Garter Country

The Garter Stitch Blanket for the in-laws is coming right along. Now that I've got the right dimensions figured out, it's just knit, knit, knit, knit -- you get the idea. Looks like I'll have enough yarn to finish the project, which I wasn't sure about at first. You can see that the two center "L" sections are done, and I'm about halfway finished with one of the two larger outside sections.

I'm not quite halfway there, but it's moving along quickly. I even got to work on it some this weekend while in Houston for an early Halloween party. I had a good time, and was reminded by one salty party attendee that there a few non-knitters out there that read this blog. Don't worry -- we'll win her over yet. Fall weekends were meant to be spent this way, traveling and visiting with friends that we don't get to see enough of.

The party was a blast with some pretty awesome costumes. As for me? Let's just say that I would have made a pretty creepy goth kid. Pray that my fingernails return to a normal color before I have to head back to work tomorrow.

Order of the Garter Stitch

Blogging from Big D (My, oh yes!), this year's location for the meeting I blogged from last year in Albuquerque -- using the same crappy cell phone for pictures. This is that blanket that I've been discussing forever, but never quite starting. The pattern is based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's Garter Stitch Blanket from The Opinionated Knitter. It's a Christmas gift for the in-laws -- let's hope they've forgotten the address for the blog for the time being.

I was inspired by Jared Flood's example. I, too, am planning on doing the seams with crochet stitch (Help! Stephi!). Jared's garter stitch seems so much tidier than mine -- I'm hoping this is less a reflection of respective knitting skills and more a function of using two strands (him) as opposed to one (me). I can dream, can't I?

Having fun at my conference. Getting a little scared that we're going to be hosting this event in my town two years from now. Getting to talk yarn with other talented librarian knitters like Becky and Janna. Good times!

Chart Reading

Click the image below to enlarge and read. Like a lot of charts, the interesting stuff is at the end.




I think this is a very, very cool pattern.

Knitter, Heel Thyself

Oops.

I took the Blue Tiger Socks to north Texas to work on while visiting the in-laws. I only got around to them for a little bit this morning, but boy did I do some damage.

First of all, I think the circumference is a bit tight. It looked fine until I started working the short-row heels. I think working these with a short row heel means I'm going to have to increase the number of stitches in the sock's circumference. Which means ripping all the way back to the toe. Might not even be a bad idea to start over.

But worst of all is the heel placement. I guess I got carried away wit the stockinette in the round and just took things a bit to far. Rather than a heel, it looks like I've inserted a pocket for some unnatural growth.

Had a good time in the Metroplex, though. Ate some delicious TexMex and went with the in-laws to the Kimbell Art Museum to see The Impressionists: Master Painting from the Art Institute of Chicago. Go see it if you have a chance.

Knitting Books

The librarian in me likes nothing better than exploring new books. And the knitter in me loves digging through information on the craft. Today I got knitting books in the mail. I feel tingly.

First of all, I got a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's The Opinionated Knitter: Newsletters 1958-1968. I've glanced through copies of this from time to time, but needed my own in order to make a version of the Garter-Stitch Blanket (p.52). I'm planning on making it as a gift for Christmas. If it turns out half as good Jared Flood's, I'll be happy. I won't be carrying a double strand of the Cascade Ecological Wool, since it will be used in Texas. I can't wait to explore this book thoroughly. I'm going to have to bone up on my negligible crochet skills to seam this thing together and make a border. I'm nervous, but motivated.

Secondly, I ordered a copy of Charlene Schurch's More Sensational Knitted Socks. Because if I'm going to be knitting more socks, they damned well better be sensational. I enjoyed this first book so much and have made so many socks using her patterns (see here, here, here, and here) that I wanted to get this one, too. I know it's not exactly the same as the earlier book, but I really like the way she writes her patterns.

One thing I see right off the bat (and which someone had mentioned to me) is that all the stitch patterns are stashed away in the back of the book, whereas in her earlier book they were right next to the main sock pattern. I don't know that this will bug me, but I'm thinking probably yeah.

And last, but not least, I treated myself to a copy of Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One. My friend Janelle has been talking this book up for some time, and I knew it was just a matter of time before I got a copy. I'd seen Cat demonstrating knitting a sock using coriolis architecture on a television show (I think it was Knitty Gritty) and was intrigued. I really admire her ability to look at something that knitters have been doing for centuries and see it in an entirely different way. She has a crazy creative brain that I envy.

I can't wait to get reading...and knitting...and reading...and...