Meme: A second look.

About a year ago I did this meme.

I thought that it would be a good idea to revisit it since I hadn't really been knitting that long when I did it the first go 'round.

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?
Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted or bulky, I just love it.

Your favorite needles?
Addi Natura Circs mostly. I tend to favor circs over straights just because it's less strain on your wrists.

The worst thing you've ever knit?
Hard to say. I generally rip stuff I don't think it's turning out well.

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it...but it was the most fun to knit)
I don't view knitting as "fun", and while that might sound I think it's torture, I don't. It's just something I do. I sometimes thing the end results are fun, but not necessarily the process itself is fun. I always try to challenge myself with my projects. I like them to be something I have never made before or some new technique I have never tried before.

Most valuable knitting technique?
Knitting Backwards. Thanks Coleen!


Best knit book or magazine?
I read Interweave pretty regularly. And sometimes Vogue.

Your favorite knit-a-long?
I have discovered I don't really care for knit-a-longs. They make me feel guilty for not getting around to doing or completing the specified project.

Your favorite knitblogs?
Check the link on the sidebar, I like all of the ones I read.

Your favorite knitwear designer?
Evelyn Clark, Kate Gilbert, Kristen Nicholas, and of course.. Eunny. :)

The knit item you wear the most?
I don't. Most of my knits have been given away. Or they aren't clothing items. I am working on some stuff now that will be items for me to wear, so perhaps that will change with time.

That's it. I don't know that my answers are any mSave as Draftore satisfactory than they were a year ago, or even that my thoughts have changed that much, but it's neat to see at any rate.

How Fetching.

Jeebus people! These things are like potato chips!
I can see I am going to have to knit up a ton of them.
Why didn't someone warn me not to do the first one?
How can I not make a million of them now?

It was 4.5 hours for one. During that time I did a little email checking, blog reading, chatting with shmoo, and ate lunch. I do believe I'll work on the right one this afternoon!

Resignation.

Dear Lolly,

I love you but, this sock thing... I quit.

Love,
Laura.


No really people. Socktoberfest has come to an unplanned early end for me. Perhaps it's because I tried a Cookie A pattern again when I KNOW that I have never successfully completed one of her patterns for one reason or another. Perhaps it's just poor planning and measurement on my part. Perhaps I am just not meant to be a sock knitter. *shrug*

While waiting for shmoo to get home yesterday so he could try on this sock that I knew I needed to stop knitting on until I was sure it fit.... (it didn't).....I finally cracked and cast on for Lady Eleanor. So far I am digging it. I'm not sure, but I think this colorway would actually look better as a Clapotis. I could be wrong of course, but we'll see.

Sharing.

Ok people, I am gonna share.

While on vacation, we found a fabulous wine. At least my mother, my Nana, and myself thought it was fabulous. If you like sweet white wines, give this one a try. it's Nummy.

Socktoberfest and other things.

First, the other things.

My Gallery seems to have shit itself when I wasn't looking so I'll be dinking with it more later to correct the issue. So no beach pictures right now.

I ripped the Clapotis (which I may have already mentioned, can't remember) and I have ripped out the sock I was doing for shmoo as well. I am also ripping out the one Jaywalker I have completed and the 3 rows I did the other night at knitting group. It was a hard to decision to rip my first completed sock, but I have decided I really don't care for the colorway with that pattern. I want something better, or different, or something. I still like the pattern but I will wait til a yarn tells me that's what it wants to be.

I finished the cape for Supersheep while on vacation, it's a little short, but mostly the thing still looks the same, so no new picture.

I also worked on my lace leaf shawl but didn't do that much on it because it will be a gift for my mom and I didn't want to flash it in front of her too much.

I did some spinning as well, both lace weight with Mama E's Platinum and then some fingering of that chocolate cherry fiber I mentioned ages ago. Also no pictures right now.

But wait! Lest you think I have no pictures to show. I do!
I was working on the front of Viveka cause that will be the hardest part with the most mods on it, and I wanted to get rolling on that before I forgot what I wanted to do while drudging thru the back.

So I started with an OXO cable up the front sides along where the zipper will be.



But then I didn't think it popped enough, so I decided to change it to a simple chevron like cable and let it go at that. This however, required surgery.

The braid I switched to:


One surgery down, one to go:


And finally, for Socktoberfest, I have cast on for the Red Herring Socks from Knitty. These socks will be for my shmoo, since I just ripped his current WIP sock out. I do like the colors I have chosen, and while they don't "pop" as much as I would perhaps wish for myself because of similar color saturation, I don't think shmoo will mind at all. They are definately his type of colors. And since he also approved the zigzag design, as long as they fit, I am sure he'll wear them! This is of course assuming I actually finish them.

Dolphins on Monday.

Actually, we saw the porpoises all but two days (Wednesday and Thursday). With the best showing being the morning we left right as we were doing one last check to be sure nothing was left behind. We checked the porch for several minutes. Just to be sure nothing was left behind you understand.

We had a wonderful vacation in a beautiful location.

All my knitterly needs were met.

And as a bonus, this was my view.


And I was able to relax and enjoy it because I knew that Daisy was in good hands.


I'll try to get the photos up in my gallery soon, in the mean time I have babies to collect and errands to run. It's good to be home, but I certainly wouldn't have minding staying longer!

Vacation

I've done some knitting but not anything I am ready to show. Mostly still working out the front of the mods I am doing for that viveka pattern. I've set it up twice and frogged it once and now considering frogging again, but a two color cable set into another color seems like a lot more work than I really feel like doing.

Regardless, we are leaving in the morning to go to St. George Island in Florida, and will be staying here for the next week. I look forward to a relaxing week of knitting and spinning and perhaps having another FO by the time I come back.

I'll think about you all while I relax in glorious splendor............ really I will.

Stereotypical.

OK here's the typical "with a dime or pen point" shot with double your stereotypes.

And here's some more stuff I am messing with. I can't decide which fiber to spin up as lace. So I figure I'll end up trying them all. The results might be less than glamorous should I decide to knit with them all, but that's ok too.

Woot Woot!

My beautimus new spindle has arrived! It's handmade by Mr. Tracy Eichheim of Woolly Designs in Colorado. I got the Ultralight with hummingbirds carved into it. It's about 19 grams (just under .7 ozs) and spins like a dream.

And check out those hummingbirds! He carves all that stuff using a scroll saw. No laser cutting! He has lots of great options, but I chose hummingbirds cause they make me think of my mom.


I have big plans for it next week when we go on vacation to St. George Island (Florida) with my family. I plan to spin up some of the deep dark blue I bought awhile back from Cloverhill as a lace weight, and do more of the BFL I got from Amy Boogie on my Kundert spindle as well.

Anyway, overjoyed, and wanted to share. A shot of some finished yarn after it dries.

Hypocrite.

Not too long ago, (I am sure if you scroll down you can read it, it should still be there) I bitched about Knitty and Suss and the Suss pattern with the Suss yarn. Yeah. That was me.

But then it was cold, and I didn't feel good, and I just wanted a big floppy cardingan that would be easy to make and still have good details to it and ended up casting on for the damned thing.

Yeah. Me. Hypocrite. I am however changing a few things about the sweater. I am NOT using Suss yarn. I am using Paton's Classic Merino Wool. And I shorted the bottom band from 5 inches to 2.5 inches. I am making it a Cardingan and not a Pullover. I am adding a zipper to the sleeves as well, so they can be loose and floppy or close and tight.

I am not proud of myself for giving in this way, but hopefully it'll be a nice comfy sweater I can wear on the days I feel bloated and fat and be fine with it.

I leave you with a picture of my pin-up girl modeling beside my knitting the other day.