Category Archive for ‘unm’ at adam knits!

Archive for the 'unm' Category

A 500 lb Gorilla 12 Jan 08

As usual, the winter break is quickly slipping away, with only one week left before the return of school. It should be a good semester though, as I only have one class to take to fulfill my coursework requirement for my MSEE. It’s also more of a practical course (Advanced FGPA Programming for the curious), so I’m hoping that translates into more lab based hands-on work, rather than theoretical math homework.

One thing’s for sure, I am sure enjoying this one class per semester gig. I only had one class last semester, and it was pretty light on homework, so it made for lots of knitting and dyeing time. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to keep up with all the Loopy Ewe orders last year, since I was taking 3 classes per semester. So it’s nice to be able to slow down and ease into more practical work, and less busy coursework. And hopefully, before I know it, I’ll be done and will have all my evenings free to play with my sticks and string. (Do note that I am closing my eyes and pretending that the 5000 lb thesis gorilla sitting next to me is really a 5 lb poodle…)

I’ve made significant progress on feeding my stranded mitten hunger, with this beauty, which has been completed in the time between the picture and this post.

I’m using my own hand-dyed 1200 MHz BFL, in colors I dyed up for a soap swap with Megan. I had a feeling the colors Megan picked would be dynamite, so I tossed some yarn into the dye pots for myself. And I’m quite happy I did. Even though two color knitting is involved, mittens knit up fast! I knit the first mitten in under 6 hours for sure. I’m hoping to have a complete pair to wear out and about next week. :)

Speaking of quick knits, I have a few completed hats that I haven’t shown off yet. First up is a Shedir knit for my roommate’s birthday gift, back in early December. I used the suggested yarn, Rowan Calmer, which was a bit of a love/hate relationship for me. I love how it looks with the cables, and that it’s easy care (it’s a cotton/acrylic blend), but it was a bit of a pain to knit. It’s super stretchy, and is a bit hard to tension properly when throwing, because it just pulls out like a slinky. I really love the finished product, and so does Tony, but I’m not sure it’ll be a standard yarn in my repertoire.

The hat is also a bit of a send off gift, as Tony is moving out next week. He and I have been roommates and friends for 6 years, since being randomly assigned together in the dorms during our Freshman year of college. We didn’t get along too well that first year, in fact, we might have had our share of major annoyances with each other. But over time, we learned to get along, and now we’re really good friends. He’s been in Albuquerque taking a break for the last year or so, and last Fall he decided to go back and finish his degree in Socorro.

After trying a semester of daily commuting (it’s about 75-90 minutes), he’s decided to move back down until he finishes. I’m sad that he’s moving out, but I know he’ll be around to visit, especially since I’m letting him keep his old fix up car in the garage to work on during weekends. I know that 6 years ago I would have never predicted becoming such fast friends with a complete stranger, but looking back, that year in the dorms was one of the biggest growth periods in my life, and I’m glad I decided to get a random roomie.

The other hats I haven’t shown are the pair of matching Koolhass Hats (Koolhasses? Koolhi? Bueller, anyone?) that I knitted for my brother and his wife. I loved this pattern, and would highly recommend it to anyone. We all know that Jared is a talented designer, and this hat is no exception. It’s great looking, easy to knit and very versatile.

I knit the hats out of Malabrigo (the orange version), and Manos Wool/Silk (the pewter version), and loved both. It was my first time knitting with both yarns, and I think I might just be a Malabrigo addict now. The colors are so rich and the yarn so soft, you can’t help but fall in love with every stitch.

Finally, there’s a Yarn Nerd shop update online, with a nice stash of 1700 MHz BFL and 1500 MHz Merino. The BFL is in some overdyed colors which came out really nice. Go pick some up, because I’m dangerously close to keeping it all for myself, and the last thing I need is more yarn! ;)

Have a great weekend everyone, I’m off to knit another mitten!

Published

Adam

in a nerd's life, colorwork, finished objects, hats, knitting, patterns, school, techniques, unm and yarn nerd

He’s Got Legs…(You Know the Rest) 24 Aug 07

33 Comments

Ok, we have a lot of ground to cover today people, so grab some coffee and hunker down. This could take hours. You know, metaphorically speaking. And you know how we roll when there’s lots to cover at Adam Knits…bullets!

from the "oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into" department:

You may have seen this little announcement, already, but if not, this is news to you. I’m proud to announce that Yarn Nerd is the newest indie dyer at The Loopy Ewe! So now all you crazy Loopy Ewe fans can get your Yarn Nerd fix, along with all the other great yarns and stuff that Sheri stocks. I’m really excited about this, and am looking forward to breaking into the wholesale market. And if the response I’ve gotten so far is any indication, I think this will be the beginning of a great thing. I’ve admired Sheri’s shop for a while, and I e-mailed her to see if she was interested in Yarn Nerd, and got an emphatic yes. I’m hoping to have the order finished in a week or two, so you should be able to grab some soon.

There are a few ramifications (hehe, I love that word) for the Yarn Nerd shop, mostly since I do need to sleep occasionally. At least for the next few months, all 900 MHz Merino will be dyed up for The Loopy Ewe, so if you’re looking for it at my shop and can’t find it, that’s the reason. I am planning to bring back some of my other yarns though, which means that I should have 1500 MHz Merino in stock by mid-September. I’ve had a lot of requests for this one, and it’s one of my personal favorites, so I’m excited to be bringing it back. It’ll be available in your favorite colorways, or as a custom creation with Create Your Skein. Plus, to satiate all you spinners (including me!), there will be a lot more roving being thrown about in my dye kitchen, so keep your eyes out for that.
from the "spindles are fun! I don’t need a spinning wheel, really! so stop tempting me!" department:

I spun up the last of my roving stash (don’t worry, I promptly bought more…), and I’m definitely getting better at the spindle. I’m starting to actually draft while the spindle is spinning, rather than stopping, pinching, moving my hands up, etc. I think this lovely 2 ply speaks for itself :)

Hello Yarn Corriedale in the Granita Colorway. Isn’t it lovely?

I also received my newest fiber purchase yesterday, a lovely BFL top from Flawful Fibers, in the Safari colorway. This picture, although terribly cute, doesn’t really show off how lovely and subtle this roving is. I can’t wait to spin it, but I’m also worried that I won’t be able to do it justice. But my desire to spin it outweighs my worry of flubbing it up, so I press onward. Yarn Ho!

"do these braids make me look fat?"
from the "I wish I could show you my sexy biker calves, but that might be a skosh inappropriate" department:

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you on the biking, but I’m still going strong. I’m averaging around 4 days a week, and occasionally getting a weekend ride in as well. The benefits are many: hot legs, less gas tank fillups and a bunch more energy. And coupled with the fact that the Albuquerque bus is now free for UNM students, I can ride down to the park & ride a few miles from my house and take the bus to campus on school days. In fact, I’m loving the bike so much, I went and put a new one on layaway. There were some killer end of season deals, and the store happened to have one model of the bike I wanted in my size left, so I jumped on it. Hopefully I can pay it off by the end of September and start riding it! It’s a svelte 24ish pounds, compared to 40 something for my brother’s bike (that I’ve been riding), so I should be a speed demon on the new bike. Watch out ABQ, here comes Adam with his hot legs! (I wonder how many times I can say hot legs in a blog post…)
finally, from the "yes I do still knit, I’m just very lazy about taking pictures of the knitting these days" department:

Here’s some socks that I finished while on vacation, and I figured it was about time to give them the spotlight. I really love these socks, since they have all my favorite colors (you should see my closet, it’s a red and black explosion). I went for the no frills method, with a short row heel and a simple pattern, but I think they’re awesome. They definitely make me feel like a rockstar. And they match my red shoes. Oh yeah.

"there’s no place like home" eye candy

Pattern: Basketweave (6 stitch) from More Sensational Knitted Socks.
Yarn: Yarn Nerd 900 MHz Merino in Love and Peace or Else
Needles / Gauge: 8 stitches / in on US #1’s. Knitted Magic Loop style.
Construction: K1, P1 ribbing, then patterned over the leg, short row heel and round toe. Easy Peasy!
Completion Time: 3 weeks (July 22 - August 10)

"at least we're not wearing them this time..."

Ok, I think that’s enough bullet action for now. Have a good weekend everyone! I’ll be up to my eyeballs in yarn and dye, it should be fun!

Published

Adam

in biking, dallas, dyeing, emma, exercise, finished objects, hand spun, knitting, schnauzers, shop, socks, spinning, unm and yarn nerd

Time Flies 18 Aug 07

18 Comments

When you’re having fun right? Not that I would say this week has been as fun as last week’s vacation, but I have been trying to relax a bit, since it’s the last week of summer. School starts next Tuesday, and while I’m anticipating that it will be more of a laid back semester, I’m still not super excited about the return of backpacks and school books. I’m entering the home stretch though, since the beginning of this semester marks the halfway point towards my Masters, provided I graduate this Spring like I’m planning to.

pictures unrelated to topic provided by an evening trip to the ABQ Foothills. Because blog posts w/o pictures are boring.

I’ve been doing some preliminary research for my thesis over the summer, and with the advent of fall, the pace of research and study should pick up a bit more, as my April review deadline looms closer. I have lucked out though, since I’ve been able to perform the elusive task of aligning my work research and thesis research, meaning that I will be able to kill two birds with one stone. That, and only having one class each semester this year should mean that my semesters are more in depth work and less running back and forth doing tons of homework. I’m looking forward to the shift.

Most of the week has been made up of work, but I’ve also gotten in a bit of dyeing (check out the shop, there’s roving up!) and planned some super secret Yarn Nerd things. I can’t say anything yet, but I’m super excited about what’s going on in Yarn Nerd land these days.

I’ve also managed to get in some personal fiber activities, including some knitting and spinning. I’ve been working away on the Gentleman’s Lozenge Socks with Anne’s hand-spun, in an attempt to force myself to finish some lingering projects before casting on with all my new Seattle yarn. I have so many winter knitting plans in the works, but I know that if I start now, these socks won’t ever get finished, so I’m pushing for that first. With much yarn, comes great responsibility.

I also am very proud to introduce to you my first skein of handspun yarn! I just finished plying it together, and couldn’t wait to snap some pictures. It’s lumpy and uneven and all twisty in some places, but I couldn’t love it any more. It’s such a satisfying feeling, to know that you made yarn with your own hands. I’m definitely hooked, and it’s all your fault Adrian! The top I used is hand-dyed Corriedale Wool, dyed by Adrian of Hello Yarn, in the Granita colorway. There’s 4 oz of it, and I have absolutely no idea how much WPI or yardage or any of that, but I’m estimating about 40 yards. Anyone have any suggestions for a tiny handspun project?

You know the best part? I have another bag of the Corriedale waiting to be spun up. :)

Published

Adam

in biking, hand spun, knitting, school, socks, the stash, unm, works in progress and yarn nerd

The 2 Stages of Finals Prep 09 May 07

19 Comments

"Man I can do this! I know this stuff and the final is open book, open notes, I’ll be fine! Really, no sweat. I can’t believe I ever worried over this thing…it’ll all be over in no time. Plus I have my calculator, my notes and all my homework solutions, how hard can it really be?"

(5 minutes later)

"OMG, who am I kidding?! This test is going to be freaking hard! Our professor is out to slaughter us just like she did on the midterm. That one was open book, open notes too and the class average was less than 50%! And she said that if we don’t make improvements on the final that our grades won’t be so hot! Oh jeez, oh jeez! Less than 2 hours until my doom!"

(5 minutes later) → start over at stage 1

I think it’s time to start praying that my professor is feeling merciful today!

Published

Adam

in nerdy, school and unm

Green-”ish” Thumb 03 May 07

19 Comments

So you know when you don’t talk to someone for a while, and you have a lot to catch up on, but you don’t really know where to start? That’s about how I feel, even then it’s only been a week since my last post. (Although in the Interwebs, 7 days is pretty much like an era!) It seems like my life has been nothing but school this week…and maybe it seems like that because it’s true!

I’ve just been chugging along, getting ever so close to that light at the end…even though it still feels like I’m going in circles. I did finish classes today, now I just have 3 finals to go. Sadly, the last take home final isn’t assigned until the 2nd to last day of finals week, so I still have 8 days before I’m free and clear. And no sooner will I get there than I’ll be starting preliminary thesis research for the summer, so it won’t really ever end. Such is the life of a grad student I suppose. Just one more year…one more year…

It hasn’t been all work and no play this last week though, I did get to do a lot of work with these lovelies:

I’m not exactly the biggest green thumb in the world, but I’m trying to learn. It also helps to have a Mom who’s pretty much the gardening queen of the universe. Just a little.

I am both enamored and creeped out by Lamb's Ear

I planted a container with flowers, a container with some Lamb’s Ear (I’m not sure whether to be enamoured or creeped out by this stuff) and grasses, and the coup de grace: an herb garden. There’s nothing than I love more than some fresh herbs, and now I have a little herb store in my front yard!

I have no idea what they are...but aren't they pretty?

I think all those lovely flowers should suffice for Eye Candy Friday, don’t you?

I also have a bit of fiber love to spread too. First up, check out the Tree Scum yarn that Anne spun for me! Isn’t is amazing? We’re doing a hand-spun for hand-dyed trade, and I’m super excited since I’ve never knit with handspun before. I can’t wait to dye her yarn so we can trade and I can get to the knitting! Second, it’s another FO made with Yarn Nerd yarn! Teresa knit up this gorgeous Clapotis with some of my 900 MHz Merino in the Berrylicious! colorway. Isn’t it awesome?

In other fiber news, I finished my first Broad Spiral Ribbed sock the other day, and immediately cast on for the second. I’m not sure if I could ever allow myself to fall prey to Second Sock Syndrome…I think the guilt alone would cause me severe anguish. Anyway, I love this sock and can’t wait to finish the pair.

I used a Slip Stitch Heel with Garter Edges and a Round Toe (definitely a new favorite). The Broad Spiral Rib pattern is from More Sensational Knitted Socks. This Austermann Step yarn is nice, but I’m not quite sure that the “Aloe and Jojoba enriched” claims are entirely true. Although the colors are so nice, I think I’ll forgive the marketing speak.

I’m glad the previous weekend was relaxing, because I think that this weekend will definitely have a significant portion of take home finals and math books. Do you have anything fun planned?

Published

Adam

in customers, finished objects, home, knitting, school, socks and unm