Best. Christmas. Ever.

So, remember how I said that my brother has been wanting a sweater for years now? About four? Well, I don't think I mentioned that for every Christmas for the last four years or so, he's made a big deal about how it looks like another year's gone by with no sweater and wah, wah, wah. Cue this year. I'm in the kitchen fixing dinner and I hear him call from the living room.
"Doesn't look like any sweater boxes this year again."
"Well Brandon, I am a student you know. It's not like I can just whip up a sweater real quick."
Then my dad, who knows I made the sweater, pipes up, "Yeah Brandon, it takes a long time to make a sweater you know."
My brother, chastised, chuckles and says he's kidding.

Little twerp opened it while I wasn't looking! I didn't get a picture of him opening it (or wearing it), but he immediately checked it for tags and only after feeling satisfied that the sweater was indeed handmade, he put it on and wore it the rest of the night! Success!

Oh, I should also mention that I finished weaving in the three million ends the night before going home. In a fit of delusion, I soaked the sweater at 11pm and casually laid it out in front of the heating vent in my room. So yeah. That was me lugging a soaking wet sweater in a grocery bag through North Station. Luckily, it was dry in time for Christmas.

I've not yet casted on for my next project but I know it's going to be a Baby Surprise Jacket using a superbright Lorna's Laces yarn I've always wanted to try (Bittersweet). I have a couple of other friends having babies this year, so my goal is to knit a little something for each of them. Wish me luck!

Come Together....

Check it out! Big Black Blob is becoming sweater-shaped!

With two weeks left to go, I am on the first round of decreases for the yoke. I was feeling a little nervous about finishing this in time, but now I feel downright confident. Much of this progress is thanks to a long afternoon I spent with Amy, knitting away. Also, one of the (myriad) benefits of having knitting friends: when I realized that I had not only forgotten stitch holders but also forgot the copy of IK with the pattern in it, Amy had those things at the ready. Whew!

The end of the semester is approaching. I have a final story due in my lit class where I have to write in the style of an author we've read this semester. In a fit of delusion, I chose Flannery O'Connor. The story's down, but I just don't love it. I'll be glad to turn it in so I can stop fiddling with it. In my workshop I have to make a chapbook using six stories from the term, with a cover, synopsis, bio and quotes about the author. Truth? I've not even started it yet. I just got book supplies today! The stories are all finished though. I just need to come up with the cover stuff. (She says, as though it'll be done in twenty minutes.)

Last week I had to turn in another project in my short-short workshop. We had to write nanofictions (stories of fewer than 100 words) and present them in an Artist's Book. An Artist's Book is a one of a kind, handmade book, though the word "book" is used loosely here. Some books do follow standard conventions of a cover with pages, but others (like mine) present the stories in a unique way. Want to see mine?




Stay tuned for a completed Cobblestone! Maybe I'll even be able to get a picture of my brother wearing it. (Don't hold your breath though.)

Well lookie here!

Big black blob has a baby!

This is sleeve number 1, completed. Sleeve number 2 is on the needles. I guess I'm about 25% of the way through with it. This semester is speeding by, which means that the due date for this sweater is right around the corner! I have only hazy memories of making Cobblestone the first time, but I seem to recall picking up some speed at the yoke, all those wonderful decreases! I have absolutely no idea what I'll cast on for after this. I have several projects jostle-ing for attention in my mental queue. I'd love a new hat, and also a thick cozy cowl. I'm seeing these giant cowls everywhere and they look so warm and comfy. One thing I'm pretty sure of is that I won't be starting any sweaters. Unless they're baby sized. When you only get maybe an hour a week to knit, sweaters are just too slow going.

In other news, fall has arrived in Boston. Finally we're seeing some color besides dead brown.



I live a couple of miles out of the city-proper, so I've been taking advantage of the mild weather and beautiful scenery and walking in instead of taking the T. I know that before I know it, it's going to be sub zero outside and I'll be longing for a nice long walk.

Also, I went home to Maine this last weekend for a friend's birthday AND to attend the first ever Comicon in Maine! There was a tournament for Mario 3, which I was excited about, but when I got there I started to chicken out. Especially when I saw that the leader had over 150,000 points! I have no idea how he did it. The idea is to score as many points as you can in five minutes. I had been practicing on my Gameboy for days and had a strategy. Finally I signed up, getting in just under the wire. I got third place!



I was kicking myself because I would have easily taken second except that I bit it with a minute left and never recovered. Totally threw me off my game. It was exciting though! I hope they do it again next year!

Now I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I spend most of it in the kitchen, which I like. (I actually had a nightmare the other night that I had to share the cooking of the feast with someone else. It didn't go well.) I get to see my family, eat pie, and enjoy that relaxing time you get only when everything is closed and you're forced to just stay in. I'm planning out my menu right now. Aside from the usual, I do these sesame green beans that my sister loves, roasted brussels sprouts, and rosemary carrots. What do you make besides the typical turkey, mashed, stuffing, sweets?

Black Blob is... blobby

Work continues apace....

So, the time before last when I wrote, I promised to say more about Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. I think Robbie put it best when he said that Yates really understands relationships. The thing is, Yates' gift really lies in the relationships that have fallen apart. In this book (it was made into a movie that was also really good), he follows a couple from their hopeful inception (see what I did there? Leo was in the movie!) to the dregs. Yates' voice is so distinctive. He's one of those writers who make you think you could do it too. His prose is so effortless. But if you tried to replicate it you'd recognize the futility. I suppose some may say his dialogue and style is dated, but while the specific phrases used are of a certain time, the plot is timeless. I definitely recommend this book.

I also just finished Falconer by John Cheever. This book is like a Cheever short story given room to luxuriously spread out and relax. It follows Ezekial Farragut (just called Farragut) as he enters Falconer prison and makes a life there. Farragut is much like other Cheever protagonists, except that instead of being an alcoholic he's a heroin addict and he's in a literal prison instead of a figurative one. What I love about this story is that it's a story set in a prison, but is so close to Farragut and his experience, it transcends the "prison story" cliche and becomes a story about human experience, and how we change and evolve according to what we experience. Heartily recommend.

I just started Zazen by Vanessa Veselka, recommended by Cari. I was hooked by the first paragraph on the first page. I feel like if I met Vanessa Veselka, we would instantly be best friends, like she just gets me and all the crazy crap swirling around in my head. More when I finish! I'm sure my reading will slow down once fall semester starts. My lit class has, like, NINE short story collections as required reading. I've read parts of most of them, and a couple of them in their entirety, but most of them are new so I'm excited.

What are you reading? What do you look for in a good book?

Good News and Bad News

Everyone likes to start with the good news, right?

I finished the vest! I am so happy with it. I love the color, I love the texture, I love the fit. This is my second project from fitted knits. (Way back in 2007 I made the Puff Sleeved Feminine Cardigan.) I love Stefanie's use of texture in this book, especially in this vest.



In review: This is the Back to School U-Neck Vest by Stefanie Japel from her book Fitted Knits. I used Cascade 220 Superwash in color 819. I had three skeins, but only used a very small bit of the third one.

With the vest finished, I was ready to dive into my next project. Would I make a hat? Socks? Maybe some new mittens? I blacked out with all of the possibility before me and when I came to I had cast on for a sweater. A men's sweater. This from the girl who took three months to finish a vest. This also brings me to the bad news. It's not just a plain old men's sweater (Jared Flood's wonderful Cobblestone, which I've made before), but it's a plain old men's sweater in black. My apologies, and I completely understand if you skip over my photos until it's finished.



I didn't realize that I last made this sweater almost four years ago! As soon as my brother saw it, he started asking me for one. I didn't realize I'd kept him waiting for so long! Last year for Christmas, I gave him a hat I made using Mission Falls 1824 Wool. My brother is one of those people who likes to insist he's allergic to wool, so the hat was a little test. I didn't gloat about it, but he loved the hat and wore it all winter, no complaints! I figure, if he can wear wool against his forehead, surely he'll be fine in a sweater. I love this yarn. It feels heavenly and has great stitch definition.

Cobblestone

Due to the damp weather we've been having, Cobblestone took three days to dry! Even stuffed with plastic bags! I was starting to regret giving it a full soak when I arrived home today to a dry sweater. It was worth it to soak it, the garter stitch was a little lumpy pre-blocking.

The boyfriend prefers his shirts to be close-fitting, so I made this sweater in the smallest size for his 36" chest. He has room to wear a shirt underneath, though he finds the Cascade 220 soft enough to wear next to his skin. Speaking of Cascade 220, I used only five complete balls and the tiniest bit of a sixth for this entire sweater. Not bad! I still have a complete ball and most of a leftover ball of this yarn, so I'm thinking of making a matching hat and possibly mittens. I'd do socks, but they wouldn't stand a chance. They'd be completed felted in no time flat.



I love the garter detail on the sides. At first, I wasn't sold on it, but as I worked the body, it grew on me. I was actually surprised that I enjoyed the garter stitch so much! There's something so clean and streamlined about it. I don't know if I personally would wear a sweater entirely knit in garter stitch (it would be a little bulky!), but I do want to try to add some more of it to my projects.



I mentioned in my last post that "third time's a charm." Well, this is the third sweater that I've knit for my boyfriend. The first one was way too big. It was my first ever adult sweater, and it took me about a year to finish it, during which time my tension kept changing. I knew nothing about seaming or finishing, and basically sewed the seams (with whipstitch), instead of weaving them together.
Here, check it out yourself!



He still has this sweater. He wears it when it's totally freezing, at home. Oh, the kicker? It's 100% acrylic, baby. And not just acrylic, acrylic with aloe!

I don't have a photo of attempt number two. Let's just say it was not pretty. I did a ribbed raglan, and I knitted my fingers to the bone to get it finished in something like two weeks. Turns out, I stopped too soon. The term "belly shirt" comes to mind. That one I frogged (maybe I'll use the yarn for another Cobblestone).

Next on the needles? Some Sidewinders and that fabulous cabled turtleneck from the Fall VK!

Success!

The De-Stash and Do-Good Charity Stash Sale at Purl Diva a resounding success! In the first half hour of the sale, we raised over $400, and by the end of the day, we had over $800. Including online stash sale purchases, we raised over $960! I am beyond excited, and want to thank everyone who purchased yarn, donated yarn, or just left encouraging words about the Memory Walk. I appreciate all of it. I am especially thankful to Ellen, who not only had the idea, but also offered her space, stash and time to the effort. She also offered her jacket and a hot cup of tea when the wind became a bit too much for my thin sweatshirt! Thank you so much, Ellen, I could never have done it without you.
I barely had time to price everything before the knitters came, but I did snap two quick pictures of the stash for sale:

Now, the walk isn't actually until this coming Saturday, so if you feel moved to donate a buck or two, there's still time! You can donate online (using credit, debit or PayPal), right up to the day of the walk!

In other news, guess what I finished this weekend?



Proper FO shots after it's had a nice block. In its unblocked state, it fits very well, and the recipient wore it for a little while yesterday and pronounced it "very comfortable." I guess third time's a charm!

Sweaters & New Friends

Okay, let's start with the exciting news! We added a new friend to our home this weekend. His name is Moose:

Before you go thinking I'm becoming a crazy rat lady, Moose really is IT. Five rats is more than enough for us, but my boyfriend absolutely fell in love with Moose when he saw him on the Maine Rat Rescue website. Also, my finding Moose was too serendipitous to ignore. I received a message through Ravelry from someone who is affiliated with MRR. She complimented me on my icon photo, which is Betsy, and we got to talking about rats and one thing led to another and BAM... we have a huge male rat. We love him so much already.

Onto knitting news! I will spare you a photo of black seed stitch (you'll know I'm desperate for material if I flash that one again before it's finished), but I'm pleased to say that sleeve #1 of Cobblestone is complete and attached, and sleeve #2 is underway.



Not that my enthusiasm for this project was flagging necessarily, but my energy is renewed. I keep meaning to swatch for a couple of projects, but every time I get a spare hour to knit, I find myself reaching for Cobblestone. It's a fun pattern... very simple, but still fun. And hey, I feel like I'm cruising on a man's sweater, that's saying something! They usually start to feel like they're really dragging by sleeve two.

Reminder: The Memory Walk is in only three weeks! I will be on the Purl Diva porch September 29th, selling stash (she's received a couple of donations of stash already). If you are able to help me support the Alzheimer's Association, I would really appreciate it. If not, I also really appreciate all of the kind words and encouragement!

And one more thing! Anyone reading this going to Rhinebeck? Amy and I are going for the first time this year! I am pretty much beside myself with excitement. We'll be staying in Poughkeepsie and attending the festival both days. Have you been before? Any tips on how to maximize the experience?

Hot! Hot! Hot!

So, remember a couple of weeks ago when I was all, "It's so nice and cool outside! I think I'll start a sweater!"? I swear to all that is holy it was 187 degrees F here today, no one can convince me otherwise. My current knitting projects make me look like a head case.

Exhibit A:

Cobblestone. A worsted weight, men's sweater, using 100% wool. Let me tell you, there is nothing like having this on your lap on a hot fall day! I thought I was at the armholes, but I measured the sweater against a favorite shirt, and discovered that I need a couple more inches. I should be just about at the armholes for real now. I know that I could set this project aside for cooler days, but I do enjoy working on it, and I don't like to accumulate wips.

Exhibit B:



I know you all have been anxious to see the scarf! Ha! I have a feeling I'm a little short on yarn... I'm going to finish up this ball and see how much I have. The scarf is for someone over six feet tall, so the scarf should be at least six feet long, right? This yarn, as I've said before, is heavenly. But it's also wool! Luckily, a scarf doesn't lay on my lap the same way a sweater does. But honestly, if not for that cool, wonderful weather, I would not have casted on for a scarf now!

I'm searching for a yarn for the stole pattern I showed in my last entry. I'm surprised that with all of the positive comments I got about it, it hasn't had more of a presence in blogland!

The Heat is On!

So yeah, all of the fabulous fall weather we were having? Gone! Naturally, this occurs on the day I have to walk a mile to pick up my car after its repairs are finished. The car was supposed to be finished this morning, before the sun reached its blazing apex, but no dice. So... while I wait for the garage to call, I thought I'd snap a couple of pictures, make an update, and try not to think too hard about the yarn waiting for me at Purl Diva right now.

I have a sock...

I casted on for the second sock the other night, before second sock syndrome could kick in. Amy just finished a Sidewinder, and I'm aching to bust out the STR.

I made the TOFUtsie sock shorter than I usually do, because the yarn is quite drapey, and I think that, unless I went down to a US0 needle, the fabric wouldn't be firm enough to stay up on my normal length sock leg. I like the short sock, though. I've only ever made other pair of ankle socks. Maybe it'll become a habit!




Work on Cobblestone continues. I love working on this sweater! It's very simple, so I don't have to look away from Dynasty (I rented the first season on DVD and I love it!), the yarn feels great, and the gauge is such that after one evening of work, I actually have something to show for it! Only a couple more inches, and I'll be in sleeve city. This sweater is intended as a gift for my boyfriend's birthday, which is in November. I have a feeling though, that I'll be so excited when it's finished, I'll give it to him right away!

In non-knitting news, I was the victim of heart breaking disappointment this morning, and have to share to provide a lesson for anyone else who may find themselves in my position. You may have heard that Van Halen is doing a reunion tour this fall, WITH David Lee Roth!, and they have a concert in Boston on October 30th. I stalked Ticketmaster this morning, waiting for the 10am on sale. The first tickets I was offered were lousy, so I tried again. Lousy also. Next time I put in for a specific seating section, and again, got lousy seats. On my next try, I got decent seats, but hemmed and hawed. Finally, I decided I liked the seats, and went to buy them. Ticketmaster alleges that I went over my two minute time limit to pay, and released MY tickets! I was pretty bummed, but just tried again. Okay, there were no tickets available in the section I wanted. How about this other section? None. I searched for tickets in the whole entire stadium. Sold out. The time? 10:10 am. Let this be a lesson to you. Don't go being picky when you're trying to get tickets for the concert of a lifetime. I seriously cried, I am so disappointed. All I can do is hope they add another date!

Yay for fall!

After my last post, things cooled down here considerably. It seemed as though Mother Nature was answering my plea for sweater weather, though I know we'll get at least another two weeks worth of scorching heat before fall finally arrives for good.

I expected I would be showing you progress on my cabled sweater dress, but I was destined to work on something else. How I do I know this? Because it seems that between the final edit of the magazine and when the issue arrived in my mailbox, the put up of Top of the Lamb changed, and I find myself with half as much yarn as I need. I could stamp my feet and curse the yarn lords, but instead I decided to cast on for something else.

I jumped into the fray and started Cobblestone, from the Fall '07 issue of IK. When I showed my boyfriend the photo of this sweater in the magazine, I kind of expected a lukewarm response. He tends to like plain pullovers, with maybe a half zipper and some ribbing. I was thrilled when he said he liked the sweater, and happy to see I had some appropriate yarn in my stash. I do hope that Jared forgives me for not using tweed.