cosmicpluto knits!

this and that

Thanks for all the compliments on sapphire guys! I really appreciate it.

Always eyes forward, I’ve finished knitting the ribbed corset. Here it is blocking, very stretched.

It’s more promising that it’ll fit now, but still a bit iffy. The stomach area is fine, but the bust could be…er…flashy? At any rate, I’m going to put the buttons on and then see. I haven’t even woven in the ends yet.

I hate those little metal things that hold the buttons onto the card. I’ve been using a staple remover, but it doesn’t work all that great – one of those sharp corners (on the metal thingy) poked me under the nail! After that, I had to go hunting for a pair of pliers. Luckily I found them, and now all buttons are liberated.

I finally got to a bit of spinning, and I navajo plied for the first time on some random singles that had been sitting on the bobbin for awhile. It’s VERY overtwisted, but that’s ok. It was just an experiment – it’s very cool. Will definitely be doing it more.

In stash enchancement, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in “Watercolor”. I think I’ll do the “go with the flow” socks with it.

One waving lace sock down, one to go. I think the second one will go faster.

I think I’ll start a new, plain sock with some of that knitpicks yarn – something to knit while reading!

a gem

Sapphire, she is done!

A shot of the cable on the side.

Sapphire Tank
Pattern: my own
Yarn: Pingouin “Sillages”, 6 balls
Needles: Addi Turbo 3.5 mm circular
Started: July 17, 2005
Finished: July 27, 2005

Notes: This tank went pretty quickly for 3.5 mm needles! I love the yarn, which was cotton, viscose and silk. I definitely could’ve made this tank smaller, but the fit’s not bad as is. I used a double slipped stitch edge on the armholes and straps, outlined in Annie Modesitt’s Spencer jacket pattern. All in all, not bad. Not the greatest, but not bad.

In other news…I went crazynuts with Knitpicks.

That’s Shine in Cloud (grey/silver) and Orchid (fushia), Sock Landscape in Yukon (the one in hanks), and Sock Garden in Zinnia and Star Gazer Lily. They feel sooo nice! Plans? A 3/4 sleeve pullover out of the Cloud, a shrug out of the Orchid (since now I’m all tanked out), and of course, socks.

I’m alllllmost done the knitting on the silk corset! Now I just have to pray for a blocking miracle for it to fit me. Seriously.

P.S. Thanks for all the input to my last post! I think I’m still going with the diamond spiral for banana cream, but I’ve got an idea brewing for the branching leaves pattern…

titles are difficult

I’ve been working lots on the Sapphire tank – I’m done the back, now it’s onto the front!

After doing all this work on Sapphire, which is on 3.5 mm needles, all other needles seem so large. Anyway, I’ve reinforced my belief that I don’t like Addis much – they were good for knitting in the round, but now that I’m going back and forth I have to really grip the needles so they don’t slide all around. It’s making my hands tired!

The ribbed corset is also making good progress – I’m almost done Chart D.

I was worried about it being too small, and even trying it on I wasn’t too sure – but I think it’ll stretch.

Waving Lace sock has achieved heel:

It’s sooooo pretty!

hot laura action – now in print

Hold on to your modems, folks – gonna be a long entry.

First up, the Broadripples are done and I love them!

Broadripple Socks
Pattern: Koigu-weight Broadripple Socks
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in “Bittersweet”, 2 skeins
Needles: Clover Bamboo dpns, 2.0 mm
Started: July 8, 2005
Finished: July 19, 2005

And just in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m in the process of moving my finished objects to Flickr – accessible on the sidebar, there. I’m still working on it, but the stuff from this year should be mostly up there.

The Sapphire Tank is coming along quite nicely, and quickly for 3.5 mm needles!

Unfortunately on the subway ride home from stitch and bitch last night, I discovered that I’d accidentally increased and had to rip back.

Annie Modesitt’s Corset has begun, out of that bamboo Eden I showed last time. It feels great, and it’s a nice change to do a pattern with more going on than just plain stockinette.

While she was away in Europe, Julie bought me an awesome present – an antique mother of pearl button, from London. Isn’t it pretty?

And last but not least – the advertising. See this?

The second edition of take back the knit is out, and it’s got tons of cool stuff, including lots of – you guessed it – yours truly. A snippit of all the awesomeness…

So hop on over to jae’s and get the deets on how to order!

the knitting

Didja see johanna’s comment to my last post?

“I don’t know Laura, your last minute attempt to throw in some knitting doesn’t convince me. You’ve gone to the other side. You are a spinner.”

Hey man, it ain’t all spinning up in here. Evidence:

Bamboo Chickami
Pattern: Chickami by Chicknits
Yarn: Southwest Trading Company Bamboo, “Chocolate”, less than 2 skeins!
Needles: Denise US 5 and 6
Started: June 27, 2005
Finished: July 18, 2005

Notes:
I only had 2 skeins, so I made a size smaller than I’d usually do (34″ instead of 36″). It turned out well, if pretty darn fitted. I even had yarn left over…

…but not enough for me to have done the larger size. Oh, and I did the wide strap version. Bra strap issues, but I don’t care all that much. The yarn is weird; feels really soft on the ball but more scratchy knit up. I think wash and wear will help, and it’s really starting to grow on me, actually.

Oh, and I even started another project.

I’m calling it “Sapphire”. A tank of my own design out of Pingouin Sillages, which I assume is discontinued. It’s 50% cotton, 45% viscose, and 5% silk. Yummy colour. In an unprecedented move, I have since bought and switched to an Addi Turbo needle for this project – the bamboo was dragging. Why don’t I like Addis? Well, I find the tips too dull, they’re too slippery (so I don’t have control, and I knit looser as well), and I don’t like the noise. Oh, and they’re expensive. But, we’ll see. Maybe this will convert me or something. (Don’t worry Denise, I’ll always love you.)

And I finally bought buttons for Spencer.

See? Not a spinning thing in the bunch. But how about some dyeing?

“nectarine”, a nice soft wool blend.

Crazy bright merino that I bought (I didn’t dye it) from my trusty eBay seller.

Tomorrow: Stash addition.

long-term FOs!

Finally got a chance to photograph some things.

First up – the Monk’s Travel Satchel!

Even though I knit the side pockets and the icord closures…I ran out of steam before sewing them on. I have a hunch that it’s going to remain this way.

Monk’s Travel Satchel
Pattern: from Interweave Knits online
Yarn: Naturelle 8/8, denim and oxfored grey, from Elann
Needles: Denise US 5
Started: March 16, 2005
Finished: July 2, 2005

Yikes, that one took a while. But I was only knitting it in lectures really, so the fact that it got done at all is a feat!

Next up is “no stripes go round”.

It’s pretty comfy, I like the stretchy fabric, and I looove the sleeves. But because it’s not shaped, it’s rather boxy and kind of odd looking, especially in the back (it bags a little). Oh well. This was another mindless lecture knit.

No Stripes Go Round
Pattern: “Stripes Go Round” from Interweave Knits, Summer 2004 (knit 32″ size at about 6.5 sts/inch)
Yarn: Elann Esprit in “Ruby”, 6 balls
Needles: Garnstudio bamboo circ, 3.5 mm
Started: May 16, 2005
Finished: July 2, 2005

Whew! Now I can cross some of those long-running projects off the list and concentrate on some new(er) ones!