another knitting blog

linty oatmeal cardigan

Actually, my out-of-the-packet oatmeal is more yellow than I expect oatmeal to be.

Despite my lingering apprehension regarding this sweater, I persist. I'm now half-way up the second front. I keep thinking I've reached my stall point...and then I knit another row.

I'll know the precise moment when I've had enough. Not there yet. Maybe the limit is assembly.

baseball inspired idioms

Here's a whole list of American English idioms derived from baseball, including...ugh...touch base.

Also, Kate pointed me to some advice about whether and how to correct someone else's grammar from the podcast Mr. Manners' Quick and Dirty Tips for a More Polite Life. This is great! Be sure to check out Grammar Girl's QDnow podcast, too. Supah!

I'll get back to you on that

I am plagued by clichés. I use them far too frequently and I can’t seem to stop. I am compelled.

However, one bit of phraseology I never use is “touch base.” HATE. No, we will not “touch bases” on this later.

Cruelest fate, lately I’ve had someone e-mailing and repeatedly wanting to “touch basis” with me. I can’t even imagine what she thinks that means.

I’m not in a position to correct her—it would be petty, condescending, and counterproductive—but, how I long to make her stop.

what was I thinking? (part 1)

When I was visiting my parents before Christmas, I decided to order myself a present that would be waiting for me in Portland when I returned. I went to elann.com and ordered enough Classic Elite Skye Tweed to knit a sweater. I could have gone for purple or red or orange; but, no I picked a plain, neutral color called Partridge.

Now, in theory, there is nothing wrong with this yarn in this color. And, in fact, while in the ball it is quite attracting. However, I found once I began knitting with it that it put me somewhat in the mind of knitting with dryer lint--plain, neutral dryer lint. Purple dryer lint may have been a better choice.

And yet, it's not completely repellent--not unpleasant enough to make me stop knitting. On the contrary, it compels me to knit on in the hope that I'm just overreacting and it's really going to turn out OK in the end. It'll be OK eventually, right? I haven't done this again, have I? Oh crap, I have. I've started something and then become disenchanted and now I'm teetering on the edge.

But still, I've managed to knit the entire back and one arm of a sweater. What sweater? Something I've been planning on knitting for ages? No, a pattern picked as spontaneously as the yarn. It's a sweater from the Winter 01/02 Interweave Knits with the plain, neutral name of the Tweedy Aran Cardigan. Why that one? Beats me. I was looking through my old Interweaves for ideas and this was the 'winner.' It was designed by Norah Gaughan. I love her. What's not to like?

Well, I think my gauge is off, which is so unfair because I swatched, dammit, everything looked fine. However, I now find that although my stitch gauge is more or less on, my row gauge is most certainly off. Rassenfrassen!! This means that if I continue to push on, I will have to recalculate the cap shaping on the set-in sleeve. Bleh! I can do it, but...WHY SO DIFFICULT!?

Plus, to add injury to insult, look at my first sleeve attempt. Notice anything funny?

Try counting the number of ribs on each side of the cable. YEAARGH, not the same! Unless I missed something, this is a mistake in the pattern that was not in the corrections. No matter, already redone and centered.

I will press on. It is yet to be determined whether this is a winner or a loser.

turning over a new leaf

I hate that a change of the calendar prods me into action. I want to be ALL ACTION, ALL THE TIME. Well, no...not really. But I do wish that it were easier to get me off my fat ass all year long.

resolution

In 2007, I resolve to take my blogging more seriously. [YouTube link]

I had a cold

Yesterday, my lips fell off. This was the culmination of a bad cold that came on Wednesday night and afflicted me with a stuffy nose and a persistent, phlegmy death rattle. The labial sloughing was the result of nearly five days of continuous mouth breathing during which I dosed myself liberally with cold remedies in form of hot, lemony potions. Today, I have a tender, new pair of lips that I'm keeping protected with regular and generous applications of healing balms and ointments. I'm down to a sniffle and a slight wheeze, just in time to return to work tomorrow.