She's Snoody...

Okay, sorry for the punny title but I couldn't help it, I love puns! I'm up late playing around with new Interweb tools after spending most of the day laptopless (I reformatted, all by myself--Eric, didn't think I had it in me, didja?

Time for a finished object!! It's the Art Deco Beret by Grumperina, from the fall issue of Knitscene. The yarn is Sheep Shop 3. I have a few hints--it is much, much easier to knit from two balls. I tried to knit from the outside and the inside (you alternate knitting with the beaded and non-beaded strand) of one center pull ball and it was a massive tangle fest. Another tip--look for knots. The unexpected knot on your beaded strand will BUM YOU OUT. When I was about 2" from finishing one ply finally gave out. I was at Eric's and the crafty engineer whipped out an old guitar string for me to use as a big eye needle. After carefully restringing my beads I knit about one round and found A KNOT. Knot cool.

Anyhow, the yarn is gorgeous and I love the fit, I'd wear this as a snood but blocking it over a dinner plate definitely yielded a beret shape. It was a fun, addictive pattern with a very cool cast-on...tubular-ish but I'm not sure. I'll have to investigate, it looks like it'd be great for socks. Now for tons of pictures!

My tribute to Emily (I think she'd like my golden mirror):

Over and OUT,

CR

Let's get ripped.

I've been knitting a lot lately. If this semester was about collecting yarn this summer is about knitting it up. I find it hard to sleep in the summer so late-night/early A.M. knitting is the name of the game. I'm re-watching some gems, including the LOTR trilogy and Clarissa Explains it All.
I WAS Clarissa growing up, from the crazy ensembles to the mom enforced tofu and brewers' yeast laced diet. The only trouble with my knitting is that it's been a total RIPFEST. Things are going wrong left and right and to be honest, I haven't minded the ripping one bit. It'll all be worth it in the end.

Next in the to rip pile is Coachella:


I tried it on this morning and the armholes are reeeeeeeeeeeallly right. I think Suede might stretch a bit but I was planning to neaten the edges with a crochet border but that would make it unwearable at this point. I'm planning to lengthen the racer back strap and change the rate of increases before re-joining in the round.

Also ripped, a store sample, Grumperina's Art Deco Beret (pre-beaded chart knitting, so no big loss):

Knowing myself I didn't knit a gauge swatch (ahem) but just dropped my usual needle size. This made the cool (tubular-ish) cast-on ribbing too small by a few inches.

Also being ripped a decent amount for minor tweaking is Bamboo Grove, a cleverly constructed top-down henley in the works for the fall catalog. Kirsten in customer service is the queen of top down!


Last but not least...my summer job rules. People ask me if I'm getting sick of yarn and the answer is "HECK NO." One of my tasks is writing descriptions of nwe yarns, which puts me in a really good mood. After awhile you sort of feel like you've seen it all and it's easy to slam a yarn or pattern book but the description writing requires a sort of Pollyanna, best case scenario outlook. It carries over to other things, which is awesome! Oh, and today I arrived to find a big sack of new Rowan yarns on my chair. There are some fantastic new colors of Kracksilk Haze and one of Kid Classic that I'm over the moon for. Kidsilk Aura (the heavier version of KSH) promises big things, and it was a long time coming. So many patterns for KSH start "with yarn doubled..." Love the fabric is produces, but it can be annoying.

Speaking of color, I've been obsessed lately. This day at the printers only added to it! This is Kathy and Penny checking color accuracy with total focus!

This was so fun, it was straight out of another childhood favorite, Reading Rainbow.



Rememeber Color Me Beautiful? I'm trying to purge my closet (and yarn stash) of colors that don't agree with me and I've finally submitted to reading this book. According to some online quizzes I'm a Deep Winter! I can live with that =) I hope this Shi Bui color will be okay. If not, hey, it's for feet!

CR

Shedding!

Thank you to everyone who purchased yarn from my destashing sale! I still have quite a bit of good stuff if you're looking for some cheap stash enhancement.

I've cast on some new projects. Don't roll your eyes, I might actually finish these!! The first is so addictive to knit and such a cool shape that I might actually complete my goal of knitting and wearing a garment in the SAME SEASON. I quickly fell for Coachella in the new Knitty as it covers up an unfortunate tattoo I have (racerback=my friend). Details to follow!

Speaking of Knitty, Gudrun Johnson, a former student of mine and loyal Webs customer scored the cover, deservedly so!! Looks like her daughter will be joining me in the elite ranks (ha) of knitwear supermodels!

I'm using another Knitty pattern for my sock pal socks (after many, many starts I've finally settled on a yarn and pattern): Sweet Pea in Socks that Rock Silkie, Beryl. She professed a new love for green and lace (funny, those were MY preferences) so I ripped the pink baby cable socks I'd started and cast on for these. I realize I'm under the gun but I have a bit of travel in my future so I'm planning to bring these along. I finished a pair of socks the last time I visited Mom in D.C. so maybe the luck will continue!

The real reason I'm posting is because of Berroco--have you seen the fall preview?! I am totally, totally INFATUATED with the following (and one of the new yarns, Ultra Alpaca LITE anyone?!):

Kaino:


Annikki:




Chantal:


Manon:

Peso:



Pinot:




Also adorable: Aune, Aamu, Parchesi, Poska, Piccolo, Josepha. The Stash and Burn ladies recently sung the praises of KnitBits and the free pattern archive on Berroco.com and I have to second them. The patterns are always well-written and I have to say, my Berroco sweater is one of the only ones I actually wear.

Enough gushing for one day,

CR

As promised...

EDITED TO ADD: Chloe, the yarn is yours, I just need some contact info! Unless this is Chloe who I know in real life. Please comment again or email me =)

I'm destashing! I think I've got some really decent stuff but you can see for yourself. Eric saw the bag of yarns I was giving away and had a cute reaction--he said "can any of them be for my blanket?" then dove, saucer-eyed towards a huge skein of Burlyspun. It was adorable! He tends towards the weirdest yarn he can find--tweeds, thick and thin, self striping (no novelties, though). Below is one of the prize items, in my opinion--7 balls of 100% cashmere in 70s pinks and browns. Hard to give away but I suspect it has a greater destiny than languishing in my stash.


Started my "new job" yesterday, which is really just a new position at Webs. I'm helping to put together the upcoming catalogs! It's awesome! Sneak previewing yarns and patterns, making lists, waxing rhapsodic about yarn...I'm loving it! Also, Malea my office mate plays Modest Mouse, Radiohead, Schoolhouse Rocks (the Remix album!) and Frou Frou all day. AND I get to see stunning sweaters like my coworker Mary's Beachcomber Tunic! It's drop-dead pretty and the work(wo)manship is A+. It's Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in a really cool mint green...inspiring. I love the banner on Mary's blog...you KNOW how I feel about clotheslines...clotheslines with yarn dangling from them, forget about it!

I've been a bad blogger of late (no responses to comments, no comments on your entries, etc.) but things are settling down at long last. Did I mention how much I hate moving? These two made me particularly jealous when I was moving last week:

An odd whole car hauling vehicle (it's in the background, and definitely on the road):


A wandering turtle on the UMass campus. So carefree!! Who knows though, maybe she has a little ball of laceweight tucked underneath her shell.


Oh, I almost forgot, I'm the guest on Ready, Set, Knit!, the Webs radio show/Podcast this weekend! I gave a few shout-outs to some favorite movers and shakers in the knitting world.

I'll leave you with a view from my new bathroom's clawfoot tub, easily one of my favorite features in the apartment. The rest is still a mess of yarn (that is, until I mail some off).


Bis dann,

CR