Anecdote Saturday

This morning I went to go pick up my race packet for the Dino Dash 5K that I'm doing tomorrow morning. The bank where the race committee had set up shop was hopping, and I had to circle the lot a couple of times before I found a parking spot, so I was already a little annoyed walking up to the table. I told the guy my name and he says to me,"Adult Division?" Just like that, in question format. Now, to be fair, this race has children's and adults' divisions - it's a family oriented event, hence the name "Dino Dash" and the cute little dinosaur dressed up in a race t-shirt at registration. But still, this guy looks at me and says, "Adult Division?" "Yes," I say, giving him a funny look.

Now, maybe this doesn't seem like such a funny story from the outside, but if you knew how many times people ask me if I've graduated high school yet or how many times I've entered a high school and gotten mistaken for a student, this would be just one more story to add to the pile. A personal favorite of mine involved a high school, a gig I was playing in said high school, a security guard, and a tardy list that he was trying to force me to sign.

You know how when you're 13 all you want is to be older? Well, now I am older, and people don't believe me!

Anyway, knitting.

Pattern: Evangeline Mitts
Yarn: Plymouth Encore
Needles: US 8

Destined for gifting, though I'm not sure who will receive them yet. I needed a quick, gratifying project, and these certainly fit the bill. Less than 2 evening's distracted work for the pair.

I finished the Man's Vest v2.0 but, alas, it does not fit. Too small. What I needed was something between the two sizes I made, but after knitting it twice, I can't say I'm anxious to rip it out and do it AGAIN. Besides, we seem to have skipped over vest-wearing weather here and have landed squarely in sweater country. I have only good things to say about Classic Elite Four Seasons, though. Lovely to work with, blocks beautifully, and showed zero signs of being ripped and reknit. If you're looking for a cotton blend, I highly recommend it.

So, I've moved on to Anais. Here's what I've got so far:

Not much. I think I've got sizing figured out, if I can get gauge, but that requires purchasing some smaller circulars. To speed this thing up, I'm going to knit it in the round.

I'm also on board for Socktober Fest, and I've got my pattern picked out - another Nancy Bush special in a medium blue for my brother's fiancee!

FO: Man's Vest

Ignore the funny red bubble behind my head. It's a lantern.

Pattern: Four Seasons "Man's" Vest by Pam Allen from CEY Summer book 1
Yarn: Four Seasons by Classic Elite in 7621 Pine Cone
Size: 43"
Needles: 4.5 mm
Mods: Lengthened the whole thing by 2 1/4 inches before waist shaping. This necessitated respacing the buttons.

Here's the thing. I think I should frog it and knit the smaller size. What a bummer, after waiting for buttons. I wore it today, and I couldn't get over how uncomfortably long the armholes are. I looked up the pattern on Ravelry, and it seems that this is the way the pattern is written, but I really don't like it (take a look at the photo below). Also, while it looks like it has a nice amount of positive ease in this photo, it really grew over the course of the day, and was kind of hanging off me by the end.

Initially, I chose to knit a size with positive ease, because I was factoring in wearing something under it (preferrably the girly blouse shown on the model, which I did not and do not own) and I figured that the intense amount of waist shaping would prevent it from looking too big. The waist shaping is nice, but I think it's still too big. Also, the width of the shoulders is on the verge of being too wide for me. I knit the back before Colorado, and the rest when I got back. I had reservations after I finished the back about the sizing, so I got out my trusty tape measure and measured the heck out of it when I returned. It seemed fine. This is one of those times the tape measure lies. I really do need to knit with negative ease most of the time, due to the generous nature of my boobs, even when I'm planning on wearing something under the garment. Live and learn.

I think that I may frog and reknit soon, since I think that this will be a super-wearable piece for the fall. I might just say screw it, but I love Four Seasons. It's a cotton/wool blend (so you might think I would have taken into account the stretching factor, but I didn't) and perfect for the fall-ish type weather we've been having lately. A great layer for chilly mornings.

When I redo this, I'll make the 39" size, and shorten the armholes by a lot. I think the reason they are so long is because Pam Allen was trying to take into account the wearing of another garment, but I think she over calculated a little, at least where I'm concerned. I can take a good 1" to 1 1/2" off and still comfortably wear a blouse underneath. I'm going to keep the extra length though. I think it's just right.

In other knitting news, I've ordered yarn for a vest for my dad for his birthday/Christmas present plus yarn for an Anais for me. I have to consider other Christmas presents too: mom, brother, and brother's fiancee are all going to need something under the tree!

Been awhile...

It's been awhile since I've had knitting progress to showcase here.... I did actually knit a darling little baby sweater back in May. It was a Ribbed Baby Jacket by Debbie Bliss in a dark navy blue for a pretend-nephew across the ocean. Alas, I finished it the night before I left for Colorado and didn't manage any pictures before I left for my flight at 4AM.

This here is the "Man's Vest" from CEY Summer book 1. All I need are some buttons and it's ready for a FO shot.

I rather predictably chose the Four Seasons yarn in the exact color as the sample. I feel the need to break out of my box, but on the other hand, brown is a good color for me, and it will coordinate with many things in my closet.
And then there's socks. There's always socks. These are the "Canada" socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road made with odds and ends left over from other socks. I felt the need for some colorwork, and these certainly fit the bill.
Wool sock weather will be upon us soon enough. Better start stocking up! Get it?

Full Disclosure... mostly

It's seriously hard to keep up, people. Yarn and patterns have just been a-jumping into my hands and on to my credit card lately. I promised full disclosure, but it's not entirely possible. You see, some of the yarn I've bought is already perilously close to being a garment!

Ok, so in Ithaca, I went to the Homespun Boutique, the only yarn store I have ever regularly patronized. I'm more of an online buyer myself - I get most of my yarn on sale. I particularly love Webs' end of the year clearance sale. I tend to stock up for the year, then knit the stuff up unless I get taken in by a pattern. Sock yarn, though, I like to actually see first. I'm a big fan of the Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport. Very affordable, wide range of colors, good yardage.That's what all the yarn here is. I also purchased the most recent Interweave (I've got to get myself a subscription to that), Knitting without Tears by EZ, and Jo Sharp Knit Issue 3, which has some great patterns for both men and women, along with a lot of variations on the same idea.

Then, my friend D took me to Threadbear for the first time ever last Saturday. I fell hard for the Man's Vest in the Classic Elite Summer booklet and purchased enough Four Seasons to make my size. I'm already halfway through the back. Crazy! Oh, and a little splurge on some high quality sock yarn. That's Dream in Color Smooshy in Butter Peeps.
As if that weren't enough on the needles, I started a sock (the one based on the loon in Knitting on the Road) which I'm sadly going to have to frog because I was trying to use up loose ends of yarn, and there aren't going to be enough ends to make two socks. I have about 1/3 of the back of the Deep V Sweater from Classic Knits by Erika Knight sitting in my knitting basket (ended up frogging the Saddle Shoulder sweater), plus a little baby sweater in a deep, deep blue for a "nephew" which is also about 1/3 done. I'm not usually a multiple knitter, but somehow I caught a massive case of startitis these past 2 weeks. Probably because I'm going to be in a bit of a knitting drought this summer at Aspen. There aren't enough hours in the day or room in my suitcase to plan anything specific for that.

And, as if that weren't enough, I bought fabric for a Built by Wendy dress (Simplicity 3835), which I'm hoping to start this weekend. A nice green shirting that looks like chambray, plus some buttons to punch it up a little. So excited!

I also may or may not have purchased the Nora Gaughan vol. 1 booklet with the yarn for the baby sweater. That's it! Enough buying of the yarn! Now, knit!