she makes things

All Done!

peridot1979 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:50:32 +0000

Chocolate Bear, that is. She’s a gift for my 8-month-old niece. The pattern is Blue’s Big Hug Bear from Knittering. The yarn is Lion Brand Organic Cotton and a bamboo acrylic blend for the body and acrylic for the scarf. The pattern calls for pink yarn but I am morally opposed to pink for several reasons. I thought about yellow or purple, but, those colors don’t fit my brother’s request for a “classic” Teddy bear. I came across the dark brown cotton in my stash and decided I would make the bear chocolate-colored. Hopefully, it will make Baby Girl laugh when she’s old enough to get the joke.

Speaking of jokes, if you happen to recognize “Chocolate Bear” as J.D.’s nickname for Turk on Scrubs, that’s intentional My brother is a big Scrubs fan.

Here she is, all dressed up and surrounded by her namesake!

Quick Question(s)

peridot1979 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:13:30 +0000

Is there a way that I can be fed intravenously at work so I can knit and eat lunch simultaneously? Is that insane?

Progress

peridot1979 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:27:42 +0000

This is my Cardi, about half-way done. I’m still struggling with the idea that slow and steady progress is just as okay as finishing in two weeks. I want to be a speedy little knitter always but on a bulky piece like this, I just can’t be. I won’t be done by the end of October, which was the initial plan, but I can finish before December. I’ll have to break to work on Chocolate Bear for the niece; I’m looking forward to that, actually. Rows with only 16 stitches will fly by! I’ll get my instant gratification fix to push me through the end of the Cardi. Or, that’s the plan, anyway…!

The Goal, so far

peridot1979 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:04:05 +0000

The Goal is to knit something everyday. I’ve knit something 5 of the last 6 days, so that’s pretty good.

Let Us Go Then, You and I

peridot1979 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:55:54 +0000

Is there any better way to spend a Saturday afternoon? I think it was Knitting Psycho that recently extolled the virtues of listening to audiobooks and knitting. She was right! I downloaded an audiobook of The Best Poems Ever Written. Having someone read me poetry while I worked on the Endless Cardi Shawl was bliss. The title of this post is the first line from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by TS Eliot. It is as depressing as I remember it – the line about measuring out one’s life in coffee spoons hits a little too close to home – and also as glorious. The other poem that really gave me chills was Dolce et Decorum Est, a lovely little Lost Generation meditation on dying a horrible death from mustard gas poisoning. Happy Saturday to you! Yeah, I decided against quoting from that one.

My Cardi is coming along. I will finish the third stripe and move into the fourth stripe tonight. I really like this pattern with the variegated Noro yarn because each stripe so far is a different color. It makes the contrast of the elongated stitches even more pronounced. I do believe this will be a garment that I keep and love for a long time.

I was so energized by my poetry & knitting session that I actually got caught up on housework! As Yarn Harlot was kind enough to remind us, any knitter worth her salt is always behind on housework because, of course, knitting is more important. That said, my allergies are certainly grateful and the husband is glad that downstairs no longer smells like mildew ( upstairs is his little fiefdom, ergo, his to clean!). This also leaves my Sunday mostly free for…more knitting.

And more knitting, right now, actually, accompanied by my 453rd viewing of “The Painted Veil.” Poor Kitty, will Walter ever stop punishing her?

Before I go, this isn’t officially a knitting blog until I post a picture or two of my cat, so here she is! (If you’re keeping count, we have not one but two pugs and Miss Izzy).

Yes, that's her on Darth Vader's ship!

Making It Up As I Go

peridot1979 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:53:24 +0000

Swatching for my original design is coming along. I’m knitting color blocks all in one piece, which means separation anxiety. Namely, the two blocks separate in the middle of the piece. This won’t do, so, I thought of taking the back loop of the first stitch of the second block and knitting it together with the last stitch of the first block (this is done only on WS rows). I’m sure there’s a name for this – I can’t be the first to do it. Whatever it is, it’s working. The RS still looks smooth and pretty and the blocks are seamed together. We’ll see how the swatch looks once it’s done. I’m sure there will be lots more problem-solving before the end!

Yarn Pug

peridot1979 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:18:11 +0000

The sweetest pug ever born, cuddled up in my yarn stash. He’s a heartbreaker!

Current WIPs

peridot1979 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:56:20 +0000

I know I’m just an amateur if I’ve only got three projects on the needle! First, I’m about 3/4 done with a Teddy bear I’m making for my baby niece. It’s knit with two strands together, one a dark brown organic cotton (so soft!) and the other a taupe bamboo blend. She looks like the inside of a Three Musketeers bar, so I’m calling her Chocolate Bear.

Second, I’m working the Endless Cardi Shawl from Stitch Diva Studios. I’m into the second repeat of the stripe pattern. It’s going slower than I would like – purling 200-odd stitches every other row takes a while – but I’m still enjoying it. I’m using Noro Silk Garden Sock in a lovely grey-green-blue colorway. I just hope I’ll finish it before it’s too warm to wear it (I’m in Dallas where summer starts around the second week of March)!

Finally, I just started working on my first original design. It’s a tank/shell made from a gorgeous 100% linen yarn I found at a local yarn shop. The colors! I had a terrible time deciding on just two. The pattern is color-blocked with copper and indigo and mixes stockinette and garter stitch sections. I like the idea of all that contrast. I’m learning as I go about measurements and finding gauge and all that techie stuff. It is a very nice distraction on my lunch break from work.

Not on the needles, yet, but percolating in my brain: the husband has decided he wants in on the action and requested a sweater. Probably this is next fall’s Big Project but I’m already scouting out yarns and patterns. I’m thinking very basic but fitted in a soft steel grey.

The Goal

peridot1979 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:31:44 +0000

The goal is to knit something everyday, to make knitting a discipline as opposed to just a hobby. Of course, I’ll have fun with it, while I’m working to master my craft.