Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Ok, first off, who has mastered 2 color shaker rib? Because I sure as hell haven't. I'll redo my swatch yet again and post pictures of what I'm doing soon. Hopefully this week. I'm going off of the info. in Katerina Buss's Big Book of Knitting if that helps any...

In other knitting news... well, it's Christmas, and you never know who reads these things, so specific details (and pictures) might be on hold for the next month...

I will say this though... Plymouth Baby Alpace Grande... oh baby... this person better realize how much I love them. I just want to wrap myself in this yarn and sleep for a million years. In fact, after Christmas, I might make myself something out of this, because wow. yum.

This is also a sewing week, as Messiah is this weekend and I need a dress that goes to my instep. At 5'9" this is not the easiest thing in the world to find. Now, I am knitting diva, not a sewing diva. Not a complete sewing dunce, but I will say that I sought out the "Very Easy Vogue" patterns!!! Luckily all of Jo-Ann's was on sale, so I gots me a nice new pair of scissors for cheap! Schweet. Now, if only I had a serger... mmmm... serger...

Ah, going to the fabric store reminded me of so many things... when I was a kid my mom and I used to go to the fabric store and I'd sit on a chair with my feet dangling, leafing through the books of patterns for a new dress or Halloween costume and then Mom would take me over to the big file drawers and we'd rifle through to find the pattern... also, of when Ellie and I would drive to Newton's Super Wal-Mart when we decided we needed fabric at midnight and then no one was working to cut our fabric so she had to teach the electronics guy how to cut fabric and use the scanny thing to get a price tag... or even my Saturday's at Sew-In when I got to cut fabric, which we sold by the meter and yard and the customer had to decide which one they wanted.

I don't know what it is about crafts that make people so nostolgic. I've noticed it with knitting before. (Knit on a bus sometime. The amount of homeless guys who get choked up and talk about how their mom s used to knit is astounding.) But last night when I got home, Dan pulled out my new (huge!) tomato pin cushion, with the mini-tomato dangling off the end and his eyes lit up as he exclaimed "I've ALWAYS wanted one of these! Especially with the little dangly one!"

Wednesday, November 24, 2004


Daria Skein

Finished bag 2

Finished bag! Yay!

close up of random patterning...

Other side

Daria bag side

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Hmmm. I was in the middle of posting and my browser randomly shut down somehow...

Anyway, back from a fun time in Atlanta. Lots of Diva-dom. Lots of Colin Firth. Lots of knitting. mmmmmm.... Colin Firth....

Anyway, am putting wrap with sleeves on hold for a wee bit as a knit up a bag with some Noro Daria for the shop. Pictures will come tonight, crazy stuff, this Daria! It's a cord, cotton wrapped with rayon, in cool variagated colors (I mean, it is Noro). There's also something with how it's knitting up. It's making some funky patterns which have everything to do with stitches and gauge and not the yarn, but it's funky. It's heavy when knit up as well. My husband said it looked like pink chain mail! It takes some time to get used to.

Here's some words of wisdom: Daria does NOT want to be a center pull ball. nu-uh, no way jose. In fact, it really doesn't like being in a ball at all!!!! Winding this stuff is a bitch and a half. But worth it. Really worth it.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Yay! Pictures!

Ok, so I found the cord last night. Then I went to transfer pictures and it wouldn't work...

Me: Why won't this work
Dan: Do you have the software loaded?
Me: Erm...

Tonight. I found the software. Yay! Why can't I open my CD drive. Wait. I don't have a CD drive. I took it out to put the battery in. Where the hell is my CD drive. Erm.

Found CD drive! Yay!

Ok, so now there are pictures! Of Top Dog from Erika Knight's Simple Knits for Little Cherubs in Rowan Summer Tweed. Of baby bonnets from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. (It took 2 skeins of Rowan Kid Classic. There was some green left but I used all the red). 2 are as the pattern is written, and one only has 2 ridges of garter, then an attached I-cord at the bottom. I kinda like this one better.

And of my pirate sweater from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits for Tiny Tots. Sorry it's sideways. I used Takhi Cotton Classic. It was for an auction at Knit A Round to raise money for breast cancer research...

mango moon

Doggie face Posted by Hello

Doggie top view Posted by Hello

Baby Bonnet as written Posted by Hello

Baby Bonnet pattern as written Posted by Hello

Baby Bonnet with I-cord Posted by Hello

Pirate Sweater Posted by Hello

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Ok, I figured out what was up with the Rowan linking issue... I messed up the code for the Peace Fleece link, which messed up the Rowan link. (I finally figured it out when I realized the Peace Fleece link wasn't visible....)

ah well. silly me. back to work.
Not a lot of knitting yesterday... just a few more rows on the wrap with sleeves...

I didn't even get a chance to look for the cord so I could get some pictures posted. Tonight, however, I have no plans other than posting pictures and knitting away.

But, I put some more links up and organized that bar a bit, but I can't figure out why the Rowan link isn't, well, linking. (But move your cursor over it, it'll "light up" like a link.... weird...). I've quadruple-checked the code and I didn't leave anything weird out. It also appears the Rowan website is having some issues. Either that, or they've miraculously dis-enrolled me. ugh.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Wow! 11 days, no post. My bad.

Anyway, all the baby bonnets are done. Doggie's done. A trio of airy scarves are done (Ok, 2 need their ends sewn in yet). And pictures have been taken! Now, if I could only find the cord that links my camera to my computer so I could download said pictures and share them with all of you!

So, I'm back to work on my wrap with sleeves. Only about a foot more of the wrap bit to go, and then I'm on to the sleeves! I'm so excited. A foot of brioche stitch is a bit daunting, but, when you consider that I've already knit at least 5 feet of brioche stitch... and the sleeves are a nice stockinette! Yay!

Oh, and tomorrow I have a meeting with the activities director of the North Campus Commons here at Uni. of Michigan, to set up a mini-course I'm going to teach this winter! I'm so excited! Plus, class schedules for Knit-A-Round are being worked on, and I'm picking up some more advanced classes. Carrie might even hand over Math for Knitters!

Thursday, November 04, 2004

So, I'm knitting 3 bonnets. They have 5 rows of garter edging around the bottom. The red ran out half way through the second row, so I ripped out the half row and did an applied I-cord border around the bottom (plus the I cord around the edge and for the ties)... very nice... will block and weave in ends on all of them tonight and then pop 'em in the mail tomorrow, hopefully!

Oh! I need to get to Michaels to get stuffing for the doggie, though... and then back to that beautiful wrap from Rebecca.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

I thought that 2 balls of Kid Classic would make me 4 bonnets (2 red with green trim, 2 green with red trim). Sadly, the ball of red ended with 3 rows of bottom edging to go (plus about 18 inches of 3-st I-cord for the green bonnet trim). sigh

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

First baby was a boy! Bonnets need to go in the mail tomorrow! I need to finish knitting them! But, of course, I have this overwhelming urge to knit something else for him as well... must... resist... urge... to... stop... at... yarn... store... on... way... home... from... work...
Check it out boys and girls... links...

I'm really out of the knitting blog loop, so I'm totally up for some good recomendations!

Also, a shout out to Miss Marcy for making her first non-rectangular knitting project.

trying to add a link bar... but no matter where I stick it into the template code it WILL NOT SHOW. ugh.
NOW! With Comments!
So, today I knew I'd be waiting in live forever to vote. So I took the baby bonnet I'm working on--might as well be productive, right?

Well, so I'm knitting away, with the ball of yarn in my coat pocket and they realize that 75% of the line's last name starts with A-M, and all the N-Z people get a bit fastracked, because there's no one checking in there, so I run over to the other line to get my ballot, and my yarn falls, but I don't know this. Luckily, some nice lady picks it up, and holds onto it, but doesn't chase me, because she doesn't want to lose her place (I still have my needles). I kinda turn, and see that I've tangled a long line of people up in my cherry red Kid Classic.

Luckily people laughed, because the lines were all crazy and there weren't any barriers to kinda mark one line from the other (2 different precints vote at my polling place) and they all thought I had to right idea...

Lots of knitting planned while watching results come in... luckily baby bonnets are small and quick-- hopefully my tension won't change too much during the process. I don't want to have to rip 'em all out tomorrow!

Monday, November 01, 2004

Hello my lovlies!

Well, now that the mothers-to-be have gone into labor, I better finish busting out those cute baby things I've been knitting!!!

The favorite baby item is the Kid Classic baby bonnet from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, one of the new books I just bought. Lots of cool, yet easy patterns, arranged in chapters by time needed to complete the project-- 2-4 hours, 4-6 hours etc, so you can chose a project depending on how just last minute you are. And can just say again that I LOVE these baby bonnets! Oh! So cute! And you can make several from the 2 balls of yarn you have to buy. At least 3, maybe 4. When I've used up my yarn, I'll let you know!

I'm also knitting the stuffed dog from Erika Knight's Simple Knits for Little Cherubs or something like that. Erika Knight is my favorite designer. Check out her home books-- Simple Knits for Easy Living (I think the US edition title might be different...) Simple Crochet for the Home (something like that) and Simple Knits with a Twist very unexpected and really cool.

Anyway, the dog's for my knitting teacher's daughter. The girl who taught me to knit is in labor, so I've been whipping out baby bonnets for the new baby, but I thought I should knit something for the toddler that's already there!

When they're done, I'll post some pictures. Because Blogger changed so I can do that now. Plus, I now have a digital camera, which make it really easy.

And here's a big shout-out to Miss Mary for noticing ASAP that the blog has been resurected. I'll be knitting with you in less than 3 weeks! yippee!