AnotherPurl :: a knitter's life

Give-away!

I've sent off the prizes for donators for the CCFA today (Congrats and Thank You to Carol).  I didn't have a large list of donators, but I still feel odd keeping things I added to the list of prizes.  So?  Giveaways!

This week I'm giving away The Knitter's Book of Yarn.  If you are interested in receiving this book, please comment on this post.  I will randomly select someone Saturday morning, May 17th, at 8 a.m.

I will ship internationally, so don't worry about where you are from. 

(and because I feel like there should be real knitting content in here: I am on repeat 12 of 17 for Convertible, and should be going to Windsor Button on Thursday to pick up small shank buttons to complete the project.  I do not have a picture today, but should have a picture for tomorrow.)

not just muppets

I received Tweed earlier this week from Alison!  This book is just a wonderful addition to my knitting library!  I'll probably post more about it tomorrow, because I don't have it with me and want to make sure I get all of the pattern names correct.  Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm just not a big history person.  It's probably the really boring videos I had to watch in grade school on the Micmac Indians that finally did me in, but I enjoy very specific subjects within history.  History of Japan (especially the Heian period and the Meiji era) and history of science.  And now, apparently, the history of yarn.  It really shouldn't be that surprising, given that yarn is a subject in general that I find intensely interesting as a knitter!  So, I'm still mostly enjoying the history of the yarn and the fabric and haven't really done more than look at the patterns enough to make a laundry list of "want to makes." 

Whew! 

Of course, while I ruminate on that book and its delicious possibilities, I happily gave the muppet to its recipient today.  She plans to give it to an elderly relative for Mother's Day (said recipient is at least 80 from conversations).  I got to show her how I was progressing on Convertible.  I'm three repeats in, and it is turning out into quite a speedy little knit.  I think she wants it by early next week, so I will literally be doing nothing but running and knitting all weekend long!  But it's all for a good cause!  Hopefully I'll have a picture after we get our camera back.  I can't subject anyone else to another really poor camera phone photo (though maybe I can try an outdoor camera phone photo?). 

Bounce!

I just want to give a big thank you to Alison.  I won the Tweed book.  For the life of me, I can't remember the last time I won something. 

Thank You!

I'm going to go blibble happily in my corner now.

Speeding along

Imagine here the Fiery Bolero, the left front done and the right front about to begin.  See draped over it a pink scarf, blocked out and gorgeous.  Over that, visualize a couple pairs of socks and a finished top.

Yeah, I have finished (or nearly so) some knitting projects, but I'm working on 3 or 4 projects in a day (yesterday it was the bolero, Argosy, and a little vine lace scarflet thingie).  I'm losing a lot of knitting time though to books!

Harry Potter is out like tomorrow (not actually that soon, but it feels like it), and I finished book 6 last week.  I immediately started rereading the Circle Books by Tamora Pierce.  It is about a book a day, which definitely isn't getting any of my other projects finished.  That's OK, because the wedding is in about 10 days and the best man has more tats than I do.  I'm still hoping to finish, but that is mostly because there is July 4 in which to get some quality knitting time.

Because I had a meeting today (and it was even a good, productive meeting), I thought of this.

Like a ninja...

Sunday I returned a book I already had gotten, and got Favorite Socks in exchange.  While I don't plan on changing my mind for the sockapaloooza socks (though I still haven't kitchenered... just gotta do it), I still need to get out some yarn and start a pair from the books. 

I love solid colored socks, so it is just great seeing all of the pictures of these solid and near solid socks.  Makes me so happy, even if picking up the book made me late for a meeting later that day.

I got from work a gift certificate for Amazon (there are advantages to being a birthday gal), and I went online that very same day and ordered a copy of Charmed Knits.  It's already shipped, and I should have it later this week!  I'll have to be strict with myself, because I should be working on the Fiery Bolero.

(Enter a huge parenthetical aside: I said I should be working on the FB, which implies that I am not working on it at all.  Not completely true, but I definitely haven't been working on it enough.  I did a fair amount on Saturday, but most of the time I've just tossed it aside for Argosy.  I'm on my second ball of yarn for Argosy, so I might even be finished by next week if I can get enough knitting time together.  Otherwise, I'll finish it next month if I am a good gal and work on the deadline project instead.)

The New York Adventure - Kinokuniya

Kinokuniya
  n.
  1.  A great excuse to visit New York City.
  2.  A Japanese bookstore with a crafts and hobbies section
  3.  The source of this knitting book

When Sasuga was local (and I was more local than I am now), I used to work for them.  I'd work on the newsletter, hand craft web pages, scan book covers (mostly manga), and a ton of other little tasks.  My job was eventually made obsolete through the power of the database driven web site, but I loved it (loved a bit less the 3 jobs to pay the bills thing).  My Japanese is woefully rusty, but the best thing about playing Japanese video games and having friends as into Japanese as you are is the constant incentive to not let things slide.

So, I now have a Japanese knitting book and I will be making this pattern first (if I can come close to gauge with the yarn).  I am armed with my poor Japanese reading comprehension (I'm so much better at listening - sad, because that's not that great either) and websites.

ABCs of Knitting Japanese Patterns
Clearwater Japanese Charting Lessons

I am pretty sure that I know enough Japanese to smooth out the edges of my learning curve.  It would be great to finally have a decision on what I'm making with all of my Silky Wool (though that will have to wait until I'm done with the Fiery Bolero).  I have already figured out the stitch pattern - the charts are on the second page - the patterns for the increases, decreases, and some of the particulars for my size.  It comes in two sizes, Medium (98 cm) and Large (104). 

As far as I can tell (and I really haven't had the book for very long) the best thing about Japanese patterns is because they tell you how many rows and stitches every section is (including how many stitches you are decreasing every so many rows) is that it is even easier visually to change things to match your stitch and row gauges.  I bought Silky Wool over a year ago to make Scoop It, but my row gauge was so compressed that I gave up on it.  I'm pretty sure I can make this pattern work even if I don't manage to expand my row gauge (I was getting nearly 40 rows per 4 inches).