What is going on around here?!

It's been pretty busy over at Casa Unskeined recently. I have a lot I've been meaning to blog about, but work has kept me so freaking busy lately. Let's talk about that first.

1. When the recent snow storms hit NYC, I was very lucky to miss them. Instead, I was on a business trip. The good news, it was right on the beach. The bad news, I was only down there for a total of about 24 hrs. Bleh. Luckily, I didn't fly JetBlue. The co-workers of mine who did were stuck down there for two extra days after already checking out of the hotel! I flew Continental, and not only didn't have a problem, but I lucked out and got to board an earlier flight into Newark! Yippee!! I have a lot of problems with Continental, but at least they get you where you're going.

The view from my hotel room:



Where I spent all my time:



Again, bleh. I'm back now for a week, and then have to go on one of my twice-annual UK business trips. This time, I convinced Spanky to come with me, so we're taking a few extra days to do some touristy things. But can you say "burned out"? The travel season is in full swing for me. Look for more trips to come.

2. I fell off the yarn-diet wagon. Yes, that was quick. No, it is not insurmountable. I know, because I went to a yarn store again today, and walked out without buying anything. I'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, my friend at work wanted me to teach her to knit so that she could make legwarmers. I took her to the LYS near our office, and she picked out two skeins of Cascade 220 and some needles. I figure I'll teach her to knit and purl, and to change colors, and once she's mastered a 1x1 rib, I'll let her go to knit two big rectangles, and then I'll show her how to seam them up. I don't have time to show her how to knit in the round.

Anyway, something came over me when I was in the store. It was insurmountable, but at least I stayed focused on the projects I was planning for the immediate future. I bought three skeins of Berroco's Touche, because it is just fabulous for baby things, and one skein of some silly novelty yarn that I'm planning on using with the Touche at some point. Two of the skeins are red, and I'm planning to use them to make something for my friend Ilene's baby, and one was blue. I already knit a hat out of the blue for one of the babies at work, and I'm using the rest of the skein and one left over from the other baby project to make the mittens from the Natural Knits for Babies and Moms book to go with the hat.

Once I got back to my office, I had a bit of buyer's remorse, but I'm going to use this stuff pretty quickly, so no worries. Much. Eh. Everyone needs a get-out-of-jail free card. And I always knew that I would have to break down and buy stuff for specific projects since my stash is so bizarre. I have a collection of one and two skeins of different yarn.

I also just bought some Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton in Nut for another impending baby. I'm telling you, they just keep coming!

3. Between the travel and the babies, much actual finished knitting was accomplished in the last week or so:

First, the baby knitting. The hat and booties were from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms, and the baby arm warmers were from an LJ knitting community post, the link for which I no longer have. The booties/armwarmers were knit from vintage acrylic from the stash, and the hat was from the Touche. I believe they were all knit on US 6s. I changed the hat pattern to be done in the round and did it entirely on dpns. The armwarmers were likewise done in the round and have a thumb hole for the little baby thumb. I did a very rough blanket stitch around the thumb hole so that no little thumbs would be unnecessarily yanked.



I still have to finish mittens to go with the hat, which will be going to one boy baby at work, and maybe a hat to go with the the booties/armwarmers for the other boy.

I'm still working on Spanky's second Regia sock, but oh my god is it boring. I've turned the heel, and the foot part of it just keeps going and going forever. It is on US 1s, and they're metal, so I didn't want to chance the air travel, because for my overnight trip, I didn't check my suitcase. Instead, I cast on for this:



This is the Interweave Knits Lacy Hair Tamer, from a free pattern (Fall 2004) on their website. Unfortunately, there is no way for me to wear this gracefully with my shorter hair, so I think I'll be gifting it. It was made on bamboo US 2s with Cascade 220 in this gorgeous blue heathered color. I finished almost the whole thing on my trip, and just had to graft it together and weave in the ends when I got home. I did a regular 3 needle bind off, because I didn't understand their directions. I suppose I could have used the kitchener stitch, but I still don't really know how to do that, so I just opted for the big seam down the middle. I actually like it. You can't see it in the picture though, because it is right at the top. Good airplane knitting. I highly recommend the pattern.

4. Today was my 6th anniversary with my Spanky. This is now officially the longest relationship I've ever been in. I am still very much in love, so I guess things are working out. Keeping things going with someone is so much harder than starting things up. I'm so lucky to have someone who makes it easier by being so patient and easy-going and loving. Plus, it doesn't hurt that her skin smells better than anything on this earth. Ha. Anyway, she even voluntarily went with me to Knit NY today looking for that aforementioned Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton yarn. They didn't have it, but they suggested Araucania Nature Cotton, which felt very nice, but was $10 a skein! It only has 105 yards, where the BSA has 150+ yards, so I passed. I also didn't buy any Koigu, even though it was 20% off. So yay me. See? Yarn diet in full effect. Anyway, when I got home, I discovered that you can buy a bag of 10 skeins of the Araucania Nature Cotton here for $60! So I'm glad I didn't cave. I ended up ordering the BSA cotton from Kpixie.com, which had the lowest prices and gives 10% off with your first order. And that will be knitted into a baby blanket and hat from Natural Knits. Man, I wasn't kidding when I said this would be the only baby book I ever needed. I guess once I knit all the patterns I might have to move on, but I love them so much.

5. I'm not perfect* update:



I meant to post this a long time ago, but what with the conference in FL, and my ungrateful assistant quitting (moving on up, is more like it), I just haven't had the energy. This lovely photo documents the two bags of books that have been sitting in front of the front door for about 6 months now, or half the time we've lived in this apartment, waiting to be donated to the local church, which holds a book sale to raise money every weekend and loves donations. I have three more bags like this in my office that I optimistically thought I would donate to Housing Works. Did I? No, they're still in my freaking office, taking up space and junking the place up.

*I'm not perfect is a photo meme started by Natalie at Keeping Me in Stitches

6. Finally, just a reminder that it was fashion week recently in Bryant Park, which is near my office. Too bad I never get to see these things live. Here's the highlight from the Benjamin Cho show. Fantastic!

Spring Interweave Knits 2007

I can't WAIT until the new IK is delivered!! I've been really craving a new knitting magazine. There are a lot of projects that I really like. I don't know if I'll ever get around to knitting them, but they are really great for inspiration. I love flipping through old issues, and I'm sure that this one will be no different.

Projects I like a LOT:

1. Dollar and a Half Cardigan, Veronik Avery--this one is better in the bonus photos--there is a lot more to it. It would probably look better in a lighter color so it doesn't look so 80s.

2. Swan Lake Cardigan, Joan Mcgowan-Michael--I'm not sure what the 'cardigan' part of this looks like, but it is so pretty! I love it just as it is. I also think it would be a good chance to use that ruffly tape-stuff. Cute!

3. Slanted Neck Pullover, Kate Gilbert--I have read a few things online about people not liking the slanting neck, but I really love it. I could wear this to work, and it would fit the sort of skewed, artsy aethetic of my office.

4. Tea Rose Halter Top, Wenlan Chia--honestly, I don't know quite WHY I like this one, and I'm not sure I'd ever actually WEAR it, but it's so pretty, and I know I'd love knitting it. Probably not in that color though.

5. Clementine Shawlette, Michele Rose Orne--I love, love, love this one, in the same Blue Sky Alpaca Silk. This will be very good for the office in the summer when they have the air conditioning down real low.

6. Cable Down Raglan, Stephanie Japel--Stephanie Japel is such a talented designer. I have loved watching her designs evolve, and I really, really love this one. I would love to try it at some point. Once I'm buying yarn again.

Things I like with reservations:

1. Ribs and Lace Tank, Jodi Green--This looks great from behind, but from the front, you can see how heavy it really is. I'm not sure how it would look on a real person as opposed to styled on a model. It is definitely cute. I'm just not sure how practical it is.

2. Green Tea Raglan, Cathy Payson--This is sort of the reverse of the Dollar and a Half Cardigan. It looks great in the main photo,but in the bonus photos, you can see the texture of the piece, and I don't think I like that as much.

3. Cocktail Capelet, Rosy Tucker--This is very cute, but what exactly is it for? Where does one wear something like this?

4. Merry Maiden's Dress, Gryphon Perkins--Cute, cute, cute! I know my neice would love this, but it might be too hot for Florida. It would be a good exercise in finding appropriate yarn sustitutions to find something appropriate for the hot climate down there, but I doubt I'll get around to this. Ever.

In the HELL NO column, there is:

1. Bonsai Tunic, Nora Gaughan--I just don't like this. I don't like the neckline, or the drawstring, or the pattern. I don't know... bleh.

2. Indigo Ripples Skirt, Kat Coyle--I sort of liked this in the main picture, but in the bonus photo you can see how high that lace part goes up and hello, thighs! So, no freaking way.

3. Eyelet Rib Bandeau, Katy Ryan--I'm sorry but without that t-shirt under it, there is no way this thing is staying up. WTF? This is a very strange garment.

4. Keyhole Top, Kate Gilbert--This just goes to show you that everyone has an off day. If I wore this my back fat would be on open display. Um, NO.

5. Angela's Apron, Carrie Bostick Hoge--I guess there's nothing else to say about this one.

6. Petunia Tote, Katie Himmelberg--I like the idea of this bag, but I don't like the shapeless sack construction of it. I would never use this.


Everything else, the pillow, the socks, the man's sweater, etc. are fine, and good to have on file for maybe projects later. I would probably not make them (except maybe that lace shrug in the staff projects--that looks kind of cute, actually), but they're nice to look at.

I'm not perfect!

I thought my first entry for Natalie's "I'm not perfect" photo meme (in which contributors share all the ways they aren't perfect) would be out on time. I even took the pictures before I left for work on Thursday because I thought I would have time to update at work, but I was slammed with the end-of-week stuff we had to do. Then I thought I would do it that night, but a group of people went out for drinks after work, and I was exhausted by the time I got home, even though it wasn't very late. Then Friday, we had 'cleaning day' at work, which happens once a year or so. We have to stop our regular work and concentrate on purging files and cleaning our areas of excessive paper. I thought I could slip back to my office and do the entry, but NO DICE. Our office manager was on patrol, and anyone not cleaning was chastised. During the course of the day I got a huge migraine, so again, by the time i got home, I was thoroughly exhausted. So! That brings us to today!

It is beautiful out today--chilly, but sunny. I've taken the dog for her walk, put some clothes in the wash, and am sitting here trying to get this done before something else distracts me.

I thought I would start off this whole thing by showing you my messy knitting corner. Now, I've seen knitting or crafting rooms on other blogs that put this little mess to shame, but my corner is in the living room, not in a separate space. There are a lot of small tools involved in knitting! That's really my downfall. I get stuff out to swatch with or I use them on a project and they never actually make it back to the storage room. They just remain in my knitting basket.



Anyway, it always looks like this. I try and try to clean it up, and inevitably a couple of days later, it is this messy again. The blanket on the couch is for the evenings when it is cold, but it never gets put away. The basket on the side table is full of needles, stitch markers, needle packaging, various cords, etc. The towels on the other table are left over from washing sweaters last weekend. I didn't put the towels back because I need them again this week when I finish washing the rest of my sweaters. If you click through to the flickr description, there's a lot fuller list of all the crap there, in case you are really curious.

When we first got together, I think Spanky really minded the mess, but now she's kind of grown used to it. I'm not a dirty person, just messy. I think it is because I'm easily distracted in the middle of things, yet don't like to abandon tasks without finishing them, which just means that they hang around in various unfinished forms forever. I can't be alone in this, right?

Finally, I'll just leave you with a picture of Stella in the snow. All of that snow is gone now but she really loved it. It makes her want to run around like crazy. She's wearing her new winter coat. To my eternal shame, I have not yet had a chance to knit her a sweater.