Japanese knitting progress

Elegance knit2, originally uploaded by iron knitter.

Ta da! The first repeat of the pattern! The pink stripe is the provisional cast-on, which I wouldn't have known about without Japanese-translation help from maymay on Ravelry.

Not too exciting, true, but at least I gt the photo up, which I've been meaning to do for a few days.

WWKIP Day!

I had a great time KIPping at the Viroqua Farmer's Market, and then at Ewetopia Fiber Shop (with a nice leisurely lunch in between with CathyCate from Ravelry). I'm afraid I didn't bring a camera (yes, a blogger's faux pas). I only bought one ball of handdyed sock yarn, plus a nifty magnetic board so I can more easily find my place while I knit The Cover Sweater (see earlier posts). Sweet.


In other news, after seeing that KnitPicks is now selling sock blanks, Judy, the owner of Baskets of Yarn decided to try knitting blanks on her Bond "Ultimate Sweater Machine." The Bond knits sport and heavier, so we hadn't thought to try it before...but KnitPicks knits the yarn doubled, so that the socks are identical when knit. Fingering doubled is approximately sport/DK weight. So...she tried it, and it worked! So I have (literally) dusted off my Bond (Incredible, upgraded to Ultimate, what will they call it if they ever improve it again???) and am poised to knit my own blanks. Hee hee hee!!

What's "swatch" in Japanese?

swatch1, originally uploaded by iron knitter.

Well, I'm having catastrophic camera trouble photographing this, but here's my best shot of my swatch for The Cover Sweater. Since it's essentially ribbing and lace, the gauge can be practically anything depending on how much you stretch it! I seem to be in the ballpark - about 30 stitches in 10 cm. I like the fabric. So....I guess that's it then! Yee-hah.

Sweater obsession

Elegance knit, originally uploaded by iron knitter.

I must knit his sweater.

The instructions are in Japanese.

I do not read Japanese.

I must knit this sweater.

I think I can, I think I can.

Body Worlds

Wow.





My birthday present this year was a trip cross-state to see Body Worlds before it closes in Milwaukee. So I drove 3-1/2 hours each way to wander the exhibit for 3 hours.

Wow. Very, very cool.

The audio is mostly meant for laypeople, and so was pretty elementary to me, but the parts which were interviews with Dr von Hagens, the inventor of plastination, were worth the $5 cost of the audio. The couple of words the narrator mispronounced repeatedly made me a little annoyed, but ah, well.

If you get a chance to see this exhibit somewhere, GO.

The Stupidity of Dignity

Why, oh why, has America gone off the deep end with religion? Countries with actual national religions are not this insane.

http://scienceblogs.com/evolutionblog/2008/05/the_stupidity_of_dignity.php?utm_source=mostactive&utm_medium=link
Industrial grade insanium, my friends.

Stupid is as stupid spells.

stupid sign, originally uploaded by iron knitter.

Oh. My. God. What a fabulously ironic sign. Enjoy.