So last night I finally sat down and did the grafting on my Sidewinder sock. It took a long time, but I think I’ve finally memorized how to graft now. I had the right number of stitches on both needles and everything!

When finished, I wove in my end, like a good little knitter, and thought hey, I’ll try this on now! See the picture? You like?

My foot didn’t like it. The leg is fine, the length is okay (I think), but the bit that goes around my ankle/heel, where the leg bends? PAIN! It is much too tight, but only there. And well, it was a struggle to tug it on.

So I need to rip it. sigh. And go up a size I guess? I know I don’t have wide feet, as I’ve never had to buy wide shoes, but maybe I should knit the same size, but in a wide? Not certain, and I’m not going to measure my feet now. At work you know.

Looking at the un-grafted toe (why bother, it didn’t fit!), I’m starting to think I need some more length, too. Le sigh. Rip rip rip. And there was a little line of holes all down one side of the heel:

I seem to be stalled on all my knitting projects at the moment. This one doesn’t fit. I needed to rip and re-start the shawl on smaller needles (I have ripped, but no new knitting yet), the cardi is in a state of limbo (me not wanting to continue because I’m worried about size issues), the only good one is Vinnland. Although I haven’t had the courage to measure it against any other socks yet. I am in a knitting slump.

What I really want to do right now is get my desk and our whole officey area all up and running and prettified. It’s pretty messy in there right now. The bookcase is a disaster area of stuff that’s just been… stuffed on to it. But the wonderful boyfriend is building a shelf for the closety area, which will help a lot.

OH! Exciting Crafty News! I’m getting a Gocco! I found an ad for one on a local craigslist-type site, and I’m picking it up Friday. It’s only $50, I’ve found they tend to go for $100+. yay. I’m hoping to be able to get something going on etsy, I’ve got great ideas for stuff. I’d love to have a crafty business again. I’ve got a few cards up there right now (username is rycrafty), but the photos I took are pretty bad.

I think Nona’s Sidewinder socks must have some sort of magic in them. Definitely the fastest sock I’ve ever knit. That said, I haven’t done the grafting yet (putting it off!), but the body of the sock was done on Saturday! I only started on Thursday! I may do the grafting tonight.

Sunday I had a boring work day, so I started another sock. Not the second Sidewinder! I was too impatient to try out the Vinnland pattern and my wonderful Fleece Artist Sea Wool. My gauge was a bit small compared to the pattern (32st/4″ rather than 29st/4″) so I cast on for a size bigger than I would normally need. It seems to be working.

People always talk about the magic of turning the heel and what an epiphany moment it is with socks, etc etc. I never found the heel that exciting. My magic moment came on Sunday, when I was doing box office for a 5 hour Chinese opera. The toe of a toe up sock… well, the one in the Vinnland pattern anyway, is just magical. I’m knitting flat, knitting flat, increasing, decreasing, OMG I HAVE A TOE POCKET! It was very cool. Yesterday I got about halfway through a repeat of the cable-y pattern at work, hoping for more today. Once I’m done this sock, I’ll do the other Sidewinder.

Saturday I went to the Summer Solistice Sale at Make One Yarns. I bought stuff. I’m a terrible person. But really, who can resist 40% off Rowan? Only certain Rowan, but I made sure I was there before the store even opened so I could get my hands on some Tapestry:

40% off, my friends! That means I got a sweater’s worth for about $50, which is just amazing for Rowan. I also bought a pattern book/leaflet, Rowan Pure Wool Collection. Everything is simple, yet lovely in it, I had been hesitating buying it earlier, but snapped it up for 50% off. I got a couple other things as well, for smaller projects, but will leave that as blog fodder for a later date.

The Tapestry is going to become Sorrel, I’ve been wanting to make it for a while, but didn’t want to shell out the yarn money.

Had a job interview on Thursday that I think went well, but no news yet. Had another one yesterday that was odd. I felt happy but I was in and out of there in 5 minutes. He said he just wanted to put a face to the name, but I’ve been (obsessively) running it over, and I keep wondering if I made that bad of an impression? I don’t think so. Granted, it was pouring rain and cold outside, and yet I had summery cropped khakis and ballet flats…. It looked sunny when I got dressed that morning! So I did feel a bit absurd in my clothes, but it wasn’t like he was in a suit and tie or anything. It’s theatre, it’s casual. You get the crazy-artist types and their wacky clothes.

I would love to get both these jobs I interviewed for, so think positive!

I’ve got my new desk, and chair, and the computer room has a futon (in white) now too. We had to completely re-arrange it to get the futon we wanted in there, but I like it. Totally not as cramped as I was worried about (pictures soon!).

Now, because it is a fairly small room for 2 desks and a full-size couch (oh yeah, and a bookcase), and I have all sorts of bits and pieces of crafty goodness I want to keep in there… I need shelves. Shelves on the wall. I want it to be an interesting and useful arrangement of shelves. I’m thinking a combination of things from Ikea, and I want to get my choice written down in a list. Now, my desk is white with glass, the couch is white, the boything’s desk is mostly white. I’m thinking of continuing the white/glass theme. Especially as it is a small room, with just one window, I think it needs to be light. Any of the choices below I’d get in white, if that wasn’t possible, I’d paint it.

STRIPA - a little ledge shelf. Great for framed photos to lean on. I like that look.

LJUSDAL -  a glass shelf. Very pretty, I would like it but…. I’m worried about breakage. I’ll have to figure out exactly what I’d be putting on it before I’d buy.

BJARNUM/JARPEN - white shelf, silver brackets. Clean, simple, I love the way the ends of the shelf are covered.

FORHOJA - shelf unit with glass drawers! So cool, I’m not sure what I’d put in, or if it would even work. The wood would need to be painted.

TJUSIG - length of 5 hooks. Could be neat, I’m trying to think about what else I could hang, apart from scissors… It’d certainly keep scissors handy! I could hang a small WIP bag I suppose…. I picture this (and STRIPA) as being the thing closest to the desk, height-wise. That way, stickey-out shelves will not be in the way. I think.

That list is the basis of what will be my wonderful wall organization plan. While still leaving room for boything’s posters. Whatever I end up doing will be some combination of those 5 parts.

Above the couch is also a good shelf space too… Maybe a STIPA for the  framed X-men poster?

I’ve had this odd hankering to try spinning on a wheel. I really enjoyed the spindle class I took back in November, but purposely haven’t bought any roving, because I really don’t need another hobby. I think it was reading about Yarn School that got my interest going again.

I keep telling myself I don’t need another hobby, but I still really want to try it. And as luck would have it, I just found out that there is a fibre festival only an hour away from here this weekend! I think I may go, just to see what it is all about.

Now I’m just sad that I don’t know anyone else who is interested in fibre. sigh.

I got a nasty case of start-itis over the weekend.

I had been knitting away on the right front of my $1.50 cardi, when I decided to hold it up against the back piece. The armholes were at totally different heights. I was suddenly thrown off my “this-will-be-the-best-knit-ever” horse. Then I realised that the back was all crinkly and shrunk from the stitch pattern, so I stretched it and measured. The front would also be a different size when blocked, so I tried to stretch that too. I didn’t have enough hands. So I decided to block the back piece to make measuring easier.

Even with the back all blocked, the front armhole still starts lower. But then again, the front needs to be stretched too, to open up the lace. I hope that between stretching it up and sideways, it’ll grow that little bit it needs. If not, oh well, I’ll just frog back.

I’m also getting slightly concerned about running out of yarn, but we will not speak of that.

Friday these length worries had gotten to me, so I found a ball of sock yarn, and brought that and some needles to work to swatch for the Sidewinder Socks. I got gauge, but couldn’t actually start at work, as I had no waste yarn, and I got gauge on needles I only have as DPNs. That was put away until I could get to my LYS.

So Friday night, my cardi was blocking and awaiting analysis, my LYS closed before I got off work, and my boyfriend was at work. What’s a girl to do? Cast on for a lace shawl, that’s what!

It’s the Large Rectangle in Leaf and Trellis pattern from Victorian Lace Today (on page 54). The pattern calls for a size 6 needle, but my yarn is a bit thinner, so I started on size 5s. I knit a bit that night, and a bit more at work on Saturday. I got 9 rows done.

Sunday, I went to my LYS to pick up a needle for those Sidewinders, and a needle for the shawl (my Denises were snagging the yarn at the joins). Addi (which is the circular line they have) doesn’t do 2.25mm needles. bah. I picked up a 2.0mm instead, as with socks, you should probably err on tighter gauge than looser. Then, while looking at the bit of shawl I had knit with Amy, I realised it was much, much too open for my tastes, so I bought a 3.25mm (US 3) for that one. Sadly, they had none of the lace Addis in that size. I bought a Natura, because I do like the bamboo.

So I got home, and cast on for the Sidewinders, and worked on that for most of the rest of the day.

I don’t want to leave the cardi behind in the dust, but the different sizes and stitch patterns and blocking sizes were making my head all exsplody.

When I left the house this morning, I swept my knitting into my purse. I had put it on the coffee table last night, in a neat pile, so I wouldn’t forget anything. I had done a good bit of knitting the night before!

I arrived at work, and found a Post-It informing me that I would essentially be on my own all day. I was happy, and pulled out the knitting. Then I realised that I only had a very small fraction of a ball left. All this morning, I’d knit a few rows, then surf the internet, the knit a row or two more. I just ran out of yarn, and I have 3 hours left in my day. ‘Tis tragic.

The good news is, I’m doing the neckline shaping on the right (cabled) front of the $1.50 cardi, and now I’m also ready to start the sleeve decreases too. It’s looking a little long, but I console myself with the fact that the lace needs to be pulled/blocked sideways, which will make it shorter. I hope it all works out.

I bought a watch yesterday, which was exciting. A pretty one, not just one that has all the functions I used to ‘need’ (glowing hands or face, date display). I’ve got my cell phone for that type of thing. I discovered this when my old watch broke back in October, and I didn’t have the money for a new one. Cell phones are wonderful, they glow, they have times, they tell you the date. So I bought a pretty watch. The face is pale woodgrain, and about an inch wide and framed in brushed stainless steel. The band is pale brown leather, and also about an inch wide. It’s sort of cuff-like.

I’ve been trying to find stuff to entertain myself with now that I’m out of knitting. Can you tell? Ramble ramble.

Something cool I want: I’ve thought Blik wall graphics are very cool for a while now, but I could never quite decide which I wanted. I was always leaning towards the Paisleys, or the Flock designs, but they just put out a new one that eclipses all others: Me, Myshelf, and I. I think our bedroom needs it. Not sure my boyfriend would agree though, so I’ll refrain from buying.

If you like your decor a bit more indie, there’s an Etsy seller doing similar work (love the chandelier!)

I’m still pining over Yarn School. Sadly, flights to Kansas City are about $400-500.

I think if I get out of the office today without buying anything over the internet out of boredom, it will be a miracle.

I’ve been working on one of the fronts of the $1.50 cardi, the cabled side. But for some reason, every time I look at it, I think it is a sleeve, and then I think ‘that’s too small for a sleeve!’, and wondering why the directions tell me to knit for something like 15″ without any shaping for my little arms. Then I remember that I am in fact knitting the front of a cardigan. Then the next time I pick it up, I go through it all again. It’s a vicious cycle.

The other mistake I made was in the lace pattern. There are no stripes on this side, just a cable and lace around it. For the stripey part of the sweater, you do the lace rows in a certain sequence. I did that for the lacey part of this front, and found I was getting an odd stockingette stripe in my lace, for just one row (well, rows 7 & 1). It was small, but noticeable. I re-read the front directions, and it seemed like I was doing it right. Then I re-read the lace directions, and found that it said ‘repeat rows 3-6 for pattern’. I see now that you just do the other rows when you’re about to finish the lace pattern, so it isn’t lopsided or anything. At some point in my knitting life, I would’ve just left it, because it wasn’t a glaring thing. But I want to have more confidence in my knitting, and be more likely to wear things out, so I ripped back. It felt good! I’m not scared of ripping out any more either, I now have enough faith in my self to rip back to the right place, and pick up all the stitches.

I’ve been good about not buying yarn. It’s hard now that I know Pudding Yarn is so close to me. I practically walk by it every time I go to rehearsal. It’s hard not to stop in, but I haven’t. The last thing I bought there was Rowan 40. I love the foresty rustic style of the the cover photo, and the ’story’ that piece belongs to. I want to be more woodland in my style of dress. (I also find I like a kind of Victorian street urchin style for winter. Men’s style trousers, vests, fingerless mitts, leather shoes, all very pretty. Not that I have much like that, but I like to imagine. I want a good pair of brown leather boots for next winter. See also HotPatterns’ Artful Dodger line).

Has anyone heard about Yarn School? I would love to go, but I either have to fork out $400 airfare, or drive for 25+ hours. ick to both! If it was within a day’s driving distance, I would so go, it looks like it’d be wonderful. I wouldn’t pay the fee plus the airfare, even though it would be fun. If I’m spending that much on a vacation, I want to spend it with my loving boyfriend.

And because no post is complete without pictures, here is some All Things Heather sock yarn:

I donated to a book fund on her blog a few months back, and I got this in the mail in return a little while ago. Green and purple, two of my fav colours! yay! I’m thinking of Horcrux socks. Vinnlands first though, and I’m not casting on for those until I have at least this front of the $1.50 done.

I finally picked the buttons off my Rambling Rose, and put on the new ones. I also solved my end-weaving-in problem. When I did it before, the ends just worked themselves out again as the yarn is slippery. This time, I separated the plies into two groups, and wove them in different directions. And now, a show! (all photos taken with self-timer. I prefer to think of them as ‘artsy’ rather than ‘dude, weird angles!’)

I’ve finished the back of the $1.50 sweater, and started on the cabled front half. But omg, I just remembered I need to check the errata for the pattern, because isn’t there something wrong with the fronts in the magazine? Hmm, I should go do that.

I’ve been knitting and watching House on DVD in the evenings when I don’t have rehearsal. I love House. Such a great show. I’m re-watching Season 1 right now.

My boyfriend bought flowers today when he went grocery shopping, they’re pink and sitting right next to me right now. *heart*

Monkey Socks, started May 15th, 2007, finished June 6th, 2007
Pattern: Cookie A’s Monkey from knitty
Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug, 1 skein
Needles: 2.5mm/US 1 Addi Turbo (magic loop!)
Dimensions: Fits my 9.5″ long foot (Size 8/8.5)
Pattern Notes: I did 1/2″ of ribbing instead of 1″, and 5 leg repeats instead of 6. My foot was 6 repeats long. I made sock #1 with 7 foot repeats, because I forgot that lace is very stretchy. I finished sock #2 with 6 repeats, and it fit perfectly, so I ripped back the first one, and re-knit the toe in the proper place.
Would I knit it again? Definitely! With better yarn this time.

I really like the Colinette Jitterbug, but this colourway was very, very pooly. There are long expanses of black, a lot of grey, then shots of other colours. As you can see, the black really liked to pool together. But I don’t really mind the pooling, and I really wanted to make this pattern, so I didn’t bother finding another pattern. I think the black would pool in most patterns.

Now I’m finally going to get some work done on my $1.50 cardi, yay!

PS: I edited these pictures in an online photo editor called Picnik. Very fun! And better than silly iPhoto. I wish I had Photoshop.

So I didn’t get much knitting done over the weekend, I was too distracted by my wonderful new blog. I still can’t believe I have my own domain name! This is endlessly amusing to me.

I’ve got about 5 pattern repeats to go on the foot of my 2nd Monkey sock. I’ve been doing 6 repeats, and I have about size 8 (sometimes 8.5) feet. For reference, about 9.5″ long. I hope to finish that sock this week. My next sock project will use the wonderful Fleece Artist yarn you see to the left. It is going to become the Vinnland socks from the Anti-Craft.

But first, I think I’ll work some more on the $1.50 cardi. The Monkey socks weren’t supposed to take all my attention away from it, but they did. I’m at the start of the shoulder decreases at the back, so I’m almost done the big annoying piece. The fronts are different, so that’ll be fun to do, and then I just have one sleeve left! I think putting all that time inbetween sleeves helps eliminate that boredom of Sleeve Island. As long as you take good notes on the first one, so they can match.

I also want to tell you about a wonderful thing I discovered for printing patterns off the internet. The booklet function on my work printer. I was poking around, trying to find the ‘print double-sided’ setting, when I noticed a box that said ‘booklet’, I tried that, it is is great! It prints it out, 2 pages to a sheet (so yes, the text is kinda small. I can still read it easily though) and double-sided, so if a pattern would be four pages normally, this uses only one piece of paper. You just need to fold in half, and possible staple if it has more than 4 pages. They’re just such cute little books! And they fit better in a knitting bag than an 8.5″x11″, they’re little 8.5″x5.5″ booklets that are just too cute. And so far, on all the ones I’ve printed, the cover page has worked out perfectly with just the title, picture, and designer’s blurb.

So if you have a fancy printer with a booklet setting, I say use it! You’re saving paper too!