Totally '80s

Finally, I knitted. I made it to Spiders on Friday and finished up one Hourglass sleeve. Check it out…



I started number two yesterday and realized if I stopped right now I’d have a one armed sweater and a matching wrist cuff. Rock on!

Fortunately, I have a special new motivation to complete this sweater in a hurry. I was too cheap to buy Last Minute Knitted Gifts, so I checked it out of the library about a week ago (before that, I was just sort of winging it). It’s due back on April 4, and can’t be renewed because someone else is waiting for it. I can’t possibly keep it past the due date – that would likely do irreparable harm to my knitting karma. Soooo, I’m using the due date as a target date for completion of the sweater.

Without Knitting, I Am Perhaps A Little Evil

I haven’t been knitting. Nope. Not one bit. Who, me? Knit? As this is a knitting blog, that leaves me with very little to talk about. So how ‘bout some other stuff.

Culinary school is great. Aside from a few louts that think they’re above doing the dishes (hey, why bother when those nice girls are going to do them for you) everyone in my class is delightful. Most of our cooking is done in teams and it’s fascinating to observe how others work in groups. Bossiness, micromanagement, laziness, passive aggressive peeler stealing – it all comes out when you team people up, give then an unreasonable deadline and a limited number of metal bowls in which to whisk their mayonnaise. I tend toward a strange combination of bossy and overly solicitous – delightful!

I’m actually a bit weddinged-out this morning after a weekend of nuptial revelry. For the past two days I’ve felt less than sparkly upon lifting my head from the pillow, and the day has been an exercise in recovery. Maybe Gatorade? A little caffeine? Oops, now I’m dehydrated again, time for 97 gallons of water. How about a nap? When you’re tending to these most basic needs it’s hard to find the time or mental capacity for any higher level activities like reading the newspaper or, god forbid, trying to do the NYT crossword puzzle. I think I got two words in there, and I’m pretty sure they’re wrong.

I did learn one thing about weddings though – once you have one, it is nearly impossible to resist comparing every wedding you attend to your own. In this case, the comparison wasn’t easy, as the wedding in question was a glamorous sit-down dinner with a big band and a cake. But we managed. I was really impressed with my husband’s eye for detail, he picked up on a few scandals-in-progress that I would have totally overlooked. Yes, we’re bad evil coal-hearted monsters, but we’re fun to sit with.

Hopefully once I medicate myself with sufficient Gatorade, coffee, water and naps I’ll be able to function well enough to have a little knitting to talk about, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Felting, Not So Magic Anymore

Much like my last post, there's little knitting going on around here. But felting, oh there's plenty of felting! Here's what happens when your ungrateful husband puts his hand knitted anklets in the washer and dryer...



(Those are my feet, not his.)

Some of you out there may be wondering why I knitted my husband such garish anklets in the first place - this is a valid question. I was knitting toe up socks for myself and he specifically requested them, that very color, but in an anklet version. True, he does not wear them outside the confines of the apartment, and they serve more of a slipper role than anything else, but he did ask for them. These are the only knitted item he has ever requested or shown any interest in. And he felted them. Guess who wont be getting any more knitted socks ever again for forever and ever.

Anyone have a 6 year old that needs some felted slipper socks?

No Knitting Here

Does this even qualify as a knitting blog anymore? I haven't knit a thing in a week, I haven't been able to read knitting blogs, I missed Spiders last Friday and will be missing it again this week for a business trip. (At least perhaps I'll get in some knitting time so that I have somthing to post on this here blog.) We've been cooking lamb in culinary school - that's pretty much as anti-knit as one can get. I'll be back soon.

In the meantime, here's a picture of the largest ball of twine. Just imagine if it were wool...

Handknit Envy

The other day I was walking down the subway platform and I noticed this guy, probably around my age, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase, staring at me in the most peculiar way. My first thought – “Oh, he must be jealous of my hand knit Rogue sweater.”

Right. I am sure that is exactly what he was thinking. I think I need to spend a little more time with the non-knitting population; I am losing my grip.

I didn’t get to knit with the Spiders this Friday – I’m so sorry I missed the festivities! JF and I had a dinner that was not to be missed, and could not be rescheduled. I hope everyone had a great time.

Ouch and Damn.

I thought I was soooo clever – I bought myself a 12” circular figuring it would be perfect for the sleeves of my hourglass sweater. (Note – I bought this at School Products and managed to leave the store with NO OTHER ITEMS – I consider this a personal triumph.)

Anyway, I got my little circular needle home and tried to cast on for the sleeve. No chance. The needle and yarn kept flying out of my hand, loops popped off the needles, it was disastrous. I cast on using regular needles and then tried to knit a few rounds with the little circular, but similar problems ensued. After about three rounds my hand muscles seized up and refused to go any further.



Do I just have monstrous bear paws, or is it really that difficult to knit a sleeve on a 12” circular needle? Has anyone out there done this successfully? Any tips? If not, I’m headed out tomorrow to buy some size 6 dpns.