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[Sep. 24th, 2006|12:41 pm] |
So I guess I haven't updated in forever. School and work have gotten the best of me... I literally only have Sundays off. And even Sundays I have to be at school, putting in the mandatory 6 hours per class per week of extra studio work (6 hours X 3 studio classes = 18 extra hours of homework)... It's kind of ridiculous. The only time I really have to knit is my one-hour lunchbreaks from work, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Other than that, all my time is spoken for.
It's starting to get to me, I think.
Also, I still haven't finished my fair isle sweater. That's so sad! It's sweater weather and I can't even wear my own knitted sweater! And it doesn't help that I've been fucking up every fourth row and then continuing to knit until I even REALIZE I've fucked up, and then I have to frog four rows and start over from there... it's taking forEVER. I'm just not focussed enough right now, I guess.
But right now I have to go to the studio and paint four more paintings for tomorrow. Oy vey. |
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[Aug. 28th, 2006|07:07 pm] |
Okay! So after a few days of not knitting as much as that first day, I'm finished the back of the sweater. Next up, the front... I'm a little bit worried, though, because I think I may have made a size too big. Which isn't a tragedy, I guess, but still... I would have liked for this sweater to fit properly. Maybe I can felt it slightly or something. I don't know, I guess we'll have to see how it all turns out.
And I guess that my LYS wants me to be a model for their upcoming fashion show September 15. Haha, how funny! |
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[Aug. 24th, 2006|12:14 pm] |
Haha, oh god, I am such a geek.
I'm already up to the bust on the back of my sweater, and it's only the day after I bought all the yarn! It's the perfect sweater to knit for the little ADD girl inside of me - a bunch of rows of ribbing, and as soon as you get sick of that, you go to plain stockinette; and then right when you're anxious to get to the fair isle, it comes for about eleven rows; and then it goes back into stockinette when you're sick of thinking so hard; and then back into the fair isle just when stockinette gets too boring again... see what I mean? Gah, it's perfect. I barely put it down yesterday.
I have run into a couple of issues, though... or really, just one - the purple is far far too close in colour to the brown. They look like the same colour. Even when they are right beside each other. SO I think what I'll do is just take out the purple altogether (it was only used in one area anyway) and replace it with the grey, and use the purple for something else. Like another sweater. In fair isle. Because honestly, I am SO obsessed with it again. It's just what the doctor ordered at the end of the summer, when I'm getting kind of restless and very strapped for concentration. It gets me right back down to focussing my energy into something useful, instead of doing essentially nothing.
In other news, being raw vegan is NOT as hard as it looks. I made lasagne the other night. Out of kale (for the noodles), mushrooms, tomato basil sauce (which I made myself in my new FOOD PROCESSOR) and cheese (made from a blend of nuts, olive oil, spices, and red pepper). I would even go so far as to say that it's even better than real lasagne.
And I'm feeling so much more energized. |
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[Aug. 22nd, 2006|04:15 pm] |
So I just went to River City Yarns to buy yarn for the little fair isle sweater in the new VK.
I was there for almost two hours, just chatting it up with the ladies there! God, everyone is so helpful and amazing at that store. Seriously. No qualms about showing you how to do something on a whim, recommending anything you need (even if it's from a different store), and just getting to know you. Both of them were down there on the floor, helping me pick the perfect colours for my sweater (I had to choose six that went well together), even suggesting certain ones for my skin tone and everything! Haha, I LOVE that store. For real.
And I am now in posession of eleven skeins of cascade 220. Beautiful, heathered tones of browns, greys, and a deep dark eggplant, a rust, and a cream. And I am going to make a sweaterrrrrr!!!
Right now, though, I need to do a stencil for Scott's band's CD cover.
And do the dishes.
And technically, I should finish that circular shrug before I start on anything major like another sweater.
But I'm not gonna. |
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[Aug. 21st, 2006|07:33 pm] |
I bought a food processor!
My first real, honest-to-god, living-on-my-own household object!
And I'm using it every day at least twice now that I'm reintroducing raw veganism.
Yesterday I made raw vegan strawberry peach pie, with ground-up nuts and dates for the crust (which just presses nicely into a pie plate and, with refridgeration (along with your pie insides), it solidifies without baking! Perfect!!), and today I made a beautiful raw vegan lasagne, made from homemade tomato sauce, cheese made out of nuts and red peppers, and kale for the noodles! Gah, I am ridiculously excited. It's like I'm actually enjoying food again. I'm having a really good time just making recipes up without using cooking or animal products. It's like a new creative outlet for me. So good.
And in other news... the damned circular shrug is at a stand-still. I'm going to take it with me in a couple of minutes to work on while I sit in Chapters (the couches there are comfy, I can people-watch when my fingers hurt, and I like white noise around me when I'm knitting)... but I screwed up about three or four rows down, and I have to frog it until that point. Which irks me. But I am getting this thing done. Because my NEXT project, I'm thinking, is definately something from the new Vogue Knitting... probably the little fair isle sweater. Or maybe the low-neck lacy bottomed one. I'm not totally sure quite yet, but I do know that I want to get this shrug done before I start on something else. Which is kind of like torture, but it'll be worth it when I have at least one sweater done instead of a zillion unfinished ones.
I can't wait to see what kind of fun playthings my secret buddy has sent me... |
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[Aug. 16th, 2006|06:24 pm] |
Cleansing again.
Perhaps this time will lead into permanent veganism. And, eventually, raw veganism.
Anyway! I'm working on the ever-popular circular shrug from craftster right now... and it's kind of getting the better of me. Five inches of ribbing (240 stitches across), plus 20 inches of dimple stitches over 120 stitches, and then another rib section like the first... all in the crappily-chosen.... red heart super saver. Gah! Bad bad choice! I picked it because I figured it would be a quick, experimental knit that I could just do really quickly and have a prototype, and if it didn't turn out well, I wouldn't have wasted good yarn. But god, it's taking for-freaking-ever. I'm going to go make a big ol' salad and work on it a bit more, methinks.
And secretpal... if you're reading... I wonder if your package got lost in the mail? I haven't received anything yet, I'm getting kind of worried... |
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[Aug. 10th, 2006|09:24 pm] |
By the way, the new Vogue Knitting is fucking amazing.
I am going to knit everything in the Modern English section. |
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[Aug. 10th, 2006|10:28 am] |
I am pretty much done with that shell. I don't think it can be fixed. Well, it probably can be, but with much more effort than it deserves... I guess it's another almost FO banished to the WIP bucket to sit for a few months or so... very disappointing. However, my circular shrug is coming along somewhat well; the 5" of ribbing over 40" almost killed me though... so boring. But now that I'm into the body part, I actually am thinking I have a chance of finishing this sucker.
Also, I'm now designing the sets for a Fringe play... in about four days. Which means I am going to have no time for knitting whatsoever in the next little while, I guess... except for maybe at home and on the bus. Today I have to somehow find enough acrylic paint for under $100, carry ten 8'x4' sheets of chloroplast up three flights of stairs, and get to work... I guess. I will probably leave most of the work for this weekend, seeing as how Scott will be gone playing shows in random towns and so I'll be all by myself... what better time to immerse yourself in stressing work? Heh? Heh?
I'm pretty happy about the sets, though. For quite awhile now I've been feeling really lame... like I haven't really been accomplishing anything great at all. No really great FO's, no paintings at all since June, no more embroidery drawings... I've been coasting through everything without productivity. It's not a good feeling. So I guess now I have a purpose...
In any case, I can't wait for my package from my secret pal to arrive. Speaking of which, perhaps I shall mail something out to my own fairly quickly here... |
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[Aug. 5th, 2006|11:42 am] |
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My scarf is done!! And it's fabulous!!! I'm so proud of it!!! It hangs perfectly, and blocking did wonders (I was almost not going to block it, because I thought I liked the original state more than I'd like the blocked version... wrong!). It's twenty degrees celcius outside but I'm wearin' it out!! |
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[Aug. 4th, 2006|08:02 pm] |
Alright, so I've finally finished my orange lace scarf! It's sitting in the living room, blocking, at the moment. I hate not having access to a digital camera or a scanner, so I'm not sure when I'll get pictures up... I'm thinking maybe of buying a digi cam, so just you wait. There may be pics up at some point. Otherwise, I think I'll just wait until a few more FO's gather up, and then take pictures of them together on one roll of film, and get that on one of those picture CD's? I don't know, we'll see how fast I knit from now and then.
Next task this weekend: finish the seaberry shell once and for all! It's staring menacingly at me right now, I don't know if I feel like touching it at the moment... I think I'm going to go to Safeway instead and pick up some milk for some homemade cocoa! Even though it's not really cold and rainy anymore...
I WILL tackle that sweater this weekend. Maybe even tonight. |
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[Aug. 3rd, 2006|04:45 pm] |
Okay. Calmly now... I am going to finish the Seaberry Shell (Interweave Summer 06) THIS WEEKEND if it's the last thing I do. I have to:
1. Rip out the whole collar, because the pattern was written improperly and it doesn't fit over my head and there isn't enough stitches and and and and (I could go on)...
2. Finish up the right side with a three-needle bindoff (it seems to give it something more to look at than just a sea of reverse st st)
3. Pick up all but two on each side of the live stitches from the tops of the back and front... both shoulders, as well as the neck
4. Knit a gigantic garter stitch collar (about five rows) with six stitches worth of a button flap on the left shoulder
5. Sew on button
6. Hope for the best.
Who knew that this sweater was going to be the death of me? Who knew??? I also think I made the armholes to curvy-inny, but it's way too late to fix that now. I'll have to live with it. If worse comes to worse, I can always try to block them a little bigger.
I feel like I'm close to finishing my little orange lace scarf, too, but who knows how many yards I have left on that skein? I can't wait! Then all I have to do is block it and be happy. Not like this dumbass sweater!!!
Speaking of sweaters and having me not hate them forever, I think I'm going to make Tubey out of Cascade 220 - the greeny heathered version. I bought one skein of it on Monday (when I should have been buying ONLY for my secret pal) thinking I'd make another one of these scarves... but I think that I'd like it in a sweater even more. Plus, I think I'm going to get some nice laceweight for my next scarf, so it isn't quite as bulky. So I need about five more skeins of this C220... fourty five more dollars... I guess I can deal. Haha.
Also: I can't wait for my next secret package to come from my secret knitting buddy!! The last one was so great!!!!! |
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[Jul. 31st, 2006|05:58 pm] |
I HATE THE SEABERRY SHELL!!!!!!
It will never be finished, I think... Ever....
However, I am now excited about making yet another little lace scarf, with some Cascase 220 Heathered, in colourway #9407, which is a beautiful light green tweedy yarn. Yay! |
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[Jul. 25th, 2006|09:26 pm] |
Eep... another update! I think my #3 project should be:
This sweater!!
I've been eyeing it for awhile, actually... and now it's out in English and I think I should dive in. It looks hard, though... we'll see, we'll see. |
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[Jul. 25th, 2006|08:45 pm] |
Heckkkk yeah! I am so almost done the Seaberry Shell!! All I need to do is finish a few more rows of the back, block both the front and the back pieces, stitch up the collar and then sew up! And then done! I guess it's a bit more work than I thought, but... most of the knitting is over! I'll definately have it done by the weekend, if not tomorrow or Thursday. I'm so infinitely excited. And then, in order of priority, here are my next tackles:
1. Finish my orange lace scarf (with the yarn from my secret pal... thanks secret pal!!!!!)
2. Knitty's "Tubey" - I haven't yet decided whether I want to do this in the cheap yarn that I have (Red Heart Super Saver - eww, but really cheap), or buy some really nice worsted yarn.
3. Find a good quick sweater pattern. One that I can make pretty quick... and also doesn't suck. I need more good sweaters for the winter!!!
4. I would LOVE to do Jacket No.20 in Phildar's Printemps Catalogue... however, I don't know if that much stockinette stitch on that small a gauge will make me gouge my eyes out. My second choice is Jacket No.33, which is probably just as much stockinette, but less finishing (yay!).
5. Eventually, when all other things have been finished, start working again on that damn yellow sweater. I hate it. It's on 3.5 needles - make me die or what!! But I have all the damn yarn for it, so I have to finish at some point. But I don't feel so bad, because it's cheap yarn that I got on sale for 50%. Oh Patons Canadiana, how I couldn't resist a deal like that. And now I'm stuck with it!!!
6. Interweaved between all those projects (which don't actually seem so daunting now that I see it all out there), I have to start thinking about knitting up some of those collar pieces for my winter coat.
Alright, so this isn't all that bad!! |
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[Jul. 24th, 2006|07:36 pm] |
So a little while ago, I bought a BEAUTIFUL vintage winter coat at the ol' thrift store... it's kind of beigy-pinky-grey-brown felt, kind of tweedy looking but not really, wrap style with a belt, goes down to mid-calf, and has a HUGE collar... made of fur. Now, everything about this coat I absolutely love. Seriously. It looks really good on me (because it's just so over-the-top, and my hair is big, curly and reddish blonde), and I'm excited about wearing it... but the only thing that I was hesitant about it when I bought it was that FUR. I just didn't know if I would feel comfortable wearing it. Well, now I know that I'm really not. SO... what I'm planning to do is collect a whole array of beautiful yarns and threads in cool (read: not warm-toned... colour wheel theory speaking) browns and pink tones, and warm (read: not cool-toned) greys... and knit myself a giant collar out of ruffles, laces, and different gauges of knits. I actually think that it might turn out even better than the current fur... but that's just in my head. I haven't even really done a sketch yet... this is just a daydream so far. But I think it may also be the answer to a couple of problems that I seem to always have: A) not really wanting to knit a THING, but wanting to knit... I would just need to knit a long line of whatever stitch for around the collar. B) I am forever buying one skein of a beautiful yarn that I have no use for. It almost always goes into something half-hearted, or just doesn't get used at all. This way, I can buy whatever impulse yarn I want, and then knit it into something completely useful.
With that being said, it looks like I'll have a happy trip to Knit and Purl tomorrow! |
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[Jul. 23rd, 2006|10:06 pm] |
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South Country Fair was this weekend. I got back about... oh, I don't know, two hours ago? It was disgustingly hot, and humid, and I was sweating all weekend. I'm wicked exhausted now. I bought an orange wrap skirt that actually doesn't suck like most wrap skirts do... and also I started on the Seaberry Shell from Interweave Knits (summer). All round, I did a lot of knitting in the car, but the rest of the weekend was spent finding shade and sleep... and walking to and from our hotel room (we weren't camping... and thank god, too many bugs!). Scott did really well with the Uncas, I didn't know how good that band actually was until this weekend. But right now I am TIIIIIREDDDD!!!!! |
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[Jul. 18th, 2006|11:20 am] |
Wow, so it's been forever since I've updated. That is no good.
I'm working on a series of embroidery drawings lately... they're making me quite happy, actually. They're a bunch of plain old cityscapes, that are all stitched with white thread into black felt. Once I'm done all of them, I think I might frame them with knitting somehow and then do a kitschy show at Cafe Mosaics!!!
Also, the Artwalk was a bust this year. I didn't even stay for Sunday. The art that is on the ave lately just sucks all aspects of suck, and that really frustrates me. I am saying now that I won't do it again next year, but we all know that I always say that. I'll probably sign up come March.
Other than that, I've learned how to use the sewing machine (again). Which means that I should get to finally making a bag so that I don't have to lug my giant one around anymore. |
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[Jul. 3rd, 2006|01:37 am] |
Re-started my sweater. For the third time. I'm redesigning it, because the pattern I was using was working out to be way too awkward in the stomach area... and I want a better fit. Also, the gold thread I was using just didn't do it for me after a little bit... I found some lemon yellow thread at the thrift store... I'm using that for now, but I know I probably won't have enough for the entire sweater. I guess we'll just have to see. I hope it works out.
In other news, Canada day was fun. |
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[Jun. 19th, 2006|07:03 pm] |
I am completely overwhelmed right now.
Fully and completely. |
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[Jun. 17th, 2006|02:54 pm] |
I'm about 8 inches into my sweater now... and realizing that I should have made the smaller size. Boo! I always have this problem, though, with all clothes - I always think that I'm way bigger than I am. I think it comes from when I was 30 pounds heavier, last summer... I've since lost all that weight and yet I still think I'm the same size. I don't feel any smaller. But I guess I am. Oh well, why not another giant sweater? It's not like I don't wear them.
In any case, though, the yellow yarn and gold string is going together quite nicely... it's bright yellow, with just a hint of gold speckles in it. I'm pretty happy. I just wish it was smaller now! Sucks! I guess I can just keep going as I am, and maybe after I'm done the back I'll make the front according to the smaller pattern size, and then when I'm sewing them together, I'll just take the back in quite a bit? And then bind them tightly? And then cut the excess out? Or maybe I'll just suck it up and take note for next time? Who knows.
Today, though, I still have to colour about 14 pages of the Journal project for the deadline on Monday! I is sucks! |
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