Timm's Scarf - Progress

I'm almost half way done with Timm's scarf! The first leg is done, the second leg is yet to come, and I've had long conversations with Timm about what happens in the middle. In the end, all he wanted was a surprise. Silly man. Alas, this is me, withholding information while also trying to explain that I'm working on it. I tried out a few different ideas, and I've finally come to a solution that I think works best for the yarn and the design. I hope it turns out to be an interesting (and surprising) transition from one leg to the next.

Timmy's Braided Scarf

I barely finish one project and I'm already on to the next. My friend, Timmy, has been waiting a good long while for this scarf and I'm just getting started! I know this looks small. You'd be right. It's only about 7 inches long and 5 inches wide. It will both widen and lengthen as I work on it, and after I block it.

As you can see from the enlarged photos, the yarn is fuzzy. This fuzzy is really nice when you're wearing it, but not when you're trying to pick out a pattern. After restarting 12 times, I've finally settled on the Braided Cable Scarf. I'm enjoying working on it, and it will make a very warm scarf. Timm will always say that he likes it. He's a "It's the thought and the effort that counts" kinda guy, but I hope he really does like it.

Durrow Cardigan - Complete

Okay, so I still have to buy and sew on the buttons, but for all intents and purposes, this sweater is done! It's off the needles, all the tails have been hidden, and photos have been taken. I'm SO wearing this to work tomorrow!

This sweater came together amazingly quickly considering all the times I started over, and all the rows I had to frog. A lot of it was math, and the rest was trial and error. I'm rather proud of of it, and I'm secretly hoping to impress a person or two.

As usual, I've already got my next project going. I'm working on the Red Herring Scarf by Yvonne Kao. The Misti Alpaca Suri Silk is a beautiful yarn, but the Hematite is rather tweedy, and so dark it might as well be black. It made choosing a guy pattern rather difficult. This pattern is very subtle, but elegant in its own right. I think it may be a rather unexpected surprise for a guy who asked for a scarf, but wasn't technically serious until I bought the yarn.

Button Shopping

I am so close to finishing my sweater that I can virtually guarantee I'll be wearing the Durrow Cardigan to work on Monday. That being said, I have a hard time forcing myself to complete finishing touches like hiding tails and going button shopping.

Speaking of which, I think I've found the buttons I want to use, but while searching, I also found these killer steampunk buttons cast from the inside of a watch! I think I will have to add this button to my list of purchases just so I have them on hand when that perfect garment comes along.

Apartment Hunting

The only thing I hate more than moving is not knowing where I'm moving to. Yes, my friends, its apartment hunting season again.

Whats currently driving me nuts is I could have spent time working on my nearly completed sweater, but instead I spent it looking at various websites. It was much harder than I though to find a place that was in our price range, located conveniently near(ish) to work, doesn't expect us to give up our first born for the deposit, and doesn't have a pending lawsuit against them!

Alas, we have narrowed down our choices to a few locations. Hopefully we'll get this nailed down soon so I can get back to knitting!

Durrow cardigan Image Updates!

If I keep going the way I'm going (only knitting on the weekends to let my elbow heal), I should finish this sweater in about 3 to 4 weeks! I doubt I'll actually be wasting any time healing up when I'm so close to finishing! I have to admit my sweater is turning out a bit shorter than I expected, but the shaping fits perfectly. I'm so excited to finish it up! Button shopping, here I come!

Durrow Sleeves are attached!

I was dead set and determined that I was going to finish the sleeves this last weekend. I was not about to let my second-sock-syndrome put my coveted sweater on hold. Alas, after much persistence and knitting until my elbows ached, I did manage to finish them.

Getting them attached turned out to be a whole other nightmare. I thought I had it all planned out, and I was anxious to get back to working on the body. I stayed up until 1:30 AM Saturday night attaching them, only to wake up Sunday morning and tear it all out. It wasn't until Sunday night that I finally got everything back together.

I put the project down as soon as I was done. I haven't picked it up since. My elbows need to heal.

KCM's Binary Pulse Warmer

And here it is, boys and girls, the Knitting Code Monkey Binary Pulse warmer # 2! The first one is too big, but I wear it anyway. I know this doesn't look like the shnazziest thing in the world, but think about it! Its an encoded message! Its got texture and personality! Think of the spell possibilities! Though the back side actually looks cooler, it seems like betraying the whole concept by wearing it inside out. On the other hand, its not like anyone else will know (except for the few of you that stop in now and again).

I really am a knitting code monkey!

Since I've decided that this Knitting Code Monkey persona works for me, I've decided to purchase knittingcodemonkey.com and use it as my blog, portfolio, resume, and knitting site. All good sites and brands have a logo, so Rich and I have been working on mine. While playing with this logo, my husband observed that the faint binary code I had running through a few of the many sample images made the whole logo looked knitted.

*spark* *spark* *lightbulb*

"The ones and zeros symbolized in the knit and purls of a garment hold unlimited potential..."

I started playing with a binary translator and a few phrases. I ended up with a pattern that is 15 rows, 32 stitches each. I used the last of the Misti Alpaca I had left over from knitting Rich's gloves, and made myself a pulse warmer. This measures to approximately 7" around and 2.5" tall when worked on U.S. Size 5 DPNs. This leaves plenty of room for a top and bottom border, perhaps double ribbing, or garter stitch to differentiate it from the random pattern making up the message. I chose to simply knit one row before and after the binary pattern. What message does the Knitting Code Monkey wear around her wrist, you ask?

"These are my adventures as both a code monkey and a knitter."

First Durrow Cable repeat completed

Disaster recovery complete! I not only completed the first 64 row cable for the first time, I also worked out the math for the sleeves, and everything up to the short rows for the collar. My goal was to make this sweater completely seamless; to prove you can do something complicated and beautiful without having to do it in pieces. Now, I realize that you still have to start the two sleeves and the body separately, but at least you don't have to sew them all together at the end.

To work the sleeves in the round, I'll need to pick up size 8 DPNs. As much as I'd like to work it on circulars, I'm too lazy to work both sleeves at once, or to use the magic cable method. Besides, making gloves these last couple weeks has made me less adverse to working with DPNs.

There is still the matter of getting the yarn for my friend's scarf. *sigh* I need to get that SOON before winter is over and he has no use for it!