humiliation within!
No pictures today, but lots of blabbing. So I figured I'd start by humiliating myself, because that's got to be nearly as entertaining as pictures, right?
things I'm ashamed to admit I like
And to get on to more serious topics, I received a wonderful package full of books and magazines yesterday. The stuff from the trade. All wonderful stuff!
The sock book has several designs I really want to knit, including heavily cabled/textured knee socks. I may use my natural colored Kroy for these, as the pattern calls for exactly the amount of that I have in my stash. There's also a gorgeous lace pattern that uses a toe-up toe that I've never tried before. Is it merely a coincidence that the socks in the book are orange? I think not. My orange Kroy longs to be those socks, methinks.
The aran book has some nice stuff in it, although there are no charts, and the photography isn't great. (Lots of the pictures of the cables look overexposed.) It will still be useful, though.
I also got two issues of IK - Winter 99/00 and Winter 00/01. My impression is that IK used to have a much higher percentage of advanced traditional patterns than it does now. This may be a biased impression, as these issues were recommended and sent to me after I told the person I was trading with of my knitting preferences/style. The Winter 99/00 issue includes a gorgeous Jade Starmore cardigan. I've already figured out that it should work great in Brown Sheep Naturespun sportweight, which seems to be my default yarn. (I used it for Elizabeth I, am using it for the Nordic mittens, and plan to use it for Ingeborg.) I haven't swatched yet, and won't let myself swatch for it yet, but the gauge looks similar to that for Elizabeth I. I think my preferred stitch gauge for the yarn might be a teeny tiny bit tighter than the pattern gauge, but as the smallest size is close to 40" around, that may work out just fine for me. (And yes, the cardigan is very boxy. Somewhat of a surprise, because I thought it was Alice who was the queen of boxy designs, not Jade, who seems to know a thing or two about shaping. But I still like it.)
In the Winter 00/01 issue, there is a really pretty cardigan with Nordic designs. It has waist shaping, which looks great o the model, who looks like she's shaped kind of like me. Always a good thing when that happens! Too bad I think it's knit flat, which is just the silliest of sillies. If I ever knit it, I'm going to have to convert it to a steeked pattern. And if I do that, I may also go through the trouble of changing the sleeves to faux set-in instead of raglan, like the Betts Lampers Autumn Color Cardigan in Sweaters From Camp. (Which I'll surely knit before this sweater anyway, so I'll have a chance to really learn how that shaping works. I think it incorporates short rows at some point, but I'm not sure.)
I really lucked out in this trade. While the person I'm trading with certainly isn't getting a raw deal at all (especially since I left it up to her to decide on the final terms of the trade in terms of how many issues of IK to include with the books), the value to meof what I received is higher than I could have imagined.
- boxy sweaters - Okay, this is a lame way to start the list, but I only had 2 really bad things, and thought I'd need 3 for a real list. I do think I like boxy sweaters more than a lot of people. I don't think they need to be unflattering - especially if it's a cardigan worn open over a more figure flattering shirt. I like that boxy sweaters can be an un-futzed-around-with palette for creating a gorgeous textured or colored fabric, which sometimes looks its best without shaping making it any fancier. Not that I don't love things with shape, but I like boxy, too.
- jelly yarn - I just saw the link to this stuff yesterday, and am in love. Yes, I know it's impractical. Yes, I know that it's probably hell to knit with. Yes, I know that it's probably much more expensive than it's worth. But it really reminds me of being a kid in the times of jelly bracelets (before they had sexual connotations) and jelly shoes (even if they butchered my feet). It tickles my inner 12 year old, and I like that.
- fun fur scarves - now, don't close your browser window quite yet. I don't want to knit one, and I don't want to wear one. I don't particularly want anybody else to knit or wear one, unless they really, truly want to. But have you ever played with one? They're all furry and fun to pet, and the fabric stretches in really cool ways. They're very fun to fondle. In fact, that may be all they're good for. But that's good enough for me. If I had one, I'd keep it on my office, and take it out whenever I needed something furry to play with. As I don't want to knit one, and don't want to purchase any of the yarn, I don't see this ever happening.
And to get on to more serious topics, I received a wonderful package full of books and magazines yesterday. The stuff from the trade. All wonderful stuff!
The sock book has several designs I really want to knit, including heavily cabled/textured knee socks. I may use my natural colored Kroy for these, as the pattern calls for exactly the amount of that I have in my stash. There's also a gorgeous lace pattern that uses a toe-up toe that I've never tried before. Is it merely a coincidence that the socks in the book are orange? I think not. My orange Kroy longs to be those socks, methinks.
The aran book has some nice stuff in it, although there are no charts, and the photography isn't great. (Lots of the pictures of the cables look overexposed.) It will still be useful, though.
I also got two issues of IK - Winter 99/00 and Winter 00/01. My impression is that IK used to have a much higher percentage of advanced traditional patterns than it does now. This may be a biased impression, as these issues were recommended and sent to me after I told the person I was trading with of my knitting preferences/style. The Winter 99/00 issue includes a gorgeous Jade Starmore cardigan. I've already figured out that it should work great in Brown Sheep Naturespun sportweight, which seems to be my default yarn. (I used it for Elizabeth I, am using it for the Nordic mittens, and plan to use it for Ingeborg.) I haven't swatched yet, and won't let myself swatch for it yet, but the gauge looks similar to that for Elizabeth I. I think my preferred stitch gauge for the yarn might be a teeny tiny bit tighter than the pattern gauge, but as the smallest size is close to 40" around, that may work out just fine for me. (And yes, the cardigan is very boxy. Somewhat of a surprise, because I thought it was Alice who was the queen of boxy designs, not Jade, who seems to know a thing or two about shaping. But I still like it.)
In the Winter 00/01 issue, there is a really pretty cardigan with Nordic designs. It has waist shaping, which looks great o the model, who looks like she's shaped kind of like me. Always a good thing when that happens! Too bad I think it's knit flat, which is just the silliest of sillies. If I ever knit it, I'm going to have to convert it to a steeked pattern. And if I do that, I may also go through the trouble of changing the sleeves to faux set-in instead of raglan, like the Betts Lampers Autumn Color Cardigan in Sweaters From Camp. (Which I'll surely knit before this sweater anyway, so I'll have a chance to really learn how that shaping works. I think it incorporates short rows at some point, but I'm not sure.)
I really lucked out in this trade. While the person I'm trading with certainly isn't getting a raw deal at all (especially since I left it up to her to decide on the final terms of the trade in terms of how many issues of IK to include with the books), the value to meof what I received is higher than I could have imagined.
posted by Rebekkah at 8:37 AM
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