Piggy needs a shake-up

I've just about had it up to the top of my stash tower (that's fairly tall, if you couldn't guess -- last night I was actually shocked awake, not for the first time, when a Ziploc full of Malabrigo toppled to the floor with a thud) with my lack of productivity. It's getting embarrassing, even for the self-appointed Queen of the Pre-Process Knitters.

Case in point: Saryoyan. I cast on for this lovely shawlette on March 12, the opening day of the Paralympics. Several of my Team Canada fellows decided to keep the Ravelympics alive for the second set of Vancouver Games.

I took a picture of it seven days later:


Erm...yeah. That's the same 11 cast-on stitches. And no, there was no frogging performed in the intervening week. And now it looks like...well, exactly the same.

This is serious, piglets.

I mean, sure, I've almost finished that pet blanket I showed you a while ago. But really, I should be completing a second one by now. And I can't blame it on my dislike of the monster that ate my knitting bag ginormous ball of acrylic.

So methinks it's time to change tack. I have an idea brewing, but knowing me, it will require another week or 10 of thinking about it before I foist it on you.

Hopefully I'll manage to get something done in the meantime.

Piggy has mail!

I love it when I open my post office box to find wee parcels and those cards you take to the counter and exchange for even bigger ones that couldn't be squished into the confines of the box. I rarely wait to get home before ripping them open right there in 7-Eleven. And when the contents are this nice, I'll often treat myself to a Slurpee to celebrate. Especially when, like yesterday, my favourite flavour is on offer: Lime Crush. NOM!

Wanna see what I scored this time 'round? Of course you do!

First up: my Team Canada Ravelympics 2010 prize:


A handmade set of stitchmarkers and a row-counter bracelet, donated by the lovely spinquilt. Thanks, Karen!

Playing for Team Canada was great; our members donated a ton o'prizes for a random draw of all Team Canada project finishers (one of my donations, a skein of Ravelry Red Malabrigo Silky Merino, is winding its way to canstash in Timmins as I type). But no-one went home empty-handed, because the fabulous Christa Giles, Vancouver designer extraordinaire, donated Ravelry downloads of her designs to every finisher who wasn't drawn. Is that cool, or what?

And the second package: a beautiful, shimmery, squishy spinning batt from Kate at Knit It Up!


That's 3.3 ounces of merino, alpaca, llama, angelica and firestar. Purdy, ain't it?

Here's a close-up:


Many spinners warn beginners against "saving" the good stuff for when you become a better spinner. Which is all well and good, but Piggy can't even manage to get the batt back in its bag without disaster:


This stuff is definitely worth saving for a good while, I reckon.

Check out the etsy listing for the full story on this lovely bit of gorgeousness, and to shop for all sorts of lovely items Kate has in her etsy shop. I especially love her gift tags -- beautifully functional.

So...have you received anything great in the mail lately?

Every yarn has its day...

...even bulky, 100%-acrylic yarn put up by the kilogram.

Yes, I said kilogram. That's two-and-a-half pounds, for the metrically challenged. Or if, like Piggy, you prefer to measure your yarn by its length, a metric mile: 1,500 metres/1,640 yards.

We're talking about a freaking ginormous ball of acrylic, here. Not, perhaps, what you'd expect a self-proclaimed yarn snob like Piggy to shop for. Or publicly admit to, anyway.

But acrylic has its place in my stash. Not a prominent position, to be sure -- especially in its pure form -- but for some projects, it really is the perfect fibre.

Such as this work in progress:


No, it's not a giant dishcloth (for your reference, that is a 32-inch circular), although it is indeed your basic dishcloth pattern. There's actually a hint in the top right corner, there...

Figured it out?

Ok, here's a better shot:


That's Ebony. Remember her?

The WIP isn't actually for Ebby; she's plenty spoiled enough as it is. But it is for a four-legged friend. Most likely several, actually: this is the first of what I hope to be several blankies for cats and dogs at the West Van BCSPCA.

I recently started to volunteer there on Saturday mornings. One of my jobs is to launder the animals' bedding. These are mostly old towels, which do the job, but also do a number on the washer and take a long time in the dryer. The staff members told me they'd welcome more knitted/crocheted blankies (or sewed ones using fleece -- but Piggy don't sew!), as they are lighter and dry in a snap.

If you are looking for a charity to knit/crochet for, you might want to consider your local chapter of the SPCA, Humane Society or other animal welfare organization. Check out the Snuggles Project, which has links to organizations who would welcome pet blankets.

And if you're a bigger yarn snob than Piggy, wool/acrylic blends and tough superwash wool are fine, too -- just as long as the finished blankie can withstand frequent machine washing and drying using regular cylcles. :o)

Holiday-Appropriate Stash Enhancement

I've just noticed the three newest additions to my stash share one thing in common.


Malabrigo Silky Merino in Helechos


Malabrigo Lace in Verdes


Annnnnnnnnnnnnnd....this one. Which demands an explanation, I know. It's coming, I promise.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Handy hints for happy hat knitting

Alternatively titled, Do as I say, not as I do.

Don't panic; the situation isn't as bad as that might suggest. But there is a faint, yet lingering, sense of disappointment chez Piggy, and benevolent soul that I am (not modest, perhaps, but benevolent), I feel I must do my bit to protect you from a similar fate.

Behold, dear piglets, my latest finished object.

It is, as careful readers will have gleaned from this post's title, if not the altogether uninspiring photo, a hat. It is indeed a finished hat, and is eminently suitable for wear by any number of people. Unfortunately, Piggy is not among that number.

So without further ado (I've never been one for keeping a story short; I do apologize), I give you...

Piggy's Handy Hints for Happy Hat Knitting

1. Use yummy yarn. One that makes you squee with delight when you fondle it (or roll about naked in it, if that's your thing -- there are no judgments here) and in a shade that makes your heart sing.
   
2. Select an attractive, easy pattern. Remember, I said happy knitting, not edifying knitting. If you want a 16-colour, heavily patterned, steeked-then-buttoned laceweight cap, knock yourself out. Just keep the gin nearby (seriously, knock yourself out), and be sure to use alpaca, because you'll need that extra warmth after ripping all your hair out.
3. Pick the appropriate needles for your yarn and pattern. I'm not going to tell you to knit a gauge swatch, because who am I kidding? I never swatch. But try to keep it in the ball park, eh? (And before you make any assumptions, the hat fits around Piggy's fat head just fine, thank you very much.)
4.  Follow the pattern...
5. ...the whole pattern, while using your brain. So, for example, when instructed to knit in pattern for "five-and-a-half inches or desired depth", you might want to try the bloody thing on, to see if it will be long enough.

Any guesses which hint Piggy elected to ignore?

Project Details

Pattern: Bubble Wrap Cap by Lark. (Non-Ravelers, go here.)
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Merino, Barbie colourway, about half a skein
Needles: 5mm/US 8

20 Questions

Thank Bob (and Chrissy) for memes.

1. Explain what ended your last relationship?

I can't answer that.

2. When was the last time you shaved?

This morning.

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?

Trying to convince myself to get out of bed.

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?

Waking up the dog and pushing her outside to do her business before bed.

5. Some things you are excited about?

Erm...not too much at the moment, to be honest.

6. What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O?

Piggy's a vegetarian; no animal collagen for me, thanks. (Pre-veggie: lime, baby, lime!)

7. Your prom night, what do you remember about it?

Jean Chretien's "coronation" (I watched the federal Liberal convention on TV instead of going to the Grad dance -- yes, I was just that cool); and one of my friends feeling up another friend's boyfriend while he was driving us home from the after-grad celebrations at the bar (I wasn't a total loser).

8. Do you have any famous ancestors?

I'm not aware of any.

9. Last thing received in the mail?

Knitastic123's MalTraveler's scarf. Which reminds me, I need to go shopping for some Malabrigo in an appropriate colourway...

10. How many different beverages have you had today?

Three: coffee, water and a pomegranate-elderflower fizzy drink.

11. Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?

I don't think anyone I know still has an answering machine. But if you mean do I hang up or leave a voice mail...sometimes one, sometimes the other.

12. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?

Nope.

13. Any plans for Friday night?

Nope.

14. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?

If anything it makes it even limper than usual. So that would be a no.

15. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?

No. And if you'd like to send me a prezzie, I'd rather have yarn, thanks.

16. Do you re-use towels after you shower?

Yes. I'm not doing laundry every day, thanks very much.

17. Describe your keychain(s).

Super Grover. Coolest. Muppet. EVER.

18. Where do you keep your change?

My wallet.

19. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?

At Northern Voice last year.

20. What kind of winter coat do you own?

An ancient, puffy MEC parka that I inherited from one of my Montreal roommates and a new, lighter, fleece-lined gortex-type one from Land's End. But I live in Vancouver, so I rarely wear a winter coat.

Go forth and tag yourself if you feel like it!

Colour me happy

I know this is hardly earth-shattering news to anyone, but colour really can influence one's mood.

Take, for example, my current work in progress. It's a very simple pattern for a perfectly nice if rather unremarkable hat, but just looking at it lifts my spirits and puts a smile on my face. Even more so than the lusciously soft Malabrigo I'm using usually does. All because of this incredibly happy shade.


It's not for everyone, I know, but I love this colour so much I almost want to frog the hat so I can keep the yarn whole and complete forever.

Because I can't get any more of it; Barbie (hey, I don't have to love the name) is a discontinued colourway. Fortunately, I have another skein in its virgin state.

Another colour I'm loving at the moment is one I can fortunately replenish -- not, perhaps, perfectly, but almost so -- as often as I'd like, far into the future: the rich blue from my black bean dyeing:


Rachel (aka knitaddict) asked in the comments for the recipe. It's a super-simple one:

1. Soak dried black beans (with my latest batch I used 975 grams of beans, and dyed about 500 grams of yarn. I'd recommend a dyestuff-to-yarn ratio of approximately 2:1 by weight) in water to cover by a couple of inches for 2-3 days. Add water as necessary to keep them covered by a good few inches. I kept them at room temperature for 24 hours, then put the pot in the fridge.
2. Strain beans and keep them for soup/beans & rice/bean dip, etc. Some people put the yarn right in there with the beans, but I figure why waste good food?
3. Transfer soaking liquid to a dye pot or bucket (you won't be heating the dye & yarn, so a bucket is fine). DON'T dye your yarn in pots you use for cooking!
4. Add water -- enough to keep the yarn you'll be adding covered. Adding water does not dilute the dye, so don't skimp. You want the yarn to be well covered and surrounded.
5. Add pre-soaked yarn to the dye pot/bucket. I soak the yarn for at least an hour in room-temperature water. I have only used yarn I pre-mordanted with alum and cream of tartar; I have no experience using un-mordanted yarn. I might try it next time to see what happens. Superwash wool takes up the dye much more than non-superwash does (see those pale ties on the yarn above? -- those are non-superwash wool). The yarn pictured above is superwash. The paler blue yarn pictured in my last post is non-superwash alpaca.  
6. Soak yarn until desired colour is achieved. The superwash above steeped at room temperature for 48 hours.
7. Remove yarn, rinse in lukewarm water, then soak it in wool wash for a wee bit and let it dry. 
8. Exhaust the dye by adding new yarn to the dye pot, if desired. The alpaca was dyed after I removed the superwash. 

At the rinsing stage, you can modify the end colour towards pink or green by adding an acid (vinegar) or base (household ammonia) as an afterbath. 

Clear as mud?

Dyeing for Gold

...and mint, terracotta and blue.

Despite living in the midst of the action, the recent Winter Olympic Games were like any other for me: I watched a lot of TV, cheering on Canadian (and other) athletes, and regretting not taking those skating/skiing lessons more seriously as a kid.

In the seven or eight years leading up to the big spectacle, I had -- and continue to have -- rather ambivalent feelings about the costs vs. benefits of my city hosting the "Games", and I'm rather glad the biggest part of the show is over.

Of the Ravelympics, however, I felt no such ambivalence. Piggy is a proud member of Team Canada who, if I may be so bold, put in a fairly impressive performance in the Downhill Dyeing event:


If I were a fancy-pants fibre artiste, I'd likely come up with a veritable menu of names for the colours I ended up with. But I'm not, so I'm just calling my efforts kitchen dyeing, as all my dyes came from food.

Turmeric:


Coffee:


Avocado pits:


Avocado peels:


Black Beans:


And behold the reward bestowed upon me by Adonis Dionysius Bobicus Maximus:


I'm basking in the glory of my medal, believe me. But I kinda wish the medal came with a $10,000 bonus, like Team Canada's Olympic athletes get. C'est la vie.

Fortunately for Piggy's bank balance, all these yarns were dirt cheap: the non-superwash wool and alpaca were from that estate sale I went to months ago, and the superwash is Nashua Handknits Creative Focus from Dressew, where all yarn is $1.99/skein.

And the dyestuff, for the most part, was also very budget-friendly. The black beans did double-duty and made a huge pot of soup, the coffee was of the dirt-cheap no-name brand variety, and many of the avocado pits and skins were donated by friends (big thank yous to y'all!).

I think I've caught the natural dyeing bug. Which isn't entirely a good thing, given my record of using up yarn...