splityarn

Orangina you glad I didn't say FO?

The garbage trucks in our neighbourhood come around incredibly early in the morning. As in, 6:30 AM rumbling and creaking down the street early. So when I realized at 6:28 the other morning that we forgot to put the can out at the curb for the 2nd consecutive week, I shot out of bed as though out of a cannon. I threw my pants on backwards, my shirt on inside out and swore aloud a lot. I ran barefoot out into the street (to the delight of my neighbour walking her dog,) but I got the container out in time. I came back into the house, heart racing and jacked up with energy. With that much adrenaline pumping there was no way I could go back to sleep so I picked up Orangina and finished her by 9:00. Thank you City of Austin!

The project details:

Pattern: Orangina, design by Glampyre
Yarn: Rowan 4 ply Cotton in black, bought from Jannette's Rare Yarns on eBay.
Needles: Size 3 bamboo
Started: August 2005
Completed: July 2006
Modifications: I have a larger rack than most so I knit a few extra repeats of the lace pattern to allow for a better drape off the front porch (ifyouknowwhatImean.) As I was joining the front and back to knit the ribbing in the round, I knit 2 together on each side at the seamlines for a tighter join and to get the right amount of stitches for the 3x3 ribbing. When I bound off I used a size 6 needle to keep the ribbing nice and stretchy.
Final Verdict: It's a keeper! I've already worn it twice.

resisting temptation

I've successfully resisted startitis and have moved to sleeve island the ribbing archipelago.

it's the physics of the thing

I'm not worried about escape velocity yet, but the last few rows of Orangina are dragging. I only have 4 pattern repeats left which will take less than 2 hours but right now it seems like forever. I'm deep into that loop where you knit and knit and nothing seems to happen. I'm ready to start working on the next part. I think this is why I put it down last summer after finishing the first half. I'd like to be finished NOW, please. (Anybody else think it's funny that I desperately want to finish up a lace pattern just to start 6 inches of 3x3 ribbing. Am I nuts? Most likely.)

This is when startitis kicks in heavily. Thanks Maryse, I'm blaming you. This hank of Noro Daria that you sent me is calling me. I can hear it from the other room, "Caro! Caaaaaaaaro! I'm heeeeeeere and I'm prettyyyyy! Look at all the colours, you don't want to knit with black. Come and get meeeeeee!"

orange you glad to see me?

I have every intention of finishing the last three fingers on my Hooray For Me glove, but I have one problem. I don't want to knit the fingers until I can be sure which glove I've already knit. Was it the right or the left? When I finished the first one last year, I put it somewhere I'd be sure to remember. Think I can find it? Hell no! I do this all the time. "I'll just put this here in this weird place because it's so odd that there's no way I'd forget where it is." I'm 34, I've been doing this for years and I still haven't learned.

In the interim, inspired by Jodi's progress, I've picked up Orangina again. I finished the front waaaay back in September (but I DO know where it is, so that's a plus) so it's about time to get this rolling and finished. I can knit 2 rows during each 15-minute break at work and one or two at lunch. Doing some quick math that means I have roughly 15 hours to go until I can join for the ribbing. I should be able to make a good dent with the coming long weekend. Maybe I'll even get the sewing machine out since the etsy shop is empty of sewn goods.

owning up

I'm feeling the need to come clean with all the WIPs I have on the go right now. I swear I haven't had an FO for what seems like months. It's kind of frustrating. While I am for the most part a process knitter, I have a need to see some good, solid production every once and a while. When all your projects are on smaller needles, progress can seem quite slow.

So here's what's on the needles as of this morning:

1. Orangina. I've finished up the front and I'll take a little break from it to gear up for the back.

2. Branching Out. Didn't know I'd started this, didja? I ordered some laceweight from handpaintedyarn.com. The shipping was a little slow, but you can't beat the price.

3. Amelia-June beaded scarf. Mum and I went to Knitopia in White Rock (just outside of Vancouver) and we each picked up a kit for this scarf. There was a shop sample hanging near the till that I kept going back to fondle. I'm not 100% keen on the red, it's quite orange-y, but we'll see. I'm kicking myself that I didn't buy the brown one instead.

4. Wavy. I'd been meaning to cast on for another version of this scarf using the yarn that Kristin sent ages ago. I started it last night and have already buzzed through almost 2 pattern repeats. Just the progress that I needed to see.

phew. I don't think I've ever had this many projects all on the needles at one time. I kinda like it! and oh! I just remembered my hooray for me gloves.

land that I love

Orangina has made a fair bit of progress between Austin and Mum's condo in Vancouver. The Husband dropped me off at the airport yesterday (he's staying in Austin) and I had plenty of flight delays and ground stops during which I knit away happily. I finally arrived in Vancouver late, late last night. I'm excited to be back in a land where hockey makes the front page of the newspaper. It's going to be a hectic couple of weeks, so bear with me while I indulge myself in some of my favourite things about Van. Sushi, yaletown, the seawall, cruising around downtown, that kind of stuff. There's going to be heaps of photos and minimal knitting. My prime directive while I'm here is to clean out my storage locker, but I know there will be plenty of fun things in between.

(And it's not 80 bzillion degrees here! I can go outside without sweltering. yay!)

the remains of Lucky Clover

It is done. She went quietly, without much fuss.

The yarn has been washed, dried and rewound and soon will become Orangina.