Central Park and Apple Meringue

Central Park Hoodie ... the sleeves are blocking ...

... the hood is finished... [not cast off, rather left for grafting later once the ribbing is finished]

... everything I can seam and weave in at this stage has been done ...

...only picking up the stitches along the edge of the right & left fronts and the hood and knitting rib for a few inches to go ...

Can you see my problem? Click and enlarge if not ... oh yes. The picking up stitches knitty skill is sadly lacking here. I've been able to wing it with socks, but clearly winging it is just not going to cut it any longer.

So I must frog *sigh* You have no idea how long it took me to pick up the exact 150 stitches needed. Frog and consult the knitting tomes in my craft room for help in this area cos I suck at it!

I'm not quite ready to frog, and so I have put Central Park Hoodie down and continued with Earnshaw and Xboxing until I can face it.

In the meanwhile - Apple Meringue with ginger and brandy. There was not enough meringue, too much brandy, and I didn't cook the apples quite long enough. But it is utterly delish nevertheless and makes me feel all warm inside - just like my mum's

sherry trifle.

CPH, Earnshaw and illness

Meagre CPH progress - I'm getting there. I was felled by a cold, during which time I had a migraine. Then I got better from the cold. And had another migraine, then another one *sigh* Most of the time I can be OK with it - I have a strictly controlled diet and daily medication. This means that, although it doesn't rid me of migraines completely, when they do hit me I can usually drag myself through the day with numerous 4head [menthol stick] applications and trips to the bathroom to sit on the toilet with my eyes closed.

I remain mostly positive with thoughts such as; it's not terminal, it's generally predictable in it's length and severity of pain, it would be worse without medication and diet control, at least I'm not taking mountains of sick leave like I once did. And sometimes the magic lolly trick actually works! [holding chunks of ice lolly as far back in your throat as possible to open restricted blood vessels.]

But sometimes [like this week] I fall into; it's not fair!! I'm sick of this! I've had it for years and I get at least 2 a month. I'm so angry that I have to be on constant medication and diet control and I still getting these bloody migraines. I want a [insert expletive here] pizza!!

Of course stressing myself out just makes them worse ... but sometimes I just need to have a tantrum.

So as I was feeling quite low in the past week I started on Earnshaw from the "Simply Noro" pattern book by Jane Ellison. I'm using the 1p a gram yarn from the SECC venture a couple of weeks ago. I knat [and washed and blocked] 2 tension squares - one with 5mm needles, and one with 6mm.

The tension I knit with has a life force of it's own...

The 6mm tension square worked out at 14 sts and the 5mm was 18 sts. Which was lovely and easy, since I need 16 sts. Obviously then I need the needle in the middle which is 5.5mm.

Where it all fell to pants was with the rows. The pattern specifies 21 rows. With 6mm needles I got 23 rows. Less stitches than needed, but more rows. *sigh*

It's all good because the pattern is all 'knit until piece measures x inches' so it doesn't really matter that the row tension is off that much. But I can see that that this confidence is going to bite me in the arse and I'm going to end up with a bloody skirt! So I'm monitoring closely.

This blog seems quite angry - but I'm really not!


I got my first meme from India ; what flavour of knitter are you?

This has truely stumped me! I think I'm going for 'Cherries Jubilee'. A 'Cherry ice cream with cherry halves and a hint of rum flavor'. Cherry because - well all my websites have 'cherry' in them somewhere! It's not your run-of-the-mill fruit, which I feel goes quite well with my yarn choices. I don't go for the cheap and cheerful that's for sure!

At the same time it's quite a 'quiet' flavour with not many frills, which definately matches the kind of pattern I go for. I don't tend to go for frilly bits, or crocheted additions. I'm more of a colour knitter I think.

And the rum, because ... well sometimes I go for a crazy bright yarn that shocks even me!

Central Park Hoodie

I can't believe it's Friday already. I've been trying to blog this since Monday, but Blogger and a cold have combined forces to make sure that it didn't happen until today.

Thanks for comments and emails re; oiled yarn. Sorry I didn't hear you at the SECC Heather - I may have been a little delirious after having bought all that yarn! See this is why I do the SECC alone - I'm utterly unsociable when there are crafty delights all around begging to be purchased.

Cheers Heather - I would love to get any help that anyone can give me on yarn goodies to be had in Tokyo, and also to see steeking 'live'.

I have finally finished the back, 2 sides and 2 sleeves for Central Park Hoodie. Blocking was required in order to seam the shoulders and join front and back pieces for the hood.

Now you all saw that I did a tension square right? It fit perfectly with the specified tension with no effort on my part. And I remained all calm and zen-like whilst knitting it - trying not to knit it with a rushed 'this is a waste of my time' attitude ...

Well - the hoodie is about 4 inches too long and had to be stretched as wide as it would go - in fact the sides were practically transparent they were stretched so wide. So I figured screw it - I'll block the life out of it so that it will go to the diagram size for seaming and then reblock it.

Some gratuitous 'arty' blocking cable shots because my thumbs were so sore from pinning in 8 million pins that I couldn't knit for a bit.

See the diagram above? I blocked the 2 front sides 91/2 inches wide, and then I wondered whether the diagram includes the rib stitches that I'm supposed to pick up around the hood and both sides of the cardie? I had already pinned a gazillion pins at this stage and so was beyond caring whether this no longer fit anything except a pencil. I decided to soldier on.

Picking up stitches for the hood - top pic was perfect. Bottom pic not so much *sigh* you might have to enlarge it to see that it doesn't glide seamlessly into the hood. I took the decision to leave it this way because the hood is going to cover this, and it'll be rare that the hood will be up after the obiglitory blog shot.

Shot of all stitches picked up and hoodie beginning to take shape.

And pretty shot of my kitty lying with his head on the arm of the sofa dozing. It's a bit yellow since I discovered he objects to extreme macro close-ups with the flash on ... and his rapidly closing eyes go red - which isn't cute.

SECC Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft

I went to the SECC Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft event today - the boy dropped me off at 10am - I was all spent up by 12! From New Lanark World Heritage Site's stall - a penny a gram for this aran wool in utterly sumptious colours! 2211 grams later ... I think it is still oiled but I'm not sure. Do you wash the yarn before or after knitting it?

I got even more excited when I thought of all the lovely Noro jumper patterns that I haven't been able to knit cos I just can't afford to spend £100 on the yarn. At £21 [I got more weight than the skeins said - score!] I can make 2 jumpers out of this! Yay!

'Weren't you supposed to be knitting from your stash?' I hear you ask. Yes, yes - but my excuse is this - I can't go to Woolfest. Also - at £21 for 2211 grams it would have been criminal not to have bought this yarn. Two Noro jumpers would have cost me over £200 pounds in yarn.

On the way home we had to stop at Toys R' Us to get another part for the Xbox controller [I broke it trying to get the batteries out for the camera.] I decided to stay in the car since 2 hours of crazed bargain-hunting hobbyists had taken it's toll and Toys R' Us is generally not a relaxing shopping experience.

Spotted in the car, all my yarn spread over my lap, sniffing one skein deeply trying to work out whether it was oil, or sheep that I could smell. This was Ibrox Toys R' Us you understand ... perhaps not the best place to let one's guard down and indulge in knittery habits.

Swift and ballwinder hard at work - my swift has developed a squeak though. A bit of Olive Oil helped a bit, but only if I can keep up a certain speed - tired arms but determined to finish.

Ta-daa! Lovely colours - the one next to the sunset yellow is a very dark brown - I think they look fantastically retro together.

In Borders at the weekend to get some more survival guides for Tokyo - the restaurants one in particular is fantastic for someone with food issues - the language course really helps, so that pronunciation will be no problem. Well... I guess I should wait until we're back to gauge that. The trip has been booked on Expedia. Very scary to spend that amount of cash and get nought but an email for all our months of saving.

Central Park hoodie continues. The second sleeve is almost at the cap shaping - since I already posted the last sleeve at this stage I'm not going to bother this time. And that's me - except I have Monday off so I expect I'll be knitting and gaming for most of the day.

Brief Blogging Hiatus...

It feels like quite a while since I blogged, although it has only been a week. I am usually always thinking of the content of my next blog post and for the past week I haven't really. Our knitting group went through a bit of a difficult time, and for a while there it looked as if it may be no more. Thankfully we have pulled together, become much stronger and I have nothing but optimism and happiness when I think of my knitty group now.

The positive side of this difficult time has been the realisation of just how important the group is to me, and just how many friendships have been forged.

I also realised the importance of not just reacting and rather taking the time to allow my emotions to process. So it seems that all's well that ends well. I read a couple of rather good comments on the Yarn Harlot's blog that I'm now applying in my life;

"It'll all be OK in the end. If it's not OK, then it's not the end"
and
"If you're going through hell keep going"



And so, onto some knitty content - after a week of knitting my 'mindless' scarf in stocking stitch [I was too upset to follow a pattern] I am now back to Central Park Hoodie. This is the first sleeve with about an inch until the shaping begins. Nought much else to say really - a lovely pattern.

Although it did get me to thinking about where I have picked up the skills I have learned so far. So many people have lent me their time, patience and skills - and so thank you! [and forgive me if I have omitted anyone!];

Knitting itself; my granny
Cabling; my mum
Mattress stitch; my granny
Knitting in the round; myself!
Turning a heel; Lilith
Picking up stitches through knitted fabric; Kathleen
Setting a sleeve; Joyce [a work colleague]
Picking up a hood; myself
Lace knitting; myself
Spinning [drop Spindle]; India
Dyeing yarn; Craftster
Blocking a blanket; The Yarn Harlot

And then thinking about the skills I want to learn;

Steeking *gulp*, other forms of cast on, more difficult lacework, natural dyeing, spinning with a wheel, setting a zip in knitted items, setting a zip at all!, felting, sewing in a lining to a knitted bag/pouch ... that's all I can think of for now.

I finally received my Rowan magazine [still no sign of the gift] exactly one month after I ordered it. So far the patterns below have taken my fancy - although they are knitted in Kidsilk Haze which I don't fancy. Anyone know of a good substitute? If only they made Kid Classic thinner...

Actually the magazine arrived in good time, as the boy and I are pricing Japan in August. The result is that I am pretty much going to have to knit from my stash until August. [!]

Woolfest is off *gasp* *sob* until next year. We have found a lovely [expensive] hotel right in the centre of fun Tokyo, and I have my heart set on it. As difficult as the choice was, I have decided that I would rather have a very lean few months followed by hugely indulgent holiday.

I'm now researching yarn and crafty places in Tokyo - if anyone reading knows of any pur-lease let me know! Did you know that they don't have crafty/yarn shops, rather 7 floor department stores dedicated to craft - my God! I may just swoon to the floor! Whoop whoop!

So for now, domo arigato* for reading - I'm off into the [brief] sunshine!
*thank you

DK Socks - finished!

The technicolour DK socks are finally done! I bought the yarn for these from Woolfest last June and finished the first sock way back in August 2006 .

Yarn: Schoeller & Stahl Limbo Color Col: 2539 - bought from Web Of Wool stall [less than 3 balls]
Pattern: Free with yarn.
Skills advanced: My kitchener stitch is getting better I think, but I can tell that it's the kind of stitch I will need to refresh on once a month or lose it forever!

I made these socks deliberately different - I didn't want exact stripe matching. I did have a bit of difficulty with the stitch on the heel turn but a quick email to Web of Wool resolved the problem - they were very friendly and accommodating.

I did have to sew up the holes in the ankle - although the pattern said the stitch [with which I had difficulty] would render holes invisible this seriously didn't happen with me. Big line o'holes!

I love them - they are so colourful and cheer me up always!

Work those WIPs!

Above: some Almond macaroons from Cookies Galore - made on Sunday, intended to be frozen and brought out for Valentines day. Well ... they weren't frozen and we've nearly finished them! I feel that they are a bit chewy, which must be the egg white that I had to beat. Do I beat it less or more to make them less chewy next time? I figure less, but if anyone can help? ...


On the knitting front - Jaywalkers have been picked up again after a long spell on the WIP shelf. Every blogger on the planet has knitted these so I really need to move on from this project!

I've lost a Brittany sock needle to the cause, and got a replacement from the lovely staff of the Brittany company. Then I broke another one and didn't have the heart to ask for another replacement, so I bought a 2nd set. Now I should have enough spare to get through the pair - and if I ever make these again I'll go metal all the way.

They are so tight to pull on [well the one sock that I have tried so far...] that I'm scared they are going to give, but once they're on ... they fit so well! This is Opal Cotton yarn, which is machine washable and lovely and soft.

Central Park Hoodie is moving slowly. I'm onto the sleeve ribbing - hardly the most exciting pic in the world so I didn't bother. Instead I'll pass on a hot Lorna's Laces supply that I learned about at last nights Stitch n Bitch. Apparently about $12 shipping for 10 skeins to the UK - which makes them cheaper than getknitted [unless you get hit for import duties!]

Click here for the eBay shop o'joyous Lorna's Laces.

Fire Scarf - FO

Another FO: Fire Scarf.
Materials: Jaegar Merino Matchmaker Aran [discontinued] in grey and firey orange.
Pattern: My own -
CO however many sts to make it how wide you want it.
Gauge ... it's a scarf, I'm sure whatever it knit's too will be fine!

Row 1: K1, M1, K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Row 2: Knit

Change colour randomly to suit you.
Knit until long enough.


I finished this scarf quite a while ago - it just took me a millenia to weave in all the bloody ends! I started this before I realised that you could carry yarn up the side. To be honest though, the width of some of the stripes would have meant that yarn couldn't have been carried up the side.


The yarn was dyed with Kool-Aid [see sidebar for details] which was much fun - and I love the contrast between the silvery cool grey and the electric fire hot oranges.

I was about halfway through the scarf when Kathleen illuminated me on making invisible stitches. I had been picking up the loop between stitches and knitting it as every other stitch. However, if you knit through the back of the stitch it will not leave the big holes [see pic below]

All in all I love this scarf - it's exactly the vibrant contrast I was looking for, and the yarn is lovely and toasty!

Catch-up

Well it's been over a week since my last blog update ... those who know me will know that issues in my personal life have been taking their toll of late. The stress and sadness have led me to cancel driving lessons, my stall [for this month anyway] and also to lose the ability to accept that my bank is not an empty vault of cash. Oh yes, in order to cheer myself up I have been yarn shopping on an unprecedented scale ...

The yarn above however, was won in a Pass the Parcel game at my Stitch n Bitch meet. It is a Shetland wool that is still oiled and requires a wash in Fairy Liquid of all things. Whether this is after knitting or not I am unsure - can anyone advise? Thank you to Gloria for donating this lovely lovely yarn - which is a much nicer shade than the camera can capture.


So what have I bought? Well ...
Online: A Texere catalogue [I will try and remember to bring this to the next meet - pictured above and below], the latest Vogue Knitting and Knitsimple, and a Rowan membership.
By phone: the boy has bought me for my Valentine's pressie - a subscription to Knit1 and Knitsimple.
In person: [K1 Yarns] Brittany 5mm dpns, Noro Knits pattern book, a K1 Yarns bag, and 2 balls of Olive Green Artesano Alpaca Inca Cloud for the hat I'm knitting.
[HK Handknit] 2 balls of creme Lana Grossa yarn for an Aran hat, 2 balls of Noro Silk Garden #8 [for my sister for armwarmers and so doesn't count!], another Clover Row counter as mine has walked. There is also an £11.80 on the receipt but I have no recollection of what I bought...

I am trying to restrain myself from getting a Vogue Knitting International subscription and am going to try really really hard not to buy anything knitty related this month.

Has this made me any happier? Well of course! It is yarn, or yarn-related after all. But really I will not be happier unless I resolve the issue at hand - and I don't feel strong enough at present to tackle it. To those that know .. despite ongoing tension on my part, things have been OK so far this week. Unfortunately I cannot speak freely about this issue on a public blog I'm afraid - I'm not just being secretive to be mysterious and annoying.


Onto happier subjects - Central Park Hoodie is coming on quite well. Almost finished the right front and then I can begin the sleeves. After this the hood and ribbing home stretch! I haven't yet added buttons to anything and so am looking forward to encountering this new skill.

[edit] I nearly forgot to mention - the ribbing issue in the last post - not an issue. I was just looking at it without 'looking at it' properly. There was no need to frog after all. And I measured the pattern size diagram against a cardi that is perfect on me, and it's bigger - yay! all's well and all that!


And a wee final note; a great UK website mentioned in Vogue Knitting - Office Lendorff - a genius way of combining my two passions of knitting and gaming!

The green frog question

In case you're wondering about Central Park Hoodie - here is the left front [back & right front done]. 4 inches of rib equals 30 rows. So I finally got to the stage where I could begin the cabling when I realised that I should have started with k2, not purl 2... The dilemma begins. To knit an extra row and say screw it? Or to frog it and begin again as I simply have to have all my rows the same to make seaming easier?

Throw into the dilemma that I have been gaining weight of late, and am now thinking of going up a size, and also making this longer so that my bum isn't on show everytime I sit down. There's nothing like 2 inches of bare love handles hanging out going numb in the aircon to make me feel depressed and self-concious. *sigh*

I want this to be a hoodie I love, not one that makes me feel fat.

This of course means I have to see if the yarn shop has another skein as then I would be one short. So I'm putting this down and glaring at it periodically whilst eating more chocolate to make myself feel better.




More green rib - another Noro hat - this time in Artesano Alpaca Inca Cloud [2 strands together] - to pass time while I decide what to do about Central Park Hoodie. Upon reading a copy of Dominitrix at yesterday's Stitch n' Bitch meet, I discovered that alpaca is not a very elastic fibre, and so is probably not really suited to a hat ... *double sigh*


And so I pick up a WIP last seen here. One sock down, one to go. Clearly the knitting gods are directing in the path of the many many unfinished WIPs ...

Noro Hat - 2nd FO of 2007

Finally I am well enough to knit! A flooding washing machine led to an afternoon off work knitting another Noro hat - this one for my sister with the remnants left from the Christmas scarf I gave her.

I doubt that there are many customers who respond as positively as a knitter on finding out the plumber will visit between 1pm and 6pm. Suddenly a flooding kitchen disaster has the positive side effect of an afternoon off work to knit!

Pattern from Simply Noro using Noro Silk Garden colour #8.

I have made this hat loads of times, and always vow to knit it in the round the next time, but actually I am always so amazed by the magic of mattress stitch that I actually enjoy seaming, and I prefer knitting flat to knitting on dpns if the needle size is quite large.

Speaking to my sister last night - she is still knitting! whoop! She taught herself how to cast on and knit using a magazine with no knitters around to help. Knitting is clearly in her dna.

The beginner's knitting magazine [monthly] she is using introduces a new stitch with each issue and yarn to make a square - then all the squares eventually get seamed together to make a blanket.

As she is a newbie knitter I don't want to scare her but I suggested not casting off the square and just adding the new ball so that she makes stripes - less seaming! She thought this was quite clever. She hasn't encountered seaming yet, and I fear that it will cause her bolt!

Mentioning a kniting group that she could join however ... a step too far! Stitch n' Bitch are still a step into 'geekdom' for her yet. But soon ...

And so ... onwards to the Central Park Hoodie. Left front ribbing is nearly done.

Demolition

No knitty content as I'm so ill I haven't knat a stitch all weekend. I did however go and stand in the Asda carpark to witness the demolition of the towerblock used by Sony to advertise their Bravia HD TV. Check out the picture I took above - I'm so pleased with it!

The camera has a continuous setting, and will take 16 shots one after the other - I can't believe my luck that standing to down all fitted into one continuous pic - if it had ended too soon I would have lost bits.

Click it to get an enlarged version.

*please note that this image is copyright
If you would like to use this image for any purpose please email me.*

Above - some beautiful armwarmers that I won by coming 2nd in the 'Guess the Yarn' competition at my Stitch n' Bitch meet - we have a month of competitions, quizzes fun and festivities because we have been going for 2 years and have just surpassed the 100th meeting!

These lovely soft armwarmers were knitted by the organiser, Karen - whom I want to say a big public thank you! Both for my prize and also, more importantly, for taking the time out to organise this group that has made such a massive, positive improvement to my life and from which I've made oodles of new knitty pals!


Progress on a hat for my sister, to go with the scarf I made her for Christmas. It's from the Simply Noro pattern book, by Jane Ellison, and only uses 1 ball.

I've made loads of these hats, here [Noro Aurora], here [Noro Silk Garden and Rowan Kid Classic], and another for my sister last Christmas - which she loves!


And progress on Central Park Hoodie from Fall 2006 KnitScene - knitted in Cascade 220.

It's going well, and is a fairly easy knit. I'm preparing for Rogue - some of the girls from the Glasgow Stitch 'n Bitch are planning to have a knit-a-long this year.

I have to say the narrow-ness of the front side panels are un-nerving me a bit - I'm hoping that it will widen out with the horizontal ribbing that gets added at the end. Nonetheless I am trying to eat less so that I can fit into it better should it be snug.

The top of the left front foxed me a bit - 10 stitches are put on a stitch holder till later and the panel continues up a bit until the shoulder shaping. Methinks this will leave big hole to be seamed once hood is added? I've tried to read the pattern but I can't visualise how this is going to work - knitting blind for now and trusting the designer.

It must be the New Year or something, but I have gone into an organisational frenzy, akin to Monica from Friends. I have sorted my side bar and updated/removed links.

I bought some big re-sealable bags in varying sizes from eBay which arrived on Monday. They are clear so that I can see my yarn - just got to buy labels. Also when you press down on the full bag the air gets forced out and a vacuum is created - so that I can get more out of my yarn storage space.

I have to say, looking at it all spread out over the living room at midnight [as I say, a frenzy!] I confess to feel a rise of panic. How did this happen? How have I bought so much? There is yarn there that I was so desperate to get I paid extra for speedy shipping, and subsequently let it lay dormant in my stash for months. "Why don't you say something?" I said to the boy, "It's quite clear I have a problem." His response was a very tired, resigned "What would be the point?"

In a bid to utilise stash I completely forgot existed I suddenly had a genius idea - see here. A work in progress, this is the librarian in me shining through. A cross-referencing cataloguing system of patterns in the queue and stash - organised by yarn weight [and soon garment type].

I've been so excited about this - A few months ago I had this idea of cataloguing pattern versus stash but an effective method eluded me. This is perfect!

I'm not saying that from now on I resolve to knit entirely from my stash or anything - I do admit that I have no willpower whatsoever when it comes to purchasing yarn - but at the very least, if the ideal yarn is already in my stash it would be good to use it. Less destructive on the bank account.

Organisation and cataloguing rock! Sometimes my job has it's uses.