More housekeeping

I am so exciting. More housekeeping on the blog, because cleaning and organizing is all I want to do lately. I even spent a good chunk of time a few nights ago organizing the photos on my computer.

I need a life.

But, instead of a life, I have lots of knitting, and that's good enough for me! I have rewritten the Cabled Goodness Beret pattern, and also put that up as a free Ravelry download.*

Boy that pattern needed a lot of work! It was the first pattern I had ever written, but it was sloppy, and confusing. And yet people have knit it. I feel sorry for them!

I am much happier with it now that I spent the night tweaking, rewriting, and formatting. I'm sure there is still a mistake or two, but not such glaring ones as "Continue decreasing at each marker EOR until X stitches remain", which I kid you not, I somehow missed in the first draft of the pattern. Bad knitter! no cookie!

That's really all here. Surprisingly, I haven't had the urge to knit. The weather in London has been beautiful, and I've been spending my days running, reading, and feeding ducks. And, actually, finally doing some writing. Hopefully I'll soon have some knitting to report, but for now I am more than content to plop down with a good book, and some music.

The Ravelry download is here if you want to see the fruit of my housekeeping labours, and for those of you in the Midwest, please do stay warm. The weather reports look dreadful!



*Again, I am really sorry to the people who aren't on Ravelry yet. I am more than happy to email you the oh so purty PDF if you'd like! Just email me at c.b.herzog@gmail.com, or leave a note in the comments.

"In Clover" Cabled Mitts

I put up a new pattern on Ravelry last night, a pair of cabled handwarmers that I'd been working on. They were a quick knit, with the leftover Sirdar Denim from my cabled tunic. (Hmm, cables and denim. I'm sensing a theme.) I quite love these little mitts, and am currently torn as to whether to keep them, or send to a friend who I promised handwarmers a while ago.

These mitts have 7 cables starting at the wrist that are staggered, like steps. Each cable is a bit longer, until a graceful triangle of cables is made. The edge is finished with a row of small, delicate twists and a double crochet bind off. Overall quite simple, but very lovely.

I know many people think the idea of handwarmers, armwarmers, and fingerless gloves in general is quite stupid, and I can see where they're coming from. But I am a person who gets cold a lot. I am also a person who loves to spend time outside, and hates having to take off gloves to answer the phone, open my wallet, etc.

This is why I've had a long love affair with fingerless gloves of all sorts. That, and I think they look cool! And once again, the Sirdar Denim is awesome to work with. I love the color so much! And the weight of the yarn is perfect for a little project like this!

There's not much more to say about a little project like this, but yet it is these little projects and quick knits that I really enjoy. Hats, scarves, mittens, handwarmers, you name it. Call me accessory girl.

• Unlike the sweater, I used size 5 dpns. It's a little bit firmer fabric, which I liked for this project.
• Like I said, this was a great stashbuster. I used just one leftover ball of the Sirdar Denim, and I'd venture to guess it was about 50 grams. Not much yarn at all!
  
• If I were to knit them again, I might make the thumb gusset a bit smaller. It fits well, but if it stretches, I'll have some cold thumbs and some baggy gussets!

Please do go check out the pattern on Ravelry! I'm loving the free PDF downloads as it gives those of us who are less than technologically brilliant a chance to share our work.

Oh, and the name? Well, I'd wanted to call these little beauties "Cozy Cabled Mitts", but a quick search on Ravelry told me I wasn't the first to think that was a cute name. I ended up going for "In Clover" because of the beautiful, cozy images it conjures, of springtime, happiness, plenty, and of overall comfort! I wish I were lying in some clover now! And of course, if you happen to find that four leafed clover, you'll be even luckier.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Phew! Two posts in one day? I really have been a busy little bee today. It's exhausting.

Yesterday, I went to a cute little Organic cafe in Greenwich, and wrote and read for several hours, and after that went to see Sweeney Todd. And what made the evening even better was that I was able to wear my finished tunic/sweater! Definitely loving this FO.

It still needs to be washed, so that it can shrink a bit. (The Sirdar denim is supposed to shrink about 10% when washed). I'm contemplating throwing it in the washing machine tomorrow,but the thought of all those beautiful cables and delicate picot edging getting abused in a front load washer makes me cringe!

How long did this take me? Maybe 4 or 5 days? It was incredibly quick, especially considering how long it turned out, and how many cables there are! But when you think about it, it's a simple shape, simple cables, and minimum shaping.

I've really been returning to a "less is more" mindset lately, and I think it's not only reflected in my life, but in my knitting as well. I want to knit small, simple things, and give them to people. It's been the process that I enjoy: I've spent the last few days simply lost in my knitting. I'll put on music and pick on my needles, and two hours later look down to see how much time has flown by. It's a nice feeling to have, and I am glad to have reclaimed it. I find simplicity so easy to lose these days, whether in my knitting, or my life.

You have to promise me you'll ignore the wacky look on my tired face, or my crazy hair, and just focus on the knitting! Promise?

Okay. Specs for the project...

• I think it took about 7 balls of Sirdar Indigo Pure Cotton Denim DK to finish this baby. It's such a relief to have it all knit up.I can't wait to see how it wears.
• Knit on US size 6 Denise interchangeable needles. I know some people hate them, but I have quite a fondness for them. They're so convenient, especially when one's room is the size of a porthole.
  
• Started as a v-neck top down raglan. The cables start right under the bustline, and continue down the body. I split the tunic after about several inches, and knit the front and back flat for a few more inches.
  
• The sleeves are simple and loose, but each has a cabled inlay on it. Very cute, and quite possibly my favorite part. I'm putting another picture of it up, I love it so much!
  

Now, a question. Please help! What would you call these darling mitts, knit out of the leftover Sirdar Denim? Someone on Craftster had the great idea to call them "Cozy Cabled Mitts" but that name is taken. (A tear has been shed. It was so perfect!)

My creative juices are not flowing today. Any ideas?

Housekeeping

Today has been all about housekeeping in the Flat Le Skeins and Steins, much of it in the virtual sense. (also vacuumed and dusted, so there was some real housekeeping too!)

That's why I am excited to announce that I started moving my two (soon to be three) patterns over to Ravelry, as a free Ravelry PDF download. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, but hadn't gotten around to.

I also rewrote the Slouchy Cabled Beret pattern, and worked out all the kinks, especially around the decreases (hopefully!). The first version was quite sloppy - I'm hoping this one is easier to follow. I also renamed it: now it is the Slouchy Springtime Beret, because the birds are chirping and I'd like spring to hurry up. (See? Photographic evidence of me reworking the pattern!)

So by all means, pop over to ravelry and check it out! If you aren't on ravelry yet,and still want to knit the "Slouchy Cabled Beret", just email me and I"ll send you the PDF.

P.S. I wore my new sweater (which needs a name!) out to see Sweeney Todd, and had a blast. Not only was the movie amazing, but I felt very chic and fun in my little tunic! I'll post about it later, maybe even tonight!

Rollin', rollin'...rollin' with the sweater

First, my amusing University anecdote, which has little to do with the fact that I am at Uni, but more with the fact that I am at this Uni.

Walking across New Cross Road the other day, (the main road by my flat), I caught the eye of a girl who looked incredibly familiar. So familiar that I nearly stopped in the road, to say hi. I caught myself, thinking "there is no way that is Jane!* I must be going insane.**"

Two days later, I get a facebook message from the aforementioned Jane, along the lines of "Saw you walking across New Cross Rd. yesterday...I'm at Goldsmiths!"

So yah...small world? I think so.

But now to the good stuff, the stuff that knitters dreams are made of. A sweater that behaves, and seems to nearly knit itself. That's what I'm talking about folks! After I frogged the Sirdar denim yarn about a gazillion times I was beginning to lose faith in the whole thing, and beginning to get quite bored of it.

But, (sadly) I do not have the funds to buy more yarn right now, or the room for it, and as I only have 8 more weeks in London, I really don't want to be shipping yarn back to the United States. I'm saving those boxes for more important things, like all the books I have acquired. ***

I let this sweater speak for itself. And I am always amazed at what you can produce when you throw plans out the window and just roll with it! A few increases here, some cables here, and voila! A sweater! I was so thrilled to be producing a fabric with the Sirdar denim that I didn't hate that I didn't really put much thought into the process. I started a top down raglan, and just let 'er rip!

What I ended up was a tunic-length sweater with cables starting right below the bust, and loose 3/4 length sleeves. I really love the detail of the sweater, as simple as it is. The cables are over 4 stitches, so they are quite small, and make the sweater really hug my curves (even the ones I'd like to hide...). It has sort of a Grecian flair to it that I love, and I am excited for Spring to come, because I think the denim will be a lovely spring-time sweater.


The sweater still needs to be blocked, and I want to get some "action shots" for y'all, but I couldn't help but share the loveliness! Even if it does clash like something else against that blanket! ****



*Girl I had European History with in high school...seems like ages ago. Oh,I am getting so old!
** I keep thinking I see people I know. 99.9% of the time I'm completely wrong.
***I may or may not have broken down in Waterstones, and bought "Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake. In my defense, it has his original etched illustrations, and Blake is one of my favorite poets. So there.
***BLATANT ABUSE OF ASTERISKS TODAY! WHEEE!

Denim Deja -Vous

Back in October, when I attended the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace, I snagged an entire bag of Sirdar denim. Since then, it has been a roller coaster ride of lovely blue cotton, and I have yet to reach the end. (Although at certain points, I have been quite naseated and even frightened.)

At first I wanted a regent-style, Austen-esque sweater. (Insert *what was she thinking* here.) After knitting the whoooole thing, I realized a drapy, empire waist sweater in DK weight cotton was actually insanity. I still maintain that it was the English weather that made me pull a King Lear, and no fault of my own.

And, through it all, over the past 3 months, through Saga Sweater and Final Paper, I have wondered what to do. I sucked it up and frogged the Austen disaster a few weeks ago, then swatched and doodled, and generally decided I hated this yarn and wanted to throw it out the window. I started about 3 separate sweaters, and all of them shared the same fate as the first, misguided attempt.

Now though, I think I might be getting somewhere. I scrapped originality, designing, and having a goal. Those were not helping. I cast on for a top-down raglan, and started knitting. Three days later, I have what appears to resemble a sweater. It fits. It's progressing. I hardly know what to do with myself!

This sweater, if it continues to fly off the needles as wonderfully as it has been, will be a wonderful Spring piece. The denim is so nice and casual, but I think the cables add a little bit of flair, just enough to make it not boring. I'm not sure how long it should be, or what to do about the sleeves. That's the beauty of not planning though, ain't it.

Happy knitting everyone. I hope winter isn't being too hard! The weather in London has been so mild I forget what a real Chicago (or Michigan winter) is like. Yesterday my parents didn't have heat, and a friend called saying he had 15 cm of snow at his University. (Times like this, I love London weather!)

Just in case you forgot...

Just in case those of you who have graduated from College/Uni, and moved on to the real world have forgotten what it is like, I have a story.

See, I have a theory that the longer you are out of college, the more you manage to block things out. My mother looks at me in horror when I relate roommate catastrophes, Residential Life snafus, or other gems of college living, even though I am sure she herself experienced similar sagas. I don't think my experience is worse, I think she's just managed to slowly erase all the scaring memories of writing papers at 3 am or the massive amount of Ramen one can consume in just 4 short years, rendering one's self a walking salt cube.

So, let's recap a night or two over at Chez Skeins and Steins (if only there had been more beer, it might have been better.) I promise, there will be knitting at the end.

Wednesday night, around 11 PM. I enter room, fully intending to go to sleep since I have a 9 AM lecture on Modern Literature. I notice my flatmate has some people over.

Wednesday night, 12 AM. They are loud. Oh well, it's early right? I can still get a good 8 hours of sleep.

Wednesday night, 1 AM. I fall asleep. Yay sleep. I have been slightly sleep deprived lately. I suspect I may be either malnourished or developing an iron deficiency, since my cooking is mostly veggies. Too healthy for my own good? Anyways, yay sleep.

Wednesday night. Undetermined time. I suspect around 3 AM. WHAT? A PARTY? I HAVE CLASS.

Wednesday night. Another, later, undetermined time. Still partying. Loudly. Loud music + thin walls = no sleep. Even with ear plugs. I did not want to confront 20+ drunk people about the fact that I could hear their conversations through the walls. I pull the blanket over my head and dread waking up for my lecture.

Wednesday night. Still later. Some guy WALKS INTO MY ROOM. For serious people. Closed door + lights off+ 4 am. What could be in there? Possibly someone sleeping?

Finally, everyone left. I woke up about 3 or 4 hours later and spent the day really, really caffeinated.

So last night?

Thursday night: 12 AM. I go to bed.
Friday morning: 11 AM. I wake up.

Thank goodness the only thing I have to do today is laundry, and go to the gym.

Now, returning to our regularly scheduled knitting content. Lately I have rediscovered a skill I loved as a kid. A skill I seemed to have forgotten. It lay by the wayside, languishing, and I was so excited when I rediscovered it that I started mixing mediums like a mad woman.

That skill? Embroidery. I know it's a simple idea, embroidering one's knitting, but for some reason it never crossed my mind. Until a few days ago, when it sort of paraded across my mind, blowing horns, full fanfare, throwing flowers, and making a generally grand entrance. Embroidery is here to stay.

Exhibit one:

I wanted to knit a duck, since I love ducks. Every time I see them I am overwhelmed with the desire to pick them up and hold them. Sadly, the ducks find this idea not only extremely underwhelmed, but stupid.

Knitting a duck was much easier than trying to convince one to let me pick it up. First step, Google images. I found a suitable duck. Second step, plug it into knitpro to graph it. (The best website ever for those of you who haven't used it. Check it out.) Third step. Knit brown blob.

Step 3 is where it got a little complicated. I wanted to knit a male Mallard duck, but my gauge was too big to really knit fine details without it being a huge pain. I couldn't figure out what colors to use, where to switch, and the thought of fighting with several different strands of yarn on one little square made my head spin. So, I made it brown. And blob like. In the picture above, I started embroidering the head and beak, but you can see how brown and blobby it truly is.

Step 4. Embroider! This part was fun. After a few episodes of Buffy, and lots of chain and feather stitch, may I present you with...
A duck! He still needs eyes, and maybe a little work on his weirdly shaped feet, but overall, I am really quite enamored of this little guy.

The Story of the Squishy Scarf - illiteration 101

In my last post I introduced, albeit briefly, the wonders of the reversible scarf.

What is this scarf, you might be asking yourself. From where did it come from? Who designed it? And, why is it so squooshy you want to bury your face in it,or use it as a pillow, or simple squeeze it repeatedly?

All valid questions my friends.

This scarf came to me via Ravelry, as most wonderful knitted goodness does these days. (I've noticed that most of the blog-sphere is singing the praises of Ravelry, and with good reason. I even told my mother to sign up.) It is a pattern called Palidrome (since it's reversible!) found here. As soon as I saw it, I was in love. More obsessed than Spike in season 5 of Buffy (yes, still watching Buffy) I ran for my yarn drawer, and to my delight, discovered I had two balls of Rowan wool left over from my dad's sweater.



Two days later (and several episodes of Buffy later) I cast off. And then I smooshed my face into...okay not really. But, I do really love this scarf. The reversible cables, cleverly done by working an 8 stitch cable (4 over 4) while maintaining 2x2 rib makes a really thick, soft fabric. The Rowan wool is light and airy, but also incredibly warm. So all in all, this scarf is heavenly. Light, but thick and squishy, and warm enough that, wrapped around my neck, no wind can harm me!

The scarf is also the reason for the slightly delinquent blogging lately. Other than this lovely piece of squooshiness, I haven't been doing much. A little bit of reading here, a little bit of walking around London, but I have little to show. I guess getting back to London killed any motivation I had.

But my squooshy scarf and I are ready to go out into the windy, blustery London weather. Just look at it! (And how grey it is...)

Out with the old, in with the new

Eric and I spent one lovely evening at an amusement park, while I was in Japan. In the dark. And the rain. In case you were wondering, riding a roller coaster in the dark and the rain is terrifying, but riding a ferris wheel is worse. I would not recommend it, unless you like freezing your arse off. But I digress.

While walking to aforementioned crazy Japanese amusement park in the rain, I noticed Eric did not have a scarf. Ludicrous! How does one date a knitter for so long and not even have a scarf? In about three seconds, he was wearing a scarf I had tucked away in my backpack, a lovely green scarf I had knit a long time ago. My only recollection of the yarn is that it was expensive, but logic tells me it may be Manos De Uraguay. My only recollection of the pattern is...well, no actually, it's a very easy pattern. Just your basic multi-directional garter stitch scarf.

That scarf served me well for about two years, but now it has taken up residence in Japan. Eric is "borrowing" it until we get back, but occasionally I get such emails as "I wore your scarf to sleep tonight! It's just so cold in my room, and it was like having a stuffed animal," or, "Wore your scarf today, got so many compliments! It kept me nice and warm." I think borrowed may have turned into given, but that is perfectly okay with me! (Even if he does insist on calling it a muffler.)

The point of all of this is not to bore you to death. No, the point is, I came back from London wondering why I had thought it was a good idea to let my nice, woolly, warm scarf leave me. I came back to London a little shivering ball of coldness. And then I cast on.

I have only two words for this scarf. The first one is squooshy. The second one? Reversible.

Brilliant. (Also, not blue at all in real life. Damn English weather and lack of sunlight.)

Back for real

Phew. What an exhausting three weeks. After Bath-London-Madrid-Venice-Rome, I collapsed into my sweet, sweet bed in London, swearing never to move again.

I have broken my resolve to stay in bed for the next week, only getting up long enough to a) get more food, b) queue more Buffy, or c) get another ball of yarn. I have broken it for you, because I feel pictures of baby Japanese deer must be shared!

So here is (knitting free) recap of my vacation, Japan style. Europe will come soon, but I don't want to drown you in photos. Also, it would take foreeeeever to upload them all. Knitting free because I decided I didn't want to have to deal with security and knitting needles. Also, because in the last two days I have knit approximately 1" of 2x2 ribbing. No one needs to see that. Baby deer are much better.

Day 1.
Can you believe this is where the Atom Bomb fell, years ago? This park, the Peace Park in Hiroshima, is one of the most beautiful, serene, and well, peaceful places I've ever been. The only reminder is the A-bomb dome, peeking up in the middle there. It left me speechless, and an emotional wreck. I think everyone should be required to go to Hiroshima.

Day 2.Tokyo. Big City. Big lights. We ate sushi off a conveyor belt and walked around. It was awesome! But big cities are not my favorite places, and Tokyo is really quite busy. I was glad to leave, although I am glad I got to see it!

Day 3.
We went to an amusement park, where Eric insisted we go into the -30 degrees (Celsius) room. I don't know why. I also don't know why there was a gigantic fake polar bear, but here you go.

Day 4.Kyoto is stunningly beautiful. So is the Golden Pavilion. It was truly breathtaking. The Kyoto landscape made me melt into a little puddle, and I wanted to go roll around in the amazingly green moss. I didn't, but I wanted to. (Ah, what academic, informed commentary on these photos.)

Day 5, AKA Christmas Eve.The town of Nara has some free roaming deer. A lot of deer. Really, really cute and smart deer who prey on the kindness of tourists. I was one of those tourists. I soon fell to their wily ways.
Eric also fell prey to their cuteness. (well, that guy's not so cute, but he had character.)

Ah! Deer in the shrines! Cute cute cute! (that one sort of looks like a Llama, doesn't he?)

Day 6, AKA Christmas. I took way too many pictures of ducks, but I will leave you with just this enduring message.

I have about, oh, 300 more pictures, so if anyone wants to see them, let me know. I didn't want to bore you all to death with the other 50 pictures of the deer, although I don't know why you wouldn't want to see them!

Happy 2008.

I'm Back!

But oh so exhausted and hungry! Now I must jet off to an orientation meeting for an hour.

Just wait my friends, I have pictures of baby deer. Who can resist!