Changed the template, things now work... I'll have to update soon... but after I actually write this midterm...
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Saturday, July 12, 2003
Friday, July 11, 2003
Woo-hoo! Back from England (good on some levels, bad on many more)
But back from England means BACK TO THE LAND OF BROADBAND... my father's wireless network makes me drool. And we'll have one in our flat in Ann Arbor next year... sweet... (by "we" I mean my husband and I, not my dad and I)
Anyway...
Current projects:
Man City argyle socks
Watermark sweater
Damn wedding shawls
Jessi's top (a year!)
German socks
Finished:
Really cool Raglan that I never told you about
That's about it
Projects that need fixing:
I need to add new clasps to my Norweigan cardigan
The Green Rib Sweater just doesn't fit right. I need to rip the whole thing.
Ditto with the ocean sweater. It's baggy. I want it to be fitted. It has a cowl neck. I want a boat neck.
I need to find my red cotton yarn and add a few rows to the end of my 3/4 sleeve sweater from last sweater and hem it, because I cannot block that damn bottom curl out.
Need to redo the top of the one German sock that I had finished
Projects on the horizon:
Vogue Knitting Map of the World Afghan
Modified version on Erika Knight's squares afghan (from Simple Knits for Easy Living) to use up all that Chunky Woolease
Black Kidsilk Haze Surplice Sweater
Poison kidsilk haze turtleneck from that Rowan mag with all the kidsilk haze stuff in it (Winter 01?)
More socks.
Promises from last time:
The Great Gauge Swatch Debacle (or, why I started my Watermark sweater 4 times)
When you figure out how big your sweater is by your bust measurement, but are knitting it in the flat, you must divide by 2.
When you know how many stitches are in 2 inches, and want to figure out how many stitches are in an inch, you must divide by 2.
NOW The trick is, when you do both of the above, you must divide by 2 TWICE and then multiply the numbers together to figure out how many stitches to cast on. I consider myself a fairly advanced knitter. I had to cast on and knit an inch or 2 FOUR TIMES before figuring this out. Someone should take my needles away. I don't deserve them.
Book Reviews
Hollywood Knits by Suss Collins
This book would need to be bigger than the new Harry Potter to contain all of Suss's massive massive ego. A book about Hollywood knitting will have name dropping. Every other word is a bit excessive, as with every photograph, but still. ON THE OTHER HAND, someone needs to tell Suss that she did not invent the basic steps of knitting, as all the diagrams (the same ones you find in any how-to-knit book) are labeled "Suss Step 1" "Suss Step 2" etc. That, and she takes full credit for the recent knitting craze because of her um, interesting, sweaters she knit for Bill Cosby during The Cosby Show. Yeah, because those made me want to pick up my needles.
BUT, oh drool over that orange turtleneck she designed for Velma to wear in the live action Scooby Doo. These designs are cool. I just don't want to feed her massive ego by acutally buying the book, though. Luckily my library has it!
More book reviews soon (probably tomorrow-- I'm unemployed and pathetic)
But back from England means BACK TO THE LAND OF BROADBAND... my father's wireless network makes me drool. And we'll have one in our flat in Ann Arbor next year... sweet... (by "we" I mean my husband and I, not my dad and I)
Anyway...
Current projects:
Man City argyle socks
Watermark sweater
Damn wedding shawls
Jessi's top (a year!)
German socks
Finished:
Really cool Raglan that I never told you about
That's about it
Projects that need fixing:
I need to add new clasps to my Norweigan cardigan
The Green Rib Sweater just doesn't fit right. I need to rip the whole thing.
Ditto with the ocean sweater. It's baggy. I want it to be fitted. It has a cowl neck. I want a boat neck.
I need to find my red cotton yarn and add a few rows to the end of my 3/4 sleeve sweater from last sweater and hem it, because I cannot block that damn bottom curl out.
Need to redo the top of the one German sock that I had finished
Projects on the horizon:
Vogue Knitting Map of the World Afghan
Modified version on Erika Knight's squares afghan (from Simple Knits for Easy Living) to use up all that Chunky Woolease
Black Kidsilk Haze Surplice Sweater
Poison kidsilk haze turtleneck from that Rowan mag with all the kidsilk haze stuff in it (Winter 01?)
More socks.
Promises from last time:
The Great Gauge Swatch Debacle (or, why I started my Watermark sweater 4 times)
When you figure out how big your sweater is by your bust measurement, but are knitting it in the flat, you must divide by 2.
When you know how many stitches are in 2 inches, and want to figure out how many stitches are in an inch, you must divide by 2.
NOW The trick is, when you do both of the above, you must divide by 2 TWICE and then multiply the numbers together to figure out how many stitches to cast on. I consider myself a fairly advanced knitter. I had to cast on and knit an inch or 2 FOUR TIMES before figuring this out. Someone should take my needles away. I don't deserve them.
Book Reviews
Hollywood Knits by Suss Collins
This book would need to be bigger than the new Harry Potter to contain all of Suss's massive massive ego. A book about Hollywood knitting will have name dropping. Every other word is a bit excessive, as with every photograph, but still. ON THE OTHER HAND, someone needs to tell Suss that she did not invent the basic steps of knitting, as all the diagrams (the same ones you find in any how-to-knit book) are labeled "Suss Step 1" "Suss Step 2" etc. That, and she takes full credit for the recent knitting craze because of her um, interesting, sweaters she knit for Bill Cosby during The Cosby Show. Yeah, because those made me want to pick up my needles.
BUT, oh drool over that orange turtleneck she designed for Velma to wear in the live action Scooby Doo. These designs are cool. I just don't want to feed her massive ego by acutally buying the book, though. Luckily my library has it!
More book reviews soon (probably tomorrow-- I'm unemployed and pathetic)
Monday, February 24, 2003
Wow... people actually read this thing and email me, asking me to update... who knew??
Anyway... lots of knitting.
For the wedding I had completed 1 black shawl and 2 1/3 red ones, so, the flower girl wore hers and my sister (maid of honor) wore hers (which had the most beadwork) the others will get their's sometime in July.
Oh yeah, the wedding was PERFECT. Except for that little bit where I thought the minister was done talking and leaned in for my kiss, but everyone else realized he was just taking a breath. It put everyone in a light-hearted mood for the party. Dan and I really couldn't have asked for anything more.
AND! Dan's cousin gave us a weekend's accomadation at 4 star B & Bs in Scotland for our present and Dan won 2 first class tickets on Virgin trains, so we went up on Valentine's Day weekend. Scotland = land of yummy wool and SO MANY FREAKING KNIT WEAR STORES ON THE ROYAL MILE!!!! Very cool. I got sooooooooooooo much Shetland Wool and am using it for my next project-- the Watermark Sweater.
Watermark is the first track on Enya's album by the same name. It's a pretty simple piano solo, so I have 9 shades of blues, one for each note, one for rests and one for accidentals. Each 1/8 note is a stripe, but I'm doubling up the yarn, so it's 2 notes in a stripe, in linen stitch so it undulates a bit. I'm 3.5 measures and 2.5 inches in and so far, so good!
Done projects:
Jessi's scarf
La Lana Hat (bit small. damnit)
Becca's scarf
Jessi's tank top would be done, but I left one of th pieces in England when I went home. Gargh.
The green sweater is almost done. It was done, but 2 inches too short, so I knit 2 more inches, took out the cast-on row and am trying to graft the 2 together. In rib. I got mad at it and put it back on time-out.
I'm teaching my housemates to knit! Kate had skill envy and Jenny's thought it would be a good cure for her quest for the perfect jumper.
Dan needs to computer. Topics for next time: Book Reviews of Hollywood Knits and The Anarchist Knitter and Hip Knits, and The Knitting Experience: The Knit Stitch. The great gauge swatch debacle of the Watermark sweater (or, why I started 4 times). Upcoming project ideas.
Toodles!
Anyway... lots of knitting.
For the wedding I had completed 1 black shawl and 2 1/3 red ones, so, the flower girl wore hers and my sister (maid of honor) wore hers (which had the most beadwork) the others will get their's sometime in July.
Oh yeah, the wedding was PERFECT. Except for that little bit where I thought the minister was done talking and leaned in for my kiss, but everyone else realized he was just taking a breath. It put everyone in a light-hearted mood for the party. Dan and I really couldn't have asked for anything more.
AND! Dan's cousin gave us a weekend's accomadation at 4 star B & Bs in Scotland for our present and Dan won 2 first class tickets on Virgin trains, so we went up on Valentine's Day weekend. Scotland = land of yummy wool and SO MANY FREAKING KNIT WEAR STORES ON THE ROYAL MILE!!!! Very cool. I got sooooooooooooo much Shetland Wool and am using it for my next project-- the Watermark Sweater.
Watermark is the first track on Enya's album by the same name. It's a pretty simple piano solo, so I have 9 shades of blues, one for each note, one for rests and one for accidentals. Each 1/8 note is a stripe, but I'm doubling up the yarn, so it's 2 notes in a stripe, in linen stitch so it undulates a bit. I'm 3.5 measures and 2.5 inches in and so far, so good!
Done projects:
Jessi's scarf
La Lana Hat (bit small. damnit)
Becca's scarf
Jessi's tank top would be done, but I left one of th pieces in England when I went home. Gargh.
The green sweater is almost done. It was done, but 2 inches too short, so I knit 2 more inches, took out the cast-on row and am trying to graft the 2 together. In rib. I got mad at it and put it back on time-out.
I'm teaching my housemates to knit! Kate had skill envy and Jenny's thought it would be a good cure for her quest for the perfect jumper.
Dan needs to computer. Topics for next time: Book Reviews of Hollywood Knits and The Anarchist Knitter and Hip Knits, and The Knitting Experience: The Knit Stitch. The great gauge swatch debacle of the Watermark sweater (or, why I started 4 times). Upcoming project ideas.
Toodles!
Thursday, January 02, 2003
OK, so I will never ever ever ever ever get these damn shawls knitted in time for my wedding.
I have to knit 4 red and 1 black. I have 1 2/3 red and 1 black. The one completed red shawl has different beading than the other red ones, as I cut down on the number of beads used in an attempt to make them knit faster, which it did, but not fast enough. Damnit.
Then on New Year's Eve I SAT on my project and snapped one of the needles, so I had to buy new ones today. And other things I don't have money for... sigh
I have to knit 4 red and 1 black. I have 1 2/3 red and 1 black. The one completed red shawl has different beading than the other red ones, as I cut down on the number of beads used in an attempt to make them knit faster, which it did, but not fast enough. Damnit.
Then on New Year's Eve I SAT on my project and snapped one of the needles, so I had to buy new ones today. And other things I don't have money for... sigh
Saturday, December 21, 2002
Guess what!!!
I do still exsist. New job (not so new anymore) takes up a lot of time-- knitting takes up the rest!!!
Finished projects-
My half gloves from La Lana Wools
A ribbed scarf (it got cold) in Rowan chunky chenille
Almost finished projects (all the knitting's done, just need to sew seams, weave ends, etc)
Jessi's scarf
Jessi's tank top
La Lana Hat
1 shawl
Becca's scarf
1 sock
Still working on wedding shawls and the infamous green sweater... sigh...
I do still exsist. New job (not so new anymore) takes up a lot of time-- knitting takes up the rest!!!
Finished projects-
My half gloves from La Lana Wools
A ribbed scarf (it got cold) in Rowan chunky chenille
Almost finished projects (all the knitting's done, just need to sew seams, weave ends, etc)
Jessi's scarf
Jessi's tank top
La Lana Hat
1 shawl
Becca's scarf
1 sock
Still working on wedding shawls and the infamous green sweater... sigh...
Thursday, September 19, 2002
beaded knitting is crazy. All I ever seem to do is push the beads further down the wool so I actually have some wool to knit with.
Lace on big needles is fun. My yarn broke 3 times in the past 2 days and beads went flying all over. GARGH!
8 more hours and I will no longer be a travel agent. Woo-Hoo!
Lace on big needles is fun. My yarn broke 3 times in the past 2 days and beads went flying all over. GARGH!
8 more hours and I will no longer be a travel agent. Woo-Hoo!
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Kidsilk has arrived, employee discount has kicked in, AND I now have keys to the store. Woo-Hoo!
In non-knitting news... my time as a travel agent is coming to a close as I just got a job as office assistant at the big concert hall...
I love my library work.
I wish I worked at the wool store full time.
In non-knitting news... my time as a travel agent is coming to a close as I just got a job as office assistant at the big concert hall...
I love my library work.
I wish I worked at the wool store full time.
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Libby Shell done and handed in and I got paid for it! YAY!
EXCEPT-- my boss pays £1.75 per 50 grams used, not market price of 15pence/meter (or 15cents/yard in the states). (and of course cost of materials is above and beyond, but my materials were provided, so I don't worry about that for this random story) So I should have been paid £24 and instead got £12. Not that big of deal when you consider that a sweater made from Rowan's cork would be worth £132 and only get £14.... hmmmm...
not that I really mind, because I'm not trying to eat with this money, but it makes me wonder what I'm doing to the market, you know?
EXCEPT-- my boss pays £1.75 per 50 grams used, not market price of 15pence/meter (or 15cents/yard in the states). (and of course cost of materials is above and beyond, but my materials were provided, so I don't worry about that for this random story) So I should have been paid £24 and instead got £12. Not that big of deal when you consider that a sweater made from Rowan's cork would be worth £132 and only get £14.... hmmmm...
not that I really mind, because I'm not trying to eat with this money, but it makes me wonder what I'm doing to the market, you know?
Sunday, September 01, 2002
More body accomplished on Jessi's tank
Kidsilk orderded from LYS for the shawls and the Maggie turtleneck in last winter's Rowan mag.
Libby shell (not cardigan, I'm dumb) has been blocked, collar has been knitted, and now just needs to be sewn together.
Now, I knit the front and the back seperately, made of Rowan's Biggy Print, which is a varigated thick-n-thin yarn. Now it thick-n-thinned very nicely on the back but the front tended to thin with odd patches of big. When this goes up in the window display, I hope we display it backwards. Why the hell did it do that? Gargh.
Kidsilk orderded from LYS for the shawls and the Maggie turtleneck in last winter's Rowan mag.
Libby shell (not cardigan, I'm dumb) has been blocked, collar has been knitted, and now just needs to be sewn together.
Now, I knit the front and the back seperately, made of Rowan's Biggy Print, which is a varigated thick-n-thin yarn. Now it thick-n-thinned very nicely on the back but the front tended to thin with odd patches of big. When this goes up in the window display, I hope we display it backwards. Why the hell did it do that? Gargh.
Friday, August 30, 2002
Gah! It's been a long time since posting. Sorry. I've also been weeks behind in reading my email as well.
Me (non knitting) Volunteering at a cool library in the mornings. Being a shitty travel agent afternoons/evenings.
Me (knitting) Working at yarn store on Sat. afternoons and getting paid in cash at the end of the day (this gets a big YAY because the British will not let me open a bank account, nor will the let me cash my paycheck unless I have a bank account, so I have lots of money, just no way to access it. It's very frustrating.)
Project wise--gloves are done, everything's just waiting to be blocked...
Am working on a pair of toe-up socks in really nice yarn Dan bought me whilst backpacking through Europe. They fit nicely in my purse
Also on the needles is a Rowan's Libby Cardigan in super chunky wool (the back for a size adult medium only takes 34 stitches. The back took me 1/2 hour to knit. Literally.) This isn't for me, but for the window display in the shop (so now knitting is work. YAY)
Jessi's tank top is making good progress. Booby cups are done, I-cord is almost done, have also started on the body
Swatching swatching swatching for stoles for my bridesmaids because I'm getting married on January 11th! yay we set the date!
Also, on Tuesday I need to call the lady from Rowan and see about a possible job as a design consultant. YAY!
Me (non knitting) Volunteering at a cool library in the mornings. Being a shitty travel agent afternoons/evenings.
Me (knitting) Working at yarn store on Sat. afternoons and getting paid in cash at the end of the day (this gets a big YAY because the British will not let me open a bank account, nor will the let me cash my paycheck unless I have a bank account, so I have lots of money, just no way to access it. It's very frustrating.)
Project wise--gloves are done, everything's just waiting to be blocked...
Am working on a pair of toe-up socks in really nice yarn Dan bought me whilst backpacking through Europe. They fit nicely in my purse
Also on the needles is a Rowan's Libby Cardigan in super chunky wool (the back for a size adult medium only takes 34 stitches. The back took me 1/2 hour to knit. Literally.) This isn't for me, but for the window display in the shop (so now knitting is work. YAY)
Jessi's tank top is making good progress. Booby cups are done, I-cord is almost done, have also started on the body
Swatching swatching swatching for stoles for my bridesmaids because I'm getting married on January 11th! yay we set the date!
Also, on Tuesday I need to call the lady from Rowan and see about a possible job as a design consultant. YAY!
Wednesday, August 07, 2002
So, I skipped the selvedge stitch on the gloves, but then I missed some increases and I wasn't sure where, so I ripped the damn thing and started over...
anyway, it's really pretty, cause I'm done with it now. The second one is 1/2 way done.
The yarn store will give me a few afternoons when they get busy again. Meanwhile, I'm a travel agent. Ugh.
But I was raving about the Lalana on KnitU and I asked the lady if I could come work for her. She emailed me back today saying that they always needed help and where did I live? Sigh. England's a really far commute from New Mexico.
anyway, it's really pretty, cause I'm done with it now. The second one is 1/2 way done.
The yarn store will give me a few afternoons when they get busy again. Meanwhile, I'm a travel agent. Ugh.
But I was raving about the Lalana on KnitU and I asked the lady if I could come work for her. She emailed me back today saying that they always needed help and where did I live? Sigh. England's a really far commute from New Mexico.
Friday, August 02, 2002
So I finished the second boob cup for Jessi's tank and decided to take a break and tackle that wonderous Lalana wool.
Yum. This stuff is amazing. I did almost all of the fez, changed the ending, decided I didn't like it and should just do the pattern as written, got really paranoid about having enough yarn and decided to to the gloves, then go back and do the hat with the yarn left.
I didn't read the part of the pattern that says there's a selvidge stitch on one side that isn't included in the patterning but IS included in the stitch counts, so I autocorrected and was too lazy to rip and correct when I realized my autocorrect was actually a mistake. Blah. So my seams might not be as pretty as can be. Sod it. The freize stitch pattern sure is pretty though and fun to knit in that challenging but doable sort of way. (It's adapented from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury)
Dan comes back tomorrow. YAY!
I miss the axis of diva.
Yum. This stuff is amazing. I did almost all of the fez, changed the ending, decided I didn't like it and should just do the pattern as written, got really paranoid about having enough yarn and decided to to the gloves, then go back and do the hat with the yarn left.
I didn't read the part of the pattern that says there's a selvidge stitch on one side that isn't included in the patterning but IS included in the stitch counts, so I autocorrected and was too lazy to rip and correct when I realized my autocorrect was actually a mistake. Blah. So my seams might not be as pretty as can be. Sod it. The freize stitch pattern sure is pretty though and fun to knit in that challenging but doable sort of way. (It's adapented from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury)
Dan comes back tomorrow. YAY!
I miss the axis of diva.
Wednesday, July 31, 2002
6 people, 1 phone line, and only dial-up access make for very sporadic and limited online time. sigh.
Anyway, Jessi's scarf is done and I'm almost done with the second boob cup of her tank top! YAY!
I'm going down to that yarn store on Friday to see if they can hook me up, otherwise I'm staying here in temping limbo. Actually, it should be OK as a temp. Decent money, it's just a matter if they find something for me next week or not. Hopefully I can get steady work, because I really hate this state of financial desperation.
Anyway, Jessi's scarf is done and I'm almost done with the second boob cup of her tank top! YAY!
I'm going down to that yarn store on Friday to see if they can hook me up, otherwise I'm staying here in temping limbo. Actually, it should be OK as a temp. Decent money, it's just a matter if they find something for me next week or not. Hopefully I can get steady work, because I really hate this state of financial desperation.
Monday, July 22, 2002
OK! I'm in England! YAY...
I was reading Cosmo on the plane (yeah yeah yeah, I know) and it had this summer's what's hot, what's not list. Under "cool secret home hobby" beading was hot, knitting was not. whatever.
Also, you cannot knit on AirCanada yet. It still has pictures of knitting needles on all the signs of what you're not allowed to bring on and while getting my bags randomly searched at the gate, the man asked me if I had the needles to go with the yarn he found. He was happy when I told them I checked them, because he didn't want to confiscate them, but he wouldn've had to. Anyway, he then asked if I had made the sweater I was wearing (my new red one) and I said yes and he was very impressed and even repacked my bag for me. Oh yeah.
Do you know who should write a blog that I would read religiously? Jessi. That's who. You know who you are.
I was reading Cosmo on the plane (yeah yeah yeah, I know) and it had this summer's what's hot, what's not list. Under "cool secret home hobby" beading was hot, knitting was not. whatever.
Also, you cannot knit on AirCanada yet. It still has pictures of knitting needles on all the signs of what you're not allowed to bring on and while getting my bags randomly searched at the gate, the man asked me if I had the needles to go with the yarn he found. He was happy when I told them I checked them, because he didn't want to confiscate them, but he wouldn've had to. Anyway, he then asked if I had made the sweater I was wearing (my new red one) and I said yes and he was very impressed and even repacked my bag for me. Oh yeah.
Do you know who should write a blog that I would read religiously? Jessi. That's who. You know who you are.
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
Sweater is done (and lovely. Especially with my fab new glasses)
Vest is designed for mom (and she understood my pattern! even better)
And I made carry-on bag custom made for my size allowance AND it will be the coolest knitting bag when I get off the plane and am allowed to put knitting needles in it, because I built in a needle case in the lining.
Mmm-mmm. I rule.
Wait, I still haven't packed and I leave in 11.5 hours. Hmmm....
Vest is designed for mom (and she understood my pattern! even better)
And I made carry-on bag custom made for my size allowance AND it will be the coolest knitting bag when I get off the plane and am allowed to put knitting needles in it, because I built in a needle case in the lining.
Mmm-mmm. I rule.
Wait, I still haven't packed and I leave in 11.5 hours. Hmmm....
Tuesday, July 16, 2002
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