Things that cut into my yarn budget: Off of Work and Out of Commission

The last couple of weeks have been ...interesting. Part of me wants to blog all the gory details, but I know some parts of your life are best left off of the Internet, however "interesting" they may be.

The main gist of it is health problems. A hospitalization. Lots of non-knitting, yet craving to knit. I'm not quite functioning like a normal person.

I'm taking some time off of work right now to get things straightened out some more. Which means I'm living off my parents. My meager savings won't go far. And I have more hospital bills. And did I mention my insurance *claims* I haven't met deductible yet? At least I can fix that. I hope.

Sadly, Decimal will have to wait. Spending $40-$50 on KnitPicks yarn is usually doable, but not right now. It's stash knitting.

In between all this my Photogenic Scarf is stuck in my desk at work. I really, really, really want to knit that scarf. I need to find something equally soothing to knit. In my stash. ASAP.

(I hope my boss took that orange out of my desk like I asked. Otherwise it's going to start stinking up the place.)

I don't have it in my to do World Wide Knit in Public Day at the Capitol tomorrow. But I will be at The Knitting Nest to see Franklin Habit. I can't afford the class though (it's probably full anyway), but I'll probably pick up his book and get it signed.

I really want my scarf back.

Swatching Sunday: What happened here?

It's tough to tell here, (a slightly bigger picture may help), but this Decimal swatch has some issues. I got my eyelets to line up properly, but not my purl bumps .

The pattern stitch is in multiples of ten plus three, so I cast on 33 stitches. However, I'm now noticing that the different sizes of the actual sweater all call for casting on multiples of five. I think I didn't account for the added first and last stitch in the actual sweater.

This was knit with KnitPicks Gloss in "Cosmos" and US Size 2 aluminum needles. It's unwashed and unblocked.

I'm going to try this one more time with 35 stitches before I order the yarn for the actual sweater.

Swatching Decimal

I started swatching Decimal this evening with KnitPicks Gloss and US Size 2 needles. So far, so good, although I haven't really measured the swatch yet.

I think I'm going to stick with Gloss for this sweater. I like Shine Sport, but I know it will take US Size 1 needles, and I really don't want to knit an entire sweater with such tiny needles. I have to draw the line somewhere. It just doesn't feel good with the yarn.

I'm not positive I'm going to stick with this color, "Cosmos." If I was really brave I'd use "Parsley." I think it would bring out my eyes, although I normally don't gravitate to those muted colors. It'd be a brave move to order so much yarn in that color.

Swatching Sunday: It looks like Gloss is the winner

It's been a while since I talked about my plans for Decimal. But now I've swatched all the yarns I bought and blocked them. So now it's time to review the yarn.

KnitPicks Gloss

Fingering Weight, 70% Merino Wool, 30% Silk, Color: Cosmos

Gloss is the most likely candidate for Decimal at this point, mostly because I hit gauge on the dot with a needles size that feels good. It has a bit of "fuzziness" with the underlying smoothness of the silk. It's not itchy at all. It's not too drapey, and not too stiff. It seems like a good choice overall. It will make for a good cool weather sweater.

Gauge: 2 inches=
US 3 - 10.5 stitches and 18 rows
US 2 - 12 stitches and 18 rows
US 1 - 13 stitches and 19.5 rows

KnitPicks Shine Sport

Sport Weight, 60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal, Color: Grass

Shine Sport is one of the yarns used in the original Decimal Cardigans. It's buttery soft and very drapey, yet it's not very "heavy." It seems to be holding the blocking pretty well. The only problem is that I'm having trouble making gauge with it. I may try the pattern stitches with US size 1 needles and see what happens.

Gauge: 2 inches=
US 2 - 11 stitches and 16.5 rows
US 1 - 12.25 stitches and 18 rows

KnitPicks Merino Style

DK Weight, 100% Merino Wool, Color: Hollyberry

Merino Style is definitely out for this particular project. The gauge isn't even close. It's very "fuzzy," but not in a fun fur type of way. I think it "bloomed" quite a bit when I washed it.

Gauge: 2 inches=
US 5 - 10 stitches and 14 rows
US 4 - 10.5 stitches and 15 rows
US 3 - 10.75 stitches and 15.5 rows

KnitPicks Merino Style

DK Weight, 70% Cotton, 30% Linen, Color: Key Lime

Linen has a tendency to be pretty stiff and crisp, but mixed with cotton you get some softness. CotLin is a good happy medium. It's crisp, yet soft with a hint of "fuzziness." Also, the linen prevents sagging with the cotton. (And both fibers are nice and cool.) Too bad I can't make gauge for this project. It's so soft. I'd love to make something else with this yarn, like a nice summery top.

Gauge: 2 inches=
US 4 - 10 stitches and 13 rows
US 3 - 10.75 stitches and 15.5 rows
US 2 - 11 stitches and 16.5 rows
US 1 - 11.5 stitches and 19 rows

Block Party

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and hot pads! and potholders - the swap.

With my bathroom sink recently cleaned, and some spare room on my bedroom floor, this evening was a good time to do some blocking. I blocked my swatches for Decimal (I tried several different KnitPicks yarns) along with the potholders.

The Decimal swatches took a nice long soak in Grapefruit Eucalan. I have all the info on the yarn and the needle sizes here.

I was concerned about the small amount of lanolin in the Eucalan, however. I don't know if it will make a difference as far as flammability. But everyone in the swap is being extra careful about the materials they use, so I just dipped the potholders in plain, lukewarm water. After a few seconds I gently squeezed out the excess and pinned them to the towel.

I imagine most people won't need to block their potholders. But after I added the edging, these got a little curly. Hopefully this will flatten them a bit.

Friday Bits and Pieces - a list

1. I'm approaching the halfway point on the Tapestry Cowl. However, it hasn't seen much action recently because...


2. I've been swatching my KnitPicks yarn for Decimal. The swatches above are, from left to right,CotLin, Merino Style and Shine Sport. I haven't broken into the Gloss yet. I don't have official measurements, but it doesn't look like I won't make gauge with the Merino Style. The CotLin may be hard to make gauge. Right now I'm using a US Size 1 with the CotLin, and it just doesn't feel good. Shine Sport seems more promising.

3. I have a new screen on my bedroom window, and there hasn't been any flies since last week.


4. After nearly eight years, I decided it was time to get the bunny some new stuff. Her water bottle has been leaking for years, and either her litter box is leaking, or she's hanging her butt over the side. So I put in an order to Bunny Bytes and it came in today. The litter box was bigger than I expected, but I think she needs it. I also got her a toy as a treat.


5. Bunny Foo-Foo is cute.

6. Tonight is my CPAP titration study, where they'll help me get fitted with my CPAP while I sleep. I'm excited because I'm looking forward to sleeping better. Still, I suspect it will be a long night.


7. Here's my parting shot - a little OPP (Other People's Projects.) This is Carrie, and apparently she is the Noro Queen. I loved her "fake isle" sweater. (Not to mention the Noro Clapotis she's holding.)

Yarn Pr0n: KnitPicks

I got my KnitPicks order on Monday. At the time I was distracted by the thing with the flies, so I'm just now getting around to posting pictures.


I was really excited when I found the note in my mailbox that I had a package. I waited in the hallway where I was hardly acknowledged. I could see the package with the KnitPicks tape on it sitting there. I contemplated just taking it. I finally got someone's attention. (The management is not known for customer service.)


Here's the big reveal...


...and all the goodies inside.


The ball winder came in a nifty box. I'm going to find a good use for this.


I'll probably put it together this weekend. I'll be winding some yarn soon.


I got color cards for all the yarns I'm considering, so I can choose the perfect color for Decimal. I was psyched because they include all the new spring colors.


I also got my first set of Harmony dpns. I can't wait to use them. I was pleasantly surprised at how heavy and hard the wood was.

(Wow. That sentence sounds bad out of context.)


Finally, here is the yarn itself. On the far left there's is a skein of Shadow in "Vineyard Heather." I got that so I can have some lace weight on hand. The rest are candidates for Decimal. From left to right, the other yarns are Gloss in "Cosmos", Cotlin in "Key Lime", Shine Sport in "Grass" and Merino Style in "Hollyberry."

I'm already swatching the Merino Style. I'll let you know how it goes.

KnitPicks as an Antidepressant

I just went outside to check the mail. And it's a beautiful day. For normal people.

But as I mentioned last year, I'm convinced that I have Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder. Today isn't bad, but I'd still prefer it cooler. And I know the miserable heat will be here soon.

So I decided I should jump on the Decimal cardigan while I'm in the mood. I think it will break me out of my knitting funk.

Unfortunately, I'm broke and I don't have sweater amounts of anything close to appropriate in my stash. So I put in an order to KnitPicks last weekend. I'm starting out by swatching different yarns. I got color cards and swatching balls of Gloss Sock Yarn, Simply Cotton Sport, Shine Sport, CotLin and Merino Style. I can knit the largest size of Decimal in any of those yarns for less than $50.

While I was at it, I ordered a skein of Shadow Lace to scratch my itch for lace, a set of Harmony DPNs and a badly needed Ball Winder. This was just enough for free shipping. (It's been more than five days now, so I'm anxiously checking the mailbox everyday.)

I consider this a medical expense. I think my mental health will benefit from it. (I wonder if my FSA will cover it.)

It's 2 a.m., do you know where your blog is?

I know my blog is way behind.

But before I go to sleep, I thought I'd mention that I'm going to be dreaming about the Decimal cardigan tonight. Perhaps in KnitPicks CotLin?