Eye Pillows

Tonight in class, I gave my students the eye pillows I sewed up over the break. I think they were a hit! I sure enjoyed making them.

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Hiatus my ass!

Yarn hiatus, schmarn hiatus.

My spending spree has continued! I swear, after today, though, I not spending another dime on yarn. My stash bin is bursting at the seams!
I was catsitting over the holidays and decided to take the money I earned to LK's annual Boxing Day sale.

I bought yarn for another pair of fuzzy socks, two toques (a variagated Malibrigo), legwarmers (Orange Malabrigo Rios - gorgeous yarn!) and another pair of leg warmers (Berroco Vintage, a very soft teal colour).
I also picked up two winter-themed project bags because they were so cheap ($5 each!) and a de-fuzzer because I sorely need one.

I saved a lot of money, but really, really and truly, I'm through buying yarn.

Done. No more.

I swear.

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Do Not Disturb

During the holidays, I enjoy a quaint ritual: I watch movies based on Jane Austen books. My favourite is BBC's 'Pride and Predjudice' series, but I also have 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Persuasion'. Fittingly, as I watched, I embroidered. I'm trying to get all the embroidery done on those eye pillows so I can sew them up tomorrow.

The embroidery is taking a while, but it looks really retro and cute. I'm enjoying it too! I sewed up one of the eye pillows last night (with the embroidery) and it looks great! I'm actually floored by how cute it turned out!

I had a brief panic episode with my sewing machine yesterday. The handwheel jammed. I phoned my Sewing Guru at the shop I bought it at and she said she couldn't tell me how to fix it over the phone, but I could come in.

Then she dropped a hint about the bobbin area and caught thread. It was just enough information that I could figure it out if I was so inclined. So I took apart the bobbin area and released the caught thread and carried on. It wasn't that hard and I was so proud of myself for solving the problem.

I spoke to my mother yesterday and told her about the sewing machine. Technically, it's her Christmas gift to me and I think she's very pleased. And she offered me her Bernina Serger, said I could take it home with me the next time I visited. OMG. Bernina is the 'cadillac' of sewing machines and the sergers are expensive. I'm not sure what I would do with a serger, but I'm sure I would figure it out!

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Shopping spree!

Remember that 'yarn hiatus' I was talking about? Oh, I was *so* doomed!

I went a little bit crazy yesterday. Yarn crazy. Let me explain.

On Friday morning, I had an appointment at the dentist that I was 99% sure would result in an expensive and painful root canal. I was *so* sure, in fact, that I cleared my schedule for the rest of the day so I could recover. My dentist, Dr. Awesome (no joke - he really is the best dentist ever) examined me and ordered X-rays and guess what? The tooth in question was perfectly healthy! No root canal!

I felt like I'd won the lottery and suddenly, my bank account felt very full.

So after my noon class on Saturday, I stopped in at PP, my non-local yarn shop. I bought three skeins of Cascade Superwash 220 to knit up some full size mitts, my 'homework' after the Mitten Bootcamp. I chose purple and a light blue so I can wear them with either one of my favourite toques. I also bought a skein of yellow yarn to knit another pair of bed socks.

Then I went a bit nuts in the notions section. I bought stitch holders for DPNs (to keep them from poking through my project bags), stitch holders and a lavender lotion bar. Then I bought a bunch of DPNs.

Let me explain: I've been accumulating various sizes of DPNs to the extent that I nearly have a complete set between 2.5mm and 5mm. I completed the set! As of today, between my Hiya Hiya Interchangeables set, my DPN set and the larger needles in my Denise set, I will never need to buy knitting needles again.

At least, I hope not!

Then I went home and did something awesome. I got out my sewing machine and sewed up a roll-up case for my 'new' DPN set. It was an awesome melding of my two hobbies and wholly satisfying to use my sewing machine for a practical purpose.


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Mitten Bootcamp

The long-anticipated Mitten bootcamp was this evening. I've been looking forward to this all month!

I thought I might be late, but instead, I was the first to arrive, even before Kate, instructor. The shop (this class was at LK) was *so* cold. By the time the class started, I fingers were icy. The space heater was on and I had some hot tea, but it was still chilly enough that I was shaking after two hours of knitting. There were four of us in the class - a mother/daughter pair and...wait for it...Serena, the Big Raffle Winner! LOL!

The class itself was fun. I love knitting classes - it's like 'Knit Night' with a specific goal, plus I learn so much better hands-on with someone showing me the ropes. I just sat there and followed directions and glanced at the pattern when I needed help and a couple hours later, I had a tiny maroon mitt!

I learned some interesting new things.

- You shouldn't wind a skein of yarn until you're ready to knit it up (the yarn can stretch).
- When doing a backwards loop increase, I need to cinch it up *much* tighter which explains the 'holes' in my work that I've noticed when I use this technique. I was just doing it wrong. Kate checked and I'm doing it correctly, I'm just not knitting it tightly enough. And I can always replace the backwards loop with a M1R.
- Kate doesn't recommend Manos and Malabrigo yarns because they're fragile yarns and pill easily.
- Double-stranding worsted weight yarn creates a more insulating mitten.

And finally, mittens are not all that hard to knit! I had all the skills in place already. I'm ready to knit full mittens!

Of course, with mittens, I run into the same problem I had had with the toques - namely, there are only so many mittens one person can wear. But it's a good skill to have.

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My Gangsta Name is Serena

The LK holiday 'Knit Night' (I like that name so much better than 'Stitch 'n Bitch') was last night. I showed up close to 7 and the party was already in full swing.

I brought hummus and crackers to share, but OMG, the desserts. Pretty much everyone had bought desserts. I wisely ate supper beforehand because I know that unless I'm going to a vegan-gluten-free-crunchy-hippy-party, it's a good bet that I won't be able to eat the food on offer. I ended up munching on my own hummus with rice crackers and casting a longing eye towards the desserts.

I'm shy at regular parties. Turns, out, I'm shy at knitting parties too! Except, at a knitting party, I'm allowed to *knit*, a far better option than standing around with a cocktail glass full of cranberry juice cocktail.

I sat tucked away in a corner near the table. The woman who was sitting there introduced herself and I enjoyed watching her sew on a project (Yes, sew! Not everyone was knitting!) She was sewing a Christmas stocking for her mother with a design constructed of felt and sequins and beads. The kit was only $15! She put in hours of work into constructing it, though.

There was a raffle. I usually don't go for raffles because I have terrible luck, but it was for charity - a local food bank - and the prizes (Yarn! Books! Patterns!) were alluring, so I bought six tickets. A woman sitting to my left, named Serena, bought 18 tickets.

I figured she'd probably win something and she did she ever! It was hilarious! The raffle started and Serena was winning prize after prize after prize. A few people who didn't want their prizes put them back into the draw and Serena won them! When someone put their newly won copy of 'Stitch and Bitch' back in, it was reraffled and the winner was...*drumroll*...Serena! I was having trouble hiding my mirth. It was just SO funny.

Of course, I didn't win a thing. And this is why I don't buy lottery tickets. ;-)

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Knitting in a Handbasket

After reading the legwarmer pattern more carefully, I realised that I need *two* different sets of DPNs for that project. The cuff is knit with with the smaller DPNs, the body of the legwarmer with the larger. Apparently, this is a 'thing' - mittens are knit the same way.

After lunch, I caught a streetcar down to LK to pick up the DPNs I needed. The store was pretty busy. I settled onto a sofa with the owner's three little dogs and I knit there for over an hour. It was fun to watch the bustle of the store as I knit.

I chatted with the shop owner for awhile. She seemed curious about how I had appeared seemingly of nowhere, already familiar with her shop (she bought the shop last summer) and the knitting scene - she clearly assumed that I had 'been away'. I gave her an abbreviated description of my years of intense yoga practice that left time for nothing else, the shoulder injury and my renewed efforts to 'get back into my hobbies'.

I explained my yoga practice is intense. She wasn't surprised, said that I struck her as a 'Type A' personality. And *this* surprised me because she really doesn't know me that well. Do I come across that way to a casual observer? Am I a 'Type A' knitter? Is there such a thing?

Around closing, I paid for my DPNs and headed home. I *didn't* buy yarn! I'm finally taking my 'yarn hiatus' seriously! Especially sock yarn - I have enough to last me for several months at least.

I'm acquiring a nice little collection of these stainless steel DPNs. For now, I'm keeping them in my interchangeable circular case. Looking through them, I realised that I now own all the DPNs necessary for the 'Mittens Bootcamp' class I'm taking this Thursday

On Monday night, I walked over to Mirvish Village and stopped in at EK to buy one of those row-counter-thingies. I already have one, but I could use a second. I bought the green counter that you string on a cord to put around your neck. It's great, actually - much better than my red one. The green counter even has a lock.

I also stopped in at the home decor outlet and picked up two baskets lined with embroidered cotton. They're meant to be wastebaskets, but they work fine as storage receptacles for crafting supplies, which is what I bought them for. One basket holds my current knitting projects (my actual stash is in a plastic storage bin) and the other holds my sewing supplies. Everything is much better organised now!


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Juicy Orange Socks

I'm still learning exactly what my abilities are around watching a DVD and knitting at the same time. I had to frog the toe decreases on Orange Sock #2 because I borked it. Once I was back to a good re-starting point, I turned off the DVD for every decrease round so I could give it my full attention. Then I turned it back on for the even rounds.

This strategy worked - I finished the sock! I was happy to finish it up so I could wear the pair. These are bedsocks, to be worn with my funky pink-and-orange pyjama bottoms. They look great! Having now knit both toe-up and top-down and I can definitively say that I prefer the top-down technique. The fit is SO much better. For some reason, the toe-up sock was too large for me, even knit in the same size (Women's M, according to the pattern).


That said, I think I would like to learn the Kitchener Stitch or a similar grafting technique for the toes of my socks. Because I have wider feet, a pointy toe isn't comfortable for me and I think my socks will wear better with a blunter toe. I bookmarked a few good tutorials for this and I'll try it with my current sock project, the Festive Red Socks.

I started two new projects yesterday. I'm knitting up another 'Cabled Tea Cozy' because the one I made last week doesn't fit the cups at the cafe I frequent (the cozy was too big). I saved a paper cup from the cafe and I'll fit this cozy to the cup.

I also started the black leg warmers I bought yarn for last week. I've started the cuff ribbing and I have a few more inches to go on that. I'll need to pick up another set of DPNs because this project uses smaller DPNs for the body of the legwarmer.

I considered switching to a 'Magic Loop' technique for this project, given that I have an interchangeable needle set now. This morning, I sat down and taught myself Magic Loop using online videos and tutorials. Although I like the concept in theory, in practice, I find it awkward and fiddly. Also, I knit fairly tightly and I found it hard to move the stitches around on those needles. Maybe I'm doing it wrong - it might make sense to take a class on this so I can learn the method properly. So, for now, I'm sticking with my DPNs.

I'm absolutely *loving* the Berroco Vintage yarn that I'm using for the legwarmers. It has a nice feel and holds together well. To be perfectly honest, I also love the price point. I can knit up a pair of legwarmers for $18. Often, I find that it's more expensive to knit a garmet than buy it. In this case, it's the opposite - I paid $30 for my Roots legwarmers and they're inferior quality compared to what I'm knitting with right now.

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Tea Cup Cozy

Yesterday morning, I decided to do some knitting before heading to teach my first class of the day. I tackled the 'Cabled Coffee Cozy' from Kate Atherley's book, Beyond Knit and Purl. After one false start (I was knitting too tight around the cables), success! Within an hour, I had a very respectable little column of cables and I was SO excited! I couldn't believe it was this easy!

I worked on that project all day (it's actually a do-able streetcar project as long as you wait for a quiet moment to work the cables) and I finished it up in the evening while watching a movie.

This project is knit flat and seamed together. I'd never seamed before, but I followed the directions in the book (thank goodness there were photos!) and it turned out great! Best of all, it was SO much fun! I'm sure a faster knitter could whip this out in an hour and it's a great use for scrap wool.

I'm thoroughly addicted to knitting cables now and I want to give it a go on a larger project.

Here it is, modelled on my favourite ceramic green tea tumbler. The cozy is designed to work on those paper carry-out cups.


You can find the pattern in Kate Atherley's book Beyond Knit and Purl. I knit this in DK weight 'mystery yarn' in my stash that I bought at Romni Wools years ago.

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Knit Ditties

For all the years I've been knitting, I've kept my work in 'ditty bags'. These are actually old 'Outdoor Products' bags that I bought at an army surplus store in 1992. I used them to organise clothes in my bag as I backpacked around Europe. Since then, they've been repurposed to many uses.

I like them for knitting - the nylon fabric actually works well because it's slick enough that the yarn just rolls around inside. All of the project bags sold at yarn stores in Toronto are made out of this same ripstop nylon.

Mine are a bit worse for the wear after so many years. I examined the construction and realised that I could easily sew some up myself, so I did! I went to King Textiles to pick up the nylon fabric. I bought a half-yard of five different colours, plus some more thread and little pins to hold them together, plus cord and the clasps, which look like little pig noses. In terms of costs, the supplies for the first batch came out to $30. From that amount, I was able to sew up 9 small bags, 5 large ones!

The first bag I tried to sew up was yellow. I really didn't know what I was doing, but I dove in with enthusiasm and a great deal of patience. A half-hour later, I was holding a beautiful little bag in my hand! It was really that easy!

There was a learning curve around sewing through multiple layers, but this is one tough little sewing machine. I'm finally becoming more skilled at feeding my fabric through and sewing on a straight line. This is actually a fabulous sewing project to start out with because if things get a bit crooked, it doesn't really show up much in the finished product.

The bags turned out far more awesome than I would have ever predicted! They look very nice - very professionally done! The only change I'm going to make in my production moving forward is to reinforce of the seam where the cord comes out.

The commercial bags have an additional strap that snaps onto things - or your wrist. I decided not to bother with this because the cord on the bag can actually be tied onto things and it wraps around the wrist. I used my red bag on the train last night during my commute and it's great!

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Interchangeable Drama

I decided to frog that Peach Melba Hat because I hate, hate, HATE my Denise Interchangebles. There, I said it! I hate them. I hate the plastic, I hate the blunt tips and I particulary hate the cables, which are stiff. UG. I frogged the project because my tension was so uneven, due to those awkward cables.

The Denise Interchangeables were a loving gift from my mother - she loves hers. I'm feeling very guilty about them, but at least I gave them a seriously good go. (Sorry Mom! *hangs head*).

So today I threw in the towel and bought a set of HiyaHiya interchangeable sharps. After years of Denise Needle guilt, I wanted a set of
interchangeables that I LOVED. So I resolved to buy exactly the set I wanted in the colour (the cases come in different colours) I wanted. I phoned around and didn't have a lot of luck, but Lettuce Knit had a good supply of them so I decided to drop by and check them out.

First of all, the store has changed hands! I was so surprised! A friendly French Canadian woman greeted me and after awhile, I realised that she was very much in charge. So I asked - Sylvie's owned the store since July 31st. She's an executive assistant by day and runs the store in her free time.

The bad news is, the only small sharps available were in the red case. And I hated the red case. I had my heart set on the teal case. I said as much to Sylvie and she laughed. "Switch the cases - it's the needles I'm selling!" So I did! I switched the small set of sharps into the beautiful teal case (and it really is lovely - instead of a floral it has a geometric pattern).



I also bought a new set of Hiya Hiya 2.5 DPN 'sharps' console myself for not getting the Signature 2.5 'stiletto' DPNs I really wanted (maybe for my birthday?). I also bought two skeins of Borroco Vintage in black. As soon as my orange sock is finished, I'm going to knit up some legwarmers!

I've already cast on the Peach Melba Hat on the HiyaHiya circulars and oh my, it's SO much better! I'm very happy with my purchase!
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Return of the Fuzzy Blue Sock

I had the nicest afternoon yesterday. Sundays are my day off - I sat in my comfy chair to knit and read.

I (re)started the cuff on the blue fuzzy socks last night. It took me a few hours to cast on and get through that ribbing, but it's now ready to go. I like having a back-up even knitting project for commute-knitting in case my current project gets too complicated. So far, I'm finding that there are two types of knitting that must really be done at home consistently (rather than on TTC, intermittently): Ribbing/cuffs and heel-turns. Shaping the toe of a sock is probably best done at home too.




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Pattern Madness!

Last night, I bought a pattern for an heirloom baby hat and then regretted buying it because I'm wondering if I can actually pull it off by myself. I'm show pretty good restraint in yarn acquisition, but I seem to have a bit of a problem developing with patterns.

I bought Kate Atherley's book of simple accessory projects. There are a some really fun patterns in there I want to try, including cowls and *leg warmers*! Her first book, 'Beyond Knit and Purl', offers sections on cabling and colourwork. I think I'll give these a go on my own before taking more classes.

Speaking of classes, Mitten Boot Camp is in two weeks! I'm excited for that. The weather has been warmish, but I'm sure we'll certainly be into mitten weather in Janaury.

Last night, I cast on for the red sock, *again*. But this time, top-down. I think it will look nice. I'm loving my sock knitting adventures!


On the sewing front, I had a fantastic idea yesterday afternoon. One of my sewing books features a dish-towel pattern that includes light embroidery into the finished product. I could add a panel of plain fabric to my eye pillows, then embroider messages on them!

I was pondering where to buy embroidery floss when I remembered my craft bin. In it, I found several old cross-stitch projects (unfinished, because they were massive) along with all the floss for the projects. The embroidery fabric is stained and brittle, but the floss colours are really nice. I have embroidery hoops and needles too!

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Orange Sock #1

I finished Orange Sock #1 yesterday after lunch, sitting in my comfortable chair and listening to an audiobook. Shaping the toe isn't hard - there's a logic to it.

Honestly, the close of the toe on this top-down sock *is* a bit pointy and weird. I wonder how hard it would be to learn the Kitchener. My knitting instructor, Kate, didn't seem inclined to bother with it, but I really do prefer a flatter toe.

The sock is also a little bit long in the foot. I'll need to knit shorter when I tackle the fingering weight socks.


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My Big Fabric Store Adventure

Yesterday morning, I headed down to King Textiles on the Spadina Streetcar for my Big Fabric Store adventure.

I really like this store - it's organised very logically and I was quickly able to find what I needed. The woman who helped me was wonderful - helpful without being intrusive and genuinely enthusiastic about my projects and fabric choices. It felt like shopping with a friend.

I picked out three crazy colourful cotton prints and three cotton solids in complimentary shades. I also bought some plain white cotton to experiment with. The fabrics ranged from $5-$7 per yard. I bought 3/4 yards of everything.

When I got home, I whipped out out my machine and had sewed up a complete eye pillow in less than 45 minutes! I even transferred the flax seed from my old eye pillow to the new one. It's looks great! Very colourful.



There was one line of stitching that was a bit crooked, but I'm still learning to 'steer' the fabric as I sew it. Also, I don't have any proper sewing equipment. I may need to use Christmas money to pick up a good pair of scissors, some pins, a pin cushion etc. I checked out six sewing books from the library. One of them has a list of recommended tools I can reference.

I started to work on the bags, but my brain was beginning to fizzle. I think I need to sew up a prototype first because they're far more complicated than the eye pillows.

I knitted a bit in the afternoon and by the time I headed out to teach my evening classes, I was working on the heel flap! I finished it by the time I got home, so I settled in with a hot cup of tea to work on turning the heel and decreasing the gusset.

It was all very straightforward and took me a little over 90 minutes to complete. I'm already on the foot, back to knitting even! By my estimation, I have about three inches to knit before I start shaping the toe. I could very well be finished with this sock before the weekend!



Before I went to sleep, I got out that red sock out and *frogged* it. I'm officially a top-down convert! I don't plan to suffer through any more wrap-and-turn and picking up wrapped stitches experiences until I'm a more skilled knitter.

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A different kind of stitch

Well, I did it. I picked up my new sewing machine and you know what? It's awesome! Teresa, the store owner, greeted me and gave me a quick tutorial on how to load a bobbin and start sewing. She even offered me six spools of free thread and some fabric so I could hit the ground running.

With the addition of some rope and bungees, my laundry cart worked great as a sewing machine transport device. The cart made it possible to carry the machine home via public transit. The entire trip took me 2 hours, door-to-door.

By 1:15, I was unpacking the machine. First bit of good news: It's smaller than I thought and even with the hard cover on, it fits neatly underneath my desk (I live in a tiny city apartment, so this was a concern). Second bit of good news: The instruction manual is very clear and thorough. I followed the step-by-step instructions to thread the machine for use and within minutes, I was experimenting with my first stitches.

Teresa seemed convinced that I would learn the basics of the machine on my own and she was right. This is *not* a complicated machine. I grew bored of sewing scraps very quickly and sewed up a little yellow cube from some scrap linen and a tiny eye-pillow bag with another scrap.

This made me wonder if I could sew up the 'real thing'. So I sat down and examined the seams of my favourite large eye-pillow and created a pattern based on that design. I tore apart an old pillow case and used that fabric to sew up a prototype.

The biggest surprise is, it worked! And it didn't look half bad! I still have some work to do with sewing evenly, but that will come with practice.
I've already worked out that for each yard of fabric, I could make 7 eye-pillows. According to the internet, a yard of fabric costs anywhere from $2 to $7. Let's say I bought $7 fabric. The cotton inner pillow will likely be a lot less - let's say it's $1 per yard. The flax seeds and lavender are probably 50 cents per pillow. The cost of these pillows is less than $1.50 each.

That's just crazy! My friend R knew what she was talking about when she said that sewing stuff up yourself saves money! I'm just floored by how easy this machine is to use and how much fun I had creating my prototype. Why didn't I do this before?!

Next week: Visiting the fabric store.

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Socks from the top down

The top-down sock class was illuminating. Last month, there were three knitters in the toe-up class and none of us had knit socks before. We struggled to complete our mini toe-up sock in the three hours alloted and it was very tough going. Kate, the instructor, mentioned as an aside that she usually recommends the top-down sock class, rather than the toe-up, as a starting point. Now I understand why: top-down socks are easier, much easier.

Aside from me, one other person (I'll call her 'Violet') from last month's toe-up class returned for the top-down class. We compared notes on our toe-up worsted weight socks. Violet had completed one sock and cast on for a second. I had finished the pair. We had both struggled a bit with the technique.

I'll be honest: I was all prepared to hate top-down socks. Mainly because of the close of the toe. In a top-down sock, you decrease to a few stitches then cinch the yarn through similar to the close of a hat. I thought it would look goofy and I thought I preferred the flat edge of the toe-up sock. But looking at the socks that Kate brought along to show us, the toes didn't look bad and everything else about the top-down socks looked a bit tighter and tidier.

And then we started knitting. Throughout the top-down class, Violet and I exchanged amazed glances and exclaimations like "What?! That's all?! The heel is done?! Just like that?!" We were gobsmacked. The group (there were five of us for this top-down class) finished our mini socks a little over two hours, with very little fuss or trauma.

After the ease of the top-down training sock, Violet was ready to go home and frog her second toe-up sock in favour of the top-down method. I have to admit, I did the same with my blue fuzzy sock (I wasn't very far along). I'm putting my red Indigodragonfly sock aside for now (I'm up to the heel on that one). Kate thinks it's a tad too big for me so it might make sense to frog it, given that I'm only a quarter way through the pair.

I had a few questions for Kate. I was curious how long it takes her to knit up one sock (about six hours) and what her favourite method was (top-down).

I'm not prepared to declare my affiliation quite yet, but it's entirely possible that I may be a top-down sock knitter. I cast on for a top-down worsted weight sock today - this time in orange. Since these are destined to be bedsocks, I chose colours that would match my PJs!

I have to admit, the best part about the top-down socks (besides their ease) may be the fact that you get the horrible, interminable ribbing out of the way at the beginning. And the best part about taking a toe-up sock class first is you get a huge amount of perspective on just how easy knitting a sock can be. At least I hope so - I'll keep you posted.

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Fuzzy Blue Sock

Over the weekend, I cast on the red Indigodragonfly fingering wool for a pair of classic toe-up socks, using Kate's pattern. I've been knitting steadily on on the first sock and today, I realised that I already had 5.75 inches in the foot. I was ready for the heel! But there's a problem: I can't really turn a heel while scooting around on public transit, which is what my Wednesdays are like. I usually try to spend a couple of hours working the heel quietly at home to avoid catastrophic mistakes.

So I decided to reach into my stash and retrieve that blue, fuzzy, wool and start another sock. Based on past experience (at least 20 tries to get that red sock going), I figured it would take me at least and hour to get a cast-on I was happy with. Imagine my surprise when I cast on and started knitting and 20 minutes later, I was well into the increases. This is a Happy Sock! And it's still happy - in fact, I finished the increases last night on the subway and I'm into the foot now.

I'm using the Brittany birch DPNs I bought a couple years ago. I'm finding them lovely to knit with so far, though they're a bit shorter than I'm used to. I transferred the 'long needle' of this project onto two needles and just marked that side for later reference. I may keep this configuration through the heel.

And the wool? It's wonderful! It's a deep, dark blue with dark pink fuzzy bits. I don't know if these socks will hold up for regular use (it's 100% alpaca), but these will be wonderful warm socks to jazz around the apartment in on snowy days.

And here's the answer to my sock conundrum. I just need to have a couple of socks on the go at various stages of construction so I'll always have something easy to knit on the subway. Or at the dental hygienist - that was truly the driving factor in this case. I hate to sit in that chair with nothing to do.


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My Janome SUV 1122

Well, I did exactly what I swore I *wasn't* going to do yesterday: I bought a sewing machine.

After I taught my noon class, I had an itch to 'go on an adventure' so I rode out to Victoria Park station to the 'Sewing World' store.
At first glance, it looked like a hole-in-the-wall sort of place. I was hovering near the door when the store owner spotted me and called out an cheerful greeting. That was Teresa and boy, can that woman sell sewing machines! I'm glad I completed all of my research up front because it would have been easy to get swept up in her sales pitch, about 90% of which was lost on me but 100% reflected a genuine enthusiasm for sewing and for Janome machines.

I knew what I was looking for. I told her: 'Entry level machine, Janome, $200-$300 range.' She had none of the compact budget models I was considering (sorry, no 'Hello Kitty' Janome for me) and I had already ruled out the 625E as 'out of my price range'. She showed me two entry level mechanical machines. The SUV 1108 was on my short list, but the 1122 was on sale for $299. The store was entirely sold out of that model but she had 12 shipping the following week.

I had a feeling that if I waited until December, I'd be battling it out with the holiday shopping crowd. Teresa left me to my iPad for a few minutes and I did some investigation. The SUV 1122 is only sold in Canada and there were few reviews available for it. The three reviews I did find were very positive, though. I also found the 1122 for sale second-hand on Kijiji. The seller paid $700 new in the spring of this year and was offering it used for $350. I noticed a few other used machines in the $300 price range.

I have to admit, though, the clincher was the free lessons. Teresa's shop is a bit like the Apple Store - free lessons are offered by appointment (one-on-one), on the machine you've purchased. Basically, she makes sure that you're at ease using every feature of the machine. Given that lessons might cost me $160-$250, this is a good deal.

The downside: This is *not* a compact machine. It's full-size. But it's a solid entry level machine. I doubt I'd ever want to upgrade. I just need to figure out a place to store the thing!

So, I took the dive. I bought the SUV 1122. It will probably come in on Tuesday, but I'll wait to pick it up on next weekend. I'm already thinking of all the things I can make with my new sewing machine!

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It's a pair!

And I have socks! Voila!


I was so excited that I stayed up till 1:30 a.m. working the ribbing of the second sock and binding off.

I can't believe I'm wearing socks that I knit myself! Yay :-)


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Sew much to think about

This morning, I spent an hour with one of my private yoga students, teaching her to knit. It was hard!!! I'm good at teaching yoga, but knitting is something entirely different. I taught her the slingshot cast on and then the knit stitch and purl stitch. Her homework is to practice those and by the end of next week, cast on 81 stitches for a hat!

I'm starting to feel excited about Christmas. This year, my mother is buying me a entry level sewing machine. I've been internet researching different brands of machines. According to one forum, nearly all machines are now made by Janome, so the brand doesn't particularly matter. I have a short list of Janome entry level machines. I'm aiming to spend between $200 and $300.

Someone in a forum recommended a vintage machine if you want something durable and reliable. It's kind of a shame - my grandmother willed me her vintage Singer sewing machine, but it's a HUGE machine in a big cabinet. I don't think it would fit in my city apartment. It's still sitting in my uncle's house in Ohio ten years after her death. If I really get into sewing, it might be worth the drive down.

I'm already thinking about fabric to learn on and what my first few projects will be. I don't want to buy this thing and then see it collect dust because I don't use it. I'd like to learn how to sew eye pillows and KIP (Knitting In Public project bags). They're $30 on Etsy. I'm sure I could sew them for less. I'd like to figure out the construction of my favourite 'Bandha Bag' that I use to carry my knitting and sew up something similar.

In other words, I want to take this seriously, be ready to dive in when I finally buy it. I briefly considered what it would be like to buy it *now*, as in 'today', but the truth is, I'm enjoying the process of researching the machine and reading about sewing and looking forward to the purchase.


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Ribit

I had such a nice day yesterday. In the afternoon, I opened up all the blinds and it was so nice to *see* the city and get some sunlight. In the late hours, the sun streams into the kitchen. I caught up on the Internet, then sat in my chair and attempted to start the heel on Sock #2. I totally screwed that up, ended up frogging.

I tired to fix the sock, but unbeknownst to me, I had dropped two stitches, so I ended up frogging *again* and now I have several rows of knitting to do before I can even start the heel. To add insult to injury (ribit!), I knitted too far into my hat and had to rip several rows out of *that*.

I practically have a lily pad hanging off my ear! I overheard some good frogging advice in the knitting store on saturday. It's basically this: Get those stitches back on the needles - don't worry about *how* they're on the needles - sort them out after. This is what I did and I now feel very at ease with reorienting stitches on needles. Knitting life lessons...

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Stash and a Wool Moratorium

After walking the dog, I took on an Internet-y project: I organised my stash and knitting projects on Ravelry. It's been a couple years since I even logged on, but my Ravelry is now fully updated. It made me realise, though, how much wool I've actually accumlated and need to use up. So I'm declaring a 'wool moratorium', though I'll probably be getting another skein of that Cascade Superwash in the top-down sock class in two weeks.

I checked the schedule at Lettuce Knit for classes I can actually take (that don't conflict with my schedule). On my wishlist: Double socks class (knitting two at a time), Kate's Cabling 101 (beverage 'cozy'), Entrelac (I think Kate usually teaches a scarf), and Mittens Bootcamp. Classes are tricky for me because knitting classes are often in the evening or on Saturdays when I'm already teaching (I'm a full-time yoga teacher).

But I can go to Mitten Bootcamp! The class is on on a Thursday in December when I'm I'm hiatus from my Thursday class. I'm so excited! This will be fun and, I suspect, not to difficult for me to pick up, given that I can now knit socks. I have a feeling that I'll be knitting up some more Malabrigo in the New Year, creating mitts to match my hats!

I'll keep my eyes peeled for the New Year! I would really love to learn Entrelac in a class context because I know it would be easier. And cabling! Weeeee!


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A knitting adventure

Yesterday was my big knitting shop adventure. Two knitting shops, $50 worth of yarn, an afternoon of knitting with strangers and one run-in with a friend of 14 years who I hadn't seen in at least five.

It's true that knitters gather in these shops to knit and chat, but for the most part, these groups feel like closed circles. I got that vibe at the Knit Cafe, even though I sat down and knitted for awhile (at a seperate table from the others - the 'knitters table' practically had a force-field around it). It didn't matter anyway - that shop's not local to me. I bought some really gorgeous pinkish-orange wool (not Malabrigo, but a nearly identical wool called Manos) and caught the streetcar east.

I rode north to Mirvish Village to check out EweKnit. This is the shop I stumbled across online - they just opened back in August. It's a gorgeous shop and since it *is* my local, I figured I should find courage and sit down with the group knitting there and I did. I stayed for a couple hours.

The owner, Claudia, was lovely and welcoming and made me some tea. I did feel a *bit* like an imposter, but knitting helps me calm down in general - social lubricant - so I was able to overcome my natural shyness.

Later on, a woman came in, sat next to me. I had my eyes on my knitting, but I chatted with her about some baby hats she had knitted and suddenly she turned to me and said my name - I looked up and realised that I had been chatting with a longtime friend who I hadn't seen in years!

I stayed until 6 - closing. At that point, I was literally binding off on my sock and I finished it before I supper. One week, one sock! I'm starting the second one today and I bought red Indigodragonfly wool for my next sock.


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Twisties

Sock #1 is going well! I'm still knitting the leg, but I'm pretty sure I'll finish that by tonight. That's less than a week for a sock. Not bad for a newbie! I figured out where those periodic twisted stitches are coming from. When a stitch falls off the needle, I need to be more careful about how I put it back on. All of those twisties were from temporarily dropped stitches.

I tried the sock on last night and it fits perfectly! I was worried about that because it seemed so big. I'm already looking toward my first sock in fingering weight and thinking about what yarn I'll use.

I'm also rethinking my next hat. I can knit those garterstitch hats in my sleep. I bought the pattern for Kate's entrelac hat and it's definitely do-able. I have all the skills. Sort of. It will be a more complex project than simple knitting. Okay, fine - I'm scared!

I was already calculating the cost of circulars for that project when I remembered my Denise needle set. I suppose I should go ahead and use it. This is exactly why my mother bought it for me, but to be honest. I'm feeling leary of those plastic needles. Maybe I'll love them...I owe it to her to try.

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I have a sock!

I have a sock! Yesterday, with a few bloopers here and there, I managed to get through the heel. By evening, I was back to knitting even rounds and there are plenty to be knit - 6 inches from that point, confirmed by an email to Kate (I wrote to ask from what point the 'leg' is measured from).

The email was fun! I had took a photo of my sock and created an illustrated diagram of my request, with arrows pointing to possible starting points for the leg measurement. I gave the sock a smiley face and, as an afterthought, added a talk balloon. Kate thought it was hilarious, replied "Happy sock is happy!" lol!


There were a few problems with the heel, but I muddled through. The biggest problem was losing one of my heel gusset stitches. If I dropped it, I can't figure out where (I checked the sofa cushions). I ended up picking up a bar and twisting it to make a stitch. Inelegant, to be sure, but it apparently worked. Actually, it wasn't the obvious mistakes that showed up, but the ones I didn't even know about.

Anway, it's a sock. It looks like a sock, feels like a sock when I put it on. And everything is easy from here on out. In fact, I'm pretty sure the second sock will be easy-er, since I've finished one already.

Last week, I picked up some longer stainless steel Hiya Hiya needles which are a joy to knit with, much easier than bamboo! I'm a convert! The big problem with this sock and the bamboo needles is that they're too short and I kept losing stitches off the ends. Lesson learned: long DPNs are better.

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Yarn Along: Socks and Journeys

I started a sock and a book almost simultaneously, so I've been enjoying the week, alternating between the two.

My first 'real' sock is going well. I just finished the heel gusset today and I'm moving into the perilous waters of wrap-and-turn this afternoon. With any luck, I'll be back into the comfort of even rounds by tomorrow. *holdsbreath* This is sock #1. When it's finished, I'll move on to sock #2.

The book is 'Sweet Jesus' by Canadian author Christine Poutney. The story follows three siblings who journey across the continent and into their own past. Connie is a mother of three children, Hannah is a writer and Zeus (my favourite!) works as a therapeutic clown in a children's hospital.

So far, I'm loving the characters and I've been drawn into the story.




I'm posting as part of Ginny's Yarn Along.

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Three years later...

You know that item on your to-do list that keeps getting buried, deeper and deeper? And even though you've tried to cover it in an avalanche of other 'to-dos', it still weighs on your brain like a mountain?

Yeah. For me, it was that sock. I just couldn't figure out how to knit the heel and I couldn't seem to motivate myself into the knitting shop to ask for help. So I buried the sock and I just stopped knitting. Every fall, I got 'knitting guilt' because cool weather always triggers my knitting itch, but I didn't do anything about it.

To be fair, life was busy. I was absorbed in getting out of my weirdly serene dysfunctional relationship. It ended quietly with the Easiest Breakup Ever: About once a month, E would suggest we break up so I just waited for it. When the suggestion came, my response was "That's a great idea. Let's do *that*." And we did. I was so relieved.

After that came a few intense, highly focused yoga years. I'm a career yoga teacher and I really needed this time to develop my practice. I experimented with different teachers, different studios, even travelling to Montreal for a time to study with a master teacher.

I learned a lot, and one of the greatest lessons that came out of those long months of practice was an important one of 'balance'. In my singleminded focus on yoga practice, I had lost the other parts of my life: writing, reading, playing my guitar and yes, knitting.

This summer, I started to reclaim those things, one by one. It started, ironically, with an Epic Clear-out of my apartment, some redecorating and in the process, the rediscovery of the lonely, orphan sock. So, last month I looked for classes and when I found a sock-knitting class that didn't clash with my busy teaching schedule, I signed up.

Last Saturday, I happily settled into an easy chair and learned to knit a tiny 'training sock'. In the process, Kate cleaned up my knitting technique. My mother taught me to knit continental style but in picking it back up again, it had morphed into something Kate identified as 'combination knitting'. I likely learned *that* from a sweet elderly Ukrainian friend who ran a B&B in Kensington Market until her death a few years ago.
Now that I've sorted it out, I have two new projects on the go: Another hat, just for practice and to use up my very small stash. And a worsted weight sock. This time, I'll finish it!

And this is my tiny training sock, which I now keep beside my chair to remind myself that I can indeed knit socks!

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