urgh

lookie what i got today.

i've been battling wrist pain for months now. carrying around a 21 lbs baby will do that to you. the pain is now radiating up my arm, across my shoulder, up my neck, and into my scalp. ouch.

this stupid thing is supposed to make everything better. i must say, it is easier to type than i thought it would be. but can i knit with it on? i haven't tried that or lifting or carrying the monkey yet.

urgh.

hmmm

here's the plum (green) gable on. i'm feeling hmmmm about it.

(it is hard to get a flattering picture of the chesticular region. i had to cropped the girls to keep them from dominating the picture and encourage you to instead look at the sweater.)

anyway, the sweater. the sleeves are a good length but roomier than i was hoping. i'm glad they are not tight sleeves but...i...hmm. they aren't bad-awful. i think they'll be ok. i think the sweater will be much improved when it is longer and covers the girls, helping tug the thing down and into place. and blocking the neckline will help with the curl.

so i maintain hmmm for now and will see what i think after a few more inches. i do like the top-down construction of the sweater. it's neat-o keen.

long distance s&b

for beckystar, pf&b:


insert your needle to purl:












wrap the yarn (i know, it is not the greatest picture. trust me, that yarn is wrapped.):












pull the right needle with the new purl stitch away as per usual BUT DON'T SLIP THE (old) PURL STITCH FROM THE LEFT NEEDLE:











instead, move the right needle to the back and pick up the back leg of the old purl stitch for a new purl stitch (click on the picture to be astounded and amazed).:










wrap your yarn:











pull the right needle with the latest and greatest purl stitch away:











slip the old purl stitch from the left needle:






et voila!

sass

a mite too soccer mom:
pony before:

pony after:
and pretty flowers for spring:

progress

the plumb (green) gable update as requested by ms. hedda. where are your pics, missy?

i am about 5 rows past the lace. wee! (apolpgies for the flash; it is a dismal day out there.)

oh dear

back in february, amy and i were pawing through baskets of yarn at the LYS during their sale. amy pounced on the new jo sharp yarn and picked up her latest book knit 1. i drooled over the cowl sweater and amy drooled over the cardigan. she bought the yarn for the cardigan but passed on the book, hoping the guild had it in the library.

at the next guild meeting amy bailed on me but i asked the library ladies to pick up the jo sharp book. they did and it was in at this month's meeting on tuesday night. i picked it up for amy and have barely put it down since. there are 5 (5!) sweaters and three pairs of socks in that book that i want to knit. one sweater is for the boy the rest are for me! me! me!


i think i need to buy the book. i think 5 patterns in one book justifies a purchase. i am afraid to go to the LYS and paw through the yarn. here's the specs:

ALPACA KID LUSTRE
30% Alpaca, 40% Kid Mohair & 30% Merino.
Tension: 22.5 sts & 30 rows measured over 10cm of Stocking stitch using4.00mm needles (USA 6) (UK 8).
Length: 111m (121yds), 50g ball (1 3/4 oz).

and

ALPACA SILK GEORGETTE
40% Alpaca, 40% Merino & 20% Silk.
Tension: 25 sts & 33 rows measured over 10cm of Stocking stitch using 3.25mm needles (USA 3) (UK 10).
Length: 130m (142yds), 50g ball (1 3/4 oz).

i told you i was fickle.

silk, linen, hemp, oh my!

we have an independent bookstore 5 blocks away from our house. they valiantly struggle to stay afloat among the chapters/indigo/amazons and their cheap cheap books. i stopped in a few weeks ago to take a flip through amy singer's latest, no sheep for you.

they had it on order and offered to put one aside for me. they finally called last week and i happily went to pick up the book. i've been looking forward to this book. i like wool, i have no wool issues, but how can you not love luxury yarns? i figured the book would have small projects that you could knit with a ball or two of silk or bamboo. some large projects with cotton, hemp, or linen, but i had envisioned lots of little luxuries. maybe because to me, nice non-wool yarns are usually out of my budget and i can only afford one or two balls to make something pretty.

there are a handful of small projects (socks, a bag, mittens, knit collars, a scarf, a hat) but there are also lots of sweaters. unfortunately (fortunately?) for me, there isn't one sweater in there that i was immediately all ohhhhhhhhhh i want that! (which is odd because i'm a fickle bitch when it comes to knitting. oh well, i have a long enough list of must have knits) i'm sure the knitters out there with wool allergies were thrilled to see so many sweater patterns and not another book full of scarves or hats, rather a book just for them full of possibilities.

amy's contribution to the book, the tuscany shawl, is beautiful. wendy wrote recently, you are either a shawl person or you are not. at the time i thought "i am not." but who knows, maybe i need to try a bit of lace and i like the idea of using silk to knit lace.

what i really liked about the book was the first chapter. there is lots of information about the different non-wool fibres, including histories and useful things to keep in mind when using non-wool fibres to create a garment. she may actually have sold me on the idea of washing a swatch before starting any non-wool knitting. i have a new appreciation for silk and the price that comes along with it. and there's a hemp sweater that would look good on my man. i'll see if he's interested...

****

i wanted to save this post until after amy's visit to our guild. amy singer! at the guild! last night!

amy is a friendly person but she seemed to recognize me. we've had a few brief interactions over the last few years (including stalking her and stephanie at the knitter's fair in 2005) but enough to remember me? cool. maybe is was my 30 seconds of fame on the yarn harlot's site back in january.

her talk was great. considering she had to be at breakfast television this morning at some ungodly hour, she was remarkably relaxed. even when the microphone died and it took them 15 minutes to find another battery. instead amy happily signed books and let me take her picture.

it was great to hear her speak and expound on the book contents. the patterns in the book were all selected for specific reasons, designed to highlight certain aspects of the various fibres. amy brought all of the garments from the book; it was fabulous to actually fondle and squeeze the lovely lovely fibres. i have a new appreciation for the thrummed mittens (knit with cotton and silk roving) that i probably never would have given a second thought (how woolly of me!) and the bathrobe! oh la la! amy admitted it costs between $400 and $600 of yarn. go big or go home, right? and the tomato pattern is much nicer in person than in the book.

oh, and i have a new button to put on my knitting bag. thanks, amy!