splityarn

twist and shout

Twist is done! Finished! And I couldn't be happier. I really dragged out the last 10% of this sweater. I suppose it's because if I took my time and only worked on it here and there, I wouldnt rush the finishing. I am usually so desperate to complete a project and start the next that I don't take my time with the final details. And really, if I've put two months into a project, why not put as much care and attention into the last few days as I did at the start. The other reason I took so long may have been anticipation of a mourning period of not having it to work on anymore. At any rate, it's complete, it's comfy, super warm and I think the fit is great for what I'd imagined.

Pattern: Twist by Bonne Marie Burns of Chic Knits

Yarn: 6.25 skeins of Cascade 220 in colour 9458. Two of the plys are brown, two are black. Hands down my favourite colour combo in the world. Most of my wardrobe fits into the brown or black category and now I can wear this sweater with all of it.

Needles: Size 7 US (5.0mm) Bamboo

Started: November 8th, 2007
Finished: December 26th, 2007

Modifications: I knit the body about an inch longer than the pattern and the arms about 3 inches longer. Changing the number of stitches to pick up on the button band to account for extra length was giving me fits, so I picked up three and skipped one. It took all the math out and didn't make my head hurt. Buttonhole placement was worked according to the formula in the back of Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques.

Final Verdict: I'd like for it to be about an inch longer, but I can block it out next time it has a bath. It's warm though and so far I love it. Bring on the cold weather.

Ravelry project details

rebuilding the stash

I have made a pilgrimage for my craft and it was good.

Yesterday, Maryse and I bundled into the car, braved sleet and snow and drove a couple hours out to Northampton to Webs. Oh lordy, it was just as I'd imagined. The shop itself was great, everything you could want that had to do with knitting. Bags, needles, DVDs, weird notions you've never seen before, and a tonne of staff on the floor ready and able to help should you have a question. This week they're having a Boxing Week sale (they call it something else. To me, it's Boxing Week) and I scored some good deals on some new yarn.

The main part of the shop is fantastic but I think that if you time it right by the season, the magic happens in the warehouse in back. It's like the Costco for yarn back there. You're never sure quite what's in stock but when you find something, grab it. Who knows if it will still be there when you return. I didn't pull the trigger on anything in the warehouse this time, but I'm going to troll through again next time. I *knew* I should have nabbed that green Kathmandu Aran bag when I saw it.

Added to the stash:

• Noro sock
• Shibui merino sock
• Happy Feet sock
• Cascade 220 Paints
• Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran for the CPH. I'm comin' for ya Meg.

happy holidays

Thank you for all the well wishes about the kitties. Bicoe is doing fantastic in her new home and Indy has begun to come out of her shell. She's getting plenty of love and treats and will be back at a normal weight in no time. In the meantime Teek's keeping her busy and providing plenty of entertainment. The Christmas tree has only been knocked over 3 or 4 times, which isn't bad considering we have an 11 lb kitten climbing it every day. No ornaments this year, we'll save that adventure for next year's tree.

And see that? I'm finally seaming up Twist!

apart

Ever since moving the cats into an indoor-only environment, tensions between Indy and Bicoe had increased to an all time high. No amount of Feliway, slow re-introductions or room separations could overcome the hatred between the two. Bicoe couldn't leave Indy alone and Indy was growing more and more withdrawn. It was breaking my heart to see my once playful orange cat hiding in the closet and sleeping her way into depression. She was losing weight and spent any time awake shaking in fear. Something had to be done.

Lucky for us, the Husband's parents are cat people and LOVE our lil' chatty Siamese. This weekend we drove Bicoe down to Cape Cod and transitioned her into her new house. We weathered the most recent Nor'easter getting her adjusted to her new surroundings and meeting her new siblings. She'll have two other cats to chum around with, she'll be able to go outside come Spring and best of all, she'll be looked after by people who love her. And it certainly doesn't hurt that we can go visit anytime we want.

I wish it could have worked out to keep all my furry babies in one place, but it's better all around to share the love, right?

I miss her already.

*Bicoe's backstory is here

it's snowing!

Scratch that, it's DUMPING out there. In what can only be fortuitous timing, on the exact day that my new boots arrived, one hour before I had an appointment to get snowtires put on the car, the first big snow storm of the season hit.

I immediately cancelled the car appointment, put on my new boots and walked down to Mind's Eye Yarns to grab 2 skeins of Cascade 220; a dark tweedy purple and a creamy white for the Bird in Hand mittens. Tonight's schedule is a little shovelling, a little soup and a whack of knitting. Hey Mum, want some new mittens? The purple is for you!

New boots, an LYS within walking distance and snow. I think I've died and gone to heaven.

stop start

I feel like such a slacker. Twist isn't finished and I haven't knit a stitch of the 2nd sleeve since last Tuesday. And now that it's getting colder in the Northeast I need the sweater finished. I need mittens. I need a warmer hat. I have startitis and ennui at the same time and all it is leading to is massive frustration. It's like when you drink too much coffee and you're fired up to do something, but you're too jittery to get anything done properly.

yep, still ugly

As the temps dipped below freezing I started digging around for blankets for the kitties. We have several afghans they can curl up in, but I can't leave them out unsupervised now that Teek has shown himself to be a teething chomper. He'll take a big bite of an afghan and pull his head back trying to rip pieces out. How did I manage to adopt a yarn eater? Gah! I needed to come up with an alternative for cat warmth.

Enter my ugly first quilt.

When I wanted to learn to quilt 14 years ago, I signed up for a class in the only fabric store in Whistler. Their selection was small and the teacher was more than a little uptight. The first class in the series was all about colour choices. When I reached for some greys and some blacks, the instructor came over to me and tsktsk'd my choices. "Oh honey, you don't want to use blacks or greys in a quilt. It will be too dark and ugly. Quilting should be about lovely colours and pretty things." I should have known right then to RUN AWAY FROM THE SCARY LADY, but I didn't. I compromised and sewed the quilt with fabrics that I didn't love (except the backing. Still love that plaid.) While I learned a lot in the class, the result was a quilt that I don't like and have only ever used as a cat bed. For some reason it never saw the light of day in Texas, but it's back in rotation now. And I know just the bitey cat that can use it.