Knitpick Rose Garden Over-Dye

Knitpicks Gossamer Rose Garden Colorway, over dyed with red food coloring. The new color is on the left, and the original (grainy) photo of the original color way on the left. I really like how the over dye turned out. the variegation is still present, but much more subtle. There is still a bit more variegation than the photo shows. I think it will work up brilliantly. It is being sent off to my SP within the next few days.

WIPS

I have two main WIPs at the moment. The first is the shawl I designed for my grandmother, made from colourmart silk. I am mostly done with it at this point, but I am also completely sick of working on it too. A few inches more and I will be done, so I am planning on sitting and getting some done within the next few days. Today my plan is to go down to 4th street and visit the cats I have been reading about on the Home at Last website, and go to the welding store to get welding rods to make into blocking wires. Up to this point I have bee justifying my avoidance of the shawl by telling myself I couldn't really finish it without blocking wires anyway, so no need to hurry. I am going to do a preliminary blocking to see how much length I really have after the stretching and such. I have a second shawl of the same silk in a different color that is destined for a shawl for my sister, but I still dont know about a pattern for that, and am a little sick of the silk as well, so I am ignoring it for now.

My second WIP at the moment is a pure indulgence - I have started a twirly scarf from the Silk Cloud I picked up on Wednesday. I love the yarn, I love the feel of it, and I love how it looks. I was worried about having enough yarn to crochet rather than knit the scarf, but it looks like I will be fine.

New Yarn!

Today I began shopping for my SP :-) I am trying to get everything thats local to me, so it is really something out of the ordinary. That means, of course, no package could be complete with Ghiradelli Chocolate. Tomorrow I am going to hunt down some Scharfenberger chocolate as well, so the full range of local chocolate companies is represented :-). I got some gorgeous yarn, spun and died in California, made specially for my LYS - it says so right on the label. I would show pictures, but its supposed to be a surprise :-P
While I was at the LYS, I saw a gorgeous spiral scarf in mohair-silk yarn, and had to have one. I am planning on crocheting mine rather than knitting, because in the case of this type of pattern it is 100% easier to go with the hook rather than the sticks. The yarn is Silk Cloud from Shibuiknits in the Mulberry colorway. Absolutely gorgeous, and very soft. I look at Kidsilk Haze from Rowan as well, but it wasn't nearly as soft, and felt scratchy to me. The Silk Cloud doesn't seem scratchy at all. Since my mother insists that she and my sister are allergic to wool, and more so to Mohair, I am a little worried, but I am becoming more and more convinced it is all in their heads. I can't stand wool in commercially bought items, but things I make don't seem to bother me. Besides, I get Scottish blood from my dad: if my ancestors were allergic to wool they would have died from hypothermia. Last summer when the temperatures hit the 80's in Scotland, I heard that some people were dying from heat stroke. When it is in the 80's here I carry along a light sweater in case I get cold. By the time it hits the 60's I am in my winter coat and scarves. Perhaps my Scottish blood isn't dominant after all :-P

Back Again

I have joined the knitty-board S'no FlakeSwap, so I thought it only fair to my swap partner that I start updating my blog again :-P

I have the official okay from my landlord/father to get a cat. Getting a cat means that I will not be coming back home to live, either over the summer or after college, so I think the idea of me getting a cat makes him a little sad. I am waiting until after the holidays to get a kitty, so I have another month before I am locked into a decision, but I really want a pet. Cats and dogs are supposed to help reduce stress, and I sure could use the help :-P
I am looking at adopting an adult cat from Home at Last Animal Rescue. I figure bypassing the chew-on-everything, use-my-litterbox-as-a-sand-box stage is not such a bad deal. Now, my favorite kitties from HAL, Missy, Iris , Monique, and Cassandra. Later, I'll post some honest to goodness knitting related news :-)

Dye Again

Today while talking to my DBF he described to me a sweater that one of his proffessor was wearing saying things such as "it was a nice pattern" and using vocabulary such as "cables". When I commented that I found it amusing that he talks about sweaters with me he goes "I can't help it, you talk about it all the fricken time." So sweet. :-)
In other news, LAst night I tried dying again. Mostly because I wanted to try something more amusing than solid colors. I over dyed my purple yarn with food coloring, setting with vinegar and the oven. I also decided to try my hand at "self striping" dyeing, so I wond my teal skein in into a super long skein, and dyed that according to the recipe in self striping sock tutorials. The lime green is from overdyeing with tumeric, set with salt and vinegar; the dark green is from a concentrated solution of green jello with a few drop of green and blue food coloring, set with vinegar; the purple just classic grape koolaide purple :-). I am very happy with how the color turned out, and have destined the yarn for a birthday project for a friend, and am leaning towards a felted bag, but haven't quite decided yet. Either way I am excited at the success of the dyeing experiments :-)

The Weekend

My migraine has subsided to the point where I can look at a computer again! I have been getting headaches, and finally went into see someone about it on Saturday, and found out that I have been getting migraines, and the bread that I made Friday, which turned out wonderfully, may be a trigger for migraines. I never knew that fresh baked yeast bread was a trigger, but apparently it is. So I suppose that spells the end of my bread making adventures. Just when I was beginning to get and idea of how to do things right. Though I think my sadness at the loss of fresh baked yeast breads cannot quite hold a candle to my mourning over the fact that chocolate is a common trigger. I will have to find a way to cope. Though what really got me annoyed is te fact that the Excedrin Migraine I have been taking for the headaches probably got me addicted to caffeine and started triggering migraines through caffeine withdrawal headaches. So I stopped taking Excendrin, and spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday wearing sunglasses, and unable to do essentially anything. Except knit. I swatched Branching out in some spare yarn, and decided that I didn't particularly like how it was looking. So I swatched a feather and fan pattern in the yarn I am using for my Mom's scarf (it arrived Friday :-) ), and didn't like the loose stitches. I went online (quickly) and found a lace pattern called Falling Water that struck my fancy, and started in on that pattern. I love how it looks, and I had the pattern memorized after the second repeat. I am very happy with how it is turning out, and its exactly what I was picturing for my Mum's scarf: very light and flowing.
I felt slightly guilty over knitting up a scarf rather than working on my sister's afghan, but after discovering that while attempting to crochet with a migraine that I managed to turn the row before actually reaching the edge, I decided that sticking with knitting worked for me. So overall, a very productive knitting weekend. All I have to worry about now is catching up on the academics that don't cooperate enough to be worked on while in pain :-\

Migraine

Pictures sit in my camera ready to be uploaded. Many knitting excitements to be shared, once looking at a computer screen stops making my head pound. Hopefully this time is quick in coming.

State of the Day

Bread: My first attempt at real homemade sourdough is in the oven, rising (I have a gas oven so the pilot light helps keep it warmer in the oven, allegedly. Plus I put a ceramic container full of boiling water in the oven with my bread to help keep the temp up too. Apparently on top of you fridge is also a good place to rise bread since its slightly warmer from the heat exhaust of the engine, but I don't want to think to hard about the dust underneath the cabinets on top of my fridge, so I just don't go there.)

Curry: My Indian curry is in the crock pot bubbling happily. I'll post pictures and the recipe if it turns out well, and if not then I'll detail the disaster. Or pretend it never happened.

Hot and Sour Soup: scheduled to be made Saturday with DBF.

The Cardigan: Two votes for the IK Cardigan, one from my friend Meghan (good friend of mine) who says it looks more like my style, and one from Asa (whose blog I would love to see, but has her profile set to private :-\)

The Granite Silk: Shipping! I can't wait!

The Afghan: I found a hole! I think its where one of my yarn joins didn't hold. Crochet really just doesn't lend itself to being fixed, so I just tied a knot as prettily as possible, and declared that I was going to put one of the decorative flowers there. Why have the flowers if not to bput them to use?

Pictures of everything and stories of adventure and my SWE knit event Monday :-)

Project List

I have finished the hat, but have a headache so am uninspired to get out the camera, pictures tomorrow :-). Along with pictures from my Society of Women in Engineering get together! I am so excited! I know that there are people in physics and engineering who knit, because at the Women in Physical Sciences liquid nitrogen ice cream social I saw someone wearing Tubey. Unfortunately, other than the spotting of Knitty patterns, and my attempts to draw other knitters to me by casually knitting at gatherings, there has been no knit activity at my school. There is no knitting club, there is no mention of Berkeley on the Coffee Shop Stitch N Bitch boards, so I am quite excited about the first knitting gathering of engineers. But enough of my rambling, onto...

Things I am in Love With














The Cables and O's Cardigan from No Sheep For You. I have yet to buy the book, but Amy's blog has enabled me in my love for this cardigan. Simple design, no wool, looks amazing. I am in love. The only itsy detail I am not sure on is the sleeve length. I was resolved in my decision to buy the book and knit this cardigan, for it was above and beyond anything else I had seen. But then, I saw on another blog the Dollar and a Half Cardigan from IK magazine. I had seen another view of the sweater on another blog and really like the sweater, then the detail view sold me. Simple, elegant, not busy, and with full sleeves. I feel so conflicted. I think it may be a matter of what do I knit first, not what do I knit... Right now I am leaning towards the IK sweater, but can't decided if I like the pattern more, or just the color. But right now I am still in the early stages of pattern infatuation, so who can tell?
My other project in line is my plan for the Granite Silk I ordered from Colour Mart. I played with some stitch patterns, but Love the branching out pattern, so I think that I will just swatch the pattern until I can actually manage it without screwing up royally. I have tried swatching the pattern I think three times now and have yet to get past the third line on the chart due to miscounting number of CO stitches, or forgetting the purl row in between patterned rows. But I will persevere, because this scarf is for my mother, who informed me in no uncertain terms that I was to make her a scarf. She did this in her standard way over winter break, when upon seeing the scarves I had knit for some friends of mine (who had sworn to me that they do in fact wear scarves) that "you have never made me a scarf." Of course the fact that I have never seen her wear a scarf factored into this. I mentioned this to her, and she told me "I wear scarves!" I remained skeptical, but on my last visit home I spotted a scarf in her room that I had not seen before, and she assured me that she did in fact wear it (which was sad because I really liked it :-P), so with this evidence I will embark upon the scarf. But only because Knit Picks has pulled their Cotlin due to enthusiastic knitter buying over half their stock (or so the Coffee Shop gossip goes) and I cannot start on either of my beloved sweaters until the yarn comes back. And because I love my mother, of course :-P

Frog Pond

The Hat
I decided that the untwisted stitches on the hat's brim looked more "glaring mistake" than "design element", so I frogged. However, looking over the pattern again, it required turning the work after 22 rows, and the idea of leaving a hole and strange looking stitch where I turned the hat doesn't really appeal... So instead I decided that rather than just twist my knit stitches, I would twist my purl stitches as well. It works out great for me, since I knit combination anyway, I can just work my stitches like I would if I were working flat rather than in the round. Inspired by the "How do you knit?" thread at the Knitty Coffee shop, I decided to document my rather unique way of knitting that is working out perfectly for my hat.

My Knit Stitch
With yarn in the back of work, insert needles into the back loop of the first stitch on the needle from front to back. Wrap yarn clock ways (under then over then needle) around the needle, and pull through an off. Working yarn is on the back of the needle. This twists a stitch, or untwists a continental purl in the previous row.


My Purl Stitch
Insert the needle into the front loop of the first stitch of the needle, from front to back. Wrap the working yarn counterclockwise around the needle (under then over the needle), pull through then off. Working yarn is at the front of the needle.


Sour Dough Starter
In other news, I am excited because the flour and water I left out on my counter for three days, then neglected in my refrigerator for a month did in fact catch the yeasty beasties as intended, and is now foaming happily on my counter waiting to be made into delicious bread. I think I am finally getting the knack of bread making down, and am now very excited to try baking with no commercial yeast and perhaps producing some "San Francisco Sourdough" in my kitchen. Oh yeah, I am excited by bread and yarn.

Hot and Sour Soup
Oh but yarn and bread do not define me, for I have other loves. At the moment I am having a love affair with curry. Introduced to it about two years ago I am finally moving beyond eating it whenever I can at restaurants, I have moved on to attempting to cook it. Inspired by this post, I have attempted a potato cauliflower curry dish. Doing (mostly) what the recipe said the first time round, I went to the Thai market on my way home to pick up more cauliflower, as well as some bell peppers to try. Through no fault of my own, while in the produce section I was seduced by a Hot and Sour Soup kit. With its pre-made base, with simple easy to follow cooking instructions, packaged with actual fresh ingredients, I couldn't resist. And its so pretty too :-). And now I have three culinary adventures to embark upon in my near future, which is a good thing since my Colour Mart shipment with my Granite Mix Silk isn't due for a number of days.

Striped Socks and *gasp* Crocheted Afghan

Two Additional WIPs:

In the foreground we have my randomly striped toe-up knee high sock. Loosely based on Streets and YOs pattern for knee high socks, I calculated the foot from Knitty's Universal Toe Up Sock Formula, then used leg circumferences to calculate the increases. The socks are currently stalled as they have become to bulky for a good knit on the go, I can start the lone sock's mate until I finish the first due to lack of needles, and all at home yarn craft is confined to the piece seen in the background... My sister's afghan. I am crocheting the Flower Garden Afghan as a wedding present, and my deadline is March 31st, ways to quickly approaching. However, I am about 2/3 done, and mostly rolling along, so I may be in the clear on getting it done on time. I must say though I am looking much more forward to knitting for her once she gets pregnant (she is planning on having kids), baby clothes are much quicker, and absolutely adorable.

The First

I have decided to start a blog. More than that, I have started to start a blog and not tell anyone about it. At least not anyone I see on a regular basis. I told DBF that I was thinking of starting a blog and his reaction was less than supportive, so we'll see how this all works out and then perhaps let people outside of the casual clickers know.
This blog will be more than personal ramblings. I do not fancy myself so interesting. This blog will shamelessly catalog, admire, commiserate, and discuss my WIPs, because my friends in real life just don't get it. Perhaps a recipe and interesting link will be thrown in as well. Oh, and of course, this will server as the place to finally put use to that beautiful DSLR that has been feeling so neglected since I stopped taking photo classes.
Without further ado...

The WIPs


The Watch Cap
This hat started life as scratchy blue yarn bought off of e-bay. I wanted wool yarn with which to make a sweater and perhaps some socks. The blue "worsted" weight yarn that came was scratchy, the heaviest worsted weight I have seen, and in a color I didn't care for. The solution? Swatch, try felting, discover the wool does not felt, remember the packets of black cherry koolaide in the cabinet, play with a small hank of yarn and discover a blue yarn + black cherry koolaide=beautiful burgundy. I loved the color I got, unfortunately the intended recipient of the sweater is not big into red. So I try to find blue koolaide. No luck. I look for green koolaide, no luck. So I pick up Lemonade koolaide, grape koolaide, orange koolaide, and lime jello. Several hours later, I have three skeins of yarn, none of whom have colors that work for my sweater. However, my orange koolaide dyed yarn looked like a prime canidate for a watch cap. A little internet searching yielded this pattern. Simple, elegant, easy to memorize: a perfect traveling pattern. After a few days of knitting on the bus, and through Comparative Literature discussions, I am ready for the decreases. I was in the middle of class at the time so I sort of figured out what the pattern said and started. As soon as I got home I checked the pattern to make sure the decrease pattern was correct (looking for the first time since starting the hat, and realize that I should have turned the brim about half a hat ago. Oops. I'll finish, see how much it bugs me.

More WIPs to be listed later :-)