Knits

Ta da! I finished something! My Marigold socks are done. Finally. I actually started these back in November when I was in California as knitting to do on the plane between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The foot on the first one went quickly, but once I turned that heel, I had all sorts of trouble with losing stitches and the lace shifting a stitch or two. Once I got it sorted it was all fine. The second sock had several false starts (three I think), but once it got going it chugged along nicely. I could’ve had it done over a week ago if I had taken a couple of opportunities to knit on long train rides, but cramped conditions and a throbbing head meant I was more inclined to stare into space. Regardless, they are done and I’ve still got about 35 yards of yarn left. I might follow in Lola’s footsteps and start myself a collection of mini-socks for holiday decor.

[I'm a bit behind on my full page project details, but I'll try and crank those out in the evenings this week.]

Last Sunday night I decided I really needed something to put my Mp3 player in as the chamois it came in was beginning to get ratty and actually flake away. I got out some left overs and started knitting what was essentially a toe-up sock. First it was too small, then too big, and then I remembered (okay I never really forgot) just how much I hate knitting ribbing because I am so slow at it. My solution was to knit a garter stitch rectangle so that when turned 90*, it would be like ribbing, but even cushier. I knit the rectangle slightly too small so that it would be snug and then did a few rows at a 90* angle across the entire width a la the Log Cabin Blanket method. This left me with two sides to close up which I did with a 3-needle bind off. It was near-instant gratification. It could be a bit deeper (note the picture shows the Mp3 player intentionally pulled out of the “sock”), but overall I’m quite pleased with something so simple. I may go back and add an i-cord loop and button just to keep it a bit more secure.

The Fetching went down really well. The recipient was so pleased that she made everyone that walked into the office look at them. “Look what Shannon made me!” I think the gift took the sting out of me announcing I’m leaving a little.

Speaking of which, I think this weekend will be amongst my last before moving where I can really sit around and do absolutely nothing and not feel too guilty about it. I think starting next weekend I will begin to haul things out and make decisions on whether items will accompany me on this move or not. I’m probably being a bit early with all of it, but I know how manic it will get near the end especially because I have work commitments right up until I need move. And I like to be really organised about how I pack and put things together that should be together rather than having 30 boxes with a jumble of items which means I’ll also start packing up stuff I know I won’t need (and rarely access anyway) just to feel like I’m making a dent. A lot of people here seem to literally throw whatever is in reach in a box and pack all within a couple of days. I am far more systematic, making relatively detailed lists so I know what’s where hence needing to get started early.

Just a couple more things and I’ll shut up. I got to meet up with Erqsome again last week and fellow ex-pat K (actually all three of us are ex-pats of some flavour). Erqsome did knitting, I helped K unknit a row, and I think I knit all of one or two rounds because I just couldn’t hold conversation and knit at once. I’m hoping to attend an iKnit night in early-February so I should hope to see Erqsome there again and perhaps others I met when we all went to Get Knitted. Somehow my call for knitters in Durham has managed to actually make a number of people interested in meet-ups (one is being held next week I believe) so that’s great. I think the groups there that do/did exist tend to meet up during the day during the week (lazy ass students) so my plan is to have weekly meet-ups, but alternate them with a weekday evening and weekend day.

And finally, Ava of TwoBlackSheep has passed on a “You make my day” award to me. Awww. I’m supposed to come up with 10 blogs that I read that make my day. As this post is long enough, I’ll leave it here and think about the 10 blogs that I’ll pass on the good vibes to. Hey, that’s my first “award” for a blog. Awww.

And no I don’t mean I managed to sit in front of the computer on Ravelry ALL DAY. I actually left the house rather early for a Saturday yesterday, headed to Bristol to Get Knitted and met up with a bunch of other Ravelers. It was my first knitting outing ever (I mean outside of me and fellow ex-pat getting together on our twosome and knitting). There was a pretty large group, but I only met and spoke to a handful since many arrived much earlier and had settled in to their spots.

Get Knitted is fantastic. I’ve ordered from them online several times and always have great service (they even include a pen and lollipop in your order). The store carries so much stuff and it was nice to finally get to see such a huge variety of yarn and get to touch and select a couple of things without having to guess whether the colour is right on my monitor or not. I was really restrained. I only bought three things: 2 skeins of Koigu KPPPM since I’ve never tried it and it is very pretty, 1 ball of DB Cashmerino Aran in a hideous colour to make some Fetching for a friend, and ordered some Cascade 220 Heathers as they didn’t have enough in store.

We hung out, we chatted, several of us got lunch, and we returned to the store, but my second visit was very short since the train was really only once an hour back (there were two trains an hour, but they were within minutes of each other). It was great to finally meet erqsome and several others I “know” from Ravelry including Robynn (owner of Purlescence), TussahSilk, ORK, YogicKnitter, and WoollyWormhead.

I even managed to finish sock 1 of the Marigold Socks. Hurrah. It came out quite tall - 10″ from floor to top of the cuff - so I’m quite pleased. I even cast on for sock 2 although I had to cast on four times because I am actually pretty incapable of knitting and carrying on conversation.

I’m really tired from sleeping badly. I’ve got some bad PMS/PMT symptoms going on right now so I’m going to stay in my jammies most of the day (all day maybe) and do some knitting on those Fetching (gotta get that wretched colour out of here!), have a nap, drink tea, watch Dylan Moran again ’cause he’s hilarious, and do some laundry as I think that’s the extent of my household duties that my back can handle today. I’m off to Durham later this week where I’ll meet two more knitters, but of course that’s not why I’m going to Durham — it’s work-related and I’m hoping to have a bit more of a peek around to since I hope to be resident there this spring.

And I haven’t forgotten… Thank you for sending your thoughts to me about Trigger. It was a real shock to hear that she has cancer, but what sets me off crying is the sympathetic ear. She’s okay right now and there’s nothing different about her. I’ll have to talk to the vet to ask him more about life expectancy, what I need to watch for, etc. I pretty much immediately decided that I wouldn’t take any drastic measures (i.e. going the route of radiotherapy) as I think it would be all too stressful and painful for her and if she’s content with life right now and I can keep her comfortable, that was a much better option.

Well, I had sort of hoped I could finish up something before the new year, but it ain’t gonna happen. My Marigold Socks have been giving me grief. For some reason I keep offsetting the pattern by a stitch or two and at first I thought I could ignore it, but I can’t; at least twice now I have knit two full repeats of the pattern only to go back and rip them out. I really had hoped that I’d push through and then finish these off. It didn’t help that even though I had a solid five days off before heading back to work, three were taken up with Christmas and Boxing Day socialising (not that I wanted to be a total hermit).

I really planned my annual leave badly this year. I don’t really feel like I took any huge amount of time off bar the trip to the US in November (our leave year is from April - March, the fiscal year) so it is disappointing to find out that I only have five days left otherwise for the cost of three days I could’ve had ELEVEN days off (that’s including weekends). Man. Well, next year it should be okay since the university is actually closed between Christmas and New Year. And the five days I have I will have to take before I finish my current job (haven’t officially given notice since I’ve not received an official offer yet) and those days may have to go towards leaving the country to re-enter.

Knitting-wise

Anyway, other knitting related things… I’ve cast on for the Textured Tunic from Fitted Knits. This is my answer to the boat neck sweater I envisioned when I bought the Malabrigo. My gauge is completely off from the pattern, but I already knew that would be the case. I didn’t like the fabric when I got close-ish and because I hear Malabrigo wears better if you knit it at a tighter gauge to combat the pill factor. I’ve separated for the sleeves and started on the chest pattern, but it’s too big. I should have trusted my instincts that the chest fit was right, but I needed more increases in the arms. I’ve left the chest alone for now, but will have to rip it back and add some decreases. I’ve moved on to a sleeve so I can see how the weight of that may pull down on the yoke.

So on the needles I’ve got the Marigold Socks, the Textured Tunic, and a hat I sort of forgot about (and I know I’ll run out of yarn for, but I found someone with a partial ball via Ravelry so yay!). Not bad really. In terms of my knitting overall this year, well I think I’ve done pretty well. I knit my first sweater, a couple of scarves (also my firsts), plus Clapotis, and lots of little things. The total number of finished objects (the list there isn’t quite complete yet) is definitely higher and all of them have been functional versus the handful of disasters I knit last year (hats that could fit a premie when they were supposed to fit me or hats that could fit about seven heads in them).

I’ve definitely become more confident in my abilities, learned new things, made several new e-friends, participated in a few swaps, and Ravelry was invented. For next year I want to try to work through my stash more and not buy things just because without any plans. I will probably go through my stash again and be more realistic about what I’m going to actually use as it’s somewhat deceiving to look at one of the many single balls of yarn I’ve got, browse Ravelry and find a project when it’s not really something I want. It’s only a way to use that yarn up and why have something sit around knitted up that gets no use instead of re-homing the yarn? Part of this is also because of moving — I’ve already started the great pre-move clearout.

Resolution-ish

Non-knitting “resolutions” include being truer to myself. I need to quit questioning my abilities/instincts in everything and just get on with it. I mean it’s probably funny for me to say I need to take more risks (and by that I mean getting out and meeting people so my move north isn’t a repeat of life in Oxford) since I packed up my life and moved to England, but oddly I never really considered that a vast majority of people would never do that — to me it was just sort of natural; it was only after I moved and was here a few weeks that I realised that. *shrug* I just need to treat myself better in general. Relax more (which is hilarious because, in general, I am probably too relaxed), feed myself better (I do fine in the spring and summer, but winter sucks), do the things I want to do, surround myself with supportive people, and have fun. Live. Create things again (outside of knitting). Get out in nature more since I love, love, love it. Make sure I make time for my friends as sometimes I get too hermit-like.

Now, where’s the new year so I can break out the page-a-day knitting calendar my Dad got me for my birthday? (He also sent me two books on digital photography for Christmas so that’s excellent since I want to improve my skills and see if I can’t make a little pocket money. Thanks, Dad.)

Have a great night and see you in 2008!

Well, I’m back home. My UK home. Not that I have a house back in the US, but you know what I mean.

It was nice to visit with my mom and sister over Thanksgiving and for my mom’s birthday. I even went and saw my dad down in Los Angeles which was quick, but nice. It was an odd sort of trip because I felt tired the entire time no matter how much sleep I got. It ended up that I didn’t do too much at all — no drive down the coast (or up), no real “sight seeing”, not even any clothing shopping like I had planned. I did a bit of knitting and bought (for me) quite a bit of yarn and knitting accessories. Despite not doing much, there’s actually a lot to show and say so I’ll split it up into a few posts.

First, the knitting. I showed you the two completely finished items in my last post — Clapotis for my sister, and Charade socks for me. I still have to write up the full details. I knit another Little Cables Hat for my friend who picked me up at the airport and drove me to my mom’s. I didn’t get to give it to her since she left very early the day after Thanksgiving so I’ll put it in the post (or actually will ask my mom/sister to do so since I left it behind). I also knit one of the Victorian Cabled Wristlets. I could’ve easily knitted both of them, but I’d only brought half a ball of yarn — the other half I had used to make a swatch to decide whether to purchase a sweater’s worth. Hopefully I can knock out the other one this weekend (if I can find the swatch). I love this wristlet — the yarn is sooooo nice and makes me sad I didn’t discover it before it was discontinued. I did buy a sweater’s worth though, heh.

I also started some house socks for my sister - there’s only toes to show so I’m not showing. I also started a pair of Marigold Socks for myself with my Piece of Beauty sock yarn in Sweet Grass. This yarn is so pretty. It’s the newer yarn that she’s dying and it knits up much nicer than the previous yarn. I liked the previous one, but felt like there was no elasticity in it (or I was pulling it all out) whereas this is just right. It also has this nice sheen that doesn’t seem to show until it’s knit up. They’re moving pretty swiftly. Another pair I wish I could’ve done two at once, but as I started them as a project to knit on the plane, I didn’t want to risk losing my cable needles.

Oh, and finally, a picture of my cardigan on me. You only get a picture of the back side of me since I rarely can take a nice picture — I always gotta pull faces or do a stupid pose.

I have lots of stash enhancement to detail, plus books and other related purchases. Plus some photos from the few times I did get out.

I also barely got online (my mom has my old computer which is just dead slow as is their connection) so I am trying to catch up on blog reading which isn’t easy since I was behind before I left! Hope you’re all well.