Uninspired

Not by my knitting though. I guess I just haven't had the material or drive to post here lately. But Eric's been nagging (unbelievable to me since I would have thought that he'd get enough of my knitting at home, never mind reading about it when I'm not here...) and I do have some things to post about.

As of the last post, I had nothing on the needles. I started another pair of Jaywalkers but I really wasn't having fun with the pattern. So I ripped it out... and promptly cast on for something new.

Firstly, Wendy at Knit and Tonic is inspiring. I loved the idea of her dream headband thing. But I wasn't crazy about the stitch pattern. It looked wider than I wanted. So I grabbed a stitch pattern from one of Barbara Walker's stitch treasuries and went at it.

Here's the headband in action... It works! Yay! (Excuse the redness of the picture. I look like a lobster, but I assure you I'm not.)

And a poor attempt at a picture of the stitch pattern:

Pattern: My own
Yarn: 1 skein Bernat Handicrafter Cotton
Needles: Sz 5 Denise Interchangables

As mentioned, the stitch pattern was lifted from Barbara Walker's 2nd Treasury. I started with 4 sts and increased to 10 (I think?). It was super easy. Completely brainless. A one skein project. And I liked the colour of the yarn. However I was not aware that the colours BLEED LIKE MAD. Note to self: wind the yarn into a hank before knitting and soak in vinegar next time. Grrr....

Apparently when I have nothing on the needles, I feel a need to overcompensate. I didn't like the Jaywalkers I was knitting up so I decided I really just wanted to make ankle socks. I'm almost done the first. I was tempted not to post a picture, but I realised the yarn eating aloe vera (featured previously here) had gotten ahold of it so....

I've also started Eunny's Print 'o the Wave Stole. It's being worked up in Zephyr. And I love it. The pattern's starting to get boring but it's so soft and light that I don't care.

I have one last WIP. This is the one that's really making me antsy though. Meet the shapely tank.

Do you see what's causing me concern? Yep, it's the little bit of flippity flippiness at the bottom. The garter stitch hem and the short rowing at the bottom are clashing. Am I deluding myself into thinking that it will straighten itself out after I seam? Good lord just saying that makes me think I'm crazy. I think I'm hyperventilating....

Given that my knitting has been making me anxious, I have been turning to spinning.

Ahhh.... pretty.... Air in... Air out.... Deeeeep breaths. I want more of this wool. But I don't even remember where I got it.

*sigh*

Things that get done when you're sick

I'm sick, sick, sick, sick, sick. But I'm still going into work today. Partly because I can't afford to miss it and partly because everyone at work is sick anyways.

However, yesterday I got a whole day off. Apart from the time spent getting my hair cut. Today I'm finding that my fringe is a little short, but how glad am I that I can go without combing my hair again? My ends were so dry and damaged before that I was forced to comb my hair. I am the epitome of low maintenance. I don't like combing my hair. My hair doesn't usually tangle. But it was starting to. You have no idea the troubles I had to go through to find a comb in here...

But what did I do with my day off then? I started knitting a sock. But I think the pattern is one of those that will sag. So it's getting ripped out. Eric's suggested I do another pair of Jaywalkers. And I think I might. Because as much as I complained about them before, the non-sagginess of the pattern is fantastic. Love it. (Side note: Oh man, oh man... Did you know that apparently the first thing that the spell-check pulls up when you put in sagginess is shagginess? Guess where my potty mind is going with that one...)

I also got some spinning done.



This is about 147 metres of what looks like sport weight handspun. The colourful ply was some Blue Faced Leicester dyed up by the lovely and talented Danielle. It's her graffiti colourway, which is magnificent. I wanted to ply it for the thickness, but I didn't want to lose the colour, so I plied it with some dyed black wool. Danielle's roving was split, but I wanted longer colour repeats as I couldn't decide if I was going to navajo ply it or not, so the roving I started spinning with was considerably thicker than the yarn I wanted to come out of it. I think this will have fairly long colour repeats when it's knit up. I have no idea what I will make with it though. I'm open to suggestions!

I've also been tagged for a meme. This is momentous. This is my first meme. This means someone cares enough to want to know what I think! Thanks Pam! You're a sweetie.

1)What's your favorite LYS?: The Knit and Stitch Shoppe in West Vancouver just barely edged out the others.

2)What about it do you like most?: It's got a HUGE selection. It's the only LYS in the Lower Mainland at the moment that carries (be still my beating heart) Koigu! However, I found it a bit of a PITA to get to. West Van just seems so much farther than anywhere else, even if it takes the same amount of time to get there...

3)What is your 2nd favorite?: Birkeland Brothers

4)What would you improve about it to make it a tie with your first?: A larger selection of yarn maybe? But these guys are the wool mecca. Want some roving? There's nowhere else in Vancouver to go for it. Plus this is where I took my spinning lessons.

5)What's the last thing your bought at your #1 LYS?: See this post.

6)Who's Next?: How about Stefaneer? I want to know more about you, lady! Kelly, I'm interested to see what you think. Ditto Danielle.

Crunchygranola! You rule!

My SP6 reveal package came in the mail today! My SP has truly outdone herself. She did such an amazing job putting my reveal package together I was flabbergasted. I felt like my last package to my downstream, Trillian, was soooo lame. Even Eric had fun looking at everything she put together. His words? "She did an awesome job putting this package together."

Knowing that this was the last one, I decided instead of ripping into it like I normally do (guess who was the kid who tore though Christmas presents... all of them... in 2 minutes... three days before Christmas...), I decided I really needed to document it. Because it was that amazing.

This is the first thing I saw when I opened the package.



I nearly peed myself. This is a pretty sight. This is a lady I need to take lessons from. First thought? "That pink flowery print is awesome. I wonder where she got that pape...... OMFG it'sabagit'sabagit'sabag!" (Anyone who knows me knows that I really do talk that fast when I'm excited.)

I'm a good girl. I respect orders. So I open the envelope marked, "The plot thickens (start here)". What do I see?



This is where the orangutan in me comes out. "Hmmm... Is that a f-ing oat? HUH?" *grunts* "Where's the inside of the card?" *flips card over... and over again... and over again* (NB: The card is essentially 2-D, a card. There are only 2 sides. Flipping it over repeatedly will not change that fact.)

Confused, I move on the the rest of the package. I lift the awesome bag up and the 2-year-old that couldn't wait for Christmas comes out. The package was filled with amazing little notes. They were so beautifully made. I think this was the part of the package that Eric got really stoked about - the amazing presentation.



On the left, you see the card created above. There's also a handful of little clues made with cardboard and some origami paper. In front of the notes are a chibi in one of my favourite colours - blue! The two yummy (and HUGE) hanks of yarn are Colinette Prism in Raspberry. This stuff is beautiful. It's soft and the colours are just so perfect! The bag is at the very back and on top of the bag are an adorable ID holder (with the phrase, "of course it buys happiness," written on it that will see much use) and an Edward Gorey book (I adore Gorey. I've even saved a Gorey calendar from 2004 that I had, and an Edward Gorey book is one of the gifts I've give Eric over the years). To top all that off, on the bottom there's a box of dark (72% cocoa) chocolate pastilles and a sachet of lavender. There was also an amazing note, with my pal's identity hidden in an envelope.

Thank you so much crunchygranola! You have been such a great SP. Your packages have all been perfect and I am really floored by this last one!



While I'm on the 'thank you' train of thought, a big thank you needs to go the way of bryghtrose. We did a trade a little while back and she was awesome enough to send an extra little package my way after the trade. It's a ball of Zephyr. Mmmmm... laceweight goodness. And a gorgeous card. (Sorry about the photo - the yarn was blurry but the card was in focus. It was either/or. I went with the card being the focal point. Because it's those extras that make the package.) Thank you so much! People like you are why I enjoy swapping. Someone you have fun shopping for little extras for and great at the whole communication thing.



Today was a blissful mail day. All that and the box from elann that came yesterday. *swoon*

I'm going to roll around in yarn eating chocolate and reading Gorey now. Thank you both!

My knitting is taking cues from Eric

Presenting my newest FO. Something I've been procrastinating about for the longest time.

Pattern: Blue Sky Alpacas Baby Bobbi Bear.
Yarn: Bernat Berella 4, some shade of brown.
Needles: I honestly cannot remember. (It's been a while since the knitting was finished. I was avoiding the finishing.)

I think this pattern is adorable, though he's looking a little thin. My fault, not the pattern's. I was worried about overstuffing him so what do I do instead? Make him too skinny. I like him though.

The only gripe I really have (after all, there wasn't a lot of sewing so I can't gripe about that) is that the ears and the face tormented me. "Sew on ears?" How? I am a dolt with a needle and thread. "Embroider face." Good lord where the heck do I put the eyes? Does the nose look right? No. It looks too big. I think I'm pretty happy with it though. It's cute and I would make another. Just not now.

With all the time that the bear has spent in this apartment he's picked up a few bad habits. He likes to sit on the couch and watch TV like I do. Fair enough. No harm done. But like Eric, he enjoys stealing my junk food. I caught him with my fruit pastilles minutes after his eyes were sewn on. The little thief.

A question for those of you who have done this pattern. Did you block the bear? When? Mine's looking a little lumpy. Do you think a bath would help?

What to do when a lack of inspiration hits

When you've got nothing on the needles and nothing in the stash is screaming out to you (perhaps because you feel the need to make something largish), what is there to do but go and buy some inspiration. And when you have store credit for Knit and Stitch in West Vancouver, where else would you go?

Without further ado, I introduce you to the additions to the stash.



On the left is Kim by Filates. I was going shopping for yarn for the Nicole pattern from White Lies Designs. My criteria? It needed to be something breathable like cotton, but lighter. This is an acrylic/cotton blend that's light also because of the way it's constructed - it looks like it's chained.

On the bottom right is some Koigu - the first I've ever seen in person. I realise that it's not enough for a largish project like I was looking for, but it was my Koigu. I'm lucky to have left with less than the whole store's inventory. The colours are amazing.

And on the top right is more sock yarn I didn't need. It was on sale though. Sweetness.

Another Koigu shot because I'm enamoured with it:



The Nicole in Kim has been started. And I'm still liking the cotton. I never thought I'd say that. Me liking cotton.

Today's post has been brought to you by the letter B and the number 9. The soundtrack was the copy of John Legend's new one that I stole from my bro, yo. It's a good one. Though Eric has been warned that blaming infidelity on his ... unit ... rather than his heart (a la Kanye on "Number One") will get his butt kicked.