The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!

I didn't really like that movie, but the line really sticks with me.

Just noticed Rabbitch added me to her blog list! OMG!

So now I really have to post more often.

Well, not a lot of knitting news to report! I am still working on the Tigger sweater sleeves, and WTF? How can two little sleeves take so much longer than 11" of sweater with a pocket?? I got tired of marking the six rows (inc 2 on the first), 8 times, in my knitting notebook, so I got out two barrel counters and put loops of scrap yarn in them. One is for the rows and the other is for repeats. I'm on the seventh repeat, so that's good.

I also did more work on my friend's Contrasto scarf. Had a little frisson when I thought, "When the heck is her birthday? Is it soon?" and the topic came up and she said August. Phew!

I also cast on a swatch for the Tahki blue cotton and seriously screwed up the decrease I was trying out and just can't get it all to behave again. So one side is fine, all k2p2, and the other side has like k2p4 followed by k2p2. Ugh. This sweater will be the death of me.

As for the shaping, especially for the Lang 'Viva' sweater, I took out the Sublime sweater pattern and started jotting down measurements for the waist shaping. 17 stitches per inch makes for some crazy numbers, especially when you do it in your head. I do think I can transfer them to the pattern, though, so that was worth it.

I also ran off half of the ball of Meilenweit to start a very basic pair of socks that I can finish before I'm 50. That yarn really makes my heart go pit-a-pat, so I think it will be very enjoyable. Unlike the Child's First Socks, which, now that I've turned the ankle, seem too small (ARRRGH!), and I think I hate them. Can't decide whether to frog them or just finish them and give them to someone with small feet. Dharma, when's your birthday again?

Update with photos!

The latest on the Tigger sweater. It's up to the armpits and I've bound them off and started the 2 sleeves. Since sleeves are so narrow and fiddly, instead of doing them 1 at a time on dpns, I'm doing them 2 at a time on 2 circulars (you're not surprised, now are you?). I think I'll do twice-as-deep ribbing so I can fold it back now, and unfold it when he's bigger (which'll be in like 2 weeks).



Sunrise ripple scarf. This is the one I lost count in and which I'll redo with stitch markers after every repeat. I like that it's knit sideways and is all ripply. What do you think the yarn is? It's mystery yarn from my mom, no label but nice and shiny.





Second Contrasto scarf is coming along well. I love mistake rib. It rocks.







I've turned the heel on the Child's First Socks. Got messed up on the pattern, though; one part is on row 2 when it should be on row 3. Argh!






The Lang sweater, which is truly nice and soft, but must be frogged to be started over without that front V and with waist shaping. I do think it'll rock when I'm done, though.

It occurred to me...

I haven't been updating much, as I am still pretty much slogging along on the same projects. Child's First Socks--finished the latest 10-row set, only to decide it's still not long enough, and started the next. Lang Yarns Viva sweater--still not up to the armholes. It is nice and soft and a pretty easy pattern so far. Still haven't blocked the skinny scarf; maybe I'll fit that in tonight.

I did knit a swatch of the to-be-felted hat; of course, I'd already finished it when I read that they recommend at least 20 rows of each color (I did about 6 of the main color, 4 of the contrast, and another 5-6 of the main color). I just went ahead and felted it. Bless its little heart, it only took 15 mins to felt up. I mailed it to Mom today, to see if she thinks they felted at the same rate. It's pretty close. The contrast is a tad looser, but I think it'll be OK. Cascade 220 sure felts easily. I shall have to WATCH IT with the sweaters I knit from it; otherwise, they'll end up on my son.

Anyway, it did occur to me that I don't always have to post about my knitting here. I can jot down patterns that appeal to me, etc. Like the Dollar and a Half Cardigan from the Spring IK 2007 issue. Well, it did appeal to me. Then I was redesigning it in my mind--first, the sleeves: how about making the stripes go *down* them rather than around? Shorter cuffs, and no bells? Then, the back--I need horizontal stripes like I need a mohawk. Make it like the front. So now, do I need to buy that pattern? I think not. I can certainly swatch the front, do some measurements, and make my own pattern up. Done.

I also like the Clementine Shawlette from the same issue, but it doesn't seem too complex to reproduce--it's nearly a rectangle, but with gently tapering ends. I like the foldy end parts.

And, in other news, Mom has said that although she doesn't want a shawl (I had bought 4 balls of lovely sand-colored cotton for something for her), she would love another wool sweater, a pullover maybe with a Scandinavian yoke. What fun! I'd nearly run out of folks for whom to knit sweaters (I still want to knit Chaos for G--upscaled, of course). Whee!

Moving the pointer forward

No FO's to report this time, but I am moving forward on many knitting fronts. Up to row 24 of 31 on my mom's to-be-felted hat, more than halfway through the last repeat on the leg of the Child's First Sock (on the way down, so I'm not halfway through the sock), and I'm within 2" of the armpit/v-neck on the Lang Viva sweater (and it still feels awesome--so incredibly soft).

I am itching to start & finish something fast, but I really need to block my sister's long & skinny scarf and just SEND it to her first.

And I may cast on a simple set of socks at some point--I certainly can't knit on the Child's First without some thinking (I can knit while walking, though, which was good at the Zoo this past weekend).

Oh, and I have resigned myself to having to knit a swatch for the felted hat, to ensure that both yarns felt at the same rate, argh. I was worried about having enough yarn, but I think these 31 rows are the largest part of the hat, and there is tons of yarn left. The 98 yds of contrast yarn should last well, too (God help me there)... and it sure is pretty.

Another UFO update

Child's First Socks are still plugging along. I do like this pattern.






A closeup of the yarn and pattern. The colors are fairly true.







I finished, measured, and washed the swatch for the Lang Yarns 'Viva' top. It is the same as prewash: 18 sts/4 in. The pattern calls for 19 (but interestingly, the ball label says 18). I did lots of math and found that this will actually give some needed ease. The pattern is for XS through M. No L? Maybe they don't get any bigger in Switzerland. All that hiking!

I'm hoping to finish another UFO before starting the sweater itself. And as Dharma suggested, I think I may do the front & back on the same needles. That will give a tiny bit of ease, too. There will be a question of how to do the pattern in the round. And once again, I make things more complex rather than less.

The swatch is soft and springy. I am very pleased.

Birch 1, Me 0

Birch has won this round. I got to the end of row 4 and instead of 6 stitches left, I had 1. I give up. I'll frog that and re-cast-on with stitch markers every 10 stitches, since the pattern is over 10 stitches. (and am eyeing Kiri as an alternative...)

I've also decided to frog my other KSH project, Branching Out. I just kept making mistakes and getting paranoid, so I'll use that beige color in something else, maybe stranded along with another yarn. I've restarted Branching Out in my Misti Alpaca sportweight in a beautiful aubergine. (No printed gauge on the label! Little Knits says it's 6 sts/in, so it should be fine for this pattern.)

Am slogging away on the blue Tahki cotton sweater, checking rows off on my clipboard. I think I need to frog down to one decrease, though, as I did it in reverse (the k3tog first rather than last; what was I thinking?). I'll get to the V-neck shaping soon!

Am also slogging away at the Redwood Forest socks. I'm on row 18 of the 20 rows of k2p1 ribbing. I hope the 10-row pattern can be clearly charted so this can continue to be a very portable project (unlike the blue sweater).

And finally--am nearing the end with childHood! Finished the 10" of the hood last night. Just need to try it on the Child With The Significant Cranium to make sure it will fit him before I do the 3-needle bindoff. I've heard the hood is absurdly large so we might be just fine. Then I'll have to sew the sleeves on and seam them and the sides, sew on the buttons and snaps, and be DONE.

Knitting as therapy

I took my circular swatch for the Child's First Socks in KnitPick's Redwood Forest with me to the hospital. My son was having minor surgery and I needed something to do besides bite my fingernails (which doesn't happen to be among my bad habits).

It worked relatively well. I also struck up a conversation with the gardener, who was trimming and watering the plants around me. Turns out she lives in the same town as I and was wanting to start knitting--"a hat would be ideal." I explained what I was doing (no, this isn't a sock, but yes, these are two circular needles) and we talked about the various ways to knit circularly. (Sure, one can knit a hat flat and then seam it, but that brings up the worst of my anti-finishing ire, for whatever reason.)

I told her about my favorite LYS's and gave opinions on the two others in the area. Then went back to my swatch, as I waited and waited for the call that meant my kid was done.

The knitting didn't entirely distract me from the situation at hand, but it sure helped.

(But, rats, the size 3 Addi Turbos are just too big for gauge. I'm back to my Susan Bates size 1's and they are so tiny and sharp and not smooth enough. Yuck.)