novamade

the tomten session

So you know that kid in The Opinionated Knitter.  The rockstar modeling the tomten?  Yeah, that one.  My original intent was not to replicate the rockstar; but, who am I to argue with laundry day and my kid's rockstar tendencies?

So IT is done.  And it is, in a word, HUGE.  It's really noticeable when all zippered up (zipper chosen by his hipness, himself).  I intended to make it big enough for wear next year, but it might be part of the fall and early winter wardrobe for the next two years.  Maybe.  Some would say it's dowdy...

As excited as Little Sir is about the zipper, I think even he recognizes that rockstars can not rock the casbah in dowdy duds.  The fact that I zipped it up in the first place was an afront to his coolness.

It's not so bad unzippered though, right?

I thought I could get away with leaving off the pockets.

This may not be the case.  And you know those rockers, they can by so demanding; and, they can also be challenging to photograph.  They never really listen, and they often insist on dancing (which may take the form of jumping).

And then they realize that it's hard to rock a jacket-y sweater when it's all spring-like.

Mostly I am including this shot so you can see that the "right side" has been made the inside; and the "wrong side" is now the right.  You know me, I am so edgy.

And so is Little Sir, when I said, "give me GQ" (like he would even know what that means...), it was clear that he was so over this photo shoot.  Because like a true rockstar, he stormed off the set.

Deets in the gallery.

hello, my name is sisyphus

I think it's safe to say that this sweater falls into the "it seemed like a good idea at the time" category.  Not since the yellow shawl masquerading as a baby blanket have I been thrust into such depths of knitting inertia.  I knit the tomten.  The sleeves want to be seamed, and i-cord or some such thing wants to be attached as does a zipper.  None of these things can happen until I weave in the ends. 

 

There are 122 ends to weave in.  I am so desperate to procrastinate the weaving in of ends that I have resorted to passing the time by counting the ends instead of knitting them.  That is just pathetic.  Even Special K is impressed with my procrastination avoidance of the Sisyphean task of end weaving.  On a recent trip to Vermont I spent 8 hours (that's a pair of socks for some of you!) just sitting in the car.  The tomten was in the bag by my feet and there it stayed.  The ends, they knock the wind out of me a little.  So that is the Sisyphean state of things.

You know what isn't a Sisyphean task for me?  Making pies. I am sure you weren't expecting that segue at all. 

So in the wee hours of the morning today, last night (whatever) I made a pie.

I already mentioned that my recipe resources for pie were starting to dry up, (this isn't totally true, I am just picky) so I subjected you to a tart last week, albeit a very pretty one (if I do say so myself, and I do).  So today I made a pie with nuts.  I have to come clean here and tell you, I am not so much into the nut pies.  I think this is colored by childhood memories of going to pick pecans (a popular thing to do in the south) with my grandparents and then returning from the farm to crack and shell them.  My nimble 6 year old hands wanted to be doing something else, I am sure.  And my formative years didn't feature as much culinary appreciation as you might expect (shocking, I know), so my enthusiasm was understated, to say the least. 

Also, I find nut pies really sweet (corn syrup, anyone?).  But I will make a nut pie if tradition dictates, as evidenced by my pecan pie making for Thanksgiving for the last 7 years.  Last year, this pecan pie baking culminated in a discussion between Special K, my dad and yours truly where we all came to the conclusion that NONE OF US even liked pecan pie.  Super, I have been wasting valuable pie making time on a pie that no one cares for.  You may remember that I made Elinor's husband's chocolate pecan pie and raved about it, well that is different, it's a chocolate pie with pecans, so different (seriously, make it and you will see and taste the difference).  I am yammering on about this so you will understand, I approach the nut pie family with a significant amount of trepidation.  But when I stumbled on this recipe, I thought it was a must make, it's not every recipe that gets a 100%-I-would-make-this-again approval rating from those in the epicurean know.  Bourbon Walnut Pie.

It's like pecan pie; but, instead of pecans, there are walnuts.  And there is bourbon.  Hence the name.

Not being one to go nutty (heh) over nut pies, I have to say this pie is pretty incredible.  It's first selling point: it's ridiculously easy to make.  If nut allergies weren't an issue, Little Sir could make this pie; and, he isn't even two yet.  As flavors go, I was pretty blown away.  I decided to be different and try the prescribed crust which tasted good, but was the epitome of irritation to manipulate into the pie plate (so okay maybe Little Sir wouldn't have a lot of success with the dough part, but anyone over the age of ten should be okay, particularly if you are not me).

The cloying sweetness that most nut pies exhibit was somehow tempered by the (I think, relatively low amount of) bourbon.  And if you add the vanilla ice cream, as you should because that is what pie a la mode is all about, it's mind blowing-ly good.  It's so good, I think even Sisyphus could somehow accomplish (or ditch) his task of boulder rolling if he knew that this pie was his prize.  That said, perhaps I should start weaving in some ends, because there are only 122 of them...that is pretty finite, I guess.

busyland, it's my home

Things have been busy lately.  I am sure you have all been there, Busyland.  I won't bore you with the details of my job, Little Sir's new stubborn streak and the extracurricular professional stuff that is trying my patience.  Instead let's talk about the things helping to maintain the happy.  Like knitting.

People have been talking about posting more work in progress posts, so here is mine. 

After using some of the Beaverslide McTaggart Tweed in the stash on hats for Little Sir's funky bunch for Christmas, I thought I would use the leftovers with the the red-orange left from my Sienna cardigan.  Little Sir looks good in bright colors, and I thought, "he isn't even 2 yet, he isn't going to argue with me."  So I started the tomten.  I asked Little Sir if he was excited about his new sweater.  His response: "no.  Pockets, pwease."  It was clear to him that I was taking the easy way out by omitting the pockets.  So yes, afterthought pockets.  Fun.

I like the stripes; and, the garter ridges with this color combo reminds me of a rug my grandmother used to have in her kitchen; but, I think it's good.  What's not good?

I have only gotten to the armholes, but I am pretty sure that weaving in the ends is going to be the worst (read: most painful) part of this project.  But that is okay.  I am venturing on, because I want to play with some other yarn.

Last year, I ordered some Farmhouse Yarns Andy's Merino online and the vendor accidentally sent the wrong shade of green.  She told me to keep the first skein and then sent the shade I ordered at no extra charge.  So yes, free yarn.  I really like this yarn.  It's rustic and there is all kinds of vegetable matter in it, but the color is so vibrant and fantastic.  And really, the wool came from Andy.  What is not to like?  I feel like I need to finish something so I can cast on for something new with the yarn pronto.  I am thinking fingerless mitts for a certain friend who likes green.

And because it is Wednesday, and it makes me happy, there must be pie.

 

Chocolate Cream Pie using the recipe from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.  I was going to make a Banana Cream Pie this week, but my bananas weren't ready to be pie (or anything else for that matter, still green).  I generally like to use recipes from the internets so I can link to them for general consumption, but Rangsiwan inspired me to use a book from my collection.  The pie was good, it was really messy because the custard seemed resistant to firming up, but it was pretty tasty (I mean, really, it's chocolate).  Next week, banana cream pie.  For reals this time.

two much fun

What's better than one wallaby?  Two, of course.

I finally finished the wallabies for my niece and nephew.  I hope they will fit.  I am not overly optimistic as I have a track records of sending knits that are too small.  I measure Little Sir 40 times or more when I am making him something, I think there is some weird psychological thing happening when I make knits for kids or other people I can not measure.  It might also be a self-fulfilling prophecy thing too. 

There has been a great deal said about the Wallaby already so I won't wax poetic at this point.  It is a quick and pretty easy sweater to knit, and it's cute.  I mean come on.  You put a pouch on anything and it's cute, right?

Details on the Wallabies are in the 2007 Gallery.

And though it's Friday and Piehole Wednesday happens on, well, Wednesday, there was pie.

A sick child, a snowstorm and the onset of Christmas gift-giving may be the story of my life; but, when there is a new episode of Pushing Daisies, there must be pie.  The pie is Irresistible Pecan Pie (with my own Pate Brisee crust from Joy of Cooking though).  I don't think I like pecan pie, so it's difficult to assess this one.  It was sweet and gooey, so that is good, right?  As dedicated as I am, this may be the last pie for 2007; Christmas, it's just around the corner.

And what is better than one pecan dessert?  Well, two of course!

I had so many pecans leftover, something needed to be done with them, so I modified a recipe (calling for hazelnuts) from one of my cookbooks.  Pecan shortbread bars with a layer of chocolate.  Perfection itself, friends.

Have a good crafty weekend, everyone.  The forecast is predicting a nor'easter for these parts, so that means hunkering down with hot chocolate and some knits and my sewing machine.  What about you?

calm before the crazy

My Thanksgiving day and the 3 days after were perfect.  What about yours?  Our little holiday was low-key and low stress.  My dad had a relaxing visit and the weather was pretty nice. 

I took advantage of the calm and quiet to play with yarn that needed a purpose.  I figured that the simple act of winding it would help generate some ideas.  Can you resist the McTaggart Tweedy goodness?

And then I worked out my Christmas knitting list and realized that my original list of two things to knit grew to eight without my realizing it.  Huh.  I put in some time on the first of many gifts to be novamade this holiday gift-giving season.

Let the crazy begin.

soy un perdedor* or, how to make a loser knit

There was some foreshadowing, I kind of knew this sweater wouldn't be a total success, from the very beginning actually.  Just so I don't make a career out of loser knits, I thought I would document my steps to making this really unflattering, and ultimately, loser knit of a sweater.  If I know (and you know) what the steps are, we can avoid them and all parties can be happy in the future.

1. Find a pattern.  Pick the pattern based on the color the sample is knit in.  Don't bother giving any thought to whether the sweater design is "you" or not (rustic?  sure, why not).  And while some styles of sweater construction look better on some people than others, totally disregard that.  If you like the color the sample is knit in, then hey, how bad could it be?

2. When you finally decide to knit the pattern, do a Google search to see what other people have said about the sweater and its design.  If they have anything negative to say, just disregard these statements of animosity towards the knit.  Keep thinking that "in your world, things are different."

3. Drape, what's that? Cables and lace?  Why bother with the details.  The fabric will still drape, the cables and lace will still be there, no matter what yarn you use, right?  Instead of buying yarn specifically for your project, decide that you are going to "stash bust."  Stash busting is great and all, but there are those who would suggest there is some strategy involved.  You should develop no plan of attack whatsoever, forget drape, don't worry about stitch definition of cables, and lace can totally be knit out of anything...totally.  Go back to step #1, just pick the color you like (I guess it does help if you have enough yardage, so do that, check the yardage...if you really want a loser, disregard yardage...but let's be practical).  Don't give any thought about yarn weight, as long as you "get gauge" (see next step), right ?  I mean so what if "a little heavier than worsted" translates to "chunky" for your purposes.  It's all good.

4. Don't do a gauge swatch/tension square.  Seriously, why bother, right?  That back is pretty much a square, knit some of it up and just measure that.  If you are not "getting gauge" decide what you want to do then...if you have already knit a good amount, you will probably keep going, and some people would say that is crazy, some not (I won't judge you).  (And yes, I actually did get gauge with the yarn...and the needles that I used.  Not that it mattered).

5. Work on the project while maintaining relationships with many other knits to really draw out the experience.  Every time you pick up the sweater, it will be like Christmas (or Hanukkah, or your birthday, etc...substitute accordingly).  Oh, and don't bother taking notes on where you left off.  It makes everything more fun that way...like an adventure.

6. When you have knit all the pieces, seam them all together, especially if the pattern tells you to do so.  Even if you made a mental note to soak (and effectively wash) the pieces to get rid of that mill-y oily smell, (which is great while you are knitting, but let's face it, smelling like machinery isn't everyone's bag).  That's right, seam that sweater with no blocking, like the directions might say, you can totally steam it later.

7. Don't bother finding an alternate seaming yarn.  Just use what you knit with, even if it is a) bulky, and especially if it b) breaks like nobody's business.  You will really enjoy weaving in all those ends, thus lengthening your experience with the sweater.  It'll be great.

8. Try on the sweater.  If it fits perfectly (which this sweater did, actually), pat yourself on the back, good job.  If it doesnt fit, start the process all over again (I am not an advocate of rippage, I leave that to your discretion...it's got to fit someone, right?)  with the same or different pattern, though I would do the opposite of these steps if it is success you are trying to achieve.  But if it fits... sniff it, smell that oily goodness?  Now would be the perfect time to give it a good soak and block it.

9.  When blocking the sweater, block aggressively (even if the sweater already fit perfectly).  Really get those stitches smooth and even.

10.  Put the sweater on again...realize that you over-blocked and just accept it.

11. If you are an archivist, librarian, or anyone who works in a temperature controlled environment where it is cold, take the sweater to work.  If it was knit with bulky yarn, it will come come in handy when its 40 degrees (F) inside (and 55 outside), and most people will be so impressed that you knit the sweater yourself, they won't even notice the tent-like effect of the finished knit on your person.

Sienna Cardigan

Pattern: by Ann E. Smith, Interweave Knits, fall 2006

Yarn: Beaverslide Dry Goods McTaggart Tweed, Autumn Licorice colorway, 4.75 hanks

Needles:  US 8/ 5.0 mm Circulars

Notions: 5 awesome Coconut buttons from Jo-Ann's (I know!) and 5 plastic-y buttons from the button box, origins unknown

Modifications: Yarn substiution, and to the sleeves by throwing in some ribbing on the end (or at the beginning) because the sweater seemed out of balance otherwise.  I count the sleeves as a success. 

I like the finished look of the sleeves, actually.  So does Little Sir.

So that was my road to making this loser knit.  Maybe it is not completely a loser, but it isn't a complete winner either.  And though I don't LOVE it.  I kind of like it.  It's warm, it's functional, and hey, the color is pretty.  It screams fall to me. 

I will tell you what I do love.  I love this yarn.  Love it.  When I bought the yarn, I bought it just because I liked the color.  It is so deliciously orange.  Beaverslide makes excellent yarn (and customer service is excellent), but the McTaggart Tweed line is very different from their other stuff.  It is tweed, it is gorgeous, it is kind of bulky... and it breaks.  Jen knows of what I speak.  Even though I was aware of the breaky-breaky nature of the yarn, I used it to seam anyway.  Sometimes, I am stupid.  I should have found something else, but I didn't feel like going through the process of color matching and I was just being lazy.  I think Jared has the right idea about this yarn.  Knit something EZ inspired and save yourself the heartache.

The yarn doesn't really highlight the cute little cable and lace combo so much...but it is a tweedy bulky yarn, to have expected that it would, well again...stupid.  I like the buttons though, so does Little Sir. 

I used a tip from Pam and backed each button with another button to give it some stability.  She is smart, that Pam.

I am not sure why I blocked the sweater so aggressively, but I did.  Pre-blocking, it actually looked passably decent.  Now there is a weird, slightly off-putting, "front butt"  effect (phrase taken from Pam, again she is a smart one) that isn't so flattering on a woman who still weighs what she did the day she walked out of the hospital after her kid was born.  So the fit, it's not the most flattering.  And, this sweater has done what I thought was kind of impossible, it makes me appear borderline flat-chested, not that I am looking to highlight any sort of assets or anything.  There is something to be said for drape, I guess.

Having said all that I have (which is a lot, some would say too much), I am glad that I made the sweater and I am glad I went through this process, because I did learn that I am worth the trouble that I go through for other people when knitting for myself.  When I knit Special K's sweater, I did all sorts of measurements, research on yarn, test swatching.  The end result was desired and pretty great (if I do say so myself).  Why mess with Texas? 

And as much of a loser as I think this sweater is (which admittedly, it's not that bad....just a little loser-ish), I am going to get a lot of wear out of it (I am trying to combat my innate defeatism and be silver lining-ish, at least today).  I might wear it to Rhinebeck this Saturday.  Huh, I knit a Rhinebeck sweater without any intention of doing so... Well, go, me.  So yes, if you are there at Rhinebeck, that woman wearing the the sweater knit with that awesome orange-red yarn, that's me.

* I kept humming this when I worked on this sweater.  I encourage the humming of this song while working on any knit you think will be less than successful, but that you are determined to finish anyway.  Embrace it.

communiqué from the island

Due to a kid with a cold and suffering from the pain that is teething, my weekend was a little extended.  However before there was misery, there was fun.

I went apple picking with my boys.

We played with pumpkins.

I made cupcakes (although we were all so sick, no one really wanted to eat any).

And I became a resident of sleeve island.

I will be on sleeve island for a while, I think.  But at least when I leave the island I will be closer to having completed my first knit-by-me sweater for myself (I suppose I will have to become a resident of 'collar island' and then 'seaming island' first; but, I hear those islands are pretty happening).

on the color orange

These days I am all about the color orange.  There was a time when I thought orange a rather harsh color, but no more.  Some would say I am a little orange obsessed right now (they would be right).  I will spare you the ridiculous total number of projects I have in progress at the moment and just limit this post to the orange projects (that are actually on the needles).  It's not so bad in those terms...

A sweater in some red-orange wonderfulness from Beaverslide.  I am going to be so ready for fall.  Oh, Beaverslide, how I love thee.

Here is my "take it with me, you never know if you'll have some dead time to kill" knitting.  It's a sock, nothing uber special...besides the color.

This sock was actually done for about 24 hours and then Lolly saw it and mentioned how small my feet were...no, my feet are not as small as I hoped they were when I "finished" the sock.  So I ripped out the toe... That's okay, it just means that I can work some more with the orange goodness of this yarn.

And then there is my absolute favorite thing (at this particular moment)...

This burnt orange coloring in this absolute perfect yarn (which I was pretty much blissuflly unaware of until Ashley dangled the carrot (or icicle) in front of blogland.  Sea Wool...I want every color I can get my hands on.  So soft...so pretty...so perfect.

And not in the realm of orange...I will be blocking something that is red tonight.  A finished something, it's about time. And I am going nuts considering the possibilities for this little bit of lovliness. Ashley, why do you torture me with your creativity?

giving the people what they want

I am sure a lot of you were wondering if I finished that sweater.  Maybe you lost sleep over it?  Okay, maybe you didn't, but I certainly did.  Having stayed up till 2 or 3 in the morning for 4 days and then pulling an all-nighter on Friday, I finished it.  As I was seaming the sweater at 7 in the morning on Saturday I had this thought, "I am getting too old for this."  Well, old or not, it was finished just in time for me to get the fixings for the party ready.  Oh, did I mention that I was throwing the shower?  Yeah, I know.

There has been quite a lot said about this sweater already by countless knitters, so I am going to keep my thoughts on the knit to a minimum (scroll to end for that).  Instead, I am going to talk about why I knit this particular sweater for a child that does not belong to me.

About a year ago, my pal Al and I took our kids for a walk in the neighborhood.  It was a hot day, we were talking about my "little knitting habit" and how she wished she could knit (I offer on many occasions to teach her, so don't even start up with the "each one teach one" bit, I've tried people, I have tried).  She said the only thing she really wanted to knit was a "pretty, white or off-white, fisherman-type" sweater with really dark buttons for her daughter (then pushing 2).  It was knitwear so I filed it away.  At that point I hadn't made anything besides scarves and a few pairs of simple stockinette socks, but I knew about Trellis and thought about it, but fleetingly.

During the past year, Al and I have become even better friends than I thought possible.  I met her when we both first moved to the area almost 4 years ago.  She lives down the street, her husband works with mine (sort of), and we decided to start a book club.  And then we started doing lunch on Thursdays (it's the one day of the week I do no knitting during lunch) and it's a high point of my week.  She is hilarious, and hey, we've got to eat, right?  Usually, it takes me longer to develop friendships with people (in real life, the development of friendships here in the blogosphere, it's different, you are all kindred after all).  She (and her whole family, actually) are like family for us.  Special K and I have no family in the area so our friends really do become a support, as well as a social, network for us.  So yes, great friends.  Well, a few months ago, Al told me she was preggers again (she tried to tell me for months actually, but I didn't catch on, it became a game, "let's see if we can get Nova to figure out Al's pregnant."  For whatever reason, I thought she was being hypothetical (I can be ridiculous).  After I finally figured it out, I immediately knew what I was going to make for this new Al-baby.  Trellis.

It had occured to me to make this sweater for Little Sir, but I knew I was going to make it for Al at some point, so I held off.  But just because it's not for him doesn't mean he can't model it (he is, after all, very good friends with Al).

Al is due at the end of July with another little girl.  Well, Trellis is a fits-all-genders sweater, in my humble opinion.  It's nothing that a little pink can't fix, right?

Trellis

Pattern: Trellis by  Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff,  from Knitty

Yarn: Moda Dea Washable Wool, 2.5 skeins off-white

Needles: US 7 & 8

Notions: 5 buttons bought from the local Jo-Ann's

Modifications: I accidentally used size 8 needles for the collars (it was 5 in the morning, cut me a break)- I actually like the added heft, so hey "design feature!"

I really liked this pattern.  If you have done a few cables, you should have no problem with it. The pattern is easy to memorize and the sweater itself is really fun to knit.  It went by quicker than I thought it would. Had I knit monogamously on the sweater, for say 2 weeks, I think it would have been reasonable (but I am not a fast knitter).

I knit the 12 month size (which is why it's a wee bit on the smallish side for Little Sir who is sporting 18-24 month wear).  The 12 month size has an error for the neck shaping, I think it was on the left front side.  It's pretty obvious while you are knitting and if you use common sense, you will figure it out--something about the pattern designer telling you to do something on the right side of the sweater when you are actually starting on the wrong side, if you knit it, you'll see.  Besdies that one little thing, the pattern is very well-written.  All in all, I loved knitting this sweater, it was pretty easy, pretty quick and the seaming was not horrible at all!  I think the seaming might have been the easiest part, actually (but that could have been because it meant I was almost done and seeing the light at the end).

 

And a note about the yarn...it's awesome.  I saw the Washable Wool at the A.C. Moore big box and found it inriguing and added it to the stash.  It's really soft, "so soft it doesn't even feel like wool!" was the common observation at the shower.  I loved knitting with this stuff.  I will probably use it again for kids' knits.  I am not sure how it compares with something like Knit Picks Swish, but I felt like a got a lot of yardage for a good price.  And hey, it's superwash wool.

Al really liked the sweater, and I slept for 16 hours(!) after the party.

My pal Al with a baby that does not actually belong to her.

going the distance

...going for speed.

I am not uber slow with the knitting; but, I am not the fastest knitter either.  But nothing drives me like a deadline.

Of course Trellis can be knitted in a week.

Two sleeves, collars, blocking and seaming.  Two days?  Totally do-able.  Right?

Just one thing, anyone have any extra stitch markers?  I'm all out.