More herbivore!

I've required some pretty simple knitting lately, aka "mindless knitting". So when I finished the Noro scarf, I immediately cast on my new Bugga! into a new herbivore. The yarn colours are knitting up just gorgeous.

Stripes!

I previously posted that I was caking up my Noro. Since then, I've had lots of "mindless knitting" time, but not much blogging time. Time enough to knit up a whole new Noro scarf. Once again, it was a very addictive knit! It required a little intervention, now and then, when the colours collided, but was a very rewarding project to knit. The scarf is a donation to the school auction this fall. Yay, I'm done early this time!

FOOD--Italian-style tofu on rice

Last night I wanted to make marinated tofu to serve over wild rice, but I didn't have time to marinate for an hour. Instead I started to make sauteed tofu, but it turned out so saucey that it wound up being stewed instead. The recipe was loosely adapted from the Italian Marinated Tofu in Vegan with a Vengeance, and it turned out yummy.

Italian-style Tofu

1 lb tofu
8 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP Bragg's Aminos
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

Drain tofu and press while preparing the sauce.  Heat the oil over medium-high in a saucepan and add the garlic. Stir and cook just until sizzling. Add rest of ingredients, and stir together until well incorperated.  Dice and add the tofu. Simmer until the tofu takes on the flavour of the sauce, about ten minutes.  Serve over rice.

Notes.  All measurements are approximate, I just poured stuff in. I would have preferred fresh Italian spices, like basil, oregano, and thyme, but my garden isn't thriving well enough yet to provide.

Titanium Socks, Finished!

On May 31, I finished my titanium socks.  I didn't want to let my participation in the Sock-a-Month club pass me by for the month, so I cast them off at the very last hour.

Yarn: Stitchjones Titanium Sock
Colorway: Bangkok
Pattern: Yarnissima's Firestarter
Needle: Size 1 circular

I loved the yarn, but was dissatisfied with the pooling. I gave up on trying to avoid the pooling and just let it pool like a pooler. The socks are very comfy and colourful.

Acquisitions! Spoiler alert for Loopy and Gothsocks

Dude, like the topic above says. There are spoiler pictures in this post for the Loopy Groupie package and the June Gothsocks. In case any readers care.

First of all, I have acquired my first Wollmeise! I have been aware of its insane popularity on Ravelry for a long time now. Only recently have I paid enough attention to be able to successfully navigate an update at The Loopy Ewe and actually purchase some for myself. I also got some more Hiya Hiya 9" needles, as I still do enjoy knitting with them. I had also added the pattern "book" Balloon Tying Creations to my cart, but in an incredible stroke of bad luck for me, Sheri blogged about the book on the very day that I was stalking for the WM, and the book sold out instantly, and I didn't get to buy it.

Need another look at that Wollmeise?

As a bonus, this was my sixth order at the Loopy Ewe. (And it's taken me years to get to six orders.) Loopy has a loyalty program called Loopy Groupies. When you place your sixth order, you are inducted into the Loopy Groupie club. As a welcome, they send you an awesome package.  This purchase was made using my mother's day and birthday gift certificates, so getting a bonus gift in my package made it extra special!  They sent a really cute see-through tote bag, a pattern, a sheep calendar, treats, plus a skein of yarn!  My yarn was Brooklyn Handspun in the colourway "renew".

Oooh la la!

But wait, that's not all!  Today I received a birthday package from Ember.  And she sent me the Balloon Tying Creations book!  Thanks Ember!!

Plus! Today I also received my June Gothsocks club package. It's my final club package, and I struggled a long time while I decided whether to renew or not. By saving my yarn money, I was able to buy the Wollmeise, which isn't exactly buying yarn as it's needed, but I've definitely slowed down on the gratuitous yarn-stashing. Anyway, back on topic, my final yarn is GORGEOUS. DO WANT.

The yarn is based on the TV show Big Bang Theory. The photo above shows the yarn with a disc of Big Bang Theory, which also arrived in the mail today. Good mail day!

Caked Noro

Well, the titanium socks just need to be bound off, and my dad's socks are at the heel, but the numbers don't add up, so they'll require more problem solving.

What to do? Cake some Noro! MMMMmmm, Noro cakes!

Herbivore, finished object

Yarn: Skinny Bugga in Lubber Grasshopper (mmm-mmm good!)
Needle: Circular size 7
Pattern: Stephen West's Herbivore (ravelry link, if you're interested and aren't a member of ravelry, sign up. it's worth it.)
Notes: The pattern says to knit until the centre spine measures 12".  That was a little too small for me.  I knit until I couldn't get any more pattern repeats out of the yarn.  There were 5 grams left when I bound off.

Yarn 4 yarn--May Gothsocks Club Spoilers inside

When I received the May Gothsocks Club shipment, I knew that it was a yarn that needed to be with someone who would love it madly. As always, as soon as the spoiler pics were released, there were people looking to acquire it, so trading it was no problem.

I received Bugga Ruby Tailed Wasp from the lovely MissTwilight on Ravelry. It snuggles up with me at night and keeps me warm.

Spoiler below

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And in return, I sent her the Alice-inspired "Drink me" colourway. Gorgeous, pettably soft, but not something I would have knit up. I'm glad she can give it a Good Home.

I also gave up my spot in the Gothsocks club, allowing one more lucky soul to get in. I only have so much yarn money, and I need to be able to choose what colours and yarns to buy when I do splurge. But I still have the June yarn to come!

when it all falls apart

I really do like center-pull balls. For my routines, they work the best, and keep the yarn tidy and behaving. However, when they get low, really low, they get all discombobulated, and that's when it's a bummer.

Bullied by wings

Well! I was knitting along on my titanium socks and I'm really only 14 or 21 rows from the end. But then I started dreaming about Lubber Grasshopper, and couldn't stop. The titanium yarn was the same way, creeping into my consciousness and demanding to be knit up. The this other yarn edged out titanium and forced me to take up my needles and knit.

I'm knitting the Stephen West pattern "herbivore". The sharp angles and crisp texture speak of the yarn's namesake, grasshoppers, with their sharp angular legs. They also speak of dragon wings, huge, intimidating, sharp and angular, but delicate and graceful in luminous colours.

Linger

Ooooh la la! Linger is coming!

What's in progress now, Part Two

With my mom's socks finished, and my dad's socks well underway, but not able to be gifted before he left, my attention has wandered back to the titanium socks, and I split my knitting time between the Skews and these.

I've just started the gusset on sock #2, and I'm hoping to contain the pool to one side like I did on the first sock.

Back to knitting!

What's in progress now, part one

Last week, my parents visited. It was their first visit in 5 years. We just live a little too far away to get many visits. Sadly, life does not stop for visits, and we still had school/work/ballet/softball. But I did fix them dinner every evening, Dad fixed several things around the house, and we had a lovely visit.

Before they arrived, I finished my mom's socks. I immediately started a pair for my dad. I managed to finish one sock, so he could try it on, but didn't get the second done before they left. Sadly, the heel is tough to get on, but he still thinks he'll wear them, as they seem to fit well once on. I'm using Trekking that I bought last November specifically for this purpose. In fact, I've knitted from all the yarn I bought that time, although one skein still has enough left for socks.

Finished Firestarters!

Pattern: Firestarter (rav link) by Yarnissima
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Deep Seaflower
Needles: Hiya Hiya 9" circular in size 2 and 3

They've been gifted and they fit. Hurrah!

Acquisitions, Gothsocks Club Spoiler

Attention all ye readers! If you happen to be in the Gothsocks club and you haven't received your April shipment, beware! The picture is below. (I'm pretty sure no one would find it by accident, but there's the alert, just in case.)

Okay, I have to admit, I'm still acquiring yarn faster than I can knit it. But selectively.

First of all, I needed a new order of Noro for a donation piece I'm going to make. I just happened to buy a couple of skeins of the highly-coveted Skinny Bugga to fill up my shopping cart. The colours are gorgeously saturated, and are called "Lubber Grasshopper" (the left skein) and "Eurota Purplewing" (the skein 2nd from left).(ETA: Ordered from The Loopy Ewe, of course, and received only two days after ordering.

 

Also new to my yarn stash is the March Gothsocks colour, Godric's Glory. If you watch True Blood, it makes sense to you. If you don't, like me, you can still admire the pretty, pretty sparkly stripes.

 

April Spoiler, here.


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This is called "Frakkin Toaster" and it's inspired by Battlestar Galactica. It's a bamboo/merino/nylon blend and begs to be something wispy worn around the neck.

 

Sob. I need more knitting time!

Socks of the Deep Sea Flower

Finally! A chance to knit a project on a 9" circular needle. My hands get a little uncomfortable, but it's not a barrier to use, and the socks just sail along.

The pattern is Firestarter, just like the previous (still unfinished) socks. The yarn is my ever-favourite Dream in Color Smooshy, in the colourway Deep Sea Flower. I turned the heel last night and finished the heel flap today, so I'm making good progress.

 

ETA PS--Look! Squee! Johnny Jumpups! Did I plant those??

Ravelry Goodies

For those of you who use Ravelry, check out this page of lesser-known goodies. This showed me how to get progress bars on my blog, which gives me happiness.

splish splash

In a previous post, I worried about the gussets pooling. Boy howdy, did they ever! Those beauteamous stripes just oozed into a slick smear. Fortunately, the smear confined itself to one side, so I was able to make that side the heel. We'll see what can be done about sock #2.

A skewed-up finished object

For a long time, my daughter has wanted socks out of fingering weight yarn, and finally she has some.

Pattern: Skew

Yarn: Online Supersocke

Needle: Size 1

Modifications: Knit as instructed at a smaller gauge to fit a slimmer foot.

Issues: it fits perfectly, but it's difficult to get over her heel. I suspect here's another pair of socks she'll never wear.

Those darned right twists

Me: These right twists are going to kill me.
Him: I hope those aren't your last words!
Me: That would suck, eh?
Him: I'd put it on your gravestone.
Me: In the stress of my demise, you'd forget the exact words, and there'd be a misquote on my grave.
Him: It's not that difficult. "These right twists are going to kill me." I'd get it right.

The pattern is Yarnissima's Firestarter. The yarn is Stitchjones' Titanium Sock. At 72 stitches around and 10spi, this yarn knits up perfectly. I'm not sure I'll like the gussets. I suspect they'll pool.

The right twists have been the worst part of this pattern. I recall warriors in Sock Wars complaining about the right twist. They did a workaround that involved a k2tog, but what with the purls and the ktbl, that's not an option here. I unvented a workaround in which I slip both stitches to the right needle, and do a mirror image of the process for the left twist. Works beautifully!