Recently in knitting Category

This weekend was the debut of Thing 2 showing an interest in making Sunday breakfast. If we play our cards right, in another year or so we won’t have to cook any breakfasts ever!! Thing 1 will occasionally rise early enough to make himself (and sometimes his brother) eggs and toast, wash the pan and empty the dishwasher. Its incredible, I know! He still forgets to wear socks, change his underwear, or do his homework though, so its not like our work here is done.

Here is Thing 2 in action Sunday (dig the bedhead):

In other news, I did get some knitting done recently, and start new bits. I finally finished the last of the spec scarves, which I won’t show because I am sick to death of them. Currently I have just finished a frothy scarf in some leftover blue kidsilk haze I had lying around. It was a diversion from the other.

On the needles I’ve got a quick White Lies design freebie, the Shapely Tee, in Plymouth royal bamboo (smaller swatch). Its lovely to knit, I’m hoping it will breathe well when I visit humidity this summer—its my first bamboo object. I picked it up at a steal at the crack shack Wondermom uses for quilting bits in IL. The brown/blue swatch is for a cover on a couple of kitchen chairs. Its Patons poodle, which I bought because I lost my mind for the colors in spite of the fact that it has the texture of a 70‘s toilet seat cover. It’s kitschy, but it will still keep my butt from sticking to the chair this summer, which is all I require of it. The Pooch felts a bit, with trace quantities of wool in the blend, so its nice and cushy.

I’m finally starting on the giant bird of paradise trim. I had to start the cuts with a hand saw, which was slow going. Once I had an in though, I used the electric sword trimmer, and that made relatively quick work of giving the thing a haircut. I assigned the Things to putting the fronds into the greenwaste bin. You may not know this, but that is exactly like being asked to dig a quarry. Just ask them.

While they were (nominally) picking things up, I took a pick axe to the root skirt. Yow, that is some serious work, that I am going to be doing in tiny baby steps. Jeepers that stuff is tough!! Sysguy thinks I can forgo that part, but I know that if I don’t dig up the corms on the outside, in about three weeks there will be new fronds shooting up from them, mostly beheaded ones, too, because they were in transit when I did the cutting. So the thing will come back faster, and look like merde while its doing it. This way, the bush will stay trim and narrow for at least a year or so. I like to think doing this myself is cheaper than the gym.

This is me doing some hand trimming:

Here is Sysguy trying to cajole the Things along. Notice it is much later in the day. There was a lot of goldbricking going on:

SuperDad says that everyone knows what “interleave” means, but nobody (well, he has no idea anyway) knows what “frog” as a verb means. In knitting, when you screw up whatever you’re working on, you have to take out the needles and rip it back to where its not screwed up. As in, “rip-it, rip-it, rip-it”.

So, naturally, this is called “frogging.”

I know, you had no idea knitters were such a witty bunch.
You should really get out more.

This is a long Valentine’s weekend, chez kmbrknits, with all of us home Monday for President’s Day. It's also been rainy and cold—well, for SoCal anyway—so we’ve been doing some cozying up and hibernating.

Recently, we got a new TV, in anticipation of the digital switchover. We’ve been watching movies and catching up on recorded stuff. SysGuy installed an HD antenna on the back of the house a few weeks ago, and got the cabling strung in the crawlspace (ugh). At first, we had our 26" CRT tv hooked up to a linux box with a signal converter, and I have to say that even in analog, the picture was much better. There were, however, some pretty good deals on tvs prior to the superbowl (which we’re totally oblivious to), so we did take advantage of one and plunked down for a—gasp!—52" hd monitor type monster. I know, its huge. We were really conflicted: a tv to actually fit the space (the couch is about 15' from the tv), or be cowed by the McMansiony ostentation of it. I pushed for the bigger tv, I’ll admit. We could always send it back if it was too horrifyingly large. It is in a back room of the house, so its not the first thing you see when you walk in the front door (that would have been a deal killer right there, I hate that).

Over the last few weeks, we’ve managed to get used to it. SuperDad pointed out that other members of our family have several tvs in their houses that probably add up to the total screen real estate in our one (humongous) tv, so its a wash. That made me feel better, anyway. The picture is seriously awesome, though sometimes TMI on the complexions, but its good to know that tv people are human after all. What to do with the old one now, though?

So the movie watching over this long weekend has been particularly excellent, since previously we were watching movies that were letterboxed on the 26" tv from 15' away. The new tv is freaky, in that it is more like a computer. It has to boot up, how bizarre. It makes chirping noises. Its a massive dust magnet. The remote actually works!

Tv time is perfect knitting time, of course. At this point, I’m basically incapable of watching tv by itself. I’ve been known to knit in actual movie theaters. The last few weeks I’ve been making several scarves on spec to dip into selling stuff on Etsy.com. I’ve been using a lovely soft handpainted sock yarn in merino and alpaca. These are the colors (one for each scarf)

I bought the yarn online at knitpicks.com, and while I like the softness, I of course have a couple of minor complaints. I suppose if one were actually making socks with smaller needles, it would be less of an issue, but the longer “fuzzy” strands you can see here happen to fall off quite a bit in the knitting. I hope they stay put once they’re in the matrix.

For the color in the middle they only had one skein available, so I made a skinnier scarf. For the two on the ends, I did get two skeins. I was really irked that even though the skeins were of the same dye lot in the camel colorway, one skein was significantly muddier in color than the other. Having learned that this type of thing would drive me crazy eventually, I had to frog the entire half of the scarf I had already knit (rather than the whole thing, later), and rewind the skeins in a giant ball so I could interleave* them, blending them so the difference wouldn’t show. Augh. I suppose I'll just do this up front with the green colorway, but it is still disappointing. Usually a dye lot is more internally consistent.

Of course, I am aware that I'll never get a decent “hourly rate” by using fingering weight yarn, but I decided it was less about the pay than the pleasure in the knitting, and this way I won’t continue to amass a stockpile of scarves I won't actually be able to use.

*Interleave: after every “lap” (2nd row) using the strand from the other skein, back and forth.

Actual knitting content!!!

Here are the results of my latest cardigan effort, just in time for the sweltering evening of Halloween, which it spent draped over the back of a chair. Damn weather really does not cooperate with my hobby. This is Elann aran heathered wool, I'm hoping this color will go with just about anything. The pattern is Oblique from Knitty, Fall 2007. I like that the holes let a little bit of whatever color shirt you are wearing show through.

Here is a closeup of the stitches and buttons. I found some leather buttons at JoAnns, but they had a sucky too shiny finish on them that I sanded off, and I've been oiling them a bit whenever I think about it. Its moss stitch on the sides, so I didn't take a picture of that.

Here is me in the sweater. I like it a lot, I don't know that its terribly flattering, but its comfy and warm, and somewhat upscale with jeans. It was fun. I believe I have moved the buttons a bit since I took these photos.

Barack Obama, on the stump, holding a knitted-sock-in-progress for one of us crazy knitters (the taking photos of people holding the sock you're working on is a knitting thang). Before, I thought he was merely a great mind and a real hope for the future. Now, I actually have a crush! OMG!! He's holding a sock!!! I am actually moved. I am sure he has no idea what this means to jillions of knitters.

Here's the link for how it happened. Here's the Yarn Harlot, who started the sock photo thang.

Ok, for a person who majored in art and is not particularly technical, I sure seem to attract a lot of computers. The school has a raft of original iMacs, most of which will run the most recent os with a little coaxing. So, I'm trying to set that up. They're slow, relatively speaking, but its not like the kids are planning to render a movie or something. The plan is just to introduce more up-to-date browsers so they can take advantage of more of the cool ed. stuff available online.

So Thing 1 and Thing 2 and I have been off to the lab pretty regularly lately. They are liking the time playing computer games while I do stuff. They also like that I project a movie for them when they get really bored and start fighting. Sigh, I am not terribly proud of my parenting in this respect, but hopfully this will be but a brief period in their lives. Here are some photos, this is so wildly unusual for me, I can't get over it. First, a view of my little spot in the middle of the lab where I made the image machine,

. Its not terribly pretty, but it gets the job done. The boy's ersatz theater is here . Then there's the army of computers waiting for me in the library: Fifteen on the librarian's counter, another 16 on tables around the room . I have no idea what these photos will look like in the blog. This is an experiment.

Meanwhile, once I get all the older iMacs set up, also pushing the previous lab eMacs out to the classes, I get to set up spiffy new new (as opposed to merely new) flat screen iMacs that aren't even in yet for this fall. Yee Ha!!

For the Kinder

I wanted to add these photos of Thing 1 and Thing 2 trying to look serious and meaningful in glamour shots of some recent Lego creations. The wanted them posted to the lego site, which I did, but the site wisely does not allow you to include pictures of humans. The guys were dissappointed, so here they are in their full glory, Thing 1 and his amazing Zipper 2000, and Thing 2 and his Zipper 32thousandmillion (ha! that will teach his brother!!)

Lest you get the idea that this computing precludes knitting, HA! Its amazing how many rounds one can do on a sock while the computers are uploading some brains. Well, fewer rounds than I had hoped, but progress is being made on the STR solstice slip.

So I am still painting the boys' room. In as much as its mostly done but not so much so that I can remove the painting crap from the house with the expectation of not seeing it again tomorrow.

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day that did not require of them too much behaving as if they are house angels, and reaped tons of chubby-armed hugs. I did. I also spent the day painting a multicolored grid of squares on the big bare wall (really, the only one in this door farm of a house) in the boys' room. It was less odious than it sounds, project-wise, and the fellas' enthusiasm for participation managed to limit itself to coincide with my tolerance for their assistance (they managed to not drive me nuts before wandering off). I thriftily used up lots of my 20 year old art school acrylics (this falls in with the waste not want not post). So the grid was essentially free, except for the mile of painter's tape involved in taping it off (is it biodegradable I hope?). Like I wasn't going to go all anal retentive on the thing.



Having finished the walls, but for the niggling touch-ups I just can't face at the moment, I turned my attention to the doors. Have I complained yet about the pale mauvey-beige the entire interior was coated in? It extends to a somewhat glossy version on the trim and doors. For being a not particularly colorful color, it is a bitch to paint over. Three coats of trim paint on the trim led me to believe that perhaps I should prime the doors in order to not grow old and die painting them. No luck. The evil beige is a paint sinkhole par excellence. The primer Sysguy recommended, while quite effective in its alcohol-based shellac-y way, is very watery, so it was difficult to apply with a brush, foam or otherwise, and also asphyxia-inducing what with the alcohol evaporating in that way it does. Yay! Its looking like I'll still have to put at least two coats of paint over it though. Joy.

Last night was the school open house. I somehow assumed that the computer lab would not have to be open for this, so it was with dismay that I received the news on Tuesday that I would indeed be hosting a soiree of my own. Frantic sorting of the big Miscellaneous Paper Mountian off my desk ensued. You can't believe how incredibly dusty a well-sealed building gets. Don't even ask what I am able to vacuum out of the keyboards. In addition, the teachers, who are delightful and hard-working educators, have various technical difficulties that need attending on the evening of the open house. I enjoy learning new things under duress. At least you'd think so because I seem to arrange things so that's how it happens.

It was nice to see the parents of the children I torture instruct regularly. Some of them were actually interested, which is hopeful. I was amazed to discover that of 22 computers that I set up with various examples of the spiffy educational software we use, 17 of them were redirected to the only non-educational game we play on holidays by the end of the night. Its amazing what the kids know how to find when they want to. And I had to shut the machines off remotely to get people to leave already.

The best part? I got to take home a free pie!

Well, the boys' room is now almost complete. I finally gave up on trying to paint a straight line freehand (I went to art school, I should be able to do this), and used the magic of tape to help me. Its amazing, except for the part where it rips off the new paint it was supposed to protect once you're done. That was only for 5 feet or so. I enjoy painting it over and over again. Really.

I got their beds moved back to their respective corners, so its more like a bedroom where people sleep and less like Camp Stayupallniteyakinawana. This is important, as thing One's attention to his homework is lacking lately.

I am so incredibly pleased with the corner joins between the blues and the white, they're so gratifyingly straight and clean. Unlike anything else in the house. The almost cobalt blue over Thing 1's bed is positively velvety, until he actually touches it, because his mom brilliantly chose to use flat paint. Every impact will show. I've decided to let it go.

Next weekend, painting the doors and touchups. No more thinking about painting between now and then.

I did a more or less ok job on the school newsletter, a bit lateish but its done. Now, to get it copied in time for the regular thursday rollout. Ugh. I have found a delightful replacement in the newsletter editing area. She's even willing to barter her lawyering for some graphic designing. Sweet! And nice when someone doesn't take it for granted that what I do is easy. If it was easy, it wouldn't have a name.

I've knit halfway through the Eden print pullover, and am hitting the boredom threshold, so I've switched back to working on the classic cotton bag for now.

and not a word from me. Things are busy chez kmbrknits. I am in the middle of painting the boys' bedroom, which unfortunately has to start with a good tsp scour and then a prime coat to protect the new paint from god knows what the previous owner used on the walls. If it doesn't slide off in the first year, I'll consider it a success. There turns out to be a layer (or more) of wallpaper on one of the walls, under the mystery paint. We've decided it makes a great insulation at this point, so its staying till the next go-round, or to be someone else's problem.

I've applied magnet paint to strategic areas of this papered wall, hoping against hope that the "strong" magnets recommended won't give the paper that last little bit of incentive to delaminate from itself or the wall or whatever. I wish I could be like the boneheads that painted the house before we bought it, and think nothing of painting over spiderwebs and dust boogers.

Sigh. That peace of mind is never to be mine.

I am currently knitting up a light pullover from the rest of the Madil Eden print that I bought for the fundraiser scarf. Its coming along apace, being mostly stockinette with shaping. Yay!

Just for a change of pace. So I'm working on a sleeveless pullover/shift kind of thing out of sock yarn. Its probably not the best idea ever, I think the sock yarn might end up being a mite itchy, but I've been thinking of doing it for a while, and accumulating sock yarn like its going out of style (which it most assuredly is not). I know, um, where are some photos? Well, it is spring break, so this evening Sysguy and I will chat about that. He has done his part providing me access, now I just have to figure it out. Ergh. I made a couple of lace rectangles from some sock yarn a year or so ago, and I have been scheming how to integrate them into a garment ever since. I think they will end up being the sleeves/upper bodice of the pullover. The current bits are the front and back which are done in another more eyelet lace pattern, with purl ribs between repeats. I've decreased the width of the purl ribs going up from the hem, to shape for my, um, curves. At the top of the front and back I have omitted the yo's but kept the twists that were the dec stitches, so now I have very tiny cables for the bosom area. This is really nonsensical without photos. I'll be back.

As a pragmatic to a fault girl, I find myself in a quandary with sizing. I like to imagine that I will at some point be a smaller person, and I am loathe to spend too much time and $ knitting up something that my imaginary svelte self will be unable to wear. Of course, the opposite is happening, and I am finding I need to create knitted things that can only exist in a fantasy dimension. Hence the expanding/contracting hemline of the above described pullover. Sigh. It doesn't help that knitting is not exactly aerobic, but I require it for reasons of sanity.