Starts...

Did I mention I started the Swallowtail Shawl last Sunday? I'm using Schaefer Anne and size 8 needles.

The pattern claims to only require 437 yards of laceweight. Well, I'm using fingering weight and I've got 560 yards. My current plan is to run a life line after the required 14 repeats of the main pattern. I'm going to knit another 5 repeats of the pattern and then do the lily of the valley border. If I run short on yarn, I can rip back. If not, great, I can knit on. I want to use as much of the yarn as I can.

And also, I got a finished object picture taken on Thursday. Some scenes of the Sweet Life Knitters meeting can be found here. But anyways, this is the "Cozy V Neck Pullover with Deep Ribbing" from Fitted Knits.

It's really quite nice to know that I have some new clothes for winter.

Also, pictures from Stitches East can be found here.

Feeling better

• I'm feeling better. I've been sick for 2 weeks, at times being so incredibly tired that all I wanted to do was sleep.


• I finished that green sweater with the Lamb's Pride Bulky. There is no FO picture right now. K2P2 was about all the thinking I was capable of handling.


• I walked 13.1 miles today as part of the Nike+ Women's Virtual Half Marathon. I haven't moved in 2 weeks from being sick. I'm quite sore.


• Nothing new on the beading front. It took too much brain power.

Twas the night before Stitches

And I have a finished necklace:




It started with the setting. I didn't intend to set it using purple beads for the bezel but it worked out that way. Then, it started to take on a life and theme of its own. Wine! Grapes! Harvest! And this is what I came out with. Lots of fringe, a peyote strap. The portion with the stone and fringe is a lot heavier than I had expected but it certainly captures the theme well, dontcha think?

creative madness, eh...?

So it's the second time where after I do a race, I find myself sick and tired, and sleeping, a lot. Sunday was horrible race day and I went and did the Army 10 Miler. Lucky me, I was not the fatality. So, I'm home today with a sore throat and my brain is fuzzy. People from work were talking to me this morning and not all of it was making sense. And now, I'm sitting in front of my computer, knitting socks and thinking, "Gee, sock construction is really quite interesting. In theory, I could use generic toe up sock instructions and some sort of flat needle weaving stitch (not brick, not peyote) and make a small beaded sock or bootie. Make a swatch of the beads and then start the toe similar to the magic 8 cast on, no provisional cast on and increase to the foot, increase on gusset, do the heel turn and proceed up the cuff." It's the sickness I tell ya.

Progress shot of that green sweater

Progress shot of that green sweater
Originally uploaded by jyiu7

The sleeves are done. I did a sewn bind off to keep it loose. I'm now at the part where I switch to the 7s and do the ribbing portion of the body. The 7s were on the 60 cable so now I try it on! I don't know if I'll knit with bulky wool again. It knits fast, but it certainly does add additional bulk and you can feel it when you do stuff like bend your arms.

Next week, Stitches East!

I'm really excited! I have washed Mom's Lace Sweater and it is currently drying. I hope it's dry by Wednesday night for me to pack up to take with. I've bound off the sleeves on the Cozy v Neck Sweater (aka that really bright green sweater) and will be continuing on with the body. If I finish this in time, it certainly won't have been washed. I'll have some socks with me to work on as I wander around and I think the "large" project will be a Swallowtail shawl, that is if I finish the green sweater. I generally need a large project to work on and I don't feel like looking for a pattern, then seeing if I have yarn, then making a gauge swatch. Not enough time. With a shawl, I just need to find the pattern (which I have), and find the yarn (which I've earmarked for this shawl), and find some needles and cast on!

First wear of the Monkey Socks

I wore the Monkey socks to work today. Towards the end of the day, I was in my boss's office with our head network guy who noticed my socks. The bright red stood out against the dark greys and blacks I was wearing. Then my boss asked if I had made the socks. Then the two of them marveled at sock construction. It's nice to know that I have work people trained :D

Necklaces come and go

Etsy shop alert. Stuck a necklace on the etsy shop. It's this one:

I thought it was time.