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Do I really want to knit socks? It’s like certain books: I want to have knitted socks. But actually knitting them, that’s no fun right now. I’m doing OK with a sport-weight yarn on size twos, but knitting with sock yarn is like using toothpicks to knit hair. But what comes out is so pretty! 

Well, I officially cast on for a first sock using baby cashmerino and twos. I can really only do a round or two before I have to go back to my lovely, cushy worsted yarn on nines. Speaking of which, I have to go BACK to Windsor Button for 2 more balls of that nice worsted for my throw. I mis-purchased on Tuesday. I feel really embarrassed, like they’ll think, “Back again? Do you have a compulsive shopping problem?” Sigh. I weren’t so damn self-conscious.

Last Friday I bought a bunch of yarns and made some samples for the log cabin throw. The first one I did was different from any of the designs below, and I fell in love with it. So I’ve settled on that for my final design. It’s a traditional log cabin design that uses a bunch of the colors below, but incorporates some of the tonal aspect of chromatic blues. I’ll get pics up soon. I laundered it on Sunday to see how it held up, especially since I used two different brands of yarn. It seems like there’s basically no difference between Lion Brand Wool-ease and Plymouth Yarn’s Encore. I do prefer Encore, but Lion had this mid-green that I couldn’t find in the Encore worsted line.

So anyways, I brought the sample in yesterday to show my knitting co-worker. I had it in my pocket all day, and I kept taking it out and looking at it and fingering it. Do you think there’s a market for the mini-security blanket? I think I may have hit on something. I love totems, but I usually think of them as jewelry; a lot of my pendants and rings have totemic value. What about a little knitted piece that you can carry in your pocket? Hmmmmm. He-LO Etsy product!

Oh! Speaking of which, I’m totally copying this design  from the Paper Bluebird for personal holiday ornaments. I don’t even feel like it’s stealing, since it’s a very traditional design. I’m loving the look of embellished felt these days. I first noticed it here. Must. Work. on more. Plush.

And. Windsor Button was having a sale on all yarn, so I got a bargain when I bought tons of yarn for the throw yesterday. Of course, I also bought a ball of sock yarn, two balls of baby cashmerino, also for socks, and two balls of cashmerino chunky for a modified version of Russian Winter from Stitch and Bitch Nation. And some DPNs. And a row counter. And maybe one or two other things. All things considered, I’m lucky it came out to less than $130.00. Yeesh.

I feel like kind of a joiner for jumping on the knitting band wagon. I authentically love it, but it’s so trendy right now that it’s hard for it to feel authentic.

Pics to come…

So I’ve decided to throw out the design for my throw (heh). It came out waaay too dark. I’ve been playing with new designs for my log cabin throw, and results are below. Vote for your favorite! I know which one I think I’ll go with, but first I’m going to pick up more balls of Encore and play (in very small format) this weekend. So tell me what you think:

Edited:

He-LO Swish! I think I’m in love… 

Ah! I’ve discovered another leetle difficulty with being a large knitter: if I want to make a Mason Dixon Perfect Sweater, which I do, and I want to use the Cascade 200 they recommend, which I do, I’ll have to buy nine skeins of it. NINE SKEINS. That’s $90! Son of a bitch. I know, I know, this is my entertainment too, but man! $90 is rough. Maybe Knit Picks has a good substitute…

Here’s a shot of Elm Bank in Wellesley, where I went swimmin in the Charles. Can you imagine anything nicer?

And a little bonus, here’s a funny sign I saw on the door of the Children’s room at Cambridge Public Library:

I’m almost done with the test log-cabin. This is basically a cat-sized throw I’m making to test the pattern. I’m going to do one more round with blue, then another round of grey, and I’ll be done. You can compare the pic to the design I posted below. I think it’s pretty close, aside from being a messy beginner piece, and the fact that I made the test rectangular instead of square. Which shape should the final version be?

A basket-weave scarf I’m working on for myself:

A chunky rib scarf for M:

An easy Suar-N-Cream hand towel with braided loop for hanging that I just bound off:

Am I reading my stats aright? Do I have German readers? Are you native Germans or ex-pats? As a 5/8 German myself, I offer a shout-out to you in the form of some traditional German handcrafts:

Image curtesy of Black Forest Gifts, where I’m hoping to do a lot of shopping soon! My family collected tons of Wendt & Kuhn and other Erzgebirge when I was a kid, so I have a real soft spot for it.

Anyways, greetings, Germans, and how the heck did you get here in the first place?

In reading news, I finished Maisie Dobbs early this week. I liked it! I’m hoping for good things in ensuing books. I started Three Bags Full next, and I’m enjoying it so far (I’m about halfway through). We’re doing a read-along over on LT, which makes it more fun. I’m still undecided about the fun the author’s having with theology and ontology. Sometimes I’m really into it, then sometimes I’m like, “I get it, woman, we’re all sheep! OK!” More pages will tell…

So I picked the Plymouth Yarns encore for my log cabin throw, and I’m almost done with the sample version, which will be about 20 x 24″. I’m liking how it’s coming out! I had some moments of real doubt when I’d done the middle patch and two rounds, but now it’s really coming together. And it’s good that I made a sample, because it took me a few rounds to get the picked up knitting neat and clean (enough). I’ll have pics of it soon, but for now here’s my concept “sketch” of the deisgn:

This is my current take on my favorite “Amish” colorways. The thing looked all wrong when it was just the grey and green, but now I’m working on the grey round between the violet and the blue, and it’s looking closer to what I imagined. Isn’t it nice when that happens?

AND, I broke down and ordered the Knit Picks Options needle set, and I’m liking it a lot. I’m looking forward to getting a set of loooong cables and jumping into the full-sized version!

Obviously I revealed my email address somehow and now, oh now, I’m deleting dozens and dozens of penis-enlargement emails a day. I can’t stand it any more! What does this? Was it Craftster, some retail site, what? For a while my favorite subject line was, “I practically choke on my boyfriend’s penis”, or, “my mouth is tiny and my boyfriend’s pecker is HUGE”. My God, this is supposed to sell penis enlargement pills? The fact that you can choke someone with your dick?? GOD. I’m so sick of the whisper-level misogyny in this culture.  

At least I’ve picked up a new term for the male anatomy: banger. As in, “my banger is so huge now, thanks to these marvelous pills”. 

M, if you read this, can you help me figure out a solution (using Squirrelmail) that will not involve me changing my email address?