Knitting progress:

Today I knit two rows of Clapotis!  Yep, that's it since the last progress photo.  Remember the Tortoise and the Hare?  I'll be finished someday...

Secret pal info:
Today I actually wrote 100 things and I updated this SP questionnaire from the last time I filled it out in September.  If you read it back then, there is really nothing new here.

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I am definitely not a yarn snob. Although I do LIKE nice yarn (who doesn’t) I enjoy the occasional Lion Brand purchase. As long as it’s fun (like Landscapes!), I don’t really care where it came from.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? Well no. I sort of know how to crochet, but I can’t really figure it out on my own until I invest some real time in it.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) Hmm… just dust, mold, cats and yellow #5.

4. How long have you been knitting? I learned to knit when I was little but I gave up on it pretty quickly because I hadn’t discovered chunky yarn and I didn’t have the patience to finish anything. I picked it up again last Thanksgiving and I've been cookin' ever since.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I do, and there is a link to it in my about page.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Grapefruit or citrus

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Unfortunately, yes. 

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I think sewing is cool, but I don't have a sewing machine so I haven't really gotten into that.  I like to think of fun new things to decorate my apartment, which is do-it-myself, like the new suction cup curtain rod and polka dot curtain that I recently made.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if you want to make her a CD) I loooove music, and I think I can enjoy just about any type of music file on my computer and ipod. I mostly listen to rock and some pop-ish music, but I like all sorts of weird stuff, especially international rock.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Reds and pinks

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Living alone in the land of natural disasters, no pets.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) Hmm… whatever I do and wherever I go, I just want to have fun!

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I have a hard time with favorites because I like almost everything! I realize this is probably not too helpful, but its just because I’m easy to please!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I’m not a huge fan of eyelash yarn, although I haven’t actually knitted with it so I guess I don’t really know.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? When I finish some of the projects I am working on now, I am looking foward to making some shawls or lace scarves.  EASY lace, that is.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I like knitting fun and useful stuff like a coffee sleeve or an ipod case...  From now on I only want to knit plain, classic sweaters that I know I will actually wear and some fun accessories. 

17. What are you knitting right now? Gloves, giant blanket, and the oh-so-lovely Clapotis!

18. What do you think about ponchos? Ponchos are cool, but I'm not overly excited about them anymore.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?  I like circulars, if only because they can do the job of straight AND circular needles and I don't have space to spare for unnecessary needles. 

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?   I like em all!

21. Are you a sock knitter?  I have knit socks before, but unlike the rest of the blogosphere, I haven't been bitten by the sock bug.  In fact, they really bore me. 

22. How did you learn to knit?   I remember working on a red scarf for what seemed like forever when I was little, and then just giving up on it when it was the perfect size for a teddy blanket. I think I was pretty gung-ho about knitting until I lost interest about 6 inches into it. I even have a Christmas tree ornament of knitting needles that I think I got that year.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?   Some socks that I have been trying to knit since about a year ago. 

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Hmm... not a huge fan of animals.  I like Spongebob and Snoopy!

25. What is your favorite holiday?  Whatever holiday is coming up soonest.  I think they're all fun!

26. Is there anything that you collect?  Nope.   

Posted by Molly at 04:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I have sustained a string of absolutely ridiculous injuries in my life, but I still don't want to admit that my latest elbow injury is probably knitting induced.  I blame this:

Too much fun with Clapotis?  I'm using an excellent red cotton/wool blend that I got in Japan and I think will be perfect for the end of winter and the beginning of spring.  I knitted out of control for a few days and this is how far I got. 

Four dropped stitch rows.

I'm itching to knit more on this but I know I should let my elbow heal up before I get the needles clicking again.  I finally found a good use for those 2 kilos of mochi, or rice balls, that have been sitting in my freezer, some of them since October.  No need to buy an ice pack!

This might be a sign that I need to teach myself continental knitting, but I don't really know how to go about doing it.  The only good thing about the knitting hiatus is that my apartment is clean again and I have been going to bed early.  Amazing what you can get accomplished when there is nothing waiting to be knitted. 

Posted by Molly at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Well, I think it's safe to say that this baby is D-O-N-E!

The major point of concern was just the length of the sweater, which is borderline.  After my second round of blocking, the front stretched a bit but the back is still a little questionable.  There might still be a third blocking in the future. 

Even with all my hesitation about the length, look at this:

I definitely put off the seaming of this sweater for a bit too long because I didn't know how the shoulders would turn out.  I think the only reason I am a decent knitter is because I am good at following directions, but I, to this day, have not succeeded at finding instructions for joining the shoulder seam of a sweater when the WS is really the RS.  Even so, I think it turned out pretty well. 

I'm going to take it to knitting with my friends on Saturday for the final opinion.  Even though I think it looks pretty good in the pictures, I need some real-life reassurance. 

I'm disappointed in the quality of these pictures, which is mainly due to the fact that I have no photo editing software.  I think I'm finally going to get some kind of fun photo software, and soon!  What do all you knitters out there use?  I'm thinking about Photoshop mainly because that is the only program I really know anything about.  Any other suggestions before I make the plunge?

Posted by Molly at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

If you missed Sandra's post over chez Rouge Cerise today, you absolutely must check it out.  If you're too lazy or can't read French, just go here and check out Steriogram's music video for Walkie Talkie Man.  Even if you don't like the music, it is entertaining to watch (I happen to like the music too). 

I finished my sweater today, but there are no streamers and celebrations chez Knitty Knitty Bang Bang yet because  it came out just a tad too short.  Ok, way short.  I'm thinking that some last minute blocking ought to solve the problem, so please keep your fingers crossed that this cabled wool sweater of mine won't be a belly shirt. 

Pictures will follow, whatever happens. 

Also, please remind me not to make any more fitted items until I can get it right.  Scarves and shawls only from now on.  And legwarmers!  You can't have too many of those.

Posted by Molly at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Due to a bad combination of a REALLY good book and some trashy TV tapes, I got distracted from my sweater seaming project.  I can't get enough of the Apprentice, America's Top Model, Survivor, and even that horrible drama Summerland.  Thank God for VCRs!!!  I managed to fit in a few rows on a scnazzy red clapotis, but I have no exciting shots to show.  Maybe by the weekend I will be back in the swing and ready to concentrate on my sweater.

If you're looking for a good book to read, definitely check out Kite Runner. I read it in less than 7 days and I didn't even have that much free time.  Now I can go back to getting a reasonably good night's sleep again. 

Thusday and Friday is a mid-year conference for all the ALTs in my area, and I just found out that I am the token foreigner MC.  Better yet, I have to stick to a script that was written for me, in English, by my Japanese boss.  Sure he did a good job, but it would be nice if it wasn't scripted...

My friends are coming to stay during the conference, and then this weekend I have my first big tea ceremony (and a day of food preparation for my first big tea ceremony) so don't hold your breath for lots of progress anytime soon.  I'll be back, I promise!

Posted by Molly at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Thanks to High Energy Jenny's quick knitting advice, I managed to whip out some stellar shoulder seams and a mediocre neckband while watching trashy American TV shows that I borrowed from a friend.  I just need to block my sleeves now and sew up a storm.  I can feel a new sweater on the horizon.  It's coming...

Posted by Molly at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The front and back of my sweater and blocked and ready to go, so I thought now would be the perfect time to sew the shoulder seams and knit the neckband while I'm waiting for my sleeves to block.  The only problem is that I just can't get the shoulder seams to look right. 

Normally, stockinette stitch is no problem, but since this sweater's RS is the typically WS-side of stockinette, I can't make a smooth seam.  It looks OK, but I know its not right, because all my books and all the instructions I can find online are for seaming the normal side of stockinette. 

Does anyone have any pointers?  I'm putting this aside and waiting until I can do it right, because I haven't been working on it this long just go get a sweater with bad seams!  HELP!

Posted by Molly at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today I made my first pompom!  It looks a little lopsided, but I think it has character.  I was planning to just whip it out before dinner and it ended up taking quite a long time.  All that winding around my cardboard rings... I was too pooped to make another one.  Maybe tomorrow.  I attached it to the end of the cord on my new modified Kittyville hat:

I look pretty stupid in hats, especially with short hair. 

I DO have hair though, and you can see it a little bit under there. 

I think if I put a pompom on top it will look better.  Then it won't look stupid because I have a big head or no hair, it will look stupid because of the pompom.  MUCH better.  Now I just have to make some more pompoms.  Also, I know you're wondering:  Yes, I do have one of those awful sliding accordion walls in my apartment and as hideously ugly as it is in all its beige, marbled goodness, the kitchen is cold so I am forced to use it. 

After the pompom session and lots of fun with my digital camera, I worked on my maroon cabled sweater.  Yes, it's true, that project is still alive and kickin!  I am now the proud owner of 4 completed sweater pieces!  I used all the pins I have to pin out the body for blocking, but since I only have three towels, I have to do my blocking in shifts.  Hopefully I can fit the sleeves in on the weekend and finish sewing it all together sometime next week.  Classes and everything else I am usually busy with all start again sometime next week so I am trying to fit in all the pre-stress fun that I can while I still have free time.  It's great to waste time at work and actually be able to organize my time knowing that I can come home every day at 4:15.  Yahoooooo!

Posted by Molly at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I FINALLY finished my capelet from Scarf Style!  Don't I look happy to be "done?"  (Note: I have not yet woven in the ends because I've spent that time picking up my apartment, doing my dishes and eating healthy since it's still the beginning of the year).

It looks so fun and great in this picture, but in real life I'm not sure if it's appropriate to be worn out of the house.  I REALLY need a full-length mirror.  Instead, I tried to get some accurate pictures of the capelet to send to my mom, who I know would tell me not to wear it out if it really wasn't for me.

Kept forgetting to hit the timer button.  What a pain!  I took about 100 pictures and this was about the best I could do.  Eventually I figured out that I either have to wear it with a black dress or slim fitting black skirt to get the look I'm going for.  At least it's still fun and it's still finished!!!
 

Posted by Molly at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

My belated Christmas gifts were well-received so now I can relax and knit for myself again.  The 5 happy recipients are featured in this family photo.  Can you spot my masterpieces?

I had a great New Year's holiday and now I am ready to take on the next year! I'm not big on resolutions because I don't have much self-discipline and I just end up bending my own rules, but I did conveniently decide to make some changes in my life.

As far as knitting goes, I'm going to finish all my WIPs and SOON, and then it's on to bigger and better things, but only one or two projects at a time.  I recently had to buy a bigger knitting basket because I didn't have the space to keep track of everything I was making. Whoops!

My capelet is so close to being finished, I can almost taste it. I got a package from my mom** today--thanks Mum!--with a tape of NYPD Blue inside so I have a feeling tonight might be the night.

**Speaking of getting great things in the mail from my parents, did you see the amazing quilt that my mom made me for Christmas?  She even put in some Japanese fabric to commemorate 2004, the year of the monkey!!  Someday I'm going to make one of these...

Posted by Molly at 07:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)