If you could watch everybody work while you just lay on your back
Would you do it?
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah...
We saw the Flaming Lips last week in Atlanta, and boy are they so awesome! We've seen them before, and I love them so much. It was SO LOUD. I hope the HE Fetus can still hear.
Oh my goodness. LOTS of knitting happening. And it's WORKING right now, which is so fun and exciting.
BRIDIE. I love this pattern. Anna is a genius. Let's talk about it, shall we?
First, I LOVE the yarn. I'm using the suggested yarn, Karabella Margrite, and it's so soft and awesome. I love it.
I have learned the pattern now, so it's pretty quick to not have to use the chart. The shaping is genius.
My row gauge was off, and this concerned me, because as a certain rabbit noted, if you need more rows per inch then the pattern recommends, you can easily run out of yarn. I was afraid of this, so what I did was knit on the back, then I BLOCKED IT with an iron ON THE NEEDLES. What???
And the gauge became perfect, and the knitting so smooth. I am in love. Let's check it out:
Look, you can see the line where I had blocked up to - isn't that crazy??? A huge difference.
So what I'm doing is calculating the math of how many rows I need to get that gauge when blocked. It's working like a charm. And the knitting goes faster, because I'm marking off rows.
Now, the right front:
I had an in-progress picture, but since then I have finished it! Here's the top of it, with the interesting shape:
And here's a close-up of the increasing shaping:
Now, the thing about that shaping is that you increase every row. If you haven't done that before, it's really hard to do, because when you increase, you are often using the row below in some way. If you do a Make 1, you are pulling the yarn between stitches on the row below. If you use a lifted increase, you are also distorting the row below. So if you do that every row, it's hard to get it to not distort the pattern too much. (Here's a web page with videos of different increases.)
Anna, who is amazing, did it with M1s. I never could get that to work, so I used variations of "knit one through the front and back loop" (KF&B) on the neck edge. Sometimes I would knit in the front loop and purl in the back, or vice versa, to keep the pattern. I think it worked pretty well, and the edge will be sewn into the buttonband. Hooray!
And the left front, which I am starting, is smaller than the right, since it fits that shape like a puzzle piece, so it should be quick. I want to finish this soon so I can wear it!
Husband Swecker.
HE John and I have stupid words for things and always distort our language when we talk. Sometimes it can be so cryptic and weird and refers to things only we know or have laughed about that I swear if someone heard us they could NOT understand what we are saying. I'm sure all couples do this. After 14 years, I guess that happens.
For example, we call sweaters "sweckers", and Atlanta "Aklanka", and Sacramento "Saclamento." And laundry detergent "laungry detergalent" and Natalie Merchant "Nagalie Mergalent." And other stupid things.
I have had yarn and pattern to make Johnny a swecker for awhile, and I have finally cast on. It's taking FOREVER, partly cause it is all ribbing and LONG. Snore...
And a close-up of the variegatedness:
This is a Phildar sweater, and Becky made it already for her hubby, and it turned out great. Seeing a real guy wear it, not some model, allowed it to be given the HE Johnny seal-of-approval. Here is Becky's archive about her version. If I recall, it took her many a DVD to get it finished. I forsee that...
Well, friends, I must go. I have a lot of studying to do, as I am trying to finished two years of Continuing Education before the baby is born, so I don't have to do it next year. Hate. Studying. Grrr.
Be careful what you wish for...
Kicky McKickerton
Well, recently I was lamenting that I was worried I wasn't feeling the baby move yet.
Hahahahahaha! Now he moves all the time, and it feels REALLY WEIRD. Of course I'm glad he's moving. But I will admit it is really disconcerting! Like weird gas that stays in the same place and repeatedly rises up - it's so weird! It woke me up the other day!
A FO! A Sister! The Atlanta Braves!
High Energy Sister came up and we had a fun time. And I was so pleased to see that her Green Gable fit!!!
And a close up:
And a close-up of the decreases and increases...
I used Cotton Fleece, size US 6 needles. I made the small/second size. I also, like Carrie, added hip increases which I think made the fit just perfect.
The increases were the only modification. I added back the 8 stitches over two increase rows that were initially decreased after the bust, then two more rounds for a total of 16.
I love to knit for my sister because:
1) She's SMALL. Unlike knitting for my husband (I have started a sweater for him. LORD it's taking a long time).
2) She's the perfect size/proportions. Everything looks good on her, and almost anything fits her well.
3) She wears what I make her. Yay!
So good times for Green Gable.
And we had good times at a Braves game while she was here! And they won, which hasn't happened much lately, so we were excited!
They have a HUGE jumbotron at Turner Field. I was really far away from this and DIDN'T zoom. Look how big Francoeur's head is!
What's new, pussycat?
I started Bridie and am knitting like crazy on it. Here's the back:
Wanna see a close-up?
Some interesting things to tell you next time about this sweater. I am loving the pattern so far!
Everything dies, baby that's a fact...
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
and meet me tonight in Atlantic City...
Hello! We are back from Jersey, where I had SO MUCH FUN visiting Cara!
Cara is such a fun person, and her husband and sister are awesome too. I had a really great time and am so glad I went.
Things I learned on my trip to Jersey/NY:
1) Cara walks really fast. I pride myself on being a fast walker - I can't stand people who walk slow especially when they are "in my way". But now that I'm carrying extra weight, I almost could not keep up with her! And I love that.
2) The 10-second rule does not apply to NY city streets.
3) If the band for the top of your knee high sock can fit around your head -
It's too big.
4) Ferries are fun!
And look! The Statue of Liberty!
5) I can spin! Ok, not well, but I did it. Cara's a good teacher.
And here's my handspun:
It's not beautiful, I make much prettier yarn on a spindle, but it's only the second time I have done it. I can't wait to get a wheel!
6) NYC is really big, but they have the tiniest. bathroom. ever.
I'm standing in front of the toilet here.
Hardly room for a pregnant woman, I assure you.
7) If you put me in a yarn shop, I will buy yarn:
Here's some Habu Bamboo I got, gorgeous and so soft. I'm going to have a real dyer dye it for me.
And here's a pic of the front room at Habu, where they make such beautiful stuff!
8) If Cara has a STASH SALE, I will buy yarn. BTW, go over and see what she has left!
I got the following - some Firesong yarn:
and some angora for a tiny blanket for a tiny high energy person.
9) I can finish a sweater on a trip if I knit hard and fast:
My sister comes up this weekend, and then I'll have pictures of her wearing it, yay!
10) Cara can twist my arm into starting a pair of knee highs:
Koigu. These are gonna be GOOD. Even if I do have fat calves.
Knitting update:
Lastly, an update. Peaches is rockin' right along:
But Bridie had a snafu:
Looks okay, huh? Well, it's way too big. Despite checking gauge, I'm getting 19 st instead of 22 to 4", which of course will never fly. Had to rip those 6 inches of sweater out. SO. SAD. But after a knit fest last night I am almost back to where I was.
Hope you all have a good week!