Reasons the Harlot Should Come to Hawaii

A list for Jayme-the-wonder-publicist. (Aloha to all y'all who are following the link from Stephanie's blog!)

1. Canadian winter. I hear it is cold. Grey. Miserable. You wouldn't want The Talent to get those winter blahs, would you?
2. Careful reading of Stephanie's books reveals one skein of wool purchased in Hawaii, stashed as a travel memoir, and testament to the rarity and somewhat uselessness of wool in Hawaii. We wouldn't want that skein to get lonely, would we? Not when we have Hawaii Homegrown Wool Company for roving!
3. Aloha Knitters Group: They meet on Oahu, have blogs, have a Ravelry group, and would love to host a Harlot party! Those of us on outer islands are obsessed enough to fly to Oahu, the "Gathering Place". They have bookstores there. Plenty of chairs, I am sure. If they don't have enough chairs, we can sit on the ground. It isn't like there is snow on the ground or anything!
4. We are starved for attention. We just assume no one ever wants to come all the way out here to visit us. The truth is, we have one of the most beautiful States in the Union. Beaches, volcanos, mountains, jungles, cattle plains, even snow on the top of Mauna Kea. We love hosting guests. (I shouldn't really have to work this hard to sell it, right? I mean, it is HAWAII fergawdssakes!)
5. Kona Coffee. Vats of it. You can go to where it is grown and roll around in the freshly plucked berries. You can tour coffee plantations and drink all the samples you want. We also have beer (Kona Brewing Company, Mehana Brewery, etc.) and copious vegetarian food including Macadamias, Guavas, Papayas, Cocoa Pods, Pineapple, coconut, taro, breadfruit...
6. Flights are very reasonable, especially in the middle of winter from the West Coast. There aren't a ton of them, so they don't leave at horrid times in the morning, which would lessen the chances of needing to awaken at 3 in the morning. (And if they were early, see #5 above: KONA COFFEE. Did I mention the coffee?)
7. Eyelash Yarn. Sold everywhere and used for those ubiquitous fuzzy leis. Save us. Seriously. We will fan you with banana leaves and leave you offerings of chocolate covered Kona coffee beans.
8. I can promise you no snakes. I can't do anything about the spiders- sorry. However, I can promise that there are many people here with crazier, fuzzier, bigger, frizzier hair than you. Humidity + Ocean water (currently the ocean is 80 degrees Fahrenheit) means big hair is the trend.
9. Hawaii State Washcloths! How shall you ever complete your collection unless we lure you here! Think how exotic they would be! (Eyelash yarn? Heh.)
10. A chance to actually find out if that knitted bikini holds up in warm ocean water. Imagine the blogging possibilities!
11. Finally: (Jayme... don't you get to come with on at least some of the tour dates? Choose wisely. That's all I'm saying.)

Stephanie: Thank you for your words and your community-building spirit. Knitters who stop by: This list is for you as well. Come visit us! Bring your knitting!

Finished Baudelaire Socks!

Pattern: Baudelaire by Cookie A. as seen in Knitty
Needles: 2.5mm 2 circular Knitpicks
Yarn: Austermann Step Superwash wool and nylon. One Skein.
Began: August 20th 2007
Complete: September 23rd 2007
Medium Size: And I used the larger-instep directions (8 row cable up each side).
Alterations? Did a short-row stockinette toe instead of a Figure-8. Just for practice.

I tried to get the pink to match on the toes, but chose the wrong pink. So the socks don't match, but are fraternally stripey. Come to think of it: I may have done the first sock from the middle of a center-pull ball, and the second sock from the outside of a center-pull ball, having had nothing but tangles on the first sock. Now that would make it stripe differently, wouldn't it!
I love the yarn: It is light and soft and makes the lace seem like lingerie. I couldn't tell any difference in smell or feel from the supposed Aloe and Jojoba infusion. I love that my DBF got this yarn as a gift for me!
I love the pattern. too. Next time I would do it in a solid color, which looks prettier than the self-striping circus that I have now.
(The Cat can't stay out of the photo! Camera-hog!)

I Love a Parade!

IMGP0395.JPG
Originally uploaded by KelKnits

I finished the ribbing on the second Baudelaire sock while watching the Aloha Festivals Parade in Waimea. Thought I would give y'all who yearn for Paniolo Country a taste of how we roll...er...gallop?

Cross-Posted on the TD:KAL: Sizing Trouble!

I am having the hardest time, and debating ripping almost the whole thing out. Advice? I am making the 44" size for (what I have to now admit) my disproportionately larger chest of 45". What I have found: The pieces across the bust fit okay, and the sleeves are tight, but also okay. The skirt is only half-complete but looking fine. (I would post photos but they are just too embarrassing!)

• The back is huge, and the armscyes are huge. So much so that upon setting the sleeves, the arm holes almost pleat a little to keep up.
• The neck is monstrous, and doesn't lay prettily like the photo, but creeps halfway up my head and hides the fact that, yes, indeed I DO have a neck!

I think my problem is this: I think I needed to do a smaller size to fit my body, and somehow increase through the chest (someone here...or was it in Ravelry? Has already asked about bust shortrows? But I think with the diagonal shaping it may be impossible?)
What do you think about:
Ripping out the neck to only about 2 inches?
Creating side seams to take up the massive amount of extra fabric under the arms?
Creating darts in the lower back?
Ripping out everything but the sleeves and skirt, re-knitting to a smaller size, somehow making the bigger sleeves and skirt fit onto the new smaller body, and not being disappointed when the new size stretches oddly over the chest?
And finally a question for everyone who loves the fit of theirs: Does it fit your body but have negative ease across your chest?
Thanks for being a part of this KAL. It is insanely helpful to have other people knitting the same pattern!

Because I Need New Reading Material...

Have you seen? Knitty Fall 2007 is finally up! Yay! And I recently subscribed to Interweave Spin-Off Magazine, but until I get an issue in the mail, they have started a Spinners Connection Blog. I have been enjoying the Knitting Daily feature from Interweave Knits, as well. All this until I get my Ravelry invite... (Where IS that?) Enjoy!

Update: Got my Ravelry invite RIGHT after i wrote this... Now THAT is service! I am on there as KelKnits- come check it out!

The Tilted Duster

I decided on a whim to make THIS: It is the Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan in the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits. (I have been wanting to knit something of hers for AGES!I LOVE her book!)
Then I found the Knit-Along. Then I found some yarn last Saturday. I started on Monday afternoon and have been whipping along: I have been knitting socks for quite some time now and had forgotten how fast knitting goes in Stockinette on #10s. This is where I am now:
This is the back, the Right and Left Fronts, and one sleeve. And a SWATCH! The yarn is Galway Highland Heather in a heathered teal. I need to check the label but I think it is 100% wool. It has been quite some time since I knit a whole sweater!
Update: Oh: I altered the pattern only a little (so far) by knitting that sleeve in the round all the way up to the sleeve cap. (I like to reduce the amount of seaming and purling). Last night I sewed the side and shoulder seams on the top, and picked up stitches for the skirt and the collar. Technically this is a bit out of order (I should have done the other sleeve) but I am worried about the fit and want the top as complete as possible before I spend all that time on the skirt.

Flubby Spinning Attempts

This photo shows my first attempts at spinning and 2-plying. The two multi-colored mini-skeins in the front were done in spinning classes at the Black Sheep Gathering: They are very huge and quite flubby. The little one at the bottom of the photo was plied from either end of a center-pull ball, while the middle one was plied from 2 bobbins. (If I recall correctly.)
Some beginner mistakes (er..."beginner tells" or...): They are uneven, large, and flubby. I thought they were over-spun, but when plied evenly (or as close as I could get to balanced) they ended up quite fluffy from the S-twist. Everyone was very gracious, telling me there are art-yarns out there that try to be flubby like this. Awww: You-So-Sweet!
The natural colored skein is the next attempt and the first from my new wheel. I got the singles to be skinnier, but also felt they were tight and overspun. But when plied (close as I could attempt to) balanced, they ended up fluffy as well. (Also plied from both ends of a center-pull cake). This skein is about 121 grams and more than 41 yards (I think. I will do some math later...)
This natural-colored fleece is Romney from my friend Jan's Hawaiian Homegrown Wool Company: Maluhia Farms!
Does anyone have any advice for me?

Credit Card Injury

Yes, I live 65 minutes from the nearest Local Yarn Store. No, I actually get to Hilo only about once a year, and very often during hours that the LYS is closed. But guess where I was able to drop in on Saturday afternoon!
The Yarn Basket!

Big Island Bernina Sales & Service the Yarn Basket
50 East Puainako Street Suite 107 Hilo,HI
(808) 959-0034

I picked up some yarn needles, and some pink tofutsi's sock yarn (I hate to say it, but I actually probably have enough sock yarn. For now. Maybe.) But then I got enough yarn (hopefully) for three whole sweater projects!
DBF also bought yarn: He got some manly-colored cotton/spandex sock yarn and a bit of green wool for a hat and booties for the DBF's Grandbaby.
After YARN shopping, the rest of the errands seemed tame, but they did include Walmart and cocktails. Methinks shopping at Walmart should always be accompanied by cocktails. And a credit card sore from yarnage.

Was I the Last One?

I got the August STR package on Wednesday 8/29. Seeing as how I think I am the last one on the planet to receive my sock club kit, I proceed without a single spoiler warning:

New Socks: Baudelaire

I started these socks on the 20th and they are whipping right along. The yarn is gorgeous: DBF chose it as a gift for me, and it is delicate self-striping shades of greys and pinks. It is also impregnated(?) with Aloe and Jojoba Oil.

I am working on Baudelaire by Cookie A. as seen in Knitty, with some adjustments (#1 needles, short-row stockinette toe instead of figure-8 cast-on...). The sock feels and looks like lingerie for the foot!