Remember that blue scarf from yesterday? The one that was almost 2 skeins of yarn knitted into almost 2 feet? Well, it isn't anymore. Now it looks like this:
This is much, much, much better. See how the edges are nice and tight on BOTH sides? Thanks to M. I have learned the technique of slipping the first stitch of every row. And it works!

This week I've discovered that I am not knitting to the best of my ability. M. explained to me that I am somehow twisting my stitches, which means that my knit and purl methods are not harmonious. That will be dealt with when I finish my current projects. My problem today is that the edges of the Irish Hiking Scarf are not up to par - well, actually, one of them isn't.

Behold, the good edge:

And, now, alas, the bad edge:

One of them looks nice and suitable for gift-giving. The other does not. It looks like (insert 4 letter word of choice for excrement.) I am suitably dismayed. Any suggestions?

On another hopefully more hopeful note, a friend is looking for this yarn. It was purchased at a store in Maryland or Washington DC and she doesn't have the label anymore and needs another ball. Again, any suggestions?

This is for a friend who helped me find lots of great rebates for the digital camera I wanted ($300 worth!) so as a thank you I wanted to make him a scarf. Originally I was going to do a purl stitch pattern of his name in Japanese, but it just wasn't turning out. I was too disappointed to take a picture - I just ripped it out and started on an Irish Hiking Scarf instead. Here's a couple hours worth of progress:

I'm using Winter Night from Knitpicks on size 7 bamboo clovers. I have bluish needles now, which the kind ladies at LiveJournal explained to me is normal for blue yarns. Very affordable, though. It's going slower than I would like, because I wanted this to be a pretty rapid thank you gift, so I'm not touching anything else until this is finished.

Well, according to UPS the digital camera I ordered is on the truck for delivery today. That means, you guessed it, this blog may get just a little more interesting. Check back in a few days for lots of pics!

Today I translated this:

Bind off 5 sts at beg of next 6 rows, 3 sts at beg of next 2 rows. AT SAME TIME, bind off center 19 sts and working both sides at once, bind of 4 sts from each neck edge twice.

into this:

BO 5, k 24, attach a new ball, BO 19, k 29. Turn.
BO 5, p 24, put down this ball and pick up original ball, BO 4, p 20. Turn.
BO 5, k 15, back to ball #2, BO 4, k 20. Turn.
BO 5, p 15, ball #1, BO 4, p 11. Turn.
BO 5, k 6, ball #2, BO 4, k 11. Turn.
BO 5, p 6, ball #1, k 6. Turn.
BO 3, k 3, ball #2, k 6. Turn.
BO 3, k 3, ball #1, k 3. Turn.
BO last 3. Ball, #2, k3. Turn. BO last 3.

I have to say I kinda impressed myself. Onward and upward!

I started the Boyfriend Hoodie from Knit.1 mag last night - my very first sweater. It's made with Homespun because that's what the pattern calls for and I want my first one to be right, even though I would rather not use acrylic yarn. I'm using the Williamsburg color, and it's very pretty and soft, contents aside. Michelle H. gave me a gift certificate to Knitorious for xmas, so I used it to buy the Addi Turbos I wanted for it.

I was afraid that the yarn would be difficult to use, as I've heard that it splits and sticks, but maybe it's me, maybe it's the turbos, but it's knitting up like a dream. I've been cruising along through the 4 1/2 inches of 1x1 ribbing, and I get to the following : increase 8 stitches on WS row. Uhm....which is the wrong side? It's an odd number of stitches so there are purls on the edges on one side, knits on the other. I have absolutely no idea which is the WS. Damn.

So here I am at Hartford Coffee, lurking outside a St. Louis LiveJournal meetup, camping out for Free Candy tonight, and waiting patiently for a reply to my LiveJournal post or to the message I sent out to my local Stitch'nBitch group. I am not getting a response nearly quickly enough. It's a Sunday, I get to play all day, I would LOVE to be knitting my soft new sweater, and here I am, stuck at this laptop, unable to do anything. ARGH! I was really hoping that Michelle was going to show up for the meetup thing because she would be able to answer my question in a heartbeat. But she didn't show. Pout. I have a return gift for her too.

Reading – I hardly read anything except patterns anymore.  I used to go to bed at 11 or so with the expectation of reading in bed for at least an hour.  No more.  Now I knit until 1 am when I force myself to go to bed, and read maybe half a page before I fall asleep.

Movies with subtitles – I’m trying to learn some Japanese and watch a  lot of movies with subtitles.  I don’t comprehend enough to understand what is going on without reading the subtitles, and I can’t knit without looking well enough to read the subtitles.  Hence, no more Japanese movies.

Exercising – I’m a fat slob, but I did go for a good 4 mile walk most weekend days.  Now I can’t get off the couch because I am too happy to sit there with my knitting.  I don’t use any of my vast collection of exercise tapes for the same reason.  Knitting is keeping me fat.

Other crafts – I have a cross-stitch project for a co-worker that I started last October.  It’s not even half way done, and her kids are growing up fast.  I have a LOT of quilting stuff that I haven’t pieced, kumihimo books that go unused, and I’m not sure where my crochet hooks even are anymore.  Photography?  Nah, that would involve putting down my knitting.  Writing?  Well, as long as it’s about knitting.

Social interaction – Well, I’m not afraid to knit in public by any means, but it depends on where.  Coffee Houses – sure.  Hip trendy bars – not so much.  I knit with two groups during the week (in coffee houses) but I’m sure the prospect of approaching a some-what cute some-what heavy girl in the midst of a knitting circle would be more than intimidating to the average guy.  So, I’m just not meeting new members of the opposite sex.

What I’ve Gotten from Knitting:

Sense of Accomplishment – I actually start and finish things on my own timetable and the results are appreciated by me and by others.  That’s a lot more than I can say for my job.  I like the feeling I get that I am doing something constructive when I’m sitting (OK, laying) on my couch watching movies (without subtitles.)  And the pleasure of not understanding something, then getting it, then DOING it, cannot be beat.

Artistic Outlet – I enjoy making something where I get to choose the pattern and the materials rather than cross stitch where it was pretty much laid out for you ahead of time.  And I feel I can do a lot more with knitting than I could with crochet. 

New female friends – I get to meet women that I wouldn’t normally have met.  They’re smart, funny, artistic, supportive, hip, and share a lot more interests with me than just knitting.  They are my source for intelligent conversation that is not work – related.  They are people I can listen to without judgment.  They are wonderful, and I feel very thankful for them.