Y2: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #24

Hello and happy Sunday! It's been relatively boring in the Bay Area this past week. The temperature did stray into the upper-70s on Friday but it was mostly the same every day. I could really go for a thunderstorm right about now. I mean, where I'm from back in Wisconsin, thunderstorms often mean tornadoes...but I love a good thunderstorm. 

Anyway, we're not here to talk about my love of thunderstorms.......

We're heading into my twenty-fourth week of my second self-imposed Year of Projects :)

Finished Objects (FOs)

1. San Francisco Fog Fingerless Mitts: started January 2, 2013; finished January 10, 2013
2. Don't Blink: started January 16, 2013; finished January 16, 2013  (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
3. Dalek Dishcloth: started January 16, 2013; finished January 21, 2013 (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
4. Woven Rib Dishcloth: started February 8, 2013; finished February 11, 2013
5. Icarus Shawl: started March 15, 2010; finished February 14, 2013
6. Little Granite Dishcloth: started February 16, 2013; finished March 2, 2013
7. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth: started March 4, 2013; finished March 27, 2013
8. Garter Stripe Baby Socks: started March 3, 2013; finished April 4, 2013 
9. Petal Dishcloth: started May 21, 2013; finished May 22, 2013

10. Petal Dishcloth: started May 22, 2013; finished May 23, 2013
11. Mama's Vanilla Socks (round 2): started June 29, 2012; finished May 24, 2013 
12. Petal Dishcloth: started May 26, 2013; finished May 29, 2013
13. Eat Your Monkey Socks: started November 29, 2012; finished June 15, 2013

Do you see it?! I finished my Eat Your Monkey Socks last night :) Since I finished them last night, they haven't been washed, blocked, or photographed. I expect I can have that finished by Friday, just in time for a FO Friday post. I also finished another Petal Dishcloth (a mini-version of the other ones). I'm not bothering to add it just yet...well, maybe. I don't know. I think I have a project page for it...

Works-in-Progress (WIPs)

1. Freeport Vest: started March 7, 2013
2. Baby Surprise Jacket: started May 27, 2013
3. Traveling Vines Socks (Adult): started May 31, 2013

Because I've finished up my Monkey Socks, it means my WIP list is down to three...and none of them are anywhere close to being finished. Oh well. I spent some time working on both the BSJ and my Traveling Vines Socks this week but most of my knitting time was spent on finishing up the Monkey Socks. My Freeport Vest isn't on time out or anything but I just haven't worked on it. I think I really wanted to finish up my socks. 

Unfortunately, it means my WIP list is looking a bit thin and I'm pondering what to CO next. I have a feeling it's going to be something from the "Children's Items" list but I also have a few other things that I'm pondering. Anyone have a vote?

Anyway, it means my remaining lists look like this.......which, now that I'm looking again, seem a bit ambitious. ::sigh::

Children's Items 

1. "Little 16" Newborn Socks
2. Toddler Socks
3. Alvin Sweater
4. A New Sock Monkey
5. Stig
6. Greyson
7. Vested Baby Boy

8. Milo

  

Items for Me (Selfish Knitting FTW!)

1. Rose's Wrist Warmers
2. Viking Bag
3. Campfire Socks
4. Red Dwarf Socks
5. Zombie ViXen Fingerless Mitts
6. Ardys

Household Items

1. Halloween Creepy Cloths (1)
2. Halloween Creepy Cloths (2)
3. Assorted Harry Potter Cloths
4. Assorted Doctor Who Cloths
5. Grrlfriend Market Bag

Designs (which may or may not be sooper seekrit - obviously the sooper seekrit ones aren't listed)
1. Little Man's Baby Blanket
2. Susan's Hat (4 versions)
3. Assorted dishcloths (set of 12?)
4. Traveling Vines Scarf
5. Traveling Vines Socks (baby and adult-sized as well) - yes, this is a WIP...still working on it...
6. Pinwheel Market Bag
7. Anything else that comes along (I have a notebook or two or seventeen somewhere with potential designs and random ideas)

At some point, I need to start working on a project for the Doctor Who Swap I'm doing...but I'll have to keep that one secret. I haven't started it so it's not like I'm keeping it that secret.....

Anyway, I hope you're all having a lovely weekend! I should be back on Friday with some FO Friday love :)

Book Review #6: Knitting Pattern Essentials by Sally Melville

'Tis another happy day here in the San Francisco Bay Area! I'm actually getting things done before the end of the month for once! I'm kind of amazed with myself...I suppose that's what a lack of sleep and a cooperative Little Man will do.

Anyway, it's time for another book review.

The book(s) in question are books that I have purchased (or someone bought me for a Christmas and/or birthday present) for my own fibery library. I have been given no money or other non-monetary forms of payment for my book reviews. The reviews are based on my own experience(s) and opinion(s) and may not necessarily coincide with the thoughts and opinions of other fiber enthusiasts (though they certainly may). I may also throw in some other fun information, if I can find it or if I know of any. We'll see where we end up...

Disclaimer. There it is.

Today's book is Knitting Pattern Essentials by the lovely Sally Melville.

Photo from Amazon

The Basics
Author: Sally Melville
Publisher: Potter Craft (March 26, 2013)
Softcover: 224 pages
Language: English
Cover Price: $24.99/$28.99 Canada (though you can buy it on Amazon right now for $18.98)

I discovered Sally Melville back when I was living in Wisconsin, specifically April 9-11, 2011. Little Man was just a little peanut back then at only a mere six months old. I had seen a couple of her books and a few of my knitter friends had knit some of her patterns. It wasn't that I wasn't impressed but it just wasn't something that was "me" so I passed it over time and time again. However, she was going to be teaching five different classes at my LYS (Woodland Studios in Stoughton, WI) and everyone told me how fabulous she was so I signed up for the two classes held on Saturday. The first class was "Knit to Flatter & Fit" and the other class was "First Choices, Basic Shapes, & Pattern Drafting (Set-In Sleeves)." You can find more information about those classes here.

Let's talk about Sally. First of all, she's fabulous to work with...she has such a creative drive and inspires everyone...even the non-knitters (seriously, check out the section on Woodland's page that Gary wrote...he's not a knitter but he summed it up perfectly). She didn't set out to be a designer and teacher. She was just a knitter that couldn't seem to get gauge. Ever. She had to start modifying and adapting patterns if she wanted them to fit her properly. A fun story is that she once took a one-day knitwear design course and was kicked out of the class for passing notes. Oops.

To date, she has seven books of her own and has work in another eight separate publications (so fifteen publications). She also travels throughout Canada and the United States teaching classes and giving talks to knitters' guilds.

Knitting Pattern Essentials is, at the heart of it all, a book form of the two classes I took from Sally in 2011. It focuses on knitting sweaters but the information can be adapted to other items, as well.

The first chapter, Preparing to Draft, talks about the different types of sweaters (knit flat & seamed, knit bottom-up, knit in-the-round, etc.). It also discusses standard measurements, positive/negative ease (something that I understand in my head but not on my body - I need to read that section a bit more closely), and that evil, four-letter word: swatching. Okay. so it's more than four letters...

Chapters two, three, and five talk about shapes (sweater shapes, shoulder shaping, neck shaping, side shaping, etc.). Chapters four and six talk about alternatives (hem alternatives and sleeve alternatives). Cardigan sweaters get their very own chapter (chapter seven). Chapter eight is about fabric, fixes, and finishing touches (something we don't always think about as knitters). Chapter nine is, of course, patterns, and the appendix is full of the "how to" and other items that don't really fit anywhere else.

This book is invaluable and I am so so so glad I picked it up...if only for the chapter about how to draft a pattern. Something that so many knitters do is knit a sweater blindly without really paying attention to how it's going to fit in the end. I'm guilty of it (although I really do love my first sweater), I'm sure many other knitters are guilty of it as well. They knit a swatch, get gauge, and follow the pattern. The first chapter talks about how items should fit, what they should be paired with so as not to look unbalanced or weird....basically, it talks about how to find your balance point and how to adjust what you have to fit your balance point (and yes, you learn how to figure out your own balance point).

If you're a beginning knitter, this book is valuable for teaching you what to look for in a pattern and how to adapt it to make it better or fit properly. If you're a more seasoned knitter, it can help you make your own pattern from scratch. It does have a lot of writing, it requires some math (ick), probably some drawing...but it is so worth it. I can't even begin to adequately explain how fabulous this book is for a knitter. Because it's such a recent publication, I have not been able to delve into it quite as much as I would like, though I did refresh myself regarding the balance point and how to fake it if you're wearing something that isn't right for your body (and I probably am).

If you're a knitter that has difficulty finding patterns to knit because you can never get gauge, you want to knit something that you'll wear and look good in, or you want to just start making up things as you go...yeah, you should get your hands on this book :)

I might just spend the rest of the night reading this book.......

Yarn Review #6: Brooklyn Tweed

Hello! Welcome to Yarn Reviews. Today is the sixth installment of my yarn reviews and it looks like I'm "on time" for once!

The intention is that once a month, roughly about mid-month (depending on the day - Year of Projects are on Sundays, WIP Wednesdays are on Wednesdays, and FO Fridays are on Fridays so rarely will you see a Yarn Review on those days), I'll do a yarn review, which may or may not include multiple types of the same yarn or multiple different yarns on the same day. The yarns in question, unless specified, are coming from my stash, purchased by me, for me, and for my use. I've been given no money or other non-monetary gifts for these yarn reviews. The reviews are of my opinion and based on my own experience and do not necessarily coincide with other fiber enthusiasts, though they may.

And that, dear readers, is my disclaimer (of sorts). 

Let's move on, shall we :)

Shelter

 

1. Information about the Company: A few years ago, Jared Flood, knitter, photographer and knitwear designer, had a grand idea. He wanted a yarn that was spun from American breeds of sheep. His research showed that this was not something that had been done on a commercial scale and he set out to do it. A small team of creative professionals, including Flood, came up with Brooklyn Tweed. The idea was that this venture would help support and sustain the tradition of textile production in the US. More information can be found on their website.

2. Other Yarns Offered: Currently there are only two yarns offered - Shelter and Loft (Loft is the finger weight version)

3. Information about the Yarn (specific to the yarn being reviewed):

     - Official Name: Brooklyn Tweed Shelter

     - Fiber Content: 100% Targhee-Columbia Wool

     - Skein Weight & Yardage: 50 grams & 140 yds (128 m)

     - Gauge: 5 sts/inch on US #7 (4.5 mm) or 4.5 sts/inch on US #8 (5 mm) or 4.25 sts/inch on US #9 (5.5 mm)

     - Yarn Weight: Worsted

     - Washing Instructions: Handwash only

     - Where to Purchase: Here is a listing where Shelter can be found in stores (very limited) but it can also be purchased online, directly from Brooklyn Tweed's website.

4. Review (the real reason you are here):

     - Pros

          1. Array of colors (32 different colors, based on the website)

          2. American bred, sheared, processed, spun, dyed...100% American product

          3. Durable

          4. Fabulous stitch definition

          5. Warm (it's wool, it should be warm!)

          6. Dyed very well - match dyelots, of course, but I haven't seen any Shelter with under-dyed spots.

     - Cons

          1. It's a little.....rustic. When I made my hat (see below), I kept finding bits of organic matter spun right into the yarn so I spent time picking that out while I was knitting.

          2. Somewhat itchy - this isn't something I'd necessarily want to make a cowl with as it would bother me. For a cardigan to wear over long-sleeves or mittens with lining...perfect. Not something I want right on my skin. Now, perhaps a good soak in conditioner will help but I haven't done that yet.

          3. Cost prohibitive. It runs $12.50/skein and you only get 140 yds. Now, I made a hat with one skein and that's fine. For small projects, the price isn't horrible...but if you're looking to make a long-sleeved, cabled cardigan, this yarn can get a little expensive (of course, which yarn doesn't).

          4. Sold in very few places and screens vary with color accuracy. I know knitters and crocheters like to bury their faces in the yarn and see what they're getting...and with so few places selling this, it's difficult to be able to do that. 

          5. A little splitty. I think this is because of the handspunish quality but I did have some difficulty getting my needles to place properly. 

I have only ever owned one skein of Shelter. I won it at our year-end Madison Knitters' Guild meeting a couple years ago (Jared Flood had been one of the speakers that year). 

It became this:

Habitat

This photo doesn't do it justice...the color is all wrong (it's the Nest colorway, the same one used in the original pattern and photo shoot). The pattern is one of Jared Flood's patterns and was designed with Shelter in mind. I made some modifications (adding length, for instance)...I wound up with less than 10" when I finished the hat. 

Since then, I have seen Shelter in very limited quantities out in the wild. I do like working with it for some projects and I think that, if I find it again, I'll snatch some up :)

I hope you've enjoyed. I expect a book review will come within the next week but I have to decide which book I want to discuss :)

A(nother) Note About Comments

I don't know what's been going on but lately I've been inundated with spam anonymous comments. Since I moderate all comments before they're posted, this is a slight annoyance.

I check to see if I have any comments and I get really excited when I see I have a couple...then I go in to moderate them and discover that they're all spam.

Dammit. That sucks.

So, I've changed commenting again. I will still moderate all comments but you have to be a registered user to comment. If this is a problem for some people, email me (you can find my email on my profile). I'll see what I can do about it.

I just friggin' hate all the spam!

Y2: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #23

Happy Sunday! Time for a Self-Imposed Year of Projects Update :) 

Finished Objects (FOs)

1. San Francisco Fog Fingerless Mitts: started January 2, 2013; finished January 10, 2013
2. Don't Blink: started January 16, 2013; finished January 16, 2013  (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
3. Dalek Dishcloth: started January 16, 2013; finished January 21, 2013 (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
4. Woven Rib Dishcloth: started February 8, 2013; finished February 11, 2013
5. Icarus Shawl: started March 15, 2010; finished February 14, 2013
6. Little Granite Dishcloth: started February 16, 2013; finished March 2, 2013
7. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth: started March 4, 2013; finished March 27, 2013
8. Garter Stripe Baby Socks: started March 3, 2013; finished April 4, 2013

9. Petal Dishcloth: started May 21, 2013; finished May 22, 2013

10. Petal Dishcloth: started May 22, 2013; finished May 23, 2013
11. Mama's Vanilla Socks (round 2): started June 29, 2012; finished May 24, 2013 
12. Petal Dishcloth: started May 26, 2013; finished May 29, 2013

No new projects were finished. I'm not really surprised by that once you see what I've got going for WIPs...

Works-in-Progress (WIPs)

1. Eat Your Monkey Socks: started November 29, 2012
2. Freeport Vest: started March 7, 2013
3. Baby Surprise Jacket: started May 27, 2013
4. Traveling Vines Socks (Adult): started May 31, 2013

None of these WIPs are particularly small or quick. You'll notice that I'm still sitting with only four WIPs. That's probably a good thing, actually. 

Admittedly, my Monkey Socks and my Freeport Vest haven't seen much action recently. Also, my Traveling Vines Socks have been a frustration for me. Last Sunday I was in the midst of the first pattern repeat. Today, I'm in the midst of the second pattern repeat. Most of my knitting this week was on those socks.....so why am I only on the second pattern repeat? Well, let me tell you! Last weekend, I managed to mess up on the ribbing so I had a row where there were purls and knits showing up where they shouldn't. It bothered the crap out of me so I wound up frogging the sock and starting over. I got into the first pattern repeat again when I realized I didn't like how I had the stitches set up (I had it set up so that you wouldn't have to do any fancy stitch gymnastics when it came time for the heel). It was making some of the stitches move around from needle to needle and it was obnoxious. Frogged again and restarted. Then I got into the first pattern repeat again and didn't like how the ribbing was lining up with the pattern. Frogged again and restarted. Now I'm finally over it. It doesn't matter how I switch up the ribbing, it's not going to look quite right because of the nature of the pattern repeat. I got over it. My options for ribbing are pretty limited because of the stitch count unless I want to do 1x1 ribbing (which I dislike immensely). Soooooo...that's where we stand on that. 

I also gave the BSJ a little bit of attention but not nearly enough. I should give it more attention. 

Anyway, that means my lists look like this.......

Children's Items 

1. "Little 16" Newborn Socks
2. Toddler Socks
3. Alvin Sweater
4. A New Sock Monkey
5. Stig
6. Greyson
7. Vested Baby Boy

8. Milo

  

Items for Me (Selfish Knitting FTW!)

1. Rose's Wrist Warmers
2. Viking Bag
3. Campfire Socks
4. Red Dwarf Socks
5. Zombie ViXen Fingerless Mitts
6. Ardys 

Household Items

1. Halloween Creepy Cloths (1)
2. Halloween Creepy Cloths (2)
3. Assorted Harry Potter Cloths
4. Assorted Doctor Who Cloths
5. Grrlfriend Market Bag

Designs (which may or may not be sooper seekrit - obviously the sooper seekrit ones aren't listed)
1. Little Man's Baby Blanket
2. Susan's Hat (4 versions)
3. Assorted dishcloths (set of 12?)
4. Traveling Vines Scarf
5. Traveling Vines Socks (baby and adult-sized as well) - yes, this is a WIP...still working on it...
6. Pinwheel Market Bag
7. Anything else that comes along (I have a notebook or two or seventeen somewhere with potential designs and random ideas)

 

 

 

 

 

::sigh:: Life.

 

 

 

 

I've been sick most of this last week. I spent the first half of the week with crusty eyes. I suspect it was due to allergies because I had no other symptoms other than itchy eyes and sneezing. My eyes weren't red and allergy meds took care of everything. Once I got over that, my ears started to hurt. I have some sort of topical infection in one of my ears (at least). I had the same thing the weekend we were moving so I got lazy with the medication. I have some leftover. I'm using that to tide me over until Monday. Hopefully it helps. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my week. Oh well.

 

I picked up Little Man's photos from his photo shoot that he had a couple weeks ago (nothing fancy, just the portrait studio at JC Penney). 

Yes, he has R2D2 ("2D Robot") with him

Smirk

Cutie patootie!

Anyway, I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Y2: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #22

Hello! It's Sunday and it's time for another installment of Renee Anne's Self-Imposed Year of Projects. Today marks the beginning of my twenty-second week and things are getting crazy up in here! So, let's get started, see what's going on, maybe stay for some photos...we'll see :)

Finished Objects (FOs)

1. San Francisco Fog Fingerless Mitts: started January 2, 2013; finished January 10, 2013
2. Don't Blink: started January 16, 2013; finished January 16, 2013  (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
3. Dalek Dishcloth: started January 16, 2013; finished January 21, 2013 (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
4. Woven Rib Dishcloth: started February 8, 2013; finished February 11, 2013
5. Icarus Shawl: started March 15, 2010; finished February 14, 2013
6. Little Granite Dishcloth: started February 16, 2013; finished March 2, 2013
7. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth: started March 4, 2013; finished March 27, 2013
8. Garter Stripe Baby Socks: started March 3, 2013; finished April 4, 2013

9. Petal Dishcloth: started May 21, 2013; finished May 22, 2013

10. Petal Dishcloth: started May 22, 2013; finished May 23, 2013
11. Mama's Vanilla Socks (round 2): started June 29, 2012; finished May 24, 2013 
12. Petal Dishcloth: started May 26, 2013; finished May 29, 2013

You'll notice that I have another FO to share...and I don't know why I dropped the ball on it. I should have blogged about it on Friday. Unfortunately, I only blogged about my socks on Friday and didn't blog about the dishcloth. I suppose I can give you the quick synopsis...the yarn was more of the Sugar N Cream, the pattern was the same Petal Dishcloth pattern I used for the other two, I slipped all stitches purlwise, and that's about all you need to know. You can check out more specific information by checking out the FO Friday for the other two right here. Here's a photo of the latest one...

Petal Dishcloth (#3)

So, that, of course, means that my WIP list was a little anemic...so I changed all that :)

Works-in-Progress (WIPs)

1. Eat Your Monkey Socks: started November 29, 2012
2. Freeport Vest: started March 7, 2013
3. Baby Surprise Jacket: started May 27, 2013
4. Traveling Vines Socks (Adult): started May 31, 2013

I started two projects this week, in addition to the two I already have going. I've been eying the Baby Surprise Jacket for awhile now and after doing some digging in my stash, I found some yarn that didn't have a plan, it was about the right weight, and I dug out some needles and started with the smallest size available (which started with 134 stitches, I think). After getting through all the decreases and increases over the first 30 rows, I discovered that I messed up somewhere and was off by two stitches. So, to the frog pond it went for a day when I started it again. The second time, I went for the original sizing (160 stitches). I'm currently in the midst of the first set of decreases. In other words, I'm not very far into this pattern. I just hope I don't run out of yarn for it. I also started the adult version of my Traveling Vines Socks. I had a schematic in one of my notebooks that I did from "memory"...which apparently is faulty. I thought the stitch repeat was 11 stitches...it's actually multiples of 10 + 1...so, for knitting in the round, it's a 10 stitch repeat. So, once I discovered that, I was able to redraw my idea, mess with the math a little bit, and I started over. I think it'll work out just fine. I just need to take copious notes while I go along. 

Because I may look into having this pattern published, I don't expect that you'll be seeing very many photos, if any. I will say that I'm using US #1 needles (2.25 mm), Cascade Heritage Solids & Quatros, and it will most likely come in three cuff sizes. The jury is still out on that. I may make it for only two sizes. We'll see how things go. 


That means my lists look something like this:

Children's Items 

1. "Little 16" Newborn Socks
2. Toddler Socks
3. Alvin Sweater
4. A New Sock Monkey
5. Stig
6. Greyson
7. Vested Baby Boy

8. Milo

  

Items for Me (Selfish Knitting FTW!)

1. Rose's Wrist Warmers
2. Viking Bag
3. Campfire Socks
4. Red Dwarf Socks
5. Zombie ViXen Fingerless Mitts
6. Ardys 

Household Items

1. Halloween Creepy Cloths (1)
2. Halloween Creepy Cloths (2)
3. Assorted Harry Potter Cloths
4. Assorted Doctor Who Cloths
5. Grrlfriend Market Bag

Designs (which may or may not be sooper seekrit - obviously the sooper seekrit ones aren't listed)
1. Little Man's Baby Blanket
2. Susan's Hat (4 versions)
3. Assorted dishcloths (set of 12?)
4. Traveling Vines Scarf
5. Traveling Vines Socks (baby and adult-sized as well)
6. Pinwheel Market Bag
7. Anything else that comes along (I have a notebook or two or seventeen somewhere with potential designs and random ideas)

 

 

I keep thinking about starting another project for Little Man or for one of my expecting friends...I know I shouldn't until I finish my Monkey Socks or something. But the allure of small items is almost too much. I expect that by next week or the week after, you'll see another project on my WIP list. ::sigh::

 

 

In real life events........

 

Today is Husband's birthday. He is a whopping 32 years old today. We don't have any special plans but I expect something will come along. He spent a couple days in Las Vegas this past week. His company paid for it so I'm not objecting.  

Little Man had his two and a half year old appointment with his metabolic geneticist at UCSF Hospital in San Francisco. Unfortunately I woke up with a bit of a bug so Husband came home from work early and the three of us went to that appointment. Little Man is perfectly normal for his age. He's now 3' tall, 32.1 lbs, and his head circumference is 19.2" (49 cm). He's hanging out around the 50th percentile for everything. In addition to that, we talked about getting Husband and I tested for the disorder. They'll probably just test one of us initially (probably me since I'll be the one taking him to the clinic) and then we'll go from there. Nothing major. 

I also went to Alameda this past Friday. One of the shops in town is going out of business and she has a small selection of yarn. It was never big enough to be called an LYS but they did have knit nights...and sewing nights, and kids craft days, and so on. Anyway, everything was 30% off. I shouldn't tell you but I wound up coming home with 23 skeins of yarn. Oops. However, I do have plans in my head for almost all of it. I think some of it will become a Milo Vest for Little Man and the Greyson Sweater (also for Little Man) and maybe a toy or two. We'll see. I might even have enough to make a sweater for me :) I doubt it but I can dream...

Anyway, I hope you all had a lovely week :)

FO Friday!

Happy, happy, happy Friday! In the fibery world, it means it's time for another FO Friday and I have something to show off (for the second week in a row). Please, be amazed. Or not. Whatever. It's totally up to you!

Anyway, here we have my latest FO :)

Done done done done done....... (project page here)

Pattern: None. These are basic stockinette socks with a heel flap and gusset heel decreases.
Time Frame: started June 29, 2012; finished May 24, 2013
Yarn: Sock Yarn from htNEVELE (Etsy shop)
Needles: US #1 (2.25 mm) - I used two 32" circulars
Size: To fit me
Modifications: None - it's a pattern from my own little head
Thoughts: The yarn is somewhat self-striping but after I did the decreases, the stripes got all messed up. I suppose I should have expected it. I was hoping it would continue a little but it just didn't happen. I think if I make socks like this again, and I can almost guarantee that I will, I will remember to CO onto two needles and maybe make the cuff a little longer.

Anyway, here are some more shots of my socks :)

For more FO Friday fun, visit Tami :) (I'll be visiting as soon as I wake up...and as soon as she posts so I can linky)

Yarn Review #5: Knit One Crochet Too Babyboo

Happy Thursday! It's time for another yarn review. As per usual, I am your host, Renee Anne, and I am running late. I think this is just going to be a theme with my reviews, in general...always late. Oh well. At least I'm trying to keep up on them!

The intention is that once a month, roughly about mid-month (depending on the day - Year of Projects are on Sundays, WIP Wednesdays are on Wednesdays, and FO Fridays are on Fridays so rarely will you see a Yarn Review on those days), I'll do a yarn review, which may or may not include multiple types of the same yarn or multiple different yarns on the same day. The yarns in question, unless specified, are coming from my stash, purchased by me, for me, and for my use. I've been given no money or other non-monetary gifts for these yarn reviews. The reviews are of my opinion and based on my own experience and do not necessarily coincide with other fiber enthusiasts, though they may.

And that, friends and readers, is my disclaimer :) Let's get to it!

Babyboo

1. Information About the Company: Unfortunately, my Google-fu is failing me miserably. There is a website for Knit One Crochet Too but it refuses to load for whatever reason. So, I know next to nothing about the company other than they're located in Windham, Maine.

2. Other Yarns Offered: Ah, here's something I can answer. They have several other yarns including 2nd Time Cotton, Cria Lace, Crock-o-dye, Paintbox, Soxx Appeal, Ty-Dy Socks, and Linus. You can find a list on Ravelry right here.

3. Information About the Yarn (specific to this yarn review)

     - Official Name: Babyboo

     - Fiber Content: 55% Nylon (Polyamide) & 45% Bamboo

     - Skein Weight & Yardage: 1.76 oz (50 g) & 115 yds (105 m)

     - Gauge: 21-22 sts = 4" using US #5-6 needles (3.75-4 mm)

     - Weight: DK

     - Washing Instructions: Machine washable and dryable (delicate cycle)

     - Where to Purchase: It's available all over the US in LYS's but you can also find it online from Webs, Jimmy Beans Wool, and Yarn Market.

4. Review (the reason you're here):

     - Pros: 

          1. Machine washable & dryable - this is a big plus for me because I have a small child. 

          2. Durable - Because of the nylon content, this yarn is very difficult to break

          3. Variety of colors - both soft and bright, black, neutrals, you name it...

          4. Inexpensive - You get 115 yds for ~ $5.50...personally, I've paid a lot more for the same amount. 

          5. Lovely to work with - it's got a silk-like quality (which I assume is from the bamboo)

          6. Classified as an "Organic Yarn," whatever that means...

          7. Fabulous stitch definition

     - Cons: 

          1. Splitty - I had some trouble with this yarn splitting while knitting (I've had worse but this wasn't fun with the splitting)

          2. It's DK weight...so to make a garment for myself is going to require a lot more yarn than, say, worsted weight.

Here are a couple of projects I've made with my Babyboo...

Boater Bob Inspired Rib Hat

Lothlorien

Another view of Lothlorien

I do have more in my stash but I haven't used it...I'm not even sure I've photographed it.

Anyway, if you're looking for a yarn for some baby items in a DK weight, this is one you'll want to check out!

Book Review #5: Knitalong by Larissa & Martin John Brown

Happy end of May! Today marks the one-year anniversary of Husband starting his job here in San Francisco! Of course, Little Man and I haven't been out here a full year...that will happen in July.

We're not here to talk about all that, though. I'm late on my book review (yes, again)...I'm also late on my yarn review. I hope to get that done for tomorrow. We'll see. It'll mean three straight days of blogging because I also plan to have a post ready for FO Friday. ::sigh::

Anyway, moving on....

The book(s) in question are books that I have purchased (or someone bought me for a Christmas and/or birthday present) for my own fibery library. I have been given no money or other non-monetary forms of payment for my book reviews. The reviews are based on my own experience(s) and opinion(s) and may not necessarily coincide with the thoughts and opinions of other fiber enthusiasts (though they certainly may). I may also throw in some other fun information. We'll see where we end up...

And there's my disclaimer.

Today's book, if you didn't read the title to this post, is Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together. 

Photo from Amazon

The Basics
Author: Larissa Brown & Martin John Brown
Publisher: STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book, 2008
Hardcover: 160 pages
Language: English
Cover Price: $22.50/$26.95 CAN/£10.99 UK (though I've found it on Amazon for as little as $15.75...and as much as $59.37 - no idea why on that one)

The book was found one sunny afternoon while I was a student at the University of Wisconsin. I was pregnant with Little Man so this was the spring of 2010. I had been knitting for almost two years by that point so I was in my "collecting" stage (where I bought ALL THE THINGS). This was hiding in the University Bookstore in the small craft section (this is the campus University Bookstore on State Street - the one where you get your books for classes). I picked it up, flipped through it, and decided it needed to come home.

Larissa Brown learned to knit in the 1970s from her grandmother, Olive (this story is in the book). It's the one thing she kept learning and practicing. She currently has several independent patterns on Ravelry as well as two books (this one as well as My Grandmother's Knitting) and works published in at least five other magazines/books/collections. Her website can be found here. She's not just a fiber artist, however. She's also an artist artist. Her artwork can be found here. Martin John Brown, on the other hand, is not a fiber artist from. He's a freelance writer. And yes, he and Larissa are a couple. Together, they have a son, Sebastian, and live in Portland, Oregon. His website can be found here. His works tend to focus more on environmental and historical topics but he has been known to branch out. He and Larissa also co-wrote a business book, Demystifying Grant Seeking.

Knitalong is a book about the social aspects of knitting. It is split into six chapters, each building on the previous chapter. Each chapter also has at least one pattern attached to it. The first chapter is about where people get together to knit (cafes, knitting circles/meet-ups, knit-ins, etc - by the way, The Sow's Ear in Verona, WI is mentioned in this chapter...one of my LYS's back when I lived in Wisconsin). The second chapter talks about what brought people together to knit (knitting for the war, knitting to pay for something, making hard work easier, etc.). Chapter three looks at how knitters can find their own voice, style, niche in amongst the knitalong culture. There are groups online (Ravelry is FULL of subgroups and that's only one corner of the internet), groups that meet in LYS's, mailing lists, blogs, etc. The fourth chapter looks at bettering yourself, however you see fit. It includes things like knitting for the county fair, learning something knew via a knitalong (like deciding it's time to learn colorwork so doing a KAL for colorwork mittens), or traveling projects that someone will start, send to someone else and they work on it and send it along (there's a blanket swap that goes on in one of the groups I belong to on Ravelry - I haven't participated yet). Chapter five is about such things as swaps (actual swaps where you send something to someone else and they, or someone else in the group, sends you something), upcycling, and RAKs (Random Acts of Kindness). The last chapter is for things like knitting abbreviations, special techniques, supply sources, acknowledgements, and photo credits (basically, it's the catch-all section).

This book isn't for a "I want a lot of projects to make" kind of knitter. Yes, there are projects in the book (and some rather lovely ones, I might add) but it's more on the sociohistorical aspect of knitting and how it translates to current times. I like it for the "other" stuff that you won't normally find in knitting publications. I also like the social aspect of knitting and wish I did it more often. Knitting by yourself has it's merit but once in awhile, you need another pair of eyes or someone to talk to.

This book isn't for everyone. Some people just want a bunch of patterns and that's fine. This is more textbook, less patterns. Obviously it's a book I like...I own it, after all. I've actually read all the text in this book (including the patterns). It's one of the few knitting books I own where I've read everything. Usually I'll read a section...but not the entire thing. It's a good book to just....read. You can't say that about a lot of knitting books.

Anyway, I suggest that if you're interested in the history of the social aspects of knitting that you pick this book up.

Y2: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #21

Happy Sunday, dear readers and bloggers and friends and random others that are visiting :) Here in the United States, summer has unofficially begun as tomorrow is Memorial Day. Apparently that marks the start of the summer tourism season. 

Today we're having our Memorial Day/Housewarming party. But that's not until this afternoon so I don't have any photos or anything. Perhaps later this week...

We're not here for that anyway. We're here because it's Sunday and time for my Self-Imposed Year of Projects update. I'm heading into my twenty-first week...I'm not quite to the halfway point but I'm another week closer. Let's see what's going on, shall we?

Finished Objects (FOs)

1. San Francisco Fog Fingerless Mitts: started January 2, 2013; finished January 10, 2013
2. Don't Blink: started January 16, 2013; finished January 16, 2013  (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
3. Dalek Dishcloth: started January 16, 2013; finished January 21, 2013 (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
4. Woven Rib Dishcloth: started February 8, 2013; finished February 11, 2013
5. Icarus Shawl: started March 15, 2010; finished February 14, 2013
6. Little Granite Dishcloth: started February 16, 2013; finished March 2, 2013
7. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth: started March 4, 2013; finished March 27, 2013
8. Garter Stripe Baby Socks: started March 3, 2013; finished April 4, 2013

9. Petal Dishcloth: started May 21, 2013; finished May 22, 2013

10. Petal Dishcloth: started May 22, 2013; finished May 23, 2013
11. Mama's Vanilla Socks (round 2): started June 29, 2012; finished May 24, 2013 

If you didn't notice, I started and finished TWO projects this past week (blogged about on Friday). They were both small projects and they were the same pattern but I started and finished two of them. They're quick and quite addicting. I'll probably wind up making more of them, if only for my sanity...plus, they'll make good stocking stuffers or something. Not that I have any stockings to stuff other than mine, Little Man's (which he doesn't have) and Husband's (which he also doesn't have).

I also finished up one of my "big" projects. It's kind of a misnomer to call them "big" because, really, they're just socks...but they seem to take me forever. I finished them up while watching Ella Enchanted on Friday night. I'll probably write up a post about them for Friday. So, I'll just say that they're basic stockinette socks, double gusset heel decrease, and the stripes don't match (of course). It means that my WIP list was looking a little small...so, of course, I started something else. 

Works-in-Progress (WIPs)

1. Eat Your Monkey Socks: started November 29, 2012
2. Freeport Vest: started March 7, 2013
3. Petal Dishcloth: started May 24, 2013 

I feel like I should have more going on...I don't but I should. I've worked here and there on my Monkey Socks but I just can't seem to find the desire to work on them. Maybe it's because it's summer and I don't get to wear fancy socks in the summer...I don't know. I don't have winter to wear my fancy handknit socks anymore. Do people wear their fancy handknit socks with shorts? Is this a thing in which I should be partaking? I'm just wondering. I don't think they look very good with my running shoes. Or my regular shoes. Thoughts? 

I also started another Petal Dishcloth...which may be finished by the time this actually gets posted but, you know, we'll see :)

This means my lists look like this....

Children's Items 

1. "Little 16" Newborn Socks
2. Baby Surprise Jacket
3. Toddler Socks
4. Alvin Sweater
5. A New Sock Monkey
6. Stig
7. Greyson
8. Vested Baby Boy

9. Milo

  

Items for Me (Selfish Knitting FTW!)

1. Rose's Wrist Warmers
2. Viking Bag
3. Campfire Socks
4. Red Dwarf Socks
5. Zombie ViXen Fingerless Mitts
6. Ardys 

Household Items

1. Halloween Creepy Cloths (1)
2. Halloween Creepy Cloths (2)
3. Assorted Harry Potter Cloths
4. Assorted Doctor Who Cloths
5. Grrlfriend Market Bag

Designs (which may or may not be sooper seekrit - obviously the sooper seekrit ones aren't listed)
1. Little Man's Baby Blanket
2. Susan's Hat (4 versions)
3. Assorted dishcloths (set of 12?)
4. Traveling Vines Scarf
5. Traveling Vines Socks (baby for sure, maybe adult-sized as well)
6. Pinwheel Market Bag
7. Anything else that comes along (I have a notebook or two or seventeen somewhere with potential designs and random ideas)

I've only changed two things to these lists. I removed the Petal Dishcloth (obviously, as I made TWO of them and am working on a third)...but I also added the Milo vest (to the Children's Items). I think Little Man could use one...we'll see. You'll also notice that I no longer "need to purchase" anything because I bought everything. I sold some of the yarn from my destash and I used the money sitting in Paypal to get those purchases taken care of....and a couple more that I've been thinking about for later (next year, perhaps). 

Soooooo...it looks like I need something new to work on. Part of me wants to go for something small (almost instant gratification) and part of me wants something for the "long" haul. Or both. Probably both. Have you met me? I'm one of those people that take on too much because I can.

Anyway, here are some photos from this past week :) While unpacking last weekend, I found some of my old toys. In this case, I found my plastic picnic basket with some of the stuff still inside (two plates, two forks, two spoons, a butter knife, two teacups, and a thermos). After giving everything a wash in hot, soapy water, someone was enthralled. These are from two separate days of playing. He likes to give me pretend food and water. He doesn't know what tea really is but he knows water goes in cups. So, we have pretend water and...something. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week!