Klosekraft

Done.

Here she is. New blog resolution: organize self to be ready when other people can take the pictures. Doing it in the mirror is for the birds.

Pattern specifics:
Pattern source: Cece by Bonne Marie Burns
Yarn: Cascade Pima Silk (85% pima cotton, 15% silk) color 5140, 6 balls
Needles: #7
Notes: My gauge was slightly bigger than called for, so I used the numbers for the smallest size. The fit came out looser than I'd really like (still acceptable, just not the absolute pinnacle of perfection--totally my fault), which had a lot to do with the fabric relaxing after I washed it. If I make it again (and I very well might), I'll either use the stated gauge or tighten it up a little and still make the smallest size. I like the length and the color and the fact that it's sweet without being the slightest bit saccharine.

I also like the button I found, which has several shades of dark pink and red sequins embedded in clear plastic. I had to screw around with the color a lot to make the details read, but the color seems pretty true in the big shot. You can see that the surface of the fabric seems to be peach-fuzzing a bit. It's really not that apparent from more than 4" away and I think it's just the nature of such a soft, short-stapled fiber.

Buttons, beads, and bathing suits

This morning, I went up to M+J to get a button for Cece. I think I must have chosen the absolute least matchable color possible to knit this sweater. All of the reds were too red, none of the pinks were red enough. The one I got will work color-wise, I think, but it may be too busy with the lace pattern. We'll see. You can all lambast me once it's done.

Since I was in that part of town, I stopped at my favorite bead store to see what they had. This place is not great for findings and not where you want to go if you want your hand held while you pick stuff out, but they have the best (and best-priced) selection of semi-precious beads I've ever seen. I got the supplies to make these:

They're strung on stretchy stuff right now, but the stones are heavy enough that I want to restring them onto fishing line. I just wanted to make sure the color placement was okay and that the lengths worked without interfering with each other. (they do.) I'm going to wear them tonight with a sharply v-necked black tank and short denim skirt when I go see my favorite Balkan dance band. With comfortable shoes, of course, for dancing.

Since I was over by Herald Square, I stopped into the big H+M [sidenote: Viktor and Rolf are the next designers to work with H+M? where I have been? that's great news!]. The clothes there are pretty easy to place in one of two categories: well-designed basics or the crap I'm going to hate seeing on everyone all season. Unfortunately, a lot of the basics are being shown in either beiges or a rather fantastic yellow-green (sort of a slightly browned-down chartreuse), both of which are not kind to the fair-skinned girl. Seriously, I'd be lucky to hit 'death warmed over' in either color. That green especially makes me look more like 'death left out in the rain after a rough night drinking.' But the good news is that I bought a couple of bathing suits. The one that I currently have is an extremely unflattering child's two-piece that I bought in Puerto Rico last November when I couldn't find anything else in New York, online or in PR and I just needed something to swim in. H+M is currently stocking some great suits--I got a couple of pin-up-girl-esque halter top and plain bottom combos that should serve me well for a while.

Also, and it pains me slightly to admit it, I bought a headband. A headband, people. I ask you. I can only assume that it was being in such close proximity to so much trendiness while I waited in line for the dressing room. All I need is a pinafore and someone to dress up as the White Rabbit and I'm all set for Halloween as Alice in Wonderland.

I've had a couple of off-blog questions about how I liked knitting Cece. Honestly, it's a fantastic pattern. It's extremely well-written, has some clever yet simple details that elevate the piece fit- and finishing-wise, and contained no mistakes that I found. I made one simple change, which was to add about 2" to the length of the body to accomodate my freakishly long torso. The only caveat I'd offer is that there are several things going on at a time that you have to pay attention to. It's not difficult, but for someone like me who tends to think she'll remember what's going on and then goes through weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth while trying to piece it all together when she forgets, you'll want to plan ahead. The way I kept track is with this notebook.

You can see on the right-hand page that I've written out the pattern rows of the lace pattern. (Since you have to buy the pattern--see the above link--to know what to do with those rows, I don't think I'm giving anything away here.) Below that, I wrote out a little map for myself that tells me how many plain stitches, how many repeats of lace, and how many increases I've added. One the left-hand page, I've just listed column after column of numbers that correspond to the pattern rows. I count ahead and indicate by circling or ticking next to the number whether I need to increase or decrease. Then I cross the row off once I've done it. That way, if I put the project down for a few days, I can tell at a glance what row I left off and how long it is until I need to take some kind of action.

Almost there

Left to do:

Knit and sew neckband.
Find and sew on button.
Weave in ends.
Block.

Get Happy!

Need a morale boost? Give whatever project you have in the works a quick steam. I'm always amazed at how nice knitted fabric looks post-steaming. The stitches smooth out, the pattern sharpens, the piece settles into its actual size. I had started to get a little concerned that Cece was going to be on the short side, even though I added a good 1.5" to the body (damn you, Freakishly Long Torso!), so I steamed it yesterday and am both happy and relieved to report that the length will be fine and it's just so PRETTY. You can see the steamed section on the right and the unsteamed section on the left. I may have paused at this point and just admired the difference for a while.

Also, the yarn (Cascade Pima Silk)  gave off a whiff of something ever-so-slightly funky when it was damp, so I'll make a point of actually washing it when it's done (as opposed to just soaking it in plain water). It could be the dye or some kind of machine oil or seracin from the silk or any kind of ick it could have encountered anywhere along the line from wherever the fiber came from to being spun and packaged in Peru to however it ended up at Webs to however it got to me. Since I usually work with protein fibers exclusively, I'll probably forgo the knit wash stuff and just use a touch of detergent.

I steam using my iron, which is an older General Electric model I got at a garage sale when I was in college. We recently had a houseguest who saw my iron and was blown away because she has the same exact one that she also got at a garage sale when she was in college. It's ugly, but a workhorse and it gives off a lot of steam. I hold the iron just slightly above the fabric, let the steam penetrate, and then smooth the fabric with my hands, pulling/patting it into shape if necessary.

I think one of my top knitting priorities this weekend is going to be closing up the gaping maws of those armholes. I like to do that kind of finishing as I go along--again with the morale; it just makes the sweater look so much better while you're working on it to have the armholes nicely finished. Plus, you'll get a more accurate read on the length if the armholes aren't yawning all over the place. It's a pain in the ass if you need to rip back, but so what? If I need to rip that far back, needing to undo the armholes isn't going to be my biggest annoyance.

New Lace Sleeves

Houston, we have sleevage.

We might have a finished Cece by the end of the week.

Cece and pasta and Brooklyn, oh my!

I started knitting Cece a few days ago and am sailing along.

I'm liking this project. The pattern is clearly written and is a nice balance between simple (easy lace pattern) and stuff that needs attention (shaping). I'm using Cascade Pima Silk in color 5140, which looks red onscreen but is actually a delicious shade of rhubarb pink. I think that this kind of yarn should have much higher representation in my sweater wardrobe than it currently does. I almost never knit with cotton, but I realized that this weight is perfect for winter, as counterintuitive as that sounds. As much as I like my woolies and cashmere sweaters, I can only really wear them in the fall and spring when most buildings aren't heated but it still gets cold. Everywhere I go in the winter is too overheated for heavy sweaters. A cotton/silk blend like this is substantial enough to be warm, but not too warm, and it's divinely soft.

Last night, I made one of my favorite quick dinners: pasta with broccoli raab. By this point, I pretty much have the process down and it takes about 15 minutes to make. Also, with the exception of the vegetable(s) themselves, all of the ingrediants are common pantry staples. I love bitter greens and you could substitute or add pretty much any others to this. Broccoli raab plus dandelion greens is a good combination.

You need:
one bunch broccoli raab
enough pasta for two servings
olive oil
garlic
crushed red pepper
seasonings (I use balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil)
saucepan
saute pan, preferably with lid

Start by putting the pasta water on to boil while you gather all of the ingrediants, wash your hands, open a beer... Chop a few cloves of garlic and brown in olive oil over low heat with crushed red pepper to taste. When the water boils, put the pasta in (duh, but for me it's usually right about when I put the garlic in the pan). Rinse the broccoli raab and chop into bite-sized pieces. I discard most of the stems. Add to the garlic and red pepper with a ladle-full of water (if I have some open, I'll use white wine or chicken broth, but it's still delicious with water). Depending on the size of your pan, you might have to add the vegetables in stages, waiting until the first batch wilts to make room for more. When it's all in, stir to distribute the garlic, raise the hat to medium, and cover the pan. The pasta should be done within a few minutes of this point. Drain. Season the broccoli raab. (I add a healthy glug of balsamic vinegar, a shot of soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil.) It has a strong flavor of its own,  so it can handle other strong flavors. Mix the pasta in and let it sit for a few minutes so the pasta can absorb some of the juices. Sometimes I'll eat the whole batch in a sitting, but I usually try to keep half for the next day's lunch. It's also a nice side dish.

A friend is coming to town next month to shoot the pictures for her next book and I've been out wandering around Brooklyn scouting locations today. I'll go to some other neighborhoods tomorrow. These are a couple of favorites:

I walk by this Art Deco doorway pretty often and I've always loved it.

I saw this mural for the first time today. It's just gorgeous. I love the colors and the way it curves around the building.