Progress

I dry blocked the shawl to help me decide how many pattern repeats I would need. At just under 8 pattern repeats it is 28 1/2 inches long and 45 inches wide. I had planned 10 repeats which according to my estimation will give me about a 40 inch by 60 inch shawl without edging. I think I might need to add on a half repeat (since the repeat is a diamond, only doing a half repeat will finish the triangles at the top of the flat edge) which will give me about 65 inches across, which I think is a good length.

Shawl countdown: 32 days

Percentage of body completed: 60

Panic level: still guarded. I think progress is going well, despite the fact that I'm considering adding to the pattern to some 22 rows (that's 6000 extra stitches at the top of the shawl.) I'm going to dry block the shawl again when I reach the original endpoint and reassess both the pattern and the panic level at that time.

A peek

Wedding shawl countdown: 34 days

Percentage completed: 28 (less edging)

Panic level:


Guarded. We'll see how this progresses.

Not Knitting

This is a blog about knitting. I try to keep it mainly as such, but sometimes other things sneak in. This makes sense because I assume that most of the people who visit this site (Hi L's!) know me in some capacity. I really have no way to know, since there aren't really a lot of comments (hi L's) but I'm going to assume that if you're here, you're interested in me and my life or opinions or writing or whatever as well as the pretty little bits that fall off my needles. So, sometimes I include other things. I think it keeps our relationship fresh.


The thing about me that-is-not-knitting for today is this: I am a total political wonk. Totally. Just, wow. I am ten kinds of excited for the election next year. I have been ten kinds of excited for the 2008 election since this time last year. I soak up news about who's in, who's out, who's got a committee, who's announced formally, who has better fund raisers, who's fighting with David Geffen.

And now I have found this: Intrade. A website where you can bet invest actual real cold-hard American currency on when and if political events will take place. Here you can predict when and if Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will resign. (contracts for a resignation by the end of this year are currently selling at $70.) Here you can predict which party will win the 2008 presidential election.

It's a good thing I don't have any money. Otherwise I would totally bet invest it on the political futures market.

Couldn't help myself

My startitis has reached new proportions:



I now start and finish new projects without regard to others that I have on needles.

Mr. Carrot is a present for a dear friend. He specifically requested a carrot. It was my idea to give him a grumpy face.

When you see how bad it really is

I am not a faithful knitter. I usually have at least one project on the needles that I "need" to finish (something I've promised a friend or family member, or something that the weather requires) I usually have at least one project on the needles that I want to finish. usually this is either lace or socks. or lace socks. I like those best.

Additionally, I often have one or two projects for which I am either planning, charting, or swatching. Or even just yarn that i lovingly place in the giant basket o' knitting-things-that-aren't-in-storage-since-i-moved and stare at while I wait for inspiration.

All this goes to say that I am not the kind of knitter who will, at any time, be working on only one piece of knitting.

And ordinarily that's okay. But, sometimes, it gets out of control. Now is one of those times.

of course, you'll understand that the wedding shawl merino needed immediate winding and swatching:


This is a nosegay lace pattern that I rather love. Right now it's on 2.75mms (US 2s) but I think I'll swatch it on 3.5mms (US 4s). Rest assured, there will be a great deal of swatching and false starts. But I have to work quickly. This shawl is due on the 28th of April to be presented to a certain bride to whom it has been promised. 45 days. With everything else you're about to see, you'll need to wish me luck.

For we must not forget the dollar-and-a-half cardigan from Interweave's Spring 2007 magazine:


Progress on the cardigan continues apace. I have little to say about it except that it is clear from the start I will have to give it a good blocking. Which is the same thing I had to do for the Imbolc Aran:


I churned the front out in a relatively short amount of time, considering the complications I had with it. The back goes much slower. I chalk it up to distraction. If I were a good knitter, I would not have started a cardigan for myself while I make a sweater for someone else.

I also chalk the cashsocks up to distraction. Though I do still love them fiercely and know that we shall be together someday.

On the other hand, I care little for my mom's scarf. I have a feeling this may fall into the frog pond to be given another try next time winter comes upon us (I mean, really, what's she going to do with a scarf in April?)

And this, finally, is my 5th work in progress. It's something that's been kicking around in my head for a long time, but that never really got past that stage where I go buy a bunch of brightly colored acrylic and look at it and think, "hey, i should make...

...a stuffed Strong Bad."

That's 5 projects on needles. Two of these (sweater, cardigan) are pretty big commitments . One of these (shawl) is an intense-bordering-on-crazy commitment considering my time limit. The other two, whatever, I'll forget them and start something new tomorrow.

Such are the travails of a fickle and untrue knitter.

Pre-Game

Before the swatching, the charts, the championship of knitting that is designing a wedding shawl there is:




3500 yards of creamy laceweight merino. Sigh...

Out with the old

And in with another template. I kind of like it. Anyone else?

Spring Fling

The new issue of Interweave Knits is out. I bought it last night, and immediately fell in love with it. I sat down right away to finally learn entrelac, as taught by Eunny Jang.
Looks like I succeeded. Thanks Eunny! Now I'm waiting to make her socks. We'll see when I next run across some Koigu.

But, I did have some deep teal merino just begging to be made into...something. It wouldn't decide. It's been cast on three times, but it hadn't found its destiny.


Cast on number four is the "Dollar & a Half Cardigan" by Véronik Avery. Anything that is described as "Joni Mitchell inspired" can't be bad. Photoshop and I decided to see what it would look like in teal instead of brown:

Nice.