I'm under your spell like a man in a trance...
But I know darn well, that I don't stand a chance...
You have to love a song with the phrase "when you don't care a bag of beans for me." Well, I do, anyway.
UNpopular.
My comments on Rowan and their patterns in my last post might have been a bit unpopular. I'm sorry to be negative. I just don't want knitters to waste their time and money, you know?
I DO have two corrections to make.
1) Maya corrected me, and she is right: You can start a row with a YO. But it's hard to end with one. And in Elspeth I promise they don't want you to.
2) I will take back saying that Elspeth is a BAD pattern. It's not. But the one thing that they need to say, that I think would make all the difference for people, is this:
If you cannot make both a YO and the associated decrease (k2tog, k2togtbl, whatever), don't do them at all. In other words, don't only do the YO or the dec, you will mess up your stitch counts and be in a world of pain. If you cannot do both, just knit in stockinette.
Otherwise, it's been an decent pattern. It is a HARD pattern though - it takes a lot of thought. It involves a lot of decreasing or increasing at different intervals on each side, and I highly recommend writing them out so you don't get confused. This is what I do:
I write out all the dec/inc, whichever. "I" for inc, "D" for dec. If there are two, like "D - D" it means dec on each end of the work. If its only on the right, I dec on the right edge, etc. I cross them off as I go, and the numbers to the sides are the stitches I should have left after each dec or inc row.
Without this, I get messed up. A row counter just doesn't do it for me. Also, it seems to go faster when I am crossing off rows. Maybe this is useful to some of you? Maybe not. Works for me.
As evidence.
A completed Elspeth back:
And one and 1/2 fronts:
And I am going to finish the purple sweater today. I will!
Come on, Eileen, whoa I swear... (what he means)
At this moment, you mean evvvvvvverrrrrrything...*
So much time, so little to do - strike that, reverse it.
Hi. It's fun to have new things to do and start! Like what? Like this:
Um, yes. Didn't tell you about this one. Well, that's cause we just decided to do it today. Called "Peaches", by Kim Hargreaves. Using the fabulous Cotton Glace I bought off Stashy McStasherton. And here's a swatch:
I love this color. NOW. I know those of you who come here know that's not news. But, it's hard to capture the real color. It's not just a light blue, it has a shiny tiny bit of silvery slate to it. Grey, but not grey. OOOOH. I love it.
The pattern is from A Treasury of Rowan Knits, that a non-knitting friend gave me a few years ago, and so far the pattern is going well, for once. I haven't been able to knit from this book until now. That friend that gave it to me was a dear. I hope he is well.
Elspeth.
On to the not-so-good. This pattern, Elspeth, from Rowan 37, is making me INSANE. I had heard all over blogdom that it was troublesome, but I mean it SUCKS.
It's hard to tell you just why without you seeing the pattern, but suffice it to say the following.
1) There is no selvedge stitch, and it's a lace pattern.
2) They start and stop the pattern in ways that leave you with a yarn over at the end, or beginning. Clearly, you can't END or START with a yo. Hello.
3) Because of this (and because they also start you with a k2tog where you only have one stitch) if you do what they say your stitch counts will be WAY off. You will think you are a bad knitter, but it's NOT YOU. It's a bad pattern.
4) They only show you one repeat and leave you to your devices to figure out where to start again. The X-Tremely cool Jen has great help for this issue.
Here's my beef. And you can skip if you don't want to hear me complain. But if Rowan is asking people to spend their hard-earned money - at $55 a year for membership - we DESERVE well-written and well-proofed patterns. It's that damn simple. What a waste.
That having been said, I am going to muscle it out, because I can, from experience. But I would caution you all about this pattern - if you are not experienced you will probably hate it and spend your time frustrated. It's makes me so mad, too.
Here's a pic of the pattern so far. It is pretty, I'll give those Rowan losers that much:
And a close-up:
She's a super geek, super geek, she's super geeky...
I got a new ipod:
And yes, that is me watching Season 6 of CSI on it. I LOVE IT. I am such a nerd.
I was lucky enough to get a new Macbook to go with it, but haven't gotten to use it much, cause I have to transfer everything from my previous computer to it. But it's pretty sleek. It's black and stealthy.
Almost done with the Vintage Knits purple sweater - one sleeve to sew in. Hooray!!!
*Our dear Lee Ann is convalescing. And we are SO GLAD she is doing so well.
I used to think that the day would never come
That my life would depend on the morning sun...
SO MUCH to tell you. Look out, pictures a 'coming your way.
I'm FLOORED.
LOOK what the punster sent me! I mean, look at how cute this is! I'm so touched, I can't wait for Tiny McGoo to wear it! Thank you, Elspeth. Gorgeous knitting, too.
She gets it from her mother.
You know what's more exciting than a new tennis ball? And also more anxiety-producing?
Having NEW people PAINT in your own HOUSE. Fun + anxious = pacing. all. day.
We had an exciting day, let me tell you. Watching all the new people do things with ladders, which make us VERY NERVOUS, makes us exhausted:
Best to respond by napping.
Oh, yeah. I finished Loll.
LOOKIE!
Unfortunately, I can't model it for you, although usually I really like to get a picture of a sweater on a person, because I think it shows it better. But, uh, there is no fitting. I do feel decent that the sleeves still fit, and the back fits, with the side seams at my real sides. It's just the front bit - the belly and boobs bit - that's a NO GO. No way no how. Ain't gonna happen.
Gotta get it to the shop, though, it's a store sample and long overdue. So you'll have to do with the hanger shots.
You can see lots about Loll here - including the very important PATTERN MISTAKES. Click it if you knit it.
Update: Just for fun, here's two close-up pictures for you:
Paul, we need a little mailbag music: Andrea (blogless, I think) sent a picture of her Loll!
She used Cascade Pima Melange to make it. Thanks, Andrea! We should have a mailbag entry everyday around here!
And all this could be such a dream, so it seams seems
I was never much good at goodbye...
No, I'm not going anywhere. That's Night Ranger. What's funny about that song is, I was listening to a Pandora station and that song came up, and I swear I hadn't heard it for YEARS. But all those lyrics? Right there, baby. Stored in some useless Night Ranger Neuron. That means I probably have a whole Duran Duran gray matter section, somewhere in the left parietal cortex, I imagine. Next to the Culture Club gyrus.
I'm on to something.
A heartfelt thank you.
You people ROCK. Thanks again so much for all your excitement and well wishes about our little news. It means so much that all of you have been pulling for us. Knitting blogs rule. No doubt about it.
I can ALMOST taste victory.
Loll nears completion. I stayed up WAY too late last night in a finishing frenzy.
We're pretty happy with how the collar came out. And pretty happy, too, with that shoulder seam. Let me tell you somezingh. Seaming a fitted sleeve in reverse stockinette stitch is HARD. And I consulted all my books (Vogue Knitting, Buss, Montse Stanley, Nancy Wiseman), NOTHING on how to do this. Way to leave me high and dry, ladies. No paddle. Not even arm floaties.
I just had to make it up. But I think it's okay.
I seamed a sleeve too, and the picture isn't purposefully blurry, I promise.
If all is well maybe Thursday it'll be done??? We can only hope.
Baby Baby, I'm taken with the notion...
To love you with the sweetest of devotion...
WELL. I wanted to tell you.
You people HAVE to know I wanted to tell you. But, really, I couldn't, we just couldn't, before now.
And honestly, I am having huge anxiety that in the telling I will jinx it.
But, THIS embryo:
Has become THIS 13-week-old fetus. Miracle of miracles. Hi, High Energy Fetus!
The top one is his face in profile, the bottom his body in profile.
And yes, according to the embryo biopsy we had initially, it's a boy.
We almost can't believe it. I can't believe it. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. Now I just hope we can be good parents, and that the rest of this pregnancy will go without incident. It's hard not to worry when you are finally pregnant after being infertile. It's so different than for those women who just get pregnant without incident. The worry factor is TREMENDOUS.
In Knitting News...
Since Loll is near completion, thank God, I figured I'd show you what I'll knit next.
Elspeth, from Rowan 37, in Calmer, color Coral (476):
And Bridie, from the fantabulous Anna, in Karabella Margrite.
And here's both yarns. FUN.
I haven't been able to start anything new for a really long time, since I have been desperate to finish current projects. With that in mind, if all goes well, I'll have Loll done this week, and maybe even the Vintage Knits Ribbed Sweater I've been slaving over for some time now.
Of course, I won't be able to wear it till next year. But I'm not complaining. ;-)
Site problems?
Hey kids - thanks for the comments on the new site!
For those who can't read it, try emptying your cache. I had to do this when I was using Safari on a Mac, and then it's fine. Carrie and I checked it out in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, on Mac and PC, and it all seems to be working now.
Let me know if there are more issues. Thanks for the reading advice. I started the Dog in Nightime and like it so far.
I had a crummy day at work so I am very tired and going to bed.
I have an ultrasound tomorrow - wish us luck. We are anxious around here. More fertility news when I have it...
Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight...
Gonna grab some afternoon delight...
WHY my husband decided to torment me with this song is beyond me. OK, I actually love that song. Especially when Will Ferrell and the guys sing it in Anchorman. SO. FUNNY.*
WOO WEE! Looka dis! How fancy it is around here! My thanks to Carrie, my elegant and fantastic friend and webmaster, for her mad web skillz. Contact her if you have web needs. She'll hook you up, for a good price!
So, if you see any broken bits on this site, or if things don't look right, or you see parts of the old web page, let me know, please, so we can fix it!!!
YAY webfuntimes!
UPDATE: While we're thanking Carrie, go over and tell her Happy Birthday!!! Happy Birthday Schmoo!
I don't have new knitting to show, but I did buy three new books today:
I am so bored lately, with everything I'm reading, with movies, with knittting. So. Bored. So I hope one of these books will be interesting. I tried really hard to read this book, I really did, since all my homies love it, but I just can't get into it. I can't buy time travel when it's not in a scifi book. I just can't. Oh, well.
*(If you go to this link, and click the top video, you can hear them sing it. I love lamp.)
Who is gonna come and turn the tide?
What's it gonna take to make a dream survive?
Who's got the touch to calm the storm inside?
Don't say goodbye
Don't say goodbye
In the final seconds who's gonna save you?
That's right kids, I'm still a-live and kick-iiiiiiing....*
Welcome back to HEK! Sorry I have been gone so very long. I have been really under the weather since I got back from my trip, combined with a new job task and an old job task that made June way too busy.
I really sat around and rested, and did almost NO knitting. SO WEIRD. Just did not have the energy. Also no energy to read blogs, so I'm sorry for anything I've missed out on. Thank you to those of you who emailed! I am ok, and feeling better, so here we are!
And just to prove it.
Here we have Loll, the update.
On our trip, much knitting was done and two fronts were finished.
Trip knitting in New Mexico sunshine = GOOD.
And finally, with more energy now, I have completed the following sleeve!
It's done now. No, really.
And here's everybody blocking. One more sleeve to go!!!
Click here to see the bigness!
So, I have a few fringe rows left on the final sleeve and I will be able to get on the damn rescue plane and leave Sleeve Island. Ok, one more Mai Tai before I go. Just one.
Some important things about Loll you should know.
If you ever plan to knit this sweater, know the following:
1) There is a GIANT typo in the cardigan pattern. I emailed Rowan, and they responded quickly and agreed and promised to publish the mistake. It's crucial to keeping the ribbing intact.
Where the pattern says for the BACK:
"Counting in from both ends of last row, place markers on 26th (26th: 30th: 30th: 34th) sts."
And for Left Front:
"Counting in from end of last row, place markers on 26th (26th: 30th: 30th: 34th) st."
And for Right Front:
"Counting in from beg of last row, place markers on 26th (26th: 30th: 30th: 34th) st."
The numbers are WRONG and should read:
"... place markers on 23rd (26th: 29th: 28th: 31st) st (s)."
2) The fringe takes forever to make. I mention this because a new knitter might find it way too tiresome and overwhelming. It's worth it if you love how it looks. Just be aware...
What else?
1) I won a cool prize in Cara's fundraiser!!! Yay!!!!
2) High Energy Johnny made a new duct tape wallet:
Oh yes, he uses it.
3) Carrie is updating my blog design and I can't wait for you to see it! I've been fiddling with it for like a year, but I really just don't have time, and she's so good at it. If you are interested in affordable blog redesign, or any website building, she's your girl. Her business site is Identity Web and Photo. She is GOOD.
4) In my recent stupor I watched the final seasons of Alias and Queer as Folk. Two of my favorite shows of all time, over. Forever. Sniff. When I finish Six Feet Under the world might as well end. Someone will have to throw me a TV life preserver.
Hmmm. Might have to watch Season Two of Lost, on that note...
*Simple Minds. You know you love it.