remember me?

what else have i been up to?

starting and stopping a pair of stripey baby socks. i have nothing against them, but it seems that stripes don't agree with me. so i have a feeling this will be another plain pair of baby socks. or maybe i'll just do ONE stripe per sock. yeah.

i have an iphone. i love it. i hate it. *shrug* it's a phone. the only apps i've installed are:

• a silly japanese game of match with cutesy characters.
• twitterific for my tweets.
• ereader. i love having such a handy book reader.

so, yes that means i do not knit during my commutes anymore (though really, i haven't been for some time). i read books on my iphone. current book: H.G. Well's The Time Machine. Next will be Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.

planning my upcoming fourth wedding anniversary. this is gonna be a big one. we're gonna do it you guys; we're gonna renew our vows on the star trek enterprise. that's right. Vulcan Vow Renewal ceremony. this was actually something we hoped to do either next year or for our tenth anniversary. but, alas, the Star Trek Experience is closing down. *sob* so i have maybe five days to plan this.

tonight, Erica and I are having another knitting slumber party. not much of a party, it's just the two of us. haha perhaps we'll get to the knitting part this time... last time i think we stayed up playing 3D Puzzle Logic? though i have a feeling we may just continue that tonight...

a new must knit obsession. i plan to forget all the other projects i have in my queue and on my needles and start this adorable piece: Estes Vest, by Hana Jason, from Interweave Knits, Fall 2008. if i can't get the yarn to start that right away, i will use some stash yarn for the Little Blue Sweater, by Simona Merchant-Dest, from Interweave Knits, Fall 2008. though, it will probably be a little RED sweater...

hearts.

mismatched baby socks, after weaving in ends.

Pattern inspired by Better-Than-Booties baby socks, by Ann Budd.
Yarn Reynold's Soft Sea Wool, Blue (MC) and Cream (CC).
Needles Size 0 (2 mm) dpns.
Description meant for newborns, this is a very simple sock using two colors. begin with the main color (MC) and change to the contrast color (CC) only for heel and toe short-row shaping. bindoff with three needles to create a ridge where instep and toe shaping join. reverse the colors for the second sock.

if only these socks grew in gardens...

someone asked, so this is not so much a pattern as it is a guideline for making the sock. it's pretty basic. short-row shapings are done as described in Ann Budd's pattern.

something like a pattern

cuff with MC, caston 44 sts. join for knitting in the round. knit 11 rounds in 2×2 ribbing: (k2, p2) to end of each round. leg knit 5 rounds in stockinette stitch. do not cut MC. heel change to CC and use short row shaping to shape the heel across first 22 stitches. cut CC, leaving enough yarn to weave later. foot change back to MC. knit 16 rounds. cut MC, leaving at least 10 inches for bindoff and weaving. toe change to CC and shape toe the same way you shaped the heel. cut CC, leaving enough yarn to weave later. bindoff with RS facing, use MC and three needle method to bind off stitches, ending with 3 stitches: 1 on front needle, 1 on back needle, and 1 wrapped stitch between them. k3tog tbl. finishing weave in all ends. make second sock, reversing the colors.

a sort of modification

when knit without the heel shaping, these baby socks can be transformed into mitts, don't you think? of course, this picture is misleading--i haven't knitted a mitt-y pair yet...

et voila! ...baby mitts?

instead, i'm knitting another pair of socks... this time, the stripes i mentioned before. then, it's back to copious other projects.

blocking and end-weaving soon to follow.

roses from keely & joe.

as far as my distractions went, i spent much of the previous couple weeks reading Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark/Dream Hunters books. "why, oh why?", you might very well ask. (and i would not be offended.) i will have to say it was simply because they are (very) loosely based on mythology, and i'm afraid myths (and fairy tales) are a weakness. so after finishing the lot of them (none of the short stories though, and i don't care to), i switched to Edith Hamilton's Mythology.

*hearts*

i really need to spend more time writing...

erica: you need to write!
erica: so i can read it
erica: and stop seeing baby booties
erica: every time i check your page

she's heartless.

but, she's right; these socks have been front-page long enough.

drat, I do need to write more regularly. i just haven't had much to say lately. i am still knitting, but it definitely has been less frequently than ever before.

am i losing interest? no, i don't think so. knitting will probably stay with me for the rest of my life. but, i'm definitely distracted by other hobbies... like reading mythology (and trashy novels), writing (non-knitting related) book outlines, and (re)learning some Latin and maybe Greek...

i'll update you with my current knitting projects and even a long-delayed pattern soon. for now, here's cuteness:

Mr. Tadakichi, Erica holding Frances, and Emmy.

bbiab. promise.

i know i said earlier that i would post a big "look at all these baby socks" post; but, i've since decided against that. i will admit to being rather capricious at times. but, really, why wait until i finish more of these little projects... can you ever get bored with them? i hope not, because i sure won't.

blue baby socks at Cline Winery.

Pattern Better-Than-Booties baby socks, by Ann Budd.
Source Interweave Knits, Summer 2005.
Yarn Reynold's Soft Sea Wool, 1 Skein, Blue.
Needles Size 0 (2 mm) dpns.
Modifications Similar to the Pink Cable Rib baby socks, I shortened the ribbing to 4 repeats of the cable pattern, so that it actually looks more like booties than socks. I alternated the cable slants between the two. The pattern says to cast on an odd number of stitches and requires you to decrease one stitch later to have an even number. Also, I did not like the 1×1 ribbing... So, I reworked it as follows:

CO 44 sts.
Rnd 1 p1, (k2, p1) 7 times, k2, braided cable pattern across next 18 sts, k2.

the pattern: i actually surprised myself with wanting to knit these socks. i did not think i would enjoy knitting the cable braid on Size 0 needles, but, it didn't take long for me to get into the rhythm of the cabling.

before the zig-zag bindoff on first sock.

the yarn: i really love how the pattern shows up in the Soft Sea Wool. Really, a pleasant surprise. I don't know why, but I thought they might not show up as well as the braids in Hilary's long ago knit Baby Ull version.

i've actually casted on for a second pair of these... but, may end up making blue cable rib socks instead... or try out another variation for the instep stitches...

pink baby socks! omg!

Pattern Better-Than-Booties baby socks, by Ann Budd.
Source Interweave Knits, Summer 2005.
Yarn Reynold's Soft Sea Wool, 1 Skein, Pink.
Needles Size 0 (2 mm) dpns.
Modifications I shortened the ribbing to 4 repeats of the cable pattern, so that it actually looks more like booties than socks.

the pattern: i was really surprised by how quickly this project went. even more, i was surprised by how much fun i had knitting them. keep in mind, i was always reluctant to knit socks on size 0 needles. (recall that Socks 101 were knit with worsted-aran weight yarn.) but, i loved knitting these socks.

this is a really easy pattern, but, i have to admit, i don't quite know if i followed it properly. i basically only glanced at the pattern for such details as (1) number of caston stitches, (2) number of rows to complete for different sections, (3) short row shaping of heel, and (4) zig-zag bind-off.

so, really, with just those 4 things to keep in mind, you can make any number of variations on this pattern... different instep stitch patterns. i can't wait to experiment some more.

before the zig-zag bindoff on second sock.

the yarn: i really enjoyed knitting with Soft Sea Wool. it's smooshy and stretchy to knit. the finished fabric has a crunchy texture, which for some reason i've grown to love in wool and wool blends.

i'm not sure how much yarn i actually used in this, since it was left over from a cat sweater i knit last year. but, i'm pretty sure that you can get at least two pairs of socks out of each skein.

well, it's good to blog again. i have lots to write: more baby socks, an almost finished raglan mini-ish sweater, a quick little knit from Knitty, Mendocino for a wedding, and another night at the onsen with friends.

happy knitting!--and happy friday!

Fuschia raglan mini-sweater
the mini-sweater i wanted to knit last year. three-quarter length sleeves and overlapping fronts closed with clasps. i hope to finish this in time to block and wear for the weekend. i think this will be a milestone project for me—really, i have yet to complete an adult sweater with sleeves.

Better than booties baby socks
knitting some matching mitts to the pairs of socks that i finished a couple of weeks ago. i love the cable rib and braided cable socks... i will be at a wedding in Mendocino this weekend and plan to knit more variations of these while i'm there.

at the moment, i'm completely in love with Hilary's Christmas Green Minisweater and already planning something similarish in golden yellow. she really is an amazing knitter, and so modest; everything she makes invokes this instant longing, "omg, i want to make that, too!"

otherwise, there really is nothing much going on.

Saturday: chai, turmeric cake, and one baby sock.

i must admit that i did have a moment of, "what am i doing? i must go see Se7en!" but that was quickly dispersed by a google maps public transit search that told me it would take an hour to get there on muni/bart/bus. well, if you search for the event, you can find some youtube videos. it looks like he had a warm and loud (screaming fangirls omg) reception. probably above Verizon's expectations for the venue? yay!

oh and fyi, the turmeric cake is my new Samovar favorite.

erica and i spent Sunday afternoon at the Kabuki Springs and Japan Center. after realizing that we were the only two women in the onsen wearing bathing suits, we discussed some ideas for becoming more comfortable with our nakedness. Of course, a naked knitting crafting salon topped the list. but, we quickly decided that we were quite happy to be the rare bathers wearing suits.

the shiatsu was great, even better when it was over. lots of focus on my shoulders and neck. (ouch) i really did not like the neck massage. afterwards, we wandered around the mall: Kinokuniya bookstores to peruse mangas, craft magazines, and stationary. On the Bridge for lunch. Pikapika photos for silliness. Sophie's Crepes for a sweet and sticky snack.

Sunday: PikaPika photo shoot!

after that, we visited a grocery store and erica bought them out of curry (just about). then, we went home to see if the boys were finished taking apart a slingshot monkey and refitting its voicebox... they were.

monday began just like most weekend days. (hoorah for weekdays without work!) we woke and leisurely drank coffee and had breakfast... we didn't really have any plans at all. some friends invited us to join them for a drive to Carmel, but somehow, we ended up visiting a couple Napa Valley vineyards, instead. although we've lived in San Francisco for almost three years now, this was our first time at Napa. it was really an awesome afternoon!

we tasted at the Cline winery and, after some driving, the Rombauer Vineyards. we ended the trip with a visit to the Artesa Winery. by the time we got there, it was closed to visitors, but the view was stunning...

Monday: the view from Rombauer Vineyards.

we have a wedding in Mendocino in June; i'm really looking forward to the drive through Napa and Sonoma Valleys on our way there.

This weekend, Se7en is in the United States (YES!), in California (YES!!), in the Bay Area (YES!!!), but... in Daly City (OH NO!). I guess I'm just not crazy-asian-fan-girl enough to make my way out of San Francisco to see him. Though, I can't honestly say that I don't want to... I mean, I could get all my albums and singles autographed, right? I could get a photo taken with my favorite Korean singer/actor, right? I do hope he gets a warm reception... I plan to sit in Samovar (18th & Sanchez) and listen to his albums while I knit. If he's bored, he should join me. Yeah.

There has been plenty of knitting going on! Though, as you can probably guess, I haven't touched the tangled yoke cardigan since I started knitting pink and blue baby socks. And I will probably knit at least a couple more pairs of baby socks before I get back to the sweater. I love Ann Budd's pattern.

Better progress pictures soon. Happy knitting!

i guess some stats are always nice? so let's see, in the past 8 months, i've:

• joined ravelry and twitter.
• finished 17 projects, 5 of which were cat sweaters.
• finished my husband's sweater vest (at last).
• posted 6 original knitting patterns written in my own LaTeX template.
• changed my blog layout no less than twice.
• attended my first Stitches West with Hilary and Erica.

not too bad, right?

of course, one of the biggest milestones for me, other than finishing Adam's vest, was that i knitted my first pair of socks, although they were simple and somewhat chunky. now, i'm knitting many pairs on size 0 (2 mm) needles:

is it cheating when they're baby socks?

i dare you to resist the cuteness.

to begin my next hundred posts, i'll share with you these mini projects. and, hopefully, soon after, i'll have finished cardigans and sweaters to write about (namely, the tangled yoke cardigan and flicca coat). i've overcome the aversions to knitting for husband and knitting socks, now i must work on the knitting long sleeves...

Do you think the yarn is rather drab?

And, I started the sleeves this weekend. After the first increase round on one sleeve, I started the second sleeve. When they were the same length, I transferred the stitches onto my two longest Size 5 circulars (which weren't very long at all...) to knit both sleeves at the same time:

Two sleeves at once... It gets easier as the sleeves get longer...

Since, you can knit a pair of socks at the same time, why not a pair of sleeves? It's a bit awkward, but I hope this will keep the gauge consistent (between the two sleeves I mean).

So this post will be about the crafty side of Maker Faire ;D

When I discovered that Imagiknit would be at Maker Faire, I knew it meant that Craft was going to have a much bigger presence this year. I don't know if I remember correctly, but last year, there was only a corner of a building reserved for the crafts. And, although there were plenty of crafters selling their designs and such, there were very few larger vendors. (I only remember seeing Lion Brand Yarns?) This year, Craft had their own building and boy was it packed:

Near the entrance, very little space to move...

Perhaps I should have taken notes... I don't remember too many of the vender names! There were ribbons and stickers and screen printed t-shirts. Lots of adorable baby clothes and dolls. Mister Funky designer, Narumi Ogawa was there again this year with her adorable crocheted items. Noe Knit had a booth. And, of course, Imagiknit was there:

Imagiknit @ Maker Faire...

Outside of the building, Cypress Hall (?), we walked past this interesting entertainer:

He knits while playing the drums...

I hadn't really planned on buying anything while I was there, but then again, I really didn't expect the Craft section to be so big. But, I walked away with 3 tshirts (green, red, and brown) that fit nicely into one totebag (black), a pair of earrings, and a hank of yarn. For some reason I was just in love with the cute art on the tshirts (although the character really looks more like a pez dispenser haha):

What I walked away with...

I found myself walking back again and again to Starving Artist Bazaar's table to admire the earrings. Finally, I just bought them. They were really the prettiest pair on the table. As for the hank of yarn, I just really fell in love with the handpainted color scheme: the smokey blue-grey-black. The yarn and green tshirt are going to my sister.

We were at the faire for about 6 hours before we left. Afterwards, the 6 of us (we were there with two other couples) went back into the city and had some delicious pho at Zadin. The perfect meal for the windy and chilly evening. (I recommend their pho beef-sate.)