Blueberry Muffins

When Ty woke up this morning at an ungodly hour to catch a flight to Utah, I swore that it smelled like blueberry muffins near me in bed. He, of course, thought I was insane, or asleep. It was driving me crazy all day, and I had to make some.

I’ve been working on some Etsy gloves, the non-custom ones (less brain power needed) for the last few days, including today. And it was incredibly frustrating when I had to wait for a seat on the metro this morning. Two full stops of knitting I’ll never get back! It’s also a little awkward to knit with my bag on my lap sometimes, I’m always a little worried that it will fall off, especially when it’s packed full. I realized as I was leaving the house this morning that I had four separate knitting projects in my bag – gloves for Etsy, custom gloves for Etsy, socks for Ty and the front of Working Diamonds. Oh well, a girl can never have too many options.

And despite the weather today being the perfect fall weather, just the right amount of crispness to the air, it felt like Christmas should be around the corner. But maybe that’s just my worrying over application deadlines. Can someone else make my grownup decisions? It’s not that I’m bad at decisions, I mean in chocolate vs. vanilla, chocolate always wins. But if it’s chocolate A or chocolate B? Who can tell the difference from far away? Without trying both?

Although I guess today I went with blueberry. Go figure.

Happy Knitting! (I can’t wait to get back to Working Diamonds tomorrow at knit night!)

Also, those muffins are Splenda’s recipe, surprisingly tasty every time I make them!

For the love of Knitting

Well despite this being a rather unproductive weekend grad school application wise, I feel like I’ve gotten a bit of knitting related things done. I finished and sent the custom red and grey gloves, but forgot to take a picture. I figured out what was wrong with Paypal and I’ve started on the other pair of custom fingerless gloves. But while I was doing this I started thinking that maybe I should’t be knitting stuff for Etsy during knit nights. Knit nights should be devoted to knitting that I want to do, either working on pattern, or socks for Ty or whatever. Because I realized that I hadn’t worked on anything fun for over a week, but I had been knitting like crazy. So that’s my plan from now on: my knitting only on knit night, and whenever else I feel like it, Etsy knitting is confined to other times in my life, like on the metro, or at home watching tv. That way my personal knitting doesn’t get neglected, it’s the reason that I knit in the first place, to have fun!

I also tried convincing myself to just buy all the yarn I would need to re-vamp all of my patterns. That did’t work so well. But I think I finally decided that the zip-hoodie will be done in Berocco Comfort, it seems like the perfect yarn for a hoodie – durable, washable and soft.

For now I’ll continue fixing Working Diamonds. Next up on my list is probably Peacock Feathers and Rose’s Gloves. And maybe at some point I get a few test knitters for Katherine. Kind of like maybe I’ll write my personal statement for my school applications.

Happy Knitting! And don’t let yourself get stuck with un-fun knitting, especially for the holidays!

I knit a lot, who knew?

I decided today that it was cold enough for me to wear my purple sweater, which needs a turtleneck underneath, making it a very cold weather only sweater. While I was getting dressed I realized that I really like the pattern I used for the sweater, or at least the overall idea. The sweater was kind of Kimono inspired, with a large waistband and draped sleeves that go a little past the elbow. It’s very comfortable and cute, but obviously there are a few things I would change about it. The biggest issue is the waistband, because while it’s very pretty and cinches nicely, I’m pretty sure it took nearly two skeins of yarn all by itself. And as much of a waste that is, it’s also just plain frustrating to be knitting and knitting and not get anywhere. I need to think of something that I would replace it with that is a different texture than reverse stockinette, but it’s overly complicated. There are a few other little details and shaping issues that I’d want to fix, but the waistband is my biggest complaint.

In addition to the purple sweater, which I made this past spring, I also made a sweater for my friend Rosy around the same time, and two winters ago I made a long cardigan (which I used completely the wrong yarn for), and I can’t forget my most recent – the sweater dress. But thinking about this made me feel a little better, because I’d been feeling bad about how infrequently I publish patterns, especially compared to someone like Glenna C. In reality, I designed a lot of things over the last two years that I just haven’t spent the time to write up and publish. Part of that issue is that I’m still not used to writing for multiple standard sizes. And there’s the fact that I don’t seem to plan out a pattern fully before I start, or even write it down as I’m knitting.

Going through Working Diamonds has been nice, just doing the calculations and seeing how things work out. I’ve nearly finished the front, which I need to measure to make sure it matches what it should be. And I’m a little worried that I’ll run out of yarn before I finish, so I might just have to order more yarn from KnitPicks, bummer. Also, taking pictures on the metro doesn’t work as well as it should.

Happy Knitting!

Math, and Why It Should Be Simpler

I’ve actually started on the sizing math for Working Diamonds, go me! I’m using Ysolda’s sizing chart and my gauge in pattern to give me some stitch count estimates. However, it’s a little difficult to figure out what to do about all those numbers while watching Castle, which we just found out is rather addictive. So instead of dealing with actual math I decided to just cast on and see where I land (hmm, why does that sound familiar?). I do actually have a plan though, which is to do the math as I knit, or hopefully before I knit. Although just to save me some trouble of neckline math I might just do the back first. Whoever said being compelled to work out your creativity was fun lied. It’s frustrating that I want to get it right, but I don’t know the best approach. I guess that’s why there’s that thing called trial and error, or as I call it, the scientific method.

I still haven’t started the upside-down gusset for Ty’s Java socks, but hopefully I’ll have a moment this weekend to figure that out. I’m not sure how anyone focuses on one thing in their life, who are these people content to live only at work? They need to get a hobby. The more I immerse myself in the culture that is knitting, and it’s definitely a culture, the more I want to do. I want to try out all the top yarns, and even some of the most popular patterns (hello, where was I when Jared Flood appeared?). But most of all I want to keep interacting with this community, where no matter what you know you have something in common with them, something to talk passionately about, an instantaneous friend. It’s fun to talk to knitters about knitting, and even better are the fascinating stories they have, or how sometimes, even though you are already connected to these people by wool, you find some other little connection, a place you both worked, a topic you’re both curious about, or even a TV show you both like. Whereas many people start talking to a stranger with nothing to say, knitters are always welcoming with just the right words.

Happy Knitting!

Best. Birthday. Ever.

So it’s a little ridiculous how much my stash has increase in the last two weeks, but in an absolutely fantastic way. In addition to my wonderful hauls from Knit Picks and Looped two weeks ago, my Mother-in-Law called this weekend saying that she was so sorry for forgetting my birthday and would $100 at my LYS make it up to me. I, of course, said yes, and tried not to squeal on the phone, too loudly. I spent knit night last night knitting a row of my sock, then running around grabbing some yarn, and repeated that until I estimated $100 (with my 15% off coupon). I can’t even remember what I got, which is why I wrote down my plans for some of it. I did give in and buy the Rowan Lima that I had been molesting the last few visits to Looped, it’s absolutely luscious, and I can’t wait to see how it knit’s up, I’ve never knit with a chain yarn before.

I also bought some sock yarn for Ty, enough for two pairs. I think I’ll start with the Java pattern in a brown that’s very similar to the pattern color, though I forget what yarn it is. It’s actually exciting to see Ty wearing the socks I knit to work and stuff, just like they’re normal socks! Hopefully soon I’ll have taken over his sock drawer, maybe I’ll reach 50% by Christmas? #unrealisticgoals

However, I did finish Ty’s convertible gloves/mittens and they look really great. It really shouldn’t surprise me after all these years of knitting that changing the yarn and not the needle size doesn’t always give you the same gauge, even if they yarns say their both DK. Oh well, knit and learn, or knit and frog and learn and knit again, or something like that. The gloves are done just in time for Ty’s trips to Toronto and Utah, where it will most definitely be colder than it is in DC.

And I knit some swatches for Working Diamonds, but now the next step is math, which is why it’s kind of on hold. I’ll be taking a look at the CYC sizing standard and try my best to knit to that instead of arbitrary/personal shapes and sizes. I’m also thinking of knitting it flat, so that it has some more structure with the seams, but I’m not sure yet. The yarn is really nice though, it’s the Knit Picks Stroll in Agate Heather, I was worried the brown was going to be a little dull, but it’s actually quite perfect for a simple pattern.

Happy Knitting!