Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Another chorus of "please, release me" was sung yesterday afternoon as I took my AccuCut die cut machine to Daughter's school. They kinda looked at me strangely when I brought it in (I did call first). It was the "why would you have this in the first place and then why would you give it to us, for free" look. Oh well, it is out of my house and will be put to good use.

Monday, November 28, 2005

not gonna do this

I decided to give this one up. I did tried the 1 sock on 2 circs and hated it, why would I think I would like this way any better?

monday update

the list keeps changing . . . to be shipped out of town:

  • 2 felted bags (1 done, 1 knit, 1 90% knit - yes, I know - 3)
  • 1 hat (have yarn and pattern)

local delivery:

after the holiday:

  • 6 pairs of socks for Daughter's 6th b'day (Jan 5th, have yarn for at least 3pr, need to stash dive for the rest) (solid sock KAL)
  • 1 pair socks for Hubby (started) (moved to anniv in Feb, maybe)

other knitting on the horizon:

  • I made Hubby a knit hat last year, it is huge, I need to rip (done) & reknit
  • Hermione Hat & Mittens for me (another weasley KAL)
  • 1 pair mittens for daughter (1 finished) (warm hands KAL)
  • 1 bulky hot pink sweater for Daughter's
  • 1 neck down striped pullover for Daughter
  • Slytherin PoA scarf for Hubby (may change to Seahawk colors, if I think I can finish it by the end of the season)
  • Samus for me (have the yarn, just not the time right now)
  • socks for Dad's b'day in March

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Knitters in the Wild

Take photos of "Knitters in the Wild", win fabulous prizes!
  • Post your picture of "Knitters in the Wild" on your blog
  • e-mail me (or leave a comment here)
  • I will add you to the side bar with a link back to your picture
  • January 1st a selection committee* will select the top 5 (or so) photos for a public vote
  • a poll will be placed here and all may vote at that time for their favorite (who knows there may even be more than one category to vote in)
  • prizes** will be awarded

* committee will consist of myself and prolly my hubby ** as yet to be determined . . . but will be knitting related . . .

ron sweaters

Over at The Blue Blog they have been discussing the knitting options presented by the new HP movie: Goblet of Fire. I have yet to see the new movie but I have been re-watching the first three movies and have decided my favorite Ron sweater is the one he is wearing at the end (actually, almost the last half) of PoA. It is very casual and I was thinking of making one similar to it from the KP&S Tunic pattern, either for kids(232) or women(244). Ok, I know the KP&S pattern is raglan and this isn't but, I'm ok with that. Unless I go thru the Anne Budd books and find variations for this, I'll prolly just stick with the KP&S pattern. hmmm . . . now for the yarn . . .

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

national geographic . . knitting

I was flipping thru the new National Geographic that came in the mail yesterday and here is what happened: . . . flip, flip, flip, flip, yarn, flip, flip . . . hold on . . . back flip, back flip, back flip . . . ok, I know I saw yarn, where is it . . . flip to index . . . nothing . . . ok . . . fine . . . lay magazine down, turn page, turn page, turn page . . . here it is . . . knitting . . . yarn . . . in National Geographic . . . hey, that's the French Market bag from Knitty . . . they could've at least told people where to find the pattern . . . There is a one page blurb/article about the global aspects of knitting, neat little article. I guess you've really arrived when National Geographic talks about you.

black friday

Friday is Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping day's of the year (it used to be #1 but not anymore), but it is also International Buy Nothing Day. Hubby and I have decided to join in and buy nothing on Friday. The lure of the sales is great, but we will spend the day together. I'll knit, hubby says he'll pressure wash the deck, and the kids (hopefully) won't learn about the ugly side of retail and the formerly religious holiday that has been hijacked by rabid consumerism.

Monday, November 21, 2005

mitten monday update

The mittens have been moved to the back burner until I can finish more of my "out of town" Holiday knitting . . . gotta prioritize here. for Turkey day: A wool hat for my Uncle Tom. He lives in AK and I will see him on Thanksgiving. I started it last night; many, many, many times actually. I’m thinking of making a few felted pot holders as a hostess gift for Thanksgiving, too. I'll dive into the Cascade 220 stash of leftovers and see what I have. to be shipped out of town: 2 felted bags (1 felting, one half knit) 1 hat (have yarn and pattern) local delivery: 1 felted bag for Mom (done) 1 pair socks for Hubby (started) (solid sock KAL) after the holiday: 6 pairs of socks for Daughter's 6th b'day (Jan 5th, have yarn for at least 3pr, need to stash dive for the rest) (solid sock KAL) other knitting on the horizon: I made Hubby a knit hat last year, it is huge, I need to rip & reknit. Hermione Hat & Mittens for me. (another weasley KAL) Mittens for daughter (warm hands KAL) Esther Williams hat, possibily as a gift for daughter's teacher. (ew KAL) I have already started doing a bit of pre-planning for next year, I’m thinking of making a shawls for the women, socks for the men, I don’t know . . . I just wanna have most of it done earlier, like by September . . . a girl can dream can’t she.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

stash busting

I have been going thru all my craft supplies, trying to simplify. A few things are going to Daughter's school and I am putting the rest up on e-bay. I already sold off a bunch of outgrown never used sewing patterns, feels good to let this stuff go. I am trying to go thru the sewing stuff first, then the scrapbooking and knitting, unless I get sidetracked. Holey moley, I have a lot of craft stuff If you want to take a look click here.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Fiber Gallery

Yesterday I was reading on Mason-Dixon Knitting about the Perfect Sweater Project and how Jessica had gotten her bosses at The Fiber Gallery to discount the Cascade 220 for the Perfect Sweater, then I realized that The Fiber Gallery is in Seattle. So, today, I hopped onto I-5, dropped the kiddos off at Grammy and Grampy's house and headed on over. It is a very nice shop, when you walk in is smells of . . . potpourri(?) which I came to find was from the locally made soaps they sell (I bought a lavender soap, mmmm), the woman who was working was very friendly and said that quite a few people had come in in the last week after reading about the shop on Mason-Dixon. They stocked quite a few yarns I had never seen (or don't remember seeing) before, but I was there on a mission . . . Cascade 220 for felted bags. After the last felting episode, I decided to go back to what I know and use the Cascade 220 with the Noro I already have, like Mom's bag. I picked up 4 skeins of Cascade 220 and a card of sock reinforcing yarn (along with soap mentioned above). I took a browse thru the patterns, they had a 'plus size' folder, and found a pattern company I had never seen before, online or in real life, Vermont Fiber Designs. Where have they been all my life? They size most of their patterns from XS to 6X! I picked up The Cable and Rib Cardigan #129 and The Cable and Rib Turtleneck #119. While surfing their site tonight I also found several more I want but didn't see at the shop. I will have to wait until I finish my holiday knitting to start either of these . . . but . . . oh boy! As I was checking out the woman asked if I would like for her to wind the skeins, I said no, that I has a swift and ball winder at home and I would just do it later. She smiled and said that I seemed like the type but she thought she would ask anyway. What does this mean? This is the second time this has happened recently . . . do I have OCK* tattooed on my forehead? This makes me laugh and worry at the same time, am I totally out of control? Nah, that couldn't be it. *obsessive compulsive knitter

winter preview

Thanks to Jessica for posting the link to the Interweave Knits Winter preview. Of course there was a knitted tie . . . sigh . . . but, there were a few things I think I will end up putting on the "to be knit" list. The Mowat Mukluks by Jennifer L. Appleby are interesting, but I'll have to get a better look at them. I really like the Faire Isle 101 Pullover by Mary Jane Mucklestone, but I'm a sucker for the U-neckline. Pearl Buck Swing Jacket by Kate Gilbert is another one I'll have to take a closer look at. Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt, cute socks, nuf said. Love, love, love the earflap hats!! I see myself making many, many hats.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

aakkk!!! I over felted! I put bag #2 in the washer with a pair of jeans, washed on hot, checked as the 1st agitation was finishing . . . hmmm . . . looks good . . . needs a little more, started the second agitation halfway thru on the dial, checked the bag as it was rinsing . . . OH NO . . . grabbed it out and finished rinsing in the tub and spent the last 10-20 min trying to block it out a bit larger. The bag is now blocked and sitting in the bathroom drying. Oh, did I mention, I can only find 7 of the 8 holes the handles are supposed to go thru . . . arggggggg! My last bag took 3 trips thru the washer, it was Cascade 220 and Noro, this one is Lamb's Pride and Manos.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

warm hands update

The first @#$%^! mitten is done! I will call this the "3rd time's a charm (sort of) mitten". I knitted the thumb gusset . . . you guessed it . . . 3 times; the first time I just plain lost where I was, the second ended up wrong because of what I consider to be ambiguously written instructions and the third was correct. I finished the hand of the mitten only to have it be too short when Daughter tried it on . . . frogged back, added a few rows for lengthe and then decided to do a more toe-like mitten top and reknit it. Daughter tried it on, and again, too short. The toe used less rows to finish so it ended up being the same length as the first time. I frogged back, knitted a few more rows for length and reknit the hand a THIRD time. This time it fit. Knit the thumb and the stinking mitten was finished . . . woohoo now I get to knit a second one . . . aren't I lucky. While at my daughter's soccer game on Saturday morning I was really wishing I had a pair of my own mittens. So after the game I went and bought some purple Cascade 220 so I can start on the Hermione Mittens (and Hat). Yes, I know they are supposed to be red, but my name isn't Hermione and I like purple. I also picked up the yarn to make Hubby a Slytherin PoA Scarf, not that I think he would be in Slytherin, the colors just suit him better. I went to Great Yarn because I know they carry the Encore that is recommended in the pattern, only they don't. They carry the Encore DK and Chunky, not the worsted, they carry Patons Decor. So, I bought Patons Decor, same fibre content and the colors are close enough for gu'ment wurk. ;)

Friday, November 04, 2005

another sorting

sorting hat

I was thinking about making a PoA scarf so I headed over to the Sorting Hat to see what house I would be sorted into.
GRYFFINDOR! You scored 8% Slytherin, 36% Ravenclaw, 60% Gryffindor, and 20% Hufflepuff!
You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart.

Gryffindors are known for their courage, audacity, and devotion to what is good and honest.
This doesn't mean I will be using the Gryffindor colors for my scarf, or any 'official' house colors for that matter, it was just something fun to do. Hmmm, maybe I'll whip out the knitting machine and see if I can figure out how it works, and whip up a couple of scarves for hubby and me.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

smitten

I am getting obsessed with this whole mitten thing. I went to three different yarn shops looking for mitten books this week and was turned away from the first two, finally, at the third one I hit the jack pot, six different titles! I came home with two basic books, Knit Mittens! and the Vogue knitting on the go Mittens & Gloves. I was very tempted by Latvian Mittens, Magnificent Mittens and Folk Mittens; I decided the more basic books were the way to start and if I'm totally hooked go back for the others.

evolution

Knitting Purist You appear to be a Knitting Purist. You are an accomplished knitter producing beautiful pieces with a classic feel. You sometimes lament losing half of your local yarn shop to garish novelty yarns. Perhaps you consider fun fur scarves the bane of knitting society and prefer to steer new knitters towards the wool and cotton blends. Some might call you a bit of an elitist but you know that you've been doing this craft long enough to respect the history behind it and honor it with beautiful piece that can last a lifetime. http://marniemaclean.com/ What Kind of Knitter Are You? brought to you by Quizilla
I took this quiz a year ago and I was a "Knitting Adventurer" so I thought I would take it again to see if I would get a different result. I guess a full year of knitting can make a difference in your knitting outlook. I don't think I'm a pure purist (lol) I think those novelty yarns have their place, but I don't use them very often anymore. I have gone from loving the selfstriping sock yarns to being more drawn to solid yarns with more complicated sock patterns, still use the selfstriping but not as much of it my stash these days.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

felting

I felted up Mom's bag yesterday. Two agitation cycles plus one full cycle in my front loader with a pair of jeans, perfect. I knit up this bag with a double strand of Cascade 220 or Cascade 220 and Noro. I am worried about how my next bags will turn out. I had planned on using a single strand of Cascade Pastaza and Noro, or Lamb's Pride worsted and Manos. I started the next bag with the Lamb's Pride worsted and it seems so loose and open. I am worried that it will end up too small when it is felted. I know . . . I know . . . do a swatch . . . sigh.