Category: musings

  • a slight delay

    First off, thank you to everyone who left a kind comment on Serrano! I’m very pleased with how it all came out in the time that I had to work on it (about a month to design and knit everything). I hope to see lots of them popping up in blogland!

    I’d really wanted to do a yarn substitution post for it tonight, but alas the photos came out…crappy. I’ll have to take them again in the daylight, so it might be another day or two.

    School’s started – I had two classes today. Intense. Yeah, that’s it.

    I was knitting away on the back of the Sienna cardigan, and reached the beginning of the armhole shaping when I decided to take count. I surprised myself a bit by discovering I’d cast on for the 40″ sweater! I really thought I was doing the 36″. But as it turns out, my gauge is tighter and it’s coming out to be just about 37″, which would be just right. I’ve actually been thinking that I’ve been making my sweaters perhaps a touch on the small side – maybe it’s time for a few bigger ones. After all, some of the sweaters I wear most often (such as the Must Have Cardigan, which I wear SO much in the winter) are a bit bigger.

    Still chipping away at the work knitting. And dyeing…lots of dyeing, mainly for the store. I really need an army of crockpots behind my lonely one – I think I’ll be hitting up the closest Goodwill this weekend, since I can drive there and not have to lug a crockpot home on the subway!

    I really really want to cast on for something new. Alas, the pile of work grows and I really need to concentrate on what I’ve got, I think.

  • tales of interest

    1. I am so busy I don’t think I have ever been this busy in my life.

    2. I bought a nice big planner. See #1. I’m making it bend to my will (be the way I want it) by printing out calendars for month at a glance (which it didn’t have) and putting an elastic on it like on my trusty Moleskine.

    3. I have been unpacking loads of new yarns at the store. Some of it made easier by my new workmate, Denny!

    4. I am so glad that so many of you are interested in the Lucy pattern. I really hope they turn out for everyone! I’m going to be knitting another one soon.

    5. I have a pile of commissioned stuff to do, including a garment (wrappy shrug thing that I’m actually terrified will turn out badly and no one will want to hire me ever again) and this:

    It’s on its way to becoming a BUNNY RABBIT. Git yer minds outta da gutter.

    6. I lost a Bryspun dpn sometime (maybe a week or two ago), somewhere (either at the store or home…I think). Jen, thanks for the dpn-losing mojo, now where’s the finding-it mojo?

    7. I have barely knit for myself in the last week. However:

    8. The cabled cardi for the store is almost, almost done – just need to bind off tomorrow, and hopefully take photos for the pattern, which will hopefully be ready by next week sometime.

    9. The Blueberry Greek Pullover is nearly complete. I sewed the pieces together and fit is PERFECT. Seriously. The neckline’s a bit too open though. I crocheted around it, as per the pattern, but I might do another round to stabilize it. Just need to finish the side vent edges and block and it’ll be a done deal.

    10. VBC. Thanks for all your great suggestions on the whole buttonhole thing. I’m definitely going to reinforce the buttonholes, but it seems like such a tedious, careful little task that I’m just really prepared to do right now! Maybe Denny will do it next week in exchange for strongbow?

    11. Yarn. I’ve made some, although that was more last week than this one.

    Cirque – a merino single, all the colours of the rainbow.

    Nightshade: a super soft merino single (success!), mainly charcoal with pops of bright violet! I looooove it!

    12. I have some crazy scheme about spinning and knitting a sweater for Rhinebeck. Yeah.

    13. School starts on Tuesday. This term I’m taking Evolution, Speech Disorders, Language Diversity, and Conserving Canada’s Forests.

    14. I am feeling a wee bit insane.

    That is all.

  • whoops, i lied

    No sewing FO today – it’s done, and I even wore it out, but was too lazy to get dressed today and take a photo. Soon. And while I’m on the sewing thing, can I just say – ain’t nothing like sewing to make you feel fat. Or at least like you have the hugest waist in the world. I made a pair of pants the other day, the largest size it came in (Betsy Ross “Fancy Pants”) and they were wayyyy too small in the waist.

    Of course, I’ve finally realized that since I don’t wear pants at my natural waist, I need to pick even bigger sizes. Like 20. Or 22. And what is up with sewing patterns? There’s design ease built in, but they don’t tell you how much – just to “fit” a magical 16 which is a 36″ bust (which I have) and a 26.5″ waist (which I most definitely don’t have). Arghhhhhhh.

    Anyway, enough whining. Must exercise more. Eat less sugar.

    Onto the knitting, which isn’t so hot today either:

    Whoops. I should’ve paid more attention to the modifications I made in the raglan on the body. Riiiiip. Well, at least it’s going pretty quickly and I just have this raglan to redo and the other sleeve.

    I bought some Knitpicks Main Line while it was on sale ($1.97 USD, how can you beat that?!) in blueberry and cocoa, and I’m working up a sweater in the blueberry. It’s based on the “Greek Pullover” from…the Interweave with the Union Square Market Pullover on it. I actually wanted to follow the pattern, but of course I’m changing it quite a bit. Can’t seem to get away from that.

    The yarn is nice, but it really is quite heavy! Much thicker than I was anticipating. It’ll be a quick knit, I think – I already had to rip out 3″ that I’d knit yesterday, but am back on track after some quality TNG time.

    I’m in a mood tonight. A cranky one, can you tell? I’m working on sewing up a dress out of that brown paisley, and I chose to do the size 8 based on a recommendation – the bust is very oversized (44″!) and I didn’t want to be swimming in fabric, so I emailed Erin of a dress a day, who has made the same one, and asked her. Turns out we have about the same measurements (including the thick waist) and she said the 8 was good. But I’m worried. Oh well, if it’s too small I can either a) run more often and lose some damn weight (would also help in the fitting into the clothes I have department) or b) give it to someone smaller.

    Enough rambling for tonight.