the quacking fiber addict

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I... wow. I was searching for the original usage of the word, "mortification", and look what I found. I was looking because I'm a nerd and want to know why the Latin root for "death" was in a word that we use to describe embarassment or shame. Wow.

Moving on.

Today was our little planned "photo shoot" for this contest. It went more or less as planned. "More" in that some of the sheep were quite friendly and wanted to be petted:


The "less" part describing the fact that we were a bit late, only ONE ewe would eat the carrots we'd brought, and well... a minor catastrophe occured:


One of the sheep got tangled in M's yarn and, um, made a break for it. At which point we all screamed and dove (scaring all the sheep into a mass panic) for the handspun yarn, and project attached incidentally, which were being dragged across the barn floor, out into the mud outside, and wrapped around a couple of poles. See me in my very (too) loose SKB? I'm laughing my @ss off. We'd didn't get any pictures of it during cuz we were laughing too hard. But, damn, I wish we had. It was just so hysterically funny. Err... Poor M.






As you can probably tell, the SKB didn't fit me too well this afternoon. It was still damp from the blocking (where it had grown exponentially) and hung a bit like a wet potato sack. I was a bit annoyed by this fact, but wore it anyway because I was bound and determined to wear a handknit sweater for the pic (the Inverness raglan is in the wash).

So, I took a risk (you'll agree this was slightly crazy) and threw it in the machine dyer at home for half an hour on low. It came out perfectly (it helped that I got soaking wet on the farm, prior to the dyer). I think it was the elasticity of the yarn. I have no idea. The care instuctions say to dry it flat. That definitely didn't work. But, anyway, B to took a pic of me in it, post-shrinking:


Seriously. I hate having my picture taken. Really, really do. I usually make weird faces (see above - I am actually making "the turtle face") and just hate it. I am also overweight zoftig, and I accept this but don't have to like the way I photograph. But, oh well, gotta be done. Feh.

I'm just gonna go into the project details for those concerned in making an SKB (or who are making one now) just to make their lives easier.

I completely stole the spec layout from Tamara, just so as you know...

The Pattern: Simple Knitted Bodice by Stitch Diva Studios

The Sponsor: Sexy Knitters Club

Knitting Start Date: September 20, 2006 (the day I bought the yarn, and damn it took me a long time to finish this...)

Finish Date: November 19, 2006

The Yarn: Paton's Merino (I got it on sale for $3.75 a ball, can't argue with that). Colour: "New Denim" (it ran like new denim in it's first washing, too, lemme tell you)

The Needles: 38" Denise sizes 6 and 8 for the body, and 5 and 7 12" Clovers for the sleeves.

The Size: L (40-42")

Knitting Technique: Continental.

Pattern Mods:

1. I accidentally read the lace chart upside down for the body and did that again to match the sleeves.
2. I had to add a ton of extra bust increases (12, I think)
3. I used turned-up hems (purl one row, knit 6 extra rows, bind edge off to inside of garment) for all the hems - sleeves, collar, and body. I like the way it looks and lays much better this way.
4. I made the sleeves narrower (tho wish I had done the same at the upper arms!) by 4 inches.
5. I picked up 5 sts/ inch on the neck, instead of 6 and got a more fitted collar (to suit my taste)

... and I think that's everything. I am bloody well going to wear this as often as I can, dammit. To knitting tomorrow night, etc. If I'm getting shipped off to Africa, this'll likely be the only winter I'll get to wear it for another 2 - 4 years. And, anyway, it's soft and sqooshy.

In Crafting News, I finally got my target's partner's swap info for the Magic Yarn Ball Swap! I have a ton of ideas. I'm doing handspun yarn, definitely, and have some cool gifting ideas but daren't write of them here. Thank g-d for wists.

And in Soon to be Knitting News, I finally got a copy of the Little Petal baby jacket! I think I may just have enough yarn to make two, one in pink and one in green for baby T. D's gansey is growing slowly, so both children are dutifully covered ;D

I think I'm gonna go and spin something...