I have a second eye

Maybe I was a bit overconfident about my Rowan project, the one with the pretty picture in my last post. I substituted a different yarn for the crazy expensive Rowan one that pattern calls for. That isn't unusual, really. There was the small problem of the row gauge. It didn't match. I was knitting away, all those little stitches, on the first sleeve when I decided to measure it. It was already too long and I still had many increases to go. Whoops. This has happened to me before, when I made Lewis's Classy Drug Rug. Fortunately, they fit him, but since I don't have crazy long ape arms I had to tear the sleeve out. Back to the drawing board.
This just gives me the excuse I needed to get started on the beautiful Isabella. At seven stitches to the inch, it's slow moving. So, far I've knitted the picot hem. Picot hems aren't as hard as I had previously believed. The pattern row, with all of its yarn overs and k2togs was a breeze. The purl row after it though was a slippery affair. We'll see how I feel about it when I start work on the front. I made the hem while under the influence of a few glasses of pino grigio. As a result, I have a slightly slanted hem. I maintain that it will block out, but even if it doesn't, I find it amusing enough not to rip out and fix. It's not so bad as to be noticeable to anyone else.
Oh, all of that white wine? My tolerance for alcohol has returned, quite mysteriously, so I partook of the free wine at the latest opening night party. I hadn't been drunk in a long time and really enjoyed it without making an ass of myself. The lack of sleep and resulting hangover the next day, not so much. Oh, the self pity.

Despite my much-stated goal to do so, I haven't been sleeping in. My body just wakes up when it pleases. Oh well. Also, I am feeling much more industrious these days. I have to do something productive during the day. Today, I started seaming together my nearly completed Jemima sweater. If I don't finish it soon, it will be too warm to wear!

I've also started another project, inspired by the recent button discovery. It is this Rowan, 50s inspired polo-neck sweater, in a lively teal tweed yarn. I really adore this book and would love to make several of the projects within. We'll see how this one turns out first. The sweater knits at 5 1/2 stitches to the inch, a bit finer than most of my other projects. The resulting fabric is very light, so the finished garment won't feel like a cold climate sweater, but a nice piece of knitwear. I'm a real fan of the big, cozy sweater, but it's nice to move away from that to make more refined pieces.

The warmer weather has inspired me to make something Spring-y. I decided upon the Lexie Barnes design in the latest issue of Knitty, a light cotton pullover with lily of the valley lace around the neckline. I've also decided to make some alterations. Her pattern features wingy shoulders edged in picot. I don't do wingy, and I think twice about sleeveless. So, I'm going to add sleeves, probably three quarter length ones, but maybe full length. Once Jemima is finished, I will start on it.

I've already got the yarn! I ordered a mill pack of Rowan 4 ply cotton, in this sophisticated light mauve. I wanted a color that would go well with the lace design, but not too pastel to wear in other seasons. My mailman left a slip saying that he had attempted to deliver the parcel, when he hadn't even knocked on the door when delivering the mail. One of the clerks at the post office freely admitted that he probably didn't even have the package with him when he left the slip. The package was not large, heavy, or awkward.

I had a nice, low-key birthday. I spent much of it hanging out in the bookstore and just walking around. I saw all sorts of things that I never noticed while riding the bus through that neighborhood, like a Scottish bar and a creperie. Further investigation of both establishments may be required. I also took myself out for brunch, where I fielded several congratulatory calls and many, many text messages. It was special without a big fuss.

I found these buttons hidden away in a safe place. I think that they belonged to my great-grandmother and date from the early twentieth century. They're perfect for my ladylike Rowan project coming up, in a teal silk blend tweed. It's so satisfying to find just the right thing hiding in your stash!


These are for my current work in progress, my second Jemima sweater. I love the shape. They'll really punch up the sweater. I let myself off the hook for all the birthday knitting. So, certain family member, you'll have a belated birthday present this year. I've finished the first sleeve and will probably start the second after finishing the last present (yay!) in the next couple of days.



These are the fabulous Italian coat buttons. Sorry for the soft-focus pic. I'm really starting to envy Willie and his macro function on his digital camera. Macro would be awesome for all of the arty knitting photos that are a regular occurrence chez Kirstin. Oh well. When I was scrolling through my photos after this morning's shoot, I heard my Intro Photography professor's voice in the back of my head saying, "I'd like it better if it were in focus". Yeah, me too.

Today was the first day of spring. It was truly beautiful and refreshing after so many grey months. It was bright and clear and in the mid 50s. The first day of spring is so easily forgotten or overlooked, like the first day of fall. This one I will remember because it was my last day at the major regional theatre which shall remain nameless. Don't worry; I've got another job. It still stings the way that things ended.
There are a few pros about this: I can sleep in for the first time in months on Monday. I'll have more time to knit. I won't have to deal with all the stress or the bullshit of that environment anymore. That may actually be the best part of it.
The big con, of course, is that I won't be working with all of my friends anymore. I really loved my coworkers there. We'd really pulled together over the past six weeks and it's going to hurt not to see them every day anymore.
I'll just knit it out. Have a long, Lush-enhanced soak in the tub. Go to my fabulous new job and make tons of sales for them.
I'll have a knitting related post in the next couple of days.

Just a quick round up. I really should go to bed in order to pretend to go to sleep so that I can wake up early tomorrow. A classic run-on sentence and a lofty goal in my house. I'm a real night owl, but lately, I've been waking up earlier and earlier in the morning. I'm not sure why this is happening, but it should make the time change this Sunday a little easier to bear.
I decided the other day that I would finally spend the Borders gift card that my mom gave me for Christmas. I'd planned to save it for the new Amy Singer book, but decided instead to buy Erika Knight's Glamour Knits and Classic Knits. They both call for Rowan yarns, but she offers good substitution suggestions as well. I've also recently acquired Louisa Harding's Modern Classics. Modern Classics was money well spent, given all of the wonderful basic shapes, designed for several different weights of yarn. Basically, I love vintage knitwear. I'm really inspired by the designs of the 1940s and 50s, styles that so often cause my mother to wrinkle her nose and say, "that's something your grandmother would wear". I like tweed and big cozy pullovers. I love dressmaker's details and detest so many of the trends these days. Why have designers decided that we need a return of 80s fashions? I hate dropped shoulders and all of that sloppiness. They're just so unflattering.
My hair is all one color again. It's bright copper red. Not blazing, mind you, but not exactly auburn either. We'll see how it looks in a few days, after some of the dye has released. No pink highlights after all, but I'm not too disappointed about that since I'd begun to have second thoughts. Sometimes, I think, nature gets it wrong. My natural hair color is just so blah. Will try to have some pics next time around.

I've been angry lately. Angry about work, but taking all of those feelings home with me. It hasn't made me the most pleasant person to be around, I'm sure. For that, I apologize. I'd like to think that it falls under the category of righteous indignation, but I'm tired of all of this negativity.
So, I am trying to find more positives in my life. Tuesday, for example, I made a trip to an unbelievable button shop to obtain the perfect buttons for all of the cardigans I have planned. I made a list in my moleskine the other day of the various projects that I have planned/stashed to knit and they were overwhelmingly cardigans. I wonder why that is. In buying the buttons, I will guilt trip myself into knitting the sweaters sooner rather than later. The button store is all refinement and loveliness, not a mason jar in sight. After much consideration, I bought two sets of beautiful, dyed shell buttons and some fabulous Italian vintage coat buttons from the 1950s. They look kind of Mod, so they must be from the late 50s. Pics when I get around to it.
Yesterday, instead of logging even more overtime at work, I had a leisurely lunch at my favorite pub. Why subject myself to hatefulness early? I'm really not interested in spinning my wheels in pursuit of a goal which may not be worth attaining. Sure, I'd love to hang on for renewals, but how long do I want to prolong this kind of stress? That is an excellent example of a middle of the night thought.
On the knitting front, the second sock just needs one big push for completion. Maybe just a medium push. I haven't knitted the past couple of days because I've been exhausted. That doesn't do good things to your gauge, and I don't want to give my grandmother a sock that looks like a snake that ate a gerbil! I'll probably work on it today at the stitching salon. The scarf is totally stalled. I think I'll tear it out again and just do a simple ribbed pattern instead, on my new needles. Yes, the big collection of needles finally arrived, after a snow delay. I envisioned a photo of me lying in a position similar to a snow angel, with the needles fanned around my head. Then I remembered that I have wicked roots rights now and no photo assistant.