rhinebeck

so, this weekend i’m hoping to make a trip to the new york sheep and wool festival, in rhinebeck, ny.  (apparently, affectionately called ‘rhineback’.)  i’ve never been, but from what i hear it’s a really neat experience, and i’m hoping to gather some info on what to expect, or how the whole thing works, or anything of particular interest i should check out while i’m there.

are any of you in knitting blogland going?  got any comments or suggestions about the festival for me?  i’d looooove to hear them, so post away =)

 i can’t find any cheap enough suitable yarn to double with the brookside yarn studios yarn i lusted over a few posts back, so cherie amour is scrapped for the time being.  of course, sit-n-knit just got a whole load of bulky weight yarns in their clearance bin, and since i already wound the brookside into balls (and i’m pretty sure i lost the receipt….natch), i can’t return it.  oh, the cruelty of it all.  so, i’m searching for a nice wrap to make of it, as i’ve got about 520 yards and that’s more than enough for a me-size wrap.  perhaps a clapotis?  we’ll see.

a blogging hiatus.

it’s been a while since i’ve posted again, and i only wish i could say that i’ve spent all this time knitting up some really marvelous things.   except, well, the bottom line is, i haven’t at all.  i’ve knit more on the feather and fan scarf, but it isn’t yet done (or close), somewhere near zero progress on the gift, and that cherie amour?  just a distant dream, and pretty soon it’ll be way too cold to wear it without more than a tank underneath.  oh, sad day.

school’s probably been my biggest excuse for not doing anything…it’s amazing how difficult those junior-year bio classes can be, and also amazing how much i try and procrastinate and just barely make it.  i should really stop doing that, but like every other procrastinator, i shall put off trying to not procrastinate for later.  curses, school!!!  that also means my little ‘business venture’ isn’t going so hot, which i’m still not talking about because why talk about something that’s getting dangerously close to not happening?  the injustice of it all.

luckily, however, there have been some pretty sweet things happening.  not only is the Boy great, but i’ve been going to some pretty ridiculous shows.  i’m debating with myself over posting pictures because we are all far too familiar with the suckitude of my camera, buuuut.  let me tell you, there was much intensity.  in the past month i’ve seen ZZTop, Aerosmith, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Blackberry Smoke (you just can’t hate on old-school Atlanta-backwoods rock) Ky-Mani Marley, and….get ready for it….VAN HALEN with David Lee Roth!!!!!!! holy crap.  van halen was absolutely excellent, and despite his relative lack of stage presence (he is only 16 after all), wolfgang van halen was fantastic on bass replacing michael anthony.  hoo boy.  and on top of all that fabulousness…the red sox are ALDS champs!  what an autumn come true, i’m stoked for the ALCS series because i’m sure the sox will top.

hey, did anyone like that little tidbit from Knitty that came out the other day?  look, i’m not gonna lie, it’s a cool idea, and if there is anyone that loves nightmare before christmas it’s me, but that sucker was pretty creepy, and not so much in the endearing way that our beloved jack skellington is.  that being said, i bet it’s still dead useful, so maybe without the skeleton smile it would be worth considering making for when it’s time to make good use of the snowfall here in new england.

 oh wait….crap! i DID end up dyeing that cascade 200 superwash!!! i used grape flavor-aid with a touch of cherry in it for some places, and it came out absolutely fantastic.  i would have taken pictures along the way (theyd have actually come out right, because i did it outdoors and that’s the only place the cam is anywhere near being good to me) but i was making a terrible mess…it was windy and so there was definitely some quantity of koolaid dust floating about where it shouldnt be, and mixing into all these water droplets on the craft table.  thank god i don’t care about that thing.  i could have been neat, but what on earth is the fun in that?  anyway, i just made a variegated yarn in shades of deep purple and a mauve-y color, plus the original lilac.  if i were to name the colorway, i’d probably call it “quahog”.  not only does it fit the fact that i’m a new englander, but it’s really frickin’ close to what those shells look like inside.  *promises pics*<br>by the way, everyone….should you manage to get kool-aid on your hands while dyeing all that good wool (or silk, or whatever), the majority will come off with a good rubbing of toothpaste.  get your hands barely wet, take some paste, and make like you’re using soap.  it works.  i promise.

so that’s me checking in…hopefully i’ll be a little better, knit more, and be a less crappy blogger.  cheers!

rip it, rip it!

i have no idea whether or not i even mentioned this before, but the candle flame scarf is no longer and is currently being replaced by about 10 inches of a beaded feather-and-fan pattern scarf.  beauuutiful, i’m so much happier with the new pattern than the old one i was trying.  the angora yarn is behaving much more nicely now; i’m unsure if i’m treating it any differently while i work with it, or if it was just a pain in the bum at the start of the ball.

as if i don’t have enough purplish-pink in my life with the angora, i had scooped up a lone ball of Cascade 220 Superwash at the lys for the bargain price of approximately $2 and some change.  Nice!  the color is #842, and i’m not even sure what it is, because in different light it looks drastically changed.  in daylight it looks sort of a lilac color, but indoors it looks quite pink.  anyways, i’ve been having a lot of trouble deciding what to do with the ball….not really enough for a non-lace scarf, and i have too many scarves, plus if i give it away or sell it, a scarf just screams “i really didn’t think about this one much.”  so then i thought, socks! and promptly realized that outrageously pink-purple, worsted socks weren’t gonna fly.  mittens? perhaps! they wouldn’t pill at least…and then i thought, what about a hat?

and not just any hat.  i’m thinking of incorporating the feather and fan into a hat pattern because a) it gives the most adorable scalloped edge and b) could there be an easier patten than f&f? no way.  but the color just didn’t seem right.  so, i decided i’m gonna kool-aid-dye that b!tch and color it into something sexier than what it is.  i haven’t bought any kool aid packets yet so unfortunately no results, but i’m thinking an overdye of dark purple and maybe a pink tone would make a nice variegated yarn that would put a little rawwrrr into an otherwise plain cloche.  pictures will be a must! and i’ll try and work on the picture quality, apologies still for it being so awful.

something that isn’t awful is the fact that i’ve been going to concerts like it’s my job lately.  since spring semester got out i’ve seen godsmack, alice in chains, kill hannah, velvet revolver, aerosmith (for the 2nd time!), zztop, joan jett and the blackhearts, and probably some other opening acts i’ve forgotten.  and that’s just recently, nevermind all the stuff i’ve seen before.  these shows are lifechanging, honestly.  some of the best stuff i’ve ever heard, and watching joe perry and slash play is enough to make anyone wish they could instantly play guitar. wooow.  and did i mention i’m going to see van halen in october?  oh. my. god.

i have so much to look forward to, even though classes are getting really intense.  it’s not easy being a biology major, that’s for sure.  300 level bio classes are like the devil incarnate.  luckily i manage to find time on the weekends and all to do stuff with people, like celebrate the fall! i believe that corn mazes and other autumny goodness are much in order this weekend, and who doesn’t love that??  and oh gosh, did i mention that as of yesterday there is now a Boy?  yeah.  exciting. i’m getting mighty good vibes from this so i can’t wait to see how it goes.  annnnnnnnd, icing on the cake is the way the red sox are playing now that their injuries aren’t such an issue….pennants and playoffs, that’s what’s in store =)  could this fall get much better?!

well, it’s been a little.

i haven’t posted in a short while, but hey that’s what happens when college hits and hits hard.  things are getting so busy, i almost can’t believe it. i’m also getting really into making plans for my future knitting notion ‘company’…more details on that one once everything’s set in motion! i don’t wanna spoil the surprise, even though a bunch of people already know what i’m doing. 

the latest project with the gorgeous variegated wool…the cherie amour….well it’s not exactly coming along so hot.  i haven’t gotten any yarn to double (triple?!) with it, so there’s been basically no progress.  i’m kind of upset by that because i know once i start it will be a really, really fast knit.  too bad.  hopefully i can sort that out later.  additionally i got nothin on the angora scarf (though i did notice the angora doubles nicely with the wool…shame i haven’t got nearly enough yardage, i’m already stretching what wool i’ve got to the absolute max, and i have even less angora) so i’m being supremely unproductive.  sad.

hopefully once i get back into the swing of doing a lot of work and still having time to knit and do things, i can make much more progress…i just hope i dont get to cherie before its too cold to wear it!

a few friends and i are hanging out tomorrow and i think we’re going to go to this old cider mill in a town near us.  i love those things! the mill has barely changed since last century and it’s a little slice of old-time autumn life with fresh hot cider and cider doughnuts….yummmmm.  the weather’s a-changing and i plan to make the best of it, so off to the mill we go!  it’s pretty much a personal tradition for me, since autumn is my favorite season.  hurray!

i <3 my lys

well.  after attempting to knit more candle flame scarf, i got pretty discouraged by the semi-frequent yarn snapping and very strange-looking lace (something tells me i’m off a stitch somewhere but i can’t figure out where, even through counting), i’ve decided to shelve the angora and find me something else gorgeous.

i instantly fell in love with knitty’s cherie amour.  it’s something that i can definitely wear as a college student without sticking out like a sore thumb amidst everyone decked out in abercrombie and american eagle, unlike a lot of free patterns i find which are more appropriate for a mother than a teen.  additionally, i’m pretty small-waisted in comparison with my hips, so i think the overall design of the top is just perfect for me.  plus, it seems to be a quick knit and that’s perfect as fall is hitting the northeast already (the trees are turning and it’s not halfway through september! what is going on?!).

i rummaged my LYS today, a fantastic place called sit-n-knit. bargain binning as always, i found an absolutely perfect skein of lorna’s shepherd wool in a blue/purple/tan variegation which, i must say, looked absolutely gorgeous against my skin. i’m extremely fair, so sometimes it’s tough to find the right colors. unfortunately being the bargain bin, there was only the one skein, and i needed 3. so sad! but the ladies there were amazingly helpful, and tried to find me more of the same, or something a lot like it. we came up pretty short, until they said that since they know what it’s like to be a knitter on a budget, especially a college budget, i could get anything off one of their shelves of brookside yarn studios half price. ka-ching!!!
instantly i saw it. the most perfect yarn for the project that i’ve ever seen…better, in fact, than my previous lorna’s choice. i wish the pics could do it justice, but as always, if i can find a better camera i’ll probably be able to get a nice shot of the final product. but for now…the yarn!
Project: knitty’s cherie amour

Yarn: Brookside Yarn Studios ‘Kiwi’ 100% superwash (!) merino. Hand-dyed, 260yd/4oz. skein

Gauge: the gauge of the yarn itself is a worsted/heavy worsted, so maybe 18-20st/4″

i can’t seem to find a colorway anywhere on the label, and as it’s hand-dyed i’m not even sure there is one.  i could do some hunting and try and find it, but here it is.

and another

i’d say the color is a bit closer to the second picture.  my god, isn’t it gorgeous? there’s no way the beauty of this yarn can possibly be captured on camera, and forget the color—it feels absolutely amazing!!

i’m about to cast on for the top.  unfortunately i don’t have sz 13 circs, so i’m going to use a 17, yikes, and cast on one less pattern repeat.  it’ll be a looser lace, but i think it’ll work okay.  if not, a good angry frogging is imminent, along with the purchase of the proper needles.  it would have been better if i had 15s, but c’est la vie.

keep you posted,

-a

candle flame scarf

batteries have been bought! unfortunately that doesn’t make my camera any less of a piece of crap, since let me tell you, it has no concept of what ‘focusing’ means, and has very poor color accuracy.  but i promised pictures, and pictures there will be.

my new little pet (and it feels just as soft as a real one) is knitpicks’ candle flame scarf.  it’s originally knit in a nice merino/silk blend then gradient-dyed, but i thought i’d go bargain-binning at the LYS and like i mentioned before, found a gorgeous angora blend in an absolutely lovely color.  the pictures don’t do it justice, because they’re neither focused nor exactly color accurate, but i’ll post new ones once i steal someone else’s camera for the job =p

Project: knitpicks’ Candle Flame Scarf

Yarn: Knitting Fever ‘Angora Extra’ 70% angora 25% wool 5% nylon; color #3 “rose”

Needles: Boye Aluminum size 4 straights (wayy under the recommended gauge for the yarn, but right on for the pattern)

Gauge: i haven’t measured exactly, but i’d say around 24st/4″

look at that atrocious quality! but there’s more, if the blur doesn’t hurt your eyes…

sometimes yarn…it just likes to be held, yknow?  but my yarn likes to look out the window at the hibiscus.

i think that the color is closest to the last picture, but truly somewhere between the second and third.  i’m modifying the scarf to include some beading along the insides of the candle flames, and the beads are a size E seed bead in various colors; they’re clear with metallic insides of turquoise, silver, pink (an almost exact match to the yarn!), purple, and green.  if i could snap a good one of those, i’d put it up, but i suppose i’ll get around to that another time.

i cast on for the scarf today, and let me tell you, it has the most beautiful hand in the world but is a right devil to work with.  it’s kind of splitty, especially with the aluminum needles, and if there’s one thing it lacks, it’s tensile strength.  i’ve had the yarn snap on me once already somehow, i think it was a weak spot coupled with a slight pull from the weight of the prestrung beads i had put on the night before.  it’s also extremely slippery, and does shed a little, but i expected the shedding and the slickness considering the high percentage of angora.  i just didn’t realize it was quite so delicate! the scarf will probably take me a lot longer than if i had done it in the wool/silk blend, which is much sturdier and i could be a little rougher faster with it.

more to come, when i’ve done more than 8 rows of garter stitch at the bottom.

as far as my other love goes, red sox vs. yankees tonight! now, i won’t bash the yankees if red sox-haters don’t bash first.  but let me just say, pennant baby, and matsuzaka vs pettitte is going to be intense!

first post…isn’t it grand?

so.  inspired by all of the wonderful knitblogs out there, i thought maybe it might be fun to start my own.  and of course for the blog, i just HAD to use one of those *headdesk* knitting puns that we all laugh and cringe at a little.  but at the very least it will help me keep track of all my completed and in-progress projects, and who knows, maybe someone else in cyberspace might learn something (ha, doubtful! i’m fudging along the best i can!), crack a smile, or maybe, just maybe, get inspired.  but that will probably come much later, as i’m still trying to work out all my inspiration and garment construction and…well, you know the drill.

here’s a little bit about me.  i’m 18, and in the beginning of my junior year of college.  i’m studying biology and planning on going to dental school and becoming an orthodontist.  yeah, okay, so i like teeth.  what about it?!? anyway, i’m a self-taught knitter who started around the end of high school, but didn’t do a darn thing besides one pink and white scarf for ages.  once college started, i dove headfirst into knitting, and over the last year i’ve done the most; from the most basic of scarves, i jumped into hats on straight needles, stranded colorwork, fingerless gloves on little (okay, size 3) dpn’s (thanks to knitty’s amazingly clear ‘knucks’ pattern), toe-up socks, beginner lace, and finally, which i just completed the other day after nearly four week’s spare-time work, my first sweater.  i’m feeling pretty good.  and becoming a total yarn snob since going to my LYS for the first time a couple weeks ago.  college kids usually can’t afford much good yarn, so i always hit the local walmart or joann’s for some acrylic or blends, but i’m trying to get off those fabrics and into more delicious ones.  my LYS bargain bin is fantastic!

i hope to soon be creating my own knitwear designs, and maybe writing up patterns.  i’m still learning a lot, so we’ll see about that.

i won’t be promising lots of pictures just yet, on account of a plethora of dead batteries around the house which are no help to a juiceless camera, but i’ll do my best.  ever think about how dramatic batteries are? you can’t use them because they die, not because they’re old, or worn out.  eesh.  hopefully i can put up some pictures of my finished projects soon, and get some progress shots of my next spare-time-consumer: the candle flame scarf pattern from knitpicks, in an absolutely beautiful mauve angora yarn i found in the discount section.  i’ll keep you posted!

-a

emergency post!

ohmygoodness.  new knitty is up!

guaranteed, there’s going to be something in there for me to knit…