Knitting Bandit

Wolltrunken

Totally unexpected packages are the best.  Last week (Maybe two weeks ago-this summer is flying by as I slave away at work:  little time to knit, no time to blog.), I was thrilled to find a box in the mail from my sweet friend Wolltrunken (Ravelry link).

The box was stuffed so full of German goodness.  Chocolaty, yarny goodness.

I have done a surprisingly good job of savoring this chocolate and making it last.  It's hard to see how much is here in the pictures, but there's was a ton!

  I made a huge mistake with the Kinder chocolate , I shared it.  Never, ever share new treats until you taste them yourself.  The treats may be too precious for even your own beloved children(especially not the friends of your children, smelly teenage boys do not need rare, delicious treats--really, they'll eat anything...they do not have the most discerning palates).  I shared it and then I tasted it.  I want to demand all their pieces back, but of course they had inhaled them.  It was soooo unexpectedly good.  Mmmmm...

There's a really interesting Movenpick white chocolate bar with lemon bits  that I'm still contemplating.  It's sounds like it could be delicious, I just haven't felt "in the mood" for it.   Weird, I know.

The most prized German treat...the Curly Wurly (it's hiding in the back of the bowl).  I am saving this one for just me.  For just the right time.  When I am sure no one else is even remotely nearby.  No one to smell it.  No one to hear the ripping of the the wrapper.  It will be mine.  All mine.....

I'll be sure to give you a description of that chocolaty, caramelly goodness when I finally take a bite.  i just know I'm going love it!

I also found a Toblerone, lots of little Ritter Sports, too many yummy flavors to mention, melt in your mouth Milka, and some sweet little lavender mint like candy that I cannot find a link too. 

I must confess, finding all these candy links has been very hard on my willpower.  But I've resisted.  So far...

I've run out of time for the yarn goodness that came from Wolltrunken. I'll share that soon.  Yarn and the meaning of the name Wolltrunken.

Irresistable

I had to cast on. .
You know the drill.  There's already plenty of WIP's.  Some mere minutes from completion.
Oh well.
I'm happy.

My Pink-edera's











I'm not a pink girl, but these are going to be so pretty. 
Irresistible to my happiness seeking feet.

The pattern: Hedera by Cookie A.
The yarn:Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Tulip

Gorgeous fun. 

Uh- oh. I think I growed.

Yup.  I growed fer shore.
I didn't grow in a good way.  I didn't grow smarter.  I didn't grow fabulous long hair.  I certainly didn't grow richer.  And it'll soon be apparent to you that I didn't grow into a more intuitive knitter.  What I did grow was...
bigger "girls".  I guess in an effort to be honest, I must say it's not just the girls that have grown, but also the belly and probably that really attractive little back roll at my bra line.

I happily cast on last week to knit a "sweater" that I'd knit before.  My first sweater.  A cool summer tank with the the lovely Giotto  by Colinette.  I made it three summers ago.  I loved it.  I wore it all the time.  It fit me like a sack, but I didn't care.  It was comfy.  In it I felt like all my lumps and bumps were attractively concealed.  Unfortunately, I did not take proper care of it (it hit the washer quite a few times and the dryer once) or maybe it was poorly knit.

Yeah, I'll go with later.  I was a new knitter. It developed some holes the last summer of it's beloved life.  And some really stretched out stitches(they looked like they'd given birth to entire skeins of yarn).  The color was faded... it was a sad ending.
So I optimistically cast on for another.  I was very excited.  I knew I could knit it in mere days.  I would wear it all summer.  I remember how it grew as it got older so thought I'd be smart and knit it a size smaller than the last one. 

This summer I wouldn't have as big of tent to wear.  I'd be more stylish.  Not so obviously hand knit. Hmmm...

I will say that  what I knit would definitely be eye catching. But quite luckily for you, yours eyes will never see my new Ariel  sweater on me.  It fits like a bra.  A tight bra with a cute little skirt that ends "flirting-ly" just inches above my belly button.

Maybe it'll fit my nine year old niece.  Like a tent.

Here is a "truer" picture of the pretty colors of the Giotto yarn in the Kingfisher color way.


Just beautiful.

I Remember When I Didn't Have to be Perfect.

Somewhere along the way, since first learning to knit over three years ago, I have shockingly become somewhat of a perfectionist in my knitting ( everything else has stayed the same).  I am an easy going girl.  What's the opposite of type A?  Me.  In my early knitting days, I would shrug my shoulders at something that didn't look quite right.  Fudge a stitch.  Whatever.  I was just happy to knit and finish my project so I could get on to

Not anymore.  This last week of knitting has been terrible.  Little imperfections bogging me down.  All I seem to do anymore is re-knit and re-knit some more.  I know this is good.  In the long run.  the end product.  But, damn, it sucks too!

Very Tehri's.

They are almost perfect!  Okay, a little tight.  I could've swatched for a better fit.  Maybe.  And after closely examining my thumb trouble, I did notice that I miscrossed a left cross cable on my nearly finished,almost perfect right glove.  But only a trained eye will notice that little imperfection.  That I can live with. 

This wonky left thumb gusset, I can't.  I cannot for the life of me, figure out how to correctly place my increases so they look all neat and tidy like the right one.  It's killing me.  These should have been off my needles over a week ago.  Here's an up close.  You don't have to look too hard to see the rough, jagged line of increases.

Next up:

Cable Ribbed Socks from Interweave's 25 Favorite socks. Knit with gorgeous Sanguine Gryphon's Edios sock yarn. Modified to Toe Up. Needle size: 2.5 mm. 

What's the trouble?

Somehow one sock is slightly bigger than the other.  I think.  (Remember?  I'm far, far from Type A.  I would never actually measure!).  As I contemplated the "bigger" sock and it's "looser" ribbing I decided it must be a needle issue.  Those tricky (yet beloved) Knit Picks with their 2.25mm and 2.5 mm's and my old needle Gauge without all the sizes. Silly me.  Knit with two different size needles.  Wouldn't be the first time.

I did check this theory out.  Nope.  Needles are all the same.  The only difference is on the second sock, I was knitting for first time what  I imagine Magic Loop must be, instead of two circ's.  Must be what made the difference.  I've never read much on how to knit Magic Loop, nor have I seen anyone else knit this way, but I'm fairly certain I was doing it right. Must be it changed my gauge (by how many stitches?  I don't know.  Why measure?  I know it looks different and feels different)  So I will rip the second one back to the toe and start again.

I love this yarn.  Nice tight ply.  Gorgeous, deep colors.  I need to hurry and finish these so I can buy more Sanguine Gryphon.

And there's still my Clapotis of Paul.

Cast aside just as I was on the home stretch.  Some knitters have said the mistake won't be noticeable to "Knit On".  I just can't bring myself to do it. Not yet anyway.  So it sits in my basket, taunting me.  "Go ahead, knit on.  I dare you."

Finally! Firestarters! Finally.

They've escaped the needles....

Finally!  Firestarters in Wollmeise 100% Superwash Sockenwolle  Raku Regenbogen Dark.

I'm quite pleased with the socks.  Hey, don't worry...they may look like a sacrifice to the Sock Gods, lying there on a pile of wood chips to be set afire. They are safe on my feet.

'The Wollmeise softened up incredibly after washing and blocking (did you know I love this yarn?). Some may consider the colors too dark to ideally show off cabling, but I like it.

The gusset was...fun.  I can't think of a better word to use.  It is a different type of construction and I wasn't sure how  it would "come together" (of course...I don't sweat it out trying too hard trying  to figure this stuff out.  I just let it happen).

(Just showing off my toe--still lovin' that Judy Becker's Magic Cast On)

The traveling stitches (a.k.a. cables) seemed tricky at first but once I figured it out it was smoother sailing.  Not smooth...but smoother.  I "cheated" and did not read the chart.  I knit the pattern using "words" (ravelry link) that Trishshack (blog  link) on Ravelry provided. 

It was a lifesaver. I probably would have thrown in the towel without it.  Oh yeah, I should probably confess to using a cable needle also. Hey, does it matter?  No. In the end, I enjoyed knitting them and made a great pair of socks, cheating or no. However, after finishing these socks Friday night I was so excited that I cast on  a.s.a. p. Saturday for the Very Terhi fingerless gloves.  That Yarnissima, sure can design.

This chart looked intimidating. Really scary.  Two charts with traveling stitches: one with a 4 row repeat, the other with a 20 row repeat.  But I am so in love with these gloves I forged ahead.  I'm brave like that.  Yeah, right. I was preparing to "cheat" again. When I had written out the words all the way to row 10, the charts all of a sudden just clicked.  I swear the click was audible. 

I got it.  I could read these charts.  I didn't need the words.  OMG!!!!!  And then I started to knit and whoa...

Guess what? I didn't need the cable needle. Another OMG!  I am so smart. I am thinking the smartest, most intuitive knitter in the world (sorry guys, it's me...not you). How in the world did I wake up so incredibly smart? And sexy?  Don't forget the sexy.

I Found a New Love

Ahhh...a new love this spring:


Don't worry Wollmeise, it's probably just a crush.



A gorgeous pink crush...

called Tulip by Hazel Knits. (Hurry--go now! Free shipping  sale ends today)

I'm thinking Spiral Boot Socks. I'm not a pink girl really, but this is pretty.  And I love, love, love that it is already split into two skeins.  How close to perfect is this yarn?

Here's the real reason I visited Hazel Knits:
Chocolatier. 

It is everything it sounds like and more.
Look at this yummy yarn:


There is little doubt what this decadent yarn will become. 

It is destined to be my  Very Terhi fingerless gloves by Yarnissima.

It looks almost good enough to eat!

Clapotis is no Cup-o-tea

I've read some complaints from bloggers who call the Clapotis boring...mindless.  You know...

I agree to some of it. It is easy knitting.  T.V. Knitting.  Let your mind wander knitting.  At least that's what I
thought.  I was cruising along.  Enjoying how the colors of my "Paul" Wollmeise were playing out.



I actually felt like I was almost done.  A bind off was just days away.  I finished the increases in Section One.  Then came Section two -the straight section where the stitches are cheerfully dropped.  Next up the decrease section.  The home stretch.  I was a few rows into the Home Stretch when I realized I made a mistake throughout the entire "straight" section.  The largest section (if you've knit one-I forgot to do the ssk and yo on the row before dropping the stitch).  I have yet to wrap my mind around how it affects it structurally. 

I snapped a quick photo (had some yarny goodness to photo from that days' mail-more Wollmeise-that made the mistake a little less painful).  Anyway, I digress because the Wollmeise fumes make me lightheaded with joy. I snapped a photo and promptly put that Paul away.  He's been there a week.  Hiding at the bottom of my bag. 

I think he's afraid to come out.

Blue Heather

My Blue Heather Clapotis has been reborn!  She is now known as True Blue Heather a.k.a. Montego Bay scarf.

 

I knit about 1/3 of the clapotis and was just hating it.  It just looked horrible. It was making me feel like an inexpeienced, bad knitter. Too many stitches looked uneven. 

I ripped "down" so many stitches.  Sometimes as many down as 20 (not the entire row-just down the ladder--does this have a knitting name?).

I tried a couple of the Clapotis tricks I read. 
The good one: instead of using markers purl the stitch. This seemed to work pretty well.  A time saver, but I found myself counting a bit more or occasionally missing the k tbl and having to re-knit it.
The "I'm not sure" it's good one:  On the purl side -purling the twisted stitch through the back loop.   It was good when I remembered it.  Sometimes I didn't and I think it made my stitches that would run along the dropped stitches too uneven. I still need to learn the correct way to rip back or down twisted stitches and pick them back up.
Perhaps, I was hasty in giving up on the Clapotis.  I had finished 1/3 of it and had just gotten to the middle section where I would start dropping stitches.  Maybe the dropped stitches would have helped.  Maybe blocking would have evened thing out.   I'll never know.

I decided to knit my 3rd Montego Bay. I know.  Boring.  "Come on girl--try something new".  There are too many things out there I want to knit to spend time knitting the same thing over and over.  But time was of the essence here.  Montego Bay was tried and true.

I modifed the pattern by casting on 49 stitches instead of 41 or  43. I was looking for something that could be used later as a scarf,  not just a "one time prom" stole.

In some ways this project was perfect.  The scarf itself is gorgeous.  Absolutely.  It is so hard for my photo's to give it justice.The yarn is wonderful.  Andrea at Das Schneeschaf  dyed the perfect color for Heather (Gorilla Boys' Girl.  It's as if she knew her personally.

 

The problems with True Blue Heather Montego bay? 

The small problems? 

#1  It is still a great width for a scarf-in fact, if I knit another--I will use 49 stitches.  It however is not quite wide enough for a stole and I did not keep in mind the growth that happens with blocking and it is a little too long.

#2 Blue Heather's dress is beautiful and strapless...there's snow in the forecast.  It won't provide much warmth.  Maybe that doesn't matter.  I think I am getting cold feet gifting this because I so don't her to feel obligated to wear this. Plus, another mistake?  I didn't tell her I was making it, so I'm sure that with prom 3 days away she has already bought a shawl.  A shawl she may love.  Next girl: I will tell, not surprise.

The bigger problem:  Monkey Boy helps with the photo shoot.  He is quick to tell me it smells like fish.  We talk about it.  I get some clarification.  Okay.  Maybe not fish, but it smells like water (we don't live be the sea, but we are surrounded by the beautiful Great Lakes). He said "I could smell it all night and it wouldn't bother me.  It's not a bad smell."  I can't smell.  SO I bring other noses in to verify this "fishiness".  It's official.  DO I have time to wash and block it a second time before Saturday?  Will that even help the smell? Hmmmmmm.  No girl wants to smell like fish or water, especially on prom night.

The Biggest Problem?    I totally forgot that Blue Heather is allergic to shellfish.  Now, I doubt she would have a reaction to this scarf (but what if?  OMG!!) I worry that this allergy might give her a natural aversion to anything that smells "fishy" or "watery". 

What to do.  What to do.  I have to give it to her.  Gorilla Boy seems to be excited about this gift (as excited as teenage boys would dare show about something like this)--he helped me block it.  He is the one boy of the three who never really actively participates in my knitting.  I didn't even ask him help.  He walked in while I was blocking and started to help.  Weird.  Sweet.

Plus, there 's always that feeling when you something for someone. Something you've put a lot of thought and time into.  It never feels right when you give it to a different person.

So, I think what I'll do is give it to her tonight "as is".  Along with the story of the special colored fishy yarn and the prom stole vs. campus scarf.  I will tell her that I will wash it again and braid the ends for her instead of the fancy fringe (show her mine with braids) and remind her that I think it'll make a perfect scarf for chilly days on campus.  I'll kinda subtlety take the prom idea away.  If she really wants it for prom night, I think she'll speak up and say so.  I hope.

And friends, please remind me of this stress the next time I mention this kind of gift knitting.

 

Here she is in a bowl:

Will I Ever Learn?

Last week (before the Mari silk Clapotis distracted me) I vowed it was time to stoke the fire on my smoldering Firestarters.  They were dropped (almost literally) for some now unknown project, at some unknown time.  I'm sure whatever made me hastily abandon them was important.  Must have been because I can't even remember what it was. 

I was on a "roll",too.  I had finally figured out the traveling stitches.  The gusset was fun!  One gusset done, another almost done. (I was, of course, loving knitting with my first Wollmeise Raku-Regenbogen Sockenwolle).   Okay.  What's the problem?  I have no idea where I stopped. No notes taken.  No marks on the pattern.  It looks like I might have started some sort of heel turn.  I'm not sure, this is a new construction to me.   If only I had taken notes.  I could easily pick these up and finish them.  Wear them before the final spring thaw.  I am hoping if I tink the one without the heel curve back to about half way into the gusset I pick it up there (hopefully I won't have to go all the way back to the beginning gusset) and then as I knit along I will comet o the gentle curve on my first socks and be able to figure out where I am on that one too. Or maybe it'll be back to the gusset a second time.  I just have to get motivated to actually do this. I've told myself I cannot cast on for anything, NOTHING, until these pretty Firestarters are on my feet.  Now by confiding in you, I am even more committed.  Peer pressure.

When did my ankles get fat?  WTF?  I have got to get off my butt and stop knitting!  But I can't stop knitting.  I'm doomed.

Oh look.... another unmarked knit stopped at some unknown place.

Hmmm... I know it's a GAAAAAAAAA square.  There's only 24 of those.  Hey!  I know its my green one!

Wait a minute.  What's that little white tag?

OMG!  Bandit's learned her lesson.  She tagged this second square.  (I also tagged my Paul Clapotis when I set it down for the Marisilk one). 

Yea!!!!   I can learn!  I did learn.

Marisilk from Das Schneeschaf

The trouble with making "international" knitting friends is that it's quite possible you could fall in love with one of their yarns as you wander through their project or stash pages on Ravelry.  Such was the case for me when I was visiting Wolltrunken's  page(sneak a peak at Birgit's knitting-you'll see what I mean). 

The next thing you know, I'm ordering from a small German Indie dyer: Das Schnesschaf .    Gotta love Paypal.  Makes so many things possible. A little too possible.

I was looking for the perfect shade of blue Marisilk  (sea silk) for a "shawl-like-something" for Gorilla Boys' girl to wear to prom.  The yarn in her shop was mostly sold out at least I think it was, I don't read or speak German.  I tried the American Shop, Wool Girl, that she sells through with no luck. Of course, I became more determined that this was the yarn I had to have.  In the end, I talked with the dyer, Andrea, through emails and described the color I was after and a few weeks later the exact color I had in mind arrives in my mailbox.

It is a soft, pale blue.  Gorgeous.

I've decided to knit it into this:

A Clapotis . 

Original, huh?  Only 5148 of them on Ravelry alone.  Just imagine how many not on Ravelry!

I probably spent hours on Ravelry looking up Marisilk, Handmaiden Sea silk, shawls, and stoles.  I needed the perfect pattern because I only have one skein of about 450 yards. I'm still not convinced this is it but I'm running out of time.  I don't know if girls still wear shawls.  The prom is April 12th so it'll still be chilly in Michigan. 

I figured a smaller Clapotis may be perfect because it's not too "old fashioned" and she can wear it everyday for a scarf.  For a selfish knitter who claims no no gift knitting allowed, I sure am doing a lot of gift knitting these days!  I will say I think this one teenage girl who will appreciate a hand knit scarf.  Why? For Christmas, her gift to my son was a tin of homemade cookies and for Valentines Day she made him a great, double thick fleece blanket with a snowboarding theme.  Now if only I could get him to make something for her...

When they were small boys every year they made handmade gifts for Grandma's and Aunts:  soap, candles, funky fabric decoupaged plates, wire rings, ornaments.  I tried to teach them them how good to make and give a gift, rather than a little "trinket" from the store.  But I don't think this translates to in the minds of boys when it comes to gifts for teenage girlfriends.  I think the "fruit of my labor" will show up later down the road when they're older and wiser.   

This pretty Rose Nu may be turned into a Storm Water Shawl .  I've ordered the pattern, but lace still scares me so I could easily change my fickle little mind!

Wolltrunken's Rhubarb Patch Socks

Presenting:
Wolltrunken's  "Rhubarb Patch" Socks










I wanted to wait for a sunny day to take a picture that wold do justice to this gorgeous yarn, Wollmeise in Rhabarber Sockenwolle  (dark intensity).  But the sun won't shine.  Today is downright blustery and I am too excited too wait! 

I will attempt to take a clever picture in the summer when my "heirloom rhubarb patch" is in all its splendor.  Heirloom rhubarb patch?  After my grandpa passed away and his house was going to be sold, my little brother took his tree spade and dug out four patches of my grandpa's beloved rhubarb (actually it was everyone's-it was something much loved in his garden when visiting him)  and transplanted it at my dad's.  Agreat central location since my brother and sister are his neighbors on each side and I live 1  mile away. Now the rhubarb is being enjoyed by a fourth generation. I'll have to be very stealthy in attempting this photo shoot.  The habit is too take a stroll, pick a piece, wipe it off and eat it johnny on the spot.  It may not be appreciated by some to have my feet rubbing around in the patch!










I first saw a similar pair of socks on Wolltrunken's Ravelry project page .  I fell in love with them and knew that this is what my prized Rhabarber sockenwolle was destined for.  Birgit , a sweet and seriously fast German knitter, generously offered to send me her pattern. 

Yay!!!
A week or so later I excitedly ripped open the envelope to study my pattern.  Except, it wasn't a pattern in the same sense as  Fratello's, Nutkin's ,Diamondy  or the Keyhole Cable socks .  It was just a photo copy of a stitch pattern.
 
Have no fear Bandit!  You can do this!

Of course they would be toe up--the smartest way to knit a sock.  This would also allow me to use every precious inch of my yarn.

I started with my favorite cast on: Judy Beckers Magic Cast On (if you have not learned this cast on, try it again, it's wonderful) and off I went. But after a couple of inches of knitting, the foot it felt too loose.  Hmmm...I consulted with Wolltrunken who admitted that, yes, her socks, too, were a little big. She had no advice for this novice.

I studied the stitch pattern.  It is an 18 stitch repeat.  There is just no way to alter it.  I was stuck at four repeats giving me 72 stitches.  That's big.  I was also, foolishly stuck on the idea that they must be knit with 2.5mm.  In hind site, I don't know why I was stubborn about this.   I decided to do a k1 p1 rib on the sole. This ribbing did help pull in the sock a little.  I started the heel a little earlier than I normally would have, hoping that this "shortness" would pull the sock tighter and make it fit better--without jeopardizing comfort (it worked...perfect fit).  I continued up through the gusset with my happy 2.5's and then folowing of my own sock knitting rules, once I get through the gusset I must stop knitting the first sock and start the second sock and knit that to the same point, before I can continue up the leg (it works--I proudly declare that I have never once been inflicted with the dreaded SSS).
Grease Monkey saw me knitting these and insisted he loved them and wanted them for his own.  "NO!"  I screamed inside.  "These are mine, all mine!"  On the outside, sweet mom said, "Sure honey, I'd love to knit them for you."  But guess what?  The evil mom in me was quickly able to convince him that the Franz color would be so much better, especially after older, cruel brother insisted they didn't look manly.  Yay!  He gave up the Rhubarb Patch socks in exchange for the Snowboardin' Franzies  that I posted about last month. Whew!  That was close! 

I approached the heel of sock number #2, I  reconsidered the heel of sock #1, it was pretty loosey goosey. I didn't like it.  I decided to knit heel #2 on 1.75.  If you're familiar with toe up gusset and heels, you'll know that I am also knitting the instep or top of ankle, actually, in the stitch pattern at the same time.  I was quite pleased to see that the 1.75mm didn't do any harm to the stitch pattern.  I, of course, smiled as I ripped the heel and gusset from sock #1 and re knit it. Finally, I was on my way up both legs!  I stayed with 1.75mm for a few inches and then switched back to 2.5mm for a better fit.  The needle change wasn't even noticeable in the pattern.

I love to knit until the very last possible inch of yarn is left,it's like a sickness, but I shocked even myself and stopped short on this pair.  I love this yarn and want to enjoy it year round. My hope is that I have just enough yarn left over for a pair of short socks for summer "workouts". (Workouts?  Who do I think I'm foolin'?)

I obviously have uneven balls.  Sound's like a medical problem, I know.  I think it's my ball winder.  It's wound a lot of balls. What's the life expectancy? It's getting cranky.  Sometimes the center just flies right off!  I sure do have trouble with it lately.  I invested in one of those yardage meters and it doesn't always get the job done either.  I question it's accuracy so much that I always wind and then rewind my ball before I then rewind it a third time to split it in half.  It's feels like quite a process.  I'm wondering how a digital scale works for consistent same sized balls.

I will say it again...this color of this yarn is gorgeous!

I hope to someday get my little Knitting Bandit hands on more of this same color.

I desperately want to knit with the elusive Merino lambsca booble das woolle bolle--

I don't know how to spell these German words (poor German school children, they must dread spelling tests)! I'd love to get the heavier wool or even the laceweight , but now that Wollmeise has become incredibly popular and unattainable I may be waiting a long time.  Three cheers for stash!

Next up?

Finishing my Firestarters!

Green Celtic-like Cabley Goodness

Off the needles in time for St. Paddy's day showing off:

Square #1 of the Green Great American Aran Afghan hereby called "ggaaa"or how about: the Great American Aran Afghan of Green, then it will be called "gaaag."
That's more fun ( and I'm all about the fun).

This is the square by a gal from Germany, Dagmara Berztiss (huh? German?  I thought this was an American afghan? A Great American Afghan?  Why are so many of the block designers not American?  Really, I could care less, I just find it curious.) 
Dagmara calls this a moon cross, a pagan symbol based on her interpretation of the Latvian moon cross (not Celtic at all...shhhh don't tell St. Pat).  She writes that the moon cross is associated with the god of war and warriors and is a protector of orphans.  Last interesting tidbit by Dagmara:  she has a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering. Sounds cool doesn't it?

I liked this square.  Once I learned two funky stitches-an increase two and a decrease 4- it was a breeze. Well, a soft breeze...there were a few weeee moments of...well...a little ripping back..just a bit, here and there.  I thoroughly enjoyed it though.

After knitting about a third of the block and feeling
dissatisfied with my cables, I figured out just what a big difference it made to purl through the back loop. That purling tbl takes a minute or two (or three) to figure out, but it's worth the extra time. It really tightened up my cabley goodness so it'll be purl tbl from now on for me.

And once again, after washing and blocking I am so impressed with the softness and drape of this Cascade Super wash (that I really still don't "love" to knit with).

On to knit another...

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I've started another huge afghan.  Make that two Great American Aran Afghans. 

On a whim.  Spur of the moment.  Without thinking it through fully.  I signed up for a once a month class at Threadbear to complete the GAAA afghan. Sounded easy enough. $20 a month.  Two squares a month.  The instructor claims we'll be "bordered and seamed" by December.  She's taught the class 6 times and only ever had 1 student not finish.  I have to admit I'm questioning the validity of the last claim. But hey, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.   I'm not giving myself anything but slaps on the forhead!

What was I thinking?  Well, the blanket is gorgeous. Look at the Rainy Sistes' (designer of the most popular sweater square) or Michelle's, pretty in purple.

Did you read that I said 2 afghans?  Hmmm...that's the insane part.  Kind of.  Why two?  I decided to use a gorgeous shade of green in Cascade Superwash.  As I knit...ewwww.  I didn't like it.  Me thinks me hands are a little spoiled from super soft sock yarn.  Plus, I didn't think my cables really popped out.

I'm pretty sure I must have superwash, blankets get dragged all over my house, so I figure I'll suffer the harshness and switched to this lovely boring beige (or tantalizing taupe-how do you see it?). 

Almost everyone in my class is knitting with white. Beige would help me be more of a conformist. (Ewww....since when do I want to conform?)  Beige would show my cables, i.e. hard work.  So beige it was.  But wait!  I already bought 2 balls of the green and used it!  I can't take it back and yuck I would never knit with it again.  Hmmm... I don't want it to go to waste, might as well knit two. At a cost of what $150 or $175 each?  Not to mention the class fees.  All to avoid wasting $20 worth of yarn.(Do enjoy being a secret eye into the twisted logic that is my mind?) But now, wait! 

Let me put this in small print so you may skip it and not think I've lost all common sense... I really want to join the Great American Afghan KAL sratrting next month at Threadbear.  How can I knit three at once and where will the Bandit find the cash for that? And how will she find time to knit those gorgeous Yarnissma socks?  The Very Tehri fingerless gloves?  The Koolhaus hat? Finsh those three sweaters?  Knit that Colinette Giotto tank in time for summer?

I have to say now that I've knit two squares, I am enjoying the yarn more.  It washed up and blocked so nicely.  It is now much softer and has a lovely drape. 

The first square above is the Carol Adams square.  I modified it slightly by knitting both cables as left cross cables instead of one left and one right.  It started as a mistake, but I noticed the bad cross after only an inch and decided I liked it better this way.

The second square is also vitim of a mistake. Now turned design feature.  It was supposed to be bobbled.  I've never bobbled.  I. of course, bobbled wrong and started getting these interesting ribs instead.  I didn't really like the way the bobbles looked in the book so kept the ribs. 

Now on my unphotographed green square I did bobble.  Conclusion: bobbling is fun (okay, not  rip roaring good time, but fun) and it looks good with them. But I don't reget my choice here: 

Is that center cable way cool or what?

My worry: 

They are not the same size.  Did you notice that?  Probably not.  Barely noticeable, huh?

(That's sarcasm, in case you were wondering.)

Is the size difference because of the ribs instead of bobbles?  WIll it all work out in the end? Will she ever really finish?

Will the Bandit lose her mind?   

Stay tuned folks.

The Short Story of the Long Franzie Socks

Here's the skinny:

(I found some funky TV Antennas that I used to model these so please ignore the weird a*ss niPpL*s mid calf)

Grease Monkey's Snowboardin' Franzie's are done, just in time for one more swoosh down the hill (no mountains here in Michigan).

Knit with Wollmeise Wild Thing (in Franz), a new sock yarn Claudia dyes specifically to produce gorgeous pools of color.  I think that mission was accomplished.  My sweet boy looked pleased when I showed him how it pooled into a heart shape on his foot.  I think he thinks I did it on purpose.  Aren't I cool?

He loves these socks.  They are crazy long and skinny when off his foot.  I knit a men's size 10.5  and knit them ribbed until about two inches from his knee and I still have leftover yarn.  That's amazing!

The sad part of this story?  He doesn't want the socks to show!  Loves 'em, there's no doubt, but nobody should see them!  I think they look cute with his jeans. 

But what 14 year old boy wants his socks to look "cute" with his jeans?  he just wants to know his momma loved him enough to spend hours knitting him something with precious yarn shipped directly from far, far away.

I could have called these my There Will Be Blood in the the Old Country for Roscoe Jenkins Socks. 

But I didn't want to over do the whole movie thing.  Here's the movies I enjoyed while making Snowboardin' Franzies.

My dad and I saw There Will Be Blood while I started knitting these.

(His question?  Isn't that something old ladies do?). 

He didn't like the movie much.  I loved it. It's one of those movies, the more you

contemplate it, the better it gets.  I'd like to see it again, I think it'll be much better the second time around. 

So our next movie together, my dad wanted something lighter.

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.  It was funny enough.  I was entertained and got to hang with my dad and knit a little.  Life is good.

No Country for Old Men.  I saw this with Gorilla Boy and his buddy.

(His buddies question?  You even knit at the movies?)

We all loved it.  It was really good (what a "good" reviewer I am.  It was good.Go see it. A real word smith.)  We all agree this would be a movie that would only get better the second time. The boys went for the all the guns they heard were in it, I went for Tommy Lee Jones. But we all enjoyed a post movie attempt at a body count. It wasn't until the cool music at the ending credits that I realized there was NO music in this movie.  Kinda cool effect. 

Did I use the word cool too many times in this long "short"story?

About Those Movies...

I never gave you my valued opinion of the movies I saw while knitting A Bucket of Enchanted Sweeney Juno knee Highs.  Such a let down for all my faithful readers, I'm sure.

The Bucket List--How can you not enjoy a movie with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman?  And how can these men both be so sexy still at their age?  I think I said sexy.  Hmmm...oh well, I'll put it out there for you to ponder.

Enchanted--I cheated. I intended to see this one.  Reluctantly,I went to Juno. Never made it back before it was gone from the theater, but I intended to.  I liked the way it fit in with the name so I left it in there.  Too bad.  I'm a cheat and a liar...and the jury is still out on what I am because of the earlier comment about Jack and Morgan.

Sweeney Todd.  I loved it. Johnny Depp was incredible, the singing was fun, the color of all that red blood was was mesmerizing...and the fact that it was a true story just made it that much better. I did not read any reviews, so I don't know what the "experts" say and I will admit I can easily see where it wouldn't appeal to the masses, but bottom line...I loved it. If you missed it in the theater, I can't say it'll be as good on the small screen, but rent it anyway.

Juno.  I will say "OMG" on this one.  I really wasn't excited to see it, thought it'd be mildly entertaining.  Instead, it's another, "I Loved It".  I was so surprised by it. It was funny and sweet and it even made me shed a tear (well, that's not hard to do). 

Now, I know these reviews are a little late.  Most of these movies are gone. Sorry Charlie.

I have three more movies I saw while knitting the Franzie socks, maybe if I finish them this weekend I can get you more timely reviews.  Probably not.