Girl Who Knits

First off...I must say thank you for all the nice comments on my stockings.  I wish I had a way to email everyone who leaves a comment...but I don't.  So thank you.

I have decided that I am really pleased with how they turned out.  I think my problem is that I get a little attached to the things I knit.  We spend so much time together and I have images in my head of what they are supposed to look like and when something does not go exactly as envisioned then I get a little bummed out.  I need to get over it. 

One example of a project that has suffered from my issues is Paula.  Paula is a sweater I worked on in the fall of 2005.  I finished it a while ago—well, I was like 96% finished.  I put Paula aside because after I seemed it, I tried it on and it just didn't look right to me.  All I had left was to knit the tie but I got frustrated and decided we needed some time off from each other.  As these things go, Paula was left forgotten.  Once the Knitting Olympics were over, I become consumed with a desire to finish up some loose knitting ends that I have...starting with Paula.  So I tried her on again and was cringing as I walked to the mirror to see the damage.  Oddly, when I looked in the mirror, it didn't look half bad.  In fact, it looked pretty good.  I thought, "surely, there had to be something wrong with it for me to cast it aside in despair."  The only thing I could really see was that the collar was seamed a little funny (giving me a slight Elizabethan look) but even that didn't look bad.  Honestly, what is my problem?  So last night I knit the ties and now I present Paula:

I wore it to work today and got several..."you didn't knit that did you?" comments which are always satisfying.  All in all I think Paula turned out really well.  Here are some notes:

Pattern: Paula

Source: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk Collection

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (Plum), 20 skeins

Needle Size: US 8

Modifications: I lengthened the arms and overall length and I knit the tie instead of using ribbon like the pattern suggested.

Comments: The only comment I have is about the yarn.  This yarn is beautiful and soft.  Really I love the way it feels and it was nice to knit with but I can already see (after only wearing it once) that it has a tendency to pill.  I think that will age the sweater sooner then I would like and because of it I probably won't use this yarn in the future. 

So there you go.  This weekend I am going to tackle my long forgotten intarsia sweater and see what I can salvage from that so check back with me.  Also, I am waiting on some great online yarn purchases.  Plus, I have some exciting news about my sister/roommate that I will share soon.  All I am going to say now is, my little girl is growing up! 

It has been a while since I have updated—too long really.  I guess I got all caught up in holiday festivities and got lazy.  In addition, my home computer has a virus and so I can't use that to update right now.  I also feel sometimes like I can't update without posting pictures.  I do have pictures to post but as I am currently using my sister's digital camera and with my computer out of service it is difficult to get them in a workable format.  I promise to post them soon and hope this post is still interesting without pictures.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.  I celebrate Christmas and had a great time with my family although we were sans Mom and Dad.  That was hard but hopefully we will all be together next year.  Traditionally, Christmas is a big family event so it is sad when we are not all together. 

So I was thinking this weekend, I do love the idea of the "New Year."  I love resolutions, new beginnings, fresh starts, and hope for what is to come.  It is a rather exciting time of year.  I am looking forward to this year and really think it will be a good one.  One thing I am looking forward to for sure is going to the gym tonight.  I am sure I will be joined with the hordes of people looking to better their physical selves in 2006 which is always fun.  I get to feel smug that I am an all-year-round gym go-er—with the exception of the last 3 weeks of December.  I really need to get to the gym. 

In knitting news, I admit to facing some discouragement over the last few weeks.  I finished Paula—except for the tie—and put her on and she (I don't know why the sweater is feminine but go with it) just didn't look right.  I think I need to re-seam the collar which I SO don't want to do.  I will post a picture of Paula soon so you can see what I am talking about but annoyance over how it is turning out has lead to the greater realization that I do not love any of my sweater knits.  None of them have turned out exactly as I pictured.  Knitting sweaters are not cheap and they take serious time.  So much is invested into the project that it is devastating when it doesn't work out.  Really frustrating.  Maybe I need to stop knitting sweaters altogether.  Grrr.

I promise I will write more soon—especially since I have stuff to share.  Here are some previews:

1. The project I was obsessed with for 3 weeks while creating knit gifts for a group of 6 friends.
2. Insights from the slightly embarrassing book given to me by a good friend that I started reading out of obligation and am now enjoying.
3. My current project using new yarn I got in my stocking and a pattern from a new book given to me by my sister for Sister's Night.
4. What is Sister's Night?

Intriguing yes? 

Okay, I LOVE the holidays.  Love them.  People are nicer.  Food tastes better.  The weather is cold and brooding...which is a good thing.  It is just a fun time of year.  Making a cup of hot chocolate feels like an event.  My house is not decorated yet—that is a this weekend thing—but I am getting it all ready and am excited for how everything will look.  A few days ago I did get quite the surprise though, in front of my house is kind of old-fashioned light post.  Whoever is in charge of my neighborhood wrapped lights up the base of the post.  I am obsessed...it is so magical.  I know it is a little thing but looking at it through my window is mesmerizing.  I feel like I am living in who-ville or something.  I love it. 

Once I get the house all decorated I will post pictures.  Spread a little holiday spirit around right? 

In knitting news, I finally finished the sleeves of Paula and am in the middle of the blocking process.  I am working on the collar (the final piece before seeming) right now.  For it, I had to cast on 282 stitches.  You heard me.  282.  Yuck.  I hate casting on because you have to count the stitches like 5 times to make sure you have the correct number and can I tell you how many times I had to count 282 stitches?  Many many times.  I tried to get my sister to count and double check it for me but she refused.  I didn't remind her of all the times I have helped her when she threw her cast on needle to me in frustration...no, she should have remembered that on her own. 

After my seventh time counting, I am confident I have the right number of stitches and I begin knitting the first row.  It took forever, as you can imagine, and when I made it to the end—instead of ending with p2—I ended with k2.  Meaning, I had 1. counted wrong or 2. gone off the ribbing pattern at some point in the row.  Either prospect (starting over or un-knitting) was not welcome.  It was then I threw down my knitting in exasperation.  Later I looked closely at it and realized that I messed up the pattern toward the beginning of the row.  So it is time to un-knit.  Not something I was willing to do that night.  Sometimes I just need distance from my knitting.  Time to forgive and heal you know?

Last night I was ready to fix it and I did so hopefully I am on my way to finishing the collar soon.  Patience is a virtue, especially in knitting.

I think I have ADD.  Perhaps a specialized case that only happens to obsessive knitters.  I need to remind myself that just because I have the yarn to start a project, it does not mean I have to start the project.  Especially when I have perfectly good projects currently on the needles.  But I can't help myself. 

So first--my finished object.  One night I just needed a finished object, you know?  Instant gratification.  A few days earlier I had received 3 skeins of Rowan Ribbon Twist in Racy for the Casey scarf in the Rowan Ribbon Twist Collection book.  I casted on and several hours later I had an extremely satisfying finished object. 

Close up of the bobbles, cables, and yarn:

Me with my new scarf (kind of a fuzzy picture but it shows the scarf best):

Yes, I know it is summer.  Yes, I know I can't wear it for several months.  Obviously.  But I don't care.  I love the scarf and it is one of those "really fast to do but still looks hard and looks great done" projects.  I am thinking of making it for a few friends as Christmas gifts.  I am glad I made it with the Ribbon Twist yarn as it adds a dimension that I think is really cool.  Although I think it would still look great with other substitutions so I might try any find some yarn to make it a cheaper knit.

Now for new projects started...Last week I ordered on ebay, 20 skeins of Debbie Bliss Baby Alpaca Silk in a Plum color for the Paula sweater in the Alpaca Silk book.  Excited by the oh-so-soft texture of the yarn, I cast on as soon as I had it in my hands. 

I am about halfway up the back:

Detail of bottom rib:

If anything, this is going to be a very comfortable sweater--so soft and warm.  I wish fall were here already. (Side note: as I wrote that last line it started raining outside--no joke.  A sign perhaps?)

The project I am probably most into right now (perhaps because it is the most seasonally appropriate of all my current knits) is the Butterfly vest (or camisole as I prefer to call it) from Rowan 37.  I am using the suggested yarn--Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Majestic.  I am several repeats into the hem frill:

I can't wait to see what it will look like all blocked out.  This lace is soooooooooooooo pretty. 

First 4 repeats of hem frill:

I guess all my projects will have to fight it out to see who gets worked on.  Or maybe I will start another knit—you never know with me.  Who knew knitting could be so consuming?