Author Archives: zardra

Quite the update

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I seem to be going through one of my don’t-really-like-computers phases. This usually consists of my only really using a computer at work, avoiding email, and (obviously) not posting to my blog.

I haven’t really been doing tons of knitting either, and I certainly haven’t taken any pictures. I did manage to finish the body of my Ribby Cardi even with the short delay of having to redo the right front armhole shaping section. For some reason, instead of doing the k2tog at the end of the RS rows I did them at the beginning of the WS rows (oh wait, that’s right, the pattern didn’t tell me where to do them). It wasn’t too hard to rip it out and reknit it. And I can say that I learned something (besides the fact that I’ve decided I don’t like patterns that tell you to knit one part like another, but change something). I’ve started on one of the arms… I’m knitting it in the round using the magic loop technique. I’ve got 4 more increases to do before I need to start worrying about length and shoulder shaping.

I’ve only completed 2 repeats on Birch… total. I just don’t feel like working on lace when I get home from work.

But, then, the thought of knitting with any kind of wool the last few days hasn’t been entirely appealing since we went from rather moderate weather to sit-on-the-couch-in-shorts-and-a-tank-top-while-drinking-chardonnay-
and-not-moving weather. I’m just glad I don’t live in Gilroy… 100 F… *ugh*

Now the funny part is I’m sitting at work wearing a scarf and fingerless gloves cause I’m freezing. I’m even thinking about putting on my hat. Geez. I get in in the morning and it’s actually rather nice, but come afternoon, once the a/c is really going, my fingers start turning blue. I’ve complained to facilities a few times, and it get better for a day, then I’m back to figuring out how to wear my winter wardrobe without dying of heat exhaustion while coming to work on my scooter.

Maybe I should have a cup of peppermint tea. My secret pal sent me a great card with peppermint tea to get my through the stress of my manager being on vacation. Yes, a hot mug of pepperminty goodness… that would be nice.

That’s just disturbing… Ack!

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Ugh! I hate silverfish. 🙁 This is why I screamed when I turned my head and saw one crawling towards my head on my pillow last night. Ugh! The Husband valiantly killed it for me, but I was left feeling creepy crawly all night. I would wake up and roll over and go to fluff my pillow, then think twice about even touching the thing. I was so tired when I woke up this morning… not being able to get comfortable due to lack of pillow fluffing and nightmares with insects crawling all over my bed were no help at all. Ugh! Why can’t I find silverfish where they belong — the bathroom?! Why do I always seem to only find them in my bedroom. Most knitters spend their time worrying about moths getting into their wool. I’m spending all my time worrying about my books and photos. Ugh! And now my head… *creepy crawly shivers*

Of course, on the topic of bugs, I saw a small moth in my living room a couple days ago and ending up smooshing it when it landed on the Husband’s cheek… he just loved that. So, between seeing one small moth, then another in my bedroom yesterday afternoon that I didn’t manage to catch, and a posting in the Livejournal knitting community about infestations, I’m worrying about my wool. I did a cursory scan of my fleeces and such and everything looked untouched. So, of course, now I’m thinking, “Wait! I saw it in my bedroom… where my nice silk and wool clothing is… where the Husband’s expensive tux is… Ack!”

And I used to think that spiders were my biggest worry… *sigh*

Sadly, I have not managed any lace knitting recently, even with the long weekend. I have, however, been working on the Ribby Cardi. I am almost done with the armhole shaping on the back. I did both front over the weekend. Unfortunately, I need to redo the right front. Apparently, I’m a moron when it comes to patterns that say “Right armhole shaping: Reverse left armhole shaping.” Instead of doing a k2tog at the end of the RS rows, I did it at the beginning of the WS rows, which made a weird looking decrease rib thingy. The plan has become for me to finish the back, then rip back the right front and do it again. At least this can be said to be a learning experience, right?

The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?

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Or, possibly the worst play I’ve ever seen.

The Husband and I went up to the city last night to see the last play of ACT‘s season. This is the theater’s description of the play:

A.C.T.’s new production of this landmark and controversial play brings the powerful voice of three-time Pulitzer Prize–winner Edward Albee back to the Geary stage for the first time in over 30 years. Martin is a middle-aged man at the pinnacle of a successful career. He has loving relationships with his brilliant wife, Stevie, and his teenage son, Billy. But suddenly Martin makes a shocking confession that changes everything. As he struggles to explain himself to his family, they all sink deeper into the awful realization that something truly terrible has happened to their beautiful world—something so far outside of “normal” that it just might destroy them. Clive Barnes of the New York Post deemed The Goat “unquestionably one of the wittiest and funniest plays Albee has ever written.” The original Broadway production won the Tony Award for best play in 2002, and was declared by the Village Voice “the play most likely to be talked about seriously—angrily, ferociously—for years to come.”

Sure, it was funny for the first bit… very black humor sort of stuff. But, by the end, it was taking itself way too seriously. I don’t know, maybe I missed something. But, I found the ending disturbing… who wouldn’t find it disturbing? It end with a woman covered in blood, a dead goat, and a man sobbing over said goat while his son and best friend watched. Yeah…

So, because of this jaunt to the city, I got no knitting done last night. I got home and fondled Birch a bit, but I had to convince myself not to actually work on it. I was tired… my eyes were tired… not a time to work on lace. We’re going out to dinner with one of the Husband’s co-workers tonight; I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to do between getting home and going out. I think I will give it a go though… I’m in love with the soft fuzziness of the fabric the Kidsilk Haze is making.

Now for a real post

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I did indeed cast on for Birch last night. I even swatched first… and I’m not entirely sure I was getting gauge because Birch is one of those patterns that gives you gauge in pattern instead of stockinette stitch. It looked like it was right, and this is a shawl, so I don’t need to be bang on. Of course, now I’m worrying that my gauge might be a little on the big side. Of course, I’ve only knit 4 rows so far, and the cast on edge is really loopy, so it’s hard to tell if things are a bit loose or not. It could just be that I haven’t knit enough yet. When I was swatching for Ribby Cardi, I got a gauge of 8 sts/inch after knitting about an inch… my gauge changed to 9.5 sts/inch after I knit another inch. I think I’m just going to have to cross my fingers and hope that the stitches work things out amongst themselves… ripping this out would be beyond a pain in the ass. I tried to rip back my gauge swatch and ended up breaking the yarn. *sigh*

Thankfully, I have all these knitting problems to worry about cause otherwise I’d be worrying about the fact that my manager is on a 2 week vacation to Europe. This is worrisome because there are certain things that have to be done on a daily and weekly basis… and it’s end of quarter, so I have to take care of that report, too. Of course, one of the automated scripts we have broke on Friday night, which meant I had to run a whole bunch of things manually when I came in on Monday. Boy, did I have an argument with that computer… I had to reboot 3 times. *gah* And now people are coming to my cube and asking me questions about projects I have no clue about because I’m not working on them.

Other manager: Can you tell me when we’re planning for this search tool project to go live?
Me: No, but I can tell you that it’s being tested* at the moment.
OM: Can you tell me which server it’s set up on?
Me: Nope.

Hopefully, this won’t drive me crazy… I just have to make it to the 12th.

*And that’s only cause I’m included in the alias my manager sent an email out to.

Ooo… softness

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There’s something really nice about an anticipated package showing up a whole day early. I ordered 3 balls of Kidsilk Haze in Majesty and Rowan 34 from Knit Happens last week after they announced a sale. (Unfortunately, the day after I placed the order I heard about the eBay place that sells Kidsilk Haze for $9.50… *sigh*) According to UPS, my package was to arrive on Tuesday. I like to check how things are going (even when there’s a date set for delivery and it says it’s on time. Things can change…), so this afternoon I ran my tracking number through the UPS website, and it says it was delivered this morning. But, the nice shipping guy had not been by my desk. I decided to check my mailbox on my way to get some tea from the breakroom, and that’s where I found a nice package filling my cubby hole. 🙂

The Rowan magazine is lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. And there’s actually some other pretty things in it… sadly, Rowan considers a 40 inch bust measurement to be an XL. I may have lost 25 lbs on my diet, but I’m still 6 inches away from a 40 inch bust.

The Kidsilk Haze is so soft. I know people have been fawning over it all around the knitting universe, but wow. I’m glad I decided to make Birch out of the yarn called for. This will make a really nice shawl.

I think I’ll probably be casting on tonight…

Nifty Goodies

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I’ve been working on the shawl slowly, concentrating more on my Ribby Cardi. But, the shawl is growing nonetheless.

Yesterday, I came home and found a package just for me. My secret pal sent me 2 skeins of Araucania Nature Wool Chunky in a gradiated purple (pretty), a size 5 24″ Clover circular needle, a set of three soaps scented like angel food cake, chocolate, and strawberry, and a really cute card.

Speaking (writing?) of Secret Pal 5, I have received the last of the orders I placed for things to send to the secret pal I’m sending to. Now, I just need to go pick up chocolate-y goodies to put in the package, and I should be able to send it off on Saturday. Yea!

A Third Incarnation

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Friday night began the third incarnation of the Brooks Farm Duet shawl. I had to run the yarn through my ball winder twice to get a manageable ball, but it was well mollified. I discovered looking through my shawl books that the Gracie shawl from Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves is the Elfin lace pattern, so I’m using the swatch chart for my shawl. I didn’t want to make a Farosee shawl, and the swatch chart is just the lace pattern in a triangle. Reading the chart is a lot easier than using the written directions from Barbara Walker’s Treasury. I’ve actually gotten a few repeats done, and of course, I’ve forgotten to take a picture.

But that’s okay, because I cast on for another project on Sunday. I got the needles I needed for Ribby Cardi on Saturday. The yarn convinced me to get started, reminding me how cold my cube has been lately (I don’t care what the facilities guys says he’s done, it’s still cold), and how a nice sweater would help to keep me from turning into an icicle at my desk. It’s going really fast… I’ve gotten about 9 inches done so far (I’m knitting the body as a whole), and I’m going to make the underarm length 15 instead of the 13.5 the pattern calls for cause shorter shirts always ride up when I sit down.

I have broken down and purchased Rowan 34 and 3 balls of Kidsilk Haze in Majasty to make Birch. I would blame people, but Cate has already done a fine job. 🙂 I’m trying to look at this as a good thing… it’s my reward for having lost 23 lbs so far on my diet. While I am quite happy to have gotten my 20 lb star at my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday, I needed something a bit more substantial to celebrate, so of course, I bought yarn.

Lacy Frustration

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Apparently, there was yet another earthquake a couple hours ago… which would explain the faint shaking I felt (I thought it was our neighbors at the time… but they were being awfully quiet, which isn’t normal).

As for the title of this post… I went poking around in my lace books trying to find a lace border that would work with the Brooks Farm Duet yarn. I have picked out the elfin lace pattern from Barbara Walker’s 1st Treasury. I even used the outside end of my ball of yarn (cause I didn’t feel up to winding up the second hank just yet) to try it out and see how it looked. It looked pretty good, so that’s what I’m going to go with. So, what’s the problem, you ask? The problem is that the yarn loves it, too. The yarn is now trying to convince me to rip out three weeks of garter stitch (granted, three weeks of only sort of working on it) in order to use the lace pattern on the whole shawl. It feels like such a pain in the ass to even consider ripping out a triangle of garter stitch that’s about a foot long down the center… but I’m finding a part of myself arguing that, if I don’t use the lace pattern on the whole shawl, I’ll be eternally disappointed. I don’t like the idea of being eternally disappointed with the first shawl I make for myself… this yarn deserves better. This yarn knows it deserves better, which is why I’m probably going to rip out all that garter stitch once I finish posting this entry.

I think I’m going to have to reball the yarn before I get started again… maybe that will remind the yarn who’s in charge…

Just in time for the weekend

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We now return you to the regular knitting content…

The shawl with no name continues… slowly… but then I haven’t been devoting a lot of time to it. I’m beginning to think it is upset at me for not having named it yet. I also think it is beginning to lament the fact that the only lace I had planned for it was a lacy edging… it’s now making mutterings about why can’t it have a smaller garter stitch triangle to make room for some lace before the edging. *sigh* So, I’m going to have to hit the books again and see what jumps out at me. Any suggestions?

At least I’m liking the way the variegation is looking.

The only other thing on needles (and getting any attention) is a pair of socks for the Husband. I wanted to call them the Dope Fiend socks cause I worked on this one while loopy on vicodin. I thought it was a funny name… the Husband was not impressed. So, they shall just remain a pair of socks for the Husband.

Aren’t you terribly impressed by my gusset?

Tomorrow, I am planning a short trip to the LYS to pick up needles for making myself a Ribby Cardi. I decided that the very pretty yarn I had picked out for Mariah was not as dark as I would have liked. And the whole goal of this exercise was to procure for me a darker cardigan to be worn over darker shirts (I currently have a light grey/silver cardigan that looks plain silly over a black tee). So, I bought a copy of the pattern… and promptly used it as an excuse to buy more yarn. *grin* I will be using Knitpicks.com Wool of the Andes in Mist (the body) and Hollyberry (the arms and collar). I am also going to try knitting as much of it in the round as I can… hence, the needed trip to the LYS. I don’t seem to own any size 7 circular needles of any length. Thus, me and a ball of yarn will venture forth tomorrow to verify gauge and make a needle purchase. It’ll be an adventure, right?