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August 30, 2004
Well I had to rip out a lot of my Sampler. But it was worth it to get to the required stitches I think. The only thing I have a problem with was that I couldn't figure out where I went wrong??? I think where I messed up was where I was supposed to do the A, B and C increases. Well, at two increases per marker and three increase rounds in this particular part of the pattern, I still only counted 18 more stitches. The cast on 64 + 18 is still not 88sts...I was in a desperate position. I did the unthinkable. I strayed from the pattern. Gasp!
Guilty Conscience
So I tried going by the introduction for that section for evenly increasing stitches around and I found that if I included the right side seam, I would get to 88 sts. But the pattern didn't say that! I did it anyway. If I could be using one of those little smilie thingies, I would be typing in :rolleyes: ! I feel a little bad because I haven't read anywhere that the Sampler directions have flaws so I'm pretty sure I miscounted somewhere. But I did the dastardly deed and then I got back to the knitting of it. I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but I will soon find out, right? What's the worst that could happen? I could have to start all over again....Well, I won't think about that. :)
I keep having to use the scraps that I took out when I frogged it. That's a little annoying since the Sampler is basically only two colors. Of course, that may change based on whether this thing gets much longer. The little darling has almost used a whole ball of yarn, greedy little thing!
Well, it is a work night so I'd best be getting to bed. I will post pics soon.
Happy knitting tonight!
Posted by stacey at 10:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 28, 2004
Yay!!! It's Friday!!!
I get to knit this weekend!!! I'm about to lose my mind with just the thought of being able to sit back with some needles and some yarn in my hands!! If my hands could be my mouth to salivate right now, they would be doing just that!
Knitting Accomplishment
Well, maybe it's more of a blogging accomplishment. I got added to the Knitting Bloggers ring! It must've been some time recently because I've tried to get added to that site a zillion times!! Okay, slight exaggeration. But you don't know how much of an accomplishment that is until you've tried about four or five times with really bad timing, ring owner moved, i moved, or I had to keep waiting because the ring was closed! :) Of course, today when I checked my site I saw that I was stealing bandwidth! That's a no-no. But I've had the button on my here since I got this site and before I got on the ring so I'm sure it was back before I knew how to do the whole button thing right. But just think, if I hadn't found that out, I'd be kicked right back off and have to wait again!! Still it would've been a very good reason!! I have buttons on some of my sites too and though I don't think I'd even know how to find out if someone was stealing bandwidth and I'm not really sure what exactly it means, I'd probably hate it if I found out!! :) Something tells me it is probably costly or something like that. I'm going to post how I learned to get buttons on my site and if something is wrong, somebody give me a holler:
1-Save Picture As
2-Save it in My Documents
3-If you have TypePad, upload the pic in the My Documents folder to the folder in TypePad
4-Copy the url of the destination in Typepad that the pic is on and paste it inside the quotes of img src="..." in the button code.
I can't remember where I got this from, but I learned to do this probably about a month into blogging. If it's wrong, then I've been doing it a loooonnnnnngggggg time! And I've given the advice away!! Anybody got a clue?
The way before that I think I used was to View the Source Code and paste that into my template in TypePad or something like that. I came to think that that was the wrong way. But I'm no techy so don't quote me on that...
I Hate to say Good Bye but...
I really gotta get knitting!! I can't believe I get to knit!!!!!!!!!! Yay!! I am still working away the ends on Forever (there are a million of them) and I have to fix my Sweater Sampler before I get to go any further with that and even though it's a two steps backward kind of thing, I'm so excited that I'm going to be knitting, it really doesn't make any difference that I have to go back! How's that for excitement?! Weird.
Posted by stacey at 12:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 23, 2004
Awwww Man!!
Back to the Drawing Board
Well, I've gone and done it now. Somewhere I must have messed up on my sweater sampler. I don't have the stitch requirement to start the raglan seams! Where did I go wrong? Probably back at the Family Reunion. I know-two weeks ago!! What's up with that??? All I can remember is packing up and getting ready to go and then starting again at the next segment of the book. I don't remember bothering to look at the little note that said how many stitches I should've had. Dang it!! I'll have to rip it out a few sections and start over again I guess...Freak!!!
At least my scarf at work is going okay albeit a little slowly. Scratch that. It's going at a snail's pace. Donatello could beat it, no problems. But it is the softest yarn I've ever felt! It's called Blue Sky Bulky. It's so soft!!! Mmmmm.....
Let's see if I can post a pic of it. The last time I tried it didn't work....
Yummy!!
I learned that a co-worker of mine also knits!! Well, I do work at an art college so...
Happy knitting!
Posted by stacey at 07:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 17, 2004
Welcome to the Real Workforce to Me
Well, I actually started last week on the ninth. It's great, but it's very challenging for me as I have little to no experience with Microsoft Access and Excel beyond data entry. They're pretty powerful programs. I have pics of my first, tiny office but I'll post them later. It really won't be mine for long though. The building is going through renovations and I'm supposed to be getting a bigger one-still no windows though. But you know, I don't mind that for some reason...it's just nice having a job.
Knitting Basket
I put my little knitting basket under my desk in the corner. I plan to only put quick projects in there that I can work on during lunch. However...so far, in eight days (yes, I was there over the weekend too) I've made three rows of progress on a scarf!! It's that busy!! I didn't even get to take a lunch today. But I guess it'll be like that for a little while till I get used to knowing the duties and get into a rhythm. I think it will be a lot like exercising. When you first start doing it, you're wiped out after the first round of reps. But when you get used to it, you finish your program and get on with the rest of the day. I just keep thinking that three weeks ago, I'd stay up all night, reading, knitting, doing whatever. I worked in the public school system on a part time basis, so I had certain days during the week where I was off while working and my summer off, of course. But, now when I come home I'm so tired, I get dinner ready and just get us ready to do it all over again the next day and go STRAIGHT to bed! What's up with that???
I have another section done on my sampler. That's going more slowly too since the job started. I'm beginning to wonder how the mothers of yesteryear ever kept up with all the cooking, cleaning, working and still had the time to knit sweaters, socks, hats, gloves and blankets (not to mention all the other little doo-dads around the house-dishcloths and rugs and what not). Seriously, even the computer doesn't cut down time around here!!
Happy knitting everyone and please knit an extra row for me tonight!!
Posted by stacey at 07:36 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 08, 2004
A Little of This a Little of That
I went to my family reunion picnic today. What's up with this weather? It's so cold around here. This year, instead of painting, I knitted on the sweater sampler while I was there. I found that I had other cousins who also worked with fibers and another who is going to school for art! Next year, maybe all of us yarn geeks will get together and knit in the shade, huh? I did miss my son's presence this year. He is spending some time with his father. But maybe next year he will be able to come.
Sampler Progress
Well, I worked my way through the sweatshirt pocket, the stripes and the increases. And a few minutes ago, I finished the swag and raised stripe, and it's looking alright. The author explains each step before you have to execute it and that's been really pleasant! I'm really glad I got the book. It gives the impression that later on I will be able to mix and match some of these techniques to make my own sweaters. Yeah!
Besides the sampler I've done a few other little things. Here's the little humble knitting bag I knit with it's first walk around project, a simple facial cloth. I'm going to do a little mosaic hat that I found in the Slip Stitch Patterns. Did I tell you I bought that book? Well, I did. I'm so glad I did! Lots of great color ideas with mosaic patterning.
I also did a good, solid, ribbed hat, working on that whole striping thing that I learned from The Sweater Workshop book. You know, where you have to knit a row before going back to ribbing. The inside looks pretty nice too though that is where I weaved in the ends. I still think sometimes I will prefer the way it looks without that knit row. But it's nice to have the added knit vocabulary. I plan to send this hat to a ministry. Waiting till I fill up that plastic bag first. So far I've got a smallish diaper bag, three scarves, two hats, one pair of mitts, a couple of trinket baggies and I think that's it. I want to do a couple pairs of mittens and a baby blanket before I send it. Hopefully by the end of this year, I will know enough about seamless sweaters to send them some baby sweaters and maybe a couple adult sized sweaters. We'll see...
I also managed to work away some of the ends on Forever. I've been known to sometimes screw up a whole project on that section alone! But so far it's going pretty good. I only do a few sections at a time. It would just be project overload for me to do that all in one sitting!!
Happy knitting!
Posted by stacey at 01:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 04, 2004
OMG!
"What In The?"
I found my name in an article today on the web! I remember someone asking me some questions, but I completely forgot all about the fact that she was writing a story. And if I can recall correctly, I thought that it was going in the papers. I followed a link on google, trying to locate peer knitters in my area (which I am finding to be quite a task), and I happened to see this article. I started reading through it. Then, I saw my name. Talk about shocking!! I jumped in my seat! The article discusses this latest generation of knitters. It's a good article. But I still have the willies!
Happy knitting!
Posted by stacey at 12:35 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
August 01, 2004
Taking a Break
I decided to take a break to show the progress on my sweater sampler from The Sweater Workshop. I just finished the short rows. I may have had more, but as you can see, I've been revamping this blog. I liked the yellow/green/orange thing. It was different. Maybe I'll do something like that again. But these days I just need to breathe. You know?
Where was I?
Oh yeah, back to the sampler, I think I may have thought that the sampler would be a little smaller from the picture in the book. Now I can see why someone used it as a knitting bag and another person as a dolly dress! It looks like it will be at least big enough for an interesting medium-sized knitting bag. I do get so stingy on the pics, don't I? I'm waiting to see how much all these pics come out to be since it's not in my account profile yet. If I believed in knocking on wood and all that, I'd do it right now!
Every now and then I just stop to read the book before continuing because there are directions given for flat knitting along with those for knitting in the round. If I had a complaint about the book, that would be the only one. I get mixed up sometimes while reading, and I don't want that happening while I'm knitting. Hence, the break. In the directions, I believe the next segment is a pocket or something for a sweatshirt while it's totally different for a cardigan. I'll keep you posted. It is a fun project though even if it isn't going to be a recognizable article by anyone but a Sweater Workshop owner!
Feeling a Little Turtely Today?
Sundays are usually slow days before the bustle of Monday. So in honor of everything slow, I took a pic of Donatello.
He's just chillin' in his freshly cleaned and then freshly soiled again tank. He was a little fussy today. Cleaning his tank meant I actually had to *touch* him. That's a big no-no for new baby turtles that aren't familiar with their owners yet. He wasn't happy about that at all. They are able to see so I do believe he knows who I am though. He trusts me enough to come out from under his aquarium log from time to time when I come to the glass. Usually that means he is hungry. So he knows the hand that feeds him. That's for sure! But, for all intents and purposes today, Donatello, or Donnie as my son calls him, was very irritable. Usually he eats from a can. But today he had a couple of crickets since he was in the backyard. He caught some sun too!
Poor baby. He's a little camera shy, I think. Hope he's in better spirits tomorrow.
Passage of Time
I am a painter primarily. This is a painting of mine that I have been living with for about a year now. When I say "live with," I mean I've had it around...moved it here and there...put it up, took it down...glanced at it when I passed by it...studied it sometimes when I was curious about it...thought about making revisions and then deciding not to over and over again (you get the picture). Sometimes I have paintings that I really like right off and after living with it for a month, I hate it and can't figure out what about it it was that I thought it had. Others I put away somewhere because I didn't like it. But when I come back to it, something catches my eye. I decided to post this painting because it's the first time I've lived with a painting that long in uncertainty and I just made up my mind that I like it. Usually my paintings tell me that my goal appears to be duplicating what's in front of me though I'm usually not after that at all. Or at least it never starts off that way. This painting did seem to capture something of the park without doing that. It's very simplified I think. I like that. It reminds me of how I like to keep things. Simple. And the color palette, though mostly green seems to be slightly different than what I normally paint. Still haven't put my finger on what that difference is. But I like that too. Anyway, I thought I'd share. Maybe some day, I'll be able to work some of what I seek to capture in my paintings into my knitting? Hey, it could happen. That sensibility is definitely working its way into my blog. We shall see.
Happy knitting tonight!
For Meredith
Editing here: After reading Meredith's comment, I tried to make this pic larger but it became, as one of my graphic design major friends used to say, "pixelated." Not sure how to fix that. Of course, after re-reading the post, it dawned on me that I don't have a painting for reference here of what a previous painting for me might look like. When I first started this blog there was an album for my paintings but I took it off. I doubt I'll create another. But, since this blog talks about a painting I decided to add a painting for reference.
This painting was done about a year before the painting above. I liked it because it was simple with some complexities to keep it interesting. I like working in that kind of mode. Maybe some of you will see what I mean by my further simplifying in the more recent painting. I think I mulled over it for so long because I felt like I may have been oversimplifying. In the end, I decided I liked it. They both work for me. But I am gravitating to the more recent one because for me and my way of working, it is different and unusual. You be the judge. You know what they say, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Posted by stacey at 06:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
