I had an idea not too long ago for a fiber festival with a strong focus on Connecticut's fiber production, historical and current. I gave the event a name, came up with a few ideas, and then asked Nutmeggers on Ravelry for their input. Now I've started a blog to help keep all of this planning organized, and I'm inviting you to take a look and make lots of suggestions.
Visit ConnectiKnit!
27 August 2007
26 August 2007
The Hook That Brings You Back
I've started a new project. Yes, another one. I'm running low on knitting needles, so I'm crocheting this new thing. It's thinking about being a tank top (I'm designing it as I go along), and it's made from the same recycled (100% cotton) yarn I used for Askew #1.
Purty, huh? I'm using my beloved walnut Brittany G hook and a stitch pattern out of The Harmony Guides 220 More Crochet Stitches.
The fingerless gloves I'm making from the leftover Supersocke yarn are coming along nicely. Again, I made up the pattern as I went along.
I've put Clessidra aside for a while, and abandoned the idea of finishing it before Rhinebeck. With only two months left, other projects keeping me occupied, and the possibility of a job in the next few weeks, I just don't have time.
Purty, huh? I'm using my beloved walnut Brittany G hook and a stitch pattern out of The Harmony Guides 220 More Crochet Stitches.
The fingerless gloves I'm making from the leftover Supersocke yarn are coming along nicely. Again, I made up the pattern as I went along.
I've put Clessidra aside for a while, and abandoned the idea of finishing it before Rhinebeck. With only two months left, other projects keeping me occupied, and the possibility of a job in the next few weeks, I just don't have time.
23 August 2007
Itty Bitty Stash Expansion
Hey, folks. Sorry I've been quiet... I spent a few days with my friends in Virginia and then came home to spend a few days reading Deathly Hallows and fighting off depression.
The depression comes from my frustration at people who underestimate or ignore the need for a post-breakup grieving period. I've been hearing encouragement to find someone new, and the assumption that it's so easy to get over an intense nine-month-long relationship really bothers me. It's not that I don't appreciate people's interest in my happiness, I just wish they'd back off for a while. I'll move on when I'm ready.
And now back to your regularly-scheduled, light-hearted blogging...
Virginia was fun! I got most of the way through a pair of fingerless gloves (using the leftover Supersocke yarn), cast on the second half of Askew #2 for the third time (first time: spilled root beer, second time: wrong number of stitches and didn't realize until the third row), and bought sock yarn. Not like I need more yarn, since I still have a bunch of sweaters to unravel, but this stuff is so pretty.
The solid color (#315) will be for reinforced toes and heels, and possibly some cables up the leg. I tried to find a yellow-orange to go with the lightest shade in the other colorway (#1036), but nothing in the store matched in both artificial and natural light. As I told my friend and one of the other customers, it doesn't matter whether the colors match once the socks are on my feet, but they need to look good when the sock is on the needles to keep my OCD happy. I'm weird like that.
Time to go finish the gloves so I'll have needles free to start the socks. Wheee!
The depression comes from my frustration at people who underestimate or ignore the need for a post-breakup grieving period. I've been hearing encouragement to find someone new, and the assumption that it's so easy to get over an intense nine-month-long relationship really bothers me. It's not that I don't appreciate people's interest in my happiness, I just wish they'd back off for a while. I'll move on when I'm ready.
And now back to your regularly-scheduled, light-hearted blogging...
Virginia was fun! I got most of the way through a pair of fingerless gloves (using the leftover Supersocke yarn), cast on the second half of Askew #2 for the third time (first time: spilled root beer, second time: wrong number of stitches and didn't realize until the third row), and bought sock yarn. Not like I need more yarn, since I still have a bunch of sweaters to unravel, but this stuff is so pretty.
The solid color (#315) will be for reinforced toes and heels, and possibly some cables up the leg. I tried to find a yellow-orange to go with the lightest shade in the other colorway (#1036), but nothing in the store matched in both artificial and natural light. As I told my friend and one of the other customers, it doesn't matter whether the colors match once the socks are on my feet, but they need to look good when the sock is on the needles to keep my OCD happy. I'm weird like that.
Time to go finish the gloves so I'll have needles free to start the socks. Wheee!
15 August 2007
Six-Month SuperSockeSocks
I started these socks in February after David's visit, and finally finished them yesterday. Reasons for the delay included: other projects catching my attention, those #@*&!%^ Crystal Palace circs, k4tog, and a touch of Second Sock Syndrome.
I give you: the SuperSockeSocks!
I had to tink and re-do the bind-off for the first one because it was too tight, and discovered that the tail I'd left was a little too short for comfort... I finished the bind-off with half an inch of yarn to weave in. Oh well. At least I can get the cuff over my heel now.
I'm happy with them, and I've started a fingerless glove with the remaining yarn (on other needles... those CP circs are going to hide in a dark corner for the rest of my life).
I give you: the SuperSockeSocks!
I had to tink and re-do the bind-off for the first one because it was too tight, and discovered that the tail I'd left was a little too short for comfort... I finished the bind-off with half an inch of yarn to weave in. Oh well. At least I can get the cuff over my heel now.
I'm happy with them, and I've started a fingerless glove with the remaining yarn (on other needles... those CP circs are going to hide in a dark corner for the rest of my life).
12 August 2007
Naughty Nicole, Awesome Askew, and Rockin' Ravelry!
My Ravelry invitation came the other day! Yay! Boy, is it easy to get drawn into that site and never leave... yikes. I have walked away from the computer a few times to take care of real-life stuff (and to cool down after getting really annoyed at a member who has a stick so far up her bum that she pukes splinters), so I'm not completely obsessed. See, I even took some time to write this here entry!
Voila, the long-awaited pics of Askew and Nicole!
Askew is a great pattern. It's simple, quick, flattering, and easily modified. I'm really, really happy with how this came out, and I hope to have my second one finished this month (in between other projects).
This is Nicole. Eventually pictures and memories will be all that's left of her, because I'm going to frog her and use the yarn for something else. The smallest version of the pattern was too big (even with a slightly smaller gauge), especially for my nearly-nonexistent breasts. The stitch patterns didn't match up with each other and made my obsessive-compulsive side twitch because there was no way to center the stripes perfectly. I'm just... really not happy with it. The yarn, Ella Rae Silkience, is soft and wonderful, so I'll probably use it for a similar type of garment. I might even design a cami of my own.
In other news, I've started Clessidra, the knee-high socks from Knitty, with another recycled Goodwill sweater. I love this pattern. I do. I have to keep reminding myself that I love it and that it looks fantastic, because if I don't, I'll remember just how much I hate seed stitch. These socks have a lot of seed stitch. A lot. But it's okay... it helps make the socks pretty!
See? Pretty!
David and I are doing a pseudo-sock-KAL, since we're both working on knee socks and we both want them to be finished for Rhinebeck. He's cheating, though... his Marshmallow Hose are DK weight on US5 needles. My Clessidra socks are fingering weight on US1 needles. He gets 7 rows to the inch. I get 15. So I think he's going to have to do two pairs of hose to make it a fair fight. ;-)
Okay, that's done. Time to get back to Ravelry!
Voila, the long-awaited pics of Askew and Nicole!
Askew is a great pattern. It's simple, quick, flattering, and easily modified. I'm really, really happy with how this came out, and I hope to have my second one finished this month (in between other projects).
This is Nicole. Eventually pictures and memories will be all that's left of her, because I'm going to frog her and use the yarn for something else. The smallest version of the pattern was too big (even with a slightly smaller gauge), especially for my nearly-nonexistent breasts. The stitch patterns didn't match up with each other and made my obsessive-compulsive side twitch because there was no way to center the stripes perfectly. I'm just... really not happy with it. The yarn, Ella Rae Silkience, is soft and wonderful, so I'll probably use it for a similar type of garment. I might even design a cami of my own.
In other news, I've started Clessidra, the knee-high socks from Knitty, with another recycled Goodwill sweater. I love this pattern. I do. I have to keep reminding myself that I love it and that it looks fantastic, because if I don't, I'll remember just how much I hate seed stitch. These socks have a lot of seed stitch. A lot. But it's okay... it helps make the socks pretty!
See? Pretty!
David and I are doing a pseudo-sock-KAL, since we're both working on knee socks and we both want them to be finished for Rhinebeck. He's cheating, though... his Marshmallow Hose are DK weight on US5 needles. My Clessidra socks are fingering weight on US1 needles. He gets 7 rows to the inch. I get 15. So I think he's going to have to do two pairs of hose to make it a fair fight. ;-)
Okay, that's done. Time to get back to Ravelry!
06 August 2007
Happiness Is a Harlot At the Dinner Table
Sorry this took so long. I've been trying to turn "OMGSQUEEEE!!!" into something more interesting, and it's been a little difficult. I hope this comes out well.
I'd been thinking about driving down to Madison on my own, but decided that, in the interests of saving gas and not having to pay attention to directions, I'd get a ride with my friend Jenny (who has a great account of our evening here) and her hubby. Also along for the ride was Melissa. We completely forgot that our other friend, Aaron, was going to wait for us at Starbucks instead of Jenny's apartment, so, thinking he had encountered scheduling issues and not been able to call us, we left without him. We didn't realize our mistake until he called us 20 minutes later to say that he'd given up and gone home. We felt really terrible. Sorry, Aaron.
Google gave us the most direct, but definitely not the fastest route to the bookstore, and we ended up arriving half an hour late, halfway through Stephanie's talk. There were no chairs left, and no place to sit on the floor except tucked around the corner where we couldn't see Stephanie. We could hear her just fine, though, so we didn't completely miss out. After the talk, while the book-signing line formed, I got to chat with some of the New Haven SnB ladies and see Sunflowerfairy's shawl. I was wearing my first Askew (Kimberly got pics of it here and here) and got a bunch of compliments on it.
Jenny had run into some people she knew, so our group in the signing line had grown to eight. We let people pass us because we were busy chatting, and ended up being the last ones in line. This meant that we were hanging around when Stephanie mentioned that she wanted to have dinner before heading back to her hotel. One of the locals in our group suggested the pizza place a few doors down, so we all headed over there while Stephanie finished up at the bookstore. She pulled up a chair at our table a few minutes later, and we spent a wonderful hour chatting with her and enjoying our pizza.
Let me say that again. We had dinner with the Yarn Harlot!
That was our mantra for the rest of the night. She went back to her hotel, we filled up the gas tank and got on the highway. We were so excited about having hung out with her that we missed our exit, and we were halfway to Rhode Island before we figured it out. We finally made it home after midnight, tired and happy.
My pics are here. What a night. :)
Next time: my hatred of seed stitch, my rather surprising self-control, and finally the pics of Askew and Nicole that David took when I was in Texas.
ETA: When things were wrapping up at the bookstore, I leaned over to Stephanie and told her that David from Sweater Project said hi. She said, "oh! Are you Lilith?" I just about died. The Yarn Harlot knew my name. I was kind of floating from there on out.
I'd been thinking about driving down to Madison on my own, but decided that, in the interests of saving gas and not having to pay attention to directions, I'd get a ride with my friend Jenny (who has a great account of our evening here) and her hubby. Also along for the ride was Melissa. We completely forgot that our other friend, Aaron, was going to wait for us at Starbucks instead of Jenny's apartment, so, thinking he had encountered scheduling issues and not been able to call us, we left without him. We didn't realize our mistake until he called us 20 minutes later to say that he'd given up and gone home. We felt really terrible. Sorry, Aaron.
Google gave us the most direct, but definitely not the fastest route to the bookstore, and we ended up arriving half an hour late, halfway through Stephanie's talk. There were no chairs left, and no place to sit on the floor except tucked around the corner where we couldn't see Stephanie. We could hear her just fine, though, so we didn't completely miss out. After the talk, while the book-signing line formed, I got to chat with some of the New Haven SnB ladies and see Sunflowerfairy's shawl. I was wearing my first Askew (Kimberly got pics of it here and here) and got a bunch of compliments on it.
Jenny had run into some people she knew, so our group in the signing line had grown to eight. We let people pass us because we were busy chatting, and ended up being the last ones in line. This meant that we were hanging around when Stephanie mentioned that she wanted to have dinner before heading back to her hotel. One of the locals in our group suggested the pizza place a few doors down, so we all headed over there while Stephanie finished up at the bookstore. She pulled up a chair at our table a few minutes later, and we spent a wonderful hour chatting with her and enjoying our pizza.
Let me say that again. We had dinner with the Yarn Harlot!
That was our mantra for the rest of the night. She went back to her hotel, we filled up the gas tank and got on the highway. We were so excited about having hung out with her that we missed our exit, and we were halfway to Rhode Island before we figured it out. We finally made it home after midnight, tired and happy.
My pics are here. What a night. :)
Next time: my hatred of seed stitch, my rather surprising self-control, and finally the pics of Askew and Nicole that David took when I was in Texas.
ETA: When things were wrapping up at the bookstore, I leaned over to Stephanie and told her that David from Sweater Project said hi. She said, "oh! Are you Lilith?" I just about died. The Yarn Harlot knew my name. I was kind of floating from there on out.
03 August 2007
OMG OMG OMG OMG
I tried to Kinnear her. I got busted. But what a shot, eh?
More pictures and tales later. Must find a way off this cloud so I can sleep!
01 August 2007
Next Chapter
Single again. No takebacks. I'm forcing myself to be angry so I'll stop crying. The fates seem to be doing their part to distract me by throwing boys at me... two of my favorite exes and two new guys have started giving me lots of attention.* One of the new guys is a classmate, and having him around is helping my mood a bit.
Not much new to report on the knitting front. I was hanging out with the new classmate-friend the other night, working on the Supersockesock, and I caught him and his mother staring at my hands while I was working. It seems that doing stockinette on #1 circs while watching TV is mesmerizing to those who have never seen it.
I'm off to get a present for a friend and (hopefully) finish the Supersockesock so I can put those gorram Crystal Palace circs in the back of a dark drawer, never to see the light of day until I move out of this house.
*The exes, unprompted, have been telling me how amazing I was when they dated me, and the new boys are telling me how amazing I am now. It's marvelous for the ego. I won't be falling in love again for a while... David isn't that easy to replace or get over... but it's nice to be told that, even though I wasn't right for David, there are plenty of people who wish they had me.
Not much new to report on the knitting front. I was hanging out with the new classmate-friend the other night, working on the Supersockesock, and I caught him and his mother staring at my hands while I was working. It seems that doing stockinette on #1 circs while watching TV is mesmerizing to those who have never seen it.
I'm off to get a present for a friend and (hopefully) finish the Supersockesock so I can put those gorram Crystal Palace circs in the back of a dark drawer, never to see the light of day until I move out of this house.
*The exes, unprompted, have been telling me how amazing I was when they dated me, and the new boys are telling me how amazing I am now. It's marvelous for the ego. I won't be falling in love again for a while... David isn't that easy to replace or get over... but it's nice to be told that, even though I wasn't right for David, there are plenty of people who wish they had me.
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