Thermal Swatch

Thermal calls for 28 stitches per 4 inches. I was getting 32 stitches per inch. A problem. A problem that called for a KnitPicks order of the classic circular the next size up. A problem that should have its solution on the way to me.

Here is that dastardly swatch. I added 2 stitches on each side of the swatch for a garter stitch border and the pattern stitch (mattress stitch) in the middle. Note that I needed all 32 stitches to get guage. Grrr. At least the mattress stitch is so pretty.

On the plus side, I cast on for another Ballet Camisole last night in a different color (Sky found here http://knitpicks.com/Shine+Sport_YD5420122.html) and it is sooo pretty. I think I like it more than the lavender color I used before. Unfortunately, when I left my brother's scarf and Tempting in Boston, I also left my size six and eight Options there as well, so I ordered a solution to that problem as well by ordering duplicates of those as well. I use those sizes enough so it will actually be convenient to have two sets, but still frustrates me to have to do order them rather than it being a choice. It's either order them or not knit more than 7 rows on the tanktop and be without size 8s! The horror!

Pictures that I promised (well, most of them).

I have pictures! I am using my computer, instead of the family's computer, but I figured out what was plaguing me with their computer, and so will be able to post pics from that computer as well from now on! yay!

Here is the almost completed Tempting I left in Boston. Boooo to me.

Here is my sister's scarf. It is now ripped all the way down and lying on her bed here waiting for her when she gets here and it is 80 degrees. Heh. I expect she will get more use in the winter. It turned out very well, but I cannot for the life of me find where I got this pattern, so here goes. Cast on an even number of stitches, say 16. In the next row, knit one, make one(increase), until the end of the row until you reach the last stitch, which you just knit. Purl the next row. You would have 31 stitches on the needles then. Knit a row, purl a row (stockinette stitch) until you reach the desired length. On the next RS row, knit the odd stitches, and drop! the even ones all the way down. I cast off at this point, but you might want to wait until you do the next step. Rip all the dropped stitches all the way down to the cast on edge. It is what creates the loose stockinette stitch look. Then cast off the stitches still on the needle. Voila! A Magic scarf! I know there is another pattern with that name, but this is truly magic to me! It works! The picture below is the scarf half ripped.
This is the halfway point to show the difference. I would definately make this again in a less splitty yarn but definately a variegated one again.

This is the view I have studying and knitting. Not bad. The water is way closer than it looks. There are horses in the meadow now. This is one of my favorite bushes we have around the house. They are gigantic and so pretty, but the bees love them, and I don't love bees.


I didn't take a picture of my Thermal swatch because I am going to have to order a larger size of needles and then swatch with that and show you that picture. See you then! Or when I have a complete heart row of the baby blanket to show you.

Blahhhh to Gauge

So, I decided I wanted to finally cast on for Thermal. I did the responsible thing and made a guage swatch. It's almost completely dry (yes, I washed it too!) and I am getting 30 stitches to 4 inches based on my measurements and nowhere near row guage. That always happens to me and doesn't bother me that much (about the row guage) because patterns are thankfully mostly written in inch measurements, not row measurements. However, the stitch guage does. It has to be perfect or I can't start. Therefore, I need to go on knitpicks and get the size three needle, I want to use the fixed cable needle for this project and not the options just for the convenience of never having to retighten. I love how the waffle stitch looks however and I am thinking I might do waffle stitch socks in the leftover yarn I will have from thermal or the two skeins of Gloss I have Dusk. That would be a good use of my size 2.5 needle if I can make the 24 inch cable work with magic loop. I'll try and post a picture of the guage swatch later with my computer (this is the family one and I can't get pictures to work on it because Windows makes me bonkers). I don't want to wait for the new needle but I must remember that Patience is a Knitter's Virtue, otherwise we would all be making giant fun fur scarves on size 17 needles.

On a side note, I was in the hardware/general store yesterday, searching for dog toys for the family's dog who is vacationing with us at the Chappaquiddick house while my Dad is in Canada climbing mountains at the age of 57 and my stepmother and little sister are horseback riding across Provence and my little brother and his girlfriend are hiking on the Appalachian trail, and I was peeking at the yarn section (all red heart and other acryclic type yarns) when a woman and her daughters started browsing the yarn section. I heard the woman say "remember, the larger needles and the thicker the yarn, the better the scarf." I bit my tongue and didn't say anything, but I wanted to, I wanted to offer to teach her kids about other yarns and varieties of stitches, but if they want to learn about knitting they will do so, it's so easy to find resources online. I guess "better" is subjective. I personally like intricate stitches and thinner yarns, but I guess that is because that is my aesthetic. I did tell them about knitpicks, that if they wanted inexpensive quality yarns they should go there. Maybe that will help, they will learn about knitting through the almost magazine like quality of their catalogs and website. I only hope they check out the site, if only for the yarn they can get! I'm off to that site to order the next larger needle size!

Silly me!

I cast on for the baby blanket last night. I did the cast on, and two rows of knit stitch. 6 more rows of knit stitch before the pattern begins.
I am excited to be working on this, it's nice to knit something for them that I hope they will get use out of.

I finished the knitting on Liza's scarf and have started to rip it down so the dropped stitches create a beautiful loose stockinette. I am not sure pictures are working on this computer with blogger, so I will post some from my computer later tonight.

Silly me left an almost completed Tempting and a one third completed scarf for her older brother on the mainland of Massachusetts in her mostly empty apartment, with one lone roommate still living there. I took them to the mainland thinking I could finish Tempting while I was there and leave it there until after the bar exam. I did not finish it and I did leave it there. I guess I will finish the last inch of knitting after the bar and during crazy moving packing time.

That brings me to my big news! My boyfriend and I found an amazing apartment to move into. It is a one bedroom, huge luxury apartment north of Boston and right off 95 and very near Route 3, so it takes me less time to get to Nashua than anywhere else we were looking for, and is convenient for him, well, pretty convenient. He has a 15 minute drive to a T stop and then about 20 minutes on the T (doesn't include waiting for the T however. So, our commutes should be about equal in duration. This apartment was a god send to find because we had ONE DAY in Boston to look for a place, and we saw 7 apartments that day, all over, from Bedford to Malden. We liked the first place we saw, and not the second or third at all. We liked the fourth ok, and LOVED this place, the 5th. The 6th and 7th were ok, but nothing like the 1st or 5th places we saw. The only thing was, we weren't that sure how much we wanted to pay the roughly 1560 per month this place would be (or we thought it would be!). Sure it included heat, hot water and AC, but not electric and we could take my sister's cat. Sure it has a fitness room, and a pool, and has never been lived in before, and was 930 square feet and had a walk in closet, a washer and dryer in the apartment, a disposal, dishwasher, and 6 foot high windows all alond the giant living room and den. We decided to do it. It was still less than 1/3 of our combined monthly income. We called and said we were coming to put a deposit down the next day. I had no buyer's remorse, but M had a harder time with the decision. Did I mention the one garaged parking spot included and the one non-garaged spot? We went to put the deposit down by check the next morning and they told us that in addition to the three months free rent we would be getting (which we knew about) they had also reduced the rent by $150 per month overnight, so we got both deals and it was about 1460 a month. I didn't think our luck could get much better. We would have not agonized at all the day before about taking this place had we known that! So, we have an apartment and we are so happy with it! Now just to deal with the bar exam and moving! I don't have pictures unfortunately, but I do have a floor plan link. The apartment has granite countertops and is carpeted. We plan on using the den for an office and a futon so guests can stay over.

http://www.kimballapts.com/pdfs/southtower_12.pdf

I guess you could say I am excited to move into this place and get out of Allston. It's a good place to live as an undergrad, but I am ready to move out of that neighborhood and into a nicer place to live.

The really great thing about this apartment? There is a craft store about 5 minutes down the road, and next to my new supermarket and right off my exit of 95. Bad news probably for the budget, but great news for the hobbying!

Tempting Progress

I have made a lot of progress on Tempting since I last posted pictures of it. I finished both sleeves and started the yoke! Now, this is a good thing, but to me, the word yoke has various bad connotations. The first being the yoke you put on an animal to get it to pull something, i.e. a pair of oxen pulling a cart. I don't want to pull any carts in my Tempting, I want to look pretty and alluring. So, I think I will call it the top part of the sweater from now on.

Yoke also reminds me of choke. I hope I don't choke on this part of the sweater. I am almost done with the first ball out of the two I have for the top part of this sweater, I hope it's enough. I should just barely eke out the inches I need. That's about 3-3.5 more.

Here are pictures to show you what I am yammering on about.

Now that I think about the name of this post, my progress is very tempting, it's tempting me to get this done!

I don't know how to do a three needle bindoff for closing up the armholes however, so this new knitter will be learning a new skill. It will probably involve the wonderful videos at KnittingHelp.com and some cursing on my part. Fun times.

I am participating in the swap over on KnittingHelp.com right now and I get to go pick up the yarn for my swappee's first package at my dad's house on Sunday. Yay! M and I are going to West Hartford, CT to see his sister's high school graduation. Should be a good time and will be the one time off Chappy until the bar! Speaking of bars, M should really be focusing on the Mass bar exam now, because he got a job offer for Boston. Happy times. I was going to handle the NYC-Nashua, NH long distance thing, but now I probably won't have to! Yay!

Btw, I love ravelry. Someone found me on there because they were searching for Cape/Island knitters and commented here! That's so awesome.

Ravelry

Come find me on ravelry! That's right, I got my invitation a few days ago, and I am slowly uploading pictures of my WIP's and finished projects.

I'm the KnittingDefender on there.

Speaking of knitting, I finished my second sleeve for tempting, it looks like the first, so I won't bore you with another picture of a purple tube.

I should get to the yoke today since it will be a studying/knitting/Paper Mario day. I am so excited to get to the yoke even though I won't be able to wear this sweater until the fall probably.

Paper Mario is great, BTW, very funny and not too challenging. Perfect for a study break, especially when played on the Wii.

Internet on Chappy!

I know I said the internet was bad or non-existent where I was going, but then we fixed it! It only took about 15 minutes too! Yay!

I have only a little bit of knitting news. The second sleeve for tempting is off and running. Yay!

I did a little work on the scarf for my sister too.

Two of my favorite shows are on tonight. Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen. I love cooking shows, any cooking show.