New WIP...

Ladies (and gentlemen), meet the new Work in Progress... a sweater in Chai:

It's 100% tussah silk in the most amazing luminous metallic colorway. The way things work at Artfibers is that they will create a custom pattern for you when you buy enough of their yarn to make it. The only problem is that they never come with kicky names (as Michelle pointed out at Meet-up). I'm knitting the "Regular length fitted waist pullover with moss stitch band, set-in shoulder with 3/4 length moderate taper sleeves with moss stitch band, ballet front neck and shallow back neck with single band collar" sweater. That's a mouthful. Mostly I've been calling her "the Chai sweater" but I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any...

And, to prove that I am a fickle, fickle beast, I am not even knitting my custom pattern according to the pattern. Yep, that's right - I had this pattern custom designed to my specifications and now I'm changing my mind. Now it's going to be a cardigan. What can I say? A girl needs options. I'm also contemplating buying enough of the single-color Siam in a coordinating color to make a tank so that I'd have a twin-set. What do you think?

I haven't quite decided yet if I'm going to iron my silk sweater once I finish it, but I'm definitely leaning that way. I think I'd like it better than the slightly nubby finish it has right now from the thick and thin parts.

One more note about this sweater and my kittens. A word of explanation - my two cats are really quite amazing and full of restraint where yarn is concerned. I tend to leave balls of yarn all over the place and WIP's lying on the couch or coffee table overnight and during the day, and they've never been touched. (While I'm knitting with the yarn is another matter, but we'll let that be.) However, this time has been a little different. I came downstairs the morning after I'd cast on my Chai sweater to find this:

Artfibers wraps their yarn around foam cores, and these cores are apparently completely irrisistible to my kittens. Well, one in particular - miss Cleo loves to nibble. So much so that she chewed through the plastic bag holding the yarn not yet in use in order to eat some of those foam cores. If I accidentally leave my backpack unzipped (which is where that plastic bag is), she'll climb inside it to get at them. She manages to pull the cores out from the yarn, so that the yarn isn't bothered at all. If she wasn't eating little pieces of the styrofoam I'd let her have it, but that can't be good for her digestive tract.

Finally - dare I say it - I would really like to have this done by MDS&W. That's only 14 days away (woo hoo!!!). I have the back almost done, with two fronts and sleeves to go. I'd say it's unlikely, but possible. Time to stop blogging and start knitting!

that looks familiar...

For Chelsea (and Lara, too), my photo of TJ and the cherries. On a different day (note the overcast), and from a different angle yet, but still cool!

Sockapalooza!

They're done! Hooray! Not even a month overdue... OK, I'm a bad sock pal who is completely unable to meet a deadline, but at least they're finally done. Here are the specs:

Yarn: Fortissima Cotton Colori in color 0009 (a crayonesque mix of primary colors)
Needles: size 1 Crystal Palace Bamboo double points
Pattern: my own, based on Wendy's generic toe-up pattern, with toes from this knitty article
Beads: 6/0 Czech Glass E-beads matte mix

Notes: The first pair of socks I've ever completed. The first beaded knitting I've ever done. As I blogged about before, the cuff is a result of swatching and deciding that I liked the "wrong" side better. Here's an improved picture:

which captures the colors well, too. I love the cotton sock yarn, and I love the fabric from knitting it on size 1's (although arduous during the process). I only hope that they fit - they fit me fairly well, but I think my sock pal's feet are slightly larger than mine. Hopefully a little strenous blocking (if needed) will do the trick. I can't wait to hear what my pal thinks! Unfortunately, she doesn't have a blog, but maybe she'll let me post her comments here once she gets them. They're headed overseas, so it might take a while.
I admit that I'm a bit sad to send off my beautiful socks, but I hope know that my pal will appreciate them. And, I keep reminding myself that I'm going to receive some great socks in return!

The bad and the good

Several bad things:

- riding the elevator downstairs to get lunch at 3:30 PM since it's the first chance you've had to eat all day

- sharing that elevator with people who are leaving for the day to go home
(this has happened to me several times in the past few weeks)

- blog comment spammers (die spammers die!)

- not having enough time or energy to knit, let alone blog about it

- having a project that has a due date and is for someone else (*cough* Sockapalooza *cough*) but being led astray by an instant gratification project

- feeling guilty about said transgression

- having to cheat on the Sockapalooza sock further to churn out a baby hat for a shower on Sunday

- office politics and dealing with unpleasant people in general

- flooding basements (don't worry, all of the yarn is upstairs)

OK, enough negativity. Now for the positive...

You know what is awesome?

- playing fetch with your cat

- ordering knitting patterns online and having them arrive in two days (from Nevada no less!)

- exhausting yourself putting together a meeting might be bad, but getting to see many of your good friends and colleagues will be awesome (and how I'll spend the next four days)

- Maryland Sheep and Wool!

- Other bloggers (and more, plus maybe) coming to visit for MDS&W!

- The Yarn Harlot signing books at MDS&W!

- Matching totebags to identify yourself as a knitblogger at MDS&W! (Here's how to order one)

- Blog comments from real, live people and friends (hint, hint)