Good year

I had a birthday last week! That's part of the reason I haven't been posting much lately... all sorts of running around. Weekend before last I went home to celebrate with my family.

I got a big box.



What's this? (seriously, count the arms)



It's a swift! Squee!



Even better, this swift was the product of much scheming between my parents and my buddy Auntie Ann. Not to mention, it's a really sweet Mama Bear swift from The Oregon Wood Worker

When I got home I made cupcakes for my friends, but I am lazy and made them ice their own. The croissants really wanted to be in this picture too.



Oh, and notice that I'm wearing the Cherry Leaf shawl in the pics above. I LOOOOOVe it! I've never had a triangular shawl before, but I really like the way they hang on the shoulders. I bet one of those curvy Faroese ones would be even cooler.

I still hope to take better pics of it eventually, but i think this one shows the drape and the pattern reasonably well.



I was so bored with the (stockinette) Ravenclaw scarf and the (garter rib) camo socks that I had to start something interesting, for fear that my brain would melt. These are Cookie A's twisted flower socks, and they definitely got my brain moving again. Also, Louet Gems is such great yarn that, if I didn't think Dave would object, I'd marry it and have its babies.

Up to something

I've been up to something. Up to a few things, to be more accurate.

I blocked my shawl. I did it at night, so all the pictures are terrible, but they're the best I've got. It went from this:


To this:


I like the way it turned out, from top:


to bottom:


But I am not happy with the "Real" FO shots so I will try to get those sometime soon. Special thanks to Kelp! for letting me borrow the blocking wires!

I've also been making socks for my brother.


In camoflage, as he requested. I'm using Artyarns Supermerino, which is as expensive as it is luscious, so I'm knitting them toe-up in hopes that I won't have to dip into the third skein I bought. I have been experimenting with heels for toe-up socks.


I did my first (real) short-row heel ever. The yarnover one, from the latest IK. I hated it, so then I did my second short-row heel ever. The w&t one from SKS. I hated it, too. (it's the one on the right) Proponents of the short-row heel will no doubt be looking up the links to their favorite hole-free short row pages, which I gladly welcome. But I decided not to wait for such a thing, and that I would make my own heel.

The heel on the left is knit to about 3" short of the total length of the foot, then you knit a heel flap on half the stitches. Something odd was going on with my gauge, so instead of the usual as-many-rows-as-there-are-stitches-total heel flap, I only did 22 rows (it's a 36-st sock). Then I turned the heel using the dutch heel-ish method, which goes like this:

slip 1, purl 11 (of 18), p2tog, turn
slip 1, knit 6, ssk, turn
slip 1, purl 6, p2tog, turn
slip 1, knit 6, ssk, turn
slip 1, purl 6, p2tog, turn
slip 1, knit 6, ssk, turn

and so on until all the stitches are worked. It creates a narrow band up the back of the heel that I like. Then you pick up the stitches and work the gusset like normal, though I added nearly an inch of plain stockinette before starting the back-of-leg pattern, so it wouldn't look too weird. I hope.

Turning a Corner

It's been a loooooooong time since I posted about the Cherry Leaf Shawl. This is how it looks right now:



The bindoff I did was the suspended bindoff, the only bindoff mentioned in Victorian Lace Today, which they promise "makes it very difficult to bind off too tightly." Well, I call BS on that. I even went up a needle size or three (really I can't remember if I used the 6 or the 8, so literally a size or three).

Then I started attaching the edging backwards. At first I thought I could deal with both of these things, but eventually I decided that the bindoff had to go, and as long as I was ripping stuff out I might as well also rip the border and do it right.

The top of the center triangle is now a bunch of live stitches held on an Options cable. When I finish the edging I plan to put the stitches at the start and end of the edging on the same cable and use a crochet bindoff I've been playing with that, hopefully, will make an edge that actually stretches and looks pretty. The top edge is supposed to be done in crochet anyway, so I think it will go nicely. Hope so, anyway.

Yesterday I worked the bottom corner of the edging, and man was that a PIA. Got it right on my third try, but notice the lifelines in red--one to secure all my hard work before the turn, and one to make sure that if something happens on this side of the triangle nothing will happen to those three aggravating repeats.

I have also been making



A Ravenclaw scarf in anticipation of the latest movie and the newest book, both due out in July (oh the suspense!)



Oh, and I finished my socks. These don't fit as well as the other socks I've made myself. The cuff and heel are too loose, and then somehow the toe is a little too tight. They aren't uncomfortable, but it bugs me. Still, the yarn (Bearfoot) is awesome and makes up for any flaws in the knitting.

I'm down to two projects on the needles, which is the lowest I've gone in months. I think once the shawl is done I'll start thinking about the Origami Cardi again. Oh, and I'm supposed to be making some socks for my brother.

This is just a tribute

I want to say happy birthday to the greatest boyfriend in the whole world.

You listened to my constant waffling over whether I should do this hat in allover cables or mostly stockinette.



You comforted me as I panicked and despaired over the total bitch that is the edging for my shawl, which tried to detach itself last night. I am sorry if I scared you while I was hyperventilating.

(knitters--it turns out I am attaching it backwards, and there's a visible seam. I am tempted to like it, but I kinda can't decide. Any thoughts?)



You cheered me on as I blocked "that brown thing," and then you learned the difference between "feral"



...and "fair isle."

Hoppy Easter

Wow, it's 40 degrees outside. In Texas. In April. Man, wouldn't this be a perfect day to wear a cute little fair isle sweater? Too bad somebody hasn't finished hers! Too bad the mid-80s temps of the last month sucked away her motivation to finish it, even though she knew that these cold snaps are actually pretty common! Oops!

In a fit of cold-induced motivation yesterday I finished Left Sleeve v 2.0 and then wove in all the ends that won't be involved in the steek. I managed to do this all in one sitting, which made me kind of happy. I only have the ends from the body left to do, and I'm saving them all so I can show you guys how insane this pile of ends is.

The real reason I'm posting right now is to show you how far I got on the Cherry Leaf Shawl while I was ignoring Venezia (with sunglasses for scale).


And the flash-free closeup so you can see the crumply crumples:


Amazing how I can't capture the colors here with or without flash, but both ways pretty much capture the shade of my Orange Couch. Are you surprised to hear that when my friends and I discuss possible locations for hanging out, my place is generally referred to as Orange Couch Land? And, if you've ever wondered about the white background in most of my pics, those are the pillows I put on top of the couch so the orange doesn't detract from the rest of the picture.

I will say, this couch is hella comfortable.

Anyway, back to the knitting. I am now 18 repeats in and only just had to switch to the second ball of yarn. I am aiming for at least 25 repeats, but it's only 40" across right now (unstretched) so even that may be too small. It does get annoying how every row takes a little longer than the one before. I wish I'd done the shawl in the recommended needle size (7, not 5), as I think I'd be a lot closer to being done. Oh well, at least I have some intense Venezia finishing to distract me!

Happy Easter, guys.

Two completed socks does not equal one pair

The colors are pretty close in this pic. I may reknit the toe on the short sock, starting it sooner so there's more white and then tapering it so it isn't quite so pointy at the tip.

This picture actually shows some of the texture on the Roza's Socks. This is the Mountain Colors Bearfoot that Heather, my sock swap partner, sent me. Argh, it's awfully washed out though, isn't it? My legs are practically glowing!


I am utterly fascinated by the Cherry Leaf shawl, which is probably a good thing--I'm using smaller needles than the pattern calls for and may have to add quite a few more repeats. Right now I'm 10 repeats in and have used a little over half of the first skein. Pattern calls for 15, but I'll have to do at least 20.

In which Liz acquires several bad habits

I have acquired several bad habits recently. Venezia and I are having some minor issues, and this is probably motivating some of my bad behavior.

A disclaimer: I know that for many of you, these things are not bad habits, or at the very least are fairly normal and acceptable. But the truth is, I've been avoiding them for some time now, and it pains me that they've all snuck up on me at once.

Bad Habit #1--Stashing

Three skeins of CTH in the bluegreen colorway for the Cherry Leaf shawl in Victorian Lace Today, acquired two or three weeks ago.

Two skeins of Louet Gems in burgundy and the Twisted Flower Sock Pattern by Cookie A., who is now selling her fantabulous designs here. Now this one actually has a pretty cool story behind it. I fell in mad mad love with the sock when Cookie posted it on her blog. She would be selling it at Stitches West. Now my good buddy Auntie Ann was going to Stitches, and I thought about asking her to pick it up for me because I was in such mad mad love with the pattern. But I hesitated, as I hate buying yarn without knowing I'll get to it really soon. I resigned myself to hoping Cookie would sell the pattern online.

The Friday before Stitches I listened to Lime n Violet's podcast and they, too, are in mad mad love with the Twisted Flower sock, and I took it as a sign. I emailed Ann and asked her to get it for me, but alas! she was off having a fabulous time and didn't get the email until she got home. But, knitbloggers to the rescue, she asked her friend Deepa to save me from the torment of not having Twisted Flowers on my feet. Deepa gets a gold star for being awesome and an extra gold star for picking such a gorgeous color yarn. Yay! Thanks again!

Bad Habit #2--Working on too many projects at once.

There's Venezia. And the Bearfoot socks. Usually, that would be more than enough for me.

Then there was a dishrag. And another, and a third. And another random project with the same dishcloth cotton that, if it ever becomes interesting, I will let you guys know, but for now it isn't very interesting.

Then a friend had a birthday and I decided said friend needed some socks. Thick, squishy, washable socks made out of Mission Falls 1824 Wool on big needles so I could finish them quickly.

Then those were too big, so I frogged them, and then I needed something else to cheer me up, so I cast on for:

Click for big so you can see my pretty Cherry Leaf pattern.
Bad Liz! I still haven't finished the Moebius, which I promised myself I would do before starting the sweet sweet lace. Which I love. A lot.

Bad Habit #3--Warshrags.


Warshrag #1 is mine, and oooh I love it. Warshrag #2 is circular and kinda lacy and wound up going home with a friend who likes it so much she's afraid to use it. Hmm, I think this friend needs to be rewarded for her Appreciation of The Knitting. Maybe with something she will use. Maybe thick, squishy and washable, made out of Mission Falls 1824 Wool.

Does she read this blog? I'm not sure! Takin risks here!

Anyway the above is Warshrag #3, destined for the kitchen of Dave's aunt where it will totally clash with everything, but she said she loved knitted dishrags and hadn't found them in years, and what can I say, if you tasted this lady's cookies you'd fall all over yourself to knit for her, so before I knew it I'd cast on for her own Warshrag.

Do you guys like the crochet edging? I've never done shells before, but they make me smile.