A Year for Hats?

My head must be cold. Or, I must be tired of knitting large projects or projects with matching elements, because I've been knitting hats all year. Everything else has been thrown to the wayside -- I'm on a roll!

For my Grandma, I've been knitting Gretel, in the most fitted style. It's a beautiful shade of red -- Cascade Cash Vero in Ruby. Very hard to photograph. Here goes!



I'm doing the cables without a cable needle, which works well enough. And, I am completely in love with Ysolda and her hats. I love them far too much. They're beautifully designed and entirely worth the money you pay for the patterns.

I say that, because I'm knitting another one! I'm almost done. It's a bit small, so it'll probably be a gift, but here's Verity (Cascade 220 in Marine)! I'm definitely going to make another one, probably in a drapier yarn. The only thing keeping me from finishing Verity is that I don't have a button!



Also, here's Koolhaas, designed by the incomparable Jared Flood, a.k.a. Brooklyn Tweed. I love the Malabrigo Worsted that I got to work with, in a fabulous shade of blue, Buscando Azul. However, it's snug to the point where I worry it will fall off! So, as my grandpa has been asking for a hat to wear to sleep, so maybe I'll give this one to him. Come to think of it, I finished this before the new year, but whatever. It's a hat, it's lovely, and it has yet to be seen!

Too much!

It's a new year, and my house is overrun by yarn. I haven't even been able to categorize it all. I keep buying more ... and yeah. That just can't be good.

There's lots of new sock yarn, including:


Socks that Rock - Lightweight, in Space Dust (a Christmas present from Chelle!)


Socks that Rock - Lightweight, in Panzanite (another Christmas present from Chelle! ... I feel so loved!)


Madelinetosh Somewhat Solid Sock, in Scarlet (a present to myself ... oh dear!)

And theeeen, there was a sale at Two Sisters and Ewe, my LYS in Mira Mesa ... that was a good day.

And before that, I had extended family visiting, and we went out to Common Threads in Encinitas, and more yarn was purchased there, along with some Soak Wool Wash.

And of course, there were more yarn escapades online, one for the Mirabella Cardigan that I'm dying to make. Right after I finish my languishing Minimalist Cardigan ...

And, as a belated birthday present to myself, I purchased a hank of MudCreek handspun in Diamondback. This is possibly the most daring thing I've done yet, as it's my first handspun. I'm possibly the most excited about this! Obviously, there are not nearly enough photos to express my words, so words it'll be. However, I hope to finish documenting my stash and whatever other yarn things are running around. I'll save WIPs for another post, as this one is getting rather long, and additionally, I don't have updated photos! I will soon, though. Til then, at least I'm sort of back! It's just been too long. :)

swinging in the trees

I totally didn't mention that these are my Socktoberfest socks!

Anyway.

I've found the solution to my photo problems! I take my knitting to school anyway, so why not photograph it on campus? It's so brilliant, its a wonder I never thought of it before. I've been going kind of crazy on the monkeys, so I keep knitting them, and the photos I am posting are ... how you say, always behind.

This is what they looked like yesterday afternoon before I went ballroom dancing.


Just working my way through this big ball of yarn. Monkey #2 is coming out of here, too. :)


Close up on the picot edge.


Look ma, another sock!

And I am really itching to start up Icarus, because that Malabrigo Lace is calling my name!

big, fat, traveling updating

It's almost embarassing how little I post. Seriously, I should be able to muster up more than this, but no, I post in spurts. It's been two months! Tragic, really. Since I have so much catching up to do, this post is going to be rather long and a bit photo-heavy. Bear with me, please -- it'll be worth it!

Anyway, as an update, I've been bailed out of that volunteer knitting. I guess the Christmas stockings weren't urgent. I should make woolen Christmas stockings, though, that would be fun ... but kinda scary.

Speaking of socks, I've been knitting Tropical Monkeys with this:

Oasis Yarns Aussi Sock in colorway WS21 Spanish Fiesta.

In the skein, it looks like this:


I wish the reds showed up more clearly, but I've been having that problem with all of my yarns, alas.

In the ball, the Aussi Sock looks like this:

Can't you see that it totally matches my patio lights? (I would post pictures of my sock-in-progress, but I am always home when the light is bad, and I can't bring myself to take more low-light inaccurate-color photos than absolutely necessary.)

So, where did I buy this beautiful yarn? Two weeks ago, I headed out to New York City to visit Chelle, buy yarn, and visit NYU. I managed all three, and came back with the goods to prove it. First, we headed over to Seaport Yarn. The selection there is amazing, but there is one drawback. They only take cash and check -- no cards. Alas, I was short on cash and had not thought to bring my checkbook, so off to the janky ATM in the Duane Reade it was. I came out with not only the Aussi Sock but also 12 skeins of Lily Chin Park Avenue in maroon for the Minimalist Cardigan from Interweave Knits Fall 2007.

Is that yarn not gorgeous?


The next stop was Purl, where I picked up some exclusive purple and cream self-striping Lorna's Laces sock yarn. It says to me: ribbed socks, perhaps toe up. (At their fabric associate, I also bought some fabric for the quilting side of the family.)


After that, the final stop on our marathon yarn run was Downtown Yarns, where I picked up some delicious Malabrigo Lace in 99 Stone Blue. It's going to be Icarus from Interweave Knits Summer 2006.


Oh, and I totally forgot, on my first, incredibly jetlagged day, we managed to hit up Habu and School Products before seeing Spring Awakening. (That was one amazing day.)

There was so much to choose from at Habu that I simply couldn't decide, but at School Products, after much hemming and hawing, I decided on some Lace Merino, which I felt compelled to knit into the Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits Fall 2006.

This is what it looked like a few days ago:

Alas, it resembles a moth, ever so slightly. Anyway, I've finished the kntting, and now it's on to the blocking, which I think I shall do this weekend. This is my first shawl, so I'm way excited.

all she wants to do

So, what have I been up to lately? I've been knitting my tail off, and there is work to show for it, but it's dark, for which I apologize. I figure I'll share it with you anyway.


This is the back of the eyelet cardigan. I love that the stitching that forms the eyelets looks like vines climbing up the back of the sweater. I'm already making some adjustments for my size, so we'll see if they pay off.


This is a detail shot of the cast on. Chelle told me today that maybe I should have used the tubular cast on, but I'm happy with it. I don't yet feel comfortable enough with the tubular cast on to give it a shot. I know it's my first sweater, but I'm excited.

In short, all I've been doing is knitting. I've shirked homework, I've stayed up late, and all I want to do is knit ... even while sitting and taking notes in lecture! This is getting bad. I have other things to do, but to my knowledge, I have not failed an exam for the sake of knitting, and for this I am grateful. I also (re)started Hedera, the lace pattern in the eyelet cardigan reminded me a lot of the eyelets in the socks. I couldn't resist. that, and the yarn is such a beautiful spring/summer green.

Knitting makes my life better. Even if people do stare at me on the bus.

compensating?

Daylight, my knits, my camera, and myself have finally aligned, and today, I can bring you photos! Lots and lots of photos! This is the summary of what I've been working on for a while. I've been shopping online a lot, and as a result have mounds of variegated, teal sock yarn (two balls of which have turned into Jaywalkers), two books, and 5 skeins of Blue Sky Dyed Cotton. I can't seem to write a coherent entry right now, so I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

First, Jaywalker #1, which has been finished since the beginning of April.


Second, Jaywalker #2, which has been on the needles for a week or two. The hardest thing about knitting this one is trying to make it match Jaywalker #1.


To conclude what's on the needles right now, it seems I've almost completed my first pair of socks! Soon, I'll just need to block them, because they're wrinkly little suckers.


Next on the needles, Blue Sky Dyed Cotton:


What will it be? This adorable eyelet cardigan, which came in a sale kit from kpixie. Alas, it's not on sale anymore, but I couldn't resist!


And to round everything out, here's a photo from the archives. This was taken when I first began Clapotis. I think I was sitting in the upstairs lobby of Palazzo Maffei Marescotti when I took this.

patons forest

You know ... I love yarn. Especially random yarns found in Roman yarn shops that don't cost me an arm and a leg. did I mention these knit up really nicely. Well ... I think so anyway. This is what I had at the beginning of October. :) This yarn is in a lovely bowl in my former kitchen in Rome. Now I'm back home. (triste!)

The weirdest thing is, I don't think they have this yarn in The States.
Yes, close up on the label. It is a wool and mohair blend, which I'd call a DK to light-worsted.

So, for the moral of this story, this turned into a rather long Clapotis that I adore. I'm still trying to figure out whether or not to block it. If and when I do figure out, there will be pictures, if just for the sake of posterity.