Reason # 167 why you should just take it one project at a time.

Because apparently if you have too many things going at once, you don't finish as fast and your gauge is apt to change.

And then you get this problem...

Those are my socks. I didn't think it could happen, but it seems that my knitting has gotten even looser. Note where the toe decreases start on the finished sock. And then note that I've just started the toe decreases on the unfinished one. I think we have a problem.

What do I do? I'm drawn to the idea of frogging to the heel, then re-doing the foot. But do I try to knit tighter? Or do I hope and pray that I brought my 1.5mm DPNs? Yes, I do knit socks on 1.75mm DPNs. I'm a ridiculously loose knitter. And by that I mean that I knit loosely. ;)

Look!!! A post!

So before I begin, I figure I should probably apologise in advance for my terrible photography. Except for the picture of the pears. I kind of like that one. But the other ones? Not so hot. But darlings, when the urge to post hits and you have a track record like I do, you've got to take advantage while you can! So I'm sorry y'all! Y'all got your disclaimer there! (Eeee hee hee! I said y'all!)

I guess we'll start with the knitting today. Did you know that I'm a scatterbrain? Well I am. (I've also learned how to say that I'm really a scatterbrain in Chinese. What do they say about remembering phrases that you need to use more often?) I digress. I'm a scatterbrain. My darning needles, my stitch markers, my measuring tape, my scissors, basically everything I need, I've left in Hong Kong. Yes, I'm an idiot. So although I've finished a sleeve on the Somewhat Cowl (Squeeee!!! I finished a sleeve!), I can't even cut off the yarn. So we're temporarily stalled while I figure out how the heck I'm going to get my stuff back here. (Digression: I also left my student ID in Hong Kong. What were we saying about scatterbrains earlier?)

I'm extra happy that the sleeves done because I've knit the top part of it four times. Yes, my dears, four times. Despite the fact that I cast on the amount of stitches recommended for the smallest size (which I reassure you, I am NOT), despite cutting the raglan inseam short by a few inches, that armhole was still ridiculously BIG. But look at me now.

I encourage you to jump up and down with me in my glee. Wanna see the underside of my sleeve? Of course you do! (Remember you already got my disclaimer warning you of bad pictures!)

Yes, that is a mass of underarm decreases. I decreased a total of twenty-one stitches in 11 rows. Madness, I tell you! Madness! There's still the tiniest triangle of loose fabric, but I've HAD IT with the frogging that's been going on in the construction of this sweater so it stays!

Because I've been stalled on the sweater construction, I've been working on my socks.

I need to get these off the needles. It's started to get cold here and I think I need some mittens or gloves or something. Something nice and warm.

Funny thing about these socks is that Eric read my blog, saw the socks and commented on how cool they were. I think he said, "They're fair-isle!" Yes, it knocked me on my bum too. (I did admit to him that they were only the cheater's version of fair-isle socks, trust me.) Oddly enough, this isn't the first time I've knit with self-patterning yarns. But apparently this is the first pair that he's noticed. And he likes these. And 'wouldn't mind' a pair for himself. I don't think I have any more self-patterning yarn with me here so he might have to bring some when he visits. (I have images of him cramming yarn everywhere, kind of like a drug mule, but with wool. *cackle*)

And to close off a picture-heavy post, I thought another picture would be appropriate. ;) So here's a picture of the pears I was given the other day. Yum. (Beside them? Apples. Double yum.)

We're working on overcoming difficulties... (like posting more regularly)

I'm back in Beijing after heading out to Hong Kong (and Singapore and Indonesia) for the Chinese national holiday. It was nice having a break. Not so nice? Coming back to lots of homework.

What did I do in my down time? I hung out here (more so in the ocean in the background than in the pool) and got some awful allergic reaction (methinks it was a jellyfish).

I did a little bit of knitting on my socks.

I found something that I thought I'd lost. (Can you believe that was made using cans of spray paint?)

I ripped out and reknit my Somewhat Cowl (many gripes about that escapade, though I'm too pooped to go into it right now).

And I got the mosquito bite from hell.

Whoa.