How Angelica came undone.

Angelica has been sitting on my "to finish" list for months and it has been sitting in my UFO basket for months like this:



I've decided no more! I love to knit and now have very little time to do it so I am not going to waste it on anymore projects that I know aren't for me. Tonight after knitting two rows and realizing that even if I finished this knit I would never wear it, Angelica became this:



I realize now there are a lot of contributing factors to this particular failed experiment. One is that the pattern calls for a very expensive silk yarn. I liked the pattern but knew I would never love it enough to blow a lot of money on it. So, Knit Picks Sierra had the right gauge, some silk and just all around seemed like a good substitute for the Hip Knits yarn called for. And in theory I standby that decision. However Sierra has one ingredient I have decided is not for me and I will avoid from now on: Alpaca. Its just too hot. San Francisco rarely gets below 45 degrees so plain old merino is warm enough. Plus, I hate how it makes my hands sweat when I'm knitting with it. Generally, alpaca is lovely if you need that kind of insulation, but here by the Bay you just don't need it. If anyone wants some dark magentaish silk/alpaca/maybe something else yarn, drop me a note.

Another failure this evening is realizing that my Phildar Jacket with the wide collar is probably going to be too small. What I though were conversions from cm to inches appear to actually be "sizes." Unfortunately, this means the 38-40 size I was knitting works out to be around a 36" bust. So I need to go up a size. I've only knit the back and one and a half sleeves so I'm going to have a glass of wine and frog it later this week.

Tomorrow I'm going to my first day of Couture school which I think means a trip to Britex and some rather expensive fabric shopping. I'll be sure to post some pics.

Hope all of your weekends have been less destructive and more constructive than mine! :)

It can't be knitting all the time... or at all recently

I have been knitting and I have progress on a couple of things, but nothing worth any boring progress pictures. Instead I'm going to share with you the progress pictures I have on another little project I've been working on. One that has sucked up a fair amount of knitting time.



This is my first attempt at a Bustier with boning and everything. Here's the understructure. I still need to singe the ends of the boning and attach the flannel and outer fashion fabric. Here's the construction breakdown: a layer of silk charmeuse for the nice smooth lining, then a layer of twill fabric (just straight up canvas for me) to give some body, then silk organza wrapped boning, then comes a layer of flannel to cover the inner structure and finally the outer fabric.


My outer fabric is most likely going to be a black satin or black satin with black lace. I know that's a lot of black, but I'm a bridesmaid in what is turning out to be a Goth wedding. I'm going to be pairing it with a black taffeta skirt I have yet to make. I'll be sure to post a pic of the complete ensemble even if the details won't show-up due to the blackness.

So, the whole not knitting thing. This is the problem with actually having a job and school sucking up five or six days a week. I don't know how you guys with kids etc. ever get a chance to knit. Don't get me wrong, I love how busy I am. Well, I hate work (my boss is nuts) but school is going really well and I'm learning a ton. Who knew there was so much to learn about clothes? Next week I'm starting an intensive Couture sewing class. It's six days of 9-6 sewing, mostly by hand. I think it truly earns the term "intensive." I'm going to try to chronicle the experience here next week. In the next couple days I'll try to get a shot of the muslin for the ballgown I'm making.

It's weird how into school I am now. I was never a good student. There were only a few classes in school that I did really well in, particularly in high school. I can remember my father looking at me, report card in hand, and asking my how I could have an A in AP molecular bio and a C in advanced algebra. He really didn't like my answer of "I just don't care about that class." But that's how I've always been. Very stubborn. It's a good thing I'm finally doing something I really love. I'm off to do more homework. :)

Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.

-James M. Barrie

Meme!

Nicole tagged me for this meme a couple weeks ago. So, here it is the sixes meme...why only five questions?

1. Six minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally? Chances are, daydreaming.
2. Six bucks to spend right now: how would you spend it? The last of the peeps at Walgreen and a diet coke.
3. Six items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already? The boxes of my brother's stuff, a pretty but useless to me mirror, the printer I never use, my girlfriends "ex" box with all his pictures, the "to shread" pile, and anything to do with taxes.
4. Six items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house? My pictures, my card scrapbook, the earrings my Dad gave me, the bracelet my Mom gave me, my namesakes necklace, the blanket my grandmother crochet for me.
5. Six words you love? "Wanna go to the yarn store?" (Its different, Nicole. I swear!)

So, I'm tagging Rachel, Carrie and Jade. But only if they want to!

Did you know there's a International Knit in Public Day?

Apparently, this gal had this idea to have a International Knit in Public Day. June 10th this year. I kinda like the idea, though I'm never shy about knitting in public. Here's the link to her site. World Wide Knit In Public Day 2006. I don't think its a big movement yet, but then movements get big by passing the idea along, right?

Quizzes! Oh how I love them.

Update: Before you get to the quizzy good stuff stop by Google. Type in "failure" and hit "I'm feeling lucky." Hopefully google won't have "corrected" this by the time you get there. I'm not saying this represents my views on the subject one way or the other. Its just damn funny.


These quizzes are thanks to Tanya. She has a penchant for them as do I. In knitting news, there is none. I've gotten about an inch further on all my projects. Woo-hoo.

Myrna Loy You scored 19% grit, 38% wit, 28% flair, and 33% class!

You are loaded with a quirky kind of class that people find irresistible. Men turn and look at you admiringly as you walk down the street, and even your rivals have a grudging respect for you. You usually know the right thing to say, do and, of course, wear. You can take charge of a situation when things get out of hand, and you do it with great poise and chic. Your wit and sense of fun endear you to your partner and every other man in the room. Your screen partners include William Powell and Cary Grant. You're quite a catch...if you want to be caught. Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the Classic Leading Man Test.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 38% on grit You scored higher than 74% on wit You scored higher than 22% on flair You scored higher than 67% on class

Link: The Classic Dames Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Clark Gable You scored 30% Tough, 9% Roguish, 9% Friendly, and 52% Charming!

You're a helluva guy, a real split personality and a bit of an enigma. On the one hand, you're a man's man, tough talking and ready for anything. But on the other hand, you soften your rough and tumble core with a disarmingly smooth exterior, and you make the ladies swoon. You're equally admired by both men and women alike, drinking other men under the table all the while charming the socks off half a dozen lovelies. You're a commanding presence, and you know how to get what - and who - you want when you want it. You're drawn to women who, like you, are savvy enough to deal with the world on their own terms. You work well with spitfires. Leading ladies include Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, and Jean Harlow. No damsels in distress for you. Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the Classic Dames Test.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 62% on Tough You scored higher than 25% on Roguish You scored higher than 6% on Friendly You scored higher than 93% on Charming

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Appropriate to be two side of what seems to be the same coin, no? At least I feel fairly confident that if I were a man I wouldn't suck. Of course there's no way to prove or disprove that so now I'm totally confident.

So, what leading lady are you?

Inch by inch, day by day

I checked my blog on a PC recently. On Explorer. And apparently it's all kinds of messed-up. So I'm sorry about that since most of you probably are on a PC and using explorer. I will be working on that, but my HTML skills are a little rusty so it may take a while.

Anyway, as the yarn diet marches on I picked-up this little addition to my library in the hope that it will enhance my stash busting.


Now, I know. It's like I'm going over to the dark side. But I swear some of these patterns are so cute! No to mention I've never really liked knitted purses. I'm hoping I'll like crochet more. Hopefully, sometime soon I'll have some crochet to share. I've always liked the way Debbie Stoller explains things so maybe I'll be able to figure this out. If not I have a couple friends who actually know how to crochet very well so I'll be hitting them up for the inevitable "the hook goes where?" questions.

In other news I've cast on for my April Project Spectrum project.


I'm using my miss-chosen SWTC Bamboo in Tequila. Here's a shot of the swatch. I know you're riveted.


I'm going for a very basic stash busting top. I should be able to hammer it out by the end of the month, but of course I said that about my unfinished Hearten and Phildar sweaters a month ago. When I didn't have a job, and two more days of class. So, we'll see.

Onto the new Knitty. Is it just me and my far to corporate/homogenized world that I think the way Cookie A. displays her designs is creepy? I really don't dig the disembodied mannequin leg. It icks me out so much I have a hard time focusing on her designs which is unfortunate since she has some really great ones. There are only a couple other patterns I think I'd maybe knit Tendrils and T-twist. To be honest I'm not even sure about those. I don't know. I just wasn't taken with any of them. But then Clapotis is the only knitty pattern I've used in the two years I've been checking the mag out. Fortunately, its not like Vogue Knitting and I don't have to pay for it.

What did you do tonight?

Tonight I went out to dinner with two of my favorite people. My mom and my second eldest brother. I had one of the nicest evenings I've had since this whole boy thing went down. Part of this was that I got drunk and my mom and bro laughed at me. Plus, all that good life talking you do with those close to you. I feel so lucky that I have such great family. Be aware at some point they will be severely pissing me off and I'll be doing a lot of bitching, but that's how family is right? :)

Anyway, knitting! Here's a shot of almost everything I've got going right now. At least everything I'm really working on.



(Sorry about my photos. I never wanted to be a photographer. I faked it for a while in 8th grade, but I never really cared.)

Nicole and I got together to knit a bit and I finally finished the back to Hearten. When I got to the armhole shaping I started to realize just how long this sweater is going to be. But then I remembered that almost all of the sweaters I've knit recently have been cropped and too short for my taste, so what I thought would be a problem turns out to be a plus.

My Phildar sweater is coming along. That's the second sleeve there. Now just the two fronts, the collar, and the button band at the bottom and it'll be finished...why did I have to get a job? Oh right, money/career and such...

In the last couple days I've managed to get almost half way on my Mystery Project. The bright blue on the right. I'm hoping by the end of next week I'll have some shots of it on a dressform. Actually, calling it a mystery project is really a lot of bull since you can probably guess what it is. And if you can't well then the suspense continues! (This is where I'd be cursing me 'cause I can never guess things unless there in a movie). Ok, here's the ultimate hint. It starts with a U and ends with a Femme...I can't keep secrets that I really want to tell.


"He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it."

Douglas Adams

More posting, still less knitting

I just found this over at Jessalu Knits. If you know me you know that I am utterly obsessed with Jane Austen. If you know my mother and me, you know that this makes me very like her and that I am greatly bothered by this fact. But, I digress. This was a quiz I had to take. Here are the results.



You scored as Elizabeth Bennet.

As one of Austen's most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet represents what most women would like to become: strong,
independent, and loyal. Of course, she has her faults including a stubborn will of iron and a clinging to first impressions. Overall, Lizzie is bright and lovable...something to admire and aspire to.

Elizabeth Bennet 91% Elinor Dashwood 69% Marianne Dashwood 66% Emma Woodhouse 41% Jane Bennet 25% Lady Catherine 13% Charlotte Lucas 9% Which Jane Austen Character are You? (For Females) Long Quiz!!! created with QuizFarm.com

Seriously, who doesn't want to be Elizabeth Bennet? I find it pretty amusing that I have both the Dashwood sisters next, but there you are. And I think it's totally true that I am the least like Charlotte Lucas. I love quizzes. Which Austen girl are you?

Flashing my stash

Apparently, today is Flash Your Stash day. I did this a few months ago but a couple of things have changed. Combine that with I love my yarn and I'm flashing again. This is a shot of what I refer to as my happy place. It's a useless window seat in my apartment that I couldn't figure out what to do with. So, I store all my yarn on it surrounded by pics of my loved ones. I love it (and I don't have to worry about sun bleaching since this window gets virtually no sunlight).



And here's the break down for anyone who's interested. Some of these shots look familiar because in the 4 mos since I took these pics I haven't knit up the projects yet.

Let's start with the new stuff.

4 balls of SWTC Bamboo in color Tequilla.


This was earmarked for a tank I was designing. I found though that it's not quite right for it so we'll see what it turns into.





Two hanks of Koigu KPM merino:


I bought this because it was love at first sight. Like so many of these things it may not turn out. Though I did get lucky when looking in IK Winter 05 and found a pattern I like that calls for Koigu. We'll see if I can make it work though since my feet are pretty big (10.5) and I'll have to modify the pattern a bit.




Two hanks of Lorna's Laces sock yarn in Pinstripe.



I haven't found a pattern for it but I'm sure I'll figure out something. This will most likely be the next "on the bus" project.







10 balls of Rowan Calmer in Coffee Bean



You already know all about this becoming Loll.









This Karabella Majestic will still eventually becoming Belle Epoque. I swear it will.







This Peruvian Baby Cashmere will be a Somewhat Cowl. Eventually.









This All Seasons Cotton and Soft Kid is up for the Ultra Femme. I think the reason this hasn't actually become an Ultra Femme is that I don't really care about this pattern. Or this yarn for that matter. It's basically that I have the perfect amount of the right kind of matching yarn, but I'd be lying if I said I was really excited about this.






Jacqueline has inspired me to put this back up for butterfly. I was planning on ditching this idea, but I do think it will be a fun, challenging pattern. And since I have 4 balls not 3 it's really the only pattern that I have enough but not too much yarn for.





I have more yarn rolling around in those big baskets, but no more projects waiting. A lot of it will sit there for a while waiting to be knit. Sadly, hoping as I walk over and pick up another ball of Calmer to finish my two sweaters. But then there may be hope for it. My Aurora 8 sat there for a year before I found my Phildar Jacket with the Wide Collar which I now can't put down. So all the neglected balls can have hope. Why do I feel like I'm not talking about yarn anymore?

Have a great week!