I think I have a disease called startitis. Have you heard of it? I SWEAR after this I'm not going to start anything new. But look at my progress on this lovely glove:

This is the Koigu KPPM that I accidentally used for my Kerchief a few months ago. I should have torn the scarf out and tried to un-crinkle the yarn earlier, but I didn't... so I'm hoping the stitches will even out after some wear. If not, they are going to be stuffed under the cuffs of my jacket so it will hopefully be no big deal. I took this picture yesterday, and now I am actually all the way up to dividing the stitches to make fingers. I can't believe I'm actually going to be knitting fingers! I need to do some math first though, and it is just too late for that now.

Posted by Molly at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

That is a rhetorical question. It's frreeeeezin around here, but I know in my heart of hearts that this is NOTHING compared to what lies ahead of me in the real winter. I like the cold, but without the proper accoutrements, it can be difficult to deal with. This is why, instead of making progress on my sweater, blanket, capelet or Christmas knitting, I have added two new items to my repertoire. Remember this?

Why it’s that darned Caryl’s Kerchief that I went and knitted with a skein of Koigu that was being saved for gloves. Here it is, with other skein waiting patiently in the background for me to RIP it out and start swatching for my gloves tonight! I can’t live with these icicle fingers through the long cold winter, so I need to get down to work while they’re still capable of movement.

Since my legwarmers have been keeping me so toasty day and night, I was inspired to knit some wrist warmers from the same “pattern.” (That pattern being, knit a long strip of ribbing, sew up the seam). I got the nicest Diakeito yarn called Diavoyage that is the best color combination—its dark and grayish but multi-colored at the same time. Really nothing beats the alpaca/wool blend either. I’m planning on knitting until the yarn runs out and then making some kind of thumb opening so they will basically be tubes that can be pulled up and down over my fingers when needed. Seriously, my office at school is a meat freezer and it’s not even November yet. Of course the REAL teachers' room is nice and toasty...

Now I’ve never been one to toot my own horn, but I can’t stop wearing the things I have knit for myself and wanting to knit more. I strongly believe that hand-knit items are just warmer than things that are bought in the store. Can't this be true? I have literally been wearing my legwarmers day and night, and I am fighting the urge to bring my crazy clown slippers with me to school—they trap the heat around my feet like no one’s business! Maybe subconsciously I just want to wear around the things that I have spent so much time on, but really… I don’t think I could buy anything better.

That being said, it is getting colder by the second and I am wasting precious knitting time typing on my laptop in the open air. I think I to get my fingers moving with some alpaca to keep ‘em warm.

Posted by Molly at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This morning I had to get up at 5:30 and bike to my high school before going to work at the deaf school. I have a horrible time waking up early, so in my paranoia that I would oversleep, I ended up having extra time so I thought I'd take a picture to commemorate the beginning of scarf season!

It is arguably not scarf season yet, but there is definitely a morning chill that can be painful when I am still trying to wake up. On Sunday I started this easy-peasy scarf on the way home from the Noh festival, and I finished it last night. Despite the fact that I had to get up early I tried to emphasize the positive and get excited about my new scarf. Yes, I look tired, but I tried to muster up as much enthusiasm as possible at 6 am. This enthusiasm was short lived though, because once I looked out the window I realized I would be more appropriately dressed like this:

Yes, I look angry, but I was trying REALLY hard to be neutral. I'm just not a morning person and I hadn't had my coffee yet. I successfully biked to school and back with time to come home and change before catching the bus to the deaf school. I still wore my scarf under this getup, and it kept me nice and cozy particularly on the bus ride home in the rain this afternoon. What fun! This afternoon I worked further up the back of my cable knit sweater and I am almost to the shoulder shaping. I'm hoping I won't be too tired for knitting when I get home from my French/Japanese lesson tonight and I can keep plugging along. I've already turned the cable five times, and it doesn't even seem like I've spent that much time on it! More photos coming soon...

Posted by Molly at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today Pamela and Becky came up to my neck of the woods for some knitting madness. Out of the kindness of my heart, I decided to knit a capelet from my new scarf book with Becky, who recently finished her first scarf. She liked the capelet when we looked through my new book this week, so she decided it would be her first big project. It looked easy enough, but since I can really only teach by SHOWING, I decided that I really should make the capelet at the same time. It wouldn't be fair to make her do it all on her own! I really didn't want to make this, but she managed to twist my arm, so now I am a few rows into my next project.

We headed out to the store found Olympus Alpaca Concerto, the most DIVINE alpaca/wool blend yarn at a reasonable price. The color is not so ridiculously bright as it looks in this picture, but once again I took this picture after dark. It is heavenly to knit with and it is really going to make the best turtleneck. I'm so happy that I have turned my non-knitting friends into believers. It is great to have someone around here to share the excitement of the coming knit-wear season!

Posted by Molly at 06:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Look what I did tonight! I cast on for the back of my cable sweater WAY later than I had planned even though I've been at home since early afternoon (I DID clean out my inbox). It's times like these when I really wish I didn't live alone so I could giddily pester some unsuspecting roommate about the progress on my latest project. This is a shot of my progress tonight, laid out against my perfectly fitting black ribbed sweater. The width matches up so nicely! I think I'm onto something here! The yarn really isn't so purply either--it's really maroon. I need to get it together and start taking my shots in daylight.

Posted by Molly at 12:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It's taken me long enough, but here are some shots of the wonderful knitters of Mie at our first Stitch 'n Bitch roundup a few weeks ago.

I was so excited to stir up some fiber enthusiasm around these parts! Some of these people just learned to knit that night, and everyone picked up on the knit stitch pretty quickly. I imagine their scarves (or belts... ahem) are going well. Last night I showed the lovely Becky how to cast off and so she now has her first finished object! She stayed at my house last night so we knitted up a storm and had some crazy fun. Here she is with her finished scarf/lap blanket draped over her shoulders learning to purl--and doing a fine job of it!

I think the gang is coming to my apartment this weekend because I'm sure some people will want to get in on the purl stitch action too. Even though I am just about the worst teacher ever ("I can't explain it, just do it like this!") I hope that I can inspire others to become as obsessed with knitting as me. This way, it won't seem like I have so much of a problem. If I can spread the knitting gospel to one other person...

Posted by Molly at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Check it out: In the sidebar I am on my way to making percentage bars, but for some reason I can't get the box shaded or the actual percentage to show up. If you are a blogging pro and you think you can help me figure out the code for this, send me an email and the karmic rewards will be many.

**Alert** I am slowly but surely becoming one of those blogging pros--I figured it out on my own!

Posted by Molly at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm so happy that my mom is also a knitter because she encourages me and sends me all sorts of great stuff in the mail!* Today in my fall/winter clothes box, there was all sorts of great knitting stuff. Koigu, circular needles that I needed, a handy pocket guide to yarn yardage needed to make just about any item in just about any size, and this book:

It's great! I was just recently reading the knitty review online and wishing I could page through and check it out. Unfortunately, there are a lot of doable patterns and I want to jump right in and start NOW! Here is a taste of the pieces I really like.

1. Ruffled Capelet

I think I really do need this item... without the sleeves though. It would be perfect for keeping warm at school all day, but I'm not sure how I feel about the ruffle. Ideas?

2. Garter Stitch Wrap

This looks nice and cozy.. and maybe I just want to knit it because it was cold at school today. It sure would be nice to wrap up in at school too, but I have a bad feeling I might end up looking like some kind of sorcerer wannabe. Maybe I can make an adjusted smaller version. I don't think I have a room in my apartment that would be big enough to block this beast.

3. Turtleneck shrug

Here is a crummy picture of the same scarf featured on the cover. I think this is kind of cool, or maybe just weird. Would it be a bad choice for me? If it looks really goofy with the sleeves on like a shrug, maybe I could just wear it scarf-y like on the cover.

4. Misty Garden

This scarf is in the Feather and Fan stitch pattern which, as a novice knitter, I don't know at all. I REALLY want to make this because I want to experiment with more lacey patterns and thinner yarns.

I need to remind myself that I do have a bunch of great things going now and I really need to start finishing them before I move onto bigger and better things. But it sure is cold outside and I don't have any scarves... or hats... or gloves...

*Mum, I think you are bordering on enabler. I had a small box for my knitting stuff, then it outgrew the box so I use the box for my current project and I had to move the rest of my needles and stash to a shelf on my bookcase. Now things are spilling out of the shelf... I am turning into you and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

Posted by Molly at 06:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Today I took the day off from work and I was thrilled because I planned on sitting at home and knitting all day! Then I realized that I had some errands to run, so I figured I would go out for an hour or two, and then come home and knit all afternoon! When I finally got home after about 4 hours, I was hungry so I made dinner. And I had to make lunch for tomorrow. Now its 9:30 and somehow all I managed to do was knit a few rows on my blanket while I was on the phone with my mom and dad this morning. How did that happen?

Luckily I forced myself to stay up until I finished the sleeves of my current project last night. Check ‘em out:

I pinned one out for the full view, and that is its curled up counterpart to the right. I knit these at the same time on a circular needle and it was the best idea! I think I would have been way too bored to knit another sleeve after doing one… now I’m all finished and I get to start the body pieces that have *cables*!! What fun! Well there are only two cables, but I think that is right up my alley. You can see the pattern (from teami daisuki) in the background, and what else is that? Why, it’s my new knitting notebook! While I was at the 100¥ store today, I grabbed a 26-ring binder (don’t ask) and some paper so that I can finally keep track of my various projects, yarns, gauges, etc. I am really bad about keeping track of all that, so its about time I got myself together. It’s too confusing especially when I have more that one thing going on at one time. Plus I am still adjusting to the Japanese yarn labels and converting them to make American patterns… it’s about time I write it all down in one place.

Here is a closeup of the fabric. Fabric? is that the right word? It's a little dark because I didn't take these photos until just now. Daylight sure did fade fast.

I really like this yarn because it's pretty plain and easy to knit with, but it has little black flecks in it that make it plain-fun and not plain-boring.

Well that’s all for now. I THOUGHT I would have a lot more progress on various projects to show off tonight, but I guess that will just have to wait.

Posted by Molly at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My apartment is an absolute PIG STY but I had to get this vest onto my blog and out of my life before I can organize everything else.
I called it right back in August when I said that this cute-looking sweater vest might not be for me. It is definitely not. I finally seamed it up, but I look like some kind of deranged Nanook from the North, so I decided that this great yarn that I really liked knitting with will serve me better as a pair of mittens and a hat.

It makes sense that I could not get any clear photos of this blah vest, so here is a blurry one of me wearing the offender.

It might not look quite as ridiculous in the picture since my head is cut out. My face framed in the large collar is not a pretty site.

I think the hardest part of knitting is picking a pattern that is best for me. I did a great job MAKING this vest, but I failed way back in August when I picked the vest. Slowly but surely, I'm figuring out what suits me and what doesn't... so I am going to keep plugging along on my cable sweater (no, I haven't finished the sleeves yet, but I'm almost there) and keep my fingers crossed that it's right.

Posted by Molly at 05:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I think I have reached a peak in my obsession with knitting. Look at my couch:

It is covered in yarn. There is so much happening! Since I finished my legwarmers (which are currently draped over the arm of the couch), I needed something boring and easy to knit on so today I went out and stocked up on oatmeal-y colors of various yarns to knit a blanket (that will hopefully tone down the loud plaid on my couch). I got some really good wool yarns that were discounted due to their unpopularity, and some fun novelty yarns that I don't usually fall for. So now I just want to knit my blanket. But I also want to finish my vest! Any knit my sweater! And knit on some Christmas gifts! As a result, my apartment is getting messy and my ironing basket is getting full but I am still maniacally thinking about the knitting. Will I ever get on track?

Posted by Molly at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Check out my toasty ankles! You would never know it, but under these jeans hide my latest finished objects.

These legwarmers are the best. I can't imagine I'm going to be wearing them much as an actual fashion accessory because I don't really want to be drawing attention to my calves, but a little pink legwarmer peeking out from under my pants is a good thing. Thanks to my secret pal for this great yarn that will be keeping me warm all winter!

If I keep up all the seaming fun, I should soon be finished with the funky vest that I started OH-so-long ago. Let's see if I can keep it up!

Posted by Molly at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Look, there's finally some real knitting content on my blog! I just took these pictures 5 minute ago too... having the internet at home is really so convenient. I sat down to "do a few things" about 4 hours ago and now its 11:30 at night, I'm starving, tired and I have to make my lunch for school tomorrow, so I'm going to let these pictures speak for themselves.

Sleeves of my cable knit sweater from the new "teami daisuki" in my Roots brand, "James Dean" maroon yarn.

Legwarmers in super wool from my secret pal on my new favorite 100 yen store bamboo knitting needles. They are in 1x1 ribbing, but I'm afraid they look too narrow and are going to be super-tight calf huggers that I will probably have to hide under jeans all winter. Cross your fingers for me...

Posted by Molly at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

For all of you on the edge of your seats out there waiting for more knitting content... I promise it is coming soon! I just spent three whole days this weekend not knitting at all, but before that I was moving right along on my legwarmers and the sleeves of my spiffy new maroon cable sweater. If the password I got today isn't a false alarm, I should be online at home within a day or two and then I will be posting like a maniac.

Posted by Molly at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)