Beans & Cornbread

surprise!

2007-10-24T20:16:00.000-04:00

So I arrived back in town from a weekend in New York to find these bad boys waiting for me:

As you can see, my awesome sock pal, Megan, really knows what she's doing! She also enclosed some adorable stitch markers, a bottle of yummy smelling lotion, and a cute mini-sticky note pad. She used Knitty's Straight-Laced socks pattern and Colinette Jitterbug yarn, and I think they came out lovely! Sorry my photo really doesn't do them justice. Thanks, Sock Pal!

I also finished these socks for my own self:

Again, sorry for the crappy overexposed pic. I really need to get a new camera. Anyway, these are my RPMs using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Argyle. Originally I bought the yarn because my favorite LYS in Texas was having a huge sale and this was the only color they had left. But as soon as I started knitting with it and I got an eyeful of those gray/blue/red stripes, it just captured my heart. Something about those colors together reminds me of something my little brother or I would've worn in the 80s -- maybe baseball pajamas? Anyway, they came out so awesome and unisex that now my gentleman friend wants a pair out of the same yarn!

In the meantime, I'm whipping through Juliet -- pictures soon!

2007-09-09T15:29:00.001-04:00

remember this thing?

yeah, i wasn't that crazy about it either. it was a great idea, but it just didn't fit quiiiite right, and i knew that to make it really fit awesome, i was going to have to rip out the whole thing. which would've been fine, except that i also didn't like how the space-dyeing competed with the lace pattern on the bottom half of the garment. i don't know if you can see it, but i just did a really simple eyelet pattern, which looked okay but it wasn't quite what i was hoping for.

so i bought some solid yellow rowan cotton rope to make another, better fitting incarnation of this halter top. and guess what my berocco echo turned into?

surprise! it's a coachella!

this turned out to be a much better fit for this yarn, which is super light, soft, and drapey. i actually like the way it started pooling at the bottom. here i think the colors enhance the design instead of competing with it. yay!

2007-09-04T19:33:00.000-04:00

So apparently I've settled into a nice quarterly rhythm with my knitting blog posts. I'll resist the temptation to apologize to all my imaginary readers out there and instead get right to the good stuff.

Here's one of my finished Sockapalooza socks (trust me, the other one looked just as pretty, and the leg modeling it was just as pasty). I love how they came out, and more importantly, my sock pal Bliss loved them too! (you can see more action shots of them on her blog) I'm absolutely tickled pink that she liked them so much! I haven't received my socks yet but I'm still hopeful...

(By the way, I finally got me one of them Flickr doohickeys, so if you click on my pictures, you can see my admittedly puny photostream. But it's a start.)

As much as I'm sure you'd all love to see me modeling these, I'll keep it PG for the kids. This delightful concoction is Mon Petit Chou, courtesy of Knitty's Sex and the Knitty issue. Apparently knitted lingerie is a highly controversial issue. I, for one, am in favor of it, especially after knitting these babies up. The lace pattern keeps things interesting, and the elastic yarn (Cascade Fixation) ensures a perfect fit. Actually, the top doesn't quite contain my bazongas, but I think it's meant to be more decorative than, ahem, functional. I'm actually thinking of using the extra ball of yarn I ended up with to whip up a Zaftig!, which looks to be more accommodating to the well-endowed.

Here's a pair of Fetchings I started on when I was home in Texas and realized I'd left all my extra Fixation in Boston. I'd just bought a couple of balls of this luscious Noro Silk Garden Lite at my favorite yarn store in the DFW area and I needed a quick knitting fix, and Fetching proved to be my girl. There was a break in the yarn about two inches into the left one, much to my dismay, so it ended up being a little heavy on the blue and turquoise. But otherwise I like them.

Ugh, Blogger's being mega slow, so I'll save my piece de resistance for tomorrow.

wot i've been up to

2007-06-03T13:43:00.000-04:00

gah, i've been such a bad blogger! here, maybe this will make up for it:

here's sock pal sock #1! i'm using the pomatomus pattern from knitty and it's really fun and not nearly as hard as it looks. and this picture in no way does justice to the gorgeous yarn (mountain colors bearfoot in mountain tango). yum.

here's what else:

more thuja socks out of artyarns supermerino, this time for my mommy.

some flap-top mittens i whipped up in april when i realized it was still forty degrees every day. i used nashua wooly stripes tweed. *heart* there's just something about tweed i can't resist.

this is a halter top i designed out of some berocco echo i bought two years ago when it was discontinued. at the time i bought one of their patterns to make a sleeveless cropped top, but it turned out hideous and way too big. so i decided that at some point in the future i'd rip it out and redesign it, and it's been in the back of my closet ever since. until now! overall i like how it came out, but the fit still needs some tweaking, as you can see. it was really hard to make that center band tight enough to stay in place, and the back sags a little.

i've also been trying my hand at some t-shirt recons. this is my favorite so far. i used the "cover girl" pattern from generation t, but i modified it so that it actually covers my boobs.

soft like a bunny

2007-04-04T20:18:00.000-04:00

that's how my new sweater feels:

so here's my tubey. i knit it out of plymouth baby alpaca brush, maybe four or five skeins of the main color and one each of the contrasting colors. So. Freakn. Soft. not to mention warm. as for the pattern, this is maybe the easiest sweater i've ever made. the construction is unusual, but aside from picking up a gajillion stitches when you're starting the body tube, all the techniques are really basic. i added some shaping to the body tube because i could tell it was going to be too big, but the original pattern doesn't even have any increases or decreases. and did i mention there are no seams to sew?! awesome.

another thing i love about this pattern is how easily you could modify it to adapt to different gauges and textures of yarn. my original plan was to add a big cable down the front just to spice things up, but i was afraid it wouldn't show up in all that fuzz.

mommy sock #1 is almost done. i won't bore you with pictures yet since it's just another pair of thujas.

back from the dead!

2007-01-27T18:16:00.000-05:00

wow, it has been way too long since i posted on this little bloggie. my apologies to anyone who actually reads it.

BUT! i have been knitting. boy, have i. first:

i made these pretty pretty princess socks for my roommate's birthday way back in december. i combined the basic structure of the thuja socks from knitty with the king charles brocade pattern from vogue knitting. i know it's really hard to see the stitch pattern, but it's basically stockinette with purl stitches forming big Xs. i used artyarns supermerino again, and i have to say, that yarn is gorgeous. it's a superwash, which worried me at first because i thought the socks might lose their shape. but they emerged from the washer just as snug and about ten times softer. yay.

then spent most of my christmas break working on this monster:

actually, "monster" probably isn't fair. the only thing monstrous about it is the amount of time i spent on it. so this here's my forecast, made from oh-so-delightful cascade 220 in a charcoal tweed color. it came out a little shorter than i'd planned, but i was afraid to make the ribbed section at the bottom longer for fear i'd run out of yarn for the sleeves. so she's just gonna have to stay cropped like this. dang my long torso!

i've also been making lots o' hats:

this one's for my jane.

this one's for a boy.

i also made one for myself out of the leftovers, but i haven't photographed it yet. for the top one i used the center square pattern (from knitty, por supuesto), and for the one to the right i did the same construction but used the "chesapeake" motif from vogue stitchionary 3. i used patons shetland tweed chunky for all three, which is surprisingly nice for a lower-end yarn. it's very soft and warm, and i love colors of the little tweed flecks.

next up: i'm making a tubey for myself (since i'm apparently on a mission to make everything from that issue of knitty) out of some baby alpaca brush that i got on sale. i'm also making some socks for my mama (also out of artyarns supermerino) and a shrug to wear to a wedding i'm bridesmaiding in. whew!

so ugly it's pretty?

2006-11-28T23:36:00.000-05:00

that's what i'm telling myself, anyway.
so i made this weird, weird scarf for my mom, at her request (she saw something that looked sorta like it on home shopping network). the pattern is loopy from knitty, heavily modified (and occasionally ignored). the main color is crystal palace kid merino, and the contrasting color is some sort of chunky malabrigo whose name and ball band are escaping me right now.

i'll admit, i never ever would have made this for myself. and at first, i was like, eeew, it looks like those webs that caterpillars spin in trees. i still think it does look a bit like that, but it's kinda growing on me. it helps that it's really, really soft. so hopefully my mommy will like it.

i've also been working on a forecast:

sorry for the crappy overexposed picture. i'm pleased with how it's coming along, though. i'm using the recommended cascade 220 tweed, but in a nice muted charcoal. muted colors are not usually my thang, but the farther along i get with this, the more i like it. we shall see.

2006-11-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

wow, i've been so delinquent in my blogging since school started. but that doesn't mean i haven't been knitting! observe:

pattern: licorice whip, size XXXS

yarn: blue sky cotton in "ink", 5 skeins

modifications: i increased two extra stitches right after the split for the arms because i was afraid my boobies wouldn't fit (i made the smallest size because the measurements were right, but it just looks so tiny on the girl in the picture!). i also skipped the last decrease round for the sleeves.

comments: love it, love it, love it. it fits *perfectly*, and the lace pattern looks great when it's stretched out. the yarn is amazing, soft and fluffy, warm but not too warm (unless you're on a crowded subway train and you're wearing a leather jacket over the sweater. then it's waaay too warm). my only beef is that the yarn fuzzes a lot.

also, i've been testing the theory that the sweater curse does indeed apply even when knitting a different article of clothing (like, say, socks).

i've finished the socks and we're technically still together, but the prognosis is not good. hence my boo-boo lip and bright red eyes (and shiny calves?! wtf? who has shiny calves?).

pattern: thuja

yarn: artyarns supermerino in some manly blue/brown mix

comments: easy peasy, and fast. i'd never knit socks in anything but fingering-weight yarn before, so these were a nice change of pace. also, the seed stitch rib doesn't look like much in the picture, but it looks great when you put the socks on and it stretches out.

so yes, someone finally learned her lesson about knitting for boys. i'm actually considering keeping these, even though the recipient knows i'm making them (in fact, he tried the first sock on so i could make sure it fit!). i don't think he'll need me to tell him that he's ceased to deserve them. *sigh*

I'm jaywalking, yes indeed, I'm talking...

2006-09-16T18:40:00.001-04:00

after a mishap involving a lost dpn and a makeshift replacement, I finally finished the jaywalkers!

I used Regia 4-ply yarn and size 1 bamboo dpns (except for about half of the second sock, where I used four bamboo needles and one skewer). The pattern, of course, is the ubiquitous Jaywalker pattern by Grumperina.

I know this is a mildly heretical thing to say in the knitting world, but I'm not sure I get what all the fuss is about. Don't get me wrong, I love my Jaywalkers and I'm looking forward to wearing them, but I don't particularly feel the need to cast on for another pair right away, or maybe ever. They were more fun to knit than plain old stockinette socks, but not what I'd call exciting.

That said, I really like the way the zigzag pattern works with the variegated yarn. They also fit nice and snug (so snug, in fact, that I had a little trouble getting them over my huge bulbous feet!).

Next on the needles: a Licorice Whip sweater for me (already started this one and I *love* it), and a pair of Thuja socks, which will be for a boy if said boy gets his act together, and for me if he doesn't.

Garr!

2006-09-10T19:01:00.000-04:00

So I had about three inches left to go on my second Jaywalker, and I had to go and lose one of my dpns! Seriously, the thing is gone. Swallowed by the abyss. After much swearing and tearing-apart of my room, I hit on the idea of making a new one out of a bamboo skewer. We have a ridiculously huge supply of them at my house, so I procured some sandpaper from my artist roommate and sanded the hell out of one. It's small and a little flimsy, but it's still a perfectly serviceable knitting needle. So as long as both my Jaywalkers come out the same size, it's all good. Either way, I'll have pictures soon.

fertig! *

2006-08-14T20:35:00.000-04:00

* = done!

so here i am modeling the vicki shrug and pretending to be a badass in my cop shades. this was a fun little project -- the pattern is in the spring rebecca, and i used misti cotton, which is a bit fuzzy but otherwise quite nice. it also doesn't take much yardage -- i barely started on the second skein!

if you're thinking about making this, make sure you give it a good stretch when you're blocking it so the lace pattern shows up better. i also recommend addis for this yarn -- i was using bamboo needles at first, and the cotton yarn just didn't want to let go of them.

seriously though, i love knitting for other people, but it's time to knit something for the ashley now. to that end, i started on my very first pair of jaywalkers this weekend! i'm using regia 4-ply and they look quite lovely. i'll try to post a picture of them soon.

smitten!

2006-08-05T00:22:00.000-04:00

i am in deep smit with this scarf:*

so here's the lovely danica, ready to wrap itself around my beloved's neck and keep him toasty warm.

what's that you say? my beloved's neck (along with the rest of him) is in the south, where it's unlikely to need any help staying warm for another two months or so? you make an excellent point. fortunately, my beloved has a birthday conveniently located in october, right at the beginning of scarf-wearing season. so i guess i'll have to hold on to it until then. oh darn.

anyway. i freaking love this scarf. i have big plans to make one for myself one of these days.

but first! i'm making the black lace bolero from the spring rebecca for a friend of mine's birthday (which is technically already past, but i think she's still accepting gifts). i don't have any progress pics because my camera's not robust enough to get those awesome lacy details, so it would just look like a black blob. but trust me, so far it's looking quite fetching. i'm using misti cotton, which has a nice sheen to it since it's 20% silk. if it continues to be this pleasant to knit, maybe i'll whip up one of these for myself as well.

*bonus points if you can identify this quote.

wheeee!

2006-07-18T23:51:00.000-04:00

the secret project, unveiled! *swish*so i'm making the danica scarf from the winter knitty for one of my favorite guys, probably my most favorite. i'm using berocco ultra alpaca, and so far i love love love it. it's been a long time since i've been this excited about a knitting project, and it's not just because of the person i'm making it for (although that helps). i love the yarn, i love the colors my coworkers graciously helped me choose, i love entrelac. it's a good thing i'm making it for someone i'm in love with, or i'd be tempted to keep it for myself.

on a less thrilling note, i finished the circular shrug, but it looks dumb because i ran out of orange with two inches to go on the ribbing, so i had to finish it in navy blue. now the ribbing doesn't match up, so i have to dye the whole thing black. which is fine because i'll probably wear it more that way, but it still feels like somewhat of a failure. ah well.

huttah!

2006-07-15T13:21:00.000-04:00

stick a fork in 'er, she's done! (and just in time for sweltering heat!)

so here's my fair isle jazz scarf in all its glory (and yes, i am wearing my pj's. shut up). i won't be wearing her anytime soon, but i'm pleased with how she turned out. i used mission falls 1824 wool in the colors recommended in the pattern (which is from scarf style), and i followed the pattern except for where i f'd up on the colorwork and didn't feel like ripping it out. i was a little worried about the colorwork sections because they were puckery, but blocking smoothed them out.

also, here' s my progress thus far on the circular vest/shrug:

this one has been a nice quick, easy knit so far, but i'm a little concerned that i might run out of yarn. my best friend gave me three skeins of it, all different colors. i already used up all the green, and as you can see, i'm perilously close to the end of the orange skein. since it gets folded in half and seamed along the sides, both orange sections have to be the same length. which means, if i run out of yarn first, i'll have to rip it out and try to figure out how to add another color (navy blue) in there. boo. i'm actually considering finishing it with the navy and then dyeing the whole thing black.

i just got back from a visit home, and my stash got a huge shot in the arm (not that it needed it!). i bought six skeins of divine blue sky cotton to make a licorice whip, and some sock yarn to make a pair of jaywalkers. i also took the plunge and bought three skeins of berocco ultra alpaca for the super special secret project. hopefully i'll get to start that one soon.

a small FO, some WIPs

2006-06-25T23:24:00.000-04:00

i finished this little triangle scarf the other day. please ignore my puffy and overexposed face, and the fact that the scarf totally clashes with my t-shirt. yikes. anyway, hannah and jenny and i all started these during a girls' night a while ago, and i finally got to work on it again now that the big ugly throw is finished. i used a strand of malabrigo and a strand of lamb's pride worsted, and i did two-row stripes and carried the yarn so i wouldn't have to cut it. i just increased one stitch every row until i got toward the end, then i increased two stitches every row.

it's also good for playing banditos.

the fair isle jazz scarf is about three-quarters of the way done. i won't bore you with another progress pic since it looks about the same, only longer.

i also started this little guy because i was watching a bollywood movie and i needed a project i could work on and still be able to read the subtitles. it's the circular vest/shrug that made such a big splash on cr aftster:

i'm using a double strand of this surprisingly nice sock-weight acrylic that my best friend brought me back from spain. you can check out the pattern here, if you're curious to see how this is going to turn into a vest.

i'm also planning to start on a super special secret project soon. we'll see how secure i feel about posting progress pics once i get started on it...

and a last pic of the throw:

yay for snuggles.

at laaaast...

2006-06-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

my love may not have come along, but i finally finished the #&*$! homespun throw, and that's good enough for me.

so i made this throw blanket for my dad out of eight different colors of lion brand homespun. as you can probably see, i knitted it in three long strips and then seamed them together. a word of caution: if ya'll are ever unfortunate enough to knit something out of homespun, be sure and use a different yarn for sewing the seams, as homespun is really bulky and inelastic.

whew. i'm glad that's over. i wanted to take an action shot of me and my roommates snuggling under it, but it's too dang hot. maybe another day.

and just so yall don't think i've totally gone over to the dark (=acrylic) side:

here's my fair isle jazz scarf, lounging on my bed. i started this so i wouldn't succumb to a knitting coma from the throw. it's about halfway done and i'm quite pleased with it so far -- definitely a fun little knit. i think finishing's going to be a beyotch, though.

hello, my name is...

2006-06-04T19:41:00.000-04:00

yay! first post!

if you're wondering why you're here, this is my knitting blog, soon to be full of knitting goodness. i've got a couple of WIPs right now: a throw blanket for my dad out of lion brand homespun (gag), and the fair isle jazz scarf from scarf style. pictures to come.