Knitting. (you know you love it.)

The Queen Moebia... I think I took these pictures the first time it was frogged.  The pattern is a basic feather and fan repeat around the whole moebius shape, it's like knitting in a figure 8 with live stitches on both ends and the cast on row in the middle. It really is an amazing cast on, the Moebius, but for some reason, I cannot settle with this pattern. I love the yarn, Wanda gifted it to me after seeing it in her stash and knowing the colors are perfect for me (actually as I write this, I know just who will get it) and I LOVE the yarn! I really enjoy the cast on, I should since I am currently on the 6th attempt at defeating this pattern. At first I thought I might like it better if the "bottom" portion were a plain stockinette stitch, but then that was lame, so, I started over. Then I thought I'd try a purl version of the same feather and fan, but that was also lame, then there were a few more attempts at changing the pattern, and last but not least there were several craptastic attempts at simply casting on at knit night last week before I succeeded in starting the fucking thing a sixth time and am now well on my way to finishing it. Finally. But I still don't know if I like it. 

Pro Tip- Learn the technique used before trying to change the pattern. I've never seen a Moebius in real life, so I have no idea how it is Supposed to look. 

Hetty's Sunday Cuffs are not the problem, I am. Why do I try to get fancy with the patterns? Do I think I know so much that I can just go against the very logical and well thought out instructions of the professionals? What am I thinking. I love the yarn (what can I say? I love yarn), more of the same hand spun I used for the collar, with some hand spun silk to stretch the wool and add some color. I thought I would change the lace pattern around the  wrist, so I pulled back and reknit with my idea of what it should be, but I think I hate it and love the pattern as is and so I need to pull this back too. But that's ok, I have new pearl stitch markers from Wanda so it'll at least look amazing.

silk picot edge with wool cuff inside

 

close up of lace pattern... that is the pattern with a different M1, it is far better to the total improvisation I came up with.

Jane Austin, Zombies, and Ginny's Yarn Along

This week, again, I'm joining Miss Ginny over at Small things sharing what I've been reading and knitting. There are always some really inspiring links, so you should go over and check out the whole list...

Now we all know about my latest pattern book obsession, Jane Austin Knits Summer 2012. But did you know about this book? Pride and Prejiduce and Zombies. It's amazing. So, I've been knitting out of Jane Austin Knits, reading a Jane Austin inspired zombie book, and drinking tons and tons of Organic Darjeeling Tea out of my very fancy tea pot with matching cup and saucer. Enjoy...

Knitting needs more access to Zombies. When the zombie apocalypse comes, I will be prepared to knit you warm garments and gracefully behead the unmentionables.

This book is rad. Much of the dialogue remains the same as in the actual Pride and Prejudice and a lot of the plot points are the same, but there is awesome dialogue about unmentionables and samurai training and then zombies bust in in the middle of the ball at the beginning of the book and oh my goddess, I can't wait to get further in the book. 

My beautiful hand spun, hand knit, lace collar, shown here with with the handspun silk I'm hoping to use to make the matching...

Mitts! I totally love this pattern, but there is a huge problem. Massive. The stitch gauge for the mitts and the gauge for the yarn are different by 10 stitches. So since there are no thumb holes in this pattern, I was thinking I'd just remove 1 of the 12 stitch lace repeats and go from there...? Maybe maybe?

Here's the Hat. It's done. It's wonderful. It makes me head look like a Penis. But the girls at knit night were all nice enough to say it doesn't. But it does. They can't fool me.

This pretty pretty lace weight yarn will become that beautiful shawl which for some reason they designed in the horrible horrible orange. Problem with this pattern? It calls for beads, and I'm not sure I have enough yarn, or even the needles I need to get started. 

Pretty, yeah?

My reading stack, it includes Elizabeth Zimmermann for good knitting measure.

Jane Austin Knits Summer 2012

Jane Austin Knits Summer 2012

Interweave Knits

You need this. Really, you do. No, all of you. If you knit, if you know a knitter, if have thought in the past about knitting, if you know nothing of knitting, but have love Jane Austin or Collin Firth- you need this. Honestly. There are 31 patterns in this book and I honestly believe there is a realistic chance that I might knit half the things in here. Dude, the first pattern is a tea cozy. And for a knit book or magazine, that's a lot. I usually get to one or two patterns per book. But there is so much in here! I'm already on my second project. In a row. I finished the collar I started at Knit Night Last week and right away cast on a hat.

Blocking the first half before picking out the provisional cast on (the pink, obviously)

HaHA! It's working! sort of. Darn Pink Cotton

In the bath because I was horrified by the way increasing 100's of stitches in a matter of 2 rows look. ah, the magic of blocking.

the center has been pinned out in this pic, but the ends are still all crazy pants.

See? Red pin, blue pin, no pin? Hella not cute looking.

But behold. It's perfect. I have tons of finished pics of this and the Martinmas Shawl And NN2R1x1 Scarf. and probably a hat. but you have to wait for them

The official name of my "Collar to Warm Me in the Desert?" is Evergreen Lace Scarf, and it is totally worth knitting. Totally. It took me 8 days from learning to cast on to blocking it on my floor to being folded and in my pile of impractical knitwear. I changed the yarn, I used some of my handspun from before we moved, so the gauge was off a little, but not really enough to change the size, but the drape and texture looks totally different from the picture in the magazine. I also changed the the garter stitch in the beginning to to stockinette because the handspun felt too stiff. I love it. When I blocked it, it got so soft, so smooth. It bloomed. Like wooly, ocean colored flower. Finishing the Collar was really nice. I used up some yarn that I made with my own hands and I'm really pleased with the result.

Now I've cast on this Hat in this Yarn and I love it, and I'm already done with the band. yay! more later. I hear children in the kitchen.