2007 August « Tattva1 knits

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Gobsmacked!

August 30, 2007 at 10:55 am | In yarn | 3 Comments

When I read about the Wall of Koigu on the L&V message boards, well, I didn’t know what to expect. Really, any amount of KPPPM would be astonishing to me.

So when I saw it in its glory, I was so dumbfounded that I forgot to take a picture.

Personal Threads was a very enjoyable experience. It was easy to get to and easy to find (I love our system of numbered streets!) I did have to make a U-Turn to get into the shop, but that’s just because there was a median I didn’t feel like hopping. The yarn store is part of a conglomeration – antiques over here, yarn over there – but it wasn’t anything inconvenient.

The yarn part of the store is small and a little cramped, but they’re getting a new building soon to remedy that situation. It will be a couple of blocks further down Dodge, and the skeleton of steel girders is visible from the shop window.

I was greeted quickly and warmly by the first staffmember I saw, who took me right back to the Koigu. Where I promptly had a sensory overload experience. I started my pile on the counter, where I met Joe. Joe is the husband of Julie, who is listed on the website as the President. (I’m not really sure of what, but that’s her title.) Joe was very nice and chatty, and we talked about Koigu and their high demand. He claims, and his selection backs him up, of a certain close relationship with the company. He is trying to get their dyer to come to the new shop for their grand opening!

And then they received two large boxes of Koigu while I was there. One was a sweater kit, and the other was Kersti and KPPPM. If only they could have inventoried the new KPPPM before I left….

They also had Mountain Colors Bearfoot, which I think might just be the perfect Hubby sock yarn. I expect 6.5 st/inch for his feet will be much faster than 8-9 st/inch. Plus they had some colors that are just Him. And some that are me.

So, if you are looking for Koigu, make a trip out to Personal Threads.

I left Omaha decidedly poorer in money and richer in yarn.

The orange tote bag was a free gift!

The circuit board is an alarm panel.

Make like a tree and leaf

August 29, 2007 at 9:00 am | In FO, Socks, knitting | 3 Comments

I have socks!

Pattern: Embossed Leaves socks by Mona Schmidt, from Interweave’s Favorite Socks
Needles: US 0 (2.00mm) Crystal Palace Bamboo DPNs
Yarn: Crafty in a Good Way Kona Sock, colorway Plaid
Mods: I knit the leg for a full three repeats but didn’t add that extra half repeat because I don’t like my socks too tall. On the second sock, I stopped the leg a couple of rows earlier to maximize foot length. I also used the EOP stitch for my heel flaps.

The first picture up there is very true to color on my monitor. I have struggled the entire time with getting accuracy in color with this yarn. Of course to get accuracy, you don’t see any of the pattern details.

There’s the stitch pattern. Very lovely. In real life, the color striping is hardly visible.

Now we talk about what I would do differently next time.

Hello, I am a too short heel flap! The pattern calls for a 24 row garter edged heel flap, and that’s what I did. It’s too shallow for me. It’s wearable, and I’m not about to fix it now.

I mentioned before not liking the garter edge, but it has grown on me. I like how it looks, I just don’t necessarily like doing it.

I am the effed up toe! I wasn’t paying attention to the pattern and did most of the toe decreases as k2tog instead of p2tog. I switched when I realized my error, but the perfectionist in me was on vacation and didn’t care if I redid it.

I do love the star toe, though. It may become my toe of choice. I didn’t think I’d like it, because I don’t have overly long toes, but it fits really well. My biggest worry is the little O opening up as I wear these socks.

In summary, I like them, but I wish I had done better.

And in keeping with tradition, it’s time for a Toe Status Update!

Yup, still ugly, and that nail is still hanging on tightly.

Duck when you walk into my kitchen today

August 28, 2007 at 10:14 am | In Socks, knitting | 3 Comments

I normally don’t block socks, but these really seemed to want it. Today they dry, tomorrow they get a proper photoshoot.

And then I get to admit to all the mistakes I made.

Tomorrow I get to make my last pilgrimage to Omaha for work. I am celebrating by planning a trip to Personal Threads. I am told they have a Great Wall of Koigu. Since KPPPM is hard to find ’round these parts, I am allowed to splurge a bit. Especially if they have a clearance bin!

Her eyes burn with the fire of a thousand suns

August 27, 2007 at 1:47 pm | In cats, knitting | 2 Comments

Ah, here is Annie. She is an unhappy kitty. She hates her cone almost as much as she hates her new antibiotics. Apparently, the antibiotics are pretty vile.

The pain meds are OK, though.

Here’s a blurry fuzzy teaser of something to come!

Look! Two toes!

The word of the day is…

August 24, 2007 at 9:18 am | In cats | 1 Comment

Bone. More specifically, toe bone. Annie experienced a rare complication from the declawal, and she’s back at the vet today to get it repaired. I see a head cone in our future!

Have a good weekend everyone!

My knitterly reality: a vignette

August 23, 2007 at 10:22 am | In cats, me | 2 Comments

Hubby: What do you want for an anniversary gift?

Me: Hmm, I can’t really think of anything right now.

H: Are you sure? There’s nothing you want?

M: Well, you could get me a gift card to Barnes and Noble.

H: No, I don’t want you reading all the time. You don’t scratch my back enough as it is.

M: Well, the only other things I can think of right now are knitting related.

H: NO NO NO! I will not get you knitting supplies.

M: I know, which is why I didn’t ask.

He’s just a little bit anti-me-knitting. So anything I want, I have to buy. (And sneak into the house, shhhh!)

In other life news, Annie is not completely well after her surgery. We noticed a couple of days after she came home that she was favoring one paw, but it seemed to get better. She was jumping on and off of surfaces and walking normal, except when she came to a stop she would still pick that one foot up. We looked at it last night, and there is something wrong/growing/protruding from one of her pads. So we will be taking a trip back to the vet. We know just how much she loves that.

Houston, we have a working oven

August 22, 2007 at 10:12 am | In Ladybug, knitting | 2 Comments

Here’s the little stinker in her new dress. Sister emailed to say that she made the dress in a size 5, so no wonder it’s big.

Anna’s such a pill; right now when we want to take her picture she says “Cheese,” and rears her head back. I have to time my button-pushing perfectly to get a shot that includes her head and not just her chin.

Anna would also like me to point out that she’s wearing her very most favorite “light shoes” in the picture. Yeah, Grandma bought her a pair of shoes with little lights in them. She’s been wearing them to death this summer.

In knitting news, well, I am 7 rows shy of starting the toe of my second Embossed Leaves sock. Woot! Deleting 20G each of data off of a couple of hard drives on a slow computer makes for a good amout of knitting time. It helps that I can read my sock too, so no chart looking-at to slow me down.

Up next in the knitting queue is adding those needed rows to the first Reid sleeve, and then knitting the second sleeve. It will not go as quickly as the first one did; that one was knitted when Anna was on vacation for 3 days. Ahh, I remember those wonderful times. No one demanding “Mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy.”

Also, I think sister deserves her very first pair of handknit socks in return for the dress. So I’ll put that in the queue right after Husband’s socks.

And didn’t I say something about a sweater?

Too sweet

August 17, 2007 at 2:17 pm | In Ladybug | 1 Comment

I love getting mail. Especially since I started ordering yarns online.

Yesterday we got something extra special from the USPS.

It’s too big for my little mistress right now, but it’s just too cute! My sister used to sew a lot before she got too busy in college and life. I’m guessing that she’s found some time again.

Some close ups:

This dress really made my day yesterday.

In other news, I am stymied in my attempt to purchase Sahara. Stitch Diva does not take Paypal! I shall have to wait until I am over this news to write them an actual check. And put it in the actual mail.

Things that are not socks

August 15, 2007 at 1:43 pm | In knitting, patterns | 1 Comment

I like to think big. I like to think about what I am going to do next, when clearly I still have weeks until I’ll be able to start the next thing. In the intervening weeks, of course, new patterns become available and get my attention.

But right now, I have 3 sweaters’ worth of yarn. I want to think about that. (Let’s not think about the cough20+cough future socks I have stashed away. I am thinking sweaters right now.) (Also, I am sorry that I surprised you with more yarn. I hit that sale again. I am weak.)

I am thinking top-down raglan, because I do not like seams. They are scary.

Right now I am thinking Sahara, Wicked, or the Simple Knitted Bodice. All worsted weight, because that’s what I have. All long-sleeved, because I do not think short sleeves and wool (Cascade 220) go well together in my climate and living environment.

I am not a skinny girl, but I have curves in the right spots and a waist separating them. I need something that does not make me look like a sack of potatoes.

I also want something that is mainly stockinette, but has some interest to it as well. I don’t mind paying for a pattern, but I’d rather not buy a whole book for just one pattern. I could check it out at the library, though.

I’m also not afraid of a little math. If there’s a great pattern out there that just needs a little tweaking to be right for me, I can do it.

Whaddya think? I’m open to suggestions, opinions, verdicts, voting, scorn etc.