The Sweatshop of Love Blog

So I started knitting a sweater. You knew I couldn’t hold off until January. I knew I couldn’t hold off until January. It was bound to happen.

King of Confidence

I started this sweater from the new winter 2009 knitty. The idea behind the sweater was to use yarn you spun yourself in a sweater without having to spin yarn for an entire sweater. I’ve never spun before, but it did make me think of that Kitchen Sink Dyeworks yarn I won a few months ago that I haven’t used yet.

Kitchen Sink, Patons

I bought a bunch of Paton’s Merino when it was on sale around Thanksgiving that I’ve got on my mind grapes for a sweater, so I thought if I knit the sweater in the red and used the yellow around the yoke it would be a great way to use that fancy yarn on something I would wear all the time, having only one skeins worth.

About 7 Inches

But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t get McDonald’s out of my head. Yellow and red? I would kill someone if I knit a sweater and got a McDonald’s comment. And I was bored. The sweater felt bulky, I pictured it looking bulky on me, and it had no wow factor.

So I ripped it out.

Ball Winder+Swift=Happiness

To make myself feel better I opened my new swift, attached it, along with my ball winder, to my work table, and balled all the yarn I had laying around. It was kind of awesome. Look how cool my table looks with a freaking swift attached to it! And it took about 30 minutes to ball that Knit Picks Gloss, where before I wanted to kill something even thinking about balling them by hand.

… yeah. I said Knit Picks Gloss. I might have something in mind. I might be a big fat cheater who can’t wait until January to start the Sweater a Month 2010 Challenge.

Yeah, that totally sounds like me.

On, and Perfect!

Cute Thumb!

Done!

This weekend I finished the Two-Textured Mittens I’ve been working on this week. I think they turned out really well! I’m especially proud of the thumb, which was picked up after the body of the mitten was finished, and then shaped. I didn’t want one of those floppy thumbs on beginner mittens, and I thought working the thumb with different needles and different yarn while working the body would be too much. I can’t even picture how that would work.

But this way is simple and fun and cute and I’m really happy with this mitten. And hopefully I’ve got four months until I need it.

Fuzzy Yarn Balled

I balled up the huge mass of fuzzy yarn. I still don’t know what it is, but it was impossible to figure out what was going on with it; I was knitting from the outside of the ball which I hate doing. Yarn winder to the rescue! It wound up so nice! It is tight and feels really secure. I’m pretty sure I have enough yarn for 27 more mittens.

Oats and Banana Toast

Grilled Cheese, Zucchini, and Carrot Sandwich

Sultan's Market Falafel Sandwich and Spinach Pie

I had some pretty solid meals this weekend, starting with an abundance of oat bowls. I have so much fruit in the house, all over the kitchen, that every time I go in there I hear the voice of a little oat bowl, ‘Allyson, look at us! We are lovely blueberries and we would go VERY well in a bowl with oats, milk, cinnamon toast crunch, a little apple, a little coconut, and some raisins!’ Then the banana chimes in, ‘Don’t forget about me! My best friend is crunchy peanut butter on toast!’ So I eat that. A lot.

After the mini sandwiches from earlier in the week, I had that Dubliner cheese, zucchini combo in my head and had to repeat, with some carrot. Awesome! I love this sandwich.

And a falafel craving lead to a trip to Sultan’s Market. Though, that falafel is sitting pretty heavy in my tummy right now.

Ooh Velma

What is a Sunday without a cat in a box? Velma likes to sleep in very small spaces. Sometimes I wish I could fit in a box and just chill there until I have a reason to leave. I feel you, Velma.

Behold!

Before/After

I had to wind something, so I wound one of the skeins of sock yarn I got to bring my order up to $50 to qualify for free shipping.

It.

Was.

Awesome.

I winded the shit out of it.

However I will still need a friend to hold a hank if I want to wind yarn that isn’t in a skein. My mom’s hot tip is to put the hank around your feet and wind it from there. Then your feet is your friend. Are your friend? Gah.

Seriously? Seriously, Interweave? Seriously with the wraps and turns and all that counting? You expect people to be all super pumped about knitting this entrelac sock with this wrap and turn bullshit?

It Is Cute Though

And please take note of my princesses kleenex box.

The problem is that when you knit a sock from the toe up you have to wrap and turn like a crazy person for the heel. You all know how I feel about wrap and turns. And you all know how I feel about the rib down sock heel! I love it so much. But this toe up sock makes so much sense, especially if you have nice sock yarn, you just rib until you run out of the ball, instead of trying to guess and ending up needing the toe to be a different color. Which I kind of like.

God I’m a sock neurotic. Who knew?

Is there any way to knit a toe up sock with a short row instead of wrap and turn heel? I was trying to work it out with I was wrapping and turning and wrapping and turning but I couldn’t. I can’t!

Tara Made Me

I bought this yesterday. One for me and one for Tara. I figure I can get people to come to a class to wind their yarn, right? It is like a business expense. And it is cute.

And I was watering my seeds this morning and I have somem catnip and a lot of camomile! My mints and flowers have nothing going on, and my avocado pit is still very dormant. But it is supposed to be 50 degrees this weekend so that has to help! Even if they are inside.

Back to my heel. I want to finish that bitch before dinner.