Squeal of Geeker Joy

If you heard some squealing coming from South Central Wisconsin at about a 1:15 on Friday morning, it was me finding this: Buffy & Angel Sock Yarn.

My favorites and, I think, the best ones, are Lorne and Angel. Overall though, I love the Team Angel set. As the Furies would say, "Mmmmmhhhhh, Angel . . ."

Henly Hoodie

Well, the Henly Hoodie has begun and I just had to put up a picture of how beautiful the Dream in Color is looking. So far it's easy-peasy, and I'm writing everything down this time so that I"ll be able to write up a pattern for it at least in this size. For now I must just adore the Dream in Color. Beautiful.

Long Awaited Photoshoot

Yay, it's the Christmas Tree of Life Pullover, also known as the River Forest Gansey from Handknit Holidays, possibly my favorite knitting book ever.


In spite of all of the complaining I've done over the past three months about this sweater, it really is great. I have to thank one of my friends at the yarn store for the assist on picking out the Harrisville Highland. I was leaning towards some Ultra Alpaca (which I love), but thinking about the Harrisville, and she convinced me that Harrisville was the way to go.


I was afraid that this color, while it is Jorah's favorite, would be too dark, but in the end I think there's great stitch definition. He really seems to love it too - he's worn it several times since it's been ready, including to that conference last week. He has also referred to it as "classy."

I made the smallest size, but at a slightly larger gauge. Jorah himself requested the slightly short arms (he has slightly short arms anyway) and I am expecting them to grow a teeny bit with use. I wince a little at the short arms, but he likes them, and since he most always has the sleeves pushed up anyway, I am determined not to worry about it.

Work continues on the Wisconsin Heartwarmer (I've started the suns) slowly but surely. I'm at the point where it's taking me about an hour to do two rows. This weekend I took a break from that and started a little sample Cathedral Window Quilt, using this tutorial on Hyena in Petticoats. It seems to be the industry standard - all the quilting blogs link to her. I'm certainly not about to give up knitting, but this Cathedral quilting is pretty beautiful.


I don't know what I'll do with it, but I've been thinking about it for a while now and I thought I'd give it a try. Honestly, I'm pretty enchanted and could see this becoming a long term project - it would probably only take me two or three years of dilligent, uninterrupted work to make a king size . . .

Process vs. Product

For most of my life so far, I've been a process knitter. I knit because something looks interesting or fun to knit or I'd like a challenge or want to learn a new technique. Lately though, I've been finding projects I want to knit because I want the finished product.

I know I've mentioned that we're doing the big Ireland trip this summer, and I find myself with all of these things I want to knit before Ireland so I'll have them. There are also some things I want to knit before Kate's wedding. I think making the Bleeding Heart Raglan has really changed how I see my knitting - now that I'm knitting for myself I want to make things that I want. Does that make sense?

For summer I really want to have:

1. Enough socks to wear handknit socks the whole time. (This is a pipe dream. I have three pairs of handknit socks right now.)
2. The Henly Hoodie - I have the yarn for this but it otherwise exists solely in my head. This is what I bought that Dream In Color Classy Deep SeaFlower for the other day.
3. Wisconsin Heartwarmer. The first one took me about 4 months - if I'm going to finish I really need to start cooking. I haven't shown the blog a picture of this yet, by the way, because I'm still in the plain purple part.
4. Hey, Tomato. This sweater makes me sad . . . but it could be so cute!
5. Electric Blue Lenpur Linen top to go over that white dress.
6. These stockings from Eunny Jang in the leftovers from the Wisconsin Heartwarmer. (Which means I have to finish it in order to have leftovers.)
   

All of these things on the list are for me, because I want them. I do think they'll be fun to knit, but more than that, I think I'll enjoy having the finished products.

There are other things I really need to knit too - those two sweaters I said I'd finish for a friend, (I really don't want to do it anymore though). Some sweaters for my folks I promised . . . I would need to order yarn to do that though. I also want to experiment with some Cathedral Window quilting and make a new double pointed needle roll.

Fortunately, it's spring break so I have reduced hours this week. Bring on the knitting!

Great Socks, Bad Pictures

Anastasia Socks are done!


And they're great! I think next time I will go top-down, but I'm really glad that I tried them this way this time and I love them.


They're really started a Finishing kick for me too - I finally bought that Dream in Color Classy Deep Seaflower that I've been ogling for weeks and I haven't even swatched it yet - after I finished the Anastasia Socks, I worked on the Dove Neckwarmer. I'm not sure I love it, but I can't take it out again - Manos can't deal with that much working- it's already starting to pill. I sort of agree with Elizabeth though - sometimes you just have to get over the pilling because Manos is so lovely. I'll get a picture of it after Jorah comes home.

That's right - Jorah's away this week - partying it up with the other mathematicians in LA. Expect a high knitting content this week. I'll be knitting like a fiend. Right now I'm washing handknits. Always fun. (That wasn't sarcastic, I enjoy washing handknits.) Off I go, to gently squeeze and lay out.

Cute

Rereading this morning's post, I just realized that I described the Anastasia Socks (or the yarn used to make them) as cute no less than five times. I apologize to all of my English teachers.

Anastasia Socks

I had a good finishing things kind of weekend. The Black Hole Sweater (Christmas Tree of Life) is finally finished, as are the Rustic Rib socks. Both of those were for Jorah. When he comes home I'll try and do a little photoshoot - I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out.

In celebration I started the Anastasia Socks that I've been thinking about for ages. I helped someone at the yarn store figure out how to do them months ago and they've been in the back of my mind ever since. I have to say, they're super cute, and going really fast.


I'm doing two at once because I've never done toe-up before, and thus, don't have a standard recipe for them. I wanted to make sure that these would be the same. I'm not sure how I'm going to like the fit - most of the sock mavens I know prefer top down with a heel flap, but I can tell you right now, these are not my last Anastasia Socks. In future, I may make them top down with a heel flap, but they are so cute they're definitely going to be around for awhile.


The pattern is from Pepperknit, a great blog, and they're a really cute girly sock, so obviously I had to make them in a cute, girly yarn. Dream in Color Smooshy, Ruby River. Jorah gave me the yarn for Christmas and it wasn't my favorite wound up in the skein, but as you can see; it's super cute knit up. The color is closer in the first picture.

Yay for handknit socks!

And now off to wash some dishes. And maybe scare up some lunch in a bit.