Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Pancake Tuesday!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Words
I've already fallen far, far behind on the #FEBphotoaday challenge. Ah well.
I had originally taken the above photo to match the keyword "words." It's my favorite cookbook, the Avoca Café Cookbook, the pages of which are crumpled and stuck together with splashes of soup and sauce and the like. I was going to match this with a post on my cookbook obsession/compulsion, but I think I'll save that for another day, and, instead, return to Simon's accursed knitted jumper (sweater).
The idea for this jumper started here, with Flint knit's wonderful retro hockey sweater. Simon likes plain, unadorned styles, so the Elizabeth Zimmerman Seamless Hybrid pattern seemed perfect. So, about 2 years ago, I ordered several skeins of Malabrigo worsted in azul profundo. Finally, last October, I cast on.
I decided to include a "secret message" for Simon on the inside of the bottom hem, á la Fricknits, and set about making the pattern using this site.
Between spelling errors (I can't spell "shiny," apparently), and the fact that I had never done color work before, it took me a while to get the hem right, but eventually I did my row of purl and started working my way up the body.
Even though I made good progress on the body and arms, I didn't manage to get the jumper done in time for Christmas, so I took it home to work on over the break. At one point, I absentmindedly put the knitted body, still on the needles, on my dresser top, only to later discover that I had laid it on top of an oil burner. When I picked it up again, it had managed to soak up a large quantity of paraffin oil, and it stank! The only thing to do was soak it, repeatedly, in detergent... Eventually, the smell shifted, but I was left with a semi-felted body. :(
I soldiered on. I think that most people find this pattern easy, but I have to say, I found it very difficult. The yoke was a three-steps-forward-two-steps-back affair. I initially tried the standard neck-back, only to have to rip it back (along with one of the shoulders). After coming across Brooklyn Tweed's post on the Seamless Hybrid, I decided to go for the Shirt Yoke and am very happy that I did.
Next came the neck. Again, a first attempt had to be ripped back, then a second attempt, bound off and everything, wouldn't go over Simon's head! Third time lucky! But when he finally got the jumper over his head, lo and behold it was at least 2 inches short!! Oh if I had only read EZ's instructions to provisionally cast on, so that the bottom can be finished later and lengthened if needed. So, I had to sit down and follow these instructions to pick up stitches at the bottom of the jumper, just before the hem, then begin working downwards. So all my work on the message for Simon, my shiny bright star, had to be cut off!
Well, he made some use of it anyway!
The jumper's still not finished. I'm working on the last few rows now and think it's time to turn and do the hem, but I don't think I'll put a message in this time, or it'll never be done. Not that I think Simon will get to wear it this winter anyway, given how warm it's been! The other thing is that I'm very disappointed with the Malabrigo wool. The whole paraffin incident aside, the wool has almost felted as I've been going along, making any ripping back that I had to do very difficult. The jumper already looks very worn and fuzzy and I'm worried it won't last long after all that work! A quick google search suggests many others have had the same problem... I won't be using Malabrigo again.
Phew, this was an epic post. Hopefully I'll post a pic of the FO in a week or so... I'll be happy to move on from this project! This, this, and this are on the needles!
The idea for this jumper started here, with Flint knit's wonderful retro hockey sweater. Simon likes plain, unadorned styles, so the Elizabeth Zimmerman Seamless Hybrid pattern seemed perfect. So, about 2 years ago, I ordered several skeins of Malabrigo worsted in azul profundo. Finally, last October, I cast on.
I decided to include a "secret message" for Simon on the inside of the bottom hem, á la Fricknits, and set about making the pattern using this site.
Even though I made good progress on the body and arms, I didn't manage to get the jumper done in time for Christmas, so I took it home to work on over the break. At one point, I absentmindedly put the knitted body, still on the needles, on my dresser top, only to later discover that I had laid it on top of an oil burner. When I picked it up again, it had managed to soak up a large quantity of paraffin oil, and it stank! The only thing to do was soak it, repeatedly, in detergent... Eventually, the smell shifted, but I was left with a semi-felted body. :(
I soldiered on. I think that most people find this pattern easy, but I have to say, I found it very difficult. The yoke was a three-steps-forward-two-steps-back affair. I initially tried the standard neck-back, only to have to rip it back (along with one of the shoulders). After coming across Brooklyn Tweed's post on the Seamless Hybrid, I decided to go for the Shirt Yoke and am very happy that I did.
Next came the neck. Again, a first attempt had to be ripped back, then a second attempt, bound off and everything, wouldn't go over Simon's head! Third time lucky! But when he finally got the jumper over his head, lo and behold it was at least 2 inches short!! Oh if I had only read EZ's instructions to provisionally cast on, so that the bottom can be finished later and lengthened if needed. So, I had to sit down and follow these instructions to pick up stitches at the bottom of the jumper, just before the hem, then begin working downwards. So all my work on the message for Simon, my shiny bright star, had to be cut off!
Phew, this was an epic post. Hopefully I'll post a pic of the FO in a week or so... I'll be happy to move on from this project! This, this, and this are on the needles!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Flan de Coco
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
#FEBphotoaday
I came across the February photo-a-day challenge on Fat Mum Slim... it's just what I need! Today's assignment: your view today. Nice and easy!
The photo captures my computer (my view everyday), a pleasingly (or challengingly) full fruit bowl, and my Elizabeth Zimmermann "Knitting Without Tears" book. I have been attempting to knit a Seamless Hybrid sweater for Simon for about 4 months now, and cannot vouch for the "without tears" part. I don't have particularly extensive knitting experience but it is definitely the hardest thing I've tried so far, with a whole lot of frogging going on. Hopefully I will write a post all about it when I'm finished. If that ever happens!
The photo captures my computer (my view everyday), a pleasingly (or challengingly) full fruit bowl, and my Elizabeth Zimmermann "Knitting Without Tears" book. I have been attempting to knit a Seamless Hybrid sweater for Simon for about 4 months now, and cannot vouch for the "without tears" part. I don't have particularly extensive knitting experience but it is definitely the hardest thing I've tried so far, with a whole lot of frogging going on. Hopefully I will write a post all about it when I'm finished. If that ever happens!
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