NadaJ Knits

I finished the Comwy socks last week:

Click the picture for a bigger view, because honestly, I think these are the best socks I've ever knit. Here's the specs:

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn in Tuscany colorway
Pattern: Comwy by Nancy Bush from Knitting on the Road
Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo, US 2
Time: Uhh...I don't know! February, 2007

These socks are for Seth's Aunt Bambi, who we will see this weekend in Boston. She is a librarian in Concord, Mass, and treats me like I was sunshine. I don't see or talk with her much, so I wanted to do something extra sweet for her, and what better than handmade socks? I agree, nothing.

I've had a complication with the fair isle cardigan, and she is in time out till I figure out what to do, so, last night, I wound yarn for another pair of socks. The color is Farmhouse, and it's from Socks That Rock.

I love the color. Love it. But this yarn isn't the best feeling. I have the medium-weight, and the band says 8sts to an inch, but on my US2s I'm getting 6sts. I've knit with thicker yarns (re: Mountain Colors Bearfoot, Schaffer Laura) but this stuff feels like denim. I am not impressed. And I have at least 5 more skeins of STR yarn in this same weight.

Oh, and I had an idea for a farmhouse sock design, but...yeah...that sucked too, so I have a pretty long gauge swatch that I'll measure, reconfigure, and rip. Maybe I'll try some US3s. But the color is beautiful. That will have to keep my interest, because the feel of the yarn sucks. What a pity. Is it just me? Anyone else experience this with STR?

I came to work this morning at 7am. It's 7:10pm, and I'm still at work. But I've been thinking about this post all afternoon, and before I leave, I wanted to jot this down, even though it's an incomplete thought, because, It's 7:10pm and I'm still at work.

I've been needing to talk.

It's not that I have anything particularly interesting to say. And it's not that I don't have anyone to talk to--I am constantly surrounded by people. People that want to talk. People, that I have a hard time stopping them from talking. Talking to me.

And yet, I've been needing to talk.

Does this make any sense? I know for a fact that I've bored at least two people TODAY with my ramblings, but the interesting part is that I knew what was happening, and I couldn't stop myself. Hmm...

In other news, I have this calendar on my desk:

..and all the  patterns in it either scare me, or are insanely ugly. Like, think of something you own, or even knitted, and multiply that times 365 and then add fun fur, and whaa-laa, you'd have this calendar. But the reason why I keep it, is because it tells me in bold letters and numbers that I can see at 7:10pm at my desk that today is Monday, March 5, 2007.

We have a sleeve

I told myself I would blog tonight and look at me...determination is a strong thing. I am off to bed soon because I worked 12 hours today and tomorrow will be the same, so this kind of makes up for the fact that I didn't knit today. I feel awful. Isn't it strange how Catholicism can make you feel guilty over any and everything?? Even when I've decided to convert to Judaism. Father would be proud, I'm sure.

I knit all the chart panels to finish the body. I didn't have to, but I was not about to stop 3 rows into a 9 row pattern. I needed the completion. So look at this fine steek I have:
After consulting the knitting world's Steek Goddess, it looks like I should have knit a checkerboard pattern instead of the stripes because I had an even number of steek stitches. But it was easier to keep track of which stitch to crochet steek, and for a steeking virgin, that's was a good thing because frankly, I was following Eunny blind.

But look, I did it! I think I did a good job too..how about that. And from sleeve holes, to a sleeve. It was a bitch picking up 184 stitches. I think I was supposed to pick up less, but I made the armholes bigger by completing all the pattern panels.

The instructions didn't say how to pick them up and I couldn't find anyone in blogland that's made this sweater and explained how they did it, so I ended up picking up a stitch for every row.

I would pull out the camera again and take a close up picture, but I don't know how to not import all my pictures from the camera every stinkin' time I take a new picture. But if you click on the picture above, you make be able to see how it "strains" because I picked up stitches around the entire edge stitch. On the next sleeve, I'll try picking them up through the stitch instead of around the whole thing. Maybe that would give it a better look.

Okay, now for the decreases...you know I really should pull out that camera, huh? But I need to get this off my chest before I forget. The instructions say to:

decrease at the beginning and end of the decrease round AND to not worry about the pattern, just start from the beginning every time.

Okay, read that again.

I know, that makes no sense. The patterns build on themselves. If I decrease at the beginning and end of the round and keep beginning each round at the starting point on the chart, all fair isle hell will break loose. So, I've meticulously charted out where to start at every new decrease, and it's a royal pain in my ass. But I admit it's really, really nice knitting with 180+ and going down in size than the 300-something stitches I was working with for the body.

And speaking of the body, this thing is fucking huge. Alright off to bed before I really start telling you  what I think.

The fair isle cardigan is coming along. It's interesting to see my tension change from July to now...

I was trying so hard to finish a panel a day or at least every other day...it had become a race..

Instead of enjoying the colors and how it was starting to come together..

Eventually I started to relax..there is no rush...

It started becoming fun...

My tension relaxed...

And now I'm almost done with the body!

Only a few more rows to go before I can bind off...

And then I start a sock. Go figure.

It's the Conwy pattern from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road. It's twisted stitches and I thought I hated twisted stitches. I passed by this pattern so many times thinking I couldn't do it. I tried the Traveler's Sock pattern (also in the book) this same time last year, and I ended up ripping it out. I may have the courage to attempt it again once these are finished.

The yarn is Lorna's Lace's Shepard Sock yarn in Tuscany. They're for Seth' aunt who has given me  wonderful gifts over the years, and I felt she needed a pair of socks. I need to have them done by next month when we see in her in Boston for his grandfather's 100th birthday party. I know, ONE HUNDRED!

I hope to get these done and get back to finishing the cardigan body. I'm ready to try my hand at steeking.

Hmm..I've been gone

I can't believe it's February. It's February! A few people that know me in the real world have asked what happened to my blog. Even asked if I still knit. Well, the blog's still here. I pay typepad every month, so I *hope* it's still here. I haven't knit much. I just...haven't. I've been busy. Here's a recap:

November--I quit a job and started a new job. Seth and I went to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving, and had a blast, despite the timeshare presentation.

December--New job woes. I've been tricked! Bamboozled! I wish I could do more of the work I was hired to do, but I have a kick ass office. Chanukah and Christmas in Minneapolis this year; just the two of us. It's nice being home. I saved my sanity this holiday and bought gifts. Oh, I started my dreadlocks 12/30.

January--We went skiing in Lake Geneva, WI w/my close friends from Chicago. I picked up my needles and knit the Newboy hat from Stitch n' Bitch Nation. I like the hat--I should've knit it longer so I could stuff all my hair under it. It was a very fast knit. It took me all day one Sunday, but I could've knit it in 3-4 hours if I had focused on finishing it. I bought the yarn 2 years ago for this hat--Mission Falls Superwash Wool. Who knew knitting from the stash was fun?? Anyone? Anyone?? LOL..

I picked up my needles again, and I think I'm back. I decided to finish the KP Fair Isle sweater I started in July. I'm almost done with the body. I forgot how much fun this was..this knitting thing. The directions aren't specific enough for my liking, so I'm taking it one step, one repeat, one measurement at a time. I'm excited to cut my first steek, I think I'll crochet to secure the steek instead of machine stitching, but I don't know where to pickup the stitches to start. I'll have to re-read that.

Hmm..and well, it's February 4th, and despite watching the Prince half-time show, I figured why not blog while Seth is watching the Superbowl (I know, the Bears, right? I hate football much more than I like the Bears).

So, this has been me. How have YOU been?