Heldin im Chaos

Jellybean's jellybean sweater

A knitting project is off the needles and in the mail, as of this morning!  A girlfriend in the States was due with her first baby this week.  Keeping the surprise, she opted to dub her baby "JellyBean" while in the belly.  It seemed appropriate to knit baby a sweater in jellybean colors!

(thank you, helpful foot model)

Knowing how everyone loves to overwhelm a new mama with newborn clothes, I knit the 6-12 month size of the Child's Placket-Neck Pullover from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  The yarn is Koigu Kersti, and it is divine!  So happy with the pattern and with the finished product.  When I tried it on the cutest 6 month old redheaded baby model ever, it fit like a dream, was plenty stretchy to accommodate uncooperative arms and wide enough to comfortably go over baby's head without discomfort or drama.  

Could you not eat this boy up?!

Knitted meditation scarf

A week ago, I wrote a draft post about maybe being finished knitting my Noro scarf...but I wasn't sure so I didn't post.  The trusted knitting lady at the yarn shop insisted I knit until all four balls were completely used up.  That felt too long to me, but what I had a week ago felt too short.  I knit until I decided it was right and bound off with about 10 grams of each ball left over.  Very happy!

As I worked, this scarf became all about the process.  With knit one purl one, I had to pay attention to each stitch as I made it.  The process of knitting dove-tailed nicely with the mindfulness lessons in the Buddism for Mothers books I've been reading lately, and I felt this knitting to be my own form of meditation at a time I needed it.  All that knit one purl one did take quite a while to produce a sizable scarf, but it is completely worth it.  The scarf is lovely, lofty and flat (as opposed to an awfully curly stockinette scarf).  Even the texture of the Silk Garden grew on me over time, and I don't want to wash or block it for fear of disturbing the way it is now.  It's a darn nice scarf, and I'm very pleased with it.  I'm quite tempted to knit another one, except the next time, I think I would chose much more contrasting colorways for a greater striping effect.

Of course, as soon as I bound that off, I started winding yarn for my next project.  I cast on this morning for a baby sweater for a very pregnant (one month to go!) friend.  A side benefit to the Noro scarf is that it made the first 8 rows of moss stitch on this baby sweater (which I normally dread to knit because of that knit one purl one) seem like nothing at all.  

I also have to love my new little frosted doughnut stitch markers, found on etsy here.

Keeping mum and keeping busy

When I first started this blog, I was so excited about being incognito.  I was excited to have a space to share my thoughts, send troubling questions out into the world, open discussions and debates...all while having it run freely disconnected from my real life, thus not having to edit according to friends or family (especially family) readers.  Then, I felt a bit shifty for doing that and told those I know and love about this site.  And consequently, I keep mum on all those topics I meant to carry on about in the first place.  Sigh.  So, I'm sorry I've been so quiet.  I have A LOT on my mind, and honestly, I'd love to share it with you and get some feedback and hopefully some insight...but alas, I cannot (or should not).  Certain readers just wouldn't appreciate it, so I won't go there.

Guess I'll talk about knitting and crafting instead. 

I'm making decent progress on my scarf, and I'm still loving it.  Even the texture of Noro is growing on me.  I think this is because what I really love is watching those colors evolve and change.  The scarf is plain, the stitch is basic, but knitting it isn't because of those glorious colors.

I had intended to finish the Noro scarf before starting anything else, but my thoughts are wandering and I'm not sure how much longer I can keep them at bay.  My sister is due to birth her baby boy any day now, and I'd love to knit him something cozy and warm.  A girlfriend is due in March, and I have the perfect yarn ready to go!  I have that facebook craft challenge to meet, and at least one of the five projects is decided and on the brain.  A friend and I have discussed a knit-a-long Tea Leaves session.  Not to mention sweaters I would really love to knit for myself and my girls this year.  Hm...

One of my Christmas gifts from Hubby was the book, Alterknits, which I really enjoyed reading.  It has been a great starting point for inspiration (since I definitely don't need any patterns added to my mental queue at the moment).  One idea I really loved was the felted pinboard for the studio.  In my reality, there is no way I would knit something as large and time-consuming as a blanket just to felt it and hang it on the wall...but I do like the large alternative to a corkboard for certain!  A few years ago, I bought a bright yellow cotton quilt in Qatar that I simply could not leave behind (really cheap and really nice work in it), but when I say "bright yellow", I mean it is BRIGHT YELLOW.

It's so yellow that my camera didn't capture it correctly.  Its little meter thought, "Seriously?  There is no way it is this bright.  Let's tone it down..."  As much as I like it, I have never used it.  Now, I will.  I bought some quilt batting, and I'm going to baste it to the back to give the piece some more density, and then I plan to hang that up in my studio and use it for my inspiration board.  I'm very visual, so having a spot to display not only inspiring pictures and quotes but also tack up projects I'd like to get to seems a perfect idea.  Of course, that means I have to actually prepare and hang it in the first place...

What have you been up to lately?

Scarf meditation

The Noro Striped Scarf is coming along pleasantly.  Despite the initial vile color combos, the evolution of the skeins has been lovely.  I'm really enjoying it now.  The pattern is so simple, but excellent.  I like that I cannot see the yarn carry between stripes.  I like that it is reversible and flat without troubled edges.  I really like the color changing Noro.  However, there is no escaping the fact that I do not like the texture of Noro (though I see no way around this).  It reminds me of everything people think they hate about wool: this yarn is definitely not comfortable, and it is itchy, "Silk Garden" in name only.

My usual scarf aversion hasn't kicked in much, which has been a pleasant surprise.  It was an even bigger surprise when I didn't lose my knitting mojo while unknitting and re-knitting several rows.  The texture held together what was a dropped stitch, making the rows on top of it off-pattern (moss stitch instead of rib).  It was a bit of a pain to fix, but somehow I didn't really mind.  I also miraculously didn't mind ripping it all out (you heard me right!) when I could not reconcile myself to the width (I perceived it to be perfect for a man's scarf, but too wide for a woman's scarf).  So, today was my restart date, casting on 35 stitches this time instead of 39.  And yes, those 4 stitches made the difference I wanted.  Happily trucking along again.  (The picture was taken before I pulled it out.)

Recently, I've been enjoying and learning from the book Buddism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali.  It's not pedantic or high-brow.  It's very accessible, very realistic, and very applicable to my life.  The lessons and messages are deeply resonating with me at the moment.  Combined with my (finally resumed!) yoga courses, I'm really taking in the message of mindfulness and being present in the moment.  Please don't think I'm crazy when I tell you that this Noro scarf has been almost like a meditation for me.  I've noticed that I make mistakes or feel impatient with it only when I allow my thoughts to stray.  Straying to stressful or negative subjects makes my stitch tension too tight and mistakes more frequent (and annoying to un-knit); even straying to future thoughts of different projects causes problems and makes me impatient with the task at hand.  When I focus on this project as it is, stitch by stitch, I enjoy it in full.  Even when I have to rip it out and start over, something I have never before had patience to endure (that was always a sign to change projects), I am still enjoying the process.  Marvelous.

And more scarf knitting

I finished the scarf for my sister-in-law!  My mother-in-law is visiting, and she was scheduled to fly back to Germany today.  My goal was to finish the scarf on time for her to hand-carry it back.  As it turns out, she opted to extend her stay, but I still met my finish date!  The scarf is now on its way to Germany, only by post instead of in person.  I sure hope it gets there.  The last important package I mailed to that address never arrived.  I've been wary ever since.

 

(I cannot explain the photo styling with the fig tree.  I just like the fig tree.  The fact that it doesn't particularly showcase the scarf is not my responsibility.)

Of course, to keep the knitting mojo flowing, I had to cast on for a new project immediately...but what?  Today is made up of a lot of 1s (1/11/11 or 11/1/11, depending on where you live), so I'm thinking it's time to knit 1 for me.  I cast on for the Noro Striped Scarf, and the mojo is workin'!  That's a good thing too, because thus far the colors that are evolving from the Noro skeins are a bit, well, vile.

 

I hope that will change.  It should.  We'll see. (you never know with Noro, which is, of course, part of the fun)

In related news, there is a small-scale crafting challenge going around facebook.  My gorgeous friend gail hooked me.  The first 5 people who leave a comment to the craft challenge status update will receive something handmade by me sometime in 2011 (gives me a big window, ensuring I'll actually do it!); the catch is that each person must in turn hand-make something for 5 commenters on their own status updates.  I'm thinking that having the whole year to work with might just make it possible to knit something for each of my first 5 commenters, on top of the projects I already had in mind.  I like a challenge, especially an achievable one!  I wonder who will reply.

Scarf knitting

I don't know if you've been monitoring the weather in Europe, but it has been bitterly freezing cold.  My sister-in-law in Germany who rarely asks for anything has asked me to knit her a new scarf.  I am happy she asked and was excited to get started...until the temperature here spiked to a humid 40 degrees Celsius on Christmas Day, only a couple of days after her request.  Yarn clinging to my fingers in such hot, sticky weather did not inspire, and knitting was put aside for days.  Feeling guilty for poking along at such a rare request, I resumed knitting.  Slowly, the scarf grew to about 18 inches long, and I lost inspiration again.  As much as I love the warmth and love of a hand-knitted scarf, I do get rather bored knitting one.  Humph.  There it sat, taunting me, until the weather suddenly cooled down to a very civilized 26 degrees with breeze and my knitting mojo returned.  Now, the scarf is growing steadily (I'm a relatively slow knitter), and I hope to have it in the mail soon!

 

My sister-in-law's winter coat is navy and dark grey, so I think the colors in this yarn will be perfect.  The feel of it...YUM.  Malabrigo worsted is so buttery soft!  Even my wool-hating husband had to admit it feels pretty darn nice.  I'm knitting it up into the Scrunchable Scarf found on Ravelry (my notes here).  I am really enjoying it now, and it has actually revved me out of my "I hate knitting scarves" attitude and into daydreaming about a new scarf for me!  At the rate I go, my own scarf might be ready by the time it gets cold here (six months or so from now).  It's Jared Flood's Noro Striped Scarf, and I have two colorways of Silk Garden that I am very excited about knitting!

I know you are questioning my commitment.  I would be too if I were you.  I am not a scarf knitter.  I am a garment knitter by preference.  But I am such a slow knitter for what I'd like to achieve that my list of projects grows much faster than my list of accomplishments.

This past week, Amanda of SouleMama posted about her 14 (maybe more!) sweaters she knit last year, and I was truly inspired.  She has four kids with another on the way, homeschools, recently bought a farm and is learning that life, has published two books and completed a third this past year AND did all that knitting in addition to various other crafting adventures.  While I wonder how much she sleeps, I cannot help being terribly impressed.  Since she is neither super-human nor well-staffed, I have to assume that she is enabled by serious dedication and a profound sense of purpose.  I am inspired by her achievements, and it's given me that little push I needed to get back my knitting mojo.

 

Feeling Neighborly again

Yesterday was such a strange day.  There was that definite "run over by a bus" feeling of total child-induced exhaustion, which just set me up perfectly for a Murphy's Law kind of day.  Blogging about not mailing my Christmas gifts pushed me to get it done (good), but I tore a few holes in my new silk shirt on the splintered post office counter while paying (not good).  I had a great time laughing with my wee one while running an important errand in the afternoon (good), but then I heard the sing-song voice saying "Pee-pee!" from the backseat while driving home (not good).  Said pee-pee went through the strap holes of the car seat and onto the seat of the car.  I hadn't planned on spending 50 minutes cleaning pee out of the car yesterday afternoon, but that's what I did.  Then, I made dinner for everyone but me and rushed like a mad thing to go to a parents' social evening for my daughter's school that I was no longer in any mood for...and I had a great time!  I came home early to help with any lingering bedtime mayhem, and the girls were asleep!  The day ended on a real high note.  I'm so glad I didn't give up on it by 7pm as I was tempted to do.

One of the presents I got into the mail was my fourth Neighborly vest (raveled here), this one for our goddaughter.  She's a Northern Hemisphere dweller, so if the colors meet her highly-discerning 3 year old fashion sense, she should get some good use out of it in an already very cold winter.

I think this is the nicest Neighborly I've made yet!  The colors really pop, and I love that unexpected yellow that appeared just as I turned under the hem.  I used Noro Taiyo this time around, and I'm very happy with it.  Although Noro has gorgeous color tones, it can be quite itchy to the touch.  Taiyo is a blend with only a bit of wool, so it was perfect for the collar of a child's vest.  That it was lovely to knit with is another big bonus!  

The mysteries of gauge unraveled

If you are new to knitting, "gauge" is something you have encountered but possibly not understood.  In knitting, gauge refers to the number of stitches per inch.  You have probably been informed that correct gauge is critical, that you should check your gauge as you work, and you really should knit a gauge swatch before you get started on the project (as if we gung-ho newbies have any patience or tolerance for perfectly good knitting time wasted on creating a gauge swatch).  Your first line of defense is selecting the correct yarn for a project.  Where I live, it's rarely possible to locally buy the yarn recommended for a particular pattern.  Sometimes, I can find the recommended yarn but prefer something else.  The yarn label should give you a gauge range and a recommended needle size.  Of course, you still have to make a gauge swatch to be sure.  Your tension could be different from the test-knitter's, so you have to check.  Still, the label and the right yarn are the best starting points.

What happens when your gauge is off?  What if you have too many or too few stitches per inch?  If you are still in gauge swatch phase, this is an easy fix: simply change needle size.  Use a size up if too many stitches per inch (to make looser stitches/fewer per inch) or use a size down if you have too few stitches per inch (to make your stitches tighter/more per inch).  Then again, what if you just plowed ahead, gauge swatch be damned?  Well, you will wind up with something like this:

 

This is the Child's Placket-Neck Pullover in the newborn size...or not.  There is not a single error in the knitting.  All stitches are present and accounted for, increases and decreases are in the correct spots.  Not a stitch has been dropped.  The tension is beautiful.  AND OFF.  That measuring tape reveals that this sweater is a whopping 10" across!  I happen to like the feel of this yarn (Jo Sharp's Silkroad DK Tweed) knit on a size-up from recommended.  That gives it a gauge of 19 stitches over 4 inches.  This pattern requires a gauge of 21 stitches over 4 inches.  As I knit, I knew my gauge was off.  I figured, "What's a couple of stitches every 4 inches?  What harm could it do?"  I was so close to being done, and I figured I'd just see how it looked when finished.  Then, this afternoon, I met my perfectly tiny and wonderful new neighbor (5 days old!  1st day home!), and when I came home, the first thing I did was rip out this sweater although I was only 10 rows short of completion.  There was no way this was ever going to fit a normal baby.  Not even close.  My beautifully knitted baby sweater is (was) perfectly sized to contain the full belly of a one year old, while the length of torso and arms would fit an average 3 month old.  Hmm.  

So now I have one big ball (the body) and two little balls of yarn (the sleeves) waiting for a future project.  Almost done...but then not at all.  Sigh.  

And that is the mystery of gauge unraveled (like my sweater), my friends.  May you learn from my intrepid knitting.  I'm headed back to the stash.

For the record, this is not my only misjudged project this week.  I did indeed finish the pajamas for my daughter.  They are unbelievably cute, but they don't fit.  Five years of dressing her in jersey makes correctly-sized garments in stiffer cotton "too tight" and unwearable.  Oh well.  At least I have another girl who will eventually grow into them.  Back to the drawing board!

Memo from the Regional IBTC Chairwoman

As if I needed one more reason to enjoy ravelry.  Look at this description of the IBTC group I found there today:

Did the boob fairy not come for you? Do you not care? You think you look weird? Come see the rest of us! Calling small-busted ladies of all shapes and sizes - this is the group to share your joys and woes of being not-so-well endowed as the women we see on TV and in the magazines these days.

Everything from bra sizes to customizing sweaters to funny anecdotes will be discussed here! Got a tip? Have a question? Need comfort because some asshat thought it was okay to make fun of your boobs, or lack thereof?

This is the Itty Bitty Titty Comittee! We listen.

AND we have pointy sticks.

I particularly love the last bit about the "asshat" (a new word to me, one that cracked me up!).  Where were these women when I was in high school?!

Knitting with Mimi

My mom is here visiting (hooray!), and today she found herself a little knitting partner.

Let us all say a hopeful prayer of preservation for my in-progress February Lady Sweater in those little hands (which should be okay given the needle caps stayed in place).