Monday, April 28, 2008

Interstitial

There are pictures, but I haven't offloaded them from the camera. There will be more pictures tomorrow, assuming I don't forget the camera in my insanity.

I've deemed all my knitting too mindless and zen. The lace shawl is too easy, the Mother's Day feather and fan socks are the same, and everything else is stockinette. Grr. And I've got way too much swirling around my head to just play stockinette, which is sad for me. Because I was liking the zen.

So who can help me? Who's got a charming and absorbing pattern that will take all my brainpower when I'm not thinking about work?

Monday, April 14, 2008

Fibery Weekend

There are no pictures. The husband absconded with the camera this weekend 'cross the country. If you want pictures of the Phoenix NASCAR race, those we (probably) have, but pictures of my fiber antics are nonexistent.

I spent Friday night and Sunday on the sofa knitting. And watching Doctor Who. I had no idea, but it's seriously awesome. The Who, that is. The red sweater now actually looks like a sweater, it has sleeve holes and everything. That's seriously awesome too. Of course, it was perfectly temperate on Friday when I lit into it, and Saturday it was cold and nasty and ergh. I totally blame the sweater. Nevertheless, it's moving along and I luuurve it. I was afraid the stockinette would be boring, but it's not, it's peaceful. It's zen.

Saturday was The Fiber Event in Greencastle. I went with a list and spent time with the stash before going, so I actually didn't spend as much as I thought I would. Bonus: I won a door prize, some 600 yards of mohair boucle in red and purple. It's yummy and while it's nothing I would have chosen for myself, I think I'll have fun with it. I scored some Trekking HandArt, which I am totally psyched about. It's currently displayed on my mantel, it's so pretty and bright green (the Brazil, I got Atlantik as well, and it's yummy and also on the mantel)!

I also tried a wheel and I may need one. I'm reading up and doing a little research. I've been reading Abby Franquemont for a while, and I vaguely want to study at her knee and have her be my spinning guru.

Long day, there were cakewaffles for breakfast. It was fun. Returning to work and math today was less so. Meanwhile, there's a math event this weekend, so I'll be absent from Mad Knitting. Although I'm sure the red sweater and the socks in progress will come along as well. Oh, and there's a yarn shop a couple blocks from the host campus, so yay for knitting tourism.

That's all I've got. Mid-first sock on two pairs, mid-sweater, a few smaller things floating about. Multiple half-formed ideas, as always.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Oh... Wow!

Reason number 256 that I'm still a new knitter: as I was finished up with the end-weaving on my shawl on knit night, Mandie said that it would grow when I blocked it. I agreed, but in my secret knitter heart, I didn't know. This stuff is bamboo and cotton and ELASTIC, and I wasn't sure that the secret blocking magic would really work. If it was wool, sure I had faith that it would grow, I saw that happen on my first sweater (whoops, sleeves are a bit long there), but this thing was a different animal. After all, this is what it kind of looked like:

unfinished pink blob

(Note that photo is from when the knitting was finished, in January.) Even with the ends woven in, it still kind of looked like a big piece of ABC bubblegum. That said, I was still going to block it and see what happened. So Friday I strung crochet cotton through the sides, gave the thing a good soak and squeeze, and pinned it out on my guest bed.

And this afternoon, this is what I have:

Blocked

I get it now. This is very very cool. I think I need to do it again.