Birch on A Birch

Ahh... It's beautiful.

Before summer ends...

Alas, four months passed by so quickly! Today I went back to University of Toronto with my classmates and ordered some textbooks. I know, next year will be a big torture, for me, and all my Eng Sci friends. Just take a look at our timetable for the fall term:
We have eight courses in just one term! The conflicts shown are actually not conflicts - we have two courses at the same time spot, each one runs for 1/2 term.

The course names also scare me, like Digital and Computer Systems, Electromagnetism, Vector Calculus, Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena, etc, etc, etc. I have no idea what they are about! My friends, and me, all agree that unless if we are planning to be professors, lots of the "core knowledge" we learn in university would be useless for our future. For me, I am extremely bad at physics, especially electricity, magnetism related stuff. Survival is not an easy job for me in the 2nd year. I know, I should get started on reviewing next week to awake and refresh my memory on calculus, linear algebra, and electromagnetism.

If I don't really look at my book shelf carefully, I can't believe how many pattern books I bought in the last few weeks. My obsession on purchasing patterns books begins this year. It comes quickly after I rediscovered the pleasure of knitting last fall. Before that I was interested in the craft of lace crochet. My pattern source is mostly from the library since there are not many books focused on this topic available on the bookstore. Guilty, guilty arises.

Actual knitting stuff? Here is my progress on Peggy. I took this picture two days ago. The back was finished yesterday and today I was working on the fronts.

Something hilarious

It's a gift for my friend's birthday.

One plus one is two

Now I have a pair of socks *^_^*

Tintagel, finished

Pattern: Tintagel, from Rowan Magazine 40, size 12
Yarn: Romance 8 balls, Baby Soft 2 balls, Kid Silk Haze 1 ball
Needles: Inox 6.00 & 7.00 circular 60mm needles, Clover 6.00 bamboo crochet hooks
Started Date: August 2, 2006
Completed Date: August 6, 2006
Store Sample Project for: The Naked Sheep
Modifications: No big changes except adding one row of crochet slip stitches along the edges between the tie and the body to hide the seam stitches. Also, instead of picking up, knit one row and then binding off on the wrong side along the front bands, I simply crocheted a row of slip stitches (that way, the front bands actually wouldn't curl up).

P.S: I really like the way that the pattern used short rows to shape the fronts, so they "overlap" each other nicely; as well, the tie pattern, a repeat of 20 rows, with a finished length of 225 cm, adds a bit of a challenge to the pattern, making Tintangel a fast and fun project.

Romance is a soft and fuzzy yarn, and Baby Soft blended with Kid Silk Haze is a perfect combination; thus I couldn't stopping knitting Tintagel in the last few days and I so was able to finish it in such a short period of time = )

The sleeves actually dried up quickly and so I was able to set in the sleeves and finished everything tonight. However, I found that the sleeve caps are too shallow for a 21 cm deep armhole. I had to squeeze every two armhole stitches into one sleeve caps stitches to set the sleeves in.

A row of crochet slip stitches was added along the edges between the body and the tie to hide the joining seam, and it looks tidy and neat.

Progress on Tintagel, day 4

Yay! I finished knitting everything today. The only thing left is set in the sleeves (which will be done tomorrow because I have to wait for the sleeves to dry).

Hmm... The flower seems not quite in "harmonious" with the wrap. Well...

Up until yesterday, I've finished the fronts and the back, washed and blocked. As well, I knitted one and a half sleeves. Then, I went off topic, and used the left over kid silk haze yarn to make a flower.

The pattern is also from Rowan 40, but I did some changes.

Progress on Tintagel

Yesterday and today's morning, I was working on the tie. Wow, it's long! I did 20 repeats on the zig zag pattern and it ended up measured 2.25 meters long. Although it was asked for 2 balls each of Baby Soft and Kid Silk Haze. I used only about 1 1/3 balls of Baby Soft, and 4/5 ball of Kid Silk Haze...
Tonight I finished the back and left front. Fast and fun! Although the new yarn, Romance, has acrylic component (I have strong discrimination on acrylic because I had knitted and crocheted too much in my early ages), it's super soft and smooth; as well the sparkles truly add a nice highlight to the yarn. Hopefully I would be able to finish on the right front and sleeves tomorrow.

Rowan with the Naked Sheep

Guess what is inside the bag...

Yesterday I received an e-mail form Lorena, owner of The Naked Sheep at Beach, Toronto, telling that she had a store sample project for me to work on. Despite the high temperature, humid, rainy weather, I rushed to the store this afternoon to pick up the materials... I got the bag, and yeah, yummy yarn is inside...


And the new Rowan Magazine... At first Lorena told me to keep the magzine for the store sample project and return it to her later. But then I found there are many great patterns in this issue so I decided to purchase it! Too excited.

I was asked to work on this project from the latest Rowan Magazine 40, with a new yarn called Romance, and some Baby Soft & Kid Silk Haze for the edging. Isn't that exciting to knit with three great Rowan yarn at a same time for just one project!


Lastly, show a picture of the progress of my second pair of toe up short row socks.