shucks.

Thanks so much to LEKKERCRAFT for letting me know that I make her day! Such sweet news to distract me from my lingering cold.

This picking 10 business is rather difficult … (I’m so fin de siècle, but I love my ellipses) … so in alphabetical order here are some of my favorites, the ones I can’t wait to read, the ones I’m always happy to miss a bus for:

Anna’s Flying Needles

brainylady

KNITTING PHILISTINE

knitting school dropout

LEKKERCRAFT

Mustaa villaa

My Fashionable Life

Rndnrnd we knit

Skrilla Knits

Zeitgeist

The rules: Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.

In other news, some more boring sock progress:

featuring one finished Jaywalker

that kind of looks like it might be a cousin to a gingerbread house;

and one Marigold-in-progress.

I’m still unsure about the pattern and stripe combination, but the pattern itself is great. The only mod. so far: I used Judy’s magic cast-on for toe-up socks. I have some pink Cherry Tree Hill supersock that I think would be perfect for a second pair of Marigolds.

just a little boring sock progress

Having decided to get dressed “in just a minute” — which is usually rather more than a minute — I give you the results of last night’s audiobook (Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie, read by Hugh Fraser) + knitting extravaganza.  It wasn’t very extravagant.

Jaywalkers, just as good the second time around.

But I did turn the heel!  The Regia Silk continues to be nice and soft, if not particularly “sproingy”.  When needs must, one uses a wool blend.  I’m liking the striping, even though the colors were not exactly what I expected based on the pictures at Webs.  Hopefully, my mom will like the combination.

Regia Silk (0190)

For the next pair (color 0190), I’m thinking Marigold could be a good choice, as I want a pattern that will accent, and not clash with, the two-row stripe.   It might take some experimentation to find something just right.
Any suggestions?

are we breakin’ up?

It’s taken a while, but I guess the answer is finally yes.  Sucks.  So eloquent, and yet, that just about sums it up.  I’ve never been much of a wordsmith outside of academic papers (audience: one) and I won’t start now.  I’m pathetic, lonely, sad, heartbroken, prone to tears, a torch song waiting to be written.  Not at all what my beloved Bryn Mawr taught me to want to be.

I’ve been struggling with what this blog should be.  Knitting, obviously, but so much goes into, and on behind the scenes of, the knitting.  And I can’t always hide it.  Or feel like I should.  I’m shy about too many professional details, because I don’t want to be bitten in the ass by my whining come job-hunting season, but really … so much of my life and free time (ha) are consumed by the academic world and my inability to feel at home there.  Knitting is the lull in the storm of self-doubt and -recrimination.  It’s the way I feel human again and the way in which I attempt to create some human warmth and connection.  I make things.  Sometimes I give them to people.  It’s so simple.

Right now, I’m doing one project at a time.  That method is the most satisfying, I find.  The Citrus Yoke is stalled until more yarn arrives to finish the sleeves.

still life with cat

I’m looking forward to having another hand knit sweater.  The Drops Jacket is getting worn to death.

In sock news:

Regia Silk color (0189)

another pair of Jaywalkers, this time for my mom.  Her Christmas Monkeys were repurposed as an emergency gift for a visiting friend — who wanted something hand knit immediately.

I’ve got lots of socks in the queue: Marigold, Flicker, and Marilinda to start.

faves of 2007

This past year I accomplished quite a bit of knitting, mostly smaller projects, some hits some misses. As usual. For the first time, though, I feel I’ve made a lot of things that I really do wear and use, which wasn’t the case when I was just starting. So here are my top knits from 2007.

(Funny faces due to my extreme discomfort in front of a camera. I wanted to show these things actually being worn, though.)

1. Ganomy hat [ravelry link] by Elizabeth Zimmermann

This was knit in some leftover Lamb’s Pride and my beloved Naturwolle Kunterbunt. I wear it all of the time in the cold weather — the shape is perfect for covering ears, it’s thick and warm, and just water proof enough to get through the occasional light shower. It’s also colorful and has a wonderful, fairy tale pointy top.

2. Clapotis by Kate Gilbert

Another great pattern in colorful yarn (Noro Cashmere Island). It’s soft and warm and makes me feel just a little bit spiffy and european when I throw it over my shoulder. As I was knitting it, I thought that half price or not, the yarn really wasn’t working for me — the colors seemed so bizarre next to each other. But it has definitely grown on me; now I love the way the green shoots through at random intervals and the reds, pinks, and purples stand out and yet kind of mesh together. So great.

3. Drops 103-1

The cheap-o Woolworth yarn is pilling like a mofo; my cat has pulled the stitches to pieces in so many places; it has stretched out in the wash; my seaming could be better. But it’s still my new favorite sweater. I wear it all of the time, which accounts for most of the problems mentioned above (except the seaming). I’m going to make another one soon. Have I mentioned how much I love it? It fits just like I like my sweaters (baggy but not totally shapeless), swings and flatters, and looks slightly more fashion-forward than most of my sweaters (that bar is pretty low, as you can probably imagine). This is my first really successful sweater — fit, pattern, style, color, even yarn (although cheap, it is light and lofty — thanks, acrylic!) all worked out. Not to mention that my knitting technique has improved considerably over the years.

only one.

My blogging resolution for the new year:

more knitting, less whingeing.

This I feel I can accomplish. I’m writing a knitting blog, after all, not a why-my-life-is-sometimes-annoying blog. Who wants to read that anyway?

To that end, I give you photos: FOs today.

number 1:

my last completed project of 2007

pattern: Jaywalker by Grumperina

yarn: Regia 4-fädig Africa Color (4051)

needles: US3/3.25 mm KnitPicks Options circs

started: November 26, 2007

finished: December 31(?), 2007

The single Jaywalker finally got a mate and thus my sister got a pair of Christmas socks only slightly late. She really loves and wears wooly socks, so it’s a pleasure to knit for her. Her first pair (in the Kaffe Fassett Regia stripes) she wore hiking! I’ve always kind of struggled — in my head — with the notion that knitting is so ephemeral. All of this time spent picking yarn and pattern, knitting it up, frogging, modifying, sizing, finished and then … it only lasts for a sometimes very short while. But when confronted with someone actually enjoying and using what I make, it’s so satisfying that I forget all about my supposed aversion to wear and tear.

old socks + wear & tear = new socks = more knitting!

number two:

my first finished project of 2008

pattern: Zeebee by schmeebot

yarn: Malabrigo in azul profundo or buscando azul

needles: US8/5.00 mm Clover bamboo circs

started: December 29, 2007

finished: January 5, 2008

This is my second Zeebee; I was inspired by brooklyn tweed’s tweedy version and the Malabrigo waiting for me seemed perfect for the purpose. The garter grafting took a bit of practice, but in the end, after a messy first hat, it turned out well and almost invisible. I didn’t really knit a gauge swatch, I just eyeballed the increases and decreases to a size that seemed close to correct. As a result, the first (not pictured) version is very large. The second, although intended for someone with a very large head, is on the smaller side.

numbers three and four:

Some baby things for an acquaintance expecting. Also an excuse for using up some left-over sock yarn and a quick, cute sweater.

sweater details:

pattern: eyelet yoke cardigan from Lion Brand, size 6 months

yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in terracotta, approx. 1 1/4 skeins

needles: US8/5.00 mm Clover bamboo circs

started: January 2, 2008

finished: January 6, 2008

The sweater is knit in pieces to the arm holes, joined and finished in one piece. The seaming was quite painless because of the small size, but the underarms ended up very messy. The cotton yarn created a very bulky seam for such a small garment (only about 6 stitches long) and no matter how I fiddled with it (usually only making it worse) the seams pulled the fabric on the front and the back. Not to mention being really ugly. I’m not sure what I should have done for a more polished seam: three-needle bind off? Weaving? Underarm seams on garments in the round always thwart my best finishing intentions. I consoled myself with the facts that a) probably no one will notice, especially on a cute baby and b) being a baby cardigan, it will likely only fit for a short time.

sock details:

pattern: baby socks from LittleBlueClipperDesigns

mods: cast on 44 stitches, knit only 20 rows in ribbing for cuff, no ribbing on foot

yarn: leftover Regia 4-fädig Africa Color (4051)

needles: US2/3.00 mm KnitPicks classic circs

started: January 2, 2008

finished: January 6, 2008

No cats were hurt in the making of these socks.

And finally, I do have a couple of WIPs going for the new year. But perhaps I’ll save those for another day.

(re)thinking relaxation*

The dark northwest winter precludes the possibility of acceptable pictures.  The relative lack of knitting precludes same.  Just words today.

It’s been a good holiday.  I’m ready to get back to research and writing (!).  And my lovely kitty, of course.  There’s been family, funny business with my sister (of the best kind), lovely visits with old, old friends, heartbreak, sadness, knitting, new knitting books, and music.  Is it silly to admit that Lily Allen might have helped me through a tough time, post-breakup?  Not to mention Favorite Socks?

Warmest, happiest wishes to all for the new year!

* another in my series of banned academic titles