owls, truffles and anticipation of a new beginning.

well, i leave in two days!! come monday, i will be at the airport. come tuesday, i'll be in london. this whole thing has been very exciting, but, needless to say, rather nerve wracking. i tend to procrastinate very badly, so only one of my suitcases is partially packed. i still have to sort through mountains of boxes, leftovers from the last few times i have moved. it is very hard to imagine every single thing i will need for the next year. i'm trying to avoid buying anything over there because the pound outweighs the dollar, and i want to spend all my money on traveling, not toothpaste. speaking of traveling, does anybody have any suggestions as to where i should visit?


well, not only i am not packed, i haven't finished all the knitting i wanted to do. i still have a photo prop to knit my sister. i have an unfinished cardigan and a pair of socks, which i must finish here because i have no idea if i bought enough yarn. i can buy more here, but i don't know if i'll be able to while i'm abroad. also, does anybody have any yarn stores i should visit? doesn't matter the country, i really hope to going all over western europe.

i woke up early today, and have already been packing and sorting. i have to do some laundry, so i figured i'd post to calm myself. this will most likely be my last post while in america!


FO: Truffle Coat

 

dates: 8 august - 25 august
pattern: truffle cardigan tutorial
yarn: debbie bliss cashmerino chunky, 15 skeins
needles: US 10 and US 10.5


i finished the truffle cardigan, it is, in my opinion, absolutely gorgeous. the yarn feels like a baby blanket, and the fabric it made is just so warm and toasty. i love the cable design paired with the texture of the seed stitch, there is no boring space on this sweater. because i chose a bulkier yarn and larger needles, and added a lot of inches to the length, it turned into more of a coat than a cardigan. i changed the pattern a lot, but i kept the basic stitch patterns.

modifications:

• i cast on two repeats for the yoke. later i decided it wasn't full enough, so i added one more.
• i knit the yoke until they almost made a full circle, i didn't have the patience to keep going.
• i picked up stitches from around the yoke, rather than knitting the torso separate. set-in sleeves are not my thing, especially when i have to figure out the math for them myself. i'm good at math, but no way.
  
• i did a few raglan increases, then put the stitches for the sleeves on holders and knitted the body.
• every four rows, i inserted two short rows. (to make up for the difference in gauge of the cable and the seed stitch)
• i used a twisted knit stitch to create a seam on the sides between the cabled front and the seed stitch back.
• i knit for 18 in, then put it on to see how different in length the front and back were. in order to make up for the curve of the yoke, i think i did four or six short rows (until the front and back were the same length)
• i knit two inches in 2x2 ribbing, but changed it to match the cable pattern in the front.
• the sleeves were basic and i made no changes. 

notes: so that's how i made my sweater!!! i finished it in the middle of august, it just took so long to figure out the after details.  i did make a button band, with holes on either side of it. i was planning on doing a double inside button band, but i needed twenty two buttons! so i scraped that idea and used snaps instead. they look like buttons when unsnapped, but, when snapped, they won't pop out and there is almost no pulling and not even a centimeter of gaping between them. i am very very happy with my sweater. my only complaint is the cables in the yoke pull away from each other and create holes, due to my needle size. i could go in and sew them together invisibly, but i just don't have the time. i have the extra yarn saved and i'll do it eventually, but i am content for the time being. 

also, i finished sewing eyes onto the owl mittens. and with the leftover buttons, made an owl hair clip, like ysolda.

 

the pictures are grainy, something's wrong with my camera. add that to the list of things to do. another addition: dye my hair. i just noticed that my roots are atrocious. yes, i am naturally a blonde. isn't it weird???

old baggage and explanations.

there has been a recent change in name, you may have noticed. the reasons are neither simple nor straightforward, but i will try to explain them nonetheless, if only for my own clarity.


three years ago, i stumbled upon the metaphor of a yellow bird, an icon symbolic for the one specific thing that inspires inside a person the will to live. in essence, a yellow bird is what one lives for, whatever keeps you going. it's an evolution of the relationship between the canary and the coal miner, i suppose. to me, the yellow bird has come to represent the opportunity to truly live. i am unsure which i will enjoy more: the search or the realization.


two years ago, i arrived at the frightening conclusion that my yellow bird could never be a person, as i would only  be left with an empty cage. So thus began my search. As art has always commanded a rather significant portion of my life, i decided to start there. i experimented with pottery, painting, and photography. i bought a guitar and a piano. i wrote every day for a month. however, in all my art, there was a common theme: birds. and even though i would become completely enveloped by every project, every song, every page written, and though i truly enjoyed each endeavor, i found the fascination they held for me was in their role as a conduit, a means to an end. in fact, none of these outlets were what i thought about in those brief but revealing moments before sleep. so, although i will continue to pursue these interests, i was no closer to my yellow bird than when i started.


so, naturally, i have turned to the only constants in my life: knitting and traveling. in 2003, i first learned to knit while visiting the green towns of rural ohio, so unlike the desert where i grew up. every year since then has been spent either knitting or traveling. they inspire the plans and thoughts that lull me to sleep and preserve my sanity. they are the closest i have come yet to my yellow bird, although i am still looking.


which brings me back to the change in name. in light of my coming year of studying abroad, i have decided to dedicate this blog to those things that weigh the most on me: knitting, traveling, and the endless pursuit of my yellow bird. because, in the words of milan kundera, "the heavier the burden, the closer our lives come to earth, the more real and truthful they become."


now that that's settled, here's some knitting!



FO: bow headband

yarn: bristol yarn gallery buckingham in black
needles: US2
pattern: none
notes: i knitted the bow, then i cast on for an icord around one side of an elastic hair tie. i knitted the rest of the icord until it was slightly shorter than the circumference of my head. i bound off around the other end of the hair tie, so it stretches tight to fit my head completely. i just sewed the bow onto the band and it was done!


i've been reading people's blogs lately, and many of them say they buy their clothes at thrift stores. i wanted to give it a go. i still haven't found many clothes, but i did find these amazing suitcases!! 

aren't they great?? twenty dollars for the pair. the shoes are just from payless, ignore them. the interior in the green one desperately needs revamping, but the blue one is in great condition!


oh, the image in my header is from lydia. they are a brilliant band, i listen to them almost daily. i'd suggest giving them a go.

FO: treeline striped cardigan plus assorted baby madness.

well, i am getting ready to leave for europe, and have thus been really busy. i bought a new phone with gps, i bought my plane ticket, i paid my tuition and accommodation to london met, and i changed all my credit cards to work in europe. i've sorted through my clothes and i've started packing my suitcases. this morning, while i was lying in bed, it finally hit me: i am actually going!! and that's when the panic set in.

so to distract me from my worries, i have some finished objects to show!!

striped cardigan.

dates: august 2009
pattern: purl bee treeline striped cardigan
yarn: 2 skeins of koigu premium merino in greys, 5 skeins of bristol yarn gallery buckingham in black, 1 skein of caron country in charcoal.
needles: US5 and US7

mods:

• no border on neckline
• ribbing is done on smaller needles
• twisted ribbing
• more short rows for a higher collar
• wider button band

notes:

i love the sweater, it is super soft and very comfortable to wear. it'll make a great layering cardigan, it's thin enough to wear under heavier coats and sweaters. i was using the sock yarn held double, but i ran out once i got to the yoke. so, i started using the charcoal on the shoulders and for all of the sleeves. i love how the changes worked out! i made this entirely out of stash yarn, i didn’t have to buy a single skein. yay for free sweaters! :)


peapod baby set (literally)

dates: august 2009
pattern: preemie hats for charity, christine's stay-on booties, and ribbed baby jacket.
needles: the suggested sizes for each pattern
yarn: 2 skeins of vanna's choice baby in baby boy blue, 1 skein of vanna's choice baby in sweet pea green.

mods: i added peas to everything!!!

notes:

my big sister is having a baby boy and she's pretty much obsessed with peas. so, i made her a set of baby clothes with one common theme! hopefully they all fit. the baby's going to be a big boy.

UFO!!!!!

smocked truffle cardigan.

okay, this is pretty much done. i just can't decide on whether to add one ruffle right down the button band, or add a ruffle to both the top of the collar and the ends of the sleeves. any input? does it not need a ruffle? these are crude pictures, to give you an idea what i'm talking about. but the sun was going down and there was barely any light. i'll take much better ones when finished.

note: more homemade skirts! the pattern is a simple, slightly-flared skirt from butterick, just modified to be high waisted, and sit either on the waist or at the bust line. i also bought a couple simplicity patterns for ruffly shirts and some matching fabric (a green lace and a dark plaid). i'm going to see if i can figure those out before i leave! and i found the cutest fabric, it's a cream color with russian nesting dolls on it! i bought it, and am still trying to figure out what to do with it.

hello again!

it's been almost a year since my last post, and over three months since i last logged onto ravelry! imagine my surprise when i logged on today and found over a hundred messages in my inbox! i am going to start responding to them very soon, i just spent all day browsing profiles and enjoying being a full time knitter again. reading all your messages today made me feel wonderful inside and i have missed all of you so very much.

i know i have been out of communication and out of the loop for so long. i've been away at school, busy trying to get good grades in all my departments. this year, i declared a dual major of art history and history, with a minor in french. needless to say, i was kept extremely busy with all my courses and i abandoned knitting :( but it was worth it! i got straight a's!!!!! sorry to brag, i'm just so excited. those straight a's led to me qualify for a study abroad program: for fall semester i will be studying at london metropolitan university in london. for spring semester, it's across the channel and down to france where i will be attending sorbonne in paris. needless to say, i am ecstatic.

the historical campus of sorbonne

the futuristic campus of london met

so i recently looked up the weather in paris and london. it's cold, very cold. which brings me to the knitting section of my blog! i made these matching hat and mittens for the cold weather!
pattern: give a hoot mittens & inspired by hermione's hat
yarn: 1 skein lion brand wool-ease in oxford grey total
needles: US 5&7 for mittens, US7&8 for hat

mods & notes:

mittens: i didn't do the first decreases after the wrist in the mittens, i kept it at 32 and just increased from there. i also changed the top, to be less pointy. rather than decreasing steadily, i knit to the top then did this to make an even and round tip:

1st row: k every 3 & 4 st tog
2 row: k even
3 row: k every 2 & 3 st tog
4 row: ktog all

hat: i made similar cables, just a bit longer. also instead of plain eyelets, i did an eyelet faux-cable. really simple, really quick, but i really like how it turned out.

also, i've been sewing so i thought i'd throw this skirt in!

update

wow it has been much too long since my last post. i have been knitting, i swear, but i have no new projects to post because my internet is terrible and won't let me upload pictures. plus, i have been so busy. i started my junior year at nau in august, and i moved into my own apartment with friends. between homework, boys, friends, and parties, i have barely had time to sleep. but now i am procrastinating a paper. while reading knitting blogs, i came across this and i just felt i had to do it. Bold for stuff you've done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you're not planning on doing. Afghan I-cord Garter stitch Knitting with metal wire Shawl Stockinette stitch Socks: top-down Socks: toe-up Knitting with camel yarn Mittens: Cuff-up Mittens: Tip-down Hat Knitting with silk Moebius band knitting Participating in a KAL Sweater Drop stitch patterns Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn Slip stitch patterns Knitting with bananafiber yarn Domino knitting (=modular knitting) Twisted stitch patterns Knitting with bamboo yarn Two end knitting Charity knitting Knitting with soy yarn Cardigan Toy/doll clothing Knitting with circular needles Baby items Knitting with your own handspun yarn Slippers Graffitti knitting: knitting items on, or to be left on the street Continental knitting Designing knitted garments Cable stitch patterns Lace patterns Publishing a knitting book Scarf Teaching a child to knit Knitting to make money Button holes Knitting with alpaca Fair Isle knitting Norwegian knitting Household items: dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies... knitting socks- or other small tubular items- on two circulars Dying with plant colours Knitting items for a wedding Olympic knitting Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn Knitting with dpns Holiday related knitting Teaching a male how to knit Bobbles Knitting for a living Knitting with cotton Knitting smocking Dying yarn Steeks Knitting art Fulling/felting Knitting with wool Textured knitting Kitchener BO Purses/bags Knitting with beads Swatching Long Tail CO Entrelac Knitting and purling backwards Machine knitting Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn Stuffed toys Knitting with cashmere Darning JewelryKnitting with synthetic yarn Writing a pattern Gloves Intarsia Knitting with linen Knitting for preemies Tubular CO Freeform knitting Short rows Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers Pillows Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine Rug Knitting on a loom Thrummed knitting Knitting a gift Knitting for pets Shrug/bolero/poncho Knitting with dog/cat hair (i have a dog, it slips in!) Hair accessories Knitting in public