FO: Fingerless Mitts

Alas Lizard Ridge is not quite an FO yet. Two large seams, edging and the final blocking need to be done. It's looking good though.

BUT! I did finish the Fingerless Mitts I started with the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran I started in between LR squares ages ago. (better pictures in the daytime tomorrow)

They're self-designed, and I like them. The yarn is quite warm, but that will be nice in winter/my dorm room. If I could do it again, I'd do a thumb gusset instead of the Fetching-esque thumb, because that one skews the cables. I'd also look at doing a braided cable, and use a smaller gauge for that maybe.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied.


My mom really likes them, and she's been after me to make her a pair of fingerless for a while, but these ones are a little small for her.

The thing is.... she can knit. Could make herself a pair, but she's too wary of trying new techniques. It's not that she even uses the perfectly valid 'I don't have enough time' excuse. She just doesn't seem to be comfortable with new techniques. For me, this is what knitting is about. I love taking a project and learning how to do things in the pattern. It's part of the fun. And I like to teach myself, asking for help only when I've tried already.

I'm like this with pretty much everything. For instance, I just got a book I plan on using to re-teach myself how to swim. (my lessons were stalled, and thus I don't breathe or move right). I've taught myself about many historical periods and how to hypnotize, do magic tricks, and best of all, knit.

So, because I know she can do it but won't I'm hesitant to knit for her. Is this weird? Or is it the whole "give a man a fish, he eats once; teach a man to fish, he eats for the rest of his life" thing?


That's about it, knit-wise. Lizard Ridge is nearly done! Still not on Ravelry, which probably means I'll get the invite, like, the day I leave for Europe, but with my pictures on Flickr and my mom taking her laptop I can probably get set-up then anyway. :)

YARN! And an FO!

Wow, sorry it's been a while... I was waiting for my shipment from Yarnmarket to come in and come in it has! My last three skeins of Noro for Lizard Ridge and my Debbie Bliss!



While I was waiting for that, I started a Calorimetry, but was nearly done when I realized it was too small and decided that I was too lazy to frog. Instead I did a headband that Mom found on Knitpicks

It's made from leftover Di Ve Teseo, from which I made my best friend a ribbed hat last Christmas. I really like it, and it's a great stash buster. There's not much else, knitting-wise. I plan to spend the next few days listening to podcasts and Ingrid Michaelson (wish I had money, I'd get her shirt :-( ) and finishing my afghan.

Book review time.

I finished this one last week, but didn't want to post a review without a real post. So next post will have another review.


Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

This book is almost purely satire, and yet still has the classic ending. Catherine is not, as Jane Austen points out, really anything special that would make her a heroine. True to this, nothing in the story that could lead to a great Gothic adventure becomes one. Naive, but well-read, Catherine expects a mystery around every corner when she goes with her new friend Eleanor Tilney to her Abbey (and not, as the back of the book suggests with Eleanor's brother, Henry who is just there with them). But, each time there could be a great mystery there is a mundane explanation.

Instead, the mystery comes when Catherine is suddenly sent away from the abbey by Eleanor and Henry's father.

Overall, I liked the book. I like Henry even more than Darcy (blasphemous, I know!) and the stereotype and satire were fantastic and even laughing-out-loud funny. However, I think Austen's point would have been made even if she had not pointed out that Catherine did not have this or that quality of an accomplished lady, as she so often does. Elizabeth Bennett cannot play the pianoforte; Catherine cannot draw.

I did like how adamant and accurate Austen was about Catherine's seventeen-year-old naiveté. There was significantly less plot than in Pride and Prejudice, but it made very a very good light novel.

FO: Hogwarts Hip Scarf

The answer to the question What Was the Bag of Ends for is upon us!

The bag of ends was for the Hogwarts Hip Scarf from Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter! I finished knitting it the day after I got to my dad's but weaving in the ends was something else entirely! It took me a good three days. I spray blocked it Monday, but the wool kept twisting in a spiral when I wore it today. I'm either going to block it majorly with warm water or just let it be. Probably going to let it be.

The pattern is fantastic and easy, I'll probably make a couple more to wear as head scarves in different colors. I used Cascade 200 left over from my Gryffindor Scarf (Movies 1&2 style) that I made in my senior year and not the recommended Superwash. It didn't even take a full ball of the red, much less the yellow.




By all rights, I should have two FOs for you today, but my one skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerion Aran wasn't enough for the cabled fingerless mitts I'm fashioning, so that'll have to wait until I can get some more. That is the FOUR ROWS AND A THUMB will have to wait. FOUR ROWS!!!

I'm going to cast on another Lizard Ridge square, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow morning i'm going to get up and swim, and I need to work on my novel and want to spend some time reading, but Lizard Ridge calls.

I think I hinted at my dad none-too-subtly enough that he may get me a Bookmate which would be awesome!

A few sign-ups received for the Official Knitter's Book Swap I assume some peopel are waiting until they know what they're sending. I knew as soon as I thought up the idea :D

Lizard Blocks and Bags of Ends (No Odds)

Well, if the trip to my dad's was good for one thing, it was knitting. I already told you all about the yarn stores, but I also got a fair bit of knitting done.

For a bit of yarn pr0n, that's Debbie Bliss cashmerino DK and I'm planning on making socks with the blue as the heel and toes. Pretteh, no? I really like it. I also picked up a ball of Cashmerino Aran, because I'm plan on making my Wicked out of that, and I wanted to try it out.





As for FOs, this one's not completely finished yet, but this bag is all the ends I had to weave in for it. I ended up duplicate stitching them in thanks to Thersea's tutorial on Knitty and that seemed to work well. Pictures once it's blooked.


I got four Lizard Ridge blocks done in between the day before we left (last Friday) and yesterday. It would have been Friday-to-Friday, but it got too dark on the ride home. Here they are in all their glory. Clockwise it's: 147, 150, 209 and 175 aka Witch's Lake, Winter Store, Gelly Roll and Rose Garden. (Gelly Pen because that one reminds me of the gel pens I was obsessed with at thirteen)


That's about it. I plan to spend today working on editing the novel I wrote for last year's NaNoWriMo and working on my gloves. I'll also be listening to podcasts and waiting anxiously for my Ravelry invite still.... :D

Of FOs, What are you knitting? and nose-rings

What's up, y'all? First off, FO.


Spring-y scarf. I knit on it for both the drive home for Easter and the drive back. Didn't knit on it much whilst at home, for reasons to come later. It's Banderas Gerifil color 107 and Laines du Nord Kiddy Print color 600. Basically a mohair and a polyester fun yarn held together. My best friend made a similar blue scarf for her first project and I begged for one in pink and, well, ended up making my own a year later.



Rie and I are listening to Celtic music, and it's awesome. Oh, by the way, Rie's moved into my room for a bit. She's having parental trouble, and I have a spare bed. The administration knows of this not *shifty eyes*

Anywayz, went home for Easter. Saturday was awesome. I went to brunch with a friend and then he had to go to Tech work for the show that was up so I GOT TO SEE THE NEW AUDITORIUM! Twas amazing.

And I got to talk to my high school drama teacher and we argued about Shakespeare concepts. 'Twas awesome. We decided that I could teach Shakespeare in France and it'd work.

On Easter the best part was seeing my little brother open his basket. He got very excited over candy and Cars toys.

Oh, and my mom didn't know that you could blow up Peeps. So of course:


In other news, my grandmother noticed my nose-ring. She had been staring at my face for a while during Easter dinner, and when I went into the kitchen with Mama she said: "I think Nana's noticed your nose-ring".

When Nana went out to get a sweater everyone was laughing. My uncle said he'd only just noticed it, and my older, jerk face of a brother mimed pulling it out with a fork. Nothing was said until dessert when I called my sister strange.

"You're the strange one," Nana said.

"Why?" Mom asked.

"With that thing."

And that was all that was said. I'm waiting for her to call my mom and be all "Why'd you let her do such a thing?" but whatever.


On the ride there, though, I discovered a major knitting pet peeve of mine. Those who ask: "What are you knitting?" when it's a long strip of fabric. I want to say socks.

Or when a little girl at the baseball game I went to (my ride's boyfriend was playing and we stopped in on the way) was staring at the knitting and her mother says:

"She's knittin'; maybe she's making a sweater."

Um.... no?

Or my sister, who asked me if I'd "moved up to blankets yet?".

Driving came up at family dinner. Of course, everyone had an opinion. Don't wanna talk about it. *pouts*. But Daddy's signing me up for Driver's Ed this summer.

Know what'd be awesome? Easter baskets full of yarn instead of eggs and candy....


And this. It's pretty awesome.

PS. Mid-Summer presentation went very well, I think. I played the changeling boy, cuz I'm little like that, and the actual talking went pretty well. I liked my paper.