knitting school dropout

oops, fell off the face of the earth for a minute there, sorry!

thanks so much for all the lovely comments on my last entry. you really know how to make a sweater feel loved! but really, all those positive words came at a time when i was feeling a little low and uninspired, and they gave me a virtual kick in my knitting ass.

so, what i've been up to since then is writing patterns. really. one, which i can't show you just yet, will be showing up in classic elite's web-letter in just over a month. if you're interested, you can subscribe to it here.

i've also been working on a pattern for my garter-yoked cardigan. since i'm kind of a seat-of-your-pants knitter, i usually cast on with an idea, but really no plan. if i don't take decent notes, i'm really struggling to figure out when and where i did what. this time, i'm re-knitting the sweater, but i'm attempting to write the pattern first, so i can also be test-knitting it as i go. the yarn i'm using is some beautiful beaverslide mctaggart tweed in a lovely pink, called "cutthroat trout".

i've also been carrying around this sock in my tote bag for what seems like forever. it's the child's first sock in shell pattern from knitting vintage socks. the yarn is some gorgeous merino sock from mamablue. i think this "mermaid" colorway is a great match for the shell pattern, but man, am i burnt out on socks. i'm only really knitting this one when i'm needing a break from my other projects.

the stitch pattern is one that is really easy to remember, so when i was asked to knit a spring hat for my great aunt, i decided to use it. i really love how it came out, although it's much too small for me, it's just perfect for her.

i'm making 2 other hats like this now. one is just a larger one, seen above, to fit me. the other is slouchier and has a slightly different stitch pattern. i'm having to do a lot of ripping and re-knitting on that one at the moment, but i'm sure it'll be finished pretty soon.

tomorrow i'm heading to mass sheep and wool for a little while. it's my first time going, so i'm not sure what to expect. unfortunately, i messed up my knee this week and i'm really not supposed to be skipping through fields and such, but i'm making an exception.

Posted by melissa at 09:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (0)

...for this is a hat-heavy blog post

i have been working away on my 2 sweaters in progress, but not without distraction. i've landed on sleeve island with my orangey pullover, the perfect time to cast on for some hats.

each one of these took little more than a day to knit, and i'm thrilled with how they've turned out. holy instant gratification!

first off, the girlfriend's february 13th hat, which is basically just a wooly apology for being a total valentine's day hater.
i originally intended to knit her the utopia cable hat in some charcoal cascade 220 , but i forgot the pattern at home shortly after starting the ribbing. i was forced to just come up with something else, or endure a meeting knit-less. she liked it and bought me vegetarian sushi, and all was right in the world.

next, i decided to wind up some malabrigo in the "paris night" colorway, and knit the utopia hat (ravelry) for myself. one day later, i had a perfect, warm hat. i highly recommend the pattern.

last, i chose to use up the leftover malabrigo for another hat. i had the blue from utopia, and about the same amount in olive, left over from a ganomy hat. i put them together and made this basic striped hat, with only a few inches to spare.

i'm happy to have a few more choices in head coverings this week, it's freezing here.

i really should get back to those sweaters now.

Posted by melissa at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)

thanks so much for all the lovely comments regarding my bubble pullover. i guess i finished it just in time for the cold new england weather. it's been getting lots of use!

since casting off, i've been casting on like mad for lots of small projects. i've had a couple crappy weeks, nothing bad, just feeling generally overwhelmed by small, usually benign things. so, i pushed aside all my current sweater projects and made some damn hats!

hat 1: bonnet for a 32 year old
yarn: maisy day handspun in "spitfire", purchased from hello yarn and one ball of debbie bliss cashmerino aran in brown.
needles: 5mm 16" circs
pattern: i knit the bottom (ear covering) portion from the maltese fisherman's hat pattern in elizabeth zimmermann's knitter's almanac, except i doubled all the numbers. after i cast on the additional stitches for the front, i just went along and knit the top as i would any plain hat, instead of following the pattern. i only had 112yds of this yarn, so i knit it a little shorter than i normally would and added a garter stitch border and ties. i also added the most pathetic excuse for a pom-pom ever. which, incidentally, is the only kind i can seem to make.
the verdict: it's cute. i love the handspun. it covers my ears. i am happy.

hat 2: brown flop
pattern : none, but here's where i tell you my secret for making a floppy hat like mine (please skip this part if you dont care :))
take your standard formula for a plain close fitting hat in the yarn of your choosing. knit 1x1 rib for 1 inch, after this point continue in rib, but start adding short rows to the front 60% of the hat. your ribbed band will become wider in the front than it is in the back. add as many short rows as you wish. my front ribbing was about twice as long in the front as it was in the back. after the front rib was the length i wanted, at the beginning of the next round i began knitting in stockinette, but increasing every other stitch like this: k1, k1f/b, repeat until end of round. there, now you have lots more stitches and you can knit some easy stockinette for hours. i added a few more short rows to the front of the stockinette portion too. once it starts to get long, you can try it on as you knit and decide when you want to start decreasing to close up the top.
yarn: louisa harding grace 50/50 silk wool, a little less than 2 balls.
needles: 4mm 16: inch circular
thoughts: grace is a beautiful yarn. i forgot to take in to consideration the fact that this hat will stretch out with wear. i would make it a tad smaller next time, until then, i'll re-block it after a few wears.

hat 3: another maltese fisherman's hat from elizabeth zimmermann's knitter's almanac
yarn: berroco peruvia in a heathered pink.
needles: 5mm circulars
details: i wear this one all the time. it's longer than the first one and the yarn is nice and soft. i bought more of the peruvia in a dark blue to add trim and ties, but i haven't done it yet. this hat covers the ears PERFECTLY. i walk around, all smug and warm, every windy day. i did the same thing with this hat, doubling the numbers, doing my own hat thing at the top, etc.

hats have always been my favorite thing to knit. a simple one can be knit up in a day and they're a perfect way to test out a yarn for it's durability, or to get the chance to try a yarn that you couldn't afford in a sweater amount. long live the hat!

oh, and can i share with you the awesome tags that i ordered from namemaker? they're kind of motivating me to knit those gifts i keep putting off.

Posted by melissa at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

miraculously, i have another finished object to show off:

pattern: i modified a chart from here,
yarn: rowan yorkshire tweed, less than 1 ball each of brown, and blue. i also used a little bit of valley yarns longmeadow in red for the lining.
needles: 3.75mm inox circs

umm, i love brown and blue together. i love gigantic flowers. this hat is far from perfect, but i adore it. i was a bad girl, not paying very good attention to the whole yarn dominance thing. lesson learned. the floral motif is a little hard to see at times, but i still like it. i'm still a stranded knitting newbie, having only knit one pair of mittens and one hat before.
my knitting became extremely tight and uneven at the very top. this can only be blamed on la strada, which i was watching at the end parts of this hat. stranded knitting and subtitles do not mix well, but i loved the movie, so it's all good.

i'm also only five rows away from finishing my swallowtail shawl. blocking should be taking place later today.

Posted by melissa at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

i managed to remove 2 projects from the WIP list recently, despite feeling like i haven't had a free moment. luckily there were meetings and lunch breaks to knit through, so i am finally able to present you with these:

first up, my cloudy day bolero. the pattern is ysolda's, from yarn forward. it's a great pattern, well written, and easy to follow.
i made only minor changes. i (obviously) lengthened it a lot. i had 3 balls of yarn and just kept knitting until they were gone. i also used us10 needles, when i think the pattern called for 11s. this was pure laziness, i couldn't muster up the energy to look for 11s for more than 5 minutes, and the 10s were right in my bag. i also used noro iro, color 63, which is half price at webs right now!. after finishing, i had only a few scraps left.

i apologize for the not-so-great front shot, the other photos were making me feel a little self-conscious about my post quit weight gain.

i also finished a hat, inspired by the one my 93 year old great aunt has been making for years. i really like the finished result, and the beautiful "bobby blue" malabrigo i used, but i still plan to make another that looks a little more like hers.

here's a shot of the very flat top:

next up, i'm finishing the stranded hat that i mentioned once before. that is, if the small furry animals will let me. i'm knitting the top of the hat and the lining at the same time. i switch to the plain lining during subtitled films, then back to the stranded knitting when i'm watching crappy t.v.

after that, i hope to finally finish my swallowtail shawl. i kind of gave up after the p5togs started slowing me down. i would have eliminated them, but i really like how they look. i think a break was all i needed.

i have been terrible at responding to comments/returning emails lately and i apologize. i was temporarily swamped with other stuff, but i'll be better from now on.

for those who asked, i really liked miranda july book it has a really neat website you can check out here.

Posted by melissa at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (1)

i'm here to report that i really haven't been knitting much at all. i've been in a kind of funk lately, the kind that makes you feel anything but creative. instead i've mostly been reading, (now it's BITCHfest and human oddities), indulging in a little retail therapy in the form of really cute boots and thoroughly enjoying my copy of fitted knits. i'm pretty sure i'm casting on for the puff-sleeved cardigan as soon as i finish my books.
i did manage to knit 2 hats. i am very new to having longer hair and all the fitted hats i have leave me looking like i have a giant lump on my head when i pull one on over a ponytail. i decided to knit up a couple looser hats. the slouchier one is made from naturewool chunky in a grey/black color, the pom-pom hat is navy felted tweed. both are in constant rotation in this bitter cold.

(don't you love my ancient peeling mirror? )

my next post will be totally dedicated to my sea silk leaf lace shawl, which is currently blocking. i think it's real purty.

Posted by melissa at 05:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

sorry, the sweater is not quite done. i worked on the second sleeve for what seemed like eternity on sunday and in true melissa fashion, i put it down with only 3 inches to go. at 10pm sunday, i cast on for this:

(pardon the non-modeled shot, but the thing is too damp for my cold head)

around 9pm monday i was pulling the yarn through the last few stitches at the top. i can't believe i finished the entire hat in less than 24 hours. it was too cute to put down. i didn't add the lining until today. this project has made me realize that what i had thought was a provisional cast on, is probably not. either that or i am totally correct and it's just a total pain in the ass to undo.

pattern: we call them pirates from hello yarn
yarn: dale of norway hauk in oatmeal and pea green less than 1 ball of each
needles: us5 inox 16" and 40"circulars
mods: i had to go up 2 needles sizes to get closer to gauge. i made a few more decreases in the lining since i lined it in cotton and it tends to grow.

i love it and it fits just right, but this baby is not for me. i still need to work on getting my tension even and i'm sure knitting in the dark while watching movies didn't help any, but that doesn't discourage me. i think 2007 may be a year filled with stranded knitting.

the best thing about this project is that i had just the right yarn and needles without having to make an excuse to go out and buy anything. i'm on a major budget at the moment, trying to decide if i should get a new car and have the major stress of a car payment, or invest a bunch of money in my fixing crappy little car and instead buy myself the digital slr of my dreams. neither of these are very easy to do considering i work for a non-profit. tax refund time is just around the corner though, so with that and some serious cutting back, i should be able to make a decision by the end of march. i'm making it my birthday present to myself. so i'm all about the cheap thrills from here on out.

speaking of cheap thrills, i just discovered i can re-live my youth for only $17.00. going to see bands like bikini kill and bratmobile were some of the highlights of my late teens/early20's. that's why i'm so excited to get this dvd.

expect another finished object post in the next few days. i'm off to watch bad education, and finish that last bit of sleeve.

Posted by melissa at 04:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

i decided to start with small projects first, in order to shrink my WIP pile this weekend.
first off, i've finished the girlfriend's ganomy hat. i'm sure i'll be stealing this from her until i can knit one for me. maybe she won't like it, now that it's done.

pattern: ganomy hat from EZ's knitter's almanac
needle size: u.s. 10.5 addi turbo
yarn: rowan biggie print? ( i lost the label) in grey
i intentionally knit this on smaller needles than recommended for the yarn, for a more dense fabric. this hat must provide warmth during the endless shoveling of harsh new england winters.
i cannot recommend this pattern enough. once your read it over, you won't have to look at it again and you'll end up with a ridiculously cute hat. yay!

i also finished another Noro Kureyon striped scarf for a friend's birthday. same deal as before, 1x1 rib alternating between two different balls, every 2 rows. i think i used one ball of color 156 and one of 157, but those ball bands could have ended up in the bottom of my bag from something else. i think i'm totally burnt out on these now though.

now i'm off to map out my route to the federal courthouse. yep, this knitter has jury duty tomorrow. i hoping for lots of uninterrupted knitting time, i've lots of big projects to get moving on.

question: are they going to swipe my addi's at the metal detector? or should i just switch to my plastic denise needles and play it safe?

Posted by melissa at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

it's true, i am trying to distract you from my total lack of completed knitting projects. i think i have reached a point where i have sooo many works in progress, that i can't even decide what to work on or finish. i'm setting a goal of completing at least 3, large or small, by sunday night.
currently, i am completely addicted to knitting the super-simple ganomy hats from EZ's knitter's almanac. the pointed earflaps keep your ears warm, without being too flappy. i've finished one, and have 2 others on the needles. i'll probably knit one for everyone i know before winter's through.
the first one was a little snug, knit in that wonderful olive malabrigo that's been languishing in my stash for over a year. it'll fit my friend's little head perfectly i think, so i'm giving it to her. here's a little peek at it on my XL skull.

i thought this was a neat little distraction, so i'm totally copying leah. it's funny, when i shuffle my mp3s, i get songs that i haven't heard in months, so this is probably not a good representation of what i'm currently listening to.

if your life were a soundtrack, what would the music be?
here's how it works:
1. open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod)
2. put it on shuffle
3. press play
4. for every question, type the song that's playing
5. new question-- press the next button
6. don't lie and try to pretend you're cool

opening credits:
king's crossing - Elliott Smith

waking up:
don't ask for the water - ryan adams

first day at school:
leaders of men - joy division

falling in love:
flippy flop - erase errata

breaking up:
carnival - bikini kill

prom:
natural's not in it - gang of four

life's okay:
the stars of track and field - belle and sebastian

mental breakdown:
dolly dollar - liliput/kleenex

driving:
roadrunner - modern lovers

flashback:
rebels got a hole in it - halo benders

getting back together:
friendship station - le tigre

wedding:
hot rock - sleater-kinney

birth of child:
save a secret for the moon - magnetic fields

final battle:
i miss you - bjork

death scene:
call 1-800- fear - lali puna

funeral song:
making days longer - rjd2

end credits:
the fairest of the seasons - nico

well, i'll be back in a few days with lots of completed knitting, hopefully. bye!

Posted by melissa at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)