A Failure to Comply

I’ve been doing well at saving both calories and money, but occasionally I splurge on both. These weeks in Illinois have done something to help me get out of the rut I was in while in California; I’m outside more often, eating more healthy food (and less of it, thank goodness!), and knitting/spinning regularly. I had been running - that dreaded R-word! - but I’ve fallen back on my old method of starving* my body into submission rather than having to exercise.

You may recall a few days ago when I received some ungodly number of yards of lace-weight yarn - some 4.75 miles, to be honest. I do prefer knitting with the lighter yarns, but their yardage does add up something scandalous! I didn’t think that the yardage would toss me right over the 12-Mile Barrier I made for myself, though. Frankly, I didn’t really think at all, more’s the pity, and now I’m faced with the prospect of not only completely ignoring Stash Equilibrium, but also not completing the 12-Mile Quest this year - especially given that I may (or may not) have ordered more yarn from The Loopy Ewe today (I did). I can only plead an excess of sun, and maybe a lack of food. Sure, that’s it.

I toyed with the idea of counting every pound as a free mile on my Quest total, then on my incoming total. Then I thought that maybe for every mile I run, I could give myself 100 yards of slack, to be assigned as necessary. But then I realized that if I did any of these things and succeeded in my quest, I wouldn’t feel like I’d won fair and square using the rules that I just made up. It’s supposed to be a challenge. It’s supposed to be well-nigh unpossible. I’m supposed to fail a few times - maybe a lot of times - before I succeed. Such is the nature of a Quest. And there you have it.

But there has been progress on various things! Today was a little more overcast, so I re-shot THB’s Last Chance Socks:

The yardage is still unknown, but just think how much fun it will be to weigh everything and get yardage totals when I get home! (Do you understand how quiet it is around here yet? Calculating yardage has moved from “satisfying” to “fun.”)

I’ve also been spinning - it is the Tour de Fleece, after all. I missed a day due to I can’t remember what - it couldn’t have been fatigue! - so I’ll spin tomorrow in order to make up for it. Last night I spun while watching an episode of House and thought to myself that I would probably get a lot more yarn made if I spun for more than 42 minutes/night, but like Scarlett O’Hara, I will think about it tomorrow. Back to the subject at hand! There is definitely progress on Bobbin #1:

See? I told you. It’s note even one of those infintesimal flip-back-and-forth progresses, known only to spinners. That bobbin is definitely chubbier around the middle.
And since I finished THB’s socks, I’ve made progress on yet more socks - this time for me, and thus blessedly smaller:

 

  

The yarn is from Enchanted Knoll Farm; it’s their Superwash Sock Yarn in “Cornucopia,” and it was in my welcome package from The Loopy Ewe. It’s also very similar in feel to the Lorna’s Laces I am so fond of, which is a huge plus. I’m trying a variation on my standard plain sock - this one is longer and involves decreases in the leg to account for calves - and I like it very much. I’ve also carefully written down the pattern so I can test it a few more times before I write it up. This one might be the one, friends. I’m sure you’re awash with antici-

pation.

My obsession with socks that take up the fewest number of yards possible has subsided, I think. I’m moving on to new and different ways to make sure that I eke every possible stitch out of my sock yarn without resorting to a sock swatch blanket. I know other people have them, and they’ve worked out well, but I am about 120% sure I would never, EVER finish one, so I’m looking for other alternatives. Striped socks have gripped my imagination at the moment, so we’ll see how far that takes us. The royal us, you understand.






*No, not actually starving. I’m at my Spanish grandmother’s house, where if you’re not chewing, you’re sick. It’s a challenge just to diet, much less starve!

All Over the Place

Okay, so you have probably figured out by now that I have less self control than I ought to have when it comes to acquiring yarn. You've also probably noticed my propensity for buying all new yarn for a project instead of using what I have in my stash. Well, both of those things are true, I admit it. But it is also true that I am learning (sloooowly) to buy appropriate amounts of yarn for the intended project, to check Ravelry for a) project yardage requirements and b) my stash listing before diving into a knitting store, and that I'm trying hard to finish projects before I start new ones.

Next week is the end of my second round of grad classes. This session has been more back-loaded than the last, so I've been kept busy writing papers and doing projects. I'll be glad to see this session be finished; my classes weren't as entertaining or informative as the previous ones, and there was one in particular that just irritated the crap out of me on a regular basis. But overall I'm really enjoying the 9-week terms. It's just enough time for me to lose steam in terms of getting good grades and turning things in on time, so all my teachers think I'm a Good Student. Poor, deluded dears.

ANYway, I finally finished Torchwood: Children of Earth last night. I watched episodes 3-5 in rapid succession and spend the bulk of the time with my jaw on the floor. It was... incredible and heart-rending and really, really well-acted. John Barrowman is completely underrated, at least in the US. I understand that he's quite appreciated in the UK, which is, I suppose, acceptable as he is one of those rare successful British actors who doesn't seem at all interested in moving to LA.

I also finished my Risata socks!

Knit Picks Risata, "Fairy Tale"
330 yds.

I quite like the way these fit. I adjusted the peasant heel flap according to my last post and Suzanne's suggestions, and they fit much better across the instep. They're a tad big, but my mom says that her Risata socks have felted (and therefore shrunk) a bit in the wash, so I'm not too worried.

What I AM chuffed about is this:

(click to enlarge) (that's what she said...)

That heel flap and heel turned out PERFECTLY. There are a few loose stitches, but I'm pretty sure those will even themselves out with washing, and if they don't, it's nothing a darning needle and a scrap of extra yarn can't fix. I'm excited to mess a little with the colored heel/toe scheme as well, but that will have to wait a bit. I may be the teensiest burnt out on socks, which is HILARIOUS considering that I just purchased enough sock yarn at Stitches to reach from my house to the nearest yarn store.

What I have been craving - possibly because I got a chart keeper - is lace. Specifically, sampler lace to keep me interested and involved. What's that? I already have a "lace" project going? You're right, I do, and it's going just fine. But it's 90% knit stitch! That's not the lace I'm craving! I want complicated, fussy, multiple-stitch-marker and life-line-requiring, make-you-blind, tiny needle lace. Hazel Carter and Sharon Miller lace.

I hear it's excellent for knitting in class.

Baby Boom

Last night I finished seaming the BabyBean's Boatneck Sweater! It's my first actual fitted garment project; socks and shawls and scarves (oh my!) don't really count as "fitted" in my estimation. I was thrilled and stunned that it worked out so well. I changed a couple of things in the pattern, but nothing major. I left both the front and back with looong tails on a Knit Picks Options cable so the last stitches would be live, then grafted the shoulders together and used a sewn bind-off across the neck. It worked quite well and helped cut down on the number of seams.

Happy Chinese Apple Sweater with Quarter and Kitty Foot

That's a quarter for scale - it's pretty tiny, so I'll have to get it to ButterBean quickly so that A) it still fits and B) it's still cool enough to wear in San Diego. The whole thing took about 170 yards total, which left me plenty of Classy for another couple of baby items. A cute matching hat, perhaps?

Then I picked up the leftover blue I dyed for my Egyptian Sock last spring and began a pair of the Seed Stitch shoes. See how well I'm keeping to the list? Enjoy it while it lasts, folks.

Amorphous Blob of Baby Shoe with Kitty Tocks

I know, they don't look like shoes, do they? But soon they will, or I'm hoping so; they at least look like the model in the book so far. I was totally enchanted with this pattern last night because apparently I like seed stitch. There are a few fun little tricks to this, like casting on 5 stitches cable-style at the end of a row to make a little flap. I've never knitted like this before, so it's kinda fun. Incidentally, the book for both of these patterns is Baby Knits for Beginners by the amazing Debbie Bliss. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try some garment shaping without committing to a whole grown-up sized sweater. There are drop-shoulder and raglan sweaters, short row collars and even plackets in there, and all small enough that the project doesn't take 500 years. I may just work my way through it sweater-by-sweater.

And lastly, the What Socks To Cast On question has been answered! I know you all were on tenterhooks waiting to find out which sock I'd pick. I chose the Azure socks from Knitty, at which point I remembered that I'd never done toe-up socks before, and oh that cast on is new too. I think I ripped the toe of the sock about 4 times before it worked out. So after roughly 3 hours of knitting, I've got this much sock:

Mostly-correct Valencia Azure Sock

That's about 8 pattern rows in. It's slow going to say the least; the pattern isnt' very forgiving in terms of showing you where you messed up. But I'll get there, and in the mean time I'm enjoying knitting with a bright, happy yarn that still smells faintly of Orange Kool-Aid. And now I must take the new car to get an oil change and find out if there's a leak in the engine coolant tank or if it's just empty. Good thing there's a Starbucks nearby.

I finished Vallente's The Orphan's Tale: In the Night Garden last night. It's a stunning book, and there will be a review shortly. I'm working on it.

Sockapalooza 4!

I got a box in the mail today from - of all places - Berkeley. Who knew my sock pal was so close? I certainly didn't. Maybe she'll comment here and we can have coffee! I promise to wear my A-MAZING socks. Thank you, Aimee! Here's my loot!




Are you jealous? Aimee said that this is only her second ever pair of socks, which obviously means she's well on her way to being a fantastic sock knitter. And the Lorna's Laces? I put that color down yesterday with a stern "No, Tika! Bad Tika! Yarn diets are not about buying more yarn!" and what happened? The Yarn Fairy came through for me via my sock pal. I was going to swear off swaps for a bit, but getting presents in the mail is just too much fun to pass up.

Speaking of which, my sockapalooza package is going in the mail tomorrow morning, along with my Very First Dye Tyring order! Augh! I'm all a-flutter.

Edit: Does selling one skein of yarn allow me to buy several more in celebration? 'Cause KnitPIcks thinks so...

Crash and Burn!

I haven't joined any sock clubs because - well, just because, really. But this one reached out its sneaky little hands and grabbed me by the scruff of the neck. Can you guess why? How could I not join? Anyway.

I've been listening to Cast On from the beginning. So far, I'm just about 14 months behind schedule, but I'm enjoying the Muse series. Ideas are percolating in my brain for a piece about Urania and Clio, but you'll just have to wait for those! I spent all weekend and several nights this week plugged in to my iPod, happily dyeing skeins of yarn. My first batch is going to be Henry's Attic Kona, but I think the next set will be Knitpicks Bare. It's inexpensive and already put up into hanks of 100g, which will make my life a bit easier. Plus, I can use several things from their Bare line which will give everything I make a bit of continuity. I will miss the textured feel of the Kona though. Perhaps if I can find a place that will put it up for me I'll go back to it eventually.

My Sockapalooza socks are so close to being done. I'll be able to send out my package tomorrow during lunch; only one day late. Argh! Then it's on to the test knitting.

Off to speed-knit. Pictures will be forthcoming once I stop blogging from work.

Moving Right Along

Well, Jer has moved out and ManCandy is looking for furniture. The 7th Harry Potter book is out and I've finished reading it, the Hogwart's Sock Swap (Year 1) is over and Year 2 has begun. I'm working on my second Pomatomus sock for Sockapalooza since August 2 is next week - I may have to take an afternoon off to knit in order to finish on time! - and the moment I cast off the Pomatomus socks I'm putting on some test knitting, which I will be doing in my very own yarn from my very own Etsy shop. Sooner or later I'll get things going; I've been pretty good about doing something for the shop every day but what I'm really looking forward to is a week off in August with nothing to do but dye and photograph yarn. And catch up on my 15 bazillion podcasts, of course.

Speaking of which, I should dash. Those pomatomus socks are whispering my name from the other room, and tomorrow is the Relay for Life so I'll be up relatively early. I'm ready for my shift; I've got Lime 'n' Violet on the iPod and a little sock bag for my knitting, now all that remains is to see if I can walk and knit at the same time. Should be interesting!

I've passed!

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

Second Years

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Ravenclaw

2. Shoe size? Foot length? Foot circumference? US 7.5, EU37. Foot length: 9 inches. Circumference at the ball of my foot: 9 inches.

3. List your three favorite sock yarns.

a. The Knittery 4-ply cashmere or cashmere/merino

b. Koigu KPPPM

c. Rowan 4-ply merino

4. Would you like to try a new brand of sock yarn? If so, which brand? Louet Gems, or maybe Tofutsies or Curious Creek or Panda Wool (I’ve tried the cotton), or or or… J

5. Do you prefer variegated or solid sock yarn? Either is lovely.

6. What colors would you like to add to your sock yarn stash? I don’t seem to have any browns or neutral colors, so probably those.

7. What kind of sock patterns do you gravitate toward? Lace? Ribbed? Fair Isle? I tend to like ribbed/cabled patterns and am learning to love lace. I have a super-high arch, so I tend to prefer stretchy patterns.

8. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, animals, etc.) I’m allergic to cigarette smoke, but otherwise no.

9. Will your socks be exposed to cigarette smoke or animals as you knit them? They will be exposed to my cat; try as I might I can’t keep the little alien away from my wool.

10. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? Of course! My uncle is extremely interested in International Magical Co-operation.

All Hail the Slytherins!

Okay, but only for a minute or two, I swear. I came home yesterday to a package from the Owl Post! At first, I promised myself I wouldn't open it until I sent off my own package. But then I decided to catch up on my knitting RSS feeds and found a picture of Ravenclaw socks that made me simply drool. Her blog said she was in Massachusetts, and the return address was in - you guessed it - Massachusetts. So what was there for it? I had to open the box! And here it is:

Presents for me!

Just loooooook at all those goodies! And they turned out to be awesome. Earl Grey tea for weekend mornings (like today! Yummmm), some Blueberry Body Butter (ManCandy approves!), Burt's Bees lip balm (which I had forgotten to buy at Whole Foods earlier last evening, thankfully!), a Solitaire game to keep my wits sharp, a lovely chocolate bar, beautiful casein DPN's (no nickel!), and best of all? The socks, hand-made stitch markers and matching earrings!

They're perfect!

I absolutely love everything, thank you so much, Omly! You utterly and completely made my week. Now, I'm off to wrap my pal's gifts and hit the Owl Post Office myself. Go Hogwarts!

Edit: I can't resist putting in a picture of the stitch markers and earrings. They're just too gorgeous to be real!

Darcy says:

There are many like it, but this shelf is mine.

The Things I Am Not Doing

1. I am not casting on for the Mystery Stole 3 even though it is Friday and Clue 2 comes out today, because I have not finished my Hogwart's Socks.

2. I am not registering for Fall '07 classes because I am waiting for my school to decide where all my transfer credits go. If I don't have to re-take Chem 101, I'm certainly not going to!

3. I am not freaking out that ManCandy has left Michigan in a car and is at this very moment hurtling toward a life with me.

4. I am not freaking out that ManCandy has left Michigan in a car and is at this very moment hurtling toward a life with me and will be here tomorrow night and there is nowhere in my room to put his clothes.

Okay, I may be freaking out a bit about the latter.

I stopped on my way home today and bought a basket that will eventually hold yarn in a pretty and convenient fashion, and a crochet hook for putting beads on Mystery Stole 3. I also printed out directions for my Sockapalooza 4 pal's socks and found a good project for Gabe's socks as well. Tomorrow is the Fair Isle knit-a-long at the LYS, which means no sleeping in for me but that I will be playing with Alpaca/Silk for 2 hours in the morning. Yippie!

Oh, and I'm in the home stretch for my Hogwart's socks. I may even finish them by tomorrow night, if Nadh and I don't get too much of a shopping bug. Perhaps Sunday would be a better bet...

Oooh, yes!

Please take note of the progress on the Harry Potter Sock Swap bar. Woot! One sock down and another a few inches in. I just cracked open the third ball and I'm about 4" into the second sock, so I'm pretty sure I'll have enough left over for another pair - another pair that will be tucked into the back of my mind to marinate for awhile, since I shall be heartily sick of Slytherin green by the time I bind off my pal's second toe. I've been slowly collecting cute things to add to the package, and I'm excited to finish the socks so I can send the whole thing off. No sock pictures until the package is in the Owl Post, though!

I also got my invitation to Ravelry today! Hurrah! All I want to do is go home and start entering things in, but alas I'm at work until 6. I also decided to head up to Mountain View to go to Bobaknit tonight, so the internet fun will have to wait.

Yesterday I caved, and caved hard. I joined a Fair Isle knit-a-long at my LYS and bought yarn for what is likely going to be the most expensive piece of clothing I will own, ever. A Fair Isle sweater made of Blue Sky Alpaca's Alpaca/Silk... good lord, it will be gorgeous and I'll want to wear it every day. I'm excited for Saturday morning to come! The girl who works at my LYS is so nice; I like her a lot. Maybe I'll start going in there just to hang out so we can become friends.

In penance for spending more than I should have, I spent the evening boiling pots of yarn and winding 100g skeins of the superwash sock yarn from the innocuous little box. Four skeins of blue/yellow that are probably going to go for another dip to even things out, and one skein that was supposed to be brown and red but instead became copper and pink. Hmmm... we'll see what it looks like when it's dry.

I had a look at my stash the other day when I re-arranged my room. It's growing much faster than I'm going through it, so I've decided it's time for a Yarn Diet, starting at 4pm on Sunday. And for this one, sock yarns WILL count as stash. The terms are: I cannot buy any yarn that isn't for Dye Trying (coming sooner rather than later, I promise!) until I have completed both of my sock swaps and all of my UFO's. The only exception will be the rest of the alpaca/silk for the Fair Isle sweater, since I'm a couple of skeins shy at the moment.

So that's it! No pictures (did I mention I'm at work?) , but soon there will be Ravelry. And what Ravelry there will be!

Oh... I feel I should mention, for those in the area: Sunday from noon-4pm at Full Thread Ahead there is a 40% off of everything you can carry sale. No baskets, no bags; if it fits in your hands you can buy it. Therefore, the Yarn Diet begins after I've hit up the sale - if there are Addi's included in the sale, this will be a good time to flesh out the collection.

Not Again!

I ripped them. Again. Stupid Slytherin socks (although my pal is definitely not stupid; in fact she is completely sweet and that is probably why I'm struggling to make her socks *perfect* which is difficult to do considering she lives in... well, not in my hometown). The problem was that her leg is smaller than mine, and when I put on the sock it wasn't quite tight enough for my taste so it would have been too big for her. Completely unacceptable. So a week's worth of work was undone tonight in about.... 2.5 seconds. Maybe 45 seconds, but definitely not more than a minute including the mourning period between deciding to rip the sock and actually taking out the needles. It's sort of like ripping off a Band-Aid, isn't it?

I must say, that 4-ply Rowan I bought has taken all this beating and ripping and re-knitting with amazing aplomb. It's still springy and lovely after 5 (FIVE!) ripped beginnings. Tonight I'm trying to get through the ribbing for the last time (I swear!) so I can be back to starting the actual sock tomorrow. I'm annoyed that it's taken this long to get it right, but I also feel better for having started over. The sizing issue would have bothered me forEVer.

In celebration of starting the Slytherin Socks (yet) again, I allowed myself to wind the Passionfruit yarn I got from the Knittery into 2 50-gram balls. It will become a pair of Baudelaire socks for Nadia's fabulous and adorable ammi. I printed the pattern, but haven't started them yet because I am exercising great restraint. I also unwound all of the yarn that was languishing in my stash back into skeins using my nifty new swift. Apparently leaving yarn wound in a ball make it stretch weirdly - who knew?

Back to the Slytherin Socks. I'm nearly 3/4 through the first Harry Potter book with all this re-knitting. Woo!

And then there was one...

Three down, one to go. My Islamic final went surprisingly well - other than the expected choking I did on the slide identifications. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what happens when one spends too much time "decompressing" by knitting Super-Secret S--x projects and not enough time compressing. So I didn't study the 500000 slides she assigned. At least I wrote a pretty okay essay, and I shouldn't get below a C in the class. I know, I know. Not exactly what I had in mind grade-wise but whatever. At some point, it's time to just Be Done, and since I'm not going to go searching for a master's program any time soon, we're just going to call this one a wash. Good news though - the same prof is teaching Ancient Egyptian Art next term at a time I can squeeze in with my new job! Hurrah! Teachers like loyalty in students, I've noticed.

I would like to announce my current score (get your mind out of the gutter! It's not that kind of score.):
Panda Cotton: 0, Tikabelle: 1.

It was a close squeeze, but I ended up with a yard and a half left of my Panda Cotton after binding off the first of a pair of Monkeys. It was close there for awhile, sort of touch-and go. But I managed to pull ahead at the end, all the while considering what might be several universal truths:

1) Knitting faster does not make your yarn longer, although there is some stubborn part of me that still believes it will.
2) Staying up knitting frantically until 2am will not make your yarn longer. This holds true even if you have to work at 5am the next morning, despite what your sleep-deprived brain will try to tell you.
3) Staying up knitting frantically to use up your yarn will not keep away the Yard Gnomes - those pesky buggers who steal a yard here, a yard there and mean that you end up with (you guessed it) slightly less yarn than you need to finish your project.
4) Knitting more tightly does not make your yarn longer, although it may have adverse effects on your gauge.
5) Check your lot numbers before buying two skeins of anything. Especially if - for some mysterious reason - you are racing with the Yard Gnomes for final posession of your Finished Object.
6) A single Monkey sock takes approximately 168.5 yards with some slight modifications in the toe for the purposes of conserving the last few inches of yarn.

And one more little tidbit for good measure. I am a child of the 80's, so swatching brings me a special sort of joy. I hum the Swatch commercial to myself when I begin and have been known to totter into the kitchen chanting "swatch, swatch, swatch... my that's fun to say... swatch swatch swatch..." in what my roommate assures me is not an at all alarming fashion. I started swatching my Hogwart's Sock Swap socks today, and came up with a solid 8.5/inch on Addi zeros instead of 8/inch like I was shooting for. My Addi size 1's have not yet arrived; I'm going to try out the Crystal Palace size 1's tonight. Hopefully I don't have to do fussy math to get gauge for my partner's socks.

No Darcy picture today (or pictures of any sort really but I know what's important!). The little Feline Impersonator decided to spook while I was holding him up near my shoulder, and *bam!* my ear was bleeding all over everything. Luckily he scratched my ear and didn't snag and/or rip out my hoops, but it was a near miss. Because I know it wasn't his fault, I tried very hard not to be upset with him, but I'm retaliating against his alien race by not posting his picture today. Do you hear me, aliens? I'm SO on to you! My ear hurts. :(

Hogwarts Sock Swap!!

Oh dear. Something about finishing a project must have set me off, because now I've become officially Knitting Obsessed. I dreamed about Monkey socks last night and my fingers started to itch during class today because I couldn't concentrate without knitting in my hands. This is a Bad Sign, people. A Very Bad Sign.

Since the last Harry Potter book comes out this summer (sniffle...), and since Heather Ordover of CraftLit and 1870 Pearl have both been sorted into Ravenclaw like I have, I decided to join the Hogwarts Sock Swap. Hooray! I think I'll use this opportunity to dye some of my own yarn and maybe try out some stitch marker ideas. The house assignment is appropriate, I must say. Ever since the first Sorting Hat Quizzes appeared on the 'Net, I've consistently been sorted into Ravenclaw. Not for me the brave, the dedicated or the sneaky. Oh no - I am clever. And damned proud of it! Just ask any of my professors.

So without further ado, here is the Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire!

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Ravenclaw, hurrah!

2. Shoe size? US 7.5, European 37

3. Foot Length? 22.5cm

4. Foot Circumference? 22cm

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.
a. Crystal Palace #0-1, 6 inches
b. Britanny #1 or 1.5, 5 inches
c. Clover Bamboo #0-1, 7 inches

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?
I tend to have to size down my needles to get proper gauge, so anything from 00-1.5 would be perfect. I have a slight allergy to nickel so I avoid metal needles whenever possible (most metal needles are nickel-plated), but anything made of bamboo or wood I would love to try! I'm most comfortable with 5-6" DPN's but I'm not picky... about *that* part.


If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? I definitely prefer the blue/bronze of the books to the blue/silver of the movies. In the Grand Scheme of Tikabelle's Coloring, silver = invalid but bronze = healthy glow.

Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? Ooo, yes please!