Knitting Bandit

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.

Lost N*pples on My Loaf of Bread

The Knitting Bandit snagged a seat in not one, but two seriously rockin' classes at Threadbear this past weekend.

First up Friday night with Amy Singer where I got a confidence boost in my potential ability to knit lace during her Tuscany Shawl class.

I really liked her and tried to absorb as much of her knitting knowledge as I could in the short two and a half hours of the class. I wished I had signed up for her Sunday class on different knitting fibers. I was able figure out the mistake in my one attempt to knit lace, last month, I was reading the chart kinda like a book in reverse--I was going right to left, then dropping to the next line, reading right to left.  I did not know you had to read it like an "S".  Is there a better way to describe that?  A proper technical word? 

Saturday was great fun with Jillian Moreno and her Knit to Fit class.  It was a five hour class full of lots of information, knitting advice and plenty of laughs.  It was during this class that I realized I couldn't find my n*pples on my loaf of bread.  Do you want that translated or do you just want to wonder?  It did make me sad, I think most of the other knitters could see theirs.

Jillian did a great job helping everyone analyze their body types and what looks good on waht part.  She made everyone feel extremely comfortable standing in front of each other to show and measure their parts.  She had something genuinely flattering to say to each of us about our bodies.  . 

I almost ran out the door when I heard there would be MATH after lunch...but lucky me, I sat next to Gayle, a knitting math teacher.  Special Ed.  Perfect for me.  Yes, I did make a stooopid math mistake, something involving 2 x 4.   She didn't scold me, but politely looked over the rest of my work.

We had a blast.  I always wonder how I end gravitating to the rowdy table at these things...but it really wasn't the entire table.  It was just us. Just a little rowdy, but not bad.  You can't be serious when you are measuring the distance between a strangers n*pples.

Jillian Moreno was my kind of girl.  She's one of those people you meet and know instantly that you could be good friends.  Not that you will be, but you know you're on the same "wave length" so to speak.  I will jump at a chance to take another class taught by her.

This class was so informative that  I couldn't wait to apply it to a sweater.  So I sent this 18 month old UFO to the Frog Pond (the class made me realize even if I finished it, I probably wouldn't wear it and if I did, I'd look like Barney):

I have cast on instead for Salt Peanuts with this yummy Trina yarn by Adrienne Vittadini (I'm holding my breath--I don't know how many balls I knit into this frogged sweater or even how much I bought, I hope I have enough.  I should have enough.).

I decided to start with the sleeves because I hate knitting sleeves.  They seem to be flying off my needles.

 

Here's a nice up close shot of my pretty cuffs:

Asrai

Asrai is coming along nicely.  I am back in love with this sweater and cannot wait to wear it.  (Does anybody know where I can find a Finishing Fairy?  Maybe a Jenie in a bottle?  She  could stay in there all happy and content until I "rub" her out?  I dread finishing.)   I do believe, in my gut, that I will have to rip the back and knit it all over.  But I'm not going to jump the gun.  I'll take it in to my LYS for their expert opinion. 

I fear second sleeve syndrome as much as second sock, so I completed the way cool cuff on both sleeves and am now working my way up one arm at a time.  I love this cuff.  It's a little flared with a rib.  It'll probably sit an inch or so down on my wrist, which I like. It's all I can do not to take these sleeves on the plane with me. 

On the plane?  On the plane?

Yes!  I'm leaving on a jet plane! (Unlike John Denver, I do know when I'll be back again.  August 12th).

My first trip outside of North America, pretty much the first trip outside U.S. unless you count short excursions to Canada and a Bahama Cruise.

Paris here I come!  I'm really excited.  A little apprehensive.  I love to travel alone, but this time I'm not sure.  Just me for a week.  I meet up with Gorilla Boy and his buddy next Saturday (they're on a two week bike ride with the local scouts) and then on to a week of fun with them.  Maybe more France, probably Germany after a short visit with Polish Girl and her family in France.

I have a few Paris yarn shops on my list.  Packed three pairs of socks to work on.  Who am I fooling?  I don't think I'll knit that much!  But I packed the German Stockings for times when I can concentrate.  The Fishy Wishy for mindless knitting. And two balls of Tofutsies and the Charade pattern, you know, just in case I don't feel like knitting the other two.

It'd be clever if I could sign off with a French good bye...but I don't know any yet.  Maybe Bonjour?

knitting the other two

Lakeside Knitting

I'm home after our annual family vacation in Northern Michigan.  There's nothing like a little lakeside knitting to relax me.  My favorite time is early morning when everyone else is sleeping away.  I sit at the end of the dock with my coffee and a good book and knit away the morning.

I finished my latest last Zitron Lifestyle socks:

Happy Socks!

Much better as a simple rib than the Anastasia.  They are a gift--much too small for me, so I couldn't try them on, but I'm happy with the way they turned out. I used both of my Happy Balls in  2 by 1 rib (Again! What can I say?  I like it).  Short row toe--still a little 'gappy", but I'll perfect it eventually.  Heel flap and gusset 'cause I'm too stupid impatient to master the short row heel.

Next out of the basket: I finally started Rockin' Sock Club sock # 2 and let's just say I'll probably frog it.  The yarn is heavenly--truly silky as it glides through my fingers, but the sock just isn't my style. It looks weird on my foot. 

I have to really pay attention when I knit this.  It's simple, but hard to rip back and fix mistakes.  Which I always make, because rarely am I ever just knitting.  I mastered the same stitch this winter when I made my "Maple" scarf by Colinette.  (A simple yarn over with a purl 2 together and then reversed on the next row).  I do like the cast on for this.  Blue Moon  didn't name it though.  It calls for a backwards loop cast on of 7 then a pick up of 8 stitches and increases every other round.  

Opps!  Look at this lovely yarn that fell out my vacation knitting basket...leaving me no choice but to cast on immediately. 

It's Fishy Wishy in a Dishy by See Jayne Knit .  Gorgeous stuff man!  I am loving it.  Not only are the colors phenomenal, but the yarn is soft and squishy.  I only have the tiny tiniest of toes to show for it.  I was playing with a ribbed pattern, but will be ripping it back.  I'm going to go with plain ole stockinette to really show off the colors.  It's not striping like I predicted because the color repeats are very short. I'm anxious to see what I get.

Last, but most importantly--my major vacation knit.  Yanked out of the basket after two years of lounging around: 

Asrai in Colinette  I don't know why I stopped or where.  I took no notes.  I didn't even have a needle left in it.  Needless to say, my knitting has improved tremendously (I was only a six month old knitter when I started...what ambition!), not to mention gauge changes.  I had completed the back and over half of the front.

But I didn't like the big splotch of pink right under my boob so I cast on the front and started all over. I have knit to the neck divide, so I'm almost done with the front.

   On to the torturous sleeves.

I'll be soliciting advice on this sweater in the next day or two...

Step Away from the Socks

I did it!  I'm actually knitting something other than socks!   And it feels good....                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Yeah, that's me!...Finally a picture.

I'm hotter than you all imagined, aren't I?

Okay...Okay....you ...you guessed it...it's not me.  My

stomach hasn't been that flat since I was twelve.

I stopped by my LYS  to pick up my first Addi Turbo Lace Needles (shiney fun!!) and noticed the 20% off Collinette Giotto sign.  Ummm....Giotto's one of my favorite yarns.   My first sweater was knit from Giotto.  It's too big and full of mistakes, but I love it and wear it all the time.  It's actually a brighter and prettier in person.  Though I must confess, it's been worn so often it now lacks "specialness" ad is usually tossed in the washing machine rather than lovingly washed.  Too bad... but I still love it.  Anyway, having just experienced some stressful and scarey workplace violence crap (different story, different day maybe) I figured I deserved a big fat treat (which included not only big fat yarn, but big fat Teddy Bear Latte, and big fat bakery brownie....ahhhh...I felt better. Stress eating at it's best).   I chose a gorgeous green color but it didn't photograph well, so I'll post it later, along with the first little cap sleeve I knit up tonight in one sitting.  (Size 7 needles, compared to size 1--I felt like I was flying through the yan!)

Here's my second Rockin Sock Club Pakage:

The yarnis called SIlkee Socks (I think, my butt is planted in my chair and it's not getting up to check).  It is incredibly soft and the colors are great.  There's a gorgeous band of purple that doesn't show.

My up close shot is intended to show how open it is in the back.  I'm not sure I accomplished this. 

I haven't decided if I'll go knee high or not, I'll wait and see if I enjoy knitting the pattern.  It's another toe up, yeah!

Though I think the knee highs are so much prettier....or should I say  sexier, just like me in that  picture up there?

Hungry Pink Sweater

I've finally finished the Hungry Pink Sweater, that just kept eating more and more yarn. I spotted the Louisa Harding yarn first-- a pretty sparkled pink and thought it'd be perfect for my five year old niece (mistake #1). The yarn shop owner helped me find the pattern --- and said the yarn would substitute just fine (mistake #2). I bought four balls as recommended and was on my way. I showed my niece the yarn and she was excited(mistake#3). It took me a year to finish...I hated knitting it. The yarn is pretty--knits up kind dense, but springy. However it snags--very very easily, not really practical for a sweater for anyone more active than a couch potato, especially a five year old. As I foolishly knit along I realized I wasn't going to have enough yarn, so I bought two more balls. Then I bought 2 more!

The Hungry Pink Sweater just kept eating the yarn . I ended up investing in 10 balls. My $40 sweater ate it's way to $100. I wanted to frog this so bad, use the yarn in some kind of mixed yarn afghan, anything but this awful sweater. But I kept remembering my niece was expecting this. When the body and one sleeve was done we had our first fitting. The sleeves seem kind long and skinny. She was not really enthusiastic anymore. Of course, neither was I . So I think maybe I will frog it. But I knit away on to sleeve number two, which I ended up knitting with a size 7 needle instead of an 8 like the rest of the sweater. I want so bad to frog. I mention to my sister my distaste for the sweater and her daughters possible distaste.

THEN my sister tells me, "Oh she doesn't really like sweaters---she gets too hot. But she's so happy you're making it for her." I so wanted to frog it even more now, but forward I went. Knowing I have to rip out the #7 sleeve we have another fitting session. My niece, now six, comes clean and claims she might wear it more if I shorten the sleeves to just above her elbow. (which now free up at least a ball and a half that can't be returned). The Hungry Pink Sweater sat in my knitting basket for another two months...the yarn really might be cute in a blanket. I finally forced myelf to finish it, stuck it as fast as I could in the mail (she lives a mile away, but was thrilled to get a package) and made my sister swear she would tell no one that I made this sweater and it will be returned to me after my niece outgrows it, at which time I will promptly frog it (if it's not snagged to hell) and turn it into a pretty blanket.

I used the same same pattern, but different yarn for my nephew. I'm just now seaming the hoodie and making the i-cord.. I'll post a picture soon. It's a great sweater! It's all in the yarn!