Progress Report
Jury duty came in handy for one thing- knitting.
This is another Baby Surprise Jacket (The Opinionated Knitter, Elizabeth Zimmermann) done in Fleece Artist Merino sock yarn in Cornflower (I think). This is my first in fingering weight yarn and it’s going to be teensy tiny new baby size, I think. Super cute. It’s screaming for a matching baby hat, don’t you think? If they’d needed me for a jury, I could have the thing done by now!
The progress on the Fantom Bohus isn’t that exciting, since it’s plain old stockinette, but it sure is pretty.
The sleeve has already had a few inches ripped because the decreases I originally planned were too sharp in practice. You know how sometimes, you knit something and it’s just smooth sailing all the way? Cripes, this sweater is the exact opposite of that. Thank goodness the spinning was a pleasure! I did learn one thing- that if you knit top-down and cast on the underarm stitches for the body, then pick those stitches up and knit them for the sleeve, it’s a pretty nice underarm treatment. No weaving and very tidy. It won’t be as stretchy as a grafted seam, but this isn’t a tight sweater, so all should be well with that.
There is so little knitting to show because I was a busy woman this weekend. On Saturday, Jess, Maya, and I went to the Fiber Revival in Newbury, MA. Much fun was had by all. There was an Alden Amos spinning wheel there I might have coveted to death. Photos were taken (click the one below to go to Flickr for more) and Maryse, who rocks her camera, took a bunch more.
On Sunday, Mr. HelloYarn and I put together the new living room bookshelves, including one for yarn and yarn accessories.
Why does anything to do with Ikea feel like it takes two days out of my life? Oh, right, it’s BECAUSE IT DOES. One day to shop and another day to assemble. They’re done, they’re shiny/pretty, and they’re full of yarn, books, and shelf upon shelf of National Geographic magazines (Those big stripes of yellow are so cheerful!). There’s only one problem- what we took off the old shelves didn’t all fit back on the new ones. Whoops.
The Lazy Red-Liners knitting group is meeting at Dado Tea on Mass. Ave. near Central Sq. tonight. The Bohus and I will be there. Someone’s bringing me a copy of Aran Knitting to borrow, so you might not hear from me for awhile and when you do, all I’ll be able to talk about is cables. :)
27 Responses to “Progress Report”
is jess wearing pants?
I wasn’t allowed to knit during my jury service, which drove me around the bend. You’re very fortunate to live in a place where knitting needles are permitted in a jury room!
I’ve been wanting to see that book forever!!!
I’m seeing yellow everywhere lately and I’m loving it! Your BSJ is looking fantastic!
I love your new organized shelves… and I totally agree with you about IKEA. I went over a week ago and I still haven’t put everything together!
ah, yarn organization. It makes my heart happy just thinking about it!
Hey, my mom has a bowl just like the two on top of your shelf. When I was a kid, we ate many a garden salad out of it. Hmmm . . . funny little world. (Hi, I’m a first time commenter!)
I wish every Saturday were like this past one. But without the wind and mystery grease sauce.
Oh, and nice shelf. Good work! ;-)
I’ve got the precious with me! see you tonight.
Nice bookshelves. I like those containers with the flower print. By the way, beware of Aran Knitting… that book is addictive.
Fantom Bohus is looking great! I hope my yoke is 1/100th as pretty (I’m doing an icelandic bottom-up in brown handspun too, the bottom of your sweater looks very familiar to me!).
love all that yarny goodness peaking out of your bookshelf at you. very nice.
Your Bohus gets prettier and prettier! I absolutely love it. Someday I hope I can spin half as well as you do, and create something gorgeous like that.
I recognize those magazine holders! Don’t overload them, though… they bend. ;-)
I love your blog and read it frequently :) I just have a question about the BSJ. What is the secret to knowing where to decrease/increase. I was driving myself batty counting every stitch and trying to remember what the next row would bring. I ended up frogging the darn thing because I couldn’t take it anymore! Seriously, where do you put your stitch marker? Feel free to email me the answer :)I would be so appreciative. Your BSJ’s make me swoon!
The bohus is truly gorgeous. Between the placement of decreases and color and motif choices, I ripped and reknit the yoke of my first yoked sweater 4 times before I was happy with it!
Love the new cabinet. I know what you mean about the Ikea experience.
I love chanting Bohus! Bohus! Bohus! :-)
The bohus is striking. I have to knit one of those Surprise Jackets if for nothing else but a belief in future grandbabies.
The BSJ is going to be so wee and sweet in that yarn!
As for the Bohus, no one can go wrong with lots of brown and gorgeous accents. Is there a ‘formula’ for top-down sleeve decreases? or just guess as you go? I’ve done the cast-on pick-up underarms and it worked great, very tidy.
Never had an Ikea experience, but the shelves look great.
I think that he BSJ is amazing, I like this pattern!
Fiber Revival looks like it was awesome! Beautiful setting, fun folks, fiber…what could be better?
You’re one of the few that wouldn’t have been disappointed to be chosen for jury duty. Your bohus is looking fabulous, so cool that it’s handspun. Isn’t the Alden Amos drool worthy?
I’m curious, how much sock yarn does it take to make a baby surprise jacket? Can it be done from one skein? I’m contemplating one, but the stash only has 100g of sock yarn in each colour.
Swoon. I so love the yoke on that sweater, beautiful. And your stash looks oh so pretty in the new shelves. We just put something together from Ikea last night, a fair bit of cussing ensued, but the end results are always so nice.
Lovely Bohus!
Can I ask where you had jury duty? I’m in the Boston area as well – and I have jury duty next month. I was wondering if they would let me bring knitting needles or not. I was thinking I might try bamboo….
And I always squirm my way out of doing jury duty partly because I figured they wouldn’t let you knit during it.
Nice yellows.
As the spouse of a cabinet maker who know how to make everything “the right way” I take an inordinate amount of joy in putting together IKEA furniture, especially after putting together the shelf units in the boys’ rooms and hearing them show off the shelves Mama built for them!
Those bowls, oh my!
Hi there! I like your cabinet, it’s lovely!
I have to ask where did you get those bowls? Because that is a Finnish Finel enamel bowl and the design is by Esteri Tomula, a very famous designer who did designs for Arabia tablewear for over 40 years! Your bowls are mushrooms, are they not? If you were to sell them, you’d get a lot of money, because they are considered to be a very nice design. As they are!!! Take care of them, they are old and rare. I’d love to have a pair like that!
piua from Finland
Did you finish that BSJ in the fingering weight yarn? How big did it turn out to be? What size needles?
I have some sock yarn that I would love to use for a BSJ and was hoping you had a FO to look and learn from.
Thanks