Woolly Interlude

Because I’m unable to stick to my UFOs, I decided a couple of days ago to just go ahead and cast on a new project. I think it’s really that I couldn’t face the massive tubular cast-on that starting the second German Stocking would require. So what did I choose to knit? Another project that uses a tubular cast-on.

I’ve been contemplating making Eunny Jang’s Anemoi Mittens for awhile now, even going so far as to purchase some Knit Picks Gloss in two shades of brown specifically for this pattern. However, when I was looking over at my wall of yarn the other day, I noticed three hanks of Louet Gems in Willow hanging next to a hank of Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 I got as a contest prize from Ms. L., and I realized that it was a much better combination for colorwork. In fact, it reminded me of an Andes mint, which is definitely a good thing.

Delighted by this discovery, I decided to wind up the yarn for these mittens, which was a painful process highlighted my much unknotting and static electricity. After an hour and a half, though, I had two well behaved yarn cakes ready for knitting, and knit I did.

I love when a project forces me to learn something new, and the first new thing I learned with these mittens was the Italian tubular cast-on. I used the linked tutorial Eunny provides in her Endpaper Mitts pattern, and frankly, my cast on edge looked terrible. It was big and flared and ugly. So I ripped it out, and tried again, this time using the note in the Anemoi pattern that the knits in the first two rows should be twisted. Ten rounds in, and I think the cast on edge is probably too tight. The only other tubular cast on I’ve used is the one where you cast on provisionally half of the stitches, and then pick up purl bumps and knit the other half into them (it’s really not as hard as it sounds), but I don’t think I’ll attempt that just yet, as the waste yarn I would use is a little bit splitty.

My solution? Tonight, I’ll rip out my ten or so rows of progress, and try the other tubular cast on in Vogue Knitting. It also calls for waste yarn, but it doesn’t look like the splittiness will be a problem with this one. Bonus: if it’s easier than the other tubular cast on I know, I’ll totally use it for the second German Stocking.

I mentioned above that that was the first thing this project has taught me; even though I’m only ten rows in, I have indeed learned two new techniques already. See, the cuff of this pattern calls for a “semi-corrugated” ribbing, which means I had to learn to purl English-style. I hate it. I just want to be done (and if you add up all of the rounds of the ribbing I’ve knit, it’s more than enough for the cuff… it just doesn’t all exist anymore), but I guess it’s good to get all of this practice in. Even if I hate it. My respect for English-style knitters has just grown by leaps and bounds, though; I don’t think I’ll ever be coordinated enough to be comfortable with it.

Any throwers out there who can offer tips? Or tubular cast on experts who can weigh in?

Well, no, there’s no vengeance involved. But I do have some finished knitting to share!

First of all, I got a package from rosalux, my sock swap partner. She designed and knit a gorgeous pair of purple socks for me out of Reynolds Sea Soft Wool.

Aren’t they great? And they fit perfectly! Thanks so much for the socks, rosalux, and for the extra goodies. I love the bracelet, and, um, the peanut brittle from See’s Candy is long gone. But it was delicious!

While it’s lovely to have someone knit a pair of socks just for you, it’s just as much fun to knit a pair of socks for someone else! For the socks I knit for rosalux, I picked a colorway I wouldn’t have chosen for myself, and knit Hedera by Cookie A. The pattern was fun to knit, even if I did have to rip and reknit the second cuff at least three times based on my own stellar displays of stupidity. But they’re done now, and there was even leftover yarn!

But that’s not all I’ve been working on these last couple of weeks; I knit up Shedir as a chemo cap for one of the elders at my church, who was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It’s too hot for a hat right now, but I figure it’ll be handy when the weather finally starts getting cooler.

It’s too big for me, which I think is a good sign. My tension’s loosened up since the last time I knit this, so even though I used the same yarn (Rowan Calmer, this time in Cork) and the same exact circular needle (US 3 16″ Addi Turbo), it’s bigger than my first. It also went much much faster than last time, which I think is the result of knitting the cables without a cable needle.

Now I just have to decide which of my patiently waiting UFOs gets my attention now; I’m leaning toward the second German Stocking, since it’s too hot to work on any large projects! Although I have my Squirrel Mitten prominently displayed, and it could be time to knit up the second of that pair (or to abandon it altogether for a different mitten pattern).

(okay, and maybe one thing that’s less exciting).

1) I finished a Hedera! I know, it’s only one, and I need two, but it was a fun knit, and I’m looking forward to the next one.

I’m not even going to pretend I wove in the ends; they’re out in case I need a yard more to finish the second (yes, it might get that close). And the picture’s at an odd angle; I promise the sole isn’t that bizarrely large.

2) I’ll go ahead and get the less exciting one out of the way; I started a February Baby Sweater this week, and I love it and the yarn I’m knitting it with (Louet Gems Opal/Sportweight).

But, of course, I won’t have enough yarn to finish. I will eventually rip it out and knit it either with US 3’s instead of 4’s, or with fewer repeats. In addition to hopefully conserving yarn, those changes will result in a newborn sized sweater rather than a six month, which is certainly not a problem when you’re knitting with no intended recipient.

3) Myxertones. It’s a website that lets you upload one of your mp3’s, select a clip, and have it sent to your phone as a ringtone. For free (minus carrier fees for receiving a message, etc., etc.). Of course, this discovery is made all the more awesome now that I can use it (see #4). But I promise, I haven’t wasted that much time trying to figure out which song clips would be appropriate for specific contacts.

4) I got a new phone. It’s kind of weird using a phone that flips open like a laptop, but I find it much easier to use than RAZR/KAZR phones and the Chocolate phones. Am I the only one who can’t get the buttons to work on those? I can’t be.

5) I took one and a half vacation days this week, just for fun. I kept busy, though; I got a facial, I cleaned the fishbowls, I programmed my contacts into my new phone, I went to the museum, I had a delicious lunch at my favorite little cafe, and I went yarn shopping. My friend Jenn got me a delayed-gratification birthday present (Thanks, Jenn!):

The red wool is very lofty and soft; there’s about 2.5 ounces of that one. There are 2 ounces of the greyish/lavender roving, which is much smoother, but not as lofty. Both are wool of undisclosed type, purchased at Grinny Possum Fiber Arts across the river in Indiana. They’ve got a great selection (I saw my first Addi Lace needles in the wild!), and although I’d only been in there once before, the owner (well, at least I think she’s the owner) recognized me. And really, I love any yarn shop where they encourage you to touch anything and everything, even if it’s kind of behind the counter.

6) The Office Season Three on DVD. I got a $5 Amazon credit for ordering the last Harry Potter from them for my daddy, and I so know what I’m using it on. And thanks to the I Knit with The Office group at Ravelry, I’ve totally got the theme song as my cell phone ring right now. (Like the theme song? You can get it yourself here.)

7) The Yarn Cake Portraits group at Flickr. I love everything about yarn cakes: winding them, stacking them, seeing the pretty yarn all orderly, knitting from them. And this group preserves them digitally!

And it could probably go without saying, but Harry Potter. How exciting was all that?! And it’s good on the second reading, too.

I could seriously keep going (it’s been a long time, huh?), but I won’t. I mean, I can’t use up all of my good bloggable thoughts on one post, right? I hope everyone has a great weekend! I’m happy ’cause my roommate will be back tomorrow (she’s been gone a whole week!), and then I’ll have someone to talk to other than myself and the fish.