Gifts for Geeks

As per my request, Yarn Widower was kind enough to get me a tripod for my digital camera. Previously, I had been making do with a contraption consisting of a step ladder, a gorillapod and a stack of books. Did it work? Passably so. Was it pretty? Definitely not. Actually, it was so cumbersome that my knitting was suffering. Well, not really. But photodocumentation of knitting was surely lacking.

So, here is my new tripod: Induro AKBO
It's sleek and relatively lightweight. Set-up is a breeze with its quick-lock legs and quick-release system. For its price, it's got a surprising number of higher-end features like a locking ball head to tilt the camera.

But my favorite feature has to be the built-in level. Perfect for an anal retentive dweeb like me.



Along with my Nikon remote shutter release, this tripod makes self portraits and close-ups less of an ordeal. Huzzah! As an aside, I wonder how many people get into photography because they want to take pictures of their knits?


So what did the Yarn Widower get from Santa?

How about a 2006 Mazda Miata MX-5? Zoom Zoom.


I know - no lump of coal for the Yarn Widower this year! Actually, we had been looking to get a second car for a while now. So it wasn't really a gift specifically for him. Supposedly, it is for both of us. Which turns out to mean that I get to sit in the passenger seat.

Happy (belated) holidays

And welcome to the new year.

When I took down the Christmas tree (we have a small circa 1975 tinsel one), YarnWidower cried, "But it's not even Easter yet!" Apparently, his grandmother would wait until Easter to put away all the Christmas decorations. And we're talking boxes and boxes of holiday paraphernalia all meticulously laid out on hand crocheted doilies.

One can only dream...

Whispery Shrug Thingagummy

Sometimes I'm tempted to post only the good stuff. The other stuff gets shoved in a corner and I don't even bother to photograph it. But not today. Today I bring out the bad and the ugly.

For my first foray into the "Ugh, why did I knit this" category, I present to you another shrug.


Pattern: "Whisper Cardigan" by Hannah Fetig
published in Interweave Spring 2009

Yarn: Colourmart Silk Cotton 4 ply
3/4 cone (approximately 825 yards used) in colorway Sand

Needles: US8, US5 and US2

Actually, it's not so bad. In fact, when I was knitting it, I loved it. It's a cool design and I love other people's versions on Ravelry and the interwebs. If you click on the link above, you can see the professional photographs from the magazine. Go on, look. Cute, huh?

But not so cute on me. Here are my issues:

1. The sleeve is a really wonky length for me as it hits right at my elbow. It wants to be a 3/4 length sleeve or maybe it wants to be a short sleeve. It's not sure. It could just simply be that I have weird arm proportions. Shrug (pun fully charged and deployed).

2. In addition, the sleeves flare out quite a bit. This combined with the unflattering length of the sleeves just makes it all a big yuck.

3. It's way too long on the torso. This is totally user error. I wanted something to cover more of my backside so I lengthened the body without taking into consideration that this is a shrug. It's supposed to be short. In order for a longer length to work, I would have had to change the front of the garment as well. In other words, it would have ended up a cardigan. I think in my mind I envisioned something that I could wrap around myself. This ain't it.

Looks better from the back... but in my mind anything that covers my derriere looks better from the back. (Yarn Widower would probably disagree.)

Thankfully none of my concerns are fatal flaws. I can easily pick up stitches on the sleeve and knit an impromptu cuff to lengthen them. And it's no big thing to rip back some of the length.

Like I said, the pattern is a cool knit. It's well written and introduced me to a new sleeve construction. It looks great on other people and hopefully will look great on me after some modifications.

As for the cardigan that looked so great in my head, I think I may take a stab at winging it and knit sans pattern. I think I'm old enough to make my own rules (and maybe write my own pattern).

Baby Ella

Not only do I have a grown-up friend named Ella, but now it turns out that I have a smaller blonde version as well.

Here she is: 7 months or so. Ella Louisiana Philpot Buvel. All cheeks.


The shirt says it all.

But let me direct your attention to her cardigan.


That's right, gentle readers. That's a handknit gift from yours truly. Beautifully styled and modeled by Cheeky Ella.

Pattern: Baby Shrug by Debbie Bliss - another freebie courtesy of the interwebs

Yarn: Rowan Bamboo Tape (discontinued) in Antique Rose
3.5 skeins

Needles: US 7 for the ribbing; US8 for the rest

This is a quick and easy project. You start from the back hem and knit it all in one piece all the way to the front hem. After the main body is done, you seam the underarm and sides before knitting on the ribbing. The pattern is well written and rather elegant in construction.

And the end result is adorable. Both the model and the garment. Cute!

NYC - eating and shopping

Recently, I made my annual pilgrimage to New York City.

Some highlights:

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Avenue (between 10th and 11th sts)
Manhattan

This place was awesome. We had the famous pork buns (which were good) but the shitake buns were even better - thin slivers of crispy cucumber nestled in sauteed shitake mushrooms. Yum. We also had the Momofuku ramen which I have to say is damn good ramen. It makes me want to watch Tampopo again. The only downside for me was the dessert - sweet potato and pie crust soft-serve. Normally I love soft-serve. But the pie crust was more salty than sweet and I found the whole thing to be too gimmicky to end an otherwise slamming meal.

My friend Becca was kind enough to get an advance copy of David Chang's new book:


So far, I've only read the introduction. But the recipes beckon... I'll keep you posted.

Joe's Shanghai
9 Pell St.
Chinatown - Manhattan

Soup Dumplings. Good.

Joe's Shanghai is famous for these dumplings. The soup is inside the dumpling. Here is a picture of Becca tearing into one. Despite the look of pain on her face (they're hot!), I think she enjoyed them.



Hibino
333 Henry Street
Brooklyn

A small but very welcoming Japanese restaurant. I ordered the fresh tofu which came in a small glass bottle - like yogurt. It was deliciously custardy and paired beautifully with a light soy bonito broth (I think that's what it was). For my main course, I had the Chirashi which is basically slices of fish served over sushi rice. I always judge the quality of a Japanese restaurant by its Chirashi. I know I'll get the ubiquitous salmon and tuna but it's always interesting to see what else the sushi chef includes. Octopus, yellowtail, sea urchin...


Red Bamboo
271 Adelphi St.
Brooklyn

It's billed as "vegetarian Caribbean soul food." So I had to try the Jamaican Jerk Mock Chicken. I'm a fan. Mock meats (seitan, wheat gluten, tofu etc) are great bases for delicious sauces just as long as you don't expect them to taste just like meat. It's nice to know that Jerk spices translate well to the vegetarian palate.


Brooklyn General Store
128 Union St
Brooklyn

A good sized yarn and fabric store. How could I resist? I perused their piles of yarn and admired their bolts of fabric. They even had a wall of roving for all the spinners out there.


Purl Soho
137 and 147 Sullivan St.
Manhattan

One address houses the yarn and right down the street lives the fabric. Both places are pretty tiny which made it hard to maneuver. But I didn't care. Both are beautifully organized shops with great attention to the smallest of details. I was particularly enthralled with the fabric. They had lots of whimsical cotton and linen prints from Japan which are hard to come by in South Florida.



Ooh, pretty.

Originally I had planned to go to Mood Fabrics. But alas, it was closed the day we were in the Garment District. So we visited another fabric megastore instead.

Paron Fabrics
206 West 40th St.
Manhattan

When we got there, we had only half an hour until closing time. I had my very own "Project Runway" moment as a little voice in my head said, "You have $50 and 30 minutes, designers."

Lately, the little voice in my head sounds just like Tim Gunn. Huh. Go figure.

Caribbean Blue Bolero

Knitters tend to be fond of shrugs/boleros/short cardis. Almost as popular as the ubiquitous lace shawls. Every knitter must knit one. It's a rite of passage.

Here's my first shoulder cover-upper.



Pattern: Ribbed Lace Bolero by Kelly Maher
Yarn: Blue Heron Rayon Metallic 3/4 skein
Needles: US6

The pattern is a freebie available on Kelly Maher's blog. It's well written pattern in which she explains how to calculate the dimensions for a custom fit. It's also a great design - elegant in its simplicity. Basically, it's knit as a rectangle and finishing involves seaming the ribbed portions together like so.


The yarn had been hiding in my stash for a few years. I had bought it on a trip to St. Michael's Maryland with the vague idea of knitting it into a shawl. Recently, Yarn Widower and I went on a cruise, a first for both of us. After much thought, this was the project I brought along. I'd sit out on the lower deck near the water and watch the clouds drift by. The yarn in my hands looked like the ocean on a sunny day. Clear blue at times with hints of golden sunshine playing off the waves.

When we got home, Yarn Widower's mom asked, "Did she actually knit on the boat?" Yarn Widower hates to be conspicuous, a trait he gets from his mom. Me, I tend to be shy but I've long since gotten used to the amused looks on stranger's faces when they see me knit. I responded, "Of course I did. Why would I go anywhere without my knitting?" Sheesh.

Lana Lace Cardigan

Lest you begin to think that I have been neglecting the knitting...



Pattern: Lana Lace Cardigan by Louisa Harding
from Jaeger Handknits Book JB35 (out of print)

Yarn: Jaeger Siena - 100% mercerized fingering weight cotton
10 skeins (1530 yards) in color 431 Sage
(Jaeger is no longer in operation - too bad as this was one of the nicest cottons I have ever used)

Needles: US 1.5 for the garter stitch trim
US2 for the main body

I ended up charting out the lace pattern which made it much easier to negotiate the various increases and decreases. Other than that, the pattern was well written and I encountered very few problems.

The yarn was very smooth and pliable. I know a lot of people don't like knitting with cotton, but I love it. Used in lace patterns, it's very versatile in garments since it doesn't get too heavy with wear. This is a particularly nice cotton yarn and I'm glad I stockpiled a bunch before Jaeger closed shop. The one big drawback of cotton and other non-wool items is that it's more difficult to join skeins of yarn since it lacks the "grabby" quality of wool. Therefore, it's ill suited for knitting in the round where there are no seams to hide the ends. Which is fine with me - I like seaming. It must be the seamstress in me but sewing up flat pieces of knitting to make up a three dimensional garment is not an onerous task at all. Plus I think seams give a garment some strength especially in the shoulders. Less potential for unsightly saggage.

Yes, knitting with fingering yarn and Size 2 needles takes a bit of time. But it was worth it. I'm very pleased with the finished product. It was fun to make, fits nicely and looks great.