Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Christmas is coming

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I've decided to make my "baby" brother (he's twenty today!!!) a pair of socks for Christmas. He is serving as a missionary in Hungary right now, so I think I'll need to send them out sometime around the first or second week of November. That means I'd better get started!

I think I'm going to base the socks on Thuja, meaning that I'm going to use the K3, P1, knit every other round pattern. I'm doing them toe-up (I LOVE Judy's Magic Cast On--I don't even have to look it up anymore!) and I think I might try a new heel of some kind or other. I don't want to do a short-row heel. I'd like to try the Eye of Partridge heel that I've seen around, but I'm not sure that you can do it with a toe-up sock. I'll look a little more into that when I get to that point.

I'm still working on the Tangled Yoke Cardigan. It hasn't seen as much attention lately, as I've been researching sock patterns for my brother. I have about 25 more rows before I break the yarn and start working on the sleeves.

No pictures today of TYC--I haven't taken any since I finished up the garter-ribbing portion.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

I can't stop!

I'm reading a book called "Majoor Frans." It was written by a Dutch woman named A.L.G. Bosboom-Toussaint in the late 1800's. It's about a very poor young nobleman who is suddenly informed that the will of a distant relative has named him sole heir to her estate--on the condition that he marry one of her nieces. However, the girl (Francis) is said to be rude and rough. She's been raised by her grandfather, a General, allowed do do whatever she wanted, and her wild ways have earned her the nickname "Major Frank." She hates men in general and has sworn never to marry. But when he meets her, he finds out the real story of her life, falls in love with her, and is sincerely trying to win her love. It's kind of a combination of "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Wuthering Heights" or "Jane Eyre" (can you imagine that combination?!?) It's *REALLY GOOD* and I highly recommend it. I can't put the book down. And that makes for lots of knitting time.

I'm getting much better at knitting and reading at the same time. Especially now that I'm working on the plain stockinette part of the Tangled Yoke Cardigan I've been making. I really like the pattern so far. It's fairly simple--all one piece to which I'll add sleeves later and then work the yoke. I love the "no seaming" idea! I've never done a round-yoke sweater before. I like how the Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool is knitting up. It is soft and drapes nicely. I think I'm really going to like the finished sweater. I'm probably two or three inches farther along than this picture shows.

Tangled Yoke Detail

School starts this coming Monday. I had to make a last-minute change to my schedule but I think I've got everything in order now. I'd better learn some self-discipline soon--either that or finish Majoor Frans before homework sets in!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Big Thanks!

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Look what came in the mail for me on Friday! A Sockapalooza 4 package that included a fantastic pair of socks, a beautiful card, and a mini-sock blocker with instructions on how to make socks to fit it.

They came from Debra. Thank you so much! The socks fit perfectly and are very comfortable and I've worn them around the house all weekend. I immediately put the blocker key chain on my purse and it's fabulous. Maybe this next week I'll make a sock for it.

The color in the photo above isn't really accurate. The socks have a lot more red in the purple than you can see here.

Thanks again, Debra! I love my new socks!

Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire Answers

Sorry that this is late!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I prefer mostly natural fibers, although acryllic does have its place. It's not a big place in my life, but my first three sweaters (I'm on my 5th) were acryllic. I still wear one of them.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Nothing really, at the moment. I made a roll to hold my DPN's and I think they're actually in there right now. The circs are hanging off my lamp because I haven't found a nice way to store them yet.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting for about 17 years or so (gosh, that sounds SO LONG!) I didn't do much with it for a long time, and have only been serious about it for the past two or three years. I think I would say I'm an advanced knitter. There are a lot of things that I haven't tried yet and a lot of things I don't really know how to do, but I'm not afraid to try.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I do, right here.

5. What's your favorite scent? I like the smell of cinnamon and other spices, as well as Citrusy smells.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Heavens yes! My favorite candy is Reese's Peanut Butter cups .

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I'm a spinner--I bought my wheel in February. I used to cross stitch a long time ago, but I haven't done that for years. Not since I started knitting again.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) My computer does play MP3's. I LOVE world music in different languages, whether I understand them or not. I also listen to a lot of classical and instrumental music, and I love Disney cartoon soundtracks.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I think my favorite colors are darker reds like wine and burgundy. I like any flavor of purple. I like chocolate brown and pink and chocolate brown and light blue. I'm not really a big fan of olive greens and yellows, although I like the brighter colors. Now, having said that, I'm in the middle of knitting a cardigan in an olive green color. I think it will be pretty and I'll like the end result, but I'd like the process a whole lot more if the yarn were a pretty heathery purple!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have one roommate and 2 cats.


11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes to scarves, hats, mittens, but not ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I've always got a sock in my purse. It comes in handy when there are odd moments with nothing to do but wait for someone or something somewhere. I've done lots of things, sweaters, bags, slippers, lace, hats.

13. What are you knitting right now? A purse-sock, as always. Twisted Yoke Cardigan from Interweave Fall 2007, Mystery Stole 3, and I've got Scheherezade hibernating somewhere.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, please.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer circs for most things, and I like the metal needles. I'd like to get the KnitPicks needles, but I haven't had the money for it yet (espeically since I already own needles in most of the sizes I ues)

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes to both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? I think I've frogged most of the things that I haven't liked, so my oldest UFO is probably the Scheherezade Stole.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Probably the Winter holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's)

19. Is there anything that you collect? Stationary and stickers and pens. Yarn, too, of course.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I think the books I want are all in my Amazon wish list. Someday I'm going to bite the bullet and actually subscribe to InterweaveKnits.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I can't think of any at the moment. I'd like to learn more about the hows and whys of some techniques, like figuring out once and for all which way ssk and k2tog go. I always have to look it up!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I'm definitely a sock knitter. I wear a US 7 shoe; my foot is 9 inches long and 9 inches around at the ball.

23. When is your birthday? December 3

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Yes, you can find me as Prinsessje. (That's Dutch for "Little Princess"