Blame it on the out of date app

Hi!
Yes, I'm not dead.  I kept trying to blog but the blogger app kept crapping out and taking my posts with it.  So, like a 3 year old I took my dollies and went home.
It's been almost a year since I moved up to Boston ahead of my family.  Wow. I can't believe it.  I miss my knitting people and great work friends in Atlanta but I have admit I love it here.  It's stressful, just insanely so, to uproot the whole family, dump your financial security, risk having your teen hate you forever.   But it's starting to come together.
Let me catch you up with some knitting.

First, I got a gift certificate to Quince and co for my coworker who was nice enough to take the Kaffe Fassett sweater I made, so once we got settled I went ahead and bought some Owl in togian and Nora Gaughan's Cable Sourcebook and designed this - please excuse the middle aged yoga pant thing:

That central cable was tough - I never got it memorized and had to follow the chart the whole sweater.  One nice thing though, since I had the book online, I just grabbed a screenshot of the cable and stuffed it into Evernote on my phone.  Here's the front...I might have gone a little too big on the cable collar?

I also did a couple linen stitch cowls for Christmas presents - those are a fun way to play with color and use up odds and end of sock yarn.  I probably have decades worth of yarn for such projects.  

And, I love Thea Coleman's work - it always fits beautifully and I always learn new things doing her patterns, so I'm trying out Plum Wine using Green Mountain Spinnery Mewesic in Atlantis.  I had a birthday gift certificate from last year so when their January sale went up, that was where it went.  I have to admit it's extremely green and that's not a color I wear a lot of these days, but it always makes such nice fabric and I really love my Dark and Stormy which was also in Mewesic.

But I think I need to do a color project again, like, another Fassett.  My train knitting has been a pair of black socks so I'm getting a little monochromed out.  Maybe I'll make some insane socks with my odds and ends.  It's funny, I feel so attached to these bags and bags of small balls of color, but why?  I have no real plans for them, they just seem to represent unfettered future creativity .... which is how people end up on Hoarders.
I've also done a couple pairs of Owlie mitts, and some socks and mittens.  Again, fun!  Again, not taking much of a bite out of my stash.

Oooh, and I almost forgot, I got a large undyed skein of Luminance from Knitpicks and I was thinking I'd dye it and make some kind of a scarf or shawl.  I think if I do dye it, the simpler the pattern the better.

I need to update this more regularly because it's hard to keep straight what I've posted about already.  :)
TTFN

Mods for Ommagang

So, since I have knit this sweater twice, I may as well commit to memory what I did the second time.  

Basically, I followed the pattern directions backwards. I started with the neck and worked down.  After one row to set the cable pattern (see below for cable arrangement) and mark seams, I followed the short row directions for the back in reverse. Once that was done I worked in pattern increasing 1 st each side of the seams in purl every other row. I like using purl increases because using a knit seam line would sort of fight with the cable pattern. Working top down allowed me to adjust the body shaping as I went which I find much harder with bottom up patterns.  Basically from there I knit out the sleeves and body per directions to desires lengths and omitted ribbings. 

Cable arrangement front and back - for final body width, to arrange them at the neck to work down you'll use the center x number of sts called for by your size and work increased sts in pattern as you go:

Reverse stockinette st - twisted knit - 16 st cable - twisted knit - 4 st cable - twisted knit - 28 st cable - twisted knit - 4 st cable - twisted knit -16 st cable - twisted knit - reverse stockinette st

Cable arrangement for sleeves (both alike):

Reverse stockinette st - twisted knit - 4 st cable - twisted knit -16 st cable - twisted knit - 4 st cable - twisted knit - reverse stockinette st

You could also chart this out and mark all the increases beforehand if you less freewheeling than I am.  

Don't get me wrong, Thea's design is lovely and I adore this combination of cables but the original version just didn't work for me.  

The twice done sweater

Here are some pictures of my WIPx2, I'll post my mods later:

Armadillo launch!

Well, not really but I handed him off today - here are some pictures 

He's made out of left over Knitpicks comfy bulky and worsted/dk weight.  He's lovely and soft and snuggly and I over engineered his seams.  

My little friend

I was working on this guy on the train this morning

Another armidillo but in very soft cotton blends. I like him. 

I'm also wearing my blue sweater I just finished. I'll try to get a picture of it on today.  

Happy Memorial Day

We have spent our weekend so far biking along the NH sea coast and hiking Mount Monadnock.  I also finished he blue sweater and will post a picture soon but I need to block it. I've also started on an armidllio toy to use up some old knit picks cotton but those picture will have to wait too (so far it's just ears a back and half a head). So here are some pictures of hiking (we also played mini golf but that's not nearly as interesting). 

Wildlife

So today we went running out on a trail by Lexington.  We this 

A coyote. 

And one of these (not my picture)

Yeah, that's a bobcat. 14 miles from Boston. 

Going work in my knitting now. 

Parragon sweater

I'm nearly done with the body - it's cropped with a deep u neck which will get filled in somewhat with a decorative ribbing. The fabric is really nice, and I thinks it will look nice with a collared shirt underneath. 

New routines

So, I got my bike tuned up and now I ride to the T.  It's not only relaxing and pretty, it's faster than the bus too (http://minutemanbikeway.org).

Another thing I had sort of forgotten about living in NE is sleeping with your windows open.  Our neighborhood is really quiet despite being in a very densely populated place.  Also, our kitty likes the window view:

And finally, I took yesterday off so we could go get out licenses and register/inspect our cars. Yuck.  Not the most fun I've ever had - but now I have a temporary paper license with a very traumatized picture of myself.  😉

Ommagang picture and other new project

Okay, first off here's the reconfigured Ommagang:

I find tailoring size much easier to do top down and while I loved the idea of the asymmetrical pattern I just didn't think I'd wear it.  

So my current on the fly experiment is based on the cuffs for this - the mountain view cardigan: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mountain-view-cardigan.  Mines going to be a pullover with a deep u shaped neck. I'm using Parragon http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Paragon_Sport_Yarn__D5420300.html in navy and I really like it.  It's got a nice tight twist and a lovely hand.  Right now that project looks like a thnead so I'll snap a pic when it looks more like a sweater. 

New routine

So my family is here and life has sort of settled down. My son and I get on the bus together - he goes to high school and I keep going to Porter square. Except today when I couldn't find my key/badge holder when I got off the bus and nearly had a heart attack.  Haven't felt that awesome since all that airline commuting every weekend. :(

So, in knitting news - I got 90% done with Ommagang and didnt like it so I ripped it all out and reconfigured it. I rearranged the patterns so it's symmetrical and am working it from the top down. I like it much better this way and I'll have a picture soon.  I work on it in the bus as I ride to work (the red line is too crowded most of the time even if I can stand and knit - which I can do but you don't want to elbow people). A few days ago an elderly Asian lady got on the bus, noticed me and came over, sat next to me and started feeling my work and talking to me about it. I'm sure there are many reactions one could have to being manhandled on a bus, but I found it pretty cute. When she was satisfied,she went back to her original seat and smiled at me. 

I'm also working on a free form pattern out of my head based on a cuff pattern I saw on ravelry. I'll give all the details in my next post when I'm not walking through campus and typing.  :)

Here's a baby bunny - we have tons of rabbits all over campus

Moving day

Not really, but our stuff is being loaded on the truck.  I wish I could say it was exciting but it's mostly just exhausting. However, I think the humans are doing better than the cat.  

Getting there ...

Everyone who sees me working on thinks I'm doing this asymmetrical thing by accident. I really like it:

I think it will block nicely. 

Relocation

So, as I mentioned we are in the process of moving to New England. Of course we had to wait for the house to sell (on a side note I suggested we watch The Big Short recently - kind of a don't if you're selling or buying a house I guess, but I didn't think of that until after [typical me] and I really appreciated getting to watch Steve Carrell do some non-comedic work).  So I've been in Cambridge working (I now work at MIT) while the family stayed in Georgia waiting on the sale.  This could have been an expensive, depressing nightmare.  But I have have family willing to let me crash rent free - basically all spring - so I'm trying to be a good guest.

I wash dishes a lot and chip in for groceries.  

My sister feeds me and makes my bed while I'm gone. 

Not sure Jane Austen would consider my efforts sufficient ...

Jane aside, it's been really nice (my sister and I are 12.5 years apart in age) to have people who care how you're doing there at the end of the day and it's meant I've been able to fly home weekends.  They say you don't appreciate what you have till it's gone. Happily, my family isn't gone, they're actually very supportive but I appreciate them, and what a tight unit we are, far more than ever before.  I miss them all the time and have a whole new appreciation for why people don't choose to make big life changes like this. I think I used to think I was very durable but I'm starting to think maybe I was a bit

cavillier? I also forgot how exhausting it is to start a new job.  It's been a while. I've certainly found a new appreciation for living in the present. 

With any luck this will be over soon. Aa I write this I'm flying back to Boston (where we're supposed to get 4-6 inches of snow) so I will publish it when I land.  Here's what I've been knitting on the planes for the last month. While listening to Jane Eyre. 

And here's a shot out my window. 

Maybe I'll post pictures tomorrow if we get snow ....

And again, apologies

No, my hands didn't fall off or get caught in a thresher, it's been a busy few months.

Young one made JV soccer, we all ran a half marathon at thanksgiving and we're relocating to NE. 

Squee.  

Perhaps my blogging will be better as I have more use for knitwear?

Anyway, here are some shots of stuff I've done this fall/winter. 

Dark and Stormy

Jacks back cardigan

Favorite Scarf ever

Rachel

A Halloween costume too awesome not to share.  

More soon!

I better wear this thing a lot

So, this my third time with this yarn. No joke, I've been nearly done with entire sweaters twice only to realize it's not working.  This last time I didn't like the pattern on the belt or the way I'd done the yarn carries. But I like using all 4 balls interleaved because it cuts out pooling. This picture doesn't do the colorway justice but the effect is sort like dragon scales.  We're driving to Savannah and back today for soccer. Ouch but maybe some good knitting time.  

All those symbols on yarn labels

So at knitting today we started wondering about symbols on labels.  So I found this 

http://lawsofknitting.com/yarn-care-symbols/. 

Enjoy!

Ripping out, big time

My. Tabor Hawthorne. I love this yarn, but even within a dyelot you can get substantial variation.  This bit me on the butt when I used this yarn for Light Trails - I was literally 4 rows from finishing, loved the shape, but so stripy and wrong.  Didn't do justice to the yarn.  See?

Ripped it out. 

This time I'm using all four balls at once to avoid striping and birthmarks.  The pattern construction is simpler too - well, lots of short rows around the neck - so it's easier to manage change gong balls each row. 

Other WIPs

I'm not sure if I'm happy with this one http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/moroccan-nights Moroccan Nights.  To be clear, I think the pattern is great but I've started it with some KP Gallelio and I'm not sure I love the two together.  

Then again, I got interrupted on this one so maybe it's just that that's putting me off?  Don't mind those heinous jammy pants ....

Linen featherweight

Again, it's been a while!

I've done a couple things I really like this summer - one of which Featherweight in KP Lindy Chain. I'll start with this:

This pattern in this yarn is AWESOME. The yarn is quite forgiving of machine washing and drying and the drape and fit are fantastic. If you’re tall, or have concerns about the linen growing during the day as you wear it, you could always do a crochet chain reinforce down the sleeves and at the side seams - the Yarn Harlot has a nice post about it here http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2008/02/24/hooking....
I’ve had some requests for the lace pattern on Ravelry, and here’s the chart and instructions http://freeknitstitches.com/pattern.php?num=64&menu=3 - I did 3 repeats on the body, 4 on the sleeves and for the neck I cast on for one side and did 18 repeats, then picked up the same number of stitches along the cast on edge and knit another 18 repeats going the other direction (gives you the nice detail at the nape of the neck) and mattress stitched (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring04/mattress.html) this “scarf” onto the front of the cardigan.

After 4 washings and dryings the yarn and at term combo can be washed and dried without loss of shape or stitch definition. I’d recommend this yarn for this pattern.  It was a nice summer knit - not to hot have on your lap and portable. But there's more ...