Back to Knitting

With the whirlwind of the show over (sniff sniff), my life is falling back into the balance it had before. I found that so much dancing was absolutely incredible for one part of my self, but it meant that I wasn’t knitting at all! That was fine for a while, but I’m glad in a way to be back to my little routine. I’ll look forward to the next show, of course, and perhaps be better prepared to make sure I take care of all the little corners of my self in the process.

But there is so much knitting stuff to talk about! This is the year of frogging or finishing unfinished objects for the Yarn Wranglers (the knitting group I belong to), and while I’m not sure I’ll be able to stick to that plan entirely, I’m doing ok so far. I finally (FINALLY) frogged the February Lady Sweater I had in progress that either needed to be restarted or killed. It’s dead. That yarn is all wound up in new balls and will probably be used for Ysolda’s Vine Yoke Cardigan. If I ever get up the nerve to knit a fitted sweater again. I’m considering attacking something more forgiving like Jared Flood’s Inversion. Yummy, cozy, Japanese-inspired drapeyness!

Results & Flowers

So the poll didn’t really work as I’d hoped. Either it wasn’t recording anyone else’s entries or I’m really the only one who voted (and that was a test). Ah well.

After sitting with the options for a while and considering the yarn I have (Dream in Color Classy), I’m going to frog the FLS and make Ysolda’s Vine Yoke Cardigan. It’s button-down all the way and looks the warmest. Plus I think the vines will look really nice in green. Not sure when I’ll pick this one up – might do some of the other small stuff in my queue first – but making a decision feels good.

Also finished my Anemone flower for the Yarn Wranglers group participation in the SF Ravelry Meet-up. It’s very pretty, if a bit bigger than I anticipated. Haven’t sewn on the pin backing or the Wranglers ribbon yet, but I’ll definitely be done by May 16. As for what I learned on this project, I made bobbles for the first time!

Poll: Replace February Lady Sweater

So if I have to rip back the February Lady Sweater (see last post if you missed that part), I figure I should just frog the project (i.e. rip it out entirely and use the yarn for something else). In that case let me know using the poll below (or in comments) which sweater I should make instead!

February Fitted Pullover: Uses the current sweater most effectively as a swatch and takes what I like about the FLS while still doing something new.

Vine Yoke Cardigan: A chance to try out a Ysolda pattern and it’s still a cardigan. Uses bigger needles too so I might have leftover yarn!

Katrina Ballerina Lace Laying Cardigan: Similar to the FLS but with a less lacy look to it. I could do this one with buttons all the way down, or not. It’s been done well in this yarn (though that’s true for all of the patterns I’ve listed here).

Massive Update

Oh so many things to write about!

1- I got my yarn swift and ball winder in the mail from KnitPicks! The sweet people there even gave me a price adjustment since the swift went on sale a mere 10 days after I bought mine. Hey, 41% off is 41% off!

2- I am only 9 rows (including bind-off) from finishing the Daybreak shawl! I know, what am I waiting for!? Oh, those rows have gotten long what with all the increases so just doing one row takes me a whole TV episode on Hulu. Jeez, that’s a lot of weekend to spend sitting in one place, even if it is raining. So I’m taking it slow, even though I really can’t wait to wear the bugger.

3- The yarn for my secret project arrived and I can’t wait to get started on it. I won’t be saying much about it here since (hee hee) it’s a secret! Will be posting progress notes on Ravelry, though.

4- I asked at Yarn Wranglers (knitting group) about what to do with my poor FLS sweater since the shaping I did was so off and the answer is…rip back. Yup, all the way back to the yoke. I have had my argh moments this week, but now I’m thinking if I have to rip all the way back I might just make a whole new sweater. I mean, I know me. If I have a sweater, it better button all the way up or I’ll just be freezing. I love the color so there’s no question that I want to make the Dream in Color yarn into a sweater still, but maybe a new pattern will be good for my mental state. It’s not like I’ll just be redoing it then. I learned a lot from this first sweater. Now it’s time to do something different.

5- Yarn Wranglers are making flower pins for the SF Ravelry meet-up on May 16th. I’m narrowing down the pattern options and will probably take breaks from the secret projects to whip up that pin so there will be pictures still!

6- Oh, right, dance! Class is fun stuff still (of course) and I got to see San Francisco Ballet do The Little Mermaid in March with Ailey. It was beautiful. Very modern. Hope to write down some thoughts in another post soon (perhaps one with pictures of some of the 5 exciting items above)!

Catch-up

I’ve been knitting and dancing around the edges lately, just eking out progress where I can. I have managed to get 9 stripes of shawl in (so I’m up to a grand total of 25, not bad), have been completely ignoring the sweater (oh, shaping, someday), and missing more dance class than I’d like.

But we did do a combo over this past two weeks that I just loved – it felt like a marionette trying to steal the strings from the puppetmaster…and every now and again winning. Very cheeky. I dance better when I have a story in my head. Also, did an adagio this past week to Massive Attack’s “Saturday Come Slow”, which is on the new album Heligoland that I can’t stop listening to.

I’ve been a bit nutty about shopping lately – picking up new pieces to take my wardrobe out of college and that weird transition into working life and into an adult style that actually suits me – so buying yarn for that secret new project is waiting just a bit. Not like I don’t have enough to work with!

Chugging along

No big progress to report, just chugging along with the shawl. I’ve increased to 145 stitches so there are 2 more repeats of the solid section to go before starting the stripes.

Considering winding up that new skein of Dream in Color just to get the sleeves of the FLS finished so I can block and wear the thing. For some reason, enjoying the shawl more right now. Also, sick of winding yarn by hand.

As for dance, I’m glad I’ve been able to keep at it regularly since the new year. Just have to set my mind on going every Monday and Thursday and I’ll be able to get away in time with enough nutrition in my system to make it through class. Feels really good to be putting my body through regular exercise. I love that feeling of being productively sore, though my back has been taking a beating with all the isolations we’ve been doing. Had no idea I had so many muscles in there!

FLS Pics: Finished Body

Just wanted to post the pics from Sea Ranch of the finished body of the February Lady Sweater. Even if the lace was on the wrong side, flipping it inside out seems to have worked just fine and everything looks just gorgeous to me.

Front

Back

Knitting in the New Year

Welcome, 2010!

I got a ton of work done on my February Lady Sweater while at Sea Ranch for New Year’s (a family tradition). It helped that we had a whole week there this year (thank you, Mule, for being closed the week between Xmas and New Years)! Of course, I took photos on my dad’s new camera because it’s so much better than mine (here’s hoping they still have them in stock at Costco so I can get one too!) and I ran out of my last skein of Dream in Color yarn. I’ve ordered a fourth skein from Eat.Sleep.Knit and bonus points it gets me started on the Yarnathon for 2010!

I’ll post those pictures of the FLS when I can. It’s exciting that I’ve finished the body and am almost to the elbow on the right sleeve. I somehow managed to get the right side of the lace on the wrong side of the sweater, but luckily there doesn’t seem to be any harm done by flipping the whole thing inside out. Ah, the joy of garter stitch!

Putting the sweater on hold isn’t so bad, though, since I received plenty of yarn for Christmas and I’ve a number of projects to get started on.

First Sweater

I received a gift of a three skeins of Dream in Color Classy yarn in Happy Forest for my birthday as it’s time for me to make my first sweater.

Happy Forest

Naturally, I jumped on the February Lady Sweater bandwagon. It’s a great first sweater pattern, I think, because it’s interesting to wear, challenging enough to make while still being realistic, and can be knit in a wide variety of pretty yarns. Also, because it’s been so popular, there’s a wealth of information out there, especially in the Ravelry forums, about everything from buttonholes to eyelet increases. I’ve already had a number of questions answered and I’m still on the yoke!