Weekly WIP Report

I haven't worked that much on Isabella this past week. But I'm happy to say that I'm almost done with the left front. I probably won't be finished by next week like I hoped I would, but that doesn't mean I won't try.



I neglected Isabella because I felt like working on the sock. I turned the heel! The sock looks pretty narrow on the pic but it stretches well enough to fit my big calves.

I realized that working on only a couple of projects at a time means that I'm always showing you the same WIPs. Sorry about that. But while more projects would mean more diverse WIP pics, it would also mean FO pics would come even less often. And I don't know about you guys, but I prefer to see FOs. So this is my goal : to finish Isabella in the next two weeks (I can do that) so I can show you a FO. And then I'll have new WIPs (or old ones that I'll pick up again) to show.

I must say that I've wound the alpaca my secret pal gave me into a ball. I have a few ideas for it. We'll see.

I also sort of want to make a very simple scarf for my mom. She gave me yarn last Christmas and hinted that she'd love a scarf made with it. Only problem is, it's acrylic and I know I won't LOVE working with it. But I know she'll love the scarf so I'll make her one.

*Tag* You're it!

I've been tagged!

Here's the deal: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. I hate umbrellas. I hate to carry them. I sometimes carry a small one in my bag but I'll only use it if it's raining really hard.

2. I've written two novels. Neither of them is good. Neither has been read by anyone but me.

3. My coworker told me I should watch Hell's Kitchen, so I did for the first time this week. It was the scariest thing I had ever seen (I'm slightly exaggerating here). Yet, I know for sure I'll watch again next week.

4. Up until the end of high school, I wanted to be a physical therapist and work for the Canadiens de Montréal. Then I took chemistry and physics and realized I'd have to keep on taking science classes to get there. So I changed my mind and studied literature instead.

5. My new ring tone is the Super Mario Bros theme and it makes me smile everytime my phone ring.

6. I like celebrity gossip too much for my own good.

7. I'm planning a parachute jump for this summer.

Now, who will I tag...

Kadi
Jo
Lee Ann
Véronik
Jennifer
Robyn
Mona

I'm sure you've all see that the new Knitty is out. What do you think? I personally don't like that many patterns. Coachella and Tangerine Twist are cute. And I like the socks. But none of the patterns will go on my to-do list. Oh well. You like some, you dislike some.

Tomorrow, I'm going shopping for yarn for my secret pal's last package. Will I get something for myself? I really shouldn't. But sometimes, yarn just calls your name. ;)

Weekly Week Report

It's now my favourite part of the week, the part when I realize I really am a slow knitter ;)

Seriously, I feel like I've progressed with my two regular WIPs this week. First, let me present you the pink sock:



A.K.A. Roza's sock. I have about 2-3 inches more to knit before I start the heel flap. Somehow, I doubt I'll finish them in time for the end of June, but we'll see.



I've also made some progress on Isabella. I'm now at the neckline, at the part where you work half the stitches. It's going pretty well. I was hoping I could finish it before going to my mom's on Friday, but that just won't happen. I know I won't have time to finish the knitting AND seam it. I could if I spent all my free time doing that, but I won't. I need me some Internet time :)

(I'm interrupting this blogging to mention that I currently have a bad case of the hiccups. It's very annoying.)

I'm sure you've all heard about the big Knitpicks sale. I hesitated a long time, and then I decided I should get me some yarn to make Tubey. I chose Andean Silk, and then I realized that the colours on sale weren't my favourite. I finally settled for Leaf. I put 10 balls in my "stash" (i.e. cart), I added two sock books. And then I decided not to order. I don't know why, I just wasn't sure anymore. And now I'm happy I didn't get the yarn because I find that I would prefer a Chocolate or Pool Tubey. Or something else entirely.

Since I can't make up my mind, I decided to try and find projects for the yarn I already have. I found a lace scarf pattern for the yarn my Secret Pal gave me (it'll be a mini-scarf, I'll just go for as long as I have yarn). And I found a shrug pattern in a past issue of Interweave Knits that would look good with the alpaca I got from a previous Secret Pal thing.

But that Knitpicks Andean Silk is still tempting. I have a colour card and I keep touching it. It's so damn soft. The sale lasts until Friday (if they don't sell everything by then) so who knows. I may change my mind again.

Chez Robyn

Kadi, Angela and I (not on the picture since I was taking it) went knitting at Robyn's house last night. We had a lovely evening and I was able to work quite a bit on my pink sock. Robyn has posted more pictures on her blog, if you want to see. I hate how I look on them though (don't I always?). Robyn, I actually stole the pic above from your blog because I'm too lazy to get my camera and transfer it myself ;)

While knitting, we watched So you think you can dance, which I had never watched before. It was... interesting, to say the least. Some good dancers on there. Some, not so good.

I've made good progress on Isabella. I'm almost done with the front. And I'll really try to seam right away so I can wear the damn top sometime this summer. Actually, I'm hoping to finish it sometime next week. Hey who knows? It could happen!

Funny thing is, I have no idea what I'll do next. I should probably pick the lace shawl back up. It's probably what I'll do. I'd also love to try another sweater, but I should probably try to make a couple of smaller projects first.I'll feel less guilty buying yarn for a sweater if I knit a couple of things from the stash first. Not to mention that I should probably wait and see if I can actually finish a sweater before committing to a new one...

Weekly WIP report

I'm keeping with my new tradition (can you say "new tradition"?) and posting a WIP report.



You can see where I am with Roza's socks (though they are NOT that bright in person) and Isabella.

I've mostly worked on Isabella this past week because I'm really looking forward to finishing it. Of course, after the knitting I'll need to seam it. Hopefully, it won't take me as long as the blue cardigan. God I hate seaming. I really should ask the owner of Effiloché if she gives finishing lessons. I want beautifully seamed sweaters dammit!

I'll leave you with a link to Mona's blog, where you will find the great new sock pattern that she designed. I think it'll be next on my sock list.

Summer goals

Skeins her way is having a great contest on her blog (thanks to Robyn for the heads up). We have to list our knitting goals for the summer. Here we go (summer=now until the end of August):

Main goals
-Knit three pairs of socks (or more)
-Finish Isabella
-Seam the damn blue cardigan!
-Pick the Kiri shawl (link to pdf) back up and hopefully finish it.

Ok so these were the goals I really really hope I can achieve. I also want to:

-Start another sweater (I have many projects in mind.)
-Make me a scarf (the woven scarf from a past issue of Vogue knitting would be nice) and a hat.

What are your summer goals? If you participate in the contest, make sure you mention you got the link from my blog. Thanks!

Weekly WIP report

I'm totally stealing this idea to do a weekly WIP report from Dim Sum Knitting. It should be a good way to make me update regularly. I tend to think that if I don't have FO pics to show, I don't have anything to blog about. But unfortunately, I don't finish things that often, so...

WIP report time!

I'm working on many projects, but these two are taking most of my free time. First, I don't know if you remember these knee socks:



Well they are no more. I frogged them when I realized my legs would never look good in them. If I ever lose weight, I'll make knee socks to reward myself. In the meantime, regular socks will do. Therefore, my Fearless Fiber sock yarn is being turned into:



Roza's socks, from the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Knits. I was just flipping through my mags, trying to find the perfect pattern for the yarn and when I saw them, I just had to cast on. I'm only at the cuff, as you can see, but I plan on starting the brioche stitch part tonight.

I'm also working on Isabella. Now this is a boring project to show off because I'm making it in black, so all you see on the picture is a black blob, but you can kind of spot the beginning of the lace part (follow the green arrow!):



This is a very simple project, even though I'm (finally!) at the more "complicated" part. But it's easy lace, really. I'm working with Katia Mississippi 3, which is a cotton/acrylic blend that I had in the stash.

So that's all for the WIP report.

Last Friday, my friend Dominique asked me if I wanted to go to Effiloché with her. I don't think I hesitated even for one second, especially since it's now so close to my appartment. Touching cashmere and silk is always a good way to spend a Friday afternoon, if you ask me. I did not buy these luxurious fibers, though. I have a little bit of self-control. I only got a few skeins of sock yarn.



Two skeins of Regia in green that I plan to use either for the Cablenet or the Bayerische socks. And a skein of Austermann Step, just because I love it.

Goodies!

Thank you Secret Pal! I got a great package yesterday. It had some incredibly soft alpaca that she spun herself! No one had ever spun yarn for me before. I have 174 yards of it and it's a pretty thin weight. If anyone has ideas for patterns, please share as I'm really looking forward to using it. I also got a cute little pouch with dragonflies on it as well as some delicious chocolate bars (I ate one of them already). :)

I also got in the mail a DVD with the Knitty Gritty episode featuring the Yarn Harlot from Robyn. Thanks again, I'll watch it tonight.

I'm back!

Oh how I've missed blogging! There were so many things I wanted to blog about these past few weeks. Like the time I ran into Deawn in Effiloché just as she was telling the owner she wished she could get naked and roll in the silk. Ah good times.

So I'm FINALLY at the new appartment and it's fabulous. I love love love love it! We have so much space (I need to take a pic of my yarn closet!) and the whole place is just beautiful and well located.

I haven't been knitting much these past few weeks though, but I did finish a pair of socks:



The yarn is Regia Cotton and I really like it for summer socks. I didn't use a pattern.

I've also been working on Isabella. I finished the back and I have, maybe, a third of the front done. I'll post pics as soon as I figure out a way to NOT make it look like a big black blob.

I really plan to get back into regular blogging as soon as I'm all set up here. Right now, my computer is not Internet-ready so I'm using the boyfriend's.

Oh and someone got on my blog by Googling the phrase "Fat legs". Funny. (and I do hate my sausage-legs).

Missing in Action

Just a little note to let you all know that I have not disappeared, but I have limited Internet access until I move on May 19 (actually, we'll have Internet on May 21).

But you should SEE the new appartment. It is so perfect I want to cry. We spent the whole day painting yesterday (yep, we spent that beautiful day inside). And today, I'll try to convince my body that it's not as sore as it feels so we can paint again.

I've been knitting a little less than usual. I finished knitting my April socks for the Sock-a-month knitalong at around 11pm on April 30, but I was at my boyfriend's and I didn't have a needle to graft the toe. So the socks aren't done yet (I keep forgetting to bring them back home). I guess my April sock will become my May sock. :) I'll post pics soon.

Food Post!

I'm taking a break from knitting to bring you this recipe that I tried tonight (a friend of mine gave it to me).


Mango couscous

1 cup couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1 inch cubes (about a cup)
1 jalapeno chili, seeds and ribes removed, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 ripe tomato, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup loosely packed small cilantro sprigs, chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed small parsley sprigs, chopped

Prepare the couscous according to the package directions. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the garlic, mango and jalapeno and sauté until the mango begins to color lightly. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the couscous, raisins, tomato, lime juice, cilantro and parsley and toss to heat through. Season with salt.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Four servings.

Since I never exactly follow recipes, I made the following changes:
-I didn't use raisins (didn't have any)
-I used red bell peppers instead of jalapenos
-I used dry herbs instead of fresh ones
-I added chicken
-I estimated quantities for the herbs and lime juice

The result (sorry, I'm no food stylist):



It was pretty good, but next time I'll use more herbs and garlic.

Stash in boxes

I got a great gift from my Secret Pal a few days ago.



She gave me angora!!! I've never knit with angora before so I'm thrilled. I'm thinking of making mittens, what about you? I also got a cute card and some delicious chocolate. Thanks again, Secret Pal!

My Secret Pal hostess, Shelby asked us to post our stash. Well mine is very small:



This is the bulk of it and it fits in two baskets! I also have some more in there:



There's no eggs in that box, just some yarn and patterns. I'm moving in a little less than a month so I had to start packing. Of course, I left some things unpacked, like a couple of projects (I can't go almost a month without knitting). Here's my sock in progress:



Michelle asked me if I was using Trekking for these. It's actually Regia cotton. I'm loving the stripes and the yarn is really nice to work with. I recommend it.

Fat legs

I've been knitting and knitting and knitting on the knee socks and I'm almost done with the leg:



At that point I decided to try it on to see how high it goes. Uck. I realized that knee socks don't look good at all on fat calves. At least they don't on my calves. So I don't know what to do. I love the pattern so I may continue and just wear the socks under pants when it's really cold outside. Or I'll frog them and start regular socks.

I'm still not sure what I'll do so in the meantime... I cast on for another pair of socks.



Despite the fact that half of the month is over already, I still have hope of finishing a pair for the Sock a Month Knitalong. Will I succeed? Only time will tell.

I've also made progress on Isabella. I'm almost done with the back. I didn't take a pic cause you'd only see a black blob. I can't wait to start the front, it will be much more fun to knit.

Oh and in more personal news, we finally found an appartment! It's in a great neighborhood. Oh and it's a 10 minutes walk from Effiloché, which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it :)

Today was not a good day

It's been a while already since I last updated so I will, even though I don't have anything exciting to share. I'm currently watching the hockey game and the Habs are losing 0-3. Dammit! They could have made the playoffs by winning tonight. Now Saturday will be the decisive game.

So, what have I been up to lately.

1. I've been sick with a cold.

2. I've been appartment hunting and I think I hate that even more than job hunting. Every appartment we like, 20+ other people like it to so we end up not getting it. Tonight I visited one that would have been absolutely perfect... until I realised that my washer and drier wouldn't fit in the designated space for it (it's made for a washer and drier that's one on top of the other).

3. I've been knitting! Unfortunately, I don't have anything to show you. I'm about halfway done with the back of Isabella, but even if I had my camera with me, it wouldn't make a good picture. I'm making it in black cotton.

I'm also making good progress on the Winding Cable Knee Socks but damn, they are taking a lot of my time! I thought I was almost done with the leg part but after rereading the pattern, I realized I had to make 1.5 more repeats of one of the charts. Eeep!

Today, I went to the bookstore and found the Yarn Harlot's new book. I was very happy. I'm in the mood for knitting humour.

Current favourite

My SP10 host Shelby asked participants to post their favourite WIP so here I go. I just started a couple of new projects and this one is my new favourite:



The pattern is the Winding Cable Socks, I got it when I subscribed to the KnitsNews newsletter. I love it because I'm using my new favourite sock yarn ever: superwash merino wool from Fearless Fibers. This one is the raspberry colourway. I liked it a lot when I saw it online, I loved it when I received the yarn and I want to marry it now that I've started knitting with it. It's the softest sock yarn I've ever used.

I've also recently cast on for Isabella with the black cotton I had in my mini-stash. I don't have a picture because I left it at my boyfriend's. I'm not sure I'll keep working on it anyways. I had to go down two needle sizes to get gauge, which means I have to use size 1 (2.5mm) needles. It looks like it'll take forever to finish.

I was supposed to go to a knitting meetup tonight but I ended up not being able to make it. I'm pretty bummed as the yarn faeries from Ariadne were supposed to bring some Lorna's Lace. I've never worked with that yarn and I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to resist. I guess my wallet is happy :)

Feet on fire!

I finished the Ripple Weave socks:



Pattern: Ripple Weave sock by Charlene Schurch, from the Fall 06 issue of Vogue Knitting.
Yarn: Fleece Artist Merino. Like I said, it was too busy for the pattern, but I still like the way it came out.
Needles: 2.75 mm bamboo DPNs. I usually use 2.25 mm for socks, but I wanted big fat ones. They're very comfy.

Next on the needles: a pair of socks with some Fearless Fibers yarn and (probably) Isabella from the latest issue of Knitty.

We wants it!

I went shopping for my Secret Pal and got the most gorgeous sock yarn. It's beautiful. The colours are fantastic. It's... perfect.

And now I want to keep it for myself.

But I won't. It's for my pal. She'll love it I'm sure. And I don't want to buy new yarn for me until I make two more pairs. *sigh*

Oh and I'm not going to tell you what it is or post pictures in case my Secret Pal sees my blog (who knows just who reads this thing).

Also, in case some of the Montreal knitters are interested: Effiloché stocks Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn (no, it's not what I got for the pal) and it looks BEAUTIFUL and is incredibly soft, but it's a bit pricey (25$). I'm sure I'll treat myself and buy a skein someday though.

Bleh blah bluh

I haven't been feeling well this week. Everyone is sick around me so I may have caught something. I don't know. I'm just *really* looking forward to the weekend (I'm going to my mom's, yay!)

I received an email from my Secret Pal (HELLO SECRET PAL!!!). She said "I hope you like alpaca". I have a feeling she'll be a great pal. ;)

I've been knitting quite a bit, mostly on the ripple weave socks:



(Colour is really bad on that pic). I can't wait till I'm done, especially since I'll try the Fearless Fiber yarn I ordered a while ago next.I'm almost decided on a pattern too.

I was looking through my sort-of-stash and I decided I needed to make something out of the cotton I have. I'm really liking Isabella. I may wait until I get the new Vogue knitting though. Have you seen the preview? There are cute things in there...

Ok. Now I'm off to start the seaming on the blue cardigan. Yes, I'm going to seam. It's time. I just hope I don't ruin the thing...

SP Questionnaire

I haven't participated to a Secret Pal exchange in a while so I'm very excited to be part of that one. Thanks to Robyn for her help with my registration.

So, here's the questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love good ol' wool. Of course, I've also enjoyed cashmere the one time I used it ;) Like many people, I don't really care for scratchy acrylic.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Store? ;) Most of my DPNs are in a bag. My straight needles (that I pretty much never use) are in a sort of vase. I use mostly my interchangeable circular sets (Denise and Knitpicks) which are in their own cases.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for a few years now. Maybe three or four? I learned from books and the Internet. I'd say my skills are intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I don't! But I recently made a post on books I'd like to own (though I can now scratch the Book of finishing techniques from that list since I'll get it from Mona tomorrow).


5. What's your favorite scent?
Good question. I don't have a favourite, but I prefer fruity scents to flowery scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes, yes, yes. I'm addicted to jujubes and jellybeans. And I love chocolate.


7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Knitting is my hobby of choice. I want to learn to crochet someday. I don't spin but I'd like to learn.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I love all kinds of music. Most of my current favourites are French-Canadian artists (you all really should check out Malajube, they're great). I also LOVE Tori Amos, Björk, Fiona Apple and other strong female artists. Other than that, hmmm, let me check my little iPod: Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, FrouFrou, Beck, Garbage, Green Day, Metric, Mobile, Nirvana, No Doubt, Placebo, Radiohead, R.E.M, The Dresden Dolls, Weezer...

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love blue, red and pink. I rarely wear green (it doesn't look good on me) and yellow. Except on my feet. Any colour is good there.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live by myself and will move in with my boyfriend in the summer. Unfortunately, I'm very allergic to most pets so I have none.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, yes and no.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks! I also like hats. I'd love to knit more sweaters but my seaming skills leave a lot to be desired.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks :) I also just started a hat. I need to block and seam a cardigan. And I have a shawl UFO that I need to get back to.


14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course!


15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I much prefer circular needles. I love bamboo but I'm totally in love with my Knitpicks options set.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Sadly, no. It's on my list of things to get.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
It's my shawl and I started it in May. Every other object that I haven't finished have been frogged.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas!


19. Is there anything that you collect?
Sock yarn ;) No, I don't even have that much. I try not to collect things cause I'm a big clutterer.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I'd like to get old issues of Interweave Knits. My oldest one is from Summer 2004. Patterns? Hmm. I've always wanted to make Rogue. I'd like to make the Simple Knitted Bodice as well as Flicka and Cherry from My fashionable Life. Oh and I also love many patterns from White Lies Design. I don't have a subscription to any knitting magazines. And yarn? Oh my. There are MANY brands I'd like to try. I've never used Socks that Rock, Koigu and Lorna's Lace, to name a few.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I want to try colour work. Actually, I've tried fair isle before but my knitting was too tight. I need to give it another try.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, I'm a sock knitter. My feet are small, I wear a size 6.5 (that's in Canada, I don't know if it's different from other parts of the world).

23. When is your birthday?
December 3 (I'll turn 30 this year!!!)

****
Robyn mentionned a tattoo meme on her blog. Here's mine (sorry for the bad quality):



It's on my right shoulder blade. I had it done in 2001. I don't think I'll get a second one but if I did, it would probably be a fleur de lys.

Two socks on two circs

Finished!



I quite enjoyed finishing both socks at the same time, but I don't think I'll give up my DPNs anytime soon.

And I finished the socks just in time for the month of February for the Sock a Month Knitalong! (All the sock knitters who read this should join this KAL by the way!) :)

I want new books!

I've replaced startitis and the urge to buy yarn with the desire to acquire new books. Not that I need any of them, mind you.On my list of books I want:

Nancy Bush's Knitting vintage socks

The Knitter's book of finishing techniques

The 3 Vogue Stitchionaries

A Gathering of Lace

Favorite socks: 25 timeless designs from Interweave

I need to win the lottery.

New IK

I'm knittin' and knittin' but not finishin' anythin'...

And I've been fighting startitis again. I haven't started any new project, but boy do I have many on my list. I feel like I'm browsing patterns, blogs and knitting forums more than I've been knitting though.

I got the Spring 07 issue of Interweave Knits. Like many, I'm not in love with the new design, but after reading some posts on Knitter's Review, I gotta say it's not as bad as I expected. I think they did a good job with the pattern pages. I just wish it was still beside the main picture of the project. Oh well.

I'm in LOVE with Eunny Jang's entrelac socks. In love. Don't know when I'll attempt them (but I do know I'll make them without the tassels). I also like Grumperina's socks. I may make Veronik's dollar and a half cardigan, but I probably won't make the sides different (the difficulty would be choosing which side I like the best...)

As for everything else, I don't know. It's way too cold right now to be thinking about spring knits.

New things

I finally received my Options needles last week. I'm very happy. I haven't had a chance to try them yet (I have too many projects on the needles already) but I just know I'll love them. Thanks to the wonderful Karine, I'm now in the process of knitting two socks on two circulars and I'm using Knitpicks needles to do so. I LOVE them. Seriously, it's almost indecent to love needles so much. They are the best I've ever used.



I love the little case.

Re: two socks on two circs. It was very confusing at first and I'll admit I didn't have much fun knitting the first 3-4 rows. But now that I have about 3 inches done, I'm starting to like it. I don't think I'll give up the DPNs for good, but I'll definitely keep on using that method, especially for plain vanilla socks. I don't have pics of the socks in progress, unfortunately, since I left them at my boyfriend's.

I also got new yarn.



Iminloveiminloveiminlove! It's superwash (and supersoft) merino sock yarn from Fearless Fibers (I'm hoping the link will work as apparently the one in my last post doesn't. If you can't access the store, just google Fearless Fibers and it should get you there). I gotta say that the yarn is soft, the colours are fantastic and Deb (who runs the store) is a very nice person. It took a week for my yarn to get here (she's in the US, I'm in Canada). I'm very satisfied with this purchase. Oh and each skein 550 yards! My Fleece Artist skein is around 355 yards and I usually have a lot of leftovers (I have small feet). I think I may be able to get two pairs with each skein (I'll just knit the second pair toe up).

I have no FOs to show you but I do have two WIPs. First, the Ripple Weave socks are coming along nicely.



I'm loving the colours even more every time I pick the project up.

I also finally restarted working on the blue cardigan. I realized I made a mistake with the shaping of the two fronts so I'm reknitting them (the good news is that they're a quick knit and the cable keeps me from being bored).



The colours are totally wrong on this picture but I couldn't get a better pic so it'll have to do. I have 100000000 sweater patterns that I want to start so I better finish this soon.

A couple of replies

On my last post, Karine commented:

"I'll bring my socks tomorrow at the knit thing. If you attend too, I'll be more then happy to help you out. Trust me, it's a lot easier then you think. One caveat: three chicks I've taught how to knit have gotten pregnant. I know you can knit already but I don't know the consequences of just teaching a technique..."

Hmm. Maybe I wouldn't mind that... ;) Seriously, my boyfriend and I are just not there yet but I'm really looking forward to having a baby. Sorry I wasn't at the knitting thing last week but I'll try to go this week.

Another comment (this one was anonymous):

"I, too am making these socks and am having the darndest time with them! I keep losing stitches -- is this happening to you?"
So far it hasn't. Maybe because I'm using bamboo needles? It really helps with slippery yarn.

I'm really into a sock mood these days. I just don't feel like knitting anything else. I usually only have one pair at a time (I have other projects too, just one that is socks), but yesterday I decided to cast on for a pair using the Opal yarn I got from the girls at Ariadne because my sock in progress was (and still is) at my boyfriend's. I also ordered some new sock yarn from Fearless Fibers (click at your own risk, everything on that site looks fabulous). I'll tell you more about the yarn when it gets here.

I also finished something that is not a sock:



Pattern is Calorimetry, from Knitty and I used Noro, as you can probably guess. I figure it would be good to have something to protect my ears from the cold when my hair is up... and of course, after I finished knitting this, I decided to get my hair cut too short to wear it up! ;)

My order from Knitpicks has yet to arrive and I'm beginning to worry. I usually get my orders from them pretty quickly. It supposedly has been shipped on January 29th. Shouldn't it be here by now?

Give me OPTIONS

Ok so that two socks on two circs thing? I don't get it. I have the instructions with the pretty pictures but it's just not working out. I am not giving up though, I will master the technique. Eventually. In the meantime, I picked up my lovely bamboo DPNs and some Fleece Artist merino and got started on Charlene Schurch's Ripple Weave socks from the fall 06 issue of Vogue Knitting. I'm loving knitting them even though I'm not sure the yarn is right for the pattern.



I love the yarn though. I'll keep on working the pattern anyways (it does show a little bit more "in person" than on the picture). I'll probably make another pair in a solid colour someday.

I went to Effiloché last night and I found out that the pattern is not a good one to bring to knitting meet-ups. I'm already not much of a talker, especially with people I don't know (and there was no one I knew there!), but it's even worse when I have to concentrate on a chart.

Oh and because I can't go to the LYS without buying something:



I was good, wasn't I? Only two skeins and no sock yarn! The Noro will be made into Calorimetry and I want to make the Shedir hat (links to PDF file) with the Rowan felted tweed. I fell in love with the hat after seeing a bunch of them on Craftster.

Unfortunately, I realized when I got home that I need 16" 3.25mm circular needles for the hat. I thought about going to another LYS today that's close to my gym so I could get some. But the two socks on two circs experience made me realize one thing: I'm in LOVE with the Knitpicks needles. So I ordered the 3.25mm needles. Of course, it would have been stupid to pay 8$ shipping on a 4.99$ needle, so I decided to get the whole Options set! What? I deserve them, I work hard. :p I also added three colour cards to the lot (Swish Superwash, Main Line and Shine worsted), just because I may order some in the future and I want to have a good idea of the colours. I am *so* looking forwards to receiving that package, even though there won't be any yarn in it.

Guten Tag

Ms K. tagged me, so here you go.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I'm 29 and I still don't have a driver's licence. I never really wanted to drive. But as I get older, I start to think that it probably would be a useful thing to have ;)

2. I tend to accumulate a lot of stuff and then I all of a sudden get tired of the clutter and I feel the need to get rid of everything. Today, I donated three boxes of books and CDs to Le Chaînon.

3. I've had bright orange hair once. It did not look good. But it was fun.

4. I tend to count calories in everything I eat. It does not, however, keep me from eating them.

5. I'm a loner. I don't mind spending a whole weekend by myself, though this doesn't happen as often now with the boyfriend.

6. Despite #5, my favourite thing to do on a Friday night is to meet friends for a good meal and some wine. My favourite thing to do on a Saturday night is to stay home and watch hockey with the boyfriend (while drinking wine. And knitting. Which sometimes leads to disaster).

I tag: Jo, The Knitting Muso, Julie, Karine, Stephanie (yeah right, as if she reads my blog ;) ) and Jennifer.

And a special hello to Jenny aka Michaela. I didn't know you read my blog, it was nice to read a comment from you :)

How have you been?

I've been MIA, sorry about that. I've just been quite busy these past weeks.

I finally found a great new gym, after not working out for THREE MONTHS (my longest gym-less period in 9 years). And the gym is close to a yarn store. Eeep. I've been able to resist so far but I'm sure I'll stop by sometime soon.

I've finished a couple of things. First, the cashmere cloche:



It's a little too big but I love it anyways. It's warm, it's all that counts.

I also finished the Monkey socks from Knitty.



I used Austerman Step and I couldn't recommend this yarn more. It's fantastic and the socks feel wonderful on my feet. The pattern is a great one too, easy, but interesting.

My next sock goal: two socks on two circs.

Socktopia!

I was planning on making a pair of socks a month this year and I found out there's a cool knitalong that could help me accomplish just that.



I couldn't resist joining Socktopia. I just love challenges. I have no idea what I'll do for January just yet, we'll see.

Speaking of socks, I'm LOVING the Monkey socks and I'm LOVING the Austermann Step yarn I'm knitting them with even more. I'm already almost done with the first sock, I just can't get away from it. But I really need to take a break and get back to the blue cardigan. I started redoing the front yesterday and I just couldn't get into it. *sigh* I must finish it.

2006 in Knits

I finished my boyfriend's Fuzzy Feet. Here they are pre-felting:



(You gotta excuse the new cashmere yarn in the picture, it seems to like being photographed). I used Galway worsted and it felted beautifully, as you can see here:



I finished 15 things in 2006 and since I doubt I'll finish anything else in the next few days, I think it will be it. I think 2006 was a good year.

-I worked my first cable.
-I made a sweater.
-I participated in the Knitting Olympics (though I did not finish my two pairs of socks in time).

Yeah, I'm pretty happy. And I already have goals for 2007. I want to:

-Try colour work. I'll probably go with something small. A hat or mittens. Not sure what yet but I want to try.
-Finish my blue cardigan. It turns out I did the shaping wrong on both fronts so I want to redo them. I really need to finish it.
-Learn to seam well.
-Pick the Kiri shawl back up and finish it.

And as usual, I have a billion projects in mind. There are several sweaters I want to make (I must finish the blue one first), so many that I wouldn't know which one to choose if I were to start one now.

I want to make a shawl with the cashmere coned yarn I bought a while ago. I really like this pattern from Knitpicks. Of course, I need to finish Kiri first.

Of course I also want to make the cashmere cloche with the yarn I bought yesterday.

And I think I want to make almost every sock Cookie A ever designed. I've already started by casting on for Monkey yesterday. Yeah, I did that instead of starting the cashmere cloche. What can I say, a Knit-along thread on Craftster inspired me. Plus, the pattern works beautifully with Austermann Step.

'twas two days after Christmas...

I hope you guys had a merry Christmas, if you celebrated it that is. If not, I hope you had a wonderful day anyways :)

My mom is not a knitter and she doesn't know a thing about knitting. But she loves me and she knows I love to knit. So every year I get yarn in my stocking. Problem is, my mom doesn't have access to a LYS so I always get stuff I wouldn't buy myself. Like this:



Now don't get me wrong. I do appreciate the gift and I believe there is no such thing as bad yarn. Plus, I think the colour is pretty and I like the scarf on the pattern band so I'll probably end up making it someday.

But today I went to Effiloché and used some of my Christmas money (cause mom is great and she also gave me money) and I got myself what I really wanted for Christmas:



Yeah bad pic, I know. But you can sort of see some Fleece artist merino yarn in a raspberry-like colourway, a set of 5 bamboo 2.25 mm DPNs (my favourite for sock knitting) and 50g of Hand Maiden 4 ply cashmere.

Wait, you can't see the cashmere? Hold on:



It is to die for. I want to make the Cloche pattern that comes with the yarn. One woman at the store told me she used it to make the same cloche and that she made two and still had enough yarn for one more so that is good.

It's taking all my willpower not to cast on right away. But first, I want to finish the Fuzzy Feet (the knitting part at least). THEN I can cast on for the hat.

Last Christmas present

I finished another short row for my mother.



I simply don't get tired of this pattern. And the yarn was just yummy. It litterally made me hungry all the time with its chocolate, butterscotch and latte colours.

This is probably my last post before Christmas, so merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it!

Warm hands

I made mittens:



I used this pattern.

Now on the needles: Fuzzy feet for my boyfriend. I wanted to make him the Fibertrend felted clogs, but I figured I had a better chance of finishing the Fuzzy feet before Christmas. I also want to make a short row hat (yes, another one) for my mom. But there's no pressure. If i don't finish these items by Christmas, the recipients will simply get them later.

They're finished!

Ta-da!



Pattern: Jaywalkers from Knitty
Yarn: Um. Regia. In one of the Canadian colours.
Needle: 2.25 mm DPNs.

I liked knitting them but for some reason they took FOREVER to finish! I'm glad I have them now, they fit really well and I think the pattern works great with the yarn.

I'm also almost done with a pair of mittens. Expect pictures soon.

Oh and I have bad news : I lost my hat. My beloved short-row hat. I usually lose one hat a year but I really hoped I wouldn't lose this one. I suck.

Last Sunday was my birthday (thanks to everyone who left birthday wishes in the comments). I didn't expect any knitting-related gifts so I was really surprised to get a really wonderful one. My boyfriend's grandmother made me a scarf! It's very simple but it's beautiful and I love it. I've received knitted gifts before but I was younger and didn't know how to knit. Now that I know how much time a simple scarf takes, I really really appreciate it.

Dear short-row hat pattern

I LOVE YOU!



You see me with a weird expression on my face. I'm wearing Veronik Avery's short row hat (link is a pdf file). I made it with the recommended yarn. It will be a Christmas gift for my sister.

I'm also wearing a scarf made with acrylic. Yes, acrylic. Red Heart Whirly. And it's soft. Weird.

Oh yeah, and I'm also wearing my HABS shirt. Because I'm going to see them play tonight. Against the Maple Leafs. They better win!

My birthday is tomorrow! I'm not expeting any knitting-related gifts, but I received money already so I'll probably buy me something wooly. I'll be 29. I don't like that number.

Finally, I was asked in the comments of my last post which knitting-related calendar I prefer. It's difficult to say (that explains why I got both). The One knitting pattern a day one is nice because it has, well, a lot of patterns. They're pretty simple and the majority are patterns I wouldn't make, but I still like it. The Stitch and Bitch one doesn't have that many patterns and most of them have been published in the S&B books already. So if you want patterns, I wouldn't suggest it. It's still a fun thing to have though.

Red Heart, really?

Yarn snobs must leave this page immediately.

Last year, my mom put three balls of Red Heart Whirly in my Christmas stocking. I thought it was nice of her even though I'm not a huge Red Heart fan. I'm not a real yarn snob. I do prefer natural fibers, but I don't mind acrylic once in a while.

That being said, I decided to cast on for a scarf using that yarn a couple of days ago. I finished it today. It is *very* soft. It still does fell acrylic-y so it's not for everyone but I'm quite happy with it.

I'll post a pic later this week. My camera batteries were used with the Wii remote (the Wiimote!) and now they're dead. I don't own a Wii but my boyfriend has one for a week (he's in charge of the tech page for a newspaper). I'm loving it.

Also, thank to Jo who gave me the tip, I was able to find the 2007 Knitting Pattern a Day and the Stitch N' Bitch 2007 calendars. I had heard not-so-good things about the Pattern a Day one but I must say I really like it. Sure, I think some of the patterns are horrible (personal opinion of course) but some are really nice. The Christmas pillows are especially beautiful. Speaking of Christmas, I gotta warn those who don't celebrate that they won't find many patterns useful for the month of December. I love Christmas though, so I'm happy.

Oh and Jennifer posted a pdf of the Bowling Socks, with permission from Patons. Go download it, they're great!

Small FO

I finished my first stash-busting small object:



Knitty's Fetching. Made with Zara. They are cute and took very little yarn (ha, here goes the stash busting). I'll probably make another pair for my sister.

I decided to make more short row hats, for myself and for loved ones. So I ordered some yarn from Ami-Ami. I hope it gets here soon, I love that yarn!

Knitting celebrity

Yesterday, I had the chance to hear The Yarn Harlot speak in Montreal. If she ever comes to your city, I suggest you go hear her, she's hilarious.


Stephanie Pearl-McPhee as she's about to take a picture of the Montreal knitters with her travelling sock

Unfortunately, I had to leave before she was done, so I didn't get to meet her. I was disappointed because I really wanted to say hi and to get my book signed, but I really couldn't stay.

In other news, here's my progress on the blue cardigan:



All the knitting is done, the shoulders have been seamed as well as one of the sleeves (well it's been attached to the body anyways). I really seriously need to register for a finishing class or workshop. I suck at seaming so bad, my sweaters never look right because of it. No matter how many books I read or how many videos I watch, I can't seem to do it right.

I cast on for Fetching. This should be done quickly. Then again, the Jaywalkers should also have been done quickly and I'm not even at the heel of the second sock yet (I'm almost there though). I don't think I've ever taken so much time to finish a pair of socks. And it's not because I don't like them. I don't know, they just take forever. Speaking of socks, Ms. K. was knitting a fabulous pair yesterday. If you read this, could you tell me what yarn you were using (and where you got it if you remember)? I really need pink socks. :)

November is for small knits

October is gone and Socktoberfest is now over. I have to say I didn't do as well as I would have liked sockwise. I just didn't feel like knitting socks that much. I'm really looking forward to finally wearing the Jaywalkers though so I'll probably get back into it soon.

I couldn't get online at all yesterday. I realized only this morning that it was because you now have to dial the area code even for local numbers in Montreal. Since I'm still on dial-up (I know, I know...), it affected my Internet connection too. No work and no Internet = lots of time to knit (and the clean the appartment but I somehow prefered to spend the time knitting). I'm happy to say that I finished the left front part of the cardigan. Now I only need to finish the right side and I'll be done. Well after the seaming and stuff.

I already have sweater patterns in mind for my next big project, but it will have to wait a little. I decided that November will be my small project month this year. Why, you ask?

Well this morning I took a big look at my stash. And I realized that I have only a little bit of sock yarn:


With socks, when I decide to start a new pair, I usually take something from my little stash instead of buying something else. So it doesn't accumulate much. With other projects, I usually find that there's nothing interesting enough in the stash so I buy new yarn.

Anyways. I also have a little bit of nice yarn.

Navy Zara, Green Galway, Alpaca, more Alpaca, cashmere in a cone...

The nice stuff never sits there long because I can never wait to knit with it.

What I have a lot of (compared to the rest of the stash that is), is acrylic.


(All acrylic or acrylic blends, except for the black cotton in the front). Most of it I bought when I first started knitting or I received as gift. Some of it is very nice. I adore Patons Decor. I have four balls of red Micro Nomotta (or something like that) and two balls of green that I love. I made a baby cardigan with some of the green and it turned out lovely.

Another thing I have A LOT of: leftovers.



I just can't get rid of it. Most of it anyways, as I did throw away some of the smallest bits today.

So yeah. I decided that I'd try to get rid of some of this yarn by making small projects this year. With the holidays coming up (Halloween is over and I've already seen a Christmas-themed commercial on TV), I'm sure I'll be able to find people to give them to.

I made a list of some of the things I have in my stash and matched them with small projects I'd like to make. It goes like this:

• Almost full ball of Navy blue Galway: A pair of mittens. I'm pretty sure I'll have enough as I was able to make a pair with one skein of Noro Silk Garden and the Galway skein I have is much bigger.
  
  
• White Bernat Satin leftover: Another pair of mittens
  
  
• Navy blue Zara (2 skeins): Fetching from Knitty.
  
  
• Alpaca paint (1 skein, variegated): A hat (maybe a simple beanie)
  
  
• Green Galway (3 skeins): Felted clogs
  
  
• Red Heart Whirly (3 skeins): Scarf
  
  
• Patons Decor (1 huge skein + more than half of a second one): Hat + mittens set
  
  
• Bernat Frenzy (3 skeins, red): Scarf
  
  
• Caron Jewel Box (3 skeins, red): Scarf

I'd also like to make fuzzy feet with the leftover Wool of the Andes from the Mariah cardigan (I have a lot of it but didn't feel like taking it out of the drawer to take a picture). I also have a few cones of bulky acrylic/wool blends that I'm slowly turning into scarves. Not to mention the yarn from projects that I need to frog...

Of course I don't think I'll be able to finish all this in November (especially the scarves. They may be small but they can take a LONG time to finish). I'll be happy if I can finish 2-3 things. And I'll also finish the cardigan and probably cast on for new socks sometime during the month. But just trying to assign projects to these yarns feels like a step in the good direction.

By the way, if you have any favourite scarf/mittens/hat patterns, feel free to share :)