Waiting and thinking way too much

I have made a lot of progress on the Cambridge Jacket. I have completed the back and am into the armholes for the left front piece. I have to say, though, my mind is beginning to wander...it want to start another project...but I have vowed to work solely on this for the time being until it is ready to be seamed. Max deserves a sweater...Max deserves a sweater...and before the winter ends!

Here are some progress shots:



Oh, the confusing things that excite me sometimes! I am working on the armholes of the left front for the Cambridge Jacket...and the fronts have something the back doesn't have...a neckline. Of course, we all know this to be true anyway...but I have decided to pay careful attention to it this time around. You see, on my Jawbreaker Cardigan I didn't really count my rows as I went along and that made seaming the whole thing up a little bit awkward. I managed...and you can't really tell the difference anyway (except for the fact that the neck on my Jawbreaker is much higher than the neck in the sample photos). But still...I want this one to match up so seaming is a breeze and proportions are normal. Now, onto the confusion...

After the armholes reach four and a half inches on both the fronts and the back, you are supposed to start up a few more ribs. This is all fine and dandy...I can easily count the rows here and match the front to the back--NO problem. However, here is where the directions split off. On the back, you knit each stitch as it appears until the armhole measures 10". For the fronts, you do this until the armholes measure only 8" and then you begin the neckline shaping.

Fine.

Here's the thing. I don't want to rely on my wacky measuring tape to finish this thing...I want to be POSITIVE that the armholes for the back and for the fronts have the same number of rows so that I won't have issues matching them up later. Watch this: Starting with the first row AFTER the ribbing set up row and ending (and including) with final bind off row (this includes knitting even and shoulder shaping) for the back...there are 45 rows. 31 of those rows are just even knitting with no shaping whatsoever. Now, I have pre-counted the number of future rows required for all future shaping on the side front...there are 16 rows including the final bind off row. The rest will be just even knitting. That's EASY.

Here's the issue. I must not exceed the allotted 45 rows after the new ribbing set up row for the front. If I were to knit until it measures 8", begin the neckline, knit even and bind off...there is a chance I would not get those 45 rows...somehow. Don't ask why I feel this way...just know that for my Jawbreaker I MEASURED A THOUSAND TIMES...and still had pieces that didn't really match up. I think that by writing all of this down, I may be able to put my mind at ease...

For the fronts, the shoulder shaping requires 3 rows, plus 1 final bind off row (4 total)...for the backs, shoulder shaping requires 6 rows, plus 1 final bind off row (7 total). That means...what does that mean? I don't even know.

I have just (within the last 30 seconds) decided that I am thinking WAY TO MUCH about this...I'm finished...I'll figure it out. This is going to happen!

IN OTHER NEWS, it is officially 4:05 PM on the Monday after the Thursday I submitted an application for employment and I have not received a phone call. That's one hour short of two full work days to review it. Ehem...ehem...Kara...sorry, I had something in my throat. :)

Happy placebo

I'm not one of those psych. degree holders who say..."well, it's just placebo effect anyway. It's not really working." Why do I not say that? Because placebo effect implies that the placebo IS WORKING...despite the unlikely probability that it would. I say, "even if the healing is all in my head...if there's healing, it works." Sometimes, we just need something to rely on...when it seems that nothing will work. Sometimes we just need to believe that something will help us...that the pressure of being better isn't completely on our own shoulders. That's why I use Badger Sore Muscle Rub...even if it has no proven analgesics...because it's comforting to rub it on and smell the ginger, lemongrass, and other herbs. That in itself is enough for me.



I thought that I wasn't going to post until I had actually completed the back of the Cambridge Jacket...but someone demanded a post or no pictures on hers...so I have complied. I am nearly done with the back and I'm worried that it won't fit the Russian. But the sides are K3, P2 rib, which means they are quite stretchy. In fact, this yarn is quite stretchy in general...so I think it will be fine. We like our clothes a little "fitted" around here anyway. Baggy is definitely not our thing and the next size up would probably feel like an Olympic sized swimming pool to skinny Max.

Here are the glamor shots:


Work news: I had my sixth month review at Starbucks and got a raise. I'm pretty happy about that because my next check will be a bit more than usual. I applied for a full time customer service position at the same company the Crochetinator slaves away at. I hope it was worth it...I hope I get a call...pray hard for me!

PS--I made that star pillow! Isn't it cute!?

Back on track

I have worked my way passed the point where I frogged the Cambridge Jacket. It's looking much nicer this time around, I think. Here's a shot:




I got my package from Knit Picks today!!!! Here's a peak at the goodies!!!!


I'm going to cast on for a cardigan in the latest Vogue Knitting, once I've gotten The Russian's sweater to a more "solid" form. I can't find a picture of the VK cardigan on their website...but it's a cute 3/4 sleeve cabled cardigan with two tie closures...It looks really cute and I figured the cables looked pretty simple...a good one to attempt before more complicated cables beckon me.

Well, that's all for now, I suppose.

TBL

This is just a tiny (by tiny, I of course mean really long) rant about knitting through the back loop. I LIKE DOING IT...I think it feels "right." When I stretch apart my knitting to look at the construction...those pieces knit TBL stretch in a way I feel is "correct." when I knit normally, and pull the piece width-wise, it seems like the stitches stretch to be TIGHTER with WEIRD little ladder type things. So, I hear that knitting through the back loop (TBL) twists the stitches, but I just don't see HOW they are twisted...I mean, they look a bit wonky, but STRUCTURALLY they seem LESS twisted to me!! Maybe I just don't know how to knit correctly...or maybe the problem is in the way that I purl?

So, here's a picture of what I am talking about.

TBL stitches flat:


Yes, they look odd, but when I stretch them:


Look how uniformly it all pulls apart!

Now, I knit this up "the right way"


Sure, it looks all normal flattened and un-pulled, but look at it now:


It just doesn't seem right to me...and when a garment is worn, it needs to stretch still look good! That's just my opinion, though. Did you notice how the stitches TIGHTENED when pulled and odd little ladders formed between them? Weird, huh?

As a "rightness" comparison, here is one of my FLAVORite commercially created sweaters. This is it in the "normal" position:


Here it is in it's "stretched" position:


See how it acts the same way stretched as my supposedly "twisted" TBL stitches in the blue knitting above? So, what is wrong?? Isn't the look and feel of a commercially knit sweater sort of what we all strive for as knitters?? I sort of thought so anyway.

The blue knitting (HELLO PROJECT SPECTRUM!!) I was using as an example above is the start of the Cambridge Jacket from the Summer 06 Interweave (when you click the link, it's the manly orange one). It's for The Russian. I think the baby blue color will suit his swarthy face. I will not continue working on it, however, until I figure my little mystery out. I'm going to see if maybe I've been purling wrong for past FEW YEARS...oh and if that's true I will be so PEEVED...that's right, I said it! PEEVED!

In other news I've been spending my day knitting and listening to some FABULOUS music, as well as researching some upcoming greatness from Damon Albarn (and crew). The new album "The Good, The Bad, and The Queen" is due to come out later this month! You better bet it's on my wishlist! You can hear a few complete tracks here.

I listened to some Damien Rice 9 today...and some Doves...and some Thom Yorke...and I do not feel my time was wasted.

****After I wrote this entire post and saved it as a draft, I researched the purl stitched and learned that I have, in fact, been purling wrong...through all of my knitting escapades...YEARS. I knit up this tiny little swatch to test knitting "the right way" whilst PURLING THE RIGHT WAY... and the stitches seem to be "just fine" and have lost that wonky wave that my TBL knitting with the incorrect purls created. See?:



This means that The Russian's Sweater slipped and fell into the frog pond!! He must've (the sweater) had too much vodka...

Kara...you need to come over again so I can show you the real way to purl! Your knitting won't fall apart or anything the way that I showed you, but you should probably learn to do it right...sorry :) The way I told you to do the knit stitch IS CORRECT...in case you're wondering.

Going back

Since I have finished my scarf and have no "new" projects to work on until my package comes from Knit Picks, I went back to knitting in pink and have been working on my Swallowtail Shawl. Right now, it is a very easy lace pattern. I'll be starting repeat number 10, out of 14 for the second lace chart. It's very easy, very repetitive, and very grounding. I had forgotten that I love working on this shawl.

My love/hate relationship with lace is troubling, however. I love lace for the way it looks, and for the way it sort of soothes (when you approach it properly). What I don't like is how time consuming it is...but again, that's also sometimes what I DO like about it. It DOES take time...and it forces me to SLOW DOWN...something I'm really not AT ALL good at.

But that's what resolutions are all about, right? Here are a few:

1. Finish old, incomplete projects
2. Knit more lace
3. Knit at least ONE PAIR of socks this year (not just one sock, dear, a whole pair)
4. Read more

I have a few other resolutions too, but they are not important for this blog.

My reading line-up:
1. (currently) House of the Dead by Dostoevsky
2. The Human Comedy by Saroyan
3. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Pullman (I hear there is a movie in the making!)
4. Breakfast of Champions by Vonnegut
5. The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov
6. Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky
7. Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky
8. Dead Souls by Gogol
9. A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility by Akcam

I have most of these books already in my collection (with the exception of the last three)...so that means good, clean, free fun for days and days! I don't know if it is clear from my list that I like Russian literature...?

That's all for today...I just really wish my Knit Picks package would come!

My second post today!

I'm posting again today because I took some photos of my new scarf and wanted to show them off! I AM pleased with how it turned out even though it isn't quite long enough. Although, I may just begin to LIKE shorter scarves...

Plans for the day

Since I just got up a half-hour ago...I need to get a move on my day. I have finished the scarf (it's blocking and drying), so I don't really have any "pressing" knits to work on...of course, I have a few backburnered ones I should probably cease neglecting. Whatever.

1. I must give George his shot
2. I must take a shower and blow dry my hair
3. I must put a load of dishes in the dishwasher
4. I must collect garbage and take it out
5. I must vacuum just about every room in the house
6. SWIFFER the kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms
7. Hit up the piggy bank for some quarters and throw in a load of laundry...????
8. Clean countertops, faucets, etc...
9. ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE
10. Work on something that you haven't touched in ages (knitting, of course).

An almost FO

So, I've been working on an entrelac scarf made out of some really nice silk yarn...only one skein (which, by the way, I pronounce "skeen" and NOT "skane") because it was the most expensive yarn I have EVER purchased...and the yarn store people told me it would be enough for a scarf. Well, it does seem to be enough for a scarf...but not a long one...and I LIKE long ones. Anyway...it'll still serve as a bit of luxury for my neck even if it isn't what I'd normally go for, fashionably speaking.

Currently, it is blocking (and yes, I stretched it until I feared it might rip). So, tomorrow morning, I'll take out those pins, wrap silk around my neck and try to organize the condo.

So, I've been thinking very obsessively about cleaning lately. I haven't actually ACTED on my cleaning urges, but more and more each day, I fantasize about putting on rubber gloves and just GOING AT a few things. I really don't want to be the type of person who vacuums every day and scrubs at corners with a toothbrush...but at the same time, I DO want to be one of those people who vacuum weekly and toothbrush scrubs, I don't know, once a month? I've been trying so hard to become more organized, but I need more furniture (a bookcase, TV stand, and desk would be nice). I need another trip to IKEA and The Container Store...aaah, The Container Store, my heart pines for you.

So, that's my insanity. It's after midnight and I think I'm about to start CLEANING! Tomorrow, I will have an FO to show off, even if I end up not really liking it. It's always exciting to finish something.

It's time

I've really been putting this off for long enough and now, I have no excuses left but my laziness. I need to get moving on finding a full-time job.

I am now officially (as of maybe a week ago) a real live graduate of North Central College (bought and paid for thanks to Max). So, I have no reason to put off job applications with the excuse, "well, TECHNICALLY, I am not really a graduate..." blah, blah, blah, because now I TECHNICALLY am one. I guess I really need to start deciding what it is I really want to do about being a grown-up. My friend told me to apply where she works, and I keep saying that I will...but is it what I REALLY want? And do I really need to care about what I REALLY want right now when I'm on the verge of being unable to pay off my student loans? Shouldn't I just get a job where I can and worry about what I want later? I mean, seriously, it wouldn't be HORRIBLE working with friends, would it? LOL :) Not horrible at all, really...and it would be a steady schedule with steady pay...and I'd still work at Starbucks for a while too, because I really love it there.

OK...so, when my friend comes over tonight to learn how to KNIT!!!!, I will have to talk to her about her company a little and have her hold my hand as I possibly fill out the application online...if there are even any openings right now...who knows?

I have some pictures to post, too. When I spent New Years weekend in the City, I went to a yarn store:


It's sort of hard to tell I'm in a yarn store because I'm in the book section, but whatever...it's true. I need to talk to Max about taking "appropriate" photos.

At that yarn store in the city I bought one skein (and one skein only) of Great Big Silk because it cost me about $40. They told me they thought one skein would be enough for a scarf...so I trusted them. I started making this:


That's right, it's entrelac. I was inspired to learn how to do it by seeing tons of gorgeous Lady Eleanors made by other knitters. However, this yarn changes colors so quickly that within one block I get just about every color in the skein instead of creating the illusion of gradually changing blocks of color...whatever...I still think it looks cool and feels heavenly...as it should for 40 bucks a pop. I WILL knit with silk again in the future...maybe after that full-time job comes my way.

Entrelac is completely addicting. I'm not even sure if I'm really picking up the stitches correctly and still I can't stop. It could be the yarn too.

I've signed up for Project Spectrum this year. It's hosted by the same person who did Soctoberfest, which was a lot of fun (except for the fact that I'm cursed when it comes to knitting socks). Check out that link, it seems pretty cool and you don't have to be a knitter to do it (ehem, Kara). It starts in February, so I still have time to figure out what I'm doing for each segment. There is a time for Pink...I do plan on using that time to finish that godforsaken pink shrug and the swallowtail shawl I've been hiding away for months now.

That's enough of an entry for now.
Maybe tomorrow I'll have pictures of me teaching a crocheting friend how to knit. That should be fun!