Blockhead

First, I found a new knitting store on Saturday. It's called The Skein Attraction and it's on Cedar Lane in Teaneck, NJ. Not far from my parents' house. Looks like I may be visiting home more often... The ladies there were lovely, familial, and helpful. Shaina, Adina, and Julie Friedman own the shop -- I think they were all there when I went in. Everyone was very helpful and kind, whether working in the store or sitting and knitting. I went in primarily to ask how to block. I needed to block Melanie's scarf. I had no idea it was so easy! I went in, and the ladies there helped me out, no problem. Sunday, I blocked, tonight fringe, and tomorrow, the presentment.

Here are some pictures of the blocked scarf:

(on the ironing board)

(and on Mom, in her library, her favorite room of the house)

Of course, I bought something from the Friedmans, one skein of Ritratto in a beautiful plum and orange color. I am going to try to make myself a shawl to wear with the dress from my brother's wedding. I wanted to take it to really look at it next to the dress in different lights and to ask my mother's opinion. $13 a skein is a bit much for me (I am used to using cheap acrylics, remember) but I thought I would splurge. So Tuesday when they open, I will be calling for the remaining 3 balls in the same dye lot. I don't think I can knit enough to be ready to wear it on the 29th, even if I knit, didn't go to school, and didn't sleep until then. But I may very well try. I also didn't want to just go in and ask for advice on how to block without first establishing a relationship, and well, also, I'm sort of a sucker, despite the goal of working down my stash.

In addition to my yarn, they gave me this:

How freakin' cute is he? He's a sheep, and he's smushy and he has their name and phone number on his back.

Tonight, I start the Swirled Pearl Shawlette (minus the pearls) to make for myself. I don't think I will finish it by Barrister's Ball on the 29th, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try...

Almost finished

I am almost finished with Melanie's scarf. The only thing left to do is to block it and put fringe on it, if Melanie wants fringe. I haven't decided if either she is a fringe person or if the scarf needs it. I think I am going to have to block it first, make a decision and then, if it doesn't require fringe, ask her if she wants to have fringe. It wound up being a little more than one skein to knit, so I have the extra yarn. I'm feeling like for length purposes alone, a little fringe might be useful.

Carolyn's fiancé Andrew requested a scarf in Giant's blue, so I sent him a bunch of patterns to look at and he chose the Miranda http://smariek.blogspot.com/2007/06/miranda-scarf.html. I had told Carolyn I thought she needed a cabled scarf, and sher chose the same one. She said, "We are clearly meant to be together because we chose the same pattern." She's thinking a burgundy for her and he wants this color:

Yes. He found the color on the internet and sent it to me. I told him that he has to come to the yarn store with us because I don't think that I will be able to match it from the internet to the store. I'm happy to have the fun projects.

Melanie's Scarf, Take Two

I happened to have been at WalMart today and picked up two skeins of Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Red. It does not advance the mission of working down the stash (nor does ripping out a whole bunch of old scarves and hats that I never did anything with or gave to anyone). I started the seed stitch on size six needles for it, but I didn't like it because you lose some of the softness. So I tried this one: http://smariek.blogspot.com/2007/11/bernadette.html. So far, I really like it. It really keeps the softness of the yarn, which I think is important, because if you're going to have such a soft yarn. If Melanie doesn't like it, I might just finish it and keep it for myself and make her another one. It will require some major blocking, though -- all smushed together you don't really get to see the cables as well. They just look like waves. Which is nice, too, but I like it better when it's more spread out.

First Comment

I had my first comment on my blog last evening. Which means that someone (other than myself) is reading my blog! Who knew! :) Many thanks to MamaBear for being my first comment. It's a very interesting thing in the blog world -- this concept of writing in a vacuum, of wondering whether anyone is actually reading what you write. I guess someone is reading what I write, and I'm not just blathering on to myself about my knitting. This realization makes me wish I were far wittier than I am. But I am not. Oh well, such is life...

Frogging in the Storm

Melanie did not like the color of the scarf. So last night, on the train, we ripped it. I was explaining to her how freeing it can be to frog something. She felt bad. I said that it really wasn't a problem. Because my feeling is that if she won't wear it, it's not worth making it. I don't want to make something if she won't wear it. I'd rather rip now, and make her something that she loves. Because if she doesn't love it, then it's just going to sit in a closet somewhere.

Subtlety Doesn't Work

So I tried to throw some hints to find out which scarf my friend would like better. I could tell she didn't know I was talking about her, and she was trying to be diplomatic. Which would have been fine, if she hadn't been so good at it. So now I am starting the pavilion scarf for her. Which is good, because I needed another project -- I can take Melanie's with me on the train but I won't be able to do that with the Pavilion. I'll have to do that one from here.

The light lavender one is done, so I won't rip that one and I'll probably give her a choice and let her pick which one she wants.

Slow Going

Yeah, so Melanie's scarf is going to take me forever. It's my own fault for knitting on size ONE needles. I'm not sure what possessed me to do that. Except that I liked it. So it will be a long time project, and she'll be able to wear it next year for the winter.

I also decided to make a blanket for my boss for when I stop working for her in May when I graduate. She's a great boss, and I'd like to say thank you. She's big into browns and beiges. It's not my thing, really -- I like color. But she likes it, and it means that I can use some more of my stash. I'm quite excited about that. I decided to be sort of uniform about it rather than as random as I might have been otherwise (like I was with my mother's light blanket for the family room) but I feel like Tara might be happier with something more uniform. So this is it so far:



I also decided to make scarves for my two co-workers. One of them said that her favorite color is lavendar, so I'm starting a scarf for her in the light and lofty baby clouds lilac. I started it when I went to the movies last night to see Juno. I'm probably the only person who goes to the movies and knits. But I got a lot done on it.

The Secondary Blanket

When I made Robin and Burt's blanket, I had some leftover yarn. So I made this one. It's the shell blanket stitch that they show on the projectlinus.org website. I've made it a few times, and I always love it. I should remember it more often. Red Heart Soft's label says that it is no dye lot yarn, but you can clearly see some differences in the skeins in this picture. One friend told me that it is what gives it character. I am trying to believe her. Overall, I was happy with how it came out, though.

Here's a close-up view of the stitches. They're five double-stitch clusters.

In some ways, I am happier with this secondary blanket than with the original one. And I do love a solid color blanket. Mostly, I'm very happy with how much yarn I've been able to use up from my stash recently. This stuff didn't really count as much because I had bought it for Robin & Burt's blanket, so it wasn't truly using from the stash. But everything else from now on will be from the stash. At least for a little while. I'm trying, really, I am trying.

Perfect Day for Knitting

Today is a dreary, rainy day. It is a perfect day for knitting.

Last evening I started Melanie's scarf. I started originally on size 0 needles. I've never worked on anything that tiny before. The only thing even close was my father's scarf on the size 2s. Somewhere I had found these size 0s, and I'm not even sure where they came from, but they're plastic. Why anyone would make size 0 needles out of plastic is beyond me. Because when I attempted to cast on, this is what happened:

Yep. The needles snapped right in half. So now I'm doing it on size ones, all in seed stitch. We'll see if Melanie likes it. She is worried that the Paprika color might be too orangey for her skin.

So far, I'm pleased with it, though, and I might continue with it even if it's not right for Melanie.

No More Floundering, or a Thank You to Melanie

I had been floundering a little bit because I didn't know what to knit next. And then, on the way home from class tonight, Melanie was admiring the scarf I made for Lisa, and she has requested one of her own! I'm quite excited becasue not only do I have something new to knit, I also will be using some of my stash -- the extra skein of Red Heart Soft in Paprika from Robin's blanket. I feel like she might do well with a fun and funky pattern like from Shannon's scarf, but she's reqested a simple seed stitch type of scarf, and I'm happy to oblige! I might just have to make her two -- one that she has asked me to make and one that I discover newly on my own.