New Literary Additions*

Not very much has gone on in my little knitting world since my last post. I am chugging away on Rusted Root. I have even gotten past placing the sleeves on scrap yarn! Yay! I have tried it on and it fits!! Double yay!! I am so excited by this fact I can't stop using superfluous** punctuation marks!! I don't have any up to date pictures because really the thing doesn't cover the monster boobage yet, and I am just not that confident to publish the oh so unflattering pictures. I am probably 35-40% done and I'm loving every moment (we'll see if that is still the case when I have to pick up a bazillion stitches to knit the collar).

I do, however, have something to show you from my other obsession...BOOKS!! These are my most recent purchases from the past two weeks.



Vintage Knits I found this book after drooling over Megan's awesome Salina sweater. Overall, I have fallen in love with many of the sweaters in the book. I have a feeling that late summer/early fall knitting will consist of lots of sweaters from this book.

Sensational Knitted Socks After I frogged my Monkey Sock Laura suggested I get my hands on this book. Thanks Laura!! It is a great resource even if I haven't knit a whole sock yet. Someday I will (someday soon-ish, I hope).

Hawaiian Applique This is a quilting technique that I fell in love with after I visted the Islands a few years ago. I love the somewhat abstract, bold patterns, and the lovely echo quilting technique that looks like ripples on water. I also love the history that goes with this traditional craft. For more information check out Quilts Hawaii.

Denyse Schmidt Quilts Since I have never quilted anything before (though I do know how to sew and own a machine) I thought it would be useful to, uh, learn before I got in way over my head with the Hawaiian Quilts. Plus, after watching Ashley make not one, but 3 (!) beautiful quilts I think I am hooked.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off The Yarn Harlot has done it again! I loved her other books, Knitting Rules! and The Secret Life of a Knitter and so far, this one isn't disappointing either. I just wish I could have seen her in person on her book tour.

Simple Sewing I first heard about this one over at Not Martha. It has a bunch of really cute projects, and I'm especially smitten with the garden tote (which is probably beyond my sewing skill level, but oh well.)

I must admit books and music are probably my first obsession even before knitting. I am ashamed to admit how much money I spend a month on them, but to me they are a necessity to maintaining my sanity, and more importantly my creativity. I found a great online website Library Thing where you can catalog your books online. I love it! You can find my profile/catalog here. I would love to find something like this for my music collection which number well into the hundreds of CDs. If anyone knows of one, please let me know!

* Get it? Literary Additions/Editions? Ha, ha I crack myself up sometimes.
** Quite possibly my most favoritest word ever!

Progress

I have cast on for Rusted Root, and so far, so good. The pattern is incredibly easy, and well written. I think I am addicted. I am so glad I went with the Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I recently had a chance to fondle my alternative, Lion Brand Cotton-ease in person, and I am glad I decided against using it. Maybe it is the addition of the acrylic in their blend, but it has a weird texture, plus I wasn't totally smitten with the color choices. Cotton-ease comes in a limited range of subtler colors. While I know many people were excited with the new color offerings, I like my colors bright. Very Bright. (Thankfully I have a very understanding fiance who lets me decorate as I wish.) Here's how far I have gotten, only 36 rounds, but it feels like it is going incredibly fast. (Sorry for the craptastic photos, I had to take them indoors due to high winds and no sun.)



Here's a better shot of the lace pattern:



I have to admit I was having problems with the lace pattern at first. I don't know why, it is easy enough, but I was coming out with the wrong stitch count at the end of the some of the rows. I finally frogged back a few rows and it is finally clicking.

In other semi-knitting related news, I joined Runagogo My parents got me an elliptical machine on the condition that I pay them back gradually. (Oh, the joys of being a recent college graduate with a low paying job.) Well, they said if I lose 20 lbs. I don't have to pay them back. So, I am in the process of getting back into shape and becoming healthier. Runagogo has totally motivated me since you can keep track of your mileage. I am already over 1/10th of the way to my goal of 100 miles by July 4th. Along with my exercise goal, I have also made a goal for Rusted Root. My parents are throwing Justin and I an engagement party in the beginning of June, and my goal is to have Rusted Root done and have a somewhat sleeker figure. I am making progress on both fronts, but there is still so much to do...

I'm a-Swatchin'

I didn't get much knitting done over the weekend since my parents were in town, but I did receive the yarn for Rusted Root. I decided to go with the Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Perry's Primrose. I ordered my yarn online since my LYS doesn't carry Brown Sheep. I ordered from Flying Fingers I am very, very happy with my purchase. Not only was the yarn cheaper than most places online, but shipping was really very fast. Plus, it felt like I was opening a present. Check out the awesome tape:



This is what it looked like when I first opened it:



See that photo of the sheep on top of everything? That's a handwritten note from the owner. The owner! The skeins were wrapped in tissue paper and arranged like a gift. It's the small stuff like this that will truly make me a return customer. Here's what Perry's Primrose looks like:



I started swatching last night, but nearly fell asleep doing so, due to a VERY long day at work yesterday. I had to get up at 4:30 am (AM!) to go on a field trip to D.C. to look at three houses. I didn't get home until after six, and was in bed by nine. It was a long, long day. So far I like the cotton fleece, especially the color. What I'm not happy about is just how damn splitty the yarn is. I had a rough time getting used to this, and only made it about 5 rows into swatching. I'll finish the swatching tonight and wash and block it tomorrow, then I'll be starting Rusted Root.

Eggcellent

The Parentals are coming to town this weekend so there will be very little knitting, if any. So have a great weekend everyone and I will leave you with these:



Beautiful fresh eggs. And those aren't dyed folks, they come right out of the chicken that color! (Believe me, this city girl had no idea eggs could come in sea foam green.)

Which inspired this:



Sugar n' Cream cotton for ballband warshrags. What could be more spring-like than easter egg colored warshrags?





Have a great weekend, and Happy Easter!

Frogged.

Monkey, why, oh why won't you get off my back? It was time. We hadn't been happy for a long time. The split was amicable. Today, the monkey sock and I have parted ways. You may ask why. Our affair had started out so well. We even made it past the heel flap and the treacherous first turning of the heel. But, alas, it was not meant to be. Here is all that remains of our short, but torrent relationship:



Midway through the lace pattern I decided I didn't like long socks. They irked me and for some reason made me feel weird. So what did I (the stupid sock knitting virgin) do, well I dropped two of the lace pattern repeats before the heel flap. (Collective *face palm*) It looked fine to me, and in my haze I didn't even bother to try it on. I, the enthusiastic knitter with ADD, just really wanted to get to the heel flap and turning of the heel. Well, over the weekend I finally tried it on... and it didn't fit, at all. I changed my mind. I decided I like my socks either long or short, no in-between. And where did the monkey fall, well of course in the in-between area. It was cankle length, and not a good look for anyone. Also, there was another problem. The cast-on. It was, oh, a wee bit tight. Like cutting off circulation tight. I was a good little knitter. I know my cast-ons are generally tight so I went up a needle size to compensate. Well, it still didn't work so I ended up frogging THE. WHOLE. THING. Oh the pain. But now it is one less WIP standing in my way of Rusted Root. Next time I try to knit socks will some please smack me upside the head if I threaten to remove pattern repeats?!

Sweater Time

So I have decided it is high time to knit a sweater. I have no idea why the idea struck me at this particular moment especially since it was, oh, 83 degrees here today, definitely NOT sweater weather. Inspired by the Sexy Knitters Club Knit-A-Long, I have decided to knit Zephyr Style's Rusted Root Sweater A cute cap sleeved sweater with a nice lace pattern down the front.




But when I think of Rusted Root all I can hear in my head is THIS (Big plus that they are from my hometown)

I'm still deciding on the yarn and color. The pattern calls for Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I am not really enthralled with any of the colors that WEBS carries, and at $8.20 a ball I'm not sure if I want to drop that much cash on my first sweater which I'm sure won't be perfect. Maybe I'll look around for more colors at other online retailers. I'm also thinking of using Lion Brand Cotton-ease. Lion Brand is definitely not one of my favorites to work with, but when I don't want to spend a lot of cash for the good stuff it is always another option. I definitely want a cotton/cotton-blend yarn for this sweater since it will be a spring/summer/fall sweater. Who am I kidding, it will most likely be a fall sweater since summer here in Virginia equals humid, 85-95 degree days, and spring...well by the time I finish this it will be summer. Any suggestions for a yarn sub would be appreciated. The gauge is supposed to be 5 sts/ 1 inch on size US 6 needles. The Knit Picks Options needles are ordered, now I just need to pick a yarn...