I don’t know ka-ra-te, but I know ka-ray-zay

Possibly the best James Brown line ever, but it’s can also describe my day to day lately. Things are hopefully starting to hit a stride, and thus I’ve made something. Huzzah.

Before I get to le triomphe I must acknowledge le grande poo, which is also le francais, Le Slouch by Wendy Bernard. I totally screwed this one, I used Maalbrigo and size 8s but just didn’t pay attention. Decreasing in seed stitch was more challenging than I thought. And so it looks like ass on a stick.

But then I went to my friend’s house in Long Island, and we spent the day at the beach and played tennis. I spent some time in my own brain and thought about the spot on the wall in between the bedroom and the bathroom (among other spots). Frustrated but still feeling okay, I attacked a new hat pattern. I’m not stuck in a rut! This hat kicked ass, not only because it’s a great pattern, but because it’s a great baby pattern I modified for my own big adult alient head, and it totally worked out. Huge props to Hey Julie, where I found the original bestest earflap hat pattern (I made literally everyone one for the holidays last year).

I’ve filmed the junk cuz I got no camera – but it look real nice!

It resembles Mush Mouth’s hat/headpiece when looking at it not on a person, but when you wear it, it looks normal.

Dumb Donald, who I thought was Mush Mouth

 

A Likely Story

Yes, I’ve been in planning hell. No excuses. But I’ve been in Dallas for Christ’s sake. However, it has meant I’ve completed and come close to completing some actual projects. My AA miles (not related to my wine consumption, but close enough) are coming close to allowing space travel, so I guess that is good too.

So! A completed project. I bought 4 hanks of Lion Brand yarn’s Thick & Quick wool yarn in a lovely burnt orange called Butterscotch. An aside: I really hate that they call this yarn “Thick & Quick”. It makes you slur the words. Or else I’ve had too much Cabernet already. It’s like my man friend’s joke about saying Linens N’ Things – you always sound a little drunkie when you say it.

Anyhoo – I actually made this scarf for my man friend. I hope he enjoys it! Also, I’m thisclose to finishing the Kelly cardigan mohair jobby. Hopeully will finish this week/weekend. I’ll be in Bloomington, IN, crossing my fingers for some quiet college town time. I am so excited!

 

The Last of the Alpacans

So, achingly close to completing Cloud Bolero I ran out of fricking yarn. I had bought a boatload of Debbie Bliss alpaca silk, lovely stuff, in a couple of colors. One was “denim”, a gorgeous light navy. Ran out of it. Local yarn shops, like Stitch Therapy here in Park Slope, offered advice on replacement yarn but had no Debbie. Knit NY on 14th street in the city, no dice. Called several others…apparently no one ordered more DB alpaca silk, and no one had that color left. Enter the wonders of the introwebs, where I was able to buy two skeins of the exact yarn needed from Seaport Yarns (apparently their last two!). Came quickly, packaged well and I was able to finish Cloud Bolero yesterday. Or so I thought…again inching toward completion, literally maybe 4 picot edges left to do I run out of it AGAIN! So I spied a lonely sock I never completed the partner for and cut it up (it was partially knit wit the same yarn I’ve been using). Eh voila!

This is the first time I’ve used the picot edging. While Ysolda’s pattern instructions on picot were pretty straightforward, I found some nice visuals and more explicit instruction in Knitty’s archives:

And so, I have a finished product I am proud of. I need a little fancines, either ribbon or a cool brooch to bring it all together but it’s a nice finished object. Especially needed after my Briar Rose Disaster. Wee!

 

Also, it’s a gloomy, wintry morning in Brooklyn. I’m knitting, drinking tea and watching Chinatown. This movie is amazing.

 

Knitting on a whirlwind tour of holiday insanity

Feliz navidad…what to do with a entire week free from work (well mostly free)? Watch movies, spend time with family, eat wheels of brie, drink excessive amounts of wine and champagne, and relax with some projects.

I finished a mitten set (which I left in Indianapolis), a hat for Greer (knitted entirely on Christmas Day) and started on my Ysolda Briar Rose sweater. I’ve finished the bottom body portion, which is knit with short rows. I think I did it okay, and I’m now seeing the point of short rows: it makes a groovy little curve within a long piece. I’ve finished and then joined the first sleeve, which took me a good ten minutes of studying the piece before I figured it out. Sometimes I am not that smart. We’ll see how the rest of it goes!

 

Renewed knitting

So it’s been a while. I hosted Thanksgiving (albeit for only 3 people) but hell I made a damn turkey. Also, our digital camera is busted, thus making a blog about knitting projects difficult to chronicle. I could draw a picture? Here’s what Knit and Tonic, where I bought the pattern, says it looks like. Mine isn’t as nice.

Ok so I took a break from the sweater. Too much of the same color, I nearly jumped out a window at several points. In the meantime, I churned out a couple of small projects that I hope to give away as gifts. A couple of hats I made on a very bumpy Friday night flight from LA to JFK the week after Thanksgiving. Flight attendants are ALWAYS interested in what you’re knitting. I made the Aspen hat from Wenlan’s Big City Knits, and then made my own design (just a regular old hat in seed stitch – turned out pretty cool). I bought a crapload of her yarn online and it’s pretty nice but holy jeebus – essssspensive. Like $18 a hank. I don’t pay enough attention to the yardage or what have you I just go by the all inclusive “hank”.

Best part about work travel (aside from the miles you can rack up for your own personal use, which I never actually take advantage of) is the free time with no phone calls or blackberry service. Aside from a honeymoon, it’s the only time work folk just accept that they’re not going to get in touch with you. After that, you’re fair game.

However. I finished a set of mittens on that trip (NYC to Dallas, Dallas to LA). Satisfied, I admired my handiwork as I packed up my stuff and prepared to leave my seat. Soft gorgeous Debbie Bliss alpaca silk in a groovy looking green and gray stripes. And I LEFT THE DAMN MITTENS on the plane. I’ve rarely been so pissed at myself. I am retarded.

…serenity now. I’m over it, I think. I’m here on my couch, finally attacking red sweater again and having a nice big glass of Syrah (Smoking Loon - always under $12 at Shawn downstairs). Smoking Loon, it turns out, is a Sebastiani family wine. Me likey.

Finally, my tree is up and decorated. If I had a camera I’d snap a photo – it’s real purty and putting me in the holiday spirit (in addition to the actual spirits I’m imbibing). The cherry on top of this Monday night is White Christmas on TV – one of my favorite holiday movies. I tend to goob out a bit at the holidays. Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby are hilarious, Rosemary Clooney and…the attractive blonde with the great legs. IMDB tells me she’s Vera-Ellen. She was like Ann-Margret of the 1930’s – 40’s.

I’m secretly glad the man-friend is out this evening…better I keep my bourgeosie holiday proclivities to myself.