i finished Ginny's Hex Vest today! i need to finish weaving in the ends and block the knit portion. It's actually looser than i expected, and has a deeper neckline than i envisioned, but overall i am very happy with the end result. Now i am planning to knit Christmas presents for Aunt Polly, Abby, Dad, and possibly Uncle Earl and Zac. Dad's present will be like Daniel's, only with the left over green fisherman's wool (and if i run out of that, i'll knit the rest up with the brown fisherman's wool i just got in the mail today for the asymmetrical wrap sweater).
i'm going on a cruise in less than two weeks and am currently trying to decide what knitting to bring along. i think i'm going to leave the computer at home and make it a knitting retreat! i think i'll take the remainder of the Christmas present projects (at least, those i don't finish before the cruise), and sock yarn if that fails. There is actually a good chance that i can get a couple of Christmas presents done before we leave for the Mediterranean. Of course, i do have some school work to get done, but overall i'm very optimistic.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
the newest development on Dashing Evi
i’m tired of trying to improvise a perfect pattern. i’m going to make a go of following the pattern for Dashing as closely as possible, while using the Evangeline chart only for the back of the hand. i don’t know how many times i’ve cast on for this project, but i really don’t want to do it anymore.
The knitillating history of Fetching/Dashing Evi of Broadstreet
1/27 ~ So i actually knitted a swatch for this (twice), and it turned out that for the pattern's gauge i will probably need to use needles in size 1 1/2... but i'm using size 2 and will have 24 sts per 4" instead of 20. i decided to have the cuff come to mid-forearm, where my arm measures 10" in circumference. As it turns out, since i have big bones and am overweight, i can't cast on 40 like the pattern calls for. i figured out that according to gauge i need to cast on 64 sts and will gradually decrease to 44 at my wrist. So i'm still using 16 sts of pattern, but have 48 sts divided evenly on my other two needles (24 sts on each). i also plan to create a gusset and add some interest inspired by Fetching. To cast on i also used the long tail method for the first time, which as it turns out is super easy, but when my Grandma tried to explain it to me some 15-17 years ago made absolutely no sense. Now i think i'll use it every time.
1/28 ~ i guess i'll go with the convertible mittens that i've been meaning to do for forever: i'll use Broad Street Mittens as a guide. So far, i am ready for round 10 and to start the cable pattern. In round five i did a cable round like in the Fetching pattern once (instead of repeating it 3 times on the wrist, i just did it once, and because i don't have a knit 4, p1, repeat going on i slip 2 k sts, hold to front, p2, k2 off cable needle). And because i'm backwards and contrary i'm knitting the right mitten first, which is mostly because i plan to reverse the Evangeline cable pattern on the left mitten so that the cables cross the same way i do up my sneakers (outside laces on top). Yes, i know i'm anal.
1/30 ~ After a false start with runaway cables on the inner wrist, i have cast back on and knitted to the wrist. i dropped a purl st once and had to undo 3 rows worth of cable pattern to fix my mistake. ): Luckily i saw a video on YouTube the other night that showed me an easy way to quickly un-knit. As it turns out, i accidentally repeated row 5 on my second repeat, but i liked the way it looked so i did it for my fourth repeat as well. i've been decreasing 3 sts every 5 rows and now have 46 sts on the needles: i plan to dec 2 more sts at the inner wrist and start the thumb gusset next.
2/4 ~ The thumb on my first mitten is complete and i am getting ready to knit the pinky next, but i have to do a couple more rows of pattern first. After the pinky, of course, comes the ring, middle, and index fingers, then the convertible part. The crazy thing is that the palm is baggy but i cannot extract my hand from the current slot. i do not think that i'll have enough yard to actually knit the fingers up properly, but i'm not sure. i plan to rotate the thumb decreases 90 degrees. i feel a bit embarrassed when i hit walls like this in my knitting. So far i'm not entirely impressed with this yarn, the gauge seems just a little loose, but i'm hoping that it will work well on the slopes once i complete the project.
2/19 ~ i have been really unhappy with this project for over a week now. The cables look awesome, but the thumb gusset it in the wrong place, and i don't like the way the ribs look on the wrist. As much as i hate to do it, i think that i'm going to be taking out the right mitten and start over on it, but probably not before knitting up the left mitten so i can use it for a guide to see where my improvisations went wrong.
10/12 ~ Cast on again (frogged this long ago), this time 40 sts and not intending the wrist / forearm section to be as long, and basing the design on Dashing so far.
10/13 ~ Round 12: Dec 2 sts, once on each side of wrist (opposite each other), by turning 4th k st in rib pat, then placing it back on left needle. Knit k and p st tog tbl.
Round 16: Cable over same place as decreases (4 over 4, LT for right hand).
Round 20: Cable over inner wrist (first quarter), increase 5 sts on back of hand to beg Evi cable pattern, put incs back in between k4 ribs, and inc 1 more st to begin thumb. Cont. working cable section and inc 1 st for thumb each row.
1/28 ~ i guess i'll go with the convertible mittens that i've been meaning to do for forever: i'll use Broad Street Mittens as a guide. So far, i am ready for round 10 and to start the cable pattern. In round five i did a cable round like in the Fetching pattern once (instead of repeating it 3 times on the wrist, i just did it once, and because i don't have a knit 4, p1, repeat going on i slip 2 k sts, hold to front, p2, k2 off cable needle). And because i'm backwards and contrary i'm knitting the right mitten first, which is mostly because i plan to reverse the Evangeline cable pattern on the left mitten so that the cables cross the same way i do up my sneakers (outside laces on top). Yes, i know i'm anal.
1/30 ~ After a false start with runaway cables on the inner wrist, i have cast back on and knitted to the wrist. i dropped a purl st once and had to undo 3 rows worth of cable pattern to fix my mistake. ): Luckily i saw a video on YouTube the other night that showed me an easy way to quickly un-knit. As it turns out, i accidentally repeated row 5 on my second repeat, but i liked the way it looked so i did it for my fourth repeat as well. i've been decreasing 3 sts every 5 rows and now have 46 sts on the needles: i plan to dec 2 more sts at the inner wrist and start the thumb gusset next.
2/4 ~ The thumb on my first mitten is complete and i am getting ready to knit the pinky next, but i have to do a couple more rows of pattern first. After the pinky, of course, comes the ring, middle, and index fingers, then the convertible part. The crazy thing is that the palm is baggy but i cannot extract my hand from the current slot. i do not think that i'll have enough yard to actually knit the fingers up properly, but i'm not sure. i plan to rotate the thumb decreases 90 degrees. i feel a bit embarrassed when i hit walls like this in my knitting. So far i'm not entirely impressed with this yarn, the gauge seems just a little loose, but i'm hoping that it will work well on the slopes once i complete the project.
2/19 ~ i have been really unhappy with this project for over a week now. The cables look awesome, but the thumb gusset it in the wrong place, and i don't like the way the ribs look on the wrist. As much as i hate to do it, i think that i'm going to be taking out the right mitten and start over on it, but probably not before knitting up the left mitten so i can use it for a guide to see where my improvisations went wrong.
10/12 ~ Cast on again (frogged this long ago), this time 40 sts and not intending the wrist / forearm section to be as long, and basing the design on Dashing so far.
10/13 ~ Round 12: Dec 2 sts, once on each side of wrist (opposite each other), by turning 4th k st in rib pat, then placing it back on left needle. Knit k and p st tog tbl.
Round 16: Cable over same place as decreases (4 over 4, LT for right hand).
Round 20: Cable over inner wrist (first quarter), increase 5 sts on back of hand to beg Evi cable pattern, put incs back in between k4 ribs, and inc 1 more st to begin thumb. Cont. working cable section and inc 1 st for thumb each row.
Monday, October 12, 2009
yet another dye day... squared
So, once i found the lemon-lime Kool-Aid, and wrestled my yarn into large loops secured with scrap yarn, i set about in dyeing bogey-colored yarn.
First i soaked the yarn in the same large pot as last time: i think that i had more length with the lemon yarn that i dyed orange, but this yarn is definitely thicker, and filled the pot to about 2/3 instead of 1/3. Next i emptied the Kool-Aid into an empty bowl and filled that bowl with water, stirring to dissolve the powder completely before pouring it over the yarn.
+ 
= 
i heated the yarn, but it didn't even get anywhere near a boil before all the Kool-Aid was gone from the water. After steaming it for about 20 mins i let it cool, eventually draining the yarn and hanging it to drip dry. i liked the progress i had seen in the midst of the heating:
Unfortunately, though the yarn floating nearer the top of the pot turned out beautifully (albeit a little darker than i envisioned in the middle of the dyeing process), the yarn on the bottom... didn't.
Whole spans of yarn with no dye at all, and blotches of a decidedly blue-green hue. i was of course a little upset, but relieved that this did not happen in my last project, with more expensive yarn. If need be, i could always buy more yarn (i've found it online for even cheaper than i paid for it at work), but i decided it would be cheaper to buy more Kool-Aid, dye it again, and just live with the mistake. Now i know to not dye so much yarn at a time. i bought four more packets today, and dyed again, and the color seems to have come out well (no pictures yet, it's still drying), thought just a hair darker than the other skein, and of course with no hope of fixing the blue-green bits. i'm not sure yet how hard it will be to work around this error.
First i soaked the yarn in the same large pot as last time: i think that i had more length with the lemon yarn that i dyed orange, but this yarn is definitely thicker, and filled the pot to about 2/3 instead of 1/3. Next i emptied the Kool-Aid into an empty bowl and filled that bowl with water, stirring to dissolve the powder completely before pouring it over the yarn.
i heated the yarn, but it didn't even get anywhere near a boil before all the Kool-Aid was gone from the water. After steaming it for about 20 mins i let it cool, eventually draining the yarn and hanging it to drip dry. i liked the progress i had seen in the midst of the heating:
Unfortunately, though the yarn floating nearer the top of the pot turned out beautifully (albeit a little darker than i envisioned in the middle of the dyeing process), the yarn on the bottom... didn't.
Whole spans of yarn with no dye at all, and blotches of a decidedly blue-green hue. i was of course a little upset, but relieved that this did not happen in my last project, with more expensive yarn. If need be, i could always buy more yarn (i've found it online for even cheaper than i paid for it at work), but i decided it would be cheaper to buy more Kool-Aid, dye it again, and just live with the mistake. Now i know to not dye so much yarn at a time. i bought four more packets today, and dyed again, and the color seems to have come out well (no pictures yet, it's still drying), thought just a hair darker than the other skein, and of course with no hope of fixing the blue-green bits. i'm not sure yet how hard it will be to work around this error.
wha???
Read some blog the other day, can't remember where, in which a woman said something along the lines of "Oh, my daughters and I love to crochet, except for one of my daughters who prefers to knit because it's more time consuming." And of course i was like, "Wha...??????" i haven't been a slow knitter in well over a decade, and am even faster now that i've made the switch to continental. Crocheting is more time consuming (for me) because i crochet less than i knit and have to think about it more, and i have to constantly watch what i'm doing (if i'm knitting stockinette i don't have to be too focused on my hands really, i can watch tv or whatever. i knew i had arrived as a knitter when i was knitting in the round in a dark theater while watching Underworld 2, and no, i do not use glowing acrylic needles). Knitting is not slow any more than crocheting is, it merely depends on one's amount of experience. This weekend i knitted two hats; they both took me 3-5 hours once i worked out the kinks of learning a new pattern and figuring out what to do when i ran short on yarn (they never mention that in the project books that laud knitting with leftover yarn...). As a result i made a beanie instead of a beret and a two-colored hat instead of a solid one, but it all worked out, and rather quickly (i will admit that i was getting rather tired of the k2, p2 ribbing on the second project, however). Anyways, back to the point: enjoy the craft you love, realize that it takes time to master a new one, but eventually crocheting and knitting are both rather like riding a bike: once you know how, your fingers always remember the way.
Overall, i feel that the art of knitting is a rather misunderstood pastime. i am so sick of people giving me dirty looks when i bring my knitting along to class or church. Please understand, that if i feel comfortable enough to knit in front of you, it is a compliment. Knitting gives me a heightened sense of awareness: i retain lectures better and notice more details (which is saying something, as i am pretty observant on my own as a rule). i am great at multitasking, but knitting focuses me enough to not let me be distracted, allowing me to give more of my attention to what is at hand (well, rather, what is not in hand, but being discussed, taught, etc.). Just because someone doesn't know how to knit does not mean that one should look down on me because i can!
It disturbs me how we have fallen away from the idea of never having idle hands and always contributing to society, the war effort, etc., to become a culture that is threatened by the fact that i can create something with merely a ball of yarn and two (three, four, five) needles. i didn't know that i was going to be making some sort of statement every time i picked up the needles when i taught myself how to knit from a book nearly fifteen years ago. If i have to, i'll continue to make that statement, because i fully intend to continue knitting for the rest of my life, and i hope to be knitting more in the future. i'm already working on another hat and fully intend to start crocheting the hex vest this week, too.
End of rant. (;
Overall, i feel that the art of knitting is a rather misunderstood pastime. i am so sick of people giving me dirty looks when i bring my knitting along to class or church. Please understand, that if i feel comfortable enough to knit in front of you, it is a compliment. Knitting gives me a heightened sense of awareness: i retain lectures better and notice more details (which is saying something, as i am pretty observant on my own as a rule). i am great at multitasking, but knitting focuses me enough to not let me be distracted, allowing me to give more of my attention to what is at hand (well, rather, what is not in hand, but being discussed, taught, etc.). Just because someone doesn't know how to knit does not mean that one should look down on me because i can!
It disturbs me how we have fallen away from the idea of never having idle hands and always contributing to society, the war effort, etc., to become a culture that is threatened by the fact that i can create something with merely a ball of yarn and two (three, four, five) needles. i didn't know that i was going to be making some sort of statement every time i picked up the needles when i taught myself how to knit from a book nearly fifteen years ago. If i have to, i'll continue to make that statement, because i fully intend to continue knitting for the rest of my life, and i hope to be knitting more in the future. i'm already working on another hat and fully intend to start crocheting the hex vest this week, too.
End of rant. (;
Friday, October 09, 2009
bitter lemon-limes
After looking at at least five grocery stores, i have finally found some lemon-lime Kool-aid. The bad news is that i neglected to write down how many ounces of yarn that i'm going to be dyeing, and only bought eight packets (when there is 16 ounces of yarn). So, the question is, do i buy more? Perhaps dilute the green with the leftover yellow and orange that i have left over from dyeing Tangy Giselle? i'm undecided. i think that i will probably be using what i have and then adapting to fit my needs as i am actually doing the dyeing. i do not want the colors to be too bright or too diluted, either. i'm not exactly sure what color i'm going for here, just something greenish, but not blech (like the $200 handbag that my US Lit professor bragged about getting a good deal on last semester). i'm definitely going for a bogey color (hex!), but i want it to be pretty, too.... Does that make any sense???
The bitter part of this post is that i am trying to figure out a good way to unwind this yarn and i have managed to get it royally tangled in the process. i'm almost finished untangling it now, but it's taken me over an hour. The board game box was too small, the ironing board kept collapsing, but the empty laundry basket turned upside down seems to be doing the trick.
The bitter part of this post is that i am trying to figure out a good way to unwind this yarn and i have managed to get it royally tangled in the process. i'm almost finished untangling it now, but it's taken me over an hour. The board game box was too small, the ironing board kept collapsing, but the empty laundry basket turned upside down seems to be doing the trick.
Monday, September 21, 2009
dye day
Yep, last Friday, after work, i finally got my Ohm Mat Bag dyed, along with those thrift store pants that i mentioned. i think the project actually turned out pretty well. The color isn't perfect, but that's why it has personality.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
dreaming of yarn...
i cannot believe that i forgot to bring my knitting with me today (i'm in the middle of Liberty Cap 2.0, and World Geography is the perfect opportunity to get the needles clicking). The weather is cool and rainy today, and as such i have knitting on the brain (along with the cruise i am taking in two months, but that is entirely beside the point: that is on the brain because we finally got our plane tickets today). i am really restraining myself, not allowing myself to run down to Tangle (Mountain Biking was canceled due to the weather, so i have a little extra time on my hands today) and check out the yarn that i am thinking of buying for the Hex Vest or simply buying it online (i haven't even seen this yarn in person or touched it, mind you, but i am itching to start this project, nay, multiple projects). i still haven't had the time to take photos of my yoga bag or dye it. My life is so busy and full of stressful requirements. Maybe after the first mod is over (which means the yoga class will be over, and by then, what's the point?).
On a cruise related note, i found two pairs of pants at Goodwill, one pair brown and like new, the other pair pink and from Old Navy. What on earth was i thinking? Well, basically, what the heck, it's four bucks, and i can dye them. i have no idea if i can actually dye this type of fabric, but it doesn't really hurt to try, as no one in town has the appropriate pants (well, Old Navy does, but i'm not willing to pay $30 a pair for them), and Hi Fashion Fabrics does not have the fabric i'm looking for, either. i broke down and bought some batik for a blouse (i shouldn't have looked!). i have very low willpower lately.
On a cruise related note, i found two pairs of pants at Goodwill, one pair brown and like new, the other pair pink and from Old Navy. What on earth was i thinking? Well, basically, what the heck, it's four bucks, and i can dye them. i have no idea if i can actually dye this type of fabric, but it doesn't really hurt to try, as no one in town has the appropriate pants (well, Old Navy does, but i'm not willing to pay $30 a pair for them), and Hi Fashion Fabrics does not have the fabric i'm looking for, either. i broke down and bought some batik for a blouse (i shouldn't have looked!). i have very low willpower lately.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
fall approaches...
On Sunday, my family and i went to a wedding. On the way there i finally finished knitting my yoga mat bag. i still need to photograph it and dye it, but it's finally complete! This project seemed to take forever, most likely because of the small gauge (i was using size 4 dpns for crying out loud!). The youngest daughter of the bride (who is 13 and friends with my sister Katie) had the audacity to say that it looked like a sock! So, of course, i had to model it, by pulling it onto my right leg, much to their amusement (it's somewhere between the length of a knee high and a thigh high on me, in case you're wondering). Then i put it on my head and bounced off to the car feeling very rastafarian.
On the way home, the family decided to take the scenic route, which is the same loop that we took last fall to see the trees changing colors (you can see pics here). We rolled the windows down to let in the cool air, and wouldn't you know it? i forgot a ponytail holder so my hair (which is getting quite long now, it's starting to inch down my back) was completely in my face. What is there to do but put the bag on my head to keep my hair back? It was how i imagine it would feel to wear a really long snood! Would you believe that the trees are already starting to get tiny splashes of color and Hayes Creek Falls was even more beautiful than the last time we visited? i am so excited for fall, and hope it gets cooler soon (this, of course, has nothing to do with the mountain biking class i am taking twice a week in what seems like blazing heat).
Today, to fill the knitting void in my class time (World Geography is the only class i've gotten up the gumption to knit in so far this semester), i pulled out the size 8 dpns and ink blue Lamb's Pride again to start my Liberty Cap 2.0. i think that knitting the yoga bag and wearing it as a hat has actually helped me understand better the implications of designing this pattern. i don't expect the project to take me long, and fully expect that i'll be picking Tangy Giselle back up again soon, hopefully finishing it just in time for the weather to turn cool again.
p.s. i have passed 6 dead skunks on the side of the road in the past two weeks. Grandma always said that dead skunks in the low country means a cold winter. i think that this winter must be a whopper of a cold one if that's the case.
On the way home, the family decided to take the scenic route, which is the same loop that we took last fall to see the trees changing colors (you can see pics here). We rolled the windows down to let in the cool air, and wouldn't you know it? i forgot a ponytail holder so my hair (which is getting quite long now, it's starting to inch down my back) was completely in my face. What is there to do but put the bag on my head to keep my hair back? It was how i imagine it would feel to wear a really long snood! Would you believe that the trees are already starting to get tiny splashes of color and Hayes Creek Falls was even more beautiful than the last time we visited? i am so excited for fall, and hope it gets cooler soon (this, of course, has nothing to do with the mountain biking class i am taking twice a week in what seems like blazing heat).
Today, to fill the knitting void in my class time (World Geography is the only class i've gotten up the gumption to knit in so far this semester), i pulled out the size 8 dpns and ink blue Lamb's Pride again to start my Liberty Cap 2.0. i think that knitting the yoga bag and wearing it as a hat has actually helped me understand better the implications of designing this pattern. i don't expect the project to take me long, and fully expect that i'll be picking Tangy Giselle back up again soon, hopefully finishing it just in time for the weather to turn cool again.
p.s. i have passed 6 dead skunks on the side of the road in the past two weeks. Grandma always said that dead skunks in the low country means a cold winter. i think that this winter must be a whopper of a cold one if that's the case.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
still knitting
As usual, i cannot believe that it has been so long since i posted. Since my last post i have finished the Fair Ginny sweater (save for the zipper), finished my Bible cover (well... kinda, it's turned out to be a flop, and i'm not sure what i'm going to do to fix it), crocheted several sample granny squares for Ginny's Hex vest, and worked a bit more on Tangy Giselle. That's about all, at the moment, except for the fact that i bought fabric to sew passport covers, need to work on the Ohm bag, and also want to dye a white shirt my grandma got me at a thrift store, because i'm sure there's no way i would be able to keep it white. School is less than a month away now, and the chances for a new pc and camera are on the horizon as well... my laptop is about to give out and i want to have a new digital camera for the cruise i'm going on in November.
Monday, May 11, 2009
School's nearly finished and i've been dreaming of attempting to tie dye. i've also decided to use the yarn i bought for the Ohm bag for my Bible cover and use some old white cotton yarn that i have had lying around forever for the former project instead. i bought some Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye in Burgundy that i plan to dye the white with after i finish the bag.
i really should be working on homework (still have a paper to write and a paper and poems to edit) or studying for finals.
i really should be working on homework (still have a paper to write and a paper and poems to edit) or studying for finals.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
my new mary janes!
Purchased at Brown's Shoe Fit Co. in downtown Grand Junction on April 20, 2009, and for a pretty penny. i intend for them to be my new work shoes, but they still need a little breaking in. They're Sanita Marcell Cabrios; Sanita is a Danish clog company. Perfect for showing off any socks i may finish knitting. (: The socks i was wearing i bought at Target, though.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
knitting... slow
So the project i am making the most progress on is Tangy Giselle. i've set aside the sleeve stitches and am nearly to the end of the second ball (which equals 40% of the project if i use all the yarn). i discovered a mistake from a long time ago where i knit 7 sts on a purl row (or purled 7 sts on a knit row) and there is no way that i am fixing it. Taking it out as a ladder would probably destroy the tension / gauge, if not tangle the yarn. Taking it out all the way, even a stitch at a time, is most likely impossible (not to mention extremely inconvenient and time consuming). i can live with such a small mistake, and--let's face it--no one will probably ever notice. It might even be hidden by the hood whenever it's down (which, let's face it, is probably going to be most of the time).
In other project news... haven't gotten any more work done on the Boing socks, did two more rows on Fair Ginny, and am planning to knit a Bible cover now (possibly using ribbon as part of the design). i still haven't bought the size 4 needles for the yoga bag and runner's companion.
i hope to upload some update photos soon. It's getting late, i need to sleep. Luckily i can knit in three of my classes, and can get 3-7 rows done in each one if i put my mind to it. i'm not sure if i'll work on Giselle's sleeves next or continue with the main body of the project. Hmmm.../yawn.
In other project news... haven't gotten any more work done on the Boing socks, did two more rows on Fair Ginny, and am planning to knit a Bible cover now (possibly using ribbon as part of the design). i still haven't bought the size 4 needles for the yoga bag and runner's companion.
i hope to upload some update photos soon. It's getting late, i need to sleep. Luckily i can knit in three of my classes, and can get 3-7 rows done in each one if i put my mind to it. i'm not sure if i'll work on Giselle's sleeves next or continue with the main body of the project. Hmmm.../yawn.
Friday, April 17, 2009
knittin' in class
i have gradually been working on Giselle in class and it's coming along nicely. The gauge has once again turned out to be larger than expected (i don’t know why i even knit swatches, for crying out loud), and i apparently missed some increases somewhere, because i had 6 sts too few or too many (i’m not sure which). i set aside the arm sts 15 repeats early and have a Small Body, Large back, and Medium sleeves when it comes to how many sts are on the needles; i really don’t care as long as the sweater fits! But i find it really odd that i’ve apparently messed up the increases so much and my gauge is so off.
In other news, i bought some Mary Janes to wear to work and show off the socks i hope to be knitting soon (i have a lot of sock yarn in my stash). i hope to post pics soon.
In other news, i bought some Mary Janes to wear to work and show off the socks i hope to be knitting soon (i have a lot of sock yarn in my stash). i hope to post pics soon.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
i need to knit more
i haven't had much time to knit lately, but have been working the hood of my Tangy Giselle Wrap cardigan (i hate that word) off and on during the past two weeks. i got the most work on it done Friday during the two hours i attended the Mesa State Writers Conference. The hood is now about 12" in height (15" stretched) and fits nicely, is snug without being tight as far as i can guesstimate before knitting more. i've now placed markers and have started the back and arm increases using the KRL and KLL videos as a guide.
i am absolutely loving this yarn. There are some sts that are bigger than others, that look like mini holes, but i don't care, i love the way this knits up. It's really easy to tell that it's hand knit and hand dyed (the color isn't solid throughout, there is slight variegation).
i should be working on homework, have several papers to write (eek), but don't want to put the dang needles down. Luckily, one paper will be the same in two classes, but i still don't want to stop knitting. i've been sooo stressed lately, have been meaning to try yoga and need to knit more. At least i'm making some progress.
i am absolutely loving this yarn. There are some sts that are bigger than others, that look like mini holes, but i don't care, i love the way this knits up. It's really easy to tell that it's hand knit and hand dyed (the color isn't solid throughout, there is slight variegation).
i should be working on homework, have several papers to write (eek), but don't want to put the dang needles down. Luckily, one paper will be the same in two classes, but i still don't want to stop knitting. i've been sooo stressed lately, have been meaning to try yoga and need to knit more. At least i'm making some progress.
Monday, March 16, 2009
slow progress
First off, a Knitty article that i think i've read before, Knitting Yourself Together, about the meditative quality of knitting.
Second off, i have cast on Tangy Giselle and Fair Ginny, as i am now calling my two sweater projects. i am about a third of a way through the hood of the wrap, which i last worked on last Friday during the We Surround Them meetup as Bassett Furniture. As for Ginny, i've knit 5 rows in stockinette and am going to attempt to knit backwards for the purl rows... except maybe for the colorwork.
Spring break was heinous, it was worse than a normal school week is, and just as i had thought to myself "i know my schedule is crazy but it's just enough for me to handle." Stupid, stupid Kristi! Don't you know that when you say dumb stuff like that God throws you a curveball? Now my manager wants me to work during school and scheduled me for five days last week, just when daylight savings and my allergies hit simultaneously. It now seems that i need a new job if i'm going to be able to pass my classes this semester.
Second off, i have cast on Tangy Giselle and Fair Ginny, as i am now calling my two sweater projects. i am about a third of a way through the hood of the wrap, which i last worked on last Friday during the We Surround Them meetup as Bassett Furniture. As for Ginny, i've knit 5 rows in stockinette and am going to attempt to knit backwards for the purl rows... except maybe for the colorwork.
Spring break was heinous, it was worse than a normal school week is, and just as i had thought to myself "i know my schedule is crazy but it's just enough for me to handle." Stupid, stupid Kristi! Don't you know that when you say dumb stuff like that God throws you a curveball? Now my manager wants me to work during school and scheduled me for five days last week, just when daylight savings and my allergies hit simultaneously. It now seems that i need a new job if i'm going to be able to pass my classes this semester.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Fox Coffee Beanie... finished (but now for Sammy)
So i finally finished this hat yesterday in between class and work (you can see the finished product at Ravelry). The RT section has more of a ribbed look to it than the LT section, which used slipped sts to good effect, but i didn't figure out how to do that with the RT. My current stitch guide is as follows:
LT = sl 2 sts as if to knit, then put them back onto left needle. ktbl of 2nd st (which is really the front of the loop), sl 1st st, drop 2nd st. (hope this makes sense!)
RT = k2tog, k 1st st again
Note: during a section you knit the odd rows, and to not make a jag in the diagonal and keep the pattern true will need to start the pattern one st sooner or later at the end of the k row. i went with sooner on the LT section and later with the RT section so that the beg of the row was at the same place in the brim section and crown section.
This was knit up using 16 rows of knit, which was then folded to make a brim casing, 12 rows of LT (which looked like 6 because of the large slipped sts), 12 rows of RT, and about 20 rows of crown knitting all rows while decreases started around row 8. i placed a marker at the begging of the row and the halfway point.
Decrease pattern: k4sts, ssk, k to 6sts from marker, k2tog, knit 4, slip marker, knit 4, ssk, k to 6 sts from marker, k2tog, knit 4, end of row.
i used a 3 needle bind off after folding the 4 st sections inward and slipping them over the appropriate section sts, but this did not achieve the look that i wanted. The hat wasn't tall enough before the decreases, i should have k 16 rows of the LT and RT sections or gone with 20 row sections instead. The brim section was also uncomfortably loose on me, though it seems to fit Sammy well and she doesn't think it's uncomfortable.
i plan to make this hat again, with bulky yarn most likely, and making adjustments of the brim casing is tighter but the cable section is a bit looser. i REALLY hate this yarn, though it's soft, you can see it's already pilling at the top of the crown in the photos i posted at Ravelry, and i didn't even take the section out (unlike the others, which i had to take out repeatedly, once because i dropped one st at the top of the RT section, which fell to the top of the LT section, and i had no idea how to fix it.
LT = sl 2 sts as if to knit, then put them back onto left needle. ktbl of 2nd st (which is really the front of the loop), sl 1st st, drop 2nd st. (hope this makes sense!)
RT = k2tog, k 1st st again
Note: during a section you knit the odd rows, and to not make a jag in the diagonal and keep the pattern true will need to start the pattern one st sooner or later at the end of the k row. i went with sooner on the LT section and later with the RT section so that the beg of the row was at the same place in the brim section and crown section.
This was knit up using 16 rows of knit, which was then folded to make a brim casing, 12 rows of LT (which looked like 6 because of the large slipped sts), 12 rows of RT, and about 20 rows of crown knitting all rows while decreases started around row 8. i placed a marker at the begging of the row and the halfway point.
Decrease pattern: k4sts, ssk, k to 6sts from marker, k2tog, knit 4, slip marker, knit 4, ssk, k to 6 sts from marker, k2tog, knit 4, end of row.
i used a 3 needle bind off after folding the 4 st sections inward and slipping them over the appropriate section sts, but this did not achieve the look that i wanted. The hat wasn't tall enough before the decreases, i should have k 16 rows of the LT and RT sections or gone with 20 row sections instead. The brim section was also uncomfortably loose on me, though it seems to fit Sammy well and she doesn't think it's uncomfortable.
i plan to make this hat again, with bulky yarn most likely, and making adjustments of the brim casing is tighter but the cable section is a bit looser. i REALLY hate this yarn, though it's soft, you can see it's already pilling at the top of the crown in the photos i posted at Ravelry, and i didn't even take the section out (unlike the others, which i had to take out repeatedly, once because i dropped one st at the top of the RT section, which fell to the top of the LT section, and i had no idea how to fix it.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
excellent blog article
Knitting and Public Politics, about whether it's okay to knit in public (i feel that it is, but i know that i amaze and offend some people).
And if that wasn't enough, the blog has a great M.C. Escher quote. (:
And if that wasn't enough, the blog has a great M.C. Escher quote. (:
the woes of LTs and trying to salvage the Fox Beanie YET AGAIN
i have been trying to knit this hat off and on for over two years now. The yarn i'm using is 100% acrylic, cost me about $2.50, and it is supposed to be great for cables. i have become a yarn snob and hate using acrylic, this yarn has only reinforced that for me. The pros are that the yarn is super soft and machine washable, the cons are that it splits like crazy and is already pilling a bit after being taken out a couple of times.
i finally found a zigzag stitch that looked perfect in the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary 2 but have had nothing but trouble with it. It uses a Left Twist and Right Twist that, when worked, looks nothing like the picture / example. If i knit the st as instructed there is a gap in between the twists that looks far more lacy than i would like. So i have done some research and apparently the LT is the bane of many knitters' existence. No one can agree on how it should be done, there are at least four different methods one can use, and none of them look exactly like in the book (not to mention that the method outlined in the book looks worst of all). My search was not helped by the fact that KnittingHelp.com has no vids on how to knit an LT and while the forums claimed there were videos on YouTube i couldn't find any by searching for "LT knit stitch" (apparently there's a musical group named LT Stitch, however, and i did finally find two videos when i searched for "Left Twist"). i finally made a breakthrough when i found Let Me ExplainKnit's rather lengthy post on the woes of LTs, which verified for me the need to turn every 2nd st so when i ktbl i am actually ktbl i am actually knitting through the front of the loop instead of twisting it. She also linked to the pattern for Cable Twist Socks which instructs the knitter to slip the 1st st as if to purl instead of k2togtbl. This has yielded a stronger unified look, instead of the twisted lacy pattern that, while pretty, was not the look i was going for at all.
This pattern is very much self made though i have used two others as a guide (in a manner of speaking). i used Son of Stitch 'N Bitch's Half-Pipe Hat as a guide for gauge and returned to the idea of encasing the brim instead of trying to knit a shaped case for it (as i did with my Flaming Snowboard Beanie. i used a stockinette st instead of a rib and folded the cast on edge under instead of over. The Half-Pipe brim was far larger than i was wanting to use (the Flaming Beanie's brim is too large, too), so i turned to the Lidsville pattern instead. For the Flaming Beanie i used foam, this time i am using some plastic canvas that i had lying around, and i prefer foam because it is softer and doesn't have jagged edges. It took me the better part of a half hour to trim the plastic canvas so it wouldn't catch the yarn and damage it.
i am currently a third of the way through the LT section and am hoping that the RT section doesn't give me as much grief (though from what i read the RT usually works better than the LT). i'm also winding the yarn for my Wrap Sweater into balls, i'm not sure if i'll actually be casting on today or not, but i have a lot more of Tale of Two Cities to get through, so it's entirely possible that i'll finish the hat or cast on or both.
i finally found a zigzag stitch that looked perfect in the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary 2 but have had nothing but trouble with it. It uses a Left Twist and Right Twist that, when worked, looks nothing like the picture / example. If i knit the st as instructed there is a gap in between the twists that looks far more lacy than i would like. So i have done some research and apparently the LT is the bane of many knitters' existence. No one can agree on how it should be done, there are at least four different methods one can use, and none of them look exactly like in the book (not to mention that the method outlined in the book looks worst of all). My search was not helped by the fact that KnittingHelp.com has no vids on how to knit an LT and while the forums claimed there were videos on YouTube i couldn't find any by searching for "LT knit stitch" (apparently there's a musical group named LT Stitch, however, and i did finally find two videos when i searched for "Left Twist"). i finally made a breakthrough when i found Let Me ExplainKnit's rather lengthy post on the woes of LTs, which verified for me the need to turn every 2nd st so when i ktbl i am actually ktbl i am actually knitting through the front of the loop instead of twisting it. She also linked to the pattern for Cable Twist Socks which instructs the knitter to slip the 1st st as if to purl instead of k2togtbl. This has yielded a stronger unified look, instead of the twisted lacy pattern that, while pretty, was not the look i was going for at all.
This pattern is very much self made though i have used two others as a guide (in a manner of speaking). i used Son of Stitch 'N Bitch's Half-Pipe Hat as a guide for gauge and returned to the idea of encasing the brim instead of trying to knit a shaped case for it (as i did with my Flaming Snowboard Beanie. i used a stockinette st instead of a rib and folded the cast on edge under instead of over. The Half-Pipe brim was far larger than i was wanting to use (the Flaming Beanie's brim is too large, too), so i turned to the Lidsville pattern instead. For the Flaming Beanie i used foam, this time i am using some plastic canvas that i had lying around, and i prefer foam because it is softer and doesn't have jagged edges. It took me the better part of a half hour to trim the plastic canvas so it wouldn't catch the yarn and damage it.
i am currently a third of the way through the LT section and am hoping that the RT section doesn't give me as much grief (though from what i read the RT usually works better than the LT). i'm also winding the yarn for my Wrap Sweater into balls, i'm not sure if i'll actually be casting on today or not, but i have a lot more of Tale of Two Cities to get through, so it's entirely possible that i'll finish the hat or cast on or both.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
hitting a wall with Evi ):
i have been really unhappy with this project for over a week now. The cables look awesome, but the thumb gusset it in the wrong place, and i don't like the way the ribs look on the wrist. As much as i hate to do it, i think that i'm going to be taking out the right mitten and start over on it, but probably not before knitting up the left mitten so i can use it for a guide to see where my improvisations went wrong. The crazy thing is that the palm is baggy but i cannot extract my hand from the current slot. i do not think that i'll have enough yard to actually knit the fingers up properly, but i'm not sure. i plan to rotate the thumb decreases 90 degrees. i feel a bit embarrassed when i hit walls like this in my knitting. So far i'm not entirely impressed with this yarn, the gauge seems just a little loose, but i'm hoping that it will work well on the slopes once i complete the project.
Friday, February 13, 2009
woot, the wool is on the way!
i just got an e-mail letting me know that my yarn for the Ginny Cardigan is finally on its way. The Pistachio was on back order, so i had to wait for them to get more in, and i kind of assumed it would take another week or two, so i'm really excited and wondering how long it will take to get here. The nice thing about this project is that, even though i paid a lot for this yarn, there will most likely be left overs on the contrast colors that i can use to make Christmas presents.
The bad part is that now i need to buy some more circulars and dpns because i don't have any in size 10 1/2 (as the pattern calls for). i know that you can't knit a cardigan in the round, but i also know that i refuse to do any seaming, so i will be knitting the back and fronts simultaneously. i'll have to wait until my next paycheck for that. i'll also buy one of these i think (my Harry Potter scarf needs it, if nothing else). i'm dreaming of a swift and a spindle, but don't know if they're currently in my budget.
i meant to post photos of the finished yarn yesterday afternoon, and i took several shots outside, and even wound the first loop length into a ball, only managing to get it tangled into an irreparable knot at the very end (losing less than a yard of yarn in the process). But even before i accomplished all of that, when i first got home, Mom wanted me to refresh her memory on how to knit, and Sammy couldn't remember how to cast on, so i spent more than an hour doing that and then i had to get ready for work. Anyways, i'm starving, and need to pick up the spinning books i reserved from the library. i'll post photos later.
The bad part is that now i need to buy some more circulars and dpns because i don't have any in size 10 1/2 (as the pattern calls for). i know that you can't knit a cardigan in the round, but i also know that i refuse to do any seaming, so i will be knitting the back and fronts simultaneously. i'll have to wait until my next paycheck for that. i'll also buy one of these i think (my Harry Potter scarf needs it, if nothing else). i'm dreaming of a swift and a spindle, but don't know if they're currently in my budget.
i meant to post photos of the finished yarn yesterday afternoon, and i took several shots outside, and even wound the first loop length into a ball, only managing to get it tangled into an irreparable knot at the very end (losing less than a yard of yarn in the process). But even before i accomplished all of that, when i first got home, Mom wanted me to refresh her memory on how to knit, and Sammy couldn't remember how to cast on, so i spent more than an hour doing that and then i had to get ready for work. Anyways, i'm starving, and need to pick up the spinning books i reserved from the library. i'll post photos later.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
It's orange and yellow kool-aid time...
So, finally got the yarn six days ago, and knitted a couple of rows to be sure of my gauge. Last night and today i wound the yarn into big loops and tied them with some old yarn i found:
Then i grabbed a big red pot of my mom's and filled it with enough water to submerge the yarn.
225 grams converted to about 4.4 ounces, and Knitty - Dyed in the Wool told me to use one packet per ounce, so i used four packets of KoolAid, two Orange and two Lemonade.
The color did go out of the water completely, and seemed to be slightly sudsy as i dumped it out. The orange is not completely solid or as bright as in Knitty's pics, but i am pretty happy with the outcome. The yarn has been rinsed and is hanging to drip dry right now; every once in a while i get a whiff of that KoolAid smell. i'll take a photo of it tomorrow when the sun comes back out.
i bought the needles for this project today... it wasn't cheap. i wasn't going to buy the heavy metal ones when nice bamboo and birch ones are readily available. i can hardly wait to cast on, but need to practice stitches with scrap yarn first: i definitely do not want to mess up while the yarn is on the needles as it will be nearly impossible to take out.
This was fun, and perplexed the kiddos; next time i want to use Blue Moon Berry or Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade. Grape and Black Cherry and Lemon Lime look promising too.
Then i grabbed a big red pot of my mom's and filled it with enough water to submerge the yarn.
225 grams converted to about 4.4 ounces, and Knitty - Dyed in the Wool told me to use one packet per ounce, so i used four packets of KoolAid, two Orange and two Lemonade.
The color did go out of the water completely, and seemed to be slightly sudsy as i dumped it out. The orange is not completely solid or as bright as in Knitty's pics, but i am pretty happy with the outcome. The yarn has been rinsed and is hanging to drip dry right now; every once in a while i get a whiff of that KoolAid smell. i'll take a photo of it tomorrow when the sun comes back out.
i bought the needles for this project today... it wasn't cheap. i wasn't going to buy the heavy metal ones when nice bamboo and birch ones are readily available. i can hardly wait to cast on, but need to practice stitches with scrap yarn first: i definitely do not want to mess up while the yarn is on the needles as it will be nearly impossible to take out.
This was fun, and perplexed the kiddos; next time i want to use Blue Moon Berry or Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade. Grape and Black Cherry and Lemon Lime look promising too.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
i can hitchhike in warmth now...
Is it really so late / early? i got caught up knitting the thumb on my first mitten and am getting ready to knit the pinky next, but i have to do a couple more rows of pattern first. After the pinky, of course, comes the ring, middle, and index fingers, then the convertible part. Right now, i just need to get some sleep, cuz i have class in less than eight hours.
Friday, January 30, 2009
yum
Bought the Kool-Aid today, i think i got more than enough if my conversion from grams to ounces was correct. Today i ordered Crystal Palace Kid Merino in Lemon Sherbet (that's a horrible photo, but this is the yarn i hope to dye light orange for the wrap sweater) and 10 skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky for the Ginny GoF cardigan. Were i going for colors as close to the movie as possible i would have used Khaki for the MC, but i chose to use Pistachio instead. For the CCs i’m using Orchid Thistle, Wild Mustard, and Rust. it was hard to pick which shades of the yellow / gold and orange to pick, but the Orchid was always my favorite shade of purple. i also ordered a skein of the Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in Ink Blue for a Liberty Cap. i can hardly wait for the yarn to arrive!
progressing on Evi
After a false start with runaway cables on the inner wrist, i have cast back on and knitted to the wrist. i dropped a purl st once and had to undo 3 rows worth of cable pattern to fix my mistake. ): Luckily i saw a video on YouTube the other night that showed me an easy way to quickly un-knit my mistake. As it turns out, i accidentally repeated row 5 on my second repeat, but i liked the way it looked so i did it for my fourth repeat as well. i've been decreasing 3 sts every 5 rows and now have 46 sts on the needles: i plan to dec 2 more sts at the inner wrist and start the thumb gusset next. i wish i had the energy to do so now, but i'm really tired and need to get some sleep cuz i have class in the morning.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Evi update
i guess i'll go with the convertible mittens that i've been meaning to do for forever: i'll use Broad Street Mittens as a guide. So far, i am ready for round 11 and to start the cable pattern. In round five i did a cable round like in the Fetching pattern once (instead of repeating it 3 times on the wrist, i just did it once, and because i don't have a knit 4, p1, repeat going on i slip 2 k sts, hold to front, p2, k2 off cable needle). And because i'm backwards and contrary i'm knitting the right mitten first, which is mostly because i plan to reverse the Evangeline cable pattern on the left mitten so that the cables cross the same way i do up my sneakers (outside laces on top). Yes, i know i'm anal.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Casting on Evangeline!
So i actually knitted a swatch for this (twice), and it turned out that for the pattern's gauge i probably need to use needles in size 1 1/2... but i’m using size 2 and will have 24 sts per 4” instead of 20. i decided to have the cuff come to mid-forearm, where my arm measures 10” in circumference. As it turns out, since i have big bones and am overweight, i can’t cast on 40 like the pattern calls for. i figured out that according to gauge i need to cast on 64 sts and will gradually decrease to 44 at my wrist. So i’m still using 16 sts of pattern, but have 48 sts divided evenly on my other two needles (24 sts on each). i also plan to create a gusset and add some interest inspired by Fetching. To cast on i also used the long tail method for the first time, which as it turns out is super easy, but when my Grandma tried to explain it to me some 15-17 years ago made absolutely no sense. Now i think i’ll use it every time.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
knitting for... politics?
Every day that i go to work, i look across the seven square four-caps (i think that's what they're called) that everyone must pass on their way to check out, and see a book on our magazine rack named Knitting for Peace. For a long time i just stared at its pink cover and the dove on it and wondered... how does one knit for peace? So i picked it up one day and discovered: the book isn't about creating world peace or anything like that, it's about knitting for charities. Inside are patterns for blankets (with info about Blankets for Linus) and chemo caps. As far as i can tell, the book isn't about peace at all.
What a let down.
Now, i do not happen to believe in world peace. You see, the Bible tells us that once world peace occurs things are going to get really, really bad. Christians are going to have their heads cut off left and right and people will have to have a "mark" (probably a tattoo or computer chip) in order to buy, sell, survive. Why would i pray or hope for an event that's going to bring radical changes to the world that are exactly what i am against politically?
i don't normally talk about politics here (you can go to my main blog for that); when i go to a knitting blog, i want to read about knitting. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that all the political knitting blogs i have seen were very anti-Bush. i'm not saying that i agree with everything Bush did during his eight years as president, in fact he did a lot to let me down. A fellow student of mine hates him because she voted for him for one reason and regretted it: her issue of choice? She's pro-life. From a pro-life standpoint W was very much a success (of course Obama has promised to undo all those policies). Even if those the strong pro-life policies of the Bush administration only saved the life of one baby, in my opinion that makes it worth voting for W (which i did twice).
Of course, under President Bush the U.S. government has grown enormous, as has the deficit; that's not so good. However, i do not think that President Obama (we can't call him O, Oprah already has the corner on that market) is going to provide any solutions to these issues, from what he has said i think that they are only going to get worse.
According to Amazon, Knitting for Peace mentions Martha Washington spearheading efforts to knit for the troops. How is that knitting for peace? That's knitting for war. The American Girl books about Molly talk about how the girls would knit socks and blankets for the troops. That's very American, but not at all peaceful, it was part of the war effort along with having a garden and collecting scrap metal. The posters of the era were iconic and very patriotic. We've all seen Rosie the Riveter and Uncle Sam pointing at us.
Personally, i would like to knit for freedom. i'm not sure how to do that. Sit ins? Knit Liberty Caps? March in DC with needles in hand? i've never protested, i've never picketed, i rarely sign petitions. Why is it that the people who believe the opposite way that i do seem so much more organized than me? i feel very alone and don't have the slightest idea what to do in response to the change that i can feel is coming. i feel as if the war is already lost. Considering how happy i've been lately, and at peace despite my life's hardships, the prospects for the future could be downright depressing when i think about it.
i think that feeling this way is probably because of the open bias of the media. They want everyone to think that everyone loves Obama. Well this simply is not the case. Not everyone believes in bail outs and nationalizing universal health care and social security. Not everyone wants a third of their paycheck to be taken away before they cash it, and tax dollars going to stem cell research and killing babies. Not everyone believes in closing Guantanamo Bay and giving up on hunting down Bin Laden (as Obama has flip-flopped on his pledge to hunt him down, saying that he's just not that dangerous anymore).
i need to find some friends who believe the same way as me so i don't feel so alone all the time.
What a let down.
Now, i do not happen to believe in world peace. You see, the Bible tells us that once world peace occurs things are going to get really, really bad. Christians are going to have their heads cut off left and right and people will have to have a "mark" (probably a tattoo or computer chip) in order to buy, sell, survive. Why would i pray or hope for an event that's going to bring radical changes to the world that are exactly what i am against politically?
i don't normally talk about politics here (you can go to my main blog for that); when i go to a knitting blog, i want to read about knitting. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that all the political knitting blogs i have seen were very anti-Bush. i'm not saying that i agree with everything Bush did during his eight years as president, in fact he did a lot to let me down. A fellow student of mine hates him because she voted for him for one reason and regretted it: her issue of choice? She's pro-life. From a pro-life standpoint W was very much a success (of course Obama has promised to undo all those policies). Even if those the strong pro-life policies of the Bush administration only saved the life of one baby, in my opinion that makes it worth voting for W (which i did twice).
Of course, under President Bush the U.S. government has grown enormous, as has the deficit; that's not so good. However, i do not think that President Obama (we can't call him O, Oprah already has the corner on that market) is going to provide any solutions to these issues, from what he has said i think that they are only going to get worse.
According to Amazon, Knitting for Peace mentions Martha Washington spearheading efforts to knit for the troops. How is that knitting for peace? That's knitting for war. The American Girl books about Molly talk about how the girls would knit socks and blankets for the troops. That's very American, but not at all peaceful, it was part of the war effort along with having a garden and collecting scrap metal. The posters of the era were iconic and very patriotic. We've all seen Rosie the Riveter and Uncle Sam pointing at us.
Personally, i would like to knit for freedom. i'm not sure how to do that. Sit ins? Knit Liberty Caps? March in DC with needles in hand? i've never protested, i've never picketed, i rarely sign petitions. Why is it that the people who believe the opposite way that i do seem so much more organized than me? i feel very alone and don't have the slightest idea what to do in response to the change that i can feel is coming. i feel as if the war is already lost. Considering how happy i've been lately, and at peace despite my life's hardships, the prospects for the future could be downright depressing when i think about it.
i think that feeling this way is probably because of the open bias of the media. They want everyone to think that everyone loves Obama. Well this simply is not the case. Not everyone believes in bail outs and nationalizing universal health care and social security. Not everyone wants a third of their paycheck to be taken away before they cash it, and tax dollars going to stem cell research and killing babies. Not everyone believes in closing Guantanamo Bay and giving up on hunting down Bin Laden (as Obama has flip-flopped on his pledge to hunt him down, saying that he's just not that dangerous anymore).
i need to find some friends who believe the same way as me so i don't feel so alone all the time.
still dreaming of knitting... and dying too!
No, not committing suicide or going to Heaven through natural means (though i did have an interesting conversation last night with a guildee about the end times and how to become a Christian), but learning how to dye my yarn. This is actually something i have wanted to learn how to do for a long time, whether it be yarn or fabric that i would be dying. i love batik fabrics and it can be a bit of a challenge to find the colors i want for projects. This is especially true of the yarn i want to use for that wrap sweater.
From the beginning, i knew that i wanted the yarn to be fuzzy. That was clear from the photo in Fit Pregnancy that inspired the sweater, that it was soft fuzzy yarn knit with needles a couple of sizes too big so that it is semi-lacy. The closest yarn i could find for a long time was Rowan Kidsilk Haze, which is a challenge to use (i crocheted a hat with it once), and unfortunately expensive. So for the past few days i have been scouring the internet for a cheaper substitute (or any substitute, for that matter) in the color i want. See, in the photo the sweater was a dark orange, kind of on the red side, but in my head i have always seen this sweater as more of a yellow orange: not peach, not gold, not yellow, not orange red, not rust, not red orange, but a light orange that's on the yellow side.
Well i haven't been able to find that color anywhere. So my mind started turning to dying the yarn myself, but i have no idea how to do that! It sounds complicated! What if i buy a bunch of expensive yarn and it still doesn't turn out the color i want?!? But today i stumbled upon KoolAid dying: one apparently mixes the KoolAid to be the color he or she wants, microwaves or simmers the yarn in the said mix, and when all the color has gone out of the water rinses and dry and voila you're done. Sounds easy enough, and it isn't toxic!
Well i found a cheaper yarn substitute finally, after Googling and searching for way too long (i could be lvling an alt or doing homework for crying out loud!). i found Crystal Palace Kid Merino and i eventually found a website where it's on sale and found another color or the yarn that i'm going to be hard pressed passing up (look at the Cocoa Blues at the top of that first page). i was originally planning on buying the Natural, but now i think i'm going to go with Lemon Sherbet because i read on one website that the artifical fibers and cotton don't dye as well (if at all) and that you can also dye pastels and light colors to good effect (hey, maybe i could put some of Grandma's old yarn to use after all...). Crystal Palace is cheaper than Rowan because it uses Nylon instead of Silk; so i might have a bit of lemon in my sweater, too, but that's okay, i want my yarn to be more yellow than pink or red anyway, and it doesn't have to be solid all the way through, i kind of like the hand dyed look after all (lol), i just don't want the yarn to be obviously variegated like Red Heart brand is. ):
In conclusion, i got my mitten yarn today, which is nice and soft, but not quite as turquoise as i was expecting. It's a nice enough blue, but is more on the cornflower side of the spectrum. When i ordered this yarn i almost picked the charcoal grey, now i wonder if i made the right choice (at any rate, it's too late to change my mind now, they are sold out of just about all of the colors now, and don't plan to carry it any longer it seems). Anyways, here's hoping that i get some more knitting done next week, and some of my dream buys will come to fruition. (: i think if i buy the yarn for these sweaters that i will be set when it comes to yarn for quite a while to come. Plus, the leftovers from the Ginny Cardigan will make good Christmas presents.
ETA: i guess that the proper spelling is dyeing... oops.
From the beginning, i knew that i wanted the yarn to be fuzzy. That was clear from the photo in Fit Pregnancy that inspired the sweater, that it was soft fuzzy yarn knit with needles a couple of sizes too big so that it is semi-lacy. The closest yarn i could find for a long time was Rowan Kidsilk Haze, which is a challenge to use (i crocheted a hat with it once), and unfortunately expensive. So for the past few days i have been scouring the internet for a cheaper substitute (or any substitute, for that matter) in the color i want. See, in the photo the sweater was a dark orange, kind of on the red side, but in my head i have always seen this sweater as more of a yellow orange: not peach, not gold, not yellow, not orange red, not rust, not red orange, but a light orange that's on the yellow side.
Well i haven't been able to find that color anywhere. So my mind started turning to dying the yarn myself, but i have no idea how to do that! It sounds complicated! What if i buy a bunch of expensive yarn and it still doesn't turn out the color i want?!? But today i stumbled upon KoolAid dying: one apparently mixes the KoolAid to be the color he or she wants, microwaves or simmers the yarn in the said mix, and when all the color has gone out of the water rinses and dry and voila you're done. Sounds easy enough, and it isn't toxic!
Well i found a cheaper yarn substitute finally, after Googling and searching for way too long (i could be lvling an alt or doing homework for crying out loud!). i found Crystal Palace Kid Merino and i eventually found a website where it's on sale and found another color or the yarn that i'm going to be hard pressed passing up (look at the Cocoa Blues at the top of that first page). i was originally planning on buying the Natural, but now i think i'm going to go with Lemon Sherbet because i read on one website that the artifical fibers and cotton don't dye as well (if at all) and that you can also dye pastels and light colors to good effect (hey, maybe i could put some of Grandma's old yarn to use after all...). Crystal Palace is cheaper than Rowan because it uses Nylon instead of Silk; so i might have a bit of lemon in my sweater, too, but that's okay, i want my yarn to be more yellow than pink or red anyway, and it doesn't have to be solid all the way through, i kind of like the hand dyed look after all (lol), i just don't want the yarn to be obviously variegated like Red Heart brand is. ):
In conclusion, i got my mitten yarn today, which is nice and soft, but not quite as turquoise as i was expecting. It's a nice enough blue, but is more on the cornflower side of the spectrum. When i ordered this yarn i almost picked the charcoal grey, now i wonder if i made the right choice (at any rate, it's too late to change my mind now, they are sold out of just about all of the colors now, and don't plan to carry it any longer it seems). Anyways, here's hoping that i get some more knitting done next week, and some of my dream buys will come to fruition. (: i think if i buy the yarn for these sweaters that i will be set when it comes to yarn for quite a while to come. Plus, the leftovers from the Ginny Cardigan will make good Christmas presents.
ETA: i guess that the proper spelling is dyeing... oops.
Friday, January 23, 2009
knitting on the brain
So no sooner do i say that i don't need a digital camera because i have a cell phone than i have to update the software on my phone because it won't charge and suddenly i can't download photos from my camera any more. So i need to figure out a new way to get that photo off that i promised you last post and i really don't want to text it to my e-mail account but we'll see.
i finished my first sock last night while listening to homework and cast on to the second during lunch today. Earlier this week i ordered the Hauk yarn in color 5943 for my mittens off the internet and used my gift certificate at the local yarn store to buy more sock yarn (in oranges 145 and blues 1606) and cable needles.
i am really tempted to buy some Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky for Stitch 'N Bitch's Fairly Easy Fair Isle in colors like Ginny's cardigan (from GoF i believe) as well as that lacy wrap sweater that i've been wanting to knit for forever (the trouble is that i can't find the yarn in the light orange shade i want).
i think that it's safe to say that i'm obsessing about knitting a lot this week.
Oh, i also bought some fabric paints and stencils to decorate some thrift store pillowcases that i'm turning into shopping / book bags. Next i need to buy some straps (i'm thinking about using ribbon) and the cuffs that i've been meaning to put onto my blue zipup hoodie for a while now. Oh, i'm thinking about making stitch markers too and selling some on my Etsy store, and ordering the yarn to knit a blue Liberty Cap. Hmm i'm creative lately, the trouble is finding time to follow through on my ideas.
i finished my first sock last night while listening to homework and cast on to the second during lunch today. Earlier this week i ordered the Hauk yarn in color 5943 for my mittens off the internet and used my gift certificate at the local yarn store to buy more sock yarn (in oranges 145 and blues 1606) and cable needles.
i am really tempted to buy some Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky for Stitch 'N Bitch's Fairly Easy Fair Isle in colors like Ginny's cardigan (from GoF i believe) as well as that lacy wrap sweater that i've been wanting to knit for forever (the trouble is that i can't find the yarn in the light orange shade i want).i think that it's safe to say that i'm obsessing about knitting a lot this week.
Oh, i also bought some fabric paints and stencils to decorate some thrift store pillowcases that i'm turning into shopping / book bags. Next i need to buy some straps (i'm thinking about using ribbon) and the cuffs that i've been meaning to put onto my blue zipup hoodie for a while now. Oh, i'm thinking about making stitch markers too and selling some on my Etsy store, and ordering the yarn to knit a blue Liberty Cap. Hmm i'm creative lately, the trouble is finding time to follow through on my ideas.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
on second thought...
i was looking at digital cameras at Target the other day, then glanced at them at Wal-Mart. i don't want a cheap digital camera that will break quickly, i want a nice one like the one my brother-in-law has. Right now, my cellphone camera will just have to be good enough. Luckily i can download photos off of it directly to my computer.
Here is a picture of my aunt wearing the scarf i knitted for her for Christmas:
CO 16 sts, k every row, bind off when you reach the length that suits your fancy, easy peasy nice and cheasy. i was actually surprised how fast this went and how much easier it was to go back and forth in a garter stitch than knitting in the round with it. Total knitting time was less than five hours, i'm happy with it, but still don't love the eyelash fur stuff.
Here is a picture of my aunt wearing the scarf i knitted for her for Christmas:
CO 16 sts, k every row, bind off when you reach the length that suits your fancy, easy peasy nice and cheasy. i was actually surprised how fast this went and how much easier it was to go back and forth in a garter stitch than knitting in the round with it. Total knitting time was less than five hours, i'm happy with it, but still don't love the eyelash fur stuff.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)