Summer 2009

There's a chill in the air, and I'm thinking about pumpkins, fresh bread, stews, and apple orchards. But before I go down that path... one last look at summer....

My garden caused me to fall behind on my blogging, and at times my knitting. However, there were many delicious meals prepared this summer using fresh zucchini, basil, eggplants, swiss chard, and other items from my community garden plot. I love hanging out there, amongst the bees and flocks of geese and tiny birds.










Here's my little plot of land:


All summer I labored over a sweater project, which has temporarily stalled, due to some charting issues...



Let's not forget the rainy weekend I spent in NH at my summercamp reunion:






Of course, I've been working on some gift knitting I can't blog about right now, but stay tuned...

Recessionista

From this



To this!

ooo! Oooo!!

So I was just sitting here in my PJs, feeling a little bored, surfing through blogs I like. I haven't looked at this one in a while. I love LOVE this lady's work.

So I scroll down, and discover that some of her work is apparently on display at the Peabody Essex Museum!! Which is about three blocks away! Guess I know what I'm doing today!

I would love to collect some of these pieces, but I don't think she really sells them. Well, maybe if you have to ask, they are out of your budget anyway...

I've seen some prints that she makes for sale on her Etsy shop, and she also sells sculptural jewelry.

Mmmyello

Greetings!

I've been a busy bee of late! I knit two pairs of socks (see "frankensocks" from previous post, plus a newer, better second pair of the same pattern, pictured below)



The socks above were sent away in the mail for a raffle to raise money for my old summer camp. I hope they find a good home! I really wanted to knit a pair of these for the raffle. They would have been perfect. But I've never knit intarsia before, and there wasn't really time to learn. But mark my words, I'm gonna do it. And soon.

Knitting my first two pairs of socks also necessitated having a pair of sock blockers. Since we're in a recession (and I broke the bank on Euroflax!), I decided I'd better make my own. I googled "DIY sock blockers" and came across a simple pattern using vinyl placemats; it was cheap, fast, and effective. I bought a few placemats, so I can make blockers in various sizes now.

I've been hacking away at my Eyelet Chemise. Things are going well, considering I'm usually at crisis this point along in a sweater pattern. I'm truly intrigued by Euroflax and cannot wait to be done, so I can see how it looks washed and dried. The swatch I did is incredibly soft and drapey.



I have to say, though, the Euroflax is tough on the hands. I actually have callouses in certain areas of my fingers from this yarn. I guess this is what happens when I baby my hands for so long with kid silk haze!!

I'm also working on some recessionista-type projects around the house. I bought this sad little bookshelf at a junk shop in Salem, and am busy transforming it into a wall shelf to display my teacup collection. It don't look like much now, but prepare to be dazzled.

Happy July 4th!

a patriotic puss

Frankensocks

I have dubbed my first completed pair of socks "Franken-socks". You can't really tell from this photo, but they are kind of baggy and droopy, which I think is party a function of the softness of the yarn (K1C2 "Ambrosia"). The yarn is some of the softest I've ever knit with, and seems geared towards bed-socks, rather than "regular" socks.

This whole heel thing is really killing me. I started work on a second pair of these socks (same yarn) for a charity raffle, and I'm going to have spend an hour today frogging out the heel section. GAH!!

Patches keeps the sock thing pretty simple. Just plain white:

Ummmmm.... not perfect.

Well, I finished one sock yesterday, and noticed a pretty big mistake.

So I think I'm going to have to back-pedal a little here about how great I am and how easy it is to make socks.....

It IS easy, but there are still some pitfalls, such as, picking up the stitches for the toe and the heel evenly, and making sure you keep the pattern correct when you redistribute the stitches onto several needles after finishing the heel.

I had intended these socks to be for a charity raffle, but with these mistakes, I think it will have to be my practice pair.

ummmm.... wow

I think I am starting to get the whole sock thing. I tried the "two-circular" method, which bored me to tears, and seemed very slow. Now, knitting "toe-up" on double-pointeds, as awkward as it is, I am amazed at how fast this is knitting up.

Multi-tasking, again.

No sooner than I get the Eyelet Chemise under way, than I find myself agreeing to knit something for a raffle. PRESSURE, people! Deadlines!

I wanted to make these, but decided instead I'd better do something a little more my speed, especially since I've never done that kind of two color knitting!

Instead, I'm trying out some more knitting in the round with a pair of Lacy Summer Socks, from Lingerie Style

It has been cast

I'm a couple inches up now on the eyelet chemise. A few mistakes, but so far nothing earth-shattering. A couple of those: "hmmm. there's 7 stiches where there should be 6" kind of moments.

After consulting with finished projects on Ravelry, I think I'm going to add a few inches in length to the overall sweater, as it will shorten a little when I wash/block it.




Something whiskery....

The 'Bee is Back

After a long hiatus, adjusting to a new job and a new commute, I hath returned.

In the interim, I got a whole bunch of knitting done, learned how to knit in the round on two circulars, bought some books, tried knitting a beginner sock (zzzz), wrote a novel.... oh wait that last one is not true.

DH, god bless him, bought us a new laptop, which I love using. I blog faster on the desktop, but I'm sure I'll learn.

I also tried out posting my knitting pictures (see previous posts)via flickr. It gets the job done, but I think I prefer uploading my pictures the "old fashioned way".

Casting on - Eyelet Chemise

001
Originally uploaded by bostonworkerbeeflickr

Cast on yesterday for the Eyelet Chemise from
Interweave Knits Summer 2006.



I'm using Louet Euroflax (machine washable!!). Here's my test swatch. I know, I know... I NEVER do test swatches. But this yarn was so expensive, I thought I ought to do things right this time.

Juliet Scarf (Knitting Little Luxuries)

juliet scarf 1_edited-1
Originally uploaded by bostonworkerbeeflickr

This is another gift. If you recall, I made an attempt with this pattern over the winter, but for some reason, I wasn't in the zone with it. The pattern seemed to make sense this time around!

Lace Hanger Covers (Romantic Style)

lace hanger cover 1
Originally uploaded by bostonworkerbeeflickr

I am giving these, plus the sachet and dish cloths to a friend as a housewarming present. The hangers were very easy to make. I ordered the padded hangers on Amazon.com, the yarn is Rowan Cotton 4 Ply.

Dish Cloth (Debbie Bliss Magazine Spring/Summer 2009)

dish towel 1
Originally uploaded by bostonworkerbeeflickr

I knit this using Debbie Bliss Eco. Easy Train knit!

Lace Sachet (Interweave Knits Summer 2009)

003
Originally uploaded by bostonworkerbeeflickr

I knit these on two circular needles, using left over cotton yarn from the covered hangers.

Onwards!

Tonite I finished the beaded thingy that goes with Katie's lace stole. It is supposed to have elastic inside, but I couldn't quite figure it out. The elastic loop is so friggin' small, it is not quite as easy as the pattern would suggest.



I'm kind of loving this pattern book. I've already cast on for the lace hanger covers. The pattern is suprisingly easy (when you've had the benefit of private instruction from Mama Bee on how to knit, purl, knit into the same stitch!)



I think I'd better find some padded hangers before this thing gets any longer!

Feeling rather chuffed.

This Sunday I had a rather nice day. I was quite productive. Not only did I do a bunch of laundry, but I made a nice dinner for me and DH (flu-stricken as he is, poor thing), went to the Library, perused the local junk store hoping to find more interesting objet (found none, alas).... and, oh! I made my own blocking board.

How did you do that, you ask? Well, let me tell you!

How to make a Blocking Board, cheaply:

1. Go to Home Depot, enter Lumber Aisle
2. Ask the guy where the sheets of styrofoam are kept.
3. Purchase a 4' x 8' sheet of 1 1/2" thick styrofoam

[3a. Struggle against the wind, trying to get it to your car without it or you snapping in half
3b. Ignore macho construction guy who makes unhelpful and obvious comments as you try to get across parking lot ("Oooo... that's going to snap.")
3c. Try to fit said foam into car.
3d. Break said foam into 2 or 3 smaller ragged chunks.]



4. Measure and cut styrofoam using your art school tools and gadgets (i.e. 36" metal ruler, mat knife)



5. Cover one side of each blocking board with contact paper (from kitchen aisle at Target).
6. Staple the contact paper in securely in place.
7. Commence blocking! Spritz and spray away! There's contact paper on that sucker, so your board won't get soggy.


What you see here is a finished lace stole, that has been gently soaked in a lavender fiber wash, and pinned out to block and dry. Per pattern instructions, I'm also knitting a beaded loop with elastic inside to use as an optional clasp to hold the stole together when worn. I'm too lazy to take a picture of that right now. All in good time.



Here's a closer look at the zig zag pattern



What you see here is something striped, looking for some trouble.

Of things Green, and Spring

Happy Valentine's Day, to one and all. This morning I awoke at dawn to discover my winter blooming jasimine has finally done just that!

What a wonderful smell. The flower buds take a long time to develop and open. They become so long and white they look as though they might fall off, and then one day, they open! DH took a sniff, and said it smells like Florida.



My banana and blood orange trees continue to prosper....


As does "project green" a birthday gift for a fashion-forward friend:

Sci-Fi Monday

Give us the access codes to your tuna and kitty litter! Obey our commands!



Or we will unleash our terrible breath wrath..



HA! That is just Patches yawning. Her incessant napping prevents any cat uprising from being successful.

I have been "multi-tasking" (uh oh). Here's a little peek.

"Project Blue"


"Project Green"

Acts of contrition

Forgive me bloggy, it has been a month since my last confession.

So where have I been, what have I been doing? Why hath the blog sufferedeth? The burning questions of our time!

The past few months have been rather busy! Busy at work, busy job interviewing, busy with friends and family over holidays. Busy feeling psyched that we have a new Prez. The job interviewing has recently led to the successful procurement of a new position, which I am feeling excited about.

I'll be starting in a week or so. Turns out I really do have a little bit of the "city girl" in me, and I am looking forward to getting a lot of knitting done as I commute back and forth to the new job in town.

I'll miss a lot of things about my old job and my old commute: Grace, Marla, sleeping late, seeing Patches at lunchtime, having the time to cook real meals at dinner time for me and DH.

HAVE you been knitting at all, you might ask? Why yes I have! Over the holidays, I managed to finish this scarf as a gift for my co-worker Grace.





It is made with 3 skeins of Frog Tree 100% Alpaca (worsted weight, using a lace pattern from the Harmony Guide: Lace & Eyelets book).

Which brings me to my next thought (I'm freestylin' here)..

My Favorite Knitting Things So Far in 2009:
Romantic Style by Jennie Atkinson (xmas gift from DH)
French Girl Knits (new book published by Interweave Press, which I MUST have)
Kid Silk Haze (still a fave)
Frog Tree Alpaca
Alpaca, in general

I have been queuing up a storm on Ravelry. I'm kind of feeling like 2009 is my big comeback year. Look out world.