vacation!!!

Is it still a vacation when you have wireless internet access? I think so.

This week, I'm here.

I brought these two along for company:

And a whole lotta wool.

Yesterday Thom and I took a drive down to Kennebunkport. I could very easily live here.

View of the ocean from the aptly named Ocean Avenue.

Wildwood Baptist Chapel

Quote of the day, from Thom of course: "There are a lot of Quebec-ians on vacation here."

Quebecois, Thom, Quebecois.

His response: "Quebec-ians is easier to say."

(Note: he is reading over my shoulder as I type. Say hi to him!)

serious cleaning, and a new sweater

Happy Labor Day weekend! We've been laboring -- we spent 7 hours cleaning the house yesterday. For reference, see Thom's opinion of my housecleaning skills here, near the bottom.

We're still cleaning today ... serious cleaning. I just vacuumed the lint filter in the dryer, and Thom is scrubbing the sump pump as I type. He's afraid that the mold on it is toxic, and has asked me repeatedly if I think it will make him sick. He just came upstairs to ask if I'm blogging about his fear of the mold. (I wasn't, but of course now I am!)

Dude, I don't plan to clean like this again for at least another six months.

Labor Day always feels like the last day of summer to me, regardless of when the season really ends. And once fall rolls around ... it's sweater season!

So, last week, I cast on for a new cardigan. I'm really working to eliminate keep the stash from expanding, and hopefully get it to shrink a bit. You may have forgotten about this, since this was a resolution that I made way back in January 2007. Since then, I've only purchased a few skeins of sock yarn, and yarn to make gifts, which are both allowable exceptions. Somehow, the stash seems even bigger than when I started, though. I guess that's because I've also received yarn as gifts, and in swaps, and when other people have destashed. Oh, and that spinning habit that I picked up seems to add yarn to the stash, and take away from the time needed to knit and eliminate stash!

Anyways, there will be NO yarn purchases for myself (except sock yarn, and I don't need any more of that, since I have enough for 26 pairs in the stash!) until ... umm .... a long time from now! Needless to say, the new sweater comes from the stash.

This is the Apricot Jacket (Rav link), knit in Cotton Ease. $1.39/ball back in 2005. Or 2004? A $10 sweater, woo hoo!

Technically, it's not really the Apricot Jacket. I'm using a yarn at a smaller gauge, and wanted a larger sweater than the pattern was designed for. Basically, I took an Ann Budd cardigan pattern (all hail Ann Budd), tweaked it a bit for my preferences, and threw in the design features from the Apricot Jacket. We'll see how that all works out. So far, so good, though.

Last night, I finished the back, and cast on for the two fronts. We're taking a vacation next week -- spending a week in Maine -- and I hope I can finish this in time to have some FO shots on the beach. Let's see how that works out.

Whoops -- gotta run. Off to a cookout, and then picnic with Thom on the beach. Toxic mold not included :)

if everyone else's husband jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you push yours too?

Pete did it. So did Dale. And Scott.

Obviously, it was Thom's turn.

Me: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?
Him: It’s made with love.

Me: What is your least favorite thing about my knitting?
Him: The clutter and the crap.

Me: That's two things. Anyway, what is something I have knitted that you recall as being good?
Him: My hat.

Me: Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby?
Him: I don’t know. I don’t think so. Although the trip to get your wheel in NY was expensive. And long.
(Last year we drove from his parents’ house in Western MA to Syracuse in order for me to buy a wheel. In my defense, it was a damn good price, and a lovely scenic drive.)

Me: Do you have any hobbies?
Him: No not really. (Pause.) Picking up after your clutter?

Me: Wait a second, you have a collection of expensive German toys in the other room.

Him: That’s true. I do have a good collection of them. But I don’t know how to make a comparison. What’s the fair market value of your wool?

Me: Moving right along … Has my knitting in public ever embarrassed you?
Him: (Long pause). No, I don’t think so.

Me: You can't remember any times in particular?

Him: No, honestly I don’t. It’s never really bothered me. It’s annoyed me but it hasn’t embarrassed me.

Me: Do you know my favorite kind of yarn?
Him: (Longer pause). Merino?

Me: Good answer!

(Ah, but he wasn’t done answering yet!)

Him: Two-ply … Umm, you really like those sheep from Iceland but I have no idea what they’re fucking called.

Me: So, can you name another blog?

Him: The Femme Nazi?

Me: (Hysterical laugher)

Him: Oh, Knit Mafia ... or something like that. Hey! Are you typing that? Don’t write that -- she’ll be insulted!

(pause)

Wait, Ravelry! I know Ravelry!!

Me: So, do you mind that I want to check out yarn stores everywhere we go?

Him: No, not really.

Me: Do you understand the importance of a swatch?
Him: Yes. You test to make sure that your rows and crap are all lined up and you’re using the right stitch and counts. And then you wrap it around my head to make sure that the texture is correct.
(I believe he is referring to the time when I couldn’t believe that when given an entire yarn store to select from, he asked me to knit a hat made out of Lopi. So I rubbed the swatch on his forehead to make sure it wasn't too itchy. Apparently, this was a traumatic experience.)

Me: Do you read Aswim in Knits?
Him: No. Not in a long time.

Me: Have you ever left a comment?
Him: Yes, when you put that photo up of me burning my pants. Which you’ll probably hyperlink to this fucking thing, right?
(Note: comments lost in an upgrade, but I think he did leave one!)

Me: Damn straight I will! Umm, maybe…

Me: Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit?
Him: No, I think the house would be cleaner if you cleaned.

Me: It’s not so much about the knitting, huh?

Him: No.

Me: Thanks so much for playing along, is there anything you would like to add in closing?
Him: My wife is a wonderful knitter. She gives me street cred when I hang out with my friends in the department of agriculture*. And, let your friends know that I was raised right. I know how to cart wool. Damn, I mean card. Whatever, I did it once at summer camp. Yeah, that’s about it.

* I think he’s referring to the spinning here, and maybe the sheep and wool festivals.

I think I'll keep him.

slippers and WIPs

Last month, I showed you this pile of slippers, pre-felting.

They've been felted!

For my mother-in-law (modeled by me):

(on Ravelry)

For Thom:

(on Ravelry)

For the Mafia's Little Man (a little big, but he'll grow into them):

(on Ravelry)

The pink and red ones are Araucania Nature Wool. I'm not thrilled with this yarn for felting. The slippers came out fuzzy and linty and a bit hairy. They look a little scruffy.

The green ones are Cascade Ecological Wool, and I love this yarn as much as I love regular Cascade 220 for felting! It's a bit thicker, and the plies seem rounder and have more of a "beaded" look than the 220. It felts down to a dense, smooth, even, sturdy fabric.

I've had enough of this pattern for a while! But, finishing these puppies knocked my WIP list from 8 to 5. Here's what's left:

1) A pair of socks for me. Working top down. Done with the gussets of both, and almost at the toe of one of them.
2) Seekrit knitting. In time out. Over half done. Found a mistake about 2/3 of the way through the part I have finished. Need to rip back or perform complex knitting maneuvers to fix.
3) Baby sweater. Ran out of yarn!! First time this has happened, and one of the only times I've bought yarn on line. Now awaiting add'l yarn. Should arrive this week.
4) Mafghan. Not a portable project. Need to work on this at home. Need to finish before warm weather makes working on an afghan an unpleasant project!
5) Vinnland sock. Not feeling the love. Might rip out.

I have a serious case of finish-itis. A rare disease, far less common than its cousin, start-itis. I want to get these off the needles!!!

So, some goals:
1) Socks: No deadline. Simple and stockinette, they'll get done soon.
2) Seekrit project deadline: April 15.
3) Baby sweater: I'll probably finish this as soon as the yarn arrives.
4) Mafghan: Finish sewing squares together by April 10. Weave ends by end of April. Add borders in May. (Heh, I should be able to do this!)
5) Vinnland: Frog, I think.

No more new projects until I'm down to just the afghan!!

I've been busy

I made my mother in law a pair of felted slippers (at her request) for Christmas.

I was afraid to felt them down too small, so I gave them to her with instructions to felt them down further if needed. She's a knitter, who has felted before, so I thought it would be OK. But, she was afraid that she'd make them too small and asked me to finish the felting and then return them to her. No problem ...

Until we had a power outage mid-felting. The machine turned back on when the power came back on, and I didn't remember to check the clogs right away. Ooops. They're too small now.

So, I made her another pair. Luckily, I had another skein of the upper color, and a similar color for the bottoms.

I figured that as long as I was felting one pair, I might as well felt some other stuff.

That's three pairs of clogs. The red ones on the bottom are for Thom, who tries to wear my clogs around the house, albeit with the back of his heels hanging out. I thought he needed some of his own. The green ones on top are for the Mafia's Little Man. She bought the yarn a while ago, and I volunteered to knit it up for her. (Who'd have guessed that she'd pick bright green yarn? Shocker, I tell you....)

I have more feltable wool in the stash (!) and was thinking that perhaps I ought to make another pair for me. You know, in case my current ones wear out. You'd think I'd be sick of this pattern by now, having knit 6 pairs, but I still like it :)

stranded

Remember my Bird in Hand mittens? They are one and a half thumbs from completion. I stopped working on them when Thom, who never asks me to knit anything for him, told me that his Lopi mittens are not warm enough. (Technically, Lite Lopi. Still, though, not warm enough??)

So I cast on for some Manly Mitts for him in black and dark gray -- sedate enough for him to wear to work (state gov't, suit and tie every day). In addition to what you see below, I've also started the second one. They're pretty fast. And worsted weight stranded knitting at 6+ sts/in had better be warm enough for him. If not, I might take Kellee's suggestion and throw a pair of thin fleece running gloves inside for an extra layer of warmth.

Did I mention that I also cast on for some socks for me? No? Well then ... I cast on for a pair of socks on New Year's Day and finished them about a week later. Thujas, worsted weight :) Yummy, squooshy Artyarns Supermerino.

On Ravelry.

(I'm not going to post the project specs on the blog anymore. It was mostly for my own record-keeping anyways. If anyone wants more info, just email or comment. Or sign up for a Ravelry account ... only 7000 on the waiting list!)

The FO parade might have to slow down a bit over the next couple of months. Classes for spring semester started yesterday. I already have 2 book reviews to write and a group project due in the first month.* Yech. Plus, my blogging venue of choice work is busy. Oh, and did I mention that I turn 30 in the middle of the month? Feb 1, for those who want to send gifts! There might be a blog contest (with prizes) around that time. Yeah, I screw around online as a way to avoid homework

*Have I ever mentioned that while in theory I think group projects are the way to go, in practice I despise them? Yeah, it's a control issue thing. However, once we give our presentation on Feb 6, I am DONE with group work for the semester!!

Thom's socks -- final photo

Last month, I posted a photo of Thom's new socks. He wore them recently, giving me an opportunity to take a photo in action.


He did make one request: "Watch where you're aiming that camera, ok???"

Project specs:
Yarn: Regia 4 ply
Color: tweedy gray (colorway 98)
Pattern: my own - toe up sock over 72 sts with 2x2 ribbed leg
Needles: size 1 Knitpicks dpns; size 0's for the last 1/2 inch
Gauge: 8ish sts/in

Posted on Ravelry.

felted clogs for Thom

I finished knitting the felted clogs!!

Oh, wait. I think I forgot to mention that I started them ... I've been knitting here and there while working full time, coaching 3-4 days per week, and going back to grad school. School is going well, although my current class is not the kind where I can knit while in class -- too small, with too many guest lecturers. But, Thom and I carpool to work, so I get to knit in the morning while he drives (unless I'm doing reading for class).

Anyways, last month, I picked up some yarn at the NHS&W festival. The Mafia spotted it for me, in perfect hubby colors (BRIGHT ORANGE!) and perfect Danielle price (less than $8 for 12-13 ounces). I got some "spice" colored Lamb's Pride to go with the orange yarn and cast on for some slippers from the Fiber Trends' felted clogs pattern.

I knit up one of the slippers ...
And the other ...

(Cell phone and foot for scale).

Now I need to felt them, obviously. I'll wait to do it until Thom is home with me, so that I can check the size as I go.

Project specs ...
Pattern: Fiber Trends' Felted Clogs
Yarn: orange mystery wool from NHS&W (12-13 oz of heavy worsted, with lots leftover), Lamb's Pride worsted in spice (3 skeins, with lots left over in the 3rd skein)
Needles: Size 15 Clover bamboo
Gauge: not sure
Size: to fit men's 11
Pattern mods: none!
Ravelry page:* http://www.ravelry.com/projects/aswiminknits/felted-clogs-2

*I'm adding a link to the Ravelry page for each new project that I enter from now on. If I'm keeping track via Ravelry, I thought it might be nice for others to know where to find the project details. If you are not on Ravelry, you probably can't see these pages. For those of you on the waiting list to join, I'm sorry if this annoys you! I'll still be posting info here too ...

It's a slippery slope, folks

On Sunday, I drove up to NHS&W with the Mafia and her Little Man, and a large green kid-wrangling wagon. When we got there, we hooked up with the (sadly-blogless but newly flickr-ized) Pi Grrrl.

My shopping list looked like this:

• sock blockers
• sock yarn for my Sockapalooza 4 pal
• yarn to make felted clogs for Thom
• yarn for a baby sweater for my expectant childhood best friend

Did I mention that Pi Grrrl is a spinner? As we wandered about, strolling through the Grafton Fibers booth, I may have pet a few lumps of fiber in luscious purples and blues.

Despite my cries of "I'll consider learning how to spin after I finish grad school," Pi Grrrl may have dragged me kicking and screaming gently nudged me towards a wheel. You know, just to try it out...


See that sign in the back? Yeah, that says "The Merlin Tree".*

At lunch, I may have sat down next to Cheryl and Kristen and Kellee and Teresa. Maybe.

At which point, Kristen may have engaged me in a conversation about Lyle the Louet.

After which, I may have deviated from the shopping list.



Yep, Kristen offered to let Lyle the Louet come live with me for a little while. We'll arrange a pickup at a later date, as the two of us and Lyle are currently located in three different states.

When I got home and told Thom this story, the first thing he said was "is it a travelling wheel or a regular one?" Huh? How does he even know to ask this? (The follow up commentary was "I just want to know how much space this thing will take up.")

It's a slippery slope, folks...

*********
* Dave knew I was a goner before I even sat down at the wheel, as I may have mentioned that I was reading The Age of Homespun by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. (In my defense, I was a history major, and one of my mentors was a colonial American historian ... it's not THAT far-fetched that I might just happen to read a book where spinning wheels are the main characters!)

anecdotal

Yawn. I'm tired, so all you get is a random brain dump.

Manly Man Socks:
Manly man socks are at "manly man bobby sox" stage. Think he would like some anklets this year? (Note: I accidentally typed "manly man booby sox". I bet he'd like those even more!)

Nantucket Jacket:
I'm back to the Nantucket Jacket, and am *this* close to finishing the two fronts, leaving me with just the sleeves to knit. No photos now. I need to reconsider a collar shaping issue before I finish, and then I will take a photo. BTW, who designs an aran weight cabled jacket with 3/4 length sleeves? Cute, yeah, but not highly practical. I'll be lengthening those... With my speed, the sweater should be done just in time for spring :)

Knits in the wild:
Earlier this week, I was driving to pick my husband up at work (he works on Union Street in Boston, right near the Union Oyster House, for those who know Boston...). I saw someone all bundled up in a wool coat and hat and mittens and thought "hmm, those look like handknit mittens". Looked up to check if the hat was hand knit, caught sight of the face instead, and said "hey, I think I know who that is!" Looked back at the mittens. Yep, it was a pair of Charlie Card Mittens -- nay, the ORIGINAL Charlie Card Mittens -- spotted in the wilds, worn by the Subway Knitter herself. I tried to whip out the camera and take a pic of herr out my window (you know, the way she shoots other subway knitters' photos), but the light turned green, and I decided not to risk life and limb for a photo.

Awww ...
Remember the pillows I made for the Mafia? Apparently, the striped one has been "claimed" by Little Man as his own. He even brought it to daycare one day this week. Too cute!

manly man socks

Work on the big grey man socks continues apace. These are for the man with a 10 1/2 wide foot. Not gigantic, but significantly larger than my own women's 8 1/2 kinda narrow.

One sock has a heel, while one does not yet. I tried a new short row heel for these, the Priscilla Gibson-Roberts short row heel. I used the directions in the Simple Socks book. I had to think about these directions as I knit, as with any new technique, but I liked the result! There was no gap between the heel and the rest of the sock as I sometimes get with my wrapped stitch short row heels.

But, I still don't "get" this technique. As in, how does it work? Hopefully, I'll figure it out on sock #2!

Note to husband, when trying on handknit socks: The appropriate answer to "how does it fit" is not "fine". "Fine" implies not great, but acceptable. "Fine" means something isn't quite right, but you can live with it. "Fine" means I need to consider frogging. If you like how they fit -- and you said that you do! -- then "good", "great", "perfect", and "these are some bitchin' socks, babe" would all be acceptable.

(Sorry for the washed out photo. The choice was direct sunlight -- as seen above -- or fluorescent lighting in the office. I went outdoors.)

boring grey man socks

Thom usually gets the short end of the stick when it comes to gift knitting. His father has as many of my handknits as Thom does.

I've tried to rectify this situation, but Thom insists that he doesn't want a sweater right now. I already knit him a hat and mittens, and he says that one set is plenty. Although he would like me to line his mittens with polarfleece. Somehow, Lopi Lite knit at 21 sts/4 in (much tighter than the recommended 17 sts/4 in) still lets the wind through.

He has one pair of thick socks that he wears with boots and clogs. He thought he might like another pair, a lighter weight pair that he can wear to work. So, we went sock yarn shopping at Webs. (Reluctantly, I might add!)

This is what he picked ... a tweedy charcoal grey Regia. Here is the label -- I think this means "4-ply tweed".


I also bought 2 cards of a grey reinforcing thread to knit into the toes and heels. The one toe that I knit so far seems to be really sturdy -- I hope still comfortable, though!

Also shown are my new Stitch Keepers -- a birthday gift to myself. I love them! They slip over the ends of the needle and perform three important functions --
1) keeping the stitches from sliding off the needle when you put the WIP down, especially when in a bag
2) keeping the set of needles together, including the one "working" needle that often escapes when you put a project down
3) preventing the "porcupine effect" -- when your WIP has needles poking out everywhere, and poking holes in your bag!

I've started the second sock too, so that I can knit both together. However, I keep messing it up. The first one was too small. The second one, I wasn't paying attention and cast on too many stitches. The third time, I missed a wrapped stitch on the short rows and was off by one stitch. Hopefully, the 4th time I will pay more attention!