I got nothing

But I might soon! The second sleeve from my Gathered Pullover is about 4 rows away from completion, so I'll have some progress to show then. In the meantime, in lieu of actual knitting, here are three knitting-related things:

1) Funny story #1: My freshman year (i.e. almost three years ago--I am old!) there was this guy in my dorm who was on the varsity baseball team who, get this, liked to sit in the courtyard and knit! I never saw him make anything fancier than a garter stitch scarf, but still. Anyway, the story is that once he was talking to a friend of mine who's quite an accomplished knitter, and she was showing him her lace shawl. He asked what it was made of.
Her: "Oh, I think it's mohair."
Him: "Mohair, huh? You know, I've always wondered...if this is mohair...what exactly is a 'mo'?"

2) Funny story #2: At dinner the other day, I was talking to two of my friends, one of whom I'll be living with this summer. My friend asked if I can cook.
Me: "Of course I can cook! ...well...I can follow recipes..."
My other friend, rather skeptically: "Uh-huh. Do you follow recipes the same way you follow knitting patterns?"

Yeah.

3) Yarn!



Cherry Tree Hill silk/merino, colorway "Gypsy Rose." Hands down the most expensive single skein I have ever purchased. I am a little bit afraid to use it, for fear of messing it up. It might be a Lace Ribbon Scarf eventually, but now it is just for petting.

squoosh

This week is eating my soul. 15-page paper + 10-page paper + 5-page paper + analysis project = DEATH.

Happily, I have something to soothe me:


Knitpicks Cadena, 70% wool, 30% superfine alpaca. Reminds me quite a bit of this but not so expensive.

I'm not even knitting with it. I just keep it by my desk and, when I can feel my brain melting like a plastic plate on a hot stove (ask me how I know), I squoosh it. Eventually it is destined for these, but right now it's just for squooshing.


What I want to be knitting, and what I am supposed to be analyzing.

Squoosh. Squoosh. Squoosh.

Mystery knitter found!

Remember the woman from the subway, with the beautiful Venezia? A little bit of googling later, hi Glenna! It was great to meet you.

I've actually been writing/researching instead of goofing off these last few days, so no new knitting to show; my parents have flown back home, taking the baby hat with them to deliver. I can't wait to start on the actual baby clothes; I'm thinking of this.

And because no one likes a pictureless post, you think you can't fit a ballwinder and swift into a dorm room?



Think again.

Baby's First Colorwork

A few weeks ago, when I found out that one of my good friends from high school is pregnant, I texted another friend to tell her the news. Her response: "u better start knitting!"

Indeed.

I have plans for actual baby clothes, to give her at her shower this summer, but I was so taken by the idea of baby knitting that when I saw this pattern in the store, the pattern and yarn were in my bag and then on my needles before I knew what was happening. Call it a "congratulations on getting knocked up pregnant" gift! It was finished before I knew it, too; shockingly enough, knitting for small people takes less time than knitting for big people.



Pattern: Ann Norling's "Fruit Cap," followed pretty much exactly (shocking, I know). The only mod I made was to reduce the little stem thing from 9 stitches to 6, so I could make i-cord instead of knitting 9 stitches in the round on four needles (which is a big fat P.I.T.A., let me tell you).
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto, 100% superwash merino. I would DEFINITELY use this again, especially for baby projects--it's soft and squooshy and not at all itchy. The green was actually a much paler celery color to begin with, but I thought it was too pale, so a little trip to Shaw's for some vinegar and green food coloring solved that problem.

And doesn't it look nice?



I was debating whether or not to dye it, but I'm so glad I did--it's ever so slightly marbled now, and it gives the yarn a beautiful depth.

I'm still a colorwork wimp, so I knit this by picking up and dropping each color. I know, I know, I should learn to knit Continental style and then be able to hold one color in each hand...but again, I'm a wuss.

I also met some knitters in the wild yesterday! I was in NYC for the day, and I saw two women sitting across from me, knitting socks! They were both wearing "Eat. Drink. Knit." pins, and after working up the courage to talk to them, I found out they were in New York for the Yarn Harlot book release. Suprisingly, they did not appear to think I was a Total Psycho (my parents, visiting for the weekend and wondering if I make a habit of talking to strangers on public transportation, may have). I have of course forgotten their names, but one was wearing Venezia and it was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go block that hat and then work on my term paper. I am NOT going to cast on for matching booties. Nope. Not me.