Knitting Pharm

Ready for Christmas

Ready for it all to be over, that is.

Not to go all Scrooge McDuck on anyone's holiday, but this one's a real stinker.  The details suck, so I'll keep them to myself.  Suffice it to say, the 22 lb turkey I ordered will go into the freezer and we'll go for a do-over in the new year.

On a happy note, my kids seem to be rebounding from their viral (barfing) illness, and it seems to have limited its effects on Mr. Pharm and myself to a day apiece of feeling lousy.

How to deal?

KNIT!

Austermann socks are knit and packed up for their recipient, I just have to deliver them today.  No photos.  You've seen this sock a thousand times before.

The Monkey has a mate.  That's not nearly as dirty as it sounds.

I snagged some discontinued Opal in a great swap from a kind gal in Vancouver, and whipped up one sock in less than a day.

Another blogger recently posted photos of some fabu fingerless gloves she'd made, complete with a very neat bind-off.  It looks very similar to the grafted bind-off I have been using for my toe-up socks.  I am very curious to see her method when she posts it.

Mine is a Kitchener stitch modified to work from 1x1 rib on a single needle.  Perhaps hers is less fiddly to work!

And hey, wanna see my Supersock sweater?

Are you sure?

OK, you asked for it!

I realized the same gauge issues that affected the final stitch count also made for a too-tight neck and upper back to the sweater.  Frog Pond, anyone?

This will make lovely socks, and lots of 'em.

Happy holiday, all!

Get the Monkey off my back

I totally get what Cookie is talking about.  A sock that won't let go of its grip on you.  One that keeps you knitting far too late and gets you up far too early.

Behold, the power of the Monkey.

Done in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino, magic looped on a 32-inch, 2.5 mm Knitpicks circular.  If the pattern looks wonky, it's because I worked toe-up.  I started from a short row toe (my new favourite for non self-striping yarns), did the gussets and flap from my Diamante, and forgot to work twisted rib for the cuff, so it's just a plain ol' k1,p1 rib.

There will be no second sock syndrome, as these have already been claimed by a certain coworker with a burgeoning sock fetish.

Return of the Austermann, for just one more pair.

The mate is about halfway done, and is the last project I firmly committed to knit for the holidays.  These are for Chris, the husband of a dear friend who is far too busy with 3 adorable kids to get her shopping done.

I do have more of the Austermann yarn, but this is thankfully it for this colourway.  I have 2 skeins of the blue one that I think are crying out to become knee socks.  For me.  At a later date.

Elsewhere in obsession-land, I can't seem to stop knitting and felting little backpacks.  This one's done in 2 skeins of Patons Classic (one solid, one variegated) and is for my daughter's pal (and pal's daughter), Angeline.

Done from a shaped base like in my freebie, with picot ridge and cast-off.

In all of this, I have hosted a teeny gathering of family.  The guest of honour?

 

My wee Laurel, who at 2 can barely be called a baby any longer.

(That proud soul beneath her is her beloved Grampie.)

By the way, the dress is one I knit for her big sister last winter.  It's done in Handmaiden Ottawa and the details are posted on her blog.

Another backpack got shipped out before photograpy today.  Fuchsia and pale pink Patons Classic with a heart pattern borrowed from an early issue of Knitty.  It turned out great, and I am hoping it will keep Maddie and her Barbie dolls very happy.

What's next?  Catching up on DVR recordings, more knit backpacks, more socks and working full-time next week.  Sleep will come, as will the holiday.  Enjoy, all!

Once is a fluke, twice is a pattern

Winter Knitty is up.

I am in it.

I am feeling much less fraudulent as a designer.

Squee!

Sometimes you just have to give in...

CTH Supershitsock sweater, why must you occupy my days this way?

Quick quiz.  You are working a fine gauge sweater and you realize, through a gauge-measuring error, that it will not fit over your monstrosities rack puppies chest without fear of imminent arrest.  Do you:

1. Live in denial, continue to work well past the armholes in happy mode?
2. Rip back to where the sleeves separate from the body and add a few gusset rows to increase the measurement?
3. Rip back again when the gussets don't seem sufficient and add a few more gusset rows for good measure?
4. Decide the new, expanded gussets will pucker and look awful and still be totally insufficient?
5. Decide to finally do what you've been avoiding all along, ripping back, reincorporating the 200+ sleeve stitches and expanding the raglan portion?
6. All of the above, since you are clearly out of your ever-loving mind?

If you replied 6, you are off your rocker and your name is Deb.

Now I fear I will lack the yarn required to actually finish this baby, but I can be creative if I need to.  Contrasting sleeves, anyone?

Anyone else ready for Winter Knitty?

Gah. Blah. Grr...

Counting is not all that hard.

(Insert pharmacist joke here)

My Supersock sweater took a generous dip in the frog pond last night.  It seems that I can balance working, 2 kids and an abundant life, but I can't count stitches to the inch.

I had done my calculations based on 6 stitches to the inch.  Looks more like 6.5 to me now, maybe even 7.

No wonder I looked like a deranged pinup girl when I last tried it on.

I couldn't bear to re-incorporate the sleeve stitches (all 200+ of them) and the sleeves and armholes seemed deep enough, so I went back to the first row of the separated body.  I added a gusset of sorts by doing a kfb on either side of the side "seam" point for 6 rows.  This should give me a few extra inches and will hopefully be reasonably invisible.

If it doesn't fit after all of that, I will gift it to someone.  Someone lacking an H-cup chest.  Someone who will love it and won't swear at it like I've been doing.

Pics?  Not yet.

Nice to meet you

My name is Deb.  I knit.  I blog.

I didn't mean to stay away this long.

Between working, a wee one with a stubborn ear infection and life in general, blogging has gone by the wayside.  Knitting, however, has not.

One day last week, Amy led my down the hall to the yarn room.  (Oh, shut up; you all have a room too.)  She announced that it was time for me to make her pink backpack.  A three year old begging me to knit - hell yeah!

Dark photo, but shows the backpack and the girl in all their cuteness.  She wears it for very long stretches of time, including some naps and bedtime.

Done in Paton's Classic, save for the bit of yellow in Knitpicks Palette.

I also answered the call from a friend who's a social worker in hematology.  She had some bone marrow transplant patients in need of headwear.

This one's Jeanne Townsend's Chain Link Head Hug pattern, done in half a skein of Plymouth Sockotta.  The other half went to another cap, which I neglected to photograph before packing it up for mailing.  It's got a picot edge, one repeat of Pomotamus for the cuff, and a stockinette crown.

Being a good little yarn ho, I simply had to start my Circular Cardi.  I did one (of six) hank's worth and I am in love.

I haven't totally abandoned the Supersock turtleneck, thought it's seen its share of neglect.  It's now about 6 inches past the armhole openings.  I have been doing try-ons periodically and am not entirely sure about the fit, but I shall trust my gauge measurement and solider on.

In a combination stash-dive and holiday-knit exercise, I whipped up this little scarf for my sweet little niece, Mary-Emma.

This is her:

And this is her scarf:

(Regia on 3 mm needle, knit in a tube.)  And I think they'll be very happy together.

A little shawl that's too simple to be called lace continues to grow.  Photos to follow after finishing and blocking.

SNL beckons.  And when I say SNL, I mean knitting myself into oblivion and waking up with a crick in my neck and a puddle of drool in my lap.  Will I ever learn?

Nope.