I’m alive!

Well, I am now officially a college graduate!  This last year has been one of the busiest of my life.  So busy I barely had time to knit, let alone blog about it.  However, now that I am done, I should hopefully have a bit more time for both.

As the last post says, I attempted the ravelympics.  What it does not tell you is that not only did I have to switch patterns, since the yarn looked terrible at the gauge for the Poet’s Pullover, but I also failed miserably at getting the second sweater, Decimal, completed.  I actually just frogged what I had of that a couple days ago.  The yarn wasn’t quite right for that either.  It just didn’t have the drape I hoped it would, and between that and the halo I really didn’t like how it interacted with the lace pattern.

I am about to embark on a third attempt at using the yarn with this cardigan.  Hopefully this time will be the charm… if not I’m chucking the yarn at someone else and hoping they have better ideas than I do.  As it stands, I’m fairly hopeful that it will work out this time.  The pattern was originally knit with an alpaca yarn that is described as being fairly similar to the Quechua, and it looks like a pretty straightforward, simple cardigan.  If it turns out, it’ll be a nice addition to my wardrobe.  I also like how it has a deep enough neck that I can wear another color next to my face.  The blue is pretty, but it’s not necessarily my most flattering color.  Another reason to get rid of it if this one doesn’t work out…

No promises that I’ll blog more often, since I know myself better than that, but it’s likely… we’ll just have to wait and see!

Update and Ravelympics!

So despite my long absence, due to the utter craziness that was last semester, I am still here!  And I’ve still been knitting.  I made a blanket for my boyfriend for Christmas, and I am working on a school scarf for my sister and a pair of socks for my mom.  I also am completely finished with Vivian, except for the zipper.  Unfortuantely, that’s currently back at my parent’s house, so I won’t have a chance to put the zipper on until Easter.  I also finally blocked Versatility, sewed on the buttons, and bought ribbon for it.  However, I don’t have any pictures of it, since it is also at my parent’s house, so that will also have to wait.  When I do take pictures, I promise a very picture-filled post.

But until then…

It’s time for the Ravelympics!  For those who might not know what that is, it’s an event put on by Ravelry for the Olympics.  The basic premise is that you pick something to knit, and try to complete it between the lighting and extinguishing of the torch.  I will be on team uKNITversity, which made up entirely of college students, and I will be “competing” in the Sweaterboard Cross event.  What does this mean?  It means that, in sixteen days, I am going to try to knit an entire sweater.  I think I must be insane.

Alright, time for the details.  The pattern is the Poet’s Pullover, and I’ll be using some Elann Peruvian Quechua in a kind of periwinkle color that I picked up at a yarn sale a few months ago.  I have a couple of modifications in mind.  I’d like to make it a little longer, and I saw a really cool version of it that added long ribbed cuffs to the sleeves.  I’m still trying to decide which size to make, since I’m between sizes.  I’m going to have to do a swatch.  If my gauge is a little off, I can make a size up or down based on that.

Finished socks and a storm of dishcloths!

So I’ve been busily vacationing away this summer and as a result of lots of driving and family time (read: me knitting while being social with family), I have accomplished quite a lot. I finished my first pair of socks shortly after my last post, but as it is mid-July it is far too hot to wear them.

My recent obsession is using up all of the random cotton I have and the way in which I am doing it is knitting washcloths. Specifically, the Ballband Dishcloth by Maison Dixon knitting (available for free on Ravelry). Its a fast colorful fun knit and I am tickled that it will be very functional in my kitchen…or someone else’s.  I started out cutting the yarn each time I changed color, but I have decided that that is ridiculously and recently have begun carrying the yarn along the side like you do for colorwork which seems to be working.

Take a look!

next up? More socks and washcloths…I’m starting to gather ideas for holiday presents, but its too hot to get started on them for quite some time.

hello

so I have been reminded that this blog exists and that now I am back in the country, I should contribute, so here I am! And guess what? I even have something to share for once! WITH PICTURES!

Thanks to gywn_sully, I’ve jumped on the sock bandwagon and I sense a deep obsession coming on. They’re functional with enought variation to be interesting and a small enough project to be portable and keep my attention…

Here is my progress on the second sock of my first pair! I’m so excited for it to start getting colder so I can wear them!

soon I’m off to the lake and then the seaside so hopefully I’ll be able to get in some more light summer knitting. Either socks or dishrags-my apartment could really use some dishrags!

Oh yeah, I have a blog…

As my brain is starting to finally come back to me in the recovery period after this past semester, I have remembered that I have a blog, and it might be nice to update it on occasion.  So.  Here I am.

Vivian is almost back to where it was when I had to frog it.  It’s fitting much better this time, and I’m glad I decided to redo it.  Not only am I going to like the finished product a lot better, but I also discovered that I had done too many increases the first time through, so I would have had to pull it out later on anyways.  At least this way I frogged it on my own terms.

Now I just have to hope the weather stays cool enough for a while that I feel like finishing it.  This is not a warm weather sweater.

I’m Back!!

I am knitting this.
More to come after final’s week!

Kisses, SBM

A Fresh Start

So I frogged Vivian. It broke my heart to do it, but it had to be done. There was just too much negative ease. I would have worn it, but I would have felt bad about it every time I did. So, frogging occured. This was about a week ago, and yesterday I decided I needed to cast on again. However, I knew I needed some knitterly support to do so. I hadn’t found a group of knitters in my area yet, but I knew this was important, so I went googling. The result? I found A Grand Yarn, which stated that a group met on Saturdays from 3-5. Since it isn’t too too far from my apartment, I decided to give it a go.

I would like to apologize now for the lack of pictures. I have no idea where my camera is. This is a real shame, because A Grand Yarn was just about perfect in every possible way. Not huge enough to be intimidating, but big enough to be filled to the brim with luscious yarns. As I was getting there a class was letting out, and it was so refreshing to listen to the chatter of knitters talking about their projects, and picking up various doodads. I myself ended up with a tape measure that looks like a black sheep. It’s my new favorite knitting widget. And as for the knitters themselves, everyone was super nice. Despite my claim that it shouldn’t have been intimidating, I was still a little shy, and seated myself a little to the side. It wasn’t too long though before I was invited to join them at their table, and I had a great time. I’m hoping I can go up again next weekend, and make it a regular thing.

So yeah.  Vivian is now back on the needles, and I have a new favorite place to go knit.  Hopefully I can find my camera soon and provide pictures of both, as well as the baby booties my mom commissioned for all her friends at work.  (Seven pairs… I think.  Possibly more than that)