The Sweatshop of Lovers Blog

Bumpy Lace Pattern

Wavy Front Panel

In the Girl Friday pattern she says that the lace pattern blocks out really well, and the few people who have finished it and posted it on ravelry have said the same thing, so I thought it would be another great example of a blocking before and after.

These two pictures are of Girl Friday before I blocked it. The sleeves are a tiny bit short and small. The front is very wavy and smaller than the sweater itself, and the lace pattern is bubbled. The sweater itself is shorter than what I was aiming for.

Was I worried? Of course not! I know the amazing powers of blocking.

(Honestly I was a little worried about the front. It was much shorter than the sweater, very wavy, and I thought I was going to have to take it out and bind it off using an even looser bind off than I already did.)

DRUM ROLL!!

Pretty Lace!

Perfect Sleeves!

Hello, perfect sweater I knit. How are you? My name is Allyson and I’m going to wear you ALL THE TIME!

The sleeves stretched out perfectly, width-wise and length-wise. The lace pattern calmed down and isn’t bumpy at all anymore! The entire sweater itself stretched out to a really nice length, and, most importantly, the front is perfect! Not wavy at all and the same length as the sweater.

So I made some modifications to the pattern, but not many of them.

I’ve been saying that I knit the  body all in one piece, which I think turned out really well.

I held the top stitches, from the fronts and back, and did a three needle bind off for the shoulders and just picked those stitches up when I picked stitches up for the collar, instead of binding off then picked up bound off stitches.

I only did the collar short rows for about an inch, because I didn’t want the collar to fold over.

And I used a k2tog bind off, because I thought a stretchy bind off would be too much, but the regular bind off would be too tight. It worked out great!

My cats, though, want to eat this yarn! I had to beat them off the thing while I was blocking it because they were literally trying to chew threw the sweater. I had this problem with the yarn itself, too! I kept having to tie pieces of it back together that they had chewed through. I used the Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool! It’s wool! And they didn’t do this with my Vogue Cropped Jacket.

So, I have to keep it in a vault, but other than that I’m in love. It’s so cute and simple looking, I will be able to throw it over anything. Dress it up or down. Basically it’s the perfect sweater!

And now, present knitting. For the rest of the year, Allyson. I’m serious now.

Shrimp Stir Fry with Brown Rice

The cold rain was a nice motivator for PT and I to stay in last night.

(Another untimely Tigers loss and Twins win made it seem like we were both home alone. The Central is still up for grabs. If the Tigers win and Twins lose today the Tigers will win the Central for the first time since 1987. But if the Tigers lose I have to be pissed all day and they have to win tomorrow.)

We made some teriyaki shrimp stir fry with red pepper, broccoli, pineapple, shrimp, and onion, with brown rice. It was so good! I love just throwing things together with some teriyaki stir fry sauce and getting a meal like this.

Cute Packaging!

Note, Pin, and YARN!

I mentioned earlier this week that I won a skein of Kitchen Sink Dyeworks yarn, and it came in yesterday while I was watching The Office!

It was wrapped really cute, came with a handwritten note and a KSD button! It was so sweet, like getting a present from a friend. I will be buying yarn from Kitchen Sink Dyeworks in the future. See what little special touches do?!

And I’m blown away by how beautiful this yarn is! I can’t wait to dive into it.

Any suggestions? I’ve only got 390 yards. I’m thinking lacy shawl? Help!

Workout Fuel

Today was the Michigan/Michigan State game and the Minnesota/Wisconsin game. These are big games; Michigan and Michigan State hate the crap out of each other, and PT was telling me that it’s the same kind of thing with Minnesota and Wisconsin. Neither games were being broadcast on regular TV so we planned to go to the gym to watch them. We made broccoli and onion omelets with pepper jack cheese and a piece of PB&J pumpernickel toast to fuel our workout!

Burritos and Fresh Guacamole

We ran/walked for about two hours while watching Michigan AND Minnesota lose. It was a painful bike ride home! We were tired, sore, and deflated by two close losses. So we made burritos with red pepper, pinto beans, onion, fresh guacamole, black bean and corn salsa, and cabbage.

Girl Friday Started (!)

And I did a bad thing. The Tigers were getting blown out last night, I was sad, it was 8-0, it was rainy and I was cold and baseball sucks and before I knew it I had Girl Friday cast on. Yes, I should be working on presents! But I couldn’t help it.

I figure it’s better to indulge in knitting than, like, a pan of brownies.

And it’s providence because Girl Friday (my Ravelry page) is a Kitchen Sink Dyeworks pattern!

That counts as full circle, right?

I cast on for both front panels and the back, though. I hate knitting a lot of separate pieces. I’m using Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool, the same yarn I used for the Vogue Cropped Jacket, but in natural.

I checked the gauge at it was so on I creeped myself out. It was exactly exactly exactly on with size 8s. I have never seen a gauge so perfect, even when I used the exact yarn and needles a pattern called for. I can’t wait to start the lace pattern!

… right now!

Finished!

And Adorable!

I did more than just eat in Minnesota. I finished knitting my Vogue Cropped Jacket!

But first, the buttons. The pattern calls for fabric covered buttons, which I’ve never heard of before so I was going to just ignore that completely and get normal buttons, but when I was picking up snaps for the sweater closure, there they were!

Fabric Covered Buttons and Very Large Snaps

It looked like a big mess to me. I bought four snaps (the pattern, of course, calls for five snaps, but I didn’t want to spend another $3.99 for four more when I just needed one, so I figured I could make four work) and two packages three of fabric covered buttons each.

Easy Cheesy!

They are so easy! There is a pattern for the circle of fabric on the back of the package you cut out, and just trace that on your fabric so you get a circle. You put the fabric in the center of the button, force the fabric tightly into the teeth on the back of the buttons, then snap the button backs in place. I had six of them done in no time. And I love how they look! I want to use fabric covered buttons for every project I make here on out.

Love the Buttons!

They make such a difference! I love them. And I think the cute little flower pattern goes really well with the tweed-like yarn.

Bell Pattern

Even Looks Cute Open!

I’m going to block it just a little bit longer. The body is a good length, but I think the sleeves hit at a weird place, so I’m going to block the whole thing a tiny bit longer.

Overall I really liked the pattern! My numbers were a little off when I joined the sleeves and the body for the yoke, but that was probably my mistake. I knit a large size because the Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool is a smaller gauge than the yarn the pattern called for, so I think it worked out to being a small. I added 10 stitches to the front panel and 4 stitches to the skinny front panel. If I were to do it again I would only add 6 stitches to the front panel, as it is a little big, but not by much. My boobs are a little larger than what the small size would be able to handle. And I used size 10 needles throughout.

Now I’m kind of glad it’s so cool so I can wear it immediately!

My to do list this weekend:

1. Make entire fall schedule – check! It rocks, if I do say so myself.

2. Knit a cabled cowl – check!

LOVE!

Pretty Cables

I used some of the Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool that will be left over from the Vogue Cropped Jacket I put on hold all weekend though I’m SO close to being done with it!

I love this cowl, and it knit up with size 15s in like 4 hours.

3. Knit a Turkey Finger Puppet – check!

Holy Cute

I wanted to put some kind of toy in the fall schedule, so I was searching around when I stumbled upon a really cute knitting blog called Team Knit, and this pattern for a turkey finger puppet. I instantly fell in love and knit it up and put it together in about 3 hours. The time consuming part is the tail. But EVERYONE should sign up for this class because not only is this little guy adorable but the class is free! November 11th, 7-9pm. Happy Thanksgiving from me to you.

4. Write fall schedule newsletter – check! Mostly written while knitting, which is a trick I’ve needed to teach myself that comes in handy almost every day.

5. Update website – check! Full list of classes looking hot. More Sweatshop love looking hot, too. The class list was a huge job since it was so empty this month.

6. Knit a Goldfish Toilet Lid Cover – not check.

Saturday Morning

Friday afternoon I thought it would be a great idea to put the Knit Pick’s Goldfish Toilet Lid Cover in my fall class schedule, meaning, ideally, I would need to knit one before my newsletter went out to make sure the pattern was good and I had a picture of it. Yeah. I’m a crazy person.

The problem was that the pattern calls for size 6s and DK weight yarn. I had size 4s and worsted weight, but that still didn’t do it, so I had to take 25 stitches off the pattern, basically rewriting the entire thing.

PT and Po' Boy

My Shrimp Po' Boy

By Sunday evening, after spending 11 hours knitting and writing frantically, PT suggested I leave the house. We walked over to Street Side and got po’ boys and fries. We were both very happy with how delicious they were! It was my first po’ boy and I would order this sandwich again in a heartbeat.

Toilet Lid In Lap

By Sunday night I had finished knitting the lid itself and just needed to duplicate stitch on the fish. When I looked at the picture of the lid on the pattern I thought it was intarsia; I had never even heard of duplicate stitching. It’s basically cross-stitching over the stitches of the body of your project, which is genius I think, since I get annoyed with a lot of intarsia. I’ve always loved cross stitch so this has been really fun.

But, notice a problem?

Don't Look Like No Fish!

I had that big orange skein of yarn I got at a garage sale I thought would be fun to use, and I started duplicate stitching the fish in whatever colors I had laying around in the goldfish family. PT says it looks like Pikachu. I think it kind of looks like Wilson. Whatever it looks like, it doesn’t look like a goldfish. It’s still going on my toilet, though!

I’m almost finished, not by deadline obviously, but still. Knitting an entire toilet lid with Pikachu/Wilson/Goldfish duplicate stitching in like 72 hours? Still impressive/ridiculous.

7. Blog – absolutely not. Lukily for me PT was free for some guest blogging so I got out of that one. He did such a great job! He also made sure I ate and drank enough water and that my legs didn’t atrophy all weekend, too.

8. Update Ravelry – absolutely not. I didn’t even look at it.

9. Update Sweatshop Facebook Page and Myspace Page – check! I don’t remember doing it, but it’s done so I’m not asking any questions.

Overall pretty good! I love being mostly self employed because if I worked for anyone else as much as I work for myself for as little as I make I would kill someone. But because everything I do is for myself I get up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning to knit a toilet seat cover and when I finally close my computer at 11pm Sunday night I’m so tired I could cry, but I’m happy because I love it.

Cotton Washcloths

Next up? Minnesota! PT and I are headed there Thursday, and I’m knitting up these cute washcloths from Purl Bee  as a present to PT’s mom. At least I’ve got a couple days to punch two of these out.  It should be a breeze after the knitting fiasco that was this weekend.

I’m determind to finish my toilet seat cover, though, and I miss my Vogue Cropped Jacket!

Man, I’ve caught fall knitting fever way early this season. Could that mean I will successfully knit everyone I know a present this year?

Only if I can keep my new issue of Interweave Knits closed!

I had a 50% off one online purchase at JoAnn.com, so I just assumed that that would probably take care of the shipping and I would be paying close to the $8.99 normal price for the Fishermen’s Wool I needed. Little did I know that shipping is $5.99! So even with my coupon I would still be looking at a total of $10.49 and a 7-14 day waiting period for my yarn. In 14 days I’ll be two days away from going back to Michigan for Labor Day weekend where I can get the yarn at Hobby Lobby, with a 40% coupon, for like $5.

Sometimes it’s hard being Dutch. I know in my head that we are talking about very small amounts of money, but can my heart justify spending an extra $5.49 for a skein of yarn just because I’m inpatient? It’s not even like I’m anywhere near wearing this sweater. It’s AUGUST, for Christ’s sake.

Then I remembered there is now a Michael’s in Chicago! In the South Loop. A quick google maps search and it is 5.2 miles away, a 10.4 round trip on my bike. My legs are coming off an extremely inactive trip in Michigan, and an extremely fatty weekend.

1) $10.49. Possible two week wait time.

2) Like $5.00. Almost three week wait time, get yarn over Labor Day in Michigan.

3) $8.99. 10.4 mile round trip to Michael’s, where they might not even have it.

I go on Michaels.com. If you sign up for their newsletter you get a 50% off one item coupon. Option 3 it is!

I bike down after work. I take it slow; it’s hot, I’m out of shape, but I make it and I’m feeling good! Michael’s is in that new mall with the new Whole Foods (which I shielded my eyes from and ran quickly by).

That is Better!

Upon entering I see Halloween displays! Still kind of ridiculous, but Halloween is two solid holidays and almost two months before Christmas, so I’m cool with it. They are excited about Halloween! I almost am, too.

Suck it, JoAnn.

I find the yarn section which is much smaller than JoAnn’s, so I get a little nervous. I find the Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool and sigh. FOILED AGAIN!

YES!!!

But wait! What is behind those ugly free patterns? MY YARN! It was hiding, but I grab one and run back up to the front of the store like someone is going to steal it from me.

With my 50% coupon? $4.95 baby! I am feeling so good I don’t even feel how much my legs hurt as I climbed the escalator back to my bike.  But oh. Oh did I feel it through the headwind all the way back home. But I had my yarn! I could start working on my sweater again!

GAH! SEED STITCH FOIL!

I get home and realize the next thing I have to do is the seed stitch front panel. The SEED STITCH FRONT PANEL!

I. Hate. Seed. Stitch.

I know I have to do it, I know! I knew I had to do it coming in. And I knit a couple rows. Like, 6.

… and now I’m looking for my next project

Vogue Cropped Jacket Body Finished!

While I work my way through the pictures from this weekend (friend in town=CRAZINESS!), I wanted to pop up and say hi! I don’t think I’ve been away from you this long ever. I miss ya.

I mentioned before that I was getting low on the Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool for my Vogue Cropped Jacket. I worked on it a little bit this weekend, enough to know that once Elizabeth left town I would need to high tail it over to JoAnn and get another skein.

But look how cute! I finished the whole body! I love this sweater, it came together really well. I had a little problem attaching the sleeves and the body for the yoke decreases, and I fudged the numbers and just worked with what I had. So far I’m really happy with it! I even slipped it on despite the heat to see what it looked like. Pieces left? The front panels and neckline.

So I battled the storms this afternoon and made it to JoAnn, where I was met with one of the most painful sights ever:

I Mean, Seriously?

It is August 17th. I feel bad enough scheduling holiday themed classes in September, but to pull out your Christmas yarn on AUGUST 17th?! Something told me that this trip wasn’t going to end well.

I found the Fishermen’s Wool section. I looked up:

Close...

I looked down:

Nope.

Huh. I asked someone and apparently JoAnn doesn’t carry the Maple Tweed I got at Hobby Lobby in Michigan.

So, you have it right. I have to now order a skein of Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool in Maple Tweed online.

But at least I don’t have to look at Christmas yarn on JoAnn.com.

After an unexpected 24 hour delay, yesterday morning my grandparents and I were off to the Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan.

Well, not before we stopped to the doctor. Because apparently after you get to a certain age you can’t leave the house without it involving a stop to the doctor or picking up a prescription.

Multitasking!

So, eventually we were off. It’s about an hour and a half drive up to Manistee, and after two restroom breaks, a Perry Como greatest hits tape, and two and a half hours, we arrived.

First things first: We hit the all you can eat buffet. Papa is a hard core buffet enthusiast, and buffet eaters everywhere can learn a thing or two about how to eat an exorbitant amount of food from this man.

Papa in his Element

First course? Some kind of cream of asparagus soup, we were guessing, which was good, if not a little stringy. And a ‘salad’. Papa’s version of a salad?

Pile shredded cheese on a plate. Top with hard boiled egg crumbles, bacon bits, croutons, and thousand island dressing. Enjoy.

Second course: Lots of meat and potatoes, everything covered in gravy.

‘They had corn beef hash,’ he said upon returning from the meat station. ‘I was surprised because it is usually a breakfast food.’

Grandma and I were distracted by the dessert bar so we weren’t concerned about his corn beef hash. When we got back to the table, though:

‘So that corn beef hash turned out to be apple crisp,’ he said nonchalantly. Grandma and I laughed into our sundaes, but then I looked at his clean plate.

‘Papa, you still ate all that apple crisp with gravy over it?’

‘Oh yeah it was great! I might go back for more.’

Desserts!

Grandma's Cheesecake

Instead we got him to pick out a piece of cake that he didn’t like. So I should have just let him eat the apple crisp with gravy. It just seems like no person should consume that.

My grandma found herself a piece of caramely cheese cake that she really liked.

What did I eat at this buffet? I made myself a bean and rice burrito, a big salad, some of that soup, I made myself an oreo caramel sundae and like 6 cookies. I’m eating more cookies that my grandma stole for me right now!

Illegal Picture

You are not supposed to take pictures of the gaming floor, so I just took this one quick, mainly to illustrate exactly how many old people were there. I would turn my back for one second and lose my grandparents in a sea of 70+ white people. All the women had the same white hair cut and all the men were bald! I had no chance.

The Excitement was Palpable

I have never gambled before. Well, at a casino. I like playing poker and betting on sports, because that kind of gambling involves doing something. Either you are watching a game for three hours hoping that your team does well, or you are playing a game and have a little control of your money. Slot machines? You put in the money and 2 minutes of pushing buttons later you have no money. I’m too cheep and when $20 can get you two weeks of groceries, you like when it disappears in 2 minutes.

Me, Haircut, Sweater

So I sat in the lounge area with the sleeping people and shuttle drivers and knit my Vogue Cropped Jacket, which is coming along really nicely! It is knitting up really fast; I finished the body a while ago and am working on the sleeves right now. I love the Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool! It is so pretty and nice to work with. I’m almost done with the sleeves, so then I can put it all together and work on the yoke.

The Little River In The Little River

Besides me hating to gamble, my grandma losing her phone (recovered), my grandma losing her cane (recovered), and my grandparents both losing all of their money (not recovered), we had a great time! It’s nice to get them out of the house, and they love to gamble, and they got a lot of exercise running around that huge casino, and I got a lot of work done on my sweater. I’d call that a successful afternoon.

And after the two and a half hour drive back home I was passed out in front of the Tigers game where I belong, and I’m sure my grandparents were, too.