Just pictures...words later

Sometimes things just work out

Like magic!! Today I had a clinical in the Bronx and I used the travel time there to get some knitting in on the second striped monkey sock. Lo and behold, the clinical was actually a conference, and my friends happened to choose a table in the very back. Rather than sit there and simply listen to the speakers, I decided to make the most of that time and continue work on the sock, and it's done!

Not only is it done, but look how the colors lined up perfectly in the foot. I soooo did not plan that. I didn't give a second thought to the striping pattern, figuring that the stripes were so random and thin that no one would ever notice if they did or did not match up.

But I'm so happy that they did! :D

Oooo! Pictures!

In an apparent case of the reverse-Mondays (trademark!), I actually took some pictures of my knitting this morning before school. Above you see a lovely trio of Noro Silk Garden hats, or Dirty Hippie Hats, as I prefer to call them. They are sized, roughly, large, medium and small. Below you see a duo of bright hats, Zeebees, for a couple of Heinze boys I know. They are, hopefully, sized for child and toddler. The yarn is Cascade 220 that I myself died, a color I call Un-Lose-Able in honor of its brightness. And what a delightful pattern!

I've had an influx of new music this week. Iron and Wine-The Shepard's Dog; Josh Rouse-Country Mouse City House; Old 97s-Hit By A Train; Beirut-The Flying Cup Club; Band of Horses-Cease to Begin; The New Pornographers-Challengers; Headlights-Kill Them With Kindness. All of it wonderful (of course!)

Above you see my progress on the never-ending-sleeves. Maybe it would have gone faster to do one sleeve at a time, but then I'm afraid that one would end up looser/tighter than the other if I was more/less stressed while knitting it. I think I have about 3 inches left to go on these before I can join them with the body and finally begin the yoke. Below, two pictures of another pair of monkeys I'm working on. The yarn is Trekking XXL. It feels softer than I remember previous trekkings to be--could this be? I think these socks are so lovely. But alas, they're destined for other feet than mine. I'm more than 1/2way done with the second one. Maybe I can finish it tomorrow on the way to and from clinical.

Happy Monday, hope everyone had a chill Veteran's Day yesterday.

Ummm...

I swear I've been knitting, but no photos to show, because, let's be honest--it's boring. No finished objects. At this moment, I'm finishing up dirty hippie hat #3, so maybe I'll have a pic of this sometime before the end of the year.

In lieu of knitting pics, how about this little bit of humor
It Makes Cappucino and Houses a Family of Five

UES trophy wife #1, in black dress: ... And the dress was only twenty-six hundred dollars!
UES trophy wife #2: Wow, that's fabulous!

--David Burke & Donatella Restaurant

via Overheard in New York, Nov 9, 2007

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Now playing: Headlights - Put Us Back Together
via FoxyTunes

Ah--life is crazy!

And I've been going Cast-On Crazy!!! I feel like I need a cool announcer to say that. Like it's a car sale or something--"Get down here right now, Robin's going Cast-On Crazy!!" Maybe I'm manic, I just can't focus on one project. Active projects on the needles right now: Dirty Hippie Hat #3 (50%), Xmas Monkeys (75%), Embossed Leaves Handwarmers (25%), More Striped Socks (5%), Plum Sweater sleeves (50%). And that's not counting projects that have been dolefully pushed to the back burner. I have so much great yarn, I just want to knit it all up RIGHT NOW!

Mostly I think all this casting on is just a thinly veiled study-procrastination technique. I did horrendously on my last exam, which means I really need to get my ass in gear and fricking study! But I just can't bring myself to sit down and crack the textbook (if I'm going to skip class, I'm resigned to doing the reading).

And OF COURSE I don't have pictures of any of this stuff. But I might have a picture somewhere of a recent FO...hrmm...Here's a (blurry) pic of Dirty Hippie Hat #1:

And here's one of adorable little Logan wearing his Two-Tone Cable Yoke Jacket--it fits perrrr-fect!! :D

So there you go, a couple of pictures. Maybe now I should get back to my homework? I've decided that the study is a Knitting-Free Zone so that I can come in here to do work without being distracted. This plan isn't working out so well, though, since MY WHOLE STASH is in here. Hrmmmm. I could really use some discipline right 'bout now!
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Now playing: Josh Ritter - Wait For Love
via FoxyTunes

mid October update

So much to talk about, so let's get right down to it:

1. Blue Stripeys. Finally finished these socks that I started waaaaaaaaaaay back in July on the way to Jamie's wedding. Way back when, I'd nearly completed one sock, when I had my roommate try it on, only to find it was way too small! So, completely frogged. Re-cast with larger needles. And many months later, here we have the finished product.

I wasn't too happy with these socks. I don't like the way the short-row heel turned out (note to self: investigate other short row heel methods). Also, not so fond of the knitted fabric that resulted from increasing the needles size.

But thankfully I've got a family full of women with similarly sized feet. A quick text message to my sister, "Hey, check out my flickr page and tell me if you want those blue socks," and her reply, "Yes please!!" and these socks have a good home with someone who won't look at them and only see their flaws (do you think I'll be like this with my hypothetical children? only seeing their flaws??? I sure hope not)

2. Plum Sweater Update. Making excellent progress on the sweater. Done with the body up to the armpits. Need to cast on the sleeves. Nothing too exciting, just LOTS of stockinette.

3. Cast-On-itis. A week or so ago I got a mad case of cast-on-itis, went stash diving and started a few new projects. First, the Chevron Scarf from LMKG, using two amazingly bright colors of Colinette Jitterbug. I have no idea who I'm making this for--it's sooooooooooo bright.

Also cast on last week, Dirty Hippy Hat. Just a basic hat, seed stitch brim, with tall stitches on the body of the hat. Yarn: Noro Silk Garden. I plan on making a few of these as xmas gifts; good mindless TV knitting. This first Dirty Hippy Hat has been almost done for about a week now (I knit it in one sitting while watching a movie). I just need to suck it up and finish the darned thing!

The 3rd NCOO (newly cast on object) is a slightly modified version of Broadripple from Knitty. I started with a picot edge; am working the sock over 64 st (large footed family); and instead of yarnovers, I'm using M1 on the plain row for slightly smaller holes in the lace pattern. The heel is a plain stockinette square. I love these socks so far. Hopefully their recipient will like them as well.

4. In non-knitting stuff, I went to Boston last weekend, my first time there in a year. I visited Jamie and Jessica, and had such a nice time! On Saturday, by sheer dumb luck, Jamie and I ended up at the Partners in Health Symposium at Harvard--we heard Paul Farmer, Ophelia Dahl, Jim Kim, Melinda Gates, Danny Glover, and people from PIH sites around the world. It was inspiring; my desire to work abroad has been re-ignited. Me and Jamie (I forgot to take a picture with Jessica...oops!)

5. Today I saw Gone Baby Gone. What a good movie! Though, I can't say the title without thinking of the Gnarls Barkley song Gone Daddy Gone. Anyways, back to the movie--well acted, beautifully shot. Heart breaking, though, as social commentary. A bit demoralizing.

6. On the subway today, I was sitting next to little boy--not more than 4 years old--who was studying a placemat map of the world from 125th to 168th. It was pretty much the cutest thing.

7. Let me leave you with this sentiment: I love tofu. It's so yummy. I really want this shirt:

Florentine

Finished: Florentine Clapotis

I purchased this yarn in January 07 when mom was visiting. I remember showing it to her while we were waiting in line to see The Drowsy Chaperone. I was instantly taken by the vibrant colors of the yarn—how bright! So soft, and superwash! Oh Colinette

I started this project in January and plugged along slowly until late February or so when this project got moved to the bottom of the project basket. With the advent of cooler temps a few weeks ago, I pulled this out with renewed vigor and voila!

I was unsure how long to continue the straight section—I didn’t want a clapotis too long, and I kind of had to guess about when to start the decreases, but I’m so happy with the length! I feel like it’s perfect. Long enough to wrap around and around my neck, but not so long that it drags down around my waist.

Let me just say for the few people who have yet to knit up this project—it’s so freeing to drop stitches! And it’s fun to knit a diagonal project.

I popped by Spin Out this past Saturday and learned to knit with a drop spindle—what fun! New hobby? I think so! In other news, I cast on for a sweater for me. My last attempt at a grown up sized sweater has remained in storage since it's creation a year or so ago. The wool is too scratchy, even after a good soak in WoolWash. This new sweater is going fine so far. I'm using Cascade 220 tweed that I purchased in Sept 06 at Knit NY during the Knit Out sale.

According to flickr, that picture was taken 9/17/06. For a year I've thought and thought about the best way to use it. I finally decided to knit up this sweater from the summer Classic Elite booklet. My gauge is different, so I had to fudge the numbers a bit, so I'm nervous about how it's all going to work out. But so far, so good.

I know gauge lies so I've got my fingers crossed that it works out alright.

I learned how download audiobooks from the NY public library website--how exciting! All morning while I was sewing sewing sewing I was listening to The Painted Veil. The reader has a pleasant English accent and 6 + hours of listening has given the voice of my thoughts a bit of an English accent too! :)