Friday, August 08, 2003

 

Well my web-space problems are all better for now. I got some free website space at canucksites.com to house my photos. I'm not going to post any web pages for public view there right now because there are banner ads that change continuously and are a pain. But the 50mb space will help out a lot. I might have to take the plunge and buy a domain and rent some space but I'm trying to avoid it for now. Who knew blogging would turn me into a cyber-chick? I'm even thinking that when/if I teach I could have course blogs and encourage students to use them a web journals for course assignments in place of paper journals.

All this took some time from Cleo, but it's almost done. I have about 2 inches left on the body and then it goes together. I'm going to get the elastic today. I even tried it on (it was funny, there I am with the main body on 4 circular needles to get it over my hips, holding the triangles over my boobs to see how it would look) and I think I'm going to like it. Here's it is "assembled" so you can see it:

I also washed my chickami today and it's in the dryer. The cotton stretched out a fair bit so I want it to shrink a bit--but not too much! I'm a little scared of the dryer thing, but I know cotton likes it--I hope.

9:20 AM

Thursday, August 07, 2003

 

No pictures today because: 1. I filled my designated web space capacity (5mb) provided by my ISP and 2. I spent the evening web-cleaning so I could free up some space. Poop. It didn't take very long to fill my space. I'll have to dump my Mexico photo album for now so I can fill up some blog photo space. I guess I need to buy a larger web-hosting space. Any suggestions out there? My blog is hosted by blogger and I think I'll leave it that way for now, I just need somewhere to host my photos.

I did get a bit done on Cleo. Both triangles are done and the band they attach to is finished. I'm starting on the bottom part. I'm making the full back version because I want the coverage. I love the backless thing but I have some skin problems I don't want to show off. It sucks that I'm working on my body (yoga, weights, cardio) but I can't show off the results! (How's that for vain).

And in other good news, ultra fab Wendy sent me some Opal Mexico for me to try out. It was great of her to give me some new yarn to try. I mean one can't have too much yarn right?

9:54 AM

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

 

Well I made it through my first day back and actually got some school related stuff done. I'm really really really trying to make my thesis my first priority. It's hard working from home because all sorts of temptations lurk. There's all the mundane household stuff (cleaning, laundry, cooking) and then there's the knitting basket and the internet. I think I might be checking out my local library as a new work spot, or just trying to re-establish the discipline I used to have. I just received my latest tuition bill--OUCH!--if that doesn't motivate me, maybe nothing will.

In knitting news: Cleo is coming along rather nicely. I knit the first triangle only to discover that it wouldn't provide enough coverage (I made the smallest size for my small boobs) so I ripped it out and made the next size up. It went so well I even got into the second one before bed:

I did make one change to the pattern. To make the triangles you have to decrease a stitch on each edge:
k2, yo, k3tog, pattern to last 5 stitches k3tog, yo, k2.
I didn't like the shape it made since the slanting on the first decrease goes the wrong way so I did:
k2 yo, sssk, pattern to last 5 stitches, k3tog, yo, k2.
And it made a nicer triangle shape that looks like this:

It also works for the regular eyelet detail--you just do ssk on the first eyelet instead of k2tog. It's a minor thing, but I like the look better.

And since I'm handing out tips I'll add one more. If you find the top ribbing of your chickami sags then you have to do a tighter bind off. I have a habit of casting off too tightly so I consciously loosen it up. This resulted in a really saggy back and front tto my chickami, so I tightened the cast off a ton (I pulled out 6+ inches of yarn) and it sat perfectly. Here's how to tighten a cast off without ripping:

1. Hold the piece so the last bound-off stitch is on the left
2. The bind off looks like a bunch of chained loops and this is what you'll tighten. Insert a needle under the front edge of the first loop and pull the yarn toward you. Remove the needle (now you have a really loose loop on the end)
3. Find the back edge of that same first loop (it will be tight since you pulled on the front). Use your needle and pull the excess thread through.
4. Put needle into front edge of next loop and pull excess thread.
5. Repeat 3 and 4 drawing the excess yarn along. Remember not to over tighten or else you'll have to rip it out (there's no way to loosen a bind off that I know of)

A likely-clearer explanation with photos can be found in Sally Melville's The Knitting Experience Book 1: The Knit Stitch

9:23 AM

Tuesday, August 05, 2003

 

More Vacation Fun

We spent most of the week at the cottage lazing around. However, mid-week, Craig and I dropped the kids at my parents' place and headed back to TO for the "SarsStock" concert aka Toronto Rocks featuring the Rolling Stones!

It was amazing! We got there mid afternoon, found a patch of grass near a speaker and a large screen, and listened to great bands all day with 450,000 of our friends!--Blue Rodeo, Rush, The Guess Who, The Isley Brothers, AC/DC, and the Rolling Stones.

The line-ups were surprisingly short (didn't even have to wait for a bathroom), I wasn't totally crowded on my blanket, there was free water, the food wasn't great, but there was no wait, getting home was pretty painless--I'm totally glad I went. Mick and the boys are looking a bit old, but they were great to see (even though from where I was standing they looked an inch tall) and AC/DC rocked (this from a non-rocker chick). It was totally weird being transported from the tranquility of the cottage to Canada's largest concert but it was a great day.

Then we went back to quietness and not so great weather. But we roasted marshmellows:

Canoed:

Fished:

Ate super-sweet fresh picked corn:

And knit! I finished my "lettuce" socks in the car on the way home.

The colour of the Fixation reminds me of a salad. These pair are for me and they're perfect. I used Wendy's Generic Toe-up sock pattern with a 2x2 ribbing. Wendy also helped me with picking up the short-rows on the heel and it worked out perfect--Thanks for the tip!

I also started a toe for another sock while in the car. I think it will be a toe-up version of Broadripple from Knitty. I'm starting my Christmas knitting now (mostly socks and scarves) so these will be for some lucky friend or family member. I want to do socks with some sort of stitch pattern right now, so I'm going with it. Nothing too hard though, I like the easiness of socks.

And we took some final vacation time last night after the kids went to bed and relaxed. I started Cleo from the Summer Knitty.

I would love to have Cleo done for a weekend BBQ we're going to, but I so much work to do (including all the post-vacation cleaning up that comes from putting one's life on hold) so we'll have to see.

10:51 AM

Monday, August 04, 2003

 

Whew! What a week!

I had a great vacation. Now I'm back and I hope this feeling lasts me through the back-to-work week. I have lots to report, but little time (unpacking, laundry, kids-sad-to-be-back, groceries, etc.) so I'll give a bit now, and more later.

First, I whipped through Chickami. Started a week ago Friday, finished the following Monday. I LOVE it. What a great pattern, easy, clever and nice looking. I did fiddle a bit with it. There's a point where one has to decide what will be the front and the back. Well, the randomness of varigated yarn didn't work out the way I wanted. Here's what the front should have been:

But I didn't like that big navy blob in the center. So instead of doing the called-for three-needle bind off for the straps, I grafted them together and made the back the front (they really are the same except that the strap joins at the back). So here's the new front in all it's space-dyed goodness:

My non-knitting, fellow cottagers were impressed with the final result (and the speed of its completion) which is always fun. Here I am modelling it in the early morning sun:

Not the greatest picture, but hey I wasn't up to working too hard. More on my vacation later...

4:57 PM