TGIF

If this week had persisted for a single day longer, I don’t think I would've survived it. I’m still not quite over my supervisor reducing me to tears yesterday. Needless to say, I didn’t get much done this week.

I've completed most of the second Instant Gratification Sock. All I have left is the toe and the heel. I may even finish it tonight.

After schlepping the 6 lb. box of Twizé hither and yon a few times, I came to the logical conclusion that a five-and-a-half pound sweater is just too silly to be considered and forced myself to quit entertaining the idea. A reasonable person would have been able to deduce this immediately, but I still wistfully imagine how lovely my Reeds & Grasses sweater would look in the Twey Twizé. I am not a reasonable person.

I was fortunate enough to find exactly 13 skeins of Bamboo on sale in Black. I also ordered a skein of Fiery Red as the contrast color. I eagerly await the arrival of my order in a box of sweater-appropriate weight.

I’m now on the lookout for a pattern for the six pounds of Twizé, which should be enough to make two items based on a reasonable person's reconning. I though it might be nice to make matching projects for the GC and myself. Perhaps a lacy tank or shell? Hmmmm.

The needles for Sober Argyle Vest II have finally arrived. I cast on this weekend!

Uh-oh

The box came today from Webs with the SWTC Twizé for my Reeds & Grasses project from Vicki Square's book Knit Kimono. My first impression was WOW! It's Beautiful!

I can't begin to describe how beautiful this yarn is! None of the pictures do it justice. The colorway is a silvery fog, palest pink, and white. The yarn has a shimmer-sheen to it that gives it incredible depth. It has a very soft touch...like a cross between silk and cotton.

As I was petting and ogling a skein, somewhere in the back of my mind a light came on. This skein is heavy. Very heavy. I hefted the box. Uh-oh. Where's the packing slip...here it is...okay, weight...6.0 pounds...WHAT!!!

Here's where my knitting novice status becomes glaring. You mavens out there will get a good laugh out of this one. The pattern calls for 12 skeins of SWTC Bamboo (250 yards/100g ball). I decided I wanted to use SWTC Twizé, it's bamboo, too, and I like it better. Twize is 110 meters/100g ball, which is 120.3 yards/100g ball).

That should have set off the alarms, but alas I just did the math and ordered the yarn. Okay, I'll admit it, like most Americans, I'm metrically challenged. I found my favorite metric conversion website. Let's see here...12 x 250 = 3000 yards divided by 120.3 yards is 24.93 skeins...okay I'll make it 26 just to be safe.

The verdict is: 5.49 pounds. That is going to be an incredibly heavy sweater. Oh, dear.

Instant Gratification Socks: Progress Report 2

The first sock is done and the GC wants to know if I'll be finished with the second one tonight. Ha.

Sober Argyle Vest: Progress Report 4

I frog, therefore I am (happy). Time to start from scratch. I can't wait until my needles get here!

Before:



After:



* And yes, I did manage to get 6 skeins into a one gallon juice jug.

Instant Gratification Socks: Progress Report 1

Since I can't work on the *&^%$#@! vest, I've been working on the Instant Gratification Socks. The GC mentioned that I've been neglecting her Arrrgyle Socks (which is true, but I'm not sure why) and that she very much likes the colorway of this project. Hint, hint.

I caved. The socks have been reduced to a smaller size and will belong to the GC upon completion. I have enough yarn to make myself a pair later.

I've got one sock done except for the heel. You'll notice in the picture below the purple stripe of waste yarn for the afterthought heel. I pulled that last night and the stitches are on the needles for the heel.

Take a look:

To Frog or Not To Frog

When I can't force myself to work on a project, it's a sure sign that I've gone astray somewhere along the way. I'm a mere 30 or so rows from completing the back of the Sober Argyle Vest, but instead of getting that charge that gets me to the end, I can scarcely look at the blasted thing.

My project gauge is 1/2 a stitch per inch larger than my swatch gauge, rendering my finished product considerably larger than it should be. Now, I have the option of finishing it and hoping that I can shrink it in the wash the precise amount needed for a perfect fit, or I can frog the whole damed thing and start over again.

Just saying that makes me feel better.

I don't have the needles I need to re-start the project. I think I'll just let things sit until the needles arrive next week.

Instant Gratification Socks

I worked ten or twelve more rows on the vest yesterday. Even though I'm so close to having the back finished, it's beginning to feel like the never-ending project; a garment of epic proportions. I needed an instant gratification project.

I turned to Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch for inspiration. This book, by the way, is the best sock design book I've ever seen. If you need step by step, hold-my-hand instructions, you might be disappointed. If you want a book that helps you think like a sock designer, this is the book for you. As a nice bonus I was able to teach myself how to knit a sock on two circular needles in about an hour with the instructions from this book and the excellent tutorial at Knitpicks.

In my opinion, knitting in the round with two circular needles is far superior to working with DPNs. I always felt like I was wrestling with an urchin or trying to knit with a sack full of angry cats when I used DPNs. Knitting with 2 circulars is, by contrast, a very relaxing process.

I am making a simple top down sock with a garter rib pattern.

Software: Knitpicks Essential in Meadow Multi - 24043 (the purple is actually more pinkish and the dark chocolate brown is more milk chocolate brown than shown on the site, a minor disappointment)

Hardware: Knitpicks Nickel-Plated Fixed Circular Knitting Needles in US Sizes 3/Metric 3.25mm

Here is my progress so far:

Sober Argyle Vest: Progress Report 3

I've got the armholes about half way done. I may try to finish the back today, we'll see.

Four Day Weekend!

I’ve successfully taken care of the winter holiday season and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. I am feeling rather smug about the whole thing.

The GC loves having a tree, but so does Cat No. 2. The cat knocks down and breaks all of the ornaments on the lower half of the tree, then climbs the tree from the inside and rocks it back and forth until it falls over and breaks another quarter of the ornaments. She then knocks the last quarter of the ornaments off and plays soccer with them.

Last Friday I purchased a 4.5’ tall artificial pre-lit tree and two strings of colored L.E.D. bulbs from The Home Depot. This tree will fit nicely on the table I have in my entry. With gifts stacked strategically around the edge of the table it will be impossible for Cat No. 2 to gain access to the tree. That’s the plan anyway.

Never overly sentimental, I am becoming less and less interested in participating in holiday traditions as time passes. The one thing I used to enjoy the most was wrapping gifts. That was a way I, totally linear, binary me, could be creative. There was a zen-like quality in the process and I wrapped my gifts with origami precision.

Now I’d rather knit and have something to show for my efforts. Also I don’t want to have to go out and shop for gift wrapping supplies, nor do I want to have to clean up the mess, not to mention the terrible waste. So, I purchased a set of reusable gift bags from Wrapsacks, Inc. These are truly lovely bags and they have a cool option on the website to track the bags via their unique tag numbers through their lifetime and travels.

Last season the GC mentioned that she would like a Kyo plushy among other things. Kyo is a character in a Japanese anime called Fruits Basket. I didn’t figure it was very high on her list so I didn’t get it for her. I was informed afterward that it was one of the things she wanted most. I have been informed that it is the ONLY thing she REALLY wants this season. I bought her two: a large one and a small one. I ordered them about a month ago and they’ve been in my closet for several weeks now, along with the Kyo and Kagura pins.

Another gift that arrived a couple of weeks ago is The Bible Series Box Set (2000) DVD featuring: Genesis, Esther, Jeremiah, and Solomon. Several years ago I picked up Esther and Jeremiah in VHS at Blockbuster for about $3.00 each. The GC liked them quite a bit. When we moved down here I got rid of a lot of our VHS movies and those two were among the casualties. I was strongly berated for getting rid of two of her “favorites”. Now she will have them back plus the other two in the series. Are you noticing a pattern here?

Another DVD that she has mentioned wanting several times over the past six months or so is: Benny & Joon. I was able to pick that up for a very reasonable price at Amazon. Yay. On the other hand, she and I have been looking for the past couple of holiday seasons for a copy of The Nightmare Before Christmas without any luck. We looked at Halloween, too, no dice. Unbeknownst to me, this has become a rather rare collectible going for upwards of $100.00. I felt rather fortunate to find a new copy for $35.00 (three times what I will usually pay for a DVD). I ordered it today. Hopefully, I’ll receive it next week without incident.

That is essentially what she is getting this year: 6 DVDs, 2 plushies, and a pair of pins. It just doesn’t feel like much, but I know she wants each of these items.
Tomorrow we are going to put up the tree and she is going to decorate. It should be a nice way to spend the morning.

Sober Argyle Vest: Progress Report 2

Yippee! I got all my rows done and tonight I get to start shaping armholes! Off I go...

Arrrgyle Socks

I've decided to make some argyle socks for the GC. Since she is crazy about anything pirate, I incorporated a jolly roger into the pattern.

Software: Knitpicks Palette fingering weight in red, black, fog, and white.

Hardware: #2 straight sticks for the leg, 2 #2 circular needles for the foot.

Here is my test run in worsted weight yarn:



Software:



Here's my progress so far. Looks like fun, eh?

Sober Argyle Vest: Progress Report 1

Here's my progress on the Sober Argyle Vest. I have half a diamond's width (thirty rows) to go before I begin shaping the arm holes. I'm starting to lose interest and have been ogling the colored yarns I have for the front. The asparagus I ordered to replace the moss arrived. It's still a bit dark, but it's the lightest green available in the DK Swish, so it will just have to do. I hope to get at least those next thirty rows done this weekend.

Jewelry for the Kitchen

This morning I got energetic and installed the cabinet pulls I purchased at The Home Depot two weeks ago. I didn't really feel like doing it, but I wanted the project out of the way before next weekend. I'm happy I got it done and I really love the results. The kitchen looks so much more finished. The happy bonus is that these pulls have no protrusions to hang the pocket of my robe. I'm still not used to seeing handles on my cabinets, so it's a bit of a shock every time I look that direction. Nice though, eh?

Sober Argyle Vest

I am making a modified version of the Drunken Argyle vest by Holli Yeoh published in the summer ’05 edition of Knitty, a very cool online knitting publication.

I am using the Swish DK I purchased from KnitPicks as the software for this project. I’m using my new Options circular needles in the smallest size, 4, for the hardware. Both the needles and the yarn are larger than the pattern calls for, but after the test swatch I feel like following the pattern for the smallest size will work. I am a medium sized person and I knit tightly.

The only modification I’m making in the pattern itself is on the front: I am trading Holli’s curvaceous diamonds for traditional linear ones. Although her whimsical diamonds are cute and I’ll probably make a vest following the pattern at a later date, I am struck at how classy and elegant the back pattern is and I want something to complement rather than contrast for the front.

I cast on and knit the 2.25” of 1 x 1 rib on #3 straight sticks then switched to the circular needles for the pattern. I would recommend doing the first three rows in solitary confinement. I did mine with Terminator 2 on the flat screen and the GC chattering non-stop. Needless to say I misplaced a few stitches and had to go back with the ever-handy crochet hook and make things right.

The yarn still has that odd feel, but it is a pleasure to work with and knits up nicely.

I’m enjoying the circular needles. The cord is wonderful and the silky finish of the needles is fine. I have had to stop a few times and tighten the connections, a minor annoyance. I am having some trouble with the cable connections. My yarn continues to get hung on the small gap. I’ve followed up with KnitPicks and they are sending me a replacement cable.

As an aside, knitting with circular needles does not exacerbate my carpal tunnel syndrome the way knitting with straight sticks does.

Here’s what I’ve gotten done so far:

Notice the classy, subtle diamond pattern emerging. The copious amount of cat hair was generously contributed by:

Cat No. 1

and Cat No. 2

Monday Weekend Booty Review

Here’s what I ordered from KnitPicks:

Hardware

Options Interchangeable Nickel Plated Circular Needle Set @ $59.99/ea

First Impressions:

The needles are not as slick as I had expected based on the product description, but rather have just a hint of a silk feel to them. I’m a bit disappointed as I knit tightly and like really slick needles. The cords are wonderfully slim and flexible. I’m having some trouble with the connection of the cord to the connector; there is a small gap and my yarn keeps getting hung in it. The needles will come loose from the cord connector if you don’t tighten them aggressively. The needles are thin and will bend easily. The binder/organizer is brilliant. I love having all of my needles in one place. No more having to set my project aside and rummage through the front closet for a different sized needle. It is a bit heavy, but very much worth it in my opinion. I’ll be ordering a few extra organizer pockets for the binder. Overall, I very much like this set.

Nickel-Plated DPN 6" Sock Set US 0-3 (2.00, 2.25, 2.50, 2.75, 3.00, 3.25mm) @ $29.99/ea

The silk feel mentioned above proves to be a bonus on these needles. The yarn won’t just fly off.

Software

For a vest I’m going to start this weekend:

Coal Swish DK @ $3.29/ea – a very nice black, no weird reddish hue

Eggplant Swish DK @ $3.29/ea – looks just like the picture

Pale Lemon Swish DK @ $3.29/ea – looks just like the picture

Moss Swish DK @ $3.29/ea – a bit darker than I expected. I ordered some asparagus to work this project. Moss, though very attractive, won’t work for this project and will be added to my stash.

Since I’ve never knitted with wool I’m not sure if it’s normal, but these yarns have an odd texture, like very fine silt. It’s hard to explain. The yarn looks lovely, though.

For a sweater I’m planning for spring:

Grass Shine Worsted @ $1.99/ea (Clearance Color) – looks just like the picture

Snapdragon Shine Worsted @ $1.99/ea (Clearance Color) – more pink that the picture showed

These are lovely yarns and I think they will make a beautiful spring weight sweater.

Monday Recollections of the Weekend

Well, it’s been an incredibly busy weekend and very little of it had to do with knitting. I spent Friday night and part of Saturday shopping for and installing new locksets for my exterior doors and repairing the botched installation of my storm doors. I’m going to talk about these events so perhaps someone can benefit from my experience.

About a month ago I ordered Anderson 3000 Series Fullview storm doors with clear glass and screen inserts in wineberry with brushed nickel hardware from The Home Depot for my front and back doors. I elected to have The Home Depot install them. I am perfectly capable of installing storm doors, but I decided to treat myself to the convenience of not having to do-it-myself.

The scheduled install was for the 24th. While the contractor was installing the doors I was busy with another contractor getting an estimate for a retaining wall and therefore was not watching him hawkishly as I normally would. Upon completion he showed me the installation, mentioned briefly that he had to install a shim between the brick mold and the storm door frame on the front door “to make it work” and beat a hasty retreat. By this time it was dark and stormy and I wasn’t going to go out and get wet to inspect the work too closely.

Well, it didn’t take me long to figure out that if the storm door on the back door was closed the back house door wouldn’t close and vice versa. The storm door handle and the deadbolt lock were trying unsuccessfully to defy the laws of physics. This led me to inspect the front door more closely. Apparently, upon realizing his screw-up (back door was installed first) the contractor decided to rig the front door with a shim in order to not repeat the unfortunate hardware incident at the back door. This, however, left the storm door at the front door sitting at an angle to the door itself.

That weekend I went back to The Home Depot and asked the folks at the help desk for some help resolving this issue. Between the help desk manager, the fellow from the doors department that helped me when I purchased the doors, and the boss of the contractor it was decided that Anderson 2000 Series locksets (lower profile) would be installed on the doors and that the shim business would be corrected. I was okay with that.

However, when the contractor rang me back to schedule the appointment he was decidedly annoyed that I felt his job was sub-standard. He informed me that the front door was proper and he would rig the back door in the same manner and was not going to install any hardware that he would have to purchase. Furthermore, he said should have charged me extra for the shim on the front door and he was rather put out by the whole business and was not looking forward do losing more money on this install. I told him not to bother coming out.

This was Tuesday. I was furious. I fumed about it for the rest of the work-week. I could order low-profile hardware for the storm doors, but it would be a special order item and take several weeks to arrive. Besides, I hate the ugly brass locksets on the exterior doors and had made up my mind to change them out someday. Though not just yet and not for this reason.

If you’ve looked at low-profile deadbolts you know they’re expensive. So, rather than just replace the two offending deadbolts with matching ugly brass ones I decided to go ahead and get them in brushed nickel and replace the keyed knobs as well so the set would match. And since the garage door is keyed to the same key, I might as well replace that keyed knob too. Yikes, now we’re talking several hundred dollars worth of hardware just to make my storm doors work. Yes, I know much of the hardware was my choosing, but still.

Friday evening after work I went to Lowe’s (I was not about to spend another penny at The Home Depot at this point) to purchase low-profile deadbolts with matching keyed knobs for the doors. I chose the Baldwin Image Series low profile deadbolts and wave lever keyed locksets in satin nickel.

I got my plunder home, un-installed then re-installed the front storm door sans wonky shim assembly, then installed the new deadbolts. Everything worked as it should. No more ugly hardware conflicts. Now, to install the handles. Uh-oh, I have three right-side paddle handles but only one right-side hinged door. The boys at Lowe’s pulled the wrong knobs off the shelf. Well, I installed the one that was right and gave up for the night. Lowe’s was closed and I couldn’t do anything else.

The next morning I went back to Lowe’s and got the two right-side paddles exchanged for the correct left-side paddles and headed back home to install them. These items are not just door hardware or even door jewelry; they are engineering marvels. Solid. Heavy. Precision fit. Absolutely amazing construction and operation, not to mention beautiful. The Kwikset hardware they replaced absolutely pales in comparison. The Kwikset was made of cheap, light metal, already showing significant wear after only a year of use. The Baldwin hardware was easier to install than the Kwikset was to un-install. If you need new door hardware, I can heartily recommend Baldwin. It makes me smile just to look at them and absolutely grin when I hear the solid click they make when shut.

By the way, I forgot to mention the storm doors. I love them. They are solidly built, have beautiful mortised hardware, dual closers, and a plethora of other nice features, the best of which are the interchangeable glass/screen panels. Easy to do, once you get the hang of it, though the glass panels are a bit on the heavy side.

Here is the fruit of my efforts:

I decided with the time and expense I had endured to correct the bad install I should not have had to pay for it in the first place. I returned to The Home Depot, spoke with the very helpful assistant manager, pointed out in the Andersen installation guide that accompanied the doors where the installer had completely disregarded the directions to avoid hardware conflicts and pled my case. He agreed and refunded my installation charge. Back to feeling warm fuzzies for The Home Depot and wanting to demonstrate my good will, I wandered over to hardware and picked up 34 lovely stainless steel sweep cabinet handles for my kitchen.

Maybe I’ll install them next weekend. I want to do some knitting with what I have left of this one.

Welcome!

Hello, World!

I don't really expect this blog to be read, but I somehow feel funny about not having an introduction or at least an explanation of why I'm here.

I have Asperger Syndrome - look it up. As such, I have an obsession. Unlike some of my ilk, my obsession changes. My current obsession is knitting.

Although my complete lack of social skills precludes my having friends, I do have immediate family that I love dearly. This blog is an attempt to find an outlet for my current obsession so that those loved ones don't have to bear the brunt of my preoccupation and I don't have to curb my enthusiasm.

I have always liked needle arts. My mother taught me to knit (sort of) and crochet when I was about 4 as a way to keep me occupied while she pursued her obsession. Knitting didn't really work out for me. I just wasn't coordinated enough to manage two needles and keep the tension even. I haven't knitted for 40 years though I own the venerable Principles of Knitting (purchased nearly 20 years ago) and all of my mothers knitting paraphernalia.

Crochet, however, became a lifelong pursuit and a sometimes obsession. Last year I crocheted my daughter (henceforth to be referred to as GC, for girl child) a sweater I designed. I refused to sew on the buttons because I just wasn't happy with how the yarn looked crocheted. As the weather started showing signs of cooling, I decided it was time to do something about the sweater. What needed doing, I concluded, was to knit the sweater...that would bring out the beauty of the yarn coloring. Here's where the obsession comes in.

I pulled Principles off the shelf and spent a weekend reading it cover to cover, all 532 pages. I love that book! Next, I went to the mart and picked up two skeins of Caron Simply Soft. I spent a day knitting a scarf for the GC just to get a feel for the process and work on that tension thing. Then came the sweater. It went fast and came out fabulous. I finished it in about 9 days. The GC loved it and I was hooked.

As is the case when any interest is elevated to an obsession, I felt the undeniable need to garner suitable equipment in order to obsess properly. So I ordered the KnitPicks circular needle set, 6" DPN set, and, for the first time in my life: wool yarn. I've never taken my craft seriously enough before to invest in natural fibers.

The box from KnitPicks arrived today. I can't wait to get it open and play with my booty!

Time to go check out my loot.

Cheers!