Baby Burp Rags

It is funny. The most praise and gratitude I ever received for anything I ever knit came from a pair of baby burp rags that I knit for Wake last year.

Honestly, just the other day, AVB remarked to my mother how useful and wonderful they had been. (Wake no longer needs them, but she had been packing up his baby stuff and came across them.)

The thing is, these were REALLY low-key, brain-free, super fast knitting projects. I used the genius baby pattern out of the first Mason-Dixon book, and two colors of Cottentot yarn by Bernat. They took me a couple of movies each. The main reason I went with burp rags instead of my usual quilt was that AVB, at the time, lived far far away, and I needed something I could mail for cheap.

Lately, with the huge spate of babies being born or about to be born around me, I have been frantically looking for cute sweater patterns, planning baby blankets, baby beanies...lots of teenie tiny things.

Really though, I don't have a lot of time on my hands between school and work. So, why mess with perfection? Baby burp rags may not be all that impressive, but they sure are utilitarian. And most important...they are FAST and EASY!!!!

One baby's down:

A zillion more to go!

Seriously?

Earlier today, I went with Blondie and +H to the Great Mall in Milpitas to shop for a dress for Blondie to wear as "guest book attendant" at an upcoming wedding.

Blondie is not shy. Neither is +H. Nor do they care what people think of them.

As we left Kohl's and walked out into the mall proper, Blondie began to sing. Loud. Top of her lungs loud. And dance.

I believe the song was "Do You Love Me?", but that might have been later. (She sang several times throughout the afternoon.

I on the other hand, trailed after the two of them. Quietly amused. Self-contained. Knitting a sock. (The yarn ball was in my purse.)

People, understandably, were turning to stare as we walked by.

That's when I heard a woman, with a shocked gasp, elbow her boyfriend/husband/brother and say:

"Can you believe her? She's knitting."

...

It might just be me, but in the above situation, which should draw more public censure and criticism? The quiet knitter, or the boisterous teenager?

People are so weird.

Forced Purchases

Confession: There are times when I have purchased yarn, not because I liked it, but because it was the least offensive yarn I could find in a store.

When I go into a new yarn shop for the first time, I often feel as though I am intruding on someone else's territory. All eyes turn to me, and I feel as though I am being judged. Part of this stems from my own personal insecurities and anxiety issues, but part of it is based on fact. I am younger than a lot of knitters, although that is changing as I age and knitting becomes more socially acceptable. Also, as B1 pointed out at Stitches West, I don't exactly look like your run-of-the-mill knitter either. I have been followed in shops because the owner thought I was going to shoplift, I have been questioned, I have been informed that the shop only sells yarn, etc. I have developed a wee bit of a complex.

As a result, now when I go into a new shop, I feel compelled to buy something...anything...to justify my presence there. This isn't easy to do since I am very picky. (Do not laugh...I admit I have a lot of yarn, but I love all of it...imagine how much I would have if I was less discerning!). In the end, I buy yarn that I don't really care for. And it's hard. If I am guilt buying, then I look for yarn that is fairly inexpensive, but not so inexpensive as to be obvious that I am only buying under compulsion. I also look for yarn that comes in skeins large enough to make a scarf, but small enough as to leave NO leftovers.

My most recent forced purchase occurred when I went into the yarn shop in Dublin. I had just moved here, and already had a delightful experience at the Pleasanton shop. Unfortunately, the Dublin shop was a dud. I got the judgemental stares, the following, the constant "can I help you find something?". (Advice to store owners: If I tell you I am just browsing, let me walk around and squish the skeins. I am more likely to impulse buy by touch than by your constant pestering. Asking once is good customer service, asking repeatedly is just annoying.)

On top of the behavior, the yarn just wasn't what I like. Also, it was organized by brand rather than type. Brand organization is even less accessible to me as a knitter than organization by color, which I also dislike! (Note: I don't intend on going back there. I love Knit This, Purl That! which is closer to my house anyway, so why make the effort?)

I had to buy something. I didn't like anything. They didn't even have a good needle selection...so I ended up purchasing this:

Its ok, but not really my thing. I ended up making a scarf out of it using a simple pattern from "Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair." The scarf turned out pretty well. The variation in the weight and texture of the different yarn elements made the stripes droop in places as heavier parts pulled it down. That is annoying. Also, the style of the scarf isn't really my thing. It is going into the gift stash, or perhaps to a consignment shop or something. We'll see. At least I finished it, and my stash now has more room for a wanted yarn.

Packing Projects

I have a really hard time deciding what knitting projects to take on trips with me. I don't want to take too little and be left with nothing to do, but I also don't want to over pack. It is an issue that has been coming up a lot lately.

Last weekend, for example, I went to my brother and sister-in-law's house for one night. I repeat, ONE NIGHT.

I took three projects.

I can justify this though, because not only do I have to take enough projects time-wise, I also have to take enough projects type-wise. Here are things I take into consideration:

Purse Projects: Always need one of those. They must be compact, and can involve some thought, but not tons. Socks work well here too. Purse projects are what I work on when I am in the car with people, in line somewhere, waiting for a bus, chatting at a friend's house, that type of thing. Last weekend it was a coffee cup cozy.

Brain-free Projects: These projects must be able to be done in the dark, and not require looking in any way. This is what I work on during movies, while reading, or while watching tv. They are usually scarves, beanies, or dishcloths. Some purse projects can also, depending on where I am in them, be brain-free...like socks. However, brain-free projects do not have a definite size restriction. Last weekend it was a scarf.

Pattern Projects: These are "involved" and generally require that I have the actual pattern handy and am able to read it. I do this type of knitting while listening to books on tape, lying in bed, or (depending on who I am with)sitting around chatting with people. (My family and some close friends are used to my knitting, and don't mind my not making eye contact while talking...it also works well when I am not actually part of a conversation, just listening to others or watching them play a video game or something.) Also, pattern projects tend to get larger and more unwieldy than the other two types.

Once I have picked a project for each pattern type, I need to take into account the length and nature of my trip. If I am going somewhere for 4 or 5 days, I might need to take more than one purse or brain-free project depending on what the itinerary is. Long plane trips both ways might even call for 2 pattern projects.

I am going back to Brother's house for one night this weekend, and then to the parents' house for 4 days and 2 plane rides next weekend. Better get planning.

Cashmere Mulligan

My favorite yarn store went out of business a couple years ago. But, a la Pollyanna, I found a silver lining. I was able to get the orange variegated cashmere that I had been eyeing for several months at a ridiculously reduced price (not to mention the fact that I was able to use my “frequent customer” gift certificate…).

When I got the yarn home, I literally just sat petting it for a while. I love cashmere. I was very excited because I had recently come across a stitch pattern called “dragon scales.” I love dragon books, and decided to wed my love of cashmere with my love of fantasy and make myself a scarf.

I cast on, and started out enthusiastically, for about 4 inches. Then I set the project aside and never picked it back up. This was over a year ago. I love the yarn. I love the stitch pattern. I do not love them together.

“Dragon Scales” is a semi-intricate/fussy pattern which is not shown off to its best advantage by the yarn’s coloring. Also, I started to realize that I might not have enough yarn to make the scarf a length that I would wear. (I tend to lean toward loooooonnnnngggg scarves.) As I got the yarn on sale from a now defunct LYS, I can’t just go out and buy more…and I can’t really afford to buy more online. So, what to do?

I am taking a Mulligan.

I have known I needed to for a while, but just couldn’t bear to admit defeat. I pride myself on my eye for color and design, and to say that something I envisioned just won’t work is hard. But, it needs to be done. I am unraveling the scarf.

I will still make the dragon scales scarf, but out of a solid colored koigu that I had in my stash. I will still make a scarf out of the cashmere, too, but using an adaptation of the waterfall lace pattern I used on Mom’s Christmas present. (The pattern highlights, rather than fights against, variegation.)

In the end even Superknitters need to admit their fallibility. I tried something. It didn’t work. Being a Superknitter means picking yourself up, moving forward, and not letting beautiful yarn languish due to your own pride.

I Want to be the Yarn Harlot

Apparently, I really DO want to be Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

Not only was I inspired to make the Wunder-Scarf based solely on her samples...she has dictated yet another project.

She mentioned a sweater she wanted to make on her blog, it's called the February Lady. Then she went about discussing all of the spinning, and swatching, and knitting she was doing for said sweater. I thought it looked neat. I thought it was even better after I read the pattern itself.

I went out. I bought the yarn. (It was almost free since I had a full stash card discount to use!)I ended up choosing Cascade 7809. It took 5 balls.

It has been a lovely sweater to work on. I started it just before I left for DC, and got a lot done on the plane. Unfortunately, I didn't find buttons for it at the convention last weekend, but I am keeping my eyes peeled.

I was unable to finish it in February, which had been my goal, due to the amount of school work and time-essential projects I have had. However, it is with great hopefulness that I reset my goal. Now I am wanting to have it done in time to wear when I am back in Seattle for grad school the first weekend in April. Can I do it? Yes I can!

B1's Birthday Beret

B1's birthday beret is finally finished! And only 3 months after her actual birthday! Actually, it isn't as bad as it sounds. We didn't get a chance to buy the yarn for it until the convention a couple weeks ago. So, it has actually only taken me 2 weeks to make. That's amazing considering the end of quarter projects and everything that I've had going on.

She wanted it done before her trip to FL. It is done before her trip to FL. That's all that matters.

As to the particulars: I made "Le Slouch." It's a great pattern that I got off Wendy Bernard's blog. It is one of her freebies, and is actually amazing to make. It is well written, very stylish, fairly easy, and fun. I appreciated that a lot of it was "brain-free" knitting...knit seed stitch in the round for 4 inches or so, for example. This made it great for American Idol night or school lectures.

The yarn was purchased, as I mentioned earlier, when we went to the Stitches West Convention. It is Full Thread Ahead's 100% Merino Jewels DK in Garnet. It had a great color and feel, but not the right weight, so I actually knit with two strands held together at once. The only tricky bit was after I had used all of the first 2 balls, since the whole thing only took three. I had to divide the last one in half, kind of a pain...but worth it.

B1 had asked for a beret a la Kirsten Dunst in Elizabethtown. I think that I was able to deliver that. The beret is slouchier than I had originally intended (even though I quit knitting after 5 inches instead of the 6 in the pattern), but she was happy, so I am happy.