A child of the 60s must have

designed Cromarty. What was she smokin? It is a gorgeous sweater, that is why I wanted to make it. But the gauge! The pattern suggests a size 5 (3.75mm) needle and indicates a gauge in st.st. (which I interpreted to be stockinette stitch) of 25 stitches and 31 rows to a 4 inch or 10 cm. square.

Bingo. Right on the money. So without further maths, which was a mistake on my part, I casted on. By row 3, I was starting to wonder. Seemed like a whole lot of distance on each round. So I pulled out a really long cable needle and moved it over just to see. That thing was freaky huge.

I’m talking 56 inches around. Now, I understand this is a really wide sweater with a boxy cut. But, 56 inches is so large that it looked like it would be uncomfortable to wear. I sat down with a calculator to figure out where I went wrong. Cast on 184 stitches for each the front and the back. That’s 368. At a gauge of 6.25 stitches to the inch, that’s 58.88 inches, and given that the pattern has cables pulling it in some, I probably was still hitting gauge right on.

However, the pattern schematic shows the sweater being 57 cm or 22.5 inches. Mistakes were made. I think someone got their math a little messed up and I double, triple and quadruple checked mine so I don’t think it was me.

My choices. Redesign the sweater like a lot of people have done. Leave the bigger more interesting cable patterns, but swap out some of the smaller patterns for even smaller ones and just eliminate a couple. That’s an option.

I also read that a lot of people used way different yarn and needle combos and very few people, even the ones that used a DK weight used a size 5 needle. Most used a 4 or even a 3. I would have to switch yarn — there is no way I could get a reasonable fabric/size combo with the yarn I am using by just dropping needle size.

I also considered that many people have taken well over a year to finish this sweater. That was the deal clincher for me. I brought this yarn with me with the intent of taking a sweater home on 6 Sept.

Back to the drawing board. I have a couple of contenders right now: One is a cable and lace cardigan from Vogueknitting, the other is Classic Elite pattern called “A Morn in May.” Both have lots of interesting stitch action. Might be a real challenge to get either finished, so I’m going to be quite realistic here and keep looking for something that can be finished in just a couple months.

Or maybe, I’ll just go back to socks. I brought sock yarn too. Maybe it’s time for more socks.

I wore these yesterday when I went on a beach walk. I got fascinated by the compositions the shells and seaweed made in the sand. I’ll spare you the bulk of the photos, but here are a couple of my faves.

Why not me?

Lately, it seems, every time I turn around, another knitter has done a review of the infamous Signature needles. So why not me? After I re-confiscated the neon socks from baggage services at the airport in Melbourne, I packed them away until I got settled into the house near Sorell. Then, I put away the offending Clover bamboo needles and pulled out the spiffy new Signature US0 (2.0 mm) needles I bought just before I left.

I swore I would never pay this much for knitting needles. And, given it to do over again, I probably would not. I know, I know. Everyone raves about them. The do have many nice features. Unlike the newer Prym I have used, every needle is the same on both ends. In other words, all the points everywhere are delightfully identical. This pleases me.

I have a set of Inox size 2.0 mm I purchased about 20 years ago, and they too are very similar from end to end and from needle to needle. You can imagine my displeasure with the resident non-knitter sat on them and bent one. He did his best to restore it to a more or less straight condition. Mostly I don’t notice the kink and I guard them very closely now.

More recently (recently being about a year and a half ago), I purchased an ungodly number of Pony needles from Morris & Sons in Sydney (formerly Tapestry Craft). I bought two of every size from 1.25 mm up to 3.0 mm. The ones below size 2.0 are stainless steel and in comparison to the Signatures, I don’t see a huge difference. I think you can get stainless in some of the larger sizes too. I haven’t explored that option yet.

There are some differences, especially at larger needle sizes. Keep in mind, that I’m only looking at 5-needle sets of double points in an 8-inch length in sizes 2.5 mm and smaller.
1. The Pony needles do not have the size etched onto the needle.
2. The Pony points are almost as pointy, but they have a much sharper taper. In other words, they get bigger faster. The more gradual taper on the Signatures makes it easier to work some stitches because you have a little more room for maneuvering.
3. The tips on the Signatures stay just as pointy as the needles get larger in size and the Ponys do not. The bigger Pony needles have blunter tips.
4. The Signatures have micro-grooves along the needle that seem to increase their “cling.” They don’t fall out of the yarn as easily as the Pony needles do.

However, the Pony’s have a huge advantage. Cost. Granted I spent about $110 when I ordered them. However, I got about 16 5-needle sets of the 8-inch double points. Part of the expense was shipping from Sydney to Colorado. I have two of every size, which allows me to work two socks at once. More or less anyway. I like that.

I spent about the same on the Signatures. I have two sets. A 2.0 and a 2.25 mm.

This photo shows the 1.75 mm less-tapered Pony stainless steel (left) vs the Signature 2.0 stainless steel (right).

This photo shows the Pony 2.0, 2.25, Signature 2.25, Pony 2.5 from bottom to top.

Bottom line: If you have the extra cash and you really want to pamper yourself, the Signatures are a great choice. They would be an especially good choice if you are interested in really sharp tips in larger needle sizes. But, if you are on a budget and the needles you use are important, but not overwhelmingly so, you might find some other options out there that will do you good and still leave you with enough left over cash to buy some luxury yarn.

I don’t know. Call me a cheapskate. I’ld rather spend my money on yarn. I guess it’s all a matter of priorities.

I haven’t been posting because

I was getting ready for a major trip, and then I left for that trip, and now I am away on that trip. Now that I am here — here being close to Carlton River, Tasmania, Australia — I have time to do things like work, knit and perhaps post on the blog again.

I am house sitting for a woman who owns 80 acres out in the country. She has a very nice home with a wood stove (an important item because it is winter here) and lovely ocean views off in the distance. I am caring for her dog, her pet mouse and her two horses. There is a nearby neighbor who I see occasionally, but, she’s working nights now.

Here’s my view:

And the mouse, and the dog and the horses:

He's a sweet little fellow

Also a very nice guy to be around

They thought they could push me around, but I've had none of it from them, especially the little mare. She's so mare-like.

And here’s the nearby beach, where the neighbor took me the other day. Lovely.

The weather has been fantastic, especially for winter!

The resident non-knitter is back in Colorado caring for our two horses, two dogs and our cat. He’s handling all the lawn care, house upkeep and the like. Thank goodness it’s him on that end! I got my fill of those duties when I was there and he was here. It’s the only way we could do the house sit, swap turns as it were. It was a lot more work on that end, and not only because I was preparing for the trip. There it’s summer and there is grass to be mowed, weeds to pull and all my work right there.

It has been a nice respite so far. I’ve been asked a number of times what I do with myself to occupy my time. Well, this morning, I talked to the RNK on the phone three times. Granted, this was a bit unusual, but he was setting up Skype to make unlimited phone calls to the land line here. Normally I only talk to him twice.

I called one of the Tasmanian knitters I met on Ravlery, and who I did a magic yarn ball swap which I will post pictures of someday. Haven’t quite gotten them off the phone and onto the computer yet. I spoke to the sister of the woman who owns the house. I talked to my mom.

Meanwhile, I’ve been trying like the dickens to get this post finished so I can get on to work. Several projects in the running right now and I just realized, I need to have the RNK check my cell phone messages for me too. I’ve got two web pages to build, two to update, a feature article to write and a newsletter to layout. Hopefully, I’ll get much of this out of the way before I have to start on the newsletter for my gorilla client right after 6 July.

When I’m not working or caring for animals or myself, I’ve been knitting. I’m working on a very subversive project. A pair of socks that were confiscated by not one, not two, not three, but four Qantas flight attendants. I pointed out when they challenged me over this terrorist act of knitting on the plane, that I was in fact using size 0, bamboo needles and a toothpick would be more deadly. With a straight face, the lead attendant, a man, replied, “yes, it is the very size of the needles that is so worrisome.”

I’m still pondering that one. I just can’t, for the life of me, figure out what is worrisome about a set of bamboo needles that are so fragile that I was in fear of breaking them as I worked. Stick them in a flight attendant’s hand as she passed me my beverage? Hold a fellow passenger hostage with a knitting needle at their neck? In either case, a sharp brush of the hand would have rendered the implement useless and I would have been disarmed. Oh yeah, there are five needles. It would take five swats to completely disarm me. Maybe six if they missed once. And it could be muscle under all my fat. I could be a deadly assassin, hidden by the demeanor of a slightly overweight, flabby, middle-aged woman who looks out of breath even while engaged in the strenuous act of sitting in an airplane seat.

On the other hand, perhaps it was the color of the yarn they found offensive. I picked up this Opal Neon on sale a while back for $10.50 a ball. The colors are brighter in person than they were on the web site. I was a bit shocked when I opened the package. It will be a garish pair of socks. Not for the squeamish. Dangerous stuff.

Perhaps the enforcer steward feared I was going to flash the completed socks at the pilot and blind him. No worries. Wasn’t there a flight en route to the UK just the other day on which the pilot died of a heart attack mid route? I think the co-pilots carried on and the flight attendants continued to serve beverages and meals and not one of the passengers was any wiser until they saw the ambulance greeting the plane. Garish as these socks are, I think the co-pilots would have had the good sense to avert their eyes and carry on with the flight.

Ah well. I will carry on with my subversive activities. Hope to finish them soon and them move on to a tamer project. Cromarty* anyone?

* From Alice Starmore, “Fisherman Knits” or some such title. Ravel it. There are some lovely examples out there.

I hate pictureless posts

but if I wait to grab a picture, I may never post again.

Life is crazy. Someday I’ll tell the world all about it. Not enough time to write it all out now. Suffice it to say that the Resident Non Knitter is in Australia, I’m home alone and we still haven’t sold our house.

Meanwhile, I’m doing a major computer migration. I’ve got a new laptop — a Mac none-the-less — and I’ve made the decision to abandon the old desktop. This afternoon, I completed the migration from that machine to the new desktop. New being a comparative word in this case. I’ve had the machine about a year and have used it off and on for months. Used it enough in fact, that I have probably introduced Windows issues and it needs to be rebuilt. More work. That may just have to wait. I did solve all the little boot error problems so at least I can get a clean boot and it seems pretty stable now.

In between file transfers from one machine to the other, I read several Mac tutorials and loaded a lot of software on the Mac. Of everything I’ve done, so far, Quark seems like THE best company to work with. Their software license allows me to load the program on my Windows machine and on the Mac laptop with no extra fees. Adobe on the other hand, would require a cash outlay of something on the order of $1,700 for this privilege. Hmm. Time to migrate to Quark along with all the other changes?

In between all of these little projects, I’ve got lots of work and lots of projects to deal with on the home front. No knitting. Mom’s sweater languishes. She came out to visit for a week and went home sweaterless.

There is some happy news: Tag the old horse I watch for the neighbor is on Equine Sr. and some stuff called “Weight Gain.” He looks so much better and I can tell he feels better too. I’ll have to get a picture of him. He must have been a magnificent horse in his day.

Two parting comments. First, I just have to say I’m right in there with Sheri from The Loopy Ewe on the Twitter thing. I just don’t get it.

Second, check out the yarn contest at Yarn4Socks. It’s all about Hand Maiden Sea Silk and Shawl knitting and the winner will win a skein of Hand Maiden Sea Silk so they can knit their own lace shawl/scarf of their dream!

The Horse

I think I have mentioned the horse, but I’m not sure I’ve ever shown a picture of the horse. He’s not super photogenic because every time he sees me near him, he either walks up to me

or . . .

he yawns. Which is so unflattering. Really, he is a handsome boy.

The most wonderful thing about him though, is his personality. Oscar loves people. He likes being with people almost as much as he likes being with other horses. He likes being with people almost as much as he likes eating. If you know horses, you know this says volumes about his proclivities towards humans.

The horses got out one day a couple of years ago. They came over to the house to look through the living room window. I’m pretty sure he has always had a burning desire to see what goes on in the house and to see what we do in there because I often see him standing in the coral, staring into the window across the way. I know he’s looking because if I wave, his ears move. Unfortunately, we weren’t home the day he came by for his close up look.

The neighbors found Oscar, and his stablemate Tag — you can see Tag in the background — eating out of their alfalfa stack. We knew he had made the stop by our window because of the humongous tongue marks everywhere on it and the dainty little hoof marks he left underneath. Also the calling cards. I can tell his poop from the other horse’s poop. It’s a different color. (As if you care.)

Anyway, the neighbors called the other neighbor, who owns Tag. He drove over, got a feed bucket, shook it out the window of the truck and they followed him back home to our house. Anything for a feed bucket. Better than alfalfa even. Horses are smart. But sometimes, I just wonder how easily they can be duped. Or maybe, they just know a good thing.

Life isn’t too bad here. Plenty of food. Good water. Treats. Lots of scratches. Occasional forays out into the world. Maybe they are smarter than I think.

By the way, poor Tag had a rough winter. He’s an old boy, getting upwards towards 30. I’m trying to put some weight on him; but, he’s not as much interested in food as he used to be. Any ideas on good ways to fatten up an old horse?

I guess it’s time for Senior Feed and that’s on my “to do” list. I’m open to other suggestions though. He doesn’t like apples, so apple-flavored supplements are out. He does like carrots. He adores watermelon. But I haven’t seen any horse supplements in watermelon flavor. Yet. I’m sure it’s up and coming.

He tried the sweater on

and absolutely loved it. I don’t know what came over the Resident non-knitter this weekend, but we were getting ready to watch a movie and he said, “I haven’t tried that sweater on yet have I?”

Off he trotted to the dresser, pulled Hamefarin out of the drawer, and pulled it over his head. Then he proceeded to model in front of the mirror, checking out every angle. He pronounced the fit perfect and he said this sweater was the nicest thing I have knitted so far.

I caught him on Sunday looking through a new pattern book I got on Saturday, Country Weekend Knits. (Great book, by the way. I heard about it from Cherry Blossom Hill. See the March 1, 2009 post.)

He said, “I think I want this one for my next sweater,” pointing to the Chevron Aran Crewneck.

“Ahh, not so fast,” I replied. “When the other sweater is worn, and by that I mean worn as in wearing out, not just on, then I’ll think about knitting another.”

He thought this very unfair. Late Sunday he caught me fondling a skein of Jabberwocky from Blue Moon Fiber Arts and proclaimed it perfect for another hat for him.

What has gotten into him?

Mind boggling

I started to post yesterday; but, I caught myself just in time. I don’t think anyone wants to read about how I’m bored with stockinette on the mom sweater or how difficult it’s been to motivate myself to work.

The attempt at a lame post was all it took. I pulled myself up off the pity pot, got to work and accomplished a tremendous amount yesterday afternoon. I even got the sleeves on the mom sweater close to the half-way point last night. Why the trauma? Why the urge for an “I want to whine” post? It’s been a wild week. Right. It’s been a wild life.

In the back of my mind though, some knitterly questions, possibly worth writing about, have been rolling around my brain, largely based upon the thought-provoking post by Yarn Harlot on the 8th.

The key thing that post dredged up for me had to do with my knitting monogamy. YH talks about switching from project to project to keep her brain engaged as if this is normal. I believe the phrase she used is, “An hour later . . . I just need another knitting project.” (emphasis mine)

Wow. Am a freak or what? I can’t think of any other knitters I know who, like YH, don’t have at least a few projects on the needles at any one time. Like C in Germany, who often tells me how having multiple projects to choose among inspires her creativity and allows her to pick knitting that suits her mood and situation. I get that; I can’t do that.

And K, right here in Colorado who may have socks, a sweater, a hat or two and even a pair of fingerless gloves going at any one time and who says, much like YH, she just needs another project. The urge to cast on overwhelms her. To me, it’s unfathomable.

I start a project — and baby — I’m in for the haul. Thick or thin. Till it’s done. Boring, interesting, challenging, easy, creative, or as mundane as molasses. Don’t like it? Frog it and put it the yarn away. No languishing WIP on needles for me. No second sock syndrome in this house. Without this approach, I have this sense it would take years, maybe decades, to finish anything. Yet, this isn’t the case for either C or K. They both finish what they start faster than I finish my monogamous little efforts.

Knowing this, how is it I don’t have this “need” for another project? How is it I am compelled, even perhaps to the point of irrationality, to exclusively finish what I start?

The story I tell myself: it has to do with work. I have so many projects rambling around for my clients I have convinced myself my knitting has to be the one thing in my life that’s in control. One thing that has a start, a middle and an end. One thing where I can see definite progress. One thing where I can set goals and actually accomplish them.

But in truth, it’s not just work. My whole life seems to be in a perpetual spiral heading rapidly toward chaos. Knitting is the calm center in the crazy storm of me. I have a perpetual habit of walking up to the cliff, looking over the edge, and instead of making the choice the rational person might, saying, “No thanks. Great opportunity, but, I think I’ll stay on firm ground,” I say, “Great, I’ll jump.” There I go, in mid-air all over again.

Two careers. Two significant others. Two continents. Not that big of a deal, given that I am an old fart. But just space those things out and put one major life change every few years, and you’ve got my pattern.

I guess I’m just proving YH’s ultimate message: knitting can be many things to many people. And for me, perhaps, knitting offers an element of sanity in an otherwise crazy existence.

It is amazing isn’t it? One simple action, two sticks pulling loops of yarn through other loops, and there are as many thoughts, ideas, inspirations, meditations and reasons as there are knitters.

Mind boggling.

That robin had an attitude

I don’t know what the deal was, but that robin had a problem with our windows. He kept flying up to the windows and pecking them until dusk on Monday night. He was at it again on Tuesday morning in spite of the fact that I hung out a wind chime to help keep him away. I put it near the corner of the house hoping it would catch more wind; but, alas the only day I’ve ever hoped for wind, there was none.

He — I assume it was a he — kept flying up and pecking his reflection. He never banged into the glass, and would often flutter just outside the window. Of course, this fascinated Opal.

She did take a little time out to box with the plants. But mostly, she stood around and watched for him.

By noon, the robin gave up and Opal was able to catch a quick nap. Life is tough for our little rat terrier.

On to a more rewarding project

I started on a sweater for my mom.

She picked the Cascade 220 in a heather lilac shade. I added the Kid Seta in a color I describe as Oyster to get up to the weight called for in this sweater:

I hope I’m not violating any copyright issues here. This “was” a free pattern on www.elann.com but it’s no longer posted.

Opal thought the photography was really boring. She offered to spice it up a bit:

She thinks she heard the robin who may be committing hari kari by trying to mate with its reflection in the large windows downstairs.

Now she’s getting bored, sitting on this stupid chair. A big yawn.

Finally, a nice pose.

Apparently I have no sense of humor

according to the Resident Non-Knitter. I finished his sweater and the first thing he told me was, “I think the collar is really nice.” This, he said, as he was fondling, touching and admiring said sweater.

“That’s not what you said before,” I retorted.

“When? I’ve always told you it was beautiful and I really liked it.”

“Don’t you remember a few Sunday’s ago when you made a number of disparaging comments?”

“Oh that. Can’t you take a joke?”

Apparently not.

Then he proceeded to explain to me that he loves the sweater, he has always loved the sweater and he will continue to love the sweater all the while continuing with the fondling, touching and admiring of said sweater. However, he did not try it on.

I laid the “measurement shirt” (a machine-knit pullover) on the bed and the sweater over it. Everything matched up perfectly except for the circumference which we had intentionally made slightly smaller. The “measurement shirt” has a very boxy cut. The RNK looked at the shirt with the sweater over it and figured everything looked good enough for him to see that it would fit. “Perfect,” he said as he walked out of the room.

“Aren’t you going to try it on?”

“No, I can see that it’ll fit perfect.”

That was it. The end of the three months of sweater knitting. It does leave a question in my mind — does he know how to put a sweater on? I did witness him put the cashmere sweater on once. It came off again a few minutes later; but, he did put it on. I retain a small shred of hope that the sweater will actually be worn once, maybe twice (let’s not get greedy here).

I asked if he would consider allowing me to take a photo of him modeling the sweater for the blog. NOT!

So here, without further ado:

I also finished my first fair isle project, a project I have christened as “The Dork Mitts.”

And finally, just to prove that they are actually “hand-sized”