Halter Part 1

Having just moved to Bakersfield from the very mild climate of San Francisco, I am anticipating a very warm spring/summer season.  I grew up in the Inland Empire so I'm used to hot summers, and honestly I can't wait.  My new place has a huge living room window and I have a little patio with a door and a window to my bedroom, all in shade.  It'll be nice to get a breeze going through here when things get into the triple digits.

In antici... pation of this, I'm making myself a few tops.  Found the pattern for a halter and it looks so cute.  I ordered the yarn right away.  Totally disappointed that the color in the pattern, Aegean Sea, wasn't available.  I ended up getting Cape Cod Blue instead.  It's pretty, reminiscent of blue jeans.  I have a few pairs of shorts in a light tan color, beigeish, whatever color that is.  Neutral.  I figured this blue would look good with those.

Cotton yarn is not my favorite.  It feels, for lack of a better word, gross on my fingers while I'm working with it.  I'm probably spoiled by working with yarns like Malabrigo (Merino wool) and Noro Kogarashi (wool and silk).  This cotton, however, isn't so bad because there is just a touch of elastic in it.  It's very springy and doesn't feel so, blah, sluggish or whatever it is that bugs me about other cotton yarn.

While it feels ok, it is just weird to knit with, because it is springy.  There isn't much stitch definition.  It probably won't block much, if at all, because of the elastic.  However, for such a tiny little skein there seems to be a ton of yarn in it.  I bought 4 for the top, not sure I'll need all of them.

Though I usually wear a size small in everything, and knitting patterns tend to be even bigger than regular clothes on me resulting in me needing an extra-small, I'm not quite getting gauge on this one.  I started to knit the size small while watching the Oscars last night.  Tried it on after getting about 4 inches done and it was tight as a mo'fo.  Skin tight!  not wanting to look like a street walker, I ripped it all out and cast on for the size medium.  Haven't tried it on yet, but I'm about 3 inches in and it already looks a lot bigger around.  I'm going to knit to the end of this skein and try it then.  I'm using size 4 needles.  My hands are mad at me for this, and my next project you better believe is going to be with bulky yarn on size 11's just to give my poor hands a break.  It's exhausting holding those tiny things.

Seems nuts that I'm worried about a halter top when it is 55° out, but I was here last summer so I know how hot it gets.  Super excited.  I love the heat! 

Le Fil

Came across this video by French singer Camille.  The idea of a full sleeved, floor length knitted dress in that color blue kind of makes my teeth hurt, but the video is awesome with the idea of Le Fil (the thread) encompassing her.  The visuals of the yarn knitting itself are cool too, though it's obviously just being pulled out and run in reverse.  I really like the static in her hair too.  Ooh la la.

Finished the swirled tank top that I was working on and can't wait for it to be warm enough for me to wear out.  I did wear it, but had a sweatshirt on over all day and no one saw it, so that doesn't count.  I do think I made the straps just a touch too short, but in all honesty I'm probably the only person who will ever notice.  Lesson learned from this top - learn to sew better!  All I had to do was attach the straps in the back, 6 stitches across each, and man it was just straight up difficult. 

I have more of this yarn in a heather green, but it's 100% wool, not a cotton/wool mix.  I can't imagine it'd make a good tank top, being wool and all, so maybe I'll just make a hat out of it.  I do love me a brand new knitted hat.

Here is a link to the pattern if you'd like to make one yourself.  It took me about a week knitting for just an hour or so each day.  More dedicated and it's a two-day project, no problem.

Do You Know The Way To San Jose

Really, really wish I had planned ahead and was able to attend Stitches West (a big ole nerdy convention for people who like to knit/crochet/play with yarn) in San Jose this weekend.  Because LOOK AT THIS FLOORPLAN!  All my favorites are there, including Malabrigo and Cascade, Imagiknit yarn studio from San Francisco, Maryjane's Attic from San Francisco and Jimmy Beans Wool out of Reno.  If Noro and Manos del Uruguay had a booth believe me when I say I'd crash that party so hard they'd change my name to Hey Kool-Aid!

In lieu of attending Stitches West (next year my pretties, next year) I'm working on a few tops to wear.  I really like how one in particular is coming out, and as soon as it's dry from blocking I'll post all about it.   

I wasn't too sure about the yarn, as it's 75% cotton and 25% wool and I HATE knitting with cotton, but in the end the drape and the feel of the top are worth it.  Well, so far... as I mentioned it's still blocking.  I used Cestari yarn in the colorway Spring Meadow.  It's a chameleon.  Up close there are specks of mint green and lavender but from as little as 3 feet away it looks totally grey.  When wet the whole thing is almost technicolor bright, but dry it really lightens up and flattens out.  It's so much prettier up close.

I cannot for the life of me figure out the wet smell of this... truly reminds me of going to my great-grandma's house as a kid.  She crocheted a lot, her sofas had plastic covers on them, she had a bowl of fake grapes on her totally unused dining room table.  And something in her house smelled exactly like this yarn when it's wet.  It's overwhelming and not necessarily a good smell,  it's just a grandma-house smell and I'm not sure what makes it happen.  Lanolin maybe?

I've got 4 more skeins of this to use up - one more in the Spring Meadow and 3 in heather green.  A vest may be in order.  It's probably a good thing I couldn't make it to San Jose this weekend.  I'd have come home with more yarn than I knew what to do with.

Fog Delay Hat

Today was such a beautiful day!  Had the really big living room window open for the first time in months and I probably won't need the heater on tonight.  It was just so pretty and so nice, I hope it stays this way. 

  

Just last week, the mornings were crazy foggy.  And I do mean crazy foggy!  I went for a Mcgriddle (aka Breakfast of the Gods™) (aka I'd Gladly Pay Double If McDonalds Would Sell Them All Day And Not Just Until 10:30) one morning and drove at idle speed, which is , what, 3 miles per hour I think, because I could barely see 5 feet from the hood of my car.

I thought I knew fog having lived in San Francisco, but this central valley fog ain't no joke!  And omg is it cold.  It's entirely possible I'm just a big baby, but this fog just sets in and never lets you warm up, especially since here, unlike San Francisco, the fog doesn't recede but stays around just as thick and cold all day long.  So I thought "screw this" and made myself a new hat.

This was my first attempt at writing my own pattern and not following one from somewhere else, so it was a little slow going.  I knew I wanted to use the Lion Brand Amazing yarn that I bought and I knew I wanted cables.  I bought the yarn in the colorway Arcadia, which is a brownish green, maroon, orange wool and acrylic blend.   Warm, washable, pretty.  I like it a lot.

The schools around here have what's called a Fog Delay.  When it's thick foggy like it was last week, the schools start at 11AM instead of 8.  I think it's strange and kind of pointless since the fog doesn't lift, but hey what do I know.  In any case, this is the Fog Delay Hat that I made. 

The pattern:

gauge = 18 sts/4 inches in stockinette

 CO 96 sts

working with a set of 5 dpns, divide the sts so you have 24 each on four needles

join in the round

rows 1-6: K1, P1 around (1x1 ribbing)
rows 7-8: K
row 9: *C2B, C2F* around
rows 10-13: K
row 14: *C2F, C2B* around
rows 15-18 K
row 19: *C2B, C2F* around
rows 20-23: K
row 24: *C2F, C2B* around
rows 25-28: K
row 29: *C2B, C2F* around
rows 30-33: K
row 34: *C2F, C2B* around
row 35: K

begin crown decreases

row 1: *K2tog, knit to 2 before end of needle, SSK* repeat for all 4 needles
row 2: K all

repeat both rows until there are a total of 8 sts remaining

break yarn, draw closed, weave in ends, block as needed

It's slightly slouchy on me while still being snug, and I wear my hats pulled down pretty significantly over my forehead.  Wearing it further back will increase the slouch.  I'm happy with it.

Men's Handwarmers

I was asked before Christmas sometime to knit a pair of black handwarmers to match a black and red scarf I made, so of course I'm just getting around to it now that it's February.  It's still pretty cold here at night so at least they'll get some use before the triple digit temperature days roll in (which I'm totally looking forward to, but that's another story).

Went exploring and found a craft store that wasn't Michaels.  I think there's another one just down the street but for now this one will do.  The original scarf was made from my absolute favorite yarn of all time, Malabrigo, but the store I went to didn't carry it and I didn't feel like ordering online out of nothing other than pure laziness, so I found the closest I could where I was.

Ended up with Lion Cashmere Blend.  It's not as soft as Malabrigo and doesn't smell as yummy, but it's close I think.  72% merino wool, 14%cashmere, 14% nylon.  It knits up easy.  I wouldn't mind a hat for myself out of this stuff, only in something way more obnoxious like yellow and orange stripes or some sort of earth toned rainbow, if that's possible.  Or maybe just one stripe of every color I can find, like those rugs from the 70's.  Oh 70's, why were you so awesome? 

I've got a pair of fingerless mitts that I wear whenever I get cold, but they are pretty girly, and since these are for a rather manly dude I wanted a different pattern.  This one was simple and easy and went well with the yarn I chose.  They are way too big for me, but since a) I have tiny hands and b) they aren't for me, it's all good.  Finished the one mitt this afternoon while watching Gladiator.  Are you not entertained?!  Went for fast food and lost momentum, but almost done with the second one now.

Here's the Rav link for the mitts so you can make some too!  Easy pattern and quick to knit.