More Mitts

I have been hard at work on Taylor's mitts. I'm through most of the thumb gusset on the first one. It's relaxing to have a project that's all stocking stitch in the round, as I don't even have to purl!

And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Highland Triangle #3. I'm about 1/4 of the way through the border on that. I just decided I needed a break from all that shawl knitting!

Knit Mitts

I'm starting in on an exciting new mini-project. Taylor, one of my friends on livejournal, mentioned that she is afraid of freezing to death at the Saratoga reenactment in October. She said she didn't have mitts to go with her outfit, which got me thinking about knitting some. Long story short, I am now making Taylor some knit mitts.

I began with some research, starting with Richard Rutt's A History of Handknitting. This book deals mostly with European knitting, but I was able to confirm from it that most knitting was done in the round in the 18th c. The book also seems to indicate that bar increases for thumb gussets were common. Then I looked at No Idle Hands: A Social History of American Knitting by Anne Macdonald. This book is more about the social meaning behind handknitting, as opposed to talking about knitting techniques. However, there is is nice picture of an 18th c mitten, which clearly shows a worked thumb gusset.

With this knowledge in mind, I looked at some pictures of mitts on the MFA website. They have some gorgeous pieces here. Looking at these examples made me realize that 18th c knitters had one major difference when compared to modern knitters. 18th c knitters didn't mind rolling edges due to the way stocking stitch curls. The MFA site is littered with mitts where the top edge and the thumb edge roll in on themselves. Us modern knitters would freak out if this happened, and would instead use ribbing to finish off these edges. But I haven't seen any garments with ribbing from before the 1830s. So I guess I will have to suck it up and deal with the slight rolling. Maybe I can do something with the bind-off to make it less noticeable. At least I've found examples of mitts with turned under hems, so I don't need to worry about rolling there.

Anywho, after looking through these sources, I came up with a plan for Taylor's mitts. I got some lovely wool, Brown Sheep Naturespun Sport, in the color "ash." It's a sort of beigeish white. The Naturespun is made from US wool and is a plied yarn, which seems to be a good modern substitute for period yarn. It's a little heavier weight than would have been the norm, but not too bad.

I have now worked out a rough pattern, and I am a few inches into the body of the first mitt.

Back from Turkey

So I went on another trip, this time to Istanbul, Turkey. One of my classmates was getting married, so Mike and I decided to use that as an excuse to take a vacation. Istanbul is fascinating, what with its rich history and culture. It's an interesting mix between Europe and the Middle East. Turkey is about 98% Muslim, which was a change from the predominantly Christan or Jewish places I have been before. The Turkish government, which is democratically elected, is quite secular compared to those in other Middle Eastern countries. Turkey has also been avidly seeking membership in the European Union and is a member of NATO. This makes Turkey a unique environment in which an American can learn about Islam. The country welcomes tourists, and there is PLENTY to see. I highly recommend visiting!

The store owners do like to target tourists with their sales pitches, though. Like Gloriana, I did get propositioned by more than a few folks asking if I would like to buy a carpet. However, I found nearly everyone I met to be quite friendly, especially when compared to the average person you would meet on the street in the United States.

And of course I have pictures:

Back from Switzerland

I'm back! It was a good trip, and I learned a lot from the class I took at the Graduate Institute of International Studies. Plus, I got a chance to do some sight seeing. Geneva is beautiful, right on the Rhone, and full of gorgeous parks. This picture is of a HUGE fountain they have on Lake Geneva. It shoots water up 132 feet in the air. I could see it from the plane! As you can see, when I took this picture the wind was blowing in such a way as to create a rainbow effect.


I also visited the Art and History Museum while I was there, and I came across this interesting painting. It's from Delft, and I believe that the woman in the picture is using a swift to wind a ball of yarn. I thought it was an interesting piece.

In addition, I managed to knit a bit on the plane to and from Switzerland, so I am now a ways into the border on Highland Triangle #3. With any luck, I will finish it soon!

Back in a Week

I'm leaving this evening for Switzerland. I'm taking a class in Geneva on the trade policy, but it's only a week long. I'm bringing along highland triangle #3, and I hope to get some good knitting time in on the plane. Back in a week!

Memories

I was looking through some pictures from college, and I came across this gem. It's a photo of me and several of my friends holding up a blanket we made. Each of us knit and/or crocheted a bunch of squares using leftover yarn, and then Michelle (who is standing in the top right corner of the picture) and I sewed it up into a blanket. The colors we used clashed horribly, but it was a great bonding experience, and we grew to love the ugliness of the blanket. We spent about two years working on this project (off and on), and then we donated it to a local women's shelter. I'm told that it got some good use there.

Highland Triangle #3!

That's right, I have started Highland Triangle #3 in earnest. This is the last one I have to make for my bridesmaids, and then I can move on to other projects. It's a testament to the pattern that I have been able to knit it three times in a year and not freak out from boredom. Cheryl Oberle did a good job designing something that is interesting to knit without being TOO challenging. I have been happy with the finished results, also. So I give the pattern a thumbs up!

I'm slightly less taken with the yarn I am using, Brown Sheep Nature Spun. It's a decent quality wool, but it gets a bit of a halo that picks up lint easily. This wouldn't be such a problem if I were using a more neutral color, but light lint shows up really easily against black. Nevertheless, this yarn is a good value, and I appreciate that it can come on a cone, making it easy to knit lace from.

Some Movie Reviews and Random Chit Chat

So I finished knitting Highland Triangle #2. I only need to block it and weave in two ends. Of course, I don't really have room to block it in my apartment, so it may be awhile before that gets done.

Also, I got my invite to Ravelry. My username is quincy134, so please friend me if you want to!

And now, onto the movie reviews. I rented a bunch of stuff last week, plus I caught a few things in the theater. Note that there are some spoilers

Spider-Man 3
This movie was pretty bad. It was too long, much of the dialogue was embarrassing, and I have no idea what they were trying to do with the Tobey Maguire dance sequence in the middle. Unlike the previous two installments, it went totally over the line from quirky to ridiculous. If I were them, I would have cut out the Sandman plot entirely.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End
Also not a great movie. It's sad, because I actually kinda enjoyed Dead Man's Chest. But this installment was a bit more perfunctory, finishing up the threads thrown down in the last movie without offering much new. The action sequences were fine, but they didn't have the interesting sight gags that were in the second movie.

The Painted Veil
This movie is beautifully shot, well acted, and nicely designed. But the script leaves something to be desired. There is cliched dialogue ("Forgive me..." "There is nothing to forgive."), and you know the entire time that one of the main characters is going to die. This is a shame, because Edward Norton and Naomi Watts have good chemistry.

History Boys
Of these movies, this is probably the most inventive and the best written. However, I'm not sure what the point of the film was. It's adapted from a Tony Award winning play, and perhaps the stage version makes more sense. One of the main characters is basically a pedophile, but the movie seems to sympathize with him. I'm not sure if it is trying to be provocative or if the author actually believes that such behavior is excusable. If nothing else, the ensemble acting is excellent.

Miss Potter
Out of these five, I probably liked this movie the most. However, it too lacks something in the script and plotting. This may be because the creators were trying to follow the time line of Beatrix Potter's life, or it just may be because the script wasn't well constructed. It's unclear, mainly because I don't know much about Beatrix Potter. Nevertheless, the acting is nice (though at first you think that Renee Zellweger is being a bit over the top), Zellweger and McGregor have good chemistry, and the way they use Potter's drawings to move the story along is visually interesting.

So close!

I'm working on the bind off on Highland Triangle #2. Of course, it's taking forever, because you have to work two rows of the pattern in order to bind off one stitch. However, I think I can finish soon.

In other news, it is HOT here in Boston. 96 degrees F yesterday. And my office is really poorly air conditioned (I have a cubicle in a room with about 30 other cubicles, and this has 4 old window units trying to cool the whole area.) Plus, some pipe in the ceiling started attracting condensation, which meant there was this giant dripping wet spot in the middle of the room. But it is supposed to drop into the low 70s tomorrow and for the weekend, so it's almost over!

AFI's Top 100 Movies

I Play with Pins and Needles mentioned that AFI had updated their Top 100 Movies list. This got me curious as to what I had seen on said list. Bold=Seen. *=I really like it.

1. "Citizen Kane," 1941.

2. "The Godfather," 1972.

* 3. "Casablanca," 1942.

4. "Raging Bull," 1980.

*5. "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.

6. "Gone With the Wind," 1939.

7. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962.

8. "Schindler's List," 1993.

*9. "Vertigo," 1958.

10. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.

11. "City Lights," 1931.

12. "The Searchers," 1956.

*13. "Star Wars," 1977.

14. "Psycho," 1960.

15. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968.

16. "Sunset Blvd.", 1950.

17. "The Graduate," 1967.

18. "The General," 1927.

19. "On the Waterfront," 1954.

20. "It's a Wonderful Life," 1946.

21. "Chinatown," 1974.

*22. "Some Like It Hot," 1959.

23. "The Grapes of Wrath," 1940.

24. "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," 1982.

25. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962.

26. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," 1939.

27. "High Noon," 1952.

28. "All About Eve," 1950.

*29. "Double Indemnity," 1944.

30. "Apocalypse Now," 1979.

31. "The Maltese Falcon," 1941.

32. "The Godfather Part II," 1974.

33. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975.

34. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937.

35. "Annie Hall," 1977.

36. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957.

37. "The Best Years of Our Lives," 1946.

38. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," 1948.

39. "Dr. Strangelove," 1964.

40. "The Sound of Music," 1965.

41. "King Kong," 1933.

42. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967.

43. "Midnight Cowboy," 1969.

44. "The Philadelphia Story," 1940.

45. "Shane," 1953.

*46. "It Happened One Night," 1934.

47. "A Streetcar Named Desire," 1951.

48. "Rear Window," 1954.

49. "Intolerance," 1916.

*50. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," 2001.

51. "West Side Story," 1961.

52. "Taxi Driver," 1976.

53. "The Deer Hunter," 1978.

54. "M-A-S-H," 1970.

55. "North by Northwest," 1959.

56. "Jaws," 1975.

57. "Rocky," 1976.

58. "The Gold Rush," 1925.

59. "Nashville," 1975.

60. "Duck Soup," 1933.

61. "Sullivan's Travels," 1941.

62. "American Graffiti," 1973.

63. "Cabaret," 1972.

64. "Network," 1976.

65. "The African Queen," 1951.

66. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981.

67. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", 1966.

68. "Unforgiven," 1992.

69. "Tootsie," 1982.

70. "A Clockwork Orange," 1971.

71. "Saving Private Ryan," 1998.

72. "The Shawshank Redemption," 1994.

73. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969.

74. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991.

75. "In the Heat of the Night," 1967.

76. "Forrest Gump," 1994.

77. "All the President's Men," 1976.

78. "Modern Times," 1936.

79. "The Wild Bunch," 1969.

*80. "The Apartment, 1960.

81. "Spartacus," 1960.

82. "Sunrise," 1927.

83. "Titanic," 1997.

84. "Easy Rider," 1969.

85. "A Night at the Opera," 1935.

86. "Platoon," 1986.

87. "12 Angry Men," 1957.

*88. "Bringing Up Baby," 1938.

89. "The Sixth Sense," 1999.

90. "Swing Time," 1936.

91. "Sophie's Choice," 1982.

92. "Goodfellas," 1990.

93. "The French Connection," 1971.

94. "Pulp Fiction," 1994.

95. "The Last Picture Show," 1971.

96. "Do the Right Thing," 1989.

97. "Blade Runner," 1982.

98. "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942.

*99. "Toy Story," 1995.

100. "Ben-Hur," 1959.

That's 30 I've seen. I'm happy that Vertigo and Casablanca are so high up there, but I was a little puzzled by The Sixth Sense being on there at all.

The endless border

I'm plugging away at the border on Highland Triangle #2. I'm tantalisingly close to the bind-off! What has surprised me is how long one cone of Brown Sheep Nature Spun has lasted. I figured that I could get 1 and 1/2 shawls out of one cone, but it looks more like I will get nearly 2.

Another Meme

Thanks for the kind comments about my Nantucket Jacket! I have now moved on to Highland Triangle #2 again. I'm well into the border now, but there is still a ways to go.

I got this meme from livejournal:

1. Do you knit continental or English? English.

2. How long ago did you learn to knit? Eh, around 1990?

3. First FO? A drawstring bag.

4. Favorite yarn? I'm willing to try most things, but I love merino.

5. Favorite pattern? There was this cabled cardigan from Vogue Knitting a couple years ago. I think I'm going to knit it again.

6. Favorite pattern source? VK and IK magazines.

7. Favorite needles? Denise Interchangables, though I also like aluminum needles.

8. Nicest thing you’ve ever knit? A cabled sweater in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. But the yarn isn't holding up well, so I'm thinking about knitting it again (see question 5).

9. Most hated project? Nothing comes to mind. I always think I'm going to hate something at some point during the knitting, but I usually make peace with it later.

Nantucket Jacket: Finished!

That's right! I finished the Nantucket Jacket. I really enjoyed knitting this sweater. The cable/twisted stitch pattern is fun, and the gusset shaping is unique. I was dubious about making a wool sweater with elbow-length sleeves, but after wearing it around for a bit, I've decided I like that feature. Overall, it was an enjoyable project that produced an end result I am happy with. However, I am still unsure about the yarn, Berroco Pure Merino. It's very soft, but it stretches a lot. I will have to be very careful when I wash this sweater.

Pattern: Nantucket Jacket from the Winter 2006 Interweave Knits by Nora Gaughan
Needles: US 9 Denise Interchangeables
Yarn: 13 balls of Berroco Pure Merino
Notions: 6 5/8" buttons
Size: 34" chest

Modifications to the pattern: After knitting the waist decreases as written, I knit for 2 extra inches before I did the bust increases. For the sleeves, I knit the sleeves for the next size up, because some people had complained about the sleeves being too tight (however, I don't think this mod was necessary, since the yarn I used is so stretchy). When I crocheted the scallops on the sleeves, I did it with the RS facing and worked in rounds, instead of starting with the WS facing and turning after the first row. For the crochet on the button bands, I did the sc row in one hook size, then I went up two hook sizes for the scallop row. I also did the scallops as *sc, skip 1 st, dc/ch 1/dc/ch1/dc all in next st, skip 1 st* instead of *sc, skip 2 sts, dc/ch 1/dc/ch1/dc all in next st, skip 2 sts*. I found that this made the scallops stand out a bit better. Finally, I worked six buttonholes instead of five.

Block like the wind

I am so close to being able to put my Nantucket Jacket together. So close! Of course, it takes two days for a piece to dry on my blocking table, so I still have to wait a bit longer.

In the meantime, I should probably go back to Highland Triangle #2. It has been sadly neglected this past month.

In other news, I visited the Adams National Historic Site this weekend. It consists of three historic homes: the house where John Adams (as in the 2nd president of the United States) was born, the house where John Quincy Adams (as in the 6th president of the United States) was born, and the house John Adams retired to (known as the "Old House"). I have been to the site three previous times, but I still love visiting. It's cheap for what it is ($5 admission to all three homes), and the park ranger tour guides are always interesting and quirky. I have learned something new on each visit. This time I took a closer look at the afghan on top of the guest bed in the Old House (it was made by John Quincy's wife, Louisa Catherine). I realized that it was knit. And knit at an incredibly tiny gauge! Can you imagine knitting a roughly queen-size blanket in plain white yarn at what looked to me like DK or sportweight gauge? I was impressed. Below is a picture of me standing next to the side of the Old House in the garden. It's funny, because I have pictures of me standing in that spot both from when I was in high school and college. Can you tell I like this museum? If you are ever in the Boston area, I highly recommend it.

7 Things About Me

Thank you for your kind comments on my Nantucket Jacket progress.

So Andrea tagged me to list 7 things about myself (thanks for thinking of me, Andrea!). I already did the 6 things version of this, but I thought I would change things up and list 7 things about my knitting.

1) Although I rarely buy clothes in red, I love red yarn. Witness this sweater, this hat, this capelet, these fingerless gloves.... The other common colors for my knits are purple, blue, and gray. As my local knit-bud Michelle says, these are "Gloria Colors."

2) I'm a big fan of cables. The current Nantucket Jacket I'm working on is right up my alley. My other favorite cable project was my Vogue Cabled Cardigan (which I am thinking of knitting again). I also really love the Basic Cable hat pattern from SNBN.

3) Somehow I ended up being a sweater knitter, as opposed to say, a sock knitter. I open up a knitting magazine or a pattern book, and I am immediately drawn to the sweater patterns. Although, I have recently been looking more at lace wraps and socks.

4) I try to mix it up with the fibers I use. I am perfectly willing to use more "craft store" type yarns, such as Lion Brand, Caron, or Red Heart for some projects (I have a pair of mittens done in some acrylic from Wal-Mart that are the hardest wearing knits I own). I also like the inexpensive natural fiber options, such as Knitpicks, Patons Classic Merino, or Brown Sheep. Lately I have been looking into using Valley Yarns, the discount brand WEBS puts out. But I also love the expensive stuff too. Rowan, Berroco, and Classic Elite are favorites. Although sometimes a heaftier price tag does mean better quality, it doesn't always (I have to say I am less than thrilled with Cashmerino from Debbie Bliss, for example). I try to keep an open mind.

5) I go through cycles with my knitting. Sometimes I knit A LOT, then other times I don't touch the needles for weeks. This is usually because I'm working on a different craft, such as sewing.

6) My favorite online source for yarn is WEBS. They have an absolutely amazing brick-and-mortar store too. You cannot beat their 20% discount on orders over $60, and their sales are always way too tempting.

7) I'm a "sit in front of the TV" knitter. I like hearing stuff in the background while I work. My favorite show for knitting is ER.

It seems that most people have been tagged for one incarnation of this meme or another, but if you haven't, please consider yourself tagged!!

Getting closer...

I finished one of the fronts, and now I am a goodly way into the other side. I can feel this sweater coming together! Except, I'm beginning to think it should have long sleeves, not these elbow-length ones. We'll see how they look.

Knitting Meme

'bold' for stuff you've done, 'italics' for stuff you plan to do one day, and 'normal' forstuff you're not planning on doing. I got this from I Play with Pins and Needles.

Afghan/Blanket (baby)
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl (wrap?)
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backward
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

For the weekend

Guess who's going to the WEBS Tent Sale and Fiber Festival (scroll down for the info)?!

The Back is FINISHED!

DONE!

Getting there

I am back to the armhole shaping on the back. I'm glad I ripped back because the hip gussets do look better now (though you probably can't really see a difference in the photo--it may just be me). Hopefully I can finish this piece soon, and without incident!