Saturday morning, right after they opened, so I could get some good sale merchandise before it was all gone. And I spent WAY more than I’d like to admit, but I made sure to only buy yarn that I had projects in mind for. In fact, I have a cheat sheet I bring with me when I go yarn shopping:

The last time I brought this sheet with me, I bought some Cherry Tree Hill Cotton to make the Yoke Pullover. This time, I bought some Cascade Fixation to make the Basic Slip (I’ll be using the Trellis hanging off the bottom of the sheet for the dropped stitch details), and a ton of Manos Cotton Stria to make Road to Golden. I’m really excited about the color combo. Here’s a general idea:

I do buy yarn for projects not on the cheat sheet. For instance, I bought some SWTC Amaizing, which is 100% corn fiber and some SWTC Bamboo:

But I made sure to buy enough of the Amazing to make a shrug (3 skeins) and enough of the Bamboo to make a sweater (4 skeins). I’m really excited to use my new yarns, even if that means finishing my WIPs.

The real reason I’m making this post isn’t because I felt the need to keep it updated with what I’ve been making. Oh, no. Really, it’s because holy carp. I’m going to the Fall Knitting Retreat in the Rockies. I’ve been dealing with massive amounts of stress in the personal life, and nothing erases all of my worries better than travel. The urge to just buy a plane ticket somewhere and be anywhere but here has been phenomenal lately, but the things causing all of my stress are things that make it necessary for me to stay where I am. Just like I spend hours looking at knitting patterns instead of actually knitting, I’ve been looking up places to go and reasons to go to them. I’ve been especially interested in knitting retreats. I don’t remember how I heard about this one. Maybe it was just through a google search. Who knows. But when I first saw it, I thought, “OH! I want to go! I shouldn’t.” My contract at work ends the week after the retreat, and I really shouldn’t take days off then. Also, I maintain my status as a part time college student to keep my massive student loan debt deferred, and I really shouldn’t miss class, whenever that would be in early November. Also, I would be going by myself, and I’ve never flown by myself before (I’ve actually only gone on two round trips in my life). And I won’t know anybody at the retreat. SCARY. But you know what, all those are just excuses. I want to go to this SO bad. Classes by Stefanie Japel, Cookie A, Amy Singer… The first thing I ever knit from a pattern was the One Skein Wonder. And 7 of the 11 garments I’ve knit have been from Stefanie’s patterns. After seeing Stefanie’s post with the map saying it was 1.5 hours from me to Calgary…

The e-ticket is already in my inbox.

Yeah, it’s not until November. BUT I’M GOING!

I haven’t posted in a month, but I have a good excuse: I feel guilty making posts with no pictures, and the computer with my uploading software is in a room filled with asthma attacks. I’ve invested in some handy dust masks from my local hardware store, and so now I have no more excuses.

I’ve been buying lots of yarn and knitting a lot. Despite me trying to use up my increasingly large stash, I received a giant package of yarn in the mail yesterday. This is what happens when I find out that an online yarn retailer sells “mystery bags” of leftover dye-lots and extra skeins and sells them at a huge discount, with the catch being you don’t know what you’re getting:

That’s a lot of yarn. The full list of my plunders:

(1) Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted
(2) Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk !!!
(2) Hill Country Yarns Sweet Feet (two different colors, one skein makes a pair of socks)
(2) Lily ‘n Cream Solid, one dark purple, one light purple
(2) Lion Brand Jiffy, one black one red
(1) Lion Brand Wool ease
(1) Noro Silk Garden !!!
(1) Patons Classic Wool Merino
(2) Patons Shetland Chunky
(2) Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran
(2) Southwest Trading Company Karaoke !!!

There were some things that I could have gotten from Joann’s, but some things that I couldn’t have, and since I bought two bags I got doubles on a lot of things (and they’re the same dyelots!). They say each bag has $50 worth of yarn, and I really feel like I got my money’s worth, especially since I’ve been pining over Karaoke for a while and got TWO in a GREAT colorway (it’s purple/blue).

Anyway, I’ve been doing more than just buying yarn, I’ve been knitting too. Remember the Cable Down Raglan I knit for NaKniSweMo? I finally got around to blocking it this week. I had run out of yarn so I had to do half length sleeves, which I hate, and when I tried it on… guess what: It’s too big. Gaaahhhh!

I was gifted some yarn over the holidays, and decided to use the Tahki Taos from Kate for the Cropped Cardigan in Fitted Knits. I had just enough yarn to make it, so I started knitting. Then I kept knitting… and kept knitting… and ended up with a very not cropped sweater coat. Even with some major modifications, it still doesn’t work with the boobs. Ah well. I can always wear it open.

My most recent finished object is my Intolerable Cruelty. I cast on for it on the Yarn Train to Portland (really, I swear I’ll make a post about it!), and I finished it just over a month later. It was stalled in the middle while I was swatching feverously for the dress that was going to be in the sequel to Sensual Knits, but it looks like that book has been moved to the “maybe not” status and so I’m not facing a deadline anymore. So I went ahead and finished the skirt.

I used the recommended yarn (SWTC Bamboo) and only used barely over 3 skeins. The skirt isn’t as form fitting as I was hoping (I have the hip measurements for the small, but apparently my thighs are XSmall), but the drape is amazing. I could flounce around in this all day.

So what am I working on now? This damn scarf:

It’s Liesel, and I love the results, but the process is monotonous but not easily memorizeable. This was going to be my winter scarf, but I think I’ll end up hanging myself with it if I finish it before spring. Last night was the first time I’d touched it in almost two months. I think I’ll cast on for Odessa soon. I’m probably going to try it with the beads, which requires obtaining them. Hmmmm…

Poor neglected craft journal *pets it*

Things have been busy. I made a lot of stuff, but I have no pictures because I’ve been too busy to upload them.

I finished my NaKniSweMo sweater, although I had to bind off my last several stitches a couple days into December because I couldn’t find my swatch to unravel. The sleeves are half length, which is annoying because I can’t stand half-length sleeves on sweaters, but if I wanted them longer I’d have to undo the bottom of the sweater and I’d rather have the extra length. I’m thinking I’ll knit armwarmers with the same pattern out of a different color and attach them with buttons or something like that.

I also finished Kate’s hat and scarf (the Manitou Passage/Reversible cable things). The hat didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted it to, and I’m not sure I’m going to bother writing up the pattern. Too much of a pain and the reversible cables don’t decrease very well.

The first two of my army of cupcake hats have been completed, and I made them to match the baby blankets I made for these kids. The cupcake hats are way too big for their little heads, and since the hats only take me a couple hours to make (once I get past the damn nubbins) I’m going to make a couple that are smaller and can fit the babies now.

Liesel has been cast on, but I’m not that far into it yet, just three or four lace repeats. It’s looking nice, but I’m worried that my mystery vintage yarn is mostly acrylic and I won’t be able to block it. I am planning on making more than one of these, so it shouldnt’ be too much of a problem.

Hallowig has also been completed, and that was finished in about three days worth of spare time. Very easy, very quick. I think Andie will like it.

Non-knitting crafts: I etched some glasses with snowflakes for a gift exchange we had at our party, and they were well received. I took pictures of those before they left the house, and I’ll post them when I have time. Which will hopefully be tonight because I need to upload lots of pictures. My Ravelry notebook is all unillustrated. Can’t have that.

I also might be submitting a couple things to magazines and books soon. I’ve got the submission criteria, all I have to do is come up with the designs…

I finished Cherie Amour

And I started Kate’s Scarf

Pattern

Blue.

I’m bad, bad, bad, I know. I haven’t updated in a while and I’ve been knitting a lot. I finished the TTV (but I don’t have FO pictures; hey, I said I was bad):

It ended up being a little bit longer than in that picture. I tried it on when I was halfway through the bottom ribbing, and with all my alterations it FITS PERFECTLY.

Item: Third Fourth time’s the Charm
Pattern: Turtleneck Tube Vest, Fitted Knits
Needles: 6 and 4, 24″ circs
Yarn: KnitPicks Shine Worsted, Ebony
Time to Complete: About two weeks?
Unusual Knitting Location(s): Cast on at a camp ground by Crater Lake
New Skillz: farking RLI’s *spits* Also, first time I added this many modifications
Notes:

Alterations I made:
• After the increase rows were finished, I worked 4 more rows (2 RS and 2 WS) with no increases before casting on the stitches for armholes. I did this to avoid the bottoms of the armholes digging into my armpits and it worked PERFECTLY.
• When the stockinette on the front proceeded past the fullest part of my bust, I worked decreases on either side every other round until I reached 39 stitches on the front. I’m busty with a tiny waist, and without doing this I would have looked pregnant.
• I didn’t start knitting the bottom ribbing until the stockinette had reached a satisfactory distance from my bosoms, and I did ribbing until my last skein ran out.

I made quite a bit of progress on the Hot Pink Coat from Hell in the few days I was working on it (No pictures yet, I said I was bad). I’m completely dreading picking up stitches to do the lace panel on the outside (I CAN’T SEE THE STITCHES WITH THIS YARN!!!) and it’s not a very portable project being a giant cone. So when we went to Kate’s family’s cabin last weekend, I brought my watermelon yarn and cast on the Drop Stitch Lace tank:

I’m working it in the round as opposed to two pieces and then seaming. I like the circle :3 And it goes fast. Wheeeeee! One problem with the bottom-up construction is I’m paranoid I’m going to run out of yarn, but I’m sure I’d be able to get more without too much of a problem.

Item: Ugly Retro Shrug
Pattern: Two-Tone Ribbed Shrug from Fitted Knits
Needles: 6 and 4 24″ circs
Yarn: Cotton-Ease
Time to Complete: Less than a week
Unusual Knitting Location(s): CRATER LAKE
New Skillz: Uh…. Make 1 Purl was new?
Notes: I was a dork, didn’t count my rows right, so I ended up a couple rows short, and had to redo the ribbing to get the right number of stitches. This yarn does NOT knit tighter with smaller needles, and I ended up having JUST BARELY ENOUGH green to finish the ribbing.

Almost done!

The only reason I’m posting this now is because I’m supposed to be working on my Lab for tonight.

Item: giant plain boring white socks for Chris
Pattern: Simple Socks
Needles: set of 5 00 dpns
Yarn: Stork, Dale of Norway/Dalegarn
Time to Complete: Way too long. Almost two months.
Unusual Knitting Location(s): Nothing besides at movies and in chem lab. I watched 1408 while knitting them.
New Skillz: Kitchener stitch, and OOOOH I’m good.
Notes: OMFG NEVER AGAIN. Also, the pattern doesn’t seem to work for gigantic feet, since the ankle/heel bit is a little tight on him.

I got sick of those damn socks and wanted to knit something new for a change. I didn’t want something big to commit to, and just wanted a new FO, NOW. So thong it was.

Item: DRAWSTRING THONG
Pattern: Lacy Thong, Interweave Knits
Needles: 24″ size 6 circs
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic, Khaki Green
Time to Complete: 6 hours
Unusual Knitting Location(s): Knit while IMing with my stripper from New Zealand
New Skillz: Crochet picot edge thingy.
Notes: The lace pattern has an error! See that naughty hole on the left at the bottom of the lace pattern? Not supposed to be there. Tisk tisk. I was also bad and didn’t take swatching too seriously and ended up having to add a drawstring to keep it on.

I normally only knit one thing at a time. I’m so bad at keeping interest in things that if I have options, I’ll completely neglect one thing. In other words, I have no concept of moderation. I started those socks for Chris on Tuesday and I’m not very far yet (HELLO 00 SIZE NEEDLES AND GIANT MONSTER FEET??!?!?!):

But there’s a craft challenge on Craftster I REALLY REALLY want to do and think I’ve got a really good chance at if I can get what I have in my head out and into yarn. Problem is, it’s due on the 24th (BAH I knit a blanket in 12 days!) BUT… my idea is probably way too complicated for my current skill level. Here’s the idea (psst: no stealing!)

Yay rough charts! I can DO this!!!

I want to knit it in the round because if I do anything with seaming, there’s the chance I don’t get the colors to match up. BUT intarsia in the round? Possible, but not easy OR fast. And taking into consideration that I’ve never 1) Done intarsia 2) Made a knitting chart or 3) Written a pattern before… I don’t know if I’m being overly optimistic for a project I’d need to have DONE in *counts* 16 days. Granted, my final is next Thursday and I have a week off before my next class starts, but I’m still working 40+ hours a week with lots of overtime forecasted. I know I can do it. I just don’t know if I can do it that quickly. I’m really good with math, geometry, etc., and I’m thinking I might have to sew a mock-up in order to figure out the chart for the color changes, but I KNOW I can do it.

I get the feeling I’m getting myself into trouble.

Completely unrelated, DID YOU KNOW that my first ever FO was made completely without a pattern? I didn’t even realize that was at all weird until two days ago. It’s my knitting bag, but when I first made it, I used it to carry around books. It fits a big fat hardcover book in it PERFECTLY! When I started knitting hardcore in the past few months, I’ve used it to carry around my yarn, tools, and WIPs. Considering I had no idea how to seam, weave in ends, or block, I think it turned out pretty good and sturdy.

I knit it with normal worsted weight Red Heart on size 2 needles. The sides and the strap are knit on bigger needles with two strands of yarn held together. I whip-stitched the pieces all together. I currently have a safety pin keeping one of the straps attached.

I know, I finished the second one on SUNDAY, but give me a break, Sunday is my Monday and my computer’s broken. I really miss having my own computer. Uploading pictures just became infinitely more difficult, and now I don’t even have my own place to store them. I’m only going on about this stuff because I don’t like the way the posts look when the pictures are next to my icon. Screws up the formatting, ya know.

Item: Matching baby blankets for Kate’s sister who is full of babies.
Pattern: Diamond and Smocked Cover posted on Craftster
Needles: Size 6 24″ circ Addi Turbo
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby, two skeins each of mint and pale blue
Time to Complete: 3.5 weeks for the mint one, 12 DAYS for the blue one.
Unusual Knitting Location(s): The Spot, through the movies Next and Pirates 3 in the theater, in chem class/lab, and a bunch more weird places that I’m sure I forgot about.
New Skillz: Smocked rows, interpreting weird old vintage abbreviations (this pattern has you do wrn’s and won’s–both just fancy ways to say a yo), FINALLY finding a good way to hold my yarn
Notes: I discovered while doing the miles and miles and miles of seed stitch that it goes much faster if you bring the yarn to the side you want next BEFORE you actually do the previous stitch, if that makes any sense. At one point, I was going so fast I had to stop to think about what I was doing. Also, part of the reason I finished the second one so fast was I was sick of this pattern, which is essentially 2×2 ribbing and seed stitch with the occasional yarn over and a bit of smocking.

Almost a year ago exactly, I made a knithulhu for sci-fi nerd I know. I didn’t take pictures before I gave it to him, partially because I didn’t have a camera yet.

He did have a camera and posted the pictures in his LJ. So I took some of them.

I wanted the tentacles to be tentacly, so I knit a swatch, ironed and steamed the hell out of it, and then unraveled. As far as I’m aware, the tentacles are still tentacly. This was a really easy project, and I made it back when I still didn’t really know what the hell I was doing.

Finally found my camera battery charger so I was able to take some pictures of my finished sweater. I finished this a week and a half ago, I think?

The back. You can see the scoopy-hem of the bottom pretty well in this picture.

The sleeve caps are worked in short rows. I’d never really done these before.
The right sleeve was fine. But the left sleeve…

Friends don’t let friends do short rows drunk.

Detail of the diamond-lace pattern

All done!

Item: Sahara Sweater, FIRST SWEATER EVER
Pattern: From Stitch Diva
Needles: Body: 24″ size 6 circs, Sleeves: 16″ size 6 for main sleeve, 16″ size 4 for lace detail. Rest of the lace detail was 24″ size 4s
Yarn: 5 skeins Tahki Cotton Classic in Khaki Green and 1 skein Karabella Glimmer in Green/Gold
Time to Complete: About 2 months, on and off
Unusual Knitting Location(s): Knit almost entirely at work or in the passenger seat of a car. Also in Kate’s hospital room after she got her appendix removed
New Skillz: Short rows, lace knitting, picking up stitches, provisional cast-on, cable cast-on, perfected my M1L and M1R increases (still hate them), mattress stitch, LOOSE bind-off (tee hee), perfected my technique joining two skeins of yarn
Notes: There are definitely some areas where I could have done better, but considering how much I learned while knitting this, I think I did pretty damn good. I would definitely knit this again, and I may have to anyway, with longer sleeves. My one concern is that the yarn in the lace edging will be a little itchy.

Item: Water Bottle Holder (You know, to hold my water bottle?)
Pattern: None really. I used a free pattern from the Fiber Gallery (meant for making this item out of RAFFIA) and pretty much copied the base, but other than that I winged it. I knit it in garter stitch in the round with a seed stitch strap.
Needles: A set of four size 6 dpns
Yarn: Red Heart Acrylic, pink
Time to Complete: About three days
Unusual Knitting Location(s): Cast-on in a gay bar after stripping to put on my newly finished Sahara. Also knitted in class and while stopped at red lights in my car.
New Skillz: Mostly pattern-less. Strap knit by picking up stitches on one side and seaming with mattress stitch on the other.
Notes: My water bottle is now ribbed for my pleasure. Strap was in seed stitch because of its relatively non-stretchiness compared to other stitches. It matches my trademarked pink hoodie.