All spun up

Well, it's official. I have caught the spinning bug. When I first discovered people were spinning their own yarn, my first thought was "that's the most crazy arse idea yet! I hardly have time to knit with yarn that's already spun!" Now please don't misunderstand me: I am most definitely a Dyed In The Wool DIYer (pun intended). But with so many gorgeous options out there, is there really a need for me to spin my own? Over the past few months though, spying on everyone else's spinning in Blogland, I've slowly been seduced...I must spin! Especially when I see wool that looks like this.

But no, I can't just go slow and get a hand spindle. I must feel the hypnotic rythem of the treadle! I long for the soft fibers being drawn through my fingers! So now I'm on the market for a wheel. Yes, I know they're expensive. Yes, I know that I'm tossing out a huge chunk of cash out on something I've never tried. Yes, yes, and more yes. Of course, I don't have enough money saved up yet because of my yarn habit, which is currently on hold for this new Need. Let's see how well I do on a serious yarn diet. A yarn fast, actually. Hmm, we'll see what happens.

In other news, this is how far I've gotten on my multi-directional scarf:

That's a self-portrait, with the camera cleverly cropped out of the picture (actually, it's not so clever -- it's just photoshop). =)

This scarf is being worked up in Noro Silk Garden. It's moving along slowly because first off, I started out with only two skeins. Clearly not enough, so I had to buy another...when I finally got around to it, the yarn shop (back in NY) thankfully still had the same color/dye lot. Now the problem is that I have other projects winking attractively at me, so it's hard to stay faithful to this one. Whenever I do work on it again, I am once again completely taken in by the yarn's beauty. If you have never used Noro Silk Garden or Kureyon, you must. I need to get some nuetral colored Kureyon to make a pair of fingerless gloves/arm-warmers for my sister for Christmas (Do you realize that's only about 60 days away?!) Ah! All these plans, so little time.

Knitting along...

I have officially started my first KAL. The thing we are Knitting Along is SOCKS! It's Lolly's Socktoberfest. I felt like I needed a new project. (This has nothing to do with getting anything finished -- I have at least 3 things on the needles, but none of it was "calling my name") So, you know, new house, new knitting project. I started on Grumperina's sock pattern Jaywalker from the latest MagKnits. All was going swimmingly. Well actually not. Whenever I start on a pattern for the first time I have to completely screw it up at least once. So that happened, and then everything was going along swimmingly. I was knitting in church, and I suppose I wasn't quite paying attention to what I was doing (better than not quite paying attention to church!), and something got messed up, along with there being atrocious stitch ladders in-between some of the needles joins. You can't tell what's wrong from the picture, so you'll just have to believe me. I got this far:

And then had to rip the whole thing out. An entire weekend of knitting. It probably looks pretty sad to see that's all I got done in an entire weekend (and not knitting on anything else, either), but between Baby Flashbang's feedings (now solids as well as nursing!), and Toddler Flashbang's demands (Play ball, Mommy!) on top of Mr. Flashbang having to work nearly the whole weekend through, I feel this was a real accomplishment.

So during naptime yesterday I started again, and here, two naptimes later, is Jaywalker:

This pattern is great. In fact, the decrease/increase is so rewarding that I had a hard time getting through the ribbing when I cast on the second time. Give me more 'a them zig-zags! The pattern stitch is very easy to memorize (except, of course, when you mess it up during church), and every other row is a round of knit stitch, which moves things along nicely.

Something I noticed, since I got the chance to start on the same one twice, is that it really is a good idea to have all your stitches distributed onto 4 needles like the directions call for. The fabric is less stretched, therefore not as much stress on the joins, and with the way the pattern is, it's much easier to keep track of where you are, since you start and end each needle the same way. I only have one set of four size #1's, so I'm using one #0, and it's working fine. None of my stitches have been too tight coming off of the smaller one, so I don't think it's affecting my join any.

I'm using the suggested sock yarn, Opal Handpainted, which I just happened to have in my stash. In fact, I have two identical skeins in my stash, for reasons I don't care to explain. Does anyone want to swap Opal skeins? If you have another colorway that you'd like to trade, please let me know; drop a comment or an email. I love the way it's knitting up, but surely after two socks I won't want to knit with the same stuff again for another project.

Reality Shows for Knitters

OK, this is just plain hilarious. And since I still have no progress whatsoever to show you, click here! Be distracted! Oh, and tell me which is your favorite idea. =)

Knitlet: Knitting Reality

Relax

Well my dear readers, I finally feel like I am kind of pulled togetherhere. I am using the computer for the first time in quite a while!! Yes. So, I haven't been knitting too much due to all of the excess of Other Stuff (although I did purchase a third skein for my multi-directional scarf, and knit a few rows on the way back from Florida last weekend). But, since this is a knitting blog after all, I won't bore you with stories of my crazed past two weeks. Here, instead, is a serene picture of one of my favorite things about our new apartment: my knitting corner! How lucky can one girl be?

Finished!

S.D. strikes again...This is a very nice scarf for a very nice Dad. Sadly the not so nice daughter made the very nice Dad wait 10 months to recieve this very late Christmas present. Ooops. This was started before I got into fancy expensive yarn, so it's made of lion brand something. BUT, it's still very nice and soft and warm, and it'll wash. As you may or may not be able to see, it's got some simple cables running down through it. I like it. Very masculine. Come back Faith and show us some real knitting!

The move is made

Hi everyone! I am safe and sound here in GA, and unfortunately haven't even gotten a chance to breath since getting here. Don't have time to even be blogging right now, but I will get back to it as soon as things have settled some. For now, you can enjoy posts by my new partner in this blog, Sarah D, who inspired me to knit in the first place. =)

Renegade

Mrs. Flashbang herself is currently indisposed. Now the dictionary gives a perfectly adequate definition of indisposed, but I rather define it at my own discretion. You can too. Therefore Mrs. Flashbang (who is indisposed) could be sick... in the potty... on vacation... just very busy... or not inclined to contact the known world. Regardless I am here to provide you with a not-so-fantastic knitting project that hopefully will one day be a)completed and b)fantastic.

Voila:

So of course, in true knitblog style: I am using Noro Silk Garden (the colorful stuff), greenish Debbie Bliss something with angora, and reddish mohair blend from I can't remember where. The pattern is feather and fan, even though I tweaked it a little, as usual. As you can see the mohair is a bit pushy and the silk garden a bit tight but, oh well, my mum will love it either way. -S.D.
ps. I'm still too scared to cut the yarns... once I cut I can't start over...

Orangina, Rapberina

Oh Orangina, how long will you taunt me?
optimism with #3 circulars
Fresh faced amateur am I
Was it too much to resist?
Take advantage of her while defenses are low!
Does it make you feel coy to drop a few stitches
To slip in a YO
To repeat your repeat instead of a purl?
I've cast on again till your twist is untwisted
What determination have you to maintain your round form?
Hidden soft beneath Rowan label
Wound into pretty center-pull
Have you no decency?
Oh lace, oh cotton drape from my needles!
Scoff at me, go ahead
From between blushing strands,
Hoping to earn that place in the frog pond
Not so secret yearnings to be a party of tangles
Forgotten raspberry hued knots in the stash
You night animal, you restless mangle
Shameless
Though you may prevail for the moment,
Enduring many hours,
I shall conquer in the end

corn-thrift

It's the first day of Fall! My very favorite time of the year. The leaves have already been changing here for a few weeks, which always suprises me. (How does that happen when it's still summer?!)

When I was little, our church had a huge picnic every year and there would always be sweet corn being shucked and boiled in huge batches. My friend Sarah K and I would start making corn husk dolls for ourselves (inspired by the directions in the American Girl's Guide To.... I forget the rest of the title), and then other kids would come over asking if we could make them one too...sooner or later, we'd have made a whole army of corn husk dolls, and would finally have a few to keep for ourselves. I kept a tiny little family I'd made one picnic for about 5 years. When we moved from NJ to NY I found them still intact!

Yesterday I passed on this Great Knowledge to some of my little siblings:

This season has been consistantly good as far as corn goes. There's a farm stand near my parent's hous that we've been buying as much as 4 dozen ears a week from! Fantastic, sweet butter and sugar corn. Ah! I'm probably getting a few dozen tomorrow.

My little siblings (and Mr A) and I made about ten dolls, including this mommy with a baby in a sling:

This morning I cast on for Orangina by Stephanie Japel of Glampyre fame. I'm using a calm raspberry color of Rowan 4 ply cotton (shockingly enough, what the pattern calls for!):

This will be my first pattern in lace.*

Yesterday Sarah D (formerly Sarah S) and I went thrift and yarn shopping at The Salvation Army and Spin A Yarn, respectively. After reading Stitch N Bitch Nation, we've been wondering about thrifting a sweater for yarn. She got me this pure wool sweater to play with. The sweater isn't all that amazing looking, so here's a close-up of the flecked purple goodness:

Can't wait to do something with it! Imagine, enough yarn for a sweater for $3.50.

Also, I must admit that I'm an enabler. Sarah D normally has incredibly good control when shopping. Sarah D normally is a stablizing influence on my shopping habits. Sarah D has had a craving for Noro since shopping with me last time...I wasn't going to let Sarah D walk out of Spin A Yarn with anything less. She was a few dollars short for getting 2 balls of the chosen color, so I helped her out a little (that's what friends are for, and after all, she was only a few dollars short because of the thrifty sweater purchase). So, for the first time ever, Sarah walked out with what she'd been craving, at the moment she was craving it. Bought it full price. It made me feel good to see her get exactly what she wanted. Shopping!!!!!





*After two days of working on the lovely Orangina (or Raspberina, as I should call mine), I have only managed two repeats. Please don't ask me how many times I've had to cast on. Please don't ask if I'm just about to rip out those two repeats. The scene is too ugly for blogging. A moment of silence______________Raspberina will rise again! I shall cast on again tomorrow...

Lesson learned (AGAIN): When one is still a reletively new knitter, one must read directions carefully and not assume anything, unless one would like to spend the better part of two days frogging and casting on. Otherwise, carry on there, good fellow.

Pictures!

Today I'm at my in-laws, and as promised, here are the pics. (Because after all, you don't visit this blog for my jazzy little grumblings -- let's be honest here) =)
It is with great satisfaction that I can photograph my finished Newsies Hat. It's not a big project, but I learned cables on it, and figured out a few more things about short-row shaping (I think that's what the brim was). Knitting with Blue Sky Alpaca was wonderful. I highly recommend it; the knit fabric feels fat and soft in the hand.

This is what my first attempt at cables looked like. I was twisting the knit and purl stitches. Also, I had to rip out the brim three times. It pays to read directions carefully, especially when doing something for the first time.

Here I am modeling the finished hat. I am super proud of it as you can see.

This particular shot also happens to be a little plug for my friend Steve's band, Like Summer. Check them out here

Here is a closer shot of the hat:

Not sure if I did the cables properly, but they're consistent. Are they supposed to be twisted that tightly?

My siblings were making fun of this hat when I first tried it on, but now they have all been wearing it. Does it really look silly on me or should I wear it out? I think it's cute, personally, but now I feel self-conscious. Most likely, I should not obsess over such trivial matters.

Oh, and remember this stuff?

It really did all fit in here:

Amazing, isn't it? My husband, the master packer.

This is the Wonderful Wallaby (hooded sweater sweatshirt) that I'm making for Mr. A. As you can see in this photo, I'm starting to pick up the stitches in a contrasting color for the front pocket. We went to my grandma's 90th birthday party in NJ on Sunday (round trip of 6 hours), and it always amazes me how much I can get done in the car! Only the ribbing was done before the start of the trip.

In my monitor, the color is true to life. I wouldn't make something in this shade of blue for myself, but with the little guys blue eyes, blond hair and incredibly pale skin, this will look great on him.