Tuesday, February 28, 2006

I won!

For those of you who suspect I may have knit Danica just to get a gold medal... well you might be right.

Image hosting by Photobucket

Yay, I'm a winner! I have a beautiful scarf made from stash yarn, and I can finally get back to sock knitting. Well, as soon as I finish this sweater...

Monday, February 27, 2006

D is for...

Dumped



(My newest ABC-along entry.)

Some Knittyboard love

A week or so ago in chat someone mentioned a knit skirt they had made, then had returned to them by the recipient. It sounded like something I might like, so she offered to send it to me! Well I got it today, and it fits! If only it weren't about 10 degrees outside. ;)

Image hosting by Photobucket

I also got my Valentine from MJ today too.

Look, yarn to knit lace (she sent a pattern too, not pictured) and chocolate:

Image hosting by Photobucket

And a chocolate closeup:

Image hosting by Photobucket

I tried the one with the word, chocolate and caramel - yum!

Thanks Knittyboarders, for making me feel so loved today.

I also finished the front of my secret sweater at knitting group.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Olympic success and sleep deprivation...

But it's not a cause and effect relationship.

My PhD program was having it's recruitment "weekend" (really Thursday night through Sunday morning) this week, so I had a houseguest, was barely home, and there was mandatory partying. Thus the sleep deprivation.

On Friday I got the scarf and hat from my ISE partner. I wore them on Saturday, but even my friend Jessica couldn't get a decent picture of me. Something to do with the tiredness of both of us, I would guess. The scarf looked fine, though.

Image hosting by Photobucket

Yes, it's on the diagonal. Yes, we were bored and tired at the time.

And now for Olympic success:

Image hosting by Photobucket

That's my crummy I-live-alone-picture-in-the-bathroom-mirror picture - and I'm not looking much more well-rested or attractive today. But my Danica is DONE DONE and before the end of the Olympics.* I learned a few things.

1. Entrelac is sort of fussy, but it looks cool in the end.

2. Knitting backwards is a good skill to have.

3. Never do a project which requires weaving in eleventy-million ends.

4. The other project will always look more attractive. That's how I finished almost an entire sweater body while I was supposed to be working on Danica.

And now it's time for a nap!

* Slight photo delay due to camera battery issues.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Olympic Progress and more

Image hosting by Photobucket

There's my Danica at the end of Knitsmiths today. I wasn't looking as lovely as I did yesterday, so I cropped me out. ;) There's a little more going behind my neck and over the other shoulder.

Yesterday I didn't bring Danica along, and instead worked on the Conwy sock. I'm now on the heel flap!

Image hosting by Photobucket

I've also picked out yarn for my Sockapaloooza socks, but that will wait until another day.

Saturday, February 18, 2006

A day with Polarg and CTHGSY (Chapter 3)

ETA: For those not familiar with CTHGSY, please read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Today I cleaned the apartment a bit, then CTHGSY and I hopped the T down to Newbury Street to meet Polarg for a little shopping. First we hit Newbury Yarns. CTHGSY was a real good guy to put up with that. First off, most guys avoid yarn stores like the plague, and second he's always a little extra nervous that he'll be replaced by some new delicious guy.

Image hosting by Photobucket

We then headed across the street to Beadworks where I bought some beads for Mrs. Beeton and Odessa. After that we were cold and hungry, so we went out for bagels and tasty beverages.

Image hosting by Photobucket

Bagel sandwiches are CTHGSY's favorite food.

All in all a great day, and CTHGSY isn't mad because I stuck to my yarn diet!

Friday, February 17, 2006

Detective Pan

I just arrived home to a swap package. I swapped some Lorna's Laces for this lovely Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn. Also, my swap partner was nice enough to send me some beautiful Brown Sheep roving just because. So I laid it on the bed to take a picture, and this happened:

Image hosting by Photobucket

Image hosting by Photobucket

Yep, nothing that goes on in this apartment escapes his notice. Yesterday when I was assembling my kitchen cart both he and Java were "helping".

On the knitting front:

Last night I took a break from Danica and did another lace repeat on the test sweater. I'm really liking how it's turning out so far. :)

This weekend will hopefully be filled with knitting goodness too.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Sock blockers

I finally bought some sock blockers. Here they are showing off my Jaywalkers:

Image hosting by Photobucket

See, don't they look better that way?

Olympic knitting is going well. I'm on schedule and it's been a long stretch of weekdays, so my extra time on the weekend will put me ahead.

Now I'd better get back to the knitting.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Just in time for Valentine's Day...

I don't often post about non-knitting things on my blog, but this one was just too good to pass up.

Earlier today I read Erica's post about her mom trying to make her get a boyfriend.

I commented:

"Tee hee.

I should go find a boyfriend too, yesterday I had to stand on a chair to hang up a light..."

She replied:

"That's definately a sure sign you're in need of a good, tall, strong man Ariel. So strong men, if you don't fancy me Ariel could use some help with her light bulbs."

It's cracking me up. (OK, maybe it's just really late and I should get to bed. I'll do that now.)

Ready to Jaywalk

Image hosting by Photobucket

Sockalution socks 3/12

Pattern: Jaywalker
Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote in Symphony
Started: 1/11/06
Finished: 2/13/06

They turned out really well, and I really enjoyed knitting this pattern. I'll probably use it again sometime, as I think it really complements yarn with short color blocks.

Edit: Is everyone else getting "Please Republish in 10 minutes"? It's really annoying.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Olympic Update

Well, the ground is covered with snow and I'm stuck inside for the day, so here's my first Olympic progress pic:

Image hosting by Photobucket

Pitiful, huh?

Friday I cast on a knit a bit, but spent all of my at home knitting time Friday evening on a sweater. (Bad girl!)

Yesterday I knit on it a bit more, but then got a phone call from a friend and went out - brought my Jaywalkers for subway knitting.

I've learned that Entrelac is not hard, just fussy. In addition there are about 1,000,000 ends to weave in. (I should have done the Lady Elenor stole, which is much larger but all the same yarn...) I've done all of them so far. If I don't keep up with those ends it will be a diasaster to finish.

Friday, February 10, 2006

The knitting olympics

Only 1 hour and 11 minutes to go for us on Eastern time.

There are over 4000 knitters, but only one Ariel. Yep, that would be me. :) (There is an Ari, an Aria, and a few Ariannes.)

I have the yarn with me here at lab so I can cast on a few token stitches at 2pm. Knitting in earnest begins later.

I realize I haven't talked about it yet (at least I don't think I have) but I'm knitting Danica. It's my first entrelac project and I'm a sucker for new techniques.

It has come to my attention, however, that this is probably not a challenge of Olympic proportions, at least for me. So my unofficial goal is to also finish the sweater I'm test knitting.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Thank you Elspeth!

I came home this evening to find this in my mailbox:

Image hosting by Photobucket

It's two kinds of candy, a card, and some blue star stitch markers (those are the blue dots on top of the card, they're pretty little - perfect for socks!)

Thanks so much Elspeth for the wonderful RAoK. :D

In knitting news, swatched for, cast on, and knit a few rows of a sweater I'm test-knitting tonight. The yarn is Andean Treasure from Knitpicks, which is so soft!

The Jaywalkers are also progressing nicely. I'm done with the gusset, and since I have little short feet that means I'm only about 2 inches away from toe decreases. :)

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

A "Yay!" and a "Thanks!"

Yay!

Image hosting by Photobucket

Pattern: Whitby from Knitting On the Road
Yarn: Regia cotton sock yarn
Started: January 16th
Finished: February 7

The Whitby socks are done. They look ugly in the picture, but I swear they're pretty on a human. But they're not for me, so I tried them on before I washed them (and forgot to take a picture) and you're getting the washed and ready to send version. These are Sock Savior socks for Sockapaltwoza or whatever the 2nd one was. :)

And now for the "Thanks!"

Image hosting by Photobucket


Danielle sent me this not-quite-so-random RAoK of some beautiful pink angora and adorable stitch markers. The angora is so soft and fluffy, I have to think of something really special to make with it. I've never knit with angora before! Any suggestions?

C is for Coffee

Image hosting by Photobucket

See, it's not for cat. So there!

The waiter (for this lovely coffee is from Trident Cafe) saw me taking this picture and commented. It was pretty funny. We left him a nice tip. :)

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Look here - pictures

To distract you from the lack of knitting content lately...

Look, I got a really cute postcard!

Image hosting by Photobucket

Isn't that one of the most adorable things you ever saw?

And here's a some goodies from the lovely Shona:

Image hosting by Photobucket

Pan is trying to claim them for his very own. I tried to get a better pic, but he wouldn't get out of the way!

There's a lovely pen with a sparkley star and some fluff, some shortbread cookies (not pictured), glow-in-the-dark star stickers, and a pillow that says "Star" and has a silver sparkle star, with a matching bag. I'm not sure I've figured out yet what the bag is for but I love everything! Thanks so much! :D

Thursday, February 02, 2006

My first ABC-Along post!

I'm a little late, but I'm posting my pictures for A and B, just because.

Image hosting by Photobucket

A is for Arithmetic

Image hosting by Photobucket

B is for Biscotti

Happy Groundhog Day!

And happy birthday to Nicole, if you're reading.

I should have a pair of socks finished shortly. My Jaywalkers are in the gusset, and I haven't worked on them recently because I've been pushing to finish Whitby, which are in the heel flap. Tubey is still in sleeve/back, which is good because I lent out the needles for the body. Good thing I have lots to knit. :)

Last night I went to a baby blanket knitting event at Boston Cares, so I worked on a baby blanket for charity.

Pictures later, I hope.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Welcome to a new month!

I've decided to have monthly resolutions this year. And my resolution for February is to clean for 15 minutes every day. That way I'll get a cleaner apartment without too much agony.

"So," you ask, "what does that have to do with knitting?"

Actually, not much, aside from taking away 15 minutes of potential knitting time. And I'll get to organize my modest stash, comprised almost entirely of sock yarn.

Tonight I'm heading to a charity knitting event with my friend Amanda to knit baby blankets. I've got a nice simple garter one on the needles. :)

Sock Yarn

    A quest to use sock yarns:

    Yarns I've had:
    * means I really liked it

    4-ply Soft
    A Piece of Vermont*
    Alpafina
    Artsygal*
    Artyarns Supermerino*
    Austermann Step
    BMFA Sock Candy*
    Black Bunny Fibers*
    Brown Sheep Naturespun Sport
    Chinese Mystery sock yarn
    Claudia's Handpaints
    Conjoined Creations Flat Feet
    Crystal Palace Maizy
    CTH Supersock
    Dicentra Designs
    Dorchester Farms
    Fabel
    Fearless Fibers
    Fixation*
    Gloss (KP)
    handspun
    Inspinknity*
    Interlacements Beibi Seda
    Interlacements Tiny Toes
    Interlacements Toasty Toes
    Jarbo Raggi
    JKnits*
    Jojoland Melody
    Koigu*
    Kona Superwash
    KP Essential
    KP Merino
    KP Palette
    Limbo
    Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock*
    Macek Designs
    Madelinetosh
    Magic Stripes
    Mega Boots Stretch
    Microspun
    Nature's Palette
    Noro Kureyon Sock
    Opal
    Panda Cotton
    Paton's Kroy*
    Peru DK
    Peruvian Quechua
    Regia Bamboo*
    Regia Cotton
    Regia Strato*
    Ruby Sapphire
    Sockotta
    Socks That Rock*
    Star (Classic Elite)
    Stitch Jones
    Sunshine Yarns*
    Three Fates Cauldron Sock*
    TOFUtsies
    Trekking*
    Wick
    Wildfoote*
    Wollmeise*
    Wool Ease
    Yarn Pirate*

    In Progress:

    Perchance to Knit
    Regia
    Vesper
    Yarns in the stash:

    All Things Heather
    Ancient Threads
    Apple Laine
    Araucania Ranco
    Artyarns Ultramerino
    Autumn House Farm
    Baby Ull
    Ball and Skein
    Baywood Yarns
    Bearfoot (Mountain Colors)
    Briar Rose Fibers
    Brooklyn Handspun
    Cavyshops Handpaint
    C*eye*ber Fiber
    Cervinia Calzetteria
    CTH Superglitz
    Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks
    Chewy Spaghetti
    Classic Elite Alpaca Sox
    Colinette Cadenza
    Colinette Jitterbug
    Country Classic Yarn for Sox
    Crash Into Ewe
    Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop
    Curious Yarns
    Done Roving
    Dream in Color
    Duet (A Swell Yarn Shop)
    Dye Dreams
    Ellen's Half Pint Farm
    End of the World Farm
    Fashion Trend Sportivo
    The Fiber Denn
    Fleece Artist
    The Flock Bransonas
    Fortissima
    French Hill Farm
    Froehlich Blauband
    Fyberspates
    geeyouknit!
    Gjestal Silja
    Great Adirondack Soxie
    Greenwood Fiberworks
    Jaeger Matchmaker
    Jarbo Mini Raggi
    Jawoll
    Jawoll Cotton
    Just Our Yarn
    Knit Purl Natural Collection
    Kona Superwash
    KP Dancing
    KP Essential Tweed
    Lime & Violet
    Lisa Souza
    Louet Gems Pearl
    Luxe
    Mama Llama
    Merlin the Cat
    Meilenweit Cotton
    Meilenweit Trend
    Mind's Eye Merino/Tencel
    Mirasol Hacho
    Misty Mountain Farm
    The Natural Dye Studio
    Neighborhood Fiber Company
    Over the Rainbow Twinkletoes
    Peterle
    Pigeon Roof Studios
    Pine Woods
    Posh Yarn Lucia
    Prism Saki
    Pucker Brush Farm
    Regia Surf
    Reynolds Swizzle
    Reynolds Soft Sea Wool
    Rio De La Plata
    Royale Hare
    Roz Houseknecht
    Schaefer Anne
    Scout's Swag
    Sheep Shop Wensleydale
    Shelridge Farm
    ShibuiKnits
    Sockenwolle Unipo
    Spirit Trail Fiberworks
    Spunky Eclectic
    Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle
    Sundara Yarn
    Sweetgeorgia
    Tess Designer Yarns
    Twisted
    The Unique Sheep
    Universal Ditto
    Valley Yarns Franklin
    vanCalcar Acres
    White Oak Studio tvyarn
    Wisdom Yarns Marathon
    Wool in the Woods
    The Woolen Rabbit
    Yarn Botanika Radiance
    Yarntini
    Ysolda Yarn
    Zen Yarn Garden


    To check out:

    Pippikneesocks
    Sophie's Toes
    The Spinning Bunny Yarns BFL

WIPs and FOs