pepperknit

I went out on the deck to get some shots with good light, and got perhaps a little carried away. This is not a finshed garmet, after all. But it looks so cute! Here you can see the shot that’s in the book, which was actually my inspiration for the little cutaway. In the book, it looks as if it falls away to the sides, despite there being no apparent shaping at the edges. But it’s all deception and lies, really :) I covered the baby’s face because, well, it looks a little crazed.

Anyway, I’m pretty happy with the shaping that I put in. Plus, once you start those decreases, the sweater practically finishes itself! I tried to mimic the neck shaping (k2, k2tog) so that it’d all match. This weekend I’ll go get some buttons–ah, how nice it is to live right by Fabric Row! I’m thinking small wooden ones, but then I always think “small wooden ones.”

Finished knitting the baby cardigan last night. Couldn’t get excited about sewing it up (when do I ever get excited about sewing up knitted pieces?), so I started on a baby bootee to go with.

I’ll take more pictures later today. It’s really cloudy out this morning, so the light in the apartment sucks. But it’s going to be a high of 82! So I’ll take the little bit of clouds, no problem.

Never fear, I bit the bullet, picked up my baby cardigan again, and I’m working happily away.

er, knitting line? Anyway, I haven’t been knitting this week. Why? Beacuse the failure with the Tivoli affected me more deeply than I’d like to admit. And because if I go back to the baby cardigan, I’m going to have to, you know, measure it and figure out how much space I want between the buttons.

Basically, I’m going to have to think, and put in some effort. I’d rather just knit. I should get a project started that will require no thought, that I can pick up when I feel like and can see some real progress as I work on it. But it’ll take work, real effort, to decide what that will be! It’s a no-win situation over here.

I’m sure I’ll get back in the swing soon enough. We aren’t going anywhere this weekend, which is a welcome change, and that means I’ll probably have some time to sit with my stash and think.

I tried on my Tivoli last night. It’s not going to work. It’s tight–not so tight that I’m unhappy with the size–but the armhole is too tight. And that’ll be annoying. The collar is just fine, but I think I’d need a few more increases for the straps and then need to cast on a few more stitches under the arm. It’s not the pattern’s fault–I knew that my gauge wasn’t right.

I’m not as upset as you might think; I wanted a weekend of knitting, and I got it. No matter that the finished product, which was definitely within reach, is now a pile of newly formed balls. I think I might just wait for the standardized pattern, which is due out at the end of the month. Still need to finish that baby jacket! But still, sigh.

Knitting by the lake this weekend was great–and I made amazing progress on the Tivoli T. I did a swatch in the car on the way up, and discovered that my gauge was a little smaller than called for, but I liked the way the yarn was knitting up and so I decided to just go for it (this could prove disatrous). I knit knit knit in every spare moment, and I’m actually about to start the increases at the end of the wais shaping. I should really try it on, but I didn’t have a needle with which to put the work on some scrap yarn.

I’m enjoying working with the Knit Picks Shine, except for some errant slubs that show up unexpectedly. I’ve had to pretty much end the yarn and pick up again several times, and not always in places that I’d prefer–but I was too lazy to take it out to the sides or something and leave a longer piece hanging. Otherwise, it’s incredibly soft and easy to work with. Doesn’t carve a huge dent in my finger, but (here’s a first) I’m getting a blister on the tip of my right index finger, from pushing on the needle! Grumperina’s patter for the Tivoli T is incredibly easy, and easy to follow, so that’s been no problem at all. Great project for picking up and working without thinking. Leaves plenty of room for lazy conversations on the porch, while sitting in a rocking chair!

Work has been insane of late, so I’ve been working at night too, and no knitting has been done. So instead of talking about progress on the baby sweater (slow) or my desire to start the Tivoli T (intense), let’s revisit an old project. Sam’s Christmas Stocking, 2004. I was actually commissioned to make this stocking by Sam’s mom, a friend of mine, in honor of Sam’s first Christmas.

I really wish there were some close-ups of the colorwork, because I did a kickass job, if I do say so myself. It was my first complex stranding project, and it being a gift–one that my friend’s husband was claiming would be their first real family heirloom–I was very stressed to do a good job. But my floats are all nice and even.

The trickiest part of being commissioned was negotiating the price. Not with my friend, but in my own head. How much should I charge? If I went with my freelance rate (for actual work), then it would cost $400. But seeing as how that makes for a completely ridiculous stocking price, I had to rethink. Finally a friend gave me a funny but accurate equation that she made up, and it spit out $150. And when my friend realized that I was paralyzed with fear of discussing the price, she threw out a starting bid of $100. I upped it to $150 and the deal was done.

A lot of the price was based on the fact that I figured it would take me 20 hours to complete. So after we agreed on the price, I decided I ought to take careful track and see if I really did take that long, or if I was either overcharging or cheating myself. And in the end, it took me exactly 20 hours.

The things I learned? Always stretch your floats, and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.

I splurged for 3-day shipping, which guarantees you receive your package within 3 business days, so I wasn’t counting on receiving the box until tomorrow! Yippee! The creamy color of the yarn is very nice. I’m psyched.

I also picked up a copy of the Knitter’s Bible, because while I am very experienced, I figured it couldnt hurt to have some new or different cast-ons in my repertoire, and this book was far cheaper than the Vogue one.

I kind of knew that Sophie’s wouldn’t come through for me–to be honest, it rarely does. It has a nice selection, sure, but never exacly what I’m looking for in exactly the right color. Today there was an insufferable woman peppering the shopkeeper with idiotic questions; it was almost too much to take. Just as soon as I’d confirmed that I wasn’t interested in working with any of the yarns there to make Tivoli, I dashed out. Met the boyfriend for lunch. And then, once I was back with a computer, I ordered the cream Knit Picks Shine. I splurged for 3-day shipping so I’ll definitely have it before we head out to rural Pennsylvania next weekend. I have ridiculously romantic visions of sitting by the lake near our friend’s cabin and knitting with a cooling breeze blowing by. (I’ve never been to this cabin, however, and know nothing of its idyll.)

It’s always a bad sign when I’m not even done with a project but I’ve already started thinking, seriously, about the next one. It means I’m more than a bit bored and mentally “done” with the current one. Don’t worry, I’ll finish the baby sweater–and it’s still great for mindless fun–but that shouldn’t stop me from heading out to Sophie’s Yarns to look for some yarn for the Tivoli T by Grumperina, does it?

This whole world of knitting online is amazing to me. And through various sources, including the photo gallery that’s linked from the pattern, I’ve seen quite a few finished Tivolis. And you know, I really need something like this–simple, basic, tailored–in black or cream. Last year my boyfriend put the laundry detergent up on the shelf in our closet where we store it, but the lid was not screwed on tight, and it ended up dripping for a whole day before it pooled enough to be noticed. Anyway, it dripped, naturally, directly onto a bunch of my clothes–most notably both of my simple black shell tank tops. You’d think that’s not a problem it being the agent with which you remove stains, but no, laundry detergent that is allowed to sit on a garmet for 24 hours will leave an unsightly stain. Both of the tanks (and some other tops) had to be thrown out, much to my chagrin. And this summer, it’s proving to be a real issue, as I have one skirt that really looks best with black or cream.

All this to say that I’m in the market for some new yarn. I see that several people used KnitPicks Shine, which is tempting, but I’d love to just go to the store this afternoon and find something that works. Wish me luck!