Bird's Nest Knits

Stripey Shamrock Socks

Simple pair of toe up socks to pass the time. Perhaps too simple because they got rather boring after the first sock was down. This usually leads to my standard single sock finishitis which the random single Jaywalker sock can attest. I forced myself to complete the second one this time tho.

Yarn - Knitpicks Felici in Shamrock (now called Aquarium)

Needles - Knitpicks Harmony circulars Size 1, magic loop

Short row toe and heel, stockinette foot and ankle with a couple inches of 3x1 seed stitch ribbing.

Good for absent minded knitting but not terribly exciting to knit.

Baby hats aka how I torture my children

One of the unsung joys of knitting is seeing it being worn by those you love. Especially those who still are too young to protest or run faster than you. Muahahaha!

Baby Surprise Jacket

Let's ignore the three years since my last post shall we? Needless to say, life got in the way of knitting and blogging about the lack of knitting seemed rather... silly.

I went and had myself a couple of boys and this last pregnancy even managed to pick up my knitting needles again. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it and missed it during my first pregnancy when carpel tunnel made it impossible.

Even though I may only get to do a couple of rows here and there I did manage to stick to my guns and get a few items done. Thank God for baby knitting, otherwise I'd never finish anything adult sized.

What better to reanoint my knitting mojo than to dip into the pattern annals of one of the most enduring knitting designers there is? Barbara Walkers Baby Surprise Jacket was just the thing. A unique and engaging construction that relied almost entirely on garter stitch makes for constantly interrupted knitting to be possible in between chasing a 2 yr old and nursing a newborn.

One thing I didn't anticipate was having a gargantubaby, so my lovely BSJ in sock yarn on size 2 needles only fit SupahChub for about 5 minutes.

Yarn = Trekking Natura Bamboo yarn in some greenish color way - plenty left in the skein for a pair of ankle socks

Hell hath frozen over...

So, I'm a bit of a fluffy zaftig sort of girl.  Lots of curves, plenty of cushion, and generally out of shape all around, well, if roundish is your shape I'm all over that.  Recently I've been rather confronted by my age and my lack of activity, and frankly - a little worried about my overall health.  My cholesterol is high, my blood pressure is high and I have an extensive history of cancer in my family.  At a recent checkup my doctor gave me an ultimatum...  Get some exercise, lose some weight, work on your heart health or you are going to be looking up the shotgun barrel at late onset diabetes or an early stroke.

What.
The.
Fuck.

Ok, so maybe I've been deluding myself that getting a little out of breath going up two flights of stairs was just because I was carrying stuff.  Uh.. a latte.  She also said that the extra weight would screw up with my fertility and may make it hard for me to get pregnant when that time comes.    By sheer force of laziness (and the force is strong with me folks)  I managed to put on a LOT of weight after college.  I avoid looking much at those photos of me when Mr. Bird and I started dating 12ish years ago - its just too embarrassing.  With the financial and emotional stability - you start to get comfortable in your own skin, and before you know it - there is a heck of a lot of skin now.

I need motivation.  And I found it in Nike+ .  The thing is freakin brilliant.  It is a little sensor that attaches to your running shoes, and works with the iPod Nano, tracking the number of miles you've run, the calories you've burned, and the pace you are running.   Once you've signed up for an account on the Nike+ site, you can challenge other people to distance or speed contests, look at your own progess, setup your own goals.  The competition aspect of it has made all the difference.  My sister, Mr. Bird and I have a challenge going now with the first to run 20 miles.  I'm in the lead with 14.75 miles, a little over three miles ahead of my sister.

I'll let you in on a secret.  I hate running.  My boobs would bounce all over the damn place, my shins would hurt, and my arches would cramp up before even a quarter of a mile was done.

I. Hate. Running.  (and I hate to sweat)

Until - I discovered that I had the wrong kind of shoes for my feet, that there were kick ass sports bras out there for even my gigantor boobs, and the motivation to leave my sister and Mr. Bird in the dust really kicked in.  I went to RoadRunner Sports to have my feet checked out - I have severe over protenation which in English means my feet are flat and as a result running puts a lot of strain on my arches.  Armed with some nice (read pricey) shoes - I took on the treadmill and lo and behold - dang.. my feet don't hurt.    It's not easy mind you - it's still damn hard to run because I get tired so fast and my heart just isn't used to the work.  It regularly cusses me out like a drunken sailor these days, but I soldier on.    I run/walk on the treadmill with Yoly every couple of days at work, and since March 8 when I got my Nike+ I have gone 15.72 miles and worked off 2188 calories.  Yah I know - damn unbelieveable.  I'm actually excited now when midway through my workout I can feel the sweat on my forehead.  I even have to wipe it away!

I am still firmly in the camp that I am NOT a runner.  But I've started running.  For myself, for my health, and for my rather suck ass body image of late.  I don't delude myself into thinking that I'm going to turn myself into some super model.  I like to eat.  But I would like to see myself being able to wear cute little clothes and such.

Saturday is the annual 5K Race for Autism and I'll be going to that.  I won't be running the whole thing (not even close)  but I'll be jogging till I get tired, walking to recover and jogging a little more.

Oh yah...  I even finished a sock.  I went with a 1 stitch picot bind off that made the cuff crazy stretchy even if its a tad sloppy looking.

I'm on the bandwagon for knit from my stash in 2007 and have not bought a SINGLE skein of yarn all year.  Not even sock yarn!  (although I'm reserving that priviledge cause sock yarn doesnt count)  I've also not cast on a single new thing.  Nothing till the other sock is complete AND Mariah is done.

I think I've been taken over by a body snatcher.

2006 Out with a Bloom

A Primrose bloom that is.  I closed out 2006 with a finished object - not a bad project to finish with either - considering that Heidi's about to pop any day now.  The only thing left to do is to find a couple of pretty snaps for the front.   My contribution to the Stranded Knit Along is done!

All in all - despite the bazillion ends to weave in - this was a really fun project and the yarn was really nice to work with, resulting in a lovely fluffy warm fabric with the sheen of silk and the softness of baby alpaca.   I made a few changes to the original pattern.  The sleeves were knit in a solid color instead of continuing the fair isle pattern.  I picked up stitches around the armhole and knit in the round with a few subtle decreases after the elbow.  I think the solid sets off the colorful fair isle very well, and by the time the sleeves came around I was tired of the finicky-ness of having to fiddle with the stranding.

Pattern: Primrose by Louisa Harding
Yarn: Knitpicks Elegance 70% baby alpaca and 30% silk
Needles: Knitpicks Options Size 5
Started: November 28th, 2006
Completed: December 27th, 2006

Come on - you know you want to peek at the wrong side...

I think that some pearly snaps for the front would be really nice.

Happy New Year to you - and here's a cup of tea while I enjoy one of my own.

I told you I was a knitter!

Finally - a finished object.  I know - its shocking, but true!  And I even completed it in time with the Knit A Long.  If that isn't a sign of the coming apocalypse - I don't know what is.  Frogs falling from the sky has got nothin' on this one.

Wendy said this was a 3 day project.  Lets just say that I knit in dog years.

Sizzle by Wendy Bernard

Very easy to follow pattern and it turned out quite flattering I think.   Definitely something that I'd wear regularly.  I wore it over a white button down shirt to Heidi's house on Saturday night - so it's pretty versatile.  Very much disliked the yarn choice - the drape of the finished object was really nice - but the yarn is SUPER splitty.  Blech. 

YARN:  SouthWest Trading Company's PHOENIX soy silk yarn in Really Red (4 skeins I think)
NEEDLES:  Size 7 Knit Picks Options

A few modifications I made to the pattern:

1. Added an additional bust increase row
2. Added an additional inch of knitting before splitting for the neckline.  Now that I see it on I would have only added 1/2 an inch - because I'd have liked it just a little more open.
3. Knit the seed stitch edging around the neck back and forth to create the keyhole effect.
4. Didn't bother with the 1/2 inch seed stitch edge around the arms.

End Radio Silence

I'm a stubborn sort of woman.  I was born in the year of the Ox (contrary to popular opinion this *IS* the most glamourous year of the Chinese Zodiac - screw all ya'll dragons and tigers - I didnt want to be a dragon ANYHOW - and at least I'm not a pig or rat).   And Oxen are well known for being steady, even tempered, and stubborn.  I told myself that I was not going to post until Orangina was completed because I had to prove to myself that I was still a knitter.  The speed of knitting Continentally btw does not even out only knitting a couple of rows a week.   

That being said... I <3 Stephanie Japel.  I lurve most of her patterns (aside from the odd Knitty ones) and they are just so damn flattering - even for the more zaftig of us girls out there.  You know who you are.    I've knit the One Skein Wonder, and now Orangina, and have my eyes on the Mini Sweater and the Simple Knitted Bodice.   I'm looking forward to the next few patterns that come out from her. 

Orangina was a fun knit - it met the three rules of Happy Bird Knitting:

1. Easy to Memorize pattern
2. Looks real fancy-like
3. Doesnt make me look like a jumbo sized biscuit.
4. Perfect knitting in public project!

It took me off and on (more off than on) about two months to finish the project - not because it was difficult or anything - just didnt spend all that much time knitting. 

Some small changes I made to the pattern:

1. Stopped the lace portion right under my bustline to have the ribbing cinch the waist in a little.  No need to emphasize my fluffiness more than necessary.
2. Knit the ribbing in one size smaller needles.
3. Cast off in pattern with the ribbing - purling the purls and knitting the knits.

The KnitPicks Shine is super soft, and the stitch definition is decent, however I'd love to have this in a yarn thats a little crisper - maybe SWTC's Bamboo.  I liked this project so much that I picked up some Rowan Wool Cotton in maroon to knit one for my mom.

As you can see - a nude bra is a must, and always fun to tease the boys with whether or not a nippy is visible.  The only thing I think I might rework is the neckline.  The scalloping is really pretty but very prone to rolling.  Ironing the beejezus out of it didnt really keep it from rolling so I'm considering - 1.) Starching 2.) a single crochet edging to firm it up a bit.

And no knitting project is complete without at least one near disaster.  I was about 6 inches left on the bind off and saw that I had about 3 inches of yarn left.  After much frantic searching I found the swatch I made for the project and unraveled it to use to complete the bind off.  Thank goodness too because this color is no longer available from KnitPicks.

Stats on Orangina:

YARN:    6 skeins of KnitPicks Shine in Violet
NEEDLES:     Lace pattern Size 3 Addi's, Ribbing - Size 2 Addi's
DIFFICULTY:   2 skeins out of 5 skeins
REQUIRED KNITTING SKILLS:

1. Knitting in the round
2. Increasing and decreasing (k2tog, skp, yo)

Don't say I never gave you nothin'...

Contrary to popular believe - I DO knit.  Really.  It's true.  I even occasionally finish things.  Although of late it's been few and far between.  Even though I knit Continental which is supposed to be "the fast way" - it still feels like I knit slow as molasses.  And I'm even trying to concentrate on a couple of projects at a time!  Generally two sometimes three because one is asking a little too much devotion for little fickle ol' me.  Hell - remember my initial lust and obsession with Butterfly?  She's sulking down at the bottom of my knitting bag right know - with only the edging done on the first side.  Dont tell her though - I'm planning put her on Center Stage for my trip this weekend to Colorado.  South Fork for those who were curious - my inlaws live there.  So what does one do in South Fork in the heat of summer?  Rafting!   If you don't hear back from me by July 4th - I fell out of the raft and drowned.  I have a 5 hour mini van ride from Denver to work with, and another ride back on Monday to catch the flight home.    I expect plenty of moments in between to get a row here and there in. 

But on more interesting note - I finished my two color Koigu socks.  I knit them with short row heels and toes - and a seed stitch rib similar to the Thuja socks in knitty.  I like to do em toe up though instead of cuff down.  My only issue now is that its too damn hot to be able to wear them!  Sweltering blistering humid heat that only bare feet can stand.  I think that becoming a drama queen in regards to any miniscule change in the weather is required for living in Southern California.  Did anyone get any thunder on Sunday?  I got about 3 minutes of rain drops and some half mumbled thunder before it cleared up.  I felt distinctly ripped off.  Premature precipitation even.    Oh right - socks.  Yes.  Knit them I did.   Wore them to work with tennis shoes.  Feet sweated profusely.  Tore them off soon as I got home.  Now soaking in Eucalan.  There is a haiku in there somewhere I know it.

Oh - pictures you say?  Yes there are pictures.

I did a picot edging in the contrast color and let the back of the heels stay in stockinette for a couple of inches for heel rubbing against shoe comfort.  Actually the truth is - I forgot to do the ribbing pattern on both sides after the heel was done, and decided to just mirror the same thing on the second sock cause I didnt want to rip back.  Screw that.  Its a sock.  You wear them with shoes.  Who would notice? 

As you can see - I am a rather "interpretive dance" sort of knitter as opposed to the tap dance kind.  No sharp staccato rhythms and snappy routines for me.  Thats me rolling around and doing somersaults in the corner waving my arms and calling it dancing while people stare and wonder if I have some sort of seizure disorder.  I'm cool with that.  Not that I've been doing any sort of somersaulting lately - I'd hurt myself.

Gardening, Rabbit Ass, and Mysteries of the Universe Revealed

Things have been busy Chez Bird of late, and unfortunately the bird has come down with the phlegm-tastic plague which has considerably slowed me down, enough to finally get around to getting the pictures off of my cameras.  My thumb is showing some signs of greenness.  Here is the picture of my kitchen window plants, doing a stint outdoors to get acclimated to the environment before planting.  I'm noticing that I have much more plant than I do places to put them so I think I may need to get another planter.  I really like having it up on the table like that - no digging up the lawn, and no trampling by a certain dog who's name will not be mentioned, and NO FREAKIN SNAILS.

In addition to the vegetables I have some thriving blackberry vines and I'm starting to see my very first berries!  I'll be having blackberry jam by the end of the summer, just you watch.  As long as a certain canine does not develop a taste for them.  I can just imagine coming home to see her covered in blackberry juice, and not a berry left for me.    We'll have to see - but in the meantime - hope springs eternal.

And the fight goes on, daily warfare against the slimey, escalating into holey hostas, lacerated lilies, and corrupted clematis.   Its woman against snail and lately, the snails seem to be holding steady.  The killer snails are taking their time getting established, and in the morning I have to go out and crushing the ones that I can find to feed my baby snail army.   I use a little hand trowel to flick em into a spot near my wee soldier snails and squash their shells with it.

Take a close look.. because soon... soon my pretties... you wont be seeing this slimey invader anymore!

All is not slime trails and mushy bodies here - oh no!   The previous owner of Chez Bird also planted some roses, and man are they beautiful.  A creamy white dipped in rosy pink - and I loves me some bi color roses.  I usually can snip one or two every few days to sit in a little cup and bloom by my sink.  I'm still figuring out how to take care of them.  A couple of the bushes are a little weird looking, the leaves have holes in them but I don't see aphids, and another has baby shoots coming out of the bottom.  They were pruned into a sort of ball shape and straight bare root going down.  I'm not sure if I want to keep it like that or let it get a little bushy.

On the knitting front I've completed the body for Eleanor, and am debating on if and what kind of fringe I may use for it.  Wendy suggested I refer to Nicky Epstein's edging books for some design ideas - brilliant!  I complained for ages about the rabbit hair, which indeed was a pain in the ass as well as not so good on black pants.  However, now that she's mostly done (sans edging)  I love her.  I've worn her twice - once last night to a Rabbi ordination in Santa Monica, and once today to the Childrens Pool to look at the seals with a friend who's visit.  I hope I didnt give her my plagueiful cooties.

The photo on the left is the most color accurate, the one on the right gives you an idea of the length, long enough to throw over a shoulder.  One word of caution while blocking this yarn... wet Kochoron smells like ass.  No amount of open windows, fans or Febreeze can avoid this fact.  Just accept it and pray it dries quickly.

Next on the agenda:

Orangina - I lag on this KAL but I should get it done pretty quickly.  The lace pattern is really great, super easy to memorize but enough to keep my interest.

Another busy weekend coming up as well - I'm not used to being pulled out of my cave so all this activity is wearing me out.  Saturday is Dye Day at Wendy's, Sunday is the Housewarming, and Monday is Firefly night.    Somewhere in between all this activity I should find some time to breathe.

Oh.   And if you've ever wondered....

We interrupt this regularly scheduled Eleanor for a socktastic break.

At the request of Heidi and Wendy - who are sick of looking at my vomitastic purple NYNY bedspread, I am finally getting off my jiggly ass to post an update on what is going on Chez Bird.  Doesn't the arbitrary injection of a French word here and there make me sound so elitist?  Mais bien sur mon petit chou.

So last last Sunday I went up to the little LA bloggers meet up that Lauren is so great about organizing when she's out on the Left coast.  It was a nice crowd and the food was as good (Buster's in Long Beach)  as the company.  Christina has a list of the attendees, cause the rest of us are too lazy to look up all the blogs ourselves.  I had a delicious seared tuna appetizer, and then a huge fried banana dish with a couple of macademia ice cream testicles.  (The ice cream was better than the 'nanas  which then left me with 2 large penile shaped fruit and a single ice cream ball, the ratio was just.. off). 

After gorging on food - there was much gorging on yarn.  Alamitos Bay Yarn Company was conveniently right next door, so the mob of us descended on the shop and packed it to the rafters.    I was reasonably good and only left with two skeins of deliciousness, Curious Creek Fibers Serengeti superwash merino wool yarn in the happy happy joy joy colorway of Sunrise on Daffodils.  The yarn is squishy goodness, and I turned it toute suite (more bad French for you) into a pair of Thuja Socks from Knitty.  The worsted weight socks flew by on size 4s and made for a nice firm thick fabric, and the pattern was pretty basic - a seed stitch rib with 1x1 rib cuff and a slip stitch heel.  Not too terribly challenging and was an easy item to knit in the car, in line at Jerome's, curled up on the couch watching TV. 

Here they are - blocking on my Fiber Trends sock blockers which I <3 and the photo on the left is the sock in action on my mom's foot.  These will replace the Lorna's Laces socks which the evil Oscar puppy chewed through.  Bad dog!  They make for some awesomely snug and warm house socks.

Also at the Bloggers meetup I saw Jillian's lovely Shop of Pretty bracelet and of course I had to have one.  I ordered the Harvest Glam bracelet which was lovely in person, with quick shipping and Heather is aways fun to talk to.  Go now and empty out her inventory!

I was sick for the last week or so and put down Eleanor while I was phlegmiful.  The last thing I was needing was for bunny fur to mingle with my congestion, but really - it was all about those socks.  I couldn't pull myself away even if I wanted to.  Now with the sock indiscretion all over and done with, I can slink on back to Eleanor and pump out a couple more skeins.

I spent the weekend at the new house - (got our keys on Thursday!) and test drove some paint colors.   I'm going with this nice buttery sunny yellow for most of the house, and a greyish blue green for the guest bedrooms and the downstairs bathroom.    This week the painter is there, and the week of the 27th will be the floor guy to put in some wood, cause he's you know.. good with wood.    We are going with an exotic wood "Kempas" which is a pretty reddish color and since that is the natural color of the wood, and it isnt stained, the color will have some variations in the planks which I think will look really nice.

So March 25th my family and I will be running (some running some walking for me)  the Autism 5K Run/Walk in Balboa Park, and I setup Team Patrick - my cousin has autism and this fundraising/bonding/exercising/heartattackpossible event is for him.  Wendy and Mr Wendy are going to run it with us too - so if anyone out there would like to donate a bit of money to our cause, I'd be thankful and so would Patrick.

Donate for Autism Research to TEAM PATRICK

Ok...  knitting update, check.. snotty French, check... beg for money, check... my work today is done.  A bientot!