Fugly Friday

Happy Fugly Friday my friends.

Today's submission is brought to you by Kate, whom you might know from the Fringe blog. And if don't know her, you should, because she sends you funny things like this in your email.

I know Halloween is supposed to be scary, but not this kind of scary. Not this kind of scary at all.

But should really want to give the neighborhood children nightmares, you could buy the pattern at Knit Picks. It's on clearance. So snap it up, you lucky customers, you.

On another note, I totally read BOOB! instead of Boo! upon first glance. That's another level of scary yet.

Harlotry

After two narrow misses, the third time was the charm. I finally got to see the Yarn Harlot.


I got there two hours early. Two hours. And I still didn't get to the first row. There were probably already twenty people there. Borders was totally freaked out. I don't know how to estimate numbers of people, but my guess is around 200. I met some nice people (some of whom remembered me from Fringe/the blog!) and everyone chatted about what they were working on.


After a while, I got tired of leaning up and over rows to see what people were working on. I stole the mic, and organized a show and tell. I was pretty proud of that, and glad I did it. People were working on some awesome, awesome things. Myself, I brought only boring things to work on, knowing my attention would be divided.



And it was.

The Yarn Harlot was hysterical. She had been totally freaked out by the tornado siren test that morning. To be honest, I had a little bit too. It had been thunderstorming, after all.
Here's the typical blogging me - blogging you thing that goes on at her events.



She promised us we weren't too blurry, but as you can tell, she's a bit blurry, and also dark.
Her talk was hysterical - she warned us about things - the potential of a worldwide wool blight (sad, but there are other fibers) and of CHOKE (Cultural Humilation of Knitters Everywhere) that represent the common misconceptions about knitters. Sadly, she had not only humorous social examples, but real painful examples where it caused economic harm to knitters.


I hopped up and asked a question afterwards "If you could teach any one person in the world to knit, who would it be and what to you think the effects would be?"
The answer was clearly written on her face, but she politely replied, "I try not to get involved in the politics of other countries."
But my friends, I now pose that question to you.
Afterwards, she did a book signing, and I got my copy of the Cast Off signed. I didn't know you could bring other books to get signed too, or I would have brought them all. Well, there's definitely going to be a next time. I'm never going to miss a chance to see her again.
We had to stand in line for a really, really long time to do the book signing. That was okay though, we were with friends. We talked knitting.
This is the famous Bohus up close. At first, I thought she was a little nuts when she was making it, then I saw it in person. Oh Lord. I must make this thing. I know I can't afford it, but the little old lady that runs it does it all by hand and has no apprentice. I must have this sweater. It is soft in ways you can not believe, and absolutely beautiful.

Here's an up close an personal view of the travelling sock.


Of course, when I actually met her, I became massively self aware and sounded like a complete idiot. She took a picture with me trading socks anyway.

Oh, and look at her shirt. Isn't it awesome? Nerdy knitting at its best. Of course you've seen my shirt before, here. I extolled the virtues of the Ballet T for all. I also saw some other really cool shirts there too, and everyone swears they're from cafepress. It's going to be a long time till my birthday, and all my family is going to wonder if maybe this knitting thing hasn't gone too far when all I ask for is knitting shirts.
All in all, I'm so glad I went. I will never miss another opportunity to see her, and I will continue to delight in the fact that this is one time my compulsion to always arrive early really pays off.

Opening Day

Cubbies, I am not happy with you.

Representin'

Now, I normally wouldn't blog a charity knit, but this is no ordinary charity knit. This is the hat for the Yarn Harlot's Represent Tour. I'll be at the Oak Brook Borders this Tuesday to see her, and you all should too. Represent, yo.

Also, please enjoy this gratutious picture of my cat.

Remember how I lobbied Congress?

So I was in DC last week. On my last day of lobbying, I had a morning meeting, then the entire afternoon before my flight. So of course, in Our Nation's Capital, the home of Historical Monuments and Smithosian Museums, I did what any young, patriotic American would do. I shopped.

More specifically, I shopped for yarn.

Here's what I got.

Four skeins of Alchemy Synchronicity - two variegated in pink, red and purple, two hot pink. They are destined to become the scarf on the cover of Modular Knits, or something like it. (I already had the book.)

Two skeins of Qiviuk, which is 45% Qiviuk, 45% merino and 10% silk. All told, I have about 450 beautiful yards of it, and it's destined to become something from Victorian Lace Today, or something like it. (Also already had that book.) It's also destined to be knit with the new lace Addis (size 5), my first go with those.

I can't begin to describe this yarn. It's softer than angora, softer than cashmere, and surprisingly, softer than the stuff that was 100% quiviuk. I spent about half an hour nuzzling it before I realized I couldn't live without it, particularly in this charming shade of red. ("When in doubt, wear red" - Bill Blass) I love red, particularly when it comes to something stunning like a dress. And when are you most like to wear a lace shawl? When you're wearing something else stunning, of course. And nothing is likely to touch more bare skin, as most fancy dresses have spaghetti straps or less. It's crazy, it's insane, it's going to be an heirloom piece. But it's mine, and you can't have it.

I also picked up this pattern, which was knit up in the store in a nice raspberry color. I think it was a bit thinner too, which is how I would make it. It's a really cool pattern - I hadn't seen lace with pleats before. In theory, I suppose I could have figured out how to do it, but I do like that pattern, and it was only a few bucks (unlike the quiviuk).

I also picked up a few samples of this nice fabric wash. It's rinse free, and the ladies at the shop assured me it smells wonderful. Well, I'm sure I'll be trying it out soon. I'll let you know how it goes.

So, in summary, if you're in DC, check out Stitch DC. I hit up both their Capital Hill (where I was lobbying) and Georgetown (where I was staying) locations, and found some good things at each.

And I so could have come home with a lot more. Like that Lorna's Laces roving that was begging me to become thrummed mittens....

Writing about Writing about Knitting

I finally got a copy of the Yarn Harlot's new book yesterday. I should have pre-ordered, but didn't, and spent several days trekking around town until I finally got one. You live and learn.
I haven't read it yet, but I meant to. (4:00 pm "Oh, I'll just take a little nap, and then get up and do all those things I've been meaning to do..." 3:00 am "Crap! I have to go to work!" (I had to be at work at 4 this morning.)) Anyway, the point is, I absolutely cannot wait to devour it.
I know it's perfectly reasonable for an author to spend a year or more between books, but I read them in day. That's at least 364 more days out of the year where I'm waiting. Occasionally, I re-read them. This narrows it down to about 360.
To quote Dave Barry, "There's a fine line between a hobby and mental illness." I love to read. I love to knit. A good deal of the time, I'd like to read about knitting. The Yarn Harlot fits that niche perfectly.
So why aren't there more authors like her?
Sure, there are a multitude of blogs. I can name ten sites off the top of my head that get hundreds of comments per post (real comments - not counting lurkers like me) and they're devoted entirely to knitting. Pictures, commentary, funny stories, poignant moments, we devour them all. I spend hours following a blog ring around, usually when I should be working.
But there's something special about books, opposed to blogs. You can lounge around, anywhere you want, far away from technology. You can take them in the bath without fear of electrocution (usually). You can hold them, feel them, smell them, make notes in the margins. When your hands ache from knitting and you still can't get enough, you can hold a book.
Yes, there are pattern books. I do love pattern books. But occasionally, if they are cheap or interesting enough, I will buy them just to read the introductions, with no intent of ever knitting any of the patterns. (Or perhaps thinking, "Oh, that's cute, maybe I'll knit it someday." Yeah right.) I just want a book that's about knitting, without it implicitly asking me to knit all the things pictured in it. Believe me, I have enough to knit.
I know I'm not the only one that loves this fusion of craft and literature. I get a little excited if knitting happens to come up in Jane Austen. People buy novels just because one of the characters happens to knit. Knitting gets used in fiction as a metaphor for social interaction, or assigned some sort of deeper spirituality. Well, metaphors are garbage. (Get it? I just used a metaphor to make fun of metaphors. I actually don't mind them that much but I couldn't resist that.) I want real content. What's so hard about that?
The magazines do their fair share. There's really some good writing in the articles, not just how-tos and new products. I particularly enjoy the knitted artifacts and knitting in art in Interweave Knits. Why not make a collective book of those?
Magazines just don't have the same allure for me that books do, and they don't hold up as well in the bath. I like seeing the ads for new products, but sometimes I want to get lost in the transcendental experience that only reading the unadulterated printed word can provide. The glossy, ADD, picture-heavy style of most magazines works well, as a magazine, but sometimes you just need a book.
A book about knitting.

Fugly Friday

Today's selection may not actually be fugly. It may be kind of cute. But it's still in the spirit of You Knit What? because I find myself asking that question.

The free pattern is here , and is originally listed as a champagne bottle. They turned it into bubble bath for the pictures. Perhaps they don't drink.

I'm trying to figure out just why you would knit this. If it were some sort of wine bag that you could give as a gift over a nice bottle of bubbly, I might understand. But it appears to be a complete piece all on its own. What do you do with such a thing?

I'm completely mystified.

This is the post that blogger ate

Or something close to it.

While I was in Japan, I finished a nice pair of travelling socks.

See? Here are the sock and I at a cool bridge outside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

And here they are finished on my feet:

I really don't understand how people get those nice pictures of themselves wearing socks.

I'm just not that clever with a self timer. And I think anyone but knitters would think I'm completely insane if I asked them to take a picture for me. So you're just going to have to deal with weird rumply pictures of my socks.

Although the zoom on the heel is okay.

So I'm really and truly over my sock problems. It feels like a victory for knitters everywhere.

In Summary:

Pattern: Generic sock pattern - k2p2 rib, regular heel flap, ribbed instep, lazy three needle bind off at toe

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn (100% superwash merino) in potluck colors (~$20)

Needles: Size 1 dpns (of which I broke/lost many in my travels)

Time: About a week doing serious travelling

Cost: About $20 in yarn, and I'm not sure about needles (I keep breaking them)

An Honest Assessment

Nope, no pictures here. If you don't like words, move along.
I owe you posts on the socks I made in Japan (but Blogger ate it the last time I tried to post) and on some acquisitions I made while in DC (including quiviut - my heart swells just reading those words).
In the meantime, instead of doing any real work, I thought I'd take a mental inventory of the ridiculous number of projects I have on the needles. Maybe seeing it in print will freak me out enough to actually finish them.

OTN:
-men's black dress socks, must be done by Friday (for the boy's oldest brother's 30th birthday party)
-crochet blanket, on commission, must be done ASAP
-hat for Yarn Harlot represent tour, must be done by April 3 (okay, so I haven't actually cast on yet, but it still has to be done by then)
-top secret project that must be done by a certain date in May (mostly just finishing)
-Jaywalkers
-crazy German fair isle vest
-generic baby jacket
-an entrelac scarf that will never end
-a Bears scarf I was too depressed to finish

UFO:
-an Adrienne Vitedinni (sp) cables and lace tank that I was going to make in hot pink bamboo...is that really a good idea?
-that awful blanket that is my perpetual UFO because I didn't understand intarsia. I don't have the heart to frog it though
-the absurd intarsia tapestry blanket
-baby kimono in a ribbon yarn
-modified tank from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (I actually don't even know where that is right now)
-crochet baby jacket that just needs embroidery and buttons
-the abandoned bad socks (that's two single socks, not a pair) that I should really rip out
-crochet nylon purse
-a ballet T I made with two different yarns that I'm not sure go well together - needs finishing, but may be ugly
-Master Knitter projects (though is it any wonder I haven't been knitting swatches?)
-other things that lurk at the depths of my closet that I can't recall right now

Things I have the yarn for and a project in mind:
-Cash Iroha cardigan with Hello Kitty buttons
-lace shawl in quiviut - going to use a pattern from Victorian Lace Today, but haven't picked it out quite yet (but I did get the new lace Addis for it)
-modular scarf in Alchemy yarns
-Lotus Blossom Tank (IK summer '06) in soft pink bamboo
-a slew of baby things (both for the hope chest and to produce as soon as I hear yet another person is having a baby)
-lots of washcloths

Things I'm wanting to make, but really better not just yet:
-something for the boy
-Thrummed mittens
-Kid Silk Haze sweater from Classic Knits
-Most things from Fitted Knits
-Something beaded
-lace shawl from the mohair I got in Japan
-Freeform purse
-things from Victorian Lace Today
-reserve wedding shawl (so I can produce it as soon as one of my friends gets engaged)
-reserve baby items
-things for the hope chest
-things from the rest of the stash
-an absurd top secret project
-advance Christmas gifts
-enough socks so that I'll never have to wear storebought socks again

What exactly is it I'm thinking? I believe I have not only reached SABLE but OTNBLE. Bad Sarah! Go to your corner at start knitting.

Road Trip

Okay guys, mark your calendars. The Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair is coming up this July, and I'm totally going to be there. Who's coming with me?
(Note: South Bend friends, this is probably a 3 hour drive for you. I know you've gone farther for fiber.)

Sunday, Fugly Sunday

Okay, so I missed Fugly Friday. I was busy lobbying congress. I'll try to make it up to you now.
In my continuing homage to You Knit What?, here is yet another fantastic addition.
I never said this had to be knit, so let's look at something lovely from the crochet side, shall we?


What are they, you ask?
Good question. Aparently you're supposed to put them in your hair. I'm not kidding. Free pattern here.
They're called "Banana Curlz" (the "z" means it's cool) or "Curlicue Hair Bows". The notes say you're supposed to tie them around a ponytail or pigtails. I'm actually having some trouble picturing that.
I suppose if you are five, this might be adorable. I'm not really sure, but most things on five year olds are. It also guarantees that said five year old will hate you when they turn fifteen. Still, there are cuter ways to embarrass your child and use up your stash.

Sittin' up on Capitol Hill

I lobbied Congress yesterday. I'm going to do it again today, and a little bit more tomorrow.
I haven't quite wrapped my mind around that fact yet.
We're lobbying for good things - funding for the basic sciences, particularly high energy physics. It's not like anyone is going to tell us that science is a bad thing. It may not be their priority, but it's not like cigarettes or anything. Yay, science.
I lobbied Congress. I'm a congressional lobbyist. I can't quite get my mind around that. As I was walking from the House side of Capitol Hill to the Senate side, and I passed the steps of the Supreme Court. I had a flashback to the last time I was there, about eight years ago. The WWII memorial hadn't been built yet, and the Washington Monument was still covered in scaffolding. I was in high school, 14 years old. I won the trip in a school essay contest. It was one of those massive see-everything-ever trips that made sure you hit every major attraction in four days. They did a really good job of that - I don't feel like there's anything I need to go back and see this time. I'm no longer a tourist in Washington, DC.
I remember standing on the steps of the Supreme Court then. There were a few important people in suits milling around (I assumed they were important because they were wearing suits) and a lot of tourists. I was one of the latter, a giggling schoolgirl taking crazy pictures. I never thought I'd be one of those people in suits. Yet today I was mildly irritated with the giggling schoolgirls.
I've never considered politics as a career. I'm cranky, and in general, I don't like people. This is why science works for me. And yet here I am. I lobbied about 7 offices yesterday; I met with junior staffers, important staffers, and a Congressman. I was in the Senate building at the same time as Al Gore.
I'm massively confused. Does this mean the political system has some good points? A real live person, not a politician, made it to the steps of Congress. Should I be cueing the small world music? Can anyone tell me how the hell this happened?
I have no clue. It's my job for the next two days to tell Congressmen that science is cool. Luckily it's true. How do the real lobbyists do it?

DeStash

Okay, I've heard about DeStash a few times, but I hadn't really checked it out until jet lag kept me awake all last night. (All night. I'm not kidding.)
Well now I am a member. Let's face it, there are yarns in my stash I am simply never going to knit. The pack rat in me hates to admit it, but it's true. And the stash is too big. Among all the other drastic cleaning that needs to be done in my house (like, you know, not having epic proportions of clutter all over the entire place), the unnecessary yarns need to be trimmed.
Of course, that didn't stop me from buying three things from other people right away. Look, I got some Koigu for cheaper than I could here, some nice Trekking (which is fantastic yarn) and I'm going to swap for some INOX circular needles. And I had been planning on buying exactly that size of circular needles anyway.
But that's not the point. I will begin the destash process. I will. I'm also going to try to knit up as much of it as possible. It's not a full scale yarn diet, but I'm going to watch my yarn figure. Or something.

"Sarah is"

Okay, I stole this meme from Madalyn. It's pretty entertaining. Here's how it works.

Google your name with is in quotes (like this - “Jody is”) and see what you have been up to.

Sarah is beautiful inside and out. (Awww. There's actually a whole sappy poem dedicated to another mythical Sarah.)
Sarah is a little too much for the prudish.
Sarah Is Like A Koala Crapping A Rainbow In Your Brain! (Awesome!)
Sarah is Famous
Sarah is now TWENTY-TWOyears old! Huzzah!
Sarah is a lush.
Sarah Is Sparkly
Saint Sarah is local and Christianized manifestation of Kali
Sarah is fantastic, simple but beautiful inside and out.
Sarah is still the child who never learned to share
Sarah is just one big huge ball of confusion
Sweet Sarah is looking for friends ;).
Sarah is planning two adult novels
Sarah is currently focusing on her solo career
Sarah is deeply focused on "solutions-based journalism"
Sarah IS the MOST Annoying one to me.
Sarah is not an opera singer
Sarah is on another phone call
Sarah is shocked to see that they are naked
Sarah is nice, but she is also stubborn and quick to speak her mind.
Sarah is looking forward to undertaking some extensive research
Sarah is WAY HOTTER
Sarah is forced to face the Terminator alone
Sarah is sitting around the house with a couple of friends
Sarah is surrounded by an entourage, all of whom have their own agendas
Sarah is going to have very to little real combat since good witches and wizards in the Harry Potter universe are forbidden to use magic for evil.
Sarah is not a new student--she's the teacher!
Sarah is not only a great friend, but an incredibly reliable colleague.
Sarah is indebted to Athens
Sarah is not sufficiently disturbed to merit help from social services
Sarah is a Fantastic Read.
Sarah is available to provide comments to the media and press
Sarah is in her mid 20's, bright, personable and very attractive.
Sarah is 100% right
Sarah is more reserved, she will stand back and watch, and look around a bit
Sarah is best at recognizing potential when desperation is a major factor.
Sarah is a natural-born sniffer
Sarah is Obviously Not a Guy
Sarah is first taken to be some kind of saint but then things go badly wrong.
Sarah is looking for a Super Bowl date
Sarah Is Mightier Than The Sword
Sarah is not going ever approach Angelia Jolie or Noami Watts
Sarah is an undeniably bold personality, but she also reveals great sensitivity and need.
Sarah is thrilled, but suddenly realizes she has grown
Sarah is taken to meet the Queen Spider and strikes a bargain with her
Sarah is a person who never reveals her secrets
Sarah is characterized by an intense desire to learn
Sarah is ready to. catch the next flight to Washington (that's actually true - I leave for DC Tuesday)
Sarah is familiar with most of the resources in a library and how to use them


Okay, so maybe you can tell I only picked the ones I liked. There are more than enough, and I could go on.It's a popular name, and aparently I've been busy. But here's my personal favorite:

Sarah is the Man, Jimmy is the Woman

Have I happened to mention what the boy's name was?

Fugly Friday

Good Fugly Friday, my friends. I am back from Japan. It's absurdly early in the morning, and I'm awake thanks to jet lag. The photo album is complete, but out of order. Go spy on me in Japan. It's pretty there, I promise.


Also, I'll get to the socks, really I will. But we have more pressing matters at hand.


Namely, this:

I'm stunned. I'm really, really stunned. I don't want to pick on Lion Brand (free pattern here, but you'll have to register), but come on.
A fun fur jacket for you dog? This is too much.
First, let me point out the obvious. The dog has fur to begin with. It does not need weird, nasty, acrylic fun fur on top of that. I promise. Dogs did not evolve to wear acrylic.
Second, what is with people dressing up their dogs anyway? I'm all for dressing animals up in the name of entertainment (such as www.stuffonmycat.com), or if for some reason you have a short hair dog in a cold climate, but dogs are not accessories. They are not. They are not baby dolls for people to dress up and put in designer purses. And why knitters of all people (who generally tend to be a sane bunch) would emulate the sort of people that do that, I don't understand. This poor little sweater is some sort of fashion statement.
All I can say is, thank god it's not a child. While anyone who makes this thing is bound to take embarrassing pictures of it, at least it's not going to haunt the dog when its parents bring out the photo album on its first date. (At least, I don't think they do that kind of thing at the breeders, I don't really know for sure.)

Booty

Greetings once again from Japan.

Pictures have been updated here, and you can even see a couple of really cool videos here.

But more importantly, here's the yarn chronicle I promised. Are you ready? It's a lot of pictures.

First off, did you know you can buy Hello Kitty yarn? Of course you can. You can buy Hello Kitty everything.

I even have a Hello Kitty toaster.

I've yet to identify the fiber type, but it feels like acrylic. It's more trophy yarn than anything I'm actually going to knit though.

There's also a Japanese brand called Puppy, which is adorable.

This is some linen silk that was 50% off.

I also picked up some mohair blends in pure white



and a pretty subtle blend.

It says, " It had the Graduation with long pitch Newly. How about warmhearted?"

How about warmhearted, indeed. These are bound to become shawls, I'm sure. Who can resist a mohair shawl?

I also snagged some angora silk that was on sale.

It may be made in France, but it was angora silk on sale. I don't really need to justify that.

But wait a minute, you must be saying. Isn't Japan the land of Noro?

Why yes. Yes it is. And it's cheap here too.

Here's some Cotton Iroha I got on sale. It's a cotton/cashmere blend. Don't know what it's going to be yet, but the colors look fun.

But the piece de resistance is the massive amount of Cash Iroha I bought. You should be aware of this yarn, if you're not already. It's a wool/silk/cashmere blend, and it's going to be heaven.

I bought quite a bit of it, which was my big yarn investment for the trip. It's 12 skeins - enough to be a cardigan.

Enough to be a cardigan with these buttons.

I told you that you could get Hello Kitty everything. So this will be the perfect souvenir sweater from Japan - Noro yarn with Hello Kitty buttons.

I also bought some other yarn-related things. First is a book on Nordic knitting. Most of the text is in Japanese, but the instructions have English with them as well. There seem to be a few cool techniques in here I haven't seen before.

They do have some really cool patterns here, and the truth is, it would be possible to understand. Everything is charted, stitch by stitch.

I hate charts though.

Some of you may remember me complaining about how they should make circular needles small enough for the cuffs of socks.

Well, they do.

And I bought one. It's a mere 22cm around (that's about 8.8 inches). Unfortunately, the smallest size they had was a 4, which is a bit big for socks. The novelty factor was high enough, though, that I couldn't resist. Especially because I had been complaining about this about a week before.

I also bought a clever little needle holder with a handful of needles in it. Forgot to pack those.

Also, nearly done with the first travel pair of socks. But they deserve their own post.

Please don't try to figure out how much I spent on yarn. It will only hurt. And I've gotten other cool souvenirs here too, for everyone in my family and myself. Maybe when I go home and get dressed up in my yukata (the light, summer kimono) I'll put up a picture of that.

Fugly Friday

You didn't think I'd forget, did you?

Especially not when this poor child is involved. Sure, I could save this up for a Halloween theme, but that's so far away. And this child is very, very unhappy. He misses his arms. How is he supposed to go trick or treating without them?

Now, I'm all for knitting children's things, because they're small and easy. But how could you put this much knitting into something he's guaranteed to wear only once, and that's if he makes it to the end of the night in it. No, people. Learn to sew.

I don't understand what the hood is all about. I'm not sure if the feet are part of the garment or not. And I don't even think it looks that much like a pumpkin.

But the people at Berroco like it, and they put it here. But why is it named "Brooklyn"? Are there a lot of angry, misshapen pumpkins in Brooklyn?

This has been Fugly Friday, brought to you from Japan. (Only it's Saturday here already. But it's Friday for you, and that's what counts.)

Now with 82% more cute!

Yes, my friends. I calculated that just for you. And more importantly, my photos are now updated from another few days. I spent a couple of days at the high energy physics lab out here, which is not so cute, but then.......
Then I went to the Hello Kitty theme park. Can you handle the cuteness?

Sarah's Cute-Enriched Photos of Japan!

Also, please see this comic. It applies to imaginary kitties as well.

Japan in pictures

Okay kids, the first photos are going up:

Sarah's pictures of Japan

I'll chronicle the yarn purchases later. But I promise you, it will be worth it.

Oh No! There goes Tokyo....

Yeah. I have shopped Tokyo, and I have shopped it hard. One of the most fantastic things? An eight story department store devoted entirely to crafts. I spent a certain amount of time and money on the knitting floor, also spending a certain amount of money which we are not going to discuss. Ever.
Of course, there are also the more traditional, cultural things, which I have obviously done. And I saw pandas. I will try to start loading my pictures on my yahoo site soon. But there are lots of yarn goodies to be seen. This is the country that makes Noro after all, and it`s a lot cheaper before importing it.
I`m really sad to leave Tokyo today, it`s one of the coolest cities I`ve ever been to. But I do get to go see the big national lab for the next few days, then it`s skiing and all sorts of other interesting cultural places.
And socks? Turns out they`re the perfect travel project. Got one done already, working on the second one. We`ve got a long bus ride today, so I should make some serious progress.

Fugly sock

Okay, so it's not Fugly Friday yet. But I'm going to be incoherent in Japan at that point, so I thought I'd bring you this tidbit now. I'm in the mood for some fugly.


And aparently so are the people at Crystal Palace Yarns.Now, I'm all for interesting socks. But...why? Why would you put this much time and effort and colorwork into something this hideous?
The individual patterns aren't so bad, but altogether, I'm about to go blind. And what is with the ruffle at the top? The designers said to themselves, "Hey, you know what this needs? A ruffle. There's just not enough going on in this sock yet. "
Also, can anyone explain what this has to do with bunnies? It's called the Bunny Hop OP sock. I see no bunnies! Or anything even bunny-like.
And you know what else? It's a sock. You get to make two of them.
Two!
One just wasn't enough.

Off to Japan

Well dear and faithful readers (Mom), I'm off to Japan.
Before I go though, I must say one thing.
I love the internet.
The boy sent me a huge shopping guide to Tokyo (he's a keeper) and I found all sorts of goodies on the knittyboard about yarn shopping in Japan. It certainly didn't fail me in Prague (seriously, how much yarn did I come back with?), so I assume I'm going to do pretty well in Japan too. And I didn't speak Czech either, so I'm not going to be that much worse off.
I'm sure I should feel guilty, because I should go learn something blah blah murble schmurble, but they want me to "get the cultural experience." I'm sure purchasing lots of Japanese yarn will help me to understand the Japanese cultural zeitgeist. (Although I am convinced shopping is a universal language.)
See you all in two weeks, if I don't blog before.

Oh, so that was the point

What's that on my feet?

Why, it's a pair of handknit socks! And I knit them!

My sock issues are over, and with a vengence.

See, like many people I used to think, what's the point of knitting socks? You can buy them at the store for about $1 a pair. It's so much work on something so little.

Well, that was the point. It's simple, but not so simple as to make you want to dig your eye out with a spoon. At the same time, it's complicated, nearly as complicated as a sweater, but little, portable.

And they fit really really well. Like a glove....or...a sock. Truly, until you have worn a pair of handknit socks, you have no idea. Storebought socks are usually about half an inch too long on me. Then you have to figure out what to do with that extra squishiness. Do you mush it up at the front and have your toes squiggling around in it? Or do you pull it all the way back so the heel is actually riding up somewhere around the ankle? Well, no more, I tell you. No more. These fit exactly to my foot.

This are in the lovely German sock yarn Opal, which I bought in Nurnburg this summer. It was on sale for 9 euros, and I think I only used about half a skein. I might manage another pair. The striping seems pretty consistent, though the two socks aren't exactly identical. If I had been obsessive about it, I suppose I could have made them match. But that's just silly. I'm glad I finally have a pair of socks that works.

And this joy has inspired me to keep knitting socks. Seriously, I was excited to cast on the second one. It went faster than the first. No second sock syndrome for me.

I'm going to repaire the gigantic pair. I'll only have to rip back the gusset, and I can redo that in a day. I even started the second sock of that pair, so I could have another pair of lovely German sock yarn socks quite soon. That is, if I didn't have too much to do before I left for Japan.

Oh, did I mention I was going to Japan? I leave Wednesday and I'll be back in two weeks. We'll see if there's any blogging to be done. There will certainly be knitting. Possibly socks.

In summary:

Yarn: Opal sock yarns in color 1437 (it seems to be based on some art piece) (75% wool, 25% polyamid)

Pattern: Basic template from the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules!

Needles: Size 1 dpn (surprisingly fun, except for minor breakage issues)

Cost: 9 euros made one pair, possibly two

Total time: This pair - about a week

Victory over socks in general - about a year

In Summary

Fugly Friday

Happy Presidents' Day!

Okay, it may be a little late, but yesterday was George Washington's birthday. And what better way to celebrate than to wear this beautiful creation from Berrocco yarns? And it's not just Presidents' Day, you could wear this on the Fourth of July, Flag Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day.....any patriotic holiday! It's a year-round sweater!

I'm only here to serve.

Knitting....And?

Once again, a spiffy new website has been brought to my attention, this time by my Stitch n Bitch a Day Calendar:

www.knitting-and.com/homework

The rest of the website is nice too, there are some knitting patterns, and even some things for crochet and other interests. But this, the /homework part is the spiffiness. It's modern translations of vintage knitting patterns, particularly vintage lace. It's really beautiful. It's not as visually stunning as, say, Victorian Lace Today, but once again, it's digital, so it's better.
One of these days I'm going to design myself one of those fancy pants shawls with all sorts of complicated lace patterns, and this is so going to be one of the sites I consult. But it will also come in useful if I want to put a cool lacy border on a washcloth or something.
Go knit this. Now.

(I find the Stitch n Bitch a Day idea rather funny. I definitely stitch and bitch more than once a day, each. Maybe some people are just nicer than I am.)

A new link, old links

Whoah. http://www.knittingonthenet.com/stitches.htm
It's like Barbara Walker, but better, cause it's digital.

But the truth is, I would have rather not found it.
I need to knit a prayer shawl for a funeral on Tuesday.
Prayer may not be the word for it. I don't really pray, as such. But my views on religion are a rant for another day. No, my high school basketball coach had a stroke and died last week. He was only slightly older than my own parents and in better physical shape (sorry mom, but it's true). Enter mortality issues.
But we've all had loss, we've all faced those same issues. I'm not going to go through mine. They're the same ones everyone goes through when we're confronted with death, especially when it's unexpected like this.
We hadn't really spoken since I graduated high school. I had seen him maybe twice since then. Still, I have several years of memories of him, and beyond that, there were more things he represented to me on a philosophical level.
The girls on the team knew his family, his wife and the two daughters who are a bit younger than me. I don't know if his wife would remember me now, it's been so long. I'll be sure to introduce myself to spare her the awkward moments of trying to remember. But still, I have all the aching hopes for her that we all have for anyone who is grieving. Comfort, peace, strength. Even some sadness, because the sadness is necessary for a little while.
I don't have the right words to express it to her, or the time with her to say it I did. There are so many people who are so much closer to them that are better deserving of her time. I can't share all the memories I have of her husband, or all the things he represented for me.
So I'll knit her a prayer shawl. I knit. It's what I do. It's how I cope. Better than smoking, right? I'll knit those thoughts and memories into it, and even though she'll never know the details, I hope she can appreciate the symbolism.
It's as much for me as it is for her.

Secret Pal 10

Look what I stumbled on - it's Secret Pal 10!

I'd seen people posting about these things on their blogs, but I'd never signed up. It looks like a lot of fun, a non-holiday chance to spoil and be spoiled. All you knitters out there should sign up.

And here's the mandatory survery.

The Questionnaire

Here are is the questionnaire for SP10. Please be sure to post it in a spot on your blog where your pal can easily find it. Since your pal will use this to help create your packages you'll want to have it posted to your blog no later than the last day of February.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I like natural fibers, the softer the better. I would kill for handspun. (Okay, maybe not kill. But at least commit a major felony, like bank robbery or something.) I do not like most acrylic yarns, or even blends.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a cool roll-up case I made for my straight needles, one my friend made for me for my dpns, and a spiffy one from Della Q for my circular needles. They all live in the Mobile Knitting Command Unit, the rolling tank that is my knitting bag.

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 6 years, and I learned out of various books. I'm somewhere between intermediate and advanced. See the post on knitting paranoia.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

No, sorry.

5. What's your favorite scent?

I like citrus scents and lavender.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Oh, but I have a sweet tooth. I love chocolate cherries and anything chocolate mint.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I crochet fairly often. I can sew, but don't do it very much. I'm very much a beginner at spinning, but I have a really cool wheel. Other various art projects make an appearance from time to time.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like just about any music but rap or country. I can certainly play MP3s.
Know what's really cool? Audiobooks and clever podcasts.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

My favorite color is red, but I like pinks and purples too. You really can't go wrong with neutrals either.
Not a fan of green, really. Or oranges and yellows.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have two pets, one cat and one boyfriend. Only the cat lives with me though.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I do not wear ponchos, the rest are cool. (I'm rather on the small side though, especially my hands.)

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I really like bags and hats, especially if they have an interesting construction. Sweaters are fun too, but very much a long term commitment.

13. What are you knitting right now?

I'm not at liberty to discuss that.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Are there people that don't?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I prefer circular needles. I like bamboo or wood best, but I usually wind up with Addis. Not really a fan of plastic, but if there's something really cool out there I'd try it.

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

No, but I use the one at the LYS.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Oh god. Since I started knitting?

18. What is your favorite holiday?

I like birthdays (and I don't mean just mine).

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Dust, but I don't need any more of it.

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 can't wait for the next Yarn Harlot book. Someday I'll invest in the Barbara Walker books. Also, all the EZ books besides Knitting Without Tears. I have a subscription to Cast On (but I can't say I like it that much).

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Some day I'll get past socks.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I am not a sock knitter, and you can read my many laments to that fact. I wear a US women's 7.5.

23. When is your birthday?

October 8.

Fugly Friday

Ah, You Knit What?, you are gone too soon. May you rest in peace.
But there are still hideous knits out there, and they need to be mocked. So in homage, I bring you Fugly Friday (fugly = effing ugly)(their term, not mine)(but it's appropriate).
I mean seriously, people. What are the knit designers thinking? Who do they think is going to wear this?

This lovely creation is brought to you by Lion Brand, free pattern here.

Where do you begin mocking this? The fact that it makes the probably very thin model look like some sort of very well coordinated bear? Or maybe it's a Santa coat that took one too many trips down a chimney.

Its title is "Rich 'Fur' Coat." Yep, totally fooled me. I thought it was real fur all along. Not to mention the fact that the "fur" is 27 balls of Fun Fur. I shudder at the thought of Fun Fur at all. But 27 entire balls of it? Not to mention that it's Wool-Ease as a base? Oooh, comfy.

Please feel free to join in the mocking. In fact, I encourage it. And if you want to send me a contribution for a future Fugly Friday (I think I'm going to make this a regular feature) you know the address.

Quantum Yarn

A well-known thought experiment in modern physics is the story of Schrodinger's cat. Suppose, Erwin Schrodinger said, you put a cat in a box. The box is rigged with a system that will release cyanide to kill the cat, based on a completely random trigger. We seal the box; it is soundproof, it is sturdy so we do not see it shaking. We have no way of telling if the cat is alive or dead at any moment. Common sense would tell us that, considering the trigger is completely random, the cat could be either. But quantum physics takes it a step further. The cat is both dead and alive at the same time. It is only when we observe the cat, by opening the box, that the we force an outcome one way or the other. (Don't worry, this is only a thought experiment. No one has done or will do this to a real cat. ) (Especially not my cat.)
It sounds far fetched, but that's how the real world works at a subatomic level. When you look for an electron orbiting a nucleus, it could be anywhere. In fact, it is everywhere, until we pin it down to one place by observing it. We're used to a deterministic view of the world - things are the way they are and we passively observe it. But it's just not the cast - our decision to measure something actually changes the system.
This is coming back to knitting, I promise.
In many situations, it is far more probable that the electron will be one place instead of another when we measure it, but this is just a probability. It still exists in a very fundamental way at all the other possibilities. Everywhere that it can exist, it does. Kind of mind-boggling isn't it? Einstein didn't like this idea. "Gott spielt nicht!" he proclaimed, "God does not throw dice." Well, aparently he does. (And Einstein got himself in trouble with an awful lot of women, so maybe that whole "smartest guy ever" thing could use some re-examining.)
Here's how this comes back to knitting. When I have a certain project in mind, I've already made a measurement on the system. This yarn is destined to become whatever I choose to make with it, it's pinned down to one place. But there are other yarns that exist with infinite possibilities. These tend to be the more precious yarns, the cashmere that I horde, that beautiful handspun. I probably will never knit them. Why? Because I haven't found the right project. Sure, I have lots of ideas, but my resistance is deeper than that. As long as I haven't actually chosen a project, all those possibilities exist in reality still. It's improbable that the skein of cashmere is going to be part of a luxury scrap sweater, but on a quantum level, it already is. It's also part of a gorgeous bedspread, a snuggly collar on a cool cardigan, a delicate lace pillow. Until I pin the yarn down to one project, all these wonderful things still exist.
That's kind of hard to give up. Viva la stash!

Hat for the Boy v. 2.0

The previous hat for the boy was made when we had just started dating. It was near both our birthdays (he's one year and two days older), and this hat was going to be his gift.

That was in October.

I made that hat, but somehow it defies the laws of physics. I have a very small head. I'm fairly comfortable wearing children's sizes. He's Irish, and therefore his head has its own gravitational pull. Yet somehow, through some warp in the space-time continuum, it fits me, yet is too big for him. You'd think someone with as much physics under their belt as I have would be able to figure this out, but it's still a mystery. I think his head actually bends spacetime in a gravity well.

So I kept that hat, and it looks adorable on me. (Although my mother likes to say I look like a sailor when I wear it, particularly with the black pea coat. Well, ahoy, matey.) I finally (!) got around to making him a replacement. To his credit, he actually asked for it. (A man who appreciates handknits! Back off! He's mine!)

I decided to make this one ribbed all the way to the brim, so it would stretch in any direction, and super long, so he could just roll up the brim as high as it needs to go.

Turned sideways, it also looks like the giant bullets from the pirate ship in Mario Bros.

I'm not cheap enough to give it to him for Valentine's Day (aka Single People Awareness Day and Senseless Slaughter of Flowers Day, as I learned in the LYS last week). He got a proper gift, and he's coming over to cook me dinner tomorrow. It's a dangerous path, this knitting. First it's a hat, and before you know it, you're headed the way of the sweater curse.

In summary:

Yarn: Cashsoft Aran (oh, look it up yourself, I lost the ball band)

Needles: Size 7, 16" circ and dpn

Pattern: basically a k4, p4 rib

Time: about two days, once I got on with it

Cost: ~$18

Guilt level: Orange

Knitting Paranoia

Every once in a while, we all take a minute to step back and doubt ourselves.
For most of us, this comes naturally.
"Is this a good haircut?"
"Do I need to lose some weight?"
"Am I being productive at work?"
"If I wear this shirt right after I washed it even though I did laundry last week are people going to think that I just don't do laundry and I'm wearing a dirty shirt?"
Sure, probably, not enough and who the hell thinks like that?
Clearly, taken to the extreme, this is a terrible idea. But every once in a while, it's actually far from it. We need to take a moment to examine ourselves, and ask the big questions. Maybe it's not about things like clothes or a haircut, but the bigger questions, like if our lives are really on the right track, a quick progress report to ourselves.
So I find myself asking the question, "Am I a good enough knitter?"
Am I? And how do I judge?
I started the master knitter program months ago. Do you know it's really boring to knit all those swatches? It's kind of fallen by the wayside. And a lot of people make the very good point of, "Why do I need someone else to tell me I'm a good knitter?" At some point, I'm going to have to finish it just because I paid the money for it, so there's that. But what will that master knitter level 1 really give me? A blurb in a terrible knitting magazine, something I could list on a knitting resume, if for some reason I ever needed a knitting resume. Does it put me on the inevitable path of finishing the entire master knitting series, just to prove I can? Yeah, probably. I'm a little OC like that.
But beyond some outsider's label, how do I prove to myself that I'm a good knitter? I was pretty impressed with myself back when I was making scarves. Now I'm churning out sweaters, and I'm reasonably convinced there's no pattern I couldn't do if I really wanted. I follow directions pretty well. There are still the patterns I shy away from, particularly those knit on microscopic needles or with massive patterning.
Is that a preference or failure? I used to think basic cables were hard, now I don't need a pattern for the simpler ones. Does that mean once I really am a good knitter I should think a massively textured Aran sweater is easy?
Or how about lace? When I finally understood it, it was a like a light going off. But I don't really want to follow all those gigantic charts. I don't like charts. Does that mean I'm not good at lace? Are there multiple layers of lights that would go off in the future if I really applied myself?
What about time? Do I knit fast enough? I have a reputation for being a rather quick knitter, but I think that's mostly because I have a lot more spare time than the other ladies at the LYS, what with not having children and all. I've never timed myself. Is that really something to strive for?
Maybe I'm not a good knitter as long as I keep following patterns. Shouldn't a really good knitter understand every piece of clothing and be able to make her own? I used to follow hat patterns, now I make my own. Sometimes I even scoff at hat patterns (though that's condescending and wrong). Do I need to get to that point with sweaters?
And are sweaters really enough? I don't make blankets. Is that a downfall?
And let's not even talk about socks. I know that's something I need to get past. It will happen eventually. But I'll probably never enjoy it. Do I need to enjoy knitting socks to be a good knitter? Certain yarn harlots would have you think so....
But enough of the knitting paranoia. What it really comes down to is that I'm good, but I'm not good enough. That's how it always has been, and that's how it's always going to be. As long as you enjoy what you're doing and you like what you've done, you're a good knitter. But there's always room to grow.
And the paranoia, as long as it's brief, is actually a good thing. It makes you stop and take stock of where you are. One of these days, I'm going to conquer socks. And I'm going to make that complicated Aran sweater, and I'm going to finish that stupid intarsia blanket, and I'm going to do ridiculously complicated lace. I'll be a better knitter for it.
(And in case you missed the point here, a better person too.)

Instant Gratification

You know what's great about chunky yarns?

Everything.

After the marathon of Christmas knitting, I've been drawn to projects that aim for instant gratification. Enter the lovely book One Skein. Ah, One Skein. So many cute items, all in just one skein of yarn. Granted, that may be a skein of lace weight that has 1450 yards, or a chunky yarn that knits to an inch a stitch, but it's one skein nevertheless.

Here's the Spiral Knit Bag in Malabrigo chunky. The bag itself is super cute, and a decent size for a little purse. I was suprised at how well it worked with the yarn. I had no idea what the recommended yarn looked like, I just saw that it said chunky, and I had been looking for an excuse to use the Malabrigo chunky anyway. I can't say enough about it. One night, one bag. It's soft and spirally and very fun.

Of course, my mom can take one look at those colors and know it's for her. She's gone a whole month without getting anything knit, so it's about time.

In summary:

Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky (100% merino wool, $11.95)

Needles: Size 11 16" circ and dpn

Pattern: Spiral Knit Bag from One Skein

Time: a few hours, honest!

Cost: $11.95

Go knit this bag!

Knitting Quiz

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Goddess. You are constantly giving and are unconcerned with reward, you simply want others to love knitting as much as you do. If someone wants to knit miles of novelty yarns, you are there for them. If someone wants to learn short row shaping, you can help. There are no taboos in knitting, only opportunities to grow. Everyone should have friend like you around if they want to learn to knit, and there's a good chance that your passion has rubbed off on a few others.http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!

He he he.

I'm it!

Kristine tagged me with this meme. I think it's my first official tagging. Be excited.

Six Weird Things About Me

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

As Kristine puts it, weird is relative. So I'm going to stick with the knitting things, otherwise this would be way more than six things.

1. I don't knit socks. Reasons why are here, here, and here, in addition to several places in my closet. There are far too many things that I want to knit to waste my time on something I don't like. I may do at some point just for the sheer joy of conquering it, but I don't expect it to be soon.

2. I read knitting books like most people read regular books. I read them in the bath, in bed, when I need something to read, always.

3. I taught myself to knit out of a book. My aunt tried to show me when I was younger, but she knits continental, and I knit American. Mostly it was the "I taught myself to knit!" pamphlet from Walmart, with grating metal needles and squeaky acrylic yarn. The book that made me a knitter was Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'n' Bitch.

4. I classify my (many) projects by how much attention they require. Things that are large and/or complex, such as blankets, serious lace or charted projects, stay at home. Travelling projects can involve minor shaping or counting rows, like basic sweater pieces. Movie theater projects must be so simple you can knit them in the dark. (Not knitting at the movies is not an option.)

5. I have a hope chest. This may seem strange for a card-carrying feminist, but it mostly started with adorable baby projects I couldn't bear to give away. I make no apologies. Even if I don't have children, there's bound to be a special child in my life at some point.

6. Unless I'm doing something very complex, I don't look at my knitting. I love how this freaks people out.

And now for the tagging others part. Kristine already got most of my blog friends.

I'll try tagging Amanda, but she seems to think law school is more important than knitting right now. Pfffhhhht.

Also, consider yourself tagged, friends:

Vicki

Jessica

Becky

And random Science Knits cohorts:

Knitting Like Crazy

and

Underwater Knitting


because they like the Bears.

Ah, Metaphors

Those of you who read this blog regularly (Mom) may have noticed a trend here. There is a flurry of activity, and then no posts for a week or worse.
Clearly, there is a metaphor here.
Yes, this is how my life generally works. So when I manage to complete an entire project in this initial burst of energy, I look amazingly productive and astounding. If I miss the window, even by a little, such as say, the weaving in of ends, the project sits on the shelf (metaphorically that is, it's usually my floor or couch) for perhaps weeks on end, no further progress being made. Then I look like a slacker.
It's not necessarily that (though it is sometimes), it's just that I've been consumed by a new project, that I must temporarily throw all of my creative juices into.
These things happen. I can only hope to occasionally circle back to the old projects until they finally get done.
Also, my laptop no longer likes to add photos to blogger, which puts a damper on things. I have several posts all written up, but since I forget to add the pictures at home, they're stagnating.
Yeah. It's all blogger's fault.