Rin's Twisted Knits

New Socks!

2006-05-09T14:36:00.000-04:00

I received my Sockapaloooza socks yesterday... and then promptly left my pal's contact info on my kitchen table when I left this morning. I'm also waiting for the sun to re-visit central Virginia before I take a picture, but hopefully I'll have an update with photo by tomorrow.

Sockapaloooza Done!

2006-05-01T08:50:00.001-04:00

I finished my Sockapaloooza socks on Saturday night. Woo hoo! :) I've decided to rename them my "Palindrome Rib" socks. I cast on 88 stitches on size 0 needles, and did a "K8, P2, K2, P2, K8" pattern around the leg and on the top of the foot. The ribbing pattern makes for some nice stretch, and adds a bit of texture to the socks. The yarn was fun to work with (for reasons I mentioned in my previous Socka post), so it didn't get too monotonous as I was finishing up sock #2. I'll be mailing these out to my pal tomorrow afternoon at lunch.

Sockapaloooza Done!

2006-05-01T08:50:00.000-04:00

DONE!

2006-04-11T09:53:00.000-04:00

I finally, finally, finally! finished my Olympic Knitting project, after exactly 2 months. Whew!

The front:

The back:

Another view of the back:

I haven't blocked it yet (which I know was part of the official Olympic Knitting rules), but I'm not sure if I'm going to. I'd be happy with added length (it comes to about mid-thigh now), but I don't want to risk widening the sleeves at all, as they're already pretty big.

So do I love it? No, not really. The knitting got pretty tedious at the end, and the 10+ hours of weaving in ends and seaming didn't really help. The sleeves are a bit too long, so I might mess around with the cuffs a bit to prevent bagging, and the jacket has a bit too much ease and not quite enough definition, so it doesn't look quite right if I try to wrap it around me. The whole thing just has a bit more bulk than I had anticipated.

Am I completely dissatisfied? No. I did enjoy participating in the Knitting Olympics, and having a fixed goal while I watched the Games. I'm also really happy that I finally did something with the kit I purchased so many years ago. I have quite a bit of yarn left over - probably enough for one of the vests in Vivian Hoxbro's "Shadow Knitting," which would be a smaller project and one where it would probably be easier to control the size.

Overall, I'm really glad to be done, and I'm proud of myself for sticking with this project and finishing it up, even if I was way outside my original timeframe. Even if rarely wear this jacket, or land up giving it away, I certainly won't regret knitting it.

SockapalOOOza

2006-04-11T09:49:00.000-04:00

Finally, a long overdue Sockapaloooza update.

I've finished my pal's first sock:

This is the "old-school" Opal yarn, bought when the line first came to the US, and there weren't even set colorways yet. I bought it sight unseen, and it somehow managed to linger in my stash for several years. My sock pal was pretty vague with her preferences and foot measurements, so I decided to go with a variegated yarn and a simple ribbed pattern. Although I'm not completely in love with the yarn (which makes it easier to give away, I guess), I have had fun knitting these socks, since the old Opal yarns always have a few sections where the colors get a little funky, as you can see in the random green section just above the heel.

On to sock #2!

On to Beijing!

2006-02-27T09:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I definitely didn't win a gold medal at these Knitting Olympics. As of the closing ceremonies yesterday, I had completed the left half of the jacket and the right sleeve. I plan to take my time finishing it off, and to intersperse it with some other projects over the next 2 weeks or so.

The Rainbow Jacket was definitely a fun project, and I'm glad I started it - I had had the kit for 4 years and never really got anywhere with it. However, it definitely wasn't the best choice for me. I'm not a terribly fast knitter, and this project had far too much volume for someone like me. It also gets terribly monotonous once you finish the first sleeve, so it was (and still is!) hard to stay interested and motivated.

Overall, though, this was definitely a positive experience. I had fun watching other knitters' progress, and watching some exciting sports on TV. When I finish, I'll have a neat looking jacket to brighten up my wardrobe, and enough yarn left over for another, smaller project. This experience also helped me learn that my eyes are definitely bigger than my fingers, and that I should try to get a better sense of the volume involved in a project before committing to a deadline (though I do love the sound deadlines make as they fly by!).

Pictures tomorrow, and updates as I continue along towards the belated end.

Today's Photo

2006-02-23T08:33:00.000-05:00

Olympic Knitting progress as of this morning. Sorry for the dark photo, but there isn't much natural light in my living room at 7:00 am. :)

At this point, I'm 10 rows shy of completing this half of the jacket. I had hoped to power through and finish last night, but I was just too tired. So, today I will knit these last few rows, and then start on the second half of the jacket.

Obviously, I have no hope of completing this by Sunday afternoon. I've decided that I'll keep going until then, and then take a break from this project for a few days. I'm enjoying it, but the knitting is pretty monotonous and the yarn can be a bit frustrating at times. I calculated last night that there are about 60,000 stitches in each half of this jacket, and it'll take me about 50 hours to complete each half. This is definitely the biggest knitting projected I've ever taken on, and I'll be glad when it's finally complete. I think my overall goal is to be done by March 15th so it'll be available to wear as the weather gets warmer.

Photo Update II

2006-02-23T08:24:00.000-05:00

More Olympic Knitting photos:

Day 6 progress, cruising toward the collar.

Day 7, with another full color section done.

Day 9 (no day 8 photo, sorry). In this picture you can see the effects of the shadow technique quite nicely.

Day 10 - I've divided to knit the collar, and am now working on the front half.

Day 11 - just a few rows shy of casting off the front half.

Day 12 - I've finished the front half, and have moved on to completing the back.

Photo Update

2006-02-16T10:47:00.000-05:00

Finally, some photos of my Olympic Knitting progress.

End of Day One:

Cuff, and one color band done.

End of Day Two:

First set of sleeve increases done.

End of Day Three:

Second set of sleeve increases done, and body increases done.

End of Day Five (yup, no Day Four photo, sorry):

Continuing with the body; first color band done, second color band in progress.

The Day Five photo is where I was before I started knitting last night; I'll post a pic of last night's progress tomorrow or over the weekend.

At this point it seems pretty clear to me that I have no hope of finishing on time; I estimate that it'll take me between 5 and 7 days to finish the left half of the jacket (it takes about an hour to knit each 4-row repeat, there are 5 repeats per color band, and I have 5 1/2 bands to go), and then there's still the right half. I am not a fast knitter.

Oh, and sorry for the crappy photos. This thing is almost impossible to photograph well.

Olympic Update

2006-02-13T10:24:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm chugging along on my Rainbow Jacket. I plan to post pictures of my progress when I get home this evening. So far, I've completed the left sleeve and body increases, and I'm a few rows into the body of the jacket. This is where the long haul starts, with over 150 320-stitch rows to complete the half.

As much as I'm enjoying this project (and I'll be glad to finally complete the kit I bought 4 years ago), I'm wishing a little that I had picked a more technically challenging project, not one that was simple but with a large volume. More Process than Product, I guess. However, I'm absolutely going to keep going, and will just try to get as far as I can before the closing ceremonies.

My First Button

2006-01-26T15:46:00.000-05:00

I made my very first button today - for any Virginians participating in the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics. It's over on my sidebar if anyone's interested. :)

(I know it's a little cruddy, but it's my first button. Be nice.)

Olympic Knitting

2006-01-18T16:48:00.000-05:00

Well, it's taking nothing short of the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics to get me to blog again. :)

I'll be knitting Vivian Hoxbro's Rainbow Jacket. I bought the kit about 4 years ago, and have started it twice only to have to frog everything. I'm hoping the Olympic spirit and the Knitting Goddess will smile favorably upon me. I also think that I'm nuts to try and knit this whole jacket in 16 days.

Hmm... this may call for a trip to the LYS for more needles....

45% Yankee

2005-10-31T14:37:00.000-05:00

Your Linguistic Profile:

45% Yankee

35% General American English

10% Dixie

10% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

The Joys of New England

2005-10-28T14:29:00.000-04:00

Although I now live in Virginia, I grew up just north of Boston. Most of these things bring back fond memories... :)

(Copied from here)

Forget Rednecks...here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about New
Englanders:

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36
inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping it will swim by, you
might live in New England.

If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights each
year because Mt. Washington is the coldest spot in the nation, and
Boston gets more snow than any other majority in the US, you live in New
England.

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you
live in New England.

If you instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the
year, you live in New England.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't
work there, you live in New England.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in New
England.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed
a wrong number, you live in New England.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A NEW ENGLANDER WHEN:

"Vacation" means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend.

You measure distance in hours.

You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

You have switched from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day, and back again.

You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard
without flinching.

You install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both
unlocked.

You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how
to use them.

You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with
snow.

You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road
construction.

Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your
blue spruce.

"Down South" to you means Philadelphia.

Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new shed.

Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

You find 10 degrees "a little chilly."

You actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your New
England friends.

My Heater is Psychic

2005-10-25T16:32:00.000-04:00

I was lying in bed the other night, reading a book, when I suddenly thought to myself “it’s getting a bit chilly in here; it’d be nice if the heat kicked on soon.” No sooner does the thought leave my brain than WOOSH! the heat kicks on. Warm(er) air begins blowing throughout the house.

Not that that made a difference, since I have only a piddly little vent in the floor of the opposite corner of my bedroom, but I took the fact that it even turned on at all as progress. Progress toward what, I’m not sure, but progress just the same.

Socks!

2005-10-04T19:50:00.000-04:00

I received my Sockapal2za socks over the weekend (so apologies for the delayed posting).

My pal, Kristel, is in Finland, and she sent me a lovely postcard, and some yummy Finnish chocolate (yes, the wrapper was empty even as I took this picture). The socks themselves are wonderful - they fit perfectly, and are a lovely lace pattern (from Socks, Socks, Socks). I don't have any other socks this color in my wardrobe, so they're a perfect addition. Thanks, Kristel!

Thank you to everyone for the kind comments on the Sockapal2za socks I knitted. I didn't realize my dyeing venture was so brave - I'm even more relieved that it turned out well. My pal, Silke, also left a comment to let me know that she's received the socks. I'm glad to know that they made the long trek safely.

Have a great week, everyone!

Knitting tomorrow...

2005-09-30T13:29:00.000-04:00

... but today, something I found something else to post:

Another type of MEME
1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, liposuction and air conditioning.

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans...
---
Re-post this if you believe in legalizing gay marriage

One Sock, Two Socks...

2005-09-12T21:41:00.000-04:00

White Sock...

Blue sock?

My sockapal2za socks are finally done, just a week short of the deadline. Since I ran out of yarn on both socks and had to use a different dyelot to finish (not to mention that the dyelot I started both socks with didn't seem to match, either), I decided to dye these socks after finishing them. I used 1 packet of Rit dye in "Navy Blue," though I either didn't leave them in long enough, or navy and cream makes indigo on someone's colorwheel. Either way, I love the color they turned out, and am really pleased with them overall. They went out in the mail today, Global Priority, to someone in Europe.

Summary: Unst socks from Nancy Bush's "Knitting on the Road." I cast on 90 stitches, adding an extra purl stitch after each 14-stitch pattern repeat, using Paton's Kroy in color 461 ("white" but really cream), eventually dyed using Rit in "Navy Blue." For the foot, I chose to switch to a ribbed pattern that mimicked the columns and arches of the lace and the purled columns I added. Started 7/9/05, finished 9/7/05.

New Orleans

2005-09-02T10:56:00.000-04:00

If you've got a few minutes, read this article.

Then read this one.

Am I missing something? If the president insists that we, as a country, can take care of ourselves... then why aren't we taking care of ourselves? Why are we turning down money and aid that we obviously need... since we just finished stripping that money and aid away from the place that is now a disaster area - away from the very thing that might have lessened the extent of this disaster? Can someone explain this to me in a rational way that doesn't involve the words "Iraq," "oil," or "war"? ('Cause I don't think Iraqi elections are a real comfort to the inhabitants of the Superdome at the moment...)

Donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Sockapal2za...

2005-08-28T15:04:00.000-04:00

Finally, photographic proof that I've been working on my Sockapal2za socks:

I'm using the "Unst" pattern from Knitting on the Road, in Patons Kroy. Unfortunately, I grossly underestimated how much yarn I would need for these socks - I made the leg shorter, thinking that would accomodate the fewer yards in the skeins of Kroy, but it totally didn't work - so I had to stop the first sock about an inch short of the toe while I waited for a rescuer from the Knitlist to send me a ball of Kroy out of their stash. The colors don't really match up, so I think I'm going to dye these after they've finished. Or, in an insane stroke of luck, the second skein will mysteriously have an extra 50 yards of yarn, and I'll be able to finish both socks from the same dyelot. Uh huh.

One of my coworkers is having a baby in a few weeks, so we had a shower for her in the office about 2 weeks ago. I used it as a good opportunity to knit up some fun, quick baby clothes:

(All together now... "Awww.")

I used Lion Brand MicroSpun, since it came in some great kiddie colors, and it was machine washable [I absolutely detest it for it's insane tendency to split all the time, but at least baby clothes are small projects]. The pattern for the jacket is in the Summer '05 Interweave Knits. The hat is just a smaller adaptation of any basic ribbed hat pattern. I plan to make one more set of these for a friend of Andrew's, who is also expecting a child in September.

This is one damn slow knitter, signing off... :)

Uhh... Excuse Me?

2005-08-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

Could someone please tell me where July went? And, while you're at it, could you look into the disappearance of those first two weeks of August? I think someone stole them from me, and I'd really like to have them back.

Thank you.

You Can Lead a Blogger to a Computer...

2005-07-26T10:23:00.000-04:00

... but you can't make them blog.

After seeing Alison's massive Sockapal2za update today, I realized it was high time I got off my lazy ass and updated my blog. Or some proverbial equivalent to that, since I am, in fact, still sitting on my lazy ass.

Anyhoo... yes I was driven to blog by the fear that in another week or two, I'd have my own special section on Alison's Knit-a-long-Tuesday update. "Here we have links to 349 Sockapal2za pals and their beautiful socks. And here we have a link to Cathy, the SockapalSlacker who hasn't updated her blog in a month-and-a-half."

Yes, I fear public humiliation.

Okay, so I don't really think anyone would ever do that (certainly not a friendly person like Alison who really doesn't know me from a hole in the wall), but in my own defense, I have, in fact, started my Sockapal2za socks.

Not that I have a picture of them or anything, 'cause that would make just too much sense.

What I do have is a picture of my first Vine Lace sock:

I have not yet started #2, but since these will probably be a birthday present for my mum, I've got a bit of time (famous last words).

Even better, my LL Fresh Stripe socks, fully completed:

I mailed these off to Val about 2 weeks ago, only missing her birthday by about 2 months. (Yeah, I'm a great friend.) She called me up, while laying on her kitchen floor, to let me know that she had gotten them and that they fit perfectly. And also that she'd had a few beers with friends earlier that evening. It was probably the most entertaining voicemail I've ever gotten. Which reminds me... I had meant to call Courtney and Val a few days after that to make sure they had survived that hurricane or whatever natural disaster had struck Georgia. Oops. Well, no news is good news... right?

Uhh... excuse me... I need to go catch up on my phonecalls....

Harry Potter and the Old-School Scarf

2005-07-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

Weed Trees

2005-06-19T16:15:00.000-04:00

Clearly, Andrew and I have slacked off on weeding our garden recently:

No, that's not a huge stalk of basil. We've had a lot of sunny weather and a lot of rain over the last few weeks, so that monster pretty much sprang up over about a 2-week period. I wish my herbs would grow that fast. (Those are marigolds in the foreground.)

Of course, this is what the garden area looked like when we moved in:

Apparently the folks who lived here before us disliked weeding even more than we do.

Knitting progress has been slow this last week. I've been re-reading all the Harry Potter books before #6 comes out next month, so most of my spare time this week was engaged in the Order of the Phoenix. I think that's my favorite HP book so far. I did, though, manage to finish the first Fresh Stripe sock:

I haven't started #2 yet, as I'm trying to re-focus on the Georgetown vine lace sock I started earlier. I may be a sock whore, but I can't handle having so many pairs going at once for too long.

Oh, and a brief movie plug: Andrew and I say Batman Begins on Thursday night, and it was awesome, as both a Batman movie and as a movie in general. If you're at all a fan of the Batman series (comics or movies) I highly recommend this one.
I also saw Mr. & Mrs. Smith yesterday. I think the best way to describe it would be "fun." Not much really happened, and the whole concept was fairly implausible, but overall it was some exciting and funny mindless fun. Nothin' wrong with that on a Saturday afternoon. :) I also recommend this one if you're a fan of either Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt. It's definitely worth it for the eye candy.

Sock Whore

2005-06-12T20:46:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm a sock whore, and no, I'm not ashamed to admit it. (I do apologize for the lousy sock whore photos, though.)

LL Georgetown in the Vine Lace pattern from Socks, Socks, Socks. The lace pattern is very simple and easy to memorize, but since it comes in a 4-row repeat, it's also very easy to put down. :)

LL Fresh Stripe, all knit, all the time. I actually think I may have made these a bit too small, so I'll probably give them away. I'd love to keep them for myself, but I've already got quite a bit of blue and purple in my sock wardrobe, so they won't be sorely missed. I'm sure they'll be well loved on another's foot, though.

Finally, my computer sock. I play Settlers of Catan for a few hours during the week, and this gives me something to work on between turns. This is, of course, just a temporary solution until I can reinstall Civ III on my computer. World domination, anyone? (Andrew and I are currently sharing my computer since his died a few months ago, so I'm low on space. Pity.)

As a side note, I find it particularly funny that I received, by far, my largest number of comments when I displayed my overindulgence in LL sock yarn. I'm glad to know I'm not the only knitter/blogger out there who begins to salivate at the sight of someone else's yarn binge. ;)

I'm off to watch Family Guy. Have a good week, everyone!

(P.S. Any bets on what kind of weird hits I get this week after saying "whore" three times in this post?)