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From today's section on SEM

Not knitting but still art

I am afraid I wasn’t knitting much these past days, way too busy with my ‘primary’ life in a lab. This week I’ve been enjoying an introductory course to Electron microscopy. Pictures I was able to produce myself using pollen sample and SEM will follow later this week (Uni internet is way too slow).

For me molecular biology and genetics are fun and in a way a form of art. Some people have a misconception regarding the matter believing that science is all to do with maths. Well in a way it does, as it does with physics but then again physics may be regarded as a form of art too. You have to know how to draw diagrams, use sophisticated computer paint packages and take pictures (understanding the principle of image developing comes in pretty handy).

Aw, as some of you may have noticed I put a new name down in the ‘Progress section’, that is my new infatuation piece (again in tweed) called Martha. It comes from Rowan Studio Issue 2, and not from a Rowan mag. I am pretty happy with my progress so far: last weekend I’ve done the whole of the back and have to say it does look as good as in the picture.


Another thing I need to say or rather ask is a bit stupid, so here it goes: how do you find the e-mail of the person who commented in your post, so you may send him/her a thank you reply? I am totally lost…

Gambling

I am not a gambler, at least not with respect to the casino game aspect of the definition, neither with respect to life decisions, but it seems like I might be a gambler when it comes to yarn meterage.

I have never knitted with Sundara Sock Yarn before, so I had no idea whether 1 skew will be sufficient for the sock I wanted. The Ripple Weave socks have adjustable pattern repeat, nothing to worry about, right? The problem is I set my heart on knitting exactly 7 repeats like on the mag model girl, knitted the first sock, absolutely loved the length, and started another one…

I wasn’t sure until the very end whether I would be able to make it. It is such a thrill not to be sure; it keeps you knitting frenzy and doesn’t get the ‘second sock syndrome’ to kick in.

So, after 2 evenings knitting like a complete knittoholic (does such word exist?), I finished the second sock with only 50cm of yarn left. Can you believe my luck?!! I have no idea what I would have done if I ran out of it since it is limited edition dye and there is absolutely no chance getting another skew. I know I would have to rip it but then I know even better that I would never make myself to re-knit it one repeat shorter.


This is a true colour (above)

Model: Ripple Weave Socks form VK Fall 2006
Yarn: Sundara Sock Yarn in 'Navy over Pink'
Needles: Addi's DPN 2.5mm
Modifications: I chose to knit complete 7 repeats pattern

This is the reason I think it is called Weave

Pattern is double sided, cannot decide which side I like more

Kiwi

This weekend was very productive; I finished my GG top but didn’t have enough time this week to take pictures of me in it. Verdict: LOVE it! Love everything about it: the simplicity of the design, the fact that it is top-to-bottom knit, the way the colour looks in the pain st. st. This yarn is made for the plain st. st. But is it a Kiwi colour? For me it looks more like green apple on the sunny day or pistachio.



Model: GG from Zephyrstyle
Yarn: 5 balls of Lana Grossa ‘New Cotton’ in colour kiwi
Needles: Addi’s circular 24’ and 40’ in 3.5mm and 4.0mm, Addi’s DPN 3.5mm
Modification: well, a part from the initial cast and the fancy pattern everything had been knitted to fit my body and so had been knitted from my head and not using the instruction

Recycle

Remember my green bolero, the one I crocheted last summer and wore only once to make pictures of it. Well, I have finally ripped it and casted a completely new project with the salvaged yarn, a knitted project as I am not a crocheter.
It is a Green Gable: the picture is rather old (taken today in the morning), I am now down to waist. I thought of taking pictures of me wearing it, but then even down to waist it is still revealing.
This is my first top-to-bottom knit and I do love it. I can play with the pattern, do increases and decreases whenever I want and if it does not look right I might just rip couple of rows and start all over again. This particular yarn is perfect for plain stockinette stitch; want to finish it as soon as possible. But since I only knit on the weekends now, it will take some time.

Sanity

I am at Uni with no knitting, no time for reading and in the mist of things to do as I go through each day. The weather doesn’t help either, since it is all rainy and grey and sleepy.

To stay sain, I listen for my favourite band: Silverchair. Just though you might like to check out their new video on the new song (first after 5 whopping years of silence). I have to admit, I am slightly too exited and paranoid about it, have to watch it 10-20 times a day; I am sure it will make me sick eventually but for now I am loving it!!!!

Sick and Tired

The Phildar Jacket is finally done and it is such a sense of relief!!! I don’t like the end result; don’t even think it will grow on me: it is way too small in length and the cut is not mine.

I have to admit, this is my first adult piece from a French mag and French shaping is not for me. I am more on the German line with big feminine curves. I know I am not as skinny as I would like but even so, I did knit my normal size(size 3) and it is too uncomfortable.

So, I have decided t give it away to my mum, she is slimmer and shorter and overall has a completely different body type. Fingers crossed it will suite her and will not be thrown away.

Model: Gilet (21) from Phildar Tendances 436
Yarn: Phildar Pure Laine 3.5 650gr in colour Chameau
Needles: 3.00mm and 4.5mm

7 ways

All through this week I have been inspired by big knitting. I saw it in so many places; I lost my sleep and started thinking how I could possibly adapt it in my own knits. After all, it is going to be one of the biggest fashion trends in the coming Fall/Winter; I know it is almost a year from now, but I always preferred to be ahead rather then behind in fashion.

If you feel you might do with some of that inspiration yourself please check out Olga’s lovely blog for latest catwalk pictures and a new book by Twinkle.

About my actual result, well here it is. WARNING: high picture contents ahead.
Remember, I knitted the skiing sweater from Cascade Magnum earlier this winter. I was never fully satisfied by the neck and it only took 5 balls of yarn rather then 6 mentioned in the pattern. I was planning to use the ball on a mystery original design but last night the longing for the big turtle neck took a grip over me and I had to knit.
I picked up the sweater, the extra ball and I can now reveal my very own modified version of the sweater. There are 7 different ways of wearing the huge neck.

An impulsive knit

You know how it is sometimes: you understand that you should be working on the certain knit, but you just can’t force yourself because somehow that knit becomes compulsory. This is exactly what happened to me this week. I was going to work solemnly on my Phildar Jacket and try to finish it off but just never could make myself.

I am getting towards the end of it now with fronts, back, 2 sleeves and one pocket being done. I now need to finish the second pocket and knit a huge front plank. And then of course I will have to wash, block and assemble it, not a small task but I will get there.

So, instead of being constant I stated that new impulsive knit: the Ripple Weave socks from VK Fall 06. Something is not right with me, ever since I finished that Christmas stocking I became bewitched by the whole sock knitting experience, I have to knit it. Strange, isn’t it? As soon as one pair is done I must find another one. And I bought this glorious Sundara Sock Yarn; it is the best sock yarn I worked with ever!!!

One sock is done now and I better hide the remaining yarn and work on that cardi before I cast on the second sock.




Love that Welsh Heel

Miranda

I had a very long and busy weekend with very small amount of knitting done. I wish I have done more but there was simply no time.

However, I did manage to finish Miranda socks for my boyfriend, only to find out they were not for him. It is not that they came out too small; it is the whole shape of the leg part. My boyfriend’s cuffs are straight and not curvy as mine, so the leg part of the sock was waving like a flag on him. However, after a wash in a fairly hot water, they became a perfect fit for me (I have a large feet for a girl). So here it is in a colourway of Harry Potter’s scarf:

Pattern: Miranda from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Jaeger Matchmaker DK 2.5 balls of discontinued colour pumpkin and 1 whole ball of brown
Needles: Addi DPN 2.5mm
Modifications:
the rib is 5 rows shorter
there are 5 extra rows of plain st st after the last pattern repeat of the foot before the decreases
the toe is wide instead of pointy, I don’t like pointy toes’ fit

It is a really Big Hat

It was really cold over here this week, so cold in fact that none of my hats could protect me. This was a call for some wardrobe update. Last Autumn I fell in love with the Marc Jacobs Mushroom hat and was on the quest of replicating it: I bought the yarn, the needles….. But then the inspiration had left me.

So, this week, all I had to do was to knit it, which I did.
I firstly opted for the original look and got it by making a shorter double hat but I looked absolutely awful in it, so ugly in fact, I made no pictures and quickly ripped it before anyone could see me.
With the second attempt I took my time: I knew what look I wanted to achieve, it was just the matter of actually doing it. Here it is: my own Mushroom hat.


Model: my own adaptation of Marc Jacobs’ Mushroom Hat
Yarn: 3 skew of Blue Sky Alpacas
Needles: Addi circulars 15mm and 20mm

Weirdly shaped

I have finally defeated the twisted devil and picked up Phildar Jacket. It is spring soon and I have been trying to knit it since summer. If I don’t pull myself together now, it will be virtually impossible later. I am very proud of myself I dare say as I finished both fronts! You may argue that they are not difficult, but to me they are: not only I have to knit in a reverse stockinet stitch (I find it extremely boring), but also the shape is so closely-fitting, I have to be very careful with constant row counting. For me it is 10 times more complicated than Demi.

Anyways, as soon as I finished 2 pieces I blocked them, I was just curious about the outcome as they rolled into tubes and I could not envisage the design. I also started the back immediately; 40 rows done by now, not much, but something.

The blocking itself was very complicated, I have spend no least then 53minutes on it!!!. This is because I could not do it right about 4 times, eventually I ended up blocking them wrong side up, it doesn’t make any difference but decreases and increases are much more visible.

I also washed and blocked Demi’ back, here it the picture of it (the best one out of probably 20 shots) wet but not blocked yet.

One sock down, one to go.

I haven’t posted this weekend because I didn’t have any new pictures to show and posts without pictures are rather boring.
2 days ago I finally finished the back of Demi, it took just over 2 balls of yarn and now I am slightly worried that 7 balls are not going to be enough, this is a new fear for me which started after my small disaster with Gedifra. I personally call it: the problem with difficult to obtain yarn. If I was knitting with something like RYC DK I would not have worried as popping into LYS could easily put an end to my misery but it just so happens that I fall in love with discontinued yarn.

I wish I could show you Demi’ back but it is awfully tricky to photograph. Instead, I would show you the first Miranda sock. I love it!!! The pumpkin colour is so pretty in real life. The sock is steaming hot from the needles and so without washing and blocking.


I am modelling it myself and it is slightly large for me as the pair intended for my boyfriend. The yarn is stretchy, so after the wash it will be suitable for European size 43-44. Fingers crossed ;)

Snow

It has been really cold over here recently, so cold in fact that it even snowed last night. I know for many parts of the world snow is nothing more than an every winter event (I am Russian, I should be used to it), but for England it is something rare and unusual.
Thank God, I don’t have to travel till Friday, when it had snowed last year trains stopped running.

Anyways, because it is so cold I’ve got a chance to wear my River shawl together with the matching hat. I even bought a lovely felted broche to go with it.




On the knitting news: all of my knitting will have to wait till weekend as I have left it in Cam deliberately (it is a new term and I have to focus on it). However, on Sunday night I made further progress on Demi: it is 4 complete diamonds now. I find it quit a struggle to photograph it as the colour is so dark. Honestly, I am not sure I will make it justice when it will come to modelling for the FO post.

Tweed

I don’t know what is gotten into me but all I like recently is tweed. Maybe it is because I spend too much time in Cambridge?
I still have absolutely no progress on my Phildar jacket but I have casted on two new projects and both of them are tweed and discontinued tweed as well.
The first project is Highgate which is from 2003 Jaeger Pattern book and I saw it at sweetgeorgia in September, fell in love and started to look for the yarn. Back in October I managed to buy required quantity in the colourway I wanted (I am not much of the pink person). What can I say: LOVE it! This yarn is fabulous! I have knitted up to shoulders, spotted a mistake I have done 65 rows back and sadly had to frog.

Every time I do frog something I get angry with it and my interest in the thing wears off for some time, so I have started Demi. I am much more advanced now since taking this picture yesterday.

Initially, I was not planning on knitting it this year, I wanted to knit Beau for my boyfriend: ordered this discontinued yarn, and after I have paid, the seller on the internet shop said they run out of the colour and since it had been discontinued I could either get a refund or choose a different colour. I chose a different colour… everyone(ckeck out Ashley and Miss Elliphantom ) seems to be knitting it now, I just got the vibe...

Splash of colour

My interlock Gedifra sweater is done and it is so bright in our rainy-gloomy-miserable weather. I wanted to take some lovely and happy shots with it, to do some justice to the projects, try to give you the feel of it. But the end result is: fat-yellow-skin-looking-girl.
Just to let you know: in real life/light yellow colour doesn’t make me look like a HP B patient and I don’t look that big in it.





Pattern: Model 755 Gedifra Highlights 052
Yarn: Gedifra Fashion Trend Colour 150g in green and 450g in yellow
Needles: 6mm 40’ Addi circulars
Modifications: none

There was a mistake in the pattern yardage and I was left with one extra ball of green colour yarn and one yellow ball short (fortunately, my yarn problem was quickly resolved). And the extra green ball soon became a helmet hat.

Helmet Hat
Pattern: my own
Yarn: 1 ball of Gedifra Fashion Trend Colour in green
Needles: 6mm 40’ Addi circulars and 4mm Addi DPNs


P.S. Ava, the lovely item from previous post is a shawl, though it is more like a large scarf.

Stick a fork in me

The grant is done; I cannot even begin to express how please I am about it, 3 days of continuous writing or prelude research for the writing. Hopefully, next time I will do it with some ease if not to say enjoyment. At least that was the point of this exercise
In view of the above, I haven’t actually knitted a single row and I have been longing to finish my Gedifra sweater, so I am going to do it this week.

Anyway, that is not what I was to blog about. I actually wanted to show you the present my boyfriend's mum gave me this Christmas, I only got it this Monday.


Hand crocheted on Madagascar, remarkable if you understand how long it would have taken you to actually do it and then to weave all the ends. I know for certain I would never be able to do it, but then again I am not a crochet confident knitter. End weaving just kills the beauty of the modular knitting for me.

Grant Application

I think, I would have to change the name of my blog as there will be very little knitting soon. With holidays being over, I am back with studying.
I want to be a scientist, I want to conduct my own experiments, and hence I must know how to fill a grant application. I have never seen or done one in my life, and now I have been given an article on the subject I know absolutely nothing about, some guidelines, list of equipment and that is it. I know it is only a test (not an actual application) and it is for my own benefit in the long run, but I HATE IT!
It is massive, it is even longer than a student visa application, longer than most of the PhD applications (unless it is a German application form ;)) and worst of all is that I have absolutely no idea from which side to tackle it. I can’t believe that in real life one has to do it every 3 years or so.
There has been absolutely no knitting since the beginning of this year, sad isn’t it? Sigh.
It is Friday however, and I wanted to show you something pretty, so I will show you wonderful vintage buttons I have bought on etsy, it is not for anything particular, just impulsive-stashing.

New Year, same life

I hope all had a nice time over holidays. It is just so sad it is so soon over and done with. I didn’t knit as much I would have wished for and spend most of the time in bed ill.

This is a strange thing: I am getting the cold every two weeks now and my immune system doesn’t have enough time for the simplest rehab. Awful… it all started this September as I had get another abscess on my toe (as if 3 operations last year wasn’t enough), last year I had been found to have an MRS infection which I got in the hospital over here in UK. I was treated with yet another extensive course of antibiotic cocktail. It sort of worked for the toe, but now I am so weak I have these continuous relapses of cold. I only hope it would pass soon.

Anyway, I was ok on the actual New Year Eve and went out with my boyfriend and friends. It was nice, not too outrageous, not a drinking-dancing night, just a nice conversation night.

I have been thinking about resolutions for some time now and decided to say a no to them, chances of me keeping them are just too faint because what could the resolutions of the knitter be? Yes, as usual: not too buy too much yarn and try to use the stash. I would love to do it, but not sure I am strong enough.

On the more cheerful news: I have received the ball of yarn needed to finish Gedifra sweater off. Thank you, a wonderful Lana, a woman in Germany whom I never met in my life, but who has such a generous heart.