Girl Who Knits

What better way to launch the Venezia Pullover into society than high tea at the famous Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong.

(and yes, I know--the head turned to the side is my go-to model shot--I can't help myself) 

I got home from my trip tonight (which was so amazing although that seems like an insufficient word to describe it) and since this post was long overdue, here I am staying up past my bed time to bring it to you.  That's just the kind of girl I am.

It has been quite a journey since I had the bulk of the sweater finished in November.  A crazy December and a trip half-way around the world stalled the completion of Venezia but in a way I am glad I didn't finish before my trip because now I get to have this great memory of high tea at this unforgettable hotel tied with such an unique knit. 

The night before I was up late finishing and blocking so I could wear the sweater to the Peninsula.  It just seemed like the perfect place to show off all my hard work.  Not that anyone other than my party knew I made it but I knew and that is enough for me. 

This pattern is truly amazing.  It was clear to follow and while following the chart and managing the color changes can be difficult--I really do believe it is a sweater knitters should not be afraid of tackling...if you want to.  Really the difficulty lies in patience and commitment.  If you are the type that gets distracted or bored easily than maybe this is not the sweater for you. It is not boring to knit, only it is fair isle on size 2 needles with 10 colors and if you are not relentless and a tad obsessive then it might get taxing.

One of the things I LOVE about this design is how the pattern on the sleeve matches up with the body of the sweater.  A perfect detail to a impeccably designed sweater.  Although, the sleeves are the only thing about the sweater that I am not perfectly happy with.  I think my row gauge ended up being off a bit and so the armholes are a little bigger than I normally like.  But I think the sweater still works well regardless.  Just as a heads up, if you attempt the sweater, remember to pay attention to row gauge as well as stitch. Also, check your gauge as you are knitting, I was on gauge when I swatched but it changed a little as I got into the knitting.

All in all, I love the sweater.  Starting it was spontaneous and impulsive, knitting was fun and intense, and now that I am done I am left feeling a little sad and lost.  What will be my next big project?  What will I take on next? I am kind of excited to find out...and a little scared. 

Project stats:

Pattern: Venezia Pullover by Eunny Jang

Source: Interweave Knits, Winter 2006

Yarn: Jamieson's and Jamieson & Smith 2-ply Spindrift (see this post for colors)

Needles: 32 inch addi turbo circs--size 2, 1, 0

Mods: none

Notes: I started knitting the first sleeve using double pointed needles in the round but switched to using 2 circs for the second sleeve.  For fair isle, I found knitting with 2 circs to be MUCH easier, more slick, and better for tension purposes.

Twas the night before Christmas and I accidentally deleted all the pictures on my camera.  All the pictures I had taken in the week I had been in Hong Kong. 

Ugh.

I am sick.  This puts a serious cramp in the pictorial tour I was going to give you of this city that I am loving.  Seriously, I think I love it.  But instead I am working hard to take lots and lots of pictures in the last few days I have left so hopefully I will have more to show you when I get home.  I am in Hong Kong for two more days and then leave for Thailand on Thursday.  5 days in Thailand and then I am home and back to real life. 

So despite the picture mishap, I do have a couple to share from my Mom's camera.  But first, I was tagged by Tienne and Lark for the "6 weird things about me" meme.  This really wasn't hard for me.  Perhaps I should be worried about that.  So here goes:

1. I make wishes--every chance I can get.  For example, when a clock reads 1:11 or 11:11 I always make a wish.  That is not really the weird part.  I take the wishes very seriously.  I think about what I am going to wish and word it in a way that I won't regret (Sleeping Beauty really made an impression on me.) 
2. I love falling asleep when other people are around me.   Not any people, but trusted friends or family.  I used to ask my roommate to do her homework in my room while I was falling asleep because there was just something about it that was so comforting and pleasing.
3. I love meat but I have issues with it.  Nothing processed--cold cuts in general are out.  I have a hard time with ham--it seems dirty and slimy.  I like clean meat and really I am the only one who can determine what that means.  I won't eat anything that comes to me looking like its live self.  Cornish Game Hens...out.  I really should be a vegetarian but man I love a good steak.
4. I have a naive faith in and a romantic idealistic take on celebrity romances.  For instance, I really believed JLo and Ben were going to go the distance.  I really did. 
5. I can't ride a bike.  Never learned.  I have tried to a few times but I have a problem with being out of control and balance.  I don't like falling. 
6. When I was little my imaginary friends were slugs.  There was a town called Slugville of which I was the only human visitor.  My interest in slugs stemmed from two things--one, my brother would kill slugs in our front yard by pouring salt on them and I thought that was mean and two, even as a kid I thought it unfair and mean that people only seemed to care about the cute and cuddly animals.  The mayor of Slugville agreed with me.

So there you go.  Weird, eh? 

I will leave you with only few pictures from my so wonderful trip. 

We rode the Star Ferry boat on Christmas day...

to see this amazing skyline complete with fireworks and a laser show.

Today we saw the biggest Buddha I have ever seen...

And just in case you are worried, I am knitting.

Yes, that is the second sleeve of Venezia.  It is finished now, most of the sweater is seemed--it all goes well, I will have a finished post before Thailand.  Happy Boxing Day everyone!

I have many guilty pleasures.  Things you would shake your head at in dismay if you heard.  Like how no one, I mean absolutely NO ONE should ever know about the *NSYNC concert I attended.  You see how if this got out people might look at me differently.  Like I wasn't cool or something.  And wouldn't that be a tragedy.

Well, I am going to admit to another gulity pleasure.  I love me some John Tesh.  Not his music or anything (you know from my above admission that my tastes run a bit more elegant) and not his hair (because it it BAD) but his radio show.  Intelligence for your life.  Have you heard it?  I have a couple easy listening stations programmed on my radio.  They are my go-to stations for when I get tired of NPR or more current radio and feel in the mood for something to chees-ily sing along to.  Like Kokomo or any Peter Cetera song. 

So by chance one day, I stumbled upon John Tesh's show.  He is AWESOME.  The music he plays is pretty average but he imparts to his listeners nuggets of wisdom about life and love and health and work--interesting facts about our world to educate us and to make our lives better.  You know what?  I think he really means it.  He seems sincere--like he really wants to help people.  That John Tesh is a good man. 

About a month ago I was driving home and was listening to a few minutes of his radio show.  He was talking about how when we are kids the years seem to stretch and be so full and when adults the years just fly by.  Haven't you felt this?  Anyway, Tesh tells us that the reason for this is that children have a lot of variety in their day-to-day activities.  As adults, we settle into routines.  Like we always drive to work the same way, eat the same breakfast, order the same meals, go home at the same time, etc.  Repetition and routine makes the day go faster.  John encouraged us to make small changes in our daily routine to shake things up if you will. I thought this was interesting so I am passing it all along to you. 

My routine has been shaken up recently but not in ways I am really happy about.  Some good friends quit at work which is sad on two levels.  One, I will miss them, and two, there is a TON of work to do.  The added stress of it all has affected my knitting output.  Where I expected to show you a finished Venezia soon, it will now probably be another week.  But it is coming along and I am really excited for it to be done.  Not only will I have a beautiful sweater but then I can pick projects for my upcoming trip...did I mention I will be in Hong Kong in two weeks?!!!  Because I will.  Talk about shaking things up--I can't wait. 

I guess change is not all bad.  So here's to changed routines and here's to John Tesh.

1. I didn't finish the body of the sweater before Thanksgiving per my theory.
2. Communicating to friends that I can't see them because I need to spend all my free time knitting became complicated and futile.
3. Two people on my team at work quit in the past two weeks.  This is our busy season.
4. I discovered staying up until 2 am at night does not give me more knitting time--I just end up sleeping in more in the morning.
5. Technically, I didn't start the sweater until the second week of November--so I was already a week behind.
6. Um...look at it.

I have been trying hard, I have.  I mean, I haven't been blogging or commenting on blogs (sorry about that) or really doing anything with my spare minutes except knitting the Venezia Pullover.  That is it.  I know I was crazy to think I could do it and I am proving right all those who doubted BUT may I also say, IF I had started on the first of November or IF I didn't have friends or work or unexpected obligations with my time, I totally would have finished.  Really all I need is another weekend.  That is it.  I am done with the body (see it blocking below) and I am half way through the left sleeve.  If I could I would take a day off work this week and get it done in time but due to #3 reason above that is just not going to happen. 

I will be honest and admit to being a little bummed.  I wanted to finish this month...and I am SO CLOSE.  I can taste it.  Either way though, I can't be too sad.  I have a sneaking suspicion that either in November or December this is still going to be pretty awesome.

Not nearly enough knitting got done this week as my deadline on Venezia is looming...I am getting nervous.  I think I just need to be more disciplined with my knitting. 

So I have a theory.  I think I have to finish the body of the sweater by Thanksgiving in order to meet my November 30 deadline.  I could then get the sleeves done over the holiday weekend and seem it up in time for the end of the month reveal.  This is a great theory.  Problem is, it is only theory.  Now I have to prove it. 

Another Erin (not me) asked me to give the specifics on my color subs so I thought I would document it for anyone else who is interested. 

The colors that stayed the same are: Mooskit, Mooskit/White, Sand, and Ivy

Here is what I changed:

Yellow Ochre > Jamieson & Smith brand, FC55

Rosemary > Jamieson's brand, Eucalyptus (794)

Peacock > Jamieson's brand, Stonewash (677)

Pine Forest > Jamieson & Smith brand, 82

Turf > Jamieson & Smith, 1293

And for the edges and bands > Jamieson's brand, Maroon (595)

For those of you wondering what the difference between Jamieson's and Jamieson & Smith is, well I can't remember.  I was told what the deal is but honestly I don't remember what happened only that they are basically the same yarn--just under different names.  So there you go--my yarn subs. 

I will report on my progress next week.  Happy knitting--let's hope I am able to prove my theory right.

I am completely enamored.  The Venezia Pullover has begun...

I can't even tell you how much fun this is to knit.  I love watching the pattern emerge and grow.  Just to give you an idea of scale, I am starting the increases so I am at the waist.  I am pretty surprised at how fast it has gone so far.  I have just been relentless. 

Must. Finish. In. November.

I think if all the stars align I just might be able to finish for NaKniSweMo. Hopefully.

The pictures are a little dark but hopefully you can see--they are as accurate as I could make them in artificial light.  You want a close up? 

Can I really knit Eunny Jang's Venezia Pullover from the new Winter Interweave Knits...in a MONTH?  For NaKniSweMo? 

I hope so.

I went to my LYS with a completely different project in mind but left with a bag full of colorful yarn for Venezia.  I love this sweater.  It is stylish and elegant.  I love how fitted it is and the 3/4 length sleeves.  Yup, this is the project for me. 

I chose some different colors than the project called for (mainly switching out reds for the golds and some different shades of blue) so I hope they look good together.  I had SO much fun picking out the colors.  I will swatch tonight so I will know for sure if I like how the colors work together.  Cross your fingers for me. 

I am crazy right?  This is an insane sweater.  And in a month?  Yikes.  But I don't really care.  I am going to do it anyway.  Yea!