cosmicpluto knits!

I think I was feeling really lost about my knitting projects because I was just so bored with doing the same ones for so long! Cast on for something new and it just speeds along - the 5.5 mm needles probably help, too.

Friday morning…

Saturday morning…

And this, well, afternoon since I got up so late…

It’s just a simple top-down cardigan - it’s going to be short, because I’m light on yarn, but I’ve got an idea for the shape that I’m hoping will work out. We’ll see - I wanted to do the sleeves first so I could use up every last scrap of yarn for the body! I’m now done that second sleeve and I’m moving on the body.

I love the yarn, too - it’s Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran, and while I know it isn’t going to wear very well, it’s awfully soft! Mmmmm.

In other yarn news,

Socks that Rock lightweight in our very own “lettuce knit” colourway is in at the store! A pretty decent amount of yarn came, but it’s going fast - if you want one by mail order, give me a call (number’s on the website) and I’ll see what I can do!

Well, it’s rather late and I meant to post earlier - but then I got all caught up in watching Doctor Who (the new series; I’m on season 2 and rather starting to like David Tennant) and here I am.

I seem to have gotten back some of my knitting mojo of late - I think I was just tired of everything I was knitting, but really needed to do it anyway! I’ve cast on for 2 new projects and they’re both going nice and quick. Photos of them soon.

What I really came by to tell you about are some (rather random) print happenings for me!

First up, I’ve got a pattern in Shannon Okey’s new book, alt fiber - it’s a long jacket in linen stitch, knit with hemp. Yeah, that took awhile. I don’t have any photos at the moment but hopefully Shannon will be able to send some over!

Next up, totally unbeknownst to me until I read the magazine, I got shout outs in the article on knitting in Canada! From the most famous knitter. Pays to know people! (Thanks dude. I totally owe you homemade peanut butter cups.)

ETA: Oops, I don’t know how I didn’t say the magazine! It’s the fall 2008 Vogue Knitting!

Second mention in the same article, about Canadian bloggers…hey! I know those other names! (And one in particular who isn’t Canadian - I wonder where they got that from?!)

I’m so happy to be making a bit of an impact, and so glad that there’s such a great community of knitters. I don’t know where I’d be without you!

Really Must Stop Looking At Yarn!!

(Although if you like the colour of Silk Garden that I used for Rayne, it’s on sale at Littleknits under the word “looking” above :p)

Must not buy yarn! It’s tough when there are such pretty things out there, but I have GOT to save some money to spend across the pond. Also, I really, really, really don’t need any more yarn. I’ve got plenty. And I have lots of knitting to concentrate on for the time being.

I got all the way to the midpoint of the edging of the Mooi shawl (actual name: Niji Baby Cable Shawl) when I realized that something was off. Sigh.

I’d made a mistake wayyy back in the first pattern repeat (there are 17 on one side of the shawl). It bothered me enough that I ripped the edging all the way back and redid it. The shawl is a store sample, too, so I didn’t want it to look wrong! When I got to the middle again…still off. But only by 2 stitches, so I was able to fudge it a bit. Finished shawl photos soon!

Since that’s about it for the knitting, how about some food?

The now-infamous NY Times chocolate chip cookies:

It was a good time to make them this past weekend because my sister was having birthday parties (multiple!) so there were lots of people around to eat them! I made the dough on Saturday morning and baked some that night (7 hr chill), some the next night (32 hr chill) and some just last night (umm…50ish hour chill?). I must say that I wasn’t super blown away. I mean, it was a good cookie, maybe a great cookie, but the best ever? I don’t know. Anyway, they’re still really good.

Dinner Sunday night: tempura-style fried okra, spaghetti in roasted Ontario tomato sauce with goat cheese. Mmmm!

I’ve been spending pretty much all my time this week more or less like this:

Insert Doctor Who and some Stargate:Atlantis in for the
Dr. Horrible (which is SO awesome by the way, you should all go watch it) and the Mooi shawl in for the pink thermal, and that’s today.

Thanks for all the well wishes for my ankle - it’s definitely better, the swelling’s gone down a fair bit and I’m hobbling around okay (although still resting! of course!). I’m aiming to be back at work on Monday, although I might leave Tuesday in Natalie’s capable hands! We’ll see - I’m probably in no shape to be standing around in the dye studio next week.

Despite all the resting and sitting around time, I’m getting surprisingly little done in the way of work! I’m knitting the edging of the Mooi shawl now, and it’s coming along nicely.

I like that it’s knitted in along the edge. It’s pretty!

I’ve also been writing a number of lists -

At the end of the month I’m headed out on a jet plane to visit with Ysolda! You might remember she came and stayed with me back in May, so now it’s my turn. I’ll admit I’m apprehensive about the trip, mostly the flying - I’m not a great flyer and it’ll be the longest one I’ve been on! Across water and stuff! Yikes!

I’m flying in and out of Edinburgh, but in between we’ll be taking some trips to London and Paris - we’ve got some accommodation in London, but we could still use some for a couple nights in both cities. Hostel recommendations, offerings of couches? Would be awesomely appreciated!

Suggestions of things to do in each city would be fantastic too! We’ll definitely be hitting up iknit day in London on the 6th, but other than that, I think we pretty open to recommendations!

Well, I finished up the February Baby Sweater - my mom thought it looked too small, but the baby’s pretty darn small (she’s up to 7 pounds at one month old, she was a few weeks premature). I think it’ll fit just fine!

I gave it to the newest baby in the family last night at a family bbq, and the parents seemed to quite like it - I don’t have many babies to give stuff to, so it was nice! I didn’t get to finish up a hat that I was making to go with, but oh well.

Unfortunately just when I was heading into the backyard at my aunt’s to hang up my bathing suit (the pool was great!) I tripped and totally fell down.

And twisted my ankle. D’oh.

I took this photo after about fifteen minutes lying in the grass with a bag of frozen peas on my ankle (my left - it’s hidden by the towel and peas) and it’s not great, but whatever. I was in pain, man. I can hobble around okay, I don’t think it’s broken - but I’m off to the doctor’s to probably get some xrays and stuff. Last night I just kept it up, wrapped, and with ice on it, so I don’t think it’s too horribly swollen.

But judging by the ache this morning when I got up to go to the bathroom, I think I’m outta commission for a few days. Sigh. Usually I’m so careful with the walking to avoid just this!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I had a good day, and got some nice pressies (from others and from myself!), including a gorillapod and some new filters. Cool. And just a little yarn - Stephanie gave me one of her Tour de Fleece skeins (she blogged about it here). Isn’t it pretty? Now I just have to figure out what to make with it!

I just realized the other day that the party for a new baby girl in my family is coming up on Monday - so oops, I’d better get knitting! The parents are punky tattoo artists, and the mum (who is my cousin) wanted black and/or cats. I decided on the February Baby sweater in a gorgeous black…I figure the lace will offset the blackness a little.

It’s not quite as blue as in this photo, but it’s definitely a little bluey - the yarn is Dream in Color smooshy in Black Parade. Being sock yarn, of course, this is coming out a little smaller than prescribed, but the baby was a few weeks premature.

Man, baby things can be pretty darn quick! Right now I’m finishing up the first sleeve, so I should be able to finish off the knitting tonight. I want to do a little hat, too. Probably a kitty hat.

I do like the lace quite a bit. This little sweater is fun - I can see why so many people have knit it! I did change it a little - instead of knitting the sleeves back and forth, I just put the sleeve stitches on waste yarn and carried on like any other top-down raglan.

In other news, I decided to get in on the whole 365 thing - one self-portrait a day for a year. I think it’ll be fun, and a great way to document in an everyday sort of way! You can follow it, if you’re so inclined, on Flickr.

It’s my birthday today (August 1) and I’m saying good-bye to 23 - it was a very weird, up and down kind of year. Hello, 24 - I hope you’re a good year.

And, well, it’s starting off with a bang! It’s been awhile in the making (not that long in publishing terms, I think) and even when it came out for pre-order on Amazon I didn’t say anything. But hey, it’s my birthday, what better day to announce that…

I wrote a book!

Teach Yourself Visually Sock Knitting (Amazon.com link) comes out in September! (Here’s a link for my fellow Canucks.)(And one for the Brits.)

(But if you wait a little bit and order it from lettuce knit, I’ll sign it for you!)

I’m freaked out, people. But assomeone gently reminded me the other night, it’s too late now to worry about it!

So all I can say is, I hope there are still knitters out there who want to learn how to knit socks, need a new sock reference, want some new sock patterns (there are a dozen of ‘em), or, y’know, just want to buy my book!

My first book. Freaky.

Ahem. Did I say more blogging? Maybe I really meant less blogging. Or perhaps I overlooked the fact that when one works eight days or so in a row…one doesn’t really have time for the blogging. Get up, go to work, come home, dinner, tv, knit, bed, repeat. My two-hour-a-day commute doesn’t exactly help things, either. (Although I have been getting some reading done on the ride home. I’ve been attacking this pile.)

Both pairs of shoes have gone to new homes, and I bought another pair of Fluevogs, in red of course! They’re having a huge sale - I had my eye on those shoes already, but then they were 30% off! Can’t beat that.

I’m rather boring these days what with the working, but I’m counting on some much-needed crafting time this weekend. I really want to make some new skirts, maybe a top or two as well. I did manage to sew up an infinity dress for a friend this evening, using a gorgeous chocolate bamboo jersey - I even learned a few things from the first time and it came out super! I’ll try to get a photo in the morning. Being at the sewing machine again did give me a little bit of a kick - it’s so fast and gratifying. Must. Sew.

To those emailing about the Baby Thermal pattern, I’m hard at work on it. The Baby version (up to 2 years) is pretty well done, but the Child/Youth version (up to size 12) is still on the needles. Soon, soon. I really want to get it done and out there!

In other super-random knitting news, I just realized that the party for my newly-arrived cousin/niece (the daughter of my cousin…first cousin once removed? niece is easier) is early next week and I have not knit a stitch! I’m going to try and bust out a quick little sweater and hat, so there’d better be some finished projects on this here blog soon!

I’ll leave you with a beauty shot of the Mooi shawl I’ve been working on - it’s darker than in this photo, but so luminous.

There will be no yellow jersey for me this year! I’ve totally failed in my attempt at the Tour de Fleece.

Well, to be fair, I did set my sights rather high - recall this photo. I’d estimate that I still have at least a pound of fiber left - and I’ve been spinning hard, dudes. Today (Friday) was the first day off I’ve had since last Monday, and every day that I was at the store, I spun on one of the store wheels.

I made quite a dent in the last week, really, especially with the Woolee Winder…but I’ve still got more fiber! It’s like the neverending fleece. That there photo is of 13 balls of various weights, since several (4) were done on a Louet, which has a huge bobbin.

I did spin a bit today and managed another bobbin’s worth, and I might be able to spin another tomorrow. But that still won’t bring me quite all the way. And then there’s all the plying to do. I’m not that deterred, really, because I still want to finish up this project! It feels like I’ve devoted so much time to it that it would be stupid to stop now. I’ll be spinning until it’s done!

After the spinning and plying (I’m going to do a three ply), then comes some knitting…I’m thinking a coat-type sweater, maybe in a dense, flat stitch like a herringbone. I could even sew a lining or something. It’s going to be a lot of yardage, so I’ll have options!

Want knitting? Skip to the end.

The beans have really popped! I harvested by first beans today - a good handful of Royal Burgundy and Provider bush beans. I sauteed them briefly in a little olive oil, then sprinkled them with salt and downed them right quick. Yum. About ten minutes from plant to mouth. I love growing things.

Other stuff in the garden is going crazy too - this is actually two zucchini plants. They’re huge! No fruit yet, but I’m hoping for soon.

I also finally have a couple of teeny tomatoes. Things have been so slow this year, but my tomato plants are starting to outgrow their cages and they look super.

Two weeks ago or so I planted some rainbow chard in a pot - it’s still very tiny, but it won’t take too long for it to get a whole lot bigger (I hope).

On a completely unrelated topic, I’ve got some awesome (lightly worn) shoes for sale that I’m hoping someone out there can use -

Dansko Mylas - brown, women’s size 38. I loved these shoes, but they just didn’t love me and my orthotics. Danskos rule! Click on the photo for more info. I paid $120, asking $65 including shipping to the US or Canada.

Adbusters Blackspots - the “World’s Most Ethical Shoes”, apparently - they look similar to Converse Allstars, but with a hemp upper, handdrawn logo and sweet spot, and are built in a union shop in Portugal. They also feel more substantial than Chucks, with a lot more cushioning in the sole.

Women’s size 7 - they turned out to be a little too small for me, but I’m totally going to buy a bigger pair because they’re really cool and comfy. I paid $90 Canadian, asking $50 USD including shipping. You can tell they’re very lightly worn because the toe caps are still white!

Email me if you’re interested in either pair - they’re great shoes, and I’m sad that they didn’t work out for me! I have such trouble buying shoes, sigh. Does anyone have recommendations for shoes that work okay with orthotics (preferably with a removable insole) and are somewhat stylish?

Still with me? Want some eye candy?

I’m knitting a sample shawl for the store out of Louet Mooi - apparently it’s pronounced “moi”, but I keep thinking “mooey” in my head. It’s bison, bamboo and cashmere, and pretty spendy…but this red colour is gorgeous and it’s working up really nicely!