best intentions

Almost everything I knit has a mistake in it. Usually not glaring errors, something easily fudged in finishing-- but it doesn't bother me to know that there are small imperfections in a piece of work. Most of the time they're trivial, I wouldn't even tell you what they were or how I fixed them because it isn't important and unnoticeable. For big stuff, I have no qualms ripping out projects (usually just let them sit around for a month so my heart's not as tied to them...)

And then sometimes there are just hot messes I can't let go.

A small one...


Pea Pod Baby Cardigan (pattern no longer available)
Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere
US 5, 3.75mm 24" addi
Started: January 2009

SO cute. I've loved this pattern for forever (and yes I'm sad it's not around to be downloaded anymore but I believe Kate Gilbert has said she'll re-release it sometime in the future), and even bought the pattern's yarn when I found this beautiful grey. My sister is expecting a boy in a few months and I figured that the leaf lace panel wouldn't be turned up at on a tiny, newborn boy (honestly I don't know how my sister/brother in law feels about lace + boys, but everyone's different and that's okay with me)... so I started the 3 month size.

I ass-u-med that my gauge would be close to the yarn/pattern, but oy. My 3 month directions are working into the 18 month size, literally. I've also only cracked the 3rd ball of yarn so that's not the worry-- it's just I don't know about a toddler boy + lace.

I worry too much. I'm going to finish it, and offer it. It is really adorable.

I also finished, mostly, the asymmetrical cardigan from months back...



Beautiful! I love the color (saffron), the yarn (Vermont O-Wool), the idea of the pattern. What I don't love? My own mistakes that may have made this unwearable.

First... the two front panels are knit seperately and then joined as one piece for the arms and the back (this post has a photo of what I'm trying to describe). I managed to knit the left panel a half repeat longer than the right and the back...



Yeah, it's not THAT asymmetrical.

Another view...



Ergh.

Now, I'm no knitting doctor but thinking about this mess... I think I can undo the longer panel at the CO edge, rip to the point where the ribbing should start, put the front panel sts on a holder while casting on and knitting a seperate ribbing and then seaming that to the sts on the holder. I don't know... I know you're never supposed to rip a caston edge but there is no fix in ripping back (the construction means it'd ALL be ripped out).

Have I mentioned I'm pretty disgusted with myself?

Here's another reason: I modded the arms to be longer than the 3/4ish the pattern originally calls for, and also upped the increase rate so that the arms would have less of a "wing" at the back... now? They're way too wide for the body, swimmingly so.



To fix this? Scissors.

:)

Kidding.

Maybe.

The only thing I can think of is instead of seaming at the edges, to fold the edges inside somewhat and seam so that the edges fold inside the arms. And maybe cut them off after some rigorous machine stitching.

(You can tell how mad I am, wanting to cut this poor thing into pieces.)

Aside from these GLARING errors, the cardi is really actually nice-- you can see where I've safety pinned it together to try it on :) I think I'll bury it for a bit, let other idea fixes marinate.

Whew. Just talking about this stuff has me all !!! :) Almost as much as last nite.

Til then!

catching bullets

my brain's all over the place the past week, i don't even dare try to number these :)

* the asymmetrical cardi grows.



norah gaughan has created a super interesting construction here-- you knit the two front panels separately, increase on either side for the arms, work out the neck opening on either side, then join for the back and knit on down. fold at the shoulder, seam up the sides and under the arms for a non-interrupted pattern (and no need to set in sleeves when seaming.)

i've modded the arms to have more pattern and less cuff (and under the arms for a faster increase rate), we'll see if it works when its time to origami this thing up.

the color in both of these is really off... but who knew a cable could pop so much?



yay o-wool :)

* i went to the bay area bead extravaganza and brought home fistfuls of new pearl strands for my knitting stitch marker shop. my new favorite? biwa stick pearls. paired with other pearls and semiprecious stones the stitch markers look like little surfers on surfboards...


biwa stick pearl knitting stitch markers at zero.etsy.com

less valleygrrl but still fun...


sample of what's to be added to the shop over the next week

* i warned christina. when i went to this month's tahki stacy charles yarn tasting at article pract, i warned xtina i'd sit up at night and weave all of the yarn samples when i went home (i took my weave-it instead of knitting needles). which wasn't bad...


top left and clockwise: takhi tweedy alpaca, filatura di crosa zara, loop d loop moss, s charles trapper

...because, oh do i love stacy charles collezione trapper. 70/30 merino-cashmere, very reminiscent of felted tweed. but cashmere. oy. i want to marry it and have red tweedy babies. or a sweater. or knit it a sweater.

filatura di crosa superior may object though. i can't tell who's been leading who on.



i think there's enough squares to tack them together tip to tip (five times fast!) and end up with a cravat. of brushed cashmere and silk.

!!!

absolutely gorgeous woven up, the cashmere just fills in the blanks.



doesn't it always?

seriously, superior is the most decadent feeling yarn i've ever, ever encountered. thinking hard about making mary-heather's lace capelet with it (only one skein of superior! and i have a 25% coupon from the yarn tasting for as many tahki yarns as i'd like!)

* speaking of weaving, while at article pract (best yarn store in the bay area), i fell down on the no more yarn oh goodness no the boxes are still overflowing sort of not announced diet i've been on.


a verb for keeping warm 70/30 alpaca-silk

don't tell anyone, but i think kristine sold her soul to be able to dye such glorious colors using only natural dyes.

:)

how could i help myself though? it is an article pract staff pick for november (20% off!) and can you imagine what a great scarf it'll make? i'm really drawn to green lately too. weird.

* if you're in the bay area, this wednesday (11/12) there's a spinning meetup at knitoneone in berkeley between 7 and 9pm. well lit studio space (plenty of room for wheels tho i'm bringing a spindle) and BARTable via ashby. it's really neat sitting in a circle of spinners. tactile fiber arts' trunk show will still be on display, if you need a fiber/yarn fix mid-spinning :)

more info here on ravelry in the bay area spinners forum. we're renting the space ($60) and splitting the cost amongst us-- last time we had about ten people? good times! i'm bringing wisteria for show and tell :)


photo by wondermike-- header for the fabulous yknit podcast re: knit one one!

* did you have a good hallowe'en? we did. yes we did ;)



i think i'm all caught up :)

miss you!

new obsession: weaving on a weave it

I blame Karrie.

I should really, really be working on this...


Asymmetrical Cardigan from Knitting Nature
Vermont Organic Fiber Company O-Wool in saffron

...but this little demon child Karrie sold me at Color Fiber Festival has been taking over the waking minutes around here instead.


vintage Weave-It, 4"

I've admired Karrie's weave it squares and projects for ages now-- but having this in my hot little hands and a huge (really, you don't want to know) bag of sock yarn scraps within easy reach means this...



and this...



The handspun I listed in my etsy shop? Pulled for weaving.



My son's getting in on the act, demanding a blankie for his bear, Bear, out of this ball of mystery yarn.



Even my bead and wire stash is getting into the picture...


woven square pulled into diamond shape and secured at wrist on itself

Reminds me of the wire bracelet I knit a while back (I like that one better, just for the seed pearl details. Weaving with wire again will have me adding pearls and semiprecious stones, no doubt.)

Woven fabric is a totally different animal than knit-- not as soft when worked tightly. I'm still learning, but decided to not double the sock yarn for weaving squares so they're left openish...


koigu

...but have much more drape and let the softness of the yarn still peek thru than when doubled. In a far off galaxy I'd plan to make a million of these little less-than-5-yards-of-sock yarn squares and seam them for a blanket (a 4x4 square on the loom is SO MUCH FASTER than a 4x4 square handknit by me)... in this one, I'm content with making them and not really-really having a project in mind yet.

It's not to say there aren't any-- Karrie has a whole host of idea from her "week of weaving" on her blog, eLoomaNation has vintage Weave It booklets in pdf form, Hazel Rose has a bunch, there is a whole book dedicated to projects for small hand looms (Weavies One), and Spin Off even published an article in Winter 2005 with an accessory project-- "loom blooms". And as with everything, there *is* a Ravelry group :)

Me? Aside from the very vague idea of seaming the drapey sock yarn squares into a blanket (and the hotly demanded baby bear blanket), I was driven by circumstance to make a few things myself. My mom recently adopted a shelter kitten (aw...) and I figured handmade is in order for all new arrivals, furry or not.


Single and double dumpling woven cat toys

The one on the left, one square of doubled Lisa Souza Sock! that had a single bell inserted in the center and seamed like a flower dumpling. The one on the right, 2 woven squares of mediumweight Socks That Rock seamed flat with two bells inside. Mom had bought a bunch (and I mean, a BUNCH) of plastic ball cat toys with bells inside, and the little monster (whom she called my brother!!) has already rolled them under immovable dressers and places where mom or kitten can't rescue them. Apparently, these don't get as lost as easily-- although I've already fielded requests for more (and with catnip)... oy.

But how can I say no?



Larson likes 'em.

:)