Grad School Knitter

WIPs on a weekend

2012-01-28T11:14:00.001-05:00

all you need is rainbow, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

The rainbow baby blanket is well over half way finished, in part thanks to the ease with which garter stitch can be accomplished even when reading complex passages of psychoanalysis!
Pattern is the Super Easy Baby Blanket, which clearly lives up to its name.

Another new WIP I'm working on is Argo:

Obviously I've only just started, and so far I am loving it (and especially the yarn, which is Cascade Indulgence (70% alpaca, 30% angora... what's not to love?) that I got on a a craftsy deal for a great price). I'm a little worried, though, since I'm using a worsted weight (and a light one at that), while the original pattern calls for aran... I did get gauge on 8s but the fabric was very hole-y and I didn't like it at all... so I went down a needle size and up a pattern size and am crossing my fingers that it'll all work out for the best... also worrying is the reports of pilling for this yarn... alpaca and angora, two of the hairiest yarns out there... of course there will be pilling... let's just hope I can control it with a sweater shaver!

the post you actually wanted to read this morning

2012-01-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

Drum roll please.......

The winner for best answer (because it involved yaks and the phrase "hot knitting" which probably will generate me lots of google hits) goes to: Kate!

And the 2 random draws go to: Kim and Elinor! (Yes, the random number generator really chose 1 and 2. I guess that's why they call it random!)

I'll contact you guys shortly on ravelry, unless you see this first and then feel free to send me a message with the name of the pattern you want me to gift to you!

really finished this time

2012-01-23T07:47:00.002-05:00

gartery buttony swingy, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I finally sewed on a button and made a loop for my garter stitch swingy sweater last night. Don't mind my hair.... or my face... it's still early, ok?

So now it's really, really finished and I'm going to wear it out of the house this morning! I'm still thinking about adding another button or two, I have three of these that I bought ages ago without any plan, I just thought they were kind of awesome. Anyway, we'll try one this morning and see how that goes.

Comments have been (or at least will be momentarily) closed for the 5 year blogiversary contest. Winners will be announced later when I'm not about to run out the door for yoga.

one of these things is not quite like the other

2012-01-22T14:33:00.001-05:00

not quite, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

As you may be able to tell, upon not-so-close inspection, one of these socks is longer than the other. I made the first one some time ago and did not really pay attention to the length (something about boredom and not loving the yarn might have been involved) and so it really wasn't long enough for DH. The second one fits better (truth be told it is still snug, but Cascade Fixation is nothing if not stretchy) so all that's left to call these finished is cutting out the toe of the first and knitting a little more length. I also decreased more on the second which makes for a pointier (and therefore also longer) toe.

I should probably go do that right now before I remember how much I dislike the yarn and cast them off for something newer and shinier...

Reminders!

2012-01-21T11:09:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that they have until tomorrow night to enter the blogiversary contest and 10 days to sign up for the next international sock swap!

5 years

2012-01-18T07:37:00.001-05:00

I thought about not posting today, in solidarity with other sites that have gone dark against sopa (see wikipedia today for info and how you can speak out against it, and the oatmeal for an amusing but informative explanation) but since I generally only post my own images, I'm most likely exempt. And... blogiversary! So... SOPA bad, knitting good.

5 years ago today, I started this blog. Looking back on it is a bit strange... it's like a timeline of my life... in yarn. Sure, lots of other stuff has happened to me, but much like last year's SIAC projects, I can pick out the different phases of my life in the last 5 years and many of the projects bring back memories tied to them and the people for whom they were intended.

5 years is both a long time and a short time. I'm still in grad school (but not for long, suckas!) but yet I also met, and married, the love of my life in that period. I have more than 200 projects (211 to be exact) in my Ravelry notebook, and I'm sure there are a few that didn't make it on there, especially since I actually joined Ravelry a few months after starting this blog. This will be post 550 on the blog (just a coincidence, that).

I like blogging. I'm not sure how relevant my little knit-blog is to the world, but it's fun and affords more space for me to talk about my projects in a way I somehow don't see as appropriate in the ravelry notebook space. I like blogging so much that I recently started a new blog: Bikram, begin again to document my progress in yoga. Last October I decided that I was putting off feeling healthy and happy to work on the thesis, but that if I wasn't healthy and happy my work was suffering for it. It's one of the vicious cycles of grad school: you don't think you should do things that make you feel good because you think you should be solely focusing on work... but solely focusing on work is not healthy or happy and eventually the whole thing just falls apart on you. So taking the time out of my day a few times a week to do something I a) love and b) makes me feel better mentally, emotionally and physically is actually helping my work, not hindering it. Sort of like knitting while I read, I guess!

Anyway, if you've gotten this far, here's the deal: to celebrate my 5 year blogiversary there will be prizes! To enter, comment on this post with answers to the following 2 questions:

1. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? (Knitting, life, love, whatever)

2. If you could suggest a rename for this blog, what would it be and why?

As for me, in 5 years I'm pretty sure I'll still be knitting, I really hope I'll still be practicing yoga, and with any luck, holding down the elusive tenure-track job. As for the rename, well, as I mentioned before, the grad school thing won't last forever... in fact, I'm getting close to the point where I can confidently say it should be over much sooner, rather than later. So I think that it's time to start considering a graduation of sorts for my blog and my ravelry persona. Something that encompasses not just my love of knitting but perhaps a mishmash of the other aspects of my life as well. One day, perhaps I'll incorporate Bikram, begin again and a knitting blog into one... we shall see.

But really, let's face it. You're still here because you want to know what the prizes are:

First place (for best answers, as deemed by myself and perhaps DH, if I need some help deciding) will get one skein of Neighborhood Fiber Co's studio sock in "Thomas Circle". I bought two with the idea that I would make some kind of striped sweater but I don't really think I have enough. I do have enough for socks though, even out of one, or perhaps a small shawl? In any case, I think the other will be put to good use by one of you good people.

Two more commenters will be chosen at random and I'll gift them the paid-for ravelry pattern of their choice.

Comments will be open on this post from now (Jan 18, 7:30-ish AM) until the end of the weekend (Jan 22nd, midnight-ish). Please make sure you leave your ravelry name in your comment so I can contact you!

OK, that's it, commence commenting!

things to do with sock yarn

2012-01-16T07:19:00.001-05:00

2/7 of a rainbow, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Since I "finished" my sweater the other day (buttons notwithstanding), I figured it would be ok to cast-on for another project. Also, colourwork mittens are not exactly great a great project for knitting-while-reading/watching tv. They are dedicated concentration knitting and I needed something a little more simple.

I have a couple of very close friends who are expecting this year and so it's time for the invasion of the baby knits! Above is the beginnings of a Super Easy Baby Blanket from Purl Soho. The original calls for sport weight but since most of the babies I'm about to meet are due in the summer, I though finger weight would be more appropriate. I also wanted something fun, gender neutral and happy so I'm going with ROYGBIV: all the colours of the rainbow. I just started on yellow, right after this picture was taken, and I'm loving this blanket. Squishy garter stitch in soft knit picks stroll tonal (looks like I ordered at just the right time as several of the colours I chose are no longer available) make for a yummy knit. And, of course, washable. I have no romantic notions that my baby knits will not get spit up on at some point in their lives.

And hey, if you want to keep your sock yarn for socks and socks alone, you should totally come join us over at the international sock swap! Sign-ups are still open and will be until the end of January! Knit a pair of socks for someone else and get a pair in return. You get the joy of knitting and gifting to someone who will really understand and appreciate the work you put into it AND receive a handknit gift yourself (something that I don't get very often... although I do love to gift my knits too).

maybe now it'll snow?

2012-01-11T16:58:00.001-05:00

garter stitch swingy sweater, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I started this in late September, hoping that I'd finish it in time for fall... but now it's January and we've barely had a winter. It is supposed to snow quite a bit this weekend though, so maybe I'll get some buttons on by then and I'll get some use out of it after all!

When I get buttons on I'll take pictures in some better light. Raveled here.

this is not the stash you're looking for

2012-01-06T20:19:00.001-05:00

space cadet lucina, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I swear, I'm knitting from stash. And finishing up old UFOs. And I didn't buy that yarn.

Ok, I did. But it was months ago, as part of the SpaceCadet Creations' Interstellar Yarn Alliance Yarn Club. I had almost completely forgotten about it, until it showed up on my doorstep last night! So no, just like the mittens, this doesn't count.

In other news: I love this yarn! LOVE! I love the semi-strange mix of colours and the subtle sparkle. The base is Lucina and the colour name is "Selfish". Which is the perfect name, because this is MINE! ALL MINE!!

Does it count as stash enhancement if you run out of yarn?

2012-01-02T08:52:00.001-05:00

so close, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

In my attempt to finish up some UFOs, as per my knitterly resolutions, I have come across an issue pertaining to yet another of said resolutions. See that picture of yarn up there? That's the yarn I'm using to make DH some mittens. I have one complete (minus the thumb) and there is a total of 48g of yarn left. (I know you can't really see it, but I promise, that's what it says on the scale.)

As for the mitten itself:

Yep, you guessed it, 48 grams. And no thumb. Which means that if I were to add the thumb, the mitten would have to weigh more than 48 grams and the yarn would therefore weigh less. Science? (Actually, math, but you get my point.)

So, I found out that webs sells the same icelandic wool and ordered another two skeins of the same yarn. I think what I'm going to do is knit the second mitten out of the yarn I already have and then use the new yarn for the thumbs, just in case it's not a total dyelot match.

So, what do you think? Does buying yarn to complete a project count as stash enhancement? Have I already broken my resolutions? Or am I in the clear?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:38:00.001-05:00

owl heels!, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone out there got to spend it with the people they love. DH and I mostly just spent it at home, drinking a little champers and watching the ball drop from the comfort of our couch. We thought about going out to see some fireworks but it was kind of a dreary day, so home seemed like the best option.

So, what does a sock have to do with the New Year, you might ask... well, it's also time for another International Sock Swap! That is one of the socks I made for my last partner, back in the summer swap. (I sat out the Christmas swap so that I could focus on school work and such... but I just missed the group so much that I'm back for the 2012 swaps!) If you want to join up, check out the group (linked above but here it is again for good measure!) and fill in the questionnaire. These socks went all the way to Italy, and my own package came to me from Texas.

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2012... and that you have lots of time for crafting this year!!

resolve

2011-12-31T08:38:00.003-05:00

Roy G Biv, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

For 2012 I have a few knitting-related resolutions that I'm hoping to keep.

For starters: I want to finish some long languishing projects before starting anything new. This includes the sweater that only needs one more (3/4 length) sleeve, a sock to match it's already finished partner, and a pair of possibly insanity inducing mittens. The only other UFO I have lying around that can't be included in this resolution is the never ending blanket. This is mostly due to the fact that I have used up all of the bits of left-over sock yarn that I have for the moment, and therefore it will actually have to wait until there are more bits available to add to it.

My second knitterly resolution is to stash down. As you can see from the above photo, as well as this recent post, the stash has been on the rise as of late... and you haven't even seen this:

or this:

yet... and there's enough of each for a sweater, at least. Damn you, internets.

So, knitting from the stash, and, if possible, keeping up the SIAC (self-imposed-accessory-club) for 2012. 12 projects, direct from stash yarn and ravelry queued patterns. As for that top picture (which is knit picks' stroll tonal in ROYGBIV) I have plans... oh, do I have rainbowy, beautiful plans. But you'll just have to wait to see those!

2011 in review

2011-12-30T07:26:00.003-05:00

feb siac, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Earlier this year I decided to try and use up some of my stash by making sure that at least one project a month was knit only using stash yarn. To this end I completed 10 projects starting in February and ending in November. (Technically I made lots of projects in December and some of them even fit the criteria, but the whole Christmas rush thing was more important than picking a particular project to feature as the SIAC project du jour.)

Above are the first socks I made for the Self-Imposed-Accessory-Club in February. Their simplicity (but cute picot detail) was very satisfying at that point, and I still wear them often.

March was dedicated to the shawl I would wear on my wedding day. I don't count it technically finished until April 2, according to ravelry, but the knitting portion was finished long before that... I just waited around forever to block it.

April was a busy month (see previous project...) and I had fought with this yarn on previous occasions, trying to find a way to make it into something that looked good and was usable. Finally, in the last few days of the month (and possibly running into the next), this cowl came to light.

Can I just say that I looooooove the socks that May brought about? The yarn (knit picks stroll tonal) is so soft but strong, and the pattern was just the right amount of mindless and interest. I really need to make more socks with paneled patterns as opposed to pattern all over.

June took us to Iceland for our honeymoon (of which there are many, many pictures both on this blog and in my flickr stream), where I worked on these socks for DH as we drove around the island.

July was moving time, and I'm shocked that I actually finished a project in that time. It was a strange time for us, we moved to a temporary place with most of our stuff in storage, and then again a week or two later... most of it is a blur to me now, so I barely remember how or when I actually had the time to knit, but I did. I ended up gifting this shawl to my grandmother this Christmas. I'm just not a shawl person, but I'm more than happy to knit them for others!

It was so hot I don't know what possessed me to make this hat in August.... but it was quick and small, so I guess it was easier than a blanket? In any case, I love the hat (and the mitts I made to match for a later SIAC) and wore both for most of the late fall with a leather jacket that matched the tones perfectly.

Oh, monkey, how you torture me. I've made so many pairs of monkey socks and so many of them have come to ruin. I only got to wear these a few times before one accidentally made it into the dryer and felted beyond repair. Sigh.

Matching mittens! Sadly the manos is fuzzing a lot, especially on the palms, where they come into contact with things like steering wheels, but the hat is in great condition, and I think the mitts will be again soon, whenever I take the time to locate my sweater shaver...

November had me madly dashing to finish some socks for a friend, long promised. And I did it! I even was able to leave them for her in her mailbox while visiting so that I didn't have to risk mailing them. (The PO and I have been in disagreement lately as to how efficiently they should send my packages.)

And that was 2011. Obviously that was not everything that I made this year, but it was a good representation and funnily enough, many of the projects are connected deeply to the major events of my year. I plan to continue the SIAC/stash down (which has grown in spite of my valiant efforts) in 2012, but more on that later...

a very yarny christmas

2011-12-28T10:09:00.001-05:00

claudia handpaints bootcamp, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

You've seen most of what I've knit for Christmas, but I wanted to share some yarny things that I received, as well as a few things I made that haven't yet debuted here.

But I'd also like to say that if you've never read hyperbole and a half, you really should go check out this is why I'll never be an adult and then sneaky hate spiral. Even if you never come back here, you'll understand how my morning has been. I really do want to clean all the things... but it's contending with my desire to stay wrapped up in a blanket on my couch, death-staring the Christmas presents that haven't found a home yet, as well as the unpacked suitcases of dirty clothes.

OK, back to the yarny bits: above is Claudia Hand Painted Fingering in Bootcamp. I love this colourway. I'm a little concerned about making it into socks, however, since it does say hand wash/machine wash delicate. We shall see. I'm sure it'll become something great, in any case.

Also in the stash-enhancing category:

More claudia handpainted fingering in Deep Blue. Both are from DH and both are much loved!

Of the things I knit-and-have-not-yet-been-seen:

A Dr. Bunsen Honeydew to hold DH's glasses! He really wanted it, and it's getting good use. The original pattern is crocheted, but I just converted the stitches one-to-one (if it said single crochet x stitches, I knit x stitches... etc).

I also knit yet another Oh, Christmas Tree:

And finally, my dad has spent a lot of time traveling for work this year, including some months in Australia. He brought back some little handmade goodies, including the snowman hanging in the background of the above photo and this:

We were all calling it a hedgehog, but it is apparently an "echidna". It (and I believe the ornaments... there is a Santa Claus somewhere too, but he's hiding in the dark depths of a bag I don't feel like unpacking right now) was made and sold by one of the crafters of the little glory gallery.

I hope you had a lovely and yarny Christmas too. Now, back to staring at the things, in the hopes that they will put themselves away.

dork meter: to the max

2011-12-22T17:36:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to get this to work all day, and I think it's finally a go: a new Float-Weaving Tutorial! I put one up years ago: here, and I always wanted to update it for a variety of reasons. So, finally, here it is!

why didn't I think of this sooner?

2011-12-18T08:14:00.002-05:00

pink christmas, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Ornaments are the perfect quick knit. You don't have to worry if they'll fit... and if the recipient hates it, you've only lost a couple hours knitting time, as opposed to a couple of weeks.

In the case of the above, it's entirely possible that someone could either LOVE it, or HATE it... but I kinda am leaning towards love. Oh, and it's not so much that the picture is blurry, as it is the fun fur. That's right. I used fun fur. And no, it was not fun.

Pattern is same as yesterday, my new Oh, Christmas Tree pattern, available for free on ravelry.

I also whipped up another little guy:

This one took slightly longer, if only to sew on the arms & legs and embroider the details. But still, a super quick knit. Pattern is part of the Merry Knitted Toy Trio. I'm going to add a hook and he'll be perfect ornament sized.

I think I'm done with all my Christmas knitting, except for a pair of mitts that I promised DH. They're colourwork (eep) so it might be pushing it to think that they could be done for the 25th, but I see him a little more often than I do the fam, so I think he'll forgive me the wait...

P.S. Apologies if you're seeing this twice... I accidentally hit post too quickly the first time around.

my christmas gift to the knitters

2011-12-17T09:31:00.001-05:00

oh, christmas tree, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

No, it's not just that I'm posting twice in one day...

I was up rather early this morning (as evidenced by 2 posts pre-9:30am) and whipped up this little tree in less than 2 hours of total knitting time. I decided to write it up as I went and my gift to all the knitters is the pattern, free!

You can either: download now, or head on over to the ravelry pattern page for queuing and such.

Can't see it so well against the tree background?

Et voila. Happy Knitting and Merry Whatever-You-Like!

speaking of quick knits

2011-12-17T06:45:00.001-05:00

winealicious, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Started this Thursday evening, knitting was done last night (Friday), just had to make the drawstring this morning.

DH suggested this as a good non-wearable (by humans anyway) knit for someone that I always find it hard to knit or shop for. This kind of kills 2 birds, one stone, right? A nice bottle of wine and a reusable cozy. (I'll replace the used bottle currently propping it up with a new, unopened one, promise!) The cozy is possibly the perfect idea for this person who is almost constantly traveling and likes to bring wines back from faraway lands. This way at least one bottle will be protected from any rough baggage handlers!

Pattern is Winecozy (that's a rav link, but it can also be found on knitty).
Yarn is Cascade 220/220 heathers, randomly striped.
Needles are US 3 dpns (4s are in use and that might be the only size I don't have multiples of...)
Mods are many:
- Used instructions to create in the round (found on the comments page on ravelry).

- Did not do any crochet edging.

- Used 2 colours for drawstring.

- Did a purl ridge at bottom rather than the ridge as described.

Last Minute Christmas Knits

2011-12-16T08:20:00.001-05:00

Matching Mitts, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I thought I'd post about a few quick knits for which I have patterns on ravelry, just in case anyone out there is, like me, scrambling in the 9 days left til Christmas to find something quick but still cute to knit for everyone on their list. (Usually I'm much more organized, at least in the knitting category, but this year has been super busy between the dissertation and searching the job market...)

Above are my Garter Cuff Mitts available (for free!) on Ravelry. Knit in worsted weight (and great for getting rid of 1/2 balls or leftover scraps if you want to get stripey!) these are super quick and the pattern comes with 4 sizes.

Next up:

My Mittens Fit for French Cousins. Knit in bulky (even faster than worsted!), these shouldn't take more than a day or two of good knitting time to get under the tree! Also FREE on ravelry!

If you don't want to knit mittens there's always:

My Quicky Cowl pattern! Which is also free, knit in a heavy worsted and super quick. You don't even need to know how to knit in the round, since this is knit flat and then grafted at the end. (You could even cast on and off normally and sew it together if you want, although you'd see more of a seam that way.)

If you'd rather knit socks but think they'd take too long try a worsted weight pattern such as my Toasty Toes Worsted Weight Toe-Up Socks:

These ones are not free, but only $1.50 and I've done the math for 3 different sizes!

I have lots of other patterns, both free and for a small fee, but these are probably the quickest knits. You can see them all on my ravelry designer page.

If you're more organized than I am, what have you knit/are you knitting/will you knit for Christmas?? (I need some ideas too, ok?!)

another one bites the dust!

2011-12-15T15:01:00.001-05:00

Rikke Hat, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

*boom*. Hat done. Ready to go under the tree.

Pattern is Rikke.
Yarn is Scarlet Fleece Ewe Silky Thing (formally Silk & Ivory) in Favorite Jeans.
Needles: US 4 for brim and 7 for the rest.
Mods: Knitted cast-on, because I was lazy and didn't feel like youtubing the German Twist-thing, 8" before decreasing instead of 9, because I didn't want a super slouchy hat and because I was slightly (and probably justifiably) worried about running out of yarn.

My version raveled here.

2011-12-14T07:56:00.001-05:00

q bert scarf for DH, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

DH wanted a scarf that looked like the board from Q*bert... so I looked through my stitchionaries and found a pattern that I thought looked as much like 3d blocks as I could.

The pattern is from the first Vogue Stitchionary, #265.

Yarn is Angel's Kiss Alpaca Yarn Bulky Alpaca-Merino in "Peeps"

US 9 (5.5mm) needles.

Raveled here.

what I did with my weekend...

2011-12-11T17:40:00.001-05:00

obsesivo, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I still need to set the twist, but I'm hoping there's enough there for a project I have in mind. Ended up with 7.5-ish oz (212 g), with a little of the pink left over.

I'm calling the colourway "Go Team Girl"... I think the colours speak for themselves.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2011-12-10T10:58:00.001-05:00

Cate's Christmas Socks, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

One Christmas gift down... many more to go. Actually, I haven't really decided who all I'm knitting for for Christmas (15 days, what?!), but I know that these will be under the tree for someone. And I decided to gift a shawl I made this summer to someone else since I never actually use shawls and I know the someone else will be far more appreciative of it... and there's a hat and a couple other little things that I'm going to try and get done. In the next 15 days. Yeesh.

In other fiber news:

I learned how to SPIN! I bought all that fiber way back in June on our trip to Iceland and had no idea what to do with it... so when I saw that my old LYS was now offering spinning lessons I decided to try and make it to one during my recent trip back. I couldn't make it to the actual class but the instructor was happy to have a private lesson with me, which was so much fun!! The brown yarn is some merino she gave me to practice with and the greeny-yellow stuff is a mix of merino that she gave me (the darker green) and silk tussah (the variegated green and white, also from the instructor) and the yellow-ish green is part of my icelandic stash! As is the teal currently on the spindle.

And finally:

A new project... DH wanted a scarf that "looks like the board from Q*bert. Yeaaaah. This is my best interpretation, which is based on a stitch pattern from the Vogue Stitchionary.

Rav links:
Socks
Scarf

Nothing phobic about it

2011-12-01T12:42:00.001-05:00

aquaphobia, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I am loving these socks. Loving them. The pattern was just right for this almost out of control yarn... I think the almost constant slip stitches really kept the crazy under wraps.

At least, until we hit the gusset, as can be better seen in this next pic:

Pooling. Of course. But that's what happens when you just suddenly introduce a bunch of new stitches, I guess. Still, I think the leg portion looks awesome and the gusset/foot will generally be inside shoes, right?

I still haven't decided if I can bear to give these away, although the plan is to do so, since, as the harlot so eloquently explained earlier today Christmas knitting is upon us. I'm going to try and get over it and make these a gifted pair.

Pattern is Aquaphobia
Yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Handpainted in Make Believe
Needles are US 1 dpns
Mods: Made the cuff longer (30 repeats instead of 20).

never get dirty

2011-11-26T10:25:00.001-05:00

never get dirty, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

So, I tried to bump up the contrast but you really can't see the pattern at all. Sigh. Oh well, that's what I get for making black socks!

I finished them just in the knick of time—binding off the morning of gift-giving time!

Pattern is Brainless by Yarnissima
Yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts "Sock Candy" (96% cotton, 4% elastic)
On size 1 (2.25mm) dpns.
Mods: None to speak of really...

Raveled here.

lighting

2011-11-18T07:28:00.001-05:00

long enough?, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I finally had some decent lighting yesterday afternoon, so here is an almost-finished sock. I have 6-ish days to finish the other one (this one did get finished late last night), so I'd better get knitting!!

Raveled here.

2 wrongs

2011-11-15T07:41:00.001-05:00

2 wrongs, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

don't make a good photo.

Sorry for the poor quality but black yarn + using your own foot as a model (x bad lighting, if we want to get picky) = not the best picture. Also, I swear it's not that linty in real life... I'm not even sure what the camera is picking up on.

In any case... brainless is coming along rather well. Not sure why it's called brainless though... because I've certainly had to put mine to work to figure this thing out. It's not that it's particularly hard, you just have to pay extra close attention to certain details... like, not finishing the last row of the chart... or that k2tbl means knit next 2 stitches through back loop individually, not knit 2 together through back loop...

But, once you've got all that sorted, it goes along rather quickly. I have 2 skeins of yarn (and they weight the same... a generous 66 grams as opposed to 50!) so I'll just keep trucking along on the cuff now unti lI run out.

Raveled here.

Christmas Yarn

2011-11-12T09:24:00.002-05:00

Blue Moon Sock Candy, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I haven't had much time to think about it yet, and I don't know that I'll be able to knit as much for Christmas as I normally would, but I picked up a few things so I could make a few small gifts this year.

Up there is Blue Moon's Sock Candy in Black. It's a 96% Cotton (the rest is "elite" elastic). My father-in-law apparently really likes to get 100% cotton socks, if at all possible, but I was worried that 100% cotton wouldn't have any hold, so I picked this for a pair of socks for him. I need to get moving on these though, since we're seeing them for Thanksgiving and might not get back again before Christmas, so I'd like to have them done by then.

Scarlet Fleece Grassy Wool in charcoal grey to line the icelandic mitts for DH. It's a Merino-Bamboo blend, and totally soft and wonderful!

Scarlet Fleece "Ewe Silky Thing" in "Favorite Jeans". A 50/50 Silk and Merino blend, so pretty and so soft... but I'll keep to myself for now what it might become!

November SIAC complete!

2011-11-11T07:07:00.001-05:00

Nov SIAC complete, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

And just in time. Not that it's December yet, but because I'm visiting a friend for whom they are destined. So, apologies for the quick iphone photo, but thems the breaks!

Pattern: Pillars
Yarn: Abstract Fibers Mighty Sock (less than 1 skein)
Needles: US 1.5 dpns
Mods: 1x1 twisted rib for the cuff, slip stitch heel, toe decreases spaced with a knit row all the way to the end.

Raveled here.

5 days, 1 sock

2011-11-06T14:55:00.002-05:00

November SIAC #1, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Considering I seem to think I have very little knitting time right now, these socks are flying off the needles. Granted, it's the weekend, so while I'm still working a bit, I'm definitely not going as strong as I would on a weekday.

So, sock one is down, another to go. Perhaps if I can get the 2nd done in another 5 days I can give these to their intended recipient when I visit this week.

Pattern: Pillars
Yarn: Abstract Fiber Mighty Sock
Needles: US 1.5/2.5mm

Raveled here.

Never Ending Blanket: the Update

2011-11-05T10:22:00.003-04:00

Never Ending Blanket, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Started in May 2009, this blanket seems like it may never be fully finished. Even when bound off, there will be days worth of ends to weave in (man do I wish I had known about Russian Joins earlier). But still our intrepid knitter slogs on.

I have, in fact, begun decreasing, which means the end is actually a possibility now. It's hard to tell from the pictures but this will probably fit a double or queen sized bed in the end. Still, I have no immediate desire to be done with it. I pick it up once in a while and then put it down for months on end (because really, who wants to knit on a giant blanket in the middle of summer?), but now it's the perfect thing: keeps me warm while I'm working and my fingers busy when I'm reading.

Aside from the blanket-without-end, I've also been working on the November SIAC socks:

Far more portable than a gigantic blanket and more pressing in terms of end-date. Still, I'm in the final throws of writing a chapter, so there isn't much time for uninterrupted knitting.

Rav links: Blanket & Socks.

Surprise!

2011-11-03T09:05:00.002-04:00

SpaceCadet Izarra, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I had almost completely forgotten that after the madness of the ply party that I had signed up for SpaceCadet Creations' Yarn Club... whoops! So when I got an email the other day with a tracking number I was super excited!! I had no idea what to expect since this was my first yarn club experience.

Well, I was not disappointed! I mean, check out that yarn! The yarns are exclusive to the club (both colourway and base are new this time round) for a period of time (I can't remember if it is 6 months or a year). Depending on the light this yarn can look almost purple, almost grey and always teal. I love, love, love it.

Now to just figure out what to do with it.... hmmm...

November

2011-11-01T07:59:00.001-04:00

november siac, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I had such high hopes for November... I was going to participate in NaKniSweMo... but I was also going to be DONE with this chapter, and I'm not. So I have to prioritize a little and thesis seems to trump knitting.

I'm also revising my own rules for the Self Imposed Accessory Club... this yarn was not in my stash at the beginning of the year, but I do need to make an accessory out of it, long promised for a friend. Since knitting time looks like it might be few and far between this month, I'm going to have to concentrate on one thing, rather than start this friend's project and a SIAC project too. Two birds, one stone and all that.

Hopefully this chapter will finish itself soon (I'd like to be done with it by the end of the week if at all possible). Then I can move on to, joy of joys, editing. Blech. I have an entire thesis that needs to be re-read and re-edited for re-submission to my advisors. November, you are not holding up your end of the bargain. Sigh.

finished!

2011-10-29T19:56:00.001-04:00

smitten mittens, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

and just in time... for both the end-of-month deadline and the cold weather! It's really starting to settle in for good, so I'm really glad to have a new pair of mittens (and ones that match my new hat and scarf rather well, if I do say so myself!).

Raveled here.

slow moving

2011-10-26T11:08:00.001-04:00

oct siac mitten, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Just a quick post to show you all the very small amount of work done so far on my October SIAC mittens. It's been a rough month, at least for knitting production, but I'm hoping to get these done before Nov 1... almost a week still left in this month, right?

iHoneycombs

2011-10-24T11:32:00.001-04:00

iHoneycombs, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Bees and honeycombs seem to be the big thing lately. I blame the beekeeper's quilt (otherwise known as the hexi-puff blanket), of which there are many versions that include a colourworked bee here and there... man I wish I could dedicate the time to this right now.

Instead, I'm trying to favour small projects that can get done in a weekend away at a friend's cottage (for example), since I don't have much time during the week, or at least, I should be dedicating most of my time to dissertating. (Getting to the end, which seems to be the hardest part...)

Anyway, DH mentioned the other day that he wanted a cover for his new iPhone, thus, this was born.

Pattern is: bHive and yarns are left overs from socks (Zitron Trekking XXL and Knit Picks Comfy Sock).

Raveled here.

rae

2011-10-20T17:05:00.001-04:00

rae, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Things have been a little crazy around here, between trying to finish up this chapter and apply for jobs, not much knitting has been going on. I did, however, finally finish up rae earlier this week. I hadn't even gotten a chance to take pictures, in part because the weather has been so bad that there's barely been any natural light.

It's also getting cold, so I've been wearing some fingerless gloves while working and put this on this afternoon... so I figured I should get a shot of it while I had the chance!

I used almost the entire ball of my space cadet yarn and ended up ripping back after the last post's fiasco to a total of 68 sts before decreasing.

Raveled here.

denial

2011-10-09T09:13:00.001-04:00

so close yet so far, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Looks good, right? I thought so, as I was knitting along last night during the hockey game. I was also ignoring the tiny voice in my head that was saying "you don't have enough yarn", even though I was occasionally showing off the tiny ball of what was left to the family members around me and saying "I don't know if I'm going to make it..."

And lo:

I was right. Why I didn't listen to myself, well, we may never know. But now I'm going to have to rip back to before the turning point and try and figure out just how much I'll have to pull out before I'll have enough to finish a full scarf. Sigh.

decisions

2011-10-03T14:21:00.001-04:00

Shannon's NaKniSweMo KAL, a photo by LollyKnit on Flickr.

Yes, I know that October just started. But know this: the NaKniSweMo group already has people discussing what sweater they want to knit, so I'm not the only "prepared" one.

I have a few choices and I sort of like them all, but can only knit one (especially since they all involve at least 2 skeins of the same yarn...) so I'm going to ask you all to help me out here.

First up:

Paulie. I have two potential colour combos for this sweater:

Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in Gray and Ellyn Cooper's Yarn Sonnets Fine Merino in Aquatide.

OR:

The same gray yarn and madeline tosh sock in logwood.

I have one more sweater that I was considering making out of the second colour combo, which is Dahlia. In that case I would work the back panel in the Madeline Tosh and the rest in the Neighborhood Studio Sock.

So, dear readers, if you would be so kind as to vote, I would love your input. I have no idea which one I'd like best and I'm sure I'd be happy with any of these sweaters/yarn combos.

so much garter!

2011-10-02T16:20:00.001-04:00

garter stitch swingy minus sleeves, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I loves me some garter stitch, let's face it. The only problem now: garter stitch sleeves in the round. Which means purling. Which means paying attention. Hmmm. We'll see how this goes. Not that I don't like more complex patterns too, 'cause I do... but the point of an entire sweater in garter stitch is not to challenge oneself, right? I was right about the weather though... we're down to 47 now!

Perhaps I'll pull rae back out of hibernation...

A post without pictures? Preposterous!

2011-10-02T08:08:00.000-04:00

But that doesn't mean that I don't have lots to show you... Blogger has completely revamped their interface and I have set my blog to mosaic mode. If you're joining us via a reader, you probably won't notice any difference. But if you go to the main page you'll see that my blog is laid out like a mosaic of pictures (except, of course, for entries like this one that are photo free...). You can click on any picture that suits your fancy and the entry will pop up. Click on another one and that one will take it's place. (Or hit esc to go back to just pretty pretty pictures). Also available in a variety of different formats... hit one of the other options (classic, photo, etc) in the bar along the top and play around with it.

Also new around here, I'm on craftsy! It's taking some time to figure out, but if you want to find me I'm gradschoolknita. (Had I known when I started this blog that such a long name would often get cut short (also the reason that I'm 'gradskoolknitter' with an extra k on ravelry), I might have rethought it. In fact, since I'll (hopefully) be graduating soon, I may have to rethink it anyway. In any case, I'm warming up to craftsy, slowly, although I find it to be a lot less intuitive than ravelry... but since it has all kinds of other crafts and I really want to start giving things like sewing a shot, I'm sticking it out for the time being. I finally figured out where to go to re-find all the crafters I've saved as following, just this morning!

Sock Swap Sign-ups Close Tonight!

2011-09-30T06:49:00.001-04:00

sock swap goodies, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Just a reminder that the sock swaps close tonight! If you are on the fence, go check out the group. It is such an amazing group of women, and I'm more than a little sad to be sitting this swap out... but thesis-duty calls! I'm leaving it in more than capable hands, and I know they would love to have you along for the ride.

Details: Sign-ups end tonight. Partners will be assigned in the next day or two. Socks will be knit out of worsted weight yarn for this round. Packages must be mailed by Dec 31, 2011.

somehow I always miss Wednesdays

2011-09-29T11:40:00.001-04:00

glorious garter, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Wednesday tends to be the day I go in to the library and so I also tend to forget to post about WIPs. So, even though it's Thursday, and some might consider that sacrilegious, here's what I've got on the needles right now.

Above is the garter stitch swingy sweater I posted about a few days ago.

Also on the needles, of course, is the other garter project I'm currently loving, my rae scarf. (It hasn't grown notably since you last saw it, though, so I won't bother with new pictures.)

And finally:

Yellow socks for DH. I actually have a full one done, but I think I might be off socks for a while, or maybe it's just that I don't really love cotton yarns (yarn here is Cascade Fixation), but I haven't brought myself to cast on for the second one yet.

So that's pretty much it for me, what's on your needles right now?

if you knit it, fall will come

2011-09-27T08:01:00.001-04:00

fall sweater, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

It's practically inevitable that once I cast on one garter stitch project, more are to follow.

In defiance of the 85 degree (that's almost 30 celsius for my canuck friends) weather yesterday, I cast on for a fall sweater in the warmest, wooliest yarn I have. Because it has to be fall soon, right? I mean it will be October by the end of the week, for pete's sake!

The sweater will eventually be a garter stitch swingy sweater in a combo of this Noro that was handed down to me (sans tags, but my best guess is that it is Kueryon, and, having dug through some stash pictures on ravelry, colourway 233) and some Berroco Ultra Alpaca in a charcoal colour that was picked up earlier this summer for this exact purpose. The MadridKnits girls were having a KAL over July and August for this sweater, but I just couldn't get in gear to do it... moving + heat will make you want to do fewer things... who knew?

Anyway, I know my plan is already working as the temp has dropped to 69 (aka 20) today. By the time I finish it should be perfect weather for such a cosy sweater.

FOs all over the place

2011-09-25T06:53:00.001-04:00

handsome husband, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Also finished up Friday night, my Oh, handsome boyfriend sweater (except, for a husband!).

I like that they offer the first size free, especially since it was the right size for me to cast on! I did do some major modifications, however, including cutting the length of the sleeves and body (they must have some really tall, skinny dudes wearing size S in Norway...).

Other Mods: worsted weight instead of doubled fingering, cut out portion of the colourwork chart due to body length issues and, perhaps most notably, garter stitch cuffs and hem, as opposed to ribbing, to match the collar.
Yarn: Knitpicks Swish Worsted in Cobblestone Heather (8+ balls... bought 10, used a few yards of the 9th to finish up collar and sew together sleeves, etc), and Black (approx. .75 of a skein).
Needles: US 8 for sleeves and most of body, US 10 for colourwork section and bind-off.

I can understand now why they call it the sweater curse. We've already had a few issues with seams coming loose, and... disagreements about how to treat/use handknits. Not that he's like, throwing it on the ground and stomping on it... boys just aren't as delicate with how they put on/take off clothing sometimes. Also, I had issues with the armholes and sleeves matching up perfectly, so I think part of the problem stems from there. I'm sure once those glitches are worked out this sweater will live a long and happy life!

FO and MSF

2011-09-24T08:08:00.002-04:00

after blocking, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I still don't love the look of the knit up Flat Feet, even after blocking, but I must admit that it wasn't as aggressive a block as it could have been...

I finished up the mittens for my SMIL (that would be step-mother-in-law) and blocked them (a bit) last night. As you can see on the stockinette side, they're still a little wonky, but since I made these to get a jump start on my christmas knitting, I might block them a little more aggressively right before I gift them.

I wrote up the pattern and decided to offer it on ravelry as a donation, from now until the end of October, to MSF/Doctors Without Borders. You can click here to go to the pattern page, good for queuing and favoriting, or buy now for only $2.99!!

just what the doctor[ate] ordered

2011-09-23T14:16:00.001-04:00

pretty pretty pirates, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I always need a simple-ish project on hand for when I'm reading (and oh boy, it's crunch time for reading for this final chapter), and I've been looking for something that will show-off some of my newly acquired, too pretty for sticking into shoes, sock yarns... so when I saw wool durham's latest project the other day and that there was a KAL for the pattern going on, I knew I had to cast on, asap.

The pattern is Rae by Jane Richmond (whom I have admired a long time, in spite of not having had the chance to cast on any of her designs before). If you join the kal group on ravelry and go sign up on Jane's blog here, she'll send you a coupon for a dollar off the pattern!

I contacted her via ravelry to find out how long the deal is going on for, and she said she thought people could join in at any time up to the end of the KAL, which is Oct 31, aka Hallowe'en. It's a simple pattern (seriously, even the most beginner of beginners could figure it out) but it makes a beautifully simple scarf (it being well documented how much I loves me some garter stitch) and a great way to show off some of your more precious sock yarns.

charlie brown-ish

2011-09-19T15:50:00.002-04:00

charlie brown-ish, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

ok, so it's not the ubiquitous yellow and black zigzag stripe, but it's probably as close as we're getting.

DH has been waiting for this sweater for some time (I believe the yarn was purchased about a year ago) and the sleeves are already done...

The pattern is oh, handsome boyfriend (rav link) and the yarn is knitpicks swish worsted (100% superwash merino, 'cause I'm smart like that... I figure it's just easier to make DH a washable sweater, at least for the first one).

Mods are many... some you can probably tell just by glancing at the above picture and then at the pattern. I'll list 'em all when I'm done.

the truth, and a mitt

2011-09-16T07:30:00.002-04:00

the truth, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

So, as anyone who looked at my blog yesterday might have ascertained, this weekend was a bit of a stash-enhancer. So I decided to rearrange things a bit and ended up on my couch, surrounded by yarn. In fact, the above photo doesn't even do my stash justice, but that's probably for the best...

I also finished one of the mitts I was working on from the "flat feet" yarn:

They aren't kidding when they say you have to block 'em... that's unblocked, and you probably can't tell from the picture but the underside, which is stockinette, looks awful, and I think the rest of it would be greatly improved by a good blocking, as well.

The idea behind flat feet—machine knitting the yarn flat so that one could hand-paint it in an interesting design and then knit it while frogging at the same time—is intriguing, but, as one would know if one has ever decided to frog a long knit (or unfinished) piece and re-use the yarn, already knit yarn has a lot of kinks in it. Many people re-skein their yarn and then attempt to wash it/steam it/whatever to get the kinks out. In this case, however, this will be achieved by blocking the final product... we'll see. I'll keep you updated once that happens.

PLY: Peace, Love, Yarn... oh, the yarn

2011-09-15T10:42:00.002-04:00

ply goodies, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

warning: photo heavy post!

This past weekend I went to the PLY party at Lovelyarns.. A good time was had by all... and I brought home a super stash!

Not only did I pick and choose my faves from the amazing local artists, but I also won a door prize! Everything is sort of mashed together up top, so let's look at some of the goodies one at a time:

Neighborhood fiber co's Studio Sock in color "Thomas Circle" (a subtly changing grey). I got two skeins because I plan to combo it with the madeline tosh from my swap buddy for either a Paulie Cardi or dahila cardigan.

Threeravens.net's "kitchen sink" yarn, colourway "into the groove". I have been coveting this stuff FOREVER. I saw it at a craft show and told her to talk to the owner of Lovelyarns immediately and take her stuff over to the shop. She did and this skein made it into the shop. I cannot believe it was still there for the ply party and I had to have it. It was meant to be. And no, I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, other than love it and pet it and call it George.

SpaceCadet Creations' "Pirate" colourway. Unfortunately my tag fell off and I know it's sock weight but I cannot remember which of her base yarns it is. If I find out, I'll let you know... but they're all awesome.

Abstract Fiber's Mighty Sock in "Birch". This will become a very special pair of socks with a very special destination. TBA.

OK, those were MY picks... now check out my awesome door prize!:

Yarn Chef's Minestrone Sock in "Straw Hat". I think I might just make a straw coloured hat for myself...

Flat Feet Sock yarn. Unironically being made into gloves...

Two colours of "Wrapunzel" from Knit One Crochet Too... would make great baby stuff, as it is superwash.

Cherub Aran by Cascade... not sure what to do with this although it would mix well with the wrapunzel...

As well, (as can be seen in the first picture) there were other bits and bobs in the door prize: a needle felting kit, a copy of Interweave Knits Summer 2011 (Fall 2011, also pictured, was purchased by myself), an adorable project bag and a set of size US2 dpns (always useful!).

It was a whirlwind week of seeing friends, gorging on yarn and meeting with advisors. Today I'm going to do some laundry (pesky thing can't seem to figure it out for itself...) and go to a yoga class and then get back to the grind tomorrow...

monkeys and cupcakes

2011-09-12T10:10:00.001-04:00

monkeys and cupcakes, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

The title pretty much sums up my weekend. I finished my pair of monkeys and ate a lot of cupcakes. This weekend was the annual ply (Peace, Love, Yarn) party and I flew back just for the party. Ok, and to meet with advisors about my dissertation... but guess which one I was more excited about?!

The owner's daughter made over 200 cupcakes for the party and there was So. Much. Yarn. Where's my goodies? Oh, don't worry, I will show them off soon... I even won a door prize!

ode to a monkey

2011-09-06T21:38:00.002-04:00

monkey, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Oh, Monkey how do I love thee? Let me count the pairs...

This is pair four. I've had monkeys on my mind for a while and decided when I pulled a skein of Knitpicks Gloss Sock Yarn dyed for me by evilmichelle during one of the earlier sock swaps for September's SIAC that it was time for another pair.

It's only Sept 6 and I'm already half way through...

holy spoiled rotten, batman!

2011-09-04T14:23:00.001-04:00

sock swap goodies, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Yesterday the postman dropped off my package from my amazing swap buddy, sockalicious. She really went overboard and spoiled me rotten!!

Above is all my goodies: an adorable project bag (I think possibly made by her... ), socks, several skeins of yarn (will get to those shortly) a chibi, euclan wash, a mitten form key chain, a sheep key fob, hiya hiya stitch markers and case, rosewood cable needles, and a circular needle case (which I could really use... my circs are in bad need of organizing)!

Let's get some closeups, shall we?

The socks: gorgeous! Love the colour and the fit is PERFECT. The pattern is called "central air".

Knitpicks Stroll in Princess Multi. I'm a recent convert to the greatness that is knitpicks sock yarns so I'm sure I'll find something fun for this yarn!

Madelintosh Tosh Sock in Logwood. The colour is not done justice by photographs. It's a gorgeous lavender colour with subtle variegations. I have wanted to get my hands on some for so long and now I finally get to try it out! Squee!!

Double Squee!! SOCKS THAT ROCK! It's the lightweight and the colourway is My Wild Irish Girlie. I LOVE IT. This is another yarn that has been on my WANT list for a long time and I might have to put down everything to find the perfect pattern for this.

I feel totally spoilt, not just by this AMAZING, above and beyond package, but by my wonderful swappers in general. They're really a great group and everyone seems to get really into the spirit of it. I decided to sit the next swap out for professional (read: must finish dissertation and apply for jobs) reasons but there will be a new swap starting next month with sign-ups going on right now. If you want to join in, just click here to check out the group. Sign ups will be open until the end of Sept, so you have plenty of time!

pom poms are more difficult than they appear

2011-08-25T20:24:00.002-04:00

slouchy, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

as is the taking pictures of things perched on your own head

Last winter I saw a hat, on a girl, on the bus to school. I liked the hat, and filed the pattern away in my brain. I've finally had a chance to sit down and work it up, as my August edition of the SIAC. [Self-Imposed Accessory Club]

I knit the brim extra long so that it could be worn slouchy, as above, or with the brim folded at various lengths:

just a little bit

or a whole lot...

I like it just a little folded, myself.

Yarn is Manos Maxima and I used a size 7 needle.

500

2011-08-21T21:04:00.002-04:00

slinky socks, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

These socks were originally based on Kebnekaise but I ended up working them in an entirely different way (toe-up instead of top-down, completely different heel construction, and a very different yarn resulted in totally different socks).

This is my 500th post here, and while in the past I have offered up contests and prizes for the big posts (300 and 400), it's the long hard days of summer for a grad student and so instead I decided to offer up my notes on these socks for everyone.

They're available on ravelry, for queuing or, direct download!

Happy knitting!

sock swap complete!

2011-08-16T07:53:00.001-04:00

owlies, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

My socks for the sock swap are complete! Shortly I will be packaging them up with a few goodies and they will be winging around the world.

This picture really doesn't do them justice... my partner has slightly bigger feet than I do, and so don't fit my sock blockers as well as one might like. I do hope that she enjoys them and they fit her feet a bit better!

Pattern: Owlie Socks
Yarn: Shalimar Breathless (less than 1 skein) in Oyster. This yarn is ah-maz-ing... a blend of merino, silk and cashmere. Could it get any better than that?
Needles: US 1.5 dpns
Mods: None, except the lack of beading for the owl eyes... I thought about adding some eyes later with duplicate stitch, but I kind of just like them the way they are.

Well, that's it for complex, deadline knitting... for now.

trains, planes and automobiles

2011-08-11T11:40:00.001-04:00

what love can do... front, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Yes, I've traveled yet again. This time I took the train into Canada, to visit my hometown and see the LAST of the 2011 weddings. You hear that, universe? NO ONE ELSE I KNOW is allowed to get married until 2012. Or at least, I don't want to know about it.

Not that I hate weddings, or anything, there's just been a LOT of them lately (including my own) and I'm a bit weddinged-out. Actually, I'm mostly traveled-out.

Above is the front of the see what love can do pillow that will be presented to the latest bride and groom. The back is slightly less pretty (although I'm not sure you can tell from the pictures...) because this is the first project on which I have used a sewing machine in (at least) 15 years.

But here it is, for posterity's sake:

The lines aren't 100% straight and the stitches are a little loose (I haven't quite gotten bobbin tension down yet) but there it is. I hope that they will look past it's slight imperfections... and maybe even see it as a symbol for love. Not perfect, but comforting and... cushy? OK, I'll work on that one before I write the card...

no rest for the knitted

2011-08-05T11:31:00.001-04:00

knits and purls #1, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

one sock down... and on to more pressing things. I still didn't use the whole skein for this sock, but 239 yards is an awful lot when you have small feet. Even so, this is a long sock (for me) but the elasticity of the Patons Stretch Sock (appropriately named) meant that I didn't have to increase at all for the top of the sock.

As for the more pressing projects at hand: a present for a dear friend who is getting married in just over a week, which I got back to as soon as this sock was off the needles and is thisclose to being done, minus a few minor details which I will be attending to shortly... and the socks for my swap partner, due in the mailbox by the end of the month. I had misplaced the needles needed to start the second of the swap socks during the move, but they have been since located and that will be up next on the agenda.

There's an article on the ravelry main page about how summer is generally slower for knitters... but this summer feels busier than ever for me. Perhaps it's coupled with the move and the impending thesis doom but I feel like I'm making more things too. And picking up more crafty hobbies... I'm trying to start sewing (just waiting for a few more tools that I recently ordered!) and I'd really like to try my hand at spinning that raw wool I picked up in Iceland.

And you, knitterati? Would you say it's been a busier summer for your crafts or do you prefer to put the needles away for cooler temperatures?

crisis averted

2011-08-02T11:55:00.001-04:00

damson drying, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

no, I'm not talking about the debt ceiling... and I'd rather not, thankyouverymuch.

So I wanted to wait, even though this was taken yesterday while my damson was blocking, to take some "good" action-style shots of the shawl. Given that 3/4 of the house is still in shambles, I quickly realized this morning that taking a decent picture of it in it's environment was not going to work out as well as planned. So I took a few shots around the house, trying to check out the lighting and such.

One of the better ones was this:

which I find kind of meh.

Then I thought "but I have a balcony! Natural lighting! Perfect!". So I headed outside and looked for a ledge to put my camera on... and saw the back of the window unit as the perfect spot.

Except that I didn't think about fans and cords and well... maybe this will explain best what happened next:

before my DH freaks out, both camera and, surely to him more importantly, air conditioner are just fine.

So I made sure everything was still in working order, removed what remains of that cord from my camera and took my outdoor shots:

... neither of which I'm totally happy with, but I think I should just be grateful I don't have to replace either a brand new air conditioner or my digital camera* for the moment.

*I've had this camera since 2008 and have dropped it more times than I can count. It's virtually indestructible, which is saying a lot from someone who can be as clumsy and, let's face it, absentminded as I am.

since I've been gone

2011-08-01T11:32:00.001-04:00

stitch cloth quilt, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I took the last week off from moving and unpacking and panicking about how much work I haven't been doing to hang out with my parents for a bit (whom I haven't seen since the wedding) and then head south to see DH's family (along with bits of mine) for a reception put on by his parents and their friends and family.

My parents swung by early last week and checked out our new digs (of which they seemed to approve...) and my mom brought me a house-warming gift. She's a rather talented artist (click here to see more of her work) and I think this will go nicely wherever I set up a crafting/sewing corner... which will happen soon, I swear!

Other things that happened while away... well, I did finish the July SIAC shawl, if you were wondering, last Thursday to be precise, but I will wait to show it off when it has been nicely blocked. Which will happen just as soon as I figure out where I packed the blocking pins...

And, of course, yarn was purchased. Unplanned, but I needed another simple project for travel knitting, and this seems to have done the trick:

Inspired by Kebnekaise, I decided to use the long stretches between colours in Patons Stretch Socks and accentuate the coloured portions by purling whenever holding a contrast colour and knitting with the main. The coloured portions are longer than in the original so I don't think it'll end up looking much like Kebnekaise, but in the end I think I'll have a fun pair of socks. Oh, and toe-up to take advantage of every last drop of each skein (one 239 yard skein/sock).

2011-07-27T19:57:00.000-04:00

my ~~first~~ second shot at mobile blogging...

so you'd think I'd be sick of the road already-and you'd be right-but yesterday I spent 13hours (including breaks) on the road with my parents to visit my aunt and uncle. Then, in a couple of days we'll get back in the car and head up to dh's homeland where his family is putting on a reception for us, and those who couldn't make it to the wedding.

And even taking my turns in the driver's seat and napping, I cranked out a good bit on july's siac shawl. Which puts me at 96 of 109 rows, for those skeptics (myself included) who thought it might not happen this month. I still have about 6 hours in the car tomorrow and a looooong layover flying back on Sunday. it may happen yet!

ETA: still can't get the pic to upload so you'll just have to consider this a teaser for the final product!

house to home (slowly)

2011-07-23T09:05:00.001-04:00

damson, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

So we are in the new place and sloooooooowly getting it all put together. The bedroom is almost fully set up and the living room looks pretty great (aside from a few errant boxes). We even have an airconditioner installed (we had to move in the middle of one of the biggest heat waves across, well, the world, really, right??) and it's starting to feel normal in here.

Above is the teeny bit that I've been able to complete on my July SIAC shawl (Damson by Ysolda) since last I posted. I still have 8 days, right?!

I believe that it is the little things that can make a house feel like a home, and so I decided to get a little house-warming present for DH:

This is Dr. Walrus, whom we have been coveting for some time. Purchased from The Utilitarian Franchise. I wish I could have gotten more... but I'm not sure where we would put them! Also, things like bookshelves and dining tables are, ostensibly, more pressing purchases for the time being.

deadline knitting

2011-07-18T07:36:00.001-04:00

owls!, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

It's dark and stormy looking here today, so forgive me the poorly lit photos...

I've been knitting on a lot of deadlines lately and I'm not sure I like it. The socks are for the sock swap I run, which I love (the people who participate are just amazing) but I'm just in a "me me me" knitting kind of mood.

This is pretty much the only thing I've been working on since the move, mostly because my other yarn is neatly packed away. I could get at it, but I'm trying to resist the urge. I also have the pillow that is for a friend getting married in about a month. It's almost done, knitting wise, and nothing more will be able to be done on it, really, until I get some fabric I like to back it with. And, you know, a space where I could actually sew something...

For those of you with a keen eye, you'll note that I have said absolutely nothing of the July SIAC project. I had the yarn and needles out pre-move but never got around to casting on... so there's that. There are still 13 days left in July, so it's still possible... right?!

limbo

2011-07-13T16:56:00.001-04:00

sock and lake, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

sock, meet new scenery.

So we're moved, sort of. We're in temporary housing thanks to DH's job and while it's a great help for us to have a place to stay for a couple weeks so we can look around and get to know the area, it's also been hard. The place is small, which is compounded by the fact that we can't use one of the rooms (I won't even go into details), so a lot of our stuff is just sitting around in boxes. Which is also partially my fault, because I can hardly see the point of unpacking a bunch of things just to repack them in a week or two.

new scenery, meet sock. (Note to sock: ignore the Canada Geese. They are our natural born enemies—but don't tell the authorities or they might revoke my citizenship. They will probably bite you and at the very least you should watch where you step.)(Note to everyone else: ignore my badly-in-need-of-manicure-fingernails, please. My only excuse is the moving. Yes, that's it, I blame the moving.)

I'm also waiting to see if I can get library access through DH, which would be cheaper (free!), easier and less of a hassle in the long run. It's not really the fee (50$/year) that bothers me, it's the book limitations, both in numbers and time allowances. Either way, I'll get access, but the librarians were insistant that I try to get it through him rather than by paying.

Everyone was actually really kind and helpful, but it's a bit weird. I know I'll feel much more sane when I have a place to call my own, where I can set up a work station and my knitting things and all that jazz. In fact, we're going back to a house we saw yesterday tonight to see if we can work out the lease, etc with the landlord. Fingers crossed, this time next week we could be in the first place that is "ours" and not just "mine" or "his" with the other latching on!

Gratuitous sock pr0n. I think we had a rock of a similar nature in my backyard as a child. Of course, we're living much closer to my home and native land now, so that would make sense.

moving

2011-07-09T07:01:00.000-04:00

It's moving weekend chez gradschoolknitter... so I'll be back next week, with pictures of knits in different backgrounds!

a new winner

2011-07-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

So, it's Tuesday night and I haven't heard anything, and I reallllly need to get to the post office, so I have to pick a new winner.

Drum roll please...

Bronwyn, come on down! Since you left contact info, I'll be contacting you on ravelry to get your mailing address... hopefully you get back to me soon so I can get this package off to the post office before we move!

startitis epidemic '11

2011-07-05T08:46:00.001-04:00

what love can do pillow, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Don't worry, it's not contagious. Unless you're a knitter, of course.

I can't stop starting things. Like the above pillow, which currently doesn't look like much, but I'm hoping once it's done and blocked the yarn will bloom a bit and... well, we'll see.

Also newly on the needles:

The socks for my partner in the Sock Swap. Not much on them yet, but I loooooove the yarn. It's a local dyer, Shalimar, and the base is merino, cashmere, silk. Mmmmmm.

Also newly on the needles, of course, was the sweater for DH last week. In grey. Are we seeing a theme? So much neutral.... I might just have to go find something bright and colourful to cast on!

Dara!

2011-07-03T09:28:00.002-04:00

Email me asap! You won!! I really need to get the package out early next week, since the whole point is to not move stuff with us! ;)

If I haven't heard by Tues. night, I will be picking a new winner.

For the rest of you, there will be knitting soon, promise.

lessons in dressing oneself

2011-07-02T10:09:00.001-04:00

how do I wear this again?, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I'm not sure how to wear the stripe study shawl. It's pretty, and was fun to make, but hard to wear.

In part it might be because I ran out of yarn. I got to the 11th stripe (of 12) and had to cut it short in the end because I was going to run out of pink yarn. I also ran out of grey, so my bottom contrasting stripe is a lot thinner than called for.

Still, I think it looks good...

... and maybe in time I'll learn how to wear it in a functional way.

who knits sweaters in the summer?

2011-06-30T08:13:00.001-04:00

husband sleeve, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Me, apparently.

I've been promising DH a sweater for a while now (since we got engaged, at least) so I guess it's high-time I got started. I'm starting with sleeves though, since those are still small enough to carry around and not make you sweat in the 90+ heat & humidity. We're moving north, however, so I think he'll get a lot of use out of it in the late fall and winter. It's going to be a oh handsome boyfriend sweater, albeit with some modifications for worsted weight yarn.

But we all know why you're really here... you want to know who won the giveaway... well, look no further: Dara, you're it! I guess your subtle approach really paid off, if any kind of approach can be applied to random number generators! Send me an email at gradschoolknitter@yahoo.com with your deets and I'll send off your package just as soon as I can get to the post office!

it's almost July?

2011-06-28T07:31:00.002-04:00

June SIAC, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

How is that possible? It took some serious knitting time between packing boxes this past weekend, but I got the June SIAC socks done, with plenty of time to spare!

Pattern is: Milo by Cookie A, from sock innovation.
Yarn is: Patons Australia Patonyle (approx. .8 of a skein)
Needles are: US 1 dpns by Hiya Hiya. I looooove these and am so sad that I lost one on the plane ride over to Iceland.

Don't forget to leave a comment on the previous post if you want to ~~help me clean out my stash~~ win a prize!

P.S. The socks are a lot darker BLACK than that, but I had to majorly bump up the contrast for the cables to be at all visible.

do you know where your towel is?

2011-06-26T09:54:00.002-04:00

packed up stash, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

A little while ago I might have alluded to an announcement... so here it is: we're moving! Things at chez gradschoolknitter have been a little hectic lately, we got the news that DH got a new job in a new state right before we left for Iceland, and since we've been back it's been pack pack packing time. Above is the entirety of my stash, in 2 pillow-sized bags. The only things missing are things that I'm working on and/or about to cast on for: my stripe study shawl and a pair of milo's for DH as well as enough yarn for this sweater, requested by DH.

I'm shocked, honestly, that this is all there is. And you might notice that in the lefthand bag there is also an almost-full bag of fiber fill and a tote from my time with the MadridKnits girls. In the righthand bag there is the leftover sock yarn blanket (which has moved as a UFO with me more times than I care to admit) and a crocheted bag full of the leftovers still to be used for said project.

As we all know, moving time means decluttering time and I have decided to hold a little giveaway to clean out my knitting related goodies. Just leave a comment on this post—you can just say hi! or tell me how impressed you are with how small my stash is or... whatever you like, really—and on June 30th I'll close the comments and pick a person at random. What will said random person get? Good question.

The package will consist of a knitty gritty tote bag, a ton of beads—some enameled, some rose quartz—and a culinary colors kit by Knit One, Crochet Too. What is a culinary colors kit, you ask? Well, it's to dye your own shawl or scarf, so it comes with 450 yards of lace weight "Douceur et Soie" (70% baby mohair/30% silk) 3 bottles of dye and instructions for a shawl and a scarf. The dye colors are "Fruit Sorbet", which translates to pink orange and yellow.

OK, comment away!

the b.f.g.

2011-06-24T07:48:00.001-04:00

leaf detail, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

No, not the Roald Dahl book—although it was a fave growing up—but the blanket that freakin' grew. I couldn't even get the whole thing on camera:

Not even on an angle:

I had no idea how big it was going to be while it was still on the needles, although I was hoping for a decent size, and even when it was bound off and un-blocked, it was impossible to tell. I probably could have stretched it even bigger, but it would have been very difficult to pin to the [double-sized] bed.

I *think* it might be the biggest thing I've ever made... the only thing that might compare is this blanket, but it only had 10 stitches to bind off... I have no idea how many this latest one had, but it took 3 almost-consecutive hours of EZ's sewn bind-off to get it all done!

Pattern is: Undercover from Hedgehog Fibres.
Yarn is: Cascade 220 Heathers in 9451 7.25 skeins.
Needles: US 8 circs (2, to hold all the stitches!)

Iceland Redux

2011-06-19T09:49:00.002-04:00

woman knitting, "naïve" art, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Thank you so much to everyone who has commented on my Iceland posts. We had so much fun and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a different experience than the normal Europe or beach type trip.

I have a few more images that I wanted to share but just couldn't fit into my other posts. Above, for example, is a carving of a woman knitting. At the museum it was labelled as "naïve art," since the artist was an amateur, probably just whittling things for fun at home. You can see the yarn being cradled under her arm and the needles in her hands.

And there were. of course, tons of animals:

Reindeer!

And miniature horses!

And tons of other fiber (and other) arts:

horsehair rug

weaving loom

embroidered chair

embroidery

embroidered handkerchief

carved wooden creatures

Embroidered scene from an Icelandic Saga

Iceland was fabulous and so different from any trip I had ever taken before! I would definitely recommend it, but make sure you get out of Reykjavik and see some of the amazing and alien-like landscape of the sparsely populated countryside. You won't regret it!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled knitting...

thing bought: in Iceland

2011-06-18T12:45:00.001-04:00

léttlopi from iceland, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Aside from the slightly ridiculous amount of unspun wool (ok, it's not that much, but I've never actually spun before...) I got on my first day in Iceland, there were a few more purchases made on our way around the island. Like the Léttlopi, above. DH wants some traditional scandinavian mittens, and this will do the trick.

And for myself...

The grey is Kambgarn, which I am mixing with the wullenstudio sock yarn that was given to me a while back. I am loving this shawl and having a hard time putting it down to work on more pressing things. You know, like that whole pesky dissertation thing...

things knit: in Iceland

2011-06-14T08:05:00.001-04:00

plethora of knitting instruments, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Iceland had no small share of knitted items, and in a folk museum in Skogar (the same one in which we saw the turf-roof houses, as pictured yesterday) we came upon an impressive number of knitting machinery. This is only half of one room of fiber arts tools. There were spinning wheels and knitting machines and spools and a weaving loom... the list goes on and on.

Old spools, made of lamb leg-bones.

There were also some beautiful examples of Icelandic knitting:

Traditional Scandinavian Mittens.

Replaceable insoles for shoes and slippers.

As well as practical, every day items:

Knitted riding socks. To go over the boots, without a heel, to fit around the spurs.

Knitted straps for stirrups.

And perhaps my favorite:

Fisherman's gear.

Perhaps you'll understand why on the close-up:

They made the mittens with 2 thumbs each, one on each side of the mitt. That way, if the thumb wore out during a long days work (rowing, pulling on ropes, climbing things, etc), the sailor could flip it around and worry about darning the other one later. Ingenious!

Finally, back in modern day Reykjavik, people are still knitting:

And myself? Well, of course I knit! Most of the driving time I knit on a long overdue blanket (which I made quite a bit of progress on, but still looks much like a blob when photographed), and occasionally (when the need for something more compact was felt, say, on a plane) I worked on these:

(I bumped up the contrast and exposure on this so that you could actually see the cabling... black + cables = not very capturable on film...)

Pattern is Milo from Cookie A's Sock Innovation.
Yarn is Paton's Australia Patonyle (in black, of course).
Needles are Hiya Hiya US 1s. I'm so sad, I lost one on the way to Iceland somehow... but 4 will suffice.

Tune in next time for the 3rd and final installment of "Things in Iceland", where I talk about things bought in Iceland... you knew it was coming, didn't ya?

things seen: in Iceland

2011-06-13T17:35:00.001-04:00

waterfalls over lava formations, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

(Above: Water falling over lava formations near Reykholt.)

Without going into too much detail I have chose a few (ok, like 20) of the best pictures (of a possible 400 +) I took in Iceland to share with you all. I'll try to keep my descriptions brief, because it'll be long just in terms of photography.

First off, there is not one thing, one geography, one mindset that can describe Iceland. Sure, a lot of it is still pure, wild (cold) nature, but it is so vastly different from one moment to the next, it's hard to believe you're still in the same country, let alone such a small one. We drove the circumference (on the "Ring Road" or Road 1) and saw so many amazing, varying sights.

I took so many pictures of interesting street art, it was hard to pick one.

Boiling mud pits. Sulphuric (aka STINKY) boiling mud pits. The land around this area was covered in red sand. It seriously looked like we had landed on Mars.

Volcanic crater/lake.

Glacial Ice. Apparently only blue because water can't absorb blue out of all the colours in the spectrum, and thus when hit by light, blue is the colour that reflects. We got to eat a piece of this 2000 year old glacier. Surprisingly refreshing and not at all stale, given it's age.

Black Sand Plains. Which quickly turned into...

A sand storm. Through which we (ok, DH) had to drive.

Volcanic ash covering a field, from the most recent eruption.

Turf Roof Houses. Surprisingly roomy.

Thingvellir national park. Where the two plates meet and where Iceland held it's first parliament in the 10th century.

More street art, I suppose. But a fun (and perhaps helpful?) reminder for guys (and any ladies who like to rock the tie)!

And of course, there was knitting... knitted goods, knitted artifacts, even some knit-tagging. But that'll have to wait for next time!

sock, meet glacier

2011-06-09T16:49:00.000-04:00

This was the view from our window last night/this morning. We then went and took a cruise on the glacial lagoon, which, while frigid, was well worth it:

Velkomin til Íslands

2011-06-06T03:29:00.000-04:00

So we've been in Iceland for two days now, and since it is light out approximately 20 hours a day, I woke up at 5am, saw light peaking behind the curtains in full force and freaked out, thinking we had slept until 5pm. Then I fully woke up and realized my mistake, but it was difficult to get back to sleep. So here it is, a little after 7am, and I figured I'd share some pictures of our adventures so far.

First off, there is wool, of course, everywhere. But mostly in already-knitted form. For example, the traditional Icelandic patterns, usually on sweaters and in this case, cowls:

But my favourite thus far:

The Icelandic Snuggy!!!!!

There is also, of course, lots of wool in it's pre-use form:

And in this pre-use form as well:

What's that you say? You can't see it since it's backlit at seven am?

Ok, how about this:

Yup, I fell down again and bought a bunch of unspun lopi wool. It was ridiculously cheap. A little over 400 grams for 710kr... which is about $6.20 US. So yeah, it was basically impossible to resist.

Anyway, that's a quick fix of Iceland in two days. If we get internet access again in a few days, perhaps I'll have some more woolly news for you!

Mother Bear and Breast Cancer Awareness

2011-06-05T12:35:00.006-04:00

Two great causes, but both with sad backstories. I haven't made a bear in a while, but I think that the Mother Bear Project is a great organization, doing wonderful things. The bears are super easy to make and only really take a few hours from start to finish.

I got a message on ravelry from the mods of the Mother Bear Group that one of the most active members has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be undergoing some very harsh treatments that will probably preventing her from knitting at all, let alone bears. They asked the members to make a bear, in pink, and dedicate it to her. Then they will do a "reveal" on June 5 (I have time-stamped this to appear on June 5 for reasons that I will expound upon momentarily...) to show her all the bears that have been knit in her honour. All the best, and a quick recovery sunltcloud.

So, why the time-stamp, as opposed to just posting? I'm in ICELAND currently. (Or, rather, will be when this posts on Sunday... we leave Friday night.) I'll post pictures (and hopefully have picked up some interesting yarns...) when we get back!

Help! I've fallen....

2011-06-03T13:19:00.001-04:00

don't mind the mess... we're packing for vacay!

Since it's a high possibility that I won't be able to frequent my favorite yarn store as often as I like in the near future (mysterious... but you'll have to wait for that story), I sort of fell down and picked up a few things that I've been eyeing for a while. Like the above tote from Designs from the Edge. I've wanted one for a while and with my new sewing machine (gift from a friend for the wedding!) I thought the thread-print was appropriate. But what's that peaking out from inside, you say?

Three skeins of Angel's Kiss Alpaca Merino Bulky in the "Peeps" colourway. Hubs wants a yellow scarf for next winter, and this ought to keep him nice and warm!

And....

A skein of Shalimar Breathless (75% Merino, 15% Cashmere and 10% silk) to make socks for my partner in the International Sock Swap. If it's half as dreamy to knit with as it is in the skein, I might just have to run back and get a couple of skeins for myself...

Just a note: flickr and blogger seem to be having some issues with their connectivity, so for now it's back to the old, blogger html way. I'm not sure I like the "look" as well as I do when I can post direct from flickr, but for now it'll have to do!

hey june

2011-06-02T11:30:00.000-04:00

With hours to spare...

2011-05-31T19:59:00.001-04:00

paraphernalia, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

our intrepid knitter has finished her May installment of the Self-Imposed-Accessory-Club.

Now she can kick back, relax, and wait for June to start...

ahhhhh.

Pattern: Paraphernalia
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Blue Violet
Needles: US 1.5 DPNs
Mods/Errata: Several. See Ravelry Project Notes.

Mystic, CT

2011-05-30T19:50:00.001-04:00

yarn!, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

This past weekend a group of us headed to Mystic, CT to see the last of the grad school girls get married! Saturday morning we had some free time and decided to check out the historic downtown area, which included the fabulous Mystic River Yarns. It's a big store with lots of the usuals (Cascade, Berroco, Brown Sheep, Crystal Palace, etc) and some local handspuns and handpaints. I, of course, couldn't resist some local yarn and ended up leaving with this:

in tow. Ellyn Cooper's Yarn Sonnets "Fine Merino" in Aquatide. Not the best shot, it's much more variegated from green to deep teal.

Mystic is super cute, with lots of beautiful old homes (many of which we were gazing longingly at, especially those with "for sale" signs...)

And, my fave, an old school drawbridge:

Since our friend was marrying into an East Indian family, we (the bridesmaids) got to wear some beautiful saris:

It was a beautiful weekend and a beautiful wedding. Congrats Bridget and George!

one down, one to go

2011-05-25T08:33:00.001-04:00

awkward foot angle, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

ah, that awkward angle that comes of photographing one's own foot...

So with one vote for "yes, wip posts" and another for "do it the way you like", here we are. 50% of a project, but 100% of a sock!

The fun thing about these socks ( paraphernalia on ravelry) is that they're asymmetrical. This one, for the left foot, has the cable running down the left side, whereas the right sock will have the cable on the other side. It's the little things.

So, with just six days left in the month, I have cast on for the second sock. I'm heading north on a long train ride this weekend for a wedding, so I should have plenty of time to finish in time. Also ending May 31: the sign-ups for the next International Sock Swap!! It's lots of fun, and you could get goodies from all over the world!

WIPs

2011-05-20T16:34:00.003-04:00

50% of a blanket, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

or, How to Bore your Readers 101

I find that I post more when I have actual finished objects to share, rather than progress reports on WIPs. I feel like 20 posts on the same blanket/sweater/whatever gets ridiculous and tedious... but right now I'm looking around and not seeing a lot that's going to finish itself any time soon, so here we are!

Above is 50% of the wedding blanket that is now becoming longer and longer over-due. But 50%! That's something, right? It's just becoming too big to carry around, not to mention too hot out to knit it anywhere but the air-conditioned comfort of my own living room.

Also on the long-term docket:

May's installment for the (less-than-successful thus far) Self-Imposed-Accessory-Club. Sure, I have something to show for each month, but except for the first month (and that was a squeaker) nothing has been finished technically on time. With any luck (and a long train trip next weekend) I might finish these on time. But yes, that is only the first one...

So what do you all think? More posts with the potential for repetitiveness? Or fewer posts, only when I have something really interesting to share? I don't want to lose the few-but-darling readers I have to a lack of posting, but I also don't want to bore them to death (or at least unsubscribing) either.

the great ratsby

2011-05-16T07:37:00.002-04:00

ratsby, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Sometimes, grad school isn't all books and complexity theory... sometimes, you make really great friends, too.

And, since I've been at this whole PhD thing for a while now (five. years.), sometimes those friends have to move on.

So, one of my very good friends here threw a "gatsby" themed party to say good bye. (Only she called it the Ratsby, in honor of the vermin that overpopulate this place.) We all dressed up and I made myself a fascinator. Sadly, we couldn't get very good photos, and I can't show you how very awesome the button is (it has an enamel design of a peacock on it). Here's another poorly lit shot for good measure:

A great time was had by all, and everyone loved my headpiece... although I have to say, these things are kind of delicate. I would have to replace at least one of the peacock feathers should I wish to wear it again.

I was inspired by Notorious, which has been removed. I basically just knit a circle, folded the edges over and hemed it so it wouldn't roll too much and sewed on the decorations.

late, for a very important date

2011-05-13T16:17:00.001-04:00

alice's socks, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Ok, these socks weren't for late for anything in particular, they just took an awful long time.I started them Jan 5, according to ravelry, but got side tracked by other projects, writing 2 chapters (just handed in the second yesterday!) and, you know, getting married. So there was stuff. But, finally here they are! This post is also later than expected, as it appears that blogger was having some issues earlier and ate my original post.

In any case, they're done now, I'm not in love with the pooling (which is probably why they were cast aside in favor of other, prettier projects) but I do like the pattern and with the right yarn I think it would be just great.

Stay tuned tomorrow... ok, more likely Sunday, to watch for a little project I'm whipping up for a Gatsby themed party!

may flowers

2011-05-06T07:15:00.001-04:00

may flowers, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

So I didn't get anything done for April, although if I had put my mind, and fingers, to it, I definitely could have finished this before May 1st. I cast on about half the stitches on April 28, got distracted and forgot about it for a few days. Once I got working on it, though, it took a matter of hours to complete—OK, so I haven't woven the ends in yet, but just ignore those, please.

Pattern is Reverse Rice Stitch Cowl
Yarn is Mirasol Tupa, less than one skein (in fact, I can tell you that it took exactly .8 of a skein, since I got a fancy new kitchen scale and can do some (read: very little) simple math)
Needles: Size 7 US
Mods: None

April Showers...

2011-05-01T18:17:00.003-04:00

So I have nothing to show you for the month of April. Sad, right? I was working on the Accidental Girly Mitts as my Self-Imposed-Accessory-Club entry, but I just wasn't loving them. They were too big, even though I went down 2 needles sizes, and I was going to have to finagle something to make them smaller at the wrist... so I just decided it wasn't worth it. So I frogged, and started casting on with the same yarn to make a Reverse Rice Stitch Cowl but didn't even get the cast-on finished. So.... that's that.

BUT!! It's May 1, which means that the sign ups for the next International Sock Swap are now open! And it's our one year anniversary! It's a great group, and a lot of fun... and low pressure: the packages don't have to be mailed until Aug 31!! You have the month of May to think about it, but if you have wanted to in the past, I would highly recommend it!

while I was away

2011-04-22T08:03:00.001-04:00

pretty girly, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Remember when I had no idea how much yarn to pack? Apparently that was a non-issue. I didn't even touch the blanket, although I did finish the socks... and started on the April Self-Imposed-Accessory-Club: the Accidental Girly Mitts.

Oh, and got married:

So, you know, I guess it's understandable that I didn't find much knitting time!

socks: wedding edition

2011-04-11T08:42:00.001-04:00

socks: wedding edition, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Just under the wire, but the socks that the boy wants to wear on our big day are done! If you look at the original picture of the first sock you might notice that it doesn't really look quite like either of these final ones. It is the sock on the right in this picture, but I had to cannibalize a bit from the cuff in order to make them the same length.

Originally I had thought that the yarn had the same colour-repeats from both ends of the skein, but it turns out the inside had less green to start with (check out the toes). So in the end I had slightly less yarn than I thought and the repeats don't quite match up. Still, I think they're fun.

Yarn is: Zitron Unisono
Needles: US 2 stainless steel hiya hiya dpns which I'm now madly in love with (having always been a bamboo needle kind of gal, this is a big admission)
Pattern: toe-up heel gusset from in my head.

I think panicking and packing are similarly spelled for a reason

2011-04-06T17:32:00.001-04:00

packing, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

So I'm heading home to Canada for 10 days... no particular reason ;) and I'm trying to figure out what to pack... I have all my clothes packed, of course, but I'm wavering on how much knitting I need to take. On the one hand, I'll be busy as all get-out, but on the other... well... you never know, right?! I'm taking the second sock of these: for the plane but is that going to be enough? I'm already increasing for the heel gussets.... it's not a super long flight or anything, but still, there could be delays and whatnot.

As for the downtime at home type knitting, I'm taking the blanket (as pictured) and April's self-imposed accessory club pick: the yarn (the pink in the corner of the above picture) is the Mirasol Tupa and it has been slotted to become some Accidental Girly Mitts. Now I just need to remember to pack the appropriate needles....

march revisited

2011-04-03T07:55:00.001-04:00

march blocked, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Finishing foils me again! I finished knitting this on March 13 and finally got around to blocking it yesterday. Why is this so hard for me to do? Well, ok, space, for one thing. The only decent space for me to block anything is on the murphy bed in the spare room, except that when the bed is pulled down there is pretty much zero room for anything else back there. So everything we store back there has to be pulled out and the fact that the boy uses it as office space is pretty much lost.

But hey, now it's done, and with 2 weeks to spare! It looks so much better blocked, too (as is so often the case...).

Pattern is the Emily Capelet from Ysolda's Whimsical Little Knits 2.
Yarn is Araucania Ranco Solid, about 3/4 of a skein.
Needles were US 7/4.5mm.
Mods were none that I can think of... 14 repeats total.

What to do....

2011-04-02T15:19:00.001-04:00

wullenstudio pink cadillac , originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

A friend picked up this great pack of sock yarns that gradiate from a light pink to a deep fuchsia. I'm thinking some kind of shawl that will really show off the slow change of colour.

Beware the blob!

2011-03-29T09:50:00.001-04:00

happily ever after, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Actually, it's a wedding blanket...

It doesn't look like much of anything, maybe an oversized tam, but eventually it will be an adult sized undercover, for some friends who got married in January. It's a bit late, but it's been a hectic few months... who knew wedding planning + dissertation writing would be so complex!?

a sock and a stretchy bind-off

2011-03-20T15:03:00.001-04:00

, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Tah-daaaah! A sock! Ignore the long stretch of time since my last post...

I'm actually "home" visiting in Canada, to put the final touches on the wedding preparations. Fortunately we're not too fussy about things being just so, so everything is working out wonderfully.

This morning I finished up the first of a pair of very rainbow-ish socks for the boy who thinks grey is a colour... so hopefully he'll like them.

I didn't have a tapestry needle handy but really wanted to use EZ's stretchy bind-off (a good demo of which can be found towards the bottom of this page), so I just used what I had on-hand... my knitting needles.

If you aren't familiar with EZ's version, you might want to take a look first... or not, maybe it would get confusing?

Anywho, here it is:

First of all, cut your yarn, leaving a decent length (enough to work all stitches twice... I find if I wrap it around my hand about 4 times, I have plenty left over).

Insert your needle into the first two stitches, as if to knit them together. Wrap the yarn around the needle and pull the needle back out (just like a knit stitch)... but instead of slipping them off the left-hand needle, just keep pulling your right hand needle until the yarn comes all the way through.

Now go back to the first stitch and insert your needle as if to purl. Wrap your yarn around and pull it out the back, all the way, just as for the first step. Slip this first stitch off the needle.

Repeat both steps until one stitch remains. Work it as a knit stitch and then (if you do have a tapestry needle or crochet hook lying around) weave in your ends. Or be lazy like me and just start the next sock, leaving your ends loose! (Ok, eventually I will weave them in... just not today.)

P.S. The blanket keeping me warm in the demo shots is a never-before-photographed knit of mine from... maybe 2002? Before I really got back into knitting, but needed something to keep me busy over a Christmas break, I made that blanket, a feather and fan pattern in Lion's Brand HomeSpun.

P.P.S. In case anyone was wonder, the yarn for the socks is much more exciting... it's Zitron Unisono, which I also used for a shawl for my mom last year. It's lovely, soft stuff, with aloe vera and jojoba mixed in. Needles are US 2s and pattern is just cast-on, increase, heel, cuff from my head.

an inheritance, of sorts

2011-03-03T09:55:00.001-05:00

inheritance #1, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

For the most part, I didn't knit these socks.

Or these ones, for that matter:

But now they're mine, I guess. I won't go into too many details about how they came into my possession, out of respect for the people involved, but these belonged to a knitter I never knew... although I wish I could have. This knitter that I would never know was very special to someone who is very special to me. Her other unfinished projects have since been finished and given to family members who would treasure them and keep them as memories. No one, however, knew how to finish socks. So these socks have sat, for a few years, only to finally find their way into my hands, and, perhaps, eventually onto my feet.

We knit a little differently, this knitter and I... you might be able to tell, if you look closely on the first picture, that the sock that is almost done and the sock that is still in progress are resting on different needles. She used a size 3... to mimic her stitches I had to go down a size. (I tried to finish them using her needles... but the difference was too stark.)

The visible differences, however, stop there. The colours (green and purple on the first and that teal in the second) are exactly what I would have chosen, given the chance.

But this... this was perhaps the most shocking discovery to me:

They're a perfect fit.

caving to convention

2011-03-02T07:43:00.002-05:00

alice socks #2, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

It's Wednesday, right? Let there be wips!

So I almost never do a wips update, and probably even less so on a Wednesday... but hey, stranger things, right?

Above is the 2nd sock in my down the rabbit hole set. After the first one these got cast aside for a while for other, more pressing things (read: chapter 1 of my thesis got handed in, didn't it?) and then forgotten about (feb SIAC had to get done too).

I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled with the pooling on the first sock (raveled here), and clearly the second will be no different. But I've come to terms with it. It's a sock after all, and hardly anyone will actually see it.

But this... this is a much more important WIP:

It is my March entry in the Self Imposed Accessory Club, but more importantly, it is the shawl/shawlette/capelette/whatever you want to call it, that I will be wearing on my wedding day.

The pattern is Emily by Ysolda Teague, and I love, love love it. I love most of her stuff, and I'm slowly realizing that it is her incorporation of garter stitch into most everything that I really can't resist. The yarn is the Araucania Ranco Solid that I received in a swap package last fall. As soon as I saw the yarn I knew I wanted to make myself a shawl for the wedding out of it. I just hope I have enough!

under the wire

2011-02-28T23:54:00.001-05:00

feb siac, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

With 7 mins to spare, here is the february SIAC entry. Simple toe-up, heel-flap socks with a picot hem.

Maybe more about them later... now it's time to collapse.

Which sweater/yarn combo do you like best?
	Paulie in Gray/Aquatide
	Paulie in Gray/Logwood
	Dahlia in Gray/Logwood

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