New WIP: Lace Ribbon Scarf

Its amazing what a couple days off from school just hanging out in my apt will do. I should be doing some research for my thesis, but the past couple of days I've felt kinda crappy so I've been taking it easy and knitting / sleeping instead.

I've wanted to knit this scarf with this yarn for some time now, I was just waiting to finish some of the other WIP's I had on the docket. I'm really excited about it so far, I just hope that the yarn softens up a bit after a wash with Eucalan as my neck is pretty sensitive. The yarn is 20% silk and 20% tencel both of which can be soft, so I'm not worried.






Here are some pictures of 24 hours worth of progress: 2 pattern repeats.


I really like the shade changes - they give this pattern a little extra oomph.



Also excited to CO my first project using one of my Rhinebeck 2007 haul. Hooray for stash yarn!

Another swatch for Woodland Shawl

Swatch using needle size US 5.





Remember how I said size 6 was too loose? Well, I change my mind. I just knit the same size swatch with size 5 needles and it was too tight. Maybe if I were knitting a scarf, this is the size I would use. But for a shawl, I think I prefer some dainty-ness. A bit more lace quality to it. So, size 6 it is. Which means this project will have to go on hold as I only have 16" circs. I need to buy a longer circular before I CO.


I've been thinking of getting some of the Knit Picks Options in Harmony so that instead of piece by piece buying one needle I'll actually be buying 3. And also since there are some things I want to buy from Knit Picks right now and I need needles anyhow (I buy most things online now since there aren't any yarn stores near me and they do not have good selection anyhow).

Swatch: Woodland Shawl

Seeing as how I am trying to stay on top of my blog posts, here is a swatch of a soon to be WIP. I wanted to knit a shawl to wear at my sisters wedding and I decided on the Woodland Shawl. First, I think it looks good in sold color yarn - I'm using a cone of mercerized gray cotton I have since the dresses are black with beading on the bodice that is outlined in silver/gray. Second, the leaf pattern mimics the central shape on the beading, so I think the shawl will nicely complement my dress. Since the cone cotton is meant to be used for weaving, I had no idea what needle size to use. I ballparked size 6 and knit up a 24 st swatch. I think it looks ok, I'm going to swatch it in size 5 needles and see if I like that more. If not, i'll stick with the size 6.

The yarn is: Valley Cottons 3/2 Mercerized Perle Cotton, 1 pound, in color 8473, lot 81495, and I bought it at one of the Webs tent sales a while back (there may have even been a post on this somewhere).
So in case you ever wondered what needle size to use with size 3/2 cone cotton, size 6 is decent. Its probably about right, I'm just going to try size 5 and see what I get since with all the knit/purl switches in the pattern, my stiches are a bit loosy-goosy and I'd prefer better, tighter definition for this pattern.

Also, my mitts based off of the Pomatomus sock pattern finished drying / blocking today. Its nearly impossible to get nice pictures of mitts while you are wearing them!!

Further also, I've been slowly working on a painting I started in August. I've never been much of a painter, I didn't even take painting when I did my minor in visual arts - I stuck to the 3d stuff like sculpture. So, please, dont be too harsh on me. But I inherited a canvas, and some acrylic paint, so I decided to give it a go. Most of my stuff in in shades of purple and green so I stuck with that theme. My old room in Brookline, MA was this awesome shade of mossy green and I started with that color since I miss it. It's a WIP and I'm taking my time so I can let it "talk to me" and see where it goes. (:{

About Ear Stretching

About two years ago I decided to stretch my lowest earlobes from a 14/16 gauge ear ring to 12 gauge. I did this because I thought that most captive bead rings or curved barbells didnt really show up. They didnt catch my eye in the mirror next to my long hair. When I fell in love with some oblong / oval rings at LeRoi.com I ordered them in size 12G hoping they would stand out better. I didnt pay much attention to this initial stretch and popped the new rings right in with little discomfort. After happily wearing these for over 1 year I became anxious again to change. I ordered some horn spirals in 12G, but when they arrived I was sorely disappointed. They were much smaller than I thought they would be. When I had my rook pierced (which btw, finally healed in December) I looked in the cases at the body jewelry and realized to get the desired look, I would need to go to 4G or 2G. But, stretching takes time, and patience.

I bought a pair of 10G captive bead rings and knowing that I should now start using lubricant and a tapered end to stretch, I looked through my knitting needles for the appropriate size. Using Vaseline, I slid the knitting needle in then followed quickly with the rings. Here are some pictures from the adventure.


































A month or so after this stretch I stumbled across Zebrawood Spiral rings at OneTribe.nu and fell in love. As I perused their site I also found a great guide for stretching.
After almost 6 weeks of rest my next round of stretching (to 8G) came after a trip to the mall yielded stainless steel tapered rings in my next two sizes (buying rings for intermediate sizes at LeRoi.com was getting pricey). No pictures from that stretch.

During my annual Christmas trip to Chicago to see my family I noticed that the cold weather was taking a toll on my ears. They were itchy and flaky and dry. I knew that OneTribe carried oils for ear care but I was not quite ready for my zebrawood rings (need to wait for some cash inflow - plus, I'm not there yet gauge-wise) so I decided to look elsewhere. Chameleon Tattoo and Piercing in Boston did not carry any products but a staff member recomended using generic Vitamin E oil from a drugstore. I hit up the Fenway Rite Aid and grabbed a small bottle of Vitemin E (28,000 I.U.) for $5.99. Then I spotted some Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. The ingredients are almond oil, beeswax, lemon oil, cocoa butter, Vitamin E, candelilla wax, sunflower oil, rosemary leaf extract, beta carotene, and vegetable oil (95% natural!). Knowing that all of those components are very good for your skin I snatched it up at $5.99. While I was at REI I went ahead and grabbed some Dr. Bronner's Hemp Lavender Castille Liquid soap for $3.99, just in case it was myuse of bar soap that was drying my ears.

So far I've used the soap and its nice. I've used the Burt's Bees at night, it smells wonderful and seems to soothe my stretchings. I've also used dabs of Vit E when re-inserting my rings, so it would get inside to heal the piercings. So far I'm not a fan of the sticky-ness of the Vit E. I might try and dilute it with some other kind of oil. Maybe Safflower or something else I can get my hands on.

After another week or so of using the Burt's Cream at night I'll see how I feel about going to 6G. It's been 6.5 weeks since the last stretch. I might try to hold out for 8 weeks, just because I dont want to damage my ears. I'll see how antsy I get.

Triumphant return??

I know, grad school has been crazy. Life has been crazy. I've been gone for some time. I am going to TRY to get back to blogging (hence the questionable triumph). I figured I'd start with the 2008 wrap-up, using the same questions as last year.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Visited Europe; went on a vacation by myself; drove a giant moving truck cross-country; killed a cockroach (well ok, many); flew over-seas; started grad-school; switched to an Apple computer - bought a laptop.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did fairly well last year. Since this is year is going to be particularly crazy what with graduating from Hopkins, leaving Baltimore and moving to Europe, I have no resolutions this year, other than to savor the calm moments and get plenty of sleep.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Just cousins again.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year.

5. What countries did you visit?
England, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A significant other.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The days I left for and returned from EuroCrazy08. Election day (hooray Barack Obama!)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Acceptance into and success in grad school.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Medical school rejection, again.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No "real" injuries thank goodness (there were a couple sprained wrists and ankles from nights of drinking and dancing). Illness - yes. Two head colds, one bought of coughing, a UTI, and food poisoning all during my EuroCrazy08 trip.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Gregory backpack and my MacBook.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The American people.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The locals in Barcelona. My neighbors in Baltimore. Israel and Palestine.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. EuroCrazy08 Trip. Grad school tuition.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My trip to Europe! Getting A's at Hopkins. Getting a position at the University of Utrecht Medical School to do my PhD!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Ghosts by Ladytron

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
teensy bit happier, a little thinner, and a LOT poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sightseeing in Massachusetts.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry about my future, argue with my family.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I was in the Illinois with the family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
I did. But thanks to bad timing and our lives going in two completely different directions we decided to do the difficult but necessary thing and say goodbye. I think this is the hardest reality of moving to Europe: leaving the people I love.

22. How many one-night stands?
That's personal information thanks.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Pushing Daisies. CSI. Lost.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No but my family sure is trying hard to make me.

25. What was the best book you read?
Microbe Hunters by Paul deKruif.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Ladytron and Apocalyptica.

27. What did you want and get?
Acceptance into grad school. A career path. To prove to myself that not only can I make it at Johns Hopkins, but I can ace it.

28. What did you want and not get?
A certain guy.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Tie: Persepolis and Dark Knight.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 26. It was amazing. I went on the Sam Adams Brewery tour with Anne and Erik and then we met all of my wonderful Boston friends at the Milkyway for candlepin bowling and pool and beer and fun.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To have the vaccine paper accepted somewhere.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Same as 2007: Wear whatever doesnt make me look like a pudgeball - it involved lots of black.

33. What kept you sane?
My friends!

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Well wasnt everyone enamored with Barack? Jon Stewart was pretty awesome too.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
the same one that always does: the Environment and Global Weirding

36. Who did you miss?
Everyone in Boston. Friends in other countries. My Grampa.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Marty.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Life is not always bunnies and cupcakes.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'm drawing a blank here. But I do have a quote from a little quote book I have that I ripped out and tacked up on my wall (its even here in Baltimore): "Failure is the mother of success."