Time for another knitting meme, courtesy of Wife, Mom, Knitter. Thanks!
1. What are your favorite things to knit?
Socks, I think. In general, though, I prefer not to knit circularly and would rather just knit on two straights. So I don't really know why I am in love with socks now. Masochism, maybe.
2. What yarn/fiber do you like most?
I just recently began knitting with a wool/silk blend, and I am really liking it. Something about the sheen of the silk, and the way the yarn falls kind of heavily as you knit with it...ahhh, it's late, I am not explaining it well.
3. What needles do you tend to use (i.e. type/material)?
Well, metal dpns, that's what I prefer to knit socks on. So, in my current sock craze, that is what I tend to knit with right now. But I *prefer* to use two long metal straight needles. I knit with a needle tucked under one arm (just like my mom and sister, so I'm guessing that's where I learned it), and so that's the type of needle that is most comfortable for me.
4. Do you tend to knit more in one specific part of the year than others?
Yes. I seem to knit more in winter.
5. What style of knitting do you use?
I throw. With one needle under my arm...or as Wife, Mom, Knitter calls it, "pit knitting". Mmmm, that always sounds *so* attractive!
6. Do you consider yourself a “fast” knitter?
I don't. Some friends have called me fast. I think this is because using the "needle-under-the-arm" method can make some projects go fast, but unfortunately, this method doesn't work so well with dpns, and so I'm not a very fast sock knitter. It doesn't really matter so much to me whether I work fast or not when the project is for me or for family, because I really just enjoy the act of knitting. But if someone else is waiting on a project of mine, it bothers me to go slowly.
7. Who is your favorite knitting author(s)?
8. What is your favorite by said author(s)?
I don't know....I just don't think I'm all that into it. I like some books, but I'm not in love with any books or authors. I'm such an anti-intellectual when it comes to knitting!
9. How long ago did you learn to knit?
In the stone age, it seems like. I guess in reality it was 30 years ago. Well, if you ask my kids, or even me on trying days, that *was* the stone age.
10. How do you knit small in-the-round objects?
On dpn's. For hats, a circular and then to dpn's when decreasing.
11. What is the most useful technique you’ve learned so far?
Gosh, I can't think of one. I must be cranky tonight.
12. Do you prefer to knit fine gauge items, mid-range gauge items, or large gauge items, or do you like it all?
Small gauge. I think those nice neat small rows are so cute. For me, the more it looks like it was knit by a machine, the better. I'm warped that way. I don't really get into bulky knitting. Hah. Well, I just figured out why I like knitting socks so much.
13. How do you like to knit your sweaters?
Flat, on straights. I don't have any issues with seaming and so I'm never looking to eliminate it by using circ's. I'm boring, but predictable. The idea of a circularly-knit cardigan that is steeked to preserve the pattern of the colorwork, now *that's* something I could get jazzed about...that may be in my future.
Who do you wish to tag?
Nobody! I can't! Wife, Mom, Knitter tagged every knitter/blogger I know, LOL!
If anyone is reading this and has not yet done it, consider yourself tagged! Have fun!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Kucinich on Colbert
Funny. Runs a bit long for the MTV generation, but still a hoot. I gotta say, after all that we've seen in the campaigns so far, no one's been able to truly sway me from Kucinich.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Catching Up
OK, for weeks I’ve talked about posting pics of this great yarn I’ve bought for projects I have planned, and then life got in the way….well, so did Rhinebeck, but I’m not complaining :).
So, without further ado, the yarn:
This is the bonafide Rowan 4-ply cotton I’ve bought for my partner’s modified Isabella. I love the color, and look how it knits up!
Gorgeous. I can’t wait to work with it! Unfortunately, it took forever for the store to get it in, and it arrived here a bit too late for me to get a short sleeved sweater knit even for late fall, so I will be keeping this project on hold for a while and will try to get it done for her for the spring.
Next, the yarn-I-never-stop-talking-about-and-should-knit-already, the Silky Wool purchased for the Moderne Log Cabin blanket!
I just love these colors. I took a chance because it was impossible for me to figure out how to see them all together while I was ordering the yarn (maybe because I’m an idiot, I don’t know), so I tried hard to picture them together and luckily, it worked out fine :). I can’t wait to start. And if I want it ready for summer, I’d better start soon! I hear that this blanket can take forever to knit.
And finally, this beautiful, beautiful sock yarn I received from Sami at SnB. I found this simple lace sock pattern for my daughter in my good ole Paton’s Happy Feet book, and the colors and self-patterning have just transformed the sock. I’m so, so pleased.
I did actually knit two child’s earflap hats to finish off the hat/booties/mitts set I knit (same yarn as mitts and booties here, pattern is here), but I was on a tight deadline and both flew out of the house moments after I finished them and long before I could get my mush-brain to remember to take pics. But just look at Julie’s pic and my hats look like that, in navy with I-cord ties. Yea, that’s right, just like that :).
I knit another pair of Berry Sunburst socks
but almost didn’t include the pic cause they look almost exactly like my first, so I thought…who cares? But I realized I do have something to say about them… I used the WEBS podcast sock calculator pattern for these, and they came out bigger than I had intended, wider all around. I was disappointed about this. It still made a lovely sock, but not what I had expected. There are other sock calculators around the web, and I may look into those. But I don’t think I’ll be knitting from this pattern again.
Well, that was a lot. I’ll try (once again) to post a bit more often so I don’t have a crate-load of stuff to post. Then again, after Rhinebeck, I’m sticking to a strict yarn diet and won’t have new yarn to show for a while. Hopefully. Then again, there’s that Yarn Ahoy sock yarn I’ve been coveting…OMG, when did I turn into a knitter with a stash and a yarn habit????
So, without further ado, the yarn:
This is the bonafide Rowan 4-ply cotton I’ve bought for my partner’s modified Isabella. I love the color, and look how it knits up!
Gorgeous. I can’t wait to work with it! Unfortunately, it took forever for the store to get it in, and it arrived here a bit too late for me to get a short sleeved sweater knit even for late fall, so I will be keeping this project on hold for a while and will try to get it done for her for the spring.Next, the yarn-I-never-stop-talking-about-and-should-knit-already, the Silky Wool purchased for the Moderne Log Cabin blanket!
I just love these colors. I took a chance because it was impossible for me to figure out how to see them all together while I was ordering the yarn (maybe because I’m an idiot, I don’t know), so I tried hard to picture them together and luckily, it worked out fine :). I can’t wait to start. And if I want it ready for summer, I’d better start soon! I hear that this blanket can take forever to knit.And finally, this beautiful, beautiful sock yarn I received from Sami at SnB. I found this simple lace sock pattern for my daughter in my good ole Paton’s Happy Feet book, and the colors and self-patterning have just transformed the sock. I’m so, so pleased.
I did actually knit two child’s earflap hats to finish off the hat/booties/mitts set I knit (same yarn as mitts and booties here, pattern is here), but I was on a tight deadline and both flew out of the house moments after I finished them and long before I could get my mush-brain to remember to take pics. But just look at Julie’s pic and my hats look like that, in navy with I-cord ties. Yea, that’s right, just like that :).
I knit another pair of Berry Sunburst socks
but almost didn’t include the pic cause they look almost exactly like my first, so I thought…who cares? But I realized I do have something to say about them… I used the WEBS podcast sock calculator pattern for these, and they came out bigger than I had intended, wider all around. I was disappointed about this. It still made a lovely sock, but not what I had expected. There are other sock calculators around the web, and I may look into those. But I don’t think I’ll be knitting from this pattern again.
Well, that was a lot. I’ll try (once again) to post a bit more often so I don’t have a crate-load of stuff to post. Then again, after Rhinebeck, I’m sticking to a strict yarn diet and won’t have new yarn to show for a while. Hopefully. Then again, there’s that Yarn Ahoy sock yarn I’ve been coveting…OMG, when did I turn into a knitter with a stash and a yarn habit????
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Rhinebeck, of course!
OK, I’ll say it…Rhinebeck was absolutely and totally….magical. I don’t even know if I can find words to describe just how much fun this whole thing was. The drive to the festival was lovely, my companions, Yankee Lagniappe, CostumeChick, Knelley Knits and Wife, Mom, Knitter were such a riot, and the best traveling companions ever, the late October day was oddly summer-like, and the smorgasbord of yarn, fiber, animals, food, and friendly people was unbelievable.
Of course, it’s me, so I didn’t take a camera and have no photos to show of the day :(. But I did buy things! First, the yarn:
My first ever Socks That Rock, and I’m so excited to use it! I was very happy to see that The Fold still had STR on Sunday morning, and I had to grab some. The colorway is called Amethyst. Meaning, purple. Meaning, not the blue that seems to be all over this skein. Purple. Trust me.
Next up:
A 50/50 wool and bamboo blend…it's pretty, it’s bamboo, and best of all, it's machine washable and dryable! How can you beat that???? And again, it's also much more purple than my old camera, or my abilities in that department (which we all know are poor) seem able to convey.
It’s Aussie Sock yarn, a brand that I’d been eyeing earlier in the day, but that I ultimately found I hadn’t enough money for. No problem now! This wild colorway, named Spanish Fiesta, is way cool. Thanks, guys!!
Of course, it’s me, so I didn’t take a camera and have no photos to show of the day :(. But I did buy things! First, the yarn:
My first ever Socks That Rock, and I’m so excited to use it! I was very happy to see that The Fold still had STR on Sunday morning, and I had to grab some. The colorway is called Amethyst. Meaning, purple. Meaning, not the blue that seems to be all over this skein. Purple. Trust me.
Next up:
A 50/50 wool and bamboo blend…it's pretty, it’s bamboo, and best of all, it's machine washable and dryable! How can you beat that???? And again, it's also much more purple than my old camera, or my abilities in that department (which we all know are poor) seem able to convey.
And last, but certainly not least, a little surprise I got at the end of the trip when my friends gifted me with this in return for my chauffeur services:
It’s Aussie Sock yarn, a brand that I’d been eyeing earlier in the day, but that I ultimately found I hadn’t enough money for. No problem now! This wild colorway, named Spanish Fiesta, is way cool. Thanks, guys!!
And look at this :) :
I bought Mason-Dixon Knitting, and Ann Shayne and Kay Gardiner were there to sign it!!! And Kay gave me some tips on finishing for the Moderne Log Cabin Blanket that I talk about incessantly and someday will start! Ooops, that's right, I meant to post pics of the yarn...next post!
Did you see their cute-as-all-get-out stamp heads????
I bought Mason-Dixon Knitting, and Ann Shayne and Kay Gardiner were there to sign it!!! And Kay gave me some tips on finishing for the Moderne Log Cabin Blanket that I talk about incessantly and someday will start! Ooops, that's right, I meant to post pics of the yarn...next post!
Did you see their cute-as-all-get-out stamp heads????
What *nice* people!
And that was not the only celebrity sighting...we met Jess and Casey of Ravelry on a couple of occasions that day, and, while doing some last minute shopping as the festival closed, we ran into the Yarn Harlot too! Woo hoo! A very heady day in terms of celebrity viewing, and meeting!
It was, put simply, amazing. I still can’t quite put the whole experience into words, though I’ve taken up a page trying :). But I will say one more thing: I can’t thank my friends enough for joining me, they made it so much fun!
And that was not the only celebrity sighting...we met Jess and Casey of Ravelry on a couple of occasions that day, and, while doing some last minute shopping as the festival closed, we ran into the Yarn Harlot too! Woo hoo! A very heady day in terms of celebrity viewing, and meeting!
It was, put simply, amazing. I still can’t quite put the whole experience into words, though I’ve taken up a page trying :). But I will say one more thing: I can’t thank my friends enough for joining me, they made it so much fun!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
The Latest
I've actually done lots of knitting lately but I've been too hypnotized by Ravelry to do any blogging...but I just loaded the pics, forcing my commitment to actually blog today. So, first things first....
I know that you've seen these socks before, in all states of completion, but they came out so pretty in this pic (surprisingly, considering my minimal photographic skills) that I just had to show them off again. Here they are, finally, done :).
Next, these took far longer than I thought they would, mostly because of gauge/needle changes that needed to be made:
Tiny, tiny mittens, fitting a six to nine month old. I used the Baby Nordic Mitts pattern, and I highly recommend it, even though I didn't get the chance to do the colorwork because I was requested to make them in navy blue (in Wendy Peter Pan Double Knit for easy care). They actually came out looking much different from the pattern pic, likely because I ended up using 0's and a DK yarn (instead of 1's and the fingering weight called for in the pattern). The DK yarn and tiny needles resulted in a thick, warm mitten with nice snug cuffs. I love them.
These are Two Needle Cable Baby Booties. So darn cute that they've kind of changed my mind about baby booties! I really love how they turned out. The only alteration I made to the pattern was to rib in needles two sizes smaller than the body to make a more snug-fitting cuff. Actually, four were requested:
And now it's on to two Kids' Earflap Hats to complete the set, using the same Wendy Peter Pan Double Knit in navy blue.
I have in my hot little hands enough Silky Wool to make the Moderne Log Cabin Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting - but alas, no time to do it yet. And I keep forgetting to take pics of it. I'm waiting for some Rowan 4 ply Cotton for another Isabella, and when I get that, I'll take pics of everything. I started a sock for my daughter out of that rockin' Marks and Kattens blue and white cotton that I got from Sami at SnB (see my entry Sock Blocking for a pic). It's knitting up on 1's, so it will be slow going, even for a little one's socks. But it's pretty. I'll post a pic soon...maybe even less than a month from now :).
I know that you've seen these socks before, in all states of completion, but they came out so pretty in this pic (surprisingly, considering my minimal photographic skills) that I just had to show them off again. Here they are, finally, done :).
Next, these took far longer than I thought they would, mostly because of gauge/needle changes that needed to be made:
Tiny, tiny mittens, fitting a six to nine month old. I used the Baby Nordic Mitts pattern, and I highly recommend it, even though I didn't get the chance to do the colorwork because I was requested to make them in navy blue (in Wendy Peter Pan Double Knit for easy care). They actually came out looking much different from the pattern pic, likely because I ended up using 0's and a DK yarn (instead of 1's and the fingering weight called for in the pattern). The DK yarn and tiny needles resulted in a thick, warm mitten with nice snug cuffs. I love them.I can't stand baby booties. But I was asked to make them, so here they are:
These are Two Needle Cable Baby Booties. So darn cute that they've kind of changed my mind about baby booties! I really love how they turned out. The only alteration I made to the pattern was to rib in needles two sizes smaller than the body to make a more snug-fitting cuff. Actually, four were requested:
And now it's on to two Kids' Earflap Hats to complete the set, using the same Wendy Peter Pan Double Knit in navy blue.
I have in my hot little hands enough Silky Wool to make the Moderne Log Cabin Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting - but alas, no time to do it yet. And I keep forgetting to take pics of it. I'm waiting for some Rowan 4 ply Cotton for another Isabella, and when I get that, I'll take pics of everything. I started a sock for my daughter out of that rockin' Marks and Kattens blue and white cotton that I got from Sami at SnB (see my entry Sock Blocking for a pic). It's knitting up on 1's, so it will be slow going, even for a little one's socks. But it's pretty. I'll post a pic soon...maybe even less than a month from now :).
Friday, September 28, 2007
A little Melissa
I have knitting to blog, and I'll put it up very soon. Blame Ravelry (where I am lkmcland)...I've been sucked into the vortex for about a month now. Anyway, for now, Melissa...just because I still like her so much. And Rosie, painting/crafting. I think she started this with her kids, and finished it here:
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Sock Blocking
Look at what I made!
Well, I actually *did* make the socks, and I'm really happy with them, but this is what I was referring to:
I made sock blockers! I made them from wire hangers, using the directions given in Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch Nation (p. 139). They aren't perfect, and after I took the pic I ended up having to clip a part of each sock to the hanger to secure it, but still I think they are quite clever!
Next up, socks for my daughter made out of this rockin' yarn given to me by a fellow SnB'er (thanks, Sami!). I can't wait to start knitting...maybe tonight!
Well, I actually *did* make the socks, and I'm really happy with them, but this is what I was referring to:
I made sock blockers! I made them from wire hangers, using the directions given in Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch Nation (p. 139). They aren't perfect, and after I took the pic I ended up having to clip a part of each sock to the hanger to secure it, but still I think they are quite clever!
Next up, socks for my daughter made out of this rockin' yarn given to me by a fellow SnB'er (thanks, Sami!). I can't wait to start knitting...maybe tonight!
Here's a closer pic of the swatch I made. These socks are going to be so cute!
Also in line is yet another Isabella, this time with short sleeves and in a muted green, I think, at the request of my partner. I'm also seriously considering knitting the Moderne Log Cabin Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting (pp. 77-79), in the actual costly Silky Wool that the pattern calls for. I just might do it, although both I and my budget are hearing that Swish Superwash from Knitpicks calling us, *very* loudly.
Also in line is yet another Isabella, this time with short sleeves and in a muted green, I think, at the request of my partner. I'm also seriously considering knitting the Moderne Log Cabin Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting (pp. 77-79), in the actual costly Silky Wool that the pattern calls for. I just might do it, although both I and my budget are hearing that Swish Superwash from Knitpicks calling us, *very* loudly.
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