The Knitting Pirate

Yesterday I was so tired when I got home that Pirate-Husband suggested that I should take a night off from knitting. “You’ve told me,” he said, “that when you’re tired you shouldn’t knit.”

“No,” I mumbled through a fog, “I can knit on something stockinette. I could, really. I could.” But I didn’t. He made dinner and we watched television with the cats draped across our laps, and then we both went to bed early. Not a productive evening, but a very comfortable one.

I’ve made progress on Michael’s Fleeps, but it will take a minor miracle to have them finished before I see him on Friday. There’s a lot to do tonight that isn’t knitting, like packing for Thanksgiving in New York, but maybe I can find a few moments. And I’m sure that Grandma won’t mind if I knit while we talk about everything under the sun. So, maybe! Fingers crossed.

Both of my socks-in-progress will be coming with me on the trip, too. Pirate-Husband pointed out, “We’ll be taking your car, there’s plenty of room for knitting,” and also commented “I know you love to start new projects, but I think you should finish the current socks first.” He is, of course, right on all three counts.

As for new projects, there is a LOT of baby knitting coming up. We will know the twins’ sexes tomorrow, so I’ll finally be able to buy the yarn for their sweaters. I am going to bring the KnitPicks catalog to New York with me, so that my sister-in-law can pick out exactly which colours she prefers. And my friend Gwen has just announced that she’s expecting her third, due in the end of May! I’m not yet sure what I’ll knit for her. Another sweater? A little toy? I’ll come up with something good.

Due Date …… Project
10/3 ………… Angie’s gifts
11/1 ………… Second Fleep, hand section
12/1 ………… Mom’s sock #2
12/1 ………… Dad’s hat
1/1 ….………. Gift for Janis’s baby boy
2/1 ………….. Mitten tops and thumb caps on Fleeps (almost done!)
2/1 ………….. Jacob Hat
3/1 ………….. Twins’ sweaters
4/15 ….……. Gift for Gwen’s baby

It’s getting to be that gift-giving time of year again, isn’t it? Yesterday, Pirate-Husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday and Chanukah gifts. My birthday is in January and his is in December, so we often do combined presents in order to get one bigger thing.

The problem is, I have no idea what I want.

Lots of the things on my wishlist are way out of our budget. They’re things I’m saving up for, like a new laptop, a new monitor, and a fancy-schmancy camera. Some of the things on my wishlist are mere thoughts of what I might want if I didn’t already have a time-consuming fibre addiction, like a bowling ball and new shoes. Some are things I’m just not ready to get yet, like a book reader, and some are things I’d much rather buy for myself, like clothing and makeup.

But then there are the knitting and spinning related things. I’m sure I could ask for a gift certificate to the yarn store, or to pick out a bunch of hand-dyed top on Etsy. But I really don’t need any new yarn or fibre. Unless maybe it was natural fibre, in which case I’d also ask for a set of dyes… but that seems messy, and our basement really isn’t set up for that kind of work (yet). Knitting or spinning books, maybe.

Oh, hey, what about a jumbo flyer kit for the Sonata and an extra bobbin (in walnut)? That would definitely make plying easier, and it’s something I’d like to have that I almost certainly wouldn’t buy for myself.

If only I could get the gift of time. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have four extra hours in every day? Imagine all the knitting I could get done…

It took just under a month to finish my eighth project of the year, a hat for Dad’s Chanukah gift. Knit from Cascade 220 in a charcoal grey that almost looks brown in some lights, it should keep him nicely warm in the wintertime. I used the basic hat formula from Mielke’s Fiber Arts, the fifth time I’ve made a hat with their pattern. It’s so simple, it really can’t be beat for plain toques. And that’s what Dad said he wanted – no patterning, no nothing. Just a plain stockinette hat. So that is what I made. (I will make a more interesting one for myself soon.)

It didn’t really look so great flat, so I tried modeling it to get a better picture. It’s a little too big for me, and so’s that shirt I’ve got on, but I think you get the idea. I made the ribbing long enough to fold over properly; one hat I made long ago had shorter ribbing that was too long to wear unfolded and too short to fold. Lesson learned: it is better to have longer ribbing than shorter. What matters is the distance between the top of the hat and the point where the ribbing folds over. For an adult man’s hat, that should be about seven inches.

One thing that I noticed while working on the hat is that I’m no longer as fond of the Addi Turbos as I once was. They have many great features – they’re slick, pointy, flexible, and the join from the cable to the needle is quite smooth. But I’ve gotten used to a longer needle that I can brace in my hand, and I missed that when I was working with the shorter needles on the circulars. Probably if I knit with the Addis more often, I’d get used to them again and it wouldn’t be an issue. I’ll just have to come up with some projects that call for them. (Like the other half of Napramach, perhaps? I haven’t forgotten you, crazy colourwork!)

Due Date …… Project
10/3 ………… Angie’s gifts
11/1 ………… Second Fleep, hand section
12/1 ………… Mom’s sock #2
12/1 ………… Dad’s hat
1/1 ….………. Gift for Janis’s baby boy
2/1 ………….. Mitten tops and thumb caps on Fleeps
2/1 ………….. Jacob Hat
3/1 ………….. Twins’ sweaters

Angie’s baby shower was last weekend, so I finally got to give her the pointy hat and booties. She and her husband absolutely loved them, and I am looking forward to seeing pictures of the baby wearing them in just a few more months.

This Baby Surprise Jacket that I knit three years ago was passed along for the new baby, too. It’s wonderful to see handknits being treasured, kept, and worn again by the next baby to come along – it makes me feel so good to know that my work is valued by the people I knit for. Well, the babies don’t realize it, but their parents do, and that’s what matters, right? Maybe in a quarter-century or so, my friends’ babies will be dressing their own babies in that very sweater, and so on down the line. It’s a happy thought indeed.

On Tuesday I had to bring my car in for an oil change, and I made sure that I had Mom’s sock-in-progress with me. I don’t go to any of those “quick lube job” places where they have you in and out in ten minutes, but rather to the Mazda dealership… so I knew I’d be waiting there for an hour. They do have a very comfortable waiting area, with comfy chairs, a big television, free tea and coffee, not to mention a PlayStation with Gran Turismo and steering wheels for two players. But instead of playing video games, I knit (and took this blurry picture with the phone’s camera). I was able to finish the foot section while I waited, and decided to save knitting the toe for when I got home.

When I got home, though, I didn’t knit the sock toe. Instead, I wrote up the pattern for the socks and got it ready for publication. It’s simple, and it’s much like the Sibling Socks, but I think there’s enough difference to make it worth releasing as a separate pattern. It’s exciting to have three patterns out now. I’m starting to feel like a Real Designer! A couple of people have asked me if there’s a toe-up version of the Cakewalk Socks available. Unfortunately, there isn’t – I find that socks with flap heels and gussets fit my foot best, and that’s what Mom requested for her socks as well. I know that there are patterns for toe-up socks with gussets and flap heels, but since I haven’t knit one yet, I don’t feel confident designing one. It’s on my list of things to do, that’s for sure! I like toe-up socks when I want to use every last yard of yarn, or if I don’t know how far my yarn will go.

Here’s a “montage of some of today’s most-visited pattern pages” (which is actually from yesterday, now) on Ravelry. My Cakewalks are right up there near the top! How awesome is that?

On Wednesday evening I finished up the toe and grafted it together. One more project down! It’s almost time to start thinking about that Jacob hat for myself. I’ll need to swatch, of course, and then pick a pattern. I’ve a few in mind already. I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to line it with polarfleece. The wool might be too itchy to wear against my skin, and fleece would certainly make for an even warmer hat. Given that this is a hat meant for Canada in February, warmer might be better…

Due Date …… Project
10/3 ………… Angie’s gifts
11/1 ………… Second Fleep, hand section
12/1 ………… Mom’s sock #2
12/1 ………… Dad’s hat
1/1 ….………. Gift for Janis’s baby boy
2/1 ………….. Mitten tops and thumb caps on Fleeps
2/1 ………….. Jacob Hat
3/1 ………….. Twins’ sweaters

Three weeks ahead of schedule, I’ve finished the second of the Fleep-Tops’ hands. Either my tension was much tighter as I was working on the second glove, or the first one was stretched out from all the trying-on – the second seems slightly smaller than the first. I’m sure it will stretch and can be blocked out to match the other one.

This gives me six weeks to finish Mom’s sock and Dad’s hat. Plenty of time. No worries at all. I wound up the Cascade 220 into a neat yarncake and worked up a small gauge swatch, since I can’t find any of the notes that I took five years ago when I knit Pirate-Husband’s hat. Grr, frustrating! At least I wrote down that I used a US 6 (4mm) needle, or I’d probably have been swatching on a US 7 (4.5mm). I measured 5.5 stitches to the inch, did the math, and cast on 116 stitches. Since Dad requested a smooth hat with a ribbed brim, I’ll be using the same Basic Hat Formula that I’ve knit up several times before.

The stitch marker I’m using came from a cat-themed set of markers I received in a holiday gift swap a few years ago. It’s an adorable pink cat with an articulated tail. I’d nearly forgotten about the set but I’m glad to have a chance to use it now! This is the kind of thing I’d probably never buy for myself, but getting it in a gift swap was really cool.

Due Date …… Project
10/3 ………… Angie’s gifts
11/1 ………… Second Fleep, hand section
12/1 ………… Mom’s sock #2
12/1 ………… Dad’s hat
1/1 ….………. Gift for Janis’s baby boy
2/1 ………….. Mitten tops and thumb caps on Fleeps
2/1 ………….. Jacob Hat
3/1 ………….. Twins’ sweaters

P.S. I had to add three words to my spell-checker’s dictionary for this post: Fleep, grr, and swatching. I think I say all three of these things often enough that they can be in my dictionary!

Dad’s jumped on the handknit bandwagon (not that I can blame him; handknits are great) and asked me to make him a hat. And how could I refuse anything Dad asks of me? Yesterday I looked up a bunch of patterns and then stopped by Needles in the Haymarket on my way home from work to pick up this hank of Cascade 220 in charcoal gray, as requested. There were a bunch of people there for the Thursday night Stitch ‘n Bitch who were happy to help give an opinion on which colourway was *the perfect* charcoal gray. They invited me to join them, but I had to run home. Maybe next week – they’re a friendly group, and they have wine. What’s not to love about knitting and wine?

This is the hat pattern I like best of all the ones I looked at, but I’d add enough length to the bottom that it could be folded over for a double-thick ear covering. I like the way the ribbing goes all the way up to the top and how neatly the decreases fit into one another… but if Dad would rather have a hat with a ribbed bottom and smooth top, I can do that too. I’d like the fatherly seal of approval on it before I get started. (Hint, hint. I know you’re reading.)

I consider myself super lucky to have the parents I have. Both Mom and Dad are pretty awesome, and I’m happy to have the chance to knit for each of them. Is there a better way to show love to one’s parents than with handmade gifts to keep them warm? It’s like a hug that they can carry around with them all the time. Well, as long as it’s cold outside, anyway.

We had some excitement up here on the mountain this week: a black bear went on a rampage through the neighborhood. First he tried to break into the house two down from us. Then he went next door, stomped some bird feeders flat and knocked over all the potted plants. After all that effort, he took a drink from our fish pond, knocking several of the big rocks into the water. Then he must have wanted to relax with a nice soak in our hot tub. But without opposable thumbs, necessary to lift the cover off the tub, I guess he decided to tear his way in. Pirate-Husband and I are going to try to repair the cover this weekend with some super-strong tape and spray foam. Hopefully it’s not damaged so badly that we can’t fix it. Living next to a nature preserve does have its downsides on occasion…

Saturday morning found me hurrying to finish the heel flap and turn on Mom’s second sock so that I could bring it with me to my parents’ house, where we went in the afternoon to meet my second cousins once removed, who were visiting from England. It was wonderful to finally meet them! So wonderful, in fact, that I got caught up in conversing and completely forgot that I was supposed to be knitting while we talked, even though I had managed to get into the gusset before we drove down to their house. Mom tried on her first sock, and *whew* – it fit perfectly.

Dad’s asked me if I can make him a hat in charcoal gray – a standard toque or watch cap, with a turned-up brim. I’m going to see if I can get that done in time to be his Chanukah present. The due date list has been shifted around to accommodate for the hat and also to account for babies who aren’t going to be born until Spring. I’ve been told that I won’t need to have the twins’ sweaters in time for their birth, since I’m making them in a size for *next* winter, but I’m still going to aim to finish them in advance.

I did get to work on the sock a little more over the weekend, but most of my knitting time was aimed directly at the second of Michael’s Fleep-Tops. I’m knitting both hand sections first, leaving off the mitten tops and thumb caps until I can measure their placement on his hands. By knitting as fast as I could until bedtime, I managed to finish the ribbed cuff and knit the hand section to the base of the thumb opening. The second glove needed no measuring since I’d taken careful notes on the first one, so it goes along much faster. I’m sure the fingers will be just as fiddly, of course.

Due Date …… Project
10/3 ………… Angie’s gifts
11/1 ………… Second Fleep, hand section
12/1 ………… Mom’s sock #2
12/1 ………… Dad’s hat
1/1 ….………. Gift for Janis’s baby boy
2/1 ………….. Mitten tops and thumb caps on Fleeps
2/1 ………….. Jacob Hat
3/1 ………….. Twins’ sweaters

I wanted to make matching booties to go along with the Gnome Hat for Angie’s baby, and I knew that I’d have plenty of yarn left over for them. The Oh! Baby Baby Booties pattern was perfect, since it would let me use both the variegated and the solid colour to make a perfect match for the hat. Angie’s recently announced that she’s having a little girl, but I had already picked the red-and-rainbow combination well before she broke the news. The usual pastel baby colours are so boring, and red-and-rainbow works for both boys and girls.

As usual, before I commit to a pattern, I look at the projects that have already been made. I check for notes on difficulty, look at what colours people have used, and hunt for interesting modifications to the original. This version of the booties, knit up by Babylee, caught my attention. First, because she’d changed the foot from garter stitch to stockinette… and second, because she’d come up with modifications to knit them in one piece, without all the yarn-cutting that’s in the original pattern.

It was easy to decide that the variegated yarn should be used for the cuff, and the solid red for the foot, to keep it from looking too busy. The stitch count of the cuff worked out well with the multi-coloured yarn to create rainbow-y vertical stripes. I don’t think it would have looked nearly as good if I’d done the whole bootie in rainbows.

Just like with the hat, I had trouble keeping an even tension with the Cascade Fixation. Although it’s a good yarn for baby knits, I don’t think I’ll be using it again. I don’t mind a little unevenness in my finished objects, but gaping holes that I have to go back and tighten up sort of annoy me. Because of the elasticity, I’m not sure the yarn-ends will stay woven in where they’re supposed to. I wove them in much more than usual but I’m still a little worried that they’ll work free. Ah well, it’s just a baby bootie, not a hard-wearing long-lasting piece of knitwear.

Here’s a picture of a bootie with the cuff unfolded, so you can better see how it’s made. The cuff is knit first, then stitches are picked up along the long edge and knit down. A flap is knit outwards, then stitches are picked up along the sides of it to form the foot. It’s really quite a clever construction and I can definitely see myself making more booties for future babies – especially because I can crank out a pair in a few days. Knitting for babies is great that way. The projects are tiny and adorable, provide instant gratification, and while the babies might not have any appreciation for the effort, their parents sure do. (At least, anyone I’d knit for is someone who will appreciate it. Some people get handknits; some people get gifts from Babies ‘R Us.)

Happy to cross another project off my list!

Due Date …… Project
10/3 ………… Angie’s gifts
11/1 ………… Second Fleep, hand section
12/1 ………… Mom’s sock #2
1/1 ….………. Gift for Janis
2/1 ………….. Twins’ sweaters
2/1 ………….. Mitten tops and thumb caps on Fleeps
2/1 ………….. Jacob Hat

Before the rain came through on Sunday, I was able to get outside to take some pictures. This is the merino top from Baba Black Sheep that I picked up at Maker Faire last weekend. It’s just under 4.5 ounces. I bought the fibre without having any plans for it. The way it spins up will help to determine what the knitting project will be. The deep blues and greens might be good as the background in some colourwork with a cream yarn for the contrast. Maybe some of the alpaca I have lying around would work for that. It was quite difficult to get the true colours of this fibre to show in the picture. The camera kept veering too light or too dark or too washed-out. Maybe it’s time to think about setting up a lightbox or even getting a new, better camera…

I finished the pointy hat for Angie’s baby on Friday night. It is adorable, and I’m sure she’s going to love it! Cascade Fixation was a good choice. The knitted fabric is firm enough that the hat doesn’t flop over at all, and the elastic will help keep it on. I’ve gotten started on the matching booties, and made myself go to bed at bedtime last night, even though I was so close to finishing the second bootie. Ah well, I can finish it up tonight and cross another project off my list. That’ll be a good feeling.

While I had the camera out, I got a picture of Mom’s first sock. The blocker that I made in two minutes from a wire hanger seems to be working well. The pattern is pretty simple, and very similar to the Sibling Socks, but I’m considering writing it up for publication anyway. Why not? There are a couple of things about it that are different from many of the ribbed patterns I’ve seen: first, the ribbing goes all the way down the heel, and second, I really like the way there’s no break in the purl ‘gutter’ between the leg of the sock and the foot. I’ve got the numbers written up for two sizes already. Might as well share, right? What do you think?

Speaking of design, I’ve got another pattern in the works. I’ve written most of it up, but the final version will have to wait until I can knit one up as a sample, to make sure I’ve got the numbers right. Then I’ll release it as another free, Creative-Commons licensed pattern.

Aubrey the Adorable. (Floyd is also adorable, but being both squirmy and dark-furred, he’s much more difficult to photograph.) I got this picture of her the other day just as she was just waking up from her afternoon nap. It’s amazing how empty the house seems without the kittens – they’ve spent the weekend at the vet’s for their spay/neuter surgeries. I’ll be picking them up after work today. Hopefully they haven’t felt too lonely and abandoned, and hopefully their recovery will be quick and easy!

Remember how I said I wanted Mom to try on her first sock before I got started on the second one? Yeah, forget that. I cast on for the second sock last night while Pirate-Husband and I were watching a recording of Sunday’s F1 race from Singapore. Well, he was watching; I was listening and knitting.

You see, here’s the thing about the sock. Several things, in fact…

Thing one: Everything I have knit for other people has fit them just fine, perhaps minus one hat for which I didn’t take measurements ’cause it was meant to be a surprise, and I’ve no one but myself to blame for that. Everything for which I’ve measured has fit just fine. I have no reason to think that these socks would be any different – other than fear, which is really silly. So, onwards.

Thing two: I have no time to wait. In looking over the list of projects and deadlines yesterday, I came to the happy conclusion that I can get everything done… but only if I don’t slack off on it. Mom’s sock is the only easily portable project on the list, so casting on will allow me to bring it with me and work on it while I wait for things like mechanics and allergists. I can knit most of a sock without thinking about it, unlike all of the other gifts I’m making. If I wasn’t bringing Mom’s sock around with me, I’d have to bring one of my own, and then I’d be knitting on something without a deadline while more urgent projects sat around untouched. The horrors!

Thing three: I really, really like the Cascade Heritage yarn. A lot more than I like the Cascade Fixation I’m using for Angie’s gifts. It kept looking at me from the ballwinder, saying “knit me, knit me!” How could I resist a plea like that? I couldn’t.

Thing four: I enjoy working on many projects concurrently. What’s one more?

So I cast on and knit the cuff of Mom’s Sock #2, without much interference from sleepy kittens. Pirate-Husband kept them distracted after they woke up so that I didn’t have to worry about any sneak attacks. He’s incredibly supportive of my hobby and I think he deserves some brownie points for it. (Not that it’s really such a hardship for him to play with kittens, but still.)