Trish Knits.com

August 17 sweater progress

Thanks to those who commented via the comments and Plurk. As you can see, I did start the sleeves. The first one is getting close to being done, but alas I have admitted to myself that there is absolutely no way that I can get the sweater done by the baby shower next Sunday. It’ll be close. As long as I can get it done by September 1, which at the moment seems more reasonable, I should be ok!

I’m glad now that I have two pairs of each size of smaller needles in Harmonies. I actually had the sweater on the 24″ needles, but also had a pair of 40″ needles. I knit the sweater body onto the 40″ needles and started the sleeve in the round with the 24s. I incorrectly stated the other day that I was using size 2.5 mm needles; I was wrong. They’re 2.25. I like the nice, dense fabric I’m getting, which despite the light weight of the fabric should still make for a fairly warm sweater. I don’t think I’ll be doing a baby sweater with really thin sock yarn any time again soon, though… this one is taking me forever!

Oh, and in case you’re interested, here’s a closeup of the cables:

closeup of cables

I didn’t like them at first but they are growing on me. It’s a simple braid, over 12 rows, crossing on row 5 and row 11. It’s a much more relaxed braid than the 8 row variety that is my usual favorite, so the relaxed look wasn’t doing it for me at the beginning. But as fussy as this yarn is I wanted to spread the cable crossings out a bit so that the yarn would be easier to work with. Did it help? Not sure, but I bet it probably did. I found the cables fussy to do as it is, and had to fix them several times during the process. I’m not quite done with the body length yet, so there may yet be more fixing up of this sweater as I near its finish, but I do think I’m finally getting the hang of it. We’ll see.

The title of today’s post is a nod to my favorite podcast, Cast On, and its wonderful host, Brenda Dayne. She seems to be struggling a bit with a podcast format/frequency schedule that works for her. I just wanted to give a shout out and say to Brenda that I love Cast On, and will take it in whatever way works best. Just please don’t go away. I need Cast On for the connectivity to knitters, much the same way that you say you need it. I’m glad you’re back and can’t wait for the next one, whenever it happens to be.

Over and out… I actually have to put the knitting down for the night and make some progress on some writing I’m doing. Yuck. I’d rather knit.

Ok, I’ve been trolling the interwebs for a little while now, on a quest for a couple of back issues of Interweave Knits. One of the ones high on my list has been Winter 2003, in which there are good articles about gloves and thumb gussets, as well as some comfy unisex slipper sock things.

I actually lost this one the other day, but the seller wrote to me and said she had more than one copy, so I jumped on it. The magazine is great, the patterns and articles are just what I wanted. But it STINKS. In a big way. In the I’ve sprayed it with skanky car air freshener to hide the cigarette smoke kind of way. But this is a good issue, and I can’t stop looking. And my eyes are watering and I’m sniffly. Oh well, the price I pay for my knitting addiction. Guess I’d better take a hit on the inhaler before bed.

Which is where I’m headed now. I hear that Kelley Petkun interviewed Charlene Schurch for her podcast tonight. Given my suddenly renewed interest in socks, I can’t wait to listen as I head off to sleep.

Goodnight for now!

(Obligatory Blanket Update)

Well, here it is, the latest photo of my ripple afghan in progress, for Miss Z. One or two more people added their work to the blanket this week, and I feel like I’ve knitted a LOT, but visually, from the picture, it doesn’t really look very different. I guess I’m entering that disappointing stage where hours and hours of knitting yield very minimal results. All knitters hit that wall with long-term projects. At some point. Right? Please tell me I’m not alone.

So this week my kid decided that she needs to do five rows a day on the baby blanket she’s working on for her teacher. So far, she has stuck to it, except that tonight she is feeling a little punky so I doubt she’ll knit today. I hope this isn’t the beginning of a winter virus making its way through our house.

I caved and bought yarn this week. Lots of yarn. 25 balls of Wool of the Andes in Amethyst Heather, and 20 balls in Onyx Heather. Not sure yet what I am going to do with it, but I was originally thinking maybe a blanket of some sort, or at least a couple of hats and mittens and scarves etc. We’ll see. Obviously I won’t be taking on any new projects for a while yet.

Also in the box is a set of needles in size 7 for IJ at work. She wants to learn to knit! I can’t wait to teach her. I’m hoping she will love knitting as much as I do.

Not much else going on around here. Brenda has a new episode of Cast On up today so I’m gonna go listen and knit. Ahhhh. Knitting and Cast On. Two things that make winter more bearable. Thanks, Brenda.

Well, here it is, the latest “baby pic” of Miss Z.’s Blankie. I am enjoying making it but I wish it could go faster. Miss Z. starts her chemo very soon and I want it to be done. Now that the holidays have wound down and most folks are back at work, I am getting even more takers on the “many hands” aspect of the project.

I have now used all of the yarn colors that I have for the project, so am starting over, in a slightly different color order. I hope I can keep the variations going. In a recent stripe I added Knit Picks Shine Sport in the colorway, Willow, but I’m not sure I love it being there yet, since it is so much lighter than the other shades. But I was having an interesting dilemma of not having enough yarns for the parts in between the primary shades. I had some Shine on hand, so decided to try it. So, I guess we’ll see how it works out.

Trish’s Got a Brand New Bag

Ok, as much as I absolutely LOVE my Jordana Paige Knitter’s Satchel, I have finally had to admit, it’s really not the most practical solution for me. I’ve managed to bend the metal bar that holds the clicky clasp on both of my bags, and so neither one closes well. Which is causing me problems, because except for the little stuff in the zipper pouch, most of the stuff is rolling around in there and all jumbled up with everything else.

So I bit the bullet and bought a Namaste Executive Bag. I’ve been hearing about these as they seem to be the buzz of all the knitters in the know. But, it’s hard to get. I hear it’s been discontinued, and that a newer, better bag may be coming out soon. But, I gotta admit, this one’s pretty cool! I like that it has separate compartments fort the “purse stuff” and the knitting gear. I also like that it seems to have stronger closures, so I shouldn’t have to worry about the bag tipping over and all of my purse stuff falling out.

It does seem that the material it’s made of is kinda thin. That’s one complaint I’ve been hearing is that the bag isn’t as durable as some folks would like. So I guess we’ll see how I make out with it, given that I do seem to be pretty hard on stuff. Wish me luck…

On a Roll

And now for something completely different…

I heard Kelley Petkun talk about this on her podcast a few weeks ago, and I thought, “Who in their right mind would buy a book about THAT??” But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Then, this week, my copy of Toilet Roll Covers finally found it’s way to my door. I cannot believe I started feeling all nostalgic, as my mom and grandmother used to make cozies for just about everything. But my mom has never seen toilet paper cozies like this! They are fun, funky and adorable. Of course I will have to make a hat for my toilet paper, and maybe even an Aran sweater. The piano keys are also very cute, and someday, I’ll have to make the “Drum Roll” for my brother the drummer.

Sigh. Looks like my Redskins are losing to the Seahawks. It’s been a tough year for them. I was really hoping…

Ciao for now!

A quick trip to Barnes and Noble today to get a birthday gift for a sister-in-law found me in short order in the knitting aisle. (Of course!) I snatched a copy of Folk Style without even cracking it open to peek first. Have I EVER knit anything from a knitting book that I own? (Hanging head…) No. Why then, do I have more than 60 knitting books in my library, and why do I have a horrid desire to own more?

I’m just crazy, I guess. But there are some pretty, pretty things in here and maybe I will knit something someday. I especially love the Modern Quilt Wrap by Mags Kandis, which of course can be found for free online. (Follow my link… easy! ) But also the colorful Algonquin Socks spoke to me. Have I ever even knit a sock? Nope, not yet! But I want to… really. Also the Tribal Baby Carrier and the Bogolanfini Pullover and the Indian Silk Pillow. All look so pretty! And yet, here I am, still dying to cast on for some hats. I am still working on the rainbow stripey baby blanket. Stitching a little each day, painfully little. It’s just four stinkin’ rows left. I was hoping to have it done today but now I am setting a new goal to be done with the main knitting before the end of this weekend.

Wish me luck!

Oh and hey, I found the new episode of Cast On was available today. Makes for good knitting, it does. Thanks, Brenda!

Here’s the latest blankie update photo. I haven’t measured but I think I got about six inches or so done while I was on vacation. At this moment I am planning to work my way up to the next pink stripe before calling it done, since the first stripe was pink. Then I need to decide whether the blankie needs to have a border of some sort. At this point I’m thinking maybe an attached i-cord.

So, while doing all of this knitting in the car on my trip, I listened to and got all caught up on the podcast Lime and Violet (or should I say, Violet, sans Lime? Where is she anyway? I miss her.) This podcast isn’t as much about knitting as it is about yarn and fiber and lots of wacky conversation… though of course there is some knitting, especially socks. I definitely would not listen to this podcast around my kids, but it is hysterically funny. I even caught my DH laughing several times. Now he knows why I’ve been known to guffaw out loud at night in bed (I use my iPod as a sound abatement sleep aid!)

I also listened to many episodes of Sticks and String, by David Reidy from somewhere in the Blue Mountains of Australia. I also love this show, as he is always talking to someone new about the world of knitting. As I was listening last week I found myself wondering whether, since he’s in Oz, if he happened to catch any of the Countdown Spectacular 2 concerts that are happening there. BSG were playing and of course since they play pretty much only on that side of the world I’ve never had a chance to see them. Have I ever mentioned that I am their WebLady? BSG of course are the principal founding members of Australia’s super-group, Little River Band. But, I digress…

I’m almost caught up now on David’s podcasts too and will look forward to the new ones each week.

Look, Ma! I’m Petting a Dolphin!

Here’s a shot of me petting a dolphin at Sea World in Orlando. I don’t get the chance to get up close to animals very often, except for my own cats of course, but this dolphin trainer called the dolphin up out of the water so I could pet her. She also showed my son how to ask the dolphin to make that clicking sound they make, and the trainer also showed us how to ask the dolphin to wave her fin at us as in waving bye-bye. It was so cool that she responded to us, and this was a highlight of our vacation. Thanks for letting me share!

Hi again! Today I had a really nice visit with my knit buddy, Rhoda, who has been recovering from foot surgery. It was the first time we’ve seen each other since before Memorial Day, which is saying a lot because we’ve been getting together to knit every couple of weeks for about a year now. I often complain that I don’t get out much and don’t have much contact with the knitting community other than in cyberspace. Rhoda is my one really big exception and it is a wonderful one, to just sit and knit. Sure there is always a bit of show and tell, and sharing of resources. Today, she brought a copy of “Creative Knitting” Magazine (why I have not yet subscribed to this one, I don’t know, but I LOVE it!) and I had the Fall issue of “Knit Simple” (which I am finding increasingly underwhelming) and the Summer issue of “Interweave Knits“. (I am dying to receive the fall issue, which I hope will be coming soon!)

LOOK what Rhoda brought me! Six weeks of recuperation from surgery meant lots of knitting time, I guess! And she brought me these adorable fingerless gloves! The pattern is Steph’s Sock Yarn Fingerless Gloves, and the yarn is Knitpicks Dancing. They are cotton, wool, nylon and elastic, which means they are warm, but not too warm, and despite the fact that they look small they are very stretchy. This is the kind of thing that is great to wear on a morning that is chilly but not freezing, and LOOK! There’s purple in them! Thank you, Rhoda!!

While we sat and knat, we listened to Cast On, which continued the Camp for grownups theme, and to Lime & Violet, which had us laughing, but I did have to be careful that my 5-year-old wasn’t in the room!

I did also re-purchase the Jordana Paige Satchel in Grape. I can’t wait for it to get here!!

I may be a bit out of touch this week, but I’ll try to provide a blankie update by Friday. Ciao for now!

Here’s the thing. I hate writing posts with no pictures. So I decided to treat your eyes with a project on the UFO bin from 2005. Yes friends, this is my Clapotis. It is made from Rio de la Plata yarn, which is kettle dyed and reminiscent of Malabrigo, but because of its uniqueness in dyeing, I did not have enough yarn to finish the project at the size I was making it. Sure, I had enough balls in the same colorway and even in the same lot, but among the lot that I had there were three distinct piles that I could put my balls of yarn in… and they were all so different! Sigh. Someday I may finish this project anyway, in spite of itself.

So, on to the real reason for my post today. I want to talk about the podcasts I’ve been listening to while knitting. I am sorely missing Brenda Dayne of Cast On at the moment, so I went in search of other things to occupy my ears whilst I am in waiting. I did find several worth sharing:

• Sticks and String — a podcast by an Australian bloke who knits. He goes for the tried and true format pretty much defined by Brenda Dayne, but I do find it enjoyable. Especially since he is a relatively new-again knitter. It’s fun to listen to what he finds in the bottom of his knitting bag!
• Stash and Burn — a podcast by Jenny and Nicole, which is very entertaining!
• Lime and Violet — very fun! I think this one is worth a listen as well.
• Let’s Knit2gether — this is a way cool video podcast that gets updated about once a month. This weekend, they have the second half of their essay on the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival up. Check it out!

Truly it is so hard to decide which podcasts to listen to and which to pass up, because there are so many. I almost listen to podcasts more often than straight music on my iPod.

Not much knitting in the cards today; I am going to see Hairspray with my daughter and Steve, then to Johnny Rockets for dinner. Then, alas, I have some actual work to do for my job… sigh. It never ends!

I hope everyone is having glorious, breezy summer weather like we are today. Later!

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve written an actual post, so I thought I would show an update on my progress with the rainbow striped blankie I’m working on. It’s finally starting to look like a blanket! But alas, I have a long way to go!

If you’ve never seen my blankie before today, check out my April 5 post to learn about my methodology. It looks random but it isn’t, and I’m still looking forward to each color change as it occurs.The baby that will be the recipient of this is due in late August and I am worried that I won’t be done in time. Thankfully we have a trip to Florida coming up in August, which will mean at least 28 hours of knitting time in the car. That should help! Don’t tell anyone, but I think I am actually looking more forward to the car ride than the vacation itself. Yes, we’re going to Disney in August. (Have you checked their website lately? The music is obnoxious!!)

Ok, it’s crazy to go in August, but the kids don’t have day camp then and we’d need to take off anyway to take care of them. I’m going to try to be “good” when we go there, but I hear that they don’t let people in wheelchairs ride the wheelchair accessible rides unless you get out of your own wheelchair and ride in one of theirs. This of course assumes that the wheelchair user can actually stand up or move easily, which hey, might apply to some people in wheelchairs, but leaves a lot of folks out, sweating in the heat. Something tells me I’m going to get lots of knitting done on this trip!

Podcasts

I am listening to several podcasts this summer. My favorites are of course Cast On, the KnitPicks Podcast, and Stitch Stud and his Bride. Of course I am partial to Cast On, and what fun! Brenda Dayne is taking her listeners to “camp” this summer! I shall enjoy this immensely while knitting by the pool. I admit to being secretly envious of all of those knitters who attend knitting camps, cruises or other events, and maybe this series will help me to feel a sense of community even when I am knitting in solitude.

I do have to say that even though it is hard for me not to view the KnitPicks podcast with a degree of skepticism, given that after all, they sell the products they rave about, it is very well produced and fun to listen to.

And stitch stud? So far I’m just enjoying the “guy” perspective on knitting. Check these out! All three are great things to knit by, and no, you don’t need an iPod to listen.