Kris Crafts!

So I went with popular vote (thanks for all of the input! ) and cast on this morning with the sea foam lined crystal:

Then I was wracked with doubt, and I made a swatch with the amethyst lined light blue:

I think I’m sticking with the crystal, but this whole thing is driving me nuts.

I can’t choose which beads to use for Mystery Stole 4… Help!

Sea foam lined crystal or amethyst lined light blue?

Here’s someone who has knit the first clue (so you can see the way the beads are used) - Ravelry link.

I am paralyzed by indecision.

1. Lani’s latest liver panel is much improved. We’ll take another one in another month to make sure that they don’t worsen, but if that’s okay, we can go to a blood draw every three months instead of every month.

2. Brad’s paternal grandfather’s health is failing. We’re going to Michigan in a few weeks to see him. I’ll be going straight from a week long business trip in MD to MI, where I’ll meet Brad and Leilani. (Leilani is coming because she requires hand feeding and five medications, and while our awesome dog sitter has no problem with the five medications, I don’t think anyone besides me and Brad are willing to coddle Lani into eating food. Plus I’m on a lot of business travel this fall and I want to see her when I can. Also, it’s time for her to start pulling her weight around here, and I think cheering up Grandpa M is in her job description.)

3. Mystery Stole 4 starts today. I’m a little unprepared - I haven’t swatched, rewound my yarn into two balls, or even made sure I had the right needles. I do have beads, though.

4. Going to see Cirque du Soleil tomorrow with friends from school. Looking forward to it.

5. Really not wanting to go to work today.

This pattern is my interpretation of the picture of Scarlett. (I decided to wing it to save $18). I’m calling it Pansy because that was the original name of Scarlett O’Hara’s character before Gone With the Wind was published. I used the basic idea (cardigan that was stockinette on the bottom and 1x1 rib on the top), but added finishing details like folded hems, and folded button bands/neckband. I would have bought the book if I wasn’t going to change half of the sweater, or if I had liked multiple items (like Noro Knits), but since I didn’t….

I decided against waist shaping as I thought it might be weird on an open hanging tunic type garment. After the fact, I’m not sure if it would improve the hang or not, but I wouldn’t rule it out so readily. I had also decided on sturdy button bands to eliminate the gaping shown in the original pattern, but it gaped anyway (a band issue, not a sizing problem). Solution - sew it all closed. After having actually knit this sweater, I can tell you that it would be horrible without all the buttons buttoned. So, it’s a pullover now, kind of. Also, the neckline was a little loose, but I just ran yarn in the inside of the fold and tightened it up a tad. All in all, a successful knit.

Needles: Addi Turbos US 8 for the stockinette, US 7 for the ribbing
Date started: July 18, 2006
Date finished: August 31, 2008
Time: 12.5 hours for the back, 5 hours for the left front, 5.5 hours for the first sleeve, 4.75 hours for the second sleeve, 4.75 hours for the right front. 9.5 hours for finishing, for a total of 42 hours.

Yesterday, I did some cleaning of my craft stuff, and I realized that I had been knitting my Undulating Waves scarf with size 3 needles, not 6. That explains the bead shortage… oops.

Also, it turns out that Maelstrom has some errata. I ripped back to the row before the heel, and got back to the gusset. It’s a little surprising that there was a problem with a Cookie A. pattern (so rare!), but luckily, I wasn’t too far past it all.

I started a new sweater, probably the last sweater of the summer, Rebecca’s Apricot Jacket:

That’s Cotton Ease in Strawberry Cream (part of the pre-discontinued stash). The sleeve is working up quickly, after a few false starts. I can’t access the errata anymore, but figured out what to look for poking around the internet (which is why I started on a sleeve and not the back).

August Goals:
1. Finish second Ornette sock. Done
2. Finish Pansy. Done (5 minutes into September, but close enough)
3. Finish Firestarter socks. Done
4. Block and take FO pics of Peacock Feathers. Done
5. Block and take FO pics of Mystery Stole 3. Done
6. Block and take FO pics of Salina. Done
7. Block and take FO pics of Brad’s scarf from Christmas (oops!) Done

Plus I threw in two baby sweaters, half a sock, and 40-something inches of a scarf. Not bad, huh? I knit an insane amount this month, 127.75 hours. For perspective, the second place month in the last year was 95 hours, and the average over the last year was 72.3 hours. Combination of being up late for Olympics and the work trip last week led to this outlier.

September Goals:
1. Finish Maelstrom socks.
2. Finish Undulating Wave Scarf
3. Start and finish Rebecca 25 Apricot Jacket (Ravelry link)
4. Keep up with Mystery Stole 4, both sides at one time (knit symmetrically). Even though I wasn’t going to join it. Oops.

Pattern: Firestarter (pdf) by Yarnissima
Yarn: Less than one skein of Schaefer Heather
Needles: US 1 Knitpicks nickel plated
Modifications: Judy’s Magic Cast On for the toe instead of short-rows, another repeat of cabling for the leg.
Date Started: July 20, 2008
Date Completed: August 30, 2008
Time: 11.25 hours for the first sock, 8.5 hours for the second sock, for a total of 19.75 hours. I had some issues with the chart as written, so I re-charted it (after having to rip out half of the first sock).

These socks are for my sister - no occasion, I just figured I have tons, and someone else deserves the love. She has the advantage of having very similarly sized feet to mine.

I need to remember I’m not really a fan of toe-up. With the magic cast on, and heel flap with gusset construction, they’re not bad to knit, and fit well (short-row heels don’t work for me). They’re just not as fun for me, though.

I’ll be working on finishing up Pansy today - I actually have a chance of meeting all August goals! Totally weird. I have no clue what I plan to do for September.

I have lovely company at home:

This is where Pansy was before I left:

I left early on Tuesday for a day meeting in the BWI area, then went back to the airport to go to FL. Lucky me got stranded in Atlanta*, after many hours just kind of hanging out in the airplane (not in the air). I just have to say, I have a different idea of what a software “glitch” is than the rest of the world, apparently. This is a failure, in my opinion. So I spent the night in an Atlanta hotel (completely missed dinner), and arrived in FL 1.5 hours late for my meeting on Wed. Jam packed day where we skipped lunch, but ended early enough due to people leaving to catch flights to visit an LYS.

Then I had a couple of hours before a business dinner (first real meal in 48 hours), and knew that if I took a nap, I’d never get up. So I worked on Pansy, which was alarming like the couch in my Florida beach condo:

The view was nice, though I couldn’t actually go on the balcony due to the heat/humidity:

And the morning was quiet and lovely:

I got back to Boston late Thursday night, after a busy work morning and a thankfully uneventful trip home. I had finished the remaining pieces of Pansy, so it’s all blocking now:

I am so, so, exhausted, and haven’t really recovered yet. Luckily, I have a four day weekend (I took yesterday off), so I’m hoping to feel better by the time I have to go back to work on Tuesday.

* Back when I lived in San Diego, and was cross-stitching on airplanes, not knitting, I got stranded in Denver on a business trip. The radar went out at the Denver airport, so airplanes couldn’t land. After lots of circling, they started diverting to other airports to refuel. By the time my plane did that, we had to go to Wichita. By the time we got back to Denver and landed, I had missed my San Diego flight (San Diego airport has a curfew). So not fun. Always travel with the necessities NOT in checked luggage (both times I got stranded, I hadn’t checked anything). I have to say, even for trips that are supposed to be out and back in the same day, I’ll bring some extra clothes and toiletries just in case.

I’m back today from my work trip, which was eventful, but I’ll post that stuff tomorrow. Today, the last of the delinquent FOs.

Pattern: Mystery Stole 3 by Melanie Gibbons
Yarn: JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk in ebony, probably about 1/4 lb.
Needles: Addi Lace US 4
Modifications: none
Date started: July 7, 2007
Date finished: January 6, 2008
Time: 35. 25 hours

Here it was blocking:

Just in time for Mystery Stole 4. Which I said I wasn’t going to join, but then I went and ordered beads for it. I’m a little weird.

Also, I finally blocked Brad’s Christmas gift from last year, a multi-directional scarf. 3.5 skeins of Noro Kureyon 195. 8.25 hours, done some time in December 2007 (I seriously had no records beyond the time, which is weird for me - no start or end date). Which is how I managed to not notice that I hadn’t posted about it.

This was my longest WIP - it’s such a relief to get it done!

Pattern: Peacock Feathers by Fiddlesticks
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool-Silk in Marine Blue, probably about 1/4 lb.
Needles: Inox Grey US 5
Modifications: none
Dimensions: 44″ deep, 88″ across
Date started: May 31, 2006
Date finished: July 25, 2008
Time: 47.75 hours

I’m on three days of work travel, so I’m auto-posting a few entries to get caught up on some FOs.

Buttons from La Droguerie:

Pattern: Salina from Rowan Vintage Knits
Modifications: Undid the cast on for the sleeves and knit the cuffs down from there, so they could be worn folded over or not. Had I thought ahead, I would have used a provisional cast on. Also lengthened the sleeves.
Needles: US 5 and 3 Addi Turbos
Yarn: 5.5 skeins of Rowan Felted Tweed in Melody
Date Started: February 17, 2008
Date Completed: June 27, 2008
Time: 9.25 hours for the back, 9 hours for the front, 7.75 hours for the first sleeve, 7.25 hours for the second, 1.5 hours for the collar, and 3.75 hours for finishing for a total of 38.5 hours

A quick refresher here.

Everything got shoved to the side when I decided to do the Ravelympics (decision made sometime between the 1st and the 8th). Now I have a week left in August, and I’m pretty sure I can’t finish Pansy, but I should be able to get everything else done.

Here’s where I am in the first Firestarter sock:

This thing has been taking me forever (over 8 hours so far, which is a lot for a sock that’s so simple). A lot of it was my own confusion with the way the chart is written, and once I recharted it, I was fine. The second sock should go more quickly.

I did also block Salina and Peacock feathers yesterday. Salina pic will be saved for the FO pic (too darned hot for a photo shoot), but here’s the ginormous Peacock Feathers blocking:

Had I thought about it when I started, oh, over 2 years ago, I probably would have gone down a needle size to make it less…. huge. It is absolutely gorgeous, though, but the size makes me wonder how much I’ll actually use it (I haven’t measured it, but that’s on our queen sized guest bed, and the wingspan is longer than the length). Maybe I should just put it on my bedroom wall.

I got the last three buttons yesterday, so here’s the actual finished cardigan:

Pattern: Setesdal Cardigan by Dale of Norway
Yarn: 2.5 skeins of Dale of Norway Baby Ull in 010, less than one skein of 5303
Needles: Addi Turbo US 1, Addi Natura US 2
Modifications: none
Date started: August 14, 2008
Date finished: August 24, 2008
Time: 11.5 hours for the body, 3.5 hours for the first sleeve, 3.75 hours for the second sleeve, 7.75 hours for finishing for a total of 26.5 hours.

So, the official ending time has come and gone. It’s a little odd since the actual Olympics are still going on (tape delayed 12 hours), but those are the rules! And honestly, I don’t need an excuse to stay up late tonight. Two weeks of Olympic watching has knocked me out - we’re normally 10 pm bedtime sort of people. I’m on travel this week, two different projects in two different states from Tuesday-Thursday, so starting off the week well-rested will serve me well.

I did make a last pull to get the scarf finished last night. I would have, too, except I ran out of beads. I had the amount the pattern specified, but I guess my row gauge was tighter (I didn’t swatch, it’s a scarf!). I’m at 42″ which isn’t long enough, really. I know it will stretch lengthwise, as all scarves tend to do, and that the beads will make it worse, but I wanted to make it at least 50″ with the idea that it would eventually get to 60″ish. Anyway, as luck would have it, I was able to order more beads. They should be here when I get back from my trip, and I’ll finish it up there before I decide I’m too sick of it to look at it again.

Here’s where I am on the Maelstrom socks:

This is one of those simpler (but gorgeous) Cookie A. patterns. I’m not worried about getting them done - I’m worried about putting them aside to get back to my Firestarter socks!

Anyway, when all is said and done, I finished (except for those three lousy buttons) two colorwork baby sweaters. My total Olympic knitting time was 77.5 hours, which even I think is a little insane for two weeks.

You guys are right - I marked the sweater finished. I really did think about sewing on “placeholder buttons,” but the more I thought about it the more I realized that maybe I am taking all of this just a tad too seriously.

Anyway, the Olympics finish off tomorrow. At this point, Brad and I are relieved - staying up to watch the cool stuff has totally made us zombies. I’m not going to finish all four projects (the original “I’m going to tag too many projects so I don’t kill myself trying to reach some actually attainable goal,” a strategy which backfired on me a bit). Anyway, I’m leaving the Maelstrom socks as my WIP of the games, as I know I’ll have no problem finishing that one up. I am less scarf motivated (significantly so), so I have been plugging away at the Undulating Waves Scarf.

Here’s the progress after the first night (Thurs):

I’m 20″ in at this point:

Close-up:

That last picture is a good representation of the yarn and beads.

Yesterday we had a work social that involved kayaking on a lake (I couldn’t stomach the idea of the Charles, and thankfully, since I’m co-social chair, I can make such blanket decisions). I brought Lani along, and she actually seemed to enjoy the ride on the kayak. Then I dumped her in to make her swim, and she was less enamored of the experience. I’m beginning to wonder about her dislike of water, though - she definitely doesn’t really react to rain anymore, and maybe her dislike of bodies of water has more to do with the fact that she’s really bad at swimming. She doesn’t get enough power with her back legs, so her butt sinks, so her front paws plunk on the surface rather than propel her through the water. Maybe a doggie life vest?

Not bad, huh?

Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving…

I have three buttons left to sew on. Johanna was sweet enough to pick them up for me (there were only 9 buttons at the store I originally found them at). Those three buttons are all that are in between me and a second finished Ravelympics object. So here’s the rub - earliest I’ll see Johanna is Sunday, 4 pm. The official end of Ravelympics is Sunday, noon EST. There are three buttons to attach to a project that took something like 22 hours, part of a 50+ hour pair. It somehow feels wrong to mark it as finished. Argh.

I got a ton done, and now I’m behind with the posting. First, I powered through the lavender sweater body and finished it on Friday:

Then, I cut my first steeks on Saturday:

I sewed each reinforcement seam an extra time because I was nervous. :p Brad said the whole thing was anti-climactic, and I said that was the point… it would only been really exciting if something went wrong. Here’s both sweaters all cut up:

I finished both lavender sleeves on Saturday too.

Some serious finishing effort Saturday night and Sunday (including reknitting one band a bunch of times, initially because I had it the boy way, and then because I kept on messing up)

Pattern: Setesdal Cardigan by Dale of Norway
Yarn: 2.5 skeins of Dale of Norway Baby Ull in 010, less than one skein of 4711
Needles: Addi Turbo US 1, Addi Natura US 2
Modifications: none
Date started: August 8, 2008
Date finished: August 17, 2008
Time: 7.25 hours for the first sleeve, 11 hours for the body, 5.25 hours for the second sleeve, 9 hours for finishing for a total of 32.5 hours.

All of those raw edges are covered by picot facing:

And as part of the whole “I’m going to do an impossible amount of projects so I won’t actually kill myself” stupidity, Brad helped me string on beads for the Undulating Waves Scarf (at Knitsmiths! He had to come because we had dinner reservations, and it was Ariel’s last day so I couldn’t skip):

Now, to work on finishing off the lavender sweater!

I’m taking the day off and hanging with the doggie and Brad. We have dinner reservations tonight, and then again Sunday night, with lots of sleeping, relaxing, and knitting planned for the in between.

I thought I had a mistake in the second sleeve of the pink cardigan, and realized after I undone the bind off that it was actually just a pink stitch hiding from me due to tension. So I blocked it all last night:

Then, immediately to the lavender. I started with the body this time, with the hopes that I can sew all the steeks and cut them this weekend. We’ll see how that goes!

I’m just going to have to steal it from Lani first:

It feels like Wed, but since I’m not in bed yet… (seriously, the Olympics are awesome, but the hours are kicking my butt).

1. I ordered beads from The Beadin’ Path for one of my Ravelympics projects. They sent me the wrong beads by accident. I called them up, and they were lovely on the phone, are sending me the right ones, and told me to keep what was sent the first time. The order wasn’t much ($12), but I was expecting to go to the post office to send them back (and wouldn’t have thought it unreasonable if that’s what they wanted). Not having to go is great, however, and I really appreciate a company that values customer service and corrects a mistake with the smallest amount of impact to me.

2. Michael Phelps kind of annoyed me last night when he was upset that he didn’t break the WR in 200 m by enough due to his goggle malfunction. I realize that perfectionism is how he got where is in the first place, but I would like him better today if he had kept that thought to himself.

3. I realize this makes me a hypocrite, as I am a perfectionist myself, and can specifically remember driving my high school friends nuts over my SAT score obsession, and my personal definition of what was good enough for me.

4. Work has been taxing me. How much do other people define their identity by their professions? I think mine are too tightly linked, which is turning out to be somewhat detrimental.

5. I hate the gymnastics announcers. Why do they insist on saying things like “here’s where it all went wrong” before they show a tape delayed segment?

Me: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?
Brad: I have to pick one?
Me: Yes.
Brad: I like that you pick really pretty things to make. Like, you have good taste.

Me: What is your least favorite thing about my knitting?
Brad: I don’t think I like this survey.
Me: …
Brad: So I have to phrase my answer in a negative way?
Me: Yes
Brad: How is this good for me? All right, you asked for it. It is overabundant.

Me: What is something I have knitted that you recall as being good?
Brad: The one colorful cably thing.
Me: Are you totally making that up?
Brad: Yes.

Me: Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby?
Brad: I don’t think the hobby is expensive
Me: What do you mean?
Brad: I think it can be done judiciously, but people who have trouble saying no to projects might take it to the extreme.

Me: Do you have any hobbies?
Brad: No

* Discussion about how I can’t really do the next questions about money/time.

Brad: Well, I bought a guitar two years ago.

Me: Do you have a stash of any kind?
Brad: No.

Me: Has my knitting in public ever embarrassed you?
Brad: No.

Me: Can you name another knitting blog?
Brad: Now Norma Knits

Me: Do you mind that I want to check out yarn stores everywhere we go?
Brad: Whatever floats your boat

Me: Do you know my favorite kind of yarn?
Brad: *thinks for a really long time* You have a favorite?
Me: That was exactly the right answer.

Me: Do you understand the importance of a swatch?
Brad: I understand the importance of prototyping, yes.

Me: Do you read Kris Crafts?
Brad: Yes. You know I do.

Me: Have you ever left a comment?
Brad: Not online, because I can speak to the blogger personally.

Me: Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn’t knit?
Brad: No. What, you want me to lie?

Me: Is there anything else you want to say?
Brad: Nope, I think I’ve said quite enough. So, I’ll be generating my Michigan Football survey very soon.

There’s two more weekends in this thing, right? My deliberately impossible goals are starting to seem possible, as the body is done on the first baby sweater:

Of course, I haven’t steeked anything yet; gearing up to cut knitting might take me days right there.