Some FOs Coming Soon

Recently it came to my attention that it appears that I have four WIPs in Ravelry. However, upon closer inspection, three of these are listed at 100% completed. I do that when I have finished a piece but have not blocked it yet. Three such objects is a little ridiculous, especially when one has been done for seven weeks. So, I plan on doing a bit of blocking, and you should be seeing some finished objects soon. As another little preview, I still have my Knitty review and the story of my disasterous project to share with you.

Brenda Dayne is a Genius

Ok, I know you already knew that, but let me explain. I was listening to Cast On (her podcast) episode 76, and Brenda said:

"When the ground is shaky beneath your feet, and you don't know yet how to take the next step or how it will all work out, this is when we need our knitting most."

Genius. Absolute genius. I swear Brenda was sitting there watching me knit and listening to my thoughts. As I was listening to the podcast, I was knitting a vanilla sock and trying to think about a big decision I have to make in two weeks. She was right: when I don't know what to do, I turn to my knitting.

It's a Beautiful, Sunny Day

Some good thoughts for today:

• It's almost the weekend (even if I have to write papers the whole time)
• I have windows and the door to my porch open
• I'm enjoying a cool breeze
• I decided I'm going to try to fix my knitting disaster because Paula asked me again yesterday for a hat
• We're setting up a knitting group at school
• I got my knitting mojo back- I got to the toe of one sock during colloquium yesterday, finished that, and now am almost to the heel flat of the second sock
• I really want to go see Monsters vs. Aliens tonight
• The cats have crazy spring fever and have been running around and playing all morning
  

Midterms and a Knitting Mess

I returned from spring break only to be thrown into midterms and more travel. Therefore, very little knitting is being accomplished. My last project (my best friend's birthday gift) went horribly wrong. I cannot talk about it, or even knit anything else yet. Hopefully this weekend I can move past that and finish a pair of socks for the Pair a Month challenge or start my first sweater. Well, after I've progressed on my midterm paper and thesis.

On Vacation

So here are some gratuitous pictures of Fenway and Weasley. More knitting when I return.

Bouquet Beret

My grandparents gave me the money they would have spent on a bouquet when I had surgery, so I bought a yarn bouquet instead. The bouquet was two skeins of Rowan Felted Tweed and two skeins of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift. I used a little more than one skein of the Rowan for this beret:

Pattern: Relm by Jared Flood
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed
Needle: size 7 and 8 circular
Date Started: February 26, 2009
Date Finished: March 6, 2009
Comments: Did one less pattern repeat and it is still a bit big.

New Projects

Because there is nothing on my needles, it's obviously time to cast on. The Louet Gem Sport (pink) is going to be a pair of Marlene by Cookie A. The coral Malabrigo Worsted in the back is going to be my part of my best friend's birthday present, and the blue KUAS Peruvian Wool will be Ishbel by Ysolda Teague.

Gasp!

I just finished Relm, so I do not have anything on my needles now.

Next Time...

Next time I decide to make a hat with fingering weight yarn and size 2 and 0 needles, remind me that I make hats as instant gratification projects. I make hats as a break from socks, not as a project that is more complicated than socks.

The end result is pretty cool though, I'll admit:
A close up of the pattern:

Pattern: Springtime in Philadelphia by Kate Gagnon
Yarn: Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino in Hey Cupcake!
Needle: size 2, circular and DPN and size 0 DPN
Date Started: February 6, 2009
Date Finished: March 1, 2009
Comments: Took too long, but I'm impatient. First time using 0's and I didn't really notice a difference between them and my size 1.5s, but I notice a big difference between the 1.5s and 2s. Go figure. The beret is a little big, but hopefully the blocking will help.

Wow!

I was looking at my Ravelry projects page, and just realized I only have one thing on the needles. It says I have 3 WIPs, but one just needs to be blocked and another one finished blocking this morning, so I just have to take pictures of it. So I'm only working on one project, Relm by Jared Flood. That never happens! It's funny, because I've been thinking that I need to get back to monogamous or near-monogamous knitting after my major case of starteritis at the end of last semester, and lo and behold, I was monogamous and did not even realize it!

Spring 2009 Magazine Reviews Part I: Online Version

The spring knitting magazines are starting to be released, so I thought it would be fun to do a three part series reviewing the new designs. This first installment focuses on online magazines. Part II will be print magazines, and Part III will be dedicated to Knitty.

As a general observation , there are very few patterns this season that went directly into my Ravelry favorites. I reserve that list for patterns I know I want to knit someday. There are a lot of cute patterns, but for one reason or another, I do not think I will be knitting many of them. Also, I generally do not read many of the articles, at least not right away, so my reviews will focus on patterns.

And now, on to the specific reviews:

Knotions
I love the setup of this magazine with the tabs for charts and additional photos. It really is genius.

One pattern went right into my favorites: Seaside Serenade by Janine Le Cras (link is also the source of the photograph). I happened to be messaging the designer about another of her patterns, and I liked Seaside Serenade so much that I had to tell her how wonderful it is. I am really looking forward to knitting it this summer when it is too hot for big wool projects.
I also think Rainbow Chain by Erika Flory is super cute. I do not have any babies to knit for, but if I did, I would make this blanket. I think it plus a Baby Surprise Jacket or February Baby sweater and a cute pair of booties would be the perfect baby shower gift.

Some of the other patterns were cute, but I felt that the sweaters were designed for mature women. I think my mom would look awesome in the Spring Kimono by Janine Le Cras or Colonade by Jody Pirrello, but I do not see myself ever making them. The sock patterns seemed a little fussy to me. Maybe I'm just in a simple sock mood, but even though I'm a sock knitting enthusiast, none of those socks went into my favorites. I applaud Knotions for trying the new segment on Mixed Media Knitting. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the trend, but I appreciate that they are trying something new.

Overall, Knotions had a few cute patterns, but I think more mature and patient knitters than me will enjoy this issue more than I did.

Popknits
Actually, only the preview is up, but I'm sure the full magazine will be live soon. There are only six patterns in this issue. I find some of them, such as Sugarless Panoramic Egg and Egg Box by Anita M. Wheeless and Take Me to Paris by Brittany Wilson to be too kitchy. I'm waiting to see the pattern for Meandering Circuar Ziggies (with a Zag) by Bonnie Zink before I pass judgment on it. It might be a cute, but I think the pattern gets lost in the colorway the designer chose. I do like the scalloped cuff though.

I think my favorite pattern is the sweater Sweetgum Duncan by Meghan McFarlane. It seems like something you could buy in a store, which I guess can be a compliment or a criticism depending on your perspective. If I ever made it, I would make it full sleeved. If you are wearing a sweater that looks that warm, why would you want your forearms exposed?
Photo source: http://www.popknits.com/index.php/preview/

Popknits must share my recent obsession with berets and slouchy hats because 1/3 of the patterns are hats. Greta by Cassie Miller is a little crazy for me, but I think the flapper-inspired pattern is creative and unique. Day's Eye Hat by Kristen Hanley Cardozo is much more my style. The only problem is that it looks just like every other hat out there. In fact, the pattern is very reminiscent of the Springtime in Philadelphia Beret I finished yesterday.

Photo source: http://www.popknits.com/index.php/preview/

Overall, while there were some cute patterns in this issue of Popknits, I do not think I will be making any of them. The creative patterns were a little too over the top for my tastes, and the other patterns played it too safe.

Twist Collective
My general opinion of Twist Collective is that it has some of the most beautiful patterns around. However, I think they are mostly too complicated for a knitter of my skill and patience level, so I don't know if I would ever actually make anything from this magazine. I appreciate the way that they compensate their designers, so if you like a pattern, please support this magazine by purchasing it.

I like how this magazine is divided up into stories. The photography is amazing, as usual. Of course, I was drawn to the sock story, Sock-a-doodle-do. I love the yarn color choices; they are perfect for spring. The patterns, while beautiful, are way too busy. They have the complexity of lace shawls. If I'm going to put that much time and effort into something, I want other people to see it. My favorite pair is Blossom by Stephanie van der Linden (link is also the source of the photograph), but I cannot for the life of me figure out why there is a stockinette patch around the ankle. I think it disrupts the beautiful design too much. If I were to make this pattern, I would just continue the pattern all the way down the leg.


I liked the men's sweaters Grant Park Pullover by Salena Lee and Kerouac by Jenn Jarvis, but found the women's sweaters too fussy. I thought about Dulce De Leche by Marnie MacLean, but based on the way it looks a little misshapen on the model, I know it would look very weird on my lumpy, er curvy, body.

The Sleepy Monkey Blanket by Mary Ann Stephens (link is also the source of the photograph) is beyond cute. I just can't imagine anyone ever knitting it. Other than that, I wasn't very impressed with the baby things, although that could be a result of the lack of babies in my life. (Believe me, at this point that is something I'm not complaining about).


For a laugh, check out the answers to Ask the Problem Ladies. I especially liked the answer to the question about knitting more prolifically.

Overall, I was disappointed in this issue. I think that it could have been greatly improved by patterns by past contributors such as Ysolda Teague, Norah Gaughan, and Anne Hanson. I associate them with Twist Collective as much as Kate Gilbert, and their absence was definitely noticed. Also, who does a collection of socks without including a Cookie A or a Wendy Knits pattern?!

I hope you enjoyed my reviews. I'd love to hear what you think of these issues.