project spectrum june and july

Hats? Bucket hats? I have eight, at last count. Don’t ask how many are still waiting to become bucket hats, patiently waiting their turn in the stash. Because I won’t tell. There’s a few, though.

Of course, that depends on how you define “a few”.

But I digress.

How about seeing the Matisse through the Picasso’s eyes?

Picasso: Hi. That’s my dorkball brother Matisse. Why is he a dorkball? I’d tell you, but I’d run out of words!

Matisse: I am SUPERMEOW, whoosh!
Picasso: Um, dude, you’re upside down.
Matisse: I KNEW THAT!

Picasso: Here, the Matisse demonstrates how he keeps a tenuous grip on reality.
Rebecca: But he’s not gripping anything….
Picasso: Exactly!

Hmmmmmm. I think the Picasso is feeling snarky today, don’t you? (Thanks to my friend Matt for coming up with these captions!)

Um… so it’s mostly gone now, June, and I just now am posting my planned yarns… whoops. Good going there, Rebecca. How have I done?

I’ve gotten three PS projects done this month, the red bucket hat, the glitter socks, the grey Classic Elite Desert bucket hat… but I need to pick up the pace if I’m going to get the rest done! Maybe I should look into curing my bucket hat jag.

Bonus socks out of Artyarns Supermerino are still waiting for me. Shall I do another stockinette pair? Shall I do something fancier?

Knitpicks Decadence, that I’m thinking of making fingerless mitts out of. These mitts.

This is wonderful chunky alpaca that’s destined for a neckwarmer. From the very beginning, I’ve seen this as a seed stitch edged neckwarmer, with a stockinette middle. Or maybe all the way seed stitch? I’m not sure. Either way, this matches my winter coat perfectly, and was on clearance. KISMET.

I guess I should look into whether I’ll actually do these alpaca pieces since they’re not sockly, but they would be so quick to do, wouldn’t they? Anything seems hugely quick after 2.75mms.

red bucket hat

I promise, last bucket hat for a while. And no, I won’t define “while”. I’m a knitter, not an idiot. With bucket hats, I concede it’s a “when” and not an “if” I do more. I’m actually thinking this hat needs a little something something… maybe a black flower with a metallic button in the center. Or a crocheted circle. Something. To be attached jauntily to the right side. If I can decide on a black yarn that’s got enough casualness to it, but with a smoother texture than the plain cotton. That’s vague, huh… I’ll look in the stash.

I think the next plain colored hat I do (nice, the way I subtly imply there will be more) I’ll do something textured for the body of that… maybe the RPM pattern. Or the Odessa pattern. Hmmmm, must find more cool spiral patterns. Because? Who am I kidding? It’s not like I wouldn’t be making enough bucket hats to do one of each, right? I’m seeing pink for the RPM and blue for Odessa. But that’ll be the next jag.

bucket hat number…. something

Remember the Classic Elite Desert that Chris sent me? It became this:

Also known as: yet another bucket hat! I’m sorry. I’m still jagging. The yarn came out less thick and thin than I expected, but that’s probably a good thing given it’s a BUCKET HAT made of WOOL and it’s supposed to be sort of kind of WARM for cool days later this year.

Hey, at least it counts for Project Spectrum!

I love the three pink stripes.

Almost as much as I love the grey and charcoal and purple crown.

I can’t promise that there won’t be more bucket hats in my future. They’re like potato chips. Why have one when you can have a dozen!

Socks? Oh yeah. Those. I’m having mm… technical difficulties. That’s a post for another day…

made in england

Is there anything more British than tea? And chocolate from Marks and Spencer? I think not, especially when they come in a surprise box sent by mrspao!

Benkei V liked the inlaid wood bracelet very much, thank you. Doesn’t it fit him well?

I quickly rescued it and put it on my left wrist, where it fits perfectly.

And I love this wooden vase! It’s goofy, but a vase that is Picasso-proof is a very good thing… I put my spare crochet hook in it, and set it amongst my pitcherfuls of needles. Grab it! Plop it back in! Having a crochet hook that doesn’t walk away is a novel concept around here. (I’m looking at you, Picasso.)

I love this! From Wales, Fyberspates blue faced leicester sock yarn in the fiesta colorway. Mine. All mine! Destined to be one of the socks I’ll knit for Summer of Socks. Definitely. Because these socks will be my cheer me up socks. I just know it.

Thank you thank you thank you! Mrspao, you’re thebomb.com. For real.

peeved!

In the good way!

It was wonderful to get this box from Peeve! A complete surprise, but very much loved!

This is a yarncake of amazing hand dyed (and handspun?) Australian yarn that I still haven’t decided what to do with yet, because I kind of want to use this to make a hat, or maybe gloves… I’m not sure. I love petting it!

And these treats! I love love love love love fruity gel type stuff, so the bats? Mmmmmm! And then the strawberry chocolate froggies? Mmmmm. They survived a transatlantic trip without melting… I’m impressed. Hee. And am rationing them….

And then there’s the two balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze in the EXACT color I’d planned to get. How did Peeve know?!?! Oh yeah. I sort of like pink a little bit and that may or may not be painfully obvious….

I kiss you, Peeve! Thank you thank you thank you!

Recovering? That’s such an interesting process. Night before last, I slept, no lie, thirteen hours straight. And felt better for it. Knit, bone, knit! Fill up these holes already! Muscles, relax! Don’t twitch! Because the puffiness and soreness when it rains is getting old… and today is day three of a projected seven day run of rain. (Grump.)

I know, I know. I just need time. A lot of it. I am indeed grateful that I’m not feeling like death warmed over, don’t get me wrong. It just is hard to be psychologically ready to be fine. And not be there. Yet. But I have time. That’s the important thing.

a bucket hat a day keeps the gnomes away

Another day another hat. I know, I know, how many bucket hats does a girl need? Apparently the answer is: lots! And this one is pretty summery too isn’t it?

Summer of Socks! Mata Hari is Mata Hari-ing along. Not much to see yet… next week, a picture, pinky swear. But I’ll tell you this – I’m loving the Sundara cherry blossom sport yarn. I’d had doubts I could knit it up on size 3s but I needn’t have worried, it knits up beautifully. And I’m glad, because it was looking thinnish in the skein. It’s a pet peeve of mine, yarn labeled “sport” but are thin enough to knit with the same needles I knit Koigu with. (Lorna’s Laces, I’m looking at you.) All the same, I decided to split the skein into half and knit the Mata Haris toe-up, because I don’t know how far half a skein of sportweight will get me, in this yarn. I’m still trying to decide what heel I want….

I didn’t start the Sockmania pattern yet, but I will do the picot hem this morning while I’m doing things involving “the laundry” and “cleaning up” and icky things like that. All designed, you see, to “avoid having gramma crabbing at me”. Hee hee.

Last weekend she was complaining that I was wearing the same pants two Saturdays in a row. I loves the gramma. Too funny. She’s already forgotten about the 99 cent pair of pants I wore daily for three months out of necessity.

summer!

How many hats does it take before it qualifies as a bucket hat jag? Because I’m not done yet…… here’s today’s installment.

Summer begins today! I have a few hats for it!

And so does Summer of Socks….. today I’ll be casting on for cuffdown June sockmania socks, and toeup Mata Haris. Because nothing says summer like weather too hot to wear socks in.

sockly machinations

This hat is my current favorite! Pinks, blues, greens, purples, the right fit, the right drape, and the right amount of gramma going, is that a new hat? Every single time she sees this hat. Hee hee.

Perhaps more alarming than all the Sockmania talk yesterday? Is that I’ve made a list of twelve socks. More than that, really, but I whittled it down to twelve that I want to do for the Summer of Socks.

As if I’ll get a pair a week done. But I can plot. And plan. And machinate. And be inspired by your comments. After all, it’s doable, right? It’s just a question of whether I will.

But more to the point, what may be the next twelve socks I do?

Knew you’d ask.

1: June’s Sockmania pattern, using Koigu P201, which is reds, pinks, purples, blues.

2: Mata Hari, using sportweight Sundara cherry blossom yarn. I know, totally ripping off of Tiphanie here. I’m ok with that.

3: Waterfall, from Sensational Knitted Socks, tentatively using grey Rowan 4 ply soft. Or I could use cobalt blue Koigu. I know! Again with the ripping off! But I love Tiphanie’s version so much.

4: Jaywalkers, using the Sereknity yarn in the sweet tart colorway that Carrie got me. Since Carrie, Tiphanie, and I are doing a mini-along for Jaywalkers, it sort of would help if I’d cast on for mine too…..

5: Monkeys, using Koigu P460, a mix of browns and teals.

6: Padded Footlets from Favorite Socks, using Artyarns Ultramerino 4 in 238, a lightly mottled lavender, and a little bit of Artyarns Ultramerino 4 in 251, a pinky red. Since I only need a total of five rounds of cc per sock, I’m thinking the leftover bits I always have from a full pair should be fine.

7: Go with the Flow from Favorite Socks, using Artyarns Ultramerino 4 in 251, a pinky red. Yes, the same yarn as above.

8: Rainy Day, using Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK in lavender.

9: Red Dwarf, using Knit One Crochet Too Wick in 565, which is a melange of greens, reds, purples, and blues.

10: Breeze, using Yarn Love cotton in the sweetheart colorway.

11: There’s that July sockmania pattern to think of, of course…..

12: And I think I need a stockinette pair somewhere in there. Gotta keep it real.

Socks. So much fun to think about. What about you? What socks do you have in mind to do soon?

two bucket hat

Of all my hats, this one may be the one I have the most irrational love for, if only because it is neutral and season spanning.

Not bad for one’s third bucket hat.

It’s also the one I’m most likely to get another ball of and knit a new version of, because it’s the snuggest of all the hats I’ve made. It’s amazing how variable gauge is, even with the same needles, the same recipe, the same knitter, and the same yarn. Not that I’d toss this. Just that some days I might want to be looser. Who knows?

It’s only June, but I’m already thinking about the upcoming fall and winter, and the things I need for it. Socks, of course. Lots and lots of socks. Not as sexy as Neo and his guns, but you know, warmer. With 99% less carnage.

I’ve signed up for the Summer of Socks, and I’m of course also in the Sockmania knitalong, which I haven’t forgotten – June’s edition will be begun on the 21st because we got extra time to finish it due to the pattern delay.

Yes, I’m being optimistic in thinking I can finish both socks within two weeks. Don’t harsh my mellow. Especially since this plan ensures only three weeks to do July’s pair.

long road to recovery

Through the magic of posts I’d already put up, just waiting for the proper time to post themselves, I was a prolific blogger last week even though the week sucked monkey rocks for me and I hardly knew how to use Benkei.

It’s a process. That’s all.

The good news first – the abscess is gone, the cauterization did the trick, and after six weeks, the incision is finally healing well.

The bad news – well. There was that three day run where I did nothing but throw up. And then that fourth day when I ended up in the hospital for iv fluids and good meds and such, because I was pretty sick by that time. I got home from the hospital, and threw up some more. And then woke up at 3 am that night and spent 7 hours sleeping in the tub. The next two days after that was a sofa-encrusted fog.

Knitting? Hah.

What, exactly, was wrong? I don’t know for sure. I think it was an ulcer. I’ve had them before (a long story for another post!) so I knew the signs. The gramma is convinced it’s the combination of some kind of migrating infection and a virus. The doctor was all, it could be a virus, could be infection, could be ulcer, could be I’m just kicked around easily because of the whole recovery thing. But it didn’t really matter, because I was being kicked and kicked good…. and they were wonderful in doing their best to patch me back together.

Gramma was freaked out at how much morphine they gave me. You are having so much medicine! On an empty stomach! Gramma, it’s through an iv. I feel like crap. That’s why they are giving it to me. But your stomach is empty!

Do not assail the gramma logic.

But dude, if I’d been coherent, I’d have pointed out, how I have a twitchy crampy face and then switched careers and threw up a lot, irritating that crampiness and bleh. I was a 25 cents a ride vibrating motel mattress. I wasn’t about to complain at that point. About getting the meds. I mean, if the gramma said I didn’t look good, I probably really didn’t feel good.

At some point I started fantasizing I was Paris Hilton (SHUT UP! I was addled and highly suggestible!) and I had my own private nurse and doctor and I didn’t have to wait two seconds for my meds at any point. Not because I’m an addict, you understand, but that was some miserable stuff to trudge through. Those seven hours in the tub weren’t because I felt good, that’s for sure.

I hate “ride out” as a phrase, by the by. It implies that all you had to do was close your eyes and scrinch up and it was over! I hate it almost as much as I hate “overcome”. Because I didn’t overcome my surgery crap, I’m getting through it. In whatever increments of time that are necessary. And I didn’t ride out this horrible nasty whatever-it-was. I crawled through it, in the tiniest increments of time possible.

But last week is over. That’s the important thing.

Oh, the hat? I don’t know if any of you remember this from last year? But it’s finally got its official photoshoot! My very first bucket hat. A year later, several washings, frequent abuse, and it still looks great! I love this hat. I love telling people who ask me where I got it, that I made it.