la barista

Thats what you may call me from now on. We got an espresso machine at work today and I have been making espresso all day long. I could possibly grow an addiction to making espresso even stronger than my existing addiction to drinking espresso. From the very minute I was taught, I fell in love with steaming milk. I love that deep grumbly sound that gradually rises. I like the smell of the steamy milk pouring out of the pitcher and I like the almost black color of the pure espresso grounds. So what does all of this have to do with knitting you ask? Well, um, I'm not sure, although if you were to push me I would have to explain that its because I like to drink espresso while I knit. But the truth would be that I just wanted to brag and post a picture of my first ever espresso. Without further ado:

Sweet organization

I did it! I sat down and organized all my knitting patterns. I slipped them into plastic sleeves, divided them up by category and labeled them with dividers. Unfortunately, I still couldn't find anything I was just crazy to start knitting. Maybe I need to just start shopping for the perfect yarn......and when I find it, I can decide what to make!

WANTED

WANTED: A Second Project

I feel like the erte cloche isn't giving me enough knitterly satisfaction right now, so I've decided to take up a second project. I was thinking perhaps the Amelia Earhart Aviator Cap, but am hesitant on that one because I'm currently making a hat. I thought about flipping through my binder of patterns, but I just bought a bigger binder for everything, and I have yet to organize it. Looking at my patterns means first organizing them. I'm in a rut..... maybe I'll actually start work on the clapotis, since I've been admiring that since I saw it. On the other hand, now would be a good time to get started on the Giraffe sweater, maybe I could actually get it completed before winter! Or maybe, just maybe, I could justify buying one of the books that I have been eyeing. So many options!!!!

Books, cloches and a really bad cold

Last night I went to open knit night at Lint. Normally, I like to start off my night by perusing through their enourmous book section. Last nights selection was Loop-d-Loop, by Teva Durham. Let me tell you, what a friggin' awesome book! While I'm not crazy about every pattern in the book, some of them really push the boudaries of conventional knitting. The pattern that stands out in my mind is a fair isle that seems to move in uneven waves. By all means, go check this book out.

Afterwards, I worked on the cloche for a bit. I finally got my 4 inches and can now start on the reductions. I had one slight mishap, when I was dividing up the stitches into 6 equal groups of 25. One of my groups only had 24! No biggie, I just picked up a stitch. I'm hoping it won't show in the long run. The weird part is, I can't find where I dropped a stitch to begin with.

And on to the cold. Its one of those evil colds that is not so bad that I have to stay home from work, but is just bad enough that I feel like shit all day long. The weather today is grey and rainy, and honestly I wish I could just chug some Dayquil, put on some sweat pants and work on my knitting.

Hello... my name is McKenzie...

....... and I knit too much. (You reply: Hello McKenzie) But its all okay, because now I own a copy of the Yarn Harlots new book, At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Much. I just barely made it through the intro without getting all teary eyed. Maybe my blood sugar was just low. Either way, its really cute and fun. On that note, I almost got caught knitting today when I should have been working. I had to throw my knitting under my desk really fast and pretend to be typing. The entire time I was nervous that during the cloche's flight, or perhaps on its crash landing, some stitches might have decided to commit hairy carry and jump off the needle. Luckily, all the stitches survived their emergency exit intact. Maybe I should stop bringing my knitting to work.......








.....yeah right

pictures!

ssssshhhhhh....... don't mention anything to my boss, but I borrowed the scanner at work to scan a bit of the erte cloche. So without further ado, here it is.



In the upper left corner you can see a bit of the moss stitch. Under the row of pink is stockinette, doing something I've never seen stockinette do before (see post "the bitchin'est little stitch).

whew!

After much searching of my already heinously dirty house, I found my knitting project cowering under the bed. My new little dog loves to carry objects around the house, particularly plastic objects. Since my project happened to be in a plastic cosmetic case, I'm guessing the little runt took it under there. I therefore apologize to Nana for blaming her, but I'm still miffed about my shoes. When I get the friggin' scanner working, I will scan a portion of the cloche so you can see the excellent looking stitch.

LOST!

Oh no! I lost the little clear plastic zip container that contained my erte cloche! I'm very distressed. I'm afraid that it may have gone the way of my checkerboard Vans. That is to say, my grandma came through my house like a tornado and swept up anything she didn't like/ know what it was. These things somehow, accidentally, definitely not on purpose (sigh) made their way to the Goodwill. I am feeling quite a bit put out, as you may have guessed.

knitting group

Following up to the 'social implications of knitting' post, I recently attended an Open Knit Night (say that 10 times fast) at Lint (see links section), a local knitting shop that I adore. I had an awesome evening. I met some wonderful people and some wonderful knitters. While I tend to knit as a personal thing (somewhat like therapy........ or a couple of percosets and a shot), sometimes its nice to shoot the breeze with fellow knitters. I'd definitely like to go back, if I can work up the energy to walk back down there.

the social implications of knitting

Knitting, for better worse, always seems to become a social thing for me. I am one of those knitters that carries her project with her wherever she goes. This inevitably leads to some type of social intercourse, whether its a fellow knitter or a complete non-knitter. There are some types of people, and comments, that I don't mind, and still others that drive me up the wall. I'm sure almost every knitter has encountered any number of these:

The Bad:

-Isn't knitting for old ladies?
-Oh my god, I can't believe you actually knit!
-I'm knitting this scarf with this amazing new stuff called Fun Fur! I am so unique and amazing, as are my knitting ideas........ (and on and on and on)
-Will you teach me how to knit? (while riding on the light rail to work at 8 am)
-What exactly is it that you are making? (asked incredulously)
-sometimes, it is what is not said, my personal favorite is the ol' bug eyed stare


The Good:

-Thats really nice looking!
-I like your choice of colors/yarn
-Your knitting has great tension!
-I think I'll take a knitting class. It looks like a great way to (insert verb here)

Mobius Scarves

Somebody pleeeaaaase inform me if I am mistaken on this, but I can't figure out why you would need a pattern to knit one. So far as I can tell, all you have to do is knit on the round and twist the row as you are going. I do this on accident all the time......

the bitchin'ist little stitch

I'm working with a fingering weight yarn for the erte cloche pattern. This is quite a bit finer that anything I usually so its been kinda fun. I've noticed that as I'm knitting on the round, the stitch, rather than looking like tiny V's, looks more like a series of slants running into a bar. Hard to explain...... cool to look at.

damn you kermit sweater!

Seaming was put on this planet to ruin me....... well, maybe not me, but definitely all of my projects. I tried to seam the kermit sweater the other day. It was looking great, until I put it on and saw all the places I had severley messed it up. Perhaps the most depressing part of all was realizing that when the look is all put together, I'm really not all that crazy about the kermit sweater. Truth be told, I will probably never wear it. Damn.....

Erte Cloche

I have been lusting for awhile after this pattern: http://marniemaclean.com/patterns/erte/index.html

and finally got it for my birthday. I went to Lint and bought some bitchin' black rowan finger weight yarn and got started on it. Its turning out really friggin' beautiful, I just finished the moss stitch on the bottom and the first row of the band before messing it up (see 'drunken knitting').

drunken knitting......

........is never a good idea. Last night I went out to the bar and took my knitting with me, thinking that while I was sitting there relaxing with friends and sipping a beer I could get some of it done. I thought that I was making amazing progress and was really happy to be going along so well. Well, this morning I woke up with a hang over and about 15 dropped stitches. Yee haa. Today I'm going to have to sit down and do some serious knitting first aid. Damn. I, McKenzie, do hereby swear that I will no longer drunkenly knit.

Spring Knitty!

The Spring issue of Knitty is up! Yaaaaay!!!

http://www.knitty.com

I really want to tackle this adorable skirt:

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATThottamale.html

With a pair of saddle shoes, I just think it would be fabu!

Picking up.....moving on

After much deliberation and a few desperate calls to my knitting guru, I finally decided to sack up and finish the kitty hat with double points. Going slowly and carefully, I made all the reductions just fine and finished the hat off. The next step is picking up stitches along the cast off edge to make the ear flaps, and picking up stitches on the top to make the kitty ears. I have read a couple different explanations of picking up stitches and have even tried to pick some up. I got it to work, but I have no idea if I'm doing it right. I guess I'll just have to see.......

Allllmmmooosssttt

I am almost finished with the reductions on the top of the kitty hat. Instead of transfering it to double points though, I'm gonna try one of those little tiny round needles that Clover makes. I hate working with double points and I'm wondering if I can save myself the hassle. I'm don't really like the way that the pattern is written for the reductions. Its pretty visible, and I have made hats that have much nicer looking, and easier to knit reductions.

finally!

After much stalling, I finally got around to taking a poor quality picture of the beginnings of the kitty hat. I intended to scan it, but for some mystery reason my scanner decided not to work tonight so it was back to the ol' camera phone. Anyways, this picture gives you the basic idea, moss stitch on the bottom. Next step, reducing stitches! Yuck.....

le chapeau de chat

I have gotten all of the seed stitch done and 4 inches up to where I need to start making the decreases (cringe!) without any mistakes (that I know of). I promise to scan it tonight and post the pictures. I am loving the way it looks!