Slow and Steady

 

The Russian Coat is starting to become a thrill, yes, a thrill. It is on gauge and the measurements are matching up nicely. I do have a few things to correct on the right side of the coat. Two of the hexagons need a couple of last rows removed to get rid of that nipple effect, then I can move onto the cuff for that side and then the big sew up time begins. I always get nervous at this stage in game...I have just one and a half balls left of the Jasper. I need at least half a ball to finish the cuff...I sure hope that the ribbing takes only one ball...from the picture in the magazine it looks fairly wide and I have to go all around the neck and front...scary!
I have worked on this coat starting on Nov. 6Th...all the other projects have taken a back seat while I have diligently knitted away on it,so finishing this up this weekend will feel good...but I think I am catching a cold. I feel really run down and have a stiff neck and scratchy throat. Woke up at 5AM this morning to the clanking sound of the garbage collectors. I don't understand why they can't start at 6 AM or at least try to keep the broken glass noise to a minimum....then the dog wanted to go out at 5:30. Can't I ever get to sleep anymore? I was so tired I missed my yoga class too. This weekend I plan to start dragging out the Christmas decorations and then next week the dreaded Christmas shopping! It's the most wonderful time of the year...not.

Surviving The Turkey

 

 

I am glad Thanksgiving 2007 is over. A lot of cooking and repeat dinner, AGAIN. I was going to make turkey enchiladas but I have so much of the "other" stuff still to eat...really looking forward to dinner tonight - not! This was the first year I brined the bird...a must for the future. I was impressed how flavorful and moist it is. And you know, not a big deal either. Get the brining bags at Williams-Sonoma and use the brining recipe on the box. The bags are a bit pricey, but you can reuse them.

The skirt on the Russian Coat is finished. I started the bodice pieces on the other side yesterday. The hexagons I originally worked on will need some work to get rid of that "nipple" effect. This coat has consumed my time lately. I have not even touched anything else on the must finish list. We were going to travel over to Mammoth Lakes for turkey day weekend but Theo got sick. While I was packing things up I had all my WIP bags all neatly tucked into the knitting tote...how unrealistic I was actually thinking I would even touch them...lots to do before Christmas starts swamping me.

Just a Few Works in Progress

 

 

 

Rainy days on Mondays...
The pressure is on for the Turkey Feast this week, so much to do to get out of town and head over the hills [big mountains] to enjoy all that turkey. Menu planning is happening, ingredient shopping lists are being generated and what to take to entertain me! Lots of car time for knitting on the Russian Coat and Clapotis. Mammoth Mountain is open, sort of...if you call the beginner run fun! They can't even make man-made snow because it is not cold enough at night. So I guess lots of hiking and fishing and knitting will happen this week, not to mention eating.

The Russian Coat is coming along. I am past that endless black hole hump. With all those decreases it is now starting to go really fast towards the end. I thought I never would get past the first 5 inches as it just kept sucking the yarn into it. I followed the color way that is featured in the magazine and it looks nothing like the picture. I am also going to frog the first 3 hexagons because they nippled...

New Lorna's Laces I picked up at my LYS, just waiting for the perfect sock pattern...

Panda Yarn. I have never knitted with this before...it knits nicely. And I have never knitted with 2 circulars before. I am a dpn sock knitter. I have been very curious to try circulars. I will have to say the socks knit up faster, so far. I will see when it comes to the heel.

Onward through the rain I go...

On The Clap Wagon

 

Started my Clapotis this past Saturday. So far so good. I have reservations about the yarn choice for this project.Jo Sharp -Silkroad Aran Tweed. Great for a sweater...may be too thick and rough for a wrap. Time will tell how I really feel about it. The pattern itself is easy and very addicting, and at the same time frustrating...so much repeative work and all that waiting for 12 rows to get a rush of excitement dropping that one stitch! I was in my LYS yesterday and I actually found myself looking at yarns for the next one, so I must be lovin' it!

No pics of the Russian Coat progress...but I did really go on a departure from the pattern steps. I am working on the skirt...it is sucking so much yarn up. I am just about a couple of inches away from starting the Peruvia body and I have already gone through 3 balls of Jasper. I got a little bored with the bodice and a little frustrated with the pattern. My hexs are getting that "nipple" on them. I really hope I don't have to rip out what I have done. I think I will try the next one and take Norah's direction, leave off the last two rows of the final decrease. It is knitting to guage so I really don't understand why this is happening, unless it is just another Vague Knitting error with the pattern.

My husband came home with this miracle drink yesterday. Mona-Vie. comes in a wine bottle with a screw cap. Tastes okay. Expensive. The new answer to eternal youth.

Russian Coat

 

What an addicting pattern this is. Thank you Norah! The yarn arrived on Tuesday, right on time. Opened the box up and thought to myself...this doesn't look like the colorway featured in the magazine, which is what I ordered since I ordered the yarn on-line and no way to actually check the colors in person, I went with it. I checked the tags and yup it was right. It is amazing how light/camera/printing ink,etc. can change reality. It isn't what I expected but it is growing on me. It's a good thing I love the color green because there is a lot of it in the yarns. The Jasper is wonderful to knit with, as it glides through your hands and the excitement of watching the color develop as it goes along. Peruvia is nice to knit with too...it is a solid so pretty predictable, pattern wise.

I look at my current "load" of knitting and everything is taking a back seat right now during my infactuation stage with this project. Since it is a one-size-fits-all...hope it fits!

Fetching...

 

 

I finished one Fetching yesterday. Hmmm...looks okay in these pictures, actually quite lovely, but let's critique:
1. Either I have really large hands [average]or there is something wrong with this pattern as written. I may be in the minority here after reading all the fetching entries on Ravelry. I had to increase the length by ten rows and I should have gone on to 15 rows. I added an extra cable repeat to the end...and did not do that picot bind-off [just too stretchy and sloppy]. I still think the length is too short and does not conform to the human hand.

2. The thumb does not take into consideration any gusseting for comfort, it just pokes out on the side. And here again, if I had stuck to the 4 rounds the pattern suggests, I would have had barely enough to keep my thumb warm. I did 10 rounds and I could have gone to 15.

3. The wrist cables are lovely, again I would have repeated one more cable repeat.

4. The anatomy of a human hand: the wrist is smaller than the palm and tapers smaller near the fingers. This pattern does not take that into consideration...so you end up with a very tight mitt around the knuckle area and too wide at the end.

With all that I think I am going to frog and redux with alterations. Oh! and I forgot to mention: I used Plymouth Alpaca/silk DK on a size us#4. I can get this on and it is snug but does that mean if I used a yarn equivalent to what the pattern suggests, would it have been way to big?

We're Having a Birthday

Wow!!! He's really old! My sweet baby boy is 15 today...HAPPY BIRTHDAY THEO!

What's on the needles

 

 

 

My WEBS order is due to arrive on my doorsteps next Tuesday. Can't wait to dive into that Russian Coat pattern from the newest issue of Vogue Knitting. In the mean time I am working away on these socks. I started the "Envy" Jaywalkers a day ago...addictive pattern with this yarn. I can't wait to see how it continues to develop with the stripes. The Baby Fern Poppy is moving along but not as fast as Envy. I think partly because I have no surprises left with it. The yarn is a solid and the pattern continues on as is...but it is lovely. The psycho sock is what I work on when my mind has had it with thinking about ANYTHING.