aaahhhh, four day weekends. why can’t all weekends be four days long? i guess we wouldn’t get as much done at work, right? but i certainly did a lot at home! i tested. i crafted. i triumphed over my to-do list. it was blissful and i still have a few hours left to enjoy with some prosecco, some kyoto, some world cup soccer, and hopefully some fireworks.

but i know that you all want to see what i was up to this weekend and i have digital proof to show you.

(more…)

###

and five needle sizes.

after starting my first swatch last night at the point, i began to despair. i can’t believe that the pattern author ever got 5 spi with size US5 needles and tahki cotton classic! it’s just not possible. i swatched with 5s and got 7 spi. then 6s = 6.5 spi, 7s = 6 spi, 8s = 5.5 spi. and that’s where i stopped because the US8 fabric looked like crap and there’s no way that i would wear it. so, about an hour ago, i stopped knitting and had two swtaches to play around with, the 8s and the 7s.

swatchin’

here we have the US7 swatch on top and the US8 on the bottom. the weather here is crappy so sorry about the flash photo. after blocking, the US7 swatch comes out just about perfect and the fabric is more substantial and less loose than the US8. i think US7 is the final contender! which, i may remind you is two needle sizes bigger than called for. hmmmm.. i hope this is the least of my problems.

now, i’m also working on birch too (yes, i finally casted on. it only took 3 hours.. yes, 3 hours) and i have to say that i’m not at all pleased with this yarn’s hairiness.

the start of birch or the end?

when i set it on the table at the point yesterday, jess remarked that it looked like my pet had curled up next to me. many people reached out and stroked it like it was a cat. yes, it’s very hairy. it certainly is pretty and i especially like the color and the way that it looks, but i don’t think that it’s the right yarn for this project. the best part about birch is the leaves and i think that they would be totally obscured by the hairiness. thoughts anyone? i’m prepared to frog and save this yarn for a different project. i have 1000 yards of it so I WILL be using it (that, and i just love sweet georgia and will never diss the yarn for its hairiness.. it will eventually find its perfect pattern soulmate, i’m sure.)

give me your opinion on birch! frog or forge on? i’m thinking frog. it just doesn’t look right to me.

the other project i started, i pretty much finished in one night.

the mighty crochet hook

this is the blackout sleep mask of my own design. do not check your monitor, it IS crocheted but i have a reason for that. last year, i made a sleep mask because during the summer it’s like the face of the sun in our bedroom. so intensely bright it can wake up the dead everyday at 5AM. i just can’t sleep with all that light! hence the mask which i whipped up in sugar and cream cotton. it worked great for a few months until it became soft and so stretched out that it doesn’t really fit anymore (though i continue to use it every night.)

so i started a new one of my own design, crocheted for greater stability and the least amount of stretchiness. i’m using debbie bliss cathay and a 4.00MM hook. so far i like it. what you see here is the last stage before i crocheted a contrasting border on it and it grew by 30%. sigh. WAY too big i think. i’m gonna throw it in the wash and dryer and see what happens. if it’s still too big, then downsizing will take place as i have plenty of yarn left over to try again. this project is also where all of the old bras that i just purged from my wardrobe will come in handy! i cut off all the straps before throwing them out and have plenty of expandable elastic to attach to the mask. huzzah for recycling!

###