“I would like to reach out my hand…”

Posted on November 13, 2007 by barefootrooster

“Send Me On My Way” by Rusted Root is in my head this morning. Why, you ask? Well, serious progress has been made. To be honest, I worked on Rusted Root while traveling to and from the East Coast for a family wedding in September. The hours flew by, and when I returned, my Rusted Root looked like an actually sweater. Then, it languished. I got it out to take pictures for the blog, and looked at it a lot when contemplating what to work on, but ultimately, decided that I didn’t have the patience at the end of the day to keep track of the lace pattern.

Enter the first work-related trip of the year — to Indianapolis and back. Determined to force myself to work on Rusted Root, I packed it and the lone Tiger Sock I have been working on.

I’ve finished the shaping, and now I just need to work the lace repeat until it is long enough, pick up stitches to finish the neckline and sleeves, and I will be done. This pattern is a lot of fun to knit — a great mixture of plain stockinette and a beautiful leaf pattern that appears as I work; great for airplanes and airports.

I did have a MacGyver moment on the way there: I didn’t bring a yarn needle for weaving in ends, etc. because I didn’t think I would get far enough to need one. I forgot about needing to put the sleeves on scrap yarn. I packed light — not even a crochet hook in my plastic bag. I had a too-small stitch holder and my sock project, and that was it. I got out a size 0 needle (from the sock) and decided that I could use it to simulate a crochet hook and loop the scrap yarn through the live stitches in the same way that I would use a needle to pick up and fix dropped stitches. I wish I had taken pictures, as I was seriously proud of myself at the end of the process, but I figured that would be too wierd to attempt on a crowded airplane…

Soon, I will put all the stitches on scrap yarn and try on my Rusted Root. I am already excited to wear this.

By the way, Indianapolis was beautiful -rainy and full of brightly colored leaves, both on the trees and covering the narrow neighborhood roads I was driving. More soon — the Purl Scarf is coming along nicely.

new scarf in progress

Posted on November 9, 2007 by barefootrooster

I have been wearing my new legwarmers non-stop. They are so cozy and warm, and thin enough that they can either be concealed under jeans or used to display my love of the 80s. Now that they are finished, I am out of knitting sans counting — I need something for after a long day of work or for before my coffee has taken effect in the morning. Enter Purl Scarf #2, intended for a friend I will see later this month, stage right.

I started this last night while watching an episode of Heroes (via Netflix), and I already have about a foot completed. The jury is still out on Heroes — I am a bit lost now that I’ve finished all twenty billion episodes of Twin Peaks Season 2 (and caught up on Stash and Burn).

Details: Manos del Uruguay in a dark blue (color A?), Madil Kid Seta in an electric blue (no tags) and Knit One Crochet Too Douceur et Soie in Color 8645. I think. I’m using size 13s instead of 15s and I cast on 20 st instead of 16, just like the one I made for myself.

Also, in green Debbie Bliss Bolero Jacket news, I have finished the back and the right and left fronts. On to the sleeves. I like how quickly this is knitting up, but my progress also means that soon I will have to learn how to seam…

legwarmers and sugarplums

Posted on November 8, 2007 by barefootrooster

When I was a little girl, I took ballet lessons. I dreamed of Balanchine, of Coppelia, of tulle and tutus. I practiced A LOT. I danced en pointe; my toes bled; my body ached. I pulled on these legwarmers last night around midnight, having just woven in the ends, and felt the urge to “gran ron-de-jaum”, to “jete”, “gran pas-de-sha”; to waltz through the kitchen the way I used to do just before dinner time, forks and knives in my hands. (It was far more fun to set the table while waltzing.)

(Apologies for the dark, grainy picture. The urge to plie struck late last night. This was taken in the mirror.) These legwarmers are looooong. 26″ in length! I thought about binding off many times, but I am glad that I persevered: these are long enough to be scrunched and still reach up to my knees. They are incredibly soft, have a nice depth to the color, and are very warm. The nights are getting colder here, and I decided to wear them to bed last night. I woke up with the sun, about ten minutes before my alarm, with a cold nose and toasty calves.

newsflash: yarn pile is becoming a mountain.

Posted on November 5, 2007 by barefootrooster

I promised that I would show you my recent yarn purchases, so here it goes. This makes me feel like a “real” knitter, as this is the first time I’ve ordered bags of yarn. (Danger! Photos and super pretty yarn ahead.)

First up, a spontaneous yarn purchase. I have yet to make my first Clapotis, and I decided not to buy the Lion and Lamb because I could not rationalize the cost. And then…an angel posted this yarn on Destash. I got a very nice deal on it, and this colorway, Black Purl, is exactly what I would have purchased for myself. I am excited about this, but I think it will have to wait until after all of my holiday knitting.

Malabrigo.

And more Malabrigo. I think both sets of skeins are destined to become My So Called Scarf — one for me, one for a dear dear friend.

Berocco Peruvia. What could this be for? Is it tilted? I think so.

A massive skein of Eco-wool, intended to be the main color of multiple mittens.

This purchase is Ravelry’s fault. I have 3 skeins of a turquoisey shade of Nature Wool, and was looking to find uses for it. I found too many, and decided that since I’d like to make multiple gifts a la Calorimetry with it, I would need more in order to make Fad-Classic.

And then… (Seriously, I didn’t intend to do this all at once, but the WEBS sale is truly excellent.)

Cashmere. This was not on my list, but at the sale price, it seemed silly not to get some. I’ve never knit with cashmere, and I’m hoping that 2 hanks of this will be enough for the feather and fan neckwarmer in Knit2Together. (Also holiday gifts.)

Last, but not least:

A whole bag of Araucania Nature Wool Chunky, which I am using for the Debbie Bliss Bolero Jacket, for those of you joining me for the first time. My current winding method involves two chairs, back to back, one with my big down jacket on the back of it. I was too lazy to move it at first, and now I realize that it actually stops the skein from sliding down the chair back. (Many of these yarns were photographed on my chairs: part of a 1960s yellow and chrome kitchen table set that I scored on craigslist when I moved to my current location. It makes me happy.)

Notes on my holiday knitting to come. Also, I am participating in my first ever swap, over at the Fall Fingerless Mitts KAL. I am very excited — but right now, I am also very sleepy. The whole “falling back” part of daylight savings has me exhausted.

weekend update

Posted on November 4, 2007 by barefootrooster

On Friday, my box of yarn from WEBS arrived. Full disclosure will come, all in good time. I am sleepy, even though my clock says it is not yet 10 PM, this rooster’s body says it is 11. A few pictures of the weekend, then.

Yesterday, I was here. The leaves have fallen from the cottonwoods, but the air was crisp, and, though I love the place when it is bustling with activity, I value the chances I have to see it when it is still.

When I returned, I decided to honor the swatch gods, and comply.

Notice that I did not one, but two swatches: one on size 10.5s and one on 11s. The yarn is Araucania Nature Wool Chunky, in color olive — it is a bit brighter than I was expecting, but I’ve decided that it is perfect for me because I tend to wear muted solids, and this will brighten up my jeans and a button down or a long sleeve tee considerably. The gauge for the pattern (which, of course, calls for Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky) is 14 st/20 rows over 4 inches. My first swatch, with the recommended needles, was 8 st/10 rows over 2 inches. I decided to see what would happen if I went up a needle size, to 11s: 7 st/9 rows over 2 inches. Both close, neither perfect. I decided to wash the swatches and leave them overnight: after a dunk in the sink, the swatch knit on smaller needles was 7.5 st/10 rows, whereas the larger needle swatch was in between 6 and 6.5 st. The yarn became considerably softer after washing, and I liked the drape of the smaller needle swatch better. Also, the sizing is S, M, L, with the M being 36-38. I am a 38, and debated making the next size up, so that 1 st over 4 inches may give me an extra inch of ease in the sweater, which should end up to be ideal.

Anyway, today, instead of doing the things on my list, I made a large recipe of pie crust, and baked a kitchen sink kind of pie, with all the fruit leftover from my CSA box: 2 big green pears, a pluot and a bright, shiny apple. The pie is delicious (eating while I type), and is a wonderful dessert to the roasted beets I ate for dinner. The 4 remaining pie crusts are in the freezer for next time.

I also managed to turn those swatches into this:

I can’t believe how quickly this is coming along. I am very excited about this sweater, and I am working up the courage to seam that baby kimono I’ve been working on forever. I promise. I’ve told myself I need to seam that, as practice for finishing this one. Also, remind me: I need some longer circulars for picking up the ribbing on this sweater, when I get there.

Yawn! Time for bed. It was wonderful to wake to the sunrise at 6:10 this morning: a welcome change from waking to the alarm in the dark. The only bad part about “falling back” is that the sun will soon be setting before I even leave the office. I do love the cold; I just wish we could keep the sunshine.

I bow to the swatch gods…

Posted on November 3, 2007 by barefootrooster

because I don’t want to upset them!

The fingerless mitts turned out very nicely. I decided to end the second one a few rows early in order to use only one of my 2 skeins of this Artyarns Supermerino, but I estimated the gauge correctly and they fit very well. I bet I could get away with even fewer stitches just to eliminate the worry of running out of yarn. I will most certainly use these guidelines again — I love these mitts, particularly the way they show off the yarn.

I am planning to put them to good use today — the dog and some friends and I are off to play outside for the day. Coffee? Check. Thermos of tea for later? check. Bone for the dog in the car? Check. Warm clothes? Check. Camera? Check plus.

I am ready for some outside time. Hopefully I will have pictures to share when I return…

more fingerless mitts…

Posted on November 2, 2007 by barefootrooster

Good morning! Here I am, coffee cup in hand, to tell you about what happened last night. I wound one of my skeins of Artyarns Supermerino, and it felt so soft and wonderful between my fingers that I decided to cast on before bed. I knew exactly what I wanted to make: these. I’m not quite sure how I stumbled upon Sheepish One, but she has some beautiful pictures of her knitting (including some very cute Halloween stripey socks.) Her pictures of the mitts she made as a test knit for The Plucky Knitter prompted me to check out the etsy shop, and her yarn is gorgeous — and on my wish list. Anyway, I love the mitts at Sheepish One because they are simple: no lacy pattern or cable to detract from the beauty of the yarn. Turns out, she used these guidelines at knit and tonic. (Can you tell I’ve recently learned how to insert links?)

In real life, the colors are deeper — more reds and purples than hot pink. I cast on 46 stitches on size 5 needles, thinking I wanted these to be dense and cozy, and that if the ball band gauge was 4.5 st to the inch on size 7s, but the yarn felt thinner than the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran I used for Fetching, maybe I could get something like 6 st to the inch on size 5s. Note: I am living on the edge here: no swatching. I know, I’m testing the gods of gauge. I’ve lost at this game once before, with Calorimetry, but mitts are so quick to knit that it seems silly to knit and bind off a full gauge swatch when I can just rip it out if it doesn’t work. Famous last words? We’ll see.

yarn arrives…

Posted on November 1, 2007 by barefootrooster

Remember how I told you that I did some serious internet yarn purchasing last week? It has begun to arrive. I am very excited about making the Bolero Jacket, which is on the cover of the Debbie Bliss pattern book, “Simply Soft”. I’ve been looking for a cozy shrug/sweater/cardigan pattern, and this one over at A Friend to Knit With is the one. The pattern book is surprisingly hard to find, and Yarnmarket came to the rescue. Shipping was a flat rate, so I decided to throw in a few skeins of a pretty artyarns color in deep pinks and purples. It arrived today, and I’ve already begun to wind it. My Webs order should arrive at the office tomorrow, with the yarn for the Bolero Jacket.

one legwarmer down

Posted on October 31, 2007 by barefootrooster

I’ve finished one legwarmer, and boy is it soft. I love the combination of Cascade 220 Heathers and Madil Kid Seta. I wore one around the house for much of the evening yesterday. Here’s the best shot I could get in the dirty mirror in my dark bedroom.

This picture highlights that I love all forms of turquoise. It’s funny; I never would have highlighted blue-greens as my favorite color a few years ago. I truly fell in love with turquoise: the stone, the antique jewelry, its cultural significance and, apparently, the color, when I first came to the Southwest. I tend to like turquoise stones and jewelry with a lot of green and brown in it, rather than the the bluer stuff that is truer to the color turquoise. All of this turquoise talk leads me to another FO that is getting a lot of early morning wear these days: the Pashmina Cowl from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, by Joelle Hoverson. I used just under 2 balls of Classic Elite Princes and size 5 needles, and this kept me busy during lots of Netflix DVD viewing. I loved knitting with Princess — super soft, and the end result has nice drape, but also retains some of the shape. Note the color…

Would it be weird if I wore one legwarmer to work today? It is Halloween. Discuss.

the confidence to ribbit (rip it)

Posted on October 30, 2007 by barefootrooster

I brought some waiting room knitting along to my Honda appointment. As I waited for my oil to be changed and for the nail to be removed from my tire, I pulled out the tiger sock — pictures here. About an inch and a half back, I found a mess of stitches — looks like I dropped a few and knit a few back together in order to get back to the proper stitch count. It looked like absolute hell — and then it hit me. I am over my fear of frogging! I took one look at that this morning and decided that it would not do, even though these socks are for me. This is my second pair of socks, and my first time working on size 0 needles. There are a few mistakes here and there, but overall, I am quite proud of how nice the heel looks. I haven’t actually taken this sock out of my bag to knit on for months, and apparently, in August I was fine with that mess of jumbled, tangled stitches. I am not okay with it today, which means…

I am no longer a beginner knitter! (Right?) I think it is a state of mind, more than anything, but for me, fear of fixing things has been one of those imaginary lines in the sand. There are so many things I want to learn, but the realization that I can rip something back and feel good about being able to pick up the stitches and re-do, rather than just unravel the entire thing and start over (or in this case, create a horrendous jumble) is liberating.

So that is what I did: rip rip rip, right in the middle of a crowded Honda waiting room. The other people looked at me like I was nuts when I brought out the sock in the first place, so I have no idea what they were thinking when I carefully removed my tiny pointy needles from my knitting, placed them on top of the magazine pile to my left and began gleefully unraveling the brightly striped sock in my lap. Before I could get all the way down to the cluster of errors, Mr. Super-helpful Service Man came to tell me that my car was ready, fixed tire and all. I shoved the yarn into my handy ziplock and followed him to the billing station…and they all lived happily ever after.

barefoot rooster

cockadoodle-doo: one rooster's ramblings

Category Archives: knitting