Big Blue Bathrobe

How big? See for yourself.


Thanks to Rebecca for snapping my photo. I really like the way it looks like I'm resting my hand on the bird's head.

Pattern: Mia from the Cotton Angora Collection
Yarn: Cotton Angora *cough*
Needles: US8 Clover bamboo

Oy, this thing is huge! And schlumppy. And it gets longer every time I look at it. I'll never get into the Sexy Knitters Club with a sweater like this. I should have realized that 16 skeins of Cotton Angora is 1.75 oz x 16 = 28 oz!!!! One heavy sweater. It is very soft and very warm and very snuggly. If I can decide on a closure that I like and get over the hugeness I think I could enjoy curling up in this a lot. And coating everything I touch in angora.

For the opposite end of the fit scale I finished the Veste Everest for the shop last week. I made the 26.5" size which is designed to have negative ease. Customers kept coming in and saying, "What are you working on?"
"A vest," I'd say, beaming with pride over my beautifully crisp cables.
"For a child?"
"No, for a woman. See?" I'd demonstrate by pulling at the ribbing.

The mannequin demonstrates it better and it looks really cute with her tartan skirt.



The vest in its native habitat.
Roll over for another view.

Pattern: Veste Everest from Interweave Knits Fall 2005
Yarn: Rowan Harris Tweed Aran
Needles: US6 Crystal Palace Bamboo
Modifications: I knit it in the round instead of in pieces.

A Diversion

I am just binding off the collar for Mia. I have thousands of ends to weave in then I'll show you a photo. Don't get too excited. Mia can best be described in three words, "big blue bathrobe."

In the meantime why don't you watch another of Wes's award-winning films?

Know Any Young Knitters?

Penguin Books is giving away a $200 gift certificate for yarn to promote their new book. It's only open to knitters 9-16 who must send in a knitted square which will be donated to Warm Up America.

Why Didn't I Think of That?

Someone on the Frost Flowers and Leaves knitalong suggested making a large photocopy of the chart and then having it laminated. I thought that was a great idea. I was all set to do it too when I remembered that I already have my own laminator.

D'oh!

My Latvian socks are moving slowly but nicely.



As are the sleeves to Mia.

Witness My Husband's Genius

His first award-winning film from a few years ago.

Get Your Own

You've probably been reading about Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock yarn all over the place since Rhinebeck. You can know order it directly from Tina and Kaci on their newly improved website. There are only a limited number of colors currently shown on their site. Hassle them to put up some more.

Looks Like an Angel

But she's the devil in disguise.



Heidi Klum poses here in the Victoria's Secret fashion show, two months after giving birth to her second child, crushing the self-esteem of every woman on Earth once and for all.

Thursdays are For What the Hell is This?

A Public Safety Announcement:
Numerous knitters have been reported missing after knitting the Stirling Cowl Neck Shell. Investigators suspect that shortly after completion the egg sacks on the garment hatch and the wearer is consumed by thousands of baby spiders.



Consider yourself warned.

Interweave Winter Preview

It's up.

Thank You Secret Pal!

I just got the most wonderful gift in the mail.



It's Fleece Artist yarn! For me! Thank you Secret Pal. I love it. It's my favorite colors. I will have to find the perfect sock pattern for it. Thank you!!

To People Who Say They Can't Bake

I say, "Bullshit!"

Behold cream puffs baked by a five year old.



In less than 15 minutes the puffs were in the oven and the chocolate sauce was made.



If a five year old can do it, can't you?

Needled

With Amble out of the way I started the Latvian Socks from Folk Socks for the Folk Socks Knitalong. It begins with a picot edge. You knit in plain stockinette for several rows than work a turning row of K2tog, yo. Knit more stockinette and then fold in half and knit the cast on edge with the following row. That can be a little fussy so I tried doing a provisional cast on instead so I could just pick up live stitches instead of digging them out of the cast on edge. Eunny mentioned that when knitting her Union Square Market Pullover that she did a provisional cast on using the cable of another needle instead of waste yarn. How brilliant is that? It makes casting on much easier and you don't need to then transfer the stitches back on to a needle.

So I began doing the two circular method using 2 16" Crystal Palace size 0 circulars and a third Crystal Palace needle to hold the provisional cast on (32" size 1). It sucked.



The business end of a 16" circular is 3.75" long, about an inch shorter than in the larger needle sizes. It was impossible to get a good hold of them so I knit the first several rounds slowly and loosely. Wes was out for the night so I made the bold decision to gather up the kids and take them with me to the shop. I was also trying to figure out what yarn to use for the Child's Socks in Shell Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks. I haven't even purchased the book yet. So my plan included getting the book and the yarn for those socks too. You know how this all turned out, right?

[Insert aphorism about planning here.]

Ten minutes of "Don't touch that!" "Sit down." "Sit DOWN." "I said don't touch that." " I mean get your hands off of that." "Sit!" and I was ready to leave with just my needle.* On my way back to the car I realized that I was so distracted I bought a US1 instead of a US0. Another quick run through of the store and I was back home knitting.

Ahhh, much better.



*for magic loop method instead.