and knitting, too

...over here

new link: http://gilneas.typepad.com/knit

ps: moonrose set up a RSS feed for me! gilneasknitsrss

-Two skeins of Noro Daria Multi (colorway 6). I saw it in the yarn store in Chatham the last time I was there, but the woman was mean to me and so I didn't buy any. It has this really interesting tubalar texture thing, like the gold elastics you get on jewelery boxes at Sears, but not stretchy and prettier. any suggestions for a project?

-Charlotte's Web Pattern PLUS Koigu PPPM in pretty green and blue colorways (like P516, P822, P103 & two more I cannot remember), plus a little extra of one of them to make the Elegant Gauntlets from The Purl Stitch

-Sunrise/Sunset Poncho Pattern (I saw it on the Sueet Bag page on knitty, and wanted to knit it more than the bag!)


no more yarn for me.

Maybe I had a small yarn breakdown and bought some Koigu PPPM. You'll just have to wait and see.

anyway.

Go check out Jen's lovely finished Salt Peanuts!.

It almost inspires me to knit instead of sleeping. But I'm tired, man, so sleep wins.

I'm very excited to finish this sweater, though. I can't wait till mine is done.

Oh, a progress update.

I'm on the collar shaping of the second front, into the end of the short rows, battling it out and almost done. And then I cast on for the sleeves, and seam a lot, and voila. And when I return to the land of Sterling Forest, I can borrow my stepfather's digital camera and take excessive pictures of my progress. And possibly my cat. And maybe Artemis. She's very cute, Artemis is. And then start a new project! Or finish one I've already started! (like my knitted vibrator cozy. I need to finish that).

Still knitting the other front of Salt Peanuts. Sometimes, finals get in the way of your knitting. Seriously, why can they do that?

I did block the back and one front, and seamed them together. I've never had a big... seaming project before. The other sweater I made was all on one piece, and just needed some kitchenering under the arms - simple finishing. So yeah. Lots of seaming and weaving in ends in my future, I feel.

And now, very exciting, I know, I will post projects that I want to knit! in preparation for my summer of knitting.

1. Aimee.
2. Easy Lace Duster.
3. Charlotte's Web - but I must find a nicer yarn store than the one in Chatham, because I don't think they'd appreciate me playing with their yarn
4. Something with the pile of Noro Silk Garden (already have yarn)
5. Eyelet skirt for Amanda (already have yarn)
6. Shapely Tank for Lindsey (already have yarn)
7. Elegant Gauntlets from The Purl Stitch
8. College Cardigan from The Purl Stitch
9. A sweater for Mattt
10. New Bottom's Up Bucket Hat in Sugar N Cream (already have yarn)

I think that is it. Ten is a good number. And I still need to finish Salt Peanuts.

Oh! I remembered another one!

11. French Market Bag, in Cascade 220 (already have yarn)

I think that I should use my stashed yarn up before I buy more. So.. of these projects? Four of them are using stashed yarn. So I must complete two before I can buy new yarn! Yes. Good deal for me.

Now. My final approaches.

Finished my Bottom's Up Bucket Hat on Friday, and returned for a few rows of Salt Peanuts on Saturday. That didn't last long because of Strike, and the fact that I was staying up all night to go to DC Sunday morning. Did not knit on the bus - just mostly slept.

BUT we saw some other people with wristbands too!

Sadly, I lost my hat at the March - my hair was up, my hair was done, Lindsey was holding my sign, there were barrettes and a hat on my head, and a hat in my pocket, and then no more hat.

I wasn't very attatched to it anyway, but it is still quite sad.

I have plans to make another one in Sugar n Cream, which is a little sturider than the Cotton-Ease I was using, so it won't be as floppy. But the color of the Cotton-Ease was super pretty.

Finals are approaching. I have a paper due on Thursday, and one on Monday, and DUDS Ball is on Saturday (Oh! I finished my hat for the Joan of Arc costume and it looks perfect!), and you know what this means...

tons of procrastination. I hopefully will finish the second front of Salt Peanuts this week. And find someone with a digital camera to take pictures of my FOs.

I was going to post some pictures of one of the front's of Salt Peanuts, while I was knitting it on the picnic table on Sunday, with the sun shining on it so it looked very un-poop like.

But alas, it seems like the single piece of digital anything I own that hasn't given up on me just did, and my digital camera has pooped out on me.

Now I need a new computer and a new camera.

Wonderful.

Anyway.

I'm knitting The Vintage Bathing Cap from knitty right now, in Pearl Grey LionBrand Jiffy. Why? For my Joan of Arc costume. Obviously. No embroidered flowers for me, though. Alas, no pictures for you, though.

Also finished the first front, and am working on the waist shaping of the second front. I keep on getting distracted by things. Like the wristbands for the march. Or the beautiful periwinkle Cotton-Ease saying "Make me into a Bottoms Up Bucket Hat." You know.

But I will finish the Cap soon, and then Salt Peanuts is not far behind.

Now about those wristbands...

Finished with the collar shaping on the left front of Salt Peanuts.

Phew.

Short rows and decreasing and eyelet rib and armhole shaping.

Wow. Crazy!

I didn't read the instructions as carefully as I should have, and I had to go back and rip out most of the collar shaping and read very carefully and then go slowly, pay attention, and work through it. And I did!

I'm now just working the collar, that's going to be attatched to the back of the sweater, and a few more inches, and then I'm working on the next front. :)

I finished the back of Salt Peanuts (or Pepper Cashews, as Ben likes to call it) last night, and started on the left front last night, too, because if I don't cast on immediately I will never finish.

I worked on it on the bus on the way to and from the Cloisters, and at TOE, tonight, while I was working (and then while I was just hanging out).

I wish that the pattern had just come out and said, hey, there's a garter stitch border, instead of just slipping it into the pattern and letting you figure it out. I love how the garter stitch looks, which says a lot, because I'm not a fan. It goes like this, on the front of the cardigan:


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxOXX** **XXOxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXOO** **OOXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
XXOOXXOOXXOOXXOOXXOO** **00XXOOXXOOXXOOXXOOXX
OOXXOOXXOOXXOOXXOOXX** **XXOOXXOOXXOOXXOOXXOO

With the eyelet ribbing as the bottom two rows, the border ribbing as the capital X's & O's, and the asteriks as the random garter border that they you only notice when you start knitting (and then is mentioned after you're finished with the ribbing). The little x's are St stitch.

And yes, I guess this small complaint would have been solved if I had read the pattern more carefully - but I'm a visual person, and I often have trouble understanding patterns unless I am actually knitting them.

Anyway. I've finished the eyelet rib border on the bottom of the cardigan, and am now past the waist shaping. it's interesting to knit, even though it is mostly stockinette because of the little border of garter and eyelet rib - I need to pay attention, and the pattern isn't too detailed there, so I really need to pay attention.

I'm scared to get to the collar shaping. We'll see when I get there.

Salt Peanuts wasn't feeling very photogenic.

posing with my toes

But yeah. There it is. Pinned to my carpet. I still have a few inches to go on the top, and then some shaping, but I'm almost done with the back, which is exciting. And then on to the fronts, and the sleeves.

I love how it knits up - it's incredibly dense, but has this wonderful hand -- I almost want to say that it's "chewy." But that may be the brown talking.

And the brown? growing on me. Not as poop-like. As I can see more, I see more of the nuances of the colors. And it does help that I am in love with the eyelet rib and thick fabric the Bergamo knits up into. It has a wonderful, lucious touch (it's not exactly soft), and I can't wait till I finish the sweater - I'm sure I'll wear it a lot.

Hmm. My big summer project? 'cause I'm not really doing anything this summer but. well, knitting - could possibly be this.

Oooh! How beautiful is that?

I think that I would not do the embroidery on the front. And I can't decide what colors to use. Green, yes, because I am obsessed, but should the green be an accent? Should I use a solid? Which one? peacock? or kelly? Or the ever lovely varigataed mermaid green? Or maybe I should go with one of the more ribbony eyelash yarns. And what should the body be? Should I make the body in grey with green trim? Or black? Or should the body be beautiful vibrant kelly green, or hunter, with off white trim? Or black?

Decisions, decisions.

Maybe I should get hold of the pattern first.

By "Olivewood", elann obviously meant "Poop"

Because I don't have enough WIPs, I started Salt Peanuts tonight. I couldn't sleep and I couldn't really concentrate on just doing stockinette for the poncho.. Oh, did I mention I started a poncho this afternoon, too? I'm making up the pattern as I go along - right now, it's three skeins of Caron Simply Soft knit as one strand, and I like it.

Anyway. Salt Peanuts is coming along beautifully. I'm almost finished with the lace rib on the bottom back. The Bergamo knits up in a squishy airy fabric that I really like. The only thing that I don't like? the color. I ordered it because it looked like it had a lot more green in it (plus it was called Olivewood). By "Olivewood" they obviously meant "brown." Really brown. Hmm. It is a beautiful brown, with hints of blues and greens in it. And the fabric is lovely, and the pattern is nice. But it is brown. Hmm. Beautiful close up.

Anyway. I'm going to try that sleeping thing again.

Lindsey & I are knitting wristbands, that we plan to give to members of WoCo, to wear at the March for Women's Lives. They're gold & purple - the colors of the march. I have four done so far - I actually should go and make some, since I didn't do any last night.

You can read more about the idea over here.

They are super easy. They take me about half an hour to forty five minutes.

I'm using worsted weight acrylic yarn - I don't know what brand it is off the top of my head, but it was cheap. Really cheap. It's a beautiful gold and deep purple, which perfectly matched the March for Women's Lives pin I had on my bag. And pretty soft.

You have lots of choices here. Knit them in the round or flat. And choose your favorite border stitch! This size is about a medium - add a few stitches if you have a very large wrist, or you know someone who does. They're forgiving, though, and pretty stretchy.

Yarn:

One skein gold worsted weight acrylic (CC)
One skein purple worsted weight acrylic (MC)


Flat:
Using US8 Needles and MC, cast on 32 sts (leave a nice long tail, very useful for seaming later). Knit three rounds in your choice of border stitch. Work in St st for 5 rounds. Switch to CC and work in St st for 5 rounds. Work in border stitch for two rounds. Cast off in pattern. Seam the edges (I like the mattress stitch). Weave in ends.

Round:
Using US8 DPN's and MC, cast on 30 sts. Divide evenly along needles, and join (PM to mark beginning of row). Knit three rounds in your choice of border stitch. Work in St st for 5 rounds. Switch to CC and work in St st for 5 rounds. Work in border stitch for two rounds. Cast off in pattern. Weave in ends.

Border:
Use your favorite non-stockinette stitch.
-k1p1 ribbing
-k2p2 ribbing
-seed stitch (my personal favorite)
-garter


These are SIMPLE. You can make a ton out of a few skeins.

I've lost one of my bamboo US11 needles, so the emergency-I-didn't-get-a-directing-slot-let-me-knit-something-easy-fast blanket I started last week hasn't been finished. I don't know where that needle went!

Currently, all that I am working on is the Microfiber scarf, and the vibrator cozy - I'm doing the pocket. I totally made up how I'm putting it in, but I like it. I'm just a little worried that when I felt it, the pocket will.. felt together and just be hanging out (you know?). But we'll see.

Still deciding what to do with the piles of Silk Garden I have. Maybe I'll make a multidirectional scarf. Hmm.

I think I'll just try to finish what I have on the needles now before I go out and buy more yarn. it's hard!

A new Knitty means more new things I want to knit. I even want to knit this, a little (but mostly because I'm a sucker for anything involved Kureyon). Oh, and I totally want to make the poncho in that picture, not the purse, but I cannot find any place near me that carries the pattern. Ah well. I have enough to knit as it is.

Speaking of which.

Currently on my needles is a scarf in mistake rib in double strand of LionBrand Microfiber. Also? A vibrator cozy of extra Kureyon of my sweater, for me. I also desperately want to start Salt Peanuts, from Interweave Knits (yes, I ordered the yarn from Elann last week), but have been putting it off until I finish my other projects. I also very much want to make the Knitty suprise corset, but lengthen it all the way down to the floor. Oh! And I am still working on Banff (of course), and a semi-mindless blanket out of LionBrand Jiffy that I started last week when I was upset and needed something mindless to knit. And I have a hell of a lot of Jiffy (from a sweater attempt). And I still want to make a poncho.

Ah. So much knitting. SO little time.

There are too many things I want to make.

I want to make a simple triangular poncho with LionBrand Kool Wool. I want to make Salt Peanuts from Interweave Knits in deep Indigo (which they are low on, so maybe green. or light blue!). I want to make a hat for Lindsey, I want to finish the scarf I am working on. I want to finish Banff, and start another project with the Arena. I want to make something out of the pile of Homespun in my closet. I want to frog Shimmer and make something with the Noro Silk Garden.

So it seems that I don't want to/know what to do with all of the yarn that I have, so I just want more. Interesting.

Salt Peanuts would be a challenge. But I have this thing for cardigans that don't close up with a zipper or buttons. I need to stop looking at the page or I will order more yarn.

Reflecting on Rosedale:

detail

Beautiful sweater, well written pattern, love the yarn, love the result.

Not a good choice for first sweater.

I altered it by taking out the corrugating ribbing - the ribbing would have been beautiful, and given the collar a litle more substance, but I just could not do it. Maybe if I attempt this sweater again, later on, I'll do that.

I also only did part of the intarsia rectangle on the back. I was having so much trouble with (yes, this was my first intarsia project as well) that I thought it would be for the good of the sweater if I only had one. So I didn't pick it up again after I broke it the first time.

I love love love the intarsia rectangles on the front, though. Yes, mine are a little sloppy, but I reinforced the worst of them with some extra yarn (which I also did at the top of the raglan increases, when I discovered I had dropped a stitch after I was working on the collar), and steamed the living daylights out of them.


sweater and a salad

The sleeves are a little long, but I like it that way. I am in love with this sweater.

In conclusion: bad choice for a first project, could have been nicer if I had more skill, but I love it all the same.

It's a sweater!


completely a sweater

Now, I need to put it on and study for my midterm. No more knitting.

Look! This is TOTALLY almost a sweater!

a little shaky, but don't I look happy?

not as shaky, but I don't look as happy.

I'm on the part of the directions that is labeled FINISHING. It makes me feel very accomplished. I'm about half way done with the collar, then I need to do the zipper band and I HAVE A CARDIGAN THAT I KNIT.

So excited. But I should stop knitting and go to sleep.

Look!

almost a sweater

And look!


rosedale in movement

I took a break from it today. I started knitting a scarf in the lovely LionBrand Microspun. It's mistake rib ('cause I love mistake rib), and using two strands as one, on US10 needles.


so much green, so little time

It's going to be half lime and half orange, possibly with fringe of contrasting color on each side. Cool.


close up of the pattern

bigboybenny knit me a scarf, because he is wonderful and awesome. You can go look in his journal to see pictures, when he posts them. it's twelve feet long! It reached from the door of the house to the kitchen!