Tilted Duster - modeled at last

We had a cold and drizzly day today in Minnesota. I think there was even a little freezing rain at one point. A good day to wear a new sweater - and I got several compliments on it too! One of my colleagues said she was inspired to get out some wool from her stash. She is from Australia and she said everyone knits there - it hasn't been her experience to find many knitters here in the states.

Here's the overall view of the long awaited Tilted Duster.


Back view:


And side view:


I had made a few unintended changes. First of all, overall it turned out a little small and sleeves were very small. Also, I was unable to pick up the required number of stitches for the neck and there's no way it would layover itself as it did in Interweave. I think I am going to make an I-cord so that I can close it at the bust. I am going to make another one one of these this winter in a larger size. I love the pattern and I like the way the sweater hangs in the skirt section.

And look at my lovely dinner...I am waiting for it at the moment, london broil with asparagus. mmmm....
London broil:

Losing it?

I think I am losing my marbles. I found my camera...under the couch. I don't know what this says about my housekeeping. I should have known it was near my little rabbit warren. Since the house is under renovation, I have very little organized space. So, this little area of my couch has my bills, my books, my cookbooks, and my knitting bag piled up on and around this little section. It is all set off by the task light my husband bought for me awhile ago. It is nearly the only place in the house where a person can see enough to read really well. I'd take a picture of it to show y'all, but it is too messy.

I started a pair of Woodsmen's Socks for my husband. I sure hope he likes them - he doesn't seem too impressed so far. But he did pretend to grab them, so maybe he is secretly happy about them.



Pattern: Woodsmen's Socks from Opinionated Knitter
Needles: size 6 dpn
Yarn: Raggi

And check out my new blocking station in the laundry room (currently one of the nicest areas in the house).



Here's the Einstein:


And see the difference between the previously knit yarn and the newly knit yarn?


I just got some new buttons yesterday and hope to get those on soon.

Ok, now for something fun. My husband found a website that allows you to take a photo of yourself and insert your face into hairstyles from various years.
Here I am in 1968:

This is my favorite...extra long neck.

Here I am in 1960:


Gypsies, tramps and thieves....Me in 1974:


And the best one yet? Me in 1978:

I seem to have developed a double chin.

Where is my bleepin' camera?

I'd like to show off my newly finished projects - Einstein (sans buttons) and the Tilted Duster. But I have no idea where the camera is. The husband might know where it is, but he's sleeping. hmmph.

I finished the Einstein Sweater on natural Ecowool. I only made one small modification - I knit into the back of the picked-up stitches for slightly tighter stitches. I think I picked that up as a tip for socks when you pick-up the gussets. I stopped at my LYS after work for buttons, but they didn't have any. I wanted some plain cream colored buttons and everything was a little fancier than I wanted. More good tips...I followed Sally Melville's tip for washing wool sweaters in a machine and I love it. I soaked the sweater for 45 minutes and then used the spin cycle (refer to Knit Stitch for complete details) and the sweater is nearly completely dry in a day. The soaking also got most of the kinkiness out of my previously knit yarn. My seam up the sleeve is kinda ugly really. I had such messy slipped stitch edges from my pre-used yarn. Those are the only seamed I haven't knit in. I might work on that a bit. And while I was looking for a picture of the Einstein sweater to link to, I found a new knitting blog: Obsessed with Knitting. My Einstein looks a lot like that nice lady's.

I am also 99.9% finished with the Tilted Duster. I sewed in the second sleeve last night and seamed up the seams. The arms are wayyyy too tight, but I can live with it I guess. I am only going to be able to wear a tank top under it. There is no way a shirt would fit under it. And it is just overall a little small. It isn't going to fit the way it fits the gorgeous model in Interweave, but it is still going to be cute. I could show a picture, but....I might make this again with a few more modifications - sleeves knit in the round until the cap sleeves - maybe I would pick up the sleeves and knit down. My seaming on the caps leaves a little to be desired. Oh, and I am going to try to remember to read people's comments about their projects on Ravelry before I start big projects. If I had done that, I would have heeded the advise of fellow knitters and made the sleeves larger.

And so I had to pick up another skein of Raggi wool for another pair of Woodsmen's socks for my husband. I hope he likes these things. I haven't made him very many things because he is a little fussy. I think the Raggi that I purchased today is going to be self fair-isling. I will have the cuffs, heel, and toe in another color - leftover from the first pair I made for him. Knitting pals say Raggi is very nice.

I am back finally....

I am finally back online. I had to restore the harddrive on my new laptop and it took me a few days to call tech support to learn how to do that. I foolishly didn't have anything backed up anywhere and so I was afraid I was going to look all my pictures and all of my research and papers for my graduate program. I did lose all of that, but I was able to contact my tech person from my former job and he was able to pull my stuff off of backups from my old laptop. The only thing I lost in the end were my summer vacation photos. I am glad I put some on the blog earlier.

And then for some crazy reason, I have been unable to log into blogspot to update my blog. I thought maybe it was because of some security/ad blocking setting in my laptops restored configuration. But I don't think so....I think it was user error. This was all very frustrating.

I still haven't put my Tilted Duster together. I think that's because of fear that it won't fit properly (nervous about tight arms). And I still haven't finished my Josephine top. I started an Einstein Sweater that should be done this week. That went very fast. It was just the mindless knitting I was looking for. I am making it out of repurposed Ecowool that had been a moss knit raglan with a cable up the front that was NEVER going to come together. The downside is that the wool that had never been used looks great and the reused wool was kinky before knitting and the knitting doesn't look smooth. I hope that comes out when I soak and block it.

I went to Oktoberfest in La Crosse, Wisconsin with my best gal pals for the second year in a row. That was the weekend of September 26th. I wish I had taken pictures. What was I thinking???? I have nothing to show anyone - or no evidence shall I say of overindulging! Maybe this was a good thing.

I am adjusting to the change of seasons somewhat reluctantly. I can't stand the idea of winter yet. I need to get out for a walk and be in the weather and realize it ain't so bad. That always helps. I also had a chance to wear an EPS fair isle cardigan and a wool shrug this week. The knitwear it out and in circulation in the wardrobe.