a foggy place . . .

I've been knitting ...

So I've been neglecting my little blog; I want to begin posting more regularly.
Maybe once a week, if I'm lucky. I finished Aftur on 5 January for my sister's birthday. She really loves it. I made an album for Aftur - it's on the side bar. Since then, I've been plugging away on Flétta 2.0. I'm nearly finished the body, which only leaves the sleeves and collar to do. My coworker commissioned a hat last week - the Tweedy Beret (sans i-cord) from the A Cardigan For Arwen issue of Interweave Knits. I am using black Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Aran. It's going well since I gave up on the dpns and just started over with a pair of circs (magic loop, I love ya).
Bye for now!

Winter mitts

I've completed the matching mittens for the Húfa hat!
Knitting for small children gives me an enormous sense of accomplishment; I am actually finishing projects left and right.  A satisfying, but strange, feeling for a notorious process knitter such as myself.

Húfa mittens

Blogged with Flock

Lappi: almost done

Lappi before zipper

Lappi is nearly done! I just have to buy a zipper and install it.  It's way too big for my son, which is great - he will be able to wear it next fall / winter.  I am pretty happy with the way it has turned out.   This was my first project with hems - I like! I really really do.  I am trying to get in as much knitting as I can in the next 2 weeks because I am starting a month-long intensive course.  Once the course is done, job hunting begins.  I haven't worked full-time since the end of 2003.  I went back to school to finish my B. A. and then I got pregnant in my final semester.  I have been taking care of my little one ever since.  I am excited to get out of the house, but the idea still feels a little weird.  Working full-time seems to be somewhere in my distant past; an old faded memory from a not very happy time.  I was way too stressed out back then, working 14 to 18 hour days, sometimes 6 days a week in film production.  Nothing exciting, just office administration (photocopies and more photocopies).  I'm glad that the baby means that I can't go back, that I have to find my way into some new career...

Hems and everything else

Blogged with Flock

Kríli Baby Mitts

I have an FO! Teeny little mitts for my toddler.  He needed mitts because his new daycare takes the kids outside during the day.  I had left all his winter stuff in China because it wouldn't fit in the suitcase and who needs winter clothing at the end of March?  Then the plane landed in Detroit practically in the middle of a snowstorm! I will never doubt the power of mother nature (to prove me absolutely wrong) again.  Three snowstorms in three weeks.  The poor thing had to wear the snowsuit that I had bought for next winter and mitts from last winter.  At least these mitts fit.

Kríli Baby Mitts

SPECS:
Pattern: Kríli from Lopi 25.  Size 2.
Yarn: Létt Lopi, 1 ball of turquoise I had lying around.  (Actually, more like 1/2 to 3/4 of a ball).
Needles: 3.5 mm clover bamboo dpns.
Mods: I tried the Italian tubular cast-on for the first time.  I kind of mangled it, (the result isn't very smooth or flexible) but the stickiness of this yarn may be partly to blame.
Started: 18 April 2007
Finished: 19 April 2007  (the only reason it took me 2 days was because I was fending off some kind of cold / flu that made me feel as if I had just been run over by a truck).
Recipient: My son

Blogged with Flock

Project Spectrum - Green

I have finished the cuff on the first basic sock.  I have been keeping it in my purse, only working on it in waiting rooms, etc... This is my first sock, I find it really enjoyable and I love working with fleece artist sock yarn.  I am interested to see how durable it will be as a sock, since it is 100% merino.  The various greens, from olive to pine, work really well together the blending is quite seamless and natural.  If you haven't tried any Fleece Artist / Handmaiden yarns, you have to - just for the colours alone, if not the quality and softness. 

I have finished the body for lappi, dominic's next sweater.  The pine green is truly gorgeous, far more rich and full than pictured (badly) here.

Blogged with Flock

Off to China

I finished Héla in the nick of time. Right now, I can see all my mistakes, and that the zipper is much too white. But it is done. Even my "made by" is not properly centered. But few, especially non-knitter types, will probably notice. By the way, I love these labels; you can order them online. I found out about them from Knits & Pieces. And since I'm knitting a green sock, I decided to join the green sock KAL. I may or may be able to update this blog while in China. My in-laws have dial-up. So I will be on a vacation from the internet for the next little while.

Organising my stash

I am making progress on Héla, it will be done by my deadline Sunday night (the flight is really early Monday). So I've decided to organise my stash a little bit. That is assign my wool to future projects.

My first ever socks! In Fleece Artist Merino sock yarn.

This will be the Gjá sweater from Lopi 24.

This will be Aftur from Lopi 25.

This 100% wool, Selkirk by Ram Wools in Lavender, will become Rogue by Jenna Wilson.

And finally, this lovely RYC Alpaca (in blossom & herwick) will become Eunny Jang's Deep V Argyle Vest.

Frog

I haven't posted in a while because, well, I ran out of cash iroha for the third time with Flétta, and, well, I got a little frustrated and frogged the whole thing. It was 95% done. I had no wish to revisit my previous agonising searches for the correct colour and dyelot. So it is done. I may use the cash iroha for the lace pullover sweater by Laura Zukaite in this winter's Vogue Knitting, but I really need to not look at this yarn for a while. I bought some berroco alpaca from Effiloché, a new LYS in Montréal. Finally, a really great LYS with a wonderful atmosphere. They have SnB every Friday night too. Oh! and the best part (for me, anyways) was that they re-wind your skeins into balls, right there! In 10 minutes! No tangles! Sorry. It has been a long time since I had good service at an LYS, I guess. And they even let me use the swift / winder all by myself! The photo of the lump of fushia is Héla in progress, I have finished the body and half an arm. I have also cast on for Lappi (I do not have the attention span for stockinette), that's the green photo. The colourful ball of wool is some old noro iro I have lying around; I am thinking of making a baby harness - I am little worried about him running away in an airport. We are switching flights in Detroit and Tokyo before arriving in Guangzhou. Last but not least, I have been tagged for the 6 weird things about you. Once I have narrowed it down to six, I will post about it.

zipper

Here is Fugl, finished, zipper finally installed. I am very, very bad at sewing - just completely talentless. Installing zippers are very difficult for me, though I get a very functional zipper, the result is ugly. One day, I tell myself, I will buy a sewing machine and all my troubles will go away, all my zippers will look neat and perfect enough for a close-up photo. The real reason I am posting yet another photo of Fugl is that I am having a very diffucult time with the last sleeve for Fletta. It is in rev st st, boring, frustrating and I don't even like the short rows?! I just want to finish it, block the sweater, and be done with it. I have been working on it for well over 6 months, and my patience for it is all gone. I think I am also dying to have it finished so I can wear it, and my impatience is making me take even longer to finish it! (after 1 week, I am still in the increases! still!!!!!)
For a while, it looked as if we wouldn't be able to go to China this year, at least not for Chinese New Year, but things worked out in the end. We'll be going in mid-February, so I'll be able to hand deliver my lopi sweaters to my in-laws! I am really looking forward to it! Anyone know any LYS in Hong Kong or Guangzhou?

2007 FO no. 1

This is fugl, ok, it is almost done. I just have to cut it and add the zipper (which I am doing right now, honest). If you think the picture has an odd fuzz in it, you're right. The lens had dirt on it (thanks to my little monster) and my model wouldn't cooperate for a second shoot. Sometimes, I really feel like I have 2 toddlers instead of one.

SPECS:
Pattern: Fugl from Lopi 25.
Yarn: Alafoss Lopi, 4 balls of midnight, 2 balls of dark grey heather, 1 ball of white, 1 ball of vanilla (discontinued), purchased online from Ram Wools. This yarn is beautiful, but very itchy. You have to have longsleeves on underneath your sweater! The itchiness is cancelled out by this yarn's ability to keep you warm; it's great for skiiers, hikers or the cottage.
Needles: 6 mm circular addi turbos to the body and arms; 5 mm circular addi turbos for the collar.
Mods: None to speak of.
Started: 1 December 2006
Finished: 13 January 2007
Recipient: Zheng, my father-in-law.