holy.freakin.yarngasm.batman

I have physiotherapy three times a week at Toronto Western Hospital, which means three times a week I'm stepping stones away from LettuceKnits and all the greatness contain within. So after this particularly grueling session I decide to reward myself and try to find some yarn for Tuscany. I hemmed and hawed over the seasilk, the socks that rock and the koigu for a bit and then I found pure treasure. Hidden behind the Debbie Bliss baby blanket kits, was a pile of Dream In Color yarns. I almost went insane when I pulled apart some skeins and saw the depth and ranges of color. Alas, after thoroughly examining each skein, the colorway I settled was called "Good Luck Jade" but only one left- I needed two. *single tear* I visited their website, which not only has accurate color thumbnails, they also have a swatch knit up for the truest estimation of colors. I wish more websites had this forethought, especially ones focusing on unique colorways. It would be advantageous for them and us. Good Luck Jade Chinatown Apple Dusky Aurora In that order, those are favourites. The dye process they have used is called "Veil Dyeing". I gather they double dye the yarn, first with the main undertone and then at a certain point put the overlying colors. I'm new to this whole world of dyeing but after two solid days researching different techniques such as Yarn Harlot's Indigo adventure I think I'm hooked onto second tier of the natural progression that is knitting. Spin, Dye, Knit.

Montego Bay, Remixed

Montego Bay is a pretty simple pattern comprised of a 4 row repeat. That's it. It's simplicity is what makes it so darn attractive, if you ask me. Lace for those are not into lace..
Here's Jen's:

I am not a lazy knitter. I don't usually take shortcuts. But for some reason, I rebelled against the simple 4 row repeat that comprises the pattern of Montego Bay. I just didn't want to learn which row had 4 stitches at the beginning or three. So, I modified it- K3, *yo, k2tog*, K last three stitches. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This affects the pattern, of course. Instead of the simple lace moving in a diagonal to the edge, mine will be completely vertical. I'm enjoying the experiment, but really it's just shown me that I have no real love of ribbon yarn. Although the Lang Moon is great (if you like ribbon yarn), I just hanker for the elegant simplicity of Jen's Debbie Bliss Cathay when I see it. But hey, at least I'm busting some stash.

I thirst to be thirsty in Montego Bay

We are both knitting the same project at the same time, which does not usually happen here at Teamknit. Montego Bay (which makes the song pop into my head immediately every time I say it)is currently occupying our thoughts. Jen called it first- she loved the pattern right away. She envisioned it in a summery shade, something light and cool in the summer. Her previous post with the Debbie Bliss Cathay is what she decided to use, and it's so gorgeous:
I came round slowly, mainly because I was obsessed with finding something to do with the many, many skeins I bought of Lang Yarns 'Moon' for a $1 per skein back when Knitomatic was having a crazy sale. Here's a close up:

That's an accurate colour shot- "azalea". Pink without being babyish. I have swatched this stuff a million times, and really struggled with what to do with ribbon yarn. And then I figured it would be good for something that had a lot of yarn overs, to really showcase the ribbon.

Although you can't see the colour properly there, I'm really liking it so far- soft and squishy are the adjectives that come to mind when I pet it.

I think when we are both done we'll have to have a photo shoot where they are side by side. It would be fitting if we could do this in the real Montego Bay, but tragically we'll have to make do with Toronto.

Simpsonized, Baby!

In the few spare minutes I had this morning, I "simpsonized" myself. This is a process in which you imput a picture of yourself and a computer generates a cartoon of what you would look like were you a Springfieldian. Granted it's not spot on, they then allow you to change the key facial features and add extra accessories such as a dog(Santa's Little Helper) or a cat(snowball III), tatoos, hats and the like. Fantastic isn't it? So fantastic in fact, that upon the launch date (5days ago)the world overwhelmingly and sucked up any and all bandwidth the site had! Try it now, while you still can, and please link back with your pictures- we'd love to see them!

www.simpsonizeme.com




Try it now, while you still can, and please link back with your pictures- we'd love to see them!

**additional edit (Julie's): When you let your friends simpsonize you, they make you look frumpy and use bad pictures, apparently........ Jen, you are aware that your simpsons version makes you look like a glittery bombshell and I look like a homely librarian?? I should have known...... So I did my own version of me:

There. Much Better.

**additional edit (Jen's): No I was not, infact. I tried to use eight different pictures- all of which had to be cropped and cut. It was a pretty lengthy process taking over an hour of manipulating pictures and testing it on the site. This is the only picture that worked of you. I thought you'd like that I gave you nice big boobs?

I gotta say though, yours looks great- and a much truer version than my atempt.

Big on the PRO, low on the $$$

At times, it's really difficult to get that one shot, the shot that draws you in and dream of its potential. A good yarn/knit portrait can inspire me beyond words into the realm of covetland. That dangerous place where expensive fibers live to be touched and petted, but not to be taken home. But what happens when you cross that path and make that splurge? Sure shopping is great, but showing off is even sweeter. That's where the photos come in. It's the joy of triumphantly saying, "LOOK WHAT I GOT!!" But if a color is off or the image isn't sharp maybe everyone won't be conveyed that message. Like a scene out of StyleByJury we aren't giving ourselves as much credit or time on appearances as our hard earned money surely deserves. I started researching light boxes the other day and I came across a tutorial that gives clear and concise directions on how to make a DIY light box and why it works the way it does. I still found taking pictures kinda hard. I don't think I have my lights set up properly. So without any further adieu, let me flash those new to my stash. 4balls of Debbie Bliss Cathay. What did I post previously? That DB was too expensive? Not when it's 20% off ! Oh and on a whim, two hanks of Rowanspun tweed dk that was 60% off. Who can say no to 60% off? The color is spot on. I love it's tweedy goodness. I had some trouble getting the color right.. There we go, whitebalance was set to daylight. So... Yah. I spent a good chunk of change today and I'm very happy about it. I think with more practice and perhaps some lessons from Toby I'll get it down pat. CHEESE!

A series of unfortunate events..

Today is a terrible tuesday. That, my dear readers is the handiwork of my cat, Marley. He somehow managed to unzip, a ZIPPERED canvas tote and pulled the contents out and had a field day while I was asleep. There are yarns of all different weights and fibers mixed so fiercely that I had to cut(gasp!) many pieces just to untangle them from my furniture legs and banister railings. The carnage below is the contents of my plastic ziplock/slidelock that I keep in the living room for small on the go wip's. Two balls of Alpaca/Silk mixed with one purple acrylic from the upstairs stash.

*Sigh* Somedays you're the cat Somedays you're the yarn Meet Marley "Kippie" Kippinski, our half jewish/half jamaican cat. His name has changed many times but Marley stuck because we would find him sitting getting high sniffing the vents when our downstairs neighbours were smoking pot. Kippie is from the meme cats picture of "up in ur puppy makin kippies" we found this absolutley hilarious and started to call marley "kippie". Kippinski is his formal last name derived from the former, used mainly when we come home and he's lounging around we'd announce our presence with "Gotta job yet Kippinski?" lol He's smart that one, maybe if I find a hosting site I'll post the video of him playing fetch after learning how to three tosses before. He's part dog I think. *edit HERE BE THE VIDEO!

So. Amazing.

I spent the entired weekend knitting and reading this:

I finished it around noon on Sunday. It was, in a word, perfect.

(anyone else also highly skilled at propping open hardcovers while they knit?)

Saartje's Booties

I've been feeling like the only projects I have on the go are big, honking ones, that suck up a lot of time and still seem far from completion, no matter how much progress is made. I had a hankering for a small and quick knit:

These lovely little things are Saartje's Bootees, a really charming little pattern that is suddenly coming in handy- I seem to know a lot of people giving birth recently. This first pair was made for my friend Laura's 3-week old daughter, Chloe. I hope she loves them as much as I do- they are so wee!

I have to say, such a quick knit was deeply satisfying. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple more little knits cropped up, just to take the edge of the larger projects.

Did you know Romni was having a sale?

I've been doing a lot of online buying lately so I haven't been to Romni Wools in a while now... apart from being drunk outside, that is. Well anyways, I was over visiting the Yarn Harlot and she mentioned a SALE!! Check it out, I'm already on my way mentally.

Chocolate Waist-Cincher Top

I've started working on the Waist-Cincher Top, since Jen and I are both part of the Knitting Lingerie Style KAL and it was high time I got cracking. So, this is where I'm at:

It's really just humming along, I imagine that I'll finish the back panel tonight and maybe get started on the front. There is a slight nagging feeling in the back of brain saying that it's going to be a bit big for me, but I'm not sure yet. If it is, I know plenty of people who would be happy to have it.

If there was complaint I have about the book, it would be that there aren't enough small sizes. Most are sized 34" for the smallest, and I'm a 32". So I play around with gauge, but I'm painfully aware that I'm gambling. I'm really interested to see how other people's projects turn out- sometimes a pattern doesn't really wow me, but then I see someone's version of it and I immediately fall in love. Which is as per usual, on any good KAL!

choos choos choos, i lub my new choos

Visualbass Photography

Fie Fi FO Fum...

...suck today in the hospital was no fun! But you know what was? Finishing my Lelah. That last inch was suddenly the last thing on earth I wanted to to. So for the longest time (ooooohhhhooooooohhh for the longest time) I let her sit in in a bright coral pile atop my snowboarding boots box. I don't know what struck me, but I knew if I didn't finish her today I would view myself as a complete knitting failure. Someone with all the skills but no perserverance. Behold, my first knit top. Pattern:Lelah by Knitting for Booze Hags Yarn: knitpicks shine worsted in Coral Needles:4.5mm addi natura for the lace, and 3.5mm knitpicks options for the stockinette Modifications: I started by casting on for a larger size then decreased two of the lace pannels out, knit for a while, then decreased three more out. Notes: While I loved the smooth texture and shine of the knitpicks, I'm noticing a lot more fuzzing now that I've thrown it around a bit. I'm not sure I'd use this again, because while you can shave sweaters, I'm pretty sure you shouldn't shave lace. Would I knit this pattern again? Maybe, once I've forgotten all about this one.

Lacy Skirt is Complete!

In the long-standing knit blog tradition of bathroom photos.... welcome to my bathroom. May I present... Lacy Skirt.

Stats
Pattern:Lacy Skirt from Greetings from the Knit Cafe

Yarn: stash camel-coloured acrylic (Patons something)

Needles: 4mm and 3.75 mm circulars

Modifications:I changed the waistband to have the same eyelet and ribbon detail as the lacy part with the ribbon, then had to rip the ribbon out because it wasn't stretchy enough to function as a waistband detail.

Notes: Sigh. Where to begin. Well, although I checked my yardage, I'm convinced the yarn leprechuans played a trick on me because I came up a skein short towards the end of the skirt. I bought a new skein, but the dye lot couldn't be matched, no matter how hard I tried. I finished it anyway, hoping it wouldn't be obvious, but.... sigh. Yarn Leprechauns - 1. Julie - 0.
If I did this again (and I might) I would try a different waistband, and I would knit the stockinette completely in the round.... Seaming this sucker took days.

And a close up, of the lovely dark brown ribbon I chose, and the lacy part for which the skirt is named:


And finally, may I present to you why it is probably better to frog than to chance one ball from a different dye lot:

The photograph makes the different shades more dramatic than they actually are to the naked eye. Not that it matters- it's still not close enough. Damn it.

If I wasn't allergic..

I would drape myself in mohair 24/7. It's like a cloud floating across your skin. I came across (read:bought) a Sublime Mohair leaflet a week or two ago in Romni which I still have been thinking about. I most want to wear the green wrap called Muse. If I close my eyes just so... I can picture it in white fiber with a gold metallic fleck, draped casually around my shoulders while sitting on a large rock waiting for the sun to set over the city.

Debbie Bliss is the Banana Republic of yarns

I've been working with the teal cami for a while now and I've made some conclusions about the fiber I choose. While not something I would regularly incorporate into my stash, Debbie Bliss Cotton CK is something I would like to work with again. The texture is consistent, there are no knots and the color is even throughout. and a close up of the stitch detail for kicks

...And Now Back to our Regularly Scheduled Program

When I was heading into emergency in the wee hours of June 29th, I packed the Central Park Hoodie, thinking that I'd have plenty of knitting time. I had no idea that due to complications, I'd be completely out of commission for ten days (ten days! The longest I've gone without knitting in years!). But, now I'm out of the hospital, recuperating at home, and back to knitting. I can't work on anything with circulars, since my abdomen is still really sensitive and that's where I tend to hold my needles, but the CPH is on straights, and it's going full steam ahead. Here's a shot of the completed back panel: It's not blocked yet- and I'm enjoying it's plushness. Look at that. Mmmmm-mmmmmm.
I've got the front left panel on the go right now: I've decided that I'm going to do a zipper instead of buttons, I have a pet peeve with the way buttons tend to pull across the bust and get a bit sloppy around the waist. I'm still off work for the rest of the week, so that's some quality knitting time- when not sleeping off the drugs, that is.

a wee update: tiger love

I dont have much time to write as I'm headed back to the hospital to see Jules. That brave, courageous girl- I tell ya. Complications ensued with the surgery so she's been back in for the past day and night. I pray they release her today. Coincidentally, I have surgery tomorrow aswell. (It's been planned for months) From what I understand they are going to "scope" my knee and take out the bone fragments and extra cartildge chunk I have floating around from the accident. In non-health knitting related news, I saw a completed back piece for her CPH which looks amazing. the dual twisting cables pop just so and are nicer- in my opinion than owl cables. I've managed to make a bunch of progress on the beaded cami while at jules' bedside. No photos today, but I'm more than sure you understand.