The New Year So Far

The downside--the ONLY downside--of being a law professor is that the holiday season brings a heavier workload. Exams to grade, syllabi to polish, exams to grade, annual meeting of law professors to attend, exams to grade, the list is endless. Plus I had exams to grade. So while the rest of the stitching-and-blogging world is relaxing, partying, taking stock of the year gone by and making lists for the year to come, I'm grading exams.

Or, rather, doing other stuff to avoid grading exams. I've actually been rather productive so far this year, but whenever I've sat down to blog about it I've felt so guilty about those not-yet-damned exams festering next to my keyboard that I've had to go knit something.

My snooding with chunky yarn and big needles went so well that I decided I'm a knitting natural and should make all the men in my household hand-knitted socks for Christmas. The original plan, of course, was to have the socks actually knitted by Christmas, ha ha I mean ho ho. Instead, each lucky recipient got yarn and a promise. But isn't the yarn pretty?


So to make up for lost time I've decided to try knitting these socks toe-up, two at a time by the magic loop method. I've watched this wonderful youtube video a hundred times at least,



and I am proud to announce that I have created this:



If you look closely you can see a toe-ish sort of shape there. In fact, there are two. And they are still there on the needles and cable this morning, despite my beloved kitty's best efforts to destroy them while I slept.



He chewed three holes in my ziploc knitting bag and pulled a skein through the largest of them! My cat is now in the doghouse.

OK, not really.

In the Mood for Snood

With the zeal of the converted I have joined the snood worshipping society of sewing and knitting bloggers. My extended family is already adjusted to getting their Christmas gifts from me somewhere between New Years Day and never, so I'm sure they won't mind waiting for these newly knitted treasures.

First, a snood for my SIL-to-be of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick. I used the original Guardian pattern gone viral thanks to Karen. Here I am wearing it upside-down to demonstrate its versatility.



Next, another scarfette, this one for my brother. Brother and Sister-in-Law-to-be live in a colder climate than I so no doubt they are dying for something to tie around their necks.



This one is made of some 100% cotton South American Space Dyed yarn from the sale bin at the local Stitch Cafe with nifty buttons that cost more than the yarn.



Then theres another snood just like the other snood for DD. I've redirected the green scarfette from her to my mother but I forget why--oh yes, because it was already done and I could mail it on time for Christmas, except I didn't. Also we bought DD a coat that clashes with the color of the scarfette.

Next up: I've decided to make gift bags and envelopes of all the Christmas fabric we started using last year instead of wrapping paper. And I'd like to whip up something for DS and DH for Christmas, which is still 3 days (ok, 2 days and an hour) away. Plenty of time. Too bad they don't need snoods.

Ceci N'est Pas Une Snood.

OK, to be fair, it was never meant to be a snood. It's my DD's little scarfy thing, now complete with leather buttons. The original pattern looked like this:



--oh, my goodness, now that I look at the pattern again I didn't put the buttons where they were supposed to be! I forgot how the original looked and thought it should button as shown here (but without the buttons.) Anyway, I realized it could also be buttoned end to end to make what I would call a cowl, like this one, or this one, or this one, but which the entire sewing and knitting blogosphere, inspired by Karen of Did You Make That, calls a snood as it churns them out by the dozens.

I always thought a snood looked like this thing on the back of Honeysuckle Weeks's head as she plays Sam Stewart in Foyle's War:


But what do I know? A thousand blogging knitters can't be wrong, can they?

Here, by the way, is my purple scarf, completed.



I wore it today (maybe I'll block it later) with my latest Vogue 8575 as I cycled to work, stopping on the way to pick up more yarn to make this for a friend:



By the time I got to work I had cast on and knit the first two rows! (No, not while pedaling--I bike to the subway then me and my bicycle ride the rest of the way.)


This stuff is addicting!

Silk and More Silk

I went to Goodwill to look for ethical (i.e., used) buttons for DD's scarfette but no luck. Instead, I scored a wonderful baby blue silk sweater and a deep red silk blouse. I love silk and I love to buy silk at Goodwill. I always imagine I'm going to refashion whatever it is--usually a ginormous man's shirt, but then I just wrap up in it and that's that. As it turns out, these items just fit. I feel so frugal and ethical thrifting silk--although, I guess silk is not such an ethical fiber (as compared to wool or cotton) because the silkworm has to die to give it up. But I'll settle for delusional ethics.

Below is a glimpse of the sweater along with my WIP--the one row lace scarf by Turvid, which I'm making out of the rough silk yarn I spent too much on when I decided to try knitting again. I first made it into a small shawl that showed every single mistake and was too warm for my climate, so I unraveled that and now it's becoming a lacy scarf. Should I give it to my mother who will not wear it because it is purple but will be happy I made it for her? Or keep it because it is purple and I will wear it?



Oh, you can also see the state of my funky hair, currently bleached and treated with Manic Panic Virgin Snow to make it white (ish). Somehow I lose my nerve every time I set out to add color, but now that my classes have ended maybe I'll decorate it for Christmas.

(Actually, now that I look at the finished post my hair appears to be neon lime green. I don't think it looks like that in RL, but what do I know?

Picking Up The Pace!

Yesterday I finished two! projects! TWO! Well, except for one needs buttons. Here is the finished (but for the buttons) and amateurishly blocked scarfette for DD who is facing her first winter outside California:



Now, she's only facing what passes for winter in Washington, DC, so this little scarfy thing should cover it.

Also finished is another rendition of Vogue Options 8575, this one with long set-in sleeves in some mystery jersey from Michael Levine's $1.99 table. I still haven't decided if the print is pretty or really ugly--it is certainly synthetic.



Its mission in life is to be another cycling dress. I'm getting better at this pattern--the princess seams almost meet properly at the shoulders now.



And I have the neckline almost where I want it now. However, as a result, the bodice is almost too short.

To restore balance in the universe, atilt due to my excess of FOs, I started unraveling my first knitted FO of this milennium to utilize my somewhat improved knitting skillz on this nice silk yarn.



On my monitor, the color of the ball on the seat is closer to the actual yarn than the disappearing scarf on the back of the chair.

So, go me! Of course, all this productivity is the result of procrastinating on what I'm supposed to be doing, but whatever.

My First Award: I Am All That! What's It To Ya?

Whoopee! Mary of 3 Loved Ones, 2 Cats and a Bird Brain has graciously bestowed upon me the I Am All That! What's It To Ya? award.



This prestigious honor, created by Beangirl, brings with it the responsibility for answering five urgent and important questions:

1) What size shoe do you wear? If you wear a size 7, can I borrow your shoes?
It depends. Which foot do you want to know about? My left foot is size 7 to 7.5 (US women's) while my right foot is 7.5 to 8.5. Lately I've stuck to buying boots in size 8.5 and wearing them with cushioned hiking socks. You can borrow one but I'll need it back by Halloween.

2) 30's or 60's?
60s. 1960s, that is, although I'm also a big fan of Boudicca.

3) Have you ever kissed someone you shouldn't have?
Yes, but not as often as I'd like.

4) Have you ever been poisoned? Was it by the girlfriend of the person you kissed?? That is awesomely "Knot's Landing".
I've never seen "Knot's Landing." I do all the poisoning around here, thank you very much.
5) Who's on your "Celebrity Free Pass" list (top 5)?
1. Richard Armitage (the dreamy British actor and "Spook", not the American Imperialist spook and Tool of Big Oil.)
2. George Clooney
3. Sean Bean
4. John Hannah
5. Robert Downey, Jr.

But my heart will always belong to Paul Newman.

Now it is my very great privilege to pass this award along to:

1. Jane of Lempo Bee
2. Jane at Daisy Donut (and Ted)
3. Wearinbeads at I Want To Wear Beads Every Day
4. Peg at Deconstruct, Alter and Create
5. Psycho Sue at Sew Misunderstood

or 6. Button's and the Boy's Mom at Pendle Stitches.

Meanwhile, what have I been up to? I've decided that as long as I'm (re)learning how to sew I should (re)learn how to knit as well. I went out and spent an absurd amount of money on silk yarn and bamboo needles to make the wrap you can (barely) see in the picture:



And having learned how much yarn can cost, I also set to work liberating the yarn from a dear old shapeless sweater:



Oh, yeah, and somewhere in there I'll finish off the semester!