Progress, knitting and otherwise

I have been good this week. I finished the OnLine striped socks and have been working on the Wildfoote and Bias Corset. I also learned how to do buttonholes, but it was far too hot to try to put a a button band on the cardigan. I sewed the extra button I bought onto the swatch before I forgot what a good idea that would be.

I had serious temptation to resist, as I made another trip to Knitorious this week. The Mountain Colors Bearfoot was in !!! and I had to make sure I got some before they sold out. I love that stuff with a love that is more than a love. Neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea, can ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Mountain Colors Bearfoot).

Okay, that was a little overdramatic, but it's Poe, so whatever.

So far I have only been posting about one of my passions, and this month saw some progress in the other. My long-awaited first first-author paper is out. Now I have to stop knitting long enough to write the next ones (aka my also long-awaited doctoral thesis).

Both the knitting and the mousey stuff seems to be crawling this summer.

Some More Honesty (with photos)

1. I did go to Knitorious and get buttons. I was predictably weak, and also got this pretty Gems Pearl sock yarn. I was there in the absolute downpour on Sunday, and my yarn got a little damp (despite clutching the bag to my chest). Luckily the sweater didn't run onto the new sock yarn, but it did all smell a bit like damp wool. Therefore I had the damp sock yarn sitting out all night--and displayed fortitude and sticktoittiveness and did not swatch it. Very happy with the buttons. Now to learn buttonholes.

2. I should finish these socks pretty soon. I posed with them, because they are so comfortable.

3. I almost bought more Wildfoote yesterday too.

4-5. The plain black sportweight is coming along quickly, the Embossed Leaves not so much. The Leaves socks are sort of a dark olive.

6-7-8. I'm going to work on these after I finish this other stuff, so no photos yet.

9. Why yes, that's my favorite color, why do you ask? I love Zephyr.

10. I'm not exactly sure where the pieces are right now . . .

11. I decided to put a collar instead of a hood on like the Mariah pattern calls for. Don't worry, I didn't mis-measure. I really am that short, and I'm making it waist-length.

12. Need to work on this color-brightness issue, but here's the Bias Corset. I should probably try it on before I get to the bust shaping (9 more rows).

13. Blue Sky Alpaca Silk and Crystal Palace Kid Merino in slightly different light greens--one more yellow and one more blue. It makes it luminescent. I was looking for a pattern for the yarn combo for a long time.

Some honesty

Okay, it's time to admit the truth. I am a big fat liar about the number of projects that are on the needles. When A3 was here in May, I had to admit a little, because she saw, and I was ashamed. I am only admitting it now, because I want to post pictures of things as I finish them. I am not allowed to start something new until I get most of these knocked off.
See, I like to have a lace/complicated project, a pair of socks for travel, and a sweater in the works. Things just got a little out of control.

This does not include projects with a false start (of which I had many this spring), or planned projects, but stuff actually in active working order:

1) "Claret" Cascade 220 cardigan (based on Blue Sky Snap cardigan design). I'm all done except for one sleeve and the button bands. I had the cute snap tape, but the red yarn is bleeding even over several washes, and while a stripe of off-white snap tape will look cute, a stripe of blotchy pink snap tape will not. So I'm off to Knitorious this weekend to look for buttons. And to try not to buy other yarn, but I will not succeed. I still have the lovely SW Trading Co red bamboo (failed Hemp for Knitting lacy top) and periwinkle Creative Focus cotton (failed Picovoli) from my last trip with the birthday money, but that won't stop me. I am weak.

2. Online Summer socks. They were a failed Jaywalker (while absolutely adorable, I couldn't get a gauge that wouldn't be too loose and saggy or too tight to pull over the heel), now they are just plain socks. I'm doing the gusset on the second sock. This also came from Knitorious.

3. N's Wildfoote socks. I learned magic loop in the car on the way back from PA and knit both at once. They are both down to the gusset, but the needle I am using is a size or two too big for the stockinette on the bottom of the foot and the needles I need are in another sock project:

4. Embossed leaf socks from Interweave. Only about an inch on the first sock. Koigu. I love me the Koigu.

5. N's black socks. Sportweight so they will go quickly. I can only knit these in bright natural light, so I have an excuse. Halfway down the cuff on the second one. Supersport (Knitorious again).

6. N's top-down raglan. Poor N. So many things on the needles. This has been on the needles for 18 months. There was a lot of re-knitting in the beginning as I had no idea what size to make, and while the yarn looks good, it feels like knitting with the green wool rugs of my great-grandma's we had in the house growing up. They made nice grass for the stuffed animals to graze on, but it doesn't feel so good between the fingers. An early knitting mistake of mine, but at least the yarn looks good. 5 more inches to the armholes. I am knitting on size 10 needles, and I have promised myself never to knit him a sweater on anything smaller.

7. Crystal Palace Poof scarf and hat. This was an early mistake, I thought it would make a good hoodie. Speaking of carpet, it looks like I'm wearing one. Still, it is very soft and will make a good winter set, so let the unraveling continue. 6 inches of scarf.

8. Previously admitted Kim Hargreaves Precious cardigan. So pretty, but knitting with beads and Kidsilk Haze can only be done when I'm alert and can count on getting an hour or so in without having to stop. One sleeve is done.

9. Fiddlesticks Florence scarf. While lace, a fairly quick knit as it's only 50 sts across. About 1/2 done.

10. Knitted Shaun the sheep. About 1/2 done. This should finish fairly quickly.

11. Mariah cardigan from Knitty. About 4 more inches (bottom-up in the round). Like many of the projects here, it's suffering from mistake-fixing. I had it done, but the armholes were too short. The yarn is special--it's a re-knit of the yarn from my First Sweater, which I got in Scotland. It was spun on a 19th century spinning jenny. The First Sweater was okay, but with gauge problems and sweaters being a lot more roomily cut then, it was very oversized.

12. Bias Corset from Interweave. About 1/3 of the way.

Is that it?

No, there's

13. Kimono style sweater. Design from Knitpicks but with lovely, lovely Blue Sky Alpaca Silk instead. About 1" done.

Pictures to follow and highlight my shame.