Girl Who Knits - paula

The Paula Sweater (it is finally done!)

noreply@blogspirit.com (Erin) — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 23:00:00 -0700

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!

The New Year

noreply@blogspirit.com (Erin) — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 14:27:37 -0700

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:

The project I was obsessed with for 3 weeks while creating knit gifts for a group of 6 friends.
Insights from the slightly embarrassing book given to me by a good friend that I started reading out of obligation and am now enjoying.
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.
What is Sister's Night?

Intriguing yes?

It's December!

noreply@blogspirit.com (Erin) — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 09:49:08 -0700

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.

A scarf , sweater, and a butterfly...

noreply@blogspirit.com (Erin) — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 10:40:00 -0600

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?