Leaf Cardigan

It's nice when a project goes from concept to being finished - even if it doesn't come out exactly like you thought it would. I made it just a little too fitted and use a yarn that was just a little too elastic to be able to use button closures like intended, but I love the way my Leaf Cardigan turned.  I'm actually pretty proud of how it turned out. Here's the progress (again) in photos. 

Conception

Ragland Sleeve Caps finished

Main Body Finished

Neck & Boarder Started

Neck & Border Finished



And Finished! 

The pictures don't show it, but the yarn is soft, cozy, and warm. As the cool weather has hit Northern California, the jacket is definitely doing it's job.

Blue Whale

I got an email from a friend, T, yesterday asking me to knit a whale for another friend, P, as an inside joke for P's birthday. In my mind-melting-panicked-dissertation-writing haste I immediately replied, "No, there's not enough time." If you're a regular reader or know me in person, you may have guessed I don't have much love for my dissertation. "Quit your whining," you're probably thinking. But no, when I say I don't have much love I mean, I stuck it out this far because I was stupid; and I'm only still in it because I'm SO close to finishing it would be a shame not to. As soon as I get the degree I'm fleeing research and never looking back. I don't want to say hate, (queue the sentimental music) because hate is such a strong word. But actually, I do see the value in the work. I just don't want to be the one doing it. I want to be the one encouraging others to do this work and helping them develop the skills to do it well...and have a better experience than I had.

But I digress. After taking a break, all I could think about was this whale, how it would be a cool challenge, how I could use all the techniques in my arsenal, which yarn I should use, how big it would be. And the more I thought about it the more I decided this was totally do-able. After all I've been making balls for the Christmas Tree and for the dog for a while now and they only take one to 4 hours depending on their size.

Christmas Ornaments for 2012 - the one on the left and last two on the right each took 1 hour to knit, are felted, and will have more embellishments added via needle felting when Partner and I finally have some free time. The one in the middle too 4 hours, the second to the left took about 3 hours, but it was made from several pieces each about one yard long while I was visiting my in-laws.

Extra Yarn

The Cardigan's coming along. But I'm starting to get anxious about Holiday gifts. I love the yarn I used to made the cardigan with (Plymouth Superwash Worsted Wool) and now I have too much. I only used (will need) 5 skiens and I bought 10. So I'm using the yarn to make gifts for the holidays. First is this WIP - a plastic bag holder. 

I like the basket weave stitch because I like the idea of the bag holder looking like a basket. More pictures to come. 

Progress and Instagram

After seeing several of my friends taking awesome pictures with instagram I finally jumped on the wagon and joined. The app, particularly it's website, still confuses the hell out of me; but I am taking a lot more pictures that I'm happy with now.  I also don't have to drag out my d-SLR every time I want to take a progress picture of my current projects, which, of course, means I'm taking a lot more pictures of my knitting. 

Last I wrote, I mentioned that I was trying to make a cardigan based on the following drawing:

It's my heavily modifying version of Carol Feller's Iced made from Plymouth Superwash Worsted Wool. I've been trying to make a cardi for myself for years now. Actually, I finished all but the wrist of one sleeve using the same yarn before I admitted to myself that it was really poorly fitted. Still, it took me a year (maybe two!) to bring myself to frog it. 

I started this iteration of the cardi at the beginning of the month. Overall it's been a pretty easy knit. The sleeves, which are vine panels from Knitting on the Edge, were the hardest part. 

Reboot: Fish Garter Belt

When one is a graduate student their job is school, well research really. In any case, that job, and planning a wedding (actually two - recently helped some friends plan and execute a wedding in 2 weeks), pretty much meant I wasn't doing much knitting-wise. Up until today I thought that meant I had nothing to blog about. But I've been working on heavily modifying version of Carol Feller's Iced. I'm putting a vine panel (from Knitting on the Edge) down each shoulder about 2/3rds of the way down the arm and giving it a 2x2 rib stitch boarder. 

Drawing of what the Cardi should look like when it's done.
Here's hoping it does.

That got me thinking, some of my most favorited items on Ravelry are of projects where I heavily modified the patterns. Now my question is: what's the copyright laws on sharing these patterns with other people? Seriously, I need to look into it because I would love to be able to share some of my ideas. 

But what I do know is that as long as I'm referencing and citing other people's work it's okay to share directions. So here directions to my most "favorited" project, The Fish Garter Belt.

Fish Garter Finished

Adamas Hat

My first Adamas Shawl in bamboo, worn
this summer at a cool Northern CA beach.

My second Adamas Shawl in baby Alpaca

The first lace project I ever did was the Adamas Shawl. It was a great first lace project in that it looks far more complicated than it actually is. In terms of lace, it's simple, easy, but not so repetitive that it's boring. 

Baby Mania

I turn 30 this month. While I shudder to think that my life mimics that of a 20 year-old (except of course that I can buy my own alcohol...and drink responsibly) the lives of my friends are not as stunted as mine. (Really, I wouldn't mind turning 30 except I'd always pictured my life at 30 being more settled - married, baby, house, the average 2.5 member American family dream in the works.)

Four of my married friends are having their first babies. Two just bought houses, one already owns a house, and the other is in graduate school, like me, but has figure out how to have the family and go to school at the same time. They are all wonderful people, and I wish I had my shit together as well as they did. But 30 is still young enough. I'll start worrying if I'm at the same place as now when I'm 40.