Bangle House

Back on Track

Okay, I took a little vacation from knitting and blogging because I just wasn't feeling it, but now I'm back.  To try to get myself a little more enthusiastic about my knitting, I cast on a number of projects, hoping that one of them would grab me. Here's what I've got going.

Plain ol' 3x1 ribbed socks using Zitron Life Style.

Meh.

A Debbie Bliss baby dress using DB Rialto, which I fear I'll have to frog because the bottom garter-stitch hem is curling up, and I don't think that can be blocked out. 

Yarn substitutions--not always all they're cracked up to be.

Simple stole, the Heartland Shawl, from Folk Shawls, using a bunch of Koigu I bought on sale years ago. 

This will be quite a long-term project and is inspired by all the baby blankets I've made of Koigu for other people which, upon feeling the slinkiness after blocking, I always wish I could keep for myself.  It's kind of a big baby blanket for the big baby of this house--me.

And, finally, another long-term project:  a girly log-cabin blanket made of Rowan Summer Tweed.  I've loved the colors and texture of this yarn for years but could never figure out what I wanted to do with it.  Then the idea of a log cabin blanket hit me, and I think it's going to turn out great.

My only concern is that the two shades of medium-dark purple are so similar.  The problem is that the three shades tht I've used are the only shades of purple in the ST palette, so I think I'm stuck.  I could ditch one of them and go for a neutral on the outer purple edge, but I'm not too crazy about that idea.  There's also a red berry shade that I might be able use in the middle, bumping the middle winey square to the purple side and going from there, but I think that would upset the pink/purple balance.  I'll probably just stick with the similar purples, which look more distinct up close than they do from a distance.

Opinions, anyone?

One down, one soon to follow

Yes, I do work on lingering WIPs every now and then.  I finally blocked the Shoalwater Shawl.  It feels great and is knit well, but it's not exactly inspiring me to come up with great photos.  Draping it over a chair is pretty much all I could come up with.

Another angle.

That stripe just screams at you , doesn't it?  I wish I'd at least thought to use it at the edge.  What I really wish is that the whole shawl were that vibrant.  That skein definitely had the best color.

The next longstanding WIP I'm plugging away at is the Ruched Throw.  All I have left is embroidering little "X"'s across alternating rows.  It's tedious and each row takes about 40 minutes, but the result is definitely worth it.  I'm making myself do one row a day in hopes of having it done in a month or so.

It gives the blanket a more finished, cozy, and well-crafted look.  If it looks crazy soft, it's because it is.  After taking it on a couple of test runs, I'm pleased to report that it naps well.  Soft against the skin and just enough weight for summer.  I love Rowanspun and really wish Rowan hadn't discontinued it.  If anyone finds similar yarn elsewhere, please let me know.

And now for a quick public service reminder:  Please make sure that your computer is heavily protected against viruses, spyware, and other malware.  I've spent the better part of the week dealing with getting rid of a Google Hijacking bug, and it hasn't been fun.  In the meantime, I've learned lots about computer security, including the fact that despite thinking I was protected, I was terribly exposed.  Make sure you have antivirus protection (one good program is what you need, although it probably won't catch everything), spyware protection (different programs protect differently -- choose several that complement each other), a good firewall (an external router alone is NOT enough!), and that you regularly download Microsoft updates and service packs if you're using MS products.

Also, you used to be able to get a feeling of security using Firefox as a web browser instead of Explorer.  Well, those days are over.  The hackers have moved on and hit Firefox now too.  Right now I'm using Apple's browser, Safari, since the other two browsers have been more or less disabled by the bug.  In all my research on the Google Hijacking virus, it seems that Safari has pretty much been untouched -- for now. 

I'm working with someone to get rid of this virus, and I'm confident that we'll do it.  However, as I've been installing deeper and deeper of levels of protection and scanning more and more, I've been surprised at all the stuff that was detected and killed that I never knew was sitting there.  As I've learned, software alone cannot take care of things all by itself -- you need to be vigilant too. 

UFO Roll Call

As a result of tearing through the house on a cleaning rampage, I have unearthed numerous unfinished objects that had been tossed this way and that as I'd reached a point where they bored or frustrated me.  As I seek to bring order to as much as of my life as I can stand, I'm going to list them here and make it my goal to have all of these finished up by Labor Day.

Hmmm, let me rethink that.  How about if I HOPE to have all but two finished by Labor Day, because I'm still having a hard time getting excited about the mitts and the Wine Country socks. 

Yes, that's very do-able -- and I can still cast on a few new projects at the same time.

Before I begin listing them all, I did manage to finish the Oak Ribbed Socks during Game 5 of the Finals.  I think you'll agree that they turned out beautifully.  Thank you, Kaffe Fassett -- I couldn't have done this without you.

Now, so much for my victory lap.  Let's take a look at my current cast of UFO's:

The Koigu Reversible Rib Scarf:  Cast on a couple of days ago as a no-brainer project to work on while watching the Lakers getting decimated in the last game of the NBA finals.  I didn't want to work too hard, and neither, apparently, did they.  At least I'm getting a scarf out of the deal.  They're just getting ridiculed.

The Column of Leaves Scarf:  I finally memorized the stitch pattern and should be done knitting it any day now. The blocking, however, will be another matter.

Raglan Baby Sweater with Collar (size:  3-6 months):  I completed this easy-to-knit sweater a couple of years ago, made a special trip to buy the buttons, and then never sewed them on.  Why not?  What's wrong with me?!  I'll finish this one up tomorrow morning.  My lack of motivation may have something to do with the fact that all the baby girls I've known who were born within the last two years arrived in the spring, therefore not in need of a little sweater, regardless of how cute it is.

Chevron Lace Baby Blanket:  Knit this about a year ago with some Koigu I bought on sale, figuring that I'd need it for a baby girl sooner or later.  The time has come -- now I must block it, weave in the ends, and ship it off to upstate New York.

Picnic Rug:  I'm really not looking forward to joining these squares, no matter how much I want the finished product.

Wine and Roses Mitts:  Wow, forgot about these.  Made from Jade Sapphire Cashmere, they seem to have felted by themselves just by sitting neglected.  Sure are soft, though.  I'll be glad to have them this winter; so I should get on them.  I need to finish the thumb on this one and then make the second.

Ruched Throw:  All done with the knitting, and it's so soft and snuggly -- I just love it.  All that I need to do is to embroider little "X"s in blue along the ridges.  It will look so much prettier that way, but it's not going to be fun.  I'm still not sure how I'm going to do it.  Unfortunately, sticking it on the shelf with the blue ball of yarn on top of it will not entice it to embroider itself.  I know because I've tried that for the past year.  Looks like it's gonna be up to me.

Mona Socks:  No apologies here.  I'm on top of this one.  No picture, either, as I've not worked on them since I last showed them to you a few days ago.

Shoalwater Shawl:  Got the blocking wires.  Now I just need to find the time and the space to block it.

 
Wine Country Socks:  Ugh.  These leave a bad taste in my mouth.  They were the best part of a sock yarn club I regret having joined, and even so, this "exclusive" colorway is almost exactly like one I already have.  Then the pattern turned out to have a little error, and I threw a little tantrum and tossed them in the closet.  I'm not sure if I'm going to complete these.  As you can see, I won't have wasted much time if I don't.

Well, that pretty much sums it up.  I think I have one other UFO in the closet, but I'm not sure where it is.  No matter -- these should keep me busy for a while.  I look forward to reporting progress in this space soon.

And if you haven't done this in a while yourself, I highly recommend it.  There's a feeling of accomplishment in taking stock of unfinished projects and either wrapping them up or wiping them out -- even if nothing has really changed yet.

One shawl, DONE!

The knitting on this thing is done:

I'm getting  used to the stripes -- no, really, I am.  Per Paula's suggestion, I'm regarding them as a design element, and it's working for me.  I think it will look even better once it's blocked.

As to that, I've settled on blocking wires from HandWorks.   If they're still available (I've sent an email inquiring), I'll have to order them via mail instead of directly via the Internet.  That means it will be a few weeks before I'm blocking.  That's fine, because now that I'm done with the shawl, I can go back to. . .

SOCKS!!

First up will be a pair of Monkeys for Round 4 of the Monkey Sock Swap.  I won't be able to show those until my swap partner has received them; so you won't be seeing a lot of knitting here in the meantime.  Too bad, because these monkeys are going to be beautiful!  I'm really pleased with the yarn I chose for them. 

Here's an update on the leaf scarf:  I'm about halfway done.  I finally have the pattern memorized; so it's progressing much more quickly than before, and this makes it much more fun to knit.  I hate having to constantly consult charts or instructions.  Life is always better once I've memorized the pattern and can just knit. 

I'll leave you with a little viola plant that popped up spontaneously under the orange tree. 

A few others have made their homes in the cracks of my patio.  No objections here:  The violas are far easier on the eyes than the spurge which usually ends up in those places.