sweetgeorgia

Here and there.

There’s a coolness in Vancouver that is beyond crisp now. Yep, it’s downright chilly today. Feeling the need to have warm, comfy and cushy Zara sweater NOW.

I’m making progress, yes, I am…

In light of the fact that I seem to have zero spare time these days, I’ve been taking a tip from various knitters who encourage knitting a row here and there throughout the day… That’s three rows in the car, two rows before a client meeting, three more rows while waiting for dinner… It’s amazing what a few minutes here and there can do.

Similarly with my weaving, I was able to warp up my loom with the new handpainted silk log cabin scarf project during the daylight hours. Since I haven’t had time to move my work computer down into the finished (yahoo!) office, I’m still sitting three feet away from my loom… which means that when I have to upload a file that takes 10 minutes, I can turn around and fuss with my loom for 10 minutes.

This is 144 ends (72 purple threads and 72 black threads) spread out neatly through the built-in raddle that is positioned on top of the Spring loom. I’m being extra careful by running a thin strip of painters tape over the top so that stray threads don’t pop out of their spots… or that I don’t accidentally pull a chunk of threads out of the raddle. Yeah, been there, done that.

Those are two lease sticks that I’ve tied to the back beam of the loom — they keep the warp nice, neat and tidy… The last warp I put on was, well, shall we say, put on haphazardly without a tidy cross or lease sticks… and well, let’s just say, it got a little messy back there. So, I’m being good and conscientious here… hopefully it will pay off in terms of a better-tensioned warp and less mess.

And this probably should be filed under “too much information” but, yeah, I’m crocheting the bikini from last summer’s issue of Knit.1. Now, to figure out how to properly do crochet decreases…

Random Thursday.

So… photos of Sizzle. Right. This way…

Yeah, the photo is headless because I just got a haircut on Tuesday and now I look a little too much like Karen O… which is not entirely bad, just different. Why why why do I forget how I look with fringe?! Anyway. It’s just hair. It’ll grow back.

Sizzle

• Pattern: From Wendy Bernard at Knit and Tonic
• Size: The smallest size (30″)
• Yarn: Estelle Mystik DK, a cotton viscose blend… I think I used about 5 balls
• Needles: US 7 / 4.5 mm Knit Picks Options!!! (I love these!)
• Mods: None… I made the regular neckline although you can make a more “modest” version if you like… although this doesn’t seem too bad for me.
• Notes: It’s quick and easy to knit, although for me it wasn’t exactly a “three day project”. But I did knit the majority of it on our trip to Tofino and it was good “driving” knitting. Next time, I would knit this in the round, of course.

And seeing as I finished Sizzle and Orangina and I’m awaiting more yarn from Weaving Works to finish my EZ fair isle cardi, I figured I could start a new project… Enter Cosmicpluto’s Lucy in the Sky cardi:

I’m knitting Lucy with stash yarn. It’s Filatura di Crosa Zara that I bought a long while ago and even though it’s DK weight, I’m knitting it on US 8 (5mm) to make gauge. I don’t mind if the resulting cardigan is a little more drapey… in fact, I prefer it that way.

And, look, there’s more on random Thursday… Heather at Lectio.ca has written up a sock pattern for SweetGeorgia Speed Demon yarn that she is giving away for free! It’s called “Sell Your Sole” and you can download it from her site here: http://www.lectio.ca/images/sell_your_sole.pdf

With only 48 stitches around, these socks are quick to knit (I love that) and Heather has provided super-detailed step-by-step photos and instructions for turning the heel. Yahoo. If I have a moment to breathe tonight, I’ll cast on for a pair… Maybe I’ll even be able to bring handknit socks to my grandparents in Japan this time!

And finally on random Thursday, pop on over and visit my friend Shelley at The Maple Kitchen. We’ve been friends since our days at university and she was our uber-fabulous MC at our wedding… and now, she’s just posted about her very first knitting project!!! Send her some love.