So I got up off my lazy derriere today and I went to meet a blogger. A KNITTING blogger. I met the infamous Kate for pizza and knitting in Paris; and yes all she was wearing a sweater she made herself.
While she worked on a pattern and laughed at me cutting away the crusts of my Pizza I ate and showed her Soul. I am thinking that this pattern may go on either indefinite hold or frogpond status. It takes too much attention and I don't need something that I have to stare at a chart every 2 stitches, a chart I don't always think I understand. It is just sooo not intuitive to me! I also can't see the chevrons starting; though Kate, dear soul she is, said she could.
She listened about my research and did a good job of seeming interested! She dealt with space cadet me and rewound a center pull ball again for me. She showed me her GORGEOUS Baltic Stole and told me stuff about other shawls. I am not a shawl person but I like the idea of a gauzy stole that is pretty like hers. We'll see if I can get brave enough to 1. Face Kid Silk Haze and 2. Face lace, cause it honestly still kinda scares me.
I promise to set things up better with the blog roll, template, comments etc here soon, unfortunately the siren call is pulling me back to silly things like statistical analysis of data for my dissertation.... don't they know I just want to blog or knit??
Well probably just most of the time as I might list other crafty things... I dont know. I have another blog but I wanted to seperate my knitting on to its own blog. At least until I can figure out Moveable Type and create an integrated site. So here I am Knitting "Only" in the blogosphere. I am also responding to the plea by Fluffa for more French knitters to join SS3, and I needed to have a knitting blog for that.
A Bit About Me:
I am a partially polyglot, verbose, redheaded, feisty, fidgety, jittery twenty-something graduate student currently living in the heart of the Latin Quarter of Paris. It's not all its cracked up to be and a bit expensive; but it is almost all of it, so I am not complaining (too much at least). I use my childhood nickname on comments etc cause it stuck- long story behind it, so if you see a comment from Stinkerbell its me.
My Knitting History:
I learned how to knit almost 5 years ago while living through a Norwegian winter. It was dark, and cold, and other people knew how to, not to mention being one of the few relatively inexpensive things out there to do. So I learned how to do a knit stitch and change colors. I made some rocking striped sock hats!
At that stage I also thought I knew it all and I went on to not learn anything more about knitting but do an intense color patterned hat for a niece. Fairisle none the less. Once I had made all these modifications, changing the style of hat but applying the pattern I liked, and I had knit it all up (with errors left and right) I realized I had no clue how get it off the needles.
By this time I was in the states and found my beloved LYS. A very nice lady taught me how to bind off. And made me realize I hadnt a clue about things like purling. So I signed up for a beginners class. I learned the basics made some really cute Mission Falls kiddie Vest and Hat (Ziggy).
And then got all cocky again. I let my 5 year old niece pick out her own sweater for me to make for her birthday. She chose the most colorful one there (she is a colorfully creative one) was. It was a Dale of Norway Pattern. It has been termed for all infamy- the Lady Bug Sweater. Dale of Norway sweaters are always done in the round, which is great- until you have to CUT through your color work to seam the sucker together. I nearly had a coronary. I made it through it with a big bottle of Vodka and my local LYS help. But I still wasn't up to snuff.
So I signed up for more classes. I took a sock knitting one which I loved. I am very into making socks with Regia and Opal self patterning yarns. I took a baby's knitting class where I made two ADORABLE hooded baby sweaters. I took an Aran knitting class- where I regretfull must admit I didnt finish a damn thing. I made my first thing that I kept for myself (besides a hat or a scarf) in a Lopi Sweater class and then I lost the bug a bit. Life sucked me into a swirling pit and well it took me a while to find my way out.
I worked on random small projects and then moved to Paris. Where I found knit blogs, La Drougerie and The Bon Marche. I am in trouble... I started looking at knitting blogs, trouble. I made friends with the very nice Rowan lady at the Bon Marche, bigger trouble. And well I started knitting again, with fruity hats for friends kiddies and a girl in my program who HAD to have a Plum Hat. The knitting helped calm me down through the first series of graduate school challenges (15,000 words of writing in French in 2.5 months kind of gives a girl a bleeding ulcer). Living in Paris also turned me into a bit of a Rowanette. I got a cute tank top from Rowan 31 out of it in the end. Unfortunately it doesn't fit anymore (I had gained weight from medications that decided to drop off me while in Paris- don't ask I don't know how), I am hoping shock therapy in the dryer will help for next summer.
And that pretty much brings up up to date with the big stuff in my knitting history.
Projects Currently On The Needles:
Rowan's Soul from the Calmer Collection (currently looking like it needs a trip back to the frog pond) I am making it with Calmer of course, in a gorgeous light green color, that I think might be discontinued now.
A pair of plain and simple socks in fancy hand painted yarn (but I am now wishing I had tried out a fancy pattern like the waves socks I have been seeing )
Foxy from Rowan 27- should I ever get that last ball of Phildar Licorne to finish it.
I have a few projects in the line up (looking at knitting blogs is a dangerous thing! And I am a bit behind on the copycat game) once I get my act together- give a girl a break I am writing a dissertation right now.
First in the line up of desire is Jacke in Apricot. Fluffa has drawn me to the dark side. I want to make this cardigan, not only because it is pretty but because I need me a cardigan. And after living through the heat wave last year it seems Fall is coming early to Paris- I'm cold!
Next is Charlotte- I know nothing of Koigu, but after seeing Kerstin's various ways to model a Charlotte (June 2, 2004 entry), I thought shawls aren't so granny. And I aboslutely love Monkey Knits coloring Bonne Charlotte. (Her Poncho looks pretty cool too)
After that... well I am going to get some yarn that is in my stash (in a storage unit on the other side of the Atlantic) see if I can't find that pattern online still and make me Rogue Cardigan (see entry for March 14th) just like Claudia's. I like Cables I love the color of my yarn, its original Aran pattern is on indefinite hold and I would so wear it with Jeans!
So here I am, I'll try to enable comments and set up the blogroll etc stuff soon.
