Such a dramatic picture for an anti-climactic moment. I knew it was going to happen, but I kept denying it. The camisole and I had a good relationship so I don't begrudge her. Things started off nice, as they often do, with the hopes and excitement that come with something new. She was one of those friends that you imagine becoming best friends with, how could you not with all the fun you were having. You start talking on the phone a lot or hanging out all the time. "She's so cool!", you think. You even get cocky and think "I have some of the best friends around, how did I get so lucky?" Don't worry, we all think this.

Eventually it sneaks up on you, this feeling of friendship ennui. The friendship is played out, the newness is gone. You end up doing the same things over and over again. Little things start to annoy you. You find yourself bored, but you don't say this with that half BFF charm hanging around and all. You start to call less, you are too busy to talk, and you already have plans, sorry. There's still friendliness when you run into each other, with false plans, or is it hope?, that you'll hang out again. Sorry camisole, I moved on. I knew that I would never finish your ribbing and really, I don't think we are that much alike. I was blinded by your coolness, funkiness even, but really we were never that compatible.

Oh, who's this? Just a new friend named Ella. Well, really she's more my mom's friend, maybe even her future BFF. I won't jinx it though. Admittedly, I haven't really been hanging out with Ella that much with catching up with work and all. I mostly worked on her during the weekend and did a few rows here and there during the week. I'm finally at the end of section 2 in the pattern, though that's the section I get to stay in since we are going for a triangle here. It's hard to tell from the picture, I have 240 stitches there, which translates to roughly 26" from tip to bottom and, I'm guessing, somewhere around 48" in width. I'm still not sure what finished size I want for this any suggestions? I'll just keep knitting till it's time to pick up my mom at the airport.

Gratuitous reverse shot:

Angela tagged me with the "knitting space" meme a few days ago, I'll try to get those pics posted this week as well.

Posted by bitter purl at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

No real news on River to share with you. I was down the shore for the weekend and just knit a little here or there but to be honest the pattern is kinda boring me. I think that I'm going to plug away at it all this week so I can be done with it (what are the chances of this happening?!). I've been secretly working on another Tubular Camisole with some stash yarn. I wanted to try it again with a lighter yarn and maybe a slouchier fit before summer completely fades away. Isn't it funky? It's Noro Sumire, a now discontinued cotton and silk blend. I can't find any information on it online, but I promise I'm not lying. It's nice and soft and even kinda fun to work with.

The silk and cotton are spun together until you get to breaks where the silk is basically bursting from the cotton giving the yarn a thick and thin quality. Sumire could quite possibly be the mullet of yarns; all business over here, party over there. This yarn is so funky in fact that I managed to pick up two (two! one each way) boys on the train last week while knitting this. I wasn't even trying since I'm not looking. They just started talking to me asking about what I was making and one even telling me how they used to crochet as a kid. Ladies and gents, if you are looking for a date forget bars instead take a knitting project on public transportation and they'll be flocking to you.

Thanks everybody for your comments, it definately made me feel better and I'm loving the bangs. It's funny to think of all the pictures I brought with me to get my cut, I'll have to make a collage out of them to show all of you. Now that I'm back home I'll get back to all of you through email.

Posted by bitter purl at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool, 2 skeins

Pattern: Camisole Tube

Needles: US 5 and 9 Addis

Date Started: 8.01.05

Date Finished:8.04.05

I really thought I was going to finish this yesterday, but I didn't realize I had entered the blackhole of ribbing. Round after round I measured with no progress in site. It doesn't help that I have ADD when it comes to ribbing for a long stretch of time (sometimes even an inch is a long time). Oh, let me apologize right now for the crappy picture, I haven't made the straps yet and we had some weird code red ozone advisory thing mixed with a sudden storm in the afternoon. I wanted to take a pic outside, but it was so nasty! I'm sure you can understand. I'll try to get a pic of me wearing it tomorrow, straps and all.

What can I say about this pattern? It keeps you interested the whole time and it's in that perfect place, where it isn't too fast or too slow (though, I'm sure a lot of you could have knitted it faster than yours truly!). Looking back on it though, I wish I had lenghtened the body a bit before I went into the bottom ribbing. I don't think I have the body for a tube yet. There's my short torso combined with the boobs and the not so flat stomach, a few inches added to the stockinette section would have really helped me. I'll make sure to do that on the next one I make. I just have to decide what yarn to use next. I do love my Nature Wool, I believe that's been well documented, but I want something cooler for this heat. Blue Sky Cotton is calling my name, though I'm not sure if I want to go the cotton route.

If any of you decide to get this pattern when it's available, feel free to ask my any questions. Hell, if you have questions now I'll make sure to add the answers to this post. Just leave some comments and I'll get to them.

ps: I don't know why blogger is being so buggy tonight

edit 8.7.05: Sorry for the delay, but there was a new version of the pattern after I finished my tube. Still deciding if I should rip or start a new one. The all fixed up pattern is available for sale today. Hope you all like it!

Posted by bitter purl at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Just wanted to show what I've been up to since I didn't post my bi-weekly UFO report. Sorry the pic is so contrasty, but the sun kept coming and going. Anywho, the lovely knit you see above is the camisole tube from glampyre.com. It's been a fun knit, with some yo's, bobbles, and short rows thrown in there. The suggested yarn is Lana Grossa Basics Stop, which sounds like Lion Brand Micro Spun. I'm sure by now my lovely readers know my feelings towards this yarn, but if you don't then let's just say they are not very loving. The gauge for this pattern is 4 stitches to the inch on US 7's, so really a worsted yarn could work. I'm using Araucania Nature Wool in, what I call, grape. Want to know some other yarns you could sub with? Sure I'll tell you some that come to mind, Classic Elite Bamboo (though this could get pricey), Blue Sky Cotton, SWTC Phoenix and probably Karaoke. I'm almost done with the stockinette section and then I have to start ribbing again, so I should have a FO pic in the next day or so...stay tuned!

Posted by bitter purl at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)