Interim Project

After the socks I decided I would make a couple of cute little matching cabled sweaters for a couple of babies I know. The project was off to a rocky start. I knew what pattern I wanted to make, having made it twice before, always with a great reception. I headed to Ravelry and made a search and found which magazine it had appeared in and turned to my magazines and... nothing. Granted, the magazine it appeared in was a one-off publication by Better Homes & Gardens and... oh... a decade old? But I have plenty of magazines that old and older. I searched and searched and came up empty.


So back to Ravelry I went. You know when you fall down a Ravelry rabbithole and you think it'll be so easy because you want something so specific but then it's three hours later and you've looked at hundreds of patterns and added ten to your queue and just can't stop hitting "next?" That. And then I found the perfectly lovely Timberline by Sarah Cooke and I was saved.


I went to my stash and discovered to my disbelief and chagrin... I didn't have any DK weight superwash in enough yardage or an appropriate color. Like with the missing magazine, I checked several times before finally admitting to myself that I needed to buy yarn. (I know you're totally sympathizing with me right now.) The point is, since I've yet to find a yarn store local to me, I had to order the yarn and because I had to order it I had to wait to start. Enter the humble ballband dishrag. I love making these but don't usually use them for their intended purpose since I find they're bad at lathering dish soap and are horrible at wiping up spills. So I just use them as a trivet, and like to admire the bright colors. This is the one printed in Mason Dixon Knitting which I believe is just the one from the Peaches and Cream ballband, I didn't compare to make sure.


The good news is my new yarn came! The bad news is I somehow don't have any US6 dpns??? Swear to god, if you looked up "hot mess" in a stitch dictionary you'd find a fair isle design of my face.

Go Know!

I HAVE posted this year! Well get a load of me. I've been revising my novel and getting ready to go BACK to school (again!) for an accounting certificate AND moved to a totally new area of metro Boston (with a certain someone) AND!

I finished these socks.

I do not even remember when I started these and Ravelry is no help because not only did I not enter a start date, I never even took a single progress picture. One might think I don't even knit any more.

These are Feather Lace Socks by Rosemary Falk, a free pattern! I clearly remember finding this pattern because I wanted some socks that were toe-up and lacy and look how perfectly these fill the bill.




The yarn is Schoeller+Stahl Fortissima Socka, which is discontinued. I can't fathom why, as it's a very standard, workhorse-y sock yarn that seems like it'd never go out of style. I love this shade of green, so prevalent right now in lush August. When I wear these socks in February though, I'll appreciate that promise of green to come (let's not speak of the disgusting heat though). Nothing like modeling wool socks in August.




Never mind that wound on my leg. About a year ago I bought a bicycle that I've been using as my commuter transport since I moved in June. I actually bought it for commuting, but after a few months of nearly dying every day on my way between Allston and Somerville, I threw in the towel. My new route is 95% bike path but you better believe that other 5% does not encourage complacency. Just a little mishap, and I'm used to constantly bruised legs now.

I'm feeling some invisible pressure to finish revising my novel what with a new program starting, but I do have it in my mind to make THREE baby sweaters. I owe two to babies who recently turned one, and there's another coming in October. I purposely looked for patterns using DK weight yarn to ensure speed. Can you believe I had to actually order DK weight superwash??? I checked my whole stash twice and came up empty. Ah well... never hurts to buy more yarn!

Why hello there!

I finished something!

So I have this fella and he likes riding bikes. He even got me into bike riding, something I never thought I'd be brave enough to do in the city. Now some people put their bikes up when the weather turns cold, but he rides year-round. He'd mentioned lobster-claw mittens a few times. They protect a rider's hands while still allowing easy braking and shifting.

So it was clear what I had to do. I went and bought some Lamb's Pride worsted in orange for visibility and charcoal for danger and pulled out my go-to Knitter's Handy Book of Knitting Patterns by Ann Budd and modified the mitten pattern. They were a hit!

Obviously I've made some other things in the... years... since I last posted. A cowl, mitts, socks... a novel. I finished the first draft of my first novel! It's a mess right now. I don't use outlines, I just sat and wrote and found out what happens as I went along. I'm taking a breather before diving into my first set of revisions, I have a couple of readers helping me out, and after it's done I'll call on a couple more. I'm so fortunate to know so many talented writers! 'Til next time... hopefully within this year.

Hello, hello!

Oh my god, so much has happened since my last post! Where do I even begin.... Oh, right:

I GRADUATED!

And I wasn't content with that. I also got a new job and a new apartment, both in new neighborhoods. And you know what a new apartment (with a wood floor!) means?

Say hello to my little friend.

So everything's been coming up Marlena, AND THEN!

I got my first full-length story published! This story isn't online, though you can buy a copy of the (very good) magazine here. I also had another flash piece picked up.

AND THAT DOES NOT EVEN INCLUDE THE KNITTING, PEOPLE!

So let's talk about that. I finished that baby sweater I was working on and it turned out so cute I could hardly stand it.

Pretty cute, right? Wait'll you see who gets to wear it:

Not the cutest picture of me, but I'm banking on little Mia here to steal the spotlight. To review, this is the Eyelet Baby Cardigan by Looking Glass Knits. I used Berroco Comfort fingering weight for the ease of care and because of that beautiful, perfect lilac color. I looked at other purples and kept coming back to that one. I was a little hesitant to knit with a purely synthetic yarn but let me tell you, I loved every minute of it! It's soft, springy, and holds eyelets beautifully. I would not hesitate to pick this yarn up again.

Obviously with all of the graduating and new job getting and moving etc., it was awhile until I cast on my next project. While shopping my stash, I came across some Nezinscot Farm yarn I picked up a hundred Fryeburg Fairs ago. I believe the fiber is corriedale, no idea what the colorway might have been named. This yarn was amazing to knit! So squishy! And I didn't even block my mittens when they were done because I loooooove that sheepy smell!

Oh yeah... I dyed my hair red too.

Wee Enhancement

Like the socialite who has just a bit of Restalyn in her laugh lines, or the photographer who puts a single layer of filter over a photo, I engaged in just a smidge of stash enhancement.

I learned the sad news that my replacement LYS (Windsor Button after A Good Yarn... any recs for LYSes in the Boston metro area?) is closing. When I first entered Windsor Button, I was reminded of a time capsule. There were discontinued yarns, rug hooking supplies, and Red Heart. Lots of Red Heart. But there were also gems, and a whole wall of buttons. I was reminded of Central Yarn in Portland, ME. A store I went to when it was nearby, but generally only as a last resort. When A Good Yarn closed though, I was at a loss. Enter Windsor Button. Acrylic splendor aside, the staff was wonderful, they had a student discount, and the aforementioned button wall. Plus, I fell down in there one day and left with like twenty skeins of embroidery floss to make friendship bracelets. I'm just now realizing I don't think I ever let you in on the friendship bracelet thing... forthcoming.
I bought the ArtYarns Supermerino in the lovely cloudy sky colorway and the Teal Malabrigo Silky Merino at Windsor Button. The rest I bought at WEBS. I can't resist a sunny sock yarn in the dead of winter, and I got the dull brown yarn for make some thick wool socks for myself. I had a pair from L.L. Bean years ago that I loved and wore out, and while I have lots of pairs of wool socks, I don't have any thick, wonderful, cozy socks. So. The Malabrigo is for a hat requested by a friend. This one. Work continues on the baby cardigan. Okay. Not really. SVU, thesis, and now AWP have stolen my focus. My focus is sure to return though! I want to knit everything!
PS: Are you watching Girls? Because I just started and I love it!

Littler = cuter

Isn't it a little unfair how true it is that the smaller a thing is, the cuter? Pygmy animals, cars, mini pastries.... And of course, baby clothes.

I wish everyone I knew had babies on a regular basis! The projects are quick, the results are (to borrow the title of my nephews' favorite show) too cute, and babies are amazing models. Plus, there's wiggle room when it comes to size. A baby won't be offended if you hand-craft a sweater that's a bit too big. In fact, their parents will probably welcome it!
I'm probably just a few days away from finishing this little charmer, even though the baby isn't coming until June. This, my friends, may be a first. Of course, the sweater's not done yet and my typical m.o. is to get a great head start and then fall into complacency until the last minute. (Let's not talk of my thesis right now, okay?)
I've been enjoying a bit more free time as of late. I should be reading. My current book, The End of Men is overdue from the library and I'm doing my first book club in a couple weeks! We're reading The Alchemist, which has been on my list for a long time. Speaking of books! Have you pre-ordered your copy of Fit to Flatter yet? I've had a couple of quick peeks while the book was in progress and let me tell you, you want it! Great patterns, great instruction... it's no wonder Amy's classes have been so popular; she's a great teacher.
Here's hoping I at least have the body done of this little beauty this weekend. And then to make the hard choice: which booties? I usually go with Saartje's Bootees, which are fun to make and always very well received. But I've already made them a few times, and I'd sorta like to try something new. Maybe these with the sweet lace detail to echo the sweater? Or what about these? I need to stop trawling my Rav queue for booties. I WANT TO KNIT EVERYTHING!

Dobby's Sock

Every time I picked these socks up to work on them, I'd hear the line in my head: "Master has given Dobby a sock!" I just re-watched all seven Harry Potter movies over the course of six days, and now I'm hankering to re-read the books. I'm not typically into YA (I scoffed when these books were suggested way back when the first one came out, and the next YA I read was The Hunger Games series just last year), but I just love the world created in this book. I think that's the most heart-breaking thing about reading sci-fi/fantasy novels; you can never visit the world you just inhabited within the pages. All there is for you is to read the words again and again.
Anyway. We were talking about socks, weren't we?

These are Denmark by Nancy Bush, from her book Knitting on the Road. I've made a few patterns in this book, and they are, without exception, perfectly written. The book also includes tips for toes and heels, and instructions for kitchener which, despite having been a knitter for over a decade (how'd that happen?!) I still have to look up every. single. time. I. do. it. Looking for a master knitter? I am not your girl.

I'm sorry to say I don't know what I used for yarn. There I was, at Amy's, when I bound off a project and hadn't brought anything else to work on! Defining what makes knitting friends the very best friends to have, Amy pulled some sock yarn from her stash and I found a book we had in common and I was off! I don't actually even remember when that was. Man, it's been a long time since I posted.
More babies are on the way around here so I am finally making a sweet little cardigan I've had my eye on for awhile. It's a summer baby and I really don't like knitting with cotton so I'm giving Berroco Comfort a try in the fingering weight. I'll let you know how she handles.
PS: Looking for a good book to read? Try May We Be Forgiven by A. M. Homes. I wrote a review here.