Kitties Love Yarn

I'm taking a break from the sweater (which is coming along nicely, or would be if I could reliably count to 13) to finish a project that's been languishing for years - making a set of tab-top curtain panels for the living room. I'd gotten to the point where all the tabs were sewn up and ready to be attached - and then I just stopped. I have a vague recollection that something about the project was triggering Sewing Neurosis, which is odd, because it's a collection of long, straight seams, and if "long, vaguely wavy seams" are acceptable, then I'm an expert at that...

All I can think of is that I was leery of getting the tabs spaced evenly - I couldn't use the measurement in the directions because they called for 54" fabric and I had 45" fabric. As it turned out, that actually turned out to be so easy I can only assume I set myself up for this on purpose, or if not, it's a happy accident.

There are six tabs on each panel. The two outside tabs line up with the outside edge of the panel, putting the center 1 inch from the outside edge. Measure between the centers, divide by five...and it turns out my tabs have a spacing of 7" on center. Exactly. Precisely. And I don't need to worry about drawing the little squares on and matching the squares I was supposed to mark on the tabs but didn't - it says right there, "matching raw edges". Presto. One panel is now at the Tedious Hand Sewing stage, and a second mostly there, in about an hour and a half counting setting up the ironing board and sewing machine.

...and, hey, Hubby and Daughter have both asked to be shown how to sew on buttons. :)

The sweater: Krista, which also appears as the "Shaped Lace Tee" in the book Knitting Lingerie Style, which was graciously loaned to me by a friend at work. I hope she wasn't in a hurry to get it back. Available sizes: 33.5", 38", 42.5", 47", 51.5", 56" bust; the stitch pattern is vertical stripes of stockinette separated by simple, narrow lace panels.

The yarn: Berroco Weekend, a cotton/acrylic blend. I have 5 skeins in Orchid, a light purple shade. I hope it's enough - especially depending on sizing issues, I was pretty sure I'd end up with leftovers. The price was good, and in general I trust Berroco synthetics to not feel like plastic; based on the swatch, it feels nice, but it knits a little splitty (it's constructed of a multitude of tiny plies). Most importantly for the upcoming process: it can stand up to being frogged a couple times.

The swatch: Made, washed, and blocked as much as you can block a cotton-acrylic blend! The pattern calls for size 5 and 7 needles; to get gauge for the larger needles, I needed to use 10.5! Good grief; I know I'm a tight knitter, but I suspect Joan McGowan-Michael may be a loose knitter too. Or maybe my swatch lied.

The boobs: Measured. Gulp. I'm about to share with the class here, because it's really relevant to the issue at hand... my full bust is 50", divided up 21.5" in back/28.5" in front. My high bust is 44". Shoulder to waist over the front is 5" longer than down the back. Needless to say there is no size of this sweater that will fit me as-is - I'll end up with some combination of too much fabric in back and not enough in front if I knit a pattern that assumes I'm symmetrical! I think I can add short rows to the lace pattern without it looking too horrible, especially if I do two sets of wrapped stitches and just avoid wrapping any of the stitches in the lace part - but that doesn't address the assymetry issue. Some alternatives:

Punt: Make a tee with a plain pattern instead of lace, and do "regular" short rows and vertical darts without having to worry about messing up the stitch pattern, or make a less-fitted sweater. On some level, this is probably the "smart" choice, but it feels like surrender.

Hard, but "right": In theory what I could do, and what Joan has advised people to do on Ravelry, and what I think she teaches a class on that I'm unlikely to ever have the opportunity to take, is knit the back of the 42.5" size and the front of the 56" size, keeping the side seams even and fudging the sleeves and shoulders a bit, and if this were intended as a tank that's just what I'd do - but sewing in sleeves is a nervewracking process at the best of times, and I can't imagine getting a good result from "fudging" until I have a little better handle on sewing sweaters together as-written. I'm also concerned that putting a 28" piece over my 23" high bust area will leave me with a saggy, baggy neckline; if I go down to the 51.5" size, that's a little more like right there (25.75"), but almost 3" of negative ease over the bust. Whooboy! I know Joan likes negative ease, but that might be a bit much. (And that's the size my full bust measurement would suggest I make! Assymetry, yup.)

Easier to seam, but might not look as good: it might be possible to play with the stitch counts in the stockinette panels. If I start with the 47" size, and then above the waist shaping take one stitch out of each panel that doesn't end up pointed at the shoulder seams or armholes, that would narrow the back by about an inch without affecting anything I need to sew. Meanwhile adding a stitch to each panel in the front would give me one more inch, and it could be decreased out again above the bustline. Maybe combining that with a switch to Even Larger Needles would give me enough room to play with. If I'm going to do this I might want to knit every other lace section plain, giving me 5 wide stripes instead of 9 narrow ones, and adjust the count in each by two stitches. I don't know how much this would change the character of the tee - but I'm going to find out, because I think it's what I'm going to do.

To some extent this is going to be a trial-and-error process. I will probably need to remind myself from time to time that I started with a pile of yarn, and the worst case is that I end up with a pile of yarn...which will be the point at which yes, I do punt and make a Bombshell or a Shapely Tank or maybe something cute for Daughter instead.

Casting on for the back - it's way more straightforward than the front, and it'll give me a chance to decide whether I like the wider stripes. Like I said - wish me luck!

Yesterday, I failed to interest Hubby in measuring my breasts. I'm a little worried if he found that less exciting than his video game. But I did do a swatch and determine that it's possible to hide a lot of short rows in the lace pattern for Krista - it's not perfect, Hubby could tell where the short-rowed section was because one yarn-over got distorted on each side, but I think it'll do. (I suspect I'm going to need a lot of short rows. The preliminary measurement I was able to do on my own says I theoretically need to add 5 to 6 inches to the front of the sweater. I was astonished to find that it's actually possible to fit a block that big in. I hope I have enough yarn.) Next step: figure out how to make the shoulder seams match up. I almost wonder if I want to buy a couple yards of fleece and make a mock-up...

This morning, I finally had a successful attempt to chart the nifty cable bit for Hubby's sock - it takes six rib welts and weaves them together into a diamond shape, then they go back to being rib welts. If I squint, my chart looks like the photo of the swatch, which is hopefully a good sign. Now I need to find out whether he wants a lot of little ribby diamonds, or just a few, or even just one, on each sock. Also, since I'd intended this as my project for June Sockdown (challenge: "Design Your Own"), I should find out how much of the design I'm allowed to have done in advance; I'd love to be able to get the math worked out to the point where I can pick up needles and cast on for My Sock! on June 1st. (Also, curse Hubby and his extra-wide feet...but I'd rather knit him socks than a sweater. :) )

This week, we've had temperatures in the 40s outside - but it's been about 85 degrees in my office. HVAC fail!

Most of this week, I've also been wearing handknit wool/nylon socks, along with T-shirts and jeans (although I threatened to show up in a tank top and running shorts if they don't get the heat fixed...). I wondered, "Is that making me more uncomfortable?" So today I wore commercial socks - probably a cotton/synthetic/elastic blend, if not completely synthetic.

It turns out that my wool socks are actually more comfortable than this particular pair of commercial socks - my feet felt warm both days, but today they also feel squishy and damp. Go go magic moisture-absorbing wool!

Corollary: I will never, ever knit with Berocco Comfort Sock. At least not to make socks. It might be the solution for colorwork scarves.

I've got my shawl underway. I started with this, when the opening ceremonies began:


...and by the time I couldn't keep my eyes open, I had this:
( Yarnie stuff. )

I finally have my unfinished sock, beads, and a tiny-enough crochet hook all in the same place - and no time to work on it. Alas. But I've started the toe decreases so if I can sneak in a round here and a round there I'll have it finished by the end of the month.

The nice surprise? I went to pick up my shawl kit at the yarn store. It wasn't what I thought it was...I figured, for some reason, that it was going to be the mohair lace bias rectangle kit, but it was the Artyarns/Be Sweet Synergy shawl. The kit has a bit of "gonzo" yarn that seems to be mostly mohair boucle (but it's also got ribbon and other stuff I can't identify), a bit of smooth silk-mohair, and a bit of sequined yarn, and you use giant needles to knit a triangle shawl. I'd looked at the shop model and thought the effect was...a little odd. But the colorway I got (Pebble Beach) is a little more subtle than the shop model - I think it's the same one used in the main photo on that website. It's not anything I would have bought in a million years, but I'm going to make it up (someday!) and see how it goes.

The not-nice surprise? Can't find the beads for my Mystery Sock. It'll cost me $5 and a trip to Michaels to replace them and the crochet hook that was in with them (which will be their cue to turn up, of course) - but it meant I had to stop when I got to a bead row. This will make finishing by the end of February a bit of a time crunch. I finally started knitting the hexagon for the first Boxcar sock - starting the hexagon was a RPITA, but once I got past the point where my needles were interfering with the process of knitting, it's not too bad.

The non-surprise? I made my Ravelympics plans for way too big a shawl. My swatch used 1.0125 grams of yarn (analytical balance at work, yo). I was correct to say that it blocks to be about 2" on a side, for an area of about 6.93 square inches. Assuming the same area-to-weight ratio, using 100 grams of yarn, I can make a shawl of about 684.25 square inches, which will give me triangles about 20" on a side. Not only is this a more reasonable goal for the crochet project, it'll give me a more reasonable-sized shawl: I realized at some point that while it would be nice to have a big wrap equal to my wingspan, it would come down to mid-thigh, which is not a really suitable length for "something to throw over my shoulders at work." 20" hits about mid-butt - much more practical for sitting in a chair. It also means only about 40% as much crocheting! Woo. I stand a much better chance of finishing. :)

Pondering a wardrobe overhaul. Wonder if "white blouse, navy pants, wacky lace shawl" is a good model for a personal uniform. Can't say it isn't...

Daughter, recently, has decided that she really enjoys cooking. Last Friday, she made a pot of soup pretty much by herself (I provided supervision, coaching, and a wee bit of carrot-chopping), and she's helped out with a few other dinners. She can follow a simple recipe accurately, if slowly, and is developing knife skills.

From my perspective, this is a double-edged sword. I enjoy not having to be fully responsible for dinner most nights, and cooking - at a bare minimum, accurate recipe-following - is a skill I'd like her to have mastered when I send her off into the world. On the other hand...did I mention slowly? Part of the problem is an issue of brute strength (or maybe aggression or confidence) - if I tell her to stir something, the top layer of the container might get shifted around a bit, but the bottom stuff won't be touched unless I encourage her to really get in there and dig. But this is frustrating for me because she won't let me help. Or even demonstrate much. Or even, in some cases, provide advice.

This is probably something I need to just relax and be patient about - provide coaching where she needs it and will accept it, appreciate the help if she's offering it, and accept that some days dinner will be kind of late.

Oh, new favorite quick-and-easy dinner:
Cauliflower & Sausage Bake
2 1-lb packages of frozen cauliflower florets
1 "loop" of smoked sausage, sliced 1/4" thick.
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1 8-oz package shredded cheddar

In a big glass casserole dish, nuke the cauliflower to death - you want it extra-soft, even overcooked. Mash/break up the florets into smaller chunks. Stir in the sausage (no real need to pre-cook if you got a "fully cooked" variety, unless you know your sausage is extra-greasy when heated), then the cream cheese and cheddar. Sprinkle paprika over the top if you're so inclined. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so.

I love lace shawls. You know those beautiful gossamer-weight Estonian lace things that people describe as "breathtaking"? Yeah, my breath gets taken.

I have the sneaking feeling that making one of those breathtaking lace shawls is within my level of ability as a knitter. Heck, given infinite time and infinite yarn, I'd make dozens of them.

If I were to actually do it, though... let's describe the problem in Hubby's words.

"You realize that what you'd basically be doing is converting a yarn stash into a shawl stash."

The thing is, I don't wear lace shawls, nobody I'm likely to give gifts to wears lace shawls, and while I'm trying to develop my personal fashion statement into something that goes a little further than "I'm wearing clothes", I haven't worked up to accessorizing yet. I've made one shawl, quite a while back, and it turned out quite beautiful... and it sits in a drawer, neatly folded.

On some level, the idea of having a drawer full of knitted lace doesn't bother me; I'm mostly a process knitter. On some other level, the idea of putting hours and hours of painstaking work into what amounts to a drawer cozy bothers me quite a bit.

So right now...I look. I admire. I would go so far as to say I yearn - but I do not cast on.

The Plimouth Plantation Museum in Massachusetts has just completed a three-year project involving 250 volunteer stitchers to reproduce an embroidered linen jacket from the late 1500's-early 1600's. This involved:

1) Reconstructing period fibers - particularly a gilded silk thread that was crucial to the design.

2) Reconstructing the method by which period sequins were made. Apparently well worthwhile for this project, but each one had to be individually hand-punched from a gilded silver ribbon, and the project's metalworker had to make his own tools for the process. I don't think this technique will be making a comeback.

3) Reconstructing a period embroidery stitch that long ago fell out of the average needleworker's repertoire.

4) Yards and yards and yards of handmade bobbin lace.

5) Thousands of hours put in by hundreds of volunteers. I once again marvel that anyone born before the advent of machine sewing ever managed to wear clothes, much less clothing as ornate as Elizabethan aristocrats managed to pull off!

The museum has lost funding to exhibit the jacket, but on a temporary basis they're loaning it to another museum - and because the project coordinators have blogged the process, the rest of us can see photos (which apparently don't do it justice) and read about the work that went into making it here.

ETA: Apparently when the funding was lost for the exhibit, the museum more or less stopped updating the blog, and Tricia Wilson Nguyen started to update it on her own site. This is why the official blog jumps from February to now...

I got the Doom Scarf finished on Saturday - which amazed me; I still had 10 chart/40 knitted rows to knit Saturday morning. (The deal with illusion knitting is that each row of the chart gets knitted 4 times.) I must have just gone on a huge knitting jag - I took Daughter and nieces skating but knitted instead of skating myself (rental skates do not like my feet), and I guess the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie is good to knit by.



Pattern: Tux scarf by Heidi Antila - the link is in Finnish, and the English translation seems to be gone, but the important bit is the chart.

Needles: the 6's from my interchangeable kit.

Yarn: Plymouth Encore. Not sure if I like this better than Wool-Ease or not.

Learned: Persistence pays off. The project is a huge time suck, but the results are pretty dramatic.

Note that it's longer than the seating section of the couch - substantially longer than Hubby is tall. It's also nearly a foot wide. If I ever attempt this pattern again (and someone stop me if I consider it?), sock yarn might be a better choice.

( A few close-ups, plus bonus fish hat photos. )

I still have a couple pieces of thread crochet that need blocking and photographing; other than that I officially had no knitting or crochet WIPs when I cast on for my sister's Christmas present. I think that rates a "Go me!"