July 11, 2006
I'm going to be in the wedding of one of my best friends! I have always wanted to be in a wedding. I've known about hers for a year though and while I've always wanted to be in one, not so excited now. Why? BECAUSE.
Because as one of my dearest friends, she is making me wear an off the shoulders dress. She knows I have a scar the size of TEXAS on my shoulder from when I used to pop wheelies at age thirteen. How could she?
Now folks, I am a good friend and I do love my friend like a sister. So, I will put aside my feelings of insecurity about the thing to be there for her big day. But everyone is definitelty GOING TO HEAR MY MOUTH ABOUT IT! Sorry for punishing you folks. But the bride must be happy, and yet, someone has to pay...it's only just...SO TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!
I HATE THAT THING!
I know we need to love ourselves in all our imperfections but, I am still on the road to self-acceptance and as such I will indulge myself by saying it again, and yet, more emphatically:
I HATE THAT THING!!!!!!
That's okay though. I'm a knitter. And knitters are fighters. I will make do. You hear that, Ni Ni! I will make do!! I am going to make the best wedding shawl ever! Well, as long as it covers that thing up, it'll be the best wedding shawl ever, to me...
I am to be the matron of honor folks. Me? Matron of Honor? Her humor knows no bounds. Here's the dress, only it's supposed to be a champaign-pink color. She's sending it to me by mail. Go ahead, Ni. Rub my nose in it.
Clearing my throat, wiping my brow, smoothing my hair, pat down my skirt...
Okay folks, these are the picks I found for the shawl. I know. I should've waitied for the dress. But I can use any excuse to buy some more yarn (hee, hee).
And for the leftovers, I plan to use this book to make a poncho:
So, there is a reckoning, Ni! Oh, yes, there IS a reckoning!!
On the home front, my little peanut (we call her doodlebug) has an ear infection. :( Just found out from the doc. She had RSV at three months and it has been nothing but congestion and boogies ever since. Poor boogely baby. I have been taking her back and forth to the doctor nearly once a month since then with no real answers. So this time, the emergency doc took a really good look at her, pulled a huge plug out of her ear and said, "Yeah, that's red." Yay!!! Not that I want her to be sick. I'm just grateful that there is finally a treatable answer. Usually all I hear is, "You're doing the best thing you can for her." And that has been chasing her with a nasal bulb and fighting a very strong baby to help her breathe, getting up at four in the morning at least ten times a month, and giving her way more medicine than I think a baby should ever have to take. I've asked her regular docs to look at her ears more closely and I felt like I wasn't being heard. This was a different doc and it was a very, good day. She will take an antibiotic and then be put on some singulair and we hope that things will get better.
My husband and I are in counseling sessions every other week (just about). There is still much pain for me to work through. If it weren't for knitting, I just don't know. On the whole though, I really am in decent spirits (all except for that dress :) ). Happy knitting.
Posted by stacey at 01:33 PM
June 16, 2006
Take a look at this charity called iknit a river and think about helping out...I found out about it on knitty.com. It's a worthy cause. I'm starting tonight.
Posted by stacey at 09:51 AM
June 13, 2006
I got an itch. And there it is up there...
I'm working the Branching Out Scarf on knitty.com. What do you think?
I got the yarn from the previous librarian that used to work here. Although you can't see it, it's very, very orangey. Looks like fall leaves. It's getting so many compliments! I wish it came with the label. I'd get some more.
I don't know. I had the yarn and it looked like it wanted to be lace. Well, Maggi Rheghetti says yarn talks. Nothing fancy. A lot of the knits I've done are bulkier and I wanted to see something drape. I saw this pattern and the need to do it didn't seem to want go away any time soon. So I caved. May as well indulge it for a minute so I could get back to some of the other things I need to work on with a clear mind...I know. Stupid itch. But this little baby is helping it a bit...
I have had to tink back about TEN TIMES since I started! The most rows I've tinked back have been about four. Tink back a hundred yo's, 50 ssk's, and 25 sl,k1,psso's (you get the picture) and you'll know why that can get old really fast. It's a really, good starter lace though and on the whole, I do like the project. It's very satisfying (since it's a scarf and it's knitting up pretty quickly). Now it's less of an itch and more of a shadow. It's following me around in my purse, just begging to be knit on. Foot to foot. I get no respect around here.
Posted by stacey at 12:43 PM
May 24, 2006
Wow. It has been a while. I haven't done much knitting on the samples for a minute. I did knit Mother's Days gifts though. If I've edited this post, the pics will be here. I gave both mom's the same gifts but I dressed them up differently. This one would be to my mom. This one is in a wooden box with raffia in it and it has a knit washcloth and a knit scrubby tube. I knit the tube with sisal twine. I got the idea from doing a combination of the bath mitt in Erika Knight's book and the loofas you see all the time in Rite Aid. I've knit the mitt before and although I like it a lot, it looks better in the book than when I knit it (:)). I bought the candle and the soap of course. I also got a plastic flower from the Hallmark store and put it in the corner for decoration. Then I wrapped it all up in clear cellophane and sisal twine. I thought it looked really pretty.
For the mom-in-law, and I wish I had a pic for this-sorry...I knit the basket the gifts were in. I loved the basket, but not for the items in it, though it came out looking decent. The basket was made of jute and cotton. Jute for the bottom and cotton in stockinette stitch going around. I started with the jute, kniting a square. Then I picked up stitches around it using a double strand of off-white cotton. I flipped it when it was finished so that the outside purl rows would show and curve around the gifts on the inside. Then I stashed the candle, soap and knit cloth and tube in. I put the flower on top of the candle. It was really pretty cute. But unless you use stiffer materials, the heavier items are kind of not appropriate for a basket like that. The other mom's wooden box was better for these kinds of things-carrying wise. But it looked good. I wrapped the whole thing in clear cellophane and tied it with sisal twine. I figure once she uses the things inside, she can use the basket for something lighter like potpourri or bath beads. Since it's circular and curves in like a flat, rounded bowl, I think it would look good with those kinds of things. With the items I used for Mother's Day, it had to accomodate a squar-er form, and though it worked out, I think it would be way more suited to poutpourri or beads or something like that.
I've been working on this baby sweater for a lady at my church. I could have sworn that she had the baby. But I'm told she hasn't had the baby yet, so....I still have time! :)
Family goings-on has been pretty hectic. Pray for us. Thanks.
Posted by stacey at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2006
Okay, so I'm plugging right along on the MK1 samples these days. I can't say that I'm terribly happy with all my swatches and I know I'll be doing a few of them over again. I have the last swatch to knit and then I could quit the knitting part. But I really want them to be at least the best I can make them. I figure I'll redo a few of them and then it's probably time to get to the questions. Still, I thought I would share my cable samples anyway. If anyone has any tips let me know. My cables aren't as crisp as some other knitters cables I'm sure. And I swear that one of them is lop-sided??? Then, the one I made up has this ugly dip in the center middle. Yeah, I know I'll be doing a couple of these over again...
Happy Knitting!
Posted by stacey at 11:31 AM | Comments (1)
December 28, 2005
Well, Law and Order Christmas went well...but it went by so quickly I don't remember taking pics of the scarves!!
Let's see...altogether there was a lovely, long, blue, chenille keyhole, a variegated waterfall scarf, a silk slimmie scarf, and one of the lovely scarves made of ribbon and polka dot yarns from Exquisite Knits, all dolled up with earrings and/or bracelets. That took care of all the women in the family with the exception of the one I just got some Burt's Bees items. I did have one other scarf left though and I have someone else in mind for that. The men got Craftsman gift cards. Not bad if I do say so myself.
At any rate, I know they'll be loved and hopefully I will get pics of the family at some other time wearing them.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Knitting too!
Posted by stacey at 09:55 PM | Comments (1)
September 13, 2004
Hello folks! The speech went over pretty well. But I'm still glad it's over. Now I'm into all this reporting stuff. It's kind of interesting. The computer is just acting like a big calculator right now. All that money for a caluculator....
Happy Birthday to Me!!
Anyway, this past weekend was my birthday weekend and I had to work. But it was so pretty out, I almost forgot I was working! Lots of goodies and I got to knit a bit too!
Branywine Arts Festival
See? There were a bunch of vendors. You name it, they sold it. Jewelry, candles, scented soaps and fragrances, dyed fabric and paintings. Pretty cool stuff. I was at the festival as a representative for the college where I work. Every now and again someone would stop by to look. Especially since there was a bowl of candy on the table right in the center. It's great bait! :)
Ready,...
Anyway, I did get to knit on a two color mitten from the Magnificent Mittens booklet. Actually, my first mittens were hard to get started. I started with an easier pattern that I decided to let go of around the cuff. It was very pretty already. But I just wanted more of a challenge this time. So I decided to start on the beginner two color mitten from the Magnificent Mittens Book.
This mitten starts from the top down. It's a figure-eight cast on. Took a little getting used to because I had to try it a couple a times before I got it right. Basically, it gets the tip of the mitten into a rectangular shape. You knit funny on that figure-eight for awhile and pick up the stitches around and around to increase until you get where you can knit for the palm. I got to the section on the palm where I could start knitting in a pattern. That was cool for a minute. I was using the method that is shown in the Sweater Sampler booklet for knitting with two colors. I did that and then I got to the thumb section at which point you do another figure-eight with three stitches each needle and then knit the thumb on. I knit the thumb on and I stopped there.
Then, I think I just decided to go for the gusto! I decided to start on a patterned mitten set. Don't laugh, but this little tip took me all of three hours to get going! But, it's patterned with two color knitting that is a little more involved than the beginner set of patterns. And this pattern is from a chart so it's not that easy for me to begin with. But I think I've got the hang of it now.
I'm Going to Knit a Sweater if it Kills Me
I've also got the yarn for a sweater. But since the yarn store I went to only had six balls of the yarn I liked, it's going to be a sweater for my son. A nice creamy, bulky, white. I wonder if it'll look feminine? Anyway, I should have that started before the end of the week. By then I'm hoping to have one mitten completed as well. This book also discusses lining them. No clue on how to do that. But maybe I'll find some stuff on the web tonight whilst I surf!
Happy knitting! ;)
Posted by stacey at 08:02 PM | Comments (4) | 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 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
May 29, 2004
Creature of Habit
Well I decided to knit another felted bag. I'll post pics later. I'm not quite as satisfied as I was with the first bag since the pattern came out a little oddly? It's still Noro yarn and of course you know it's beautiful stuff. It makes patterns all by itself. But this time, the pattern didn't come out so visually pleasing. You have to knit up one ball for the bottom half of the bag and then start another ball for the top. You finish the drawstrings with the rest and there is a little left over in my experience. So I've been trying to come out with a solution that is doable for me and I think what I'm going to do is to make a felted patch to put on it as a pocket all around the midsection of the bag. So in essence, I'll be felting the bag, then felting a pocket for it before I stitch the two together. Does that make sense? Anybody else done anything like this before? I'm going to use a solid color for the pocket and add a mosaic motif and just see what happens. I'll be sure to post before and after pics when I get to come up for air! :)
Memorial Day, Here I Come!
Since I have a long weekend, I'm going to be working on some of my previous projects and hopefully get around to changing my progress bar. Admin of another site and work has kept me from being as productive as I'd like to be but, it's coming along. Probably won't post much because I'll be busy knitting (and fixing that bar)!! I'll miss y'all!
Knit lots!
Posted by stacey at 10:04 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 23, 2004
Quick As You Can!
This is so exciting! Click on this link to hear a knitting radio programme in England that I got from Tom Cunliffe who is not a knitter but is an artist. See his blog called The Bright Field Weblog. It is so cool and so is this radio programme he emailed me! There are children and a woman teaching the announcer (is that the word for it) how to knit! It may not be up for much longer. Hurry up!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?gfi
Posted by stacey at 09:24 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 21, 2004
Lunch Break Notes
While sitting on her lunch break, having a Subway Sandwich, the author writes these notes:
Quick Knits
What is it about that Hot Head Hat? I've knit it again! This time for someone I don't know though. "Huh?" you say.
I emailed Mercy Ministries about whether I'd be allowed to send knitted items for some of their girls. Just some kind of way to help. Mercy Ministries helps a lot of young women who want to be rid of drug addiction or are unwed mothers as well as young ladies with other kinds of personal crisis. It's a Christian ministry so they don't get any government support. They rely on friends of their ministry and what not. I think I like what they're doing for a lot of reasons. I happen to be a single mom myself, for one. But also because I think they do what they do from the heart. They really want the young women to know that they are special and that is something I think all young women need to know. So I planned on sending the keyhole scarf, the Chunky Knits scarf, the Hot Head Hat and this nifty little felted tote (maybe someone can use it as a smallish diaper bag?). I knit things and then I put them in this little white paper bag that I got from my fave yarn shop. They just sit there when they could be being used. I had thought about sending things to this ministry for at least six months or so, but I kept getting cold feet about it. Then I decided to email. What's the worst they could've said, "We don't want any!" But it turns out, they can accept gifts such as these so...I get this little fuzzy feeling thinking about it!
I'll post the pic of the tote in progress when I edit this later. It's so cute! I want one of my own! I don't even know if I'll use it, I just like the way it looks...So?
Okay. So here are the pics of the tote unfinished and finished.
Isn't it just adorable?! I did have to pick out a lot of lint though. Whoa baby, did I! But the lint-picking made it a bit fuzzier and I think that was good. The kit was on sale at SWS and so I got it for like 28 dollars when I bought it. It's made with the very beautiful Noro 100% wool yarn which I've never used before but was really nice to work with. It had a lot of variation along the strand, not just in color but diameter. The texture was very nice and it was so fun seeing the colors change on their own. If you haven't tried that stuff, this kit is a good one to sample. This bag was done in about two days so it's not a whole lot of knitting (so I guess if you didn't like the yarn, the bag would be done before you knew it and if you do like it, I did the felted version and still had a little less than half a ball left for something else!). I hope one of the young ladies will be able to use it for diapers, pacifiers, small recieving blankets and small, baby wash cloths, and such. I would like to knit one of these for myself and incorporate a strip of a mosaic pattern to kind of branch off of what I learned from the samples. Good idea? I also saw another pattern for a lunch bag that doubles as a small baby diaper bag too. I'll have to dig it up and try it as well. This is so fun!
There's Good News, and Then There's Bad News
Which would you like first? How about I just mix it together! Bitter with the sweet kind of thing. Okay, so I went to Stitches With Style to sniff around and also to see the traveling collection of The Knit Stitch. First of all, it was so cool! The Einstein coat was just sitting on a hanger right on the door! Nice! But I couldn't take any pics of the show because of other issues. :( I did get to take pics of the shop and my fave yarn store owner though. :) I'll post them later too. I bought some sweet things though!
And here they are (uh, the pics from Stitches With Style):
It's good isn't it? :) Sometimes I leave that store feeling so gluttonous...What can I say?
Knit some more!
Posted by stacey at 01:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 16, 2004
Not So Ample Samples!
Now that wasn't so bad was it? I don't know what I've been procrastinating about with getting these pics up. These are those samples I promised. I was just emailing Kathleen about how small they are! I spent hours on these little gems and who would be able to tell?? The first one is the Mosaic example on the knitty site. The second one is from a charted pattern in Mr. Fassett's book. I'm wondering if that second one couldn't have been done with an intarsia technique or maybe it was intarsia and I don't know it? I did another fair isle in a tube as if to start a sock. It has a checkerboard pattern, but darned if I know which stash bag I stuck it in. I should've taken a pic of the back of these too. I've got lots of strands of yarn going across that back section. Typical of fair isle I guess. In some areas I'd like it to be a little tighter than it is, but...I've heard that double knitting is the one that is reversible. At any rate, I did learn with these how to carry a strand of yarn up the side and that is a pretty good thing to know! Speaking of learning...
Knitting Knutz
Those Knitting Knutz are always up to something! I learned a little about stranding today. Why didn't I take pics? Something is wrong with me folks. Really. I mean I carry the thing all day. What's up with that? Anyway, one of the group admins taught a session on this technique and then we all got to try it. One of the members helped me to pick out some yarns and two needles which were mixed matched! I didn't really memorize the sizes but one needle was about a size 15 and the other was somewhere between sizes 6-8. It was so fun because it came out really interesting. It looked like there was this one ribbed section sandwiched in between the larger knit sections. So cool! Then, the admin also showed us how to get the yarns to blend better by k1, sl1, k1, sl1... across one row (for garter or stockinette patterns). I had so much fun today! I wound up saying, "I really didn't need to learn another thing. I've got too many projects I'm trying to finish up now!" So the member who had helped me pick the yarn and needles said, "Nonsense! By the time you finish everything it'll be time to bury you. Have fun! Play around a little." Of course, this came from someone who finishes at the least two garment pieces a week! Nonetheless, it sounded good to me! I did finish a keyhole scarf this week that I'm sending to charity. It's black, made out of some of the rest of that wool that I used for the mitts. I know, I didn't put it on the progress bar. Where is my head? :)
Posted by stacey at 05:11 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 19, 2004
Still Growing!
Yes, spring vacation was mighty good to me. Great week for knitting...plenty of rain, nice long road trips and what not. I got to do just about everything I wanted to do:
Knit
Spend time with the bf
Knit
Spend time with my son
Knit
Sleep in a few days
Knit
Watch movies
Knit
Yeah, it was pretty nice! :)
Knitting Knutz!
I also met with the knitting guild/club I attend every other Sunday. I love that group! They're just a great source of encouragement for me and I get to laugh too! Today I took the CHUNKY KNITS Cable V-neck that I'm working on and I have to say, I did have a few problems with the elementary directions. You'd have to try it to know what I mean. Whew! It's a little hairy in there! At any rate, I was weaving in the ends on the pieces of the sweater when one of the members asked me, "Who're you knitting it for?" I didn't have a real answer because I just wanted to see if I could knit it but I told her that I knew it probably wouldn't fit me because it's a small and I'm more of a medium build. Well, she kind of tilted her head, pursed her lips a bit, took a look at the sweater and said, "Let's see." Before I knew it she had popped up and there were two members on me pinning the pieces of the sweater around my midsection with dpns! You probably had to be there, but I found the whole ordeal hilarious! It turns out that the sweater can fit me. Who would've guessed? Also, it could be blocked to fit me perfectly...
Huh?
I was given some advice about how to join the pieces and blocking. Very invaluable when you're putting together your first adult sweater, for sure...One tidbit-for fearless, die-hard knitters only-was to put the sweater on and get into the shower. Then get out and wrap up in a towel (I'm assuming until it isn't sopping wet anymore). Take it off and roll it up in a towel to dry it further. Then let it rest and it will be blocked to perfection! Who would've thunk it? If I had to add anything to it, I'd say if you're always cold like me, make sure the heat is on full blast! :) Next time I'll ask if she minds me putting her name here for credit of the idea. I think I'm going to try it on this sweater!
It wasn't until most of the others left that I remembered my camera in my bag. Here are two of my friends, posing with some of their beautiful work:
I'm so jealous!!
And here is the front and back of the sweater attached. I have yet to attach the sleeves:
Every time I look at the sleeves, I get spooked! Here goes nothing...
Oh yeah. It's back to work tomorrow. Whoopee.
Happy Knitting! :)
Posted by stacey at 01:18 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 13, 2004
Spring Vacation Rocks!
Lots of goodies today!
On The Homefront
My son got the special treatment at karate practice today. He had the instructor all to himself for training. And if that wasn't all...cue the trumpets...he also got his third stripe on his yellow belt! Yay!! I'm so proud of him. He got the stripe so fast this time, if you blinked you would've missed it! But he is doing so well. And I think he enjoys it. It was a very good day.
Is It Just The Spring Air?
A good man is hard to find, but I think I just may have one. :) Okay, too bashful to go into all that! But I thought knitting was great all by itself. Now it's even better! Go figure.
Another Milestone
I tried another project that I had been wanting to do for awhile. The Fingerless Mitts from WEEKEND KNITTING. I really like many of the patterns in the book but since I still consider myself a beginner, I have been reluctant to try any of them since I got it (about a month and a half ago). Today I mustered up the courage to try this pattern. I guess it was all the mini-charts that intimidated me about this one. When I tried it today I found that it was surprisingly straightforward. I only hit a few snags like once I mistakenly skipped over a passage that said to knit four more rows. I had to rip it out and start over when I realized that at the end there weren't enough rows and I couldn't tell where I should've put them. Dumb mistake. Next time I started, I used a little notebook and indian dashes to help me keep track. Next snag: Casting on the three sts over the gap for the thumb. I know how to do the knitted cast on but I didn't understand the notation until I tried it the wrong way first! I don't know why. It was really simple. Sometimes I do have a tendency to make things more complex than what they have to be. Don't we all? But since I've been pretty much learning by trial and error, I know how to go back and fix things pretty good. Not all the time. But most times. I went back and tried again a different way and it came out right. So I even wrote a note in my little booklet for the next time I use that pattern. It's really quick, so I'm going to be using it for gift-giving when the season rolls around again to cover up.
Spring vacation is being very nice to me. :)
Posted by stacey at 04:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 10, 2004
Quick Draw McGraw!
It Just Slipped!
Doesn't she look cute?! Nice hat, huh? ;)
Happy Knitting! Btw, that's just some distant light posing as a pom-pon ball on the top of the hat! I'm camera-composition challenged! :)
Posted by stacey at 09:56 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 09, 2004
Bonding?
MY IGP
I finished my IGP today. The Chunky Knits scarf. It was a very quick, very nice project that took me about a week to complete. This is me wearing my IGP:
I really like the way the scarf came out. But I feel funny about it as a whole? I think it will make a wonderful gift next year as I expected. But I started it because after working on Forever for so long (and still plugging at it btw), I wanted to be able to see something completed, quickly. So I tried fat yarn and needles to get from A to B in a rush. That fabric grew beneath my fingers so rapidly! In between working on IGP and Forever and the CK sweater (which has no name at the moment), all simultaneously, I noticed one difference: The other night, I was working on Forever, and the fabric kind of draped and clung to me. Every time I turned it over to begin another row, it kind of felt like it was "used to doing it." It dangles over my lap. It's heavy. Oh, the scarf was all those things in a way. But Forever has some history with me now? The IGP kind of was here and is gone now like those April showers I'm anticipating-they come and go and sometimes you don't even know that they were here to begin with. That's kind of how my IGP went. At least as far as the process is concerned. I'm kind of feeling unsettled with it. Isn't that weird?
But I still have Forever. I think I'm going to be sad to give it away when it's time? But, a promise is a promise.
Posted by stacey at 09:49 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 05, 2004
Knitting Fads
Those Who Can't, Teach
I started learning to knit around January-March last year before I found out that it was a fad. It was something that I used to see the other art students that I worked with doing while the children we were caring for slept. At the time, people on TV and in the movies were displaying their skills-of which I had no clue (I was an art student, I had no life). Many books were also being churned out on the subject-now that, I came to know well. At any rate, I think most people just get a "feel good" feeling when they see someone knitting. There's a calm serenity that they seem to vibe from wherever they happen to be sitting. And it's attractive. Oh yeah, there are some that just have it in their heads that knitters should all be well over eighty, in rocking chairs with a shawl covering their shoulders, humming some old spiritual, just click-clacking themselves into eternal bliss. But for others, it is so attractive, they just want to do it too.
Since I was a painting major, I had no clue about knitting. I figured it was one of those things that only certain people could do. Well, I learned how to knit from one of those certain people and a few good books. Can't say that I'm great. But I can say that I love it! I can also say that people love to ask me to knit things for them, teach them to knit...in essence...ask me to act like I've been knitting for years!!
Case in point:
Today, a student asked me to teach him how to knit. I was walking slowly around the room knitting on Forever and he just kept bugging me about it. I tell them all to come after school on a Tuesday or Thursday with the art club and they can learn too. But he had no work to do so I assumed he was just trying to find something to do to occupy his mind. Well, he must've begged me a thousand times. I thought he was really joking. Besides, I wanted to knit. I told him I didn't have any extra needles in my bag (which was true only in one way-no straight needles to teach him on) and no yarn (which was true in one way-I needed to make sure I had enough of the yarn in there for this project-and I'll only know that when it's finished). End of story, right?
Wrong. Oh, so wrong.
Well, worse came to worse and he finally brought up two sharpened pencils and said, "Come on. I want to learn." So, I put my knitting down and found some scrap yarn in my bag. It was extra bulky. The boy was knitting in two minutes. His first swatch was done in little under ten. That was wonderful! And exhilarating for me too. I taught someone else to knit! It was great......until he wanted another piece to knit. I told him to unravel the piece he had and start over. He didn't want to do that. He wanted me to keep that sample because I taught him how. So sweet, but not now kid, I'm knitting. I didn't want to have to put my knitting down which I had just picked up for the three minutes while he was still swatching. I didn't have more bulky scrap yarn so he said he'd use some of the baby weight yarn I was knitting with and found two paper clips and bent them around till they were straight! My goodness! I took some of the bulky yarn I was using to knit my cable sweater with from the end of the roll and resisted guilt tripping him by telling him that if I didn't have enough of this dye lot for my sweater it would be his fault. He made another swatch. He wanted more.
I've Created a Monster
Finally, I had to let him go to the art room to get some of the knitting needles I use to show the art club how to knit with and some of the yarn from there. Now these are materials for which I make the art club solemly SWEAR to bring back the next day. I had to GIVE them to him to get him off my back! He promised to bring them back anyway, but, you know...Of course, by the time he got back from the room with the supplies, it was around 2:15. The school day only goes till about 2:30. With the remaining time, I found a pattern for him and casted on about 126 stitches on size 8 needles for him to begin and take home.
With the final announcements, they were about to be dismissed for the day to go home. He went home happy. I was of mixed emotions myself. While he had made two swatches and had started on an afghan, I had only knit one row!
Posted by stacey at 10:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 03, 2004
So What of It?
"Doh!" Homer exclaimed.
I'm sure experienced knitters out there knew the joke before I actually caught on...there was no way I was going to get that sweater to be in anything but stripes given the yarn I purchased! Earth to godsend, "It was a kit!" I think I'm going to have to use that yarn to make a bag or maybe some leg warmers or something I wouldn't mind being quite so stripy?? I just really don't think I'd like the sweater after completion. And I think that that would make the process hard for me to stand by. I'd just plod along, if I did stick with it at all. But the colors were delicious (though the pic doesn't nearly do them justice)! I couldn't not get the kit. They'll make some nice felted gifts for Christmas and birthdays anyway.
Big, Fat Needles, Big, Fat Yarn
So, instead of doing the sweater in knitting pretty that I hoped to be working on by now, I'm doing the sweater in Chunky Knits. I like many of the pieces in the book-and then some of them, I could do without. But the cabled sweater was the first one that caught my eye. So I'm trying that one.
I'm also working on a scarf from the same book. I'm not sticking completely to the design in the book. I'm doing the same amount of rows for each color. This project reminds me of the multi-colored scarf I did. I still have nightmares about that scarf from time to time. It's not the color changing that's the issue. I love all the color...It's just weaving in all those ends!! Where is that Domino Knitting book when I need it? Probably covered in yarn in my knitting basket like usual. This scarf came about because I figured I'd been working on this blog design for so long, I wanted to make up for the time I haven't knitted. I also needed a quick project to kind of pacify me while waiting for Forever AND a Day to come along. So this is my current IGP. It's knitting up pretty quickly...but with these needles, why wouldn't it!
They are size US 19 needles and a little awkward to work with at first. I kept poking myself in the ribs! I was pulling and pushing and "wrassling" that yarn down for awhile. Then I kind of got used to it. And it's so cool! I got nearly half the scarf done in one night. My other scarf with all it's color changes took two weeks! Of course, I liked that too. I guess it depends on the mood I'm in. Hmmm...mood-based knitting. Interesting thought. At any rate, I think the yarn isn't as chunky and slubby as the pattern calls for but it's just a scarf so...gauge matters not much to me. I plan on giving it away anywho. I guess I kind of feel that way about all the things I'm doing right now-with the exception of the jacket I'm knitting my mother. Oh yeah, and to make the project even more tantalizing for me, she's going on a diet now...great! (it's a yay! and a crap! all at once) As far as the other projects are concerned though, to me it doesn't really matter whether the other projects fit me or not right now. I just want to see whether I can make them properly. I'm using the small requirements for the pattern for the cabled sweater. I don't think it will necessarily fit me. I'm usually around a medium build to be comfortable in anything I wear. But as long as they are properly constructed, if they don't fit me, they'll fit somebody! Yeah, I'm a giver, but don't mistake me for being a bleeding heart either. Once I've got the hang of it, you'd better believe, I'm tailoring the next one for yours truly!
Posted by stacey at 09:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 02, 2004
TGIF! (no, really, tgif!!!)
Well, I've gone and done it again! It's a good thing it is Friday! I've gone and decided to do something utterly and completely crazy. I initially decided I wanted to do an IGP. Maybe I will do that. But let me just share that instead of doing that right off, I decided to embark upon yet another "Won't be finished till who knows when project!" Why must I do this to myself, huh? Give me a clue. Anyone?
I decided that that beautiful handpainted yarn I got from my LYS can't go to waste. I bought it as a kit. But to be honest, I think I kind of don't care for that whole stripy look that went along with the kit (pics to come this weekend). It's nice, but I don't need anything making me look that wide, know what I mean? And it is a little too stripy for a sweater for my taste. So, I'm going to use the yarn in the pattern for the sweater in the back of knitting pretty by Kris Percival. I haven't completed an adult sweater size yet and I'd really like to see a sweater in these colors. The pattern is supposed to be a level 5 for a beginner. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't even have to fit me when it is finished. I'd just like to knit it (where in the world did that idea come from?-pausing to see if I've completely lost it)...Well, anyway, the book has yet to steer me wrong!
Here's to hoping...
Posted by stacey at 12:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 27, 2004
Found Treasure
Not.
I did, however, find a piece of the sample that I was talking about.
Note to self: Learn to focus a camera when it's in auto focus.
Yeah.
At any rate, it's about an eighth of the completed sample size. It's one of the ones I abandoned. I think I felt like I was messing up because the bobbles weren't bobbly.
You remember. And I also seem to make lazy cables and free-form meandering twists too!
You see my dilemma.
I didn't want to rip it out again because I wanted to use it as a reference for starting over. In the end, my bobbles still came out looking pretty much the same as did the lazy cables and those meandering twists that kind of took naps on the sides of the road here and there. Turns out, the patterns bobbles weren't actual bobbles anyhow. Or at least not in the traditional sense. Also, I'm told that I'm not to worry because my knitting is loose. Many other knitters knit this way as well. It's less stress on the wrists. Though I wouldn't know it these past few days...
Wrist pain
I'm thinking maybe I should use that suggestion that I saw in THE KNIT STITCH. Or was it THE PURL STITCH? You know the series. The author says to use an egg timer to time yourself to knit for twenty minutes. Then you're supposed to stop for awhile, even if only to reset the timer and then go at it again, as a way to keep aches down to a min. I guess you could stop for at least five to ten mins. Maybe it'll be a little more effective. But then, I think I'd up the time on the knitting to at least a half hour.
I did purchase an egg timer. It was clean and spanking new. But it kind of bit the dust. My beloved son, desiring to take it to show his grandmother, did in fact love it a little too much to put it kindly. The first time I tried to use it, it was just so tired. It wouldn't tick one ticker.
Poor egg timer. You met your match.
A moment of silence please...
Conclusion
So, all things work themselves out after time. I'd slap myself on the wrist for overly criticizing mynewbieself, but they still hurt a little.
May your bobbles be bobbly, your twists be twisty and your cables clutch and crease. :)
Posted by stacey at 09:33 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 26, 2004
Saga continued
Knitting Progress on Forever and a Day
1 Row.
I've made my peace with this project. It'll get done when it gets done. I hope that isn't the weather talking. It's so nice outside right now that I'm tempted to cut school. Oh yeah, that's right. I'm the teacher.
But, my, is this weather conducive to the process...
Out to knit.
Back for more
The blanket is now 36" so if I started decreasing now it would be 36" x 36" because this pattern knits on a diagonal into a square. I'm reaching for 40" x 40" though because I just think it's a nice round number. Not too big, not too small. Speaking of round, did I give the size of those circs? 6.
Yeah.
But I am devoted. No more projects in between until it is completed. Seriously, no more.
Posted by stacey at 01:16 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 25, 2004
New beginnings
Okay. Two days not knitting. Something's gotta give! I'm knitting today. I guess knit bloggers must give the site a one-two punch initially and then just update posts regularly (and add web content on an as need and as I like it basis). So I'm going with that. I guess the first couple weeks will just have to be learning about how to blog and how to get content on the site. Since I know nothing-nothing about coding and what not, I don't expect that to be an easy thing. But at least I have some things to look at for now. I am so sleepy though! I stayed up all night to get those extra pics in the album. Some problem with the camera. Fixed now-I hope (gulp)...
Baby blanket
First half: Knit two, yo, knit to end.
Yah mon. No worries.
I've claimed a name to my pain and it is Baby Blanket aka Forever AND a day. Size six needles with fingering weight yarn-going for 40x40 inches. My saving grace: it's brainless knitting though.
I really wanted to get back to the jacket by this week. But I promised. I'm a stinky lady. I'm knitting the jacket for my mom's birthday so I'll need to have it done in September or at least somewhere's about. I also want to knit her the More Than a Sweater too. My aren't I the ambitious one today? Pie in the sky. I'll probably be lucky to get this blanket done by the end of the school year! :)
Moral of this Story
No swearing. Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay and call it a day.
Good thing the recipient is so cute! But then, babies and toddlers usually are.
Posted by stacey at 09:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
- one skein project sf kal : 99%
-
- knitty branching out : 10%
-
- shawl : 100%
-
- log cabin blanket : 7%
-
k1knitoneATyahooDOTcom
|
|
