Pick-chures! Oh Boy!

Katie's socks, in all their glory. I'll get them sent eventually. Like September.

Closeups!
The front of my sweater. It just looks longer here, but it has a secret.
Look! A pocket! Oh, that mischievous sweater front!

BTW, I knit the rib stitch band at the bottom with the size 6 needles instead of the size 5 needles, making it too loose. It also curls. Gah! Two steps forward, one step back. And I'm not going to frog it for that one little thing either. I didn't frog it when I noticed, back before the pocket, and I'm not frogging it now.

Surprise!

I've changed my mind. I don't like this yarn for that particular sweater. That sweater is a dressier sweater, suitable for wearing with jeans, but dressier nonetheless. I'm going to make this yarn into a hoodie, because after I knitted a swatch, it really does look more like a hoodie, like something you'd wear with jeans to a baseball game. I guess that's because it's red, white, light grey, and blue, and the color changes aren't gradual; that is, the colors don't lead into each other. Rather, the yarn is 4-ply, and each ply is a color. Surprise! I wasn't expecting that, but I don't really mind, I like it. It's so soft, and when it's not wet it smells wonderful! When it is wet it smells like something crawled in it, died, and then crapped, but after it dried it was fine.

I used the recommended needle size to make a swatch, and the guage I achieved was a lot bigger than it said I should, so I'm going to pull out the swatch and redo it in a smaller needle size. It's funny, because this is actually the first time I've ever made a swatch, and before I blocked it, it actually got guage, but after it was blocked it grew about an inch overall. Boy, am I glad I blocked it; if I'd just trusted the original swatch, I would have made the sweater, gone to block it, and it would have grown one shirt size. Surprise!

I didn't do a swatch for the calorimetry, unfortunately. I used the right size yarn and the correct needles, and it turned out three feet long and 8 inches wide at the largest points, and that's when it's unstretched! I can tie the ends under my head! I haven't pulled it out yet, mainly because when I was holding it up it looked like a little doll hammock, and if my little step-nieces like it (2 and 4) or Mom can think up something to do with it, I won't bother frogging it. I didn't tie it off though, just used a safety pin, so I can take it out anytime I want.

I'm going to go pull out my swatch (secured with a safety pin) and try again on smaller needles. Good luck to me!

Oh yes, Knitty Tubey

I've found the sweater I'm actually going to make. It's awesome. Just imagine this: (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTtubey.html)

out of this yarn :

(http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/itemid_5420126/yarn_display)

Oh I am in love and shall knit this until it is finished. Even though half of it is on *gasp* circular needles! Oh, you do right to gasp, for circular needles are the tools of the devil, but I shall use them if it means I can attain this beauty of a sweater of which I love love love the square neckline and even in the variegated yarn it will look so cool I believe oh yes. Sorry for the babbling. More on the evils of circular needles tomorrow.

Hello and Welcome

I needed a blog to display my knitting prowess to the rest of the world. I am a novice knitter, meaning I haven't knit a sweater yet but have finished many scarves, hats, and socks. Currently I am working on:

• http://www.magknits.com/feb06/patterns/ziggy.htm
• http://acunningplan.typepad.com/andsheknitstoo/patterns/silk_garden_beanie.html (but in Funfur which I have a lot of and am trying to get rid of)
• http://schrodinger212.blogspot.com/2006/01/supple-rib-knit-arm-warmers.html (but in cotton)
• A sweater (half the back done in 6 months) from the book The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics
• A pair of plain socks from the book Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (Yarn Harlot)
• Headbands to protect the ears from cold (i.e. 38 degrees or lower, usually about 20 is the lowest in Texas) while still allowing me to wear my hair in a ponytail
• An Alien Illusion Scarf from the book Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook, but in orange rather than green which is strange but I don't have any green yarn right now

That's it for now. As soon as I get a camera (over Spring Break) I'll start posting pics, but right now I have to get ready for a class. Good thing I can knit my socks in class, huh?