Stranding / fair isle but NOT intarsia!

That's right, I was reading other blogs and figured my major BOO BOO. What I have working on should be called fair isle (no more than 2 colors per row) or stranding rather than intarsia which is supposed to be blocks of colours.

Ok, so it's intarsia stranding. Me will learn the next time.

This is me, the day before and yesterday.

Been to the doc's and is diagnosed to be down with sinus flu. Not too nice, is it?

So I was on MC* yesterday. Today back at work but feeling wonky. Dr gave me flu medicine that is supposed to get me drowsy and sleepy but at work, hey? Luckily today turned out to be an easy day. Tomorrow I will have to tackle a client meeting.

Anyway, for the WIP, I have managed to go make the front and back in circular. Just needed o-ring markers to mark out each side. I am still at the intarsia stranding portion but by this weekend, I should be able to start on the cables*. Meaning that I have to fiddle with the cables to achieve the mirrored effect as per my sleeves!

It's coming out nicely (apart from the usual frog pond trip)...I really just need to be more diligent and meticulous in whatever I do, don't I? Will show pictures tomorrow.

Did I also say I went to Spotlight? Yeah, it's a handicraft store and there was a 15% off everything for members on Wednesday. (Hey, hey, I didn't plan to fall sick and be on medical leave on the very same day!) Anyway, I bought some yarn for the bear along, as well as more toy knitting magazines. I am nuts so sue me!

*MC stands for medical certificate but seriously in Singapore, when anyone goes sick, they will say that they are on MC, not medical leave. Beats me!

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Shopping for more fibers while having WIPs on needles

How do any of you handle this? I have no clue...I was happily knitting the sleeves of my WIP when my galfriend decides to happily inform me that she is going to Australia and will be happy to pick up some yarn for me; knowing that I am such a yarn lover.

So what do I do? Wrote an email to Bendigo Mills and requested for shade cards. They came real quick! And when I got home last night, I saw the red card. Yup, a 15% off everything just this coming Wednesday card from Spotlight (an Australian crafts chain that has come into Singapore some yarns years back). Don't I like being a member?

And here's a knitting update -- my sleeves done in perfect symmetry.

This project is taking me on trips to the frog pond frequently. The P2 rows and the intarsia is killing me!

What else did I do?

Watch listing again. After this will be a break for a month or so as DH will be away in Australia for training. He leaves on Friday. I rely on him to provide watch descriptions while I am just the photographer, touchup artist, listing clerk etc....you get the picture.

In case you think I am on a tight budget, I am. Since the apartment is coming, there is all the renovation, agent commission, furniture and appliances purchases that we need to consider. It's all $$$.

But I am looking forward to spending this Saturday noon for a good time with the knitting group!

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What did I just do? Joined another knitalong!

Like I have too much time on my hand....see the button on the right sidebar.

I just couldn't resist. I just went surfing and pounced on this. Decided it's high time for me to knit another bear. Previously, I have knitted:

this for a girlfriend of mine (and it *actually* made guest cameo appearance in her wedding photo shoot)

this for hubby


and Puss in Boots which went by air away to a knitter in America!

I am thinking of doing Mr Bean's bear. Yeah!

WIP progress

Now starting cap decrease....muwhahaa....

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Slow progress

Weekend was watch listing again.

Deadlines at work is really stressing me out...not to mention the logistic details that these entail.

Making really slow progress on this blue sweater. Still on the 2nd sleeve, nearing the cap decrease. Right...by this weekend, I *should* have the sleeves done and be ready to start on the back piece.

* crossing me fingers real tight that it's almost twisted!

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What kind of a knitter am I?

You appear to be a Knitting Purist.
You are an accomplished knitter producing beautiful pieces with a classic feel. You sometimes lament losing half of your local yarn shop to garish novelty yarns. Perhaps you consider fun fur scarves the bane of knitting society and prefer to steer new knitters towards the wool and cotton blends. Some might call you a bit of an elitist but you know that you've been doing this craft long enough to respect the history behind it and honor it with beautiful piece that can last a lifetime.
http://marniemaclean.com

What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Not sure if this is me but seriously, I do like to have unique/classic designs. Even if it means knitting on 7 stitches to an inch!

Back to work....and I still have to work tomorrow (gasp! a Saturday!) urgh!

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Symmetry or not?

Remember the VK intarsia/cable project that I am embarking on? This one, I mean. Well, here's the latest progress to date:


(Oh, and I am using the vintage Boye needles from the Needlemaster set I bought from ebay)
I am thinking of having symmetry. You could tell from the sleeve that the intarsia pattern and the cables are facing one way. I am attempting to reverse the patterns for the other sleeve (Yup, I am *anal*); I can't help it. In fact, for the body, with the cables running down both sides, I think I will mirror it...

On Flower Basket Shawl
I mean, I am not that anal... I was reading others' post on the flower basket shawl (of which, by the way, I did block it*) and that's where some commented that the decreases called for on both sides (assuming you take the center row as the divder) do not create the mirror effect. So there are some of them who's gone on to modifying the decreases on one side (read entry Sep 17) so as to get symmetry. BUT I didn't (alright, I admit, I was too lazy to unvent it and by the time I read it I was already on my 6th repeat or so.)

By the way, on the Flower Basket Shawl, it's just a tad too small, it's cursed so I think I have to make another 4 repeats to get it to decent size. I will do it whenever.

Secret package going out today
I wouldn't show you what's in it until my dear friend receives it :) I can't spoil the fun by revealing the contents, can I?

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What have I been up to?

Not much knitting done for the rest of last week.

Anyway, what to know what I was up to? Watches!
Busy taking photos of our prized possesions and listing them for auction. Here's a sneak peek of our ebay listings which should end next week, if you are interested.

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Remember the rant I had on the blue intarsia piece? I figured it's due to the pattern which says:

"cast on xxx sts. start with 2 purl rows with col A, purl 2 rows with B, purl 2 rows with A."

Now what's the problem, you might say? The problem is: my cast on that looks decent is the long tail cast on which comes automatically with a purl row. So when you continue to work 2 purl rows, it creates a tiny ridge. A tiny but nevertheless, irritating ridge. THAT was what's eating me up!

And so later, I had an ah ha moment and decided that I should go cast on, knit one row with A, knit 2 rows with B, knit 2 rows with A and continue on, that's solved. (So happy, clap, clap!)

I have a WIP to show (using the new Clover Bamboo needles) but anyway, it's now ripped. The end gauge looks a little too loose for my liking. I have started it again, with a sleeve.

What to knit next

Here's a something that I am debating with. This:

or this?

I think I like the Orchid (the lower design better).

Anyway, here's a picture of my mum's beloved feline. She's just so not-shy when it comes to posing. Talk about being at home!

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Lousy start

This what is I am feeling today.

I feel absolutely so not on course for my cotton knitting -- the Butterfly Cotton is ok, the pattern is ok but for some stupid reason, I am SO not satisfied with the way I tried to cast on. I have probably ripped it like 5 times already -- long tail double cast on, e-wrap cast on and knit on casting. They just don't seem to look the part.

It's just me...

I'll just go in search of a better alternative...(the cast on, not the pattern!)

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Pictures of my shopping spree(s) & FOs

All right...I confess. I sneaked to a yarn shop this afternoon. I was planning to get *something* for a special friend in Canada. I think this weekend will be a trip to the Post office for me to send out the stuff. Yeah, finally*! 
 
Here's a sneak into the carrier:






There are 2 crochet needles and a pack of pins buried under. I have some plans for the pink and beige yarns...in the certain Rowan issue, I saw a cardi I liked. I suspect this yarn would knit to gauge**. I like pinks and reds a lot.
 

Saturday's Purchases
I know you are curious on the items I bought on Saturday. Here's a picture.

The yarns are called Butterfly Super 10 -- it's cotton too. See the 2 navy blue balls on the left? They are the ones that resulted in my 3 hrs entanglement agony! The paper package has that something special for my friend too! Actually I have decided what I might want to knit these yarn into. This:

From a certain VK issue -- Fall 2002

So no stripey things for me then. I will use the sky blue for main and navy blue for contrast.

New FOs
Something to report on this one. My asymetrical cabled pink sweater (front and back views):

And a semi-FO. Except for blocking.

And how can they go without a label?

What do you think? Hubby says it's a sign of getting overboard!

I am feeling chatty today.

* This is for a knitting friend so all condiments to go into the package are bought but not the essential ("yarn") ....until today.

** This is 100% cotton and it's exactly the same yarn as I used for my Flower Basket Shawl.

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Photos recovered, meeting with the gals are great!

Ok...I have recovered the photos now.

So everything in the blog is ok, save for my completed items links on the right. I have just protected my albums. Somehow their shared albums feature allow for users to even edit and move the pictures as well?! Weird huh?

Knit meet with the gals on Saturday
The gals (hi Chrissie & Karen!) and I met up on Saturday. I brought along my shawl and my 2WIPs. We are browsing through the patterns that each other has brought.

Other than that, I *did* finish my Flower Basket Shawl -- did 10 repeats and I am just so eager to have it casted off. Looks tiny as it is, will probably have to block and see if it turns out properly.*

AND, so the Singapore knitter that Wendy Knits mentioned on her site turns out to be Chrissie! Ah....

We are planning on some felted bags knit...I think we will discuss more the next time we meet.

After that, I went to the Holland Shopping Mall yarn shop and bought 2 skeins of Butterfly Cotton (one each in sky and navy blue). I was planning on making something stripey; have never done one before. Alright, I admit, and a pair of 4.5mm Clover bamboo circs needles -- I just had to see how they feel on my hands; I have always used the aluminum circs ones always.

On Sunday
I was winding the navy blue skein and almost kicked myself! I had tangled it so badly that it took me *3 hours* to wind it. (Ok, and I cheated too; I had to snip it at one point coz the tangles is just too much!) Now, for the sky blue, I will be triply-careful.

*Not sure if cotton stays in shape after blocking.

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Photobucket down....poo!

Yup, you heard it: that's the reason why I delayed my blogging today; thinking that I could link to my photos once it becomes available.

Unfortunately, that is obviously *so* not the case. The admin said that there is a range of array that has crashed and is irrecoverable. So I lost all my photos, big deal. But I just upload a whole bunch of them yesterday, damnit!

The good thing is I have actually taken a lesson from the past (due to another-I-shall-not-name photosite (where I had a *paid* subscription -- it eventually shut down and stated that if you wanted a backup copy, you had to pay them to cut a CD for you...no advance warning) and decided to have a copy of everything I own saved onto my local harddisk.

So I will have the task of re-uploading everything onto photobucket again, as well as updating all the broken links for my past photos here on the blog.*

*Am I lucky that I have only 5 blog entries worth to update only?

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