Please make sure your RSS feed is routed through http://feeds.feedburner.com/PursuitOfFiber. If you have the feedburner feed for POF, then when I make changes and switch software and finally come to a place where I am happy you will not have lost me. The blog will still be on my website Pursuitofiber.com, but I am changing how I publish and how the archives are managed. If I can’t use it easily then how can I think that you the readers enjoy using and reading the blog.

No worries. I am still knitting and maybe we will have a Finished Object Week when I get back to show you the wonders that have happened here in chez POF.

I fell in love with this pattern, the Bubble Pullover from Knitting Nature, before I ever bought the book. I was just looking for the right yarn and the right occassion. Now I understand the middle of summer is not the most ideal time to be knitting a 100% wool sweater but considering I still wear sweaters for most of the summer it is not too much of a hardship.

First came copious swatching. I really wanted to have a more fitted sweater than the original. The smallest size gave you a 46″ bust. I wanted something a little big but not that big. So the first swatch (red) was knit with the original stitch count on smaller needles. It was still too big. It would have given me a 43″ bust. I wanted smaller so I crunched some math and cast on with the needles to get gauge and less stitches.

It worked and the sweater will be a 40″ bust. Now I am sure you are sick of the bubbles so let me distract you with socks.

My swap socks are past the heel and I no longer am worrying if they will fit. They are a bit snug on my feet so they should fit just right on hers. I love the way this pattern turned out.

BILs socks are coming along nicely. I got to the last toe increase on Friday and got to where you see now while watching Get Smart. I loved the movie. It gave me answers to my fav show as a kid. Now I am not that old but I used to stay up late when visiting the grandparents and watch Nick at Nite.

Lastly the Firebrick Mittens are on to there second mitt. I am so excited. Now if I can keep the momentum up, ya’ll will see the pattern soon.

This yarn had such a lovely color that it drew me in while I was knitting with it. I loved that it had this subtle variation in color similar to a kettle dyed yarn. It was really hard to see it in the yellow but I was knitting outside and the sunshine brought out the differences.

Now I might have loved the color but I was not too keen on the knitting experience. The swatch is only 4″ by 3 1/2″ and in that short time span of knitting it, my hands started to hurt. Not badly but enough to make me wonder if I would enjoy an entire outfit out of this yarn. It was also a bit hard to not split the plies. I never thought I would say that about a yarn but it would start to unwind a bit on the needle and so by the time I was to knit into the stitch the plies would be spread out. It was definitely a mindful knit. Also any variation in your stitches will not block out.

I wish I could keep the colors and have a bit less rough of a yarn. I know that this has great ecological value because it is organic but organic does not need to mean hard and crunchy. Another yarn I used this month was organic and nice on the hands, so I know it can be done.

The resulting material is nice, soft & plump all that you would expect in summery fabric.

The Firebrick mitten in its smallest size is doing well but I cam getting distracted by shiny knits. I need to get the thumb on by this weekend. My goal was today but Churchable got sick with food poisoning last night and he did not get to sleep till 4AM and since I was the nurse maid to my hubby I stayed up and helped him when needed and started the Buffy series over on Hulu.com.

I have decided to take my time with this WIP since it is a swap that does not end till the end of August and I want to keep my partner in my thoughts and prayers till then. If I finish too early, I fear I will not be so mindful of the purpose of the swap.

The BIL Christmas sock has gotten a wee bit of attention since I was standing around talking with Churchable’s co-workers & knitting after their meeting to find out the fate of their jobs. He was kept! Yeah!

Lastly this is my current obsession. I cast on at the neck on Saturday after cleaning my studio and swatching. After I woke up today, I cast off the hem. The hem is not supposed to be a shirt tail hem but I just loved the one in Sahara (which has moved to a new house to live) and really wanted to incorporate it into this pattern.

Now which pattern have I start, why the Labyrinth pattern by Wendy. I am doing this one along with the Sexy Knitters Club also. I guess I could say this is also part of the Knit anything by Wendy until the book arrives KAL. I am really looking forward to her new book. I don’t normally pre-order books but I had to with hers.

Ali over on Skeins Her Way is having a contest to keep your knitting on track this summer. I thought I would jump in since I seem to be aimlessly drifting lately.

1. Finish the Firebrick Mittens (ravelry) & get them ready to sale the pattern.
2. Finish BILs socks
3. Finish Prayer Sock Swap II socks
4. Finish Labyrinth with the Sexy Knitters Club
5. Frog & Re-cast on Churchable’s Mariners socks in LL sock
6. Start Sanford’s ski hat in yarn provided by him
7. Start Bubble Pullover from Norah’s Knitting Nature in Malabrigo
   
8. Start one more Christmas gift. Most likely Bud’s in knitpicks lace
9. Start Tomato by Wendy in knitpicks shine
10. Start & Finish my Mom’s Christmas present in Knitpicks comfy
11. Start & Finish my Dad’s Christmas present in LL Worsted
12. Start & Finish Urchin in Noro Transitions
13. Start & Finish Christmas Fiddle Faddle for our tree in random stash bits
14. Start & Finish RPMs for Churchable in STR Mediumweight

Pick a number between 1 – 20. Remember that number. It will be important at the end.

YES/NO GAME RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

You can only say yes or no. You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages you and asks!

Over 18? Yes
Danced in front of your mirror naked? No
Ever told a lie? Yes
Been arrested? No
Kissed a picture? No
Fallen asleep at work/school? Yes
Held an actual snake? Yes
Have YOU Ever run a red light? No
Ever drink and drive?No
Been suspended from school? No
Ever been fired from a job? No
Totaled a car/motorbike in an accident? Yes
Sang karaoke? No
Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? No
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes
Ever laughed until you wet yourself? No
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? No
Kissed in the rain? No
Sang in the shower? No
Sat on a rooftop? Yes
Thought about your past with regret? Yes
Been pushed in the pool with your clothes on? Yes
Shaved your head? No
Blacked out from drinking? Yes
Had a gym membership? Yes
Been in a band? No
Shot a gun? Yes
Liked someone with nobody else knowing about it? No
Played strip poker? No
Been to a strip joint? No
Donated Blood? No
Liked someone you shouldn’t? Yes
Have a tattoo? No
Have or had any piercings besides ears? No
Made out with a complete stranger? No
Caught someone cheating on you? No
Skinny dipped? No
Regret any of your ex’s? No
Been to a rodeo? Yes
Been to a NASCAR race? No
Been in Love? Yes

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Ten years ago today I was home from college working two summer jobs and going to lots and lots of doctors appointments while they tried to figure out why I was having the problems I was. Needless to say they just told me that I needed to not get so stressed out. They had no real answer after having more blood drawn than I cared to have in such a short time period and CAT scans, MRIs, EEG, EKGs. I kind of lost all confidence in traditional medicine after that. I finally found the answers via a chiropractor and naturopathic doctor 3-5 years ago. I also had my first visit to the ER from a drug the stupid DRs put me on and they tried to pass it off as a food allergy. This visit made my problems worse and the main reason why I can’t use things made from none natural materials. Just a taste of what I went through. Imagine having hives all the time and never knowing what it was. When I went to the ER I was so itchy from hives that I could not walk without pain or use my hands and arms. I felt like a walking skeleton. I also lost my will to work out that summer because of drug side effects. I was able to kick the last bits of anorexia out of my system without medical assistance. Needless to say this was a dark period of life for me.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

• Blog
• Knit
• Do laundry
• Pray my husband still has a job on Wednesday because of company wide cuts
• Swatch for a proposal due on Friday

3. Snacks I enjoy:

Fake Cheesy puff stuff, berries, Kinder eggs, salt & vinegar potato chips

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

I would pay off our house. Buy Churchable a new truck & pay to have the classic car fixed to specs. Donate to many worthy causes and lastly invest it. I am a simple girl. I could buy yarn with that but then I would for sure have more than I could knit in my lifetime.

5. Places I have lived:

Ok sit back and let me mark the places. Born Houston, Texas (lived in several apartments but since I had the memory of a pea I don’t remember how many). At 3 moved to Oklahoma city, Oklahoma (lived there 1 1/2 years because the oil companies were doing poorly so my dad lost his job). At 5 moved back to Houston, Texas (lived in one house while my dad worked his dream job of working with his father). At 12 moved to Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia (my dad got hired the day Operation Desert Storm started). At 15 went to boarding school in Kandern, Germany (loved the freedom of living away from mom & dad). At 16 changed schools to one in Dublin, New Hampshire (can I count all the moves between rooms while I was living there, that would be 5 rooms & 7 roommates in 2 years. Gah that was not me for all those moves. The RA was annoying and moved people around all the time). At 18 went to college in Columbia, South Carolina (lived there for 4 years but had 1 dorm room & 3 roommates in 2 1/2 years, 1 duplex with 1 roommate for 1/2 year & a house with 2 roommates for a year). Summer of 1998, my parents moved to Udhailyah, Saudi Arabia while I was home. Summer of 1999, I lived in Jerusalem, Israel for summer studies. Summer of 2000, I lived in several cities in central Turkey for my Intercultural studies Internship (I was in a different city every week out of 2 months). At 22 I moved out to the west coast where I had wanted to move since I was 17 to Portland, OR (I attended art school for 3 years). I had 3 apartments (Tigard, West Linn & Multnomah Village and 3 roommates, which is a much healthier rate. During this time, my parents again moved while I was home on break to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. At 25 I moved to Longview, WA to be closer to my fiance Churchable. After the wedding I moved in with him and so far have not made plans to move again.

6. Jobs I’ve had:

Summer school assistant (1997, 1998), Assistant Librarian (1998), Circulation Librarian (1999-2001), Receptionist (2002), Stock Room Clerk (2004), Designer (2007-present)

7. Peeps I want to know more about:

Those of you who I asked to pick a number. Do you remember your number? If it is 17 (the number of roommates I had from 1994-2004) then consider yourself tagged for one or both of these memes.

Pattern: Notorious by Annie Modesitt in Romantic Hand Knits Raveled here
Yarn: Berroco Comfort in Olive (2 skeins) for the body & Berroco Comfort DK held double in white (1 skein) for the sleeves
Needles: Knit picks Harmony Interchangeables US 9 on the body, US 8, 9, & 10 on the sleeves

Mods: Wow this one got the mods up the wazzu. I did not start to mess with the construction till the underbust area. I did shorten from hip to waist by 1 inch and waist to underbust by 6″. Since I really liked the idea of the I-cord at the front, I continued it around the back so that I could also run the cording around the back for extra support. I added HBD (aka short rows) to the front so that my girls would have room especially since I had seen some projects on ravelry where the underbust cut the boobs in half. After the HBD, I knit in the round for 1″ to what I called the underarms. The back was knit in stockinette to match the front of the garment (picture below). I did all the decreases the same and the height from underarms in the pattern. The front was knit and ripped twice because the first time I knit it and added a sleeve. I tried it on at this point to see if anything was a miss. It was. I would have to be an H cup and try to channel a medieval bar wench who did not mind showing everything. So I messed around to figure out what the fix was. I realized that I needed to remove 18 stitches from the front to achieve proper coverage. So I removed those 18 stitches by decreasing on every row at both ends. The sleeves were also a bit strange they turned out narrower than the picture. I added 2 rows before each short row set and 2 rows before the bind off for a total of 6 rows. I still did not have flutter sleeves but I had run out of yarn so I had to live with the results. I used cording for the underbust and the center rueshing.

Facts to remember: Double check that your center stitches are marked properly before you start the HBD instead of an inch after you have finished them. Also that the sleeves might not always turn out the way the picture says they should. If I made this again (which I doubt because who needs this much sexiness in another garment) I would knit the 35″ like I did for the lower half and switch to the 25″ for the bust area. Both the front and the back were a bit loose at the size written.

Things I Love: How sexy I look. This was knit with the Sexy Knitters Club KAL so I think I got the results everyone was looking for.

The Noro Matsuri is a unique yarn. It is a cabled construction similar to finger weaving done by children out of sewing thread weight yarns. The wool strand gets slubby in places but I think that is the joy of this yarn. As a cotton yarn, this is very easy on the hands. I barely noticed the cotton at all. I got a half stitch per inch more than what was recommended on the info included about it. I loved the color I got. It was multi-dimensional. Most likely from the wool and cotton mixed together. My sample seems to have come from the same stripe so I was not able to get the feel of the color change within this yarn. I do wish this yarn came as a single color because it would be such a nice dimensional color. I did not notice much of a change when I washed and blocked my swatch.

I think my color came from Colorway 2 not 3 because I have not seen the turquoise color in 3.

1. All my projects are boring to me. Too much stockinette stitch and ribbing.

2. The crud came knocking this weekend. The unknown beginnings were messing with me.

3. There is a new knitter in the house. My boy is knitting me a love scarf, since we all know I don’t do scarves.

Which one do you think it is? I will let you know what I think later in the week.

Now on to the WIPs. They have not gotten much play this week. I did knit on all of them a bit each. I even forgot when gathering them up today what was on the needles.

BILs sock is coming along nicely. I forced myself on Thursday to finish the cuff and BO and CO for the second sock so that I felt like I had made some progress.

The pink sock and I are spending a bit of time together but not too much or else the pink might rub off on me. I am enjoying the process of praying for my swap partner while I knit. I just hope this one does not have as much angst as the last prayer sock.

I pulled out the Firebrick mitten last night since my test knitters are done with their first mittens and I am still trying to get past the thumb divide. It should be a bit easier now. This mitten hung out and watched “So you think you can dance?” last night. They really grooved with Twitchington.