Big Sister

Unfinished business

I was knitting with the Hot Brunette, Wendyco, and Erin, a.k.a. She Without an Internet Presence (SWIP), this weekend at Que Tal. The HB asked me how many unfinished projects I had sitting around. Off the top of my head I came up with four, but I knew there were more. Turns out I have nine abandoned knitting projects. This week I will profile them for you, along with my best guess as to what will become of them next.

First up, Hopeful:

I bought this pattern in the late summer, shortly after it was released. I really wanted to knit it in Cashsoft or Cashcotton, but I couldn't justify the purchase. I did, however have some Lion Brand Microspun in turquoise in my stash so I thought I would give it a whirl. I was so committed to it that I set up a trade with Sassenach to make sure that I had enough. To get gauge I had to knit on US4s and the only circular 4s I had at the time were bamboo. I am sure that anyone who has used this yarn is wondering what the hell I was thinking. About six inches into Hopeful I started to wonder what the hell I was thinking. Microspun is a squeaky, squeaky yarn and on bamboo needles it was nearly like nails on a chalkboard. I gave up and at some point needed the needles. I didn't even bother to put the project on waste yarn. I still really like the pattern and now that I have all of the yarn, I think I am going to frog and try it on the Addis I got recently.

Next up, another turquoise project, Orangina:

Once I got into the groove of this project it went really quickly, however after knitting the first side I put it down and didn't pick it up again. It would have been a great top for my trip back East last summer, but I got into some sewing projects and got derailed. I needed the needles at some point, but I actually put this project on some waste yarn (in this case thread). I will get back to this when warmer weather approaches.

The last UFO, also in the blue tones, is a single armsock that I started a couple of years ago:

I remember knitting this on a weekend trip with my high school girlfriends in the Fall of 2003. I stopped working on it about half way through and picked it up again in early 2005 to finish as a prototype for Emily's armsocks. I finished off this one, but never cast on for the other one. The yarn is still around here somewhere. I hope.

Sactown baby!

20051101 East Lawn Cemetery
Originally uploaded by tspauld.

Hometown love, in neon. Check it out.

Me Meme

Speaking of getting called out both Celia & Cordelia tagged me for the 10 years ago meme. While I have plenty to say, I am often spare on the details of my life. It's kind of unfair, too, since I often look for the about me page on other blogs. Before I dive in, I am supposed to outline the provenance of the meme. To that end I give you the chain of custody:

Cj's Knitting Basket
Emy's blah blah blah blog
Purls Beyond Price, KimberliNY
Unraveling, Cordeliaknits
Big Sister

What were you doing 10 years ago?

In January of 1996, I had been living in SF for seven months. I was living in a tiny room in a tiny apartment in Noe Valley with a woman who was allergic to air. My heart had recently been broken by someone I never even think about anymore (isn't that funny how that happens?). I hadn't learned to knit yet, so I was more stressed out and I wrote in my journal. A lot. Mostly about that guy who I don't think about anymore and this cute boy who worked at, well, if you knew me then, you know where he worked. I was working in aging services and training as a crisis line volunteer. I was thinking about becoming a therapist or a social worker.

What were you doing 1 year ago?

January of 2005, I was living in a much bigger apartment with people not allergic to air. My heart was not broken. I was working at my current job (in a library) in a different capacity and getting ready for the next semester in school. I was three years into my knitting habit and well-off the social worker path, on my way to being a librarian.

What were you doing 1 hour ago?

Talking to Rayna.

List five creative things you want to achieve this year:

1. Design and knit an aran sweater for Mr
2. Perfect my diaper bag pattern
3. Write my thesis
4. Make a slipcover for our comforter
5. Choreograph an interpretive dance to the Katmari Damacy theme song

List five snacks you enjoy:

1. Spicy hummus & pita chips
2. Casa Sanchez chips & El Papalote salsa
3. Cocoa
4. Most anything Scharffenberger
5. Cheese toast

List five things you would do if money were no object:

1. Buy a house in the Bay Area
2. Indulge my every yarn whimsy
3. Get some sort of hybrid vehicle
4. Start a foundation
5. Install a hot tub

List five bad habits:

1. Putting my fingers in my mouth
2. Watching Lost
3. Trolling for yarn on the internet
4. Keeping lots of piles
5. Getting sidetracked

List five things you like doing:

1. Knitting (can you believe it?)
2. Ranting
3. Baking
4. Coming up with new systems/organizing (not so much at home)
5. Talking to the TV (or is this merely a subset of #2)

List five favorite gadgets:

1. iPod
2. iBook
3. Addis
4. Sewing machine
5. DVD player

Name one thing you like about yourself:

My willingness to learn new things.

Whew. I am supposed to pass this along. So, I will tag Tangodiva Tanya, The Hot Brunette, Sarah at Procrastination Central, Sassenach at what's simple is true, and Jenny Check. I think part of the passing of the torch includes putting the list of your foremothers at the top, taking off the top name and putting yours on the bottom. While it is structured like a chain letter, I am not sure what happens when you get to the top of the list. Well, except for that you get kicked off the list.

It was bound to happen

The inevitable West Coast/East Coast nerd rap war has started. The response gives shout-outs to NPR, Thomas Guides (holla), and A.A. Milne. The Narnia boys' obvious appropriation of West Coast confections is also called out:

Yo, Redvines is west coast like Tupac Shakizzler
So step off our licorice, go suck on a Twizzler.

Take that, you Matthew Perry lovin' mutha f#*&ers.

Gram tam

Together
Originally uploaded by Big Sister.

Shortly before Christmas, I decided that what my both my grandmas needed were cute little tams. Like a bolt out of the blue, it occurred to me that tams were the height of fashion for women of a certain age. What that age is, is entirely up to you. I had some Lamb's Pride in Mulberry that had been slated for a sweater, however I knew that wasn't going to be knit anytime soon. I called Jenny and we came up with some calculations. I broke open a skein and cast on 92 stitches. I knit quickly, but with the feeling that it was way too big. By the time we got to Yosemite I knew it was too big. I frogged and started over.

The second time around, using US 6s, I cast on 76 and knit as follows:

• Join to knit in the round, careful not to twist. PM before first and last stitch
• *K1, P1* until the piece measures 1.5
• *K1, KFB* for one round (114 stitches)
• K each round until piece measures 4.5"
• On the last round place marker every 19 stitches, there will be six wedges.
• On the next round, *knit until two stitches before the marker, K2Tog* to the end of the row.
• Knit the next row plain.
• Repeat the previous two rows until there are 48 stitches left. Then reduce every row until there are six stitches left.

The end result (of which I took no pictures), was cute in a floppy artiste sort of way. However, I knew that it was still going to be too big. Instead of giving up all hope and frogging, yet again, I decided that a felting was in order. Unfortunately, since I don't have a top-loading washing machine at my beck and call I put it on hold and went on to the next one.

For Gram Tam 2 I cast on the same number of stitches, however this time I did the ribbing in *KTBL, P1* for 1.5". This is where things get less clear. I remember that I increased by fewer stitches over two rows instead of all at once. I knit until the hat measured 4.5" and I think I did the decreases similarly. I may have gone to reducing every row a little sooner. Maybe. This was the result.

A couple of weeks ago I was at my mom's so I threw Gram Tam 1 in the washing machine and felted it until it was around 9" in diameter. The end result left some stitch definition, but added a nice halo. Neither tam ended up like what I was picturing, but they are still pretty cute.

Despite my love of berets when I was a freshman in high school (there may have been a Prince influence there), I am not sure that they are the fashion statement for me. However, since my divine inspiration I have seen a number of women of a certain age wearing berets/tams. I think I am on to something.

Feeling weak

It's terrible, I can't stay focused. I am wanting to knit Tubey. For a mere $23.73 I can knit in Schachenmayr Only Stretch. Evil Elann!

What do you think about this colorway:

Charcoal (MC), Fandango Pink (CC), and Black (CC)

Vs.

This one:

Brunette (MC), Kumquat Orange (CC), Loden (CC) 

Spoiler alert

Since my Lost chort is divided on whether or not we should start recording our conversations during the show, I live-blogged tonight's episode. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens (although it's mainly snarky comments) or just don't care.

You're a cop, how long would it take to TRAIN AN ARMY?

Where'd that new Nalgene bottle come from?

I can't wait for the ill-fated romance between one of the Others and  one of the Flight 815 Survivors. Possibly Zeke and Ana Lucia.