Black Sheep

Opera Length Fingerless Gloves

As promised, here are my opera length fingerless gloves.
Pattern: Mikado Ribbon Fingerless Gloves. from the Pattern-a-day Knitting calendar.
Yarn: Peruvian Collection Pure Alpaca from Elann.com. 3 balls.
Needles: size 6 - Denise interchangeables.
Completed: 2/12/05
Here is a close-up pic of my hands. I like these. I like em alot. Don’t know when I will wear them since alpaca in California is a bit much, but who knows.

I was anxious to play with my new yarn! In fact, I woke up early thinking about it so, rather than lie in bed thinking, I got up (waaay too early for a weekend) and started knitting my recycled silk. I am going to use it for the bag called Tovesta in CTH II. I don’t think I would enjoy wearing this as a garment. I am only about 8 rows in and I can see that it’s going to be heavy. Its also kind of scratchy. But it will certainly make a very colorful bag.

Oh, I got my hemp yarn. My wonderful husband came up with me and kept me company. We made it up and back in less than an hour and a half. I still can’t believe they were able to track the bag down. Thank goodness they did! It’s not like I got a huge amount of the yarn, but still. I *hate* the idea of wasting money. So it’s all good.

Okay, I’ve been tagged for the music thing by my next door neighboor in the Bay Area Knitbloggers ring, Kackie C of Here Knitty, Knitty!. I thought it was such a nice gesture of her to learn more about her neighboor So here it goes…

1) Total amount of music files on your computer: 1230 songs (according to iTunes)

2) The last CD you bought was: The last CD I bought was a loooong time ago. I download all of my music these days. I bought Staind’s Break the Cycle for my husband as a gift. The last CD I got was exactly a year ago and it was White Stripes Elephant - a valentine from my husband.

3) What is the song you last listened to before reading this message? Radiohead’s “Everything in it’s right place”. I effing love that song. At the moment I am listening to F*ck Authority by Pennywise.

4) What are your five favorite songs and why they mean the most to you: Oh God. This might be difficult. My fave songs kind of change regularly. But I think the following would definately be on my top five no matter what:

1. Baba O’Rielly by the Who. It’s just a great, great song. I think the thing that really got me was reading the liner notes to this song on their album my generation- the very best of. Pete Townsend is quoted, “This was a number I wrote while I was doing these experiments with tapes on the synthesizer. Among my plans was to take a person out of the audience and feed information - height, weight, autobiographical details - about the person into the synthesizer. The synthesizer would then select notes from the pattern of that person. It would be like translating a person into music. On this particular track I programmed details about the life of Meher Baba and that provided the backing for that number.” Dude! That is just fucking cool, don’t you think?!?
2. Major Tom by David Bowie. I like story songs and this is the ultimate story song.
3. You shook me all night long by AC/DC. I have an older brother that liked AC/DC. This song reminds me of my big brother. I also sort of rediscoverd this song in my early twenties, so it reminds me of being young and having fun with my friends. Plus it just rocks. I want to get an electric guitar and learn how to play the opening riff.
4. Green Day’s Boulevard of Broken dreams is one of my current faves. I think it’s one of thier best songs. It kind of reflects how I have been feeling lately.
5. Willie Nelson’s Whiskey River. I don’t know if this is one of my all time faves, but it’s definately up there. My mom bought “Willie and Family Live” When I was a kid and I loved it. My younger brother and I would dance around the house to it all the time. Whiskey River is one of my favorite songs from that album

5) What 3 people are you going to pass this baton to and why?
I’m going to pass the baton to:
1. Heather (Pixiestitz)
2. Eilene (Ei Knit)
3. Katherine (knitpowers)

Have you guys gotten this one yet? If so, just ignore…I am passing it on to these bloggers just because.

7 comments February 13th, 2005

The Kochoran called

I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had that Noro Kochoran in my stash basket and every now and then I would take it out and fondle it. I decided that it needed to be knitted up. I was, originally, going to use it for Gesta from CTH II. But the more I thought about it I thought, “nah.” When have I ever worn a vest? Never! Why on earth would I use this wonderful yarn to knit something I would probably never ever wear? “so what are you going knit with that beautiful yarn, Monica?” I’m glad you asked…I’ve decided to knit Sundby from CTH I. I had to order two more skiens of Kochoran in order to have enough for this sweater. I feel kind of guilty and bad for doing it but what the hell. You only live once! And this yarn deserves to knitted up into something that can be worn against the skin. It is really soft. I love it. I’ve got to admit, knitting BBBB after knitting Sundby feels like, well, acrylic. I guess, deep down inside, I’m a yarn snob.

Here is my progress, so far, on my opera-length fingerless gloves. A fun project! I’m back to liking cables. We’re friends now. Perhaps Shedir was a little too much for a virgin cable knitter. This pattern is nice and low-key. Unfortunately, spring is upon the Bay Area (it’s been in the seventies..Wait a minute, did I just say “unfortunately”?!?) so I probably won’t wear these until next winter. Unless we get a freak winter storm, which could happen.

I’ve been working on my site the past few days and I’d like to draw your attention to my new and improved project gallery. I really like the way Theresa (from the Keyboard Biologist Knits) has gallerized (I like making up words) her projects, so I kind of did my gallery similarly. Now, mind you, my projects can’t even begin to compare with the ever-talented Theresa. Actually, if you want a good laugh go through and see some of the awful projects I did this past year. In fact, there are some that I chose to leave out because of thier sheer awfulness. I’ve had a good laugh putting the gallery together. I think my knitting ability has really grown in the last year since I started this blog. At leaast I hope so

One more thing…I just discovered a Bay Area Knitblogs ring and decided to join it. I’ve been having fun surfing through the ring and seeing blogs from my fellow Bay Area peeps! So if you happen upon my site from the ring, Hello! welcome to Black Sheep!

4 comments February 3rd, 2005

Introducing KnittyCat!

Well, I’ve gotten most of my new bloggy things sorted out. I found a good photo plugin that will work well for my purposes on this blog. (Exhibit is what I’m using, if your interested.)

I wanted to introduce you to a new knitting blog! it’s called knittycat and hosted by my friend, Judy (I’ve mentioned her on this blog a few times) She is a fairly new knitter but has totally fallen under the knitting goddess’s spell. She is extremelly creative and talented and it will be fun and interesting to see how she develops as a knitter . Welcome to the knitblog world, Judy!

Judy, if you’re reading this, I finished the “almost gloves” that I knitted for your mom (Judy’s mom crocheted me the lovely poncho that I got for Christmas). Here are the specs:
Pattern: Nearly Gloves by Marnie Maclean.
Yarn: Ziti by Artfibers, in the color, Grog. 1 ball.
Needles: Denise Interchangables, size 11.
Completed: 1/16/05.
Click here for a blurry view of the palm. It’s official, my camera sucks. Or I suck as a photographer.

So what to do now? Well, I have a sqare from the LTKA that has been halfway finished for months and months. I’m going to try and finish that today. Then I’ve got a long list of projects waiting in the wings.

Have you seen The Skinny Rabbit’s opera length gloves? (of course you have, who doesn’t visit her blog ) Love them!! I think I am going to make some similar. I’m not going to use her pattern. I have a pattern for long fingerless gloves in my “Pattern-a-day Calendar.” If you have the calendar, it’s the pattern for Monday Feb. 7. They are really cute, long and they have a cable up the front. Yesterday I ordered some Peruvian Collection Pure Alpaca from Elann (so much for that yarn diet). I’m excited to knit these babies up!

Some other projects to work on:

1. Clapotis for Gail
2. perhaps another hat for Gail
3. Finish Audrey
4. Gesta
5. Artfibers Chai Sweater
6. Jess
7. Alice

This should keep me pretty busy for awhile!

7 comments January 16th, 2005

don’t mind me, I’m just INSANE

Why am I insane? Because I decided on Saturday that I needed to knit Raffa’s 95 year old Grandpa a scarf for Christmas. So I went and bought him some yarn at my little LYS on Saturday (at quite a bargin, I might add… everything in the store is 20 percent off until Jan1) and bought the biggest hank of yarn you’ve ever seen of peruvian highland wool, Ecological Wool by Cascade Yarn. I actually didn’t start on it until yesterday, after I spent 45 minutes winding up that ginormous hank of yarn into a ball BY HAND. Here’s a picture of the worlds biggest ball of yarn and a smiggen of a scarf that needs to be done by Christmas Eve.

Is that the biggest friggen ball of yarn you’ve ever seen or what?? Now I know why people by swifts and ball winders. I actually got my husband to hold out his arms for me. It was very nice of him.

Before I started on the scarf (I just now took that picture), I needed to finished the beanie that I wanted to make for Raf’s brother. So I did actually get that done first thing Sunday morning. Here is it’s finished form as of Sunday

This version no longer exists. It’s too big. I almost said “fuck it” and wrapped it up anyway, but decided to reknit it. So I’ve been working on that non-stop and finished it just now. click here to see it on me.
I decided against the hem and knitted k2p2 ribbing instead. so there I’m done with THAT.

I also finished a pair a nearly gloves, a wonderful pattern by Marnie Maclean. I even used Ziti, the Artfibers yarn she recommends. I am gifting them to my knitty friend, Judy.
I started another pair for myself, too. I am knitting those in the round, though. I hate seaming so I thought I would try this patter in the round. I knitted one “glove’” so far and it turned out pretty good. I will show you both when I’m done with the other one.

You will also see a little teeny sweater in the picture. I finished this in about an hour and the pattern is by Julia from Mind of Winter. The little sweater was put on the package as a little decoration. I used some scraps of silk garden. So cute! If I have time I would like to make a couple more and put them on the gifts for my MIL and SIL.

I hope your Monday is going well…I’m not feeling well. I came home sick from work. I hope I’m not getting the flu…

Hey, go check out Stichy McYarnpants’ latest Museum of Kitchy Stitches..It’s hilarious!

1 comment December 20th, 2004

Silk Garden Present

I finished one of the many hats that I plan to make for Christmas. I made it with a ball of Noro Silk Garden in colorway 86. I am going to give the hat away with the wrist warmers I made a few weeks back. Here are some pictures:

Pattern: Hat: Silk Garden Beanie by Stephanie C. Roy. Wristwarmers: VooDoo wrist warmers by Bonne Marie Burns for Knitty.com.
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden in colorway 86. 2 balls total for both items.
Gauge: 16 sts./22 rows = 4″ in stockinette st.
Needles: size 8 - bamboo dpns.
Completed: 11/18/2004

I hope the person getting this likes it. I know that I think it’s cute, but I’m a knitter. I am kind of leery about the way other people will like my knitting gifts. Hopefully they will at least appreciate the thought.

I am looking forward to burning through these gifts so I can start on one of my sweaters waiting in the wings .

4 comments November 18th, 2004