New life

Remember the Debbie Bliss jacket that was in time out? Not in time out anymore, frogged and resurrected as a poncho for Principessa:


Yarn: http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/austermann-caprice
Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple Children's Poncho #243
Raverly project page here

That means that my older WIP is the Blue Cashmere Shawl, and guess what? It's taking a bath!

SP12 Question of the Week #12

I’m sure most of us have a proudest moment when it comes to knitting. A project or technique that you’ve tackled and completed beautifully. What is your proudest knitting moment??

I am actually very proud every time I manage to finish something (versus starting something new), but if I have to pick something, it would be this.

And on the flip side? What is the one thing that you can’t get right? What is that one project that you’ve never been able to complete? Or that you did complete but then hid away instantly because it was too embarrassing?

When it comes to knit project, the thing I can't manage to finish right is the Simple Jacket with collar by Debbie Bliss. I re-knit the fronts twice and it has been in time out for a couple of year now. I blogged about it several times.

One sock, two socks ..... six socks?

How did I end up with six different pair of socks on the needles? Spring is in the air? No, that's not it, because it is more like "summer is in the air" around here these days I do not even like summer (too much light.) I think the culpit is this darn jacket:



See, I told myseff that I was not allowed to start another cardigan for myself until I finish this one (I started it in November 2005). But do I want to rip those fronts once again and re-knit them? Oh, yeah, sure, let me do it right now. As soon as I am done with this sock. And the other ones. And while I am at it, Paperino wants red socks (he was going for this, and he does not even like green, what's up with him and nice sock yarn? Other kids go in their mom's closet to play dress-up, he goes there to pet my yarn.)



I started the sock toe-up with all intention of making socks for him, but this stuff is so nice I want it for me it is almost summer here so he is better off with cotton socks - a ball of Cascade Fixation from the store and we are all set. So:
1. Jaywalker in Knit Picks Sock Garden - I still do not know how and why I am making those, I swear, you do not pay attention for a minute, and a pair of Jaywalker jumps on your needles!
2. Infant's Fancy Silk Sock by Nancy Bush from Knitting Vintage Socks in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Icehouse - making those only because I had just one skein in that color.
3. Gentleman's Fancy Sock by Nancy Bush from Knitting Vintage Socks in Trekking XXL in #140 (kind of because I did not read the pattern so I am not making them much shorter.)
4. Lace Mock Cable Socks in Lana Puras Melosa (and these are the ones I should be working on since they are for One Planet Yarn and Fiber and I do have a deadline.)
5. Calze Rosse in Filatura di Crosa "Zarina"
6. Cascade Fixation socks for Paperino
7. Sampler sock, just because I dye and sell yarn and when it is gone, is gone:



Six pair of socks at various stages. And, I spent Friday and Saturday swatching for socks that I want to make with the Shelridge yarns I bought at Stitches. The only reason why I haven't started them yet is the one of the charts I was swatching drove me crazy. It's from an Italian collection of stitches I have, and the English translation of an Italian pattern or stitch chart would be, "Just figure it out!"
I am not kidding. You want more than one size? Why? Can't you do math? You want all the rows in the chart? Why? Isn't it obvious how you should knit the wrong side? No, of course, it is not all purls, even a child can see that. It's k1, p1, but not all the wrong rows. Some are different, I am sure you'll figure it out, you have the picture, right?
So while I was cursing (in Italian, I still cannot do it effectively in English), I had the epiphany above: I am casting on more and more socks to avoid the cursed jacket.
I am litterally dreaming of making something else for me. After seeing Cara's Ariann, I decided that I need one. So I bought the pattern at Stiches, found the right yarn in my stash, and set it aside because I have finished the jacket yet. Then I saw Cara's (again!) Central Park Hoodie, I found the right yarn again in my stash (is it scary, isn't it? pretty much anything I want to make, I have the yarn for it already), and set it aside.
Then last, when I was about to cast on for socks #8 and #9, I told myself why don't I cast for two cardigans instead? that it is summer already here, I have no use for a wool cardigan even if I finish it, so why don't I make myself a cotton cardi since I desperately need one? Wow, that sounds so rational, I am proud of myself. So, this what I am making:



Snap Cardigan, designed by Leslie Scanlon. I am using Pakucho Organic Cotton (Do I need to say it? From my stash.)

And maybe that will stop me from casting on more socks.

Stash and burn

A week or so ago, or maybe more since I think it's January and the calendar says March, I started listening to Stash and Burn, a podcast based in San Francisco. The two hostesses, Nicole and Jenny, are funny, nice, smart, and on topic. I really like their podcast, the fact that they are from around here, and that they are on a stash consumption mission.
Many knitters think that stash can be viewed as a "collection", with "core stash" that will be never be used, and "memory stash" that is a souvenir from some special place. Nicole and Jenny do not subscribe to this philosophy, and I have come to the conclusion that I do not either.
When I look at yarn that has been in my stash for many year some time, I think it must feel so sad and disappointed, lying there waiting to become something. It's a dream that has not come true, an unfulfilled promise. I bought the yarn telling it, "I'll make this or that with you". And then I didn't. Poor yarn.
Jenny and Nicole made a spreadsheet with all their yarn. What a good idea, I thought, I'll do it too. I have photos of (almost) all my stash, but I can't believe I have not a spreadsheet!
So I made one. With yarn, yardage per ball, number of balls, total yardage. And I looked at the total yardage: 86,933 yards. That's a lot, right? Yards mean nothing to me, but then someone reminded me that a yarn is pretty much a meter. 80 km? Holy yarn! Knit from Your Stash 2006? Make that "Knit from you Stash until 2020!"
In a feeble attempt of reducing the magnitude of the discovery, I have assigned a lot of it to "projects". Like writing "Central Park Hoodie" in the "Jaeger Shetland Aran in #38 (lilac)" row makes 10 balls (1800 yds) go away.
Like I do not have 13 projects on the needles already.
I started 2007 with 16 projects, and if there is something sadder than unused yarn, that is project languishing around with no hope of being completed. I frogged 4 projects since I joined UFO Resurrection 2007, and completed 4 more. It is time now to choose my projects for March:
- Reynolds Dover Pullover
- Debbie Bliss' Mia from the book "Junior Knits"
- Jaywalker
The Jaywalker are for me, so they count for the "It's NOT a Gift" KAL - I am really doing poorly in that one. The only project for me I have worked on in 2007 is the doomed Debbie Bliss Simple Jacket, doomed because ...... the collar is still wrong. I sewed together the fronts and the back and tried it on. The collar does not look right, again. I know what I have to do: rip those darn fronts and try again.
And I know what I'll do: I'll put the jacket in time out until I am ready to deal with it again. And cast on for Adriann. 1,250 yards.

Yarn and excitement

My 2007 UFO Challenge is going well so far. My Inspiration Scarf (#3 in the photo) is done, I jut need to weave in the ends, block it, and then I can ship it to Jonelle. Sorry, can't show it.
My Very Berry T-shirt ( is almost done, I am at the yoke. Sorry, can't show it. My Sock-ret sock (#15) is at the cuff. Sorry, forgot to take a photo. The Debbie Bliss Jacket (#1) is done and blocked, I just need to sew it up:



Not very exciting, right? Just a pile of pieces, but considering that I started this sweater in November 2005, believe me, I am excited!

How about this for excitement? I said before that I am addicted to Lime & Violet. So, I am finally caught up, I have listened to all back episode (and ordered my Violet's Pink Ribbon yarn). Today I am listening to the last episode and there they say, lux2night on etsy, and start going all "ooh" and "aah" on my Toscana colorway. Good thing I was alone in the house, because, believe me, I was excited. I am easily amused, I know.

P.S. Paperino was not impressed at all, but Principessa emailed all her friends.

Getting ready for the Olympics

Unless you are not living on this planet, you must have know about the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics. I signed up and I am going to swatch this soon so that I can select one of these sweaters. I glanced to my on the needles list and I told myself that if I really want to challenge myself, I should vow to finish all my other projects before the Knitting Olympics start.
Then I came back to my senses, but I made a list:

Debbie Bliss Simple Jacket with Collar
Yarn: Austermann Caprice
Needles: US #7-8
Status: fronts finished but they are WRONG!

This needs to be finished by Feb 10th, I think it has been in time-out long enough. I am starting the sleeves.

Jaywalker
Yarn: Furryarn in Electic Skyy
Pattern by Grumperina.
Status: 4.5 inches

This too, Cara's deadline4 is Feb 14th.

RufflesYarn: Noro Lily
Pattern from Scarf Style
Needles: US #6
Status: 50% done

Bonus point if I finish this too.

Do not start any new project. Well, maybe a hat.

Tuesday is knit-along day

But the only knit-along that really matters right now is



because being today Santa Lucia, xmas is really close.

Having a long flight ahead of me, I devise this new strategy: knits for the airplane ride vs. knit now, aka knits on circulars vs. knits on straights.

So, here we go, let's get my list - wait a minute, there is a new project on the list? Wasn't I supposed to finish all the current projects before starting a new one? Yes, so what? Have I ever given anybody any indication that I may actually follow a plan?

So the purple stole is the new project, straight needles, it's for me so no hurry, it will go in the suitcase.
Next is the pink poncho for my niece, airplane project.
The First Cables Sweater is for my cousin's new baby, straights needles, to be done before I leave.
Little Cables Socks - airplane.
Ruffles - straight needles, a unassigned xmas present, to be done before I leave.
Striped Pullover - I do not know what I am waiting for, I need to sew on the sleeves and I am done.
Debbie Bliss Simple Jacket with Collar: this is on straight, it is for me, and it is what I am knitting this week. I want it finished by Friday so I can wear at this dinner I have to go. I do not want to go, but I have too.

I will be back to Hopeful and NBat in January, while the second Branching Out Wristwarmer is a perfect airplane project. And so another pair of wristwarmers to go with Sciarpetta.

So one pocho, one sock, and three wristwarmers to keep me occupied from here to Rome?
I'll pack for a couple of hats, just in case we are stuck someplace.

Naked Stix 2006

Looking at my list of projects on the needles, I realized I needed to join



So, here is my list:

- First Cables Sweater
I just started this for a cousin of mine's baby - I am going to meet the baby at x-mas.

- Paperino's set with Cascade 220 Superwash
this started as a pair of mittens I was making from leftovers, then he wanted a hat:



and now he is asking for socks too (striped, red and white). Well, this is going to be easy, worsted weight socks for a 5 years old? One evening, maybe two.

- Little Cables Socks with Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport
I am at the ankle of the first sock. This is a x-mas present for my best friend in Italy, so I must.finish.this.

- Ruffles with Noro Lily
This was an impulse cast-on, no idea why I am knitting this. I do not wear pink, not pink-pink. Principessa? So that she can lose it? Don't know. Let's call it a yet-to-be-assigned x-mas present.

- Striped Pullover
Present for my nephew, so close on this one!

- Debbie Bliss Simple Jacket with Collar
Among the 84, given or taken, 2005 projects, guess how many were for me? 6
I need to finish this, and wear it at x-mas.

- Hopeful with SWTC Beyond in turquoise
Principessa is asking every day if I am done with it, and she was supposed to knit it. Only sleeves missing.

- Nothing But a T-shirt
Yes, I frogged and re-started it a long time ago. Well, I am not planning to finish this one before next year.

- Branching Out Wristwarmers
Found them and actually worked on them on Monday, I am at the thumb hole of the first one. The modified lace pattern works, I need to do one more repeat, or maybe two, I am so happy. Together with Branching Out The Scarf, they are going to be another x-mas present.

- Escher Blankets
I am actually working on a Escher bag.

So, what else do I need to make before 2006?
Another pair of wristwarmers to go with Sciarpetta (one more x-mas gift), two ponchos for my nieces (they are 10 months and 2 years old, I am talking about big ponchos here), something for my sister (maybe this lace capelet).

Unrealistic? Think almost 18 hours flight.

There is knitting going on

There is knitting going, just no photos because it is now dark when I get home from work. Don't get me wrong, I do love have an extra hour of sleep in the morning, and I am totally adjusted to it. No, let's be frank, I never adjust to have one hour less, so I am glad we are back to normal, even if I would not call "normal" having to get up in the morning. Mornings are for sleep.

I think everybody knows that yesterday post was a space filler, so what did I do since Friday?

I was at Full Thread Ahead both Saturday and Sunday, helping Hollis get the store ready. If you visit, and you should go, the store is beautiful and the yarns are amazing, please admire the DK section. Then I went back on Monday night for knit night, and more yarn petting.
Knitting news?
As I said, no photos, but I finished my White Buffalo felted bag - knitting goes really fast when you are using US #17 needles. I need to sew it up and then throw it in the washer. That will happen on Saturday so I can take the customary before and after photos.
I finished the back of my Debbie Bliss Simple Jacket with Collar and I started the fronts last night, already at the waist. I determined to finish this quickly because I really need a sweater and I want to move on to Jo Sharp. Still undecided between a solid color Sesame and Twist.
What else have I been doing?
I finished the toes of my two socks on two circular, I started the second sleeve my nephew's pullover (just occurred to me that he is coming on Saturday, I really should work on that), I frogged the sheep scarf, hid the Berbero, and I am strongly denying to everybody who asks that I have owned that yarn, I am pondering over the Tiger Eye Lace Scarf with Twinkletoes Socks Yarn (that yarn is way too scratchy to put on feet, I do not know who would do that, so I am making a scarf out of it, makes perfect sense, right?). As for Hopeful, Nothing But a T-shirt, and the Branching Out Handwarmers, I take the 5th. But I better finish Hopeful, Principessa has moved from "We can knit this together" to "Have you ever going to finish it?".