My Garden Grows

Nothing quite like a package in the mail to cheer up a terrace-less Annie! The other night I checked my snail mail and I had a package. I ran to the package room, saw the word "yarn" somewhere in the return address and ripped it open. A beautiful, tissue-wrapped, stickered bundle was inside. My first Sundara "Petals Collection" had arrived! (I thought about taking a picture of the initial tissue-wrapped thing, but it was night, the picture would be crap, and there was no way that I was waiting to open it 'til morning)


The first yarn is Calla Lily, and I think she captured the colors perfectly!


I'm not sure when I am going to knit them up, but I do plan on using the pattern that was included.


I have never ordered from Sundara before and was tickled with the packaging and the details. It was so cool to recieve and am very glad that I signed up. I definitely want to order more yarn from her. Her site is going to updated on July 3 so definitely check it out.

Crap. Why is it that RIGHT NOW I remember that I put myself on a yarn diet? Maybe one hank of lace yarn...

My Garden

Right now, my garden consists of this Reverse-Bloom Flower Washcloth from Weekend Knitting (Melanie Falick). Made from Mission Falls cotton in a deep pink color. Yep, that's my only garden because we are dealing with this:


Our building sent a note end of May saying that all terrace furniture must be off by May 31 so that terrace maitenance could take place. Over the summer. 6-8 weeks. More like 3-4 months. Or more. They even put a board over our door! With square footage being such a big deal in this city, we are very irritated that we are paying for space we can't use during the prime summer season. Yah yah yah, the terrace may be better after the work, but shouldn't we be compensated somewhere? Harumph. Not to mention that noise is unbelievably loud. It's a cheap building built in the late '60's and they didn't insulate the floors very well so basically you can hear a pen drop. (Seriously!) Imagine a jackhammer.

So why do we live here? Well, the terrace! It's nestled right in the trees and there is a water fountain below. It feels like a tree house. One more year or so and we hope to buy a place. With a huge *bleepin* terrace.

Home Again

Yep. Not much for yarn shopping. I went to Stitch, Piece n' Purl in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. It is a cute yarn store filled with lots of cool bits for all sorts of stitching crafts. Alas, they didn't carry any of the stuff I was looking for! (Perhaps this is a good thing. The suitcase only expands so much...) So I got this Mission Falls cotton in a deep pink - I can not, for the life of me, read the color code. I also got a skein in white (color 101). I plan on making some washcloths with these.


And a skein of Classic Elite Spotlight in white (color 6) to make more washcloths. I also got The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie M. Wiseman at 20% off. Hooray!

The store also had a spinning section and I investigated roving and poked at the treadles on a single treadle and a double treadle wheel. Just looking...

Have Yarn, Will Travel

It's the Last-Minute Knitted Gifts (by Joelle Hoverson) drawstring pouch and it is holding these:


The Padded Footlets that I *finally* finished last week. The hunky boyfriend and I are heading out to Akron, Ohio tonight to YARNSHOP visit YARNSHOP friends YARNSHOP and family. The Padded Footlets are a gift for his mom, and the bag is made out of leftover yarn from a scarf I made for her last year. I can't remember the name of it at the moment, but if anyone really wants to know I still have a skein of it here somewhere.


So here's what I am bringing, or atleast, my primary project. Orangina. I am loving the pattern. The lace is much easier than it seems and the yarn I am using is really nice to knit with despite being cotton. (I am in a rush, leaving in a couple hours, scroll down a bit if you want to know the name of the yarn. It's also a bit more shiny and green - dang camera.) My thoughts on this project go like this - as much as I like knitting this, doing a front and back on size us3 needles is going to be the death of me. So...after there is enough room for the arms, I am thinking of starting the front and again, after getting enough room for the arms, joining in the round under the arms instead of at the waist. That way I can guarantee a front and a back (can never guarantee a FO), I won't have Second Side Syndrome, and it will give me that extra 1/2" in size. Despite getting gauge, this top is turning out to be more form fitting than the pattern says. I am making the size small for a 34" bust. I have a 31" bust (sad, but true) and right now, with some blocking, this top will be 30". Ok so clearly there is a gauge issue or a cast on issue, whatever, I don't have time right now to pull out my calculator yadda yadda yadda, but the point is, I still like this top, and the ones that I have seen that look more form fitting look equally adorable and that's that. HOORAY!

As for adorable tops, I'm still loving my Green Gable. I was hoping to wear it in Ohio, but alas, I have not had a chance to rip up the hem and try again. Thank you all for your kind comments! I like all the Green Gables I am seeing (seriously, go check out the knit-along) and am now considering Picovoli. Thanks Areli, for tips on tubular bind off, I will experiment with it when I get home and post results!

Ta ta!

Annie of Green Gable

Yay! My Green Gable is done!

Pattern is from Zephyr Style. I used the yarn it called for - Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. The color I used is Plum Patina. It was a fun knit and pretty fast to make. The stockinette isn't all that boring since there is some simple shaping, plus you can try it on as you go. For more information about my modifications, check out my post on the Green Gable Knitalong.

One small problem...the ribbing at the bottom is too tight. The pattern says to go down 2 needle sizes for the ribbing, but since the sweater is already form fitting, having a tight edge isn't doing me any favors. So thanks to Areli's tutorial, looks like I will be re-knitting the ribbing with larger needles. Hopefully the looser ribbing will work better, I really don't want to go back and add even more waist increases.

Despite this setback, I am very happy with my sweater. (Green Gable counts as a sweater in my book!) In 20+ years of knitting, I have never made myself a sweater. Ok, besides the red, fuzzy acrylic thing I made in the 6th grade with size us15 needles. Boatneck, no sleeves, all garter stitch. Yeowser.

Knit Me!

I don't have much knitting progress to report, or weaving for that matter. I am totally enjoying working on Orangina and Green Gable, but they don't look too different from earlier this week. So I thought I'd go for the old stand by...

Yarn Porn.

I recently decided to go through my stash and see how much of the pretty stuff I could cram in my glass cabinet. (Trust me, the closet is crammed with other yarn, but it's not even worth looking at, just a bunch of leftovers and one skein wonders.)

Clearly, I am buying a lot of green-ish yarns lately. Greens usually only live on the bottom shelf with the browns. I had to shove some up with the blues and purples. I realized that in the past month I have purchased multiple skeins of yarn that are incredibly close in color.

I do love green. Well, I've simplified them into the color category "green". My live-in art director could easily spend the next 20 minutes arguing with me over what those colors are - grey-blue-green, yellow-green, grey-teal.

Rock on - that just justifies my purchases! They are not really the same.

However, it is time to stop reaching for the greens. I am simply out of room and the yarn now pushes itself up to the glass and wimpers "knit me!"


But uh, there is room in the reds/pinks/oranges category. So I'm filling that hole there in the upper left with this from here. What? It's totally in limited supply and you can't just go ANYWHERE to get it.

Wait a second...who am I trying to justify this to?

Freedom!

The Padded Footlets are DONE.

Yes, they are a bit too big for me, but that is ok because they aren't for me. They are a gift. A very late gift due to a big mistake that I made with the second sock that then turned into a serious case of Second Sock Syndrome. But now they are done and I am FREE.


Pattern is from Interweave Knits summer 2005. I used Lorna's Laces in 'Cranberry'. I enjoyed the lace bits, and love the heel detail. The structure is fascinating but I really did not enjoy working on the double-stranded sole. It was a pain in the arse. I would use this pattern again but totally modify it, like make them regular socks having the heel detail going all along the back of the leg and skip the double-stranded sole. We'll see if that ever makes it back on to my needles...


For now, Green Gable is on my needles! I followed the knitalong's advice and used the backward loop cast-on. I wish I hadn't. It's not as clean looking as I had hoped, and should have stuck with my tried and true method (long-tail thumb method). Hopefully some blocking will fix that curling at the top. I tried it on and so far, so good! I am enjoying working on it, despite the mindless stockinette. It is a good social project, and good for early in the morning, or late at night when I'm barely coherent. Yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Plum Patina.


Where did that come from??? I keep asking myself the same thing! One day, I was browsing through the Sexy Knitters Club blog, and they had just finished their Orangina's. And then, everything went black and I woke up later that day with a bag full of Millefili Fine (receipt said I had gotten it on sale) and the beginnings of Orangina on my needles. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

WWKIPD NYC was a great success! We had over 40 knitters show up! If you are interested in reading comments and seeing the photos, you can do that here.

I *heart* Texas

My Secret Pal package arrived! A gift certificate to Purl, so great! Purl is one of my favorite stores, so I am planning on combining this with a birthday gift certificate from my brother and his family (Did I score or what?!?!) and get yarn for Somewhat Cowel...or gorge on Koigu... or make a lace shawl....or....

Thank you Secret Pal! My monster would thank you, too, but she's already digging through patterns and making room for more yarn. YAY!

Just a Normal Post

Getting closer. I finally found my groove again, and some progress has been made. What a crazy case of Second Sock Syndrome. Will I finish them by Friday? Maybe. If I focus....


Hahahhaha! Focus. I got so excited about being nearly finished with my Footlet that I cast on Green Gable. So much for finishing other projects first. Yarn is Brown Sheep Plum Patina.


On Tuesday I went out to many yarn stores to drop off flyers for WWKIPD. I think it is understandable and natural to pick out some yarn. Gotta support the local yarn store. Gotta support my stash. Yarn is Koigu in this crazy tomato, almost orange, red - color 1110, dyelot 63.


Yah, need I say more? Dirty tealish-green, right in the middle there. (I'll say more) LOVE. Schaefer Anne in blues and greens.

Next to wrap itself on my needles, my Trekking Socks! Hooray!

Fluffy Piggy

Project Knitaway met to show off our May Challenge projects: Trash = Treasure. So the idea is to pass on your crap yarn, I mean, yarn you no longer feel a connection to, and someone else will make something with it.

And who was I sitting next to at the exchange? My pal over here. And she gave me eyelash yarn. I am not a fan of eyelash yarn. At all.

But somehow I love my Fluffy Piggy.


There is no pattern - I had made Kate before so I followed that structure, but not the exact pattern. My increases and decreases are all over the place, and I switched needles to accomomodate the yarn without the eyelash. Obviously the ears, arms and tail are different as well. She was a fun little knit. I can't tell if she had a bad perm, is playing dress up with a bad tu-tu, or is a cross between a pig and a Pomeranian.

Snort!

Take a Hike

In honor of the Trek Along With Me which starts today, I stole a needle from the Padded Footlet and made a swatch. Hooray! Color is 105 and I plan on making a Chevron-type sock as shown in Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. (What a cool book! Highly recommend it.) I will also be trying the "Forethought Heel". Rock on.

In other thoughts....why didn't I think of knitting a lace shawl over the winter months? I totally want one, and how perfect would that be going from 80+ degrees outside to the freezing AC inside? Must knit a season ahead. Duh.