Friday, October 24, 2008

My favorite knit. And blather.

Actually, I can't narrow it down to one. I know that's totally lameass, but I've been knitting a lot longer than some of youse guys and to pick just one is too hard. But there are two that stand out.

The knit that pleased me the most, in the This Year division:

This was written in German, and in a style I'd never knit before (knit the central rectangle flat, sideways, then pick up stitches all around and knit outward). I only had to restart it once and that was because I didn't like my choice of materials, not because I screwed up the knitting. It was fun the whole time (I know, shoot me) and went smoothly and produced something really cool. So. This year's top knit in terms of ease of knit and beauty of finished product. Unfortunately I can't wear it. The Hex Jacket may win if I ever finish it.

My favorite knit in the For Me division:

The Starry Night Ruana Thingie. This was just fucking crazy from start to finish. 330+ stitches around, custom design, two gigantic steeks, twelve colors, an edging of seed stitch on 890 stitches in about five colors over twenty rows, then a cable cast-off on those same 890 stitches. Total. Insanity. Plus it's comfy and warm but not too warm, and with all the colors it's easy to match clothing for it. I have a purple shirt that I got to wear with it. (For gory details, there is a link in the sidebar under 'Projects of Infamy'.)

Now, those who have been reading a while probably remember the Blue Shimmer.

I don't hate it, but the only exceptional things about it are that it's a small gauge, I knit it in two months, and EVERYTHING went wrong. It's totally average in terms of actual skill, and I got the design out of a book. So while lovely, in my mind it probably wouldn't make my top ten list of cool knits I've done.


I've given up on the hole in my lip (unless it goes all the way through, I offically don't care) and have gone back to taking my medication, so I'm feeling a goodly bit better. Unless I eat salty foods. Doily tutorial coming up soon. Oh, and I lost a day this week to painkillers (I could have SWORN it was Thursday); yet another good reason to quit taking the damned things.

Yesterday, after my 'OMG, two months until Christmas' spaz-out, I got busy on the dyeing and turned ten yards of white cotton (I was gonna say it looks like mummy wrappings, but they were wrapped in linen):

Into ten yards of allegedly sage green cotton:

The photo doesn't show it, but now it is the same ugh green as hospital scrubs. I'm Not Happy and hope to hell the darker green perks it up and makes it look... I don't know. Not hospital scrub colored.




Here, Sekhmet says "Goddamn, that's an ugly color. I hope you plan to do something else with that. And keep the bald kitten away from me. Don't make me tell you again."



And in other news? It's raining.


That yellow and red swoop to the south is headed our way. Costal flood advisories and the whole nine yards. Yay. The fun never ends.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm reading "Complications" by Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham & Women's in Boston & a regular contributor to the New Yorker. He has a fascinating chapter on the mysteries of chronic pain. Argh! I can't remember; apparently there are a couple of tiny cells in the brain which trigger it, even in the absence of any actual physical injury, though he points out it's usually a real injury that starts the ball rolling. And it comes in waves in society...gad. My memory. (I'd remember this perfectly if it were my own problem!) Anyway, thought of thee & thy insatiable capacity for information.

You take gorgeous pictures. The doily thingie makes me salivate. I'd try that if I had any use for it! Sigh.

Alwen said...

It rained all day here, too.

Today I learned that "Aus 2 mal umschlagen stets nur eine Masche strickend, bis Tour 33" means something like "Knit only once into each double yarnover through Round 33".

Knitting. It's an education.

(Verification words have gone all word-like lately: this one is "cringh".)

Amy Lane said...

Okay--thinking about the Goober as 'the bald kitten' never fails to crack me up... and damn, your hall of accomplishment is impressive...