sock operation

so this is the story of my soc operation

   here we have the realization that i fucked up somewhere. so i unravelled the stitches between the YO, k2tog that i messed up on


   now comes the other realization that knitting on the same size needles was going to be very hard...


   and here i switched to size 0 because it was easier to work with. i do have a ladder, but hey, at least it's better than breaking the yarn b/c the sucker's so tight.


   and here we are close to the conclusion of the operation

now i must say the following:
1. the lighting sucks
2. the suck operation is SO MUCH BETTER than unravelling the sucker... USE SMALLER NEEDLES
3. heaven help you if you're doing a complicated lace pattern
4. i'm very close to actually purchasing a url...

---end---

no more secret pal 9

so i saw grumperina's button about "i'm my own pal" and naturally, i thought of secret pal.

Then i saw the origin of the button (click the button in the side bar to view). I like the concept of the whole thing.. .but the mandatory 60 spending... i really dislike that, i mean, gift giving should be gift giving. when the del ray group had an xmas exchange, we said $5 bucks. or was it 10? but still, it's manageable. and the $60 doesn't include time or posting to ship. so you could make a wonderful clapotis that costs more than $80 to make, but that's not good enough - well that's how it seemed to me in reading. so yeah. it's off my list now.

so anyway - b/c i have nothing to do, this is what i'm going to do...

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end and/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? yes. hahahah. that or a hand painted snob.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? Just a knitter at this point. (not edited)

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.). i DISLIKE smellies. I dislike flowery smells.

4. How long have you been knitting?ummm continuously... probably since 2005?

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, but it's private, I don't like people all up in my biz.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I don't like smelly stuff. i'm really picky about the smells. Typically I like lavendar and eucalyptus - but if it's made wrong I hate it. I do like clean fresh scents though.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes, but anything too sweet hurts my teeth.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I paint. I would like to take up sewing since I've inherited my mom's sewing machine and table.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) ooooh... it's easier to say the artists: stan getz, ella fitzgerald, miles davis, fiona apple, mos def, floetry, jill scott, k-os, bjork, gypsy kings, amel lerruix (spelling), jaoa gilberto, bob dylan, marchoobea (spelling), the roots, rage against the machine, tribe called quest, black eyed peas, classical music...

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? my favorite color is blue (subtle, soft, muted). but i'm really begining to like green (not a puke color green where there's too much yellow in it). i'm starting to appreciate bright colors, but neons are totally not it. ummm purples, pinks, those are working well. reds are iffy - they have to be a really rich color red and not a crayola plasticy looking red. pastels and fall colors are gorgeous. if you look at my photo album a

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with my roommate and my 2 chow chows. i lvoe finding chow chow stuff b/c you NEVER see those breed products anywhere.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) I want to work for my self. I want to retire young if I can't work for myself. I want to move away from DC to NY, WA, MA, IL, or CA.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Hmmm... varigrated... but GOOD varigrated. not the varigrated that can't make up it's mind on whether or not to be solid, striped, or varigrated. It's like a 3 in one abomination. For good varigrated please see brooklynhandspun.com for slightly striped but varigrated enough to not be stripe, please fee fearless fibers

my latest passion is subtle solids.... oh so dreamy.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I absolutely stay away from acrylic. Any wierd fibers like buffalo. I do have a desire for cashmere or just something soft... oh and the fancy fur type stuff... or the ladder looking stuff... with the obnoxious colors

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? hmmm... socks =) knitting socks with GOOD varigrated yarn

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? hahaha socks =) right now, socks. i'm in school and work, so this is somethign that i won't want to stab myself for not finishing

17. What are you knitting right now? See sidebar up update =)

18. What do you think about ponchos? Cute! but i'm small, so i'm picky about how stuff hangs on me. I mean, I can still fit into size 12 in the kid's section at Target, but someh

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars because I never have to worry about losing needles... straights are nice though. I'm usually a buyer of lantern moon straights b/c i'm a big alturist.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? no plastic. if it's wood, ebony, blonde (no rose wood or palm, i don't like the look of them) or bamboo. i do not mind addi's and have been wanting to try knit pick's new line.

21. Are you a sock knitter? Yep. (no change)

22. How did you learn to knit? Taught myself at first with books and a bad cd from jo-ann's. but i got a dvd from yarnbag.com and have been loving it ever since.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? ummm my karabella cowl neck sweater is still unfinished, so i guess a year or so?

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? animated character? i like anime, how about that =)

25. What is your favorite holiday? i don't have one. i really think they're just commercialized or have lost all well intended meanings. i only like them b/c i don't have to work during them.

26. Is there anything that you collect? yarn...patterns that i'll probably never get too, books... lots of books, mangas right now. school books if you count the fact i have no choice. anything snazzy chow chow related.

---end---

references:
secret pal 9 rules: http://secretpal9.blogspot.com/2006/08/rules.html

grump's link about secret pal 5: http://www.grumperina.com/knitblog/archives/2005/05/favorite_bird.htm

wine and needles secret pal questions: http://wineandneedles.blogspot.com/2005/01/about-me-list-with-purpose-secret-pal.html
*not edited or no change = from wine and needle's blog

the knitter shall see

so, i'm assuming i've developed a really bad bad case of allergies. my eyes and nose are really dry. i can't wear contacts anymore and i can't breathe easily through my nose anymore. The latter has affected me and i've started breathing through my mouth even mroe, which has caused my throat to dry.

notice the trend here is DRY.

unfortunately, since i can not wear contacts anymore (good bye colored lenses that i wanted to try) i have to wear glasses full time. no, o2optix did not work. my eyes were blood shot w.in 30 minutes of wearing and yes, i put in rewetting drops ever 5 minutes.

and i can't get laser eye surgery b/c my eye sight hasn't stabled. so, glasses and perscription sunglasses.

this was purchased with polarized dark grey lenses. at first i was worried that the brown wouldn't go well with the dark gary, but the frames really are much darker than this image shows. the frames are a bit larger, but i like that in sunglasses. unfortuantely, because the lenses are polarized, they can't be thinned, so i'll look bug-eyed. hopefully the dark color of the lenses will counter act that.


yes, i realize that these are my current frames - but they're nice. i was hoping to find something green or blue, but why spend money on another frame? okay so it's mainly because i couldn't find something i like, but these are a nice pair. besides, i need to save money for more important things like my girls, christmas, and of course, yarn =) (notice i didn't say knitting supplies but specifically yarn).

i know, these aren't yarn pictures, but i'm at work. my camera battery is dying, so it may not survive the xfer, and i've just been too lazy to complete anything...

but i will leave you with this teaser, i completed a pair of socks. no only that, but i finished one sock in one day! amazing! i knwo i know... i'm working on finishing the bed socks again.

---end---

references:
http://eyeglasses.go-optic.com/store/eyeglasses/details.asp?id=18813
http://www.framesdirect.com/framesfp/Nine_West-tcogtj/r.html

Christmas Knitting

Okay - so I've labored over what to do for Christmas/Holiday gift giving.

For knitters, it's easy... for non knitters, it's not so easy.

I made my then 6 month old nephew a sweater, which I've never seen him wear.
Last year I made a slew of scarves, a hat and some golf club covers...

This year I don't know what to do. I thought, "OOOOOOH socks! Who won't love a pair of hand knitted socks?"

Well apparently a lot of people wouldn't. :*(

So now I just don't know what to do. The only non-knitter that I know I'm going to make something for is my brother in law.

---end---

a new method of socks

i know i need to post pictures, I'll get to it... but i started to do a toe up sock pattern ! it look me about 3 different yarns and multiple times of ripping and swatching to figure out just what i wanted... but here it is disected..

pattern: first seen on grumperina, original pattern from craftoholic with math from universal toe up pattern from knitty
yarn: fearlessfibers.etsy.com, 100% merino wool in wisteria
needles: US 2 set of 5 dpns from skyrider
toe up method: figure 8 toe from knitty

modification:
1. toe up was not short row wrap
2. toe length was probably 2-3" long. i have long toes and since the pattern is somewhat lace, i wanted a good majority of the toes covered.
3. probably the heel will be a yo as opposed to a wrap. (see side bar)

thoughts about the new method - damn that's fast! and i LOVE how you can try them on. toe up sock and top down tops - gotta love them.

ps. all references to how-to's are located in the side bar under references. pictures to come soon!

---end---

in the words of greg the bunny's count

a'ighit blah!

yes yes... so you wanna know why?

well, i f*ed up my salina... i did not swatch. i went to my lys and even the cashier was like "so you learned your lesson huh?" /me pouts

i also had to purchase (yes, i was forced to buy) more yarn because my swatch skien + tax did not equal $10. so, i bought sock yarn from cherry tree hill - dude talk about some tiny guage... i mean, they really mean fingering. but, it's a very nice soft yarn although not a subtle solid.

i personally prefer a thicker sock yarns, but everyone who handpaints is doing superwash... the fates are against me /me pouts again

so, i unravelled a new sock i'm trying (yes i know, my 3rd incomplete sock set) to use it on the cherry tree hill's burgundy superwash. (the sock is a SOMEWHAT lace patter and the varigrated yarn was detracting from the simple lace - too much going on).

so yeah... that sucked.

i'm thinking i'm going to move to the "speed demon" sized yarn (term from sweet georgia yarns) from now on... now, what to do with the 12 billion handpainteds i have... oh yeah, i should knit them /me rolls eyes

yeah i'm tired, i'm grumpy and instead of knitting like a maniac my first break from school - i'm ripping...

the salina
the orangina (wow that rhymed)
the new sock

and lord help me NOT to rip the cowl neck sweater i started 2 years ago...i'll just probably change that to dpns and take them off the circulars...

*deep breath*

this is going to be a short break filled with ripping...

---end---

executive decision...

okay... so i had a dream about yarn last night... okay yarn and patterns, i know i know, to a non knitter i'd sound crazy, but i swear i'm not.

anyway. the dream went like this.
orangina in takhai stacey charles' cotton classic ... RIP IT ... use it for knit and tonic's sizzle pattern
the ggh scarlett in wine that was ripped from a ribbed skirt from knitty ... USE IT ... for orangina

so i get into work, yeah i know i shouldn't have, i'll stay an extra hour today... and went straight to yarndex. i wrote out the yard/ball, stitches/4 inches, the total yardage i have in my stash/yarn type, the total yardage needed/pattern, and the stitches/4 inches for each pattern.

1. i have more than enough cotton classic for the sizzle (but i'm going to double check that)

2. i don't have enough scarlett for the orangina. i'm 76 yards short. since i like longer shirts, this isn't going to work. i'm going to have to get 2 new balls and pray that the colors are close enough. (i've already been burned by blue sky alpaca w. the same color number but VERY VERY different dye lot - but that's another story!)

3. i could forget the orangina... but only temporarily! and use the scarlett for a hat pattern that i bought from celia.etsy.com - although it's cotton, so how much give is there in that??? maybe i could do an odessa too... and give those away for christmas?

thoughts?

oh here's number 4.... i could make some dk weighted socks =) HAHAHAHHA

yeah, thoughts please?

---end---

oh yeah... and my photoalbum is about to drop me unless i order a print for my picture or buy membership. i have 4 freaking days... so, i'm hitting up my best friend, tim, to come save the day. *crosses fingers*

that's over 500 pictures and links that'll be lost! this weekend is going to be busy for me trying to salvage all of this stuff.

look ma... i made a button

yes, i did...

look to the side bar under "me"

=)

---end---

I LOVE YOU KPIXIE

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

it is with great pleasure that i announce to you, world, that KPixie has not only agreed to special order me 8 skiens of Lorna's Laces Shephard Sport in Chocolate, but they're giving me a 15% DISCOUNT!!!!

*deep happy sigh* there is something right in the world...

so, i will be the proud mama/owner of chocolate shephard sport from lorna's laces...

i'm also tempted to asked them to special order me douglars fir (shown on the right) for the odessa hat by grumperina on mag knits. oh yeah, minus the beads (if you didn't get all that, it's okay b/c the link is here) but, should i keep spending? should i expect them to discount that special skien? but isn't the color beautiful? wouldn't the two look nice together?

and i dream on...

---end---

lorna's laces

okay, usually a substitute yarn means a few things
1. there's more yarn per the money meaning
2. it's cheaper or
3. you already have a stash
4. your picking a different material (so maybe up in price)

well meet chocolate from lorna's laces. it's 200 yards per skien at approximately $10/skien. 100% SUPERWASH wool with 6 sts/in (24sts/4 in).

I wrote kpixie asking if they do special order and offer discounts for bulk orders, i had to ask! i'm going to be buying 1600 yards, so that's pretty bulky =).

anyway, i saw this website which has a better color card since the pictures are much larger than lorna's website. so yeah... there are other colors i may consider... but, damnit, it's so expensive.

yes yes i know, stop looking for yarn.

references: yarn image is taken from yarn-store.com

---end---

not sure why i bother

but i'm on the hunt for yet more yarn... what? what is that? yes i know i just bought 1100 yards of 100% peruvian alpaca in a lovely olive green color that's dk weighted... yes i know i was supposed to use that for the somewhat cowl, but it's that g word.

guage it's haunting me. everything says gauge. now things are saying BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR GUAGE, i tell you them g followers are getting pretty darn fanatical.

so now i'm worried that the weight of the yarn is SLIGHTLY thicker than the yarn they used. the feel of the sweater will be thicker/stiffer. how will it drape? (and that's another one of them haunting words)... you can't tell drape unless you knit the shit up and wash it...

so now, not only do you have to buy an extra skien to knit several different 5" (b/c the more the better and you need 1/2" for the garter stitched edged) swatches on various needles you have to WASH it before measuring it... so

1. pick your yarn (X)
2. pick your needles (a, b, c)
4. swatch x with a, b, and c
5. measure pre wash (all 3 of them)
6. wash (all 3 of them)
7. measure post wash (all 3 of them)
8. match the post wash guage to the finished guage they're telling you to have.
so if the yarn happens to relax after washing, then you need to knit tigheter b/c the washed swatch is how your guage will end up. so even though swatch C's prewash guage may be a match, swatch A's post wash guage may be the one you need....

SUCKY huh? hwat are you supposed to do? tag them before washing? BLAH

anyway, this is the one that's giving me trouble. i want this in dark dark brown. but, you need like 1600 yards (rounded up for swatchign purposes). try getting that under 40 bucks!

and yes, i mean soft yarn, not too much shedding, and hopefully non itch. and after hours of searching with red - NOTHING... it's become a mission. must find yarn

reference: image from vogue knitting Fall 2006

---end---

knitting socks

i realized that i knot on circulars backwards... i didn't realize there was such a thing, but i discovered it when i went to lunch with red...

we both whipped out our socks and BAM... she was knitting with teh beginning closest to her, and i was knitting with the beginning furthest from me...

i didn't realize how much of a problem this was going to be. i've always knitting plain stockinette and lace as oppsoed to something that looks very different from the inside out.

anyways...

every time my pattern said knit, i had to purl. and DONT even get me started on the kitcher/graffting stick. that was a monstrocity. it basically looks the way it needs to ON THE INSIDE.

so yeah.

but the sock is done. i probably should block it a bit so it doesn't feel so cramped up in to toes?

so now... which sock to finish, jeanne's lace sock, or starting the 2nd one?

i'll probably finish jeanne's sock and give it to her when i see her on break (from school)???

oh yeah... and about hte hostility, i'm ready to be over it. it's really draining and just not good. red, thank you for your patience. i love you for it.

---end---

YARN IS HOME!!!

yay! all wonderful 10 skiens have foudn their way home... they weren't kidding when they said it would take up to 9 days... (it's taken 10 not including sunday and the 31st of july)... but it's okay b/c they're home now.

i've been debating whether or not to release my stash into the wild and just shelve them.... (ya know take them out of the plastic)...

i remember hearing on queer eye for the straight guy that you must immediately free your clothing from the plastic bags because the lack of oxygen kills the fiber...

so i'm wondering if the same is true about yarn? i guess i will look it up on snopes

this is the only thing i found... on google...

---end---

lost yarn and love

hear yarnie yarnie yarnie original heading
yes it is tragic... but my 10 skiens of olive green 100% alpaca yarn are missing in the USPS system... either on a truck, on the wrong doorstep, or lost in a facility...

we are fortunate that the original owner is tracking the lost babies for me at the post office... what is it with them lately? everyone seems to be having problems?

but yes... please, let's all gather 'round and send some warm wishes and some yarn-hunting-home-finding vibes their way.

edit
i saw this in the profile of a friend of mine:
[x]Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot. - he does both

[x]Who calls back when you hang up on him. - we've worked out a deal (door signals)

[x]Wait for the boy who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats. - definately him

[x]Who holds your hand in front of his friends. - 99% of the time (except at work for some reason, but that's probably b/c i don't like it hahaha)

[x]Who thinks you're the prettiest when you have no makeup on. - definately him

[x]The one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you. - he does he does...

[x]The one who turns to his friends and says, 'That's her.' " - DEFINATELY him...

i'm lucky... thank you for loving me. thank you for it all.

*note: i know i never really talk about much other than knitting related things on here, so HIM is NOT alpaca, sheep, cashmere goat, yarn, notions, or an accessory =) just to clarify hehehe

---end---

knitting heinousness (spelling?)

^^ okay there is a picture there, just click the empty box... i'll republish it once my other program is running

just to be official and all - here's the permalink there's another picture of her ass in the air, but i thought i'd be nice and not post that.

um.... i just dont' know what to say... but EWWWW the very last thing I needed to see this morning was wendy's (from knit and tonic) boy underwear and cellulite... i mean god, at least have an ass... and even if the picture is blurry there's still cellulite! i mean, if you're going to take the time to edit people's comments on your blog, take the time to photoshop your damn legs. i mean, if your'e going to retake photos of you knitting b/c of "angles" get rid of the cellulite...

see, i normally visit this and 2 other blogs (red's and deliah's) in the am for morning inspiration... but omg... i think i want to throw up... gross...

i mean, i know women have stretch marks and cellulite and saggy boobs... but still. come on...



---end---

blue sunday

okay, i did it again...

i read ANOTHER pattern incorrectly. i was feeling pretty damn upset, but i cam up with the bright idea of feeding a rip line through the knitting in the form of a much smaller 24" circular... so i ripped... then i realized... SOMEHOW, the ripping got tangled. the line i was ripping SOMEHOW ended up between stitched in the row i was ripping out. on top of that, i dropped my rip line a row 1/4 of the way towards the end. and... to make it worse, i fed the line through the left leg of the stitch, not the right, making all of my stitches backwards.

so, not only did i unravel 1/4 of the stitches to below where i was supposed to be, i had to flip 1/6 of the stitches while i tried to free my tangled yarn-to-ball. then i had to reknit the 1/4 of the stitches to get it back to where it was supposed to be... then i had to flip all 68 remaining stitches so i can knit them properly.

oh, how far did i have to go back? not nearly as far as the salina, but 2" - which, in the round, is a lot of hand cramping.

so, i'm just really pissed off/depressed/defeated. all my motivation... well the little i had left, is now gone. i want to retreat into a bottle of wine or a bubble bath.

---end---

now i'm depressed

1. for personal reasons
2. for school reasons (not depressed just haven't found my groove...yet)
3.
god bathala i can't even say it...

i had to unravel 16.5" x 13" of knitting... DK knitting... yes yes, i had to unravel my salina... why? BECAUSE I DIDN'T READ THE DAMN PATTERN CORRECTLY....

and it's amazing how i talk myself into needing something that i don't (like my ring purchase earlier today), i seriously convinced myself that i kenw what the pattern meant. and no, don't even bother giving me the "but why didn't you just ask?" i didn't ask becuase i really thought i knew what the pattern was saying... ugh i don't even have the strength to keep writing...

---end---

not again

yes... i was week, i bought it. the largest disc is 1/2" in diameter.



---original post---

oh lord help me, i want go to shopping...

$26 for ring around the moon
$28 for silk wristlet
$32 for (knitting)bag

not including shipping for any of these items (3 + 2 + 6 respectively)= $96 FREAKING bucks...

DUDE... what's wrong with me?

i even get all sentimental/spiritual when i think about them... for example, the ring, i think "it's a symbol of continuity and self focus..." for the purse it's like a mission... why why why do i do that?

oh... and thank goodness for red's internet =) i makes me feel much better.

---end---