martinimade

actual knitting content

The city swimming lessons started today, which means that the Diva is occupied for 90+ minutes ( 30 in the pool, 60 on the tennis court) each weekday morning. Bliss, I tell you.

Rather than walk back home, I've been taking my iPod and my knitting with me. So far, I've done about 3 inches of ribbing on a sock:

The yarn in Blue Moon Socks that Rock in Corbie (I think.) I'll check next time we're in the same room.

ETA: I was wrong. It's Korppi.

I should have a pair by the time lessons are done at the end of the month. Maybe. Although now that I've written that, I've pretty much cursed myself.

Also, I'm working on a sekrit project. I can show you this much:

How's your summer knitting going?

actual knitting content with actual buttons on actual sweater

I finally sewed the buttons on.

I could not be more pleased.

Tangled yoke, in repose:

The buttons are from The Ram's Horn Studio. There was a weird snafu when I ordered more of 'em -- I'd already bought five at Rhinebeck a few years ago -- and they tossed in an extra card o' buttons just because. Which was just sweet.

it's a good thing I got this done. Maddy's last day of school was today. That sigh you heard was a district's worth of parents resigning themselves to hearing, "I'm soooooooo bored" for the next 10 weeks. Woo.

Hope I get a chance to finish this, tho:

actual knitting content, buttons and frogs

What do you think about this combo?

I'd initially bought these pewter thistle buttons at Rhinebeck a few years ago for another project. Said other project is still in the time out closet and really won't mind my repurposing its buttons. And if it does mind, well, serves it right for being such a pain in the heiner that I can't stand the thought of finishing it.

I have ordered four more of these, tho, since I only have five and need nine.

I'm still a little bit on the fence. Thoughts?

In other news, this arrived today:

My FIL got a Grow-a-Toad for M at Christmas time. It's finally warm enough here to safely ship a tadpole without turning it into a babyfrogsicle. Right now, the 'pole is living in the bathroom with the door shut because Barney can't resist it. You'd think we'd smeared the box with butter and catnip.

actual knitting content, the tangled yoke

Before anything else, knittas should read this. Heh, I say. And heh again.

While it's not a nine-dimensional hypercardigan, the Tangled Yoke, she is almost done.

FWIW, I arsed up one half of the cable pattern.  Given that it doesn't seem to bother me,*  I am done with the knitting portion of this project.

All that remains are buttons. My button stash, such as it is, is packed for the duration. I'm fairly certain that I won't find enough appropriate buttons in the bottle, however, and will have to go on a shopping expedition, which is more than my feeble brain can cope with right now. So buttons (and a finished-finished picture) will have to wait.

Oh -- and my unique closures for the blocking process?

The needles I used to knit the thing, pressed into action because my pins are also in a box.

Speaking of hacks, anyone have an idea for homemade yarn bobbins? I'm going to need some soon for a sekrit baby project but mine are, you guessed it, in a box. Feh.

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*Usually, this is the sort of thing that would drive me to freakishly intense distraction. For this project, tho, I seem to be cool with it. Weird.

actual knitting content, with bacteria and cat

It is perfectly normal to spend your morning arranging a 3/4s knitted sweater on a picturesque tree stump in your backyard, right? How about when it's already 70 degrees at 9 a.m.?

I just attached the sleeves* and am about four rows into the yoke. A quick knit, I must say so myself. Which I probably shouldn't have said because it will now go horribly wrong.

I also made yogurt on Saturday.

I used this story from the City Paper as a jumping off point (and their picture is much better than mine.) Fankhauser's Cheese Page is a great resource. I mostly used his recipe but cut it in half. I also called Doula K's husband (also a K, an economist, hereby known as "Dismal K," unless he informs me otherwise.) Plus, I've been gleaning various yogurty tidbits from various bloggers. So I went in with some idea, one just slightly more baked than usual.

The result is good -- I'd like a bit more tang and will work on that because there are sure to be more batches in my future. The texture is runnier than the commercial stuff but not in a displeasing way. I've been eating it with a dollop or three of local Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup. When the season permits, I'll move on to apple butter, fruit, etc.

In other news, the weather went from 37 (3 C) on Thursday to 88 (31 C) on Saturday. Which is enough to make one's head spin (and sweat, natch) because it was such a rapid shift. Upstaters don't do well with 88 degrees anyway -- but do even less well when its in April and we haven't even put our wool sweaters away yet. The trees haven't leafed out yet either, which means there's almost no shade. It'll shift again, I know. But today should be in the 90s. Woo.

Barney, however, is taking advantage.

Just out of frame is a squirrel that is about to hand Barney's ass to him. Like most teenagers, our cat B is all talk with little effective action.

* one of which I had to do a couple of times because I am not spacial. Special, yes. Spacial, no.

what I did on Sunday

First - two kid-related things:

-- The Diva made it home safely, if exhausted and (I swear) a foot taller. She also desperately needs a haircut. The trip was a blast, it appears. Re-entry has had its challenges -- like, what do you mean I can't stay up until 10 p.m.? -- but we are inching back to normality. Whatever that means.

-- The Dude, for reasons known only to him, decided to strip off all of his clothes this morning and watch Spongebob au naturale. Why? I don't want to even speculate. I'm just glad he didn't pee on the couch.

So, on Sunday, the TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association) held a Stitch 'n' Pitch Day at the Baseball Hall of Fame, just up the road from me in Cooperstown.

The idea behind this event was to teach willing baseball lovers either how to crochet or needlepoint. Simple projects were on hand. Lots of kids were thrilled to give it a whirl. Most of them had a moment where their hands suddenly got it, which was great to see. One of the kids I taught, a 3rd grader, didn't want to stop needlepointing her bookmark and had to be bribed with the promise that she could have it back in the car during the ride home.

Some adults gave needlework a whirl as well. Dads seemed to stick with needlepoint; I suspect there's a Rosey Greer thing going on.

Libby and Barbara -- the TNNA folk who could not have been more pleasant and organized -- hope to make this an annual event. I'll be there.

actual knitted content, the patch

I decided to rethink my plan for patching the elbow hole in my beloved gray sweater. Rather than make the koigu work, I re-dove into my box of odds and ends, pulling out all of the yarns that I thought would felt. Then I knitted a rectangle out of two of them.

The top half is Noro Kureyon; the bottom half is Malabrigo worsted. Colors unknown because the labels have been stolen by gnomes to line their nests. Or something like that.

I chucked the whole thing in a pillowcase, which I then chucked in the washer. Then I cut patches, sewing one from the inside out and the other from the outside in. Why? No idea. Just feeling kicky.

I'm not sure I'm in love with the end result -- but this is a sweater I only wear around the house anyway, so I'm not too worked up about making it better. Honestly, I just would like my elbows to be as warm as the rest of me. On that level, it's a win.

Also a win is this picture by Maddy:

The flying carpet is my favorite bit.

Also a win is this gift from the Hub:

If you need me, I'll be in my bunk.

actual knitting content, reuse and mend

Before the actual knitting content, this picture of me taken by the Boy last night.

Amazing how using the macro setting in a non-macro situation can capture my j'ne se-quo, no? That kid has a future in photography.

Anyhoo. This is the hole in the elbow of my beloved gray sweater and a ball of Koigu sock yarn in a colorway I've long loved.

The Koigu won't felt, which scuppers my plan to knit an extra large patch that I'd felt down and cut to fit. I'm pondering picking up around the edges of the hole and knitting to fit.

Thoughts?

While I was outside snapping pictures of my sweater draped artfully across the deck (this is perfectly normal, btw), Barney decided to come have a bask, too.

We will enjoy this sun while it lasts. Tomorrow we'll be back to the cold wet.

actual knitting content, autumn leaves

I spent most of the morning hoping that the light would improve so that these pictures looked OK. My hope was in vain. In fact, it was snowing a little bit ago. Love March. Love. It. *

I've made it this far -- ballpoint pen provided for scale -- on Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke Cardigan. Love this pattern. Love. It.**

I love the faux seam, which is just a reverse stockinette stitch. I love the waist shaping. I also love the ribbing.

What's starting to get to me is all of the stockinette -- but I have to admit that it is perfect for TV watching. And extra special perfect for guilty pleasure TV watching like RuPaul's Drag Race.

I know.

I'm just about to stop on the body to start the sleeves. I'm probably going to make them a few inches longer, just because I have freakishly long arms. I'll keep you posted.

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* I don't. That was sarcasm.

** I do. This isn't sarcasm.

actual knitting content, two skeins of Noro sock

What do you do when you fall in love with a sock yarn but really aren't in the mood to knit socks? You make a stole.

This was my carry-along project during most of the winter. It's been done for a few weeks but I had to wait for a decent day to block it. And by decent, I mean above freezing. Don't let the sunshine fool you.

The inspiration came from Knit Drink Tink via ravelry. I only made one real mod, which was to add beads.

The wrap wanted some weight at the ends and beads seemed like a better choice than barbells.

The full length shot:

To be honest, I don't know what I'm going to do with this, simply because I knit it just to knit it. I am not a big wearer-of-shawls. Still. It's pretty, if I do say so myself. Which I do.