pom poms are more difficult than they appear

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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).

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)

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

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

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

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

a new winner

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

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!

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

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?

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?

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?

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.

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!)