Thursday, May 15, 2003

 

I'm Tired

The paper is done, I just put the finishing touches on it, and I have to present at 11:15 this morning. I want to go back to sleep for half an hour and show up late for the opening remarks. I should not stay up so late knitting. I bought the addi turbos and wanted to give them a spin. They really are the best. I'm not so sure about the magic loop though. Seems it involves a lot of shifting around of stitches to get things properly oriented, oddly, I find double points more efficient--it might mean more practice. Or, I might try to the two circulars method.

I'm just going to sleep for 15 minutes...

6:53 AM

Wednesday, May 14, 2003

 

Magic Loop

I figured out the magic loop yesterday while on a break from writing my conference paper (for tomorrow). I decided to give it a try after struggling with the 5mm brittanny double-points being used for the sitcom chic sweater. I don't normally have trouble with double points, but this yarn (Schaffhauser Eviva) is sticky. I don't like it much. It's a 50% cotton, 50% acrylic blend and I find it glues itself to the needles. The 50% cotton, 50% microfiber On Line Linie 45 Padua I'm using for the Mexico shrug isn't giving me this kind of trouble.

Anyway, the magic loop is a neat idea. I learned the technique here and it was super easy. I do find the moving of the needles around a bit more cumbersome than the double points but like that there aren't all these needles to lose, and that I could take this with me anywhere. Now I want some 5mm addi turbos because the crappy susan bates circulars I'm using have sticky joins and an extra stiff cable.

This does not mean I abandoned the Mexico shrug, I only did a few rows on sitcom chic. The second sleeve is knitting up fast and I got some good advice on knitlist about how to do the edging. I can either:
*knit on the ribbed edge as I knit it or
*do an attached/applied i-cord
The poster gave me some instructions on how to do each. I'm not sure which I'll use. I kind of like the i-cord idea, so I think I'll look for a picture of it before I decide.

Back to my paper: "Am I The Entrepreneurial Subject? A Feminist Researcher's Experiences with Reflexivity Or, How I turned into a Fanatical, Health-Obsessed Woman", for the Graduate Student Research Day at the Centre for Research on Women's Health. I'm almost done, and I'll be glad when it's over. Then back to my method chapter, which won't be done by my deadline (of tomorrow) but with persistance might be done before I leave for Mexico.

9:08 AM

Monday, May 12, 2003

 

Blogs are Great

While the kids sleep in, I decided to check out some blogs (a daily morning ritual) and found the latest version of the felted daypack, a project I keep seeing on blogs. Here is the latest version from the Keyboard Biologist. I love it! I want to make one. I have tons of felting yarn in the stash (cascade 220, lamb's pride worsted, paton's classic wool) and I could use a backpack. I think I'll order the pattern from the guys at Threadbear and make this my post-Mexico project.

What about my languishing works in progress you ask? They'll still haunting the knitting basket. They'll get done--someday.

My Mexico shrug is progressing nicely. I have the back and one sleeve done and the other one started. Though I am no where near as fast as Wendy! Wow, she can knit a beautiful, complicated sweater quick!

Back to the shrug...I am trying to find a way not to finish it the way suggested in the pattern. I'm supposed to knit a 63 inch, 8 stitch 1X1 rib and sew it to the edges of the shrug. I hate all that sewing. I'm entertaining suggestions on another method of finishing. Something that involves picking up the stitches--maybe an attached i-cord. More on this later, I hear children waking.

8:30 AM