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August 31, 2006
YREKA!
Okay, this is MUCH better. I finally found a color and stripe combination I love. I made the first stripe the same color as the cuff, and it folds beautifully. (This isn't the greatest photo, color-wise. The greens are much, much greener.) I've sandwiched a solid color of Lamb's Pride with some variegated Malabrigo. The resulting texture is really cool.
Of course, now I'm looking suspiciously at the first two stockings and thinking I'm going to want to re-do them. 2780 hours to go.
Geez, I really need to wash my hair, don't I?
Posted by Kate at 12:51 PM
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August 30, 2006
two down, mostly
Okay, here are the first two stockings. The second one (the red and white one) is significantly better, proportion-wise and heel-wise.
I just made the leg part about ten rows longer and it made a huge difference, and I decreased the heel a little faster. I'd started the heel with 15 stitches per needle and decreased every other round. When I got to 9 stitches per needle, I decreased every round and then grafted the heel together at 6 stitches per needle. I think it looks a lot nicer and rounder.
I'm not happy with the obvious red stripe at the top of the cuff, so I'll probably press it into shape and sew it down so you can't see the red bit. On the next stocking, I'm going to make that first stripe the same color as the cuff so the change isn't as noticeable.
Not shown in the photo are the unsatisfactory jogs at the beginning of the stripes. The jogless jog doesn't work very well if you're not starting with new yarn every time you change colors. I'm loath to do so, since it will mean huge amounts of wasted yarn and huge amounts of time weaving in ends. But I reeeeeally hate the jogs. Sigh.
But boy, do I love Malabrigo.
Posted by Kate at 12:41 PM
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August 23, 2006
a thousand words
I said a few of them while I frogged, all of them unrepeatable.
Posted by Kate at 9:44 AM
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August 22, 2006
CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP
So - the aforementioned half-finished stocking? I was just admiring it and it seemed a little odd somehow. Turns out that I forgot to decrease after the cuff. This decrease made the cuff fold really nicely.
I know it'll only take about an hour to re-knit after I frog back to the cuff, but I DON'T WANNA! Grrrrr. I think I will make myself a little gin&tonic and play some Sims for a while to soothe my shattered nerves.
Grumble grumble grumble.
Posted by Kate at 1:47 PM | Comments (1)2997 knitting hours 'til Christmas
The problem with making a cool knitted Christmas stocking for somebody for Christmas is that your little sister might see it and then want one for both her children, then, while you're at it, she wants one, and the other sister wants one, and then your parents' and brother-in-law's will need to match, and then you have no choice but to make one for yourself as well.
One and a half down, seven and a half to go.
Oh, and in case you were worrying - I didn't have enough red yarn to finish the mystery item for my mom. I'm working on a clever plan to salvage the project, but the stockings are taking priority.
Sigh. Clock's a-ticking.
Posted by Kate at 11:40 AM | Comments (5)August 9, 2006
ruh-roh, raggy
If this isn't enough yarn to finish four more pattern repeats (and seaming), I'm SCREEEEEWED.
Posted by Kate at 8:18 PM
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August 8, 2006
self-portrait challenge
Enclosed outdoors in a box in a somewhat compromising position, I've never felt so free.
Posted by Kate at 10:45 PM | Comments (7)August 3, 2006
Do Mess With Texas
After a trip not without incident, we're back. On the whole, it was a blast. One can't have a four-day trip with three people in the cab of a moving van without a little crabbiness, but we made it to San Diego without killing each other or anyone else.
Because the internets here aren't working so well today, I'll just give some highlights:
Here is the sock enjoying Nathan enjoying lunch at Cafe des Amis. We went off the beaten track in Louisiana to get there, but the drive was worth it. We all had delicious food, but Nathan's duck gumbo nearly made me pass out from food-induced ecstasy.
When a place is so humid that your eyeballs sweat, it's no wonder that there are drive-through daiquiri places everywhere. I am NOT making this up. Seriously, god bless Louisiana.
Dude. Lone Star Beer sucks. So does Texas. But again, at least they don't seem to care if you're drinking in your moving vehicle. This beer was NOT the breakfast of champions.
After a hundred miles of billboards, how could we resist seeing "The Thing"? We couldn't. Nathan was driving. I could tell you what "The Thing" turned out to be, but then I'd have to kill you.
Near sunset on the last day, we stopped to water the horses in Arizona. I was enchanted by the courtyard full of religious statues. I just couldn't figure out why Jesus had a raspberry on his head. If anyone can explain this, I'd be most obliged.
Posted by Kate at 4:10 PM
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